When her file first found its way to his desk, Endeavor didn't so much as read past her basic information before immediately casting it away. Though he would be lying if he said that her place of birth didn't pique his interest.

The people from the Hidden Villages aren't exactly cooperative outside their sister nations, per say. To put it simply, they prefer to keep to themselves. They have the strictest protocols regarding their internal affairs than any other country in the world. If memory served him right, the last time Konoha worked hand-in-hand with Japan was when a massive tsunami struck the provinces and they provided relief and lent rescue teams for the people, but even then, they only did it out of obligation.

There were hardly any people, if not at all, from Konoha that willingly ventures outside their countries in the first place.

That aside, this slip of a young woman should know better than to just waltz into his company and make such bold presumptions. Either she's really brave or she's ignorant to how things work in this country.

How typical for a foreigner.

It's been an unspoken rule for years since the start of his Pro Hero career that Endeavor preferred to work alone. He'd tolerate the occasional team up with other heroes when the situation called for it but most of the time, he's on his own. Those previous supports he hired were just figments of his optimistic past that someone out there could maybe have the capability of keeping up with him.

None of them lasted a week.

It's not his fault they couldn't read his movements. If they were half the decent heroes they claim to be, they wouldn't have caught themselves in his line of fire by accident so many times. Sure, he has a bossy streak and his tenacity's just as scorching as his quirk, but if they just did as they were told, efficiently and satisfactorily, then he wouldn't have to scold them so much all the time.

The slot for the position of his personal support was just left open for formalities with the Hero Association. No one has dared to apply for the job ever since.

Not one person out there just seems to meet his standards.

However this time, after ten years of zero applicants, here came a bouncing young woman with a face too pretty for hero work that outright said to his face that she was going to be his support.

Honestly, a woman with a petite body and obnoxious pink hair with a quirk of super strength was a juxtaposition that almost made him laugh the first time he saw it. It sounded more like a bad joke however way one looked at it. Yet… here she was. This Haruno Sakura, in the flesh.

Of course, his answer was a solid no, and it should have ended at that but it didn't.

In fact, she didn't seem the least bit fazed when he flared up his flames in warning. Whereas every lesser person instantly cowered before him, this Sakura didn't even blink. She even had the audacity to make a deal with him. Endeavor wasn't sure what it was exactly, maybe more out of amusement than anything else, but in the end, in an action that surprised even himself, he actually humored the pinkette.

She offered that unlike his previous prospects, she can last more than a week as his support. That she was more than qualified to fulfill the 2-year Support Hero Contract with him. Furthermore, she asked to be assessed in seven days. No more, no less. And in those seven days, Endeavor will decide whether or not she's worthy of the position. If not, then she promised that he will not see a single hide or hair of her ever again.

Even though there's no other reason for him to refuse besides the fact that he has no idea who she was or what she's truly capable of outside the necessary papers given to him. The stats on her profile was more than enough to convince him otherwise; with power being the most overwhelming at 6/5, intelligence at 5/5, speed and cooperativeness at 4/5, and technique being the least at 3/5.

For her sake, he just hoped that she's as good as they claimed her to be.

Sakura casted another small smile at the children hiding behind a tree that lined the sidewalks of Mizumachi Street. This was the second time today and the twentieth time since she started her deal with the No. 2 Pro Hero of Japan. Most of the children and teenagers used to look only at Endeavor, but now some of those gazes were directed at her as well.

Okay, she may have underestimated the attention the masses might've sent her way for quite a bit- no, it's actually a lot. On the first day, people mistook her for a young, aspiring heroine following her idol hero. Though she could bet that half of the curiosities may have been brought by her hair color. On the third day, someone actually came up to her and asked why she's always following Endeavor around. It appeared that she was, in their words,"Too pretty to stalk someone like him".

As flattered as she was, Sakura just smiled at the civilian and said, "Don't worry, sir. I'm not stalking him. I'm actually Endeavor's Support Hero."

Endeavor later made sure to correct her proclamation, saying that he hasn't officiated her as his support. In which Sakura replied, "Not yet" with a confident smile on her face before he continued down the road with extra weight on his steps and billowing flames.

Needless to say, the public spiraled from there. On one hand, people didn't believe that the Endeavor had actually hired a Support Hero after years of going solo. While on the other, more estranged reactions, doubted Sakura's potential to keep up with the infamous No. 2 Hero.

The Flame Hero was obviously not pleased by her sudden appearance, and the way she matched him with her own stubbornness and persistence only served to irate him even more. It also doesn't help (him) that Sakura has partial immunity with fire so his explosive episodes don't work on her and she's free to approach him as she pleased without the fear of getting burnt. He's obviously used to doing things on his own. Sakura surmised by that much. They haven't had a decent conversation for the first few days either. He's always trying to find a flaw he could use to scold her with and remind her to keep up, even when she's diligently just at a respectable distance away from him.

Endeavor definitely won't be warming up to her any time soon- pun intended. But again, Sakura loves a challenge.

It wasn't until the fifth day that Sakura had the chance to prove herself. An unfortunate gas leak caused a chain reaction that involved three apartment buildings. As ordered by her employer, Sakura focused on saving and retrieving any trapped civilians that couldn't get out in time because of the fire. It was certainly a great inner struggle for Sakura. Since she vowed as a medic to provide medical care to those in need, but considering the situation of her goals, she will have to compromise. The firefighters arrived in amicable time but the gas caused more than a few explosions that made the buildings weak.

Endeavor and Sakura managed to save most of the entrapped civilians but there were still people left inside. When they rushed back and found the unconscious bodies, the building's foundations have already started to crumble and they were heartbeats away from being caved in.

Whereas Endeavor had the initial plan of using more of his fire power to penetrate through the falling debris, Sakura had already beat him to it. With one, seemingly effortless punch upwards, the concentrated air from the force of her punch caused a rift that split the entire building in half, and the residual force further broke the concrete and steel into smaller, harmless debris. The people who were present at that time described it similar to the crack of thunder, or even a sonic boom. It even caused an updraft that forced the clouds to rain.

Since then, people began to look at her in awe and it even garnered her a few fans of her own. But what's most important was that she was able to prove herself competent as a hero to her employer.

Today though, is the last day of her assessment.

Perhaps her master had rubbed off on her more than she thought. As Tsunade's apprentice, Sakura had the misfortune of making up for her master's debts. She learned how to gamble, play cards, cheat her way in gambling rings, and the like. However, this deal she made with Endeavor was a gamble that she had no guarantee of winning. Either way, there's always her plan B- Best Jeanist's Agency.

Sakura looked on at the man that was her target hero. As it turned out, he's exactly what people described him to be except for a few misplaced exaggerations.

His broad, enflamed back was ever present before her. It didn't take long for Sakura to learn the routes and alleyways around this particular section of the city. By the second day, she had already committed Endeavor's patrol route to heart. Though it wasn't that difficult. Endeavor was a man of habit and took the same route every day with only a few detours. He never stopped for waving fans or calling children who begged for his attention and autographs. At first it bothered her that such a high-ranking hero couldn't even spare the time to indulge in his fans, but that thought eventually quelled when she heard those same fans say that Endeavor's aloofness and 'lone-wolf' façade was the very reason why they admired him so much. Apparently, that sort of persona appealed to quite a number of people (even though she researched that Endeavor had a rather low public approval rating from the general consensus).

In her personal opinion, that difference he had compared to other heroes was what appealed to Sakura in a weird, twisted way. Still, it wouldn't hurt for him to smile a little for his adoring fans (especially the children), but then again, asking Endeavor to smile was like asking for Sasuke to sing and dance.

Well, the day will soon come to an end anyway. So whatever he decided on, she will hold no grudge and respect his decision. Now that she had a taste of what working with the man would be like, Sakura concluded that she would still stand by her original reasons. For the entire week, she had observed him close; Endeavor's a man with a one-track mind, powerful, commands respect, performs efficiently with purpose, and has a subtle yet strong sense of justice she admired. If she were to describe him in simple words, Endeavor's a professional among Pro Heroes.

"Excuse me, sir? Isn't the patrol finished from here?" Sakura asked as Endeavor suddenly turned on his heel to a different street besides crossing the intersection where his agency was. She found this odd since Endeavor's patrol always start and ends at his company building.

"The patrol is over, but we're not done yet," he said without further detail but he casted a glance over his shoulder at her direction, indicating her to follow.

They circled the block until she came face-to-face with a large, arena-like building with a dome-shaped roof. Inside, they passed through long, empty halls until they reached the heart of it.

Sakura shielded her eyes for a moment from the bright lights that covered the circular room and noticed that the only thing worth mentioning were the rows of glass atop the arena meant as the observation decks. They were empty.

She casted her sights back to her would-be employer that took his place on the other side of the arena.

Ahh… so this is how it's going to be.

Endeavor cracked his knuckles and rolled his neck as he said, "I must say you surprised me with your competence, Haruno. I didn't think there's someone still insane enough to want to be my support. But since you asked so nicely to be assessed, consider yourself honored that I accepted."

"I am honored, sir," she replied as she began to unzip her jacket and pull out her gloves from their pockets.

"The thing is though," he continued and he ignited a new light of bright, orange-red fire to crawl all over his body and eyes. Teal orbs once again observed her in its scrutinizing gaze, "I don't hire weak people."

"Well it's a good thing I'm strong then."

She tossed her jacket aside and pulled on her gloves.

"I won't hold back just because you're a woman."

He widened his stance.

"I sure hope you wouldn't. Or else I'll feel really insulted."

She braced herself.

"Let's dance, Haruno."

"Ladies first."

The first time their fists clashed, the entire dome shook.

As expected, their match was a flurry of fists. With nothing but raw power exuding with every blow. Even though his hands were thrice her own, she met them with the same burning power that he felt through his soul. None of them knew nor realized how long they've been at it but honestly, neither of them cared. While Endeavor scorched his own sparring arena with blasts of inferno of varying temperatures, Sakura carved the building with craters and dents that looked too inhuman for anyone else to believe they were done by a petite woman with pink hair.

Endeavor grunted as he was once again pushed back into a defensive position. His arms raised over his head to protect himself from the fury of Sakura's fists. Each one felt as if he was being hit by meteorites.

If there was any doubt in his mind that questioned the Sakura's ability to hold up a match against him, there's definitely none of that now.

Momentarily lost in his thoughts, he wasn't able to guard properly against a roundhouse kick. Pain radiated across his left from where she hit his side and for a split second, he thought she might've broken a rib. He certainly didn't expect she would come at him with a display of various styles of martial arts. He's only ever seen her work with her fists, after all.

In that momentary lapse, Sakura pulled her fist back, as if charging up for a stronger blow and Endeavor braced himself for the upcoming punch. He pulled back his own hand and let his fire coat it with the intention of catching her fist but it turned out she wasn't planning on punching him at all.

Instead, she took a step back and landed her fist on the floor between them. For a split second, her fist glowed green before the very steel and concrete floor from where they stood crumbled and split. Forming a crater that stretched out like a spider's web until it cracked every wall around them. Even the roof of the arena shook violently and rained down dust and soot.

Effectively, this made him lose his footing and before he knew it, he was on his back with the pinkette straddling on top of him.

The force she exerted to push him down made him gasp and choke out for air. It was then he realized that a couple of his ribs were really broken and he could taste the rusty flavor of blood at the back of his tongue.

As teal eyes widened by a fraction, Endeavor stared up at the slightly panting pinkette with her fist poised and ready to strike. It would've definitely been a win in her favor, until a flaming javelin manifested at the last second and aimed directly at the pinkette's jugular.

For the longest time, their eyes never strayed from one another's. With the soft creaks and moans of damaged steel, and their own panting breaths being the only ambiance.

Meanwhile, Sakura's mind raced. One half of her demanded that she continue and teach him a lesson for underestimating her, while the other ordered her to stop and let this unofficial match end at a stalemate. In the end, the latter won. This wasn't supposed to be a battle to the death anyway.

"Hmm," the pinkette hummed as she slowly let her fist fall limp to her side. All the while ignoring the stinging sensation she felt on her entire left arm and lower leg. The signs and symptoms indicating that her skin might've suffered some first degree burns from the attacks Endeavor unleashed earlier. She may be faster than him compared to his larger, bulkier build, but she wasn't fast enough to get away from the wide area of effect his flames could reach.

When Endeavor raised his own metaphorical white flag by dispelling his flame javelin, Sakura extracted herself from the No. 2 Hero as she inwardly struggled to fight off her secondary quirk to heal her injuries on its own.

"Why did you really come here?" he asked. Still flat on his back and his teal eyes staring up at his ruined arena. His engineers will have a field day once he calls them in for repairs. It's about time for a renovation anyway.

Sakura stared at him for a couple of moments, wondering if it's wise to tell him so soon. "I received a recommendation for special training under a staff from U.A. High School. I also wish to complete my Support Hero Contract for my certification."

"At U.A. High, huh?" he drawled. Fortunately, he didn't ask further, but he could guess. His profile did say that she was a licensed doctor. "Why not finish your contract back at Konoha?"

"Konoha law does not discriminate if any aspiring heroes wants to apply as a Support Hero outside the country. So long as the contract is legally officiated by an accredited hero agency," Sakura leaned back on her hands resting behind her. Her own verdant eyes stared up at the hole in the roof that Endeavor burned not too long ago. It was a full moon. "I thought that since I'm here, I might as well do it. It's like hitting two birds with one stone. I'm already late in completing my requirements as is."

"Is that why you refuse to show up in your hero uniform? Does the law in Konoha forbid its heroes to do their duty because they didn't finish a few requirements?"

Sakura chose to ignore his scoff, "Not exactly. I already have my Pro Hero license, but that can only be used within the Hidden Villages. Our law forbids us to use our hero name outside the country. It's part of the treaty. The same goes for anyone who visits Konohagakure or the other villages. They're not allowed to call themselves heroes or act as a hero in our countries. But as for me, I'm allowed to use my quirk in Japan as long as I'm someone's Support Hero. I just won't be able to use my hero name. And about the Support Hero Contract, I just don't like a blank space in my documents."

"Unacceptable."

Emerald eyes widened at that. She snapped her head towards him and her brows furrowed as he strained to sit up, "Excuse me?"

"I don't hire no-names, Haruno," Endeavor looked back at her, "So I guess this means we'll just have to get you your own Japanese Hero license."

"But I'm not a Japanese citizen."

"The Professional Hero Licensure Exam only permits natural-born or naturalized Japanese citizens, however the Provisional Hero License Exam is laxer with foreigners."

"I am aware of that exam, but sir, I don't have the luxury to wait until June to-"

"You won't have to unless you have the permission to take the PHLE's special exam from your Hokage. Not only that, but I'll also put up a request for you to the Hero Public Safety Commission. Just make sure you're ready once they give you the date of the exam."

Endeavor tried to keep his body from reacting any further than the petulant twitch of his eye as he watched the president of the Public Safety Commission go through Haruno's files for god knows how many times.

When he told the pink-haired hero that he'll need a permission from their Hokage to grant her access to the special exam, he didn't expect her to come to him the following day with the very documents needed and signed by the Hokage's special seal of approval. He honestly thought it would take her weeks, or even months to get the permission, considering the Hidden Village's cautiousness with Outside Nations. Perhaps it's because she's a citizen? But when he asked, Sakura just smiled sheepishly at him as said, "Well, sir, one of my childhood best friends is the Hokage's son. So you could say Lord Hokage has a soft spot for little ol' me."

Well, at least she's not one to shy in using leverages with her affiliations. What he didn't expect, however, was the reaction he received when he turned in the documents and his own letter of recommendation.

"Are you really certain, Endeavor?" asked the president of the Public Safety Commission.

Endeavor crossed his arms over his chest as his flames flared a bit from impatience, "My word is final. Now stop dawdling and get this exam started. I think you've made us wait long enough."

The old woman turned her eyes back once more to the documents before her desk. A retort was sizzling at the tip of his tongue until she finally sighed and stood from her seat. The rest of the board members followed as she personally led the way to the observation decks to watch over the proceedings.

He supposed he could give them a bit of credit. After all, it's unheard of that the Endeavor would send a recommendation and request for special permission for someone else's sake outside his family. In fact, this was the very first (and hopefully only) time he would do something like this.

As much as he hated to admit it, he has no complaints about the pink-haired foreigner and that alone says a lot. Even her sass became tolerable over the week and it frustrated him because he didn't understand why.

For one, she's polite and obviously professional. She looks young but she knew how to address her superiors properly and show them respect. Just like how she always called him 'Sir'.

She's obedient as she was smart. It's quite ironic that someone who had such unparalleled strength could be such a pacifist. Oh, she's not shy in breaking down buildings or decimating roads or stopping ten-wheeler trucks with one hand, mind you. From his observations in their seven-days assessment deal, he noticed that she'd rather make use of her situation and surroundings rather than just dive in with her fists raised unlike a certain dumbass blonde Pro Hero he knew.

Endeavor never stopped or dawdled in his patrol around his territory except on the occasional accident or villain causing trouble. Even though his public approval rating was not something to be proud of, it cannot be argued that Endeavor's territory was the safest in Japan. Why? Because his infamy makes even highly ranked villains think twice in stepping a foot in his domain.

But does Haruno ask him why? No. In fact, the pinkette hardly asks him anything except for his orders, and he appreciates that companionable silence that came with her because hardly anyone knew how to keep their mouths shut nowadays.

She's the type who, when asked by her superior to jump, would ask how high. To put it simply, Haruno Sakura was the ideal subordinate any higher up would want. She doesn't ask, doesn't question, and does everything with flare and terrifying precision. Even when he blatantly refuses or ignore fans for autographs or photos, there would only be a look of disapproval in her verdant eyes but nonetheless, she will keep her silence. She knows her place.

She's exactly his type.

Career-wise, of course.

(Then again, he'd come to give a blind eye on the way she would apologize and give treats occasionally to rejected, teary-eyed children. Even though he never asked her to clean up after him. Eventually, people would start calling her an angel in whispered voices.)

And the spar that was meant to be his last test for her only convinced him that he'd be a fool to not hire someone so valuable.

Endeavor was a very prideful man, but if he sees something of high value, he wouldn't think twice of jumping at the chance.

To think, all of this happened over the course of one week.

Endeavor took his seat next to the old president of the commission as their deck gave them a wide vantage point of the simulated arena below. Multiple monitors also occupied the deck's walls to show them a closer image of the proceedings below.

Well, it was still quite amusing how flustered the PSC got when he suddenly sent them a letter.

The special exam offered by the PSC for those who couldn't wait for the biannual exams conducted during the month of June and September, was by no means the hardest exam in the Hero Association. The rationale behind it was to deter eager heroes-to-be from thinking that becoming a Pro Hero was an easy task. There were those who attempted to challenge the exam years ago but nowadays, hardly anyone dares to mention it. It's not that gaining permission was difficult, it's the exam itself that makes it seem almost impossible.

PSC's special exam comprised of three phases, the fist being a Rescue test, where the examinee was tasked to save as many civilians (dummies) as they can under a simulated national-level natural disaster over the span of one hour. The second would be the Hero Aptitude test, whereby the examinee's strength and use of their quirk will be tested against five volunteered high-ranking heroes. While the last would be a written exam with questions ranging about hero policies and laws, and case studies to attest strategies.

Oh, that doesn't seem too difficult? Well, of course it wouldn't be.

If only the exam allowed breaks in between phases.

That's right, the examinee will have to complete all of the tests without recess or a time to recuperate.

Endeavor has no doubt of the pinkette's strength and ability to strategize. Even that, he could vouch for. When he went to the doctor for a checkup after their spar, the doctor thought he fought a very powerful villain to cause so much damage to his body. Suffice to say he had no choice but to comply when the doctor instructed him to take it easy due to his fractured ribs. His bruises were still sore as well.

The only factor that derailed him from giving her his 100% confidence to succeed, was her unmeasured endurance. The major reason most of the examines fail was due to exhaustion. Only a very minimal few had even made it pass through the second phase. But when he told her that, Sakura's eyes only burned with conviction and challenge.

Endeavor doesn't gamble, but if this exam was, he would gladly turn all of his chips in Sakura's favor.

He watched on one of the screens that showed a close-up look on Sakura's face. She pulled on her gloves before turning her gaze on one of the cameras. That unflinching gaze of hers made it seem like she was looking right at him. When they gave the signal to begin, she winked and disappeared.

"I thought I told you to start wearing your hero costume," Endeavor said as he sneered down at her attire.

Sakura rolled her eyes exaggeratedly and folded her arms over her chest. She actually took offense from his words this time, "And I told you already that we don't have costumes. Konoha prescribes us standard issued uniforms based on our ranks. Unfortunately for you, it's against the law for us to wear our uniforms outside of the Hidden Villages."

Like the stubborn man he was, the redhead crossed his own arms over his chest and practically loomed over her smaller form. Sakura just met his glare head on.

"And just how do you expect me to believe you can do your work efficiently if you don't have proper attire and equipment?"

She placed her hands on her hips this time, "In case you've forgotten, I've done our deal and passed the Provisional Hero Licensure Exam while wearing civilian clothes and without the use of gadgets. I don't understand why you're complaining now. I've done my job perfectly even before you officially hired me. Besides, I don't see them complaining."

She gestured with her chin and teal eyes snapped at the audience they had garnered since she first came through his company doors. He expected her to arrive on her first day of work as his official Support Hero in her costume, like the professional he thought she was, and he had already prepared himself for any exotic features she might present but this was definitely not what he had in mind. It didn't help that the obvious way his workers stared dazedly at Sakura, especially from his male employees, rubbed him off the wrong way for some reason.

Enji's eyes further narrowed as he took in her form once again. From her red, sleeveless qipao top that exposed her navel, with the backside that fell to her knees, to her light-colored pants, and down to her dark heels, just who would think that's appropriate for a hero to wear?!

She looks more like a model ready for the runway than a hero who chases villains down a turmoiled street.

"No one will take you seriously in that," he argued instead and saw the corner of her eye twitch in annoyance. He must've hit a mark.

"I don't mind. It'll hurt more once they realize I can kick their asses effortlessly. Sorry to disappoint your hero customs but I'm trained to not need those auxiliary articles to do my job as a hero. In fact, I can still outrun you even if I'm wearing heels, sir."

Endeavor scoffed, "Ha! So now that you've signed the contract, you're finally showing your true colors, Haruno. You're a menace."

A contented sort of smirk formed at her lips at his words, "Thank you. You know, as much as would love to prove you wrong, we're already oh, I don't know, five minutes behind schedule? We don't want those nasty villains to think we're slacking off on the job now, do we?"

As she tapped a finger tauntingly at her small wristwatch, Enji felt the corner of his own eye twitch. The nerve of-!

"Alright Endeavor, how about a bet?"

He felt his flames flare up, "You dare propose a gamble with your own employer?"

She rolled her eyes, "Oh relax. It's just a bet. You know? For fun! It doesn't go against any of terms of our contract, as far as I remember."

Endeavor stilled. His ire melted away for some reason, "For… fun?"

This time, she smiled a genuine smile, "Yeah. Let's bet on how many times people would comment on my outfit. If they like it or say that it's fine for being a hero, then it's a point for me, but if they say otherwise, then it's a point for you. Also, in the event that we encounter a villain, let's race on who can capture him first. You can even use your fire to give you a boost. I'm sure you'll need it."

Though peeved by her taunts, amusement bubbled otherwise in his stomach. No one's ever outright challenged him so casually outside of his position for the No. 2 spot before.

"You do realize you just lowered your chances of winning," he taunted but Sakura just shrugged her shoulders unaffectedly. He huffed once more and tried to control the way his lips threatened to crawl up in amusement. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this… entertained? "Fine. If I win, you'll march yourself to the Design Department and get a proper costume tailored."

"Ah but if I win, you'll have to do me a favor," she said with a raised finger up.

"That's not fair. Your condition is highly ambiguous."

"Why? You afraid of what I might make you do?" she taunted, "Man up, Endeavor."

In an instant, the temperature in the lobby increased twice over and sent everyone else scampering out to avoid the heat yet again. Still, despite the obvious ire that frowned his brows, there was a spark behind his teal eyes.

Without saying anything, Endeavor stomped his way towards the entrance. His flames calmed somewhat but a daring smug expression painted his face instead. With one hand, he held open the door while the other made a mocking gentlemanly gesture outside. He bent his waist slightly to further insult her short stature, "After you, Shamrock Queen."

Playing along, Sakura walked forward with confident strides and her chin raised in pride, "Why thank you, Endeavor."

By the end of the day, Endeavor learned to never make deals or bets with the pinkette ever again. As for Sakura, she went home with a skip in her step at the fact that she successfully managed to take a selfie with her new boss (Selfie, what a weird word but it's a term she learned from Burnin- a new friend she made in Endeavor's agency). He didn't smile, nor did he look at the camera, but that was perfectly fine for Sakura who only takes photos of events worth remembering. She will definitely have it framed and displayed on her desk back home along with her picture of Team 7.