A/N: Read this note, would you kindly? Got some important info to go over here~!
Would you look at that? Another non Elden Ring update! So sleepy...not got getting enough rest... *shakes self awake*
First, I would like to apologize for my absence. I took some time away to reassess the angle on this particular ficlet, but I'm back.
Second, much like "An Endless Hunt" and others this will be updated regularly, hopefully, depending on feedback.
Third, still trying to get my A03 account off the ground -same name as this account- but that seems to have failed. Guess Fanfiction is the more popular site after all...I get far more comments/reviews here than I do over there, and feedback is what I live for...
As ever, the Embers rule remains. If folks don't like this story, POOF! Away it goes. Gone forever. With two jobs and rent to pay, my free time is...at an all time low. I can't afford to write stories that no one enjoys. So by all means, speak up! Every bit of feedback matters here! Truly, it does! That's no joke!
Now for your questions, comments, and concerns. We'll keep it brief this time:
Q:...Naruto vs. Endeavor, eh? Those two hotheads are gonna burning everything down, aren't they?
A: I wouldn't say Naruto's looking for a fight. He just wants a word with Endeavor. Or several. And as we all know, Enji -Endeavor!- didn't really start to improve, that is to say change for the better, until All Might retired. Right now he's a right stubborn bastard who still wants to surpass the Number One Hero AT ALL COSTS.
To say nothing of the abuse he inflicted on poor Rei and the rest.
You bet Naruto's going to take issue with that.
Q: Lol is he going to adopt all the villains?
A: Don't tempt me.
Q: On a scale of one to ten, how *SPOILER* is *SPOILER* and *SPOILER*
A: Twenty. That should sum it up.
Alright, I've kept you waiting long enough. As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes!
Not a wit or a one. They're merely tributes to legends far greater than I.
And finally, a warning. Spoilers. Goes without saying, I suppose.
Hope you're ready~!
"This? This is not a family.
This is practically a prison! Shame on you!"
And all this for what?! To surpass some guy named All Might?! I don't even know who that is!"
~Just a Shinobi.
Just an Ideal
"This is the place?"
"Y...Yeah, old man. This is where I live."
"Don't go calling me old man now, Toya. You're family now."
Dad was angry. Tenko knew it in Naruto's face, his smile, that slight twitch of the blond's right eye as he frog-marched them up to the Todoroki residence. Not angry at him, himself or even Toya really, but something else entirely. Given the apprehensive look on his new friend's face, he already had an inkling of what was about to happen.
Three guesses as to what that might be. First two don't count.
Because y'see, Dad cared about people. Maybe a little too much sometimes. Nothing wrong with caring. That was his choice an' all. Tenko had no qualms with compassion. Being nice was all well and good; if it wasn't for Dad's innate kindness, they never would've met, and then there would he be? Out on the streets starving to death, that's what. He'd probably be dead by now.
Just dwelling on it made him shiver.
Dad wasn't a hero, and certainly not a villain either, but something in between. Just a Shinobi. Not afraid to dirty his hands if it came to it; and he had a feeling things would be dirty indeed once today was done.
Ah, but he digressed. They'd arrived.
Naruto reared back and thumped a fist against the door three times. On the third, he accidentally punched through the thin material. No, maybe that wasn't the right word. Punching implied deliberate intent. He smashed a fist-shaped hole through the door and immediately looked chagrined for it.
"Ooops?"
Toya facepalmed.
Tenko hid a smile behind a gloved hand. "Ooops, he says...
A young woman with white hair and startled eyes peeked through the gap he'd left through the poor door. "Y-Yes? Did you need something?"
"Is Endeavor in?" Dad's smile was flinty. "I'd like to have a word with him."
Rei Todoroki flinched. "Not at the moment, no...
"Great!" He pushed the door open and nudged past her. "I'll wait. Come along, Tenko. You too, Toya...
(.0.0.0.)
Something was wrong.
Enji Todoroki -Endeavor!- knew it at once; if only because every instinct howled at him the moment -nay, the very second!- he pushed the sliding door aside and stepped over the threshold. There wasn't a single light on in the house. No, wait, he told a lie. There was something glowing over there in the corner, almost shimmering, really-
"I SEE YOU."
Searing scarlet eyes met his in the dark. He jumped. Blinked. Scowled and scrubbed at his eyes with a fist.
No one was there. Neither man nor beast. Had he imagined that just now...? No. His heart hammered in his chest still, adrenaline spiking in his veins. For a second he could've sworn he'd seen a giant beast. A fox.
He shook his head. "Damnit, m'working too hard. Rei...?" he raised his voice.
No response.
Enji tried not to frown at that, failed to stifle the ember of irritation that sparked in his chest. Blasted woman. They weren't on the best of terms these days-but why would she outright ignore him like this? Had she already put Shoto and the others to bed...? He conjured a flame to his fist and fumbled for a light switch, half expecting that to fail, too. It didn't.
The lights snapped on.
"Welcome home, Endeavor."
There was a stranger in his house.
A young man sat on his couch, one leg crossed over the other. He took him in at a glance; blue eyes and blond hair, whiskered cheeks, attire that had seen better days. He smiled for him, but there was an edge to that smile, something sharp that likewise put him on edge.
Who in blazes was this? A villain...? No, he mustn't jump to conclusions...at least he shouldn't... not.
Only then did he notice who was sitting with him, or rather, opposite him.
He scowled at her. "Rei? Why did you let this man in...?"
His wife quivered under his gaze but held firm. "This man brought Toya home...
Had he?
"I did indeed," The blond smiled and gestured to an empty chair. "Take a seat. I'd like to have word with you."
Endeavor's brow drew down in a thunderous frown. "Just who do you think you are?!"
"Who I am depends entirely on how you respond. Take. A. Seat."
Something in his voice compelled obedience, however briefly, and Enji found himself complying, sinking into a chair. He cursed himself a moment later. He'd given away his advantage. To rise now would only make him seem like a child and he refused to give this oaf any more satisfaction than he already had. The blond braggart's smile suggested otherwise. He hated that smile. It reminded him of All Might, but sharper somehow, the grin of someone more than confident in their power, but also one unfettered by measly morals.
In a word, dangerous.
"Great." the young man hummed. "See, we can be reasonable. I'm Naruto. Nice to meetcha. I've heard...well, not great things, but still, a lot about you. Your family had quite a lot to say."
Fire sparked. "Did they now...?"
Rei made a point of looking anywhere but at him. Tch. He'd have words with her later.
Enji took a deep, slow breath to steady himself. Only then did he dare speak again. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Meaning, you say?" The blond's smile became a touch more strained. "Funny word, that. Lets discuss it. Your son nearly burned himself to death today trying to prove himself to you. I think that's meaning enough, don't you agree?
His heard stilled. Toya had been training again? "I told him to stop...!"
"And how could he?" the question was a dagger in his gut. "You filled his head with dreams of being a hero, but that was't enough, was it? You only ever taught him to increase his heat, never to control it. How could he do anything but burn himself out? If it weren't for me, he'd be dead right now. Do you have any idea how hard he'd been pushing himself? If I hadn't patched up his Quirk, he wouldn't be here...
Wait, hadn't he said something incredible just now? "You what?"
"We'll come back to that latter." The unnamed blond dismissed his concerns as one might a student in class. Enji didn't much like it. "I'd like to move onto the matter of your wife."
Rei sat a bit a straighter, clutching a pillow to her chest. Endeavor didn't fail to notice the sudden tension in the room.
"Now then," the intruder continued with that same, implacable calm, "I can't claim to understand quirk marriages, but ain't this a problem? You're not treating her like a person." he ran an idle hand through his hair as he spoke, concealing his eyes from view. "You'd be amazed what people say when you offer them an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on. And you? You're hurting her...
His arm swept aside, revealing stark scarlet slits.
...I take issue with that."
"...!"
"How many times have you knocked her down?" The blond barreled on, heedless of the landmine he'd just trod upon. "How many "accidents" has she had, hmm? And for what? Defending her children? I don't claim to be the sharpest tool in the shed, but even I can see there's something wrong here."
Enji burst to his feet. "I don't have to take this from you!"
"No, you don't." this Villain -there could be no doubt in his mind now- looked up at him and granted him a curt nod. "You can walk out right now. That's what you do, isn't it?" A searing heat crept into voice, blazing like the sun itself to meet his own fire. "You run away from your problems. When things get tough, you get going, don't you? That, or start swinging. Like a bully."
His flames flared. "You dare?!"
"You bet your burning beard I do." Blank red eyes regarded him intently. "I can't claim to understand your motives here, but this isn't right."
Stubborn pride sparked in Endeavor's heart and he bit his tongue to stifle an irritated snarl. The fool didn't understand. How could he? How could anyone understand his struggle. Surpassing All Might was all that mattered. If he made a few...mistakes along the way then so be it. Failures were to be cast aside. Weakness would be ignored; no matter what some might say. Sentiment had no place in Hero society.
"Rei," Naruto looked away from him suddenly, distracting him from his internal monologue. "Why don't you go check on the kids...?"
Enji's wife didn't budge. It was the most spine he'd seen from her in some time. "...I'll stay here."
"You sure?"
Her gaze swung back to him. "Yes."
Endeavor's anger sparked anew. She thought she could turn against him, did she? Never! He wouldn't allow it.
"This is pointless." he took the initiative before that blasted blond could again. "I don't know what you want, or who you are, but you're in the wrong here. Not I. You break into my home, threaten my children...!"
"Naruto, actually. And your wife let me in." his smile didn't waver in the face of the growl that followed. Not once. "I haven't harmed a single hair on their heads. Nor will I. All I did was ask a few questions. The answers were...illuminating. I asked Toya a question, too."
...Enji didn't like there this was going. "What kind of question...?"
The vigilante tilted his head. "I think you already know."
He had an inkling, yes. It enraged him.
"Enough!" Endeavor swept an arm before him, temper finally slipping its leash. "I'll hear no more of this nonsense! You've no right to be here, make demands of me, tell me how to raise my family...!"
"Ha!" A sharp bark of laughter startled him.
Enji's world went still. It soon proved the calm before the storm.
"Family? the blond tilted his head. "This isn't a family. This ain't even a proper home. Maybe it was, once. I'll give you what. But now? No." he shook his head slowly, blond bang swaying side-to-side. "Whatever it used to be before, I can see what it is now.
Their eyes met.
"This is a prison."
Rei whimpered into her pillow.
A muscle jumped in Enji's jaw, pounding alongside a vein in his temple. "Braaat, I've had it up to here with you...
"Good." the blond surprised him by finally standing in turn. "So have I." his chin rose in stoic defiance. "You gonna shape up? Or do you plan to leave?"
Must. Not. Kill.
Because you see, Endeavor understood now. This little oaf was trying to goad him into a fight. Yes, that was what he wanted. If he slaughtered an unarmed man in cold blood, intruder or not, it would be all over the news come morning. The city loved its scandals and he could see himself now, plastered on the front page...
.
..
...he wouldn't allow it.
"I'll give you a third option." he rose to his full height, towering over the bemused blond. "Leave...now. Do so and I won't see you thrown in a cell."
"Ha?" here at last a spark of anger slipped through the young man's facade, twisting his whiskered face into a scowl. "You want me walk away? Ignore this? You're an even bigger idiot than I thought." Fresh fire sparked in Endeavor's fist. He saw it and scoffed. "Alright. I can see its pointless trying to reason with you, and I don't wanna burn your house down. Answer me one last question, then I'll be on my way."
If that was the price to be rid of him, then so be it. "...spit it out."
Red eyes glared at him. "Do you still think your son, Toya, can be a hero?"
The question nearly floored Endeavor. Even if is Quirk had been corrected as this oaf claimed -unlikely!- it was much too dangerous. Both for him, and his reputation. Perhaps that made him a coward. He'd already set his heart on making Shoto greater than All Might. Sure the boy was young and still weak, but he would see that weakness beaten out of him. His youngest would learn to stand on his own two feet. Toya, however...he could never be a hero. Even if he tried to assume the best, he simply couldn't afford to split his time between them both. No, the answer was obvious.
"Toya cannot be a hero. He's a failure. It isn't his destiny-
Fear.
Endeavor felt it all at once; a tidal wave of killing intent burst from the blond to smother him, an anger so powerful it nearly floored him outright. He managed to remain standing through sheer will alone...if only just. Rei whimpered and clutched at her pillow, but he paid her no mind. He couldn't. Not with that thing glaring at him.
"Then you're a failure of a father. A parent stands by their child and helps them find their way in the world!" he scowled as a tan finger jabbed his chest. "If one path falters, they help them find another. Did you even try to do that?"
"..."
Enji's world narrowed, vision tunneling to a single point. Who did this oaf think he was? How dare he?! He'd half a mind to flash fry him-no. He wouldn't throw the first punch. No doubt this oaf wanted that. If that was his aim, he'd be disappointed. No matter how much he might wish to, he wouldn't be the one to throw the first punch. There were other ways to harm, him however, methods he'd pursue once this arrogant arse was well gone from here...
"I think we're done."
"Indeed we are." Naruto clicked his tongue and turned toward the kitchen. "Tenko? Toya? You can stop hiding now.
The faint sound of shuffling footsteps reached Endeavor's ears.
And he saw.
Toya stood there, his face carved from stone. Endeavor stilled. There was a boy with pale hair there and red eyes beside his eldest, but he dismissed him at glance. He had other concerns. Why was was their son looking at him like that? Had he heard? He must have. Why else would he wear such a fearsome expression...?
"I'm sorry you had to hear that." Here at last, Naruto's face softened.
...I'm not. I didn't realize my old man was this shitty.
"Language, mister!"
Toya rolled his eyes and mumbled an apology. Toya, wild rebellious Toya, who didn't listen to anyone. He listened. To this stranger. A fresh fracture etched itself into Enji's mind. It shouldn't have bothered him so. But it did. That fracture widened further still when Naruto walked over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. He didn't miss the way his son smiled at him.
"We'll be in touch." Naruto turned a point look over his own shoulder. "You coming?"
"What?" Endeavor ground his teeth. "Who the devil are you talking to...?
The crack became a fissure when Rei rose from the couch.
Endeavor made a grab for her. "What are you doing?!"
She slipped free. "...this is goodbye, Enji."
No.
She joined them.
No, no.
This wasn't happening.
No, no, no!
"Where are you taking them?!"
The blond didn't even look apologetic. "You had your chance.
He could feel himself crumbling. Rei. If she went with him, if they went to the police, she'd take the children. Take Shoto. And with them all his dreams for the future. And what would he have. Nothing. No, less than nothing...!
'He's taking it all from me! Just like All Might...! No! Worse!'
It was too much. The last fraying thread of his thoughts snapped.
A single bound carried him forward as Naruto turned away. He swung a flaming fist at the back of his skull. Someone hollered a warning.
Gold light sang.
An open palm intercepted Endeavor's fist with liquid grace. Five firm fingers bit down against his knuckles and wrenched them up. In a mindless fury he lashed out with the other, desiring nothing more than the complete and utter destruction of the man before him. Instead he found himself stymied as the other hand swept up, catching his free hand by the wrist, forcing a grapple. In the background he heard the boys gasp, saw Rel fall back on her hindquarters, but none of that mattered. Nothing. None of it at all.
Because he heard the word -saw the smile!- that damned him.
...gotcha."
Endeavor struggled to extricate himself to no avail. "How did you stop that?! What kin of villain are you...?!"
"Number two hero indeed!" Naruto snarled, driving him back a step. "You have a shitty attitude! And I'm not a villain or a hero. I'm just a shinobi."
"You're cracked!"
"Nope!" came the happy chirrup. "I'm Naruto."
A knee slammed up into Enji's jaw, breaking the deadlock to hurtle him through a wall.
He staggered up, warding a wall of fire before him. Naruto crashed through it.
Clenched knuckles swung down at Endeavor's face.
His world became pure pain.
A/N: Next time: Just a Brawl. In short, the long awaited Naruto vs. Endeavor fight, and its gonna be a right doooozy!
Well? Whaddya think? Should this continue? Should it be a story? I await your feedback.
As ever, the Embers rule remains. If folks don't like this story, POOF! Away it goes. Gone forever. With two jobs and rent to pay, my free time is...at an all time low. I can't afford to write stories that no one enjoys. So by all means, speak up! Every bit of feedback matters here! Truly, it does! That's no joke!
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
Here, have some juicy previews.
Well, future ones at least.
(Preview)
"Burn all you like, but you'll never burn me out. C'mon! Put up your dukes! I'm not done with you!"
Lady Nagant blew out a breathy sigh. "All this work to shadow one guy...I'm getting real tired of this shit.
A hand clamped down on her shoulder from behind. "You and me both."
She screamed to high heaven.
"I AM HERE!"
"Hey, nice entrance! How'd you pull off that landing? Looks like its hell on the knees...
"Gloves!"
"Fine, fine...
"I believe we may share a common interest."
"With him?
"Chisaki, don't be rude."
R&R~!