Starting from this chapter on, I will try to explain some of why I went with certain ideas and write them on top. Since at the end of it all, it's mostly just me being a nut and trying to make something that really shouldn't work, well, work. Admittedly, it is staying rather close to the main story path, though I do want to experiment with moving different events. Like, a potential idea would be moving AFO's fight towards Christmastime, though as I've written it currently, it's approaching to a Kamino Encounter as-in canon. Though if I want to make timing ambiguous, I could pull Gigantomachia forward and have him fight the Great Ape.
As for what's in this chapter? Truthfully, I just wanted to have more moments of Goku's family life, and there's really not too much in the way between the end of the Stain Arc and the Final Exams Arc, so some character interactions should be in order.
-Chapter 14: Long Road to the Finale-
The day after the first Joint Training Group and after school had finished, Goku started to relax at home from the hectic few weeks. It was the second week of May, and the finals were still a month away. That was, until they heard a knock at the front.
"Hmm? Hey, Gohan, can you get the door, I'm busy with cooking up dinner!" Mikai called out.
"No problem, honey," Gohan said, as he opened the door. To his shock, it was a man he never thought would come around this part of the neighbor. That was, it was Enji Todoroki.
"Is this the Son Residence?" Enji asked.
"Um.. it is..." Gohan said, apprehensively. Obviously, due to the fact that he's Goku's father, he had heard about Endeavor's attack on the Great Ape. An attack on his son. Keeping his anger in check, he tries to play as a fair host.
"Thank you," The No. 2 Hero said in a respectful manner, taking off his shoes and leaving them near the door. "I wish to speak to your son, Son-san."
"Why should I allow that, Todoroki?" Gohan asked, irritated. "You tried to kill my son."
"I am well aware," the Hellfire Hero said, with an exhausted sigh. "It's... a rather shameful action..." This comment threw the Rice Hero's train of thought out of order. Especially for someone he always saw as a prideful git.
"Alright, I'll let you speak with him, but I'm staying by his side," The father warned, before he turned to the staircase. "Hey, Goku! We have a visitor who wants to talk with you!"
"Coming, Dad!" Goku said excitedly, though seeing Endeavor, right there, shook him a bit. "E-Endeavor?!"
"Son Goku-san," The fiery father said in a blunt tone. "I hope you have been doing well."
"I mean, yeah, I've been doing good. But why are you all the way out here?" The Saiyan asked.
"To be perfectly honest, I don't know where to even begin..." He started going into his monologue. "Ever since we first met at the Sports Festival, you had that... energy, about you. Whenever others are around you, they felt the need to push themselves. The desire to match up with you. The want to be you."
"Where are you going with this?" Goku inquired.
"I'll get to it in a moment, Son Goku-san." Endeavor grumpily replied. "At that point, I thought nothing of it. I simply thought you were playing with your opponents' expectations, that you weren't as strong as many would assume. However, after that day, and after I had tried to kill you in your giant ape form, I think I found my answer. You have a compassion that rivals only All Might's himself, Son. your potential to be a great Hero is immeasurable, but it's especially apparent through your compassion towards those around you. Because it will be that compassion that'll bring out the full potential of not only yourself, but your friends and allies. If you were truly just going for absolute power, I don't think you would have left me alive after I had harmed you."
For a while, Goku had to think up of a way to respond to this comment. Of course, there was a lot to decipher from that dialogue, though soon, he found his words and gave the No. 2 Hero a steeled look.
"I've always been taught that it's always when Heroes work together is when their best strengths are enhanced, and their greatest weaknesses are diminished. Sometimes, I can get carried away, and that allows my foes to get a hit off on me. Other times, I can feel my friends in danger and so I change course so that they can remain safe. At the end of it all, I'm just one man, and no one man can ever truly be the best if all they have is themselves. However, when I unify my skills with others who can counteract my weaknesses, that's when I truly become my best self. And I think my friends and sparring partners become their best selves as well. Can you be sure you're your best self when you work alone, Endeavor?"
"Heh... That's my son, right there!" Gohan spoke fondly towards his son.
This entire encounter with Son was mind blowing to Endeavor. Why does this kid have so much wisdom at such a young age? Was he truly blind to its effects before? His wants and desires to surpass All Might, no matter the cost... It was never going to happen by his own hand, but with all the pain and suffering he had inflicted, intentional or not, it started to turn the gears in his head that went unturned for a long while. Was it all worth it, at the end...?
"Son-san... Thank you for hosting me, even with the enmity between us," Enji bowed to Gohan. "This talk was a truly eye-opening experience, and I will not forget about it."
"Hey, Todoroki-san!" Gohan stopped Endeavor. "Why not eat with us before you go? You went all this way just to talk to our son, surely you're hungry!"
"Heh... Fine, I'll take you up on your offer," The No. 2 Hero stayed to eat.
The family, plus Enji, started to eat dinner. He was baffled to witness the Goku Garbage Disposal™ at work, but the food he had to eat was delicious. It was a simple low-mid class meal of pork and rice with orange-scented oils provided by Mikai, yet it felt like the finest meal he'd ever eaten. Seeing this working class family genuinely enjoying each others' company, compared to the fairly empty table that only hosts himself and Shoto for most nights, it was night and day how the ambience felt.
"I will admit, this was not a night I was expecting to remember fondly," Enji spoke, as he finally heads toward the door. "But, thank you very much, Son Family."
"I thought I would hate you for the rest of my life, but somehow, I can't bear that grudge against you any longer," Gohan replied. "Stay safe out there, Todoroki-san."
"Much the same for you, Son-san."
Soon, Enji Todoroki took his car back home, finally having lifted a good chunk of weight off his shoulders.
"I swear, Goku, I think your kindness is contagious!" Gohan got his son in a headlock as he gives him a noogie.
"Cut it out, Dad!" Goku said as he was giggling, trying to get out of his old man's grasp. Mikai can't help but giggle at the nonsense her boys are getting into.
"Your father isn't lying, son!" She joined in with her husband. "But that's what we love the most about you!"
Then, the day after, came another door knock, though it is softer than with Enji. However, when Son opens the door, he felt himself go pale. Standing in front of him is the Yaoyorozu Matriarch. Dressed in a prim and proper dress, she's in her 40's, yet defies the logic of aging and looks as if she's only 31.
"W-What do I owe the honor of you coming over here, Yaoyorozu-sama?" Gohan knew well just how powerful the influence of the Yaoyorozu Clan is within Japan. They are one of Japan's richest families, and while the Yaoyorozu Patriarch isn't often in Japan due to his constant business trips, one does not mess with the Matriarch, either.
"My daughter wishes to spar with Son Goku, Son Gohan-san," The Matriarch spoke in a cool, collected voice. A bit more direct towards strangers than with her own daughter.
"Oh, so you're Momo's mother?" Mikai spoke up. "I'll go and get him for you!"
"Indeed," she said, as she looks around the fairly small house. "Personally, I do not see what my Yaomomo sees in the boy, but she was especially insistent on having him over. If he hurts her, you will have me to answer to, Son-san."
"Of course, Yaoyorozu-sama," Gohan bowed. Soon, Goku appears and looks at the Matriarch. He's rather shocked, since she looks like an older and taller Momo, though her hair was perpetually down to her mid-back instead of done in a ponytail. And unlike the daughter, whose Quirk mandates that she has some supply of fat, the mother was slim, though still well taken care of.
"So, you're that same Son Goku that my daughter speaks so highly of. Hmm, you do kind of look plain, but there's more to you than your simple looks," The Matriarch eyes him, up and down. "My daughter requests a spar with you. Will you accept?"
"Boy would I!" Goku was over the moon.
"What me meant to say is 'Yes please and thank you'!" Gohan hastily added on.
"Please, don't embarrass yourself, Son Gohan-san. I may be from high society, but if Son Goku-san wishes to reply in that refreshingly simple way, he may do so. We shall be back in a few hours," She spoke, leading Goku to her limousine, as the pair leave.
During the ride up...
"To be honest with you, Son Goku-san, after my daughter had come back from her internship, she said that felt much less focused," The Matriarch said to Goku.
"Hmm, she didn't really say too much with me, though she seemed so excited to see me back," The Saiyan told her. "Though I had noticed it, too."
"There was something on the television I had seen recently. It was a shampoo commercial by Uwambi's agency. And I know I had seen my Yaomomo on there." Her face scrunched in anger. "That back-talking snake must have sweet talked my daughter into signing a contract with her."
"Ah, jeez..." Goku only had that to say.
"That's why she wanted to spar with you specifically. I had wanted to get Denkiken-sensei back, though she had insisted on you. I will respect her intuition, but under no circumstances are you allowed to seriously injure her. Am I clear on that?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Goku replied. This affirmation calmed the Matriarch down.
"Thank goodness. I feel like I can trust you on your word... I don't know why, but you make me feel at ease."
They soon appear at the Yaoyorozu Estate. It was absolutely huge compared to the Son home.
"My daughter is waiting for you in the back yard. And before you worry about it, she took the liberty of creating a gi for you," she remarks, leading Goku to a bathroom.
In the room an orange and blue gi, reminiscent of the Hero Costume Goku wears, though there's only a chest patch, and it was empty. Changing into the gi, Goku finally goes outside and spots Momo, wearing her Denkiken Gi.
"Thank you for coming over, Son-san," Momo bows to him. "You have no idea how long it took me to convince my mother to do it."
"I'm always glad to spar with you, Momo!" the Saiyan said, as he bowed as well. "Though how about this? We do a shorter spar first, so we can see where you're at."
"That makes sense," she agreed, as she goes into her stance. However, she doesn't have the same energy as Goku goes into his pose.
"Let's start now!" He announces, as he rushes at his opponent. While she's able to dodge her opponent's strike, her clouded thoughts negatively impacts her strikes. The blows that land on Goku feel much less intense, less focused, and leaves her open to a counterattack. After a minute, Goku has had enough and stops the spar.
"It's clear that there's something off going on. You're still able to dodge my attacks, but your own blows lack that finesse and control that you've displayed during the Sports Festival." Goku spoke in a serious tone.
"I'm sorry, Son-san... I'm no more than a weak girl," Momo felt her confidence crumble. Goku took personal umbridge to that self-insult.
"No you are not, Yaoyorozu. You are much stronger than you think!" The monkey-tailed teen reaffirmed. "That's why you had your mom get me, because you know I'm not the type to give up. Never." He then starts to sit down. "Meditate with me. When I start to feel sloppy, mediating helps strengthen my mental fortitude. This was partially how Izuku was able to utilize his Quirk to the extent he can. Most of all, it helps me clear my mind, and I'm sure it'll help with you, too."
"O-Okay," The black-haired teen was surprised with the sudden seriousness of her sparring partner's words, considering how carefree he usually is. Regardless, she heeds his advice and starts to meditate. Breathing slowly, yet methodically. Looking not to the outside world, but to the deep corners of her consciousness. Whatever air surrounded her partner, she felt it slowly going into her. It feels... warm, jubilant, energizing... even strong.
For a while... her mind scape was clouded. However, as she started to focus, she saw her life from her point of view. The good and the bad. She started to go through her own life, and look at what she had done. While a lot of her mind was clouded by her embarrassing ads for the shampoo commercial, and its appearance kept on bombarding her, she looked at the reason why she wanted to fight. Asking the questions, such as why she wanted to be a Hero, even if she could have been an heiress to the Yaoyorozu Estate and never even thinking about touching Heroics. She never wanted to just be a Hero that relied on her good looks to go far. She wanted to be a Hero that can rescue her friends or civilians in any disaster, as now the visions of the USJ takes over. However, instead of a replay of her surrender to the Signal Villain, it branches out as she sees herself get close to disable the Villain with a knee kick, before wrenching the Villain's hand away from Denki and knocking him out with a powerful kick. Then, as that what-if ended, her life flashed by her. Her fights with Goku, her training under Denkiken, and the moment she helps her similarly aged opponent up after a bo spar, and when she's being helped up by him during the Sports Festival, the pair looking into each others' eyes, not as superior and inferior, but as equals. Equal in their want to help others. Equal in combat. Finally, she sees something clear away the clouds, and looks up to see a fuchsia fire, burning brightly in the now empty annals of her mind. She gasped when the flame surges towards her, as she breaks from her meditative trance.
"Something wrong, Momo?" Goku asked as he sees her catch her breath. However, soon, she had a look of challenge, whatever mental blocks were there had just collapsed.
"You were right, Son-san. I am not a weak girl as I had earlier decried myself. I might never truly surpass you in strength, but that doesn't mean I should just give up. I had allowed my internship to weigh on me like they were chains, but they do not weigh on me anymore," As Momo stood up, the Saiyan had felt that energy in her rise as she goes into her stance. He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a fuchsia glint in her eyes. "I am certain to lose, but I will still gain a lot of insight by fighting you!"
"...That's the spirit, Momo," Goku smiled, as he gets up and assumes his own stance. "Don't be so sure you'll lose, though! Stranger things had happened before!"
The two engaged in their new duel. This time, Momo was able to get the first strike by landing a blow to his jaw! That precision! That power! Goku can't help but grin. This will be a much more intense duel, as the two started to let loose, their respective instincts taking over as they start fighting faster. Parried punches, countered kicks, throws to escape from their grabs, they refuse to allow either one to gain the advantage!
"Hahaha! That's it, Momo! This is the duel we've been waiting for!" Goku triumphantly shouted, his blood pumping with more intensity. She can't help but grin, enjoying this match much more than she really should.
"I won't let you win that easily, Son Goku-san!" His opponent threw right back, as if by instinct, she starts to use her Quirk. "Don't hold back as much as you did during the Sports Festival!"
"You got it!"
Understanding her want for a more all-out battle, Goku starts to utilize his ki attacks, starting with smaller ki spheres. However, to his shock, she starts deflecting them with her shield! And while the same trick of trying to blind him with her flashbang dolls didn't work as planned, she was still able to land sizeable blows on the Saiyan with her Bojutsu techniques with a mix of Shito Ryu thrusts and kicks. However, it's not to downplay Goku's own attacks, as he is still able to land strikes on his opponent, even manipulating an energy ball to strike her from behind after she dodged it.
The Yaoyorozu Matriarch, looking from a high perch in the Estate, gasped as she saw her daughter reignited in her passion. That Son Goku boy... how did he reach her...? Despite the combat, neither one backed off, as the Matriarch had to attend to a different matter for now.
After an intense bout, both combatants look beat up, with a lot of scuff marks and tears in their gi. They both panted as they looked at each other.
"Wow... this battle was... so much fun...!" Goku commends his partner, as he panted.
"How...? How am I this strong... after all that you've done... and with what little I've done...?" Momo asked between her own pants, confused at her own state of being.
"That's how Heroes... grow stronger... together!" He reaffirms his earlier comment as he chuckles. "You're much stronger... than you give yourself credit for... Momo."
"T-Thank you... Son Goku-kun," She says, happy tears in her eyes. "I will never forget what you've done for me."
"Well, would you like to stop this spar, or do you wanna see it to the end?" Goku asked her. The answer seemed elementary to her.
"Let's end this. Right here, right now." She gathered herself for what may be the last strike.
"I wanna see how well you can handle my Special Attack," Goku said, as he charges a Kamehameha. "Kamehameha!"
The beam, while not overwhelmingly powerful like the one she saw Shoto trying to fight off, was still a nasty piece of work, but she's able to catch the beam with her hands. Grunting, as she's being pushed back, it seems whatever energy is at work, she could use... somehow... Refusing to lose, her spirit burns with a fierce glow as she grabs the Kamehameha itself, and fires it back after rotating the beam around her as if it was a mighty river. If that wasn't bad enough, it felt as if a fiery fuchsia aura sparked around her, if only for a brief second.
"Haaaaaaa!" screams Momo with an outworldly echo booming, as the formerly blue energy is surrounded by fuchsia energy, soon landing a direct blow on Goku's abdomen, causing him to yelp loudly as the beam sends him flying right into the thick walled fence. Though for her troubles, she almost flew in the opposite direction as the blow back caused her to lose her footing, just barely keeping herself upright.
Goku, falling on the floor, was shocked with what had happened. The way his own beam was used against him, and the way its energy changed to reflect its new owner? It was something he could not have ever anticipated happening. However, it was also a contender for the most awesome thing he had seen in his entire life, even if it took a bit for him to get up.
"What did I do...?" Momo was incredulous, looking at her own hands, wondering what had just happened.
"Momo, that was incredible!" Goku was laughing in pure ecstatic joy as he got himself up. "I have no idea how you did that, but that was so awesome!"
"To be perfectly honest, Son-kun... I don't know, either...!" She said, still looking at her hands, experimentally closing her hands and opening them up. They feel normal, yet she also feels more powerful at the same time. However, feeling freed of her previous inhibitions, she smiles warmly at her partner. "However, I have no one to thank more than you."
And as suddenly as it happened, the two found themselves in a loving hug, though it took a bit before Goku had realized this was a hug and reciprocated. The Yaoyorozu Matriarch was absolutely shocked to see this go that way. Yet, she feels like she cannot break them up.
"If he makes you that happy, my dear Yaomomo, then I will not mind letting you date him." She said softly, watching them over like a bear looking over her cub. It was a moment that'll burn itself permanently into the two young 1A students' memories.
For Goku, he had no idea what this emotion is, but it had felt fuzzy and warm. While he's a little embarrassed, he also simply enjoys it for what it is. A nice, mutual hug.
However, for Momo, she means exactly what she means by this hug. It's the culmination of their weird little history together, the bond they've shared as rivals, now as the greatest of friends. For her, this is her version of payback for all that Son has done for her, the kindness and courtesy he gave her, and most of all, the inspiration for her growth as a woman of UA. While she doesn't want to say she fully loves him, the truth is that she's not even sure if that's true. At the very least, this is the first step of many.
Soon, they have to part ways for the night via limo.
"It's a shame you can't stay here for the night, but I can't steal you from your parents," Momo joked.
"Don't worry about it, we can always have more of these sparring nights, if your mom's okay with it!" Goku said.
"Of course I am, Son-san," Yaomama said. "Just as long as you two get your study times in order, then I will not mind you coming here."
The drive back was a bit quiet. She can't help but wonder why this kid was the one to snap her daughter out of her funk. She can only quietly wonder how it was all possible, but there's only so much pondering she can do before she gets herself stuck in a mental loop.
"Alright, Son-san, we're back," She says, as she opens the door. "I'll try to get some openings so that you may spar with my daughter, if she wants to do so. You may call me 'Ikuda' if you want."
"Thanks for the accommodations, Ikuda-san!" Goku said with enthusiasm, with a small nod of approval as he leaves the limo.
"You are a strange young man, but I don't regret having finally met you. Ta-ta!" Ikuda closes the door, and soon the limo disappears. Soon after, Goku came back into his home.
"So, Goku, how did it all go?" Gohan asked.
"It was amazing! She meditated near me, and when we finally had our spar, she fought so well!" Goku heaped praise for his friend.
"That's great to hear!" the Rice Hero was happy to hear it.
"Then she hugged me, for some strange reason... Though it felt... nice, you know?" The Saiyan added on.
Gohan, for his part, blushed a little bit. Maybe it was too much information for the father. However, upon hearing this, Mikai shrieked in pure joy!
"Oh, my God! Goku, did you just get a girlfriend?!" She asked.
"Well, Momo is a girl. And she's one of my best friends. Does that count?" Goku asked right back.
"Kind of, but you said that you felt an emotion. Love is a fuzzy, yet warm experience that is shared when people share their love together. Did you feel that when you and Momo shared that hug?" Mikai rephrased her question.
"Wait, that's love...? Huh, that felt pretty nice, I guess," Goku chuckled, while Mikai's overwhelmed with joy.
"My dear Goku, he's got such a lovely girlfriend... I could cry to Cousin Mitsuki over this for hours!" She remarks.
"It's a bit early to have a girlfriend, Goku, but if she and you are responsible about it, then I won't have any objections," Gohan spoke up. "But considering you felt that emotion when you hugged her, there's a good chance you two might actually go the distance and be together at a deeper level."
During the dark night, Sensei has a call incoming. It was from his one true friend: Dr. Garaki.
"My dear friend, Kyudai..." Sensei spoke. "What brings you to call me at such a late time?"
"All For One... I must admit my biggest failure to you, my biggest betrayal," Kyudai said, his voice sounding pained for his betrayal.
"By whatever do you mean...?" All For One asked, curious.
"I had let Son Goku slip a decade ago. Have I known what I know now, I would have arranged his parents to suffer a tragic accident so that you may take him in."
"Do not blame yourself for the sins of the past, Kyudai. You didn't know at the time, and you simply thought his Quirk was just muscle augmentation with a mutation, of which they are a dime a dozen and his augmentations seemed much less fantastic. You had no idea that his Quirk had Emission and Transformation elements to it, and you have no one to blame, not even yourself. However, I already have a plan in place to lead him into the frying pan. I just need the perfect time to execute it, and you will soon have a new Quirk to play with. Who knows, maybe with such an amazing Quirk, I will not need Tomura to cement my grip on this world!"
"Of course, All For One. You are the one true man of this world, it's only natural you should be its Eternal Leader."
"We shall see, my friend. The tides of fate don't always hit where they are predicted to hit. Have a good night."
The next week and a half at UA was refreshingly normal compared to the chaos that was April. The Mid-Term Exams were finished, and so far, everyone had scored well, aside from a few stragglers. It was only just a couple weeks before the End of Term Exam. Soon enough, there was a staff meeting, with the Principal presiding.
"Good day, ladies and gentlemen," Nezu announced. "Another term passed by, though with a bit more turbulence than we could have anticipated."
"Tell me about it," Aizawa bemoans. "It's like we're a magnet for these kinds of events. If not a Villain attack, then my students doing something unnecessarily risky."
"Hey, don't beat yourself over it, Aizawa," Toshinori pats his compatriot. "I bear some of that responsibility, especially at the USJ."
"And what had happened during those times were unfortunate all around. However, it was thanks to your actions and the actions of the students that it didn't get much worse," The Principal mused. "Regardless, our first order of business is that of our End of Term Exams!"
"Hmph, knowing my rugrats, they may have sent Totage to spy on us," Kan warned. "So I would suggest giving them a false flag."
"Duly noted!" Nezu said with a pen and paper. "We're to 'leak' that the End of Term involves fighting robots! Though for 1A, at least, where should we begin?"
"I'll take Young Midoriya and Young Bakugou, Principal," Toshinori bowed. "I had noticed that they aren't exactly the type to work together, especially with how they fought during our Combat Trial."
"Hmph, I don't know why Bakugou refuses to grow up," Aizawa lambasts. "However, I'll take on Todoroki and Yaoyorozu. The former relies almost exclusively on his Quirk, whereas I want to test the latter's hand-to-hand skills and see how she synergize it with her Quirk."
"I guess those little guys Sero and Mineta are all mine! They definitely seem to need a dommy to help them get their blood going~" Midnight cooed.
"I can take Uraraka and Yuga," Thirteen volunteered, her suit fully repaired. "Light and Gravity are some of the things a black hole can counter, after all!"
"I am curious to see how Tsuyu and Tokoyami had grown," Ectoplasm spoke to himself, as he spits out a clone, who speaks in his stead. "So I'll take them!"
"It's only befitting that the Radio Star can nab Koda and Jiro!" Present Mic posed. "I'll blow their minds with my voice!"
"Hmph, I guess I'll take Kirishima and Ojiro," Power Loader gruffily said. "They seem to have practical Quirks, and I can solve practical problems."
"I want to test Hagakure and Shoji's mettle in reconnaissance and stealth. Their invisibility and multiple limbs are a boon, and I reckon I'd test them to make sure they're taking advantage of their Quirks," Snipe remarked.
"That just leaves Son..." Cementoss was ready to volunteer, but then Nezu raised his hand.
"My apologies, Cementoss, but not only did you forget about Kaminari and Ashido, which I'm going to take because it's going to be funny seeing them struggle, but we're thinking of an entirely different test for Son."
"As much as I'd hate to admit it, I think Son is genuinely stronger than a lot of us here, even without the Support Department's Hyperdense Weight handicap," The Eraser Hero said, point blank. "That kid, with that Berserker form as he called it, is able to fight on par with All Might back at the USJ. And considering how seriously he's taking his own training, it's almost certain he's approaching that absurd bar in his full-powered state. For crying out loud, if what Hado wrote down in her journals is true, then he's able to land a blow on Totaga."
There was silence. A lot of the Hero Teachers were shocked to hear what he had to say since the Big Three of Class 3A are basically Pro Heroes in all but name. However, Nezu was devising a plot.
"Actually, there is a way we can have Son's skills tested out," The Mouse-Bear Principal said with a glint in his eyes. "How about we do the Combat Trial that Yagi had taught, but we have some hostages for him to rescue?"
"Ooh~ Can I be one? I want to feel his muscular arms pick me up~" Midnight can barely keep herself together at the thought of a Son Goku, shirtless, picking her up bridal style while tied up in a bundle of ropes.
"No," Aizawa rejected the R-Rated Hero's idea sharply. "I will see about having some of my students play the role of hostages." Then he has a small grin loaded up. "As for his partner, I am nominating Hitoshi Shinsou."
"What?!" A good chunk of the Teachers responded, with All Might coughing up a bit of blood in surprise. Nezu, however, chuckled.
"I guess that was why you sent him an internship opportunity, Shota. You were playing the long game to get him transferred to the Hero Department, but you've also gotten me quite curious about him, considering he almost defeated Midoriya during the Sports Festival. I'll grant your request if he passes, since I prefer a nice, round, easily divisible number like 20 over a prime number like 19. Even if Iida comes back into 1A, it's still a divisible 21! And with that, we have our Finals all situated!"
"Hmm? Doesn't Son need a Pro Hero to fight?" Cementoss asked.
"Not exactly. We can see if two of the Big Three from Class 3A are willing to help, considering he had built connections with Hado and Totaga," The Principal remarked. Poor Cementoss looked down in that he doesn't have anyone from 1A to test. "Now, if there's any other business we need to discuss, feel free to speak up! We'll go more in-depth with 1B's tests tomorrow."
There was silence, though there was one errant question.
"Do you guys think Son and Yaoyorozu make for a cute couple?" Midnight said, uncaring about the amount of weird looks she's getting. As for Nezu, however, he has a lighthearted chuckle.
"It is interesting how humans couple among themselves. There's an advantage to being the principal of a school, after all! They do a decent job not showing it during class and public events, but they are rather poor at hiding their affections when they're by themselves, like during their Student Council meeting last Saturday." He ends with another chuckle.
By no means was it them kissing or anything like that, but it was just subtle signs of affection. Small stutters, little looks, relaxed body forms. Actions that wouldn't indicate anything if one didn't look for them.
Aizawa found himself with a bunch of looks nearby as he sighs in resignation.
"If it's anyone's problem, then it's mine as well. But if they're at least trying to not let it get to their heads, and their grades haven't been affected, then I have no reason to hound them over it."
"Then I have no reason to sanction it," Nezu concluded with a knowing smile. "Though I doubt they will be able to keep their affection a secret for long, considering how easy it is for UA students to lose their secrets." He said, before crooking a mischievous grin for himself.
"Especially with Ashido and Aoyama trying to play matchmaker with Midoriya and Uraraka," The tired teacher snarked. "At least Son and Yaoyorozu are focused on learning how to be Heroes..."
AN: Ah yes, the part where I almost certainly have jumped the shark: allowing Momo to redirect Goku's Kamehameha and making Ki cross-compatible with the Quirk Humans, and subsequently having a moment where they hug. At the end, there's not much I can really justify as to why, aside from just saying "Hey, it'd be cool if Momo could actually redirect a Kamehameha right back to her opponent!" Depending on feedback, I can rewrite the chapter to draw it back, whether it be the Ki or the relationship, though I hoped that there's enough for the two to bond beyond just a friendship and for now, it'll just be hugs. My only defense for Momo developing a level of Ki was because of Videl from the Buu Saga, though even that had a little bit more going for it considering it's Dragon Ball on Dragon Ball, and not Dragon Ball on My Hero Academia.
And because I'm lame with names, I've elected to give Momo's mom the name of Ikuda Yaoyorozu. Because the truth it, I have no idea how Japanese names are truly made, so I just took from the word "fruit" in Japanese: kudamono, and affixed it with the first part of "one": ichi. It kinda fits, the one fruit of her family tree was Momo, and the mother treasures her with all her heart.