The next chapter of The Devil of UA. After the battle in Hosu, Gran Torino explains to Izuku the history of The Hand Organization and the danger that they are in.
Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia
He had seen and bare witnessed to many wonderful things in his lifetime.
This was one of the greatest things he had ever witnessed. After reading about the Legends and the tales about it, he was quite pleased to know that they were true.
It had been a long journey for him, full of peril as he made his way through the Mountains that lead to this path. Having ignored the warnings by the local villagers that those who went there often did not return he had set out. Traversing through the path through the narrow cliff sides of the mountain where a misplaced step would send a person falling to his death.
Until, at last, he had found it.
The Valley of The Sleeping Dragon.
Venturing forth what was before him when he entered was beyond even his expectations.
Lying on the ground before him, was a Dragon. Deep in slumber as it slept as it laid on the ground. The massive beast slept soundly, making no noise or movement other than when it let loose a breath that sounded like a mighty gust of wind.
A being such as this would no doubt be a worthy addition to his goals but how was he to awaken it? The green beast slept deeply and it seemed as though nothing would wake it from its slumber.
It was then that he noticed near it a pile of herbs, walking forward he examined them as they were very rare. As he studied and examined them, an idea came to mind as he raised his hand up and let loose a barrage of acid which killed and destroyed the herbs, destroying all of them that was in The Valley.
The Dragon then stirred suddenly, moving and shifting about as it began to wake up. It's tail rose up and slammed against the ground as its maw was opened and it's sharp teeth were shown.
Slowly a pair of red eyes began to open as it had awakened.
"And that, my pupil, is how Fin Fang Foom has come to join us." The voice from the laptop that was held by Kurogiri explained to Shigaraki. "As thanks for awakening him from his prolonged slumber, he has agreed to join us. I know that you shall make great use of Fin Fang Foom."
Shigaraki nodded his head as he looked on at the great being before him. A dark smile formed on his face. "Yes, with our newest recruits that has been scouted by Giran, in addition to him, our strength will have tripled. But if you don't mind, I want a demonstration." He said before he reached into his clothes and pulled out a picture.
"If you are as powerful as I've been told, then prove it. Go!" Shigaraki commanded him pointing his hand out presenting the picture making sure that he wasn't holding it with his full hand. "Do as I command you! Find and Destroy All Might!" He ordered The Dragon.
The Dragon let loose a growl before it leaned it's head down towards Shigaraki an angry look in its eyes.
"I do not take commands from one such as you." It spoke up causing both Shigaraki and Kurogiri's eyes to widen. "You are a fool to think I will obey you."
"It can talk?!" Shigaraki said in surprise.
"Yes, I can speak your tongue foolish human and I am not some mere beast for you to command. Speak to me in such a manner again and I shall burn the flesh right off from your bones." Fin Fang Foom stated as it grinded it's teeth causing Shigaraki to back up cautiously.
"My apologies," The voice from the laptop spoke up. "I should have informed you that Fin Fang Foom is capable of speaking and communicating. In addition to his great strength, impenetrable scales and size, He also possesses the power of telepathy, being able to speak to us in our minds from miles away." Kurogiri and Shigaraki were told as they looked on at it.
"Remember, we are equals." Fin Fang Foom stated. "I am no servant of you."
"But of course my dear friend." The laptop voice said. "I would never think of a being as magnificent of you as a lesser. You shall be treated with the utmost respect that you clearly deserve."
"Good," Fin Fang Foom said to the laptop. "Much has happened since my slumber, I wish to see what this world has to offer me."
"As you wish, you shall be contacted when you are to be given a mission. Shigaraki, I leave him in your capable hands." The voice said as the laptop turned off as the connection ended.
Shigaraki and Kurogiri were left with the great Dragon
"Your Master has given me a unique proposition as we have reached upon a mutual agreement. If I help you, then he shall help me." The Dragon said as he spoke to them
"And what is it that has he offered you in exchange for your assistance?" Kurogiri asked and The Dragon let out a laugh blowing out smoke from his mouth.
"Ah, Ah, Ah, that is for me to know and for you to find out." Fin Fang Foom said as his red eyes glowed.
Shigaraki narrowed his eyes as he looked on at the monster before him. This creature was much smarter than it looked and appeared. Factoring in that as well as its massive size and strength and other powers and He would have to be on his guard around the beast.
"As you were saying though; this All Might, he does intrigue me that a Human would give themself the title of one who is all powerful. One who believes themself even greater than me." He said to Shigaraki blowing out his acid breath.
Shigaraki waved a hand in front of his face in disgust, even though his face was covered up, he could still smell The Dragon's rancid breath.
"I trust our new partnership will be mutually beneficial for both our sakes." Fin Fang Foom said before he batted his wings and took off to the air creating deep gusts of wind. "Call upon me when needed, as for now, I hunger for the hunt!" He said before he let loose a roar and flew off.
Shigaraki and Kurogiri looked on as they watched it fly off into the distance.
"We have gained a powerful weapon today." Kurogiri spoke up after he had disappeared from sight.
"Or the tool of our destruction..." Shigaraki replied as Kurogiri opened a portal and they stepped in.
Going back to the base and the bar room, they saw Typloid Mary seated at the bar polishing her knives as beside her was a glass of scotch. Inside the room as well were three others.
"Giran, you're early...I wasn't expecting you for a few more days." Shigaraki said as he saw the two who had come with the broker for The League of Villains.
"Time is money after all." The circular glasses wearing man said smoking a cigarette. "Allow me to introduce a few new recruits that may catch your interest."
One day later...
Izuku and Gran Torino were shown back at Torino's apartment. Recovering from the battle the day before that had happened in Hosu City.
Kamui Woods was still a statue, despite being taken and transferred to a hospital, they seemed to be no way to unpetrify him from the state he was in. Doctors had run diagnosis on him but to no avail as he was one of the many casualties from what had happened from it.
"As you can see behind me, the damage was catastrophic. What was hoped to be under a hundred dead has now skyrocketed, with some fears before it's all over that it'll be over a thousand." A reporter said before the TV was turn off.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Sorahiko shouted in anger having turned it off.
"Gran Torino! Calm down please!" Izuku called out to him as he had been trying to work on One For All.
"Oh shut up!" He shouted in response causing Izuku to flinch in surprise. Seeing him react the man calmed down. "I'm sorry Izuku, I know you mean well. It's just what happened yesterday is something I never expected to happen again." He apologized to him.
"Here," Izuku said as he made cups of tea and held one out to him. "Drink this."
Sorahiko took a long sip and let out a sigh. "Thank you Midoriya." He said before he sat down on a table. "Join me, we have much to discuss." He said to Izuku.
"Tell me," Izuku said to him as they were seated. "Who are they? Who are The Hand?" He asked the elderly man. "I've fought them twice before, once during a training exercise when they appeared with others and now yesterday in Hosu. But with your reaction, you seem to have history with them."
Torino took a long sip of his tea. "Izuku, what I am about to tell you is something very few in the world know about. Not even All Might knows what I am about to tell you. At first glance, The Hand seems like your basic terrorist or mercenary organization, selling their services to the highest bidder but that is only a front for what they truly are. They are pure evil, and many artocities they are responsible for and have committed throughout their existance." He told him and Izuku nodded his head as Torino began his tale.
"Long ago, before the Age of Quirks, even before The Time of The Three Unifiers, there existed a Ninja Clan that dwelled in the mountains of The Iga and Koga regions. Some rumors and legends said that they were descended and trained by Tengu. They trained in the Ninjutsu arts, learning the ways of the Shinobi. Soon they would offer their services to lords and noblemen. Serving as spies and assassins for them."
As Sorahiko spoke, images were seen of Feudal Japan, a Shinobi clad in Red steathily draws his sword and runs a man through from behind before disappearing into the night.
"The Clan, first known as The Snakeroot Clan grew in size and numbers, establishing camps and increasing its power all throughout Japan. Children and infants would be snatched away from their homes and villages, taken to be trained to be killers by them. Taught to never show any mercy, to kill whoever they were assigned to. But The Clan began to crave more and more power."
Groups of Ninja are then seen in a cave, bowing their heads and worshiping a Totem of a Demon like creature.
"They discovered The Dark Arts, and began to worship a being." Sorahiko said to Izuku. "A demon from another realm, known only as The Beast."
"The Beast?" Izuku repeated and Torino nodded his head.
"No one knows its true origin or name. But it is a demonic being that taught them the ability to prevent death and resurrect from it."
"What?" Izuku said in shock as he leaned forward. "That's, That's impossible. To revive from death, there doesn't exist a power or quirk such as that." He said as he couldn't believe it.
"I'm afraid I'm not lying, your enhanced hearing can hear my heart right? You know that it's beating regulary. The Beast taught them the way to stave off death, to prevent one from dying. Many of its members are secretly hundreds of years old due to the ritual they underwent. But there is a curse to it, for when you return to life due to the ritual, you are little more than an empty shell. You are alive but your soul is missing." Sorahiko explained. "You feel nothing, no emotions, no feelings, not a thing. You have become a nothing more than an empty husk as your life now belongs to them forever. That I'm afraid is what happened to Mt. Lady, they ambushed and slew her and then used the process to bring her back to life under their control." He grimly stated.
A dead ninja was shown on a battlefield with a gaping hole in its stomach only for his eyes to open and then stand up off the ground and walk away from the field, having no expression on his face.
"So that's why she's changed so much." Izuku said as it was all coming together. "So they have an army of people that literally cannot die?"
"There is only two known ways to prevent it: First, you must cut off their head as the head is required to be attached to the body. Second, destroying the body in ways such as cremation. That is the only way to permanently kill one who has underwent the process."
Izuku leaned back in his chair as he was taking the info in that he had heard. This was shocking to him. He never knew that such an organization existed. From the sound of things, even All Might would have struggled against them.
"The Clan spread its influence all across the five islands of Japan and Asia, leaving a trail of bodies and bloodshed in their wake. In due time they took a new name for itself. As each island represents a Finger, bring them all together and they will form a Hand."
Izuku nodded his head in understanding. "What is their end goal? You said that they are more than just a Mercenary group. What is it they truly want?"
"Conquest," Torino replied to him. "They desire conquest at all cost. And the only way for them to truly do that is to bring The Beast to this realm so he could unleash his power. For that they are searching for a vessel. A body that can contain The Beast and serve as its host. Numerous people have served as its host beforehand. Nobunaga Oda himself at one time was a vessel for The Beast, as he made a pact with The Hand before his victory at Okehazama to become its vessel. The Beasts' influence and power transformed him from a minor province ruler into The Demon King he would later become infamously known as. Many of the cruel terrible things he did, such as the burning of thousands of people at Mt. Hiei was because of The Beast."
Izuku's eyes widened behind his sunglasses at the news he was told.
"As you know, his retainer Mitsuhide Akechi; rebelled against him and slew him at Honnoji. Cutting The Beast off from its vessel and sending it back to the realm from whence it came. Before he himself died at Yamazaki thirteen days later, he formed a society dedicated to combat The Hand and make it so that The Beast could never again run amok. That group would become known as The Chaste. For hundreds of years the two clans did battle in the shadows, showing no mercy to either side."
"Forty years ago, in America before I had met All Might and he obtained One for All, I was a member of The Chaste and me and several others did battle with The Hand. They were secretly plotting to start a war between The States and Russia as they would bring both countries into a nuclear war. It was a difficult and brutal battle, with many dying. Until at least, I was able to behead and kill its leader, I was the sole survivor of the battle and The Chaste as all but me had died in that horrible battle that day."
A younger Gran Torino with his mask torn off is shown on his knees heavily panting, a bloody sword in hand as multiple corpses of both The Hand and The Chaste are seen on the ground. Stumbling to his feet, he pulls out a lighter and ignites it before throwing it onto a body. Watching as the flames spread to them all one by one to prevent any chance they had at coming back as he was shown leaving the base that was now aflame.
"I thought that I had defeated them for good, but some had secretly survived it seems and went underground. Regaining and building their strength for the past forty years, now they have returned. They sense the opportunity for them to reawaken The Beast."
"It's because All Might has weakened isn't it?" Izuku asked and he nodded his head in confirmation.
"If he was at Full Power and in his prime, I know he would have no trouble, but now in his weakened state and having passed One for All to you, he couldn't defeat The Beast if it was resurrected now. Izuku, it must never happen." He told Izuku in a grave tone of voice.
Izuku had not been expecting this, to be informed of a secret ninja cult that was trying to bring forth a Demon from another realm. From Gran Torino's tone of voice, it would be the end of all if it was brought forth.
"What can we do to stop them?"
"You will do nothing for now." Torino told him. "I have much work and research to do. I want you to head back to UA after tomorrow when your week with me is over and resume your school work and training. This is far too dangerous for you. I need to tell All Might, your Principal and others about this. I only hope they will listen to me and realize the threat that they possess. But there is one thing that you can do that may slow them down."
"What is it?" Izuku asked as he was ready to help out in any shape or form.
"Bakugo." Torino said surprising Izuku nearly making him spit out his tea. "Your ex friend and classmate; from what I've seen and heard of him, he maybe recruited by them, he will be easily swayed by them I fear after what's happened."
"I gotta stop them from recruiting him? How do I do that?" Izuku asked as it seemed like he was asking him to empty a river with just a teaspoon. He and Katsuki were in no way on speaking terms after what happened at The Sports Festival and their fight.
"You'll have to figure that out yourself. Listen, I know this is going to be tough for you, but a Hero never goes in thinking a job will be easy." He told Izuku who reluctantly agreed even though he didn't like it. "The Hand is building an army right now, and Bakugo's powerful Quirk is something we don't need against us right now."
Izuku slumped in his chair at the task he was now facing.
Elsewhere...
Inside the temple were numerous Shinobi clad in red and black. Those who had taken part in the attack on Hosu. The Hand Ninjas stood there at beck and call as none of them made a sound. They were shown standing before a platform as banners and flags with their symbol were shown across the lair.
Mt. Lady was also shown amongst them, the former Heroine was seen in her new outfit as she was standing there with an empty and remorseless look on her face. Uncaring that she had killed many when she had destroyed the buildings.
Tomi Shishido, The Gorgon was standing on The Platform, his eyes covered up by his mask as he then spoke.
"A great victory we have obtained." He announced to those assembled. "For decades we have been forced to hide, but now The World knows who we are once again. Yami no te, The Hand." He said to them and they let out a cheer. "The Heroes will not stop us from total conquest of Asia and eventually, The World as The Beast shall soon be amongst us once more and he will bless us with his might.
"Our time will soon come, however," Gorgon said as his voice turned to displeased. "There are some amongst you who fled the battle last night, being bested by mere children. Step forward." He commanded them.
From the assembled group, a number of ninja stepped forward. The ones who had faced off against Izuku, Shoto and Tenya. They walked forward and dropped to their knees bowing their heads before him.
"You shame The Hand with your cowardice, for such actions there is only one path for Redemption that you shall take." Gorgon told them with displeasure.
"Death by my hands." Another voice then spoke out. A voice filled with sadistic glee as one that took delight in the suffering and pain of others.
Behind them from the shadows, then emerged a hulking beast of a man who was one of The Five Fingers. Over six and a half feet tall and clad in a tan bodysuit that had a mane collar around it, he wore a headdress covering across his head with his blonde hair sticking out from it.
His most noticeable traits were the fangs he had in his mouth, sharp fangs that could tear out a person's throat and claws from his hands that could rip through solid steel.
Sabretooth; His Quirk: Acute sense of smell and tracking plus a healing factor that can recover from nearly all wounds. Possesses Superhuman strength, as well as razor sharp claws and fangs
The ninjas backed away terrified looks on their faces realizing that their doom was at hand.
"C'mon boys! Don't be scared!" He mocked them with a grin. "At least try and make it fun for me!" Sabretooth said before he suddenly pounced like a tiger at them.
Screams of terror were heard as blood was shown splattering on the ground.
A/N: That's it for this chapter, review please.