A young man walked down the street, and his attire garnered a lot of attention, as did his general appearance. His messy blonde hair stood out a bit, but not as much as the beautiful ornate traditional robes his kimono brought to him as he walked. Basic traditional sandals adorned his feet as he moved. The fourteen-year-old was above average height with a strong, lean muscular frame, hidden away by the thick kimono he wore. The kimono was a lavish combination of teal, purple, and white, with teal as the main color and the others as supporting colors. The boy looked out of time, like he was from some bygone era walking in the street. His upright and purposeful stride drew attention as he wasted no time interacting with anyone.
He was walking into a testing area for students taking tests to go to the grand UA Academy. He was one of these people, and the other students looked at him with a number of funny looks, wondering why he was dressed as he was. Nothing was said by him or by them as he arrived and took his test; no one directly asked him about his funny outfit, style, or appearance.
Approaching the counter, he said, "Hello, sir. I am here for the test. I understand that my sword is normally not allowed, but I have a pass here," handing over a government-issued pass for the sword.
The name on the pass was Inosuke Yama. The man at the counter looked over the note quietly for a moment, double-checking the notes and the ID. He let out a sigh as it did give him approval to have the sword, an odd situation, but he would have to allow this. "Fine, fine. Go ahead. Don't you dare cause any problems."
"Of course," Inosuke said in a calm tone. "I will be careful."
The young teenager walked into the testing room and sat by himself as he took the test. It wasn't hard for him, as he finished before anyone else in the room. He didn't interact with a single other student as he finished. He walked out of the room and disappeared from the view of the students who still had no idea what to make of the strange figure.
While the boy stood out, no one thought much about him at that moment; he was just one of many taking the test and aiming to be part of UA.
He wouldn't stand out other than his look to the other students. That was at least until the practical exam where they were tested against the robots. He would arrive the next day. He would arrive once again in the middle of the group of testers, standing out, but no one was going to be bold enough to ask him about his attire or the purpose of a sword in the modern era.
The young man gathered himself as he focused on his breath meditation, maintaining a stoic appearance. He thought about his teacher's way of handling things like this, how he was shown to handle challenges and focus on the problem before himself, the challenge being the exam. He had a good idea what he was going to face, and he felt ready, but one never could be sure until the moment of the challenge. He looked around and saw interesting people in the exam. He sat Indian style as he waited for the start, in the middle of a road without any thought or concern. He could hear the sounds of the electrical engines as he got to his feet, his stoic look hardening as he looked ahead, his blue eyes scanning the world in front of him.
He moved forward with speed and ability as soon as the test began, his feet barely touching the ground, every single movement exact and purposeful as he had been trained since he could first pick up his sword. Mokuteki was far from the normal blade; the black handle of the sword stood out among other things as it had a simple sheath as well, the katana at the side of Inosuke as he charged forward, his Iaido style catching the eyes of the students wondering what a kid with a sword would do against a machine. Metal against metal wasn't going to do anything.
Inosuke pressed his lead foot down and moved right towards the machine with a bit of a hop. His sword came out in a single motion, the blade glowing brightly as the photokinetic energy washed around it, the heat of the light energy allowing it to cut through the machine like a knife through butter. The energy dispelled off the edge of the blade as it finished the cut, sliding forward into the next two robots behind the first.
Inosuke swung his sword to the right, letting the extra photokinetic energy form into one more strike that took down one last small robot to his left. He looked ahead and gathered his thoughts.
*On your left, watch out*, he communicated telepathically to a pink-skinned female ahead of him, showcasing his telepathic communication skills.*Keep a lookout and take it down as I get it unbalanced.*
He swiftly moved past the pink-skinned girl in the same test, jumping up and bouncing off a robot before it could fire on him, leaving the enemy for the pink-skinned girl to take down. As he executed his jump and the robot turned to attempt to attack him, it threw itself off balance, making it an easy target for the pink-skinned girl, Mina Ashido.
He knew she had it, as he didn't even bother to look back at the victory. Instead, he headed directly into combat with more enemies around. His speed and agility took him into combat with a small group of robots, sliding through them in a similar style as the first group. His speed and skill drew attention from the booth watching the exam itself, and his score was noteworthy.
His light blade was obvious, with his two quirks working in unison—his photokinetic quirk and his mind quirk, although the latter was far less evident as it wasn't needed and wouldn't work against robots. He landed on the concrete, his sandals slamming into the ground as he surveyed the defeated enemies around him.
So far, the fight was underwhelming. He could see others victorious against their foes, and he knew that this wasn't going to be the hardest thing ever. He moved to gather points, but he was sure he was fine in that front as well, as fewer and fewer machines were around to take down. Then he heard an alert. The 0 point monster was coming, a robot of great size and power.
He looked to see the towering robot and smiled as he felt his hand go to his sword. He looked around, *Hey pinky, you want to help me take that thing down. You with the big hands, and you, um, steel dude, want to help. I think we can take it down; it seems like a worthwhile challenge. If not, then move; it will come this way in around 45 seconds*, he told them telepathically.
Tetsutetsu responded enthusiastically, *Count me in! Let's show this metal giant what we're made of!*
Itsuka chimed in, *Sure thing! I'm ready to lend a hand.*
Mina, with her characteristic energy, added, *This is gonna be so much fun! Let's do it!*
*Good, here is the plan. I am going to go in and engage it. Mina, use your acid on its wheels; kill its ability to move. I will hit this thing as hard as I can, do whatever damage that can be done. Itsuka, wait for it to get off-balanced and push it over if you can. Tetsutetsu, defend the two of them from it; you're their guardian,* Inosuke said as he found their names through the mind link he had with them. *Okay, I trust you guys. Let's take this guy down.*
Inosuke returned his blade and adjusted his feet. He had to time this right, as he took a deep breath he moved forward quickly jumping onto the machine as he went with a horizontal strike, cutting into the machine as he jumped up it bouncing along before slicing into it time and time again with his sword glowing in the daytime.
As Inosuke relentlessly attacked the towering robot, the others swiftly moved into position to execute their part of the plan. Mina focused on the machine's wheels, her acid sizzling upon contact, quickly corroding the vital components and impairing its mobility. Meanwhile, Itsuka waited for the opportune moment, analyzing the robot's movements to identify the perfect time to destabilize it.
Tetsutetsu stood firm, positioning himself between his teammates and the colossal machine. His metallic defense absorbed the powerful blows from the robot, acting as a shield for Mina and Itsuka. The teamwork unfolded seamlessly as they executed their roles with precision.
Inosuke continued his acrobatic assault, his sword flashing in the sunlight with each strike. The robot, now hampered by Mina's acid and distracted by Inosuke's relentless attacks, began to falter. Itsuka seized the opportunity, leveraging her Quirk to push the mechanical giant off-balance.
With a mighty push, the colossal robot started to tilt, unable to maintain its stability. Tetsutetsu, unyielding in his defense, braced for any counterattack the machine might attempt in its weakened state. The collaborative efforts of the team proved effective as they strategically dismantled the formidable opponent.
In the end, the colossal robot, once a daunting challenge, now lay defeated on the ground. Inosuke, breathing heavily, sheathed his glowing sword, a triumphant smile on his face. The successful teamwork of the group showcased the power of their quirks and their ability to overcome challenges through coordination and strategy.
"That was fun, thanks for the help," Inosuke said quietly, his confident mental voice replaced by a somewhat timid personal voice—a quiet tone as if he wasn't used to talking to many people. To emphasize his gratitude and show his different demeanor, he bowed out of respect for a moment. "I am grateful for your help."
Tetsutetsu grinned, clapping Inosuke on the shoulder. "No problem, man! Teamwork makes the dream work, right?"
Itsuka nodded with a smile. "It was a solid plan. We made a good team."
Mina, always full of energy, chimed in, "Totally! We rocked it! Let's celebrate later or something."
Inosuke, still adjusting to the interaction, offered a small smile. "Yeah, sure. Celebrate sounds nice."
As the exam concluded, and the results awaited in the future, Inosuke suggested, "Now, I guess I have time before I have to head back to the old shrine. Um, did you want to eat out? I can pay, you know," he said softly, his lack of familiarity with dealing with others evident in his traditional outfit and manners.
Tetsutetsu grinned, clapping Inosuke on the shoulder again. "Hey, that sounds great! I'm up for a meal. And don't worry about paying; we can split the bill."
Itsuka nodded in agreement. "I could go for a meal. Thanks for the offer, Inosuke."
Mina, always energetic, added, "Sure thing! Let's grab a bite together."
Inosuke, appreciating the friendly gesture, bowed slightly. "Thank you for accepting. I would be honored to share a meal with all of you. Let's find a suitable place."
As they headed to the chosen restaurant, curiosity got the better of Tetsutetsu, Itsuka, and Mina. They couldn't help but ask Inosuke about his unique personality and the formal attire that stood out in the modern setting.
Tetsutetsu scratched his head, "Hey, Inosuke, your clothes are pretty old-fashioned. What's the story behind them?"
Inosuke, smiled as he had no problem at all talking about his clothes at all. "These clothes are a representation of where I am from, of my heritage being from out in the country. You see my family runs a very old shrine, that means the world to us," he explained, pausing as his tone very much reflected his pride. "You see, my grandfather raised me and I guess the love of the lifestyle just came from that. As for my outfit, the white is for purity, the teal is the color of my family and the purple represents my mom."
Hearing this Itsuka, intrigued, asked, "So, you're from the countryside? What's it like living in an old shrine?"
Inosuke nodded, "Yes, it's a peaceful life surrounded by nature. The old shrine has been in our family for generations. I find solace in its tranquility and the traditions passed down through the years."
Mina, her curiosity piqued, questioned, "And what about being so formal? Is that just a family thing?"
Inosuke smiled, "Yes, exactly. My grandfather emphasized the importance of tradition and formality. He believed it instills discipline and respect. It's a way of life that has been passed down through the generations in my family."
Inosuke paused as he looked at the menu. HIs eyes scan the different choices on the menu. He was a bit overwhelmed with everything, the city was so much more busy than life had been in the countryside. He wasn't going to complain, but he hoped he didn't stand out for any negative reasons. "Sorry if I come off as a country bumpkin, this my first time in a big city, and things are very different than what I am used to."
The three others listened and nodded as they could understand how this could be a big change for Inosuke. He was from a very different place than them, and they were all sure if they went to his home they would feel out of place as well.
Tetsutetsu chuckled, clapping Inosuke on the back. "No worries, man! City life can be overwhelming at first. How about we recommend some dishes? Anything in particular you're in the mood for?"
Itsuka added, "Yeah, the menu here can be a bit extensive. We can help you navigate through it."
Mina, with her usual enthusiasm, suggested, "Oh, you gotta try the local specialties! Let's get a bit of everything and share."
Inosuke, appreciating their assistance, bowed slightly. "I appreciate your guidance. Whatever you recommend is fine; I'm open to trying new things."
As they delved into the menu, Tetsutetsu enthusiastically recommended some local specialties, highlighting the flavors of the city. Itsuka and Mina chimed in with their own favorites, creating a lively discussion about food and sharing stories from their own experiences in the bustling city.
Inosuke, though unfamiliar with the urban setting, embraced the camaraderie and the chance to explore new tastes. He followed their suggestions and opted for a mix of local dishes, trusting his new friends' judgment.
As the group slowly enjoyed their meal, they shared stories and talked about things they they liked finding some interest between them. It was a fun time for each of the four teenagers as Inosuke slowly felt more comfortable in the city and around fellow students as the meal went along.
As they finished their meal, Inosuke expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for introducing me to this experience. The food was excellent, and I enjoyed our time together."
Tetsutetsu clapped him on the back again. "Anytime, Inosuke! If you ever want to explore the city more or grab a meal, just let us know."
Itsuka nodded, smiling. "Absolutely. It was great getting to know you better."
Mina, with her usual energy, added, "Yeah, we should do this again! Maybe explore more of the city together."
Inosuke, appreciating the offer, bowed once more. "I would be honored. Thank you for the warmth and hospitality."