For the next few years, Toshinori found himself balancing visits to I-Island, getting closer to Sasaki and trying to track down All For One after years of running. Getting a call from UA did nothing to help that balance stay in place, but as an alumni and a popular one at that, he was still willing to pay his old school a visit.
As he and Sasaki -his sidekick has also gone to UA during his high school years- walked through the large, stone gates of the UA campus, they saw a group of other pro heroes gathering around. Toshinori wasn't completely sure if school was in session yet but he didn't understand why the new principal of UA would invite so many alumni heroes if it were. He tried to keep to himself as well as he could near the back of the group and Sasaki seemed to do the same. Thanks to his amazing height, he was able to see over the group.
"Someone's passing out cards at the door" Toshinori told Sasaki aloud, drawing all eyes to him. He cursed himself for being so loud.
"Is that All Might?!" One pro hero turning their head became the whole group and eventually, he was talking to everyone about how strange it was to get a call back to UA or who this new principal was. He tried to listen, but so many people wanted his personal opinion, and he just didn't know. Sasaki gave out a small sigh and he started cutting through the crowd toward the front door. If they got their seats early, then maybe they wouldn't be stuck on the sad booths UA had when Toshinori went.
As soon as they made their way to the front door, they were each handed a small card that would allow them into the caliteria. It seemed like a strange place to meet, but he wasn't the one organizing the event.
The school itself hadn't changed since he'd last been there. The halls were the same colors but he did notice a carpet texture. When has that been changed? It could've been anytime since he was there. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a few teachers walking through the halls. He didn't recognize any of them, but a glimpse of a horse body made him rush into the cafeteria. He did not want to visit old teachers and his old homeroom teacher was definitely a no.
Other heroes filed in slowly but surely. The tables were the same and he instinctively moved to his usual booth, but Sasaki pulled him to the back wall. "I'm sure you would enjoy getting out of your chair again and these stools don't seem to be stable enough to hold you." Toshinori chuckled as they made their way to the back of the room. Whoever this new principal is would likely appreciate it as well.
It didn't take long for the lights to dim -when had they been able to do that?- and a short, fuzzy figure stood in front of them near the food court. The mouse, bear, dog thing was roughly the size of his lower leg and wore a full suit. It had a large scar running down it's eye but it looked old. "Welcome back to UA, Heroes." The mouse started, it's voice high but sophisticated. Was this a human with a mouse quirk or an animal with a quirk? "As the new principal of UA, I would like to personally introduce myself. I am Principal Nezu!" There was a long, awkward pause afterward.
It-he seemed to not care and jumped up onto a stool to get higher. "I understand that you may not like the new change or simply might not care, but I do appreciate each and every hero that showed up. I would love to meet with at least a few of you personally after the event, if you so wish but for now, I will go into the changes I plan to make to this school! First-"
Nezu then continued to list off not one, not two, but 47 different things he plans or would like to change about UA. The first thing was the way the entrance exam worked. It was severely flawed when Toshinori had taken it and mixed with the new technology advancements, it sounded like a great idea. A point system would definitely make it more fair and the use of false enemies would likely make dealing with younger students who didn't know how to use their own quirks much easier.
After the long list, -Toshinori had spaced most of it once he realized how small some details were, like the types of light bulbs used in the halls- Nezu began wrapping up and also mentioned a free cup of tea to anyone who stopped by his office for a short chat.
"Alright." Sasaki stood up straight and pushed his glasses up. "We should have a few hours before your meeting and your next patrol will start-"
"I'm going to meet with Nezu." Toshinori didn't mean to interrupt but the new sense of determination made him want to run after the small mouse-man just to get a chance to talk.
Sasaki knew better than to argue. He let out a long sigh before gesturing toward the overly crowded door of the cafeteria. "You may do as you please but if you miss your meeting, it will be bad for both of us." He warned before walking toward the door himself.
Toshinori walked out of the opposite door, wandering the halls. He'd never really gone to the principal's office before and after so many years, his memory was hazy. Was it two turns before he made it to the water fountains or three? He would curse his age but he couldn't possibly be old enough to actually have memory issues. Right? Right.
The soft sounds of chatter and a small line outside of a certain door in the hall proved that he wasn't completely lost. There were more than enough chairs along the walls for people to wait, which meant that these weren't likely 'small visits'. Well, as long as he got back to Might Tower in time to get to his meeting, he should be fine, right? Sasaki would forgive him eventually.
…
"Ah, All Might! It's so wonderful to finally meet you!" Nezu was already pushing a warm cup of tea toward him. The principal's desk was still the same but the chair had a crate and several pillows stacked on top. Toshinori wondered how troublesome it must be to get up and down all the time.
"Thank you, Principal Nezu, Sir. It's an honor to talk with you." Toshinori smiled genuinely. Something about Nezu told him that faking it wouldn't be a good or effective idea. "If I may ask, what exactly do you plan to get out of talking to us personally?" He had a hard time believing Nezu was as vanilla as he seemed.
"I truly am impressed with you, All Might. Most come in just to ask about a certain detail of my changes to UA or to simply introduce themselves. If I'm correct, you want to know my motives." Nezu began sipping at his tea -could mice bears drink tea?- but those black eyes stared at him the whole time.
"I guess you could say that. There's no real point in me coming back to UA other than for the pride of the school. I don't need to know you but if you may need me as a resource, It would be wise to know who I'm dealing with before we make any arrangements." Everyone needed the Symbol of Peace these days. It was more a question of who didn't than who did.
Nezu let out an airy laugh and set his tea cup down with a soft clink. "An interesting attack to this little chat. I might add that I'm not opposed to using Japan's greatest hero as a stepping stone, but I wish to go about it in a specific way, if I may."
Toshinori tilted his head to the side. A specific way? "My all means." He gestured widely, even throwing in a smile to help the man -was that the correct thing to say?- in case he needed it. Based on what little he knew of Nezu, he likely didn't.
"Do you remember the Trigger raid on the Sendai docks?" Nezu clasped his paws together.
The question sent Toshinori for a loop. How did Nezu know he'd worked that case? "Yes. It had been a small lab that tested Trigger on ani-" he paused half way through saying it. Nezu was...no way. Had he really been one of those animals? He didn't remember seeing any animals with scars like that other than...the one he'd seen run away. "You ran away that night, didn't you?"
Toshinori couldn't quite tell what Nezu was thinking. "I'm surprised you saw that, let alone remember. It has been quite a while since that particular incident." Nezu tapped at his desk as they sat in silence. The tea was likely getting cold but the mammal didn't seem to care. "It is true, that I was one of those animals. The quirk I have acquired is called High Spec and it allows me to think and process information on a level higher than any human. Because of this, I was fully aware of the horrible things done to me while I was tested on. Now, I don't bring this up for you to pity me but I do want you to understand that this experience has made me feel illy of most humans. I want you to prove to me that you are a good human."
Toshinori wasn't sure what to do with so much information. He had never imagined one of those animals with an intelligence quirk but having one would make those tests so much worse, wouldn't it? Nezu knew he was getting Trigger pumped into his veins. He knew what was happening to those around him as well but the worst thing might have been that he was the only one who did. He was alone in a lab full of suffering creatures with no way out. Well, until the heroes came.
Staring at his cup of now cold tea, Toshinori thought Nezu's request over. How could he prove to someone who rightfully hated his race that he wasn't like those villains? How could he dare to gain Nezu's trust with his words alone. Sasaki might have been able to do it, he was better with his words than Toshinori, but this wasn't about his sidekick.
Toshinori could only find one conclusion. "I can't." He looked up at the animal in front of him again. "I can't prove that I'm better than any other human being, because I'm not. I may be the Symbol of Peace, but I'm still human. I have no way of proving that I won't get upset or feel selfish." It didn't feel like a defeat.
Nezu slowly started smiling at him and began sipping at his tea again. "Well. I will say that I'm impressed. I've heard and seen great things from you, but I wasn't sure if it was all genuine. Thank you for visiting with me, All Might." Nezu began standing up from his tower of a seat, leaving Toshinori confused.
"Wait, are we done? Was that it?" What did Nezu mean? He'd just admitted to being no better than anyone else and yet he was getting praised for impressing Nezu? It made no sense.
"I've heard enough to know your true nature, All Might. There's no reason for me to not trust you. I can give you a card in case you need my assistance and I would love to speak with you again under less rushed circumstances. Thank you again." Nezu opened the door for him and even as Toshinori walked out of the small office, he found himself wondering what exactly had won this little battle.
Maybe he could look forward to more answers during their next little chat.
…
Toshinori did it. He called Gran Torino for the first time in years.
The old man hadn't picked up on the first call and when he did, he sounded about ready to kill whoever dared to interrupt his taiyaki time. Toshinori could already feel himself regretting the call as he answered the gruff curse.
"Hellp, Gran Torino-sensei. It's Toshinori." He waited for a response but nothing came. "I just wanted to call about some work I've been doing concerning-"
"Shut up." Gran Torino groaned through the phone. Was he hung over or something? Gran Torino hadn't been a drinker when he lived with the old man, but ten or so years can change a lot. Just imagining the old hero with a beer belly made him shiver.
"um...I wanted to talk to you." Toshinori spoke quieter this time. He still wasn't sure how his old sensei would react to the things he's been doing as a hero and part of him didn't even want to know.
"What?! What could possibly be so important that you came running back to me?!"
"It's about All For One." He whispered, hoping Gran Torino heard it only so he wouldn't have to say it again. Judging by the silence that followed, he had. He waited until the hero on the other side of the phone began speaking again.
A string of curses came out before any real sentence. "Where are you? I can't talk about this over the phone. Are you in your stupid tower?"
Now, a new fear presented itself. He had been okay with calling Gran Torino and by okay, he meant taking over three full days to build up the courage to just press the button. He could handle getting cursed and yelled at from over the phone, but in person? The thought of seeing him, in his office, made him start to shake. Would it undo all of the healing he's tried to maintain over the years? Would the grief of Nana come back in the shape of his old sensei?
"If you don't respond, I'm breaking into your agency." Gran Torino threatened.
"Yes, I'm here." He forced out and hung up before he could get a response. He needed someone else with him. Sasaki probably. If he did this alone, he'd cave and this entire thing would be useless. He needed Gran Torino's help whether he was scared or not.
Heaven help him.
Author's Notes: I'm sorry this one took a bit longer but I had to do a lot of fixing with the Nezu scene. Also, welcome back Gran Torino! It's been a while. I will mention again, that I checked for any canon romantic relationship between All Might and Nighteye and came up with nothing. Sorry fellas.