I only own this fan fiction. May contain Out of Character moments.

New Years, despite it being a special holiday, came and went just like any other day.

When morning came, Minoru said good-bye to his dad and boarded the bus back to UA, which was being escorted by Cementoss. There, he saw some of his classmates already seated, smiling and ready to get the gang back together. So once Minoru plopped in the seat next to Izuku, they all quietly enjoyed the ride until the moment all 20 of them made it back home.

Their second home.

Not that they stayed at UA for long. Because, as mentioned before, they all needed to head off to their respective Hero agencies to begin their internships anew. And with Sir Nighteye finishing the transfer documents well before the new year, Izuku and Minoru were picked up by Fenghuang herself. She had a simple sedan waiting out in front of UA's gates. And after the final verification with Aizawa, they were off to Inuito and the Heaven and Earth Temple.

It was a bit of a drive to the home city of the temple. But once they arrived and parked in the lot…

"Welcome, Young Midoriya, to the Heaven and Earth Temple. And to you, Young Mineta, welcome back. You will both come to learn many things during your tenure here. About your bodies, about your minds, about your spirits… And only when these 3 things align can you become the person, the Hero, you wish to be." Fenghuang said as she stood before the entrance of the building.

The Temple exterior was as gray, urban, and plain-looking as Minoru remembered it being. He could still recall the utter confusion he felt when he first laid his eyes on the building. Minoru was so desperate to reconcile the disconnect between the Temple's interior and exterior… He never realized that was the point of the design until Fenghuang told him.

So seeing Izuku's curious face filled the shorter boy with so much nostalgia.

"Wait until you walk in dude, then it gets wild." Minoru said, patting his partner's arm.

"Oh! Is the interior exactly like what I've seen online? Ryukyu's offices have a similar Chinese aesthetic once you step in through the doors." Izuku asked, green eyes shining a little more.

"Why not take a look for yourself, Young Midoriya?" Fenghuang said.

She then held the front door open before beckoning them inside. The green haired boy went first, excited to step into and experience another Hero agency. Minoru was a bit slower to allow his partner to see and process his thoughts. And upon entering the very average reception lobby, with costumed Heroes and trainees milling about, the shorter boy could see Izuku's confusion grow.

"Its normal looking? Then…?" Izuku muttered to himself, no doubt trying to figure out the trick between reality and the photos from the internet.

"Ah! Shifu, welcome back! Was your drive to UA pleasant?" The receptionist, Kanzaki if Minoru remembered correctly, asked as she looked up from her computer.

"Simply serene, Kanzaki-san. Could you contact Housekeeper to come get the belongings of our newest pupils? I'd like to start teaching them right away and he probably needs to stretch his legs. Have him place it in 3-C, Young Mineta's prior room." She replied, gesturing to Izuku and Minoru.

"Of course. Mineta Minoru, Midoriya Izuku, you may leave your belongings by the front desk for pick up. We hope you'll find your stay comfortable and your training fruitful." Kanzaki said with a bow. She then gestured to a table with a sign above it that said 'luggage drop-off'. The pair nodded and placed their bags and their costume case down onto the table.

It honestly felt like they were checking into a hotel.

"Housekeeper… Is he a new sidekick Shifu?" Minoru asked as he and Izuku came back to Fenghuang.

"Indeed he is. We hired him after your week with us, Young Mineta. He has a sensory Quirk and photographic memory, allowing him to easily keep track of who and what enters and exits the Temple. And if you put him in a situation where you need to keep track of people, like a sinking cruise ship, he'll be able to locate them no matter what, alive or dead." Fenghuang replied.

The words 'sinking cruise ship' caused the two boys to flinch, remembering all the chaos they and 1A had to resolve for their 2nd term final exam. Shouji, Jirou, Kouda, Iida, and Izuku had put in some serious effort to ensure they didn't miss a single person on their test ship. But to have someone who can single-handedly handle all that surveillance and information? This person's Quirk must be an incredible one.

"Locating victims and keeping track of evacuees are the most laborious parts of a rescue mission! But to do that all on his own? Freeing other Heroes up to aid in the rescue efforts? Just think of all the lives they could save! I'd like to meet him one day and talk about the specifics." Izuku commented, words spewing out of his mouth and sparkles glistening within his eyes.

"Who knows? You might meet him today with the assignment I have prepared. But I'm getting ahead of myself... Come, young pupils, to the main training halls, we'll discuss more on what you'll be doing there." Fenghuang said with a smile before gesturing to the doorway that led deeper inside. Izuku and Minoru walked towards the door, again with the latter following the former to judge hisreaction.

And he was correct to do so. As the moment the green haired boy opened the door, he noticed the hallway's change in aesthetic at the halfway point. From standard office tile floor, painted drywall, and fluorescent lights, to lacquered hardwood floors, red varnished wood walls, and lights in the shape of paper lanterns. Izuku looked back at Fenghuang and Minoru with building wonder in his eyes. The Radiant Wing simply gestured for him to continue onwards with an amused smile, no doubt never tired of people discovering the secret. Minoru nodded, grinning at his partner's enthusiasm as he ran on ahead and pushed open the gilded doors on the other end.

And beheld the training hall there within.

It was as Minoru remembered it being. A large, wood furnished octagonal shaped room with an octagonal hole at the center that stretched from the 8th floor ceiling to the basement floor. The training equipment was the same, as were the instructors teaching self-defense maneuvers. The shorter boy even spotted Master Kamishiro sparring on the mats, no doubt demonstrating a technique to the other trainees.

"Welcome, Young Midoriya, to the heart of the Heaven and Earth Temple. In these 9 halls, from the basement to the top floor, our instructors help others learn the art of battle and, more importantly, discover something new about themselves. Standard instruction begins at 10 and ends at 6 on weekdays, 9-to-3 on weekends, with private lessons available an hour before and after these times." Fenghuang introduced, gesturing to the space all around them.

"... Why are you using the 12-hour format?" Minoru asked.

"Master O'Sullivan said the times become a mouthful to say in the 24-hour format, so we use the 12-hour version for her benefit. We still print the times in our country's standard time on all our flyers and business cards though."

"The contrasting aesthetics between the entrance and the halls must be a lesson to everyone to not make shallow assumptions! That you must always look deeper, at the heart of things, for the truth! I see now!" Izuku said excitedly, understanding the message of the building's design faster than Minoru did. How he came to that conclusion so quickly, the shorter boy had no idea.

Perhaps Iida and his penchant for seeing lessons that may or may not be there has rubbed off on him.

"Indeed Young Midoriya. Too many times do people only do surface readings, judging a book by its cover. Which is why it's important to let go of any preconceived notions and truly see things for what they are. Which is why, for your first assignment of your internship, I want you two to find and formally introduce yourselves to each of the 8 masters." Fenghuang said with a nod. That task caused Minoru to tilt his head.

"... What about the cursed toilet?"

"We cleaned that on New Year's Eve. Can't start the year with filth from the previous one looming over us." Fenghuang answered grimly.

"Cursed toilet?" Izuku asked nervously.

"You'll know in about two weeks. But that's then, this is now. Now go ahead, explore the Temple and familiarize yourself with the people you'll be seeing often in the coming weeks. I will be in the Taiji Hall, training my current students and will be ready for you once you've finished."

"Yes Shifu!" The two of them answered. And with that, the Radiant Wing descended the stairs to the hall below. Minoru quickly took his partner's arm and began leading him straight to Kamishiro. It's times like these that the shorter boy really appreciated meeting the masters beforehand. That way, they'll be able to finish this task early.

"And that's how it's done. Please practice this with your partners slowly, get a feel for the movements." Kamishiro said, gesturing for his students to repeat the demonstrative maneuvers. He then spotted Minoru and Izuku approaching, immediately smiling at the sight of the shorter boy and met them at the half-way point.

"Mineta-kun! Welcome back! And this is your partner I assume? I'm Kamishiro Yuu, lead instructor of Practical Self Defense and master of the Earth Hall." He said before extending a hand to Izuku. The green haired boy immediately took it and gave it a firm, but friendly shake.

"Midoriya Izuku. I'm here with Minoru-kun to study under Fenghuang Shifu for our Hero internships. I hope we get along."

"I hope so too. And you don't need to tell us why you're here, Shifu already told us. You'll come to learn a lot of things while you're here, I know I did when Shifu chose me as an instructor. If there's something you want to know or need a sparring partner, don't hesitate to drop by." Kamishiro replied, his usual friendliness on full display. In a way, Minoru felt like those two would get along incredibly well. Not just because they're slightly awkward, but friendly people…

But because they could be absolutely savage in battle.

"I better not take too much of your time. You do have to introduce yourselves to the others by the end of today."

"Actually, she never gave us a time limit." Minoru replied.

"Then take as much time as you two need. But not too much time. I don't think your teachers at UA would appreciate you spending a majority of your internship talking to people." Kamishiro said with a chuckle.

"Oh yeah, no… Aizawa-sensei would kill us… We'll be off, Kamishiro-san." Izuku said, bowing to the self-defense teacher.

And with one last wave, the Hero pair climbed to the next floor and came into the Water Hall. There were 2 octagon cages, the kinds used in MMA fighting, sitting at one section of the hall and various mats and training dummies scattered throughout the rest. Various people were in the midst of training of various kinds. At one of the sand bags, Minoru saw Master O'Sullivan pummeling it with a well paced combo. People were watching, but it didn't look like it was for learning.

This was probably personal training.

In fact, she was so into it, O'Sullivan didn't acknowledge them approaching or respond to Minoru calling out to her. She kept punching and kicking the sand bag with incredible focus. The shorter boy looked to his partner and found Izuku looking back, hoping for an explanation. But all he could offer was a shrug. He didn't know O'Sullivan very well and he didn't get a chance to interact with her much last time.

With one final blow to the sandbag, a roundhouse kick that shook it and the stand that held it, she let out a strong but controlled exhale.

"So the little mouse has come back, with a friend too!" She said suddenly with a subtle tone of affection. Her intense gaze fell on the two boys as she turned to face them. She approached the two as she grabbed a towel off a nearby rack and dried herself off. But unlike Kamishiro, who offered a hand of friendship… She just got up close and personal with the two and sized them up.

"Master O'Sullivan… This is my partner…" Minoru said, a slight nervous energy lacing his words. There was something about her that intimidated him in a similar way to Bakugou.

"Midoriya Izuku! It's a pleasure to meet you." Izuku blurted out as O'Sullivan continued to silently observe him. But after a few more moments, she gave a smirk and backed off from the two.

"You've got a good build on you, Bean Sprout, though you've still got a long way to go before you make real use of it. But that's why you're here. Katie O'Sullivan, former MMA champion and master of the Water Hall. Don't forget it. Later." O'Sullivan commented before walking off towards some students.

"B-Bean Sprout?" Izuku asked, looking towards his partner.

"Yeah… I don't know where that came from… Let's just move on."

The two quickly went to the stairs as O'Sullivan shouted something about using your hips more to a pair of sparring individuals. They had no idea what that was about, but they were already on the next floor to go back and check. This hall contained fencing foils, fencing protection, replica rapiers hanging on the walls, and sounds of metal clinking against each other as students and instructors dueled one another.

One of the most interesting duels was between a person in completely black protective gear and someone in regular white gear. What was interesting, at least to Minoru, was that the foil of the person in black moved at speeds that made it look like he wielded streaks of light instead. That was all the shorter boy needed to identify the Hero from Spain, Master Vengador. But who was that other person barely able to protect themselves?

"What swift blade work! I'm honored to experience your full power teacher!" The person in white said, his voice sounding quite familiar to Izuku and Minoru.

"And yet you're able to fend off my mortal blows, if barely! You've improved leaps and bounds, Mr. Tobita!" Vengador said cheerfully. Mr. Tobita? Where has Minoru heard that name before? But before he could ponder on that any longer… The Spaniard flicked the other duelist's foil away with a single stroke. And in that moment, poked his opponent in the chest.

"That's game point. Good duel, Mr. Tobita. We will be able to proceed to our next, more advanced lessons." Vengador said, taking off his headgear.

"Then I look forward to tomorrow's lesson! It will be another great chapter in my memoir of redemption!" The other duelist said, removing his headgear with unnecessary panache. Minoru and Izuku swore their hearts stopped when they saw who was behind that mask. White hair, well-kept beard and mustache, and a flair for the dramatic…

"Gentle!?" Izuku shouted.

"What the Hell are you doing here!?" Minoru added. All eyes fell on the two boys as they were stiffly pointing at the dapper Villain who was arrested alongside La Brava on the day of UA's Culture Festival. They hoped they would get a chance to meet them again… But like this? Out of the blue? So soon? At the Heaven and Earth Temple?

"Ah! Gentlemen! That's right, it is I, the Gentle Criminal! Though for legal reasons, I can no longer use that name. It's now just Tobita Danjuro, reforming Villain, at your service." The man said before taking a deep bow. This did not help the duo. In fact, this made them even more confused.

"Reforming Villain?" Minoru asked, slowly recovering from the shock of this unexpected reunion. Did Fenghuang and the Temple take in Gentle because of his nature and circumstances? Before the shorter boy could think any harder on this, Vengador answered those silent questions.

"Shifu is a strong advocate for criminal and Villain reformation. The temple is one of the handful of hero agencies that has such a program. And Shifu was the only one willing to take a chance on Mr. Tobita here."

"And for that, I'm eternally grateful. Whenever she walks by, I lower my head in thanks." Gentle said, demonstrating said action. The depth of the reforming man's bow didn't need to be THAT deep though…

"Is La Brava here too?" Izuku asked, looking around the hall for a short, pink haired woman.

"Yes, but not in this building. My dear Manami's working at the Temple's IT division next door." Gentle said, gesturing in the direction of said building.

"Wait… That's also part of the temple?" Minoru asked. He always passed by it during his spring internship on his way back from patrolling with Fenghuang. Again, it looked like any other office building, so he didn't think much of it. Once more, his expectations were shattered.

"It's where we handle all the documentation, administration, and logistical aspects of the Temple and Agency. All our offices are there, though it's not particularly glamorous looking like our halls here." Vengador answered as he removed the rest of his protective gear. But while Izuku and Minoru were processing this information, the Spainard stepped forward and held his hand out to the green haired boy.

"It is an honor to meet the heroic partner of Mr. Mineta. I am Custodio Montoya and the Hero Vengador. I have arrived from Spain for personal reasons… But found quite a fondness for teaching Destreza Fencing here in the Fire Hall.

"Midoriya Izuku. I'm no swordsman… But your skill was incredible! It made me want to give it a try!" Izuku replied, shaking Vengador's hand.

"Such is the allure of the sword, the weapon in Heroic tales of old… But that is for another day. Now, head on up while Mr. Tobita and I clean up. Enjoy your stay." He said with a charismatic smile. And with one final nod and bow to Gentle, Izuku and Minoru moved on from this floor to the next with feet feeling lighter than before.

Upon reaching the next floor, they found a space that was mostly empty of furnishings. Instead, half of the walls were mirrors and had speakers in key locations of the space. Before each mirror were a group of people, sorted by age group, learning various dances. From ballet, to tap, to those expertly choreographed dances that only professionals could pull off… All of it was being practiced here.

"Oh right, Master Kokyu is the lead dance instructor and their hall is a dance studio." Minoru commented, looking around for the androgynous master amongst the dancers.

"This feels very out of place. Why is this here?" Izuku asked, scratching at his head.

"Hmmm… I wonder…"

The two boys jumped and turned around, only to be face-to-face with the person they were looking for. They were dressed in a slightly loose tracksuit and had tied their brown hair into a ponytail, making them look a little more feminine than before. At least, that's what Minoru thinks.

"Did you learn from Master Eclipse or something!? I couldn't sense you!" The shorter boy asked, genuinely wondering about that degree of stealth the dancer showed.

"Everyone always said I was light on my feet… Anyhow, it's a pleasure to see you again Mineta-san. And look at you! You've grown so much since last spring!" Kokyu replied with a cheer. Then, looking at Izuku, Kokyu performed the most fluid bow to the green haired boy that Minoru has ever seen.

"I am Kokyu Hayato, the humble dance instructor of Wind Hall studio. And though it's quite different from the teachings of my peers… I hope the choreography you see here will inspire you in some way."

"Midoriya Izuku. And our class actually put on a dance performance for the UA Culture Festival." Izuku replied with a nod.

"I wish I could've seen it. It must've been a very fun experience for both you and the audience."

"Oh it was. I'll see if I can get the video of it from one of our friends. And maybe you can give us your professional opinion?" Minoru replied, smiling at the memory of their great performance. However, before the Kokyu could respond to that, a voice called out to them and them alone.

"Kokyu-sensei! We've finished warming up!" One girl shouted, gesturing to her dance group of 6 other girls.

"Coming! I look forward to seeing it someday. Now, continue up the Temple and complete your introductions. You're halfway there." The dancer said with a wink before jogging off.

"Why did that sound so ominous?" Minoru asked, turning to his partner. Izuku simply shrugged and the two boys looked at the stairs leading up into the next floor. But then, the shorter boy saw his partner have an idea as to why they felt such unease. A literal lightbulb moment.

"Going up levels… Meeting the boss of each floor… It's like we're in an RPG and working through a dungeon!"

"Makes sense to me. Come on partner, the Mountain Hall is next." Minoru said with an amused, but determined smile. And with an equally determined nod, the green haired boy walked with his friend up the stairs.

"I'm right behind you."

And that has been Chapter 131!

A more introductory chapter to the individuals who will be putting our boys through the wringer. This is only half, so stay tuned for the next update to meet the rest.

I don't have any other news. So...

Until Next Time. T1.