A/N: Hey, everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic Halloween! And I hope you all got yourselves and/or your children or young relatives some delicious batches of candy and chocolate! Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, I personally decided not to partake in it this year, not even to give any visiting children some treats at my doorway. Oh, the things that I do to stay COVID-free. :'(

Anyway, I just can't hit the breaks with this story! I have got so much stuff lying around in my brain, ready for use here, and it is just too much for me to bear! I'm just that excited over the story! So, I was able to dish out this chapter, which I'm sure all of you will find quite enjoyable! For those of you who don't know what the heck I'm talking about, well, keep reading, and you'll see... ;D ;D ;D

Alright, enough yapping! On with the chapter. ENJOY!

P.S.: For updates regarding progress on my writing and just life in general, please check out my profile! I try to update it as often as I possibly can with any status update!

P.P.S.: Due to the slowly improving situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak, I am going to have to remind you all about the basic steps you should take if you want to stay healthy, courtesy of my university's reminder emails:

-Wash hands often with soap and water for 20-30 seconds at a time, and/or use hand sanitizer
-Avoid close contact with people who are sick
-Keep your hands away from nose, eyes, and mouth (I can't imagine how difficult this part is probably going to be)
-Eat well, get adequate rest, and exercise regularly
-Get a flu shot if you haven't already and are able to
-Stay informed on the COVID-19 vaccines, get shots if you're able to, and try to get a booster shot if you're eligible

And if you ARE sick (I hope you get better if you are), please be a good sport and save other folks the trouble of getting sick. You can do this by:

-Covering your mouth and nose with your sleeve, elbow, or a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough
-Not sharing food and drinks with others
-Avoiding touching your mouth, nose, and eyes (Again, I understand this is probably going to be difficult)
-Avoiding close contact with others
-Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects
-Staying at home if you're unwell (PRIORITY NUMBER ONE!)
-Staying calm and keeping yourself well-informed (My personal advice)

If you already know this, then great! If you didn't know any of this beforehand, please keep that information in mind as we all go through this trying time. It's a realm of unknowns at this point, and I wish myself and all of humanity well.

"PHEW! Well, now that was a long day!"

Izuku watched in slight embarrassment as Itsuka collapsed on the living room sofa and wiped her forehead of the sweat residue coating the skin. After an amicable but somewhat stilted dinner with their entire class, the two assigned monitors had seen their classmates off and verified that they had all gone to sleep, per Aizawa's instructions.

"I-I guess it was," Izuku replied while nervously twiddling his fingers.

Itsuka glanced at her partner. "Huh? You're not tired?"

"W-Well..." Izuku pursed his lips an uncomfortable semi-grimace. "Th-This is my first time w-watching over a cl-class like that... I think I just watched you watch over the class for the most part..."

The redhead straightened up in her posture. "Oh, yeah. You don't have a lot of experience in that kind of stuff. You know, Iida told me that you were class president for less than a day."

Izuku perked up in further embarrassment. "I-Iida told you about that?!"

"Of course! We're the presidents of our respective classes, after all. We have to meet up sometimes to discuss inter-class activities." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You know, he brought up how he came to be 1-A's president when we met after the Sports Festival."

"O-Oh..." The viridescent boy blinked slowly. "W-Wh-What'd he say about me then...?"

"He said you were so humble about the position, and especially with transferring your duties to him. But not much else."

Izuku blinked again, more quickly this time. "Not much else?"

Itsuka briefly grinned at him in amusement. "Well, it was a meeting between class presidents, after all. Not your casual get-together. We had other stuff to focus on. Buuut..." She scanned Izuku from head to toe, causing him to blush. "From what I can tell, I feel like he's under the impression that you didn't have to do that."

He was surprised by this. "He thinks so?"

"Hey, it's my guess, not his. Don't quote me on that, Midoriya. Even so..." She smiled slyly at him. "I think you would've made a fine class president."

Izuku's eyes widened. "You...You think so...?"

"Hey, who's the one who told you about your inspirational qualities?!"

He just chuckled in embarrassment.

"And it seems like fate or the gods or what-have-you is just as convinced as I am, now that it's trying to get you back on the path of supervising an entire class. So!" The redhead stuck up an index finger. "You better man up and step up to the plate! We're in for quite a week! And Aizawa-sensei's expecting a lot from us, so you gotta be ready to contribute to our report when he comes by later on!"

Hearing that from Itsuka caused Izuku's heart to beat faster in apprehension. "B-But...w-what if I don't do well?"

"With what? With everything?"

"Y-Yeah! W-What if I screw up and make relations between our classes even worse?! What if-?!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down there, Midoriya!" Itsuka interrupted. She stood up and approached the freckled boy, her ever-so-friendly smile still in place. "You're not gonna be alone in this. I'll be there to help you every step of the way. I'll even hold your hand if I have to!"

Izuku blushed in embarrassment at that, but she didn't notice.

"Remember, I've got experience in keeping a bunch of teens in line twenty-four seven."

Izuku briefly chuckled at the description, then he said, "You make it sound like you're a nursery teacher or something..."

She cracked a small smile of amusement in response. "You know what? It's kind of that way sometimes in my class. You should ask Iida about that too. I bet you he feels the exact same way."

"Maybe I should..."

Itsuka crossed her arms. "And that's why you shouldn't take class presidents for granted, Midoriya! We work our butts off every day, making sure our classmates don't cross any lines and make life a nightmare for our teachers, not to mention each other!"

"After that dinner our classes just had, I couldn't agree more..."

Izuku recoiled at the thought of the aforementioned dinner. Most of their classmates got along nicely, but there were still clear holdouts in Neito, Yui, Mina, Ibara, Mezo, and Pony. And then there was the troublemaking duo of Minoru and Kosei, who spent every other minute either making lascivious jokes or finding increasingly creative ways to try and peek up the girls' skirts...

"Just because our two classes are getting all buddy-buddy with one another, it doesn't mean we're in this to make pen-pals. At the end of the day, we're still your sworn rivals, and that's the mindset that's going to permeate our minds for the entirety of this week."

"For the sake of this little 'exercise', I won't spoil all the details. But...for now, I must advise you, Midoriya, don't you dare underestimate my class...unless you want your place as the main character usurped."

Worry filled Izuku's face, and he lowered his head slightly, his gaze distant.

"Uhhh, Kendo...?" he asked.

Itsuka's face softened at the tone of her partner's voice. "Yeah?"

"I-It's not like w-we're not doing well, b-but...d-d'you think we should tell Aizawa-sensei a-about all of those in our class who still have problems g-getting along with any of the others?"

"Well, of course we gotta tell him." Itsuka leaned forward and rested her chin on her own palms. "We gotta be as honest and forthcoming as possible in our reports if our class is gonna make it through this." Then, she noticed Izuku's worried face. "Don't worry, Midoriya. It's just the first day. It's not like we were supposed to win them all over right away."

"I-I know, but...what if...?"

His voice trailed off, prompting Itsuka to ask, "Hold up, are you still thinking about Monoma?"

Izuku blinked and looked back at the redhead. "H-How'd you-?"

"Every time my class has to interact with yours during a big school activity," Itsuka interrupted, "there's always at least one person in my class who's wound up about Monoma taking a big dump on it all. And whenever that happens, they get the same look that you have on your face right now."

He chuckled humbly. "You sure know how to read a room, don't you?"

Itsuka cracked another small, amused grin. "Like I said, I'm the class president. I've got experience in corralling people in." She then leaned back on the sofa. "So, partner, aside from Monoma, who else are you concerned about?"

"Hm?" Izuku stared at her in surprise. "I-I...I-I dunno if I should- I-I mean, i-it's not like I don't trust you or anything, b-but-"

"But what?" She casually stretched her arms. "Come on, Midoriya. We're both the monitors. I'm pretty sure this is on the job description. Lay it out on me. Share what's on your mind, and we will cook up a solution for each problem together."

"O-Okay..." Izuku took a deep breath. "Ummm... I-I've also been thinking about...Tsunotori..."

"Pony?" Itsuka's brow became slightly furrowed. "...Yeah, now that you mention it, I noticed she's developed a couple of reservations the moment we started this activity and entered your classroom."

"The moment she entered my classroom? So..." The viridescent boy started to dig deep and analyze Pony's situation. "It sounds like the problem isn't with the activity itself..."

"Definitely not. As long as Monoma isn't inserting stuff into her head like that confusing Dolan movie she made us watch, she's always psyched to get along with your class."

"Then...it's gotta be a more specific problem. Something more personal for her."

Itsuka's brow became even more wrinkled as she concentrated. After a few seconds of rumination, she swiftly came to a realization and snapped her fingers.

"I know what it is."

Izuku hitched his breath in amazement. "Really?! You do?!"

"It's Shoji."

"Sh-Shoji?" Thoughts of the multi-armed Hero-in-training filled Izuku's mind. "O-Oh, yeah! He was another person that I was worried about! I-I noticed he started looking more awkward a-and unsure of himself since you and your classmates came into our room! So...you think he's the problem for Pony?"

The redhead nodded affirmatively. "Mm-hm, and likely the other way around as well. Now, d'you still remember the team matchups we had during the Joint Training Battle?"

Izuku's eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah! They both fought each other in Round 3! It ended in a draw!"

"Well...she's got a special thing against Shoji."

The boy was taken aback. "She...She does?! I-Is it-?!"

"You can relax, Midoriya; it's not some anti-Mutant thing. She's normally a very friendly and welcoming person. It's just, well..." Itsuka's expression became flat. "During our first couple of months at U.A., she walked in on Tsuburaba watching porn."

"Oh?"

"And it wasn't the kind that involved, well...ordinary people."

"Oh...?"

"It was more of the kind that involved a, uh...certain sea creature. And a lot of slime."

"Oh..." Then, Izuku's face turned red when he realized what Itsuka meant. "Ohhhhh."

"And needless to say, she was traumatized by it ever since. She's gotten over it for the most part, but whenever she sees Shoji, she gets reminded of what she saw in Tsuburaba's room." Itsuka's brow twitched in displeasure, and she clenched her fist. "I can't even begin to imagine the number of times I wanna karate-chop that pervert to hell and back for that!"

"Y-Yeah... So, what do you suggest we do about it?"

"Well..." Itsuka pondered over it long and hard. "I can't have Pony avoiding Shoji all week. It's gonna make him insecure of himself, and it's no way for her to get over that last hurdle of conquering her fears." Then, her teal eyes lit up with an idea. "Hey, when the class has a training activity, we gotta see to it that they're partnered up."

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise. "Partnered up?"

"Yeah! That way, they can't avoid each other, and they have to rely on one another if they're gonna pass the activity! Oh, and I gotta make sure Tsuburaba's gotten rid of his tentacle porn stash. I am pretty sure he's not listening to me when I tell him to do so."

"Those sound like great ideas." Then, Izuku furrowed his brow. "Hey, speaking of Tsuburaba..."

"Is he our next order of business?"

"Yeah. Is he really that big of a pervert?"

"He's not as bad as Mineta, if that's what you mean. He's actually a pretty chill and well-meaning guy when you remove porn from the equation. But..." The redhead looked up at the ceiling with a wrinkled brow. "We gotta get him away from Mineta. They've gotten along so well right off the bat, but it's for all the wrong reasons, and I can tell Mineta's gonna be a bad influence on him."

Izuku nodded. "Oh yeah, I can't argue with that."

"Alright, then it's settled. Pretty simple, right?" Itsuka began flexing her arms in enthusiasm. "Anyone else you're worried about?"

"...Shiozaki..."

"Her?" Itsuka stuck out her lower lip in thought. "Yeah, can't blame you there. The first couple of months of U.A. were a bit awkward for us in 1-B. Everyone was worried about being judged by her and her pious attitude."

Izuku blinked. "Really? You guys seem to get along quite nicely."

"That's 'cause she's mellowed out over the semesters. We rubbed off on her, and she realized there was more to life than obsessing over whatever sinful things we do. You just need to give her some time in getting used to your class as well."

"Well...I think it's gonna be a bit more difficult with some of my classmates compared to others."

Itsuka rolled her eyes. "You talking about Mineta?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm actually thinking about Ashido."

That surprised her. "Ashido? I don't get it, she gets along well with everyone."

"Yeah, but...she's got a party-girl vibe to her. A vibe that I don't think Shiozaki would approve of."

Itsuka thought about it for a moment, then she nodded. "Yeah, now that I think about it, I can see some special friction building between those two in the future."

"Any idea on what we could do about it?"

The redhead stared at him. "Hey, I've already come up with solutions for the past two problems. How about you come up with a solution for this one?"

"M-M-Me?"

"Yeah, partner."

"Uhhhhh...o-okay... Ummmmm... M-M-Maybe we could...you know, have them go out? Have a girls' night out? Tha-That sort of thing?"

"A girls' night out, huh?" Itsuka tapped her chin again. "Where do you think they should go?"

"Like, anywhere! Everywhere if they must!" Then, more ideas came to Izuku's mind. "L-Like, h-have Ashido and Shiozaki experience the things that the other likes! Nothing too extreme, though!"

"Yeah..." Then, she nodded firmly. "Yeah, that could work! That could actually work! Great idea, Midoriya!"

"B-But I think we should have others accompanying them. Th-That way, they can just be nudged together without things being awkward between them."

"Don't sweat it!" Itsuka gave him a thumbs-up. "Yui and I will go with them. Just leave the arrangements to me!"

"Okay." Then, Izuku tilted his head slightly. "Wait, Yui?"

"Hm?" She blinked. "Oh, I meant Kodai. My bad."

"I-I know, but...I didn't know you were on a first-name basis with her."

"Oh. Well, we've been good friends since we first met in the classroom. She was all by herself and so quiet when all the others were getting along pretty quickly, so I just kept talking to her and helping her out with school activities and other stuff until she just started to turn to me for everything."

"Ahhh..." Izuku hesitated for a moment before deciding to ask, "So...what's going on with Kodai, anyway? She's always so quiet. I think the only time I've heard her say anything other than 'Mm' is when she called out for Yanagi during the Joint Training Battle. It was pretty...out of left field, to say the least."

Itsuka casually shrugged. "I honestly don't know, Midoriya, and I've long made it a point to never ask. Maybe it's just a tic, maybe it's something else." Her teal eyes then became serious. "But, whatever it is, it's not my business until Kodai decides to make it my business."

"O-Okay. So, uh...you're saying that her silence is something to be expected from her?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. Outside of that, she's a nice girl. She's just in a new environment and needs a little time to do some adjusting. Once that's done, she can be very resourceful. You might even get used to her 'Mhms' and 'Hms'."

Izuku nodded firmly. "Okay, duly noted."

"Alright, so, now that we've covered everyone that you're concerned about-"

"Wait, wait, how'd you know I don't have anyone else in mind?!" Izuku interrupted. "I didn't tell you their names before we got into the specifics!"

Itsuka just slyly grinned at him. "Remember, Midoriya, I'm your partner in this whole monitor shindig. We have an equal responsibility to supervise our classmates in this activity. Everything that you've noticed, I've noticed as well. I was just testing you, seeing if you're taking your responsibility seriously, because I know this isn't something that you're normally used to doing."

"O-Oh..."

Then, she beamed at him, impressed. "And I must say, Midoriya, another one of Tokage's rumors about you turned out to be correct. You really are quite the analytical person."

Izuku blushed and humbly rubbed the back of his head. "W-We-Well...I-I'm only that way wh-when it comes to H-Heroes a-and Quirks a-and that kind of st-stuff. A-And I only f-figured out all the people who were still holding out in this whole activity so far-"

"Nonsense! If you are able to deduce who the holdouts are based on their behaviors and attitudes, then I think that you can do a lot more with your analysis than Heroes!"

At this point, the boy's face was as red as a tomato. "Holy whoa," he thought. "I'm actually being complimented! And by Kendo of all people! Itsuka Kendo, Class 1-B's president and resident big sis! Hearing her praise is like receiving a huge acknowledgment from All Might- No, wait. I'm already receiving acknowledgments from him every day. S-So, i-it's even better! Better than learning that I too could be a Hero someday, even if I was Quirkless and useless! Better than getting into U.A. and having the opportunity to follow my dreams! Better than-"

"That we can still become the kind of Hero that people will smile at and feel safe around, especially when we say, 'I am here!'"

Izuku looked around the living room, which was empty except for him and Itsuka. The redhead was still looking straight at him with a wide, beaming smile.

"It's just me and Kendo now. I have to ask her if she just came up with that line, or if she heard it from someone else. I have to know why that line sounds so familiar to me."

"H-Hey, Kendo?" he blurted out.

Itsuka blinked, confused by the pink hue remaining on his face. "Yeah? What's up?"

"Um... I...I just have a quick question for you."

"A quick question? Obviously it's a pretty important question if you're being so awkward about it." With a slackened face, she leaned back on the sofa, looking as relaxed and casual as possible. "Okay, fire away."

"Ummm... Th-That speech, in the cafeteria..."

His voice trailed off, so Itsuka replied, "Ah yeah, I know what you're talking about. It was kind of impromptu, but I think I did my best in grabbing your classmates' motivation."

"It was a pretty great speech, actually! One of the best I've ever heard! E-Every time I think about your words, I...I can't help but think you've rehearsed those words for some time!"

She blinked incredulously. "Rehearsed?"

"Y-Yeah. It was just that great."

Itsuka couldn't help but stifle a laugh. "Oh, I'm flattered, Midoriya, really. But I'm no general o-or politician. I had to get your classmates' undivided attention and cooperation somehow, so I just spoke directly from the heart. That's all. Don't expect me to give great motivational speeches full-time."

"W-Well...wh-when I say 'rehearsed', I mean, w-well..." Izuku struggled to find the right words to say. "Well..."

"Well?" Itsuka repeated, now becoming confused.

"W-We-Well...I-I was just, uh..." He gulped, unsure of why he was holding himself back in such a simple question. "I was just wondering if-!"

He was cut off by a stern knock at the door, which brought chills down the two adolescents' skins.

"That must be Aizawa-sensei!" Itsuka exclaimed. She shot up from the sofa and strolled past Izuku, towards the door to the 1-A dormitory. "Come on, Midoriya, he must be dying to hear what we've got for today's report!"

"R-Right!"

Izuku swiftly followed the redhead like a puppy with its new owner. All the while, he was angrily beating himself up in his mind for dawdling on the question.

"Good going, Izuku..."

"An excellent job, you two. Let me know if anything comes up."

"Right!"

Izuku and Itsuka waved the Class 1-A homeroom teacher goodbye as he departed from the dormitory in his usual drowsy slump, closing the front door behind him. As soon as the door closed with a soft bang, the green-haired boy was quickly shaken from his reverie.

"H-Huh?!" He looked around frantically. "Wh-What?! What?!"

"Hm?" Itsuka looked at him. "Whaddaya mean 'what'?"

"Wh-What happened?"

She blinked in disbelief, then crossed her arms. "Okay, don't pull my leg, Midoriya-"

"I-I swear, I'm not! Wh-What'd we do again, Kendo?!"

"...You're telling me you don't remember the past five minutes?"

"Th-The last thing I remember is opening the door a-and seeing...A-A-Aizawa-sensei st-standing in th-the doorway..."

Itsuka sighed and gently slapped her forehead. "And I thought you were doing a good job! Instead, you were just phasin' the whole thing out like an amnesiac." She then glanced at her partner and noticed how red-faced he still was. "But then again, you're still new to this sort of stuff. I suppose you're still so nervous."

"I-I guess..." Izuku wiped his own forehead. "S-So...wh-what'd we do again? Seriously?"

"Well, we pretty much just laid out everything that we discussed earlier to Aizawa-sensei. We identified Monoma, Kodai, Ashido, Shiozaki, Shoji, and Tsunotori as the most likely places of concern; and then we told him what we planned to do to solve each and every dilemma. Well, except for Monoma; I told Sensei that he's still a work in progress and that we'd have a better answer for him tomorrow."

"B-By tomorrow?"

"Yeah. After we gave him our report, he told us that tomorrow's training activity would be a Battle Trial."

"A...A Battle Trial?" Izuku's viridescent eyes became enlarged in surprise. "Li-Like our first official training exercise when we came to U.A.?"

"Yep, the one and only. He agreed to partner up Ashido and Shiozaki, and Shoji and Tsunotori per our recommendations. Under the guise of randomness, of course."

"O-Oh. O-Okay." Then, he tilted his head in confusion. "W-Wait, but I thought we were gonna set Ashido and Shiozaki up together on a girls' night out?"

"The Battle Trial's meant to ease any tension that might be between them and force them to work together. Tenderizing the meat, as Aizawa-sensei said." Itsuka blinked, then grimaced. "You know, he's got a weird sense of humor."

Izuku chuckled nervously. "You'll get used to it..."

"I suppose I have to, heh heh heh." Then, the redhead stretched her arms before glancing at the staircase. "Well now, I think I'm officially tuckered out. I'm gonna go break in my bed. Night, Midoriya! See ya tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you tom-"

Then, all of a sudden, Izuku remembered Itsuka's speech in the cafeteria once again.

"This is your chance, Izuku!" he thought in desperation. "You gotta ask her the question! Ju-Just stay calm a-and ask it as politely as possible! Nothing to worry about, right?! I mean, this is Itsuka Kendo we're talking about! She's not gonna judge you if you ask about her choice of words, right?! ...Right?"

At that moment, beads of warm sweat started to develop on his forehead, and doubt and dread started to well up in the corners of his mind. Izuku's hands shook.

"On second thought...Kendo said she was tuckered out... I don't wanna waste anymore of her time as it is... I...I should save the question for tom-"

"Oh, yeah!"

Izuku was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts by Itsuka's voice. The redhead was at the foot of the staircase, prepared to make her ascent, when she seemed to remember something and looked over her shoulder to gaze at him.

"You were gonna ask something about that speech of mine in the cafeteria," she said. "What was it again?"

"...Well, guess there's no avoiding it now."

"Uhhhhh, Midoriya?" Itsuka quickly noticed the boy's nervous demeanor. "Everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah!" Izuku blurted out, his voice shaky. "I-It's just, w-well..."

His voice trailed off, prompting Itsuka to step away from the stairs and approach him with a gentle, concerned face.

"Hey, it's alright, Midoriya," she said. "You can ask me anything. In fact, you can turn to me for absolutely everything if you have to."

Izuku beamed in awe and relief at her. "I...I can?"

"Of course! We're partners, after all! So have at it, partner. What is it that you wanted to ask me."

"Alright." Izuku mentally took a deep breath. "Alright. Here goes nothing!"

"DIDYOUGETTHOSEWORDSFROMSOMEWHERESOMEPLACEKENDO?!"

"...Aaaaannnnnddddd just great. You blew it there, Izuku."

Itsuka looked absolutely befuddled. "Oooookkkkkaaaaayyyyy... I think I caught a couple words there, but could you, uh, please repeat that and say it a lot slower? I'm not gonna judge you for anything that you ask, Midoriya, I promise."

"O-O-Okay..." Izuku physically took a deep breath. "It's just, well...something you said in the cafeteria a-about becoming the kind of Hero that people will smile at and feel safe around, especially when the say, 'I am here...' It...It reminded me of something..."

Itsuka cocked an eyebrow in interest. "Did it now?"

"Yeah... Something I heard from someone a long, long time ago... I-It was the same kind of phrase, actually..."

"Well...color me interested." The redhead crossed her arms. "Describe that person. Maybe I met 'em in the past and got those words from them."

"Honestly..." Izuku strained his mind, only to suddenly draw a blank. "N-Not too much... We met just one time when we were little kids, back in Musutafu where I lived."

"Mu...Musutafu?"

All of a sudden, Izuku noticed a certain shadow, light yet noticeable, come over Itsuka's face, which was followed by her expression turning slightly rigid. It looked as if she was trying to suppress some sort of uncomfortable wince or grimace.

"I was there once..." she replied, sounding a little distant. "When I was...six..."

"Really?" asked Izuku.

"Ye...Yeah..." Then, the shadow faded away from Itsuka's face, and she cleared her throat before returning to her earlier calm, cool attitude. "A-Anyway, maybe I met that friend of yours while I was there! Think you can describe him or her? I don't wanna brag, but I think I've got a good memory. Maybe your description will dig something up!"

Now, it was Izuku's turn to have his face shadowed. "I...I don't think I can. Unlike you, my memory's terrible. Especially when it comes to my childhood. I was six too, and I didn't have the most inspirational childhood."

"Oh. Sorry to hear that." Then, Itsuka mulled over Izuku's words. "Well...surely this friend of yours has a special place in your memory for you to make the connection between my choice of words and theirs."

"Well, I do know that she had a very strong desire to become a Hero like a relative of hers."

"Oh, so your friend was a girl?"

Izuku blushed in embarrassment. "Ye-Yeah..." Then, his face softened. "I really, really, really admired her... She believed in me when no one else did back then... Gah! If only I could actually remember her!"

"Well..." Itsuka scrunched up her face lightly as she tried to scour through her memories. "That description of yours isn't really pointing to anyone specific in my past. And I'm sure I'd remember a girl who'd want to become a Hero just like her relative, because I wanted to become a Hero like my uncle."

Izuku's attention was caught in an attention. "Wait, your uncle's a Hero?"

"Mm-hm!" The redhead reached into the pocket of the jean shorts she was wearing, fished around it for a brief moment, and then pulled out an aged, slightly crumpled photograph. "Here. This is me with my uncle Sosuke. Also known as the Punching Hero, Death Arms."

She showed the photo with a proud smile, which turned into a surprised frown when it was snatched out of her hand by a stunned and overenthusiastic Izuku.

"Holy WHOA!" he cried. "Your uncle's Death Arms?! The Death Arms?!"

He stared into the photo, a part of his brain thinking that he somehow misheard or misinterpreted the class president as it analyzed every last, insignificant detail. But there was no doubt in his mind that the tall, ominous, muscle-bound man kneeling beside the spunky six-year-old girl was indeed the Punching Hero. He may have looked younger, with a crop of messy copper-red hair, and he may have lacked the outfit that he was associated with nowadays. However, there was no mistaking those small, beady eyes or that square jaw of his.

"Yep, the one and only," Itsuka replied, her expression soft with admiration.

"Wooooow..."

With a wider smile, Itsuka stepped beside Izuku and admired the photo with him. "Uncle Sosuke taught me everything I needed to know about justice and righteousness. It's all because of him and his beliefs about protecting everyone that I vowed to become a Hero myself, take up his mantle, and hopefully surpass it."

Izuku looked at her in awe and curiosity. "Surpass it?"

"Uncle Sosuke's never made it past the Top 25 in the Hero rankings. He never really cared about that stuff, but I believe that if I am to protect everyone, I must make sure that I have everyone's trust and admiration." Itsuka looked up at the ceiling with resolve. "And the only way I can do that is if I become a part of the Top 5 Heroes! That's one of my goals for my Hero career."

"Wooooow..." Izuku's eyes shimmered with admiration of the redhead. "That's...so amazing... Well, I know you'll achieve your goal someday, Kendo! I just know it!"

Itsuka lowered her face and humbly shook it. "Ahhhhh, I dunno about that, Midoriya. I still have a long ways to go before I can even get to Uncle Sosuke's level." Then, she blinked in remembrance. "O-Okay, enough about me! Onto the matter of your friend!"

"W-Well..." Izuku paused for a moment, a chord of nostalgia and familiarity having suddenly been struck within his heart. "N-Now that you think about, my friend did say it was her uncle who was a Hero...and..."

He glanced at the photo, examining the six-year-old Itsuka from head to toe. As he did, he felt something in his memory being triggered, something rising like a phoenix from the ashes.

"And she did look like you..."

Ten years ago

"Don't worry! My uncle's a Hero. He'll know what to do."

With that, the determined redheaded girl escorted the bruised, battered, freckled boy out of the playground, with the boy following her like a duckling following its parent around. The look of terror that he had just a few moments ago had now completely washed away from his face, and in its place was a look of awe and admiration.

"Wh-Wha-What's y-your n-na-name...?" he asked in a nervous stutter.

The girl looked across her shoulder, her smile still in place, and replied, "My name's Kendo. Itsuka Kendo. But everyone calls me Succhan. What's yours?"

The last puzzle piece had fallen neatly into place.

With eyes wide in stunned disbelief, Izuku slowly looked at Itsuka, who was staring back at him with equaled incredulity. She too had put the pieces together.

"Succhan?"

"Icchan?"

"AH-CHOO!"

Ochako was suddenly yanked awake by her own sneeze. At first, she saw nothing but darkness, but after a few moments of aimless staring, her eyesight adjusted to the lack of light in her dorm room. Only a ray of pale moonlight was creeping in through the drawn blinds.

"Phew!" she said to herself. "That was a big one. I wonder what that was about."

The brunette turned on her side, hoping to fall back asleep. However, it took her a while before she actually could, and as the girl awaited the embrace of the sandman, she couldn't help but feel as if she had been usurped from some position in life.

"No way!" Itsuka cried, her teal eyes as wide as they could possibly be. "Is it really you, Icchan?!"

"I-I should be asking you the same thing!" sputtered Izuku.

The two teenagers stood awkwardly at the base of the staircase, staring at one another in shock and standing a few feet away from each other. Their hearts were hammering against their sternums at breakneck speeds, while their minds were so hazy from stunned disbelief that their realities were melting away, like ice cream in the summer sunlight. Eventually, a gaping Itsuka stepped forward and grabbed Izuku's freckled cheeks without warning, manipulating them as if they were Play-Doh.

"K-Ke-Kendo?" Izuku asked in confusion, his voice slightly muffled by the redhead's ministrations.

Eventually, Itsuka forcefully lifted his cheeks so his lips could form a smile. When she withdrew her fingers, Izuku, guided by an unknown but familiar impulse, kept the smile in place. Upon seeing that smile, Itsuka blinked in stunned awe, her teal pupils shimmering with strong emotion.

"Oh, my God..." she whispered. "It...It is you... Icchan..."

"Ke-Kendo-" Izuku began, but he was cut off by the redhead almost tackling him in a tight hug. "ACK! AGH! K-K-KENDO! W-WATCH IT! AGH!"

"Oh, sorry, sorry!" Itsuka broke off the hug before the green-haired boy could fall over in her enthusiasm. "It's just...w-wow! It's been ten years since we saw each other that day!" She scanned him from head to toe, impressed. "And look at you! You're now a Hero-in-training! You're on your way to becoming a Hero, just like you wanted! Oh, I knew you had it in ya!"

"Th-Th-Thanks..." The boy blushed intensely and sheepishly twiddled his fingers. "Y-You're not a-a-any less impressive y-yourself, K-Kendo. C-C-Can't say I'm s-surprised t-to see you as a-a-a great Hero-in-tr-tr-training... N-N-Not to mention a cl-class president!"

Itsuka giggled, her voice laced with more enthusiasm than ever. "Jeez, I can't believe that we've met again, after all this time! I seriously thought that was gonna be it between the two of us! Just one meeting in our childhoods! But to meet up again, and like this too, it's...it's, like, a one-out-of-a-million chance or something!"

"Y-Yeah..." Izuku couldn't help but smile even brighter at the sight of his older childhood friend. "I-I can't believe that we are here too..." He sheepishly lowered his face. "I always thought you'd just be a girl in my dreams from now on..."

Itsuka blinked, taken aback. "You...dream about me...?"

The boy immediately became crimson. "W-Well, o-of course! I-I mean, y-you're the one who motivated me to keep on p-pursuing my dreams and never give up! A-A boy like me... A boy who spent most of his life Quirkless yet still desiring to be a Hero..." His face darkened for a moment. "He'd never forget that kind of encouragement..."

"Well, it looks like my encouragement paid off!" Itsuka tilted her head slightly to analyze her friend from another angle. "I mean, you actually have a Quirk now! It's like I said all those years ago! You're just a late bloomer!"

"Y-Yeah..." Izuku's freckled face fell as he recalled the circumstances behind the true origin of his Quirk, and its secretive nature. "A very, very late bloomer..."

"But you have one! You've had it all along, just as I suspected! And my, is it crazy!"

"Yeah..." He chuckled with a hint of uncertainty. "It sure is..."

Itsuka's smile widened, and Izuku was surprised to see her so overjoyed. Then, she quickly grabbed his wrist and started half-dragging him up the staircase. The boy gasped and blubbered in surprise, first from the intimate contact he just had with a living, breathing girl in the past minute or so, and then from the force that she used to guide him up the stairs, a force that was so powerful and insurmountable that he could only watch his step as the two teenagers made their ascent.

"We have to catch up, Midoriya!" the redhead cried. "A lot's happened to the both of us in the past ten years, and I want to know what you've been up to in that time!"

"S-Sa-Same here..." Izuku stammered. Then, he looked further up at Itsuka, watching as she stared ahead with her red side-ponytail bobbed back and forth. Smiling nostalgically, he composed himself and started to consciously follow her, as opposed to letting her half-drag him along.

Eventually, they reached the floor where Itsuka's new dorm room was, and she opened the door to let themselves in. As Izuku stepped inside the room, Itsuka switched on the lights, revealing the personal belongings that she used to line and decorate the room.

"Whoa!" Izuku exclaimed, gaping in awe at the posters of various motorcycles that hung all over the walls, as well as the home exercise equipment that was organized around the room. "Your room, i-it looks like a training gym or something!"

"Well, gotta keep myself in shape!" Itsuka replied with a hint of pride.

"I gotta say, I'm not surprised to see your room looking like this!" Izuku wandered around the room, admiring all of the posters and equipment. "You always were serious during the physical training activities. A-At least, that's what I heard f-from your classmates in the cafeteria!"

The girl chuckled. "Well, from what I've heard from your classmates in the cafeteria, you're not all that different."

Izuku chuckled back at her, recalling all the times he went beyond during Class 1-A's physical exercises. "I-I suppose you have a point..."

Itsuka smiled at him again, and this time, she was radiating excitement that almost seemed surprisingly childlike. "Hey, whenever you're in the mood to do some exercises, Midoriya, I'll gladly be your partner!"

The boy tore his gaze away from a motorcycle poster and stared at her in wonder. "Really?!"

"Of course!" She gave him a thumbs-up and a wide, toothy smile. "All you have to do is give a shout, and I'll be there for ya!"

"Okay..." Izuku thought about it for a moment and then nodded with a smile of his own. "I'll keep that in mind!"

"Cool! Now, then..." Itsuka approached her study table, pulled out the chair, and sat down on it the opposite way, making sure she rested her chin on top of the small headrest. "What happened to you since we walked away from each other all those years ago? How was life?"

"How was life?" The boy's face fell. "For much of the following ten years, it was, uh...pr-pretty miserable. People still kept making fun of me for being Quirkless. Especially Kacchan."

Itsuka blinked. "Kacchan?"

"Oh. Uh, Bakugo."

"Bakugo?" The redhead straightened up in her chair. "You're telling me you and Bakugo have a personal connection?"

"We both grew up in Musutafu and went to the same schools. When we were younger...we were actually friends..."

"Bakugo, having friends?" Itsuka shook her head, pity filling her face. "Dear gosh, that must've been tough for you. I...I wish I didn't have to leave you now. I could've backed you up when you needed it-"

Izuku started waving his hands in surprise. "No, no, no, it's alright, Kendo! It's...It's all in the past now. We've moved on from that...I think..."

"You think...?" Then, Itsuka noticed the ambiguous look on her old friend's face and decided to move on to another topic. "Okay, moving away from that topic. So, what changed? Was it when your Quirk first appeared?"

"My Quirk?" At first, Izuku was about to tell her everything about One For All before remembering All Might and his duel with All For One, and the ongoing debacle with the League of Villains. "Ye-Yeah, my Quirk. I-It changed everything, f-for sure."

"So tell me, how'd it manifest for you?"

"Oh crap, she's asking how my Quirk manifested!" Izuku thought while internally panicking. "I-I can't just tell her how I truly got my Quirk! I gotta make something up!" Then, he noticed Itsuka's beaming, awaiting face and blushed slightly. "W-Well...if I'm gonna lie to her...I might as well make something up... Something bold and brave..."

"W-Well..." he replied, "it happened while I was walking home from school one day."

Itsuka nodded eagerly. "Mm-hm?"

"I passed a corner and saw a sludge Villain wreaking havoc."

In his mind, Izuku was starting to process his own words. "Wait, I'm just recounting the time I had to save Kacchan from that sludge Villain!"

"Wait, a Villain made out of sludge?" Itsuka asked, bringing Izuku's mind back to reality. She briefly shuddered, her skin crawling uncomfortably. "Ugh. S-Sorry, go on, Midoriya."

"W-Well, uhhhhh...I-I was about to walk away and-" Izuku hitched his breath and quickly backtracked. "No, no, no, I-I'm remembering it wrong! I ran over to check if anyone was alright. For some reason, th-the Villain was also spewing out a whole bunch of explosions."

Itsuka was taken aback. "Oh, my gosh. A sludge Villain spewing explosions? I think I may have heard about that story in the news before, but I forgot the finer details. Did they ever find out the cause?"

"I was the first to find it out, actually." Izuku's chest swelled slightly with pride before he could control himself. "Before I came across the Villain, it had captured Kacch- I-I mean, Bakugo."

"It got Bakugo?" Itsuka snickered a little. "I always did get the feeling he was a bit insecure about something." Then, her teal eyes lit up in realization. "And lemme guess, you jumped in to save him, and that was when your Quirk manifested."

"She catches on pretty quick," Izuku thought with a small, impressed smile. "Even if...I'm lying to her a little..."

Then, he replied, "Y-Yeah. Th-That's pretty much what happened." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It wasn't anything special, really. All Might had to come and finish the job for me..."

"Oh yeah, I do remember that part. He must've seen what you've done, and that's why you got into U.A., just like that!" Then, Itsuka noticed the strange look on Izuku's face and beamed even more at him. "Hey, hey, don't downplay yourself, Midoriya!" She raised a clenched fist of determination. "Saving people is a big plus in my book! Even if it's just one single person, that should be more than enough for anyone!"

Izuku chuckled nervously. "Th-Th-Thanks..." Then, he started to feel himself sweat out of guilt, and he began to turn the topic away from his Quirk in an effort to save face. "A-Anyway, wh-what about you? Wh-What have you been up to since the last time we saw each other?"

"Well, I've been studying and training hard to prepare myself for U.A., for starters It had always been my dream to go to U.A." Itsuka looked around the room nostalgically. "Much of the stuff that you see here, it's my uncle's."

"Whoa..." Izuku looked around in awe. "It...It is?"

"Yeah... When my Quirk first manifested, Uncle Sosuke began teaching me how to fight so I could make good use of my abilities. It's because of him that I was able to master my Quirk so quickly and get into U.A." Itsuka activated her Quirk on her right hand. "As I'm sure you figured out, my hands are quite heavy like this."

"Y-Yeah!" Izuku became more alert. "I've always wondered how you're able to move your hands around so effortlessly! Is it because of some secondary effect from your Quirk? Like a reinforced bone structure? Or mere super-strength?"

Itsuka shrugged. "Sorta, but it's minimal. What really matters for me is focus." She looked down at her enlarged fist. "If I'm in an unfocused state, my hands are gonna weigh me down like sandbags."

"So if you get distracted during a battle," Izuku concluded, "then you're in really big trouble."

"Definitely. Fortunately, Uncle Sosuke knew this and made sure to hammer everything he knows into my brain." The girl deactivated her Quirk and placed her hands on her hips. "See, I come from a family with Quirks that have something to do with superpowered fists or arms. Arm-based combat is pretty much in our blood. I guess it's no wonder that we own a dojo."

Izuku blinked in surprise. "Your family owns a dojo?"

"Yep! The Kendo Dojo, where you learn from the very best on how to defend yourself in a situation where seconds matter and the nearest Hero is minutes away!"

"Wooooow. Does Death Arms teach there?! I don't remember him being associated with a dojo in any way!"

"Uncle Sosuke? Oh, well, he sometimes shows up as a guest teacher, but that's a rare occasion. It's up in my hometown of Chiba, and my uncle barely has enough time to go up there for a thing like that nowadays. Being a Hero is a very busy job, obviously."

"Ohhh, I see..." Izuku briefly lowered his head, deep in thought, before raising it. "So, I'm assuming your parents are the ones heading the dojo?"

All of a sudden, Itsuka's expression darkened considerably, alarming Izuku. "Y...You could say that..." For a moment, she stared off into space, before pulling herself back into reality and shaking her head. "A-A-Alright, Midoriya. I fessed up, so now it's your turn."

Izuku blinked incredulously. "H-Huh? P-Pardon me?"

"I told you what I was up to since we last saw each other, so you tell me what you've been up to. Outside of you finding out what your Quirk is, that is."

"Well..." The boy chuckled in embarrassment. "Not much... Just...thinking about how I could be a Hero while Quirkless..."

"That's it? Nothing else?"

"I'm...I'm afraid so." Izuku sighed sullenly. "For the longest time, I was in denial about my true chances of becoming an actual Hero... I wanted to be like All Might so much. He was my greatest idol. He was the one who inspired me to try and be a Hero in the first place. But it seemed like he was just going to be an unattainable ideal for the longest time. Nothing more, nothing less." He approached Itsuka's bed and sat down on it, looking increasingly absentminded. "If it weren't for him, if it weren't for me getting this Quirk, I...I don't know where I'd be today..."

Itsuka's brow became furrowed with sympathy, and she proceeded to sit down beside her old friend. "I know exactly how you feel, Midoriya."

"Heh... No, you don't."

"No, seriously. I do." Itsuka looked up at the ceiling. "When I was younger, there was a Hero of my own who I looked up to."

"Really?" Izuku curiously looked at the redhead. "Who?"

"Mirko."

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise. "W-Wait, Mirko?! The Mirko?!"

The redhead nodded. "Yeah. She's my All Might."

Izuku thought about it, and in that moment, he began to visualize Itsuka standing side-by-side with the Rabbit Hero. She punched at the air with her enlarged fist, while Mirko accompanied it with a powerful kick from one of her superpowered legs. It looked like a very well-coordinated image.

"Can't say I'm too surprised..." he thought.

"I've been following her ever since I was six..." Itsuka continued.

Izuku blinked, stunned yet again. "You mean...ever since her debut with the Zodiac Girls?"

The redhead looked at him with extreme incredulity. "Wait, you know about the Zodiac Girls?! Only hardcore Mirko fans would remember that!"

"Uh-huh!" He nodded with vigor. "I always thought the Zodiac Girls were a great team. And Mirko was the greatest out of all of them, without a doubt!"

"I know, right?!" Itsuka exclaimed, joining the green-haired boy in his excitement. "I-I mean, like with that huge hostage situation in Hiroshima, she could've let her emotions get the better of her when she fought those Animal Rejection Clan members!"

"But she didn't!" replied Izuku. "She remained in control even as they hurled all those awful slurs at her! She even saved those three clan members from burning to death!"

"Yes, yes, she did..." A wide smile crept onto Itsuka's face. "That's what Heroism means to me. To set aside your feelings for the sake of the people. To save everyone, even if that also means saving the ones you despise. To take responsibility for what you've been given..."

At that moment, she realized that Izuku was staring at her with the widest eyes imaginable. His freckled face was dashed with some sort of unknown emotion, causing her to chuckle in embarrassment.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Itsuka lowered her head sheepishly. "I can be pretty idealistic about things sometimes-"

"No, no, no! I-I think that's actually a great thing, Kendo!"

Itsuka's head shot up, awe now starting to adorn her face. "Re-Really?"

"Yeah! To save and protect everyone, regardless of who they are, it's...it's admirable!" Izuku shot up on his feet. "It's an essential trait to Heroism that I want to make the best out of when I become a Hero myself! I've always wanted to keep that ideal alive, no matter how much people frown down at it!"

"Same here!" Itsuka shot up on her feet too in realization. "Wow! You know, we've only actually known one another for a couple of hours, including our time in Musutafu! But after what I just heard, I think we should definitely change that up." She delivered a playful nudge of Izuku's shoulder. "Whaddaya say, Midoriya? Shall we continue where we left off all those years ago?!"

Izuku's response was instantaneous, and it was accompanied by the widest, most satisfied grin.

"I'd like nothing better!"

A/N: And that concludes this chapter! Quite a major milestone for this story, don't you think?! Now, I did say in the last chapter that I wouldn't dawdle any longer when it came to this conversation, and it looks like I delivered here! For those of you who might feel this revelation is moving the story along too fast, don't worry! We've got loads and loads of more stuff to cover before the story comes to a climactic end, namely the conflict with the two Villain trios that you saw in the prologue. And not to mention loads and loads of additional Izuku/Itsuka goodness sprinkled throughout! :D :D :D

Now, I'd like to thank the following people for reviewing:

-Ryuujin96: You are correct that the story will be finished when the week is over. But who knows? Maybe if the story is popular enough to warrant it, I could write a sequel... ;) Outside of that, this story will have dozens of chapters, so there is no need to worry about this being over with quickly. :D :D :D

-youalwayswereakiddersteve:

1) Who knows? Maybe I'll write an Izuku/Setsuna fic next... ;D ;D ;D

2) Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and felt the wait was worth it!

-acosta perez jose ramiro: Well, given it's Itsuka we're talking about, it's not all that surprising. She is not Class 1-B's big sis for nothing!

-whiteleopard1124: Thank you! Don't worry, you can expect to see more shenanigans by Mineta and Tsuburaba in the near-future! XD

-gonzo22: Mineta's primary purpose in the story is comedic relief. He'll get a moment to shine, but for the most part, it is just the usual for our resident pervert. XD

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!