A/N: Welcome to my new story. I'm not really planning on adding many Naruto characters to this story. Any that appear will have minor roles, though I also may just use names and physical descriptions because I think that makes visualization easier. While this story will follow canon to a certain extent, expect me to sprinkle in fun bits here and there. None of my stories are ever blanket canon. I'm looking forwards to your thoughts. Lastly, I don't have a beta reader but I did my best.

Chapter 1: A Youthful Beginning

"Rough day kiddo?"

Izuku nodded. He couldn't answer. He didn't trust his voice to not betray the pain he was still in. What kind of pain you ask? Take your pick.

Physical pain, a big old check there. Ever since he'd started middle school his old friend Kacchan, better known as Katsuki Bakugo, had tormented him. Bakugo had made it his personal mission to beat the hell out of Izuku whenever the mood struck him. Oh, Bakugo bullied other kids too, but the explosive blond seemed to have a special place in his twisted little heart for hurting Izuku.

The bully blamed it all on Izuku, of course. He told Izuku that if he wanted to be a hero, even though he was a quirkless nobody, that he'd need to be tough enough to fight back. Problem is, if Izuku fought back then he'd be the one getting in trouble. Bakugo would come out of the fight without a scratch while Izuku would not only end up bloody and burned, but because he swung at Bakugo, he was the one in trouble.

His mother even believed the principle over him and made Izuku apologize to his former friend. She would so easily buy into the lie that other children and his teacher had seen the fights. Bakugo had a shit eating grin on his face while the blond's own mother looked uncomfortable. This leads us to the other type of pain.

Emotional pain, oh yeah, Izuku has that. Why is Izuku hurting emotionally? Well, that question has more layers than you might think.

At first, Izuku was simply in denial and hurt because his childhood friend had started acting like a villain. The physical pain was nothing compared to the loss of his friend. No explosion ever hurt as badly as being constantly reminded that he was worthless, and no one cared about him. A fact that his teachers and lack of friends only served to reinforce.

You'd think that was bad enough, right? No friends because being quirkless is like being diseased. Teachers constantly berated him for the littlest things at worst and acted like his was mentally handicapped at best. Honestly, he'd gotten detention one time for sneezing during a test and received a zero for the test because the teacher said he was trying to help someone cheat. It was pollen season and he has allergies for heaven's sake.

But...apparently, that wasn't enough. The universe wasn't done shitting on him.

See, usually, Izuku didn't go straight home after school. This was mainly for two reasons. First, he would check his hero app and look for any heroes he could watch, or maybe there was new hero merchandise at one of his favorite retailers. Second, with no set course, it was almost impossible for bullies to track him down after school.

However, this day wasn't one of those. Bakugo had really gotten ahold of him today before class started. He'd suffered all day, struggling to get by. Going to the nurse would be useless. She'd have just told him to go home or back to class and to quit faking.

So, on this rare day, Izuku had decided to go straight home. His blood ran cold when he saw who was outside.

It was Bakugo...with his mom.

Izuku's heart started beating faster. He couldn't understand what Bakugo was doing at his apartment building. He wouldn't hurt his mother, right? That was too far even for Bakugo, wasn't it?

The logical part of Izuku knew that Bakugo wouldn't risk the legal trouble that could come with an assault charge. His mother had a quirk after all, she had value. Still, there was the larger illogical side of his overactive mind that was reminding Izuku how much Katuski had changed and that he might attack his mother just to spite him. The line of what Katsuki could get away with was seemingly less and less clear as the seconds went by.

With his blood pumping, Izuku was about to dash towards the two and save his mother no matter what. That is, until he saw his mother handing Bakugo money. For a second, Izuku wondered if Bakugo was robbing her, but she didn't look scared.

Sneaking closer...Izuku heard the truth, "Thanks for the money, Auntie."

Inko smiled fondly, "Oh no, of course. You're the one doing me a favor after all."

Bakugo chuckled menacingly, "Sure, it's not like I enjoy hurting De- Izuku, after all."

" Wait, what?" Izuku's mind was now blazing a million miles a minute.

"I know, I'm so sorry to ask this of you Katsuki-kun. I know that you and Izuku were best friends, but he just won't be realistic. He keeps saying he wants to be a hero. It was one thing when he was still five or six, but now? What is a mother supposed to do? I can't let him keep dreaming like this. He'll get himself killed!"

Bakugo just nodded, repressing a grin, but it was obvious to anyone. Anyone except Izuku's mother apparently.

Inko sighed, "Again, I'm so sorry for asking you this. I wish there were another way, but with his dad gone I have to deal with this all by myself. I can't be the one telling him that he can't be a hero. That's why I need you to keep showing him that he just isn't strong enough to make it, so he quits all on his own. Hurt him only if you need to, just please don't go too far. I trust you Katsuki-kun."

Bakugo chuckled, and Izuku could practically hear his thoughts. Anyone who saw the joy Bakugo took in tormenting Izuku could tell you. He'd gladly do this job for free.

So, yes, Izuku was in emotional pain as well. He'd been wandering the alleys until he came upon an unfamiliar bookstore. Feeling like it would be a good place to hide away for a bit and kill some time, Izuku slunk inside.

The chimes by the door rang as he opened it and he was promptly greeted by the kindly looking old man at the counter, "Rough day kiddo?"

Thus, after the day he'd had, the life he'd been leading, Izuku could only nod.

What was he supposed to say?

"My mom is paying my biggest tormentor to beat the hell out of me and making me apologize for defending myself. No one gives a crap whether I live or die, and the world wants to crap on my dream," what a whiny asshole would he sound like then?

No, instead, in true Izuku fashion, he gave the man his best shaky smile without meeting his gaze and walked towards the back. Immediately Izuku felt a sense of relief. He'd always been happy when surrounded by books. They were something he could understand. Books did not judge him or tell him what he couldn't do. They let him believe in himself.

It was no surprise that Izuku found himself in the self-help section. He often floated between self-help, comics, and pre-quirk science fiction. Today, Izuku found himself seriously needing a pick me up, so self-help it was.

"Guide to Harmonious Living, The Bro Code, Loving your Weak Quirk," Izuku sighed there as he continued to mumble through the titles, he'd kill for a weak quirk, "The Power of Me."

Izuku almost picked up that last one before an old, decrepit looking green book caught his eye, the spine read, "Ultimate Youthful Guide to Maximizing Your Springtime of YOUTH!"

Izuku wasn't sure what to make of the book, nor was he sure how long ago the author M Guy had written it given its condition. That said, just reading the title had made him smile a bit. He'd pick it up, along with a few pre-quirk era comics he'd noticed on the way over here. This place had turned out to be a gold mine as almost everything was pre-quirk era stuff.

Izuku wondered if that's why the place seemed to do so little business.

Walking back up to the front, Izuku noticed the man brighten up a bit more as he sat the books down. He hadn't really paid much attention to the gentleman earlier. Honestly, he had barely looked up from the floor. Now he almost wished he hadn't.

Truthfully, the older gentleman looked nice enough, with a broad smile and happy eyes. It was...everything else that was the problem. The least of the man's issues was his extremely out of date bowl-cut hairstyle, not something Izuku would judge, but when combined with the ultra-thick eyebrows, that Izuku swore he saw move on their own, just created a disturbing image. Last, and most certainly not least, was the green jumpsuit the man wore under and equally green employee vest.

Izuku was honestly so distracted by the man's appearance that he almost missed that the man hadn't rung up his self-help book, "U-Um s-sir? You f-forgot to ring up this b-book."

Somehow, the man's face-splitting grin seemed to glow, "You are mistaken, young man. I did not forget. You see, the secrets of youth are not for sale."

"O-Oh, I s-see," that caused Izuku's mood to drop slightly, but the strange clerk was not finished.

"Youth cannot be bought or sold! It must be shared, and always freely given! Take this book young man, and embrace your springtime of youth!" Izuku was unsure of how to respond as the old man's exuberance only seemed to grow and grow. He bolted out of the store with his books in hand, still hearing the crazy man screaming from the store, "YOUTH!"

Izuku found himself running all the way home. Something about that man just sent shivers down his spine. He swore then and there to never be anything like that man.

Getting home that day was a sobering experience. The last hour had been fairly exciting, to say the least, if a bit odd. Now, facing his mother who greeted him with the same friendly smile she always did, Izuku felt sick. That smile felt like a lie now.

"Welcome home Izuku, I've got dinner started so go ahead and get yourself cleaned up and set the table for me."

"I'm not feeling very well mom, I think I'll probably just call it for the night and head to bed."

Inko looked concerned at that, "Are you sure you don't want any dinner sweetie?"

The way his stomach turned was an answer in and of itself, "I'm sure."

And with that, Izuku disappeared into his room. He would've felt bad lying to his mother if their entire relationship hadn't been founded on lies already. Maybe he was being a bit dramatic. Okay, he was definitely being dramatic. Still, how would anyone feel to know that their mother was paying their bully to abuse them.

In that moment, Izuku realized something. He was finally able to admit that he and Kacch- no, Bakugo, they weren't friends anymore. They likely hadn't been for a long time. Silver linings he supposed.

Unloading the bag from the bookstore, Izuku froze. How the man had snuck this in there he would never know. Yet, clear as day, there in his own hands, was a version of the spandex one piece that the owner of the bookstore had been wearing.

It was even in his size!

Setting the garment aside, he hesitated to call it clothing, and putting the books away, Izuku couldn't help but hold onto to the self-help book. It seemed like all of the weirdness centered around this book.

Flopping down on his bed, Izuku hesitantly opened the tattered bindings. Surprisingly, the pages still seemed rather crisp and fresh. It seemed rather odd, but perhaps someone had taken better care of this book than he thought. After skimming through the entire book quickly, Izuku found himself a bit surprised.

Many self-help books had different tips and tricks for self-improvement, but this one took the cake. Izuku found a multitude of dietary tips, meditation techniques, and workouts. Oh, so many workouts. One particular page had caught his eyes and the words, "Start with a brisk three-hundred push-ups," had stopped him cold. He'd thought it was merely a typo, but many of the exercises were the same. All dramatically more reps than any workout he'd ever heard of before. Izuku honestly wondered who this book was geared for.

That's when he flipped back to the beginning. Deciding, even if only for a laugh, to go ahead and read the book. He could use a laugh. However, once he read over the author's note to readers, Izuku felt something change inside of him and he knew he'd never be the same.

Hello, I am the beautiful green beast, Might Guy.

Thank you for joining me on this journey for YOUTH! I'm sure you are likely asking yourself, "What is this youth? Why am I so excited about it? Is this man crazy?"

All I can ask is that you trust me.

In this life, many people will be there to tell you what you can and cannot do. Many people in your life, even some well-intentioned, will stand in the way of your dreams. No one wants to hurt others or let them down, but we cannot live our life to please others. We can only live our lives to the fullest, to be the best that we can be. We must live a life with no regrets, doing our utmost every day to make ourselves and the world a better place, no matter what others may think.

This

Is

YOUTH!

On our journey, I will give you goals and challenges. Do not move on to the next chapter until you have fulfilled those. Do not give up on them before you get started. You have only failed when you accept that you have failed. If you find that you can't believe in yourself, then believe in the me that believes in you.

Gaze upon my handsome smile and see the truth of my words.

"Please turn to next page," Izuku reads the final words in confusion before a look of horror crosses his face.

"Gahhhh!"

"Izuku, baby," his mother shouts before bursting into his room, slightly out of breath, "Are you okay baby, I heard you scream?"

Izuku looks down at the picture of the man he can only assume is the author. It looked much like a younger version of the man at the bookstore, with only a few noticeable differences. However, the differences were enough to let you know that it was a different man. Still, it wasn't just the appearance of the man that startled him. No, it was those accursed eyebrows.

Though he knew it was just a picture. Though he knew no one would ever believe them. Izuku would swear until his dying day those caterpillar thick eyebrows moved on the page.

"N-Nothing mom, just a bad dream," Izuku gulped as he laid back down.

"Okay, if you're sure sweetie," Inko replies, obviously unsure.

The tension between the two is plain to see. Izuku knows his mother can sense it, and he knows she has no idea why. Still, he can't bring himself to tell her. He doesn't even know what to say.

Should he shout at her? Should he blame her for all the terrible things that happened to him? Is it right to blame her for his horrible school life?

Izuku knows that things would likely be just as bad either way, but she is literally paying someone to hurt him. He just doesn't know how to forgive that.

Choosing to ignore that issue for now, Izuku simply returned to his book. He quickly flipped past the picture and on to the first chapter, "A Proud Failure."

Izuku hummed at the title before he read into the book. The first chapter seemed to reiterate the intro a bit, but pushed forward with it. Half of what he read sounded like idealistic nonsense, while the other half sounded like solid advice. Then he got to the end of the chapter...100 crunches, 100 push-ups, 50 pull-ups, and running 10 kilometers.

Luckily, it said that this all didn't have to be done in one sitting. It just all had to be done in one day. Izuku, however, had never been good in gym class. As an experiment, he got down and started doing pushups... he got to five. Sadly, he figured getting to five was less a testament to him being strong enough to do them and more so to him being skin and bones.

"This is stupid. I can't do this. I'll never be able to do all this, and I'll never become a he-" the word hitched in Izuku's throat.

It wasn't the first time he'd tried to deny his own dream. It likely wouldn't be the last. He just never seemed to be able to get the words out. In frustration, Izuku slammed a hand down on the bed.

Hearing a thunk, Izuku realized that he accidentally hit the book instead of the bed. He was just glad that it seemed like his mom didn't hear. Climbing back up on the bed, Izuku noticed that the book had flipped a page. On the next page were the same oddly comforting words he saw in the intro, " Believe in the me who believes in you!"

And... next to that...was that same picture. The man's smiling face and thumbs up were almost all you could see. However, this time Izuku's eyes weren't drawn to the strange eyebrows. He was instead filled with the sense that the man's smile was just for him. Izuku swore he could almost hear a deep boisterous voice screaming that this strange man believed in him.

Might Guy believed in him, in a quirkless nobody, in Izuku Midoriya.

Tears welled up in Izuku's eyes then. That was nothing new, but the feeling behind them was. It made Izuku wonder when the last time it was that someone had told him they believed in him. Hell, when was the last time someone hadn't given up on him before he could even try?

Usually, Izuku would've been negative and assumed if this man knew he was quirkless then this Guy person wouldn't believe in him either. But, he didn't. He didn't feel like that at all. In a rare moment of positivity, Izuku felt sure that Might Guy wouldn't care if he was quirkless, or how weak he was right now. As long as Izuku didn't give up on himself, then he simply knew that Might Guy wouldn't give up on him either.

While he thought he could probably run a 10k, Izuku wasn't sure about the rest. So, Izuku set about doing the other workouts. Since he could already do twenty crunches that would be a lot easier, but he couldn't manage to do a single pull-up on the bar in his closet that held his shirts.

"This might be harder than I thought," Izuku muttered, but all it took was one look back at the book to get him motivated once more.

"Okay," Izuku muttered as he sat down in front of his desk, "If I modify my path to and from school, I can get a 10k in easy. I'll have to find a way to do twenty sets of five push-ups to get to one hundred, and five sets of twenty crunches."

Looking up more info online, Izuku found that you could do pull-ups overhanded as well as underhanded. It also suggested that doing push-ups helped with the overhanded version. Still, Izuku wouldn't simply give up on the underhanded version because it sounded like quitting. And quitting wasn't...youthful? It didn't sound very youthful anyway.

It took Izuku eight months to make it to chapter two. Two of those months were simply because of the pull-ups. However, Izuku also had trouble doing the whole routine on a school day. Sure, Izuku had found a way to barely stumble through on the weekend, but Might Guy didn't sound like the type of guy who did things halfway.

So, Izuku pushed himself further. In his very first embrace of youthfulness, Izuku cheered as he managed to do the entire workout one Friday afternoon. His body was aching, muscles screaming, and breathing heavy, but none of that could stop him from getting back to the Ultimate Youthful Guide to Maximizing Your Springtime of YOUTH!

Well, after a drink of water that is.

"Chapter Two," Izuku couldn't fight back a grin as he turned the page, "The Gift of Perseverance."

Izuku found himself grinning like mad as he read. Some of the things still seemed a little out of reach for him, but he would believe. He would believe in Might Guy, because Might Guy believed in him!

A/N: So, that's it. My brand new story. I've actually had this chapter sitting for quite some time. I just wanted to make sure my ADHD would allow me to stay moderately committed to it.

But, yeah. If you haven't picked up on it yet, Izuku will be the next Might Guy. I'm trying to blend the personalities but it's up to you how I did. I'm leaning a bit heavier towards Rock Lee with OC Izuku sprinkled it.