Summary: Kagome, younger twin to Shoto, was regarded as a failure by their father. With her Quirk never showing during her youth, her father regarded her as a blight on his legacy. He gave her away. After sealing the well up, she's accepted into U.A. Her very presence serves to shake things up in the best ways!

Pairing: Undecided

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Chapter Twenty

She was quiet as she walked beside Inuyasha, and the half-demon wasn't oblivious to the dispirited scent that clung to her with a sourness. He frowned and glanced at her, but she kept her gaze fixed on the ground they walked over.

"What happened?" he asked. His voice lacked his usual gruffness, and Kagome glanced up to meet his golden stare. A few seconds of silence passed, and she downcast her gaze once more.

"I really did want to go find you guys," she commented, "but…" she trailed off and let her hand grip his a bit tighter. "I ran into him and I changed my mind."

"Tch…" There was no need for her to elaborate on who she was talking about. It was a no-brainer. "The hell does he matter?" Inuyasha growled, tugging her closer instinctively. She didn't try to move away, not even when he threw his arm around her shoulders to tug her into his side. She leaned more into him.

"He doesn't," she commented softly. That didn't make his words any less scathing. It didn't change how he could be harsher on Shoto due to her presence around him. "I guess… things aren't all that different from how it was when I was there," she continued, hands tightening at her sides.

She didn't want him to have that effect on her anymore. Wasn't she stronger than this? If so, then why…?

Why couldn't she just brush him off? Why did his words have to have such an impact on her? Why couldn't she hold her head high in the face of him and be the person she'd worked so hard to grow into?

There was no warning when her vision began to blur, and a familiar sting invaded her eyes. She bowed her head, and Inuyasha was quick to pick up on her tears.

"Why do his words hurt so much…?" she spoke quietly, blunt nails digging into the skin of her palms. "Why does he have to make his point that I was never wanted in the first place…?" Why couldn't he just pretend she never existed if he hated her so much?

Inuyasha was silent upon hearing her whispered questions. Anger burned in his chest, but he ignored it in favor of comforting the miko at his side.

"The hell does he know?" Inuyasha scoffed. If he couldn't see her potential, then to hell with him.

His statement brought a small smile to her face, and she nodded

"If he wants to get to you, then he's gonna have to go through me first," Inuyasha added with a growl, much to her surprise.

"H-Huh?" Kagome looked up at him with widened eyes. "W-What do you mean by that?" she questioned, but she didn't exactly get a response. It dawned on her that she needed to regroup with the rest of her competitors for the next round, and she sighed and shook her head. "Nevermind," she stated, "I've got to go now."

"I'm walkin' you back," Inuyasha remarked, and Kagome blinked owlishly.

"W-What?" she squeaked out. Inuyasha looked at her with a smirk.

"Gotta problem with it?" he asked, and Kagome was quick to shake her head.

"It's not that, but…" Kagome thought about her classmates, more so about her brother. This wasn't exactly how she wanted them all to meet her half-demon friend. Still… she knew arguing it would get her nowhere at this point, and she let out another sigh. "Just don't be rude, please," she pleaded softly. Inuyasha scoffed in response.

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled.

"Hey, hey, Kagome!"

At the voice, the raven-haired girl turned towards the source. At once, she spotted Kirishima waving her over. A smile lifted on her face and she lifted a hand to wave back. He met her at the entrance tunnel, and he was quick to notice the figure with her. She felt his curiosity before he could even voice it.

"This is Inuyasha," she said, motioning to the half-demon beside her. "He's my friend," she clarified. The name was one he'd heard from Shippo a few times, and it clicked in his head.

"Oh!" Kirishima nodded, "Sesshoumaru-sensei's brother!" Kagome nodded with a bright smile.

The weight of a stare on her stole her attention, and she looked over the crowd for a few short seconds before her gaze met vibrant ruby. There was something to his aura that she couldn't quite read, and it perturbed her. She easily figured it had something to do with her because the moment Bakugo caught on to the fact she'd noticed, he'd looked away with an unreadable expression on his face. Kagome sighed and shook her head, slowly turning her attention to Inuyasha.

"You should go join the others now," she suggested. "I'll come see you guys when I have time next, okay?" she promised.

"Tch," Inuyasha scoffed and folded his arms over his chest. "If you don't, I'm hunting your ass down," he stated. A small smile appeared on her face as a faint laugh came from her.

"Yeah, yeah," Kagome said with a gentle wave of her hand. "Wouldn't be the first time, either," she reminded him as she waved him off. With a scoff, he relented and left at last. As he did, Kagome stifled a laugh behind her hand.

"You definitely have some strange friends," Kirishima commented when she fell in line with him. He wasn't being judgmental, and his comment was accompanied by a gleaming smile. Kagome glanced up at him, a smile of her own getting coaxed onto her face, and she nodded in agreement.

"I suppose that's true," she stated softly, "but there comes a point when they aren't just friends anymore," she added, her tone drifting a bit softer. Kirishima perked up and looked at her.

"I think I know what you're getting at," he remarked. Kagome glanced at him. She wasn't too convinced he was on the right track, but she didn't bother to correct him. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt anything

Another person was swift to catch her attention, but she quickly looked away from the boy with split red and white hair. She felt his confusion, and she couldn't ignore the guilt she felt over it, but, for her own sake and his own, it seemed better off like this for now. Still, accepting that didn't help with the horrible feeling eating away at her.

A hand patting her shoulder stole her attention, and she glanced up at her classmate. He seemed to have noticed something was wrong, but he didn't ask about it. Instead, he offered her a reassuring smile.

"Don't look so gloomy!" he exclaimed. "We're moving on to the final competition. Perk up and give it your all!"

Kagome paused for a split second. The next, her smile reclaimed her lips and she nodded. "… right! Let's both go at it with our all!"

"Now that lunch is over, it's finally time to reveal the last game!" Present Mic exclaimed from his spot in the announcer's booth. "But before that, there's good news for everyone who didn't make it to the final round! This is, after all, a sports festival, so we've prepared a few recreational games that everyone can participate in, too!" he exclaimed as the rest of them all filed into the arena. "We've even brought cheerleaders from America to liven spirits up a bit!"

She didn't bother to look toward them, but other figures did manage to catch her attention. She froze, blinking owlishly when she spotted what her classmates wore. Confusion seeped into bright blue eyes as she craned her head to the side. She wasn't the only one to notice, either, as Present Mic was swift to call it out.

"Hey, Class A, what kind of fanservice is this!?"

The rest of the girls were dressed up in similar cheer uniforms, but the reason behind it was lost on her.

"Mineta! Kaminari!" Momo shouted. "You tricked us, didn't you?!"

At once, Kagome had received enough of an explanation. It was a good thing she hadn't gotten lumped in with them in this little stunt.

"All right everyone, let's have fun competing in the recreational games!" Present Mic exclaimed. Not long after he said those words, the screen above them all turned on, and a bracket was on display. "When that's over, the sixteen that made it to the final round will duke it out one-on-one, tournament style!"

"The final round will be a bunch of one-on-one battles, huh?" Kirishima repeated. Kagome glanced at him.

"It would seem that way," she stated. The battles would be familiar to her.

"I'm gonna stand on the stage that I watch every year on TV!" the redhead continued. Kagome smiled. His excitement was contagious.

"Was it a tournament last year?" Mina questioned.

"It's different every year," Sero chimed in, "but there's usually a one-on-one competition every year. Last year it was a sports chanbara match.

"We'll draw lots to determine the match-ups," Midnight explained. In her hands was a box for the lots. "Once the bracket is decided, then we'll have the recreational games and they start!" she continued. "The sixteen finalists can choose whether or not they want to participate in the recreation. I'm certain some of you must want to rest or save your strength for the battles," she stated. Midnight walked forward with the box in her hands. "Now for the first team-!"

"Excuse me," Ojiro raised a hand and interrupted her mid-sentence. "I'd like to withdraw."

His request took the rest by surprise.

"Ojiro, why do you want that?" Midoriya asked.

"This is a rare chance for the pros to see you," Iida reminded.

"I barely remember anything from the cavalry battle until almost the end," Ojiro responded, lowering his hand as he looked to the ground.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, a frown on her face as she stepped over to him. She rested a hand on his arm in a comforting touch.

"I think it was that guy's Quirk," he continued. Kagome craned her head to the side.

But who was he working with during the match? She let her eyes scan the crowd around them for who it might be. She didn't miss the way Midoriya mirrored her own actions. Soon enough, her gaze landed on the person in question.

Her gaze met the boy's purple eyes, and she recalled him from the end of class that day.

"I came with a declaration of war."

There was no mistaking it- it had been him.

A split second after catching her gaze, he'd turned away entirely. Her frown deepened.

"I know this is a great chance," Ojiro continued. Kagome glanced away from the other boy and back to her classmate. "And that it's foolish to waste it like this, but… everyone here competed by giving it their all," he stated. "I can't be up there with everyone without knowing what really happened."

Kagome's expression softened as she patted his arm gently.

"You're worrying too much about it," Hagakure said, trying to encourage him. "You should just make sure you produce good results in the finals!"

"If you're gonna say that, then I didn't really do anything either," Mina added.

"That's not it…" Ojiro responded. "I'm talking about my pride here, I can't…" he trailed off. "Also, what's with the cheerleader outfits?"

The rest fell silent and avoided looking at the rest.

"If only we could've gotten Kagome in one, too…" Mineta sighed. Kagome bristled and glared at him in response, causing him to jolt back when he realized she had overheard his statement.

"Be very careful how you finish that statement," she stated, tone flat.

"I'm Nirengeki Shoda from class B," another boy spoke up, approaching the stage where MIdnight was. "I'd also like to withdraw for the same reason," he said. "Regardless of ability, don't you think it goes against the goal of this sports festival for those who didn't do anything to move onto the final round?"

"What's with these guys!?" Kirishima questioned out loud, getting choked up at it all. "They're so manly!"

"Youthful talk like that is something…" Midnight commented, "I like!" she exclaimed. "Shoda! Ojiro! I accept your withdrawal!" After a second, she glanced over the crowd. "In that case, we'll have to move up two people from the fifth-place team from the cavalry battle."

"If that's what's going to happen, then rather than us, who barely did anything during the cavalry battle, it should be them, right?" Kendo suggested. The rest of her team were in agreement with her suggestion. "The ones who fought to the end and stayed in the top, Tetsutetsu's team, right?"

"Kendo..!" Tetsutetsu was taken by surprise by her suggestion, but she looked at him with a smile.

"This isn't collusion or anything," she stated. "It's just what makes sense."

"I'll allow it," Midnight said. "Team Tetsutetsu, pick the two you'd like to go to the finals!"

They were given a few minutes to discuss and talk about it, and it was soon decided. At the same time, the bracket was decided.

"All right!" Midnight exclaimed, "Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki have moved up to make the full sixteen for the bracket!" She motioned to the screen above them. "This is the final's bracket!"

At her announcement, Kagome lifted her gaze and found where her name resided. The following second, she saw who her opponent would be in the first fight. Over the gathered crowd, their eyes met. It lasted for only a few seconds, but a clear message was conveyed.

"All right!" Present Mic exclaimed. As he did, she shifted her attention back to the booth he and Aizawa were in. "Time to leave the tournament aside for a momentary interlude! Let's have fun with the recreation!"

His statement was punctuated with the explosion of fireworks. At the same time, the rest around her began to move from where they stood. It was a relief that it wasn't mandatory for her to engage in the games setup, and the moment she had her chance, she departed from the boisterous stadium for some reprieve and silence.

It hadn't taken her long to find a place void of other humans. With a soft sigh, she pressed her back to the wall behind her and slid into a sitting position.

She didn't understand why she was as nervous as she was. She could hold her own in a fight with ease, so a tournament-style competition was something she would do just fine in, yet…

"I shouldn't let my nerves get the best of me like this," she mused out loud to herself. Despite being on her own, she didn't allow her voice to stray too loud. Physically, she felt as prepared as she could be.

Deep down, she knew what the problem was, but she refused to acknowledge it yet again. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall behind her as she tried to force her concerns away. Even if they were buried for only a few hours, that was enough.

A few minutes trickled by before a familiar aura made its way toward her. Out of reflex of her momentarily claimed territory being breached by someone else, she sat up a bit straighter and let sharp blue eyes land on the figure approaching her. Split blue and gray eyes met her gaze before she swapped her attention to the ground between them still.

"Something's bothering you," Todoroki stated. It wasn't a question, but a fact stated from keen observation.

Kagome chose to allow silence to be her response to his statement. It didn't deter him from approaching her, and he sat down beside her so they were on the same level. She didn't miss the way his hands had tightened, nor the way his aura flared with negative feelings.

"He said something to you, didn't he?"

Kagome held her tongue, wondering if it'd be better if she attempted to lie or if she should just say the truth. In the end, she decided on the prior. She pushed herself up and folded her arms across her chest.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she stated. For a brief second, their father's face flared up behind her closed eyes. She glanced back at her brother, blue eyes turning cold. "There's nothing wrong."

In the time they'd reconnected, Todoroki liked to think he'd been able to pick up on her attitudes. Her denial was swift, but he knew it was a lie. He'd seen her lie more than enough times to know the signs. He stood up, gaze darkening as he walked over to where she stood. Physically he was bigger than her in terms of height and muscles, but, at that moment, he forgot as he got close to her.

Her eyes went wide and she backed up until she met the tree behind her. Her wrists were taken in a gentle grip, and her arms were tugged from her chest. One was met with warmth while the other was met with a cold touch. She was quiet as he closed the distance between them, preventing her from slipping past him like he knew she could.

"You don't have to lie," he stated, anger seeping into his eyes as he stared down at her. He gritted his teeth when she looked down to avoid his stare.

"It doesn't matter," she spoke softly. Her voice wavered, far from the usual confidence she spoke with. It dug into his chest hearing the waver of tears stain her voice. "I shouldn't drag you down with me-"

"Drag me down?" He repeated her words, anger spiking as he gripped her wrists a bit tighter out of reflex.

"In his opinion, yes," Kagome responded. She couldn't stand to meet his gaze. She didn't want to see their father's eyes when she looked up.

"Who the hell cares about what that scumbag thinks?" he asked. "You shouldn't be the one trying to appease that old bastard," he growled. Kagome finally moved, tugging both hands free. A second later, she placed one on his chest and pushed him a few steps away. She used the space to move from where she'd been backed into.

"I'm not trying to appease him," she responded softly. "I just…" Her hands tightened into fists as she curled them back around her middle. "I don't want to cause problems for you," she admitted. "So maybe, so I don't get in your way, I shouldn't disrupt you."

Her comment stunned him, and his face fell at her defeated tone. She moved to leave, and he followed before she could get too far away. He caught up easily, reaching out to take her by her arm to tug her to a halt. "Wait," he tried to coax her into facing him again, but she didn't budge as easily this time. She kept her glacial stare fixed ahead of her, and she easily tugged her arm free yet again.

"Good luck in your match," she spoke softly as she walked off. "You can win, I know it, Shoto."

He could easily win, and she had to hope she'd be able to stand at the same level as him. Until then, she'd only drag him down. That much she knew.

His chest ached as she walked away. He watched the path she'd taken until she was out of sight. After a few minutes, he slid into a crouching position against the wall. A wave of harsher anger burned within him.

Just when he thought he couldn't hate their father more, he was shown otherwise.

Auroua-chan: New chapter is done, finally! The next one will have the start of the fights.

Todoroki definitly has a sister complex (but he's not the only brother to have one, so…) He also seems to struggle a bit with boundaries when it comes to her. He just wants to have her around and doesn't like knowing Endeavor bullies her like he does. Really, he just wants to protect her because he couldn't when they were little.

Any guesses as to who her first match will be against?

Anyway, that's it for now! Thank you all for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed! Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not sorry.

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~