Chun's POV

Rain had started. It would make cover easier to obtain. Still, it made him uneasy. Something was going on away from there. Rain always reminded him of the day his master died almost ten years ago. That day it had been almost typhoon-like conditions.

Sesol was already set to be picked up by Dimitri and Takeshi this evening. The only he had to do was send a message to the kid saying when and where.

Shiho asked her eyes soft, "Are you perhaps hung up on leaving your disciple? It's not too late to take him with us you know."

Chun shook his head and said, "If that kid learned what we were really doing. He would immediately faint."

She laughed, "He would, wouldn't he? Do you really think he could return to a normal life after this, though? Somehow all that happens feels like it was all a dream."

He knew exactly what she meant. He sighed, "Same here. You know when my master died, I lived in a fog. Even when I messed things up I couldn't feel it in my heart. Just like the truth. Then I met that kid and somehow he changed something in me. I don't know how to put it. Also my feelings for you I have come to realize..."

Shiho practically collapsed against him. Tears were running down her face and he could feel them wetting his shirt.

She whispered into his shirt so that he barely heard her, "I know of your painful past. You have to realize that you're not alone in that. One cannot have a happy past and be a Murim. However, right now you have told me directly."

"Shiho..."

The door slammed open and like a pair of teenagers, they split. Both of them were red in the face. Unsurprisingly it was only Alex and his usual loudness. It made Chun want to strangle the man.

Alex said grabbing a towel, "The boat is set to arrive sometime tonight."

Chun nodded his face going back to his mask. No need for someone to underestimate him.

Shiho asked, "Did you hear any other news?"

For a moment there was hesitation. Almost like Alex didn't want to tell them whatever he heard.

He sighed, "There was something. Apparently, a summons has been issued. For the entire Murim Alliance."

The entire alliance? Where they onto them? If so they needed to move immediately. Alex's next words made his heart stop. Not for his own safety but for that of his disciple. And for the girl, he protected for their return.

"You know what though. It was for 10 kilometers of Alderra Middle School. It looks like that the Murim Alliance is chasing that kid. Those fools are barking up the wrong tree. Though I hear the kid is giving them a run for their money. Apparently, he escaped the school. Since they are chasing the kid it will provide the perfect distraction for us to escape."

Chun couldn't stand to hear anymore. He slammed the door open and stepped out into the rain. Taking a cigarette out he put it to his lips. Then he hesitated instead choosing to stare up at the dark sky.

Was he right in leaving the kid? Should he go after Izuku and bring him with them? What was he to do?

Sensing a ki presence he turned his eyes narrowing. Two men were walking alongside Alex. He blinked barely showing his surprise. They were early. For once.

The blond one said with a smirk, "Yo, lower your shields. Oi, Nine Arts Dragon how you been?"

The bald one complained under his breath, "This weather is terrible."

Shiho questioned just as confused as he was, "Takeshi? Demetri? Why are you two here?"

Chun moved to start on something else. He had to take his mind off of the kid. Mission first then kid.

Takeshi seemed to take it as a sign to keep talking, "Damn... for us to be dispatched to save some kid that still smells of his mother's milk. The boss is so uptight. Yo, I heard you made a kick-ass disciple."

What? They heard about Izuku? How? What was his disciple doing that was making so many waves. Surely he would have been caught by now. Right?

As good of a student as Izuku was Chun knew there was only so long he could keep fighting. The kid's stamina had come a long way but he was still far behind others his age.

He inquired hiding his interest behind a mask, "What are you talking about?"

Takeshi pushed his blond locks out of his eyes as he replied, "Don't act like you don't know, Nine Arts Dragon. All of Murim is in an uproar because of your kid. Now even Kaiser wants him."

Shiho questioned angrily, "What is he talking about, Alex? What does he mean Izuku is causing an uproar?"

Alex snarled sounding like a member of Murim for the first time, "Stop blaming me for this shit, Shiho! I thought we weren't talking about the kid."

He was going to kill them if they kept tiptoeing around them. Yes, he had a temper and it flared when his disciple was mentioned. That did not mean they could not give him important information.

He thought that leaving his disciple would keep him safe. He hoped that the boy would be able to keep his head down. It never occurred to him that they would track him down to the school. Now Kaiser was interested in the boy.

Takeshi answered breaking him from his thoughts, "What's this? You actually don't know. The whole city has gone apeshit trying to catch that kid. Apparently, he is using high-level techniques like crushing spirit strike and lightning steps. It's like the kid is an expert."

Lightning steps? That's impossible. No one could use them after only seeing them once. Even he had to see them multiple times. It took him months to master them.

Crushing spirit strike was a halfway point in inner strike techniques. It was a class four technique. Chun thought Izuku could only use the basic forms. When did this brat become so good?

Shiho said as the two blond men began arguing, "We have a choice to make here. Either we go after Izuku. Or we leave him to die."

Izuku's POV

Rain mixed with sweat and drenched his clothes. Hours passed since he escaped Alderra Middle School. In that time he broke through three perimeters that were set up to catch him. If it had been before his training with Chun and All Might he would have passed out long ago. Now his body was built to keep going for long periods of time. Even that however was reaching its limit.

As he turned the corner he found a man in a black hoodie standing in front of him. Izuku didn't hesitate. Using his ki he attacked the man. The sound of crunching bones filled the air. It no longer made him sick to hear it. At this point, it was him or them. If he wanted to survive this fight he would have to put aside his morals.

These men were of Murim and what he had learned made him put a lot of his views aside. Many within Murim would kill their fellow disciples to try and become stronger. To gain the more advanced techniques that they wouldn't be allowed access otherwise. To them, this was a natural part of life and if you didnt expect to be stabbed in the back you were naive.

That was not something he could ever agree with. If he could he would find a way to change Murim from the inside. He just wasnt strong enough to do that yet. One day however he would be and on that day he would take Murim by storm. Just as he was going to change things in the Hero Community. First, though he had to survive this and that meant fighting with everything he had.

The man was thrown back into his compatriots. They shouted, "Shit he, got him! Run!"

Behind him, another voice older shouted then blew into a whistle, "He's over here! Get this fucker!"

Despite his exhaustion, Izuku continued to run. He pushed himself farther than he ever went before. Did they think he would let them catch him? He wouldn't be captured. Never again would he be a burden to his teacher. Not a chance in hell!

As he turned a corner he hid himself in a shadowed doorway. Nearby he heard voices shouting as he tried to catch his questioning, "Did you see him over there?"

"No. He's not over here. Let's try searching above."

Leaning against the doorway he gulped down air. It was the first time he had the chance to catch his breath. It seemed every time he turned around there were four more of these guys. He didn't even know who they were. Just that they would use him to get back at his teacher.

Izuku owed a lot to Chun and he could not be caught. Earlier he had called Heo from a payphone and warned him of what was happening. The man promised to go personally to his house to pick up Sesol. Then he called his house and thankfully Sesol answered.

To say she was not happy with him was an understatement. If he had longer to talk he was sure that she would have yelled at him for all of it. Instead, she made him swear that they would see each other again. Knowing that he could very well be lying he made the promise.

With that, he had hung up just in time for more Murim fighters to close in on him. It had been a close escape at that time. Far closer than he would have liked it to be.

"Goddamnit, it! Where is the little bastard hiding?!"

"He's probably just as worn out as we are. He's been running for hours."

The voices were fading as they moved away from him. He would take a few minutes to catch his breath. Then he would have to get moving again.

He was cold. The rain had frozen him to the bone. He had no strength left. All he wanted to do was to lie down and sleep. Still, he could not stay there.

Izuku left the doorway. Several moments of silence told him that the men were gone. He had only gone a few feet when a man stepped out in front of him. The man had greying brown hair and kind brown eyes.

He asked sternly, "Are you the Nine Arts Dragon's disciple?"

Izuku's shoulders slumped. It was another person of Murim. Pushing aside his exhaustion he entered an open fighting stance. Surprise filled the brown eyes.

The man said trying to reason with him, "Just give up already. I know your stamina is at its breaking point."

The boy didn't answer. Instead, he leapt forward focusing his ki on the inner strike movement. The man despite his surprise dodged to the side. Stumbling slightly he retook his stance. There wasn't even enough energy in his body to use a foot technique.

Brown eyes clashed with green as the man said entering his own stance, "You deserve to be called the Nine Arts Dragon's disciple. Come! I, Gangsung from Songhak Dojang, will face you."

Izuku's watched him warily. Those words meant nothing to him. However, they sounded like Chun's title. Could it be similar? If so he was in trouble.

His last win was based on a technicality. He didn't even remember most of the fight. At the start of that fight, he had full ki reserves too. Now he was down to the last vestiges of his reserves. Never had he felt this drained before.

Using One For All wouldn't help right now either. In his current state Izuku wasn't even sure he could control it. To make matters worse he was out of ki pellets. There hadn't been any time to get anymore yet. Something he now regretted not making time for.

Before he could blink he was flat on his back. The wind had been knocked out of him and the world went grey for a brief moment. The man stood where Izuku had just a moment prior. It didn't even look like he had struck him.

Realizing his position Izuku regained his feet. Even as he did so he found it difficult to breathe. The strike had made the muscles around his chest constrict.

Gangsung said with a sigh, "You should stay down. However, if you are even the slightest bit like your master you won't. Not until someone puts you down."

He snapped determination in his eyes, "I was tired of being beaten down. Sungsengnim gave me the courage to fight. I will not let you people take me in alive. I would rather die than betray my teacher!"

He lunged at the man again catching him by surprise. Gangsung tried to move to the side to avoid the attack. Midlung Harrison planted his leading foot. He swirled so that he faced the other his opposite hand tapping the other in the middle. There was no explosive force behind it.

It seemed that he was out of ki. As soon as his mind had the thought the world went black. Izuku's unconscious body collapsed onto the ground.