~NRK~
Obito considered it all as All Might finished explaining.
"I see, the eight holders' powers get collectively added to it," the boy said as Kaoruko trembled.
"T-That doesn't even sound like it makes sense," she whispered in disbelief as Gran Torino huffed.
"While I understand… Toshinori, what the hell are you thinking?" The short Pro Hero grimaced as the larger-than-life one sighed.
"I and Obito-shounen have had a bit of philosophical debate on the matter," the No.1 explained as Nighteye and Nezu raised their eyebrows at that.
"Is that so, Obito-kun?" Nezu asked curiously.
"We did, I didn't realize it at the time but it makes more sense now," Obito explained with a nod. "... All Might, if I'm to okay this, I need to know everything there is about All For One's abilities," he said as the man smiled. "Izuku's never going against that man alone, not while I'm alive."
"Hmph… you realize that you'd be going up against evils that no mere hero could handle, yes?" Recovery Girl asked with a soft frown as Obito nodded.
"There are evils I may face even now, especially with everything that's happened, you understand. I'm not unaware of the idea of eventually 'stepping on some toes' if you will."
"... the youth of today really are just as dumb as the ones in this lug's age," was all she said, the woman holding both hands on her cane. "So, you wish to train your brother to fight against these particular threats?"
"Of course."
"... Senpai? Are you sure about this?" Kaoruko asked him, looking extremely nervous by the prospect. "I… I-I know I'm not someone who has a say in your little brother's life but is this much danger really something you're willing to face with him?" She asked.
"There was never any doubt in my mind I'd do this regardless," Obito said simply as she sighed before nodding.
"Alright… then count me in," she said seriously as the group blinked. "H-He's already seen me, saying I can't be involved would make no sense," Kaoruko explained with a blush as the adults huffed or groaned.
"She's not wrong," Nighteye explained with a grimace. "Well, in that case, why not pass on One For All to Kaoruko?" He asked the room who all blinked. "Or would that be too much?"
"... No," Obito said after some thoughts. "All Might, I need to be sure, how old were all the most recent holders of One For All?"
"Hmm? Do you mean when they died… My master had been in her early thirties," Toshinori explained. "31, to be exact. The one before her had been…" He frowned. "My memory is foggy on it but it was a man by the name of En."
"Hmm, and, I need to know, did any one of the former holders of One For All die due to being overburdened?"
Gran Torino frowned at that. "You think there's a danger to it?" He asked Obito.
"Not to someone without a quirk, no," he said as Nezu blinked in surprise along with Nighteye and Kaoruko. "When I think about it, with just how powerful One For All is… I don't think it's safe for such a thing to fall into the hands of someone with a quirk."
"... Oh," Kaoruko flinched as he nodded. "I-If senpai's right, he means the fact that there'd be no room," she realized as Nighteye covered his mouth, eyes wide. "Do you know about a user who… j-just expired, All Might?"
"I'll need to check," the man said with a grimace. "If there's evidence of this, that'd make this entire situation more dire," All Might realized as Recovery Girl grimaced.
"The amount of quirkless people in the world is shrinking," she said. "Needless to say, if this ends up leading somewhere concerning… there may be, at best, two more chances for One For All to be passed down."
The group let that sit for a moment, All Might frowning.
He minded Kaoruko but it didn't stop his thoughts. 'We should have done what needed doing,' crush the body in its entirety, remove any chance for him to recover. 'Obito-shounen is correct, we should have made sure All For One can never get back on his feet,' and since they didn't know if that body was still in that area…
"... I can't believe this situation got so difficult," Gran Torino grimaced. "While it'd be true, a person with a quirk could still hold it for a time, young man. There are options, Nana, the previous holder, had One For All for over ten years."
"The one with the higher number outside of All Might is the fourth holder, correct?" Obito asked. "... yet, One For All was never that strong in their time, was it?" He countered as Gran Torino frowned before groaning.
"I-If it gets too powerful," Kaoruko said. "Then would it even matter if a quirkless person got it?" She asked.
"It'd still last longer," Nighteye explained as Nezu nodded.
"Right now, One For All is beyond powerful, All Might's power is noted amongst the entire world," the principal explained as the group nodded. "Think about that, that's a power that no quirk user alone could match. Not even Endeavor's Prominence Burn could handle All Might at his best, it's that big of a change."
"So, a quirkless person is the best option," Obito said. "And I think that if anyone deserved it, it'd be someone who wants to be more like All Might than likely most kids that can be taught, trained, and given the knowledge to finish things," he added as Kaoruko frowned.
"What do you mean-" Her eyes widened and she suddenly grew paler as the atmosphere grew tense.
"It's obvious, isn't it? If One For All becomes too powerful, it can't be handled anymore. It'll be utterly useless and All For One has to be destroyed before that time comes."
The words had been said and Nighteye grimaced as All Might nodded.
"He's right… I never truly considered it, not a lot," he said. "But even ignoring that, the fight with All For One. The longer things go on, the more powerful he becomes. Look at me, this was our current fight when I was at my best but what happens if he's capable of recovering enough to even be a quarter of how strong he used to be? No, even before knowing this information, I should have said something and made sure we solved this."
"... I-I can't…" Kaoruko grimaced as Obito placed a hand on her shoulder. "... I'm sorry for being so fragile right now."
"Don't."
"I knew you'd say that… but, still, you're right," she ran her hands through her hair constantly. "Uggghhh! If I'd been able to put myself into the mindset faster, I might have just told you to push through but now we're in this mess."
"Well, to be fair, there's not no hope," All Might said with a hum and smile as the group blinked at him. "There's one other I know who has the power to handle him even when I was at my best. The Number 1 Heroine of America, Stars and Stripes and her quirk, New Order."
Gran Torino blinked. "Wait, you met such a person?" He asked, confused, as his protege chuckled.
"Yes, she's become quite fierce since I mentored her ten years or so back? I believe."
"Huh… someone who got mentored by All Might?" Kaoruko said to Obito who nodded.
"I've no doubt she's more powerful than we could imagine but she is still in America. I doubt their government is going to take kindly to us possibly repurposing her services for a villain they've no real idea about," he said as Recovery Girl nodded.
"Sadly, it's the truth. We'll have to do our best to ensure that All For One is defeated," she said. "So… when do you plan on springing it on the boy?"
"Not now, I want Izuku to grow a bit more before I literally throw a world-ending threat on his shoulders," the brother of one explained as Kaoruko nodded. "You all are right, I'd be putting enough of responsibility on his shoulders. I'd rather he enjoy his childhood for a bit more before I basically hand him this responsibility. I know, for a fact, Izuku will accept without a doubt, fear isn't an obstacle in mind for him, his need to 'save' is more important than fear."
All Might grinned. "Yes, an amazing mindset."
"Oh, stop being an old loon, a child should be just that, a child," Recovery Girl huffed. "Teach him well, you seem to get it but I just want to say this."
"I understand," Obito said. "So… what's the plan now?"
"Recover," All Might admitted with a huff.
"I'll visit again, give you another dose of what my fire can do even if it's not a lot."
"Thank you. Recovery Girl, I'll use another administration of your quirk and get some sleep," Toshinori said as she nodded.
"Haaa… are you staying, Kaoruko-kun?" Obito asked the bubble girl who smiled a bit.
"Go, you've been through enough," Nighteye said to her as she nodded gratefully.
"I'll be back if I get the chance," she said with a bow to those in the room. "Thank you for taking care of me, everyone. You, too, senpai," Kaoruko grinned cheekily as Obito rolled his eyes but nodded.
"I'm your 'senpai' after all," he admitted with a shrug as she snickered. "I'm sure everyone's been feeling worried since you haven't checked in."
Kaoruko grinned nervously as Nighteye smiled in the same manner. "M-My phone's been destroyed," she said mechanically as Obito's eyebrows went flat.
"... you realize your parents are going to surveil you, right?"
"Protect me?"
"No."
~NRK~
Hisashi smiled as they dropped off Kaoruko, the girl waving with her suitcase and effects in hand.
"Thanks, senpai, I mean it," the girl said as Obito nodded, the two outside the car.
She hugged him and he huffed.
"Keigo's gonna be mad," he muttered in a flat tone before balking as she giggled.
"I know, this isn't that," Kaoruko admitted as they separated, a bit of a blush on her face.
"... w-wait, hold on!"
"Later, senpai!" She waved as she ran up the steps to her door and knocked-
The damn thing was almost wrenched off its hinges by a man almost the same height as Endeavor.
"H-Hey, dad-"
He dragged her inside before closing the door, leaving an eyebrow-twitching Obito in her wake.
"That clever girl," he said as his father laughed.
~NRK~
Their return came with curious looks from not just Inko and Izuku but… Shouta, Mitsuki, Nemuri, Katsuki, Enji, and an odd man in a suit.
"Ah, there he is," the man in the suit said as the Pro Heroes around him looked curious.
"Hmm? Who's this?" Hisashi asked but Obito's eyebrow rose.
"The Head Commissioner of the Public Hero Safety Committee, correct?" He asked and the room looked surprised.
"Ah, you're well informed?" The man looked more intrigued as the two came into the living room, most of the heroes in their uniforms while their family and friends were in their pajamas with house slippers on. "I see, perhaps this change in pace will be simpler than expected."
Finding their seats on a couch holding their family, Obito hummed.
"Well… I can assume several things but this most likely has to do with the events of Thursday, right?"
"Yeah," Shouta sighed, arms crossed. "All things considered, we've been considering several options on how to approach this situation."
"I'm confused," Inko said as Mitsuki nodded, Katsuki running up to sit on the arm of the couch by Obito. "What is this all about?" She asked Obito who rubbed the back of his head.
"The situation is as such, ma'am," Midnight explained with a helpful smile towards Obito.
They explained the situation in its entirety save for the part about corpses. All the while, the 'families of Obito' choked.
"Oi, brat! What the hell?!" Mitsuki choked.
"..." Obito didn't face his mother who looked horrified and pale while Hisashi sighed, the boys' jaws on the ground.
"N-Nii-chan?!" Izuku squeaked as his sibling sighed.
"Nii-chan, what the hell?!" Katsuki raged.
"It's not something I wanted to worry you all with… not until there was a plan I had but that's kinda moot at this point," Obito groaned. "So, what are the two or more plans you both differ on?" He asked the more surprised bunch of heroes.
"You knew?" Endeavor asked, eyebrows raised.
"While working together, that doesn't mean heroes and the PHSC won't have differing ideas on how to solve a situation. It's the sheer difference between a hero and an administrator, no offense, sir."
"Hmm, your bright mind is rather intriguing, to think you'd plan for this?" The man said as he adjusted his glasses. "But, yes, you are right. We differ on the plans we had."
"Hmph, shoot, what plans did you have?"
"The PHSC wants to put you and your family under witness protection," the man explained as Obito nodded, Izuku looking at his… healed arm?
'Huh?' Did his brother already meet Recovery Girl?
"The idea is that while we figure out more about this situation, we'll keep you all under protection. In that time, you could use several faculties that we have to continue the development of your quirks, as we've learned from numerous sources, you all train often."
"Hmph," Obito folded his hands under his chin as his eyes went from the man to the Pro Heroes. "Your plans?"
"We'll be altering the curriculum while having several heroes on a long-term surveillance mission of your family," Endeavor explained. "I've got the sidekicks to supply for this."
"In that time, we'd be changing up the curriculum at school a bit," Nemuri said as Obito raised a brow.
"No offense-"
"You're wondering why it isn't Vlad here, huh?"
"Yes."
"Hehehe, he doesn't know like I do," she grinned wickedly, and Obito sweatdropped.
"You're still on that-Whatever, please continue," petty heroes aside, he was intrigued by this prospect.
"Hehe~"
"What she means is this," Shouta said. "Whoever this is wants you, there's a high chance they'll be going after you more in the future, likely when the heat dies down, so the idea is to have your courses take a more dramatic upturn."
"We'll be doing several changes in the school curriculum, as I said," Nemuri explained with a grin as Inko blinked.
"W-What sorts?" The mother of two asked.
"Well, for one, we'll be doing something a bit unorthodox and increasing the amount of internship time you'll be getting," the group blinked sans the heroes. "Shouta over here's a worrywart at heart but his jurisdiction is not only next to Endeavors but it's near enough that even I can get to Naruhata ward fast enough in minutes."
"By having you spend more of your time in internships, you'll learn, grow, and still be protected enough," Enji explained. "You're also in a place where they'll be less comfortable about attacking again, that's something that'll work in our favor, especially with the heroes around on alert. Best Jeanist is literally on the opposite end of your ward."
"T-Two top heroes?" Izuku asked and Enji nodded. "T-That sounds safe, nii-chan!"
"I-It does…" Inko looked hesitant. "But you'd be more at risk, Obi-kun."
"Your mother's got a point," Hisashi said with a serious expression as Mitsuki sighed.
"One week and he's in a situation like this, honestly, I'm so surprised I've looped back around to not," she said.
"Nii-chan could learn how to be stronger and still be safe, though!" Katsuki said.
"Yet he'd be in perpetually more danger," the Commissioner said with a sigh. "It's not a normal situation. Kidnapping by villains isn't exactly common outside of hostage situations so this needs more tender touch, young man."
"Why tender when you can just blow it up?"
"K-Kacchan?!" Izuku squeaked as Nemuri and Enji smirked. "T-That's, umm…" The boy floundered for an answer.
"Hmph, it's not our decision, Katsu," Mitsuki said as Obito closed his eyes. "It's his."
'What would be the best course of action?' Obito considered as he drowned out the outside world.
The best for his family would be to go under witness protection, this would be the most secure option and it's not like it'd make too much noise, right?
What was, maybe, one year of disappearing?
All it'd take is for the uplifting of lives, the straining of friendships through secrecy, and…
"... W-What do I do if my goal is too difficult, too big for me to handle?" She asked out of the blue and Obito blinked. "W-What if it's scary and seems like it's just not possible?"
"You find people who can help you," Obito said straight-up, causing her to choke. "You surround yourself with people who can help push you to the point that you become able. Find those who can pick up where you lack… that's the answer to that question, I think."
It'd be safer for them all…
"I do," Fuyumi said immediately, a bruised, shaky, but resolute arm coming to grab his shirt. "I want you to be my trainer, I want you to make me a hero!"
'Nonsense, I know better. These may be feelings of camaraderie but they wouldn't fade,' he'd likely still get to go to school and learn with them… no, that was just hopeful thinking.
He'd likely never see the group for over a year if he chose the 'best' option.
This would keep them safe, damn a little strain.
This was for the best for them-
"How did you feel about it?" Obito asked the two. "It's not necessarily a hard test but it tests your way of thinking at odd moments."
"Oh, I noticed that, too," Takami said. "The little things like moving the girl's family across to just stopping the villain who's already on their heels. It's a question that asks which is going to be your method."
"Oh, thank goodness, I thought I was overthinking that question," Fuyumi said with a sigh. "I still had no idea what to do so I just wanted to make sure the family was alright."
"I went after the villain," Obito said. "A quick enough handling of them means I don't need to use resources on moving the family and can just get them back to normalcy faster."
"I went with the villain as well," Takami said. "I don't know that family, I just need to move on and get rid of the villain."
"That's a cold way of looking at it," Fuyumi noted but Takami shrugged.
"When there are heroes who are fit for it, you send them to do the job, right? It's all about resources."
"It's not incorrect to think that way, logically," Obito said and Takami grinned. "But it's still our job to ensure that they're alright. Physically and mentally."
Fuyumi blinked before she beamed. "I think so, too. You don't just solve the problem of the villain by just beating them… I-I think it's also showing a powerful visage that people know they'll be protected by."
His eyes opened on one last thought, Sharingan ablaze. "Apologies, Commissioner," Obito said as he looked at the man whose eyes widened at the side of the moving tomoe within his powerful eyes. "I can't accept your offer, I'd hurt more people trying to keep them safe than I ever would doing this."
Shouta's eyes closed at that. 'The right choice,' not the 'BEST' choice, being 'right' was really just being foolish, yeah?
Fight to live another day or, in this case, take the strain and live within safety for a bit. Life was too short for one to think about this so casually.
… but he understood this boy, on some level, with just the five days they'd had together. He wasn't dumb, he looked before he leaped.
Obito Midoriya knew this was not the 'best' option and chose to do this anyway.
'For someone who likely doesn't want the attention, you'll likely get it, one day,' he thought as Nemuri grinned.
'Man, I wish I got these kids!' She whined. 'Understanding what it means to protect is something I didn't expect,' the woman thought.
He stewed on it, Obito had looked like the serious type, but he'd chosen to 'protect' those individuals' ways of life instead of giving them cold efficiency.
It was dangerous, it was a big amount of 'foolish'... but it was the right way a hero handled these situations, no?
'... could I have done the same?' Enji thought as he looked at the boy's eyes.
Eyes with no weakness, eyes that understood just what he might have been putting up for a 'gamble'. The young man understood all his options and decided that the 'results' weren't enough.
'As we knew,' his mind said and Enji didn't… he didn't fight it. 'It's these moments that make the heroes who they are, isn't it?'
These moments where you chose between logic and emotion, the answer was the dividing line between himself and him.
And All Might.
"I see, I'm sad to hear about it," the Commissioner sighed but nodded, removing a card from his blazer pocket and passing it to Obito. "Here, in case your choices change, let us know. Handling the protection of a rising star in society is important to public health."
"Thank you, sir," Obito flipped the card between his fingers before flicking his fingers, the card disappearing with a smirk.
Oh, someone was a little bit of a showman? Well, that would certainly increase morale.
"Huh?! Since when!?" Katsuki's eyebrows twitched. "You do magic, huh?"
"I'm sure many would like to know," Nemuri grinned widely. "A little showman?! Why that can be capitalized on!"
"Sleight of hand isn't to be underestimated," Obito said as he flicked his fingers and the card was back within it. "Pulling a Gas Kunai from my holster requires swift fingers."
"Hmm, yes, we saw the videos," Enji considered the concept. 'Since his flames don't use flames, the gas adds a powerful new heat source,' imbuing the boy's tonfa with that blazing blue light. "Hmph, never considered using a Support Item like that."
"It came to me when I was making them," Obito said as the man raised a brow. "I helped Power Loader-sensei craft me a large stack. He handled the gasoline coating but we worked on the knives together."
"Another surprising skill," Shouta said with a huff as Hisashi chuckled.
"Not as much as you think," he explained as the heroes raised a brow. "I help handle welding materials and regulations across Japan. With my quirk, I'm called on, a decent amount, to help with mass production of crude, general, materials. Obi-boy helped by going through a little manual on Youtube with me."
"That's one explanation."
"Mystery is good for a rising hero, you know," Nemuri chuckled.
Obito nodded as they worked out the rest of the changes, all the while, holding back his embarrassment.
At the last thing that had pushed his choice over the edge.
She looked at him with concerned blue eyes, her head tilting as she frowned at him, leaning in close.
"Are you alright?" She asked and Obito sighed.
"It's nothing, I just remembered something from when I was a kid," he said with a chuckle that didn't reach his eyes. "They were kind of stupid. I don't remember what anime character had them on but they were pretty cool to me, like a lot."
"... then you should get some!" She insisted.
"Fuyumi, all that black and red…"
"I think you're misunderstanding how a small break from your costume's colors can help. My own has light blue, white, and red, after all."
"Well…" Obito looked hesitant and Fuyumi exerted her womanly intuition.
"You want it, Obito, I know you do," she said with a smile as she looked at him. "It's even small things like this that make us happy… a-and I like it when you're happy, not in a weird way!" Fuyumi squeaked, cheeks red.
Obito blinked at her before grunting, ruffling his head of hair with a small blush and one eye closed.
"Fine, fine… I would want that," he said as she grinned, looking at her laptop as he came in close again, causing her cheeks to redden once more. "Let's see."
He was an idiot, he was sure.
~NRK~
In the late afternoon, Obito rested in a hammock of flames in the backyard of his home, one leg hanging off the side of his fire creation.
Most of the others, save for his mother, were out of the house, leaving him unoccupied and just looking up.
The sound of the back door opening barely got his attention but his flames expanded, getting a small chuckle out of the woman who decided to sit down on the edge of it.
"Hmm," she made a soft sound, running her fingers through his hair and patting his cheek. "I'm worried to death, you know?" Inko said softly. "I know what we said, we were ready… I-I thought, I really did, but feeling this makes me rethink so many things, Obi-baby."
"Hmm, you're a parent," his eyes opened slowly. "I'd be surprised if you didn't, moth… kaa-chan," Obito changed as she chuckled a bit, the sight of the woman wiping her eyes getting him to sit up.
He sat next to her and they bumped shoulders.
She placed her arm around his side and leaned into it, grip gentle but taut.
"If this is too much… let me know," Obito whispered as she flinched. "I'll keep to my words from earlier… but I'll stop for however long this lasts if only to make sure you're not worried to death."
"B-Baby, no, you can't say that," she said with a sniffling sigh, wiping her eyes once more. "Look at me, being such an obstacle…"
"You know we don't see you like that, never could have."
"I know but it doesn't stop me feeling like I don't want to let go."
"Then don't," Obito said awkwardly as she laughed. "... that is… just keep your… arms open, ready for us to return," he cleared his throat as his mother chuckled.
"I suppose that'd be a nice welcoming gift," Inko grinned as he rubbed the back of his head. "So, Izu-kun was right, you did meet Recovery Girl today."
"... Oh. yes," he'd totally been unaware, the bandages still around his limb there for precaution. "It was because I was meeting with Kaoruko-kun this morning, Recovery Girl was there."
"I-Is everything alright?"
"Yes, though, she said some things I'm not sure how to accept."
Inko's eyes widened as her mouth fell as she vibrated in place. "B-Baby!? She didn't confess, did she?!"
"What?!" Obito blinked in confusion. "What?! No! Kaoruko seems to… know about Keigo's crush. Or, at least, I believe so?" He looked confused as Inko sighed in relief. 'The hell?'
"I was worried you were going to break some girl's heart, young man."
Unbidden, Fuyumi's face came to mind. "I wasn't going to be breaking Fuyumi's heart," he scoffed, looking away, completely oblivious to how his mother gaped at him.
'I gave birth to a dense baby?!' She wanted to squeal and whine all in the same breath. 'And Fuyumi-chan is probably suffering!'
Watching the two the night before, the way Obito always seemed to keep Fuyumi in his sights, the way Fuyumi was always fussing over her boy, Inko could be forgiven for thinking that something had developed between the two.
'Obito doesn't pay that much attention to normal girls!' It wasn't normal! "B-Baby!"
"H-Huh?"
Sorry, you were born so dense!
~NRK~
Monday morning saw Obito walking to school with a contemplative expression, one that held true the entire walk as his eyes flickered to a pair of shadows above a building.
'So it begins,' he thought as he kept walking, nodding to an old woman.
He helped her across the street before nodding to her as he hurried back to the path to UA.
Then he helped some kids get their ball out of a tree, another one back to his father who was thankfully on the road to UA, and, annoyingly, a couple who'd needed to get into their car.
He ran for his school before the ground rumbled as someone came crashing out of a nearby building.
"Hahahaha!" The villain of the minute laughed as he brushed off the debris of the administration building he'd come out of. "Deny me service, will you? How do you like a broken wall?" The man grinned, his triceratops-like form big, tough-looking, and rugged. "Hmph?" He turned his head to the flat-faced Obito. "Hmm? A UA student, huh? You thinking about trying to stop ME?!"
Obito's eyebrow twitched something fierce. 'Why did this all have to happen on my way to school?' He dropped his bag and took off his blazer.
"Looking for a-"
A flaming leg slammed in between the villain's eyes, sending the large man rolling only for a kick from behind him to send him flying back the way he came.
"AHHH!" The villain screamed as he held his back, shivering on the ground. "W-What the hell-?!" He began to say, shakily trying to get to his feet.
Then a pair of hands grabbed his horns, his horrified eyes snapping to the red-eyed beast that descended upon him, a flicker of white flames coiling over his legs.
The knee that slammed down into his head sent it digging into the ground.
The villain's head cratered the street in a wide circle, the former Uchiha's clothes and hair settling from his three-part assault.
"Hmph," he hopped off the mutant-type quirk user.
He went back to his things before waiting with a sigh only to blink as a familiar wood-based hero appeared.
"Huh?" Kamui Woods blinked before he and Obito locked eyes. "Oh, that explains it. Go on, my company will handle it."
"Thank you, sir," Obito bowed to the man before hurrying off, leaving the Wood Hero rubbing the back of his head.
"It's seriously crazy just how powerful that kid is," he said to himself as he looked at the street and then the villain. 'This guy looks like he had a tough skin,' man, the world really was just getting filled with more powerful heroes. "Can't let myself fall behind!"
Heh, maybe he'd ask the kid for training tips?
Obito ran as fast as he could, the boy's speed nothing to sneeze at as he crossed the last six blocks towards UA within five minutes, reaching the familiar walls that he was known for jumping over.
And who'd greet him other than Fuyumi? The girl standing there before looking at him with a smile.
"I was worried something happened?" She said before noticing his crispy pants legs. "... something did happen, didn't it?" Fuyumi asked, looking him over with a worried eye.
"Just a villain attack I handled before Kamui Woods gave me the go-ahead," Obito explained as he raised his hands, the girl relenting with a smile. "Ready?"
She blushed a bit but nodded, the two going over the walls of UA like always.
Never seeing the camera from a nearby alleyway clicking with their photos.
~NRK~
The week had gone well, the group had been allowed to unwind for those days and just get back into the groove of things.
So, when they were on a bus on Monday with Vlad King, they were all prepared.
Sitting in their hero costumes, the group looked outside. "So, we're heading to a new locale?" Keigo asked Vlad who nodded.
"The core of today's exercise is to test you guys in both 'Rescue' and 'Quirk Combat'," he explained. "USJ, a special hazard zone created by No.13 to simulate different disasters, is going to truly push you all. It's not for the light of heart so steel yourselves!"
"Hmph," Obito considered the man's words, sitting between Keigo and Fuyumi on the side-facing seats, looking across at Onemu and Bocho. "This is going to be different for me, that's for sure."
"Outside of combat situations is certainly where we'll be testing the other half of our worth," Fuyumi said as Bocho nodded. "Also, happy your costume got repaired."
"Honestly, Fu-chan, I-I'm feeling confident!" The normally shy girl said as Keigo snickered. "O-kun's back in tip-top shape and we're all stronger for it!"
"Well, look at that, we've instilled more confidence in our resident flower!" He chuckled as Onemu smirked.
"Seems about right, now, let's focus on the fun things we've got going on," the bull girl said with a grin. "Hmph, our senpai are super strong, we'll be fighting them! Think of all the madness!"
"I'd rather not," Fuyumi said. "Besides, they're not going to just have us fighting them, right, Vlad-sensei?"
"Oh, no, you'll probably be fighting them," the man said nonchalantly as she choked while Onemu grinned. "What? You can't just have the third-years come here and not rearrange some faces."
"Encouraging," Obito and Keigo snorted. "REAL encouraging."
"See, you get it."
Onemu laughed.
The ride to the USJ hadn't been for much longer, only being a twenty-minute ride from UA, they were there ten minutes after the conversation.
As they parked, Obito sweatdropped as a familiar face latched onto the side of their bus.
"FIGHT ME!" Rumi shouted through the window.
"... you know, sometimes, I really do bring this on myself, don't I?" Obito said to the group who laughed.
"Duh," they all said in unison.
The third-year jumped off as they all began to leave the bus, the young woman grinning as Yoha came over with a sweatdrop.
"She's as energetic as ever," she added as the familiar duo of Kido and Moe came up to them. "Hello, less-insane senpais."
"At this point, we don't even mind," Moe said with a chuckle.
Wearing a double-breasted white coat with golden buttons and black trim and accents, having a pair of garter belts that attached a pair of black pantyhose to likely a skirt beneath her coat, Moe grinned at them with her face mask-covered eyes, a black hairband atop her flaming locks while a pair of small black boots clopped against the floor.
"Sup, freshies," she said with a smirk as Kido chuckled.
The young man was now covered head to toe in white bandages that left only his eyes visible. Wearing a black jumpsuit with a wide collar, he'd wrapped the forearms and thighs in more of his bandages. His feet were covered by a pair of white steel-toe boots with… bandage laces?
Obito noted that with interest. 'That's ridiculously smart,' he realized with rising respect. 'I don't know his quirk but it clearly has multiple ways of being applied,' he smirked.
The last two things that he noted were a large jutte on the boy's back and a large pouch on his lower back, the entire thing covered in bandages.
"Well, long time no see, Freshmen, how's it going?" Kido asked them as Keigo blinked.
"Your hero name isn't 'Mummy', is it? Because I'm pretty sure that was taken a thousand years ago," the bird boy joked as Kido laughed.
"Nope, I'm plain, the hero name is 'Kido'."
"Hey, nothing wrong with something that works. It'll still be your name going up in headlines when you do good work."
"We're here!" Yu said as she, Umi, and Kaoruko arrived. "Welcome, seniors!"
"That's the proper enthusiasm," Yoha said as Nemuri grinned while coming up to them along with two other teachers for the 2-A and 3-A classes.
One of them was a man with a thin cream-colored cloth around his eyes covered by triangle patterns, fair skin, yellow hair, a dark red witch hat, and wearing probably one of the most esoteric costumes Obito had ever seen.
The man's outfit was a large number of colors, what with his gray boots, black jumpsuit, a green sash and mantle around his waist, an auburn mantle around his shoulders, and gray cloth bracers around his forearms that came around his middle finger with a golden ring.
The hero in question chuckled as he 'looked' at his fellow teacher. "These ones are the 'big lights'," he said.
The man beside him crossed his arms with a chuckle.
Wearing a cowboy hat with a just metal plate with 'S' in it on his head, a long-snout gas mask that was tan in color, and had his black dreads coming out the back.
Wearing a pair of dark cowboy boots, black pants with slightly baggy sand-colored chaps over them, a skin-tight sleeveless black top with gunmen's vest over it, a long red cloak, bicep-length fingerless gloves, and a pair of brown gloves over them, the man's cowboy aesthetic was hard to ignore while the silver gun on his hip shined in the sunlight.
"It's an honor to meet the most 'infamous' riders in these parts," the 'Cowboy' hero said with a chuckle.
"... Hmm, Majestic and Snipe, the Mage and Gun-Toting Hero, respectively, right?" Obito asked as Keigo nodded.
"Yep, the teachers of the juniors and seniors, specifically," the bird boy answered.
"Huh, a pair of smart boys, huh?" Snipe asked, amused, as Vlad King chuckled.
"Only the best," he declared as Nemuri smirked. "Alright! Everyone, come in! We'll be dealing out the methods of your training!" Vlad declared as all the students gathered together.
Then Obito raised a brow at some of their murmurs.
"That's him, huh? The kid from the videos."
"He seems decently tough for a Freshie."
"But I heard he basically took on that weird villain all by himself."
More and more murmurs got his eyebrow raised. 'Wait, can they use the UA Hero Website when they're on their work studies?' If that was true…
"Hmm, that's rude," Fuyumi whispered as the others nodded.
"I could care less about what they have to say," Obito said only to groan as one of the second-years gasped. "Of course, one of them would have enhanced hearing-"
"You got something to say to me, Freshie?!" That particular character said with a roar as the second-years sweatdropped around him, opening up a pathway for them to look at him.
'... ya know, there really is always this character in a class, isn't there?' Nemuri realized with a sweatdrop.
Obito raised a brow at the angry junior with as much flat intent as possible.
He was tall, taller than him and Keigo, and had fair skin. At present, his yellow eyes were angrily pointed at them while his dark purple hair was slicked back and covered by a spiked face protector helmet, a happuri if Obito was remembering correctly.
Wearing a black double-breasted coat with black buttons, he had on black pants and brown boots. Around his forearms were what looked like iron forearm protectors and he wore a dark brown belt.
He pointed at Obito who sighed.
"You got a lot of gumption, Freshman!" The young man roared as Yu tilted her head.
"And you have a big mouth," Obito shot back flatly as the boy's eyebrows ticked some more. "Maybe, if you all were better at keeping your voices down, this wouldn't be happening."
Kaoruko sweatdropped while Fuyumi giggled nervously, Nemuri and Vlad's growing grins telling them everything they needed to know.
Time for escalation.
"Excuse me?!"
"You got something to say to us, you 1-B side character?!"
"Hold on now!" Vlad's forehead popped a vein as Nemuri, Snipe, and Majestic started laughing. "Mmmmm! Don't you know the B class is pretty tougher, better than the As."
"The hell it is!" The original boy shouted as he pointed at Obito, Rumi's snickers getting a roll of the eyes out of Kido and Moe. "That's it! Time to put some Freshies in their place!" He declared as his class's eyes narrowed in class unity.
"How'd we get brought into this?" Umi asked nervously while Keigo snickered.
"Well, if it's a fight they want, ya know? I'd be down for one," he smirked as Obito snorted and crossed his arms.
"Sounds like good exercise," he added as Keigo leaned on his shoulder with a big grin.
"Hot-blooded mode, activated," Kaoruko whispered with a snicker as Yoha sweatdropped.
"Alright, alright, calm down, Onima," she said with a huff, moving to stand between the two sides. "You literally started this fight and you get pissy if he counters? What are you? Ten?"
"Hush it, Medusa, him being a nosy bastard ain't my fault."
"..." Yoha's eyebrow ticked. "Excuse me?"
"What? You got a problem?" Onima huffed, arms crossed as he raised a brow. "I mean, yeah, you don't do the whole 'stone' thing but-"
"Onima I will flay you."
"I'm liking this fire but now's not the time," he said obliviously as a vein throbbed on the snake girl's head, Onima turning back on his rage as he pointed at the amused-looking Obito. "The hell are you-"
"That's it, we're killing him," Yoha said simply as Kaoruko and Yu cheered.
"Welcome to the team, senpai!" They said as she huffed while Onima's head snapped to her.
"The hell, Medusa?!"
"MY NAME'S NOT MEDUSA, YOU PRICK!"
"U-Ugh… get an easier one to remember-"
"Death is unavoidable."
He huffed but smirked. "Fine, join the losing team. We ain't taking that lying down, right guys?!"
"YEAH!" Class 2-A roared in unity.
"Hmph, so, it'll be our little team against nineteen students," Obito said with a shrug. "A little lopsided in our favor but you know how that works."
"THE HELL?!"
Moe whistled as Kido laughed a bit. "You and targets are like a house on fire, pun intended."
"So, we get a team match off the bat?" Nemuri grinned as Snipe huffed and Rumi grinned.
"Time for bloodshed!" The young rabbit woman grinned as he chortled.
"I think you had a negative effect on our younger students," Snipe said. "But some fire is necessary at times."
"Nyeheheh."
"Hmph, then we'll do this in the dilapidated zone," Majestic said with a grin as he pointed to a series of broken-down buildings far off into the distance. "Walk, make your plans, and don't take potshots. We're allowing this but don't push boundaries."
Onima smirked as he scoffed and walked forward with his 'team', their chatter obvious.
"So… we'll need a game plan, huh?" Keigo asked the others as Obito nodded, the bird boy turning to Yoha. "Yo, senpai, what are their quirks-"
"No," Obito said as they looked at him in confusion. "Don't tell us," he added. "I'm going to make a point, besides, consider it as an exercise. Unknowns in a battlefield you don't know, we'll be making use of our upperclassmen for our growth and development," was the last thing he said before walking after the cocky 2-A group.
"... I mean, on a theoretical level?" Keigo sweated. "Geez, I don't like unknowns," he said but followed after his friend without issue. "This is gonna suck in some way, I'm sure."
"So, we're doing this blind?" Yu asked with a shaky grin as they followed their 'leader'. "Ya know, sometimes, I do think there's an idiot in there somewhere."
Fuyumi smiled. "Of course, there is," Nemuri, Rumi, Vlad, Snipe, Kido, and Kaoruko laughed. "Obito-kun is just good at covering it up with smarts. I've seen the idiocy in person."
"Here-Here!" Onemu grinned. "Time to test out some new ideas," she chuckled ominously as they caught up to the two boys. "Alright, we do have a plan, right?"
"What do I look like, Keigo?"
"Oi! You're the one who doesn't want deets!"
Watching the group bicker, Vlad chuckled.
"This will be interesting. Majestic, what is your opinion on your class? Do you find them lopsided like I do with my own?" He asked the 'magic' hero.
"Hmm, well, yes. Onima Kogeki, especially, is a powerful user of spiritual energy and body-enhancing skills he's developed recently. It's in his name, he's basically an 'ogre', though, not much for tactical planning. We've been working on that," Majestic chuckled nervously. "And now I'm worried. He's good, the fifth in our class due to physical scores and moderate smarts, but he's cocky."
"So, you're saying he's in for a wake-up call?" Nemuri asked as he shrugged.
"He's certainly not easy to take down, his spiritual abilities aren't small or even medium, you have to tire out his abilities… though," he grinned nervously. "I've seen the Obito-boya's prowess and… he doesn't stand a chance."
"Obito-kun?" Nemuri asked.
"No."
~NRK~
Keigo nodded as Kaoruko hummed. "That sounds good, senpai, but you'd be taking that much heat? W-What happens if one of them has a similar quirk to that weird villain you fought?" She asked as the others hummed.
"Still don't know what kind you fought, they didn't publish it online," Yu said as Obito nodded.
"He was a weird one and I'll be fine, Kaoruko-kun, the thing is. I have the most mobility outside of Keigo but I've also got more on-the-fly firepower. It's the best move for you all to be able to observe our opponents while I try to drop their numbers from the offset," he whispered.
"Hmph, I know my place in matters like this, but Bocho-chan as well?" Yoha said, confused. "I'm not sure why."
"Reassurance," Obito said with a nod to Bocho, the Noh Girl nodding. "Besides, Keigo-kun and Fuyumi-kun's jobs are to provide cover-fire and distractions, we don't know what their quirks are-shut up, Keigo," he said before the other boy could speak. "We're playing this by ear."
"Yo, Obi-buddy, come here real quick," Rumi called him over as he blinked.
"Go on, your gal pal's callin' for ya," Kaoruko snickered.
"Don't," Obito said as he walked over. "What is it, Rumi-senpai?"
"I'm just checkin' something," she said. "What do ya think your power's like with your tonfas enchanted and stuff?"
"Curious verb but I'm sure I can punch through most things, it's not something-"
"Nuh-uh, use it," she said to him as he blinked. "Dude, you're holding back for no reason."
"... I know what you're trying to say, I do, but there's a bit more lethality for me compared to your most definitely powerful legs. It's burning fire compressed into a point, senpai, I'd be doing a little more than burning someone," Obito countered as the third-year groaned as she cupped her chin. "I know how this sounds-"
"Then make a non-lethal variant, dude," Rumi said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You're not out to kill these guys."
"I'm well aware of that."
"So why haven't ya made a fight enhancer instead of a fight ender?"
"..." Obito's eyebrows lowered in thought. 'Because these are all I'll need?' He wanted to shoot back… but realized just how ridiculous that was.
He was thinking like a shinobi, which wasn't up for questioning, he made moves that killed people if necessary.
"I know ya got those leg moves of yours, I'm a fan," she explained. "But ya got weapons, make the most of them instead of using 'em as last resorts against guys who aren't alive."
His eyes widened and his head snapped up to see her neutral expression and following shrug.
"Third-years are basically heroes, dude, I know from the UA Hero Website, more than those second-years, that's for sure. You're not going to be fighting non-living guys forever and, remember, any way to end a fight faster but not perm is probably better for your career."
Ignoring that he'd never wanted to join up to this… she did have a point.
"Haa, okay, fine, I get it but you're expecting a very intuitive on-the-fly technique for me to figure out," he huffed as she grinned. "... you have an idea, don't you?"
"Duh," she threw an arm around his shoulder and whispered something to him.
With Obito's team, Fuyumi tilted her head at the whisper Rumi was giving to Obito. "I wonder what she's talking to him about," she said to the group who were checking over their equipment.
"Well, if I had to guess?" Keigo said. "She's trying to get him to be a bit more creative."
"... we are talking about Obito, right?" Yu asked, completely confused.
"Yep."
The two finished their huddle and the upperclassman grinned as she pat the younger teen on the back, sending him back over, the oldest outside of Yoha looking pensive.
"So, what idea did she give you?" Fuyumi asked him as Obito considered it some more. 'It must have been pretty deep,' maybe it'd been some senior wisdom?
"You seem deep in thought, senpai," Kaoruko said as Obito nodded with a cupped chin. "Man, Rumi-senpai got you that confused?"
"Not confused so much as producing," Obito said as he pulled one of his tonfa out of his black box. "..."
"The exercise will begin in five minutes! Get to both of your starting points!" Vlad King shouted as the two groups nodded, spreading out across the disaster zone.
"Hmph," Onima grinned as he nodded to his classmates. "You know what to do, I'll handle the fire-breather," he said to his fellow second-years. "They've been getting a bit uppity, yeah?"
"Seems more like a pointless fight, you know? We were talking some smack," a girl said, her long horns that were tipped with plasma twitching. "Besides… I really don't think this is gonna be that easy," she said nervously.
"Your plasma is greater than his fire and can cut through that ice girl's ice if his flames can carve into it. That bird boy might be a problem, we don't have any flyers but we have more than enough projectiles. We've seen what they can do, it's not hard."
His fellow second-years nodded, more assured.
"Alright, let's do this."
~NRK~
Obito's group blinked as Obito stood ahead of them, his tonfa in his hands.
White fiery streams flowed from his mouth towards his weapons before forming spirals around both weapons.
He looked down at them with a stare as Fuyumi came up onto his side. 'Is this good enough?' Obito focused on what was basically swirling fireballs covering his weapons. 'These will just burn them with each blow,' and he'd, on principle, ensure those hits counted.
This was dangerous for anyone without extra protection-
"We're heroes, you know," she said to him as he blinked, eyes going to her grin. "I knew you were kind, you're worried about others… but we're in this to help people, we'll get hurt, we might be down for a bit, but we'll jump right back in!" Fuyumi reassured him as Obito had two weights thrown over his shoulders.
"She's right," Keigo chuckled on his left.
"Yup," Onemu added with a thumbs-up.
"It's gonna hurt but that's growing up," they said in unison as they pat his back.
Obito huffed at them while Yu grinned, lifting him off his feet.
"... I don't have the energy, put me down," he said flatly as she chuckled.
"Outta your funk?" She asked as his flat stare went her way. "Nuh-uh! Yes or no!"
"Motherf-YES," he groaned as Yoha chuckled from beside him with Kaoruko. "Dammit," Obito cursed as he was put down. "This barely helps."
"But it does," Yoha grinned as he rolled his eyes. "Come on, times about to hit."
A large speaker sparked to life.
FIVE!
"..." Obito sighed before seeing a familiar grin.
FOUR!
Kaoruko smiled kindly.
THREE!
"I'm glad you are as kind as you are, senpai."
ONE!
Obito blinked before he focused on his flaming tonfa.
START!
"I'm sorry for being out of it," he said to them all. "You're all right, I'm not prepared to really hurt comrades."
"My chin says that's bullshit," Keigo winced with a shaky grin as Obito rolled his eyes.
'I knew you were different, you're not like the girls,' Obito thought a bit misogynistically but knew that he didn't mean it that way. 'I can see it in your eyes, Keigo. You're able to step up and do what's needed… I guess that had me confused for a bit.'
The flames around his tonfa faded up into a laser-thin ring in front of the tips of his weapons.
Burning red eyes looked out into the disaster zone as they felt the floor rumbling.
The sight of a tidal wave of green energy and oncoming stone spikes from above.
Fuyumi's eyes narrowed as she stood in front of the group.
Ice expanded out from her feet as she held out her arms.
It exploded with frost, powerfully stable white ice cliffs rushing forward like a broken dam.
The forces slammed into one another, cracking buildings and shattering still-there windows.
She sighed moments later as Keigo's wings glowed.
Powerful red lights left them, diminishing their mass.
The spikes from above were diced into without much effort, the blazing red feathers cutting them to ribbons before returning from whence they came.
"Alright, the way's open-" Keigo began to say only for the figure of their 'leader' to walk ahead of them. "Alright, I guess-"
"Keigo-kun, all of you," Obito turned with a lazy grin. "Stick to the buildings above," he said as streams of flames slipped out of his grinning teeth, forming beneath his feet. "I'll handle it," he finished and took one last step.
The boy's form vanished, an impossibly huge crater left in his wake.
"Huh?" Yu blinked as a shadow passed overhead. "The heck is he on about? This isn't a hotblooded Obito, this feels like 'more normal' Obito."
"I'm sure he's enjoying your praise," Yoha said sarcastically as Kaoruko grinned.
"I think we should hurry up before Obito-senpai deals with all of 'em!" She declared.
~NRK~
Onima grinned as they saw the stopped attacks. 'Nice, you weren't able to resist,' with their vision blocked, they could only come from the sides or above-
"Onima-kun! Wait!" The plasma girl shouted as their group came to a halt, the sunlight above gleaming off the ice and allowing a shadowed figure to stare down at them.
Blazing red stares peered down on the fifteen second-years before their owner hopped down, cloak flapping before he came to a slow float from white plate-like constructs at the bottom of his feet.
"Hmph, came out here all on your own, huh?" Onima said as he crouched low with a grin. "Now!" He shouted into the air.
From broken-down buildings, rays of light, black haze, distorting air, and golden moon-like projectiles rained down on the Freshman.
"True Destruction Dance."
Glimmering, flaming, plates flickered to life ahead of his tonfa tips as Obito breathed.4
Twice crossing blows that transitioned into dual elbows with a shift.
Upper-right cross with a face-level hook finished up with both arms thrown out.
Eight explosions rocked the air as the boy's back faced them.
Large normal human-sized craters crushed the fronts of buildings with the second-years' support inside as smoke filled the air.
Onima's eyes widened. 'Wait, what?!' When?!
When had he developed invisible projectiles-
The clack of sandals against crumbling earth originated from the middle of the group, their eyes widening as swirling fireballs covered Obito's glove-free fists.
"Not good enough yet," was all he said as they turned on a dime. "Too late."
The area erupted into white flames as Obito's teammates crested the ice cliffs, their eyes wide as they looked at the chaos down below, rising red flames danced about before glowing white and shooting up into the sky with a familiar person atop it.
Obito brought the burning white snake up and then down onto the awaiting Onima.
"You bastard!" The older boy slammed his hands together as light purple energy formed over his form, the shape similar to that of a giant boar. "Lavender Charge!"
The two energy creatures lunged at one another, Obito's eyes narrowing before he covered his mouth, the two forces exploding into a tower of nearly pink energy.
"KAUGH!" He jumped out of the smoking crater that had become the intersection their attacks had collided at, the reborn man grimacing as he covered his mouth. 'The oxygen… it took up so much?' He was condensing on a level he'd never, and still wasn't able to have, done before.
His body felt like it was on fire as sweat hissed off his forehead.
"Hmph," he stood up before remembering Onemu's advice on his breathing.
Increasing the flow of air in his body, Obito remembered that he'd been studying martial breaths and knew he'd need her opinion on a few.
"..." He looked around as fire ran rampant around the area.
He counted the groaning students up to nine before plasma shot past his face as he tilted to the side, eyes going to a grimacing plasma girl before the ground beneath his feet erupted into a series of building-sized black thorns.
The former Uchiha disappeared from sight, form reappearing above as he looked down at the area below him as he allowed his body to fall.
'Get him when he's dodging the spikes-" The girl had thought, arms reared back and ready.
… so when he landed on the tip of a spike she had a false start, eyes wide as she looked at the younger student whose eyes locked onto her.
Then there was a roar as the ground rumbled and Obito turned his head to see Onima charging back at him, looking none the worse for wear.
'I can't keep up that skill,' Obito thought as he jumped off the spikes as the energy boy tore through the forest of sharp points. 'It burns up so much oxygen,' inside.
He'd not been focusing but the sheer upkeep on that skill was rather scary… but he grinned at the possibility.
At the chance of development, he'd not thought he'd really get outside of making his flames hotter. He'd gained a goal and he felt a sense of excitement fill him.
"Three more not in sight," Obito said with a smirk as Onima landed from his spirit construct. "This is a sad showing, senpais."
"Tsk!" Onima would be honest, he had to give it to him.
Thirteen downed juniors weren't exactly upping his confidence but they wouldn't lose, those still around were for a reason.
They were the best of the best-
His body trembled as Onima blinked, covering his mouth with a shaky hand as his eyes looked down at the flaming tonfa in his stomach.
Onima hit his knees as Obito turned to the older boy's comrades, a head poking out of the ground to reveal a girl with hedgehog features.
"Shit-!"
A crack slammed across her noggin and she went limp as Obito looked at his tonfa with interest.
"I see… that's a decent technique," he chuckled as plasma rained down on him.
He breathed out powerful flames that beat back the raining plasma while the user of the quirk grimaced as she landed.
"Touko!"
Obito's eyes narrowed as he jumped up, spewing out a flame cloud for a platform, the sight of a giant bear trap getting a raise of the brow from him.
'Metal quirks, huh?'
From the ground the trap jumped, shooting out on a chain that moved like a snake, its chomping clackers making a lot of noise.
'Just like before,' Obito expanded the cloud, knowing what'd hit following his next move.
He took a wide stance, right arm raised by his head while the other was parallel with his forward-facing leg, white flames spiraling around his weapons.
When the trap came closer, the flames condensed to the front of the weapons as he swung.
"Destruction!"
The chain cracked as it was sent flying back down as Obito looked at his tonfa with a grin.
He jumped off his cloud into a free-form fall at the location of the 'chain chomper', a grinning visage slipping out of the earth before another one of those chain trap-chompers came out.
Then Obito vanished from sight, leaving the junior confused and flinching only for a harsh heat to hit her from behind.
Her head slammed into the ground in front of it and her quirk's chains fell limp, crashing down and throwing up dirt and stone.
"D-Dammit!" The plasma user ran into an alleyway. "Shit, shit," she cursed. 'Three of us left.'
Four from the ambush, nine from first contact, three including Onima, the spike user, and the trap-chain user.
She swallowed. 'Dammit, we just got folded by a Freshman,' she realized as the floor and air rumbled, the sounds of yells, crushed stone, and crumbling earth reaching her ears as she winced, fists clenched… before she slumped and walked out.
When she did, she found what she expected.
Obito stepped on the back of the eighteenth junior, a golem user from her class who she knew had powerful defenses capable of stacking brick wall-level shields and the like.
His eyes went to her and she flinched but raised her hands as she walked over.
"Okay… Okay, we messed up," she said with a wince as her classmates groaned, those awake, at least. "... Dammit, we lose, alright?"
Obito looked at her for a moment before nodding, stepping off her classmate, and letting out a steaming hiss.
The student swallowed as he sighed and raised his weapons together.
Tapping them once, the boy dropped the quickly shattering tonfa, leaving her wincing as his similarly steaming hands.
Her eyes balked as his red-eyed stare turned to her and she flinched once more, the shadowing sun making the image terrifying.
Then there were several clacks and clops of feet before the Freshman was tackled.
"That was AWESOME!" Yu, Kaoruko, and Onemu grinned as Obito barely held the three up in a bent-back position. "TOTAL ANNIHILATION!"
"WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?!" Obito growled as they got off with grins aplenty, the boy huffing as Keigo and Fuyumi came down behind him while Yoha and Umi hurried up from the ice cliff.
"Well, some might say that destroying the entire junior class makes it happen," Keigo snickered as he leaned on Obito's shoulder. "But, hey, I'm no scientist."
"I'm sure that would have worked out for you."
"Yeah, I… the hell was that sneaky-ass comeback!?"
Fuyumi giggled a bit as a shadow came down by them, crushing the floor beneath her feet as she grinned like she'd won the lottery.
"YA DID IT!" Rumi cheered as the plasma girl paled. "Ya got it down!"
"Oh, right," Yoha said as her snakes looked down and she blinked before following their gaze. "... Um, your tonfa are on the floor… broken."
The group followed her gaze and Obito nodded as they began to sweat a bit, looking at his steaming hands in confusion as they wiped their brows.
"That idea… it's potent but Lord is it taxing," he admitted as they saw his twitching fingers.
"You got hurt?" Umi asked as Obito shrugged while Fuyumi frowned, holding out her hands around his limb.
Ice filled the space before shooting from her palms to form an ice band, the rise in steam really telling.
"Whoa…" Keigo blinked as he leaned off Obito's shoulder and shook his left arm. "Yeah, noticing now, you are hot, Fuyumi-chan! Cover him!"
Obito looked ready to drown someone in fire before his eyes widened as he sat in a quickly melting ice throne.
"... why?" He said to Fuyumi who grinned nervously while Rumi snickered.
"Yer the king of the battlefield right now," their senpai said as the rest of their class and 3-A came down with their teachers. "Though, geez, even the chair?"
Obito sunk into it for a few more seconds before sighing in relief.
"Despite my hesitation… thank you," he said as he got out of it, rubbing his shoulders… "I was that hot?" Obito balked as Rumi blinked.
She felt his shoulder and her mouth dropped. "Dude, you're dry!"
"No foolin'? Sheesh," Keigo winced in sympathy. "And you didn't even notice? Damn, man, I don't know what to say," if Obito had been that hot, how bad was he internally? "Alright, let's get this boy some water, ASAP!"
"... my entire class," Majestic grinned nervously as Nemuri started cackling while Snipe whistled while tipping his hat.
"Goolly, I won't say anything to anyone, Majestic, I don't think I'd want this kind of shame getting out," he said as he looked at all the groaning students. "Geez."
Vlad smirked while Moe and Kido came around.
"Man, he literally just destroyed 2-A, this is hilarious," Kido said with a chuckle as Moe looked around with a hum.
"Thank God we've got a healing quirk in our class," she said with a crossed arms and tilt of the head. "Still, you moved like we've never seen before in-person or videos," she said to Obito as Rumi smirked proudly.
"It was my idea," she said without shame as Kido rolled his eyes.
"Can you explain to us without a hot-air balloon being filled?" He asked Obito.
"Her advice was to actually use my tonfa to their full potential instead of just the weapons alone… though," he gestured to his destroyed weapons. "They clearly didn't like that."
"Geez, what, you have a disagreement?"
"On the pressure to someone's face, yes, most likely."
"Hmm," Vlad King checked on the items with interest. "You've never been so fast and powerful before, Midoriya. What exactly did you do?" He looked around at their destroyed surroundings. 'It was like a miniature ALL MIGHT came through here,' talk about potential!
"Condensing my flames even further than I ever have before," Obito explained as looked at his hands. "By compressing a lot of flame into a laser-thin disc, I increased my output but the upkeep is utterly ridiculous. I'm pretty sure that I was close to getting heatstroke if I'd kept going."
"Hmm," Snipe cupped his chin. "So, it's sort of like a Super Move Mode, kinda," he chuckled.
"Hopefully it can be a bit more lengthy," Rumi said with a thumbs-up. "But it worked for first-time use! You got a concept and workable move, it just needs focusing. That's why you're gonna be trainin' with me."
"I think she's making up for you not going to her agency," Nemuri chuckled. "Well, you'll all have the rest of this week! Make the most of it!"
Keigo looked around with a speculative look. 'That's a crazy mode,' the destruction wasn't molten destruction but downright physical destruction. "It's insane to think pyrokinesis could have such high damage potential," he said to Kaoruko who closed her eyes with crossed arms, Keigo's eyes flicking down before he turned away instantly, coughing into his fist. 'Crap, don't squish 'em together!' He held his head in mental frustration at himself.
Yoha snickered a bit as Yu grinned in amusement at his actions.
'Little pervert,' they thought in unison with giggles.
"Hmm, senpai's usual output, when you think about it, is kinda ridiculous, too," Kaoruko explained with a grin that was more innocent than it actually was. 'Hmph,' she blushed a bit but knew exactly what she'd just done.
She was gonna tease Keigo until she couldn't.
"Hmm, well, what do you mean?" Umi asked cluelessly to their amusement.
"If you think about it, it's already powerful," Fuyumi said with a finger on her chin as Obito raised a brow. "Obito-kun, your usual bursts of fire can literally allow you to move through the sky," she emphasized as he nodded. "They're already powerful enough to do that easily so it makes sense that compressing it would be more ridiculous," she smiled.
"You had to throw that in, didn't you?" Obito asked as the others laughed.
"Of course, your quirk is rather outstanding."
"And this is from the Todoroki with a flash-freeze level speed that could cover a building," Moe said to him as he nodded.
"That's why you're gonna figure out how to handle that power, my dude," Rumi explained. "Come on, let's get to it!"
Obito hummed but nodded.
He had a goal to attain.
~NRK~
So, Obito begins down a path to more destructive power, breaking free of his mental binding armor that will release the destruction god within.
Now, onto other parts of this story. Yes, Izuku being the best option has been explained to Nighteye. With Obito asking for more information on OFA's former holder
~NRK~
~Omake: They're From Another Dimension Part I ft. the Todoroki and Uchiha families~
As they ate, Obito and Izuku chatted.
"So, with you around, dad was more around due to wanting to make sure we were financially alright?" The younger Midoriya asked.
"Yes, he'd found a job nearby and we'd been around average income at the time. Following that, he and I were learning how to be blacksmiths, sort of," Obito explained as Izuku blinked. "Question, does he work at a welding company?"
"Yeah! Dad works at one in America, in Texas."
"Ah, from our dimension, he works in California, when we were still in UA. Nowadays? He works with a man by the name of David Shield," Obito chuckled as he whispered to his younger sibling and Tenya. "All Might's old friend."
The boys' mouths dropped at that. "W-What? All Might had an old friend in America?" Tenya wondered in shock. "W-Well, to be fair, it makes sense. Many rumors said he used to live there."
"From what I know, he went there to train at some point," Obito said as Izuku pulled out a notebook and scribbled down into it. "Ah, you have that here, too?" He chuckled as the boy blushed and muttered a bit.
"I-I guess this is a cross-dimensional tick," he chuckled nervously as Tenya smiled.
"Some things never change," he said as Obito nodded.
Shouto, meanwhile, chatted with his… father from another dimension. "Frostburn Fist?" He asked, confused, as Fuyumi blinked. "I mean, I can use both elements but how does it work?"
"To be fair, you got it from Fuyumi and Obito," Otherworldly Enji, Other Enji, explained. "Though you're working on it, the issue is 'balance'," he explained as Shouto nodded. "It's cool steam, hot water, or mist. It's the combination of both flame and frost."
"..." The youngest… the youngest-from-this-dimension Todoroki considered his words. "Still, I'd have to be able to use Frost Flow, first, right?"
"On some level," Otherworldly Fuyumi, Other Fuyumi, explained as Natsuo hummed as Other Enji he ate his hot soba. "The Frost Flow was something I came up with based on Obito-kun's original fighting style in our second year."
"Hmm?" Natsuo blinked, swallowing. "That Flame Burst thing, right?" He asked.
"Yes," Other Enji nodded with a grin. "His first style relied on his coordination between physical blows and small explosions of fire," he said as Tobi ate with a smile. "He was a kick enthusiast while working with tonfa," he said.
"Enji-jii-chan took up the sword!" Tobi said as Fuyumi, Natsuo, and Shouto blinked.
"You did?" They asked as nodded.
"I'd never used a weapon before but Obito's ability to forge had made it possible to use one," he explained. "A greatsword is what I've been learning over the past six months or so, well, before the vacation."
"O-Oh, yeah, you were on… vacation?" Fuyumi looked on in slight disbelief. "Where'd you go?"
"Rei and I actually visited this odd island Shouto, that explosion brat, and Mumbles to," he said even as his other-world kids choked at the nicknames.
'Mumbles?' Then they all turned their heads to the currently mumbling Izuku as Obito explained something to him. '... that makes sense,' they realized in unison.
"It was, sadly, not a good place at first," Other Fuyumi explained as they blinked.
"A villain by the name of 'Nine' attacked it during a small school trip their agency held," explained.
"Your agency holds school trips?" Izuku asked as the entire row of them listened in. "A-Actually, what kinda agency do you guys run? What's your ranking?" He asked.
The two chuckled while Other Enji grinned like the proud man he was.
The group looked confused. "He looks like you guys made it big," Natsuo said as he slurped some noodles.
"We are the Number Ten hero team in the hero rankings, after all," Obito and Other Fuyumi explained.
The entire row choked save for the laughing and giggling Tobi.
"WHAT?!" They, the staff, the people in the restaurant, and the group of students who just entered the soba shop shouted.
"D-Deku?! What the hell is this?!" The now-there Bakugou shouted as he stomped over while Obito blinked at him. "What are you looking at, old man?!"
Other Enji, Izuku, Tenya, and Natsuo snorted in unison while Obito chuckled without a bit of heat.
"Nothing, Katsudon."
The four along with Fuyumi, Shouto, and Tobi laughed in disbelief.
"K-Katsu-who?! Who are you callin' food?!"
"H-Hehe," Uraraka covered her mouth as her shoulders trembled. "K-Katsudon?!"
"Haaa?!"
"Easy there," Obito said as he smirked at the seething boy. "Hmph, the 'you' I know is usually calmer," he added as the four students at the door blinked.
"Hmm?" A darkly-themed bird boy blinked as two more individuals came through the door. "The 'him' that you… oh," he realized as Izuku nodded.
"Y-Yeah, Tokoyami-kun, they're also from the other… dimension," he said slowly like it made sense up until the very end. "... the world is weird."
"Hah!" Came the voice of a familiar old hero as he came forward. "So, you're Enji from another dimension, huh?"
"WHO'S THIS OLD FART?!" Katsuki shouted in disbelief before pointing at Obito. "Don't call me 'Katsudon'!"
"Hmm, I could go for some katsudon," Gran Torino grinned as the explosion boy growled, steam shooting out of his ears.
"Hmph, he is shorter-tempered," Other Enji said with a raised brow as Katsuki growled louder. "Hmph, I think he needs humbling," he added as he noted the last addition. "... Oh, Hawks," he greeted with a nod as the last person grinned as he flinched.
"Oh, well, uhh… I was letting my little bird here, Toko-kun," this dimension's Hawks gestured to Tokoyami, the last of the four students humming.
"Yo, what in the world is going on?" He asked the group, his bright red hair eye-catching.
"Kirishima-kun, right?" Other Fuyumi said with a smile as the sturdy boy scratched his cheek with a nod.
"Sup? I don't think anyone else knew about more dimensional travelers," he said like it was the most normal thing in the world. "Like… whoa."
"I can imagine," Tenya chuckled. "Though, that does bring up a good point, how long will you all be here, Obito-san?" He wondered as Izuku and Shouto perked up.
Obito nodded. "Like three days," he said as he gestured to his closed eye, the scar over it prominent. "The power in my left eye will recharge given some rest. Well, that or the Bottles get used up to get us back."
"In your left eye?" Hawks blinked. 'The PHSC really wanted in on this whole dimensional thing,' honestly, he feared for such a grasp of abilities. "Wait, Bot-"
"Hi, Keigo," Other Fuyumi smiled as Hawks blinked.
"Huh? Hold on, you know me?" He asked in disbelief, rubbing the back of his head.
"Of course, you're on our team," Obito explained as Hawks froze with a shaky grin that turned to him. "With you and Nagant-sensei around, we've got quite the skill sets."
"H-Huh?!" He choked. 'H-He didn't just… n-no, that's impossible, right-?'
There was a flare of black flames in front of Obito as his left eye bled. "I guess they figured out what happened," Obito said as several bodies appeared in the middle of the restaurant.
"Dude! What happened-" Other Hawks began to say as he stood up and looked around.
Hawks and Other Hawks stared at one another before their mouths dropped.
"Huh?" Miruko blinked as she looked around. "What the hell happened-Is that your brother? Did we just use the Bottles for nothing?!" She asked in disbelief as Izuku's mouth fell at them all.
"W-Wait, aren't you Miruko? The Number 12 Hero?!" He asked in disbelief.
"Hey! It's Tenth! Ohhh! We're coming up on the next rankings, ya brat!"
Izuku sweatdropped as Tenya blinked.
"This other dimension is very lively," he said as Shouto tilted his head before nodding.
"It is," he said before blinking as two figures came forward from the group. "?!"
Why was he shocked? Well, otherworldly him, Katsuki, and Izuku were standing there.
"W-What?!" Other Izuku choked as he and Izuku locked eyes. "O-Oh, uh, well… we did assume that the powers reacted oddly," he recovered almost instantly, really bringing home the fact that these were other versions of themselves. "Nii-chan, how long is the difference between here and our timeline?"
"Dimension," Obito corrected as chuckled nervously while Hawks balked.
"M-My life is a lie," he said as the other version of him grinned.
… it was weird, to him. That grin seemed so… real and without hesitation.
What the hell had happened?
Then there was a meeting of explosive blondes, Other Katsuki tilting his head at his other self.
"..."
"..."
"... ya look weak," he said without remorse as Other Enji laughed out loud and Katsuki began to explode mentally, his twitching brow the timer. "Is this other dimension weaker than ours?"
"THAT'S IT!" Katsuki exploded as the other him raised a brow while Uraraka blinked at the difference in demeanor before looking at Other Izuku.
"U-Um, Deku-kun," she sneaked over before both moss heads turned her way. "... U-Um."
Other Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "R-Right, you're not my-our! That is, our Uraraka!" He quickly corrected himself as Tokoyami raised a brow while coming near the bar.
"The world's darkness has receded greatly, what happened?" He asked them as chuckled.
"Well, maybe we should take this outside before the restaurant explodes," she said.
"You wanna go?!"
"Anytime, weakling. God, this world's Deku has to be kicking your ass by this point," Other Katsuki said with a smirk as Other Izuku smiled shakily.
"Why is he bringing me into this?" The otherworldly Izuku asked Obito who chuckled.
"I believe he's just establishing the hierarchy. Weird he's doing it with himself but it's whatever. Let's just go to the Quirk Coliseum before things get out of hand."
~NRK~
Other Izuku stretched as he stood across from Katsuki, Other Katsuki standing at the sidelines with Izuku.
"You haven't figured out Usagi Style yet, have you?" He asked his friend's other dimension self.
"Oh, wait, is that what nii-chan meant by using my legs more?" Izuku asked his otherworldly friend. '... this is nice,' he sweatdropped as Other Fuyumi raised her arm between the two sparing boys.
"Are you both ready?" She asked them as Katsuki's hands lit up with explosions.
"I'm gonna murder ya," he said to Other Izuku who grinned a bit but assumed a wide stance. 'Tsk, he seems like a less bad Deku,' which was annoying.
What the hell did that other version of himself mean? Kick his ass?
Annoying!
"We've actually been working on something, other Kacchan," Other Izuku said. "We've sparred numerous times, out of 125 matches," he grinned a bit as Katsuki blinked. "I've won 65."
"FIGHT!"
Katsuki's eyes watched as Other Izuku lunged at him, the explosion boy's form crouched low as his hands sparked.
An explosion tossed him forward at the focused moss head, their forms meeting in the middle.
Then the moss head seemed to vanish in a trail of electricity. 'What-?!' Katsuki thought only for a kick to his stomach to arrest his momentum.
Other Izuku's eyes sparked as his offending leg came down, his back leg slamming into Katsuki's stomach once more before he was sent flying back into the opposite wall.
"Kaugh?!" The hell was this?! "..." His eyes narrowed as an explosion sent him out of the way of another kick that dented the wall where his stomach had been. 'Deku!' Katsuki shot into the air before holding out his hands.
Explosions rocked the area while a green blur moved about, Katsuki's eyes snapping to it as he landed before rotating harshly, outstretched arm dragged around with a spark in its palm.
"Don't mess with me!" He swung and ignited.
A large sweeping explosion rocked the room, Other Shouto nodding as nodded to Shouto.
"We've been working on it," he explained to his other world self. "The idea, by my own interpretation, is to cause 'Brittling'," he explained as Shouto blinked with Natsuo.
"Brittling?" They asked.
"You mean like fast cooling and heating, right?" Shouto asked as his other self smirked. '... I don't smirk,' he thought vainly.
"That's the idea. The way nee-chan and aniki do it is simply not the way for us, we need a set-up technique," he explained.
Tenya hummed at that. "Set-up technique?" He asked as Rumi grinned.
"For guys like them, you wanna make big moves with proper prep," she explained. "You, on the other hand, should learn more about your brother's fighting style," she explained to him.
"You've a lot of experience?"
"Yeah, I spar with senpai a lot."
Uraraka tilted her head at Obito. "So… you're Deku's brother?" She asked as Kirishima nodded.
"This is all so weird to us," he said to who hummed as Tobi sat on his father's shoulders.
"In our dimension, yes, though I wouldn't hesitate to say so here, as well. I'm not in this dimension… most likely," Obito explained as they tilted their heads. "Think of it as the universal formula. There are probably an infinite amount of worlds I'm not in alongside ones I am in."
"It's basically a gamble of a reaction," Other Enji explained. "We lucked out with him, this place probably didn't."
The two students hummed at that. 'It does seem better over there,' though that was likely a bit premature, they didn't know the problems they might have faced.
But it was interesting to think about.
~NRK~
That's the way it goes.
~NRK Out~