Chapter Fourteen: Glad You Came
Keigo tightly holds the straps of his bag on his way to school. He's sure he can get along with people well enough, but he's never attended a real school before. Tenko told him there's a lot of rules to follow so he feels out of his element.
He spots three familiar figures ahead of him on his walking route.
"Fuyumi! Natsuo! Touya!" He's once again happy for his fantastic memory.
They stop in their tracks to look back.
"Keigo?"
"You remember!"
"What are you doing here?" Natsuo only faintly remembers the boy. Even then it's only because it's from the day someone shouted at Dad and Touya stopped hurting himself. He looks around to see if the other boy was there too.
Keigo stretches out his arms. "I'm officially a student!" He hears a nearby giggle. Are they laughing at him?
"Who is this?"
"Be nice. He was with the medic who helped you." Touya might not come crying to her anymore about his quirk, but his ego is still strong. She worries about him as he grows.
"With the alien lady?" Touya narrows his eyes before looking off to the side.
Keigo huffs. "Her name is Tsunade."
"Are you planning on becoming a Hero too?" Keigo feels Touya eyes scrutinize him.
"That's the plan!"
"I'm going to be number one." Touya adjusts his bag before walking off, leaving his siblings behind.
"Sorry about him." Fuyumi loves him dearly, but he's becoming more and more like Dad now that there isn't anything holding him back.
"Why would you apologize?" Fuyumi squeaks at Keigo's words. "It's good you get along, but you can't go around following him apologizing for his behaviour. Besides, I don't care about being number one so it doesn't bother me." Keigo waves before rushing on ahead. "See you around."
Fuyumi does see him again a few minutes later in her assigned class.
"You don't have to watch us." Tenko plays his video game. He's been playing more and more when left alone which is more often these days with Tsunade working and Keigo in school. He'll consider going back to school in a year or two. He's not quite ready going back to being around people every day. He's been testing the water by going to the park. It's been mostly fine, but there have been a few people who's parents told them not to play with him.
"I don't mind. It's nice being summoned without the immediate threat of danger, and Tsunade and I are friends first." Katsuyu and Tsunade genuinely admired each other. As much as she has connections with other summoners, Tsunade has been her favourite in a long while though she'll never admit that out loud. Not when she has multiple ongoing contracts.
"Still, she's only going to Akita for a seminar. It's not like she'll be gone long." His character levels up.
"You melted a pot last time when you thought about cooking then changed your mind."
Tenko's cheeks redden. "It was once! And she left money to go out." Did Tsunade blab? How does Katsuyu even know that? His distraction caused his character to die. He sighs and looks to the ceiling. His stomach growls. "Let's get food."
The problem stems that to get to the convenience store he has to pass the park the kids in the neighborhood like to play at.
"Hey look! Shimura's so lonely he made friends with a slimy slug. What an awful quirk, but you would know all about that." Even Ogawa who he sometimes plays with goes quiet when Nagai's around. Nagai throws a ball at him which hits his back as Tenko tries to ignore him.
"Slimy?!" Katsuyu is offended.
Tenko is used to it. Nagai was fine playing with him until his parents found out. That's when the name calling started. With so many others being kind to him, he thought he deserved at least a little hate. It's why he never intervenes even though he always did it for others before.
Dissing Katsuyu goes too far.
He doesn't think he needs someone watching over him, but he cares about her. She's kind and soft spoken. She's playful and protective. She always gives him encouraging words when he does get to see her.
Tenko picks up the ball and uses his quirk. He can get Tsunade to buy another to replace it later.
Nagai shuts up making it worth it.
"Katsuyu is worth more than a hundred of you."
"Please don't get into a fight." It's endearing that he's standing up for her, but she's meant to keep him out of trouble.
"Let's go, Katsuyu. I'll buy you the crunchy lettuce." She would normally divide herself and feed on leaves and such, but she does enjoy crunchy textures.
Tsunade groans. Sessions never end on time. Question periods are never long enough and then people surround her after the presentation to either ask more questions, try to connect, or take photos and signatures.
She's happy people are finally almost all gone when she recognizes someone waiting against the wall.
Last time she checked, he wasn't part of the medical community.
"Do I want to know what you're doing here?"
"Gramps got me in."
"That isn't what I meant." Last thing she needs is a scandal right now.
"Is it so hard to believe I'm interested in medicine?"
She stares at Kai who is still in his teens. Not that she expects members of the yakuza to follow the same steps as others. Well, yakuza in name. There are some trying to reclaim the name but so many are intimidated by heroes. Regardless, their connections still run deep.
Tsunade asks a few questions. He could answer the easier questions but began to struggle on some intermediate question. It isn't enough to confirm nor deny his claims.
"If you're really so interested, keep working on it. Learn each organism, how they function, and how they influence each other. You still live in the same place?"
"I don't see how that –"
That's enough of a confirmation. "I'll send you medical books." She's not fully convinced but at minimum he does hold curiosity and more healers are never a bad thing.
Plus, it'll be good to keep an eye on him.
"I thought we were invited here to sign contracts. Not have a training session. Did you misunderstand, Oboro?" Shouta looks around. It's a nice enough facility and it still has that new feeling, but he can think of better ways to spend his weekend.
"I swear! I even slapped myself. I didn't imagine it. It was real. Tell him!" Oboro shouts at Tsunade who stands across from them.
"Wouldn't it be best to let her speak," adds Hizashi.
"Yes, that would be best. You should be thanking me. I considered taking you to the forest, but lucky for you I have another engagement afterwards." Tsunade swings two bells off her finger before catching them in her palm. When else would she get the opportunity for this rite of passage?
Hizashi shivers. He's a city kid through and through. He especially hates the critters.
"I should at least know what you're capable of if I'm going to hire you."
"So this is like an interview?" Hizashi is an eager ball of energy. This kind of interview he can do!
Shouta deflates. "Can't you watch reruns of the past sports festivals?" He always gets criticisms to do more and isn't looking forward to another speech.
Oboro jabs him with his elbow. "You have any better options?"
"Why would I trust those videos?" She's slowly starting to learn how some technologies work. "Are you telling me you haven't improved since then? Are you still the same people who couldn't defeat one villain?" The pros with them couldn't either, but it doesn't matter. She needs people for her agency, but she isn't going to settle for people who think they can't grow or perpetually strive for mediocracy.
Oboro rubs his head in remembrance of the pain. Hizashi and Shouta look to the side sheepishly.
"So what do you want us to do?" Oboro looks around the room in attempt to spot anything out of place. It's an empty block of a room.
Tsunade holds the bells back out. The two hit each other giving a light chime. "All you have to do is grab a bell. Whoever can grab one will be hired."
"But there's two bells."
"And?"
Oboro feels crushed. His dreams of being a trio are sent flying away. He doesn't have any other prospects, though. His parents have been asking about his plans. He talked big in front of his class.
"I'm done for, aren't I?" Shouta remembers Tsunade taking control of the situation and did what dozens can't do. Add in that there's a good chance his quirk won't work on her because the fact that she's some alien. It's almost guaranteed he can do nothing even if she goes easy.
"Should we work together?" There's no way Oboro could beat Tsunade one-on-one. She beats him when she doesn't even try. Not that he's tried to beat her up, but her inflictions when mad are a big enough sign. Hizashi will get other offers. He's always been ahead in that regard.
"I'm right here, you know?!"
But, uh…, what are they supposed to do with clouds and erasure. Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut and sided with Hizashi.
"Work together and play janken for the spots?" suggests Shouta.
The three have a stare down before agreeing.
The boys groan. They hurt. Tsunade had gone spectacularly easy on them and they still only managed to get one bell. Instead of deciding who gets to pass they were all led to an upstairs room. Nezu offered them beverages.
It was the choice between letting them get a bell or destroying the room that cost an egregious amount to build with her foot. She could technically out speed them but she capped herself for a reason. Besides, they already passed the test even if their fighting needed plenty of work, so she chose the option that wouldn't cost tens of thousands.
The idiot trio all need more experience in close quarter combat. Hizashi could be explained for being able to attack from a long-distance, but it leaves him defenseless if someone can get close. It's still annoying, though. Her ears are still ringing from his quirk. How his peers aren't deaf are above her. Shouta needs more versatility and experience fighting foes. His quirk was a perfect fit for it. He has potential. He's nowhere near his limit. Oboro's quirk is versatile, but he's underutilizing it. He knows what he can do, but in motion he suddenly falls short of his potential. Like his friends he also needs to learn to land a better bunch and defend himself.
"Shouta grabbed it. It should be him," said Hizashi.
"I would have been out of commission if not for Oboro's quirk," deflects Shouta.
"It would have been impossible without your quirk," adds Oboro. "Though my ears were ruined in the process too." He still hears a light ringing.
Nezu places a stack of papers in front of all of them. "Rather than argue, it would be best if you all accepted. Everything has already been prepared."
They look to each other. Oboro jumps up pointing at Tsunade. "You lied!"
"Why did we fight then?" Shouta grabs the top sheet and starts skimming over the content.
Her eyes are closed and her fingers lock together. "I didn't know whether I would ever get the chance. It was the same test my sensei forced on me. There's a lot of room for improvement, and we'll have to add in scheduled training, but there's potential yet."
"That doesn't sound much like a compliment when we've been grueling in school and internships these past three years." Hizashi slumps.
"And my team would have pummeled you as children. Maybe not Jiraiya. He took a bit for him to find his groove. The point is things aren't fair. Age. Schooling. Lineage. Quirks. It's all unfair and shouldn't be your determinant of strength or ability."
"Should we begin going over the information packets?" Nezu sits across from them.
"I'm amazed you all got hired. Nepotism is a strong thing." Nemuri clanks her glass with her three kohai in celebration of them getting a job. She also has a lot of new photos of Sushi which she wants to share.
"Call it whatever you want. I'll have you know we got told we have potential. Aren't you still trying to be recognized by your supervisor?" Oboro's words sting. First they banned her costume. That sucked. A year in and she's still not recognizable enough. Her outfit had been her defining feature! She hopes she doesn't become one of those heroes who never gets noticed.
"I might have to move." Hizashi takes a bite of his meal. "Travelling into town with our current schedules doesn't leave much time for sleep or a social life."
Nemuri leans back in her booth seat. "If you move you'll be eating poor man's food. You also need your energy." She knows. Her friend moved out because of a poor family life and invited her to live together, but on her salary there's no way she could comfortably afford it. She much rather stay at home with her parents and spend her money on things she wants.
Hizashi hums. "I don't see that being an issue. The base salary is good enough. It'll be better when we can take on bigger jobs, though."
"It's manageable enough from where I live, man." Oboro steals a slice of chashu from Shouta.
"You still take the train. It would be cheaper and give me more free time to literally move down the street."
"Don't do it. You'll never be able to separate work from home." Shouta slurps up some noodles.
"Wait. Wait a minute. How much are you getting paid?" It has to be based on location. That's the only way they can afford it. Maybe one of those dorm style residences aimed at students.
Oboro tells her the amount. She drops her chopsticks. "You got to be kidding me!" That's more money than some of the long-term sidekicks at the agency she works at. Government compensation isn't great. There's a reason why merchandise and other forms of revenue are important. Then split that among the admin staff and it becomes a logistical funding hellscape.
"Are we getting scammed?"
"What? No!"
Maybe she should look into working there. Their base pay was easily triple her income. Someone like Tsunade would find appeal of having more women around. Right?
Tsunade devours another bowl.
Toshinori is long past the days of warning her to slowdown to prevent choking. She never listens anyway, though he remains on edge.
Tsunade slams the bowl down. Half a year. Half a year and she still can't find that sniveling coward. She picks up the next bowl and eats it to. She adds the empty bowl to her pile.
"I'm going to come out and ask." It's like she's looking through him. "What do you know about the man who stabbed me?"
"Why would I know anything about that?"
"Why would you know something about a proclaimed villain with an assortment of quirks?" Her eyebrow raises. "Between your personal interest at the time and your professional connections I would think you know of such a person even if they don't end up being one-and-the-same."
Toshinori doesn't want to drag anyone into it, but Tsunade has already forced herself into the situation. He rather be there in case she does find him if she's going to keep searching anyway. However, their current position is much too public. "Very well. Though the topic is delicate."
"Understood. Later it is." Getting any information, even if needing to wait a few more hours, is better than nothing. The day will one day come. Her eyes and ears are open. It's just a matter of when. There's currently enough other problems. Unless there's a reason to expedite it, aside from spite, she can bide time. Tsunade abruptly slams her fist down on the table, rattling everything on the table. Toshinori rushes to put his hands up thinking the pile of bowls will fall before they stabilize themselves. "That coward!" Okay, maybe she's impatient.
Kaina snips her hair. Chunks spatter to the floor. The rest loosely stick to her.
New beginnings.
She stares into the mirror. It's totally uneven.
She goes to the nearest hairdresser and when the hairdresser brings up trying to do her hair herself. Kaina thinks about lying. She could easily have claimed someone pulled a poor prank on her, but what's the point.
She then walks with her offer of employment and documentations in hand. She's been sitting on it for a few months, unsure, but she's been dropped from the HPSC case and has been allowed to continue working if she wishes.
She wanted to make a change in the world, but her efforts amounted to nothing. If it's them, maybe there's a chance. No one else could have possibly taken them down so fast.
"Lady Nagant! You got your hair cut! It looks super cool."
"What are you doing here?" Tenko stops beside her. Keigo is further down the hall and waves before turning his attention back to a beat-up trio.
"Tsunade said we're allowed to watch Boro-nii's training session to show us what not to do." He nods his head recalling the fight. "Today, Nezu challenged and destroyed them. Their egos are completely shattered." He sounds a little too happy announcing that tibit.
She can't imagine it. Nezu is incredibly clever, but she doubts he has the same level of physical training. Especially three on one. That makes it all the scarier. It doesn't matter if he learns that fast or if he's simply smart enough to outmaneuver them. It's terrifying and she's glad she doesn't have to face him.
"Also…" Tenko motions for her to come closer. She kneels to hear what he has to whisper. "I get to use my quirk to destroy the paper shredding and garbage. It's boring, but it takes a few minutes and I get whatever I want in return."
Child labour? That doesn't sound like— No, she takes that back. That exactly sounds like something the two would allow. Though, it's not harmful and he's willingly doing it even if bribed.
Thinking about it, she wonders what would happen if they threw him in a landfill.
Tenko takes a step back. "Plus, I get to hear more about heroes in action!" He says louder. "Like you! You're joining right? I knew you wouldn't give up. Show everyone how wrong they are!" He pumps his fist upwards.
She sighs in defeat. Maybe she doesn't need a perfectly clean record. It's not something she's proud of, but if it helps Tenko, and aspires others who may not have the best foundation, then there might be a purpose for her still.
Kaina tightens her grip on the envelope. One day at a time.
"I thought I told you I don't want to hear whatever deals you make." Tsunade pulls her drawer open and pulls out a bottle of sake. She needs it. She like money, but she doesn't want to know what kind of weird merchandise they make of her.
"Ah, but you see, I think this one you'll be personally interested in." Nezu passes the printed copy of the emailed request.
Her eyes skim over the text. Yadda, yadda. Sponsorship. Limited edition. Initial three months. Unlimited umeshu during promotion.
She reads that last part again.
And again.
"You know I always trust your judgement." Tsunade smiles a little too widely. "What do you want for all your hard work?"
"Nothing. I'll keep that in mind if I ever want anything."
Tsunade never turns down his help, but wonders what his end goal is. He doesn't have to work like her. Their circumstances in citizenship were different. He has money, and she knows he makes even more even if she doesn't fully understand how no matter how many times he tries to explain stocks. He doesn't have a sense of identity or pride in the country.
Whatever.
One day he might tell her.
"Oh, come on. Why not?!" Nemuri follows Tsunade as she strides down the street.
"And listen to your incessant rants about your ideas for a new costume?"
Nemuri thinks back to her lecture of the importance of a good hero's costume the last time they met. She got side tracked at the time. Why doesn't Tsunade understand?! She has the body and appeal. She should capitalize on it. Instead, her comments sent her flying. "I was teaching you the culture. The culture!"
Tsunade's lips thinned. "Then maybe it's time for your culture to change." She thought Oboro could be bad enough with his occasional tasteless comments, but Kayama's unabashed announcements to the world are much more reminiscent of Jiraiya than Oboro could ever be.
"Nah. It's hot and it sells! Plus it super boosts your confidence." Nemuri hears her ringtone. "Ah, why now. Got to go. I'll be back again!"
"Six years can't come fast enough. If this world does one thing right, it's social funding for paid retirement." Tsunade leans back in her chair before spinning to look out the window. She's see's Nezu in the reflection.
"Hmm." He slides a stack of papers on her desk. "It is a nice social system. It's unfortunate that you won't ever get a chance to claim it."
"I won't?" She spins back around.
"Oh, certainly not. There's a minimum requirement for years employed to claim it."
Tsunade's face pales. She invested money in this building and licensing fees from her earnings. And a house. And other things. She wasn't broke, but she certainly doesn't have the money to keep spending as she does without some supplemental income. She might be able to get by as a nomad but she can't go back to being a nobody.
She thought six years would be manageable, but doesn't Nezu's words imply she'll be stuck working longer.
Is it too late in time to back out of this hero business. Six years overworked in a hospital is better than taking it easy at work indefinitely.
"Did you not know?"
Her head spins, but she'll be fine. She'll just need to plan that trip of her to gamble. Win it big a few times and she'll be set.
Except she knows she doesn't know when to stop and her luck is horrendous.
Her head slams down on her desk. Her life is over.
"The tent's set up!" shouts Tenko.
People camp for fun, she's come to find. Her camping days had been riddled with outlooks, hiding, and making do with what she had while on missions. A necessity rather than something fun.
"It's still lop sided." Keigo pokes the tent to that it will sit up right before it springs back into its former position.
"It's not falling. It's fine." Tenko can barely see where he's going as he carries the bunched-up blankets to the tent, catching his balance as he missteps trying to prevent them from toppling over. "Er, can you unzip the entrance."
Keigo laughs before saying, "On it!" He unzips the tent before turning his attention to Tsunade. "How's the meat?"
"You can have some in a few minutes." The meat sizzles as she rotates the skewers to cook the raw side. The yams are also roasting and the soup simmering, but it's no surprise Keigo doesn't ask about it.
"You still have a meat obsession?" Tenko yells from the tent.
"It's not an obsession. It's a healthy appreciation of the best food group." Keigo unfolds a chair and sits. "You shouldn't be judging me. I found your stash of snacks."
"Yeah, but I don't eat them all at once. You eat like a vacuum."
"Thank you. It's one of my many talents."
It's nice. The minor bickering. The conversations. The company.
"Tsunade." She breaks out of her trance with Keigo pointing at the food. "You're going to burn it."
Tenko sits down. "You remembered to buy sparklers, right?" He picks up a foiled wrapped yam and tosses it between his hands before letting it fall. "I can't wait until it gets dark enough."
It does gradually get darker. They light up the sparklers. Keigo runs around with his while Tenko moves his arms in patterns so the light follows.
Then it's time to sleep and the three of them squish in together.
"I like this. We should do it again." Keigo rolls on his side and leans into her.
"Next time we should stay longer." Tenko yawns and grabs her arm to cling to much like he does to his plush doll at home.
Home. Yes, this is home now.
"There's plenty of time, so get some sleep."
They fall asleep together.
Thanks everyone for reading!
I'll be posting the first chapter for an anthology soon, so if you're interested keep a look out for that. It will be out-of-order side stories, after stories, missing scenes to put all the ideas I didn't get to or have significant time jumps and such. Now Available: s/14222421/1/Restless-Retirement-Plus-Ultra
Don't think people need permission but here's my blanket statement. If anyone wants to do anything with this story/concept/etc. go for it.