The sun shone brightly through the windows as Noikari slept, the rays casting bright orange and yellow lights across the boy's bedroom floor. The only sounds that filled the house were those of his soft snores and his faint breathing. It was peaceful and quiet, much unlike usual days where he usually awoke with a pounding headache, sore muscles, and a horrible case of bedhead. Today, however, his sleep was dreamless, tranquil, and completely free of nightmares.

That is, until the door burst open.

Noikari sat up groggily. He stared at the doorway for a moment as a familiar figure became visible.

"Get the hell up!" Bakugo shouted. "Your late."

"It's only 7:30 in the morning! What gives?!" the younger boy yelled out in annoyance, rubbing sleepiness out of his eyes. "You could've woken me up later!"

The blonde scowled. "You should've known that we'd be waking up early. Now come on, we can't start training without you."

Still half asleep, no response came from the boy.

Bakugo stomped his foot angrily. "Come on, idiot. We aren't waiting for you to wake up. Hurry up!" With that, he turned and left, slamming the door behind him. A moment passed before a loud sigh escaped the boy's lips and he threw back the covers, stumbling across his room. Once he got his feet under him, the boy quickly put on his uniform before heading out of his room. Eventually reaching outside, he saw the rest of Class 1A, alongside Aizawa and the Wild, Wild, Pussycats waiting.

"Sorry, I didn't realize we were starting so early."

Aizawa simply glanced at him. "Naturally, this training doesn't grant you the luxuries your used to."

"Mr. Aizawa. I have 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 been free for less than a month. I'm not exactly used to luxuries yet."

The normally emotionless teacher turned away, a slight shade of red just barely being visible. He cleared his throat once before addressing the class. "Since the training is already underway, it would be wise to move out and begin right away. Now go!" With that, Class 1A ran off in numerous directions to begin their training.

Katsuki was one of the first to begin, finding a familiar drum of boiling hot water. Grinning, the Explosion hero plunged his hands into the drum, activating Explosion and launching a large blast of fire sky high.

Soon, the rest of the students had begun their numerous training exercises. Kaminari ran his electric currents through a high-capacity battery, slowly increasing the wattage over time. Tsuyu extended her tongue to the very top of a nearby mountain, slowly beginning to scale the rocky bluff, using her tongue as a rope. Eijiro hardened his body while Mashirao struck him repeatedly with his tail, improving the strength and durability of both of their Quirks with every hit.

Standing with Aizawa and the Wild, Wild, Pussycats, Noikari watched in amazement. Each student had a specific training method that worked with their Quirks perfectly. Seeing everyone train made Noikari even more determined. Turning to Aizawa, Noikari asked, "So, what type of training would be best for me, teacher?"

Shouta pondered for a moment. "Hmm. . perhaps it would be best to show the full extent of your Quirk to them," replied Aizawa while motioning to Mandalay and her team. "After that, maybe we can work together to improve your combat skills further."

Noikari nodded, accepting Shouta's suggestion. Noikari began to focus as Aizawa stayed close by his side. The Wild, Wild, Pussycats were worried as they saw Noikari hunch forward, as if he was in pain.

"I-is he okay?" a concerned Tiger asked.

Nonchalantly, Aizawa answered, "Yes, he's completely fine."

A familiar purple glow surrounded Noikari's hands as four tentacles once more tore out of the flesh from his back, blood briefly spewing outward. Mandalay and the rest of the Pussycats shrieked in alarm, but Noikari quickly reassured them.

"No, no, it's fine. Actually, it usually hurts more than this."

The boy then straightened up, allowing the team to get a good look at his new form. The Pussycats collectively were impressed, but also unsure of what to do.

"Interesting," remarked Pixie-Bob. "It will be tough to find a training method for you. Are these tentacles the extent of your quirk?"

Noikari grinned. Nope! I can also do this." He opened his hands to reveal a burst of light, a shape taking form from within. As the light dissipated, it revealed a sword coated in a lavender tint.

The team of heroes were impressed.

So," Mandalay observed. "You can create objects out of matter."

"No, not exactly," retorted Noikari.

"Oh?"

"I create these using energy I have stored inside due to my Quirk. My body absorbs different types of energy in the air and then stores it for later. I can expel that energy not only to make these, but also give myself a quick boost when I need it."

As he finished his explanation, Noikari pointed at the tentacles which protruded from his back.

"Though I'm gonna be honest. I don't know how these things work. They kinda just. . came out when I got angry when we fought that giant." He was referring to the fight with the Colossaeus a few days prior.

"Perhaps your emotional state forced your body to release all of the stored energy at once, triggering a sort of reaction," Tiger theorized. "If your anger caused the growth of extra appendages and abilities, that is an intriguing possibility."

"Yeah I guess that makes sense."

The team of cat-based heroes stood around for a moment, trying to determine what the best form of training for Noikari would be.

Suddenly, Ragdoll excitedly cheered. "I got it!" The rest of her team and Noikari looked at her curiously. "We'll take turns sparring against one another. You and Mr. Aizawa will battle. That way we'll be able to see the difference between one person's fighting style and another's."

Noikari nearly fell over from shock at her suggestion.

"Y-you want me to fight Mr. Aizawa? But he's a pro-hero! I don't stand a chance."

Mandalay frowned slightly. "Please try, I really think you have some potential there. Besides, you'll learn a lot by fighting someone like that." She gestured to the darkening skies, indicating that it was about time to head back inside.

The boy sighed before a look of determination crossed his features once more. "Fine, let's do this then."

The area around them began to darken as the sun began to set.A slow breeze took hold of the area around them, a light howl sounding from the gusts. In a small clearing inside the forest, they prepared.

On one side, Noikari stood in preparation, tentacles gently waving behind him. On the other, Aizawa, the former hero Eraserhead, calmly stood with his hands in his pockets, waiting for his student to strike. His cold, uncaring gaze bore into Noikari's soul. Noikari tried to save face but couldn't stop himself from shaking from stress. Taking a deep breath as he clenched a fist, Noikari calmed his tense nerves.

The rest of Class 1A had stopped their training and now stood back alongside the Wild, Wild, Pussycats, curious to see how Noikari would compare to their teacher.

"How do you think he'll do?" asked Momo, remembering her and Shoto's own fight with Aizawa during the First Term Final Exam.

"I. . am unsure," answered Todoroki. "Noikari will most likely lose, but perhaps if he can be quick. ."

Despite everyone's thoughts, they couldn't deny that there was a feeling of excitement in the air. To see Noikari face off against a renowned hero such as Eraserhead.

For a moment, the two stood utterly still, silence gripping them both. finally, Aizawa spoke.

"Are you ready to begin?"

Noikari silently nodded before prepping himself, getting into a stance reminiscent of a martial arts champion. Aizawa remained utterly still.

Then, a loud CRACK rang out. Perhaps a falling log or an animal stepping on a twig. Whatever the case, the sound acted as a starting bell for the fight to begin. In an instant, Noikari sprinted forward as fast as he could towards his teacher, his left hand pulled back and his right arm raised high above his head. His eyes narrowed as he reached Eraserhead.

Noikari threw a punch, hard and fast at the hero, but Aizawa dodged it, rather easily at that. Thinking nothing of his failure, Noikari threw several more hits, but each was dodged just as easily as the first. A retaliatory strike from the pro hero forced Noikari to shoot a hand up in an attempt to block. Although successful, Noikari still cringed as he felt the strike smash into his arm like a jackhammer.

Having an idea, Noikari willed his tendrils to surround Aizawa, impaling the ground around him and forming a sort of cage. Aizawa's eyes widened in surprise as Noikari used the momentum to spring up and kick out with both feet like a kangaroo. To his shock, Aizawa flipped backwards, dodging the hit while bringing an arm to his scarf and tossing it. The cloth wrapped around Noikari and pulled him forward, also ripping his tentacles out of the ground. The boy shrieked as he was pulled towards the teacher before being slammed into the ground. Dust and dirt flew as Noikari smacked down upon the dirt. Aizawa glanced down in boredom as Noikari's three tentacles waved about.

He stopped for a moment, confused. Wait, three?

Before he could question it further, he noticed a grin plastered on Noikari's face before the fourth tentacle, hidden from Aizawa's eyes, erupted from his left side, lunging forth like a snake. Aizawa barely had enough time to leap backwards, with the tentacles metal tip grazing him on the cheek, leaving a small red mark on his cheek. The same tentacle then knocked one of Aizawa's legs out from under him. With a grunt, the skilled fighter caught himself with his hands as his knees buckled against the rough dirt before lifting his body up, albeit at an awkward angle.

Leaping back on his feet to capitalize on this opportunity, Noikari charged at his teacher, forcing Aizawa back as he evaded the boy's blows. Although Noikari had still not landed any damage on the hero, Aizawa's unorthodox recovery forced him to briefly give ground.

Class 1A and even the Pussycats were shocked. Although he hadn't made any leeway against Aizawa, his tactical mind was impressive. This boy was actually pushing back one of the top 10 Heroes in all of Japan! Not bad for the first lesson!

While his classmates applauded Noikari on his progress, the boy simply grinned as he watched Eraserhead's expression morph into something much more serious, almost threatening. It seemed the man didn't expect Noikari to actually put in an effort, and this pleased the young boy immensely. Aizawa was slightly impressed, although he wouldn't admit it out loud.

Briefly stepping back from his own offensive, Noikari ran forward once more with a powerful, yet predictable punch. Aizawa prepared to easily dodge the telegraphed punch. Eraserhead could only scoff; it seemed the child hadn't grown as much as he thought.

Inwardly Noikari grinned. Perfect!

As Aizawa raised a hand to counter, Noikari suddenly stopped, spinning on his heel before sending a leg forward, intending to kick Aizawa. Quickly changing his position, Aizawa prepared to reflect the kick, only for Noikari's leg to stop mere inches away, his body then twisting back around to throw another powerful punch.

For a while, Noikari's strategy of changing attacks on the fly was working. Eraserhead grimaced as each attack became harder and harder to defend against.

With his hands in front of his chest ready to defend against another punch, Aizawa was unprepared as Noikari launched an overhead kick, forcing his hands apart and breaking his guard.

'This is my chance!' Noikari told himself.

Eraserhead was too astonished to counter as Noikari jumped forward, a single fist pulling back. The child shouted, "take this!" before launching his fist forward.

WHAM!

Time seemed to stop as everyone watching held their mouths open astonished. They couldn't believe it, it seemed unreal. Noikari mentally cheered for himself.

He had landed a solid blow on Eraserhead!

Gracefully landing on his feet, Aizawa had little time as Noikari smashed two tentacles together, effectively sandwiching Aizawa in between the limbs. Grimacing as his muscles tensed, Noikari launched himself backwards with his two open tentacles, attempting another kangaroo-esque kick. This time, the attack actually landed, impacting Eraserhead's chest. The homeroom teacher of Class 1A coughed as he bent forward, only for Noikari to straighten him back up with a knee to the gut, followed by a chop to the neck. A final right hook sent Aizawa falling backwards, dirt shooting into the air as his form became obscured.

Noikari shuddered as he panted in exhaustion. This fight was taking a lot out of him, but at least Aizawa was putting in just as much effort, right?

His thoughts were proven wrong as he saw his teacher standing in the dissipating dust cloud, cracking his neck. Apart from some slight scratches and marks, he wasn't injured in the slightest. Noikari froze.

He hadn't done that well.

Feeling his confidence crumble down, Noikari fell to his knees. He knew that he had failed, that he had let his opponent know what he really looked like, yet the fact that his teacher hadn't been hurt bothered him greatly.

"No. . . I'm not a match for you. ." The young boy admitted sadly.

Without hesitation, his teacher walked over to him. No matter how much he wanted to hide away, his pride would not allow it. Instead, Noikari slowly lifted his head, waiting for whatever punishment came next.

Aizawa extended a hand outward to his student. Taking the hand hesitantly, Noikari allowed himself to be pulled up by his teacher. Once he was standing, his teacher placed a hand on his back as a sign of comfort. Noikari turned his head away from the touch, embarrassed and disappointed in himself.

"Noikari. ."

The child turned his head slightly as Aizawa's voice hit his ears.

"That was an. . impressive display. Although your fighting style may be unorthodox, it is your ability to adapt that makes it more refined."

Looking at his teacher, Noikari noticed a grin on his face. Not one of mockery or pity. It was a grin of true happiness and respect. It was almost scary in a way. No one had ever seen him this happy before. No one had ever looked at him with such admiration and love. The boy found it difficult to understand exactly why that was so. However, his heart swelled at the sight of the genuine smile on his teacher's face. It made everything worth it.

Suddenly, the smile dropped from Aizawa's face, a familiar stern gaze returning.

"However, you still need to master the use of your extra appendages," he reaffirmed while pointing at Noikari's tentacles, which slowly began to retract back into the boy's body. Despite his criticisms, he was still proud of the progress his newest student had made so far.

Before Noikari could reply, Midoriya and the rest of Class 1A ran over to congratulate him. Even the Pussycats were cheering loudly.

Smiling softly, Eraserhead stepped away from his student, gesturing for them to leave. Before the others could even begin to disperse, he paused.

"You should get some rest. You've probably earned that much after today." He stated.

Nodding, Noikari and the others began to return to the base camp, chatting amongst themselves about Noikari's performance against Eraserhead.

Upon returning to camp, Noikari decided it was best to quickly clean himself up in the hot springs. Walking through the door to where the springs resided, Noikari quickly put on his suit before slowly lowering himself into the water, sighing as the liquids washed away the dirt and grime on his body. He looked at the night sky, which was slightly blocked from view by several large trees. There was something strange about one of the trees. As Noikari focused, he thought he saw two glowing, yellow eyes staring straight at him. As enough of the clouds had dispersed to allow the Moon to shed light on the area, Noikari saw the wielder of those eyes.

Its entire body was made of a dark purple mist, save for a metal brace which went from around his collarbone to just below his eyes. A second figure stood on a branch next to the being. A slim man with pale skin gazed at Noikari, his pupils stretched as a grisly hand covered the person's face, two small irises peeking through the gaps between its fingers. Their gazed bore into Noikari's brain. It was like staring directly into the gates of Hell.

As realization crept up behind Noikari, he began to shake, sweat started to roll down his face, and his breathing became erratic. He recognized these two. Dr. Hetodah's research meant that not only did Noikari have wellsprings of data on Japan's Heroes, but he also knew of its villains.

The 'Black Fog' villain Kurogiri and the villain of 'Decay', Tomura Shigaraki. The two were members of the League of Villains, a team of several criminals and dangerous individuals led by All for One.

What was worse was how much this knowledge terrified him. What if these two came here to take his quirk away? To use it? Or to kill him? No matter how badly he wanted to avoid meeting either of them, there was no way he could hide. Not in the position he was in currently anyway. Noikari fell to his knees in utter despair, completely paralyzed by fear.

"Noikari!"

A voice shouted from inside, catching the attention of the child and the two villains watching. A shirtless Bakugo walked out, questioning him.

"You alright? You've been in here for so damn long I thought that. . that. . ." The Explosion hero's voice drifted off as his gaze slowly travelled upwards, his face morphing from indifference to fear as he spotted Shigaraki and Kurogiri in the trees.

"Oh. . ," Bakugo muttered. "Oh shit." Anger took hold as he prepared to attack the villains, but a fearful Noikari stopped him, holding up a single hand to signal the blond to wait. Bakugo didn't understand, but if the child had a plan, then he would reluctantly listen.

For a moment, the four simply stared at each other, as if each side was daring the other to make the first move. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Kurogiri nodded to Shigaraki before opening a warp gate behind the two. Shigaraki rolled his eyes, but reluctantly entered the portal alongside his 'protecter'. As the portal began to slowly close, Shigaraki spoke directly to Noikari.

"I saw your quirk in action earlier, boy. I can't wait to use it for myself." With that, the gateway promptly shut, leaving Noikari and Bakugo alone once again.

Silently, Bakugo approached Noikari who remained kneeling on the ground. Looking up at his friend, Noikari wore a look of fear on his face as Bakugo spoke.

"We need to tell the others."