"Well, that was not what I was expecting." Hikage said running hand through his hair as they watched the group waiting for their results.
Youchi thought that was a bit of an understatement.
Since he doubted any of them would have expected for Amajiki to fight with the number three hero or for the shy boy to actually win and take out one of the top ten heroes.
"Youchi's brat is rubbing off on his cousins more than we thought." Second scoffed from where he was sat on his throne.
Youchi somewhat wanted to fight it, but he also knew that Izuku famously threated a hero in public and was more than willing to attack Yagi with whatever he has on hand.
"To be fair, they both were already proven to hold grudges." En pointed out.
En was no doubt referring to the weeklong vandalization of Sasaki's apartment carried out by Nejire, Amajiki, and their friends minus Togota.
And it would be a lie to say they all hadn't greatly enjoyed watching them doing such.
"True, but that going eldritch thing was one hundred percent because of Youchi's brat." Bruce countered.
Youchi opened his mouth to argue but sighed.
"Okay, Izuku did... did do that even if it was originally Togota's idea for true chimerism." Youchi reluctantly had to admit, face palming.
*Guys stop, not helping.* Nejire told them as she rubbed Amajiki's back, the boy's face very firmly pressed into Miyake's back trying desperately to pretend he did not exist.
"I'm sorry, but you did great out there sweetheart." Nana told Amajiki as she rubbed the shade's back.
The boy whined, trying to push his face into Miyake's back even more.
En moved to also stand by the shade's of the ninths.
"Amajiki, I can understand your worried about what you've done. Most people don't injure one of the top ten heroes, accident or otherwise, and it will probably affect your final score like you're worried it will." En conceded as he sat next to the worried boy's shade.
"But failing here will not be the end of the world, you can try again for your provisional license in about six months. And license or no you should take the fact that you can take down one of the top three heroes, as a comforting one." En told them.
"Sixer is right, the fact you went after and took out a decades old pro that's repeatedly stayed at the top on your own, without any of our power to back you up, shows how strong you are." Bruce said, pointing out the how impressive the feat actually was.
Youchi wasn't sure what kind of comfort that was supposed to bring Amajiki in this moment, but he could at least appreciate the attempt.
"How many points could they actually take from the kid for that?" Banjo questioned, with a raised brow.
"Depends, they could be a touch forgiving since he was a villain that serious injured someone and had clear plans to attack others that were injured, or they could just judge him for the injures." Hikage answered.
"What about failing him out right?" Bruce inquired.
"Doubtful given the rest of his performance was beyond exceptional and he stopped the moment he realized Jeanest was hurt, but not out of the realm of possibility unfortunately." Nana admitted, despite her attempts to comfort Amajiki she was able to be real about the consequences.
"Is Oswald doing, okay?" Youchi asked.
*I think so, Haruki-Sensei brought a taffy backup for Oz, so he'll heal up but we'll have to wait for him and Yuyu to come back.* Nejire answered, looking around to see if they were back yet but still hadn't seen either of them.
"That's good, how much longer until they reveal the results?" Youchi inquired, Nejire relayed his question to Haruki.
The tree woman looked around with a hum.
"We probably won't have to wait for that much longer, even if they are arguing about what Amajiki did to Best Jeanest they would have to wrap it up around now." she answered then looking towards the board.
"They can't keep all of us here for too long, three hours is already a long time." Haruki added.
Knowing that Haruki had overseen many decades of the exams back-to-back, her saying this was rather easy to believe, so there was little more they could do but wait.
Not that Nana and Nejire didn't try to comfort Amajiki as best they could, during the next five minutes.
Then the large black screen lit with a series of names and pictures.
Nejire's eyes scanned the screen for their names.
"Jiki passed!" Nejire cheered relieved and Amajiki raised his head to look himself as Nejire got out some of her excitement with a little victory dance.
Amajiki was a touch confused but mostly relieved when he saw that his name was indeed on the board and stated that he had passed the exam, with a much smaller number than the others but still a passing grade.
"See, I told you that you did great." Nana happily told the boy before hugging his shade.
Miyake, thrilled as he looked at the board.
"It looks like all of us have passed, the others will be proud." Miyake commented, his tail patting Amajiki on the head.
"Of course they will, oh I can't wait to tell Toshi once he finishes his patrol." Nana gleefully exclaimed.
Speaking of Yagi, Youchi looked over to where Second was on the 'other' side of the Mindspace with their eighth.
The man sensing his gaze looked over to him, nodding his head before focusing back on Yagi.
Youchi turned back to the ninths, his mind more than reassured knowing that Second, while harsh would keep Yagi from overworking himself during patrol and he was confident in Second as a reasonable partner.
Nejire was still cheering while Togota and Miyake were also celebrated their whole group passing the exam.
"Ah, there is Oswald and Haya." Haruki commented and Amajiki's head shot up.
And through Amajiki's eyes they saw as both Oswald and Haya returned, the pinkette clearly on a mission as he powerwalked towards Amajiki.
"I'm getting the sense we might need to leave for our personal spaces for a little while." Banjo pointed out.
Before anyone could reply to Banjo's comment Oswald reached Amajiki and gripped him by the shoulders and point blank asked "Did you actually break BJ's leg and left him babbling like a drunk?"
Amajiki flushed and sputtered.
"I- Um, I-"
"Yes, yes he did." Nejire answered for him, in a sing-song tone.
Oswald took a deep breath then hugged Amajiki very close.
"I'm going to spoil the absolute hell out of you once we get out of here, feed you by hand and fucking everything." Oswald promised nose to nose with Amajiki.
Naturally this closeness and the promise of spoiling, Amajiki was red in the face and just buried his face in Oswald's chest to hide from the rest of the world.
Nana cooed over the two of them, though the rest of them focused more on Nejire, to give the two of them more privacy.
"Can you ask if you can pick up your provisional license yet?" Hikage requested of her.
Nejire nodded and turned to Haruki, relaying the question.
"We'll have to wait until they call for us, but I don't think it'll take all that long. I'll inform the others of the good news." Haruki told them, patting Nejire on the head before stepping outside to make said call.
"We should do something to celebrate. What should we do? Have a little party with everyone or something?" Nejire asked bouncing in place a little.
"A party might be too much, but we can get a bunch of food and eat with them." Haya responded.
"That would probably be for the best, Aizawa-Sensei could take a nap as well if we do that." Miyake pointed out.
"Yes, Aizawa-Sensei deserves more nappy time." Nejire agreed very seriously, making Haya snort.
"Do you think Yagi-San will be able to join us?" Togota inquired.
"Maybe, depends on whether or not we can bully him into not overworking himself." Hikage answered.
"I think we can do that, Chi-Chi will probably want to congratulate us in person." Nejire told them instead, replying to Hikage and Togota.
"And I'll make sure of it!" Nana happily exclaimed.
"It will also be the last time you can meet up and talk about things before the last term of the year starts." En reminded Nejire.
Some of her excitement dimming as she thought about that.
"Going back to school is going to be so weird." Nejire muttered, one of her fingers resting on her chin.
Haya and Togota blinked surprised, sharing the apparent epiphany with equal contemplation.
"Huh, I kind of forgot about that." Togota admitted rubbing the back of his neck, Haya patting his arm.
"Well, after... everything," Haya said, hesitating and carefully choosing her words as she looked around at the hundreds of people around them "Us just going back to school... is going to feel weird, even if we do take up a work study." Haya assured to the best of her ability.
"It is the mundanity of simply going to school, knowing what we do now that is creating the disconnect in your mind." Miyake helpfully informed them.
"The lizard's right," Bruce commented.
"After years of watching and actively fighting All For One watching the ninths going to school and having eighth taking up teaching of all things will be a major change." Bruce said letting his head tilt back to stare in the void above.
That made Youchi pause as well.
He hadn't thought much about it before now, but Bruce was right.
Izuku's plan all but asked them to step back and let him handle everything, and left them with little more to do than watching their eighth and ninth holders going day by day.
It wouldn't all be that boring, both Nejire and Amajiki were going to become heroes in their own right and Yagi was working on being a teacher for future heroes for a few years would be more exciting than most people's lives would ever be.
But after dedicating everything they had to this secret ongoing war to suddenly just watching a couple of kids doing homework? It would be a very big change for all of them.
And looking between most of the others in the Mindspace Youchi could tell the others were also feeling the weight of the idea settling on them.
Youchi had already considered part of this, knowing that soon his brother would no longer be around to fight, but he hadn't thought on what that would mean for all of them after the fight was finally over for good.
What would Youchi do with himself after Aoi was gone?
Just... exist in this void and watch Nejire and Amajiki going on with their lives?
Well it wouldn't be that different from before, they had watched on waiting to speak with the next user and only able to watch on, but now there would be no overlooking threat from Aoi or even the stigmas that the first five of them had to live through and deal with.
And new threats were sure to pop up at some point, but without Aoi to influence things they might not get to the same levels as they had before.
"Having a little normal will probably be for the best though." Nejire said breaking Youchi out of his thoughts "It'll just give us more time to become who we need to be." Nejire told her friends with a self-assured nod.
Togota and Haya smiling, while Miyake nodded "Indeed, we are not adults yet and should take what little time we have left before jumping into the fray." Miyake agreed.
"That is a very good way to look at it." Haruki said, apparently having overheard as she returned.
Placing one of her hands on Nejire's shoulder.
"Now let's go over to the booths, they'll be calling us up any moment." Haruki told them gently ushering them over to where the other examinees had got to previously.
"Do you think that Haruki will have any good advice for how to pass the upcoming centuries?" En asked, given that Haruki was one of the few centurians they could talk with.
"Maybe, she hasn't been around as long but she has been in the world for all of her time unlike us." Hikage answered, and En nodded.
Youchi didn't voice his own thoughts, not when Amajiki could have overheard since he would be respectful of Nejire's choice not to tell him yet about her semi-immortality.
But once they were both asleep and it was just him and the past holders Youchi would bring up the idea that Haruki could possibly be the only person that would live on with Nejire in life.
Trees could live for thousands of years after all, and if Nejire would be around for five hundred then there was a good chance that Haruki would outlive them and be there for Nejire when everyone other than them was going to be gone.
After the exam
Gang Orca visiting Best Jeanest: Are you okay?
Best Jeanest: No.
Gang Orca: Is the pain meds for your leg not enough?
Best Jeanest: How can you be thinking about me? Did you not see that I decapitated a child?!
Oswald, right across from them: Stop telling people I'm dead!
Best Jeanest, whom is very high and now crying: I can still hear his voice, that poor boy...