My Hokuto Academia
AN: Yes, I'm aware of Smash of the North Star. A friend actually pointed it out to me, but my story is going down in a different direction. Complete with some OCs inspired by the cast of Hokuto no Ken and Souten no Ken respectively.
Just a fair bit of warning, there will be SPOILERS for both My Hero Academia [Vigilantes too], Hokuto no Ken, and Souten no Ken (and its continuation, Regenesis).
I DO NOT own Hokuto no Ken or My Hero Academia, they belong to their respective creators, Tetsuo Hara, Buronson, and Kohei Horikoshi. Support the official releases, especially of Souten no Ken.
Chapter Ten:
The rest of the semester was fairly calm, but some students have taken note of Izuku's build increasing in musculature and also his performance in sporting events. Bakugo was actually getting pissed at this info: the skill gap between him and the nerd was likely increasing, he didn't like that at all. He was going to find out how exactly did the nerd get stronger, but whether it would destroy him in the process didn't occur to him. Izuku's bruises should have been an indicator of what type of training he underwent.
He would be following Izuku after school, but it was always to the Kasumi Residence. He flinched, flashing back to the the times he met Kasumi and that white-haired fighter, Rouga.
"He's getting stronger because of those two, but how? That's what pissing me off!" Bakugo said while gritting his teeth, mainly keeping a fair distance from Kasumi's house.
The kid stomped off in frustration, knowing he won't get any answers at this point.
The whole song and dance would repeat for the rest of the semester, but it needed some intervention from Izuku's teachers here and there.
20XX/06/03
Izuku was jogging towards the Kasumi Residence, happy that scored within the top ten on Aldera Junior High's Midterm Exams and unsurprisingly, he was behind Kaachan. In a twist, he was throwing jabs and straight punches while jogging.
"OI, DEKU!"
Izuku slightly flinched at it, but kept jogging.
"DON'T YOU FUCKING IGNORE ME!"
The kid kept jogging, but a slightly faster rate because he knew where this would be going. However, he just needed to make a right and he's home-free.
"YOU'RE GOING TO EXPLAIN HOW YOU GOT STRONGER!
GODDAMMIT!"
Izuku ignored him, incensing the hot-headed Bakugo further. The explosive kid was going to follow him, going to pry answers out of him or his teachers at this point. Either way would satisfy him. However, he would be stopped by an impressive force.
The impressive force being a fairly tall woman, 180cm, shortened black hair, bang between her eyes, but the most striking features were her eyes: musky red scelera and cat-like iris. However, Bakugo could tell this woman worked out. A lot. The muscles in her legs weren't for show, but meant for face-to-face combat.
"Who exactly are you?" the woman stated.
"Get out of my way, old hag! I'm tailing Deku-"
"This is where I'm gonna stop you right there." The woman halted him there, blocking him from going further.
"Oh, that's it! I'll kill you!" Bakugo yelled, prepping some explosions. However, the woman was suddenly in mid-air, arms extended like claws, head down, and Bakugo wonder what exactly was-
Nanto Ryuo Ken Ougi: Beak Flying Cut!
A sudden flash went by Bakugo, it didn't seem like much... that is, until the scars appeared on Bakugo's neck and shoulder area. Blood was flying and the woman landed right behind him.
"I'd recommend you give up, plus that was me holding back." the woman stated. Bakugo was in a state of shock, just realizing the wounds he had on his body. You'd think he would retreat, right? Nope, the ever-burning drive to discover Izuku's secret was greater than the danger presented before him.
"Oh, Hell No! In fact, I can tell you're one-"
"Carmilla! Izuku's ready to train in form practice." said a familiar voice.
The woman did a 180, smile on her face and responded "Oh, coming, Rouga!".
Bakugo would follow right behind her, but that encounter led to the explosive kid getting an earful from Rouga, but the cincher was this snippet of information.
"Carmilla, you're a Pro Hero, right? Please explain to this kid why needs to leave well enough alone." Rouga said in an exasperated tone. However, Bakugo flinched once hearing that.
"You see, Bakugo. I believe you need to stop tailing Izuku everyday after school, it's interfering with his training." Carmilla explained in an upbeat tone. "I also heard from Izuku that you're interested in attending UA High, right?"
"Yes, so what?" Bakugo responded.
"Let's see... what would happen if I decided to report your actions of bullying and harassment of not only Izuku, but also of the Kasumi Residence to your school!" Carmilla said, not losing the upbeat tone.
Bakugo did not like where this was going, he was starting to internally sweat, this vampire heroine could ruin his chances to get into UA! Not only that, but any Heroics Academy that's considered decent!
"So, what will it be?" she said, handing down an ultimatum.
Bakugo just walked away, realizing this was a battle he couldn't win. As soon as Bakugo wasn't in view, Izuku would start his training in furthering his forms in Bajiquan and Choy Li Fut, but there was a twist: weapons would be involved.
20XX/06/15
It was a Friday, mainly to start off the weekend. Izuku knew about the upcoming Final Exams, not that was he looking forward to it. He was just organizing his notes to make a new study guide before the bell rang to end the day.
As soon as he made his way through the entrance, he was accosted by Bakugo and his lackeys. They all asked him the same questions: how he got stronger, why's he not taking Bakugo's crap, and more importantly, why did Kasumi train him. At first, Izuku was afraid of this. However as time went on, the fear was deflating.
In fact, Izuku was starting to get bored of this constant questioning.
'Do they even have anything better to do?'
As he was still being questioned, he felt a strong presence coming closer to his school. The presence felt like an harbinger of strength and resilience and it was coming closer!
"Oh, hey, Kasumi-Sensei." Izuku responded, recognizing his teacher despite him emitting that frightful aura which was clearly terrifying Bakugo and his lackeys. In response, Kensei waved his hand which sent the group running, leaving the teacher dumbfounded.
"What was that?"
"Your aura is showing, Sensei." Izuku responded, relieved that Bakugo wasn't bothering him anymore.
"Ohhhh... I really need to keep that under wraps, rather not have a Pro Hero breathing down my neck." Kensei said, trying to cover up an potentially embarrassing incident.
Kensei and Izuku walked away from the school, the former claiming they should try a Indian restaurant that opened up. The latter would go along with it, not knowing what Indian cuisine truly entailed...
The remaining weeks were dedicated to Final Exams, especially considering it would take place on the second week of July. Everyone was rushing to improve their grades at the last minute.
Bakugo's acts lessened after that, almost leaving Izuku alone.
The Final Exams would come upon them like a fierce wave, but it would thankfully last only three days despite the increased amount of material. Once done, there was only two weeks of school left and then freedom.
There was an interesting encounter on the last week of school...
The Last Day of the First Term
Izuku was happy about this, he not only survived his final exams, but EXCELLED on them despite some difficulties in English and also Home Economics. He also had this conversation with his mentor from last night.
Last Night:
"Izuku, I'm guessing you're aware that I'm training you in Hokuto Shinken this summer, right?"
"Oh, definitely!" said Izuku excitedly.
"My suggested this training ground, but it's a good distance away. It's in Hokkaido, specifically in the Hidaka Mountains."
"Whoa... how long will we be there?"
"Give or take three weeks, but it will only be you and me. By the way, I'm going to tell your mother tomorrow morning."
"Oh, okay. I hope she's okay with that arrangement."
"Trust me, she will be. She noticed how happy you were, that and I left the two lovebirds in charge of maintaining my home."
"Oh, perfect. Oh, I need to get to sleep. Bye, Kasumi-Sensei."
"Goodnight, Izuku."
Izuku saw his mentor from a distance away, but he noticed that his aura was softer in comparison. He arrived, then walked the kid home but they talked too.
"I also wonder, how are you going to get into UA?"
"I will need re-register my Quirkless status, but what to name it?"
"Considering the amount of training we'll put in, that's the last thing you should be thinking about. Besides, you have what? Another year before you graduate middle school?"
"Oh, good point. I-I just thought it would be good to get that out of the way." Izuku nervously said.
"Hmm... I got one suggestion, what about Aura?"
"Aura?"
"Think of it as manipulating touki to shoot energy blasts, increased shielding, or if you're really good at it, mirage creation in the form of instant attacks."
"Wait, so I can utilize it as shielding too? So would that mean I can coat my fists in touki?"
"Technically speaking, yes. As an expert, you can radiate touki from your body AND focus it into your attacks."
"I see. I like to ask about the Hidaka Mountains, why train there?"
"Truth be told, my cousin suggested that it's a perfect training ground where martial artists come to train. In addition, there's minimal distraction too. It has a cool and comfortable climate too, so dress properly."
"Oh, gotcha."
"In addition, you're also going to know how I became the 69th Grandmaster of Hokuto Shinken."
The conversation with them ended with Izuku arriving home, then Kensei giving his goodbyes and told him he was going to pick him up in the span of four days.
The Beginning of Summer Break
Izuku was prepared, but that was a understatement. He prepped a few workout shirts, shorts, and also a pair of running shoes. In addition, he also prepped some small snacks, courtesy of his mother and also even a sleeping bag. He was ready for Kasumi to pick him up, but he arrived by himself with some luggage too.
"Hey, Izuku. By the way, we will be traveling by train to Hokkaido. Our ride should be coming... right about now."
A mini-van taxi arrived, they got all their luggage into the back.
"We're headed towards Tokyo Station."
"Understood." The driver said.
The trip was going to be long, clocking in at 2 hours and 23 minutes at best. He also asked why to a train station, Kensei responded they're going on a small trip to Hokkaido. The rest of the trip was fairly quiet, listening to the murmurs of the driver's radio station of choice.
"Okay, we're here. Tokyo Station. Good luck on your trip to Hokkaido, sir."
"Thanks." Kensei responded, then paid the fare for both. "Keep the change, sir."
The cab driver smiled and sped off.
Tokyo Station
The whole train station was fairly huge, but Kensei lead the way, explaining they would be taking two trains in reality. The first one would be the Tohoku Shinkansen [Bullet Train] line, then they would get on the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line via Shin-Aomori Station. The trip from there would be a walking trip from there. In short, that's the whole plan.
Izuku was slightly overwhelmed, but needed to-
"OOF!"
watch where he was going... he accidentally knocked into someone, then panicked, going into apology mode with a side-dose of muttering.
"Hey, hey, it's alright. I'm slightly lost myself." said a perky, but female voice. Izuku took a good look at her: pink-skinned, medium height, hair a slightly darker shade of pink, and also two yellow horns opposite each other. The eyes stood out most: black sclera and yellow-colored iris. The kid helped her up, but had these immediate thoughts.
'She's cute. AND she responded to me!'
"Oh, my apologies. My name is Izuku Midoriya." Izuku said as he bowed. The pink-skinned girl laughed a bit, but it wasn't that of an insulting nature.
"You don't need to bow, name's Mina Ashido." said the girl, reassuring him.
"Oh, you said you're slightly lost?"
"Yea. My mom and I are headed towards a small gaming tourney! It's mainly to support my bro, Meikichi!"
"Wait, he's a gamer?"
"Exactly! He's known as Thousand Eyes Mekichi because of his win against high-level players in a FPS tourney." Mina exclaimed, Izuku was getting to know this girl more, bit by bit. In fact, the kid's normal nervousness was going away. It turns out Mina Ashido was very social and excitable, but that was interrupted by this snippet.
"So, Izuku. Who's your new friend?"
Izuku and Mina were surprised by the heavy masculine voice. It turned out to be the huge figure of Kensei, Izuku being relieved that he found him.
"Holy crap... Izuku, who is he?" Mina whispered, mainly hiding behind the green-haired kid.
"Oh, he's my martial arts teacher."
"He's jacked. Just as jacked as All Might!" Mina still whispered.
'That's an understatement, Ashido.'
"Oh, forgot to do introductions. My name is Kensei Kasumi." Kensei said as he bowed.
"Wait, my mom mentioned that a muscular teacher saved her from a bunch of punks. Plus also a green-haired kid-WAIT. Holy crap!" Mina exclaimed, putting two and two together. "I want to thank you again for saving my mom, she's very grateful for it. Now if only I knew where she was..." said Mina with a bit of a downcast look.
"Oh, there you are! I was looking for you." said an feminine, but somewhat older voice. It was a woman of average height, pink hair in the style of Ashido, mainly wearing some casual clothes, one with the phrase 'Fierce Gamer!'. Izuku deduced this was Mina's mother and more importantly, the woman that Kensei saved that day.
"Wait. Wait. You're that man from a few months ago! I did not get the chance to properly thank you, my name's Maeko Ashido."
"It's alright, I don't do these things for recognition, it was the right thing to do anyway." Kensei using his hands to say there was no need to.
As both adults were talking here and there, Mina and Izuku were talking for a bit, the former asking what type of martial arts did he train in. The latter stumbled a bit at this, so he quickly came up with a believable cover story: it went like this.
"Oh, my teacher is training me in various styles: Savate, Jeet Kune Do, and Judo."
"Wow, that is cool! Is he training you to be a professional fighter?" Mina said excitedly.
Kensei also paid attention to this conversation while still talking with Maeko, multi-tasking is an underrated skill, Izuku mused. The teacher nodded for him to say it.
"It's part of the reason, but it's defend myself from bullies." Izuku responded, but that word sent a bit of flinch through Mina. The kid didn't need a Quirk to see that Mina had an averse reaction to it.
"That is so terrible! Why did that happen?" Mina questioned.
'Oh... me and my big mouth. This is the moment where it's gonna hurt.'
"Well... it's... because I'm Quirkless." the kid said, dropping the bombshell. All sorts of thoughts were racing his head, this new friend abandoning him because of being non-powered or she might insult him. However, the girl's response was the opposite of what he expected. It was a hug, one of warmth.
"That's not right at all! Bullying is not right, no matter what it is. You're among friends at least."
"Thanks... Ashido." said Izuku, a small weight taken off his chest. "Well, I'm going to be honest. A pro fighter is part of my true goal: to be a Pro Hero."
"Whoa! That's admirable, I'm also aiming to be a Pro Hero too. UA is where I plan on applying, you?"
"Honestly, that's where I'm aiming for."
The two adults finished their conversation, Maeko signaling her that it's time to go. The pink-skinned girl quickly pulled out a piece of paper, wrote something down, and made a phone call gesture before going off with her mom.
"She wrote down her number, did she?" Kensei said with a grin.
"Y-Yes, it looks like she d-did." Izuku, clearly blushing at the fact he a got a girl's number. Despite the incoming teasing, all in good fun mind you, Kensei was happy for his student. The kid was starting to make friends his age.
"Oh, our train should be arriving in a few minutes." Kensei stated.
Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station
As the train pulled into the station, both teacher and student got off and then the former said they were now in Hokuto City. A commuter town for Hakodate City, a port city in the east.
"Isn't Hokuto City known for fishing too?"
"Oh, definitely. It's well known for both actually, but they're making it a tourist spot. In fact, we are going to hike up to the Hidaka Mountains, one of them being Mount Sahoro which is good this time of year. It's also known to be slightly chilly at night."
"Understood, Kensei-Sensei."
The trip to Mount Sahoro would take at least another four hours by car. Izuku sighed, but Kensei perked him up by stating he has some connections here, prompting the green bean to ask who.
"Right, I mentioned my father who's a chef. He also took some apprentices to help him run North Star's Paradise."
"Who are they? Do they drive? Can they get-"
"Their names are Bantarou and Lynn, but the former prefers the nickname of Bat for some reason. There are other staff, but some of them are retired fighters who took pretty well to the restaurant business.
And yes, they have driver's licenses. However, they tend to rely on this ex-kickboxer, Vasily Karanov to make deliveries at a high rate. He's a nice guy, though."
"Was your father a fighter at one point?"
"Here's the thing: he didn't involve himself in underground fights, he just stuck to public fights. It was a side job for his main career as a chef, but always took the chance to promote his cooking skills."
"In what way did he so, did he help teach them cooking or did he help the staff with the way the meals were cooked-"
"You're muttering again, but to answer your question. He actually helped the chefs at each local tournament with cooking the meals at half-time. He's also the reason why I'm able to tolerate spicy food. He's able to make a mean Grilled Calamari, Spanish-style." Kensei said.
"Wow, so he was a public fighter instead? Aside from Hokuto Shinken, what styles did he utilize?"
"He utilized an synthesis of various styles, but he told me his preferred combination: Byakuren Karate, Black Scorpion Arnis, Pencak Silat, and some classical fighting styles from Japan."
"Wait, does that imply he utilized weapons too?"
"Oh, definitely. It was a belief that in any fight, anything can be utilized against you. He often preferred either a pair of tonfa sticks or short swords."
"I'm surprised your father's just a chef after what you told me. It sounds like he could have become quite the powerhouse in the fighting world." Izuku responded.
"Oh, true. I asked him that myself, but he told me that his heart was in the world of chefs. He did leave an impression on some fighters, like Karanov for instance. Once he retired due to a knee injury, my father sought him out and gave him a job."
"When I think about it, you never mentioned your father's name."
"His name is Kazuo Kasumi, 68th Grandmaster to Hokuto Shinken and currently master chef."
"Wait, there's a blue car coming this way." Izuku said, interrupting the conversation's flow. "There's a young guy in there, strawberry blonde, bushy hair, and with goggles driving it? Why the goggles?"
"Oh, that's Bantarou. He recently got his driver's license this year." Kensei said. The blue car was nearing by before grinding to a halt, the young guy who waved a lanky arm. "Oh, Bat. How are you by the way?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Still proud of the fact that I did not get a speeding ticket." said a fairly young voice, revealed to be Bantarou. He was revealed to be thin, wearing a chef uniform with black sneakers and a head full of bushy hair with goggles above his eyes.
"That's swell at least, plus do you have our destination?"
"Mount Sahoro, it will take at least four hours."
Both teacher and student were seated comfortably in the car, Bantarou at the driver's seat, Izuku in the back, and Kensei in the passenger's seat. The trip itself would be smooth sailing, this would lead Izuku into a lull and eventually falling asleep.
Mount Sahoro
"Izuku, we're here."
Izuku quietly perked up, realizing they are at Mount Sahoro. Bantarou quickly helped them get their luggage out of the car, then said his goodbyes. Teacher and students were going to hike it to an appropriate location, preferably near some forests. In the span of an half-hour, they managed to make it to a good location. It had decent views, a good part of it was forest, and lastly? It was far from any human interaction, meaning minimal distractions.
The two were setting up a camp of sorts, mainly having a small tent with two sleeping bags inside, plus their bags serving as 'drawers' for spare clothes. They were ready to begin training.
Week One
Izuku was trying to strike his teacher, but there was a twist. The kid was bllindfolded, he had to rely on his other senses to compensate. However, he was allowed to utilize any Hokuto technique he seen or trained in.
Hokuto Hundred Crack Fist!
A series of fists sent towards Kensei's way, but he bobbed and weaved his way, how? Even though his student managed to perform it, it was slower than his version by a long shot. The technique was interrupted by a elbow strike and a follow-up roundhouse kick.
The kid was barely had time to block at all, getting his ass knocked to the ground.
"Get up, we're not done yet." Kensei said in a stern tone.
"Understood, sir!" Izuku said, quickly recovering. Kensei made a gesture, signifying to strike him, the former leapt forward for a small combo...
"Today, we're going to learn Keiraku Hiko via practice."
"Yes, sir."
"Thankfully, I set up this wooden dummy to serve as a substitute for the human body." Kensei said, demonstrated a recently carved wooden dummy that was around a male's average height. He then struck the dummy's face softly with a closed fist, only to demonstrate what pressure point he hit.
"Keiraku Hiko - Domei. Once hit, it will take away the opponent's eyesight."
Kensei struck again, but with two pointer fingers into where the dummy's temples were.
"Keiraku Hiko - Zusetsu. It erases the target's memory."
The teacher then struck two thumbs within the dummy's temples.
"Keiraku Hiko - Toi. Once hit, the victim is given seven seconds to live. Albeit before exploding."
The next few hours was full of Kensei drilling half the knowledge of pressure points into Izuku's mind and body. Why half, you ask? Kensei believed it would be too much if he showed him the entirety of it, that was the first reason. The second reason? He knew his student was training to be a Pro Hero, so he respected his wishes by throwing in more non-lethal pressure points, specifically ones meant to paralyze or in the case of Torikeshi, temporary Quirk nullification.
It would end in a small spar, but it consisted of who would be able to strike the other's pressure points without being struck himself. The kid managed to put up a good effort, mainly striking a pressure point called Kisha which immobilized his teacher.
In fact, the teacher had a smile on his face.
Kensei and Izuku were now sparring, mainly in the dead of night so the latter is ready to fight at any time or any place. They were going to be utilizing all sorts of Hokuto techniques in the process, mainly to strengthen the latter's overall power and technique.
Hokuto Face-Breaking Fist!
A savage straight-punch was aimed at Izuku's face, but he managed to deflect it with a forearm block, then follow up with a certain kicking technique.
Meteor Face-Breaking Kick!
The kick made contact with Kensei's head, but minimized the damage by having his other hand take the brunt of the damage. However, this lead to Izuku's trap: he trapped his punching arm and was ready to unleash more kicks on his teacher. However, Kensei took a deep breath and braced his legs.
Raging Thunder God Kick!
Izuku's teacher disappeared quickly, no. He actually moved so fast, it looked like he disappeared. However, Izuku feel the brunt of two strong kicks: one to the chest and one to the face. The kid was stunned and in pain, but noticed the imprint of feet on the ground where his teacher was previously standing.
Hokuto Snake Thunder Bite!
By the time Izuku turned around to pinpoint where the yell was coming from, it was too late. Kensei was dashing towards him, the kid tried throwing a punch, but he just weaved and followed up with the real technique: a fierce cross punch into the sternum. Izuku's breath was taken away by how fast he moved, but he was sent flying for a bit.
"Crap... that was tougher than I thought."
"Trust me, there's more to it."
Izuku slowly got up, despite the imprint of a fist on his body. He was ready to continue, this made Kensei take his stance once again.
The two were sitting in cross-leg positions, meditating on clearing their thoughts and picturing the opponent in the mind. The both of them were facing familiar people from their past.
Izuku was facing Katsuki, mainly with all the skills he learned from his teacher.
Kensei was facing someone ruthless. Someone who would claim his head on a silver platter, that same someone he humiliated AND thought to have killed. No... he has to be dead at this point. He quickly ended that thought.
"Izuku, how deep is your knowledge on Quirks?"
"Uh... very deep. Any questions you need-"
"There are ways to counter Quirks, you don't always need to rely on certain pressure points to do the job for you."
"If I wanted to take out an Emitter Quirk, how would I do so?"
"Oh, that's simple. You would attack their arms or head, why? I noticed from experience, they need to activate their Quirks and then emit it from either their hands or their upper-body overall."
"Wait... you're suggesting taking out their main means of fighting?"
"Exactly."
"It makes sense, but what do you do about ranged attacks? It's a common trait for Emitter-Type Quirks."
"Quite easy, you need to time your moments on when to dodge and also remember how to utilize touki?"
"Oh, right. You can fire energy blasts to compensate for ranged attacks." Izuku realized.
"Transformation-Type Quirks are a little easier to deal with and why is that, Izuku?"
"Let's see... it only affects their body and nothing else?"
"Correct, but there's more to it."
"Umm... oh. Wait! The effects are only temporary and over-exertion can weaken them overtime."
"You get full marks for that question. The last type of Quirk is the Mutant-Type, they are fairly unpredictable and why's that, Izuku?"
"They can alter their bodies by creating extra appendages or express them like an Emitter-Type. However, they can't really turn their Quirk off. It becomes a bit of an Achilles heel to an extent."
"Correct. It is also the reason why should aim for where their mutation originated from, mainly to partly disable them from using their Quirk further."
Week Two
Izuku was on a run with his teacher, the whole distance? 20 km. It would be from their campsite to the local ski resort and back. It terms of endurance, the green bean was handling the mountainous run better than he thought. It was going to be a normal run, but once getting to the ski resort, things changed...
"Izuku, we're not alone." Kensei said in a serious tone.
"Wait, are they an enemy?!"
"Not entirely sure, but I can detect strength when I feel it. This is emitting high levels of strength-" Kensei said, before being cut off by a surprise spear-hand strike which he dodged at the nick of time.
"You're still as fast as ever, though I think the old you would have counter-attacked too." said an old voice, but it had strength and experience behind it. Izuku got a better look at the attacker, he was just as tall and slightly buffer than his mentor, heavy facial hair that was brown, flat-top haircut, and also wearing a dark blue gi underneath a hoodie.
"I can't argue that, but a little advance warning next time, Kouji Sugawara." Kensei said, seeing the figure in full.
"Oh, my mistake. It's the age that's getting to me." Kouji responded, but he noticed Izuku. "I'm assuming he's your student."
"Correct, I'm training him to be my successor." Kensei responded, this got Kouji's attention which prompted this snippet.
"Interesting. I almost forgot, I'm actually taking my granddaughter on a hiking trip and I'm training her too."
"Wait, you have family?"
"Of course, my granddaughter's name is Itsuka Kendo." Kouji responded, nodding for Itsuka to appear. She was more or less Izuku's height, teal-eyed, ginger hair tied into a high ponytail on the left side of her head, which reached halfway down her back. She had bangs too, mainly split into three clumps around her face.
"Umm... I'm a little lost." Izuku stated, Itsuka was feeling the same too.
"Right, introductions. This is Kouji Sugawara, one of the premier Karate fighters in Japan. But the style he uses? A different story. In addition, one of the few fighters to go toe-to-toe with my father."
"Oh, you're flattering me. Truth be told, your father came close to taking my eye. How is he anyway?"
"He's fine, enjoying the life of a master chef in Hokkaido."
"Oh, interesting. Oh, right. Itsuka, this is Kensei Kasumi. One of the best martial artists on this side of the world, plus with a side dish of being feared."
Itsuka and Izuku had to a double take, asking what was that last part. "I'm going to be truthful with you, Izuku. Remember those underground fights that my cousin mentioned?"
"Yea?"
"He was the one who introduced me to them. Apparently, I left such a mark, they started calling me the North Star Demon." Kensei said, but Izuku flinched at this statement. There were a few startling things being revealed about his teacher.
The conversation would end, the other two asking if they can join in on the run. Kensei accepted it, mainly so he can keep his skills in top-form with someone on his level. Itsuka and Izuku were astounded by how strong and perceptive Kouji was, the latter mostly.
"So... how did your grandfather start training you?"
"Well... it was big jars filled with water, striking them, then carrying them to his small house in the countryside, and then came the conditioning..."
"That last part sounds more ominous than it should." Izuku said, starting to sweat.
"You have no idea. It started with striking into sandbags and the final part being cinderblocks, keep in mind, that's before utilizing my Quirk!" Itsuka said, remembering how her fingers ached. "How did your teacher train you?"
Izuku was deep in thought, then responded "Oooh... he trained me hard by sparring. Intensely. Then came his cousin who was a professional fighter and his 'ex'. They don't know the concept of restraint. In fact, I think my teacher's definition of 'little force' is vastly different from the normal one."
"Yeesh." Itsuka responded, understanding Izuku's current situation. Kouji and Kensei were finishing up their sparring match, but it ended in a tie, particularly the former's spear-hand strike blocked by an interceptor kick.
"I legitimately wonder what type of fighting style does your grandfather use?"
"He honestly never told me too much about it, but has some basis in Karate. He's the type to believe martial arts has been toned down too much, he believes every strike in your arsenal is necessary to defend yourself on the streets. In addition, when I walked with my grandfather, thugs seem to be in fear or awe of him."
"So... he gave off an aura of fear?"
"It's more of an apex predator coming into a new territory, that's how I describe it."
Itsuka and Izuku were sparring with each other, permission granted by her grandfather and Kensei. It seems they were equally matched, but Kensei noticed the difference like it was night and day.
Itsuka was more of a strength-based fighter, especially with Quirk: Big Fist. The Quirk allowed her to enlarge her hands, mainly increasing her strength in tandem and definitely can be utilized to carry a group of people.
Izuku was more of a speed-based fighter, mainly relying on speed and reflexes. Coupled with his high-level abilities of observation, he would be able to blindside an trained opponent at this rate.
The ginger-haired fighter was trying to break down Izuku's guard, but he parried and punched her in the chest. However, she struck back with a one-two combo and an uppercut. The green bean managed to strike back with a low roundhouse kick, then a back kick right into the abdomen.
Jumbo Lance!
She sent out a spear-hand strike, but enlarged it once getting in close to Izuku's range. The kid managed to side-step it, but got grazed as a result. He then attacked with an ridge-hand strike to her back, then three straight punches, and an elbow strike. However, Itsuka managed to get low to dodge that incoming elbow strike. She struck back with an uppercut, then a one-two combo into the chest.
Izuku bared through it, then followed up with a shoulder tackle, taking the girl off-balance into the ground. The match would end with a two-finger strike from the green-haired kid to the throat or so it seemed. In fact, Itsuka had a straight punch aimed right at Izuku's neck. The spar ended with them making up, also thanking each for that sparring match.
Sugawara claimed they needed to finish their hike, so they exchanged contact info in case they wanted to have a proper spar.
Kensei was now performing kata practice, complete with Izuku shadowing him. It helped that there were tons of trees next to them too, mainly to demonstrate the striking power of Hokuto Shinken.
Rocky Mountain Splitting Wave!
A straight-forward knife-hand strike, right into the tree, splitting it from the center-point to the bottom.
Hokuto Cross Slash!
Both master and teacher strike another tree in the pattern of a cross-shape emblem.
Hokuto Bone Crushing Fist!
A single finger strike right into another tree, leaving an heavy indent. Izuku's attempt left a small indent, but he wasn't discouraged.
Neck-Twisting Face-Breaking Punch!
Izuku and his teacher kicked a rock into the air, then pierced the rock with both hands, picturing it as the enemy's neck and then ending things with a strong knee strike that shatters the rock upon impact. The former winced a bit in pain after that last knee.
"Do you need to take a breather?"
"No, I'm fine. The rock was a little harder than I thought." Izuku said, thus Kensei continued.
Hokuto Steel Muscle Crushing Fist!
It seemed similar to the Hokuto Hundred Crack Fist, but there's a distinct difference that Izuku noticed.
'He's aiming for the enemy's midsection, destroying not only their muscles but also wreak havoc on the diaphragm. Ruthless, but effective.'
Pressure Point Priority
It was a thumb strike right into tree branch, piercing it, and Izuku pictured it as the enemy's chin. The next movements were a palm-slap attack and a backhand into the same branch, shattering it with little effort.
The morning was a harsh training session, especially once the sun made its appearance. Kensei and Izuku were doing one-handed pushups, crunches, shadow-boxing, and inevitably hand-stand pushups and then finger handstands, the latter was having difficulties doing the last exercise so he was forced to do fingertip pushups.
Izuku was gasping through the pain, determined to see it through.
'Only one more week!'
The green bean woke up, realizing it's morning and felt sore all over. The two weeks of training really put a dent in his body, but there was progress. He lost a lot of weight, but he wasn't a stringy guy. In fact, he gained muscle all around his upper-body and his legs felt strong too despite the punishment they took from Kensei's kicks.
Despite it all, he's never felt any better.
However, there's an irony to it. He understands Kensei's teaching style, technique, and also a bit of his views on Hero Society, but never any real background on his teacher. Sure, he's a current teacher at Korriba Junior High, but that's just scratching the surface.
In reality, Kensei was awake but was feigning sleep.
'There's a whole lot you don't know about me, Izuku. However, I will tell you everything by the end of the third week.'
"I wonder what type of Quirks you fought against, Kensei-Sensei?"
"There's a lot, some were simple while others seemed more psychic-like." Kensei stated.
"In what way?"
"How can I describe it? It's like tricks of the mind if that makes sense."
"So illusions?"
"Yes or overloading your senses."
"I'm frightened to think how potent someone with a mental-manipulation Quirk would be like."
"That's the thing, you'd never know until it's too late."
"How would one counter or avoid that?"
"I often avoid answering their questions or close your eyes because they are activated by sight at least."
"If I had my Quirk Analysis book with me, I would have written that down as a memo."
"You can always write it down later, but I have this suggestion which will help you out in the long-run. Now, just hear me out.
How about a Martial Arts Analysis Book?"
"Wait, a martial arts analysis book? Wait! I might be facing opponents who might be of the same caliber as you in the field of martial arts or bare-handed combat. They would also utilize Quirks in tandem with their skills, would they?" Izuku responded, but he did not go on a mutter-storm.
"Correct. I'm also glad that you're making new friends, but there's one thing I like to ask." Kensei asked, albeit with a growing grin.
"Oh, what is it?"
"Out of the two girls, which one would you go on a date with?" Kensei question, full grin on display.
Izuku had to do a double take, then stammered when trying to come up with a complete answer. He thought Ashido was cute and all, but her fun-loving personality really made her stand out. Kendo, on the other hand, understood his situation fully, plus it was cool to know that she was able to go toe-to-toe with him in a sparring match. In addition, the boy thought that the ginger-haired girl was cute and strong, a good combination.
If anything, Kensei realized his student was developing a preference for the type of girl he likes.
Kensei laughed a bit, then said "You're just like an anime protagonist, extremely skilled in the field of hand to hand combat and a big brain on top of that. Yet you're still flustered about girls despite getting their numbers."
"W-W-Well, I-I don't have much experience with girls to begin with." Izuku said, despite stammering.
"Don't worry, you need a bit of confidence, that's all. In addition, don't be afraid to do simple things, it's the effort and presence that matters." Kensei responded.
The following three hours would be fairly eye-opening for Izuku, especially on why being a player is bad in the long run.
Week Three
Izuku was following his teacher, mainly further into the forests for the last stretch of training. It was fairly quiet, but there was a purpose for it. They kept walking until they were really deep, then Kensei stated
"It's time for you to learn an advanced technique, it's an counter. It's called Muso Insatsu, the way I trained to use it was fairly harsh."
Izuku responded by taking a stance, knowing that Kensei would strike at any-
WATAA!
A strong punch was sent into Izuku's sternum, sending him fly and land into a tree. He coughed up some blood, he knew that Kensei wasn't restraining himself anymore.
"Get up, you could can endure my strikes better than you think."
"R-Right." Izuku responded, but coughed.
"Now, try to counter me. This technique can't be normally taught, it requires a certain mindset to do so." Kensei explained.
Izuku had his fists, ready and waiting. He just needed to time the nex-
BOOM!
The green bean's thought process and plan was interrupted by Kensei throwing a series of hand-thrusts and a kick into the face, but it was blocked by Izuku's guard. However, that didn't slow down his teacher at all. In fact, he followed up with an snap kick, breaking through Izuku's guard and then run up on his body.
Hokuto Rising Thunder Kick!
He bounced off his body, then landed a solid roundhouse kick into his student's face while he was dropping. The kid was almost down, but kept his posture to stay steady.
It didn't let up, Izuku was in an enormous amount of pain from Kensei's techniques. He barely blocked, if anything, blocking only SLIGHTLY reduced the impact.
'So, this is how Kensei trained to master further techniques. Ow. Can't feel the legs.'
The green bean was struggling to get up, but slowed his breathing in order to verify that he's still alive. He knew Kensei would be back soon, so he needed to clear his mind.
'I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that he's excellent at ambush attacks, Hokuto Shinken is an assassin's style first and foremost.'
As the kid was trying to steady himself, he closed his eyes, listening to subtle sounds and movements, trying to detect Kensei's movements and when he'll pounce. The kicker?
SNAP!
He heard a tree branch crack, turning to the direction of that sound. However, it was Kensei who was at his side and Izuku reacted too late. This folly earned him a two-punch combo into the side, but he tried turning it around by intercepting any punches with forearm blocks and leg blocks. The attempted worked for a bit, but he took advantage by lowering his stance, and striking him with an elbow.
This grazed Kensei for a bit, but his student wouldn't stop with that. He was going for a rapid-hand strike, Kensei was ready to counter it, but there was a surprise. The kid faked it, then switched to a side kick to Kensei's stomach. It managed to connect!
'Got him!'
However, this got him an uppercut on an already bloody face, then jabs into Izuku's overall wounded upper-body, and the coup de grace? A open-palm strike into the chest. Izuku was still as a statue, bruises and bleeding all over, but he was still alive. He barely took up a stance, this led to Kensei performing a straight punch.
CLASH!
Izuku weaved out of the punch's range, then followed up with a palm strike to his teacher's chest. However, Kensei countered by throwing a punch straight into the palm, stopping its power.
"Good. You got the first half, but you're lacking on the second half." Kensei said, noting Izuku's progress. "You need to evade and counter-attack, all at once."
Izuku barely nodded as acknowledgement. Kensei then jumped in the air, ready to deliver an axe kick on his student.
The moments of time are what mattered, the green bean instantly evaded by side-stepping and responded with a leaping roundhouse kick, right into Kensei's side. The teacher grunted in pain, holding his side, knowing how hard Izuku hit. In fact, that kick had more impact because it aimed for the liver.
Unconscious Shadow Kill!
Izuku then fainted, falling face-first. However, he had a smile on his face. He not only executed the technique, but managed to catch Kensei off-guard with his skills.
"You did good, Izuku. Shy away from getting full marks, but you passed with flying colors." Kensei said, still holding his side. Feeling satisfied, he grabbed and hoisted Izuku over his shoulder.
Tomorrow would be a new day.
Izuku was slowly stirring from his sleep, but remembered the previous day's events.
"So, you're finally awake.
The healing process really took awhile, I had to make do with the medical aid I had on standby."
Izuku tried moving, but felt twinges of pain each time he moved the shoulders.
"You took quite the beating, apologies for that."
"It's alright - Ow - the training was going to be harsh - Ow - but I feel great." said Izuku in a happy tone, despite the pain.
"There's another aspect to it. I will tell you about myself, not just my Quirk, but my entire past. It took some deliberation and assistance from my cousin." Kensei said in a heavy voice, catching his student off-guard.
The news about his teacher's Quirk was interesting to know, he never saw him even utilize it at all. The bigger topic at hand, the past? He never did mention much about his life to begin with, but he was willing to listen to everything.
"My Quirk is called Macro-Olfaction. It allows my sense of smell to be enhanced to a decent degree, mainly working on detecting threats, hunting scents, or identifying perps who got away."
"From what you're telling me... you sound like a Pro Hero who specialty was tracking down hard-to-find targets!"
"True, but there are some drawbacks.
One, it's fairly difficult to use.
Two, I can lose a scent if I am in a metropolitan area. Why? All sorts of scents can overlap the one I'm currently tracking, it's the main reason why I carry previous data on a target before going on a mission."
"Mission?"
"The truth of the matter is, I wasn't a Pro Hero at any point."
"Which high school did you go to then?"
"Mandaroa Senior High, it was a college-prep school. However, what made it stand apart? A good number of their students were in martial arts clubs, some of them becoming MMA champions later in their lives. It was where I also met my first girlfriend, woo, her temper was terrifying to behold. However, we are still friends."
"Mandaroa? Where is that?"
"Saitama Prefecture. But getting back on topic, I was only part of the Chinese Kenpo Club, it was how I was introduced to Jeet Kune Do. You're also wondering where this is going? Well, it was my third year when I made the fateful decision.
The decision to become a vigilante."
"W-What. A vigilante? Why, the skills you demonstrated, the ethics you have, and most importantly, you stepped in to save me while only disabling those bullies. If anything, you're the perfect image of a Pro Hero!"
"I know, people have told me that. There's an explanation for it. I became one because of how some of the Pro Heroes at the time were impotent to prevent a mini-conflict happening between Mandaroa Senior High and a rising biker gang known as Steel Raiders MC. I had no choice but to intervene."
"What happened?"
"I only utilized my knowledge of Keiraku Hiko to paraylze, that's it. The plan was to keep these guys still until a Pro Hero intervened, but that didn't happen. Unfortunately, the Steel Raiders brought in backup and by the time a single Pro Hero arrived. It was too late, I was injured heavily. The Steel Raiders MC? A good part of them were crippled by me."
"Do you think they could have been delayed?"
"The average time of a Pro Hero to respond is seven-ten minutes, more if they need back-up."
Izuku was shocked by this, it was a good thing that his teacher was opening up to him about his past but there was this gnawing thought at the back of his head. Did his teacher let this encounter sour his impression of Pro Heroes overall?
"One Pro Hero had the gall to say that they were following protocol, what type of bullcrap is that? I know you like heroes and all, but you gotta give criticism where criticism is due.
The system may be structured, but it's flawed. Too much in the way of bureaucracy and some of the Pro Heroes seemed more interested in fame than actually doing their job."
Izuku was taking this all in, realizing that his teacher needed saving at the time, and Pro Heroes disappointed him. He felt powerless, even though he did intervene, he felt useless. In fact, the kid believed that Kensei was teaching him an important lesson: what's right may not necessarily match up with what's legal.
"I may look up to heroes, but I can understand why you feel that way. The feeling of being useless, I can relate way too much." Izuku said in a crestfallen tone.
"DON'T. EVER. CALL. YOURSELF. USELESS." Kensei interrupted. "You shown more courage and guts to undergo harsh training, even more in the future. Lesser people would have broke down and quit, but you? You're different, you have resolve. So I don't want to hear you calling yourself useless. Ever. Again."
"Thanks. I-I needed that, but continue please."
"Oh, right. It was from there I decided to do something. I applied to a decent university, it was called Dankomeikan University. It was for the Faculty of Law, I was going to be a lawyer of sorts. Ironic, isn't it?"
"The fact you said vigilante and then applying to train to be a lawyer is the possibly the biggest form of irony there is." Izuku stated.
"D-Did I just hear an actual joke? Actual humor? Wow, I must be rubbing off on you." Kensei stated, surprised at Izuku's response. "Back on topic, I made my debut as a vigilante after I graduated from high school. Keep in mind, I did not become the successor to Hokuto Shinken at the time."
"How did you fight?"
"I utilized the skills my father taught me, plus also a mixture of Jeet Kune Do and Savate as a basis. I was a bit raw, crippled some thugs when I could have knocked them out; paralyzed some nasty people when they should have been six feet under." Kensei solemnly said.
"I-I-I see." Izuku said, clearly nervous at the revelation that his teacher was a vigilante at one point, but how did he go from that to middle school teacher?
"Once I became the successor to Hokuto Shinken, I decided to reinvent myself, make a new name, something that can send a shock wave in the criminal underworld. The name came naturally, Shichisei."
"Seven Stars? You named yourself after the Big Dipper, that's actually... good and fitting."
"I'm going to say this only, no one had a chance to verify my actual identity. In fact, the whole police force surprisingly designated me as a high-level threat."
"You ended the lives of your enemies, did you?"
"Only the ones who truly deserved it: human traffickers, sickos, corrupt figures, and people who were considered 'untouchable'. As the successor, this duty was made more vital."
"O-Oh, I know there are some vile villains out there. Is killing them making you any different from them, that's what I should ask."
"Truth be told, a vigilante like me should be a reflection of flawed Pro Hero system and the society it represents. If they could fix the flaws, then Shichisei would no longer be necessary."
"You're not offing villains to terrify the underworld, but you're trying to send a message. I can understand it, not necessarily agree with it, but I see what your conviction is truly like. I'm also surprised you barely got a mention in the news."
"That's the idea, barely leaving a trace behind. That and I don't involve civilians, I make sure there are no civilians in the areas I hunt. In addition, I don't think the proper authorities ever put a name to me for awhile."
"Whew, that's good. However, that doesn't answer the question of how you became a middle school teacher."
"A story for next time, my student."
Izuku pouted for a bit, but Kensei reassured him he would tell the whole truth after the leave the Hidaka Mountains.
AN: Anyone know a BETA Reader yet?
Okay, Kouji Sugawara is partly inspired by two people: Kuroki Gensai from Kengan Ashura and Yoshizo Machida, father of current MMA fighter, Lyoto Machida. The latter's philosophy on Karate is what cinched this character: he wanted to bring Karate back to his combat roots, mainly by adapting a form of Karate to deal with street situations and also MMA competitions. In short, he believes Karate was more or less de-fanged for point-based tournaments.
For the worried, no, this won't turn into a harem, why? It seems very boring to do so, plus it can get fairly predictable.
Oh... looks like Kensei is telling his story, but I thought I stop it there before it gets too long.
Dankomeikan was comprised of the meanings 'resolute' [danko], 'fate' [mei], and 'hall' [kan].
Glossary:
Raging Thunder God Kick - An extremely fast leaping and kicking technique, it appears that the user disappears from sight. However, it has enough strength to leave imprints on the ground. It was originally used in Souten no Ken, plus its original name is Raibo Shin Kyaku.
Hokuto Snake Thunder Bite - A simple rushing punch in the original series, but Kensei Kasumi worked in some footwork from Boxing to improve the original technique into a cross punch. Its original name is Hokuto Jarai Ko.
Beak Flying Cut - A secret technique from Nanto Ryuo Ken, it functions with the user taking a relaxes stance. He/she then jumps in the air, arms extended like claws, and then quickly move, slashing the opponent's neck and shoulder area fatally. Its original name is Shishozan.
Hokuto Face-Breaking Fist - A straight punch, set straight into the face. It usually caves in the skull as a result. Its original name is Hokuto Hagan Ken.
Domei - A pressure point on the forehead, once hit, it will take away the opponent's eyesight.
Zusetsu - It erases the target's memory via puncture of the temple, one of the many pressure points within Hokuto Shinken's Keiraku Hiko system.
Toi - Once hit in the temples with both thumbs, the opponent will die via explosion in seven seconds.
Rocky Mountain Splitting Wave - A straight-forward knife-hand strike which fractures the opponent's skull, often utilized as a finisher. Its original name is called Ganzan Ryozan Ha.
Hokuto Cross Slash - A series of rapid-hand strikes, but in the pattern of a cross. It was original utilized against Shin in the original manga as a form of poetic justice. In addition, the opponent lives for a minute before expiring.
Hokuto Bone Crushing Fist - A single finger-poke into the forehead, the result? The enemy's skeleton explodes from the back. Its original name? Hokuto Kaikotsu Ken.
Neck-Twisting Face-Breaking Punch - An aerial move of sorts, but the user starts with kicking/uppercutting the enemy into the air, then the user presses pressure points into the enemy's neck, then end things with a knee strike. The opponent's face splits in half and explodes subsequently. Its original name is called Koshu Hagan Ken.
Hokuto Steel Muscle Crushing Fist - A series of rapid-hand punches, but straight into the enemy's stomach. The result? The enemy's defenses shattered, alongside the diaphragm. It's from the continuation known as Souten no Ken Re:Genesis.
Pressure Point Priority - A pressure point attack that begins when the user jabs their thumb into an enemy's chin. The next movement is a backhand and a heavy slap. The enemy's head explode along with the rest of the body. It's from Hokuto Ga Gotoku [Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise], but it was under the name of 'Phantom Channeling Point', but its original Japanese name is Hiko Yusen.
Hokuto Rising Thunder Kick - A finisher move which involves the user to run up on the enemy, then bounce off, and send a roundhouse kick to the enemy's head. Its original name is called Hokuto Shorai Kyaku, plus it is from Hokuto Ga Gotoku.