Chapter 9: Those Who Can't Do, Teach

The night outside was darker than an ink well. Like any night the whole neighborhood slumbered - this was no party district. It was only the electronic eyes of security cameras watching the empty streets.

One light burned in the mansion's windows, in a distant wing where a discussion wouldn't be overheard. Once again the help had been sent away with strict orders not to approach until morning. Conversations were as private as they could get.

Which was good because Tsuchigumo was livid.

"What happened?!" he demanded. "I thought you said you had this under control?!"

Kai was equally furious, though it was more due to frustration. "I did! Everything was going perfectly until…"

"Until what?!"

"I don't know exactly! The news announced that All Might was in the area for something and the guy got spooked!" He gestured angrily at his mentor. "You know the effect the name 'All Might' has on people. Anybody even thinking of doing something wrong heads for the hills!"

Tsuchigumo cursed and began pacing. "Damn! Their evil was so close to the surface; now it's still out there, dormant and just waiting to be unleashed!"

"There are still others -"

"Bah! Their villainy is paltry compared to the other!"

"Still, the eradication of any evil is a victory for justice," Kai reasoned.

Tsuchigumo paused and for a moment the younger man wondered if he might really snap. But then with a deep breath the old man regained his composure. "From the mouth of the young comes wisdom. You have a good point, my boy. And we have our duty."

Kai took a moment to collect his thoughts. "All right. Of the remaining people we identified, there are two others I think -"

He was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He waited until he got a signal to indicate he should answer, before clicking the button. "Hello?"

"Put the old man on."

He held the phone out. "It's for you, Sensei."

Tsuchigumo took it. "What?"

A pause. "I thought you would've figured it out by now."

The voice on the other end was indistinct and Kai couldn't make out what was being said. He hadn't recognized the speaker either - all he knew was that it was a man.

"That always happens. It'll die down shortly." Another pause and Tsuchigumo growled. "Him again."

"Who?" Kai swallowed his followup questions when his mentor motioned him to be quiet.

"Hmph, you talk like you're the only one risking their neck here. I didn't take you for such a coward." Suddenly Tsuchigumo went very still, enough to alarm Kai. "What do you mean?"

After another strained pause he spoke again. "Ah. I thought that presence in Takamura's mind felt too nimble to be a mere illusion. So that's it…"

He was looking calmer now and sat down in the plush chair behind the desk. "Rest assured, I will take it very seriously, now that I'm aware. Another dream Quirk, eh?"

"What?!"

He again gestured for Kai to be quiet. "Just keep your head down and stay calm. We'll handle it."

He hung up and tossed the phone back to his protégé. "Our friend is nervous. Seems All Might could actually be tracking our work."

Kai became visibly nervous. "Isn't that bad? I know we expected the police, but All Might… And what was that about a dream Quirk?"

"Your worry is misplaced. I've been outrunning the police since long before you were born - they and All Might are nothing to fear. But another person who can manipulate minds is a real danger."

"Would it be safer to recruit them to our cause?"

"It's too risky right now. We know nothing about them and if they're working with the police they may not understand our sort of social justice. We'll just have to keep an eye on the situation to make sure they don't interfere."

There was still an early fog clinging to the streets and alleys when Toshinori arrived at U.A. on Saturday morning. It hung over the campus too, concealing the outbuildings behind a wall of white - he could only make out the main building from the front gate.

It was disturbing walking that white tunnel to the doors. Not a sound came through and even his footsteps barely echoed as the walkway materialized before him and statues loomed in the murk. The thought crossed his mind that purgatory must be like this.

A tiny figure met him at the doors. "Welcome back, All Might."

Trying not to betray his nerves, Toshinori tugged at the collar and tie of his dark suit. "Hello, Principal, sir."

"It's been a long time since you've been back to your alma mater. Would you care for a tour before our meeting? We've installed some new facilities that I think you'd find interesting."

"Ahem!" Toshinori coughed. "I appreciate the offer, sir, but I think it'd be better if we got to your office. If anyone saw me like this…"

"No one will see you on a morning like this. But I can understand your concern. You look so changed from the man in the hospital five years ago. This way."

"I've been managing, sir."

Nezu led him inside and along the wide empty hallway. "Unfortunately, merely managing is not enough. We all told you that it's time to pass One For All on to the next youngster so that they could become Number One in your place. You've more than earned a quiet retirement."

Toshinori sighed a gut-wrenching gust. "Yes, I remember."

"But you still don't want to?"

"Not one bit. The public needs me as the Symbol of Peace! But…" He lifted a hand and stared broodingly at his large palm. "It's only a matter of time until I won't be able to remain that Symbol."

"Here we are." Ushering the tall man into his office, Nezu strolled directly to a small side table with supplies for serving tea. "The transition would've been easier if it'd begun years ago, you know. You could've trained a replacement at a leisurely pace instead of the scramble required now. Weren't your teachers always telling you that using your head is just as important as using your heart?"

"Yes, sir." Toshinori settled into a couch with a low table in front of it with a sheepish expression. "I'm sorry that I've caused such trouble for you all."

"What's done is done," said Nezu, handing him a cup of tea. "You've always been reckless and stubborn like that, All Might. In good times those are admirable qualities, but in trying times they can make your duties more difficult than they need to be."

"Yes," the hero sighed. He cradled the cup as his reflection stared back at him. "I'd hoped that stubbornness would be enough to overcome this. I do enjoy my responsibilities as the Symbol, so it's not a lack of willingness."

"No one has any doubts about that. But enough about the past; it's time to plan for the future." From a desk drawer, the Principal retrieved a sheet of paper and joined Toshinori on a second couch opposite the first. "I have a proposal for you, which I think will help you and U.A.

"Now that you're finally serious about looking for a successor, I'd like you to join us here as an educator. There's no finer environment for young talent than U.A., after all!"

Toshinori was so surprised by the request, he coughed and blood spurted from between his lips. "Me?! A teacher?!"

"Ha ha, it's not so unusual to warrant that reaction," Nezu chuckled. "We have several talented heroes here already. All Might himself would be a fine addition. Moreover, teaching here would be the perfect chance for you to educate your eventual successor.

"Incidentally, I'm not just speaking in a vague sense either. There's already someone here who would make a perfect Symbol." The Principal laid the paper down on the table and pushed it towards Toshinori.

He quickly recognized it as a page from a student's file in the school's records. For an instant he worried that showing it to him was an invasion of the student's privacy - even a single page wasn't something to show a casual visitor. Nezu must be trusting in his discretion. That or he was confident Toshinori would agree to join the staff.

"Togata Mirio…" he read. His eyes were then drawn to the picture accompanying the file sheet. A boy with blonde hair and deep blue eyes gazed back. His features were somewhat plain but he wore a fierce smile that had all the personality an aspiring hero needed. It was almost like looking at an alternate dimension version of his high-school self.

"He's the one." Nezu sipped at his own tea. "True, his grades aren't anything you'd write home about, but he definitely has presence. There's no lack of laughter whenever he's around. And while he may not be known for achievements, smiles are never in short supply. A perfect match for your heroic ideals, don't you think?"

It was and Toshinori liked the sound of Togata-shonen so far. If he had to choose someone to take over for him, a young man similar to himself wasn't a bad idea.

"Someone like that would indeed be a good replacement for All Might in the public eye," he mused.

"Now admittedly I'm not the most familiar with him personally. That's why I've asked someone here who has spent quite a lot of time with him. I understand he's been refining his Quirk over the past year by assisting the school counsellor in taking care of the school store. Nozomi-kun can surely give you a better analysis of him than I can."

"Hmm, yes…" Toshinori agreed absently. Then the name clicked with him and he jumped. "Wait, Nozomi?! Nozomi Ayumu?!"

"Oh, you know her already? Good, that will help speed things along. She's worked here for years and she's a sharp one, so rest assured you can trust her observations."

"I'm sure, sir, but I can't meet with her directly," Toshinori insisted. He strained his ears, trying to hear over the Principal's ramblings and his own accelerated pulse in case Nozomi-san was approaching at that moment. "It's… complicated to explain, but… Nozomi-san isn't much of an All Might fan at the moment. And I don't want her to associate me as Yagi Toshinori with All Might to keep my real identity secret."

"Which conveniently keeps her from associating you with someone she doesn't care for," Nezu retorted and sipped at his tea again. When Toshinori stayed quiet, the Principal continued on. "Not that it's illegal to dislike All Might, though it's more than a little unusual. But if you take a position here, you'll be seeing her nearly every day, so perhaps it's best you deal with the issue now."

"Respectfully, sir, it's not the right time today." Toshinori tensed and turned his head slightly. Were those footsteps in the hall?

"It's not going to get any easier if you wait, you know," Nezu warned.

"I know!" Toshinori snapped. "But I have to do it to protect her. Knowing who I really am will only put her in danger."

Setting his tea cup down with a reluctant sigh, Nezu gave in. "I suppose there's no use in arguing. There's a door over there. You should be able to stand behind it and still be able to hear our conversation. I won't say anything about your civilian identity."

"Thank you, Principal." He hurried over to what turned out to be a closet for storing some kind of records - perhaps this was where that page of Togata-shonen's file had come from? No sooner had he ducked inside and pulled the door so that it was only open a sliver, than there was a polite knock on the office door.

"Come in, Nozomi-kun."

There was a click as the door opened and the person entered. "Good morning, Principal Nezu."

"Good morning. Ah, and good morning to you, Onimaru-kun."

A familiar friendly meow sounded as the door was closed. Able to peek through the cracked door of his hiding place, Toshinori could see the seating area but not the main door or windows opposite it. But the seating area was all he needed to see.

"I'm sorry to ask you in during the spring break," Nezu was saying. "I know the teachers enjoy their time off and I hate to interrupt it. But this was of the utmost importance."

"I understand, sir." Led by Nezu, Nozomi-san calmly walked to the couch and sat where Toshinori had been just moments before. "I don't mind, however. While I'm here I can get the store stocked for the start of the year. Tomorrow will be much more relaxing since I'll already be set for Monday."

"Haha, you certainly are dedicated to your customers!" The Principal had continued out of Toshinori's field of view and now returned, carrying fresh cups of tea. "I could see that when we first met and knew you would be a good fit at U.A. after you graduated. It's only a shame you didn't try for the Hero Course - with your lineage and devotion to your work, you would've made an excellent pro or course teacher. Or even both; it can be difficult to balance a hero's duties with a teacher's responsibilities though. One needs to weigh not only the immediate and primary effects of their choices but also delayed and secondary or even tertiary effects. It can take teamwork between those who -"

Toshinori groaned inwardly. The Principal had predictably gotten sidetracked and was lecturing on a completely different topic. It was a risk anytime he was given a chance in front of an audience. Was there anything he could do - while staying hidden - to get him back on-track?

Then he saw Onimaru-kun staring at his hiding place. Any curious cat would get tired of being lectured to and would look for something else to do - apparently a cracked door was like a neon sign. As Nozomi-san sat with a politely interested expression, Onimaru-kun made a beeline for Toshinori, ears up and whiskers outstretched.

For a moment he was worried this would give him away and he watched Nozomi-san with the expectation she would get up and approach. But she only glanced at her cat, then to the door, and gave her attention back to the Principal. Being nosy must be a normal situation.

Toshinori backed up and waited for the cat to enter the closet so that he wouldn't risk exposure. It didn't take long, despite Onimaru-kun's caution. There was some sniffing and a paw swipe to widen the gap then he squeezed into the gloomy space. As soon as their eyes met, Toshinori lifted a finger to his lips and shushed the feline, who was gearing up for an enthusiastic greeting.

"Onimaru-kun, I need your help," Toshinori whispered. He quickly explained what was going on and what he needed the cat to do for him. The intelligent blue eyes glimmered but there was no other reaction. Did he understand?

Onimaru-kun then hefted himself up onto his paws and gave Toshinori's shin a firm rub and a mew. Was that agreement? It was impossible to tell - the cat turned and slipped back out into the main office before Toshinori could check.

He snuck back to the gap and peeked out again. Onimaru-kun was headed directly for Nozomi-san. She was still listening to the Principal, but her polite expression was looking much more strained. She didn't even look at her cat as he approached her with a purposeful air.

Onimaru-kun spared a single glance backward to make sure Toshinori was watching and jumped up onto the couch beside his owner. Then all hell broke loose.

He flung himself at her and started pawing at her face, though he wasn't using his claws since there was no sign of blood. Nozomi-san visibly jumped and cried out in alarm as her manic cat yowled and scrabbled at the hem of her shirt. Toshinori felt a pang of guilt; he'd asked for a distraction to end the conversation, but he hadn't predicted the cat's odd methods.

But he couldn't argue with results. The Principal stopped talking and after scolding her cat, Nozomi-san apologized and then said, "But I'm sure you didn't ask me here just to expound on your educational theories, sir. What did you need my help with?"

"Ah, yes, you're right," Nezu said. "I got carried away with such a patient listener." He set his cup down; the mood suddenly changed and became very serious. Clearly Nozomi-san sensed it too - she set Onimaru-kun down and gave the Principal her full solemn attention.

"First off, I want to emphasize that everything we talk about is of the utmost secrecy. You cannot speak of it with anyone else and I insist that you not write any details about it as well. It's a matter of public security."

"Of course, sir. You have my word."

Nezu nodded. "The truth is, All Might needs to retire."

Nozomi-san flinched violently, as if she'd been physically struck by the words, and gasped audibly. "What?! That's -"

She fell silent and Toshinori could tell she was trying to process the news by the shocked expression on her face. He watched her closely - how she handled it could be an insight into how the general public would handle the eventual surprise.

It took a moment as Toshinori and Nezu waited for her to recover. Finally she snapped out of the trance, though she still looked rattled. "Well… I have to say that took me by complete surprise. Surely All Might isn't that old?"

Well, that was a punch to the gut. Toshinori wheezed as the disappointment forced his breath out and struggled to keep from coughing and giving himself away.

"It's not age bringing this about. It hasn't been made public, but All Might has an injury that's been making it more difficult for him to do hero work. He's looking for a successor as the Symbol of Peace and to take over as the Number One Hero."

"I hope that second point is in the future. I think Endeavor might take issue with being passed over."

"Naturally. Even All Might can't force a hero to be considered number one immediately."

Nozomi-san leaned forward and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I have to admit, Principal, I thought you were asking me here for my Quirk. But I can't do anything for physical injuries - or at least, no more than hospital physicians could. So what is it that you need from me?"

Nezu chuckled. "You recall I said All Might is looking for a successor? I've recommended Togata Mirio to him."

"Togata-kun?" she replied with obvious confusion.

Presenting her with Togata's file sheet, Nezu quickly ran through the reasons he'd outlined earlier for Toshinori. Though skeptical at first, Nozomi-san's expression evened out as he talked, and by the end she was nodding.

"That all makes sense. And there's obvious psychological benefits when a replacement has similarities to the original. Togata-kun is an excellent choice in that respect."

"I'm glad to hear you agree. The main reason I asked you here was to get your assessment of Togata-kun's potential to help convince All Might of my recommendation."

"… Oh."

The response was not a happy one and Toshinori ducked away from the door gap as she began turning to look around the office. Presumably she was expecting All Might to be lurking in a corner somewhere, watching the whole meeting. Which, he supposed, was technically true.

"Unfortunately, he couldn't make it today. Injury or no, he still has the responsibility of his hero duties," Nezu explained.

"Oh, right," Nozomi-san replied with a nervous chuckle. "True, he probably would've been sitting here for the talk. He's not the sort of person who's easy to miss."

"Indeed." Nezu stole a glance at Toshinori's hiding place but refocused on Nozomi-san before she noticed.

"One concern I have though," she said. "Togata-kun is still young; he's only starting his second year on Monday. He still needs a lot of training to even become a hero, much less the new Symbol of Peace. All Might will need to be aware of that."

"A good point and we'll stress that to him," Nezu agreed. "My intention is that the teachers will work with All Might on Togata-kun's training to prepare him for the role. Of course, you're also a part of that."

"I am?"

"Naturally. You already assist by supporting the students as they work to become pros. Togata-kun will be relying on you even more under the additional strain of being expected to replace All Might."

There was a long moment of silence and Toshinori began wondering if she would refuse because the request involved All Might. She was undoubtedly dedicated to her patients and the students, but it might be too much to expect her to deal with All Might when she was so clearly opposed to the idea.

He let out a pained sigh. He was going to be paying for that one well-intentioned mistake for a long time.

"If you think that I can help prepare Togata-kun, I'll do my best," she said at last.

"Excellent! I'll give All Might the good news."

"Was there anything else you needed from me, sir?"

"Not today. But if you come up with any other concerns or ideas, please let me know and I'll pass them on to All Might."

"Yes, sir." Nozomi-san stood to go and Onimaru-kun jumped up to drape himself across her shoulders.

"As a reminder," Nezu warned, "please don't discuss any of this with anyone, including Togata-kun. All Might will approach him as there are other things he'll need to explain. Either All Might or myself will tell you once it's safe to discuss it and with whom."

Nozomi-san's eyebrows arched with surprise but she agreed and promised to keep the confidence. Goodbye pleasantries were exchanged and she left, closing the door quietly. Both Nezu and Toshinori waited until her footsteps had faded.

"I take it you caught all of that?" the Principal asked.

"I did," Toshinori replied as he emerged from the record storage area.

"It would've been much simpler if you had explained it directly," Nezu scolded.

"It's better this way. If All Might had asked for her assistance, she was almost sure to refuse. That wouldn't have been fair for Togata-shonen."

"You're underestimating her. The implications of the Number One Hero retiring weren't lost on her." Nezu then fixed him with a fierce stare. "Furthermore, you could have approached her as Yagi Toshinori. I'm sure she wouldn't have refused to give him her assistance."

Toshinori hummed noncommittally. The Principal hadn't seen her rage at the hospital or her sorrow that evening. He very much doubted that she'd forgiven the hero who'd caused it so soon.