Ki and Memories:

Nothing in the day after the fateful encounter got as intense as Boss did. Following the bear, animals just… avoided them and Izuku had no idea why. When pressed by Ken, the man simply laughed.

'The animals recognize a beast when they see one.'

Izuku doesn't really understand what it means, but Sakura seems to know if her laughter is anything to go by. They fall into idle conversation after that, only occasionally slowing down when Ken calls for it. The last time they stop is when the sun starts to set and the stars peak from behind the that moment, he ignites his legs and leaps far above the skyline before discharging a wave of fire that's bright enough to be mistaken as a second sun. Then he lands and waits.

Seconds later, after Izuku and Sakura pick their jaws up, a bolt of lightning accompanied by thunder so loud that trees splinter echoes across the forest, coming from the direction they were heading.

"Damn it," Ken says with a grin. "They beat us there. We should hurry before the sun fully goes down. You two okay?"

"Yeah, sensei." Sakura says with a dramatic thumbs up.

Izuku smiles, but there's an air of disappointment. "Yeah. A bit bummed we didn't fight anything else though."

Ken scoffs. "Oh, tough guy, aren't ya? Honestly, kids these days. Fight one bear and think they can take on the world."

Izuku rubs the back of his head sheepishly while Sakura giggles.

"Get some confidence and he's suddenly ready to take 'em all on! Good!" says the blonde man. "Keep that energy, kid. You're gonna need it!"

By the time they make it to the camping destination and meet up with Ryu and Ryoya, the sun had already gone down and Ken had been illuminating the way with a handful of bright white ki.

The campsite is small, barely a clearing large enough for their small group. Ryu already has a fire made while Ryoya began propping up fish, rotisserie style, over the open flame.

"Took you long enough." Says the older man as he takes a bite out of the fish.

Ken scoffs. "We ran into Boss, is why."

"So?" Ryu challenges with a raised brow, "We ran into a few bears too."

"Harushi has magic eyes." Ken shoots back.

While that argument started to take place, Izuku and Sakura took a seat near Ryoya. He seems tired, and his eyes are half-lidded.

"Oh no, are you okay?" Sakura asks. Ryoya gives her a side-eye and she can see that his eyes are somewhat bloodshot.

Ryoya grunts and nods, which really wasn't what Sakura was hoping for, but she accepts. Then he turns to Izuku. "You seem different."

"Er, I do? Different how?"

"...I don't know," the tanned boy admits with a shrug. "Just different."

Izuku looks confused and so does Sakura, but it doesn't last. Instead, Ryu and Ken stop their argument just shy of combat and address them.

"Before we get too lost in conversation, I'm sure you kids must be tired. Start getting ready for bed. We have an early day tomorrow if we want to make it to our destination while there's still daylight." Ryu says while taking a meditative pose. "We packed sleeping bags for everyone."

And so, the students began unpacking. Until they reached an issue.

"Um, Sensei…?"

"What is it?"

"I don't have a sleeping bag." Sakura says quietly. Ryu and Ken share a look.

"You didn't pack her one?"

Ken has the grace to look ashamed. "I must've forgotten… but I have a good reason and you know that!"

Ryu levels him a flat stare, but doesn't deny it.

"She can… take mine." Harushi's small, airy voice says. When they turn to him, his eyes are distant and his face is carefully neutral, but everyone could see something was weighing on his mind.

"Are - are you sure? I - I mean, I'm a big girl. I don't mind -"

"Yes, I'm sure." Ryoya cuts her off lightly before turning to the older men. "Can I take a walk?"

"Yeah, just don't go too far."

With that, the tanned boy nods and wanders off, not noticing Izuku and Sakura's shared look of concern, nor their nods as they follow him into the brush.

It's not hard for Izuku and Sakura to follow him but it is hard to keep quiet about it. Ryoya doesn't use a beaten path, nor does he seem to have any destination in particular. He's just… wandering around. Or so they thought. It wasn't until a few more quiet minutes later that he arrived at a clearing. It's vast, empty and has a perfect view of the stars.

He stops and sighs and then turns around with his quirk active and both Izuku and Sakura freeze like a deer in the headlights. "You two do a horrible job at stealth."

"How long have you known?" Izuku asks sheepishly.

"...from the moment I started walking. You two stepped on every twig possible."

Realizing she was caught, Sakura expertly changes the subject. "I didn't know your eyes glow in the dark, Ryo!"

Ryoya raises a brow. "I didn't know either."

"Yeah! It's not that bright, but it's super visible!"

"I see."

After seeing the boy turn around and be seemingly done with the conversation, Izuku takes several nervous steps forward. "So - so… are you okay?"

Ryoya says nothing.

"I - I mean, there's nothing wrong with going on a walk, but you seemed like something was bothering you." Izuku tries again. When Ryoya still doesn't answer, Sakura shakes her head.

"I know you aren't that much of a talker, but you can do with being less rude." She says, picking up a rock and throwing it at the back of his head. Without turning, he sidesteps it.

"I'm just trying to pick the right words, Saku-san." Ryoya says with a sigh. "Being out here reminds me of a… different place, is all."

There's a twinge of sadness in his tone that neither misses. They don't know a lot about his origin, but from what they could gather… It wasn't great.

"Your home?" Sakura says before she can stop herself.

"...it was a nice place." Ryoya slumps before looking up to the sky. The stars are really bright and take him back to a simpler time. Before things went bad. "Why do you guys want to be heroes?"

The question is sudden and catches Izuku and Sakura off guard.

"Uh," Izuku sputters out. "I guess I never really thought about it. I always wanted to be a hero like All Might for as long as I can remember. I thought saving people with a smile was - is just about the coolest thing you can do."

"Yeah," Sakura chirps. "I like to fight and to challenge myself everyday. But I don't just want to fight people. Ryu-sensei once told me that a fighter should never raise their fist for nothin' and ever since then, I told myself I'm going to raise my fist for justice!"

Izuku looks over to Sakura with no small amount of admiration. He hadn't fully known her reasoning for being a hero until just now. It was so simple, yet so unapologetically her that he couldn't help but smile.

"I see." Ryoya says, into the night sky.

"What about you? Don't you want to be a hero too?"

"Not really," comes the calm reply. Izuku and Sakura are shocked. "I don't really care about being a hero in that way."

"In… that way?"

"There's more than one way to be someone's hero, you know?" Ryoya says flatly. "There's more to saving someone than just punching people in the face."

"I - I didn't think about that," Izuku says honestly.

"Neither did I."

"Not a lot of people do…" Ryoya's tone shifts into one with a bitter undertone. "No one ever thinks about the other side. Ever since I came to Japan, that's all it's been. No one ever stops to think about who they're fighting or why they're fighting them. It's just… heroes who want to beat people up for praise."

"Harushi… are you okay?" Izuku asked, taking another step forward and putting his hand on the boy's shoulder.

Ryoya lightly shrugs it off. "Sorry… I was rambling."

"No!" Izuku says a bit louder than he intended, startling both of his friends and the birds in the trees. "I mean, no. You aren't rambling, honest. We're - we're friends, right? We can talk to each other. That's what sensei said. We're friends, rivals and stuff. So… you don't have to worry about rambling! Really! You listen to me muttering about quirks all the time, and Sakura's talks about her day at school or with friends or Homestuck." Izuku takes note of Ryoya's confused face and feels a small amount of heat pool at the base of his neck. He rubs the back of his neck and adverts his eyes. "So - so, basically what I'm saying is that it's fine to ramble sometimes. We're your friends and - and we care about you."

There's a stretch of silence after that in which Ryoya gives the two looks that they can't read. Visionary is captivating, especially in the moonlight, but now, it only serves to further mask his emotions. Sakura's determination and Izuku's resolve are plain as day, even in the darkness. It makes the boy look away and towards the moon.

"Thanks."

They head back to the campsite after that in a mostly comfortable silence. Ryoya ops to sleep against the base of a tree with his legs crossed and head tilted down so his hair covers his eyes while Sakura and Izuku take their sleeping bags closer to the fire. Nothing disturbs them beyond the ambient crackling of the open flame and the occasional howl of wolves.

When the morning comes, Ryu and Ken wake up their students before the sun fully rises, much to their chagrin. "Wake up, little birds." Ken says with far more energy than anyone wanted him to have at this hour. "We got a few hours to trek to get where we need to be, so no more rest, sleeping beauties!"

"Ken-sensei… did we have to be awake so early?" Izuku complains.

Sakura, who's quirk activated, runs excitedly in place. "Come on, you two! We need to hurry! We're starting ki training today!"

Izuku half yawns, half groans and Ryoya looks at the girl in disgust.

"Your energy sickens me."

"Awww. You're so mean, Ryoya!" Sakura says, feigning sadness. She reaches over and grabs his cheek and his response is a dirty glare. "You should smile more."

"No."

A small, tired smile graces Izuku's face as their sensei look on in exasperation and thinly veiled amusement.

"Harassing Harushi aside, are you ready? We're not exactly pressed for time here but the sooner the better." Ryu interrupts before the teasing can continue.

"Ahh," Izuku stretches and sighs in relief at the audible pops from his back. "I'm ready, Sensei."

"Good. We're heading towards the river down hill and we're staying as a group."

"Wow, I can't believe we lost them."

"We didn't lose them," Ryoya says dryly. "They just walked away while you and Saku-san were arguing about whatever nonsense you guys were talking about."

Izuku doesn't really have a response for that, but Sakura's indignant groan nearly makes him laugh. "Er… yeah. Anyway, did you see which way they went?"

"...there's only one path we can take."

"Oh."

"Stop being mean, Ryoya-kun!" Sakura chastises while leading the way. "You're right, but you don't have to say it!"

Ryoya rolls his eyes, and Sakura gives him one of those smiles for it. Those smiles that she only used during spars and basically promised an extremely unpleasant experience for either him or Izuku. "...sorry."

"Hehe, I thought so! Anyway, onward my loyal companions! We can't be too far from the destination. We've been walking for a while now."

Several more minutes later, they arrive at their destination. It's a small hut-like structure on the other side of a small river in the middle of a suspiciously wide clearing; Ryu and Ken are there too, but they seem strange. They're not moving and staring at… something that resides in the middle of the hut.

"Sensei! We made it!" Sakura says while dragging both boys by the wrist toward them. They don't move. The trio get closer and Sakura even tugs on Ryu's arm and still, the men don't move. "Uh… sensei?"

Izuku looks beyond them two and his curiosity takes him towards the totem in the middle of the hut. It's an effigy of some kind made of straw and is of vaguely anthropoid outline with what appears to be a small skull as a head. "Wh - what's this?!" Izuku shouts in surprise.

"It's an idol, child."

A voice, aged and raspy, says from above and startles Izuku off his feet. Green eyes snap up only to catch nothing but a glimpse of what appeared to be a man before he vanished away.

"Izuku!" Sakura rushes to his side and looks around, only for the man to pop up next to her right ear.

"We worship it out here. That skull is real and it belongs to a child." The voice says again and Sakura simultaneously shrieks and throws a punch that hits nothing but open air.

"Who's there?!"

Then suddenly, they hear Ryoya make a sound.

It's a mixture between a gasp and shout as whoever it was that was messing with them finally made themselves known. The bald, dark skinned man padded forward on his bony hands, emaciated form raised and contorted above into a shape like most of him had been crumpled inward, though his unnerving white eyes still stared right at them and the very human skulls on his necklace jostled against one another; knocking together with a hollow thud to remind each of them he was very real. It was otherworldly.

"I - I…" Ryoya stutters out, his eyes wide and breathing rapid and uneven. Visionary activates, seemingly without him noticing as the man stalks closer. He doesn't break eye-contact for a second. And then it all stops. Ryoya's breathing hits a worrying speed and Dhalsim drops the joke immediately. He uncoils and teleports to the boy's side with Ryu and Ken coming shortly after.

"Okay, wow. The joke went too far. Damn it." Ryu swears under his breath. "We should've known better, Ken."

"It's the eyes." says Ken as he tries to rub circles into Ryoya's back. "Damn it, it's the eyes. Why didn't we think of this?"

Izuku and Sakura step forward in concern but the dark skinned man stepped between them. The look he gave them with his ghostly, pupil-less white eyes was somehow both unnerving, yet calming. "Don't. I can read the boy's mind and… his soul is turbulent. Allow your masters to calm him."

"But -"

"Do not argue, child." The man says sagely and with a stroke of his long, gray beard. "It is our fault he's like that." He looks Izuku up and down and takes a step back. "I am Dhalsim and I am sorry for the ire I have caused."

Izuku's face goes a bit red in the cheeks and he attempts to wave the man off. "Oh - oh, it's fine! Honest! It was just a mistake… right?"

Sakura huffs. "You should be apologizing to Ryoya-kun…"

There's a shift then. Dhalsim turns his full attention onto Sakura and she reflexively takes a step back under his intense stare. "You have a good, straight heart. You should polish it without bending it." Before Sakura could question what that meant, Ryu and Ken approach with Ryoya in tow. Visionary is still active, and his breathing is still labored but he seemed to have calmed down. He takes no chances though, and keeps himself partially behind Ryu.

Ryu sighs, but makes no effort to remove the child from behind him. "Sorry, we just thought it would've been a good prank but -"

"It's fine." Ryoya says in a small voice. "Let's just do this, please."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Ryu, Ken and Dhalsim share a look and communicate without words before nodding.

"As you wish, young one." Says the sage. "Would you like it so my eyes aren't like this?"

Ryoya looks away and clenches his jaw. "...yes, please."

"Very well."

It's strange, Izuku notes. Watching the man's eyes shift from blank and white, to a simple brown. It was as though he removed a veil, and the green haired preteen vaguely wonders if that's the effect of ki or a quirk, or something. He wants to ask, truly, but the man - Dhalsim - stretches his body as if made of rubber and contorts in ways that are equal parts amazing as they are moderately off-putting.

"This is not the product of a quirk, I assure you." Dhalsim's words catch Izuku off guard. "This is the product of yoga and enlightenment."

"Yo - yoga? Your power is… yoga?" Izuku found that hard to believe.

"Do my actions not speak for themselves?"

"Er, well… uh, yes, sir, but -"

"Then that will be all. We must not waste any more time. Let us begin bringing you students closer to enlightenment. Ryu. Ken. I assume you both have made the preparations?"

"We have," Ken supplies. "They're all ready."

"Good."

It's been three days. Dhalsim levitates around, so as to not disturb his students. As instructed, they were all in a deep, meditative slumber, cross-legged and unmoving and have been for close to an hour now. He takes stock of them as he goes. Sakura's ki is warm and akin to a stream; contant, flowing. Shallow in some areas, deeper in others, but never-ending nonetheless. It vaguely reminds him of Ryu's potential ki. She possesses a vast amount and Dhalsim can read it clear as day. Her heart is simple, clean and without any fault, and her drive to improve will take her far, so long as she knows to slow down sometimes and allow time to flow. Her potential is something noteworthy, and he hopes his lessons can be of use to her.

The boy in the middle, Midoriya, is a bit of an enigma. He is gentle, and of pure heart, but Dhalsim fears that something may darken his light. He doesn't know what, nor does he know when, but it's a lingering feeling that he will address when he can. His ki is also warm, but it's not as free flowing as Sakura's. It's resolute, steadfast and unmoving like a mountain with a sheer drop. It too reminds him of Ryu's, but in a different way. Maybe he too can wield the power of his master, the power to cast away his desires and simply act without emotion. He will make it a point to remind the boy that his sense of justice is admirable, but he should take care to not let it consume him.

The final child, Harushi, caught Dhalsim's attention and hasn't let go. There are many things he wishes to tell the boy. That the past cannot harm him anymore. That he should look forward, and not back. He should open his eyes, for his anger cannot sustain him. What he needs is to open his heart and allow others in, before he loses himself the darkness that bubbles below. There's good in him, a purity that burns bright like that sun, and a desire to give what has been taken from him, but it's clouded. His ki is immense, but dark and turbulent, and Dhalsim knows exactly where he's felt this power before. His power is that of a forest fire, bright, and brilliant, but so beautifully destructive.

"The time has come to begin your first lesson." Dhalsim says, disturbing the peace. "Follow me, children. And I shall show you Hado." His words inspire a reaction immediately as all three students rise to their feet and follow. The meditation did them well, as there's no wise quip or unsteady gait. They're ready.

"Watch closely."

Dhalsim meditates much the same way they did on the surface, but this seemed different in a way that Izuku can't pinpoint. He listens as the man hums to himself, watching in interest as he starts to levitate off the ground. And then, something incredible happens. Dhalsim's body is surrounded by an esoteric glow of blue and white energy before it turns black and watery, like ink. It flows around him as though it has a mind of its own, even ignoring the gust of wind that tries fruitlessly to interrupt him.

"With this special breathing technique, you open the power that dwells within yourself." Dhalsim explains without moving. "It is the power of ki, which all beings possess and through this technique, and the years of preparation you had, it is transformed into the spiritual energy we call Hado." One of his eyes slowly opens to reveal their ghostly white state. Ryoya flinches. "You all must feel it, I assume."

Izuku is confused but he doesn't say anything. He does feel something in his core. It's not an unpleasant feeling, but it's one that makes him feel a bit bloated. He looks over to see his friends and gasps when he sees the small beads of sweat forming on Sakura's brow. "I - I think I do. There's something wrong with my body." She says stiffly. "It feels like it's gonna explode any second."

Her friends are by her side in an instant. "Sakura, what are you saying? Are you okay?" Izuku's tone bleeds concern.

"I don't know, Izuku… I'm scared, I don't think I've felt anything like this before."

"Fret not, child." Dhalsim says calmly. "That is merely your ki reacting to mine. You must release it."

"H - how?"

It is then that Ryu speaks for the first time that day. "Through Hadoken. We've prepared you for this moment, Sakura. It's time. Make the motions we spoke of. Channel that energy and let it all out."

"Ryu," Dhalsim says sharply. "Surely you must remember what happened the first time you fired one yourself. A power like that should take weeks, if not months even at her level to use. It's dangerous."

"It is… but I trust her. It took me twenty four years to unlock ki, and these students are about to do it a decade earlier. Allow her - them - Dhalsim. They've earned their worth."

Dhalsim still looks unconvinced, but nods begrudgingly. "As you wish."

"Sakura. Channel it. Do not fight it. Let it flow through you. There will be backlash, and you will not like it, but this is the first step. Do as we taught you and yell -"

"Hadoken!"

Sakura's stance is picture perfect and his hadoken is equally as such. It doesn't travel far before it fades away and the girl collapses.

"Wh - whoa…"

"Ken, take Sakura back and wait for her to wake up so you can teach her how to channel her ki better back at the dojo."

"Sure thing, Ryu!" Ken says with a proud smile and a thumbs up. "Three days in and Sakura already did it. That's… insane. We expected to be out here for a week and a half, at least. But based on what I feel, we'll be out sooner rather than later." He locks eyes with Izuku. "Pick your jaw up there, kid! That'll be you soon enough!"

"Wait - wait a second! Is she going to be okay?"

"She will." Ryu confirms. "She just showed what happens when you use all of your ki. Without regulation, you're liable to use all of your power in one go. She'll be fine after a nice rest."

"Indeed." Dhalsim cuts in. "Back to mediation, you two. I wish to speak with your masters alone."

In three days, Sakura awakened her ki and fired Hadoken for the first time. Izuku did it in five. Ryu, Ken, and Dhalsim were all surprised at his ease. He didn't really collapse after firing the hadoken, nor did he stumble, but he was very clearly winded. His was large and went far, much further than Sakura's did. A day after that, Ryoya awakened his. He seems more destructive than anyone realized. The power in the sphere wasn't as free flowing as Sakura's nor as refined as Izuku's. It was chaotic and dangerous and something worth keeping an eye on. On the seventh day, the Shotokans returned home and the eighth day was an off day to relax. The tenth day, Izuku woke up with his body noticeably stronger, his muscles more defined and a bit taller.

The eleventh day is when Sakura says her goodbyes and the day after is when Usagiyama pays them another visit.

A/N: Fun chapter. Ki has been learned. Hope you enjoyed.