The sudden encounter with Mitsuki caused a great deal of anxiety to start building up inside Izuku. It was not about her. She had always been very nice to him. It was actually something else. However, as he had come to get used to bottle up all those little moments of intense undesired emotion, he just simply ignored that in a reflex and put his usual pleasant smile. However, he was unable to hide that from his cousin, who noticed a few flicks of flame on his closed fist that only became visible for a few moments.

"Hello, auntie... I'm okay..." he replied.

"I'm so glad to hear that" Mitsuki said. "I got very worried after you left to go live with your uncle."

She then noticed Shoto and asked:

"And who is this?"

"This is my cousin Shoto" Izuku introduced.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, mam" Shoto said, as he made a slight bow to her.

"So polite..." Mitsuki admired. "Just like Izuku... My Katsuki could really learn something with you boys..."

"Is... Kacchan... here?" Izuku asked, hesitantly, as more flicks of fire appeared for a very brief moment on his hands, with Shoto noticing that again.

"Well, I know after a long time you may miss him" Mitsuki said. "But he is at school..."

After hearing that, Izuku couldn't help but release a sigh of relieve, that caused his fire to stop manifesting.

"The teachers have already told me they miss you at kindergarten" Mitsuki told.

It was then that Rei appeared, pulling the shopping cart.

"Boys, I didn't know it took a long time to pick a snack" she commented, noticing then Mitsuki. "Excuse me, who are you?"

"You must be Izuku's aunt" Mitsuki said, proceeding to make a slight bow. "I'm Mitsuki Bakugo. Izuku used to live in my neighborhood... and a friend of his mother's."

"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you" Rei said, with a smile. "My name is Rei Todoroki."

"I have to say I got a little worried when Izuku moved away" Mitsuki said. "But know that I got to see him again, I can see how much better he looks."

"Yeah, my husband and I, along with our children, are doing our best to make Izuku feel at home" Rei said. "He deserves it after what he went through."

"I'm so glad to hear that" Mitsuki said, before looking at her wristwatch. "Oh my... Look at the time! I need to go. I still have a lot to do. It was a great pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Todoroki."

"The feeling is mutual, Mrs. Bakugo" Rei replied. "I hope we can meet again."

Mitsuki made a bow and then moved away. Despite how happy Izuku got to see her again, he got even more relieved when she went away, something that Shoto was able to perceive.

After they came home, Izuku spent the rest of day acting as if nothing had happened. Shoto got worried with his cousin, as he clearly got a little upset for meeting her mother's friend. However, remembering how Izuku's Quirk would act out during that encounter, Shoto thought it was for the best to not talk about it, especially since his cousin would have his first training with Toya later on.

At the middle of the afternoon, the three older Todoroki children arrived from school.

"Hey, guys, how was your day?" Natsuo asked to Izuku and Shoto as he entered the living room and found them at the couch watching TV.

"It was nice" Shoto said.

"Just nice?" Natsuo asked. "I mean, you two can stay at home all day playing and it's all nice for you. That's because you don't know how hard it is to be a student. I can't wait for spring break to come."

"If you complained less, I bet time would pass much faster" Fuyumi asked at the entrance of the room, with Toya behind her. "Besides, it's not like you have it harder than me and Toya."

"Ah, ah, very funny..." Natsuo replied, sarcastically.

"Well, I'll go put my things on my room and then go to the library" Fuyumi said. "There are some books I want to check before the beginning of the next school year."

"Seriously... we're not even on Spring break and you're already concerned about the next school year?" Natsuo asked, teasingly.

"For your information, little brother, I am about to go to seventh grade" Fuyumi replied. "I need to prepare myself for it."

Having said that, she went out. Toya, standing where he was, just said, directing his words to Izuku:

"I'll take this off. Meet me at the garden to beginning your training."

After he went away too, Izuku couldn't help but feel a little nervous for his first training with Toya. Both Shoto and Natsuo noticed that and the latter said:

"Don't worry, cuz, don't forget that you won't be alone. I will be there to support you... and make sure Toya is not too rough."

"Thank you, Natsuo" Izuku said.

"I would like to watch it too... but father told me to prepare myself for our own training" Shoto said. "He said that it is going to be a little harder this time."

"I will be certain to give an extra cheer for you, if you want, little bro" Natsuo said, while giving a slight noogie on Shoto, much to his displeasure.

Later on, Izuku was at the garden, with Natsuo sitting with his legs crossed on the engawa, not very far from the shoji. Not long after they were there, Toya arrived as well, passing by Natsuo without even acknowledging his presence, something the middle child of the Todoroki family was already used to. After all, if there was someone that could ignore him more than his father, then that one would be Toya.

As Toya reached Izuku, he told him:

"Okay, let's start this. I have other things to do, so I hope you don't waste my time."

"I'll... do my best, Toya..." Izuku said.

"Whatever..." Toya replied. "Just for you to know... Just because you have this block, it doesn't mean I will be nicer too you."

Izuku just nodded, while gulping.

"Okay, so let's go" Toya said. "I know that you already know how to generate heat touch. Have you managed to do more than that?"

"Well... I have tried to ignite a flame" Izuku said. "Shoto has been giving a few tips, but..."

Izuku tried to show him, but whenever he tried to conjure a flame, the only thing that happened was just a speckle of fire that disappeared on the next second. It could barely be considered a flame. Toya sighed, as that level of skill was far from being close to the one his father had established to allow Izuku (and by extension himself) to be trained alongside Shoto. However, he couldn't let his cousin's lack of skill to stop him from reach his objective.

"Okay, that's pathetic" Toya said. "For starters, stop trying to get advice from Shoto. He doesn't have sufficient insight on his fire half to give any helpful advice. And second... you will never conjure a flame, if you just try to imagine it."

"But... isn't that how you do it?" Izuku asked.

"Perhaps... if you are able to use your Quirk in a way that becomes a reflex" Toya replied. "But with you... Well, we need to go technical. So, for you to summon your flame, you don't just need to envision it, but also to imagine it forming, to imagine a spark that inflames and then grows... Like this..."

He extended his hand and he summoned a flame.

"Did you see that? Before my fire appeared, for a very brief moment, there was a flash of light. It's so fast that no one can see it. That's how you summon a flame: with that spark. After you do this and work to make it like a reflex, you will be almost there to master your Quirk enough for my dad to allow you to train with him and Shoto."

Toya refrained himself from also adding that he would also be able to participate on the training as well, but he knew that, for his cousin to be able to do what he just said he needed that to be focus on him.

Meanwhile, Izuku tried to interiorize what Toya had just said. In fact, the times he used to control his Quirk before starting to repress it, he would just use it. He would never think of how he was able to manifest his fire. Especially because most of the times he does remember using it was when he didn't have control.

Looking at his hand, Izuku tried to focus and do what Toya had told him. He tried to imagine a spark, as he channeled the heat on his hand, to make it give life to a flame. He seemed to almost do it... when a commanding voice shouted:

"No!"

That caused all the effort that Izuku was doing to come undone and the little flick of flame that he was trying to summon to disappear. He tried a few more times, but to no avail.

"Sorry... I think I can't do it" Izuku apologized.

That caused Toya to roll his eyes, in annoyance. He had explained every step Izuku had to do, but even so he still was not being able to conjure not even a single little flame that could hold. Perhaps he needed to go even simpler with him.

"Fine, fine... I'll think of something else..." he said. "Maybe we need to go primordial..."

"Primordial...?" Izuku asked, confused.

While he watched the training, Natsuo was being attentive to Toya, observing how he acted around Izuku. When their father told the family that Toya would be the one to train Izuku on the basics of his Quirk, Natsuo really got uneasy with that decision. Toya had always been the pariah of the family ever since he could remember and all because their father wouldn't let him take on his footsteps and become the Hero that would surpass All Might.

Despite he had vague memories of that time, Natsuo, when focusing enough, could still hear the worst argument that ever happened in their house, when Toya almost attacked Shoto. He knew that his father was partly to blame for his older brother's obsession, but, despite the neglect, he could see that he was trying to fix his mistake, even if Toya was being as stubborn as the Flame Hero when it came to his fire.

His attitude had only become worse through the years, with his frustration growing, especially after Shoto started his formal training. Because of that, his temperament has become even more unstable, what eventually led to his outburst when they got to know Izuku would come to live with them, thinking their dad was trying to make him abandon the idea of becoming a Pro Hero by adding a second possible successor with a Quirk like his. And now he was training that new addition to their family, a boy that had already suffered and lost a lot...

The shoji behind Natsuo opened and Rei exited, approaching her son, asking:

"So, how is it going? I hope Toya is not being too harsh on Izuku."

"Well, Toya is not exactly being the most understanding teacher..." Natsuo commented. "But everything is going okay... as far as it can go."

"That's a relief..." Rei sighed. "I was worried that Toya would start to push Izuku too far."

"The training started not long ago, so there's still time for that" Natsuo ironized.

"This is no time for one of your jokes, Natsuo" Rei scolded. "There's a reason why your father doesn't want Toya to train Izuku without having no one watching."

"Yeah, yeah, I know..." Natsuo replied.

Meanwhile, Toya had turned to another tactic to make Izuku produce fire, by having him to use friction with his hands while channeling the heat.

"Okay, this is a more rudimental technique, but it's the most basic I can get" Toya said.

Izuku kept rubbing his hands together, while trying to ignite the heat that he was focusing on his hands. However, despite smoke was seen coming out of the friction, no flame would appear. Izuku tried to rub his hands even harder, but there was still nothing. It was then that, at one point, he stopped, as it felt his palms getting red with all the friction.

"Sorry, Toya, it's just..."

"Oh, come on!" Toya exclaimed. "You can't do even that?! Seriously, how I will I be able to teach you anything, if you can't even produce one single flame?"

When he said that, Izuku started to look down, both sad and embarrassed. He knew that his block would be a great obstacle in his training, but the worst part was seeing Toya disappointed. Ever since he arrived, Toya had always been so distant and cold with him. Even if he reacted disappointed for not be trained by his uncle, Izuku, in the middle of his nervousness, was still hopeful for the training with his oldest cousin, as he really wanted to bond with him.

But it would appear that wouldn't happen, all because of his inability to use his own Quirk. And, if he failed to train with Toya, he wouldn't train with his uncle, his favorite Hero. He would feel like a failure... A feeling that could be possibly even worse than trying not to make his father angry. All that negativity started to manifest itself with small bursts of fire appearing around him, what caught Toya's attention.

He could see that his cousin was actually summoning flame the way he should be doing, but he was not doing it consciously, but driven by his emotions. The oldest Todoroki child then remembered that night when Izuku lost control of his fire during his sleep. He also remembered what he was told about the moment his father met him, with him also being so afraid that his fire started acting out. With all that, an idea formed in his head. He needed to draw the fire out of him, but it would appear that only strong emotions were the only way to do just that, so he needed to do just that...

"You know what?" Toya said. "Perhaps I should just give up."

That made Izuku look at him, with a saddened look. Rei and Natsuo, who were at some distance away, also heard that and got a bit confused by that last sentence.

"Yeah, it's clear that you won't be able to do this. I mean, someone with a fire Quirk that can't even summon one single flame at will? That is the same thing as having a useless Quirk. And since Quirks are a reflection of the ones who wield them, well..."

Hearing those harsh words from Toya were actually like a bucket full of cold water, but not just cold... It was icy... of the type that could actually cause burns.

"There he goes..." Natsuo said. "I was wondering how long he would keep his sharp tongue inside."

"I hope he stops with that, otherwise I will have to intervene" Rei said, ready to go put a hold on the training if necessary.

"I mean, how pathetic it must be, right?" Toya continued. "No wonder your dad would forbid you from using your Quirk. Possibly, it was because he didn't want you to embarrass him."

At the mentioning of his father, Izuku started to feel a mix of feelings that he didn't know how to describe it. He could feel the paralyzing fear he used to feel when at his presence (especially when he got angry). There was also a feeling of humiliation, for all the bad things he would tell him. However, he wouldn't hear just his voice when he felt humiliated, but also another one that was even more hurtful, not because it was mean, but because it used to be something else for him...

But the one feeling he had never truly felt (and was surprised to feel) was anger... It was a feeling that had just started to appear all of the sudden. He didn't know how come he never came to feel it under all the other emotions.

"Toya, that's enough!" Rei exclaimed from where she was. "Watch your words!"

But Toya just ignored her and then summoned a flame, saying:

"A son with the same quirk as him that is not able to do this... I would feel the same thing."

He then tossed the flame against Izuku who used his arms to protect him. Even if his body was resistant to fire, Izuku could feel how much hot it was.

"Toya, stop that!" Rei told, descending to the garden to head towards them, as she felt that could escalate into something similar to what happened years ago.

"I bet that he felt much relieved for leaving you" Toya continued to taunt, while tossing more of his fire against Izuku. "After all, why would he want a failure like you?"

All the taunts and the little "pokes" with the fire made Izuku become unable to hold it any longer, as all the feelings that he was harboring were reaching the limit.

"Toya, I already told you to stop" Rei said, as she started to reach them.

"Stop talking... ABOUT HIM!" Izuku shouted, as a burst of fire came out of him, reaching a radius of a few feet of distance.

But that fire that came out of him was different than the usual one, as it had tinges of violet. That sudden burst caught everyone by surprise, with Rei losing her balance to avoid the flames that almost reached and fall back, while Toya used his arms and summoned his own flames as shield.

"Mom!" Natsuo called, as he got up and went to his mother. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am..." she replied, as she got up and then looked to Izuku and Toya. "Boys, are you okay?"

Izuku was standing where he was, breathing heavily, as if he was out of breath, with his clothes burned. Meanwhile, Toya was able to protect himself for the worst part of the fire thanks to his. But it would appear that Izuku's partly violet flame was too hot for the fire of the oldest Todoroki child, with it being able to leave a burn mark on his forearm.

"Toya..." Rei said, as she approached her son. "Here, let me..."

She wanted to apply her ice on him, but Toya just pulled his forearm away from her and said, coldly:

"Don't worry, I know how to deal with burns myself."

Having said that, he started to move away, heading towards the house.

"You know, you could at least show some appreciation for mom's care for you" Natsuo replied, as Toya passed by him.

But the older brother didn't reply and continued his way.

"Let him be, Natsuo" Rei said, as she went towards Izuku. "He does know how to treat burns quite well."

Reaching her nephew, Rei asked:

"Izuku, are you okay, sweetie?"

But Izuku didn't reply, as the only thing he could do was cry. As Rei checked on him, she noticed how his hair had gained more streaks of crimson hair, but otherwise he was perfectly fine. To comfort him, she hugged him, while whispering to him:

"Everything will be okay..."

After going inside, Toya went directly to his room. As he entered, he went to get the ointment he used normally to treat the burns he got on his body whenever he used his Quirk too much. After that, he remembered that scene, where his provocations caused Izuku to release his fire. He had never seen fire that was not the color of his, his dad's or Shoto's.

It was then that Toya started to chuckle and then said:

"I've been trying to do make my fire even hotter that it would change color... but it would appear that my dear cousin just so happens to have given me a clue to do it... Who knew that a runt like him would be able to teach me something...? Maybe training him is not much of a nuisance that I thought it would be..."