AN: Welcome to Chapter 4 of Feral Rising! I'll be pausing for a while after this one, since I have a week long activity in helping to integrate the new freshmen of m school to university life, yaaaaay~

To answer some reviews…

Guest: I'll update it when I can, but at the moment, I'm focusing on this one. It's taking me a while to formulate the idea I have for the next chapter, so it'll take a while.

Blaze1992: I know the drama seems forced, but what I was going for was a child throwing a tantrum effect. He's still a thirteen-year-old, after all, and some of them are still prone to getting mad, and with him having a Quirk like Feral Frenzy, it'll be magnified! XD In the case of Karen, she's sad, because she had to force it upon her son, but knows its her way of giving back to the man that saved them. Hope this explains it!

Dante: Hmmm, I never watched/read Berserk, but when I searched it up, yeah it bore resemblance. Funny, I thought I based it off of Naruto's cloaks haha~ But yes, it looks like that, but resembling a werewolf rather than a normal wolf! And yes, that's is one of the reasons I'm having them move is because of that, and that Karen is a geneticist, so I thought 'Hey! Won't that be helpful for All Might's injury?' and made it that way XD As for the classes, I'm planning on adding 3 more characters to UA, to make it a 22 per class deal, but haven't really finalized it yet! Though for sure, Ryo and another will be joining, just not sure how I'll create the class.

Jerrend: That has its appeal, to be honest. But eh, there's one more character I wanna genderbend, and then there's a bunch of encounters I'm going over. So for now, pairings are a bit undecided~

Anyways, on with the show!

Disclaimer: I don't own Boku no Hero Academia or any of the references I may make here. All I own are my OCs, my laptop, and this steaming cup of coffee that will always be with me as I make all these.

Chapter 4: The Daily Life of a Certain Wolf and His Pack

It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining brightly in the clear sky, not a cloud or sign of rain anywhere in the nearby vicinity. All in all, a perfectly normal day that he would happily enjoy going on a jog or even train in, if not for the restriction placed on him – better known as being trapped in school.

Oh well, at least he could hang out with Zuzu and Itsuka.

"YOU'RE GOING TO WHAT!?"

Now if only they weren't shouting so loud that the entire prefecture could hear them.

"Agh… You wanna scream any louder? Pretty sure my ears haven't ruptured yet." Ryotaro grumbled, holding his hands over his sensitive ears. The ringing has yet to go away. "Pretty sure you guys were heard all the way from Tokyo. Maybe Kyoto with how loud you were…"

"Can you blame us!? You just sprung that you're apparently leaving for who knows how long!"

"Y-Yeah Ryocchan! T-This isn't some n-news you just d-drop on us like its n-nothing!"

Itsuka was scolding him, while Izumi was close to tears as they both stood in front of him during their lunch period. Other students tried to eavesdrop because the loud scream drew everyone's attention towards them, but quickly looked away when a glare was delivered to them. Brought to them by Kurokami Enterprises. No refunds!

"I'll be gone approximately five years, considering that we're currently in the seventh grade and I'll be there till high school ends." He really didn't mean to make them sad, but at this point, he couldn't go not telling them he was leaving! "Then I'll be back here to apply for UA University. Mom promised me that."

After he and his mom patched things up between them last Saturday – and the huge shit-storm reveal he had that very night – he decided to tell them within his two friends within the week. Unfortunately, he kept putting it off because some random things kept happening throughout the week that stops him just before he could tell them. First was a villain attack on Monday near their school, then a sudden cancellation of classes due to an infestation of bees on Tuesday, finally there was a freak accident in the chemistry department on Wednesday, which caused Thursday to be a free day where the middle schoolers were told to stay at home. All in all, it felt like the world was against him.

It got to the point where he just blurted it out while they were just about to have lunch, and today's Friday!

"Well sorry if it's sudden." He grumbled as he took a bite off his yakisoba bread. 'If only you had any idea about what I've been through just trying to tell you earlier! How the heck did any of those things even happen!?'

"I-Is there no other way? D-Do you really have to go…?" Izumi was beginning to let tears flow down her face as her eyes sheened, staring at him almost pleadingly.

Ryotaro frowned and nodded. "… It's why Mom and I had been acting strange these past few days. I was mad, but eventually, we talked and made up."

"So that's why you seemed off. You were looking for a way to tell us." Itsuka muttered, but even the tough girl was teary eyed.

"Yeah…" Ryotaro sighed as he finished up his lunch. "Look, I won't be leaving for a long while. We got months to make memories and just enjoy till then." He grinned lopsidedly at them. "So why not make these months some of the best as a big send off for me, huh?"

That brightened up the room as the two now beamed at him. On the outside, he was smiling with them, but on the inside, he let out a breath of relief. 'At least they don't look sad anymore.'

He'll tell them what happened to his Quirk some other time.

Izumi Midoriya is a shy girl. Recent years has seen her growing in strength, will, determination, and confidence, but she will always be a shy girl at heart. Sure, her two best friends tried their best to help her out of her shell, but she's still the timid girl that Ryocchan helped all those years ago.

'I would've liked it if I at least grew more in height.' She pouted as she stared at Ryocchan and Itsuka-chan talking with each other as they walked in a slightly crowded mall. She focused particularly at how Itsuka-chan was nearly Ryocchan's own height, if only a few inches smaller, making her pout more at being a whole foot shorter than them. Even Itsuka-chan's figure was better than hers by miles. 'Maybe Ryocchan would notice me more if I were like that.'

Her cheeks flushed cutely as she covered her face with her hands, steam coming out of her ears. Nearby people looked at her weirdly, and Ryotaro and Itsuka looked back to see her as a blushing mess. Not that she noticed, lost as she was in her own thoughts.

"Hey, Zuzu? You okay?" Ryocchan's voice snapped her back to reality, and she blushed brighter when she noticed that other people were actually staring at her. "… I'll take that as a no then."

"Maybe Zumi thought of something embarrassing, hmm?" Itsuka-chan had a teasing smirk on. It only widened when she noticed how brighter her blush became. "Looks like I was right."

"Mou, Itsuka-chan!" Izumi whined while flailing her arms wildly, earning a laugh from Itsuka-chan while Ryocchan let out a few chuckles, amused. "It's not like that at all!"

"Is it?"

"It really isn't!"

Ryocchan's chuckles escalated to full blown laughter as Itsuka-chan continued to tease her and she kept trying to refute all of it. Eventually they settled down and entered a dress shop, where she and Itsuka-chan fawned over the latest fashion. On the other hand, Ryocchan had a blank look on his face.

"… You know what, I just remembered!" He laughed nervously, trying to slowly back away while the two were distracted. "I kinda have to do a thing… And Melty-sensei wanted me to get…something, for her! I'll leave you two here, alright? Bye—Gak!?"

Itsuka-chan immediately had him in her grasps, enlarging her hands to trap him. While normally Quirk usage wasn't allowed, people were just looking at them with light laughs and some sent pitying looks at him.

"You wouldn't leave two cute girls by themselves, would you? Ryo~ta~ro~?" While she was smiling sweetly at him, she also had a menacing aura surrounding her. Izumi could visibly see the shiver run down Ryocchan. "We're just frail girls, after all. We need a strong man to help us carry our purchases."

"Frail my butt! You're one of the strongest people I know!" Ryocchan exclaimed, and she pouted at the blush Itsuka-chan got from it.

Seeing as he wouldn't budge and just continued to struggle, she went up to him just as he stopped to look at her. Izumi's eyes began to gloss over as her eyes began to water, pursing her bottom lip out in the most adorable puppy dog eyes anyone has ever seen. Ryocchan was stuck silent at the sight while Itsuka-chan sent her a knowing smirk.

"P-Please R-Ryocchan? W-We n-need your h-help." It was times like these that Izumi is thankful for her stuttering. Seeing Ryocchan starting to shake before his shoulders sagged in surrender, she couldn't help but smirk in her mind at the success.

Hey, she might be a shy girl, but she never said she didn't learn how it to her advantage. You can thank Itsuka-chan for teaching her.

There are days where he wonders what life has in store for him, and no, this isn't him being philosophical, but rather him questioning why things happen to him in particular.

Sure, mostly good things happens to him, but other times, not so much.

One example of a good thing would be the show he received yesterday back at the mall. Okay, fine, the girls made him carry all of their purchases, but the fact that they wore each outfit they picked and showcased it to him was reward enough. He's a growing teenage boy, after all, and he's no stranger to feeling certain attractions to the opposite gender. And seeing his two best friends all dressed up like that just further justified it.

Itsuka, despite being tomboyish, was a beauty who was well developed despite being in their early teens. She was – ahem – well-developed compared to most of their peers, and seeing her try on dresses just further proved it. Not to mention that she has an air of maturity to her, being the most responsible one out of the three of them.

Izumi, on the other hand, had that cute factor going on for her, the meek girl being absolutely adorable despite being not as well-developed as their ginger haired friend. Her short stature really works well for her and just adds to her overall cuteness. Her shyness and appeal was just further enhanced by the sundress Itsuka made her try on.

All in all, as a hot-blooded male who was still going through puberty, he can't complain about it.

'I also just realized how little male friends I have' Ryotaro mused. 'I wonder why that is?'

"You fucking mutt! Who told you that you could run away, huh, bastard! Until I prove how much weaker you are than me, you ain't leaving for shit, got that!?"

'Ah, right, that might be why.' He deadpanned, looking at the seething Pomeranian in front of him.

And here's one of the bad things in life right now; having to deal with an angry Katsuki Bakugou, whose temper and ego had only grown worse as the years went by. Honestly, he'd take being the girls' pack mule any day of the week than having to deal with this guy. Plus, the girls looked way better in comparison to this angry Pomeranian.

'Still can't believe Itsuka came up with that.' He then took the time to really look at Bakugou, and found that he really does resemble an angry Pomeranian. '… She wasn't wrong, though.'

"Hey! Stop ignoring me damn it!" The angry pom—I mean, Bakugou, demanded. He calls him a mutt, so Ryotaro feels justified in calling him a Pom!

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time." He grumbled, glancing to the side of the empty changing room they were in. It was after PE, and Bakugou had stormed him while he was changing. The rest of their classmates were either trying to eavesdrop (like usual) or staying the hell away from two of the strongest boys in their year. "Not my problem you haven't beaten me once."

"WHAT WAS THAT!?"

"Agh, damn it, stop shouting!" Ryotaro hissed, nursing his aching ears. What is it with people and screaming his ears off!? "Besides, I didn't expect you to bitch on me about leaving. I thought you of all people would love me being gone."

Let it never be said that he never learnt anything from the few times Aunt Mitsuki and Bakugou were in the same place as him. More on the former than the latter.

"And I do, you shitty mutt, but not before I actually beat the fuck out of you!" Bakugou grounded out. "I can't have my rival be a fucking coward by running away with your tail between your legs!"

'Of course it's a self-centered reason like that.' He sighed, and went back to doing what he does best when it concerns a certain explosion boy.

Ignore him in the hopes that he'll go away.

"I SAID STOP FUCKING IGNORING ME YOU SHITTY MUTT! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Every. Goddamn. Time.

Itsuka Kendo never expected to be where she is now, even when she was just a little kid. A lot of people found her Quirk off-putting or even calling it useless since all it did was make her hands bigger, so it wasn't like she made a lot of friends either. It was one of the reasons why she was so glad that a certain lavenderette and greenette entered her life.

Growing up with them and spending all that time together made it all the better, as she grew up with two of the best friends she's ever had. Of course, that's not to see she only sees them as friends. In a way, Izumi – whom she affectionately calls Zumi – is the sister she's never thought she'd have, having been an only child. She was like the mature older sister to Zumi's meek little sister visage.

Honestly, she and Ryotaro – whom she calls by Ryo – have tried to help her be more confident, but it's a slow progress.

And speaking of Ryo… Thoughts about the lavenderette have been plaguing her mind as of late, and loathe as she was to have done it, she had asked her mom why that was. The answer she gave her made her almost want to have never asked in the first place, because now she feels weird whenever she's around him. Not that she shows it, years of training martial arts in her father's dojo helped her keep her cool most times.

'Who knew it'd be hard to crush on your own best friend.' She mused to herself as she stood in front of their school's entrance, leaning on the gate as she waited for Ryo to come out. Zumi already went on ahead, saying that her mother needed her for something. 'That just leaves Ryo and me alone…t-together.'

She felt heat crawl up her cheeks while, shaking her head to try and get rid of the butterflies in her stomach at the thought. Honestly, she could be just as hopeless as Zumi sometimes when it comes to her liking a boy.

Ah yes, another problem she has to deal with. Zumi and she are so close that they even share the same taste in guys. Even better, they both like the same guy. How awkward it was when they discovered it during a girl's sleepover when they both shouted it out.

Thank god Ryo wasn't there or else it would've been way worse.

Oh well, just something they'll have to deal with. Stupid hormones and stupid puberty…

"Hey, Itsuka! Sorry, some really angry Pomeranian held me back. Don't worry, I managed to lose the little guy."

Speaking of lavender.

Itsuka snorted, knowing exactly who he was talking about as she turned to see him smiling mischievously with his back slung over his shoulder. "Let me guess, he wanted to fight you again?"

She had long since figured out the connection a certain ash-blonde had with her two friends, and knowing how he treated Zumi – and still continues to treat her (or at least tries to) – she immediately called him an angry Pomeranian. The name got a few laughs and eventually stuck.

Now it was their own personal (but small) revenge against the jerk known as Katsuki Bakugou.

"That too. But mostly about me leaving and 'being a coward.' Just, you know, said with a lot of more cussing." He joked, but he must have noticed her expression fall just a bit when he reminded her of that fact. "Itsuka? Are you okay?"

How can she be okay? One of her best friends/the boy she likes would be leaving soon and she won't be able to see him for a long time. That is not the definition of okay!

"No, it's nothing. Just thinking about something in class." She wasn't in the same homeroom as Ryo and Zumi. "Mr. Hoshiguma really made us work in English earlier."

"I may have known Zuzu longer, but we also grew up together, Itsuka. I can tell when you're lying." He rolled his eyes, noticing her body twitch. A moment of silence passed between them with her trying to come up with an excuse while he gave her an expectant stare. "You know you can tell me anything and I wouldn't judge. Besides, I can tell that whatever this is, it's really been bothering you."

She stared at him, then let out a slight laugh.

"As expected of little wolfie." He gave an indignant squawk at the nickname as the two began to move away from the school. "But, well… I guess I'm just thinking about life."

"Please don't get philosophical on me. I get enough of that from my scientist of a mother."

Sometimes, he could be such a jerk!

"Shhh! Don't interrupt me." She playfully swatted his hands and he playfully held his hands out in mock surrender, smirking all the while. How did she like this guy again? Oh, right… "We're gonna finish middle school in another year, then enter high school. Eventually, all three of us planned to apply to UA."

Zumi, Ryo and her. Going to apply to their dream hero school together and become heroes together. If people said that Zumi won't be able to get in, or that Itsuka's Quirk isn't good enough? Well, they'll show them. Plus, they can defend themselves. On the other hand, they also have a protective male friend, who sometimes acts like a guard dog when you think about it.

"And eventually, we really will." He agreed, squinting his eyes as he stared at the sunset. "One day, we'll reach that dream. We'll all be standing proudly as UA students. And then, we'll be the greatest heroes the world has ever seen."

"That's a goal I can see us achieving." She giggled, but then turned somber. "… But right now, I'm not so sure."

"Huh?" He suddenly stopped, watching as she walked ahead a bit. "What do you mean?"

Taking a deep breath, she stopped too and looked to the orange sky. "You'll be leaving by the year's end, right? I guess what I just want to say is that things will be different then." She chuckled a bit, almost self-depreciatingly. "Will we even still be the friends we are now when we finally reach college? Will I or Zumi still want to be heroes by then? Will you? Or will something change between us and we can never take back what we lost?"

"Itsuka…"

"… Or something like that!" She grinned, trying to brush it off as nothing. "Anyway, it's getting late, don't you think? We better get home before it gets dark—"

Her rambling got cut off when a pair of arms wrapped around her, his bag discarded on the floor as he rested his head on her hair.

"I know." He simply said. "I know you're scared of what'll happen, of what could happen. Zuzu certainly wasn't all that subtle about her own feelings on the matter." His hold on her tightened, and she felt a blush creep up on her face as she nearly melted in his embrace. "Even I'm scared of leaving you both behind. Of leaving the life I've lived here, just like that."

"But on the other hand, I also know that I'll always cherish the memories we made over the years. At least until we reach our goal and enter UA together, and from there, we'll make even more memories." She could feel him smiling as he kept his hold on her. "Think of this as like a trial. A challenge we need to face until we reach the final stage. And when we beat it, when the three of us are a trio again, we'll come out stronger than ever. All we need to do for now, is persevere."

Itsuka took his words in as she turned around to hug him back. Her eyes turned slightly teary, but she also let out a snort before exploding into full blown laughter, confusing the lavenderette.

"You sounded so cheesy! What's with that 'All we need to do now is persevere,' huh? I never took you for the sentimentality type!" She laughed, burying her face deep into Ryo's chest even as he protested at her words. Feeling his sigh as he still continued to hug her, made her smile in content. "… But, thanks."

"Geez, first you laugh at me, and now you thank me." He grumbled, but even he had an easy going smile. "Anytime, Itsuka."

'You know, I really should be supporting Zumi all the way, but…' She hummed, even as they let go and continued on their way home. On the way, she kept sending him discreet glances, a gentle smile on her face. 'But I don't want to lose too. When you come back, I'll tell you then.'

'That's why…please don't ever change, Ryo.'

He sighed as he entered his house, dropping his bag on the couch of their living room just as he slumped on it, easily relaxing himself on the comforting fluffiness of their couch.

"Had a rough day of school?"

Ryotaro glanced to the side to see his mother standing there with an amused smirk. All the younger lavenderette did was roll his eyes.

"Everything was fine, Mom. Had to deal with Bakugou getting on my case about moving." He explained, but frowned as what else happened hit him. "Then there was Itsuka…"

"Itsuka-chan?" Karen blinked, before she gained a mischievous look. "Oho? Did my little wolf finally ask out one of the two adorable girls he's always hanging out with? It's about time! Do you have any idea how long Inko, Ayame Mitsuki and I were waiting for one of you to pair up? Sadly, looks like Inko's girl lost this one, even though we pegged her as the first one you'll date."

The younger Kurokami blinked, taking everything she said in until his own face exploded in a blush that would match even Izumi in her bashful state. "W-WHAT!? I'm not—no, we were just—It isn't like that at all!" Ryotaro stuttered, feeling embarrassed and a bit creeped out that his and his two best friends' moms were betting on them getting together. Like seriously, why!? "I was just comforting her about the fact I had to leave! Leave all your weird fantasies about me getting with my best friends out of it! Besides, we're just thirteen!"

All he received in response was a boisterous laughter from the older lavenderette. The moment she calmed down, her eyes sharpened, showing that the next bit was more serious. "So? Was there any new side effects?"

Immediately knowing what she was talking about, Ryotaro sighed and thought back to the previous weekend. The day he finally learned a bit more about his late father.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO Flashback OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Taking a deep breath, she gazed back at him and he couldn't help but be taken aback by the seriousness in her eyes. "Because just before you got back here, you were in a wolf-like form. It may be a bit wisp-like compared to a usual beast transformation-type Quirk, but that was without a doubt a similar form to what your father's Quirk let him turn into." She then entered a thinking pose. "It was honestly surprising seeing you in that form. I guess being feral and your looks aren't the only thing you inherited from Yusaku."

"… Excuse me, I did what?"

Karen sighed as she gestured for him to follow her, the younger Kurokami flinched only a little as he tried to stand up. Once he managed to get up and see that his body was in working order, the two left and his mother led him to her lab. He blinked, confused, since he hadn't ever been in there for long, and from what he remembers, all that's inside is just her research and inventions/experiments.

What's in there that had to do with what she just dropped on him?

'I mean, turning into a werewolf? Sounds unreasonable.' He thought, but then grimaced as the distorted voice came back to him. 'Although…'

"A few minutes ago, when you got home – through your room's window, might I add – you were in a lycanthrope-like form." She began, moving aside some books to reveal…a part of the wall? He then blinked when Karen slid her hand over it as the wall flipped over to show a scanner where she placed her palm, opening a section of the wall to reveal some notes and a photo. Has that always been there!? "And since you turned back, it's a Transformation aspect rather than a Mutation. I never expected you to have it, but that is something you got from your father, Yusaku."

'No, seriously, since when did she have a secret compartment here!? Do we have more of those around the house or something!?' His mind was a swirl of confusion, but took the photo she offered him.

On it was the image of a younger Karen, holding onto a baby version of him. However, it was the man beside her that took his attention. Broad shoulders and a muscled body based on his arms, the man was nearly the same build as All Might and Endeavor, the number 1 and 2 heroes respectively. His hair was a dark blue that got lighter as it went down, in the same style as Ryotaro's own hair. Even the facial features were the same, except that his eyes were a searing crimson.

This was Yusaku Kurokami.

"He was a brave, and humble man. Always saying that he'll one day become a hero many would look up to when we were younger." The way she spoke told Ryotaro that she still missed the man who was his father. An expression of longing ingrained in her eyes. "When we first met, I thought him to be a foolish boor, dumb as a rock, but he eventually grew on me. The fact that he was willing to abandon his dream to help me in mine made me fall in love with him. We married, and then eventually had you, and we couldn't have been any happier."

"His Quirk was known as Lycanthropy. It was an incredibly formidable Transformation-type that lets him enter into a werewolf form. His strength, speed, endurance and senses were heightened to extreme levels, a single howl able to release a gale of wind." She explained, grabbing another photo for him to see. This one detailed a blue furred werewolf standing on its hind legs, a sharp toothed smile in place with glowing crimson eyes. "The drawbacks, of course, are that he becomes more animal-like. More…feral."

"… Just like my Feral Frenzy?" Ryotaro guessed.

"That was what I thought you inherited from him, aside from your good looks." She joked at the end, but lost her jovial mood to a somber one. "But it would seem that wasn't the case at all. You inherited his Quirk, which mixed with mine. Spirit Enhancer and Lycanthropy fused to make your Feral Frenzy."

"Fused…?" Ryotaro muttered.

"In a way, it is sort of like Mitsuki's son's Quirk. Explosion is a combination of Mitsuki's Glycerin and Masaru's Acid Sweat." She found it a bit amusing at how he frowned at being compared to the youngest Bakugou. Just how deep did their dislike for each other run?

Oh if only they all knew that his reactions to him were justified.

"But unlike his pure Emitter-type, yours is a Hybrid-type."

"Hybrid… So, I basically have a dual Quirk?" He smirked, looking a bit smug. "That sounds awesome! Heh, I can already see Bakugou's reaction if he finds out! And Zuzu and Itsuka are gonna flip when I tell them."

She smiled, seeing him take it in stride, but frowned as she had to dash his dreams for a bit.

"That's the thing, Ryo. I don't think you should tell anyone this aspect of your Quirk."

"Wait, what?" Ryotaro gaped. "But why?"

"The main reason is that you can't control it yet. From what I've seen, you weren't even coherent while you were in that form. Can you tell me what you've been doing for the past few hours?" Seeing his hesitant face, she sighed, realizing that he didn't. "Exactly. We don't know what you'll do in your other form, so holding off on telling people is the best course of action."

"What's the other reasons?"

"Another is that, like your father, your other form is most likely in its instinctual phase. Meaning that its running based on its instincts rather than conscious acts." She explained. "You'll have to relearn how to control yourself the more you use it. Based from what I observed, you should have reached a new…level, was it? Yes. A new level for Feral Frenzy should have been unlocked for you."

Ryotaro thought about it and closed his eyes, searching within him for the aura of his Quirk. Feeling it grow stronger, he gasped as he snapped back to reality, his body now covered in a nearly blood red colored cloak. 'This is… Level 6? No, this power is almost a 9, but not quite… I reached Level 8 in a day!?'

"Judging by your expression, you did." She noted. Sighing, she placed a hand on his shoulder, making him look at her. "I know how much you want to tell your friends, my little wolf, but not right now. For now, you should focus on claiming full control of your new power level."

"… Okay, Mom."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO Flashback End OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

After all these years, he finally has an ideas as to what his old man looks like. Not going to lie, he actually felt a little miffed that his mom had a picture of his dad and never showed him, but he ignored that in favor of focusing on his new power.

"Ryo?"

Snapping back at the sound of Karen's voice, he stood up and covered himself with his Quirk's aura once more before stretching out his arms as the aura there became denser, almost solid yet still wispy.

Just then, four claw-like protrusions erupted out from the aura, forming into a weapon for him to use.

"Just thinking back a bit… Oh, and this happened when I messed around with my Quirk last night." He said, gesturing to the claws he formed. "Apparently I can make these now. Pretty cool, but I still can't consciously enter my wolf form."

"It's more progress than we expected." She shrugged, saying nothing about how he seemed to stare into nothing for a few minutes. Maybe she shouldn't have tried to tease him? "No need to rush it, just take it at your own pace."

"Got it." He nodded, then noticed that his mom was shivering under the weight of the box she was carrying. Over the past few days, she was organizing everything in preparation for when they leave. "… Do you want some help with that, Mom?"

"Yes please." She groaned. "I tried using my Quirk, but I already timed out."

The younger Kurokami rolled his eyes as he walked up and easily hefted the box with one hand. "And this is why we train. Doesn't matter if you are a scientist, Mom, you need to work out more."

"Ugh. I have you to do the heavy lifting, don't I?"

He could only laugh at the childish pout on the older woman.

AN: A wrap is a wrap! Hope this small interlude chapter was interesting!

Another thing I have to say is that I won't be updating for the next two weeks. I'm part of the welcoming committee for my college, where we help integrate the new freshmen into our current online society. It'll last for a weeklong and I'll be dead tired after that, so I'll be taking one week off after the online festivity.

But next chapter, we leave Musutafu and enter Minato!

Ciao!