My Heroic Beast King
Chapter 17
Enjoy!
XXXX
"YOU HAVE NEVER MADE A SINGLE DECISION YOURSELF! I MADE YOU!" All for One's cloned vestige screamed at Tomura Shigaraki within his, Tomura's, mind scape. It seemed the vestige sense his imminent betrayal and decided to push things along a little too quickly. By revealing that it was All for One that orchestrated Tomura's entire life. From an idea and a twinkle in his father's eye to the hate filled man before the ancient villain. "I made you so hate filled that you would stop at nothing to take One for All!"
Tomura glared at the man screaming at him. The vestige of the man that had the Doctors put in him a tube and modified to be able to even handle All for One and the many quirks he would have so that he could go toe to toe with One for All and take it from the music loving Shinobi.
While here though, he had time to think and even met his younger self. Met versions of a family he forgot he had. A family that he killed. It was panic and it was planned by All for One. He was nothing but a puppet. Once he had One for All, All for One would trigger his failsafe and take over his body.
"You…" Tomura started only for All for One to scream at him.
"Once I am done taking your body like I intended, I will have my prize!"
"You succeeded." Tomura finished, a palm in the vestige of All for One's chest. The ancient villain stopped short and stared at the younger man in shock. "I am filled with hatred. For so long it was directed at that blond imbecile you hated because he had your favorite toy. Now…it is directed at you."
"No…" All for one whispered in denial, even as his chest caved in from the dust quirk, his limbs having disappeared. "NO!"
"This is my body…and I will do as I please." Tomura replied as a black-haired little boy walked up next to him and took his other hand. For a moment, the two looked at each other in silence. Then their forms shifted in static and the younger boy was now the older and the younger boy had white hair. The young man still looked tired. "But first I need allies if I want to be free from that man for real."
XXX
Itachi could not believe he was this stressed out. He thought he would have less stress after that Bakugo brat finally left and he would only have to deal with one explosion user with issues. Nope! The day after he left, there had been a break-in that morning and someone stole some of the actual art in the back of the museum. The front held what Deidara considered art, but he had the sense to keep the real stuff in the back.
Now…he was stressed because the tour group that came later in the evening was being held hostage and Deidara was inside the building while he was on the outside. Why was he on the outside? Because he had set up layered illusions that snuck the hostages out of the building. That left his partner by himself with the villains. Part of those villains being actual art thieves while the other part were people that Deidara had pissed off at one point.
He understood them and their need to antagonize Deidara. However, after he got to know Deidara and why he was the way that he was, he forgave the explosion user for their shared past and actually became friends.
'click'
Unfortunately, there were others that still wanted Deidara to disappear. He had created his own set of villains after all. Itachi was just grateful that the Bakugo boy had gone back to U.A. at the end of the week. He would just be in the way of his beautiful illusion.
"Are you sure you want to do this? End me just for being at this agency?" Itachi asked calmly with pointed at his face.
"You of all people should know that explosion user just ruins lives. They all do, just like their mutant brethren. We are doing the world a favor!" The man with a gun roared.
Ah, so that is what this was really about. The Creature Rejection Clan…or what was left of them after what Deidara did to them, had gotten bold. No…it was desperation. They had been whittled down over the years and the countryside recovered from their backwards views. Quirks were here to stay and so were the Mutant Types. There was little they could have done to stop Japan from accepting them. And the CRC became the villains they thought the mutant population were going to be.
"So, this is revenge for what is left of the CRC after Deidara handled them, disguised as an art heist. It's sad. Truly. Your need for discrimination has shifted. The public is no longer on your side." Itachi goaded.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" The man roared before firing his gun. For a second, nothing happened. Then a body fell, but to the man's horror and some of the hostages, the body that fell was not Itachi's. it was his own man. "What? No!"
"I did ask if you were sure if this is what you wanted to do." Itachi's voice rang out. When the man looked, he saw one of the hostages shimmer and turn into the man. "This was never in your favor. The moment you entered my sight, you and your goons lost." He shimmered again and he was gone. This time he was one of the goons that had surrounded the building with the man to keep Deidara in while their more violent members took care of him.
"This can't be real. What is this? No matter, you still have the hostages with you and you are surrounded!" The man shouted.
"Am I?" Itachi asked, the air shimmering and the hostages replaced the surrounding villains and vice versa. Then the surrounding hostages shimmered into plants. "I made sure the hostages left the area when I came out here. As for your men…well, they were less than useless to you. All caught in the same illusion as you." The air shimmered again and the villain's eyes widened in fear. His men were all on the ground, knocked out. He could only scream in fear before his world went black.
Itachi's stress was diminished now that the outside goons were taken care of and the hostages were gone from the area. His illusions were powerful, but they caused him such stress and anxiety. He was getting better, but his quirk still felt like it fried his nerves.
BANG!
Another gunshot ripped through the air and Itachi fell forward before catching himself. He was not hurt but the gunshot still startled him. It was not any of the goons he had taken care of, so that meant…
"Itachi…is everyone safe?" Deidara asked over their radio. Simple ear pieces were effective and minimized the loud interference from his explosions.
"Yeah, everyone is safe and secure. The police are handling them and will soon take the goons out here away. What was that gunshot?" Itachi asked hurriedly.
"A dirty trick. They have a sniper hidden somewhere. Itachi…the wound is fatal. Make the world see the beautiful art that is your illusions. As for me…agh…true art….will always be…AN EXPLOSION!"
"Deidara? What nonsense are you speaking? I will be right there! DEIDARA!" Itachi yelled in panic that his friend was in danger and speaking nonsense. Like he was going to do something stupid. "DEIDARA!"
The only response he got was, "You and that kid will make great heroes." Before the entire building went up in a strangely beautiful explosion that blew him away.
KRA-KA-KOOM!
In the distance, a teen with a sniper rifle and scope looked at the scene with a satisfied look. "My mission is accomplished...big brother will come out of this stronger and be the hero I see him as. That Explosion User deserved to die for what he did to him." The teen sighed as he slumped forward with an ashamed look on his face. "Mother and Father would never approve when they find out I took father's gun to avenge Itachi's honor. I…can't go home after this and brother will hate me. Even if I did it for him."
"Perhaps…" A voice rang out as purple mist coalesced and formed a portal. "That is all the more reason to join us. I could use the allies." Tomura walked out, decked in a fresh suit and one hand covering his face. "I am Tomura Shigaraki of the League of Villains. I came with an offer to join."
The teen looked at him skeptically before shrugging. "I, Sasuke Uchiha, accept."
XXX
All for One sat in a throne of his own making as he wore an expensive suit. He put it on for a special occasion after all. The occasion of his own creation, Tomura Shigaraki, finally coming into his own. Granted, the miserable brat still needed some work, but that is why he was here. He was to observe the acquisition of a new ally…or Tomura gaining a new quirk. Oh, he so hoped the target would be foolish enough to refuse and fight. It was so fun to see them fail. Heh, Orochimaru's view points were getting to him again.
In front of All for One was Tomura Shigaraki, Kurogiri, a young man name Dabi, a mischievous thief called Mr. Compress, and a teen by the name of Sasuke Uchiha. They were a good start for his creation and dare he even think it…son. Tomura needed more allies in his conquest of villainy to eventually acquire One for All for him. There was that odd feeling though that something was miss ever since Tomura woke up. However, he could not find it in him to care. Tomura was finally proving himself and gaining allies. He could not be more proud.
Oh, how he would miss the brat when he took over his body. His own was old, weak and wrecked beyond repair thanks that idiotic brute called All Might. How else was he supposed to continue being the demon king of the underworld that the world still feared?
His attention was grabbed when the door of the dimly lit warehouse they were in finally opened to their guests. The pomp and flash of these yakuza were always a cute site. Granted, he did not see normally anymore. He had sensory quirks for that. By the dying breed known as the gangsters of Japan were cute in their own way. What with the scarves and silly plague doctor masks; there little rebellion to the age of quirks.
Their own leader, a young man by the name of Kai Chisaki aka Overhaul, was an ambitious little shit, that was for sure. Oh yes, All for One had done his research and found the boy's ambitions hilarious and futile. Quirks were here to stay, whether he liked it or not. No amount of experiments on little girls would help him. Though the Garaki Brothers would benefit from another master of the mind as it were.
"So, this is the infamous leader of the League of Villains? I must say, I find myself lacking, especially if you dare to think we would be allies." Kai replied coolly. Behind him, two of the men he decided to bring with him chuckled cruelly. Both dressed in those silly plague doctor costumes.
"Watch it, I didn't come here to be insulted by a dying breed." Tomura shot back.
"The fuck you say!?" One of them men with Kai shouted, this one being from the one inside a doll. Curious quirk.
"You will have to forgive my Tomura. He still as much to learn." All for One's booming voice caught their attention and the three froze in fear. Yes, that is way. Young blood frozen in fear from just the sight of him. No matter what age, no matter how skilled you became in the in criminal underground, you would never be as successful and feared as him. "It is why we requested your presence. I wish for you to teach my young protégé all you can and your little enterprise will benefit from our mutual cooperation.
At that, there was stunned silence but as the seconds ticks by, it was becoming increasingly obvious to All for One what was about to happen. He was here as the bait after all. Young Blood so often had a hair up their ass that told them they would ever stand a chance against him battle. Like so many times before, they would fail and it made All for One smile despite no one being able to see it from his breathing mask.
It happened in an instant, the three made for a blind charge despite the five men standing alongside him. Numbers would not have made much of a difference, but it would have helped them. All for One merely moved behind the skinny one in a white overcoat and plague doctor mask and grabbed him by the throat. While Tomura would have his prize of a quirk in Overhaul itself, so would he. With a red glow, he ripped the Time Slowing quirk away from the man and then snapped his neck like a twig. It was all too easy.
"Don't you dare touch me with your filthy hands!" Overhaul screamed, as hives formed on his face, a mask of rage adding to the gross visage Tomura had to endure when he grabbed the man and pinned him to the ground. "You most of all with your vile quirk, I shall…wait…why is my quirk not working? You touched the skin of my arm but you did not explode?"
"That is because I took it." Tomura replied coolly before smiling at seeing Decay work quickly and was destroying Kai's arm. He saw the man panic but it was too late. Mere moments later, Overhaul had been dusted.
"What do we want to do about the runt?" Mr. Compress asked as he held up a blue marble that contained the man.
"While mimicry is useful, I do not have a use for it. Tomura, take it and put it to better use. I have my prize." All for One ordered cheerfully.
"Little bastard is going to put up a fight." Mr. Compress groaned but did as he was told and released Mimic…who promptly punched his face, breaking his mask.
Sasuke reached out and took hold of the imp and let his quirk do its job. A shell of blue electricity covered his hand before electrocuting the imp. Sasuke then held the little bastard up for Tomura to take his quirk. Once he did, the imp turned into a beefy man that looked completely out of it. Before he could regain his bearings, pointed a finger at the man and let his electric shell travel to the finger's tip before shooting of and going through the man's head, effectively killing him. Sasuke frowned at what he did, but he had already killed Deidara, what was one more?
"Now that was cold. Oh well." Dabi replied with a shrug before incinerating the bodies so it could not be linked back to them.
"Well done, let's head back. I would like to see Orochimaru before I send him off to Deika City." All for One declared, causing confusion for Tomura. His master had not mentioned this before…but it would present an opportunity now that the dangerous snake would be out of the way.
XXX
"Please tell me you are joking? Only you would luck into the case I have been investigating for years now." Mirai asked before nursing the headache this development brought. Naruto had run into a little girl being held hostage by Kai Chisaki aka Overhaul on Friday during the concert in Hosu to alleviate the nerves of the city after the Hero Killer incident. The very same Overhaul that now headed the infamous yakuza group called the Shie Hassaikai
"Yep, but you do not have to worry about it or her for very much longer." Naruto replied with a shrug. After he came back from his internship, he went straight to Sir Nighteye the next day at Might Tower…also his home. He also did not blame Mirai for being annoyed with him. Eri was waiting to be rescued after all.
"The luck you mentioned having…I agree, it is complete bullshit. Are you sure Eri will do as you asked and throw the summoning marble? Speaking of…that is complete bullshit as well!" Mirai complained. If the people here had access to technology like that, so much unpleasantness could have been avoided in the world. He would have to ask David Shield if something like that was even possible for them.
"Oh, I am sure Eri will play with the marble and throw it. I can tell she wants out of whatever hell hole she is in, but she needs to do it, when she is not being observed. I can tell that little girl is smarter than some other children at that age should be. Cleverness like that…I understand." Naruto sympathized. Eri had been forced to grow up much like he had. Sure, he had acted like an immature brat growing up, but that was how he dealt with life and fooled people. He was always being underestimated after all. "Eri will be-" Before Naruto could finish his sentence, he disappeared in a yellow flash.
"Here soon I hope." Mirai whispered to a now quiet room before the door opened and one of his students/sidekicks entered.
"Oh, did Naruto leave already? I was going to ask if he wanted to spar." Mirio aka Le Million asked.
"I am sure he will be back soon." Mirai replied tiredly before an idea popped up in his head. "I would wait on that spar. Why don't challenge his entire class. They may have experience fighting villains, but I feel it prudent to show them that they still have a long way to go. Plus, it will show off yours and Naruto's power to them."
"Good idea, Sir!"
XXX
Eri had waited longer than she should have. She had learned that Kai Chisaki, her captor, had left the facility she was in. The guards spoke about a potential merger with another group called the League of Villains. That was…unlikely. In her time here, she had heard of many potential merger's such as this. Every time, her so called father had them killed. He would never be the underling of someone else now that he knew power. Occasionally, he would come back with stragglers but they would never last long thanks to his short temper and his destructive quirk.
She often heard her many guards call the poor fucks examples. It was why she was so afraid of her captor. He would often kill many in his way…even her. She was a clever girl, but she had lost count of all the times she died to his touch. The problem was she never stayed dead. She could never get her freedom from his grasp.
Looking at the marble in her hand, the strange etchings on it gave her pause. This was not like any of the writing she had seen around the bases or laboratories. Nor from the glances at city signs she had been able to glance at while on her many runaway attempts. It was different and it gave her a small bit of hope that maybe this could work.
She waited the normal half hour it took for Overhaul to return. His meetings were never very long. This time, he had not returned at all. That gave her pause that either this merger was actually happening or something had happened to him. Either way, she saw this as an opportunity. It had to be now or things would get worse. She knew it to be true. His many attempts at stealing parts of her away told her something was very wrong and he succeeded in what he was doing with her. It felt…wrong!
Doing as she was taught by some low-level thug that taught her to play jacks, she threw the strange marble and watched as the spikes were hit, some flying up in the air. In the air, they stayed as if suspended by her curse as the marble glowed yellow and a sort of flash happened.
"-Ok." The blond man from earlier spoke as if in mid conversation with someone. Eri noticed he looked befuddled as he looked around him to see her barren and lifeless white room that she had had to endure for years. Shen then noticed that he looked sick for a moment before he gulped that down and a look of anger passed over his face. "So, it was as bad as I thought. I am sorry I did not take you right there and then."
"Father…would have killed you with a touch." Eri confessed. "He has done the same to me many times but as he said, he merely reassembles me." Naruto nodded at that as he and Eri went to sit on Eri's small bed for a moment. "How do you plan on getting us on of here? I doubt the yellow flash ability is two-way."
"Yeah…I am still working out the kinks on my father's Hiraishin. I am almost there." Naruto replied while desperately trying not to hurl. None of the man's notes ever mentioned the user feeling sick. "For right now, it is a mere summoning seal."
"I have no idea what any of that means." Eri replied honestly. "Father mentioned my power is nothing but a curse and that I am a curse for making my original father disappear and scaring away my mother."
Naruto gave her a sharp look before sighing. "Eri, I want you to know that your quirk is not and will never be a curse. You may not believe me now, but in time you will. I have a friend who analysis quirks for fun. I am sure we can figure out what your quirk even is so we can help you understand that and not fear it."
"If you say so." Eri replied with a shrug. She found that hard to believe, but if she understood stood one thing, Naruto came for her like he said he would. So maybe he was right about this too. She wanted to believe, but had a hard time of it.
"As for getting out of here…let me map the place out. I have another friend who wants to take these people out of the criminal underworld for good. Best to get evidence should any on the outside try and come for you. Though I doubt Mirai or Nezu would allow that."
Again, Eri had no idea who he spoke about but he was right. Overhaul was technically still out there and despite losing this place and its people, he would stop at nothing to get her back for his sick experiments. She looked on with curiosity as the blond man went completely still, like one of those statues. It was weird to see, but she had seen one of Overhaul's men eat a person so not much weirder than that. Though, she wanted to giggle at the orange and green make up suddenly appearing on his closed eyes.
Sage Mode had many uses, including sensing the world around him. It was how he was able to determine that the Fourth Shinobi War had been going on when he was on that turtle learning to control Kurama's power. The Sage Mode of this world was similar and although it rejected him at first because he did not have an anchor to it, he learned that the mapping could become more detailed. Though he had to be careful because the initial Rejection had gained a mind of its own. It did not like him despite this world accepting him after gaining One for All.
Seeing the map of the Shie Hassaikai within his mind, he was able to gain a path to the outside and a plan of attack. Naruto reopened his eyes and let Sage Mode fade from his body. It will always be useful, if dangerous. It was a double bladed sword after all. He smiled at Eri and said, "Ok, I believe we are good to go…" He paused as it finally dawned on him that he did not know her name and she did not know his. "I probably should have said this earlier. My name is Naruto Uzumaki-Tsutsumi. Sorry, growing up an orphan does make it hard to grow out of bad habits sometimes."
"I am Eri." Eri replied somberly. He was like her in a way and it made her sad.
"Alright then, Eri, I am going to send you to the surface with a Limbo Clone of mine. You two will get up there undetected while I…ransack the place." Naruto declared, confusing Eri. She thought his curse was the yellow flash power. Then again, he did mention it was something his father could do. Naruto smiled at Eri and said, "In a way we both have a curse. I learned mine was not and actually embraced it. I now use the old fox's name as my hero name. I will help you embrace yours any way I can."
"What is a hero?" Eri asked innocently.
"A hero is someone who uses their power to help those in need, like I am doing for you. They help make people feel better so they can smile again. Wait until you get to the surface, you will see them a lot." A new but familiar voice said next to her. To her surprise, it was another Naruto. To her further surprise, she found them ethereal and muted in color at the same time. Was this the Limbo Clone? Looking down at herself, she was ethereal and muted as well. The original Naruto looked like his normal self and smiled at them. Before the Limbo Naruto placed her on his shoulders, she wondered what a smile even was. "For now, let's let Kurama do his work." With that, both Eri and Limbo Naruto traveled to the surface.
The original Naruto's smiled dimmed a bit, but never let it go. It was time to take this place down. He began to glow a golden yellow cloak before blasting through the doorway and knocking out the guards posted at Eri's door. It was always fun knocking out stooges.
While Naruto made his way through the compound, he knocked out all the goons he came across. He was surprised to see a couple of people waiting on him before a door that held the archives and laboratories. Both wore plague doctor masks. A giant red headed man wore a black mask and looked pumped to fight him. The other was a short haired blond man in a black kimono and a brown mask. Separating them was a barrier that protected them from him.
"What do we have here?" Naruto asked curiously.
"A barrier obviously." The blond man replied in a bored yet exhausted tone. "You have torn through our base, why would we not try and stop you? You have deemed yourself an enemy of the Shie Hassaikai."
"Oh, so that is what this place is called." Naruto replied with a big grin like he finally understood.
"You attacked us and did not know who we were? That is fucking metal!" The bigger man laughed out. "Told you it was pointless keeping us a secret."
"That secret was for a reason you oaf." The blond man replied in annoyance.
"Oh, was it to torture and imprison a little girl for existing?" Naruto asked dangerously.
"She is simply a means to an end. Our leader believes her body possess the cure for Quirks." The man replied simply while the bigger man groaned in annoyance.
"Can we fight now or what? That is the only reason I am here; Kai promised me good fights!"
"A battle junkie? I can understand that." Naruto replied with an eerie smile as he flicked the barrier, shattering it much to the blond man's horror. He as promptly embedded in the wall alongside his battle junkie friend. He did not have time to deal with these idiots. As he walked into the room, golden figures jumped from his body. They were Nana, En, and Banjo.
The group searched the room, looking for anything of use. What they found sickened them to their core. It seemed the battle junkie's friend was right. They were using Eri's body as a way to produce a cure. Nana handed Naruto the tapes of Kai's experiments while En gave him the notes and the bullets. Banjo just destroyed the operating chair Eri had been forced to sit in. Nothing needed to be said for all of them knew what needed to be done.
Naruto then headed to what he assumed to be Kai's office. There, he and Bruce found financial documents and plans for the Shie Hassaikai itself. Having that information would ruin them too and make it possible to give the assets of the 'business' to whomever the government deemed appropriate. The Yakuza group did have a lot of money stored away after all.
Naruto was about to leave this horrible place when Kurama told him to feel this place out more and so he did. He felt the rest of the people that guarded this place were converging on him, but he was not worried about them. No, he was strangely fixated on the secret room behind the office. Where a single living soul lived. Naruto broke through the secret door to find an old man in a coma. Deciding it best to take the old man as well, he ordered a couple more Limbo Clones to take the evidence and the old man into Limbo. He hoped that was it, he was out of usable Limbo Clones. They were difficult to reproduce.
As he exited the room, a huge man crashed through the office door and glared down at him. "End of the road you golden puny punk. There is also no reason to actually fight me. I will take all the energy you have!"
"Oh? An energy absorber." Naruto asked as Bruce went back into his body. He also noticed his golden aura being sucked into the man's body. He heard Kurama laughing from in his own mind along with the other Tailed Beasts. He was an energy absorber's worse enemy. "Well come on then big guy…Eat. Your. Fill."
XXX
For a while, Eri was bored. Sure, she was used to being mind-numbingly bored, while in her room in the base, but now she was out…in a sense. She learned that this Limbo Field had a limited range around the clone. She had tested it, which seemed to amuse the clone of Naruto…or Kurama. Whatever.
Then the ground shook again and again violently. She was not affected but the rest of the place outside the field was. The next thing she noticed was the head of one of Overhaul's top enforcer…what was his name again? Rikitaka or something? Anyway, that man's head broke through the roof of the compound, screaming in pain before he must have fallen because he did not come back. There was a boom and then nothing else from him. Even weirder though was the entire compound started to swirl down into the ground…much like the water in a toilet. It all was just…gone.
The next thing she knew, Naruto had come back out, took her from Limbo, they boarded a train and now…she was in a giant tower standing before a tired looking man in glasses and a woman who seemed to make sure her blond hero was ok.
Mirai, the tired looking man, looked through the evidence Naruto had been able to get from the base and looked green. It further proved to Eri that what was done to her was certainly not the norm. The norm here was people care for each other and rode giant metal tubes everywhere. Her basic understanding of the world had been shattered, but maybe that was a good thing. The people here did not seem as sad as her or as angry or scared as the Yakuza people were on a daily basis.
"So, Kai Chisaki was nowhere to be found in his base. That is odd. Reports did show him leaving occasionally to meet with other groups but that usually ended poorly for whomever he met. If he is still around, we have enough evidence here to lock him away in Tartarus for good." Mirai stated.
"What of the quirk erasing bullets. They are basically made from Eri's DNA, is there a way to return it to her?" Naruto asked, making Eri curious as well.
"That is more difficult." Mirai admitted. "The genetic material has been tampered with due what it was designed to do. I will have to speak with a few medical experts and maybe even few scientists to see if that is even possible. I fear if it as I fear, then we will just have to destroy what created."
"It is fine…Overhaul mentioned he replaced what he took from every time." Eri intoned.
"Overhaul…it sounds like a quirk." Mirai stated. "Being able to break something and put it back together. This almost sounds like Alchemy. You cannot create something from nothing. Young Eri, I know you are not fond of doctors after dealing with him for all these years, but I want to have you checked to make sure you are safe and healthy.
Eri looked nervous as she held onto Naruto's hand. "Can he come?"
Naruto smiled gently at her and nodded that he would not mind accompanying to check a checkup, though he did feel an odd pulse from the tattoo on his hand but ignored it for now. Instead, he said, "Principle Nezu, I know you are listening. Do you think Recovery Girl will have time to see her?"
A good-natured laugh erupted from the TV in the corner as it switched on to show the rat man, perplexing Erit that animals spoke, "As sharp as ever, Naruto. Bring her over to U.A. tomorrow and Chiyo will have a look at her. Also, given the nature of her quirk, I think it best to have Aizawa around for just in case. Finally, the school will take her as a ward. I would rather not have her in the foster system or worse…the Commission even finding out about her."
"Planning ahead I see." Naruto replied with a shrug but he smiled none the less. Eri would be right at home in the school and it contained people she knew…like him. The class would love her. "Now…about the old man."
"Ah yes…the former leader of the Shie Hassaikai." Mirai replied as he looked to the cot the old man was sleeping on in the corner of the room. "Whatever Overhaul did to him, it has proven hard for him to wake up. I would like Recovery Girl to see to him as well."
"In any event, you did good." Kaina stated as she shook Naruto's shoulders a bit, pale at the prospect of the Commission taking Eri in.
XXX
On Sunday, Naruto and Eri found themselves at U.A.'s infirmary. Mirai decided not to be there as he was dealing with what was left of the Shie Hassaikai and actually looking for Kai Chisaki himself. Instead, he sent the goofy and lovable Mirio. Kaina found his humor to be right up Eri's ally…if she ever decided to smile again. She was a tough nut to crack. The same could be said for the ever-tired Aizawa, but that was due to his past trauma.
"Well, she is not in the best health, but given she was kept isolated and experimented on, I can see why. Seems this Overhaul kept her teetering on the edge." Chiyo replied through grit teeth. "As for the old man, the DNA suggests they are related."
"Why did he keep me awake while he did that to him?" Eri asked with genuine curiosity.
"From what you told me last night..." Naruto responded, though he felt a stronger pulse from his hand tattoos he got from the Sage. "He seemed to hate people with quirks with a passion. However, not everyone is a rock. He seemed to have cared for the old man and wanted to keep him close. He was…misguided it seemed."
"I know that look, Naruto." Kaina stated as she put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You have an idea?"
Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, the sun and moon tattoos pulsed, giving me a feeling about Eri and the old man." He then couched down to Eri's level. "Eri, I think I can help him, but I do need your help."
"You want my help?" Eri asked with wide eyes. "How?"
"See these tattoos on my hands?" Naruto said, showing her the palms of his hands. "They were given to me by a powerful and wise old Sage. Their power is still a mystery to me, but they did give me insight on a few things. It tells me that the power you view as a curse, can help him. Are you willing to trust me on this?"
Eri thought about to for a moment and Naruto did promise to show her that her curse was not what she was told. She guessed this was one way to find out. Nodding, she placed her own hand in his palm and felt it pulse as if in excitement. Naruto just smiled at her and lead her over to the sleeping man while the other adults watched in curiosity. These people sure were different than the yakuza people, that was for sure. She would have already been cussed out by what Kai called his Precepts.
Naruto placed his other hand on the old man's arm. The effect was instant, Eri's horn grew and released the energy that made people disappear and while it scared the hell out of her after what was it did her to father, she paid more attention to it in thanks to Naruto helping her. The energy traveled down her hand and into Naruto's where it glowed and formed a white sun around their hands. In the next moment, a dark blue crescent moon burst to life where Naruto was touching the old man. His veins began to glow that same blue color until he was noticeably a little younger and his eyes shot open. Then, another strange thing happened, a tiny spark flared and traveled from the old man, through Naruto, and into Eri. At that point, the light show ended and Eri felt…different. Better.
Chiyo noticed this and looked her over, seeming perplexed. "Strange. May I take another blood sample?" Eri stared at the old woman in bewilderment before nodding slightly. No one back with Kai ever asked her that. They just took. He…just took.
While Chiyo was working on the blood samples, The old man was regaining his bearings. He looked around the infirmary with a perplexed expression until he saw hero costumes and teens. Then he saw Nezu at the end of the bed. "How long have I been out?" He asked weakly.
"That is hard to say," Nezu admitted. "It would have to be two or three years since young Eri here is six. I am surprised you let yourself be taken by surprise by your apprentice, Kareta."
"I made a mistake. I thought teaching the boy to not rely on quirks would lead him down a better path. What did he do?" The old man, now identified as Kareta, asked.
"According to Sir Nighteye, he turned it less from a Yakuza group and more in a petty villain group." Nezu explained, earning a tired groan from Kareta. "Then proceeded to experiment on young Eri to learn how to erase quirks from existence."
"HE DID WHAT TO MY GRANDDAUGHTER!" The old man roared before his losing nearly all energy in his body.
"It is unfortunate, but the truth. You can thank our resident Ninja in rescuing her…but the process, destroyed the Shie Hassaikai." Nezu declared.
Kareta stared hard and long at the blond boy next to his bed and then at Eri being looked at by Chiyo for a moment. He noted that her horn was a bit different but she looked healthy now. "I can accept that. The Yakuza profession has been dying ever since quirks came into existence. The way I was leading it, the organization would have eventually crumbled. All because I refused to utilize quirks. Instead, it was mutiny that destroyed it. I am unsure what to do now once I recover."
"Given your experience and knowledge, perhaps we can use that here at U.A. This way you can also be close to Eri if you wish to reconnect." Nezu offered, getting a grunt from Aizawa.
"Incredible!" Chiyo's excitement cut through the air. "One blood sample shows that Kai had left a deadly illness in her should he go missing or Eri finally broke away from him. Also, her Quirk seemed to have the ability to reverse time on organic matter. With the new blood sample, she is at the full health that a child her age should have and her quirk seems to have evolved. I am unsure what it can do at the moment, but it is still time related. I will have to do more research."
"I see, I thought I felt different when I woke up. Whatever was done to wake me up, also transferred my quirk to her. Neither quirk is one sided now." Kareta deduced as he tried to pull up his quirk only to feel nothing. He was…fine with that. It had caused him nothing but trouble and lead his belief about not using quirks within the Yakuza. "I accept. I mastered my quirk at a young age despite my hatred of it. I will be a teacher for your students if you wish."
"Very well, just recover first and we will see about your employment." Nezu stated.
Kareta nodded and watched on as Eri interact with the blond boy, Naruto, Kaina, and Aizawa. She seemed happy. He was in no position to take care of her and she seemed better with them than with him. She had been sad as a baby when she lost her father and then her mother ran away in fear. He had been cold to her as was his duty as a yazuka and regretted it. She would learn to be happy with them and maybe him too in the future but he would not push the issue. He felt he had caused all this in the first place.
XXX
Eri watched in slight amusement as she sat between Kaina and Aizawa in a monitor room. The class had loved her but Aizawa put a stop to their excitement as she was still getting used to people seeing her in a positive light. They needed to take things slow for her over the their normally aggressive kindness they all had.
So, she was here, watching a series of races the hero trainees did after coming back to classes. Kaina let All Might take this one all for himself. Eri watched in curiosity who raced and who Naruto specifically interacted with. There she saw the weird eared girl and a girl in red being the most familiar with him. Then a blond girl with fangs, an excited girl with a bunch of devices and pink hair, a tired looking purple haired boy, a strange robot, and a green haired boy talking excitedly and writing in a notebook. She would have to ask about them first.
XXX
"You know, you will have to show me what Star and Stripe taught you." Naruto stated, smirking at the excited Izuku. They were currently getting ready for a new rescue exercise at training field Gamma otherwise known at as the industrial field. It was a field that looked like a maze of pipes and buildings.
"I am excited to show you the main thing she helped with, but not in this rescue field. I have another trick up my sleeve." Izuku explained, a bit giddy at the prospect. Then was the news of the Hero Killer take down, Naruto's concert, and the little girl Naruto also saved from a Yakuza group he took down. Izuku just trained his entire internship!
"This is going to be good." Naruto replied as he and a few others got ready to race and find All Might somewhere in the field of pipes.
"You all are going down!" Toru jumped around excitedly in her new costume that Mei made for her just before the internship. She wore a green and black battle kimono similar to the hero Edgeshot, who just so happened to her mentor as well. It was tied together by red rope. Attached to her shoulders, thighs, and shins were beige guards. Around her neck, she wore a twinned orange scarf. On her face, she wore an LED mask that showed off a cutesy digital face. On each wrist was a hook-shot device for easy maneuverability in the air. Finally, her weapons of choice were a pair of Tantos and a strange looking gun that looked incomplete and had little mirrors on it. Toru giggled as she took off her mask and he face suddenly showed up with her lime green hair being in pigtails, "I guarantee it!"
"WHOA! WE CAN SEE YOU NOW?" Izuku and Mina exclaimed.
"Heh, yeah. Mei's new hero costume for me helps with that and Edgeshot showed me a few tricks. Both are helping me learn to be visible." Toru explained with a smile and some tears that people were finally seeing her. "Also Izuku, maybe you can help further it along with your analysis."
"Heh, I bet it he would, ribbit." Froppy replied with a challenging grin. "But first, the rescue. Most of our class has some great mobility now. So, I expect a challenge."
"Oh? Seems your internship gave you a competitive edge," Mina observed.
"Yeah, Naruto can attest this, but Mirko really grinds that in you with her training." Froppy replied with an eye smile.
"That is true, and Tsu learned a few things from me as well."
Before any one of them could comment on that, they heard the bell to start and all shot off in different directions, looking for the hidden All Might in need of help. Froppy showed off how she had become more dexterous and agile as she soared with each jump between buildings. Izuku's Wukong made quick work of his own jumps like a monkey would but showed off two new maneuvers. One, he turned into pure photons as he bounced around the pipe field and to get a long-distance jump in, he turned his staff into a bow before shooting off a bolt of lightning…that sent himself flying away. Toru's Prism giggled as she mostly had fun hook shooting every which way. Mina's Venus was much the same way as she created acid bubbles that she bounced on.
Naruto had to admit they all used a great tactic of being up in their air so they could look down into the field for a better view. However, he had a race to win for Eri. So, he may have cheated a bit and stayed still when the bell rung. He used Sage Mode to locate All Might in a jiffy. Once located, he shot off in the direction that man had been standing in.
His sudden take off did not go unnoticed, however, and Izuku shot down from the heavens, hot on his tail. That seemed to get the others in gear as well, especially Froppy.
"I have you now!" Froppy shouted as she bounded all around him.
"I won't let you win!" Wukong roared in his electric dance around them.
Over with Prism and Venus, Prism's slower pace made her notice a strange pattern with Kurama's race. He was leading them around the edges of the field and back. "Oh! I get it!"
"What? I am kind of lost here with all that madness." Mina admitted.
"Naruto…I mean Kurama is leading them away. Isn't that one of his powers…that black and gold energy thing? The thing he does when he summon's animal constructs."
"Oh, he is using their competitiveness against them but leading them on a wild goose chase."
"Yeah, misdirection." Prism confirmed as the bell rang. "Edgeshot mentioned it was a classic ninja tool."
"Naruto wins!" All Might's loud voice rang throughout the field, almost sounding amused.
"WHAT!" Wukong and Froppy cried out in shock as the Naruto they had been chasing, waved and simply disappeared in a ripple in the air.
XXXX
Before you say anything, no, this Sasuke does not remember the past...yet. He will be the ONLY person to do though. It..won't be pretty when he does.
Review please