Syndicate

by InuKagomeLuver4Eva

The powerful Yakuza clan, Uraraka, has ruled Musutafu with an iron fist for hundreds of years. Now, when the first female heir is born, Ochaco Uraraka must take a stand as rightful ruler of the clan. A fateful encounter with a stranger who saved her life seemed nothing more than a one time event...until he shows up at her door looking for an in. Ochaco x Deku.

5. Desolate

Kenji Uraraka stormed back and forth in his newly acquired warehouse with a burning rage. He'd been gone for only a few weeks, a hair over a month, and word had come through of a Shigaraki attack on his best man! Two bullet wounds, neither fatal. Security was top-notch at any location his men were heavily stationed, so how was the police station targeted so easily? He had to deploy more of his resources just to converge on the city at night! Posts were being closed down as members converged on the city to protect Ochaco. Tensions always grew close to coronations; his was no different. A few hundred had been arrested with only a handful being prosecuted. Since a female heir was ascending the throne, things were tend to be more violent.

Public unrest was already beginning to spread rumors of bigger oncoming attacks; TV stations were broadcasting falsified information that fueled the panic and had police phones ringing off the hook. Since their protocols activated, information filtering in and out became limited; especially since Shota was still down and out. While he assured multiple times that he would be back up and running soon, it still took a major pawn off the board. Without Shota maintaining a line of connection between the police and Uraraka, preparing for the inevitable Shigaraki war became difficult.

"Fucking hell!" Kenji screamed with a sudden kick against a pallet of boxed goods awaiting processing. Product flew everywhere, skidding and rolling across the concrete floors. He put every ounce of rage into ensuring the pieces were destroyed, nothing left behind. "I'm going to erase that Shigaraki bastard if it's the last thing I do! Fuck around on my turf then shoot my best man!? Endanger the life of my child?!"

"Kenji," Fumi called out warily, making sure to stand clear of his rageful path. Once he got truly mad it was best to stand clear until the carnage cleared. She waited patiently as he labeled a box his arch nemesis then curb stomped it to bits, cursing and screaming at it. Only a handful of times he'd exploded in such a manner and each time it took a while for him to calm. " Kenji."

"I'm going to murder this fucker so hard his ancestors will feel my wrath in their nuts!"

" Kenji." Fumi warned after having enough of his bitch-fit. Her husband halted mid stomp to look over at her. "I think you've killed the box, dear."

Looking down at the obliterated box once filled with packages of preserved plums, the Yakuza leader grimaced at the mess of purple covering his shoe. A quick shake had most of the fruit flinging around the warehouse. Someone would clean that up. "I know, Fumi…I know. This was inevitable, especially with Ochaco's ascension quickly arriving. If I hadn't been stuck on the other side of the island—"

"Ochaco never would've found her voice within the clan." Fumi interjected while gently grabbing his arm, his face softening. "This situation is not ideal, though it's proven how capable she is to take charge. She immediately went to work on securing our forces to be closer to base, has them scouring the streets at night to avoid interfering with civilians, and is ensuring they're armed at all times. Our girl is proving how capable she is in an emergency situation. Shota is ensuring her success."

"Ochaco shouldn't have to deal with this type of situation! That attack is just leading to further problems; Shigaraki has infiltrated Musutafu and most likely the police station, which by the way, has had a decrease in information relay due to Shota being out of commission. He's the only one I trust to maintain that communication line."

"I understand the implications of this attack, dear. What you're not seeing is the fact that our daughter is flourishing from this. Ochaco was raised to take over the family name; what we need to do now is support her from behind to ensure the Uraraka name continues towards a bright future."

Kenji let out a ragged sigh as his wife cupped his face. A calloused, scarred hand clasped over it, firmly keeping the soothing warmth against his skin. "I don't want to accept my little mochi is all grown up and ready to carry on the tradition. It's a lot of stress maintaining this size of clan even with the countless hands to help. I'm already hearing backlash from other divisions protesting for another choice or for me to stay on the throne. Ochaco is breaking tradition solely on gender."

"Is it breaking tradition or paving a new path forward?" Fumi countered easily.

"Maybe both, but you know how thick-skulled those elders can be. They don't stray from tradition. It's how life has been for nearly three-hundred years, Fumi. Ochaco is turning over a new century of progress; it's a massive accomplishment for the family to reach three centuries of power. I've got people already RSVPing for the main ceremony just after Christmas. We're talking hundreds showing up. Everyone from previous heads to politicians and mayors."

"Well, it's an event to celebrate. The first female head of the Uraraka family and the turn of a century. Of course it's going to be a large event. An event where we need to be present. So, instead of destroying innocent plums, why don't we find a way to help guide her to the finish line?" Fumi smiled warmly as Kenji removed her hand only to kiss the palm.

"Right as always, dear. I'm so blessed to have you as my wife. Now, let's go finish up that paperwork so we can get home to Ochaco!"

"Dear,"

"Hm?" Kenji turned quizzically. Fumi had her arms crossed with a finger pointing at the demolished pallet of produce. Always keeping him in line. "Oh…heh, yeah. Where do they keep the brooms?"

---

Toshinori's eyes felt like they were going to melt from his skull if he had to keep reading through the thick packet of papers stacked on the desk. Incident reports, injury reports, security protocol reports, investigation reports…it never ended. That didn't include the reports from Detective Tsukauchi regarding a merger proposition to squash two rivaling Yakuza gangs. After what happened barely two weeks ago, their plans had to fast track to an agreement. But without one of his top-ranking officers back from medical leave, the one who oversaw the plan, everything had ground to a halt for the moment. Sergeant Aizawa insisted he was fine to continue working though it was struck down immediately. Nearly losing an eye and have a bullet ricochet off the capitulum in his elbow was a huge deal; it was too close.

Not to say he hadn't seen some shit in his day and received critical injuries, Toshinori strove to prevent such occurrences from happening under his watchful eye. That's why he did his best to remain vigilant with turf wars in the city; Yakuza and non. A heavy sigh slipped out as he massaged the bridge of his nose. Shota always made endless mountains of paperwork seem easy.

Then there was the other problem. Midoriya had requested the week off since the incident in the hospital. No other reason than trying to process the trauma he witnessed. And he was completely fine with that; Midoriya had never asked for a day off in all his years with the force and to be honest, it was traumatizing what he witnessed. It was straight up attempted murder of two detectives. Once approved and extended by him, the detective bid goodnight and has remained at home for a two week break. A few text messages here and there though nothing else. The Chief briefly contemplated going and visiting him to make sure he was alright, but that wasn't how Midoriya operated. A critical thinker like him needed time to process, understand, and come to terms with major events like attempted shootings.

A knock on his door had the Chief looking up tiredly. "Come in."

"Surprise! Hi, Uncle Toshi!" Melissa announced cheerfully with a small, decorated cake in her palms. Toshi blinked then shoved back from his desk more energized. He swooped her up in spindly arms.

"Melissa! What a surprise! I didn't expect to see you until Christmas! Why the early visit?" Toshi asked while holding his niece at arm's length, worn face now brighter with a smile. "I swear, you grow up more and more each time I see you. What's old Dave up to?"

"Well, dad got caught up in a new project in America and it's going to take until about the end of the year to complete. So I figured I'd swing by since I had some time! Sorry I haven't been able to stop by sooner, I heard about the incident. I hope Sergeant Aizawa is doing better."

"Of course! There's not much that can keep him down; he's already complaining about not being able to work! But until he's cleared by me he's staying at home. Things are still trying to wrap up on the paperwork side, though we're almost done. Security is going to be a lot tighter around here." Toshi graciously took the little cake that said: 'I am here, Uncle Toshi!'.

"I wouldn't expect anything less. Do you have any idea which part of the Shigaraki gang attacked? I've heard their numbers have been growing lately." Melissa asked curiously as she took a free chair.

"Looking into it already, huh? You're just like your dad, super inquisitive. It reminds me of Midoriya a lot." Toshi chuckled while sitting back down. Sitting was the last thing he wanted to be doing after hours of it.

"As soon as I heard it on the news I began researching who they were. There's not much known, though they're a decades old Yakuza gang that resides mostly underground and in the shadows. Supposedly, they're pretty ruthless. I've pulled some old articles that give a little more information if you'd like. I actually already sent them to you, Uncle Toshi."

"I appreciate your hard work as always, Melissa. I'm afraid this skirmish will only lead to an all-out war between rivaling Yakuza gangs. Things have remained peaceful for so long…guess it was overdue." Toshi replied with a strained sigh. Coffee sounded good right now. "Anyways, let's not talk about work. Do you want some coffee?"

Melissa smiled. "I'll always have a cup of coffee with you, Uncle Toshi."

_B_

Izuku stared hard at the nearly full whiteboard with marker in hand. The dots were connecting…just not to complete the entire picture. It all started with the Uraraka clan in the center, branching out from there into smaller, known divisions. Anything he could find through old police records, newspaper articles, blogs online; it all helped to complete the puzzle. Their influence reached from the Northern most part of Japan, all the way down South as well. East. West. Centralized. Uraraka was everywhere. And that included businesses. Hospitals. Warehouses. Dockyards. Banks. Grocery stores. Any aspect of life; they were involved. It took him a while to figure out what the correlation between everything was.

The one thing that gave it away was a small trademark stamp at the bottom of all the deeds. A green tea leaf. No record of that stamp being official despite an entire night of researching. It had to be them. While their clan symbol was that of a dragon holding a sakura, official business needed to be different while still correlating. Only they would know the link.

Except that Ochaco had told him the story of her name, how the sun rose over a field of tea leaves and the name came to fruition. It was too much of a coincidence to ignore so on the board it went. The marker creaked from the pressure of his grip. The last two weeks were partially for recovering after nearly being blown up. Yet after the first two days, Izuku began the hunt to uncover any and all information pertaining to the Uraraka clan. Ochaco had managed to worm her way into the hearts of his friends, self-included, and even snagged Ojiro for two months. He hadn't been seen in public since that day in the hospital. A part of him worried about the bay sharks getting a good meal but logic beat out the delusional thinking. Ojiro was still a valuable asset to the Uraraka clan.

But as the end of October prepared to flip to November, there weren't any signs of him being released. Hagakure had fallen into a deep depression that Mina couldn't pull her from. Kirishima was digging harder into any surveillance or sightings while out on patrols, determined more than ever. Even a few classmates had arrived in town at Mina's urgent request. Tenya Iida, Momo Yaoyorozu, Tsuyu Asui, Kyoka Jiro to name a few of the class of twenty. There were other classmates arriving yet for a different reason.

Chief Yagi was beginning to assemble an undercover team to infiltrate the Uraraka clan. While it was still being finalized, his boss reached out to inform him of his part. Izuku would be the main leading force into collaborating with the high-ranking Yakuza in order to secure information, while maintaining secrecy. After what he just learned back at the hospital…things wouldn't go well if he met Ochaco again. She'd know it was him in a matter of seconds and probably have him executed on spot. He still couldn't figure out why she tried to test him.

She claimed it was because of the upcoming war, but what did that have to do with him? Why suddenly decide to aim a fake gun just for a reaction? Did she not realize had that been a real gun, he'd have every right to return fire to eliminate the threat? Yakuza were ruthless; they killed, stole, threatened, assaulted, forced people into signing binding contracts. Was it a ruse to act pitiful and sad? Ochaco was a good actor, he'd commend that. Acting all innocent while growing closer to his friends, pretending not to know anything about the real world when her family controlled most of Japan. Even the crying in the hospital seemed realistic. Izuku narrowed his gaze at her name. The Uraraka clan would pay for their crimes. He'd make damn sure of it.

But there was one thing that didn't make sense; how had she grown up with Sergeant Aizawa? Ojiro mentioned they were practically family, and she burst into the surgical wing as if he was dying. Their closeness was unusual for sure. A little too convenient for his liking. Maybe they knew each other another way…if that were the case, then that meant…

"Sergeant Aizawa…is working for the Uraraka. Holy fuck," Izuku dropped the marker after scribbling his name down and stepped back a few feet, hand over his mouth and virescent wide. The whiteboard made more sense now. Uraraka in the middle…diverting to countless businesses, investments. Then there was the personal connection side. Ojiro had been the only one on there until now. "If Sergeant Aizawa is working for the Uraraka, then…he's relaying information directly to them. Any cases that involve Yakuza go directly to him. With their expanded network, that could mean there are others in the office working for Ochaco. This is…this is huge. I need to call Chief Yagi—"

A heavy pounding against his front door interrupted the frantic ramble and instantly had Izuku on guard. With gun flying from his holster and aiming towards the door, the detective slowly stepped from the room. Kirishima was still at work and the girls didn't have the strength to have his door practically bending out of the frame. With the threat of Yakuza coming after him, he bought a security camera that monitored his door and hallway. He also did a thorough wiretap check throughout the entire apartment, yet there was nothing to be found. The monitor had been set up on the kitchen counter, facing towards the living room, so Izuku scanned over the live feed.

Spiked blonde hair, burning red eyes, a scowl that scared even the most hardened of veterans away. Izuku Midoriya knew that face anywhere.

"Kaachan?!" Izuku called out in a mixture of surprise and horror. It was his childhood bully turned classmate/lifetime competitor. The last time they'd seen one another was the police academy graduation. From there they went to separate divisions with Katsuki Bakugo leading down the path of explosives expertise. How did he find his address? "H-hold on a minute! At least let me unlock the door before you kick it in!"

" Fucking nerd! Open the damn door already! It's cold as shit!" Katsuki Bakugo screamed in the hallway with another heavy kick to the door. "I'm going to blast this door open in three seconds—"

"I have neighbors you know!" Izuku hissed angrily while swinging open the door. A hand roughly shoved him aside and Katsuki entered the apartment, loudly complaining along the way. Though he wasn't alone. "Wait, Todoroki? Is that you?"

"Hey, Midoriya. Sorry to impose on such short notice." His other classmate, Shoto Todoroki, raised a hand apologetically before waiting to enter. Izuku gestured him in. "Sorry for not reaching out to you sooner, but Chief Yagi wanted us to swing by and check on you. We both just got into town this morning."

"Chief Yagi…? Oh. Oh. You're here for that. I didn't realize the plan had moved forward already. Guess I've lost track of time a bit…" They were moving forward already? He figured everything would be delayed due to Sergeant Aizawa being out of commission. Though, if he truly were working for the Uraraka Yakuza, it's possible he's orchestrating the entire thing. "Did you guys want anything to drink?"

"We're good, thanks," Shota gave a brief smile as he took a seat in the living room across from Katsuki. The blonde was twitching his crossed legs in agitation, angrily scanning every stupid poster and picture of Captain Yagi plastered around the apartment.

"Who the hell said you could speak on my behalf?!" Katsuki snapped angrily.

"You know why we're here, Bakugo. We don't have time to be arguing." Shoto retaliated calmly. Out of everyone in the class, Shoto Todoroki was the most level-headed. "Midoriya, Chief Yagi sent us here not only to check in, but to let you know the plan is moving forward. He figured us telling you directly was easier since he's currently preoccupied with Detective Tsukauchi at the station. Here,"

Shoto pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket and handed it to the still slightly confused detective. Izuku opened it up, skimming through the contents as fast as possible. Both brows furrowed. "I get acting as extra security for the Uraraka since the Shigaraki thing, but they also want us to directly meet the boss? Is that even possible?"

"They've got a plan to unify with the Uraraka clan briefly to squash this whole turf-war bullshit. No one wants to get caught up in another massive brawl, though I wouldn't mind blowing up a few Yakuza assholes." Katsuki grinned with a cracking of knuckles. "Fuckers are gonna get a face full of napalm!"

"Chief Yagi and Detective Tsukauchi have decided it's too risky to go undercover without being caught instantly. Their levels of security have tightened to the point where no newcomers are allowed and they're suspicious of outsiders. The current leader, Kenji Uraraka, is out of town on business; the one to take over the clan will be orchestrating the meeting." Shoto ignored the explosive threats from his blonde classmate, instead focusing solely on Midoriya. Izuku felt his face pale. Oh fuck. There was no getting out of meeting once more. She wouldn't try to take him out with others around, right? Right?! "Something wrong? You almost seem upset at the news. I figured you'd jump straight into preparing for the mission."

"N-no, it's just…I don't have a good way to explain it, sorry." Izuku apologized sheepishly. Ochaco's threat rang clear in his mind. Getting anyone else involved would mean disappearing…permanently. "So, we're having the meeting in three days then?"

"At an undisclosed location to prevent another attack from the Shigaraki gang. Chief Yagi is awaiting confirmation and time from the Uraraka clan. A meeting place has been already set."

"Okay, that should be enough time to start planning everything out. It doesn't show who else is involved in the mission." Shoto shook his head lightly, red and white locks swinging. A rare birth defect caused the rare phenomenon; red on one side and white the other, split evenly down the center. Even his eyes were two different colors. Apparently, when in the womb, he and his twin became fused which caused two different eye and hair colors.

"It's not a very big team; you guys can't spare the resources. Kirishima may get involved at some point, but I think he's refusing to leave Mina. Speaking of, have you guys found Ojiro yet? I heard he was back for a little while then disappeared again." Shoto asked. It was Deku's turn to shake his head as he sat down.

"He appeared for about a day then vanished again. We couldn't get him to say where he was, though it was mentioned there was a martial arts contract involved. But we know he's alive and well, just heavily preoccupied with work." Izuku explained the best he could though the suspicious look from Bakugo meant it wasn't a very good one. The intuition of his frenemy was killer. "Ojiro is working for a diplomats daughter so, high security involved."

"Makes sense. Do you know which one?"

"Enough, nerds. We've got a bigger problem than some delicate flower Deku escorted around. The only reason we've been called into town is to meet with this Yakuza bastard, work with them, then turn around and take em down. Nothing more. So if you'll quit bitching—"

"Wait, what do you mean take them down, Kaachan?" Izuku interrupted. A murderous gaze sent a chill down his spine though he remained strong. Todoroki glanced between the two, expressionless. Dealing with their squabbles was nothing new. "If we're working together to attack a threat to both sides, why would we take down the Uraraka clan? Don't you understand how large their organization is? We're talking possibly hundreds of thousands, active and non."

"Because they're still a heavy threat to Musutafu and Japan. Even though they claim to be more amicable these past few decades, it doesn't change the fact that people still go missing or become indebted to them. Thirty-six citizens have been reported missing in the past three months, Midoriya. The last known information received about their whereabouts from family was that they mentioned a loan. Normal loan companies don't make their non-paying clients disappear." Todoroki replied.

That would explain why the sharks have gotten so big… "How are we expecting to take down the largest crime organization in Japan?"

"Easy. Work together with them, earn their trust, then as soon as the heir takes over; handcuff em and slap em with a slew of charges." Bakugo said without a hint of joking. "They've been covering crimes for a long time and U.A. Special Forces has tracked each connection and broken law. We're talking thousands. That's beyond a life sentence and roughly one-hundred and eighty billion yen fine."

"I didn't realize they were doing that…" Izuku muttered against his palm. If U.A. Special Police Force had been tracking them for that long, it meant the current Uraraka leader was allowing it to continue. Either he noticed or didn't. "Now I have a few questions about this. What's going to happen when the head of the Uraraka clan is arrested and charged? Normally they manage to get out of the sentence with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Their influence runs deep in this country; what's going to happen to the economy and all the businesses they operate? It could be disastrous."

"Here's the thing; going straight for a newly ascended Yakuza leader would start a massive rebellion. It's against their code and Japan only tried it once before with extensive backlash. So…the plan is to go after Kenji Uraraka once the heir has fully taken over the family name. Since the laws were broken beneath his rule, he has to be the one to pay for it. Chief Yagi doesn't want to go after someone who has yet to break any laws, willingly or not." Todoroki shifted in his seat, settling in for a longer conversation.

"What if the new heir doesn't take kindly to that and retaliates? Families like that become highly defensive." Ochaco would fight tooth and nail to have her father back home. She could wreck the entire city. "I don't know if the second half of this plan is a good idea…"

"Don't you ever shut up with the bullshit worries? We play nice, fight Shigaraki, then arrest a Yakuza who violated nearly half of the laws in Japan. What the fuck is so hard about that?" Bakugo groaned loudly with his head thrown back. Izuku threw him an exasperated look before leaning forward against his knees.

He just wasn't understanding the consequences of going after the Uraraka. They knew how Kenji operated yet no one even knew how Ochaco would; they still didn't know a female was taking over as head. That would change their views drastically. Surely unrest was surging within the clan; never had there been a female leader in a male dominated organization. Though women surely played a part as support, they never ascended to the throne. Like Ochaco mentioned…the pressure against her was multiplied because of gender.

"I just don't think it's a good idea. We're already being risky aligning with them. There's strong evidence that Ojiro is contracted under the Uraraka clan. Barging in could—"

"Then bring it up with your boss! We ain't here to bitch back and forth about your fucking feelings, Deku. We've got shit to do. Get dressed, we've got a meeting in thirty minutes about this whole shitshow. I'm waiting outside." Katsuki leapt from the couch before stomping through the front door, slamming it hard. Izuku rubbed at his face tiredly while Todoroki sighed.

"Bakugo is right, Midoriya. Captain Yagi asked us to retrieve you for an important meeting back at the station. I believe Sergeant Aizawa will be in attendance as well—"

"He's back already?" Izuku interrupted suddenly. "It's only been two weeks! There's no way he can recover in that amount of time from gunshot wounds."

"That's all I know about the matter. We should get going though, I'll wait outside for you as well." Shoto gave a brief smile then followed suit of his former classmate.

As soon as that door gently shut, Izuku began flurrying around the apartment. If Sergeant Aizawa was really back in the office for the big meeting, then he could…no. He couldn't. Now wasn't the time to question on who his boss really was….or who he was working for. All that mattered was he was feeling better and continued the healing process. After grabbing a quick change of clothes and his keys, Izuku flew down the stairs to the awaiting unmarked police car. As he entered the back seat, he was grateful to see Todoroki driving instead of Bakugo; the blonde had a tendency to break laws and throw endless expletives at other drivers.

His two friends bickered over the radio station as the detective turned his attention to the incoming call on his phone. It was from Kirishima. A quick finger swipe unlocked the device and the call answered. "Kirishima, what's—"

"Midoriya, where are you at right now?" Kirishima interrupted sharply, his breath coming out like he'd run a marathon.

"On my way to the station. What's wrong?" Two sets of eyes darted back at him from the rearview mirror. "Why do you sound so out of breath?"

"Hagakure called…Ojiro came home."

"What?! Are you serious? Is he alright? When did he make it back home?" Izuku exclaimed with palpable relief. He'd finally come home after another two weeks missing! Did that mean Ochaco released him? Or did he escape somehow? "Hold on, we're not too far from their apartment—"

"We'll meet you at the station for the meeting, I've got something else I need to take care of right now. See you in a bit."

"Everything alright?" Shoto asked as he turned down the main street to the station.

"Ojiro came home. Hagakure called Kirishima to let him know and they'll be on their way to the station soon."

"That's great to hear. He had us all worried for weeks. Wonder where he went without warning."

"Yeah…I'm sure he'll tell us soon. I'm just glad he's alright." Izuku replied softly, though his eyes hardened at the call log. Why all of a sudden without warning? Was it because of that night at the hospital where he was taken away? Everything he knew surrounding his friend and the Uraraka clan suddenly scattered like leaves in the wind.

Izuku failed to notice the piercing red eyes studying him intently in the mirror.

---

Ochaco stared numbly out the window as the streets of Musutafu blurred by on an overcast autumn day. The days were beginning to meld together into a dreary color. November was here and with it came heavily packed days of meetings, counseling, thick stacks of documentation that needed read and signed. Not a minute could go by without someone knocking on the door to her father's office; soon to be her office. Aizawa, though still healing, did his best to remain by her side throughout. His presence alone kept the fraying thread from snapping apart most days. Though today he had to leave for an important meeting at the police station. A meeting she couldn't attend.

The plan was to partner with the U.A. Special Police force in order to try and take down Shigaraki as one. Though the idea seemed thoroughly planned out on paper, something about it left an unsettling knot in Ochaco's stomach. Despite a good portion of the station under Uraraka clan control, there were still people that could and would double-cross. Especially since they were bringing in other officers from out of town. Aizawa reassured that if anything were to go wrong he'd handle it. But something had already gone wrong when he was shot twice on the roof of that very same police station he was headed towards. Security had been upped to an unbelievable level; resources from all over Japan had been called in with international ones on standby.

The best sniper, codename Nagant, had been pulled in from retirement just for covering fire. While she used to be top of the scoreboard back in the day, she'd been retired for a handful of years already due to personal reasons. Now she was returned to active duty with a hefty paycheck for constant surveillance. The only other person who could even attempt to near the lengthy records of strikes Nagant had was another Uraraka sniper; codename Snipe. While she didn't know much about the mysteriously masked wild west impersonator, Ochaco was assured he was very close to Nagant in skills.

The heavy security only made Ochaco feel like she was drowning.

Even now as she made her way to the family shrine up in the mountainside, there were no less than four SUV's surrounding her own with dozens more men already having cleared the path. Ordering them to give space didn't work since more were hiding out of sight. The only time she had peace and quiet was when the heiress slept. Though even her slumbers remained patchy and often just out of reach of restful. Especially since she forcefully released Ojiro from the main compound. After the hospital incident, he'd willingly chose to stay in the mansion to lay low for a while. While he vehemently denied needing to leave, it was obvious he was scared after what happened between him and Izuku.

While obvious with how the detective's mind worked, Ochaco wasn't expecting him to figure it out so fast. Izuku was smart. Probably too smart for his own good at times. Yet that's why he was such a great detective. His concern for Ojiro slipped them both into a treacherous situation that could cause the loss of life if not handled precariously. Which is why, despite Ojiro adamantly refusing to leave her side, Ochaco enacted upon her title of Uraraka heiress and had him booted from the mansion. He struggled and shouted pleas, saying he could help her through this. To not do this to herself. That friends supported one another through tough times. The last remark stung deeply.

It was for his own good.

The upcoming war was roiling dangerously against Japanese shorelines. It was going to be larger than any fight between clans; possibly transcending three hundred combined years of skirmishes. With her father away on business and Aizawa physically down for the count, Ochaco had to step into the generational pair of shoes and analyze incoming intelligence. Shigaraki was inciting panic into the citizens of Musutafu by increasing crime rates practically overnight; arson, robberies, assaults. Day in and out they were wreaking havoc upon the innocent citizens. And she'd had enough.

"Miss Uraraka, we're nearing the shrine entrance. There appears to be a civilian already planning on visiting to pay her respects. An older woman, alone. We can have her diverted from the premises—"

" No. I don't want peoples' lives getting disrupted due to meager threats by an underdog clan. Leave the poor woman alone to pray at a shrine. Back off all security so I can have a few minutes alone myself." Ochaco sharply interrupted the driver as he pulled alongside the pathway. She didn't mean to be so irate yet the constant constraints due to a looming war meant she was high-strung and short on patience.

"Yes, Miss Uraraka. I will await here until you're done."

The door was opening before the vehicle was even in park, the heiress flinging herself out onto the grassy lot. A guard handed her a bouquet of colorful flowers as she passed. Security began to thin out as she reached the first weathered stone step, gradually disappearing as she climbed. While not the easiest climb to make in heels, she barely noticed it anymore. In accordance with Uraraka tradition, upon inheriting the title Ochaco was to visit the family shrine daily prior to ascension; once the title had been passed down, it turned into a monthly event to continue honoring all those who came before. She slowed down just past the halfway mark, taking a moment to look back over the colorful trees.

Serene. Tranquil. Not another sound apart from nature herself. Inhaling a deep breath of mountain air, Ochaco took a moment to exhale some stress. All of the chaos had created little time to relax. Venturing to the shrine was the only time she had for reflection, peace, and quiet. Even as a chilly breeze scratched at exposed skin it was refreshing. Tucking a strand of hair behind an ear Ochaco continued the trek forward with a slightly clearer mind.

Winter would soon be upon them bringing frozen lands and plentiful snowfall. Beautiful in its own way yet deadly. It was the harshest of seasons that cycled the life of Japan. Winter killed all, spring was a season of rebirth, summer portrayed unwavering strength, then autumn began the fading into death's embrace. A small, unamused sigh slipped out at the analogy. Slightly ironic that the welcoming of a new heir began at the very start of the new year. For with it came immeasurable bloodshed.

"Perhaps that's why it's always at the start of the year. To cleanse the bloodshed upon the Uraraka name and generations of filth." Ochaco mumbled to herself. Dwelling further on it would only cause frustration; right now she needed to plea to her ancestors for strength. "I pray my ancestors are more forgiving of the drastic change about to occur."

The family shrine remained unnamed purely out of precaution; rivaling gangs could target the site and destroy it as a personal attack. Though old and worn, it remained strong thanks to generations of care. Even the handful of torii gates leading to the site had surpassed the weathering of time fairly well. A simple, small shrine with aged wooden beams and tiled roof. Heavy, woven cord attached to a worn, metal bell as old as the shrine rested beneath the trusses. A small coin bin beneath the bell gathered funds to assist in maintaining the site and cleanse the soul. Even a small garden had become attached at some point in Uraraka history, though Ochaco couldn't find records of when exactly. Normally beautiful and flourishing in spring, the greenery had withered due to the dropping temperatures. Now only wilting vines and decaying leaves remained.

Setting the bouquet atop the designated tray resting just behind the bell, Ochaco turned towards the water basin just off to the left. Cleansing oneself prior to praying and offering gifts was customary for all Japanese. The frigid water sent a shiver through her spine as it first travelled down the left hand, then right. Only on special occasions would she rinse out her mouth, though the immense amount of cursing lately garnered cause to do so now. A filthy mouth wasn't a good idea when praying to family and the gods. The remnant water trailed down the ladle handle after spitting out the bad thoughts tainting her tongue. Positioning herself in front of the shrine, Ochaco bowed slightly for a few seconds then tossed a few hundred yen coins into the basin. Both hands grasped the rope and pulled once, twice, thrice to signify an arrival. A deep bow this time. Then a second. Upon straightening she clapped twice, left hand slightly positioned forward, and prayed.

Ancestors, hear my plea. Please provide the strength and mentality needed to navigate these turbulent waters. Please keep my family and…companions, safe from the encroaching war. I beg of you, ancestors, hear my plea. I could really use your guidance right about now…forgive me for the blood about to be shed upon Musutafu in order to preserve the future.

Ochaco cracked her eyes open, staring at the bell rope while it gently swung from a sudden breeze. While it helped slightly, praying wasn't going to save them all from the impending war. Bowing deeply for a final time she finished her offering then stepped back. She slowly glanced over the aged wood and without much thinking, placed a hand against the nearest support beam. For decades this shrine to her family had survived; countless years of bloodshed, rebellion, even wars, yet here it was nearly three hundred years on the dot still standing above the city. Worn and tired, though it survived endless perilous seasons. Just as the Uraraka lineage had. A warm tingle travelled into her palm from the wood, so she pulled back to stare. The rest of her body remained cool yet where she'd touched the beam grew warmer.

"Family and heritage will guide us into the future. Thank you." Ochaco whispered, slowly closing her fingers over the warmth to preserve the sensation.

The sound of footsteps and slightly ragged breathing pulled Ochaco from the moment, the heiress turning to see the aforementioned middle-aged woman easily climbing up the lengthy stairs. She had pulled back dark green hair and kindness radiating features. Though a bit on the heavier side, she seemed to manage alright climbing up the mountainside. Hooked on her arm was a small basket with a towel covering the top. Only just before reaching the last handful of stairs did she look up, surprise flickering across her face.

"Oh! I never realized other people visited this shrine. I'm so sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting anything." The woman apologized frantically, offering a few quick head bows.

"Not at all. I have already given my offering and was only taking a moment to breathe. May I help you with your basket?" Ochaco replied easily, stepping forward with hands slightly extended. Though not entirely noticeable, the basket carried some weight to it. The older woman initially denied yet the heiress persisted, offering one hand to her and the other for the basket. She gave in with a grateful smile.

"Do you come to this shrine often?" Ochaco asked once the woman finished her cleansing and prayers, watching curiously. As far as she knew only family members trekked to this specific shrine. No ordinary citizens bothered with unmarked shrines, usually due to caution; unmarked meant it could be a shrine for a demon.

"Yes, I do. In fact, I've been coming here for the last few years. My only son left home after high school, and I ended up getting curious about what the stairs led to during my walks around the neighborhood. The poor shrine was in rough shape though I've done my best to maintain it. I don't have an exact age, but it's seen some things for sure." The woman replied warmly with eyes remaining on the shrine. She motioned at the basket Ochaco held firmly in both hands. A careful removal of the towel revealed a spray bottle and some rags on one side, a small tea set on the other. "I like to come up here at least a few times a month to clean up what I can. I feel bad that it's been abandoned for a while now…"

"This shrine is actually maintained by my family, though its age definitely shows now; it's almost exactly three hundred years old." Ochaco replied easily, noting the elation of the other woman. She almost reminded her of a certain someone…

"Really?! Wow! It's surely witnessed countless advances of Japan. I'm impressed it's managed so long without destruction. Your family has done well in maintaining it, though I'm curious about something; why isn't there a kamon on any part of the shrine? It's just…normally when a family owns a specific shrine they put their crest on it."

"I believe my ancestors didn't feel the need to place one on such a remote location. Their presence enough was satisfactory for them. Even if it doesn't have a family crest, I always know where to go. I've been venturing here ever since I was young,"

"That's very endearing, dear. Since I've already finished my prayer and it was a good hike up here, why don't you join me for a cup of tea?" The lady offered after taking back the basket, smiling invitingly at the heiress. Ochaco returned the gesture and nodded. Who could ever turn down a cup of tea?

The two settled on a nearby bench chatting about little things as the tea was poured. Once both had their cups in hand, silence fell over them momentarily while admiring the view over Musutafu. Another reason the shrine was built on the mountainside was to always quietly watch over the city the Uraraka clan protected. Both physically and spiritually, they were always protecting. Ochaco sipped on the tea slowly, watching as a few orange leaves twirled to the ground. While her security team would panic over the untested tea she wasn't worried. The woman radiated kindness. She didn't appear to have a single cell of malice in her body.

"Forgive my manners, I never introduced myself. I'm Inko Midoriya." Inko suddenly exclaimed, embarrassed at the lack of manners.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Inko. My name is Ochaco Haniko. And please, don't worry about formalities right now. This place is for relaxing and forgetting the world around us." Using her last name right now would only cause panic; until the time came when she fully announced her status as heiress, the alias would stick. "I truly appreciate you going out of your way to maintain the family shrine these past few years."

"Don't even worry about it, Miss Haniko! It's my pleasure to ensure history stays alive and remembered. My son Izuku is such a history nerd. He would love to visit a place like this. Maybe when he's done with his big work project, he'll take some time to relax. That boy is always working so hard!" Inko rolled into a small rant about her son, failing to notice the genuine smile on Ochaco's face slipping a few fractions.

Izuku's… mother? This was unexpected. Never in a million years had she guessed his mother was the one helping to maintain the Uraraka shrine. Though if he knew she was interacting with his mother…it probably wouldn't go well. But Ochaco Uraraka had made a solemn promise to protect those surrounding him for the upcoming war. The brunette made a small mental note to ensure she was added to the protection list. Inko was such an animated woman, explaining in-depth what her son did as a detective. Though Ochaco already knew everything, she still listened intently.

"Your son…Izuku. Was there anything specific that spurred his interest in becoming a detective?" Ochaco asked once the other woman took a short break to drink her cooling tea.

"Yes. Unfortunately, part of it wasn't for normal reasons," Inko started softly, gazing back out at the city with a faraway look. "You see, Izuku always admired Captain Yagi for his heroic actions in his younger years. It was the main reason he wanted to become a cop; to be just like his idol. But the other part of it is due to the fact his father was murdered when he was still young. The police say it was likely due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, possibly ending up in the middle of a turf skirmish between Yakuza clans."

"Oh, Inko. I'm so sorry to hear about that," Ochaco whispered, gently placing a hand against her shoulder. Inko smiled weakly and covered the hand firmly. Her skin felt clammy.

"Thank you, Miss Haniko. It's been rough though I've managed to raise Izuku to be a fine young man. He throws himself into his interests passionately, always striving to be the best he can. But I know there's a miniscule part of him that will wonder what really happened back then. I'd like to know as well…though now that he's grown and we've managed to survive, I don't think I can handle the grief of opening that wound once more."

"I understand completely. Would you like to switch to something else?" Inko nodded slightly. "So, Izuku is a detective. Does he do anything for fun? Hang out with his friends?"

"Well, our definition of fun is vastly different than what he considers fun. If you like taking notes in history museums then you're golden. Or crime talk, he's big on that too. Izuku doesn't really have many hobbies outside of work, honestly. I know a few of his classmates recently moved back to the area, so he's been going to hang out with them lately. His boss' niece is back in town; they've worked together in the past on cases. She's from America! Melissa Shield. Her father is a well-known mechanical engineer who's famous for breakthrough technological advances."

"David Shield. Yes, I've heard of the work he does. It's amazing to analyze the thought process behind his designs. Everything from medical devices to military parts. Truly a man of brilliance." Ochaco replied. She'd heard of David Shield years ago; his designs for private security was heavily implemented into the Uraraka clan. Inko nodded excitedly.

"Yes! Though just between you and me, I believe Izuku has a small crush on Melissa just from the way he talked about her. Not like he would tell his own mother if he was dating someone! But she seems to be a genuinely nice girl."

"Does any child tell their parents about a partner?" Ochaco teased and the two shared a laugh. This break was something desperately needed. It seemed for both of them. "Since you've come all this way to clean the shrine, why don't I help you out? I feel I owe you for the wonderful tea you shared, Inko. And your company, of course."

"Oh, don't worry about the tea! It's better to have someone to share with than waste it. I'll accept your help to clean the shrine, only if you want to, Miss Haniko." Inko smiled brightly, the crow's feet and laugh lines deepening.

"Just call me Ochaco,"

"Of course, Ochaco. Now, let's get to work."

Over the course of an hour, the two cleaned and chatted about anything and everything. Inko used to be a stay-at-home mother while her husband worked full time, even travelling abroad for big meetings. Since his passing she often worked part-time at a nearby grocery store to help cover bills that the monthly life insurance policy didn't quite reach. Things were tight, she mentioned, though not unbearable. Her main focus was ensuring Izuku had a solid education for the future. Though he often helped pay her bills, as thanks for her years of self-sacrifice and hard work, Inko never felt right taking his money. So without telling him, she'd take that money and turn it right back around in the form of cooked meals, birthday and Christmas gifts. The older woman let out a chuckle when Ochaco asked if he ever noticed.

"I don't think he has, and it's been at least five years now. Maybe he does and just won't point it out to avoid hurting my feelings. Regardless. What about your family? I've been blabbing on for a while now. How about your parents? What do they do for a living?"

"They manage multiple businesses across Japan and internationally. Right now they're out of town acquiring a new division of warehouses to increase productivity and efficiency throughout the company. We manage a wide variety of businesses in town, too." Not too much information, Ochaco. Her son was a detective with a personal vendetta against the Yakuza. Though he'd probably already began digging deeply into her background by now. "Since they're away right now, I've been managing the company on this end."

"All by yourself?!" Inko gasped, shocked that a young girl could handle such business. A hand pressed against her heart. "Surely you aren't more than twenty-five, right? That must be such stress to run a company!"

"I'll be twenty-one soon after Christmas," Ochaco said softly.

"Oh, my. I was going to mention that you seemed rather eloquent in your body language and speaking, not to mention your clothing. Is it a lot of responsibility to maintain such ventures? Do your parents help you out?"

"Mm. I've been learning from a young age how to run the family business, then once I hit twenty-one it's time to take over. My family supports me to ensure I don't fail."

Inko gave an endearing expression, gently grasping Ochaco's hands in her own. The emotion pouring through motherly eyes nearly had the brunette tilting forward for comfort. "It's amazing what you've managed to accomplish so far, Ochaco, but I can already see the toll it's taking on your body. You seem so tired. Not just in appearance; your body language speaks volumes even when you don't. Please take care of yourself, dear. And feel free to call me anytime you wish to take a break. I'll be more than happy to talk with you."

"O-of course, Inko. Thank you." Ochaco breathed out as a slip of paper pressed against her palm. Auburn glanced down at it briefly. A vibration in her jacket pocket reminded her of the thousand other responsibilities needing fulfilled. "I'm sorry, I should really get back to work. I've got a packed schedule this week—"

"Of course, of course! I won't hold you up any more. Thank you for your help today, Ochaco; it was so lovely meeting you." Inko followed suit in standing up, gathering everything back into her little basket. Ochaco offered to carry the basket though the mother shook her head. "I really mean it; reach out to me any time. Day or night. If you need to take a break and vent, or even if you want to sit up here. Call me."

"I truly appreciate your kindness, Inko. I'll be in touch soon, I promise. Take care of yourself," Ochaco graciously bowed, Inko mirroring, then the heiress began the trek down. Already the heavy weight on both shoulders began lifting, the air becoming easier to breathe in.

The phone in her pocket vibrated then began ringing softly. Ochaco only had a few people allowed to call her and as the screen emerged from the jacket pocket, a familiar name appeared. Of course, she'd gone past the timeframe for praying at the shrine and ignored about thirteen messages, four calls, and about twenty-five emails. Watchdog of the century went to…

"I know I'm late, don't need a reminder. I'm headed back to the car now." Ochaco answered with a slight eye roll though the smile countered the annoyed reaction. At least he hadn't sent the entire Yakuza force after her. Yet. "I'll get started on the paperwork and have it done by—"

"…Miss Haniko?" Came a timid, quiet voice. Immediately she stopped in her tracks, pulling the phone away from her face in a flash. It was Aizawa's number alright. But that certainly wasn't Aizawa's voice. What the hell? Was the line hacked? This line was more secured than nuclear missile codes; only Hizashi Yamada handed out sensitive phone numbers.

"Hagakure? How did you get that phone you're calling me from?" Ochaco asked, bewildered on the inside and calm on the out. What was going on? No one should be able to hack any main Uraraka phone. Placing the call on speaker, the heiress immediately began texting Hizashi to inform him of a leak. The bubbles began appearing as he replied in under five seconds. "Is everything alright? Is Sergeant Aizawa nearby?"

"I'm authorizing the call, Miss Haniko," Came Aizawa's voice. Relief flooded through the brunette as Hizashi confirmed it was a pre-authorized call from his phone. "Miss Toru wanted to thank you for assisting in the return of Mashirao Ojiro. He explained the entire situation at the station to clear up any misunderstandings."

Ojiro confirmed the story of working under you for the duration of his disappearance. Authorized by me in advance. No breaches. She persisted and wouldn't leave me alone. – Aizawa.

Hm. Aizawa breaking to allow a barely known person use his personal line; maybe he hit his head during the attack. Or he was using it as a cover to prevent information from leaking out. "I'm glad to hear Ojiro returned safely, Hagakure. How are you holding up?"

"I can't thank you enough, Ochaco. I understand now why everything had to be secretive; I'm not mad and don't blame either of you. I know you take your security seriously and it was a risk to give out your location. I probably shouldn't even be reaching out to you now…but I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you, Ochaco." Hagakure answered with a wavering voice, the tears obvious through the screen.

"You're very welcome, Hagakure. I'm sure he's happy to be home with you."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about…if you have a minute? Can I tell her what I told you earlier?" Toru pulled away from the phone to ask Aizawa for permission. It sounded like a vague yes as Ochaco continued down the stairs again, expression now tensing. Did Ojiro tell her something? Or was it going to be about the spat between him and Izuku at the hospital? "Thank you. Ochaco, I wanted to ask if anything happened to Ojiro? I'm grateful he's home and all, but he's acting more reserved than normal. When I ask he just gets irritable or ignores it completely. He's even acting different around the guys, especially Midoriya. It's like he refuses to acknowledge him now."

"I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that, Hagakure. I'm sorry. He may just need some time to readjust after being gone for so long." Ochaco lied. There wasn't any other choice. How could she say she forced him out of the Uraraka clan and forbade him from returning or contacting her? She wouldn't understand the risks that had to be taken. No one did. "Give him some time and space to adjust; just like after a tense match, right?"

"You're right. Thank you. How have you been? Mina and I really miss hanging out with you. Are you busy with work?"

"Wrap it up in the next thirty seconds," Aizawa cautioned the blonde, earning a fast apology in return.

"I'm alright. Super busy with work right now. I miss you guys too and maybe one day we'll finish Love without Boundaries. I haven't watched any further in the series." She trailed off knowing there wouldn't be another time after this.

"I won't spoil it for you…but it's getting intense! Like, secret identity reveal intense! Oops! That was probably a spoiler! Sorry! I'll let you get back to work now; take care, Ochaco! And thanks again for helping Ojiro."

The phone handed back off to its original owner as Aizawa asked her to step outside of his office and he'd been back with her in a few minutes to close out the police report she filed. Once the door audibly clicked, he returned. "Could've warned me about this."

"I did. Check the ten messages I sent you over the last hour plus five emails and a few missed calls. Why weren't you answering?" Shota shot back sternly.

"I was up at the shrine, praying. And I also ran into someone you'd be interested to know. Inko Midoriya. Izuku's mother. She's been cleaning up the shrine a few times a month since it was getting dilapidated. Don't we have guys for this?"

"Supposed to. Not sure if they've been assigned since the scramble. I'll get someone back on it by tomorrow—"

"I'll handle it." Ochaco interrupted. She could almost see his puzzled expression; eyebrow cocked up and lips pursing, a finger scratching at his face. "Mrs. Midoriya and I chatted for a while…I'd like to come back and clean the shrine with her. She's been cleaning it the past few years and I feel I owe it to my predecessors by at least helping. Besides…it's my break from reality."

"…you know security is going to freak out, right? You're leaving yourself vulnerable to attacks in the open like that. Both you and Inko Midoriya."

"I understand the risks, Aizawa. There's something I wanted to ask you about, regarding Izuku's dad—"

"Hisashi Midoriya. Passed just over ten years ago due to a Yakuza skirmish. Wrong place and time." Shota interjected, already knowing she was going to ask. His own curiosity had him digging up the file to confirm his suspicions. "While technically not our fault, one of our men took the fall under my command. We've already looked into the root cause of the dispute, and it was all financial based. Hisashi had inquired into borrowing from the Uraraka clan just two weeks prior, and a rival gang didn't like that. Tried to offer him a better deal and when denied, things got rough. Our men stumbled upon the fight then intervened, resulting in Hisashi passing from received injuries."

"But it wasn't technically us? What gang?" Ochaco pushed for information though the throat noise from her mentor indicated he wasn't going to budge further. "Right, right. Back to work. Have you heard anything regarding mother and father returning?"

"Documentation is still in the works. There are delays due to inefficiencies in the deed paperwork; previous owner didn't file them right at startup. He's been running illegally for a while, so now your parents need to pay off the fees, file the correct paperwork, change of title, restructure everything to the Uraraka way. It's going to be cutting it close, Ochaco. I won't lie."

The elation and tranquility left Ochaco's heart in an instant. In other words; her parents may not be home in time for the coronation. Hell, probably not even the holidays at this point. They'd always tried to make it home before the holidays…this year was going to be especially lonely. It didn't matter how many members of family she was surrounded by; the most important ones wouldn't be there when needed the most. "…they're not going to be home, are they?"

"It doesn't seem so, no. I'm sorry. They're trying their best. Business gets in the way a lot though it's necessary. I'll make it up to you. I need to get back to work now; things are getting hectic and moving faster than anticipated. We'll catch up tonight,"

"Sure,"

The line softly disconnected. A heavy ache rested in the lower chambers of her heart. Even with their busy lives, her parents always made time to be home for the holidays. She needed them. How could she ascend the throne without their hands supporting her from behind? It wasn't the same with members of the clan, or even Aizawa; they were family, no questioning that, but they weren't the family she needed. A hand slipped the device back into a chilly pocket.

"It's time to be independent, Ochaco. You can do this." The heiress mumbled to herself, continuing the trek down though with heavier steps.

Change would soon be upon them all.

---

Desolate, abandoned, cursed, crumbling back to the earth. Nothing more than an eyesore that dropped equity percentages, costing the city more and more in lost fees. Tossed aside from society. Eyes shying away, averting, not daring to look at such filth. Yet for some, it was home. A home of misfits with varying degrees of physical, emotional, or mental trauma. Those who were cast from society. Shunned. Scorned. Ultimately forgotten. But those who thought alike began gathering in the darkness of the city, converging as others slept peacefully. And in that darkness they began to plan.

Those on the surface would pay for their crimes.

A gray-haired young man slouched against a ragged, torn couch with a hand rubbing against his neck almost neurotically. Up and down, up and down in a rhythmic motion. The dry and cracking skin became irritated from the constant motion, tinting towards bright red. He didn't seem to notice as blood-red eyes stared at a small, turned off tv sitting haphazardly on a fire damaged stand. It was as if he were waiting for something to happen. Awaiting the next step on how to proceed. Incapable of moving forward without aid, without a voice of reason.

"Staring isn't going to make it turn on faster, Tomura," Tomura barely lifted his gaze at the newcomer who stopped mere feet away. "Just like always, he'll call when things are ready to progress to the next step. Why don't you get that rash looked at by Doctor Garaki? Surely he has a cream or something for that constant itching."

"Why bother. It's just going to come back…it always does. First a small twitch of the nerves, then it progresses until it's a ravishing crawling beneath my skin. Every time I'm reminded of them it gets worse. They're to blame. If they hadn't ruined my childhood, maybe I wouldn't be this way. Maybe I wouldn't be sitting here scratching incessantly at my skin to alleviate such an intense itch. Besides…the pain helps me focus." Tomura halted his scratching to look up at the newcomer through greasy bangs, a wild look in both eyes. A brief span of silence stretched between them until a guttural sigh left the deranged appearing man. "Did you at least do what I asked, Compress?"

"Of course! What kind of man would I be to break a promise? Our inside source has confirmed the odds are ever so slowly turning in our favor. If things goes smoothly, then by coronation time the Uraraka heir will be overthrown and outcasted. It wasn't easy weaseling my way into their heads; these Yakuza are tougher than most! They highly value their sworn loyalties. Although," Compress dramatically paused, Tomura highly unamused by his antics. "There's always a few underlings looking to force their way through the rankings for the right price. The rumors should start spreading like Dabi's flames through their rankings."

"If you can't take down an impenetrable fortress, infect a rat; they'll squeeze their way through the holes and spread the virus. With that phase down it means we're one step closer to eradicating that annoying Yakuza gang." A second set of footsteps drew near and both men looked over to see Dabi standing there. One hand in his pocket as the other flicked a heavy duty lighter on and off. "Though I'll give them credit; one man against all of us and he managed to survive two sniper shots. Shame to lose a skilled marksman, though. Bastard had his brains blown out before he could pull back from the scope. Didn't like him much anyways."

"Hey, hey! That's so much wasted blood! It could be used to make smoothies, cakes, mixed into a delicious frosting~"

"Toga, I'm only going to say this for the thousandth time; that's fucking disgusting." Dabi shot at the blonde as she bounced over, wrists rubbing together excitedly. A toothy snarl and a flash of tongue was the usual response. "Seriously, can't you get diseases and shit from drinking blood? You don't even know if that blood from earlier was clean."

"I've drank blood my entire life and haven't died! Besides, I can usually tell when it's bad before I lick it. That officer tasted pretty gross if I'm being honest. Like cigarettes and booze. Blech! I had to dig into my special reserve just to get the rancid taste out of my mouth!" Toga's face scrunched up in disgust, remembering the nasty crimson. "Anyways, I get monthly check-ups from that weird doctor so I'm clean. What's the plan now, boss? Are we just sitting around for more orders? Can't we just storm their main headquarters and end it all?"

"Don't be daft, dear. You can't just barge into a heavily fortified mansion and expect there to be little resistance along the way. Things have to be planned out meticulously, taken step by step in order to avoid messing up. Everything will come in due time, Toga, have a little patience." Compress reassured with a hair ruffle.

"Thanks to that freaky little computer nerd, we've very briefly narrowed in one of the locations the Uraraka heir has visited. There's an undercover watching who goes in and out of the apartment complex at all times. We'll know more once all of the data comes in. Track down those close and he'll have no other option than to expose himself in public. The toxic rat should handle the rest." Compress pounded a fist against an open palm triumphantly. No one returned the enthusiasm, so he quickly began chastising for lack of moral support.

"You've already gotten your information incorrect, Compress," A charming voice emitted from the TV. Instantly Tomura was sitting in front of the static screen like a child on Christmas. His hands grasped onto the sides of the screen for dear life. "You see, this generation of Uraraka clan has broken nearly three hundred years of tradition by producing a female heir."

"Master!" Tomura practically groveled at the screen as a blurry image of a man flickered to life.

"A woman?! How in the world is that possible?" Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle exclaimed from his isolated spot in the corner, quickly hurrying to join the group. "I thought I'd misheard on the police station roof. You knew all along, Tomura?"

"No way! I wonder what her blood tastes like," Toga nearly drooled at the thought, hastily swiping at the corner of her mouth with an oversized sleeve.

"You need serious help…" Dabi replied with an eye roll.

"Says the burnt piece of charcoal!" Toga shot back with a snicker behind hands.

"Both of you, shush!" Compress warned with a finger against his mask.

"Of course he knew, Spinner. He gets his information straight from the source. What he does with it is at his discretion. Though now that the cat's out of the bag, metaphorically speaking, the plan will need to move forward at a slightly faster pace. You all won't need to worry about the main event until next month, so keep doing what you're good at; flushing out the lower rankings of the Uraraka clan so they'll lead us directly to the main location."

"You don't even know their main location?" Dabi asked incredulously, scoffing in disbelief. The man on the screen turned in his direction. "They can't be that hard to find, right? It's not like they've made themselves completely covert."

"I know many things, Toya Todoroki, yet their exact location has evaded my grasp for decades. All I know is they're rooted somewhere deep in Musutafu, perhaps even the mountainside. Unless you want to scour hundreds of miles of thick, dangerous woods, it's going to take time to formulate a plan to infiltrate. Until then." The charismatic voice cut the conversation short, turning back towards Tomura as if he could see him groveling there. "Tomura, you've done well so far. Though your interaction with Shota Aizawa didn't exactly go as planned. You could've been seriously injured or worse. We can't have that, can we?"

"Forgive me, Master! I didn't mean to lose focus! That damned officer took advantage of a weak moment. It won't happen again." Tomura vowed with his cheek pressed against the warm screen. A chuckle emitted from the TV.

"I know it won't. I'll reach out once more as things progress on this end."

Silence filled the dilapidated house once the device turned off with an audible pop. No one moved until the scraggly man lifted himself from the filth coated floor, head lolling to one side. Like a fire lit beneath him, Tomura Shigaraki raised his head to address his fellow miscreants. Dabi, Toga, Compress, Spinner. Twice had yet to return from his mission. The little group of people whom he kept close. A scarred hand reached into the back pocket of his pants, slowly pulling something out. Nearly mummified by this point, a severed hand attached to a metal base emerged and Tomura held it up to the evening light filtering through the crumbling roof before settling it against his face. Crimson eyes peered through the fingers at his grinning comrades. They were ready.

"Well, Father, I guess it's about time we get to work."

---

Despite countless pleas and even attempts at bargaining, Ojiro adamantly refused to speak to Midoriya, nor would he allow him to corner the martial artist. He'd even gone so far as to slip beneath a table in the breakroom to avoid the desperate hand reaching out. Kirishima couldn't get through to him either. The handful of friends arriving back into town were confused as to what the sudden beef between them was. At one point Midoriya gave up, figuring the blonde would talk to him when he was ready. It wasn't worth trying to force another answer out of his friend. Whatever happened in those additional two weeks of being gone must've really messed with his head.

Hagakure, immensely relieved her partner was home safe and sound, remained concerned as even she was blown off when attempting to bring up the sore subject. Mina reassured her friend it must've been a rough time returning to normal life. Izuku knew exactly why he was pissed off and guarding against everyone; his life was put in danger because of his persistent pushing for the truth. Sometimes, Izuku argued with himself one night, sticking his nose in others' business only did more harm. Case and point. Bakugo could give two shits about their lovers quarrel as he focused on the mission, and Todoroki gave up immediately once a cold shoulder was put forth. Neither were persistent like the green haired detective.

"I just can't figure it out, Mina," Toru sighed heavily as they all took a break in the conference room they'd borrowed. "It's like all of a sudden he's emotionally shut down. There are times I wake up in the middle of the night and he's practicing martial arts in the living room or on the balcony. He gets so zoned in that not even shouting breaks through. It's really weird."

"Just give him time. Maybe something happened during his contract, and it's got him bothered. He never was the most open person, even in high school." Tsuyu Asui chimed in, the old classmate sitting down with a warm cup of tea.

"While true, his behavior is odd. It's almost like he's angry at someone…or even himself." Momo Yaoyorozu. Another classmate that returned to aid in the finding of their common friend. "Just as Tsu mentioned; give him some time and space. You could always stay a couple of nights with any of us to give him a break. It might just be overwhelming."

"Well," Toru started unsurely, chewing on the corner of her lip. "I may or may not have begged Sergeant Aizawa to let me talk to Miss Haniko earlier about Ojiro—"

" You got to talk to her?!" Mina exclaimed loudly as the door opened up once more to reveal the trio of detectives; Izuku, Bakugo, and Todoroki with coffee in hand. "And you didn't ask me to join! I'm hurt, Toru! You know I miss her just as much as you do!"

"I feel like we're missing something," Tsu whispered loudly to Yaoyorozu behind a hand, the ravenette nodding in agreement. They hadn't been completely filled in on what transpired prior to their arrival back into Musutafu.

"What's going on?" Izuku asked while resuming his spot, swiveling the chair to face the girls. He briefly blew on the surface of the coffee then began to sip.

"Toru talked to Ochaco through Sergeant Aizawa earlier without me! How rude is that? Is she doing okay at least? Has she kept up on Love without Boundaries? I can't even enjoy it without feeling like she should be there."

Izuku abruptly spat out what little coffee he had in his mouth, luckily aiming towards the floor instead of his friends. He coughed a bit as some went down the wrong pipe. Yaoyorozu immediately offered a napkin to which he croaked out a thank you. "W-what did you say?"

"Sergeant Aizawa called Ochaco for me, just so I could thank her for ensuring Ojiro got back safely. She mentioned being really busy with work right now. Poor girl sounded so tired. Apparently she hasn't been keeping up with the series since we last watched. I wish we could see her again…"

"Midoriya, can't you persuade your boss to arrange a meeting or something?" Mina asked the detective, though his mind was far from the conversation.

Izuku placed a hand against his mouth after setting the coffee down, mind racing a thousand miles a minute. She'd directly talked to the heiress of the Uraraka clan just like that. And Sergeant Aizawa allowed it. Was it to keep up the ruse that he wasn't Yakuza? Did Captain Yagi already figure out his double life? He needed to know. It was like an incessant itch he couldn't quite reach in the back of his mind. But…after what happened with Ojiro, the likelihood of bringing it up directly to his superior dwindled to nothing. It would be denied. While Izuku was praised as one of the best detectives in nearly all of Japan, nothing topped Sergeant Aizawa and his decades of experience with the force.

"Midoriya," A voice called out gently. Emerald eyes instantly snapped up to see Hagakure hovering barely a foot away, hands twisting unsurely. "I'm sorry if this is upsetting to you, I know I shouldn't have gone behind your back to reach out to Ochaco. I—we're all worried about her, including Ojiro. I know he doesn't say anything about the situation, but he is. While I don't understand what happened between you two…I just want to make sure you're both okay."

"I'm fine, really. It just threw me off that Sergeant Aizawa actually allowed her to be contacted considering the situation. You've already seen my attempts to convey with Ojiro," Izuku trailed off uneasily, rubbing the back of his neck. "I agree with what the others are saying; he just needs some time to readjust back to normal life. There's really nothing more I can do to fix this."

"Alright, I trust your word. I'll leave you both alone to sort things out. Mina, can I stay with you for a bit? Just to give him some space?" Toru smiled then turned to the pinkette who nodded eagerly. "Tsu? Yaomomo? Slumber party?"

"I would be delighted! Jiro should be arriving today as well; shall I extend the invite? It'll be wonderful to have the entire gang back together. The rest of the class should be arriving within the week. Despite not needing to search for Ojiro, they'd like to hold a reunion since it's been a few years. Ida and I are planning the whole event. Please let me know of a time that works best for you guys!" Momo exclaimed happily with hands tapping together. Growing up in a wealthy family meant the socialite never really experienced things such as sleepovers. Though now that she had her own places, between Musutafu and her current home, she often tried to hold get-togethers and parties with friends.

The girls went into their own tangent about planning the sleepover, gushing over what they could do, eat, drink. Izuku tuned out that conversation pretty fast, instead choosing to stare into his coffee. With the rest of his classmates arriving…they'd be completely unaware of the Yakuza situation going on. A war was building behind the scenes and even beginning to leak into everyday life. More skirmishes were reported weekly, usually between gangs, and that didn't even include the increased rate of crime. That seemed to be more Shigaraki than Uraraka. Peoples' lives were under threat of attack. And despite what Ochaco said…

Did the Uraraka clan truly have Musutafu in their best interests?

"Pardon the interruption. We're going to need to borrow this room for a meeting right now. You ladies can occupy the breakroom for the time being." Aizawa strolled in with an armful of papers, Chief Yagi and a handful of officers piling up behind them. "We won't be more than an hour."

"Let's get straight to business. Katsuki Bakugo, Shoto Todoroki. We've brought you in for a high-clearance mission that requires both of your expertise. You'll be working in conjunction with Detective Midoriya here, alongside other higher ranking officers." Chief Yagi started once the door was shut and locked, the room now filled with various officers of the law. Detective Tsukauchi stood beside his friend donning a solemn expression. All eyes focused on the two. "The documentation passing around covers the overall timeline of our plans to collaborate with the Uraraka clan in order to take down Shigaraki."

"Are you serious?" An officer abruptly blurted out, drawing all attention to him. Aizawa sent him a death glare that said sit the fuck down. "After everything they've done to this city…to the citizens…you're just expecting to play buddy-buddy and sing around a campfire? Don't be ridiculous! They're notoriously violent Yakuza out for nothing more than blood, money, and power!"

"While that may have been true in the past, crime rates correlating to the Uraraka clan have dwindled greatly over the past few decades. Kenji Uraraka has strayed from the more violent ways in favor of economic growth." Detective Tsukauchi corrected the outdated and egregious claim. Some of the officers began muttering amongst themselves with worries.

"I understand there are concerns about this union; this wasn't something easy to settle on. Right now there is a bigger threat than the Uraraka clan. An outside Yakuza clan known as Shigaraki are threatening surrounding cities, including Musutafu. We have to be extremely diligent from here on out. Things are going to get messy; I won't lie about that. If you want out to protect your family and loved ones, by all means. The door is right there." Toshinori pointed at the door with a steady finger. No one moved a muscle.

"The likelihood of injury or even death are high going forward. While the Uraraka clan vows to protect us and the city, there's no telling how Shigaraki fights. We've already witnessed that with Sergeant Aizawa here," Tsukauchi gestured towards the impassive officer.

"They won't hesitate to fight dirty. Snipers, bombs, men armed with blades and guns. What they accomplished a few weeks ago was nothing more than an introduction; their real motives are guaranteed to be far worse." Aizawa stood to address the men, scouring over each stoney face before stopping on Midoriya a few seconds longer. He could see the tension increasing in his jaw at the mention. "Bail if you want to; we're not going to hold it against you. In fact, we encourage it because if you falter in the line of duty, you're nothing more than dead weight and a liability."

"Why drag us into this mess if it ain't our problem?" Katsuki piped up when no one else would and dark eyes shot over to him. Izuku silently stared at his friend in horror, the blonde standing up to be level with Aizawa. "You dragged us from our daily lives to fight a Yakuza war that we have no part in. Why should we help you?"

"I hate to admit this…" Todoroki added quietly, standing as well. "But I feel the same. We have no connection to Musutafu apart from growing up here. Our careers are our main priority at this stage of life. What are we benefitting from risking our lives for a turf war that should be settled between them?"

"I hear and understand both of your concerns. The reason you were called in is due to your tactical expertise when it comes to apprehending higher end criminals. I shouldn't even have to mention your drive and tenacity picked up from Enji, Shoto. And Bakugo. Your explosives skillset can aid us in trapping then apprehending Shigaraki men; at the same time being able to disarm any traps they've placed. Your presence is optional but highly requested. Seeing as both of you have yet to leave this room, your minds are made up to stay and fight." Toshinori stated firmly. The boys were doing nothing more than testing the authenticity of the plan. They didn't truly care about being pulled away from their careers. A glance between the two confirmed the theory and they sat down without another word.

"Moving on. A meeting has been arranged to meet the heir of the Uraraka clan in three days' time. Only a few select officers will go to avoid unwanted attention and overwhelming police presence. The team determined is as follows; Bakugo, Todoroki, Kirishima, and Midoriya. You'll be led by Aizawa. Additional officers will be clearing the perimeter as precaution and the Uraraka clan has declared the area a neutral zone. No weapons on either end. If a single weapon is determined to be present, the deal is off and we're on our own to fend against Shigaraki." Tsukauchi pulled up on a screen covering a whiteboard. The entirety of it was covered in various colors of markers mapping out a plan. Izuku did his best to memorize every square inch, even taking invisible notes with his hands. "They take the security of the heir very seriously and won't hesitate to drop the deal. Things tend to become tense around coronation time which is the first of the year. It also means increased Yakuza activity around town, so watch yourselves. Don't directly involve yourselves unless a citizen is actually in distress."

"May I ask a question?" Izuku shot his hand up. A nod approved. "If the heir of the Uraraka clan is arriving in person, wouldn't their security be outrageously heavy? It doesn't make sense to have a no-weapons policy when that's probably the most heavily guarded person in all of Japan. I don't see them not showing up armed. And I have another question as well. Are we really planning to arrest Kenji Uraraka once the heir takes over?"

"All we can do to earn the trust of the Uraraka clan is believe their word. It's risky, yes, but it's what's needed. They've been cooperative so far under Kenji's reign. As for the second half of that question: we're leaning towards yes, though not one hundred percent certain on that. It becomes complicated with the turning over of a new generation. We're keeping that plan as tentative. Let's save the questions until the end, there's a lot to get through." Chief Yagi said before moving on, turning his attention to the board.

A knocking on the door interrupted the meeting. Aizawa shifted over to see who was interfering with the meeting, stepping back to reveal Ojiro and Kirishima. Both men spoke quietly with the officer, restraining from glancing around the room at the curious faces. After a minute Aizawa motioned for them to find a seat, handing both extra copies of the report.

"Change of plans. Kirishima is dropping out to be replaced with Ojiro. He'll remain as extra security but will not directly interact with the Yakuza for personal reasons. Ojiro will be replacing him at the meeting point. This change will be sent over to their side once this meeting is done." Shota quickly explained.

Ojiro took the seat beside Midoriya as Kirishima nabbed the only free seat next to Bakugo, the redhead beaming at his grouchy blonde friend. The meeting continued without missing another beat. It took nearly the better part of an hour before they were finished, and all were ready for lunch. Aizawa, Tsukauchi, and Chief Yagi continued their talks in an office while the other officers filed out of the room. Kirishima offered to take Bakugo and Todoroki to a great place nearby for some soba noodles. It left Ojiro and Midoriya left alone in the thickening silence. While Izuku wanted to say something, anything, his tongue swelled and made it impossible to get a word out. His friend remained still, eyes staring intensely at the paperwork before him.

Izuku decided it wasn't a good time to try and reconcile so he stood to at least throw his empty coffee cup away. A hand latched onto his wrist so sharply he nearly tossed the cup against the wall. Ojiro's hardened gaze glanced at the partially open door before switching up at him.

"You need to stop this, Midoriya." He spoke lowly, almost in a paranoid manner. "They don't understand what's going to happen if Kenji Uraraka is arrested."

"What are you talking about, Ojiro? I can't stop this plan; I don't have that authority. Besides, that part isn't set in stone—" A sharp tugging downward interrupted the detective as Ojiro got in his face. The seriousness of the situation had his lips pursing closed. He'd never seen his friend like this…so desperate.

"Listen. To. Me." Ojiro hissed, glancing at the door then back. If he didn't have the chance to say it before the plan enacted, it'd be too late. All hell would break loose. "Ochaco isn't herself anymore. Ever since that interrogation at the hospital she's withdrawn even further. You may think she's a tyrant Yakuza out to make people's lives hell, but she isn't. She's scared. Right now, she doesn't have a support system to stand behind her. How do you think she feels taking on such a massive responsibility by herself?"

"I…I don't know what you want me to say, Ojiro. We shouldn't be discussing this right now." Izuku weakly tried to back out of the death grip currently locking him in place. His friend let out a heavy, frustrated sigh with a shake of his head. "Look, if this is about what happened back then…"

"You don't understand what you did to her that night, Midoriya." Ojiro started softly, demeanor changing and his grip loosening.

"I did nothing more than assert my position that I won't be bribed into associating with a Yakuza. She tried to bribe false friendship with gifts and artificial kindness. There's nothing more to it." Izuku retorted assuredly. Yet when he finally looked up at his friend, the one who had disappeared for two months, the confidence behind that answer slipped. Ojiro shook his head in disappointment as a hand ran through his short locks. His mouth opened a few times before words finally emerged.

"No. What you did was violently shove the kindness and compassion she had for a friend back at her. Ochaco never wanted to hurt us, any of us. She misses Mina and Hagakure. She misses watching Love without Boundaries with them. She misses having intellectual conversations with you and giving Kirishima advice on self-defense. I miss having martial arts spars with someone who isn't afraid to hold back, a person who deep down is no different than you or I. The reason I went back after the hospital was to try and be there for her. You know what it got me? Fully kicked out. All strings cut."

"She let you off? Just like that?" Izuku whispered in disbelief. Ojiro nodded tersely, walking back and forth to alleviate some of the growing tension in his body. Why wasn't he understanding?! "Why would she do something like that?"

"Because that's what friends do, Midoriya! They fucking look out for one another!" Ojiro snapped loudly. A chair went flying into the opposite wall with an audible thud. Izuku flinched yet remained calm. This was why his friend was avoiding him… "Just when she was opening up, you forced me into a situation that caused more harm than good! I can't fix this; there is no fixing this!"

"I'm sorry…I didn't realize I was doing more harm than good."

"I know you better than most, Midoriya. I understand you did this with a logical mindset, but what you're doing is stereotyping someone by their title and not what's beneath that. When you tossed that watch back at her, it broke a piece of her heart. She still carries it around in her jacket. Everywhere. A gift that was thoughtfully picked out for a special friend now carried around like dead weight. While she'll never admit it…I've walked past the training room and heard her crying."

Izuku dropped his head, deeply ashamed of his actions. He never realized…he just assumed she was after nothing more than pawns to add to her collection. Now she was isolating herself from reality, something far more dangerous for an up and coming Yakuza leader. At some point the cup in his hand became crushed, small droplets of coffee dripping into the carpet. Ojiro mumbled to himself while placing the now slightly askew chair back into its spot, feebly attempting to correct the bent metal bar. The dent in the wall wasn't going to be easily fixed and the blonde cursed at his lack of control. After a few moments of silence, Ojiro finally stopped in front of his friend, eyes remaining straightforward.

"You may be the only one who can fix this now, Midoriya. Try to get through to her in three days. If you can't…then her reign won't be a pleasant one. Sorry for yelling at you; I let my own frustrations get in the way. I'm just really worried about how she's acting…"

"N-no, you don't need to apologize for anything. I'm the one who royally screwed up. I was too justice-blind to realize she's just like anyone else…ironic, isn't it?" Izuku sniffled, wiping at his face with a sleeve. The blonde turned towards him slightly, curious at his statement. "When we were escorting her around as Miss Haniko, she ventured down the alleyway where I saved her from being assaulted. We talked and I offered my hand whenever she needed it. Now I've rescinded that offer by throwing her kindness away like an asshole."

"She may be more forgiving than you think. The only reason she released me was to protect me from what's coming. To be honest, if it comes down to sides, I will choose hers any day." Izuku looked up in complete shock at the answer, though his friend merely gave an awkward shrug. "Seems weird, right? Why choose the side of someone like that? It's because she's proven to be a strong and caring person that wants to protect her friends. The loan I took out to provide for my family has been paid off and she offered five years of financial support. You know what she said when I questioned it? ' Your company is more than enough for me.'"

"I see…" Izuku responded softly. What else could he say to that? Ojiro already knew he acted like an asshole by cornering him and demanding answers, only further wrapping the blonde up in troubles. The guilt weighed heavily on his heart the more he processed it. He overreacted. Instead of taking his spite out on an innocent person unable to sway their destiny, he should've offered a helping hand. It was a failure on his end; he'd failed in his duties to protect and serve those of Musutafu. The badge pinned against his chest felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

"You both better have a damn valid reason for damaging a chair and the wall. I could hear you through multiple walls." Both men jumped as Shota entered the room with a silent fury raising the temperature faster than a sauna. A stern finger pointed at the two chairs closest to him and they scurried to sit, eyes wide and legs beginning to tremble. The fury of Shota Aizawa wasn't something to be messed with. He shut and locked the door behind him, slowly turning to face the two with a grave expression. "Explain. Now."

Ojiro kept his gaze downcast, nervously looking at anything interesting lurking in the carpet threads while Izuku swallowed hard. The longer they took to answer the more irate his boss would become. Considering they were already talking about something top-secret; it'd be best to lie…if they wanted an immediate funeral with no service. Mustering up what little courage he had left, Izuku Midoriya looked up at his fuming boss and prayed for the best.

"Sergeant Aizawa…I know about Ochaco…and who she really is. And I have a hunch you do too because…because you work for her."