My Heroic Beast King
Chapter 4
I present to you think treat. Enjoy!
XXXX
Naruto was walking home from another night of vigilantism as he thought about his vigilante friends. Koichi was improving on his Slide and Glide quirk a lot more these days. Mostly by gaining speed and some maneuverability but that was still progress. Still, it was hilarious to see him get excited to take down some high-speed bat guy that the Idaten Hero Agency was after. It was fun quickly taking that guy down and to see Koichi silently thank Tensei Ida for the help in learning more about his quirk from a run-in on the street.
However, Naruto noticed that Koichi's Quirk was almost like the Deva Path of the Rinnegan. Those attractive and repulsive forces. So far, he has only seen big applications from his enemies. That led Naruto to question if he could do those small things like Koichi….and those other guys did. He would have to practice in the Might Tower Gym on account of his Akatsuki persona already being able to summon beasts and the small applications of his Asura Path.
Considering All for One was still alive, that man might take an interest in him if word got out that he could do all these things. Nobody wanted that but to Naruto, it sounded like an inevitability given that high-ranking heroes already know him from past experience. That and anyone with a unique quirk caught his attention. Naruto would probably meet him anyway, go figure. Although, Naruto doubted he could steal something that was not a quirk. Better safe than sorry though.
He could also take a page from Pop Step and use her leaps as something useful when using Deva Path. That would still be useful despite the fact that as a ninja, he could jump pretty high with chakra. Any trick that he could work in his future fighting style would still be useful and help to throw off any adversary he was to gain.
Finally, there was Knuckleduster. That man was a good fighting instructor, just like Rumi was. However, when it came to investigations, he kept a lot of it to his chest. He really only shared what little bit he knew with Naruto because the blond was genuinely trying to find the man's daughter. However, after the abduction of the Eel Kid, Knuckleduster became slightly angrier and was off on his game a bit. However, with weak 'villains' like the Three Sturm and Drang Brothers, he could not go all out and had to keep a lot of his power and anger in check. No, they would have died if the old man had not done that. Thankfully there had been a stronger villain he could take his anger out on a few days after that. And that guy had been a real junkie they later found out, so it was no wonder why the guy had been so strong. Even though the Instant Villain had a strength enhancement quirk like Granny Tsunade in which they built up power and release at a single point, the man had been too slow, allowing Knuckleduster to finally let loose. The junkie was made quick work of after that and his teacher's mood brightened up.
"We need to catch whoever is dealing out this Trigger crap, this is the second time we've dealt with that rock head and he was stronger this time. I had to really beat him down before he got to Koichi and Pop…that really hurt though."
"Still…it was good work you did there, kid." A voice from the alley said, pulling Naruto on edge as he looked to see who it was. Blinking, Naruto deadpanned at the sight of the one guy that helped out in that battle by distracting that rock head by sending a knife into his eye. Good thing Naruto still had the Sun Symbol on his hand to be able to heal the eye so the Instant Villain could at least see again. It was the violent vigilante named Stendhal. A man dressed in red and black with a sharp-looking black mask and armed to the teeth with knives and a long katana.
"Oh, the Urban Ninja dude. Thanks for the distraction." Naruto replied casually.
"You have got conviction kid, I like that. Too bad you did not kill him like you should have." The man replied menacingly. "He can live…for now. Those on Trigger need to die."
A frown laced Naruto's lips. "You do realize that more than half the Instant Villains are actually victims with only a few being actual blood thirty villains," Naruto replied and brought out a kunai to block the man's swift incoming sword. "But judging from that bloodlust of yours, you don't see that."
"Heh, so you are better than I thought, kid. Most heroes lack the conviction to do what is necessary, which leads to people like me to clean up their mess. Permanently. You and Knuckleduster see it…but you will learn soon what needs to be done. I, Stendhal, will do what needs to be done!"
"Killing…is rather illegal. You sure you are on the side of good?" Naruto asked as he put a hand out and aimed the palm at Stendhal's chest. Just being near the guy was mentally exhausting. Even his quirk radiated bloodlust and felt twisted. "Besides, with power, it is too easy to kill. You need to learn to keep that bloodlust in check or it will get you hurt one day. All Mighty Push!" Naruto ended was a small blast of repulsive energy to send the masked vigilante back into the alleyway.
"Hmm, you might be right, but I have my convictions. I will clean this city up. Be sure to stay out of the way." Stendhal replied as he slunk back into the shadows.
"Why do I get the feeling that he is going to be an issue later?" Naruto asked himself in a worried but bored tone. He probably should not have used the Deva path on that guy either, but what was done was done.
After a moment of walking again, he got a call from his mom saying that they made a bit of progress with one of the pills and that he should head over to Might Tower to check it out. Naruto shrugged and headed that way but his mind went to the perverts that had the same quirk as Koichi, messing with girls and taking their panties for shits and giggles. He didn't understand the need for used underwear like that but chalked it up to Jiraiya's form of degeneracy. He idly wondered if he should release the man's book series to give them an outlet so they weren't total perverts in public. It worked for Kakashi and Ebisu, so who knows?
XXX
"Oh? Did they involve you? That makes sense given your medical knowledge." Naruto stated once he was in Might Tower and no longer dressed up as Akatsuki. As to who he was talking to, it was Recovery Girl.
"I am glad Toshi is surrounding himself with people that have brains, deary. Mr. Shield was a good start, but to see Mirai, Kaina, and now you warms my heart. Gran Torino is a good man, but could not impart a brain to young Toshi. Shame. Also, I am glad I got to meet the boy who gave us another leap in the medical industry. These Blood Pills are a brilliant idea." Recovery Girl replied as she led him down the hall to Might Tower's medical facilities.
"Yeah, my village thought so too," Naruto replied with a shrug. "Right now, I am helping a friend who's blood quirk has made life difficult for them."
"So, I have heard." Recovery girl stated with a frown. "Although we try to help those whose quirks are dangerous to themselves, some slip through the cracks, especially when parents deem the quirk not to their liking. Some even abuse their children because of it. By the time we catch that horrendous act, the child is already on the path to being a villain. Some just go crazy because their parents make them suppress it, which never works the way they want. Or they are dead. Poor things."
As Naruto and Recovery Girl walked into the Infirmary, he barely noticed that a large TV was on with David Shield on it looking at them. He was in his mind, worrying about Himiko and how she has been treated by her own family. He jumped a bit when Kaina put her hand on his shoulder to get his attention back on track. She nodded though, having heard how the conversation went and how it was affecting him. The look in her eyes stood him she understood and was with him on that wavelength.
David just smiled at the interaction between the mother and son. Being a single parent, he understood more than they thought. "Naruto, I want to thank you for this project. It will help a great number of people, especially since we have something to go off. Analyzing this Blood Pill was a huge step forward and I have sent you a prototype of our version. Only, it is with animal blood, specifically a Cardinal. You will have to ask your friend if they can transform into animals, which could be very useful later on. I did not want to give her human blood just yet. Will you bring her here after school tomorrow to test this?"
"Sure I can. We have a group day where we just exercise after school. I will bring her. Do you mind if I take it will so we can test it on the way?" Naruto asked.
"Hmm, if Recovery Girl believes it is ok. If anything were to go wrong, it is why I had her come over for this test, just so you know." David replied.
"I am sure everything will be fine," Naruto assured them. "Oh, by the way, Mom, I met an…interesting vigilante on the way here."
Kaina raised an eyebrow at that and asked, "Interesting how and why are you telling me this now?"
Naruto shrugged. "Figured I get your opinion since the guy's bloodlust was off the charts. He called himself…Stendhal."
"Oh my." Recovery Girl replied with a grimace.
However, Kaina just smacked her face. "I should have killed that one when I had the chance. Listen to me Naruto, you steer clear of that one, he is nothing but bad news. Plus, he is insane."
"I noticed." Naruto deadpanned.
XXX
"IZUKU! Pick up the pace!" Naruto yelled to his friend on the school's track field. The school was out and they were having a joint training day. Naruto felt it prudent that the green-haired kid gained more speed as the style of fighting he was learning relied on it. "Hitoshi is going to overtake you if you are not careful!"
"He looks like he is losing stamina." Himiko replied next to him. Mei was close by and when she heard that, she smirked and doubled down on a device she was working on.
"Losing stamina? The kid should be in the running club!" a student from the bleachers shouted.
"Come on Izuku, last stretch! Push that tired body!" Naruto encouraged with a smirk. Izuku really was working harder than the rest of their friends. Naruto often pushed the boy harder; not because he was quirkless, but because the boy himself still felt useless. Naruto didn't see that and often told him that, especially after he pushed himself in a random exercise the blond thought up. The boy's body was also becoming as sharp as his mind.
Izuku panted hard as he saw the end of the track was near, but he felt weak. His entire body and his mind were starting to go hazy. He heard his friend encourage him, but it did not register. All he felt was a fuzzy and hazy feeling all around him as his eyes gained tunnel vision for the end of the line and was soon just feeling static. After this, he could take a much need break. "I just…need to…" He breathed out tiredly.
Hitoshi heard this and grimaced. His friend had a one-track mind when he became this tired and he often worried about him, but once it was done, he recovered very quickly. It was odd. Wait, speaking of, as he heard this, he thought he heard static generating. Looking toward his buddy, Hitoshi's eyes widen as he saw Izuku's body covered in green static. He was so shocked, he slowed down to a complete stop, catching the attention of the others.
"Get…there." Izuku finished his line of thought as his vision went blurry and he felt himself blacking out.
BOOM!
The next thing anyone knew was the deafening bang of an emerald green lightning bolt that struck down on Izuku and he was gone.
BOOM!
Not even a second later and another emerald green lightning bolt touched down just passed the finish line. All was quiet for a few seconds as everyone registered what the hell they just witnessed. Either a villain had randomly attacked kids at a school or Izuku finally had his quirk activated. Not that it mattered to Naruto though as he let his true speed shine and he was at Izuku's side before anyone knew it.
"Izuku!? Are you alright?!" Naruto screamed down into the smoking crater that the lightning formed when it crashed down. Both of those lightning bolts were way more powerful than they should have been. If Hitoshi had not stopped when he did, he would be in the crater of the first lightning bolt and probably dead. Naruto attributed this to either Izuku having a powerful quirk or the first-time result was the built-up power due to Izuku not releasing it at the age of 4 years old like everyone else. That meant the build-up of 5 years' worth of power.
"Y-yeah? What happened? Why am I suddenly in a crater?!" Izuku asked loudly out in panic.
Seeing the smoke dissipate, Naruto laughed to himself a bit as seeing Izuku flat on his back with a bewildered expression. He was fine…even if his gym clothes looked a little singed and roughed up. It was a relief to see him ok.
Not long after, Hitoshi, Himiko, and Mei joined them. Naruto smirked at their wide-eyed looks that he was indeed ok. Looking around, Naruto also confirmed that there were no villains around, just random students who looked like gaping fish. He couldn't blame them. "Congrats are in order Izuku, looks like you finally got your quirk."
Izuku himself gained the same gaping fish look while Himiko and Mei cheered for him. Hitoshi gained one of the biggest grins he could get, which admittedly looked a little creepy with his constant eye bags but at this point, he did not care, especially as he let out some built-up tears after only a few years of abuse that forced his mother to move them away. If that hadn't happened, he and Hotoshi would have met. Hitoshi was proud that his first friend had finally got his quirk after being quirkless for so long. Was he jealous, a bit, but that was largely overshadowed by happiness. In a way, they could protect each other now.
"Pretty sure the buildup destroyed the track field, but hey, you can't predict this shit." Naruto replied while asking some of the assorted students to go and tell a teacher what happened so they do not think a villain attacked their little school for no reason.
"That is very possible," Izuku reply tiredly but then a frown marred his face. "Having a quirk finally is great, but now I can't move."
As Naruto loaded Izuku on his back, he chuckled at that while Hitoshi said, "Given that you blasted the place up pretty good, that makes a bit of sense. You released a ton of energy man. However, I am surprised you are not freaking out about all this, including not being able to move."
"Trust me, I am," Izuku replied with a tired smile. "On the inside anyway, but I am too tired to really do anything."
"Right well, let's get you to a doctor." Naruto stated, "Himiko, I was going to tell you after practice but this is a good surprise too. We got a prototype for the blood pill, so you should come too."
"ARE YOU KIDDING?! WE ARE ALL COMING!" Himiko shouted in glee while Hitoshi and Mei nodded along in their own agreement. Mei more so in regards to seeing how they managed to perfect the blood pill.
"Someone call my mom, she'll get us into my doctor." Izuku stated just as tiredly.
"The same guy who crushed your dreams by telling you that you were quirkless? Nah, that guy is full of shit." Naruto deadpanned, getting a chuckle out of Hitoshi.
"Language," Izuku replied lazily. "But where do you suggest we go?"
Naruto smirked while turning to leave. "Japanese and my mom's job. Oh and Izuku, I will need you to promise me something. Don't freak out."
"Um…not sure I can do that, why?"
"My mom works at Might Tower, she is Lady Nagant." Naruto replied, making the green-haired boy's eyes widen comically before going half-laden.
"I get it now. I will try, but let me process this new information." With that, Izuku nodded off.
"Himiko, I also want to test this new blood pill on the way, that ok with you?" Naruto asked as he tossed her the pill. Himiko looked at it in wonder for a moment before she let her craving for blood finally take over and chomped on the pill with gusto.
"Hmm." Himiko hummed in delight. The feeling of relief hit her like a truck when she finally just let go and enjoyed whatever blood was in this pill. It was heavenly! No seriously, it tasted like the person belonged in the sky. It tasted...familiar!
"That was made from animal blood, just so you know. Can you transform into them?" Naruto asked, kind of annoyed that Himiko did not let him say that before she ate it.
"I have no idea, but I did drink the blood of a dying bird when I was a little girl and had no adverse effects." Himiko replied after a moment. Of course, she had not had much of that before her parents took it away in disgust.
Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long for the results of her actions of eating the blood pill because she quickly shifted into that of a cardinal…and left her clothes behind.
"Oh…I can see that being an issue later." Hitoshi deadpanned as he picked up her clothes and put them in his backpack he had retrieved earlier. He then chuckled to himself as he picked up Himiko's bird form and she just kept on tweeting in excitement. "Sorry, I can't understand you." That seemed to quiet her for just a moment before she jumped into his hair to use as a nest, making the others laugh. "Please don't poop in my hair." He groaned out but still smiled as she began to sing.
"One problem at a time. We will figure it all out in due time. Still, this is amazing. She can turn into animals! I wonder for how long?" Mei asked herself out loud. "I really need to get my prototype to stop exploding so I can test it! OR I can find a way to use the effect...heh." That didn't bode well with anyone's nerves.
XXX
"Well, if it isn't Deku! Whoa, man, check it out, he is still so useless, he has to be carried around now. What a joke!" A voice rang out, disrupting the comfortable silence that had befallen the group as they made their way to Might Tower. On the sidewalk ahead of them, were three male figures and the one who spoke was a black-haired kid that let it grow out to his shoulders and it was obvious his quirk lay with his fingers as they had grown out to point mockingly at the paralyzed Izuku.
Naruto heard Izuku wake up, only to whimper in both annoyance and fear. It did not sit well with him, especially the nickname that was placed upon his green-haired friend. "There is no one here by that name."
"What? Are you blind you whisker-faced bastard?!" The obvious leader of their group roared out, his red eyes staring at his fellow blond in rage and his hands began setting off mini explosions, something that Izuku shivered at. Both Naruto and Hitoshi noticed this with frowns marring their faces as they began to figure things out. This was Izuku's tormentor. "The worthless, quirkless Deku that is on your back? I don't know if you are friends with that trash but let me tell you that he is worth much less than the dirt I walk on! Or did you already figure that out? He looks roughed up enough, did you do that Whiskers? Show him his place, which is under anyone with a quirk's thumb?"
"Katsuki…it is not like that. Naruto here is helping me figure things out since my quick activated…but it paralyzed me." Izuku replied tiredly but with some anger in his eyes. Something Katsuki bristled at but silently noted that Izuku didn't call him Kaachan like he used to.
"What was that you useless fucking nerd?" Katsuki roared. "Have a quirk now? Well good for you, do you think that you are better than me now?! Fat fucking chance! Did it paralyze you just from using it? It is just as useless as you! That's a laugh, you really are a worthless Deku!"
"You are pissing me off, I suggest you leave." Naruto replied too calmly for anyone's liking, but to Katsuki, he might as well be staring at the devil from how much killing intent Naruto was sending at Katsuki, making him freeze in place as the world seemed to be warped and twist Naruto's visage into something horrific. It was like all his nightmares all jumped out of the ether to mock him in real life. It sent a near paralyzing chill down his back and he didn't like that. Was that the whiskered blond's quirk? He'd eventually find a way through it and kill that bastard!
"So, it was you, where do you get off?" Hitoshi asked with a growl, letting Naruto cut off the killing intent before he did something they would regret.
"Wha-" was all Katsuki got out before he went still and his eyes were fuzzy.
"You and your lackeys…go home. I do not want to deal with this right now." Hitoshi growled out and Katsuki, mechanically like a robot, started walking home. It left his aforementioned lackeys in a state of confusion and they followed to make sure he was ok. However, they never touched the boy to get him out of that state of control and eventually just left. The explosive kid would only be 'woken up' by a slap from his mother for not responding to her. It would leave the kid in a state of confusion for quite a while and have nightmares from the feeling of the Killing Intent he endured.
Naruto, however, was already making plans as to how he would prank or just deal with him in the future.
XXX
"Hey, is that kid alright? He had green sparks running over his back." Another young voice shouted out, halting the group yet again. However, this voice wasn't mean or condescending, it was more worried.
Himiko turned to the guy first and smiled at him. "We were taking him to the doctor because his quirk paralyzed him." She then notice that the person talking was another blondie like her and Naruto with a black streak that was in the shape of a lightning bolt. He also wore a pair of black shorts and a white T-shirt.
"Ah, I guess that makes sense now. His back had green static all over it."
"Static?" Naruto asked. "It could be left over from the lightning bolt discharge."
"Wait, the kid has an electric quirk like me?!" The new guy replied excitedly before he scratched his head. "I guess my mom was right, our quirk can be dangerous to ourselves after all."
"How do you mean?" Hitoshi asked, a bit worried for his friend.
"Take me for example. Right now, I can only expel all my bio-electricity at once….and when I do that, I become dumb like a box of rocks…according to my mother." The boy replied nervously. "And I can't control it that much, which results in fried electronics."
"What's your name?" Izuku suddenly asked tiredly.
"I am Denki Kaminari." The blond stated with a big smile. "I am guessing overuse of your quirk drains all of your energy to do anything and paralyzes you. Man, that kinda sucks!"
"I am Izuku Midoriya." The green-haired boy replied. "Mei, do you think we could help him with his issue?"
"Ohh! A challenge, I am sure we could come up with something!" Mei replied excitedly and started writing something in a notebook.
"A definite maybe." Replied the lethargic boy. "Kaminari, will you give Hitoshi your phone number, that way we can contact you when we do think of something?"
"Sure thing, man. Any help would be great! You know, all this energy I have makes things like sitting still a chore." Denki stated as he patted Izuku's back and the contact left a spark and Izuku felt a bit more energetic. "Whoa!"
Izuku grinned at his new friend. "I am sure we can think of a way to help each other."
"Heck man, always great to have a new friend with a similar quirk!" Denki shouted with a pumped fist in the air.
Naruto just smiled to himself; this was going well. Way better than the last interruption.
XXX
"Young man, you clearly have a quirk, just a late bloomer. Why would your doctor think that you do not?" Recovery Girl asked, looking over at Izuku. When Naruto brought all his friends instead of just the girl, her and Kaina were rather confused. That is until the blond explained that Izuku activated his quirk for the first time and was paralyzed because of it. Her medical side came to life and quickly got to work in dealing with the situation, ordering Kaina to bring the green-haired boy to the infirmary. The test results for Himiko could wait.
"Hmm, if I remember correctly…he said so because of the foot joint test." Izuku elaborated.
"That test..." Chiyo muttered in annoyance as she looked him over and got a few things ready to cure his quirk-induced paralysis. They had made special devices for those with electricity-based quirks. "That is not the end all, be all of the tests…just the most common one. Tell me, did your doctor use any other tests?"
"No…" Izuku muttered as the world was coming back into view from this revelation. "I might not have been in the best state of mind either. Once he said I wouldn't have a quirk, I just shut down for a while."
"I see," Chiyo replied sadly. "That doctor was just being lazy then. He could have suggested another one of the few tests there are. Even then, there are late bloomers like you. In those cases, it can manifest in a few different ways. One of them is a life and death situation, but I doubt Naruto would put you in one and you don't seem like the type to put yourself in one."
"Uh...no, ma'am."
"The one that seems most plausible is that you kept pushing yourself to the edge of pure exhaustion multiple times to force your body to be ready until it finally unlocked." Chiyo deduced.
"I guess that makes sense." Izuku replied absentmindedly, not aware of the fact that Recovery girl was attaching suction cups connected to wires all over his body, such was his tired state. "My martial arts teacher has been pushing me rather hard with the style she and Naruto helped pick out for me. A Chinese Martial Art called Hou Quan or Monkey Kung Fu. They both believe that I can do it, even though I was quirkless. Naruto most of all because he gave me exhausting and nearly impossible challenges, even when I was already tired. I guess pushing me to that point actually worked."
"Indeed, it did." Chiyo replied with a smile as she pushed a button on the machine causing Izuku's body to jerk around as his body was forcefully given the electricity he used. After a moment, he moved his hand to his head as he had gained a headache.
"Wait, I can move again!" Izuku shouted in glee, no longer feeling tired or sluggish.
"Yeah, now we can do a test of our own to see what your quirk really is." Chiyo replied with a smile.
XXX
While Izuku and Chiyo were doing tests, the rest of the group was in another room with a TV, which once again had David Shield on it. Something that Mei had stars in her eyes for as he was an idol of sorts for all inventors.
"Theory confirmed on Himiko being able to transform into animals," David replied as he wrote something down on his end, but smiled as Himiko sang loudly in response. "Hitoshi, was it? You mentioned that her clothes did not transform with her?"
"Yes sir. And no, they did not; we brought them along because we knew that was going to be an issue later." Hitoshi replied as he smiled at Himiko nesting in his hair again after flying around for a bit. He was getting too used to strange things in his life.
"Hmm, that should not be too much of an issue down the line. DNA doping hero suits has become much easier now that we know what we are doing. I am sure we can create a suit just for her when the time comes." David replied with a smile. "Naruto, we are now closer to getting the Blood Pills to be complete. Next is the Human Blood phase. I will infuse some of mine and my daughter's blood to see how they work for her. If that works, then we can work on amounts and timing since I believe there is a time limit for her quirk."
"And the other project?" Naruto asked.
"Right, the food pills. Those were really packed with calories and other concentrated nutrients. To say nothing of the 3 super versions you gave me." David replied, an amazed look on his face. "But we got the normal ones to work for now and we have two versions. The Food Pill and Super Food Bar. You know, in case there are those that would rather do one or the other. These pills are causing quite a stir, Naruto. It is why I made sure that you were the known inventor of these and many are very curious and how we could all use these for hero work and general health reasons. The same could be said for the Medical Industry. Do not be surprised when All Might invites you to a mixer of sorts with high society to fundraise this project so we can get these produced everywhere."
"Everywhere?"
"Everywhere."
"Wow….I didn't expect that." Naruto muttered before a thought struck him. "Mei, don't you want to be involved in this?"
"Nah, not really," Mei replied cheerfully. "I merely wanted to see if I could recreate it as a challenge. So far they have all had explosive type effects. The real treat for me is meeting a famous inventor from I-Island and hearing all this business talk. I will be famous for my own mechanical inventions! Plus, the explosive pills give me some...ideas."
"Wow, you sound exactly like my own daughter," David replied with a booming laugh. "She'll either have a rival or a business partner in you."
"Hmm, why not both? We could challenge each other. Make us be better!" Mei replied excitedly, making David laugh harder.
"You sure are interesting, want me to give you her number, so you could talk?" David asked.
"Yes please!" Mei replied happily. This way, it was not just her and Izuku as the brains of the group!
"Oh my god, it is David Shield!" Speaking of Izuku, he and Recovery Girl just walked in and of course, the boy was star struck already. Wait, that could have happened as well when he met Recovery Girl.
"Yes yes, enough with the Hero worship for a few moments please," Chiyo said between giggles of her own. "And thank you, David, for having quirk registering equipment placed here in case of emergencies. It made my job so much easier."
"Ah yes, the boy Naruto brought in. You are welcome, Chiyo. What are his results? I am quite curious."
"Well, it is powerful, I will tell you that," Chiyo replied, making Izuku rub his head in embarrassment. "We are calling it Thunder Step for now. As for what it does, it causes young Midoriya here to expel a small amount of static that attracts the rest of the quirk to function. It attracts lightning from the air to crash down and teleports him to an area he has in mind. He could also take the energy from the very Earth itself with enough training. Similar to a very specific part of the world where lightning has struck the Earth so many times, it causes lightning to strike the air from the Earth itself. It makes me wonder if his quirk will be able to generate lightning from other sources in the future. I am pretty sure the range of this is rather short, unlike most Teleportation Quirks. However, that is what gives it the edge as he can also store that energy for later. I am sure his storage capacity and tolerance will increase as he grows older."
"Man, that is a pretty powerful," Hitoshi replied in a bit of awe. That type of quirk was unexpected from someone like Izuku because he honestly unexpected his friend to have a superintelligence quirk. Something that was quiet and worked with his muttering habit. Not something super loud every time he used it. "There go my daytime naps."
The room erupted in laughter, including the tweeting of Himiko. Near the door, Kaina smiled happily at the group of friends her son had made. They were all good kids and did her heart good that they all got along. She could also see how they needed each other. Turning to see All Might about to enter, she put a hand to his chest, "Hold on, pretty sure you'd give that electric kid an aneurysm if you entered now."
A loud of cloud smoke erupted in the room as Bird Himiko disappeared and regular Himiko fell into Hitoshi's arms. "Oh! Nice catch! My hero!" she joked with a shit-eating grin because she knew she was naked and in his arms. "You got me, now what are you going to do with me?"
The result was Naruto dragging Hitoshi out of the room over his shoulder because the purple-haired kid wasn't ready for that and fainted on the spot. That and the room's lights flicked violently as Izuku used his quirk to loudly teleport outside the room.
"ALL MIGHT!" Izuku shouted, much to the man's amusement.
"I guess it is too late for that." All Might laughed out loud as Kaina shook her head and entered the room to help a laughing Himiko while Mei just seemed confused at everyone's reactions.
XXX
Kaina smirked as a green-haired woman hurried into Might Tower with a frantic look on her face. "Oh, that is defiantly the green bean's mom."
"Indeed. It is no wonder they were so easily manipulated into believing that Izuku was quirkless. They are both very emotional." Chiyo replied with a sad smile as she watched Izuku reunite with his mother.
"Yeah," Kaina replied before walking over to the two of them, chuckling as Izuku frantically showed his mother the autograph he got not only from All Might, but Mirai, Chiyo, and herself as well. "Mrs. Midoriya?"
"Oh! Yes?" replied the timid woman.
Kaina smiled so and relaxed her body posture so she could calm the other woman down in a sense. "It was a treat helping Izuku with his new quirk. My son helped him activate it and brought him here to be looked after for just in case. Recovery Girl over there is a brilliant medical mind."
"Activate his quirk?! But I thought he was quirkless! This is wonderful!" Inko cried as she hugged her baby boy tightly. "Were there any issues?"
"Just some minor paralysis since there had been some build-up and the sudden release caused that. As I said there, Recovery Girl knows her stuff and helped Izuku with his new Thunder Step. I have to ask though, do you or your husband have an electricity quirk?"
"No. I have minor telekinesis while my husband has fire breath." Inko replied with a confused expression before it became thoughtful. "Hisashi's father did have the ability to absorb electricity and often used it in his electrician job. I guess…it skipped a generation. His mother had a weak teleportation called Flicker or Blink..i don't remember it that well since she thought it was useless and never used it. Me on the other hand, I inherited a weaker version of my mother's quirk. Or so I am told. Truth is, I am adopted, I never knew either of my parents growing up, but I was told I was a Shimura and that I have a brother. I met him once, he wasn't pleasant. I think he took it far harder that he was given up as a child and wanted nothing to do with any of us."
Around the corner, Toshinori nearly choked on air after hearing that tidbit of info! Nana had another child?! With who? What was the joke Gran Torino used to say again? ugh, he can't remember! But, if this woman was Nana's Daughter, then he would have to get to know her! They were practically siblings! He'd also have to look into what ever happened to Nana's Son! He had to officially meet his sister first! Thinking of a way to meet her without freaking her out, he let his huge buff form deflat until he was normal, but muscular man. "Truly?! You are Nana's daughter?" He asked with much hope in his eyes. He was so focused on Inko, he missed the shocked look Kaina gave him before that look turned mischievous.
"Yeah, at least that is what it says on my birth certificate." Inko replied with a shrug.
"Fantastic!" Toshinori cheered. This could work. If he was making a network full of confidants, then One for All would have a harder time getting back at him. Kaina and Mirai were right! Plus, this could protect Inko and Izuku! "If you want to know more about her, I would love to tell you for you see, she was my teacher and I practically saw her as my own mother!"
"What he is saying is we would love to have you join us every now and then. Since our sons hang out, I feel it appropriate for us to at least be friends." Kaina replied humorously in an effort to calm Toshinori down so he didn't freak out Inko.
Inko smiled tearfully and nodded. "I would like that."
XXX
It was not long after that when Kaina took Naruto and Himiko to the latter's home. After Himiko described her home life and how her parents made her hide her quirk and portray herself as 'normal,' Kaina was pissed. She had seen quirk discrimination before and it never ended well for anyone involved. She often had to 'clean it up' as it were. Luckily, Himiko had a friend in Naruto and she had grown to care for the girl when she came to the house to visit…when they were home that is. However, at the time, there was nothing to be done legally. Now there was a solution.
"Ah, so you are the famous Naruto I have been hearing about. My daughter talks about you and her other friends quite a lot." Himiko's dad, Mr. Toga, replied with a slight chuckle. "I am led to believe she is quite popular, so that is a feat, my boy. And who is this lovely lady?"
"I am Kaina, Naruto's mother," Kaina replied with a fake smile just as the man in front of her had. She could feel the slight malice the man hid well. She had learned to pick up on subtle things like that while in the Commission and she could feel where it was directed. "The kids have had an eventful day with one of their own finally activating his quirk. I thought I would bring her home myself since I was doing that for the others. Plus, I would get to speak to you about a discovery my son made that could help your daughter."
"Ah, a late bloomer. Got it." The man confirmed after a moment with a fake smile. "Thank you for bringing Himiko home, but the girl's mother is working late tonight so it is just us. What is this news?"
"To start off," Naruto spoke, bringing the man's attention to him. "I know about her quirk, how it forces a craving for blood on her that is almost similar to what drugs do to junkies. Her quirk is not bad, it just has an unfortunate side effect to it. That being said, I have made something called a Blood Pill that can help out in daily life and if she wanted to use it as a Hero. Right now it just uses animal blood, so it is progress."
"So you are saying there is a safe way to use her…quirk?" Mr. Toga muttered aloud as he thought about the implications of that after it was explained how Himiko's quirk actually worked and the need for blood was natural. Then they showed off one of the new blood pills that were being made. "Even if you are consuming animal blood in these pills, I…can't condone her quirk. It is unsightly and unnatural! Her mother even gained a fear of blood just from dealing with her."
"But Dad, I want to be a hero so people don't have this stigma about blood quirks!" Himiko defended herself.
"Oh? Like that fool, Vlad King, and his own blood quirk?" Her father roared, an angry look overtaking his face. "Quirks like that are just disgusting. Blood is meant to stay inside the body where it belongs, animal or human!"
"You do understand this is quirk discrimination and she could have had help with it from the day she discovered it." Kaina replied with a calm look but her eyes shined with her own anger.
"You think I care about that? Blood Quirks are nothing but abominations! No daughter of mine could ever be a hero with a quirk that is unsightly. What would people think? Some freak thinking they are a hero when they are actually a villain!"
"And it is thinking like that, that causes villains to be born," Naruto replied just as angrily. "You try to hide and suppress them until their mind snaps. That is no way to live!"
"And no abomination like that will live in my home!" The man roared and panted for a moment, He saw the shocked looks Kaina and Naruto were giving him, but he could not help the sneer that formed on his face when he saw the girl's heartbroken look. "In fact, if you care for this unsightly creature so damn much, then take her and get out of my sight! We will be glad to legally get rid of her!"
Himiko was the first to walk out of the house, almost mechanically as a shell-shocked expression overtook her face, tears continuously falling down her cheeks. Kaina watched Naruto run out to meet her and the woman turned on Mr. Toga with absolute rage in her eyes as she grabbed his collar. "You are a fool. That girl has been nothing but a good person and you would willingly turn her into a villain because of your own selfish views. You are no father in my eyes, just a creep and you are lucky you aren't being reported for abuse of a child. A child you helped create!" She put a piece of paper in his hands before walking out. "Think on that buddy while you send her stuff to this address. And even if you have a sudden change of heart, do not bother because she is my daughter now."
The man stammered in fear that she could not do anything anyway, that is until she extended her arm so that her rifle was now pointing at his face, making him wet his pants in fear. Fear that he was going against a real hero. Kaina just sneered at him as she left, but that sneer was quickly wiped off her face when she saw Naruto hugging a sobbing Himiko out by their car. Her face gained a soft look as she kneeled next to them. "Himiko, look at me please." The girl looked up and sniffed in a sob, but Kaina merely kept a soft smile on her lips. "You are not a monster, so don't you dare take that evil man's words to heart. Naruto already accepts you and that is good enough for me. I accept you too and if you are willing, I will gladly accept you into this family."
"Thank you!" Himiko cried out as she hugged the both of them. Honestly, this was better than the alternative because she had been an outcast in her own home. Now she wasn't. She was accepted and that is all she ever wanted.
XXX
A few nights later, Naruto was back in Naruhata, in such a better mood than before. Of course, Himiko had to be the first of his friends that learned he was the Akatsuki Vigilante in Naruhata but she took it better than he thought she would. She had been excited that her new brother was somewhat famous but promised to keep his identity secret for now.
"You are in a good mood. That why you are up here with me?" Pop Step asked teasingly.
"Koichi is a good guy, but his oblivious comments can dampen the mood a bit." Naruto replied with a shrug as he and Pop roof hopped to keep up with Koichi down on the ground. His quirk was making him faster, which was great. Still, they were hoping for a quiet night because Knuckleduster said he would be late…if he came at all. "The reason for my good mood though is my mom and I helped out a classmate of ours and now she is my sister."
"Aw, that is so cute! I am so happy for you." Pop gushed.
"AAARGH! You all are making me into a monster!" a voice rang out into the night, making all three vigilantes jump in fright. They certainly were not expecting that and there went their peaceful night.
Running on the edge to a roof near where they heard the voice down below, Naruto and Pop Step frowned in annoyance. Naruto because he saw Stendhal down below and Pop Step because she recognized the guy he was fighting. And it seemed that Koichi did too. It was a street thug by the name of Soga, a kind of tormentor to Koichi and Pop Step. Naruto only knew about him from stories, but what really caught his attention was Soga's transformed state. He looked like a buff porcupine or hedgehog creature with red spiky hair or fur in you prefer.
As Koichi intercepted the fight, Naruto growled. "This ain't good. Stendhal is liable to just kill Koichi for getting in his way."
"What?! How do you know?" Pop Step asked nervously and then really started freaking out when Stendhal took out his katana and slashed it into Soga's chest. However, before Stendhal could finish the job, Koichi tripped him and started running away with Soga.
"Because he attacked me a few days ago, going on and on about everyone's convictions and how we should just kill off our enemies. Pop, can you fight?" Naruto asked.
"What? No, I just sing and make sure people are safe from the Instant Villains!" Pop freaked out, especially when Stendhal used one of his knives and threw it into Koichi's leg, sending both him and Soga tumbling forward.
"Tch, that is fine, but for the future, you might want to learn how to fight for just in case. For now, go get a med kit or something, Koichi is going to need to get patched up…that Soga guy too." Naruto stated before he jumped down, watching as Stendhal stopped at the blood spatter from Koichi and then licked it up, causing Koichi to freeze in place. "Oh come now Stendhal, don't tell me you are also one of those Jashin Fanatics."
"Akatsuki…I have no idea what a Jashin is, but what I do know is that you are helping them escape. Have you turned to the villain side as well? I thought you walked the path of justice like your master, Knuckleduster? I thought your convictions were stronger than that!"
"Hmm, I guess you would not get that reference." Naruto drawled out tapping a seal on his wrist under his sleeve to bring out a kunai. "But I do walk the path of justice. I just don't let it turn me into a mad slasher with his bloodlust controlling him. My idea of justice has always been to defend people, especially those I call my friends. If Crawler is defending spiky boy as well, then so be it and you really need to get off your high horse!"
"Such noble convictions, even if you are defending villains!" Stendhal growled out menacingly.
"I am sure the old man will agree with me." Naruto droned out as laughing Knuckleduster dropped into the alley next to him.
"Damn straight, brat. We are badass allies of justice!" Knuckleduster retorted with a big dark grin.
"You're just getting in my way!" Stendhal roared out as he went to go slash him, but Naruto threw his kunai. The mad slasher realized too late that a piece of paper was attached to it as he dodged. It set off a low-level explosion that knocked Stendhal into the nearby wall, cracking both it and his mask, maybe even some of his bones.
"Oh hell yeah, kid! Now that is awesome." Knuckleduster roared out with Koichi and Soga having to agree with that.
"Tricks like that will only get so you so far kid! Since you are siding with the villains, I will personally kill you!" Stendhal raved out frantically, portions his mask had fallen off to show his partially burnt face. Not that he seemed to notice that detail.
"Tch, some hero you are!" Knuckleduster commented as he threw out a piece of rope, marking a line between them and the mad slasher.
"A rope? Did you think a rope would stop me?"
"Not really the point. You can walk away quietly now. That is option A." Knuckleduster offered as an explanation. "Or you can cross that line. And that's when you will eat a knuckle sandwich!"
"I see…so that distance represents your attack range." Stendhal reasoned aloud, his thought process was sharp as ever, but he was letting his bloodlust through, making him sound more and more insane. "Needless to say it's a wall of steel. Every fiber of your being is ready to counter. That effectively cancels out my own weapon's advantages!"
"So you leaving is the smartest option." Naruto taunted with a smirk.
"You would think so, however, I will cross it! My skills surpass ordinary understanding! He will never time it right to defend himself and then your all dead!" Stendhal screamed as he rushed forward. "Because a hero is an extraordinary being! Sublime! Transcendent! One who crosses boundaries!"
"Tch." Knuckleduster rushed in himself, momentarily catching Stendhal off guard as the muscular man mashed his face in, breaking away the rest of his mask and destroying his nose. He now had scars on one side of his face from the mini-explosion and a caved-in nose from the punch, which pushed him flat on his back.
"Man, I noticed he had a high opinion of himself, but that was a bit much." Naruto grumbled as he picked up the fallen mask that fell near him.
"Uh…what was that you guys?" Koichi asked when he notice he could move again. His leg was still in pain though, and that was not going away until he got that fixed. "Didn't you tell him not to cross the line?"
"Huh? Yeah, the rule did not apply to me though, so I hit him once I saw he was coming." Knuckleduster said after a moment and looked at the mask Naruto was holding. "Guys like that though, they really sink into a role when they wear something they feel makes them special. They may think they are immortal superhumans, but they are just trouble. I have already run into more than a few of them." Idly, Koichi gripped his All Might Hoodie, hoping that he would not turn down that path, but the hoodies he wore just made him feel like he could do it. Like he could actually be the hero he wanted to be. Knuckleduster seemed to notice that as well, "Just remember, you are both human too, in the end. Don't go forgetting that. He just was not determined enough to do the job without it."
"I see…" Stendhal replied, transfixed on the night sky above him and letting Knuckleduster's word sink in…much like the blood from his mashed-in nose draining into his mouth, making him violently cough a few times. "I understand now!"
Stendhal shot up to rush Knuckleduster, but Naruto got in the way as he blocked the mad slasher's long knives with his own arm, which had turned metal.
"Those even more sinful than villains. Those who lack determination yet still applaud themselves…false heroes." Stendhal gasped out beyond the blood with a manic grin and his eyes looked like they were losing touch with reality, that and he was really letting loose his bloodlust for all to feel. So. Naruto use his electric gentle fist to zap one of his arms numb. Naruto was going to go for the other, but the crazy man quickly jumped his way to the rooftops. Naruto really hoped that Pop wasn't up there. "Yes, yes…so clear now. My mask, like my ignorance, has been stripped away by fire and concussive forces. I am so very grateful…for this lesson by both my elder and my junior. I just needed a fresh perspective!"
With that, the lunatic bounded away into the night.
"Well…shit. I feel that will bite us in the ass later." Naruto deadpanned as Pop Step leaped down to them, looking a little rattled from the scene she watched the tail end of.
"I would not worry too much away about it. Lunatics like him do not get far." Knuckleduster replied with a frown.
"Koichi! Naruto! Are you hurt?!" Pop Step asked as she recovered and started checking them over.
"I am good. I am a fast healer." Naruto admit, but he wasn't hurt all that much to begin with. His arm turned metal for him. Naruto wonder how the Preta Path knew how to do that on its own or how he did that without thinking. Knuckleduster noticed that and his taser fingers but didn't say anything for now. Still didn't stop Pop Step from fussing over him like a big sister before working on Koichi. His pained screams as the disinfectant touched his leg wound were ignored as Pop just wrapped it up.
"Now that the baby is patched up, help the other guy." Knuckleduster ordered.
Pop Step saw he was talking about Soga…the guy when they first met tried to beat Koichi's face and rape her to teach them a lesson. Thankfully that never happened because Knuckleduster beat his face in, but if he was willing to give him a chance, fine…whatever. It didn't stop her from glaring at him, something he threw back at her.
"You gonna be okay, Soga?" Koichi asked, throwing them off guard. "Sure are some scary people in the big bad world, huh? I am just glad we both came out alive!"
Soga honestly didn't know how to react to someone being nice and worrying about him, so he defaulted to his usual response of ignoring people with a growl. But his face softened up soon after. Naruto saw this and nudge Koichi, "Look at you, being a decent person and gaining potential allies from an act of kindness. Good on you man."
Soga just ignored them in favor of the girl treating his chest wound. "Hey, what is with Cruller anyway? We were about to meet our makers and now he's grinning like it was nothing? Something is screwy is that head of his for sure. Same goes for the Red Cloud Kid and Grampa Fist. "
"Those two are overly violent, but they helped in the end." Pop Step admitted but then a blush formed as she thought about Koichi. "He's not that scrawny, he is just an idiot!"
Soga noticed this and sighed. "Oh…I see how it is."
XXXX
In case anyone was wondering, yes, Stendhal was indeed Stain before he became Stain. Running with the themes of the Vigilantes Manga, sometimes clothes or masked in his case, change a person and crack their psyche. So knuckleduster breaking his mask...broke his psyche. Funny how that works.
I recently saw a story with Inko being Nana's daughter and I had to think about that for a moment. They do look similar. So I thought, why not use that for my story? It also helps to explain Izuku's Powerset later on.
Review please!