Living underneath a solid, waterproof roof again was… Amazing.

Every single one of the Midoriyas' enjoyed a good night's sleep for the first time in ages… Then, once it was over, actual, warm food, which the 3 devoured like starving lions.

About 3 times more than all the 4 Tendos' put together.

It was as they finished up the meal, though, that Sound brought up another topic that should have seemed obvious, but wasn't so to Izuku until he brought it up.

I


"School?"

"Yes! You intend to get into a Hero school do you not? That generally requires having finished middle school."

"...Okay."

That made enough sense.

It wasn't that the idea of going to school itself bothered him… It was more the novelty of it that took him aback. It had been a while since he'd actually set foot in a school.

"I have arranged the required books, pencils and the likes in a bag by the door… As well as talked it over with the… Well the principal went to Hawaii and has not returned… In any case it's been taken care of."

He clapped Akane cheerfully on the back.

"It's the same middle school all my girls have gone to! Furinkan! Akane is still there, and will remain so until graduation next march. She'll show you the way!"

Akane gave Izuku a quick glance, then looked pointedly away.

I


Walking through the city landscape of Nerima, Izuku took great interest in looking over and familiarizing himself with the place as they walked.

Just two teenagers on their way to school. Seemingly the only unusual feature was that one of them had a thermos of boiling water in the backpack.

To Izuku's disappointment, they didn't see any Hero villain fight on the first leg of the walk.

It was Akane who broke the silence first.

"We're NOT going to get married, you know."

"That's… More your choice than mine."

And that part was true enough.

Izuku hadn't familiarized himself with every little detail of the marriage contract that bound their families, but he knew very well that for the Midoriyas' pulling out of it was NOT an option.

That said… Whatever she had hoped to hear in response, that clearly was not it, because she clearly pouted at that.

"Also, don't hang around me at school."

"That… Shouldn't be too much of a problem. I kinda have to get back into school work. It's been a WHILE now."

"Afraid of failing?" She asked somewhat flippantly.

"Failing? No, last time I went to school I had solid 90's across the board… But that was a while ago now. As I said, I have some work to do in that regard."

"...Well good luck with that. I don't have time to help you out with grades. I have plenty of work to do with my own."

Izuku nodded. He'd very much expected that.

That said, at this moment, he was more worried about the seeming barrier between him and Akane.

He did not see any way to easily close the distance with it though. He should probably work on that.

"So… Anything I should know about Furinkan?"

"Sure. Couple of things actually. Firstly the school is composed of almost only people like us. Ki users."

This completely took Izuku by surprise.

"Really?"

"Don't get your hopes up. They're not like us. Well… Not many of them are. There is only one other student who is actually really strong… But for the most part the students there are only guys with basic Ki enhancements. Maybe 3 times the normal Human limit at most, most not even that."

He nodded.

"So… What's the story with that?"

"Eh, it just kinda… Happened. Furinkan was founded to be a school for Quirkless students, so they wouldn't have to worry about being picked on and bullied by Quirk users. That kind of exclusion by definition attracted Ki users… That kinda grew, and 100 years later here we are."

He nodded.

"Sounds like most Ki using communities I've been through. There are some outliers where pretty much everyone is strong, but for the most part it's mostly limited to one or two families, with the rest generally only using Ki for this or that depending on where it is. Hammer Space to carry large weights across distances in one go, heightened resistance to the elements in very hostile terrains, that sorta thing."

She raised an eyebrow, and for a moment it looked like she was clearly interested… But then, rather than asking questions, she continued.

"Most here generally just use it for sports. That's… Kinda our school's bread and butter."

"Sports? When did that become popular again?"

"Wow. You REALLY have been out of the loop haven't you?"

"Yeah? I spent the last six years wandering the entire world, from here to the straits into the Americas, then all the way down to the Andes, then back again, then across southern Asia into Africa and across the Sahara into Europe before I finally began the trip east again. Out of the loop would be an understatement."

"You managed all that distance… In six years?"

Her voice actually sounded really impressed.

"Well… When I say wandered, it generally meant we jogged or ran as we traveled, but… Yeah."

"That IS impressive… But back to the topic at hand… Superpowered sports was legalized during your trips. A LOT of new sports exploded after that… And funny enough, Ki users have a massive advantage compared to most Quirks in them."

He nodded.

That part made a lot of sense to him. For a whole host of reasons.

He also understood the implications of what Akane was saying.

"So… Furinkan is now all about producing athletes then?"

"That's exactly right. The school is way richer now than it was 5 years ago, when it only produced the occasional Kid who went on to become a Pro Hero."

That was actually kinda fascinating in how the world had changed in the time he'd been gone.

"How's the world reacting to more Ki users on the big stage?"

Akane snorted.

"Well for the most part, they refuse to believe we exist. That is to say, most people believe we are just Quirk users pretending to not be."

"So… Not much changed then?"

"Not really, no."

He nodded at that.

That was the kind of reaction most people had to Ki.

The fact was, statistically speaking, Ki users were RARE. Stupidly rare. His father estimated that in current japan, with 250 000 000 people in it, less than 700 were Ki users.

They had always been rare, all throughout history.

And that had been before the age of the gun and cannon, which had whittled them down even further, by taking out so many who never reached the stage of being casually bulletproof.

Much less the emergence of Quirks, that did all Ki could do, only it was easier to use, almost everyone had it, and while it was less versatile in potential, it was both easier and much, much quicker to train.

The irony that they were experiencing a renaissance of sorts after Quirks had conquered the world was an irony his father had always been rather bitter about.

Not him though.

Both of them suddenly, and without thinking about it, did massive backflips that carried them a good 15 meters backwards through the air, as suddenly a giant villain brought down an enormous fist upon the area where they had been… Though he didn't seem to actually be trying to hit them, just lashing out against several Heroes he was fighting.

One was a guy with a wooden themed costume, and the other was an enormous lady with an incredibly tight fitting costume.

Akane was extremely annoyed.

"Of course… Well, I suppose we should…"

Her voice faltered as she looked at Izuku.

Her fiance's face had one of the most cheerful and happy smiles imaginable as he stared at the sight ahead of him.

"...Amazing!"

He just stared at the sight as two heroes PUMMELED the unfortunate Villain with massive attacks, until finally with an enormous "KRAASSSHHH!" he fell to the Earth, shaking the entire district.

Akane just looked at him absolutely dumbfounded, as he witnessed it all with utter stars in his eyes. Like it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Are you… Are you sure you're not secretly Daddy's son? Cause… That is EXACTLY how he looks when looking at Heroes fighting."

"Really? He has great tastes then!"

"Uh huh… Anyway…"

She motioned with her hand, and turned to point in another direction.

"Looks like this road's gonna be closed a while, so we need to backtrack and go through there and-"

Something tapped Izuku on the shoulder.

He hadn't felt anything or anyone approach him, and his head snapped around at the unexpected tapping… Only to jump right back and away as he saw a freaking Human skeleton!

Said Human skeleton though, actually turned out to be puppetered by a tall, friendly looking man with glasses.

"Oh pardon me! This is just my skeleton Betty."

He playfully tapped the skeleton's cheek.

"I'm Doctor Tofu."

Behind him, Akane, immediately froze.

"Um… Hi. I'm… Izuku. Izuku Midoriya."

"Oh? I see…"

He suddenly got an understanding look on his face… But what he'd just understood, Izuku had no idea.

"Ah Akane-Chan? Good morning to you!"

Akane, having turned around, bowed down politely.

"Um… Good morning Doctor."

To Izuku's surprise, as she raised herself up she suddenly spotted a MUCH more reserved and… Cute, smile on her face than anything he'd seen so far.

Well that was… Interesting.

"You haven't been by lately. No new injuries?"

"No sir. I… I mean, I haven't been doing anything that would cause any…"

As he listened in on their conversation, he immediately thought two things.

The first, was that Akanr had become extremely… Well girly, in front of Mr. Tofu.

It wasn't just her words. It was her body language as well. It had become much more reserved and demure.

He had a pretty good suspicion about why as well…

The second thing was even more confirmation about how badly Akane's Ki control was.

Any martial artist who used Ki was familiar with one of its single, most useful features.

It's healing factor.

The ability to easily recover in hours, days or a week what a normal person might require months or years for.

If Akane had needed a… Whatever sort of physician Tofu was, to help her regularly… Then that was a REALLY bad sign.

I


A few minutes later, the two were speeding through the streets at an astonishing rate.

Above them, huge, gray clouds rolled in over, promising rain… Though Izuku wasn't too worried about that.

"That guy Tofu… What's his job?"

"Chiropractor."

"Martial arts master too, right?"

"Huh? How did you know?"

"The way he had hid his presence completely, when he sneaked up on me. That kinda gave that away."

There was a lot of takes on how to do that across the world, of which their school's Umi-Sen Ken was but one.

The one thing they all had in common though, was that they required massive amounts of skills to use.

"True, he's really good… But he doesn't look like he'd be, right?"

Her face for a moment returned to becoming both melancholic and more girly.

"Ever since I was little… He always took care of my injuries."

And also kept her from being forced to grow.

He didn't say that part out loud though.

"Allright, but… Isn't he a man?"

She looked at him dumbfounded.

"And?"

"I thought Nabiki said you hated men."

Akane obviously considered that.

"That's right… I Despise… Men!"

Her face snapped up to a large school building in front of them rapidly coming closer and closer.

"By the way Izuku, one more thing about Furinkan you should know…"

He suddenly spotted two things.

At the side of the entrance, was a tall, beautiful woman with massive, brown hair, wearing a golden mini skirt with sleeves to her wrists, holding an umbrella in one hand and a whistle in the other.

The second was that a lot of guys were standing at the entrance, wearing sports gear, be it for boxing, baseball, kendo, or others.

"We do duels here too."

As they got closer, almost to the very gate, the woman in gold blew her whistle.

"And the duel has now begun!"

Izuku had no idea what the hell that even meant.

He had participated in Duels before.

They tended to be one on one affairs, sometimes teams.

Certainly never about 20-30 guys attacking one girl. A lot of them with weapons. Training weapons, but still weapons.

He didn't even hesitate.

Even if Akane had not been his betrothed, there was NO WAY he'd ever have just stood aside in this situation.

A wooden sword sailed towards Akane's back.

Not that she had much problem getting ready for it, but she didn't get the chance to counter as Izuku planted a firm kick to the boy's ribs that brought him to his knees.

Some of the guys immediately hesitated, clearly not expecting the newcomer, but Izuku did not show them much mercy either, as Akane and the rest had begun a merciless, no hold barred brawl.

It wasn't much of a genuine contest, but Akane clearly pulled her punches far, far less than Izuku, as she pummeled the guys who attacked her with no hesitation.

By contrast, Izuku was just as fast, but far, far more controlled and deliberate.

The end result was the same though.

All the guys were on the ground, some unconscious, others just beaten really badly.

Groans of pain muttered across the schoolyard.

Akane, though, had a different reaction.

"Every single morning… What a drag."

Izuku just felt… Confused honestly.

"What… What the heck was all this about?"

"My big morning duel. Well, the first one."

Behind them, the attractive lady in yellow blew the whistle again.

"And Akane and the new student both defeat their foes."

That… Explained absolutely nothing.

Then another newcomer arrived, as out from the halls of the school door a man in a rather old fashioned Kendo uniform(sans the armor) stepped out.

He was tall, handsome, and holding a bokken in one hand, and sniffing a rose in the other.

"Truly, such a boorish lot."

Again, Izuku felt a desperate wish for context.

Thankfully, with his next line, the newcomer provided one. Somewhat.

"Evidently, each of them intends to ask you out… On the dawn that he finally defeats you."

That… Kinda explained their motivation at least. A bit. Maybe. Not really.

What it did not tell him at all, was why in the world Akane would agree to it.

Akane for her part looked a mixture between bored and annoyed.

"Oh… Upperclassman. Good morning."

The "upperclassman" threw the rose in her direction, which she caught, before adjusting a two handed grip on his bokken.

"And now…Akane Tendo… Might you fight with me?"

Izuku had so… So… Many questions.

But there was a new one he was more curious about the specifics than the rest. It probably shouldn't be, but somehow it really bugged him.

So he asked the question to Akane.

"How can he be an upperclassman if we're in the final year?"

Akane glared at him dumbfounded, but she did answer.

"He was held back last year. Because I brained him so hard on the day of the exams he didn't awaken until in the evening."

"Indeed! I still remember that beautiful, perfect blow…"

Then the wooden sword was pointed in Izuku's face.

"You are being quite familiar with Akane-Chan!"

He didn't need Ki sensing abilities, to feel the utter annoyance the older boy felt at his presence.

It wasn't murderous though. Not yet.

"Um… Yeah. What about it?"

Besides him, Akane shuffled nervously.

"Who are you boor!? Ah! But it is custom to give one's own name first! Fine then! I shall give mine!"

Izuku was starting to wonder if maybe Akane's massive, earlier blow had given him some serious, lasting brain damage his Ki had not been able to fix.

The man positioned his legs so he stood slightly sideways, looking away dramatically, as if he was putting on performance in some show.

"My name… Is upperclassman Kuno. Captain of Furinkan's Kendo Club. Undefeated new star of the Middle School Fencing world. But my peers call me… The Blue Thunder of Furinkan!"

There were some sudden muttering up above from the windows, and Izuku just realized that there were plenty of students who were now observing the scene in the courtyard with interested eyes.

Also, a lot of the girls roasted his seeming nickname.

Izuku, though, had a different reaction.

"That's… Not a bad name actually. Blue Thunder… I'm guessing that's gonna be your Hero name?"

This actually seemed to please the upperclassman.

"Indeed! Ah, but I have given my name, so now give me yours!"

Behind Izuku, the browned haired woman walked up casually, and Izuku couldn't help but notice Kuno seemed… Just a bit on edge.

"Remember Kuno, I won't accept blows before a duel has started. If I see one… I will have to punish the naughty boy who threw it."

He… He was so lost.

Just judging by the Ki flow, he could immediately tell this woman was… Not that special. Much less so than Kuno who… Seemed reasonably strong.

If he feared her punishing him… There was likely either a technique involved, or just the authority of a teacher he feared.

Regardless though…

"Well… My name is Izuku Midoriya… I'm… I'm a final year student here, starting today… I live at Tendo Dojo starting yesterday…"

Kuno almost tried to hit him.

He could FEEL the urge the boy had to try to strike him down with the sword.

Izuku did not make a move to dodge though.

Kuno would not do it… Not so long as the teacher was here.

"Under the same roof as Akane!? Why? What possible justification could you have for such a stay?"

"Well… I am engaged to her sister Nabiki, and-" "You are engaged to that conniving, treacherous, slatternous, blackmailing, coldhearted witch of a woman who's heart knows nothing but a deep, deep wish to inflict cruelty upon others across the entire world!?"

Silence suddenly reigned.

Izuku, for the first time in quite a while, felt… A rather foreign feeling start to boil inside of him.

Anger.

"Yes. She is my fiancee. My future Wife."

"You have my condolences then, Midoriya Izuku! You will suffer a Hell, the likes I could not imagine upon this Earth!"

It was amazing, how quickly Kuno had managed to actually piss him off. That was… Something that generally took a lot to do with Izuku.

He wasn't usually a confrontational boy.

"Akane? You said something earlier about there being a second duel of some sort, right? The second is against Kuno, right? Since he challenged you and all?"

"Um… Yeah? Wait… Don't tell me you intend to take my place? Why!?"

Kuno also seemed dumbfounded… Then had a realization!

"Don't tell me… You intend to defend the honor of the Ice Witch of Tendo Hall!?"

This in turn also made Akane flush.

"Seriously Izuku!? You wanna fight Kuno, to defend Nabiki's honor!?"

A lot of murmuring came up from above at the windows.

"Wow, she got him really wrapped around her finger already."

"Or maybe he just really likes her. I mean… She is hot."

Izuku, though, didn't see it that way. Well… That was part of it… Not so much the attractiveness of Nabikk, but all the rest… But it wasn't actually the main reason.

"It's not just that. He threatened you with that sword earlier. While also trying to flirt with you."

This in turn made Akane blush… But she did catch his backpack as he threw it to her.

"Thanks Akane!"

"Allright." The golden clad woman declared.

"Izuku Midoriya versus Tatewaki Kuno. Begin."

In the distance, there was thunder.

Kuno was fast.

MUCH faster than Akane.

This was not a training match though.

And as such, as Kuno charged with blinding speed, Izuku kept a comfortable distance.

Then Kuno thrust with his bokken.

Izuku immediately dodged to the side, as behind him, the outer wall to the school got a massive hole in it, from a mixture of air pressure infused with Ki.

Yep. He had WAY better Ki control than Akane… He only had a tenth of her Ki… But man, he used that Ki well.

Unfortunately for him, Izuku had much better Ki control.

And far greater reserves to pull upon.

That said, he did not immediately end it.

Instead, as flying cuts came and went, and that Ki infused Bokken moved at blinding speeds, Izuku kept a very firm distance, and as such had no problem dodging.

To the observervers, it must have looked amazingly impressive, as the entire courtyard got scars of flying cuts… But that extra distance Izuku kept took what was an actual challenge, and made it easy.

The only one who was not impressed was Kuno.

"Is dodging all you can do Izuku Midoriya? Or are you going to actually fight at some point!?"

"I'm just waiting. For the best time to strike."

"Oh!? And you're waiting for me to open my guard!?"

"Not exactly."

No, as thunder kept rolling in, more and more, Izuku knew it was just a matter of time before…

He felt droplets on his skin.

Finally.

"I learned this… From Tengri priests in the most remote part of the great Steppes."

Having suddenly put a firm and far distance between him and Kuno, he put his hands out to the side, and a bit down, palms up…

"You… Learned to… to turn yourself into a woman?"

Kuno's face was shocked… But it got much moreso, as Izuku SLAMMED his hands together, and bolts of white-blue began to crackle.

He pulled the hands apart, and a large charge of electricity carried there in the air between the two hands.

"Before the Thunder…"

He moved the hands around in a circle, both hands parallel to each other… then as they reached the point where the charge formed a circle, Izuku snapped his hands together into fists.

"There is always…"

The charge danced and crackled across his entire body.

"Lightning."

Then he charged.

The speed was a blinding blur for everyone else, but Izuku hadn't actually gotten faster.

This was just his normal speed.

Kuno however, did not give up so easily.

As Izuku charged, at his own, blinding pace, he raised his blade for a final thrust, towards Izuku's neck.

And as Izuku moved his head so that it would miss, Kuno actually readjusted… But not fast enough.

The blade only graced his neck, as Izuku's fist SLAMMED into his gut.

A thunderclap echoed across the courtyards as for a brief moment, Izuku and Kuno were both engulfed by bolts of white and blue… Then Kuno toppled over, and slammed back first into the ground.

A groan of utter pain escaped his lips… But he did not rise.

Izuku for his part gave a few coughs, but seemed relatively unshaken.

Well, other than each of those coughs having a puff of dark, black smoke coming out of his mouth anyway.

"And Izuku Midoriya wins the bout! And with that, the usual morning bouts are over. Get to your classrooms immediately hence."

That a lot of the students who partook in the Bouts was currently unconscious or couldn't move, didn't seem to bother her.

Then she walked away, as Akane walked up to Izuku.

"You're… Not really okay are you?"

Izuku shook "his" head savagely, but seemingly not in response, but rather to wake up.

"I… I need to work on my electrical resistance. It's been a while since I used the "Way of Thunder and Lightning". My Ki was much weaker then… The lightning was much weaker back then as a result."

"I see." She said as she handed him his bag.

The two of them began heading to the building.

"Um… Is leaving them out in the rain…"

"Don't worry about those morons. They'll be up and about soon enough."

Akane then looked him over with a questioning look.

"That move… "Way of Thunder and Lightning"... Seems kinda dumb to have a move that electrocutes the user too."

Izuku nodded.

"I-It's not as insane as it seems… Usually the people who use this technique also train their bodies to be able to handle the physical blowback from your blows literally hitting like lightning… as well as the electrical currents that surges through you at each hit. I… Need to work more on that latter one."

Akane looked at him dumbfounded.

"...Why did you use that kinda dangerously stupid technique to beat him, rather than something way more practical?"

"Oh! Um… Well, when he introduced himself as Blue Thunder, I just… Thought it would be fitting. S-Symbolically I mean… Because of the thunder motif."

She looked at him with a state that screamed "Seriously?".

"Gods… You really are just like my dad."

She shook her head.

"...I'm not gonna thank you, you know? I didn't need help. I do this every day, and I haven't lost yet."

"I didn't do it because I wanted you to thank me."

That part was true enough.

He would have been grateful if she had… But Izuku knew better than most that you didn't do a Hero's job because you wanted people to praise your name to the heavens.

"Why then?"

"Cause it was the right thing to do. Also… Kuno reminded me WAY too much of those assholes who kidnap women by force, then force them to marry them to "Retain their honor"."

Akane stared at him.

"That's… That's not a thing."

"Not in Japan, it's not. But I have been to a lot of places in the world… It's a very different world, outside of civilization…"

It was a rather depressing topic… But that did not make it any less true, as Izuku knew well from travels through Africa and Asia.

"Damn… And here I was assuming you just wanted to white knight for Nabiki."

He immediately blushed.

"Well… That… Wasn't a non-factor."

Akane rolled her eyes, though… Her sudden look of horrified surprise didn't quite go away.

"Yeah, she has you wrapped around her finger huh? Well whatever… You can talk to her about it in your freetime back home. When I'm NOT there to have to listen to it."

That… Was not remotely what he'd planned to do.

Honestly other than Homework he'd been planning to go explore Nerima in bigger depth… Hopefully see more hero brawls.

"By the way… You have to actually agree to these bouts, for them to be allowed to happen right?"

"That is generally a requirement for duels, yes."

"Ok, so… Why do you agree to these? Also, what the heck was up with that mob? I don't like Kuno, but I understand his motivation, flawed and rotten though it is… But what about the rest? What possible motive would they have to line up every morning to get a beating like this?"

"Well…"

Akane looked a bit annoyed… But also a bit bashful.

"See back when I started here, I used to have 10-30 different guys who all wanted to try to get me to date them."

Izuku had… No idea where this was going.

"It was stupidly annoying… Especially when they just refused to take the hint and stop. However, back then I joined the Kendo club for a bit, and the captain… That is to say Kuno… Got pissed that "weaklings" were constantly bothering his new best recruit… So he declared that he would not stand for anyone not able to defeat me in a duel, dating me."

So… everyone of those guys… Actually hoped to date her?

Izuku was not an expert in courtships by any stretch… In fact the only time before meeting the Tendo's where he'd even tried one, it had CRASHED and BURNED… But even he was starting to see why Akane HATED the guys at school.

The ones actually interested in her just managed to make themselves even more so over time.

That said… It did recolor her relationship with Kuno slightly.

"...So… It was a well intended, but insane attempt at chivalry on Kuno's part?"

"That's… Not an entirely inaccurate take… I'll give the moron one bit of credit… When he "fell" for me later, he stuck by those terms himself."

That actually took Izuku aback.

"So he wasn't heads over heels for you from day one?"

"No. That didn't happen until later in the second year after a Kendo duel where I brained him, and knocked him out for the first time… One of the biggest mistakes of my life that was."

Izuku nodded slowly.

"Okay… That explains a LOT… but it doesn't explain why YOU actually let these duels take place."

Akane sighed.

"It's good exercise… Also I hate every single one of them. So it's… Kinda therapeutic."

That… Actually he could see that… It did however mean that Kasumi WAS right in her assessment of Akane. She… Kinda WAS a violent maniac.

Also…

"This school is kinda insane isn't it?"

"The guy who runs the school shop is an immortal, insane man, who's old enough that he fought in both the Sengoku Jidai and the Second World war."

"That… That has to be a joke."

Akane snorted.

"I WISH. We're here by the way."

Here, was their classroom.

I


"Is this a joke? You transform from male to female upon being splashed with water, the outcome depending on its temperature?"

"No Sensei. It's… Very much not."

Their teacher, an incredibly generic looking man, shook his head.

"We have some bizarre techniques here… But that's a new one… Where did you even learn that?"

Izuku felt… Awkward… But for rather different reasons than was usual regarding his transformation.

"I didn't. It's… The result of an… Outside influence…"

"It's alright!"

A male voice called out from behind him.

"You can just say it's because of a Quirk user. Nobody is gonna judge you, buddy."

Izuku opened his mouth to argue, but his teacher suddenly nodded.

"Of course! Of course… I should have realized… Sorry lad… I sometimes forget how horrible those ANIMALS can be to our kind sometimes."

Well that… Got dark really, really quickly.

"Anyhow lad, you can go sit over in the back corner… the one by the window That doesn't have a student assigned at the moment… As for non-class related things, I'll leave it to Akane-San to show you around."

Akane was NOT a fan of that idea.

"WHAT!? I… He can manage without me surely!?"

The man sighed.

"...You are the logical choice Akane-San… You are his fiancee after all, are you not?"

He was about to continue, but one of the other students chimed in..

"No Sensei, that's wrong. He's Nabiki Tendo's fiancee. Not Akane's."

The teacher eyed him.

Then raised the sheet of paper in front of him and inspected it.

"Well, according to this thing, he is engaged to ALL 3 of the Tendo sisters… So forgive me if I take Soun Tendo's word over yours Haku-Kun."

The room exploded in sound, with the reactions generally broken down by gender, with the boy's utterly flabbergasted, and disbelieving about the strange new boy who had just beaten the strongest guy in school, and was apparently dating 3 of the most famous beauties of the current generation at once, while the girls were far more gleeful and interested in asking Akane directly about this delicious new development in her dating life.

It was, unfortunately for Izuku, only the start of it all.

I


Izuku very, very quickly developed a dislike for Furinkan middle school for several reasons.

1. Was the constant, and frankly annoying attention from absolutely EVERYONE of his fellow male students. They were a nosy bunch.

Some positive, some negative, but every single one was obsessed with the questions of how in the world anyone could be dating Nabiki, or how he'd met Akane, and a few asking him about Kasumi and what he was going to do with Mr. Tofu?

Izuku had NO idea what the Hell any of that was supposed to mean.

2. His gender bending.

Izuku had NO wish to discuss the matter in ANY way… Unfortunately nobody, except for Akane and the teachers, seemed to actually care about what he thought on the matter.

3. His fellows also prevented Akane from effectively showing him around, much to her annoyance… Which in turn also rubbed onto Izuku as he had to actually interact with a steadily increasingly pissed off Akane.

That, on top of everything else, did little to lighten Izuku's mood.

4. Actual school work.

Izuku had been… Way, way too flippant about actual school work.

Because apparently, in the years between the last time he'd been at school, and now… School had become hell.

Oh, there were some things he had no difficulty in. English, traditionally a difficult class in Japan, was easily his best.

As was history, for Izuku had learned more about Japan's history walking from one end of the archipelago to the other and his father encyclopedia-like knowledge of the Empire's passage through time.

Then there was math.

Izuku… Had thought he understood math. He had thought he was pretty good at it.

He was wrong.

There were other bad classes for him as well, in particular anything to do with science… But math was his bane.

In fact, he was pretty sure that Math, more than anything else, was probably going to be his biggest challenge to overcome during his one and only year here.

There was no question about whether he could go out and explore Nerima today.

When he came home, there would be math.

Tomorrow there would be math. And so the day after. And after that.

Math, math, math.

Izuku was so consumed by the question of math, that he completely forgot about almost anything else, be it seeking out Furinkan's resident immortal old man to learn the secrets of immortality, trying to figure out the layout, or mingling with his fellow students.

In his desperate questions of trying to solve the words on the page in his breaks, he even forgot about the entire commotion from the start of the day.

He even completely forgot where the stinging ache on the side of his neck came from.

I


Tatewaki Kuno was not having the best of days.

Getting bested in the morning by Akane was one thing.

Being bested by a boor was another.

Being bested by a boor, who also happened to be Nabiki's lover, was something else entirely.

He felt shivers run down his spine as he imagined the horrors that must surely await the boor Izuku Midoriya upon returning home today.

Yes, he could imagine it clearly. A torture chamber with spikes on the wall, wax, whips, and the voice that sounded like an angel, but was in reality one belonging to a demon from the depths of Hell!

Yes, he did indeed pity Midoriya.

Whatever he felt about the way their previous match(For it would certainly not be their last), he felt genuine sympathy and condolences for Izuku's fate.

…he wondered whether he could use the boor to get into touch with Nabiki.

It had been a while since they spoke, and he had bought the last set from her. It would be nice to get a more recent set that showcased Akane's beauty and form as it was now better.

It was as he pondered on these wise and important matters, when one of his classmates asked him the rather strange question of if he really was okay with the current development regarding Midoriya's engagement to Tendo.

What a strange question.

He could not say he was thrilled to learn about Nabiki ensnaring a man… But at the moment, the actual engagement seemed like a trifling matter compared to either obtaining a new set of pictures, or his inevitable rematch with Midoriya.

Oh yes, there would be a rematch… As early as on the morrow…

That plan was derailed as quickly as one other, particular name came up.

I


If Akane had expected to get some distance from Izuku at school, she was very much mistaken.

It seemed EVERYONE had some form of opinion on her and Izuku's "relationship".

Her friends, her annoying as Hell fanclub, random guys and girls she met in the hall.

All of them seemed to have some sort of opinion on him and her they wanted to share, and more than anything questions, questions, questions about their relationship.

"You know Akane… For all your protests, they say he's been pretty open about the fact you're engaged. He's not protesting at all that you're gonna get married!"

Akane rolled her eyes.

"Of course he's not. He's the one getting the better end of the deal with this entire thing."

Several of her friends nodded.

"Yeah… He's a total cutie… And strong too given how he beat Kuno in one hit, but MAN, can you guys imagine having to share him with your sisters? I can't imagine sharing my boyfriend with anyone… But my own family?"

The girl in question shuddered.

"Just the thought gives me chills…"

"Yeah… I could see that." Another one of her friends nodded. "I mean… One of those sisters is Nabiki… And you KNOW that girl is definitely gonna go all the way into depravity."

Akane for her part nodded.

It was absolutely true, and she and her friends knew it.

It was… Hardly the only reason she was not onboard with this marriage, but it was a big one in its own way.

"Yeah, she definitely is. And I'll partake in that when Hell freezes over."

She was about to say something further, when she was suddenly called out by another random guy she didn't actually know.

"Akane-chan! Kuno is challenging your boyfriend to a second duel!"

Akane sighed, and rolled her eyes.

It was the very last moment of the school day, the classes were over, and they were really just chatting while waiting for everyone to get ready to leave.

"He couldn't have waited until what… 20 Minutes more to learn the details? We'd be halfway home by then."

She did end up following the guy who called her out though.

Best to see what was going to happen, one way or another.

I


"You know Kuno… I'm really not against rematches at all… But you should probably wait until after getting a night's rest…"

He dodged a cut of the Bokken that cleaved a rather large tree in half.

"You've barely healed up since last time."

Kuno was not swayed as he continued his barrage… His slower, yet still remarkably fast barrage.

"Impudent Curr! There shall be no rest for you! I shall best you here, and break your engagement to Akane with this black blade!"

There was a large crowd watching, but Izuku's rather liberal use of massive jumps to create distance, and Kuno's speed following him, meant there was quite a bit of distance between them and the spectators.

"Feel free to keep dodging Midoriya! There are no rain clouds above, and so your lightning technique will not save you now!"

At that point Kuno was right at the very least.

There were those masters who were able to use that technique to conjure lightning from just the humidity in the air… But Izuku was not one of them.

The fact it was a technique he rarely had ever used in actual battle or training since he learned it had ensured such.

It just was not the most practical technique for battle.

Even disregarding the fact it was a double bladed sword, there was so much windup, and if the opponent kept their distance rather than engaging in fisticuffs, the charge would eventually die down, and you'd have wasted a lot of Ki.

When it hit though… It was something else.

Izuku still wasn't sure exactly what he was gonna use to take Kuno down the second time that day, when the "upperclassman" decided to actually bring Akane and Nabiki into it.

"I will not allow a wanderer from Mongolia! You will not be permitted to marry Akane while I draw breath! I care nought for your relationship with the cruel and vindictive Nabiki… But I, Tatewaki Kuno, will NOT permit a relationship between a ruffian who cannot even use proper honorifics when he talks! Not to mention one who has not defeated Akane in battle either!"

Izuku cocked his head.

"Um… Actually I-" "If you say you count that sparring match yesterday as beating me in combat Izuku, so help me, I WILL brain with that old Tree Kuno cut down!"

Izuku didn't turn to look, but he heard Akane's voice relatively close by.

"Oh Akane-Chan! Come to watch your boyfriend fight, I take it?"

The second voice came from one of his teachers, Hinako, the woman in gold who oversaw the duels on campus for reasons he didn't quite understand… Regardless, she seemed to take the wanton destruction of school property in stride.

Kuno's reaction was far more melodramatic.

"Akane! My lady of victory! I shall vanquish this ruffian, and then, we can resume our dance of war and love!"

A loud, feminine groan was heard behind him.

"Right… So… Honorific huh?"

He considered.

It had been… So long since he'd used actual, Japanese honorifics in general outside his parents, that he honestly had begun to forget which went to whom and where, beyond Chan and San… Neither of which he particularly wanted to assign Kuno… Let's see…

"Allright… Kuno-Tan."

That was a proper honorific right? He'd heard at least one girl call a boy that today.

He actually saw the vein pulse on Kuno's forehead.

"Mock me as you will Midoriya… I shall make thee regret that course of action… As I shall make you regret suddenly, unannounced, unplanned and unexpectedely barging into my beloved Akane's life with this nonsense of an engagement!"

That comment took Izuku completely by surprise.

"What? Unplanned? I've been engaged to marry the daughters of Soun Tendo for 11 years now. There is NO WAY you can claim it was unplanned or unexpected."

Behind him, absolutely everyone there turned to look at Akane who suddenly got a very nervous and bashful expression on her face.

Izuku understood just by looking at Kuno's face.

"You… You never did tell anyone you were actually engaged all this time, did you Akane?"

"That… Is none of your business Izuku."

That might be true… But the way Kuno'a movement suddenly sped up dramatically as he launched himself at him again, now with FAR greater speed, strength and ferocity was very much his business.

He chased him ALL across the outside of the school with an absolutely ferocious tenacity.

Izuku finally made his countermove, as Kuno followed him in a jump across the school swimming pool… Whereupon, as Izuku hit the other side, he immediately snapped around, and hit Kuno with a vacuum blade.

Much stronger than the one he'd hit Akane with yesterday, but still nothing compared to the real deal.

Still, as it slammed into Kuno, it stopped his momentum to a complete halt… Which in turn brought him to a water embrace.

Izuku had hoped getting dunked would calm him down a bit, and it kinda did… As after he clawed his way back out, he resumed talking.

"As expected… From the lover of the Ice Witch of Furinkan… You're just like her… That conniving witch!"

He shook his head, as he once more settled into a two handed stance.

"Why do you hate Nabiki so much anyway, Kuno-Tan?"

It was an honest question, without any rage or malice that he might have asked it with, earlier that day.

He'd calmed down a bit since then, back to his usual self.

That course would very, very quickly be turned around as Kuno replied.

"I… Know who and what she is… Down to the core… I have paid for her services in the night… Given her money for her sinful work… You may be blind to what she REALLY is Midoriya! But I know better. I am ABOVE her and her ilk, and I am ABOVE YOU!"

For a brief moment, it was like Izuku wasn't actually seeing Kuno.

His eyes had gone wide from genuine shock.

"You… Paid… For her… Services?"

"Indeed! What, did you think I gained them through worming my way into her icy, rotten heart as YOU are attempting to do!? Nay, I got her services the way everyone else did. Through money. That is the ONLY thing she cares about!"

Izuku stared at him.

Something… Something began to change in the air, as Izuku began his reply.

"And yet despite that… Despite engaging in her… Services… You stand there, and hold yourself so proud… Like you're better than her somehow. Like she is worthless and you're a paragon…"

Izuku, who had been mostly nonchalant about this second bout, had switched around completely.

For a moment, Kuno saw the image of a large Dragon, coiled and ready, about to pounce on his prey, as Izuku got into a peculiar stance… One that left his right ribs completely open.

He did not miss the opportunity of his rival's mistake, and with a sonic boom, he stepped forward, and brought the blade up, in a sideways, slanted arc, right into Izuku's ribs with a deafening "CRACK!".

Then, Izuku's left hand snapped down and grabbed Kuno's right hand, still holding the Bokken, with a grip of steel!

Kuno felt immediate, searing, bruised pain… But that was not what he focused on then.

His instinct told him that the true danger… The OVERWHELMING threat was to be found in the other hand, which was pulled back… then the four main fingers snapped together, and rather than a fist, they formed a wall giving the hand a distinct L shape.

Then Izuku brought it forward where the knucled side of the four fingers SLAMMED into Kuno's side like a wall, a mirror for the blow Izuku had just taken… Except for the fact that the shockwave from the hit itself produced a massive, booming sound akin to a huge bell being rung, it threw Kuno's instantly unconscious body around like a ragdoll only anchored by Izuku's closed hand, and the fact it destroyed half of Kuno's upper clothes on the side it hit, with the parts on the upper, opposite side suddenly finding themselves as ripped up tethers.

For a moment after, Izuku just stood there, taking calm, but deep breaths, being vaguely aware of the pain in his side.

He just… Let the anger seethe and simmer as he calmed down.

It had been a while since he was really, really mad.

Eventually though, as he looked down on Kuno with a look of DISGUST, he noticed something poking out of the older boy's remaining upper robe.

Pictures.

Wait… Were those…?

He leaned down, and picked up a stacked set of sorta tattered, and yet still perfectly clear pictures of… Akane.

Wearing her, gi.

Her sweat was so clear and heavy that said clothing clung tight to her rather… Impressive body.

And in various locations ranging from wilderness, to school, to the Tendo Dojo.

As he had stood back up, he just flipped through the pictures, with a creeping blush on his face despite everything that had just happened.

23 in total.

"Do you always tend to finish fights by tanking blows and then hitting them harder in return?"

Akane had come up beside him, and was looking at Kuno, then him over with an expression between worry, annoyance, and kinda being impressed.

Hinako was doing the same, but with a very different expression, and upon declaring Izuku the victor she quickly left at high speed, clearly wanting to go home for the day.

"Not… Really? I just… Like ending things in single blows if I can."

He wasn't REALLY thinking about the conversation.

Instead he was thinking about the implications of what Kuno had said, what he was holding, and… What he had to do when he came home.

Home.

The Tendo Dojo was his home now. He… Suddenly realized that in a way he hadn't before.

And the people living there… His family.

"Single blows huh? Show Off."

The truth was that despite his preferences, Izuku didn't usually get to finish off his opponents like this… Though that had more to do with the fact most of his opponents the last 11 years were either stronger than him… Or Ryoga.

He didn't explain anything like that though.

Instead he looked down on the pictures, feeling…

Then Akane playfully poked him in the ribs where Kuno's Bokken had smashed into at full speed.

He actually blacked out for a moment from the sheer pain!

Only his extensive training, well drilled instinctual response, and honed body prevented him from toppling over, instead standing there stiffly as his limbs locked up completely, as if he was Benkei of old.

"Huh… Guess Kuno is big on finishing moves too… He just isn't as good at them."

"Here…"

Izuku said with a very, very pained voice.

"You should have these…"

Akane looked at him dumbfounded.

"What the Hell ar- Wait! These are pictures of me!? Why do you have THESE!?"

"They are From… Kuno's pocket just now…"

He began staggering his way over to the school's exit, vaguely aware he had left his bag over on the roof of a smaller building.

Which he now had to get back unto… Despite feeling like someone bad just broken every rib on one side of his body.

I


Akane came home utterly fuming… That was to say utterly fuming at Nabiki.

So it was a safe bet that she'd learned of the most recent batch of pictures she had sold to Kuno a while back, which she hadn't mentioned during their last confrontation with her little sister regarding the idiot.

So the usual.

Nabiki was far, far more interested in hearing the details of Izuku's confrontations with Kuno.

According to her friends still at school, her name had come up, and Izuku had not taken well to Kuno talking about her behind her back.

Which was nice. She was starting to grow more and more fond of Izuku, very quickly.

A cute face, a hunky body(That wasn't too bulky or huge), the promise of great wealth in the future, and a personality that Nabiki rather liked in her boys. That was to say the kind that had personality traits she liked, yet still danced to her tunes.

Izuku was very much the latter… While lacking the kind of obvious personality defects that made most of the Furinkan boys'(Kuno above all) such terrible boyfriend material.

The kind of guy that would pummel ruffians black and blue for talking completely undeserved slander about her behind her back was absolutely the kind she could get behind.

Her new fiance came back long after Akane, bag over his shoulder, looking like he'd been in a bad mood walking home.

He was just in time for dinner though.

"Hey Izuku~!" She said as she glomped onto his arm… The good side, so he'd have a way harder time to actually get loose.

He was not as taken aback as yesterday by the sudden glomping… But he seemed just as reserved.

"H-Hi Nabki…"

Behind her, daddy gave her some excellent, but unplanned help as he called out to them.

"Oh, Izuku my boy! You're just in time for dinner!"

"Sounds great…"

Her dad then left them behind, as he headed to the dinner room, certain they would quickly follow.

Which gave her just enough time to sink her teeth just a bit deeper~

"I heard Someone took great offense to some nasty words…"

Strangely enough though, Izuku didn't not go up like a torch, as she'd expected, instead suddenly becoming way more resolute looking.

"I did, yeah…"

He quickly looked down, like he was contemplating something, despite the beautiful girl right at his side, then turned to look her in the face, suddenly seeming WAY more mature in the process.

"Nabiki… After dinner… Can we talk? Just the two of us?"

She considered that…

There were some potential reasons to decline… But the fact was, she could see so, so many more to say yes.

'Sure… Would my room be okay?" She asked casually.

"Yeah… It would actually."

Oh… He did have some initiative after all~

I


Izuku was still considering how to go about what he had to say, when his father spoke up over the ramen he was eating.

"I heard you successfully used the Geimon Tessen Shi earlier today, Izuku."

He almost choked, having completely forgotten about that.

He had… Way more important things to think about at the moment. The how hadn't seemed as impkrtant as the why.

"You… You guys heard that? All the way here?"

The old man snorted.

"You're not THAT good… Not yet anyway. I heard it from Akane."

"Well… I did, yeah…"

Akane, who for some reason had been glowering at Nabiki, finally turned her attention from her sister to Izuku.

"What was that technique anyway? Honestly the lightning fist was more spectacular… But that last blow seemed way more effective to be honest."

"It is." Izuku admitted.

"Both are specifically designed to go through an enemy's defenses, just in different ways. The Geimon Tessen Shi hits the enemy with a chi laden blow that basically rings the target like a bell hit with something heavy and hard… Though dad actually designed it after the concept of a Door bell."

"Hence the name. The Fanged Fingers of Steel Welcome-Gate!"

Akane nodded slowly.

"So… Despite its power… It's not actually a finisher. It's a prelude to an actual finisher move, while they're weak."

His father seemed pleased by that assessment.

"Yes! Yes! Exactly Third-Daughter-In-Law! It's not meant to actually kill the opponent… No, that is the follow up blow… The Yama-Sen Ken is based entirely on setting your opponent up for fall… Then finishing him off… The problem with the Geimon Tessen Shi, is that it either works like a charm… Or it does not. If the opponent is too hard, or has some ability that makes it difficult for the chi to travel through, a normal punch would actually be more effective."

Normally Izuku would have been absolutely eager to jump in and explain one of his techniques in the most thorough, deepest fashion imaginable.

Not today though.

Today he was looking at Nabiki as he ate, careless about the fact every single person other than Akane and his father had noticed very clearly that he was doing so.

All of them drew their own conclusion, in particular Nabiki herself.

"That… That can't happen too often can it?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised… My son has a rival who was hit by it so many times he barely buckles under it anymore."

His father got a sad, contemplative look on his face.

"We haven't seen him in a while… It's kinda sad actually… He followed us all throughout the entire world, from Japan, to the Americas, the west and back again… Then he stopped following us somewhere in China…"

"Wow… That… That actually sounds kinda impressive. Like… A real-life martial arts rival… Right out of some old movie…"

"Indeed… Alas, real life is rarely that interesting, nor romantic. As I said… the lad stopped following us, and so his rivalry with Izuku remains unfinished, one way or another…

I


Somewhere in the north of Japan, a boy trudging through a snow covered forest, high in the mountains, swore and cursed to himself.

"Just you wait Izuku… If you actually came back to Japan like that damn Korean witch said you had… I know where you went."

He grit a very sharp set of teeth in an animalistic snarl.

"I'll find Tendo Dojo, even if it takes me until the next winter after this one!"

I


The rest of her family did not miss her leading Izuku out by the hand.

Not even Akane, who had been in passionate talks with Hisashi, missed it.

That was fine though.

She had no plans of taking this all the way… not on day 2.

That would just have been a terrible idea in general.

For one, her family was on high alert for anything of the sort at the moment, and more likely than not would remain so for at least the first month or two.

There were few things LESS fun, than being caught while doing it… As she knew from Kasumi doing just that, despite her efforts.

And that was with boys' she didn't really care about in the long term.

No, she wasn't going to go all the way anytime soon… Not before sometime in December probably.

If she played it right, she might even get everyone aboard with her snagging him for herself on Christmas.

Now THAT would be the perfect time to take it to the next level.

Also, there was of course the problem of expectations.

Nabiki, who prided herself on understanding how Human beings worked(And how to exploit that) knew fully well that men and women alike worked on expectations and patterns.

She had NO plans of giving Izuku the expectations that she was so desperate for sex that she was going to throw herself completely on him in the very first week.

That would have pretty much have set the idea that the norm for their relationship was constant, endless sex.

Not that she actually would have minded that with Izuku… A natural born hedonist, she lived for her own fun in all forms… But she knew from experience that those kinds of relationships would not be stable in the long term.

They always began to show deep cracks way too easily once you hit a point where the flow stopped, and it always did at some point, due to a rough patch, or just outside influences.

No, she was in this for the long haul.

And if that meant a few months of waiting for the big prize… Well, so be it. She could be surprisingly patient after all, despite what Kasumi said.

However, that was not to say she was not going to cuddle, kiss, and do all the teasing to Izuku she could manage in the meantime.

Now that would just be silly.

They were engaged after all. Not even Kasumi could make the claim that would be inappropriate.

Once she had lured him into her abode, Izuku looked over her room, with an interested look… But not with the nervousness she had expected for a shy boy visiting his fiance's room for the first time.

"What do you think~"

"It's nice… But… It's a long way to a vault filled with money…"

Ah.

She immediately flipped her switch to a more casual approach.

"So, Akane told you that?"

"No... Kasumi did."

Of course.

She loved her sisters, but… They both liked to spoil her fun if they could… Just in different ways.

She sat herself down on her bed and patted for Izuku to do the same, with a fitting smile.

He swallowed, then did just that… Though rather than seating himself with legs over the side as she did, he instead seated himself kneeling on her bed, like he was a martial arts student before his master who was being taught a lesson and was listening intently.

"Proper aren't you Izuku?"

"I… Try to be."

She nodded.

She didn't flinch, or give anything away in front of Izuku, but it was at that exact moment she heard the tiny, tiny sound of her father's listening glass being placed against the door.

She hadn't been able to sense his presence of course… She doubted there was a man alive who could sense daddy's presence when he tried to be stealthy… But the fact was, he very, very often made such stupid, stupid, obvious mistakes, that ruined all his work and efforts.

He had been like this ever since mom died.

That said, she wasn't actually worried about being listened in on, in fact she was going to use that to her advantage.

After all… She wasn't in the business of embarrassing herself… But putting on a show to have fun with her family's reaction was a different matter.

"So… What did you want to talk about… Darling~?"

This did make Izuku flush rather adorably… But rather than back off as he'd done before, instead it made him slowly, but earnestly grab one of her hands and squeeze it between his as he brought it up between them.

Apparently she hadn't given Izuku enough credit.

He COULD be bold when he felt the need to be.

Outside her room, Akane's much more lumbering presence could also be felt, though unlike her dad, she didn't seem to be pressing her ear or anything up against the door to listen in, she'd just stopped out of curiosity, maybe to look at dad with an exasperated look.

"I… I talked a bit with Kuno, before I laid him flat on the ground. And he… Said some… Things…"

Oh… So that's what this was about.

Well, she'd known this would happen sooner or later.

She'd have preferred later, but… Well she could work with that as well.

She immediately switched to a more reserved face on the brink of crying.

"Oh… So you heard… And so you think I'm… A terrible girl?"

Izuku was immediately taken aback, judging by his expression.

"No! N-No that's not what I think at all…"

"I… I have had to do what I can to make money Izuku… Ever since mom… Well Daddy hasn't been able to keep us as well off as he could have… As he should…"

She could practically feel the two faces outside of her door, her father in his usual, melodramatic despair, and Akane rolling her eyes at how thick she was laying it on.

Izuku however… Didn't react the way she had expected at all.

Instead his grip on her hand just became tighter, stronger, and his face was lit up by a sudden passion and determination.

Like he'd suddenly heard the thing he needed to before taking a mighty leap.

"I… I know things haven't been going as well for you guys as it should have… Kasumi told me all about that… And I can't change the past Nabiki… But I can change your future!"

He suddenly leaned his nervous and adorable face in, to such a degree she could have counted his freckles… But at the moment she just stared into his green eyes.

"As your Husband… I will make you 3… Wealthy and well off! I swear it to you, on my family's name and Honor! You… You will NEVER have to ever sell your body to that asshole Kuno ever again!"

Silence.

Nabiki, who had been feeling utterly in control just a second ago, now had a look on her face that was best summed up by the words "eh?" As they escaped her lips.

Then slowly, her entire face went red, with real, actual embarrassment, something that hadn't happened in the last 2 years.

Her actual response though, was immediately cut off as her father barged into the room, with a baffled looking Akane in the background of the doorframe.

"EH GODS! Is that TRUE Nabki!?"

He then fell to his knees, and slammed his fists into the ground in despair.

"I have FAILED as a father… Oh gods…"

"Wha-NO! NO IT'S NOT!"

It had been a good, long while since any of her family had ever seen Nabiki genuinely flustered, but flustered was the only way to possibly describe it as she denied the accusation.

Akane for her part just looked baffled, as Soun raised his head upwards as if above salvation itself was descending from the heavens.

"Yeah that… I REALLY can't see that ever having happened. Did… did Kuno really say that Izuku?"

Izuku, who until just now had been nervous, and then knocked completely off guard by the appearance of two intruders, suddenly relaxed completely, going from stiff and passionate to relaxed and relieved.

"He did. He then tried to make Nabiki sound horrible for it, while holding himself as somehow a much better person.

"That scoundrel!"

Soun was back on his feet, and was suddenly engulfed in a dark, fiery aura, that made Izuku jump back in shock at the sheer unexpectedness and POWER in those dark flames.

"Not only does he besmirch my darling girl's name with filthy lies, but he has the nerve to claim righteousness on top of it! The Wretch!"

I


Izuku felt… Like such a fucking idiot.

He'd bought Kuno's filthy lie, hook, line and sinker… And then he'd actually talked about it like he knew everything there was to know about it, like a stupid moron.

To Nabiki.

To her face.

On the second day.

He didn't know WHAT exactly Kuno's "masterplan" had been, but whatever he wanted to achieve with his lies, he rather doubted it could possibly top him making a fool out of himself like he had.

The only good thing… If it could be called that, was that rather than calling him out on his idiocy, the Tendo's were focusing most of their ire at Kuno… Which was admittedly where it belonged.

Izuku had spoken like a moron… But at least his heart had been in the right place.

Not so with Kuno.

Damned Blue Thunder…

It was amazing, how in one day, Izuku had grown to hate the older boy with a PASSION!

"My, my…"

Izuku, who had been watching the closing sunset over the mountains on a second store baclony, was joined by the out of nowhere appearance of Kasumi.

"Oh… Hi Kasumi…"

She gave him a smile, and a nod… Then turned to the same setting sun.

"My… It was quite an unexpected thing I must say… Kuno-Tan was never what I would call a proper boy… But there is quite the difference between an unruly boy and… Whatever he has grown into…"

She suddenly got a very sad look on her face.

"Why do you suppose he turned to such… Depressing lies, Izuku?"

Izuku shrugged.

"I have… No idea. I literally never met him before today… Did he… And Nabiki have a…"

"Relationship? Not of that kind, no… But they have known each other for a long, long time now… Though I would hesitate to call him and her true friends… He is probably as close to a true male companion Nabiki has ever had before… At least outside of her lovers."

Izuku considered that.

"So… She's never HAD a male friend at all then."

"No."

Brutally honest… And yet she was anything but uncaring.

"That is… Kinda sad."

"It is. Truthfully she has had very few true friends at all, my little sister. She had 2 while she attended Furinkan… But neither went to Yuei with her."

"Yuei?"

The name was… Familiar, but Izuku couldn't quite place it… It was…

"It's a Hero school. It's-" "It's the school All Might went to! That's why it sounded familiar!"

"Yes. That is true… But it's also Japan's most successful Hero school. Hence, Nabiki's choice… But she has no friends there."

Izuku's mood, that had jumped for a brief moment, sank again.

Right…

He tried to wrack his brain around something to follow up with, but couldn't quite find it… So he attacked from a different angle.

"Is… Akane is also planning on going there?"

"She is."

She sighed.

"She tries far, far too much to be either me, or father… And in the end, she can be neither."

"It's… It's not that bad, to use the people you look up to for how to live your life."

"Your father gave up his lifetime of training and all the powers he earned of his sweat and blood, as a condition to get to marry your mother. You are literally as opposite to him as one could become, Izuku."

"Well… I guess when you put it that way… You know… I hadn't actually considered it like that."

"I suppose not."

She sighed.

"Akane cannot become me. No matter how much she tries. And by going to Yuei… She sets herself up for that comparison. And with it, failure."

She sighed again, deeper this time.

"I tried that as well, when I was younger. Just to be my Mother… I learned the sharp lesson that I could not be. I had to become something else instead. Something more. Many things."

She smiled at him.

"One of those things, being your wife."

He immediately blushed like a red stop light, though she didn't pounce on that.

Instead she turned her face anew to the setting sun as it began to truly go down and give way to night.

"Akane will have to become something else as well. I hope you'll help her get there."

"I… I'll do it, yeah."

He wasn't sure how… But he would… Figure it out somehow.

Kasumi nodded, then sighed again.

"I wonder who Kuno tried to be. I did not know his father well before he left. The principal was… A strange man. But not much like Kuno is now, beyond their shared love for Japan's culture."

Izuku considered that.

"It… Could be his mother… Or… Maybe he tries to do the opposite of either of them. Not everyone wants to be their parents."

That part was true as well… Looking at it that way, he understood perfectly well that though he loved his parents, the person he had always tried to be, was All Might.

He was not going to say that here and now though. He had sounded way too much like an idiot for one day.

"I suppose… Regardless… I'm sad that he let his feelings poison his soul… I'm not certain what sort of feelings they were… But men who attack the women in their lives that way…"

She sighed again. She was doing that a lot tonight.

"There was a time when I did not understand those sorts of things Izuku… Not truly… But that time has passed."

"I… I'm sorry to hear that…"

She smiled at him again.

"That's alright dear… You are here for me now… That's important. There are those who are not. Those who should be… But choose to not be so."

He understood immediately.

"It's not who we are underneath, but what we DO, that defines us."

Kasumi stared at him. Then she chuckled.

"Batman Begins? Really?"

"It's a good movie!" He said defensively, suddenly feeling anew like an idiot.

"Oh, I don't disagree… I'm just so used to father's referencing old samurai and period movies, and little else… Sometimes you forget the world is much bigger."

He nodded.

He understood that feeling.

He had felt that many times… Be it when he was truly faced with the elements in all their natural and horrifying glory… Or when he saw the Himalayas for the first time, and understood how small all others were by comparison. Even the Mighty Andes that he had felt the same feelings with when he compared them to Mt. Fuji.

And of course, he always had felt that when he discovered every new secret of the grand mystery of Ki.

"Regardless… You are here. And that is important. Kuno… Kuno only sought Nabiki out when he wanted something from her. I recall when they were young, and small…"

She sighed.

"He was… An amusing, proper lad. Always so sure of himself… But… To think the boy who once came crying to me about his new school buzzcut, would make such vile, spiteful lies…"

She shook her head.

"As I said Izuku… There was a time I did not understand those sorts of things. Yuei… Taught me many things… Good things… I have good memories of that place… But it also taught me cruelty. How men think. I had a teacher there… A cruel, cruel man... He had a fiance too… Though not an arranged one… A girl who loved him very much… Who absolutely adored him… He stomped over her heart and left her… Because he couldn't be bothered to try to balance his Hero life and personal one."

Kasumi looked very, very sad at that… A melancholic look on her face.

Izuku just stared at her in disbelief.

"That… That's AWFUL. That is… That is just cruel."

The thought of anyone who was willing to just… Crush the heart of the one person they should have cherished the most… It was horrible.

Much less a Hero who did it…

Then again… Hadn't he done that once?

Old memories stirred of the forest where giant animals roamed. Him, Ryoga, and… Another figure, the same age.

Good times.

Then that disastrous night when it all fell apart.

He shook himself out of the memories though.

No… No it wasn't the same. He had been 9 then… And he HAD wanted to make her happy. He just… Hadn't understood. Anything really.

He did now though.

Unaware of his inner thoughts and reminiscing, Kasumi just continued, after a brief moment of melancholic contemplation.

"Yes. It was. It was… Far from the only harsh lesson I learned there… But it was the day I learned that even the men I respected the most could be… Cruel."

"I… I won't be. I promise."

There was a sudden determination in those words, but Kasumi shook her head.

"No, that's not it Izuku. Everyone CAN be cruel. We all CHOOSE whether to be."

Once more, she sighed as the sun finally went down completely.

"Like Kuno."

She turned to him again.

"I hear you gave him quite trashing."

"Y-yeah… I did. When he said… Well… It was shocking… But it wasn't the lie he sold that made me so mad… It was when he tried to present himself as "Better" than her, somehow. That he made use of her… Well, you know… And yet somehow she was awful, and he was good. That just… It really made my blood boil."

And it had.

Just thinking about it… Even knowing it was a lie… Actually knowing it was a lie just boiled his blood on the topic more.

Kasumi nodded, but didn't say anything.

As she looked at him in silence, her face became… Like yesterday. That… Knowing look. Only now it wasn't accompanied by a smile.

He still didn't understand it. At all.

Eventually though, Kasumi began to retreat inside as the temperature began its steady drop, and as she did, she motioned for him to follow, and he did, before she closed the door to the balcony behind them.

I


There was something deeply, deeply ironic, that of all the many, many horrible things Tatewaki Kuno had done over the years(Things that ensured that he deserved everything that was about to befall him, and much more many times over), what would finally bring down the hammer on him, was actually something he had not actually done.

The term "Right for all the wrong reasons" came to mind.

Another chapter to the farce that was his life.