6-

Chapter 6: Journeys for Power

If Izuku could be somewhere else, he would, but alas, he was a teenage boy and thus needed to attend school, even if he was barely tolerated by the staff or the students. Sitting at his desk as he waited for the teacher to arrive to start homeroom, he wished that he could be at Raxus, helping people on the ground, or at the sanctuary, aiding in the preparation of provisions like food, clothing and herbs. In the two days since the fires, things that he expected had happened, as well as things he hadn't.

One of the things he expected was that by Monday, he was right as rain, with no band-aid on him or any other sign that he jumped out of a 4th-floor window onto hard pavement. Another thing that happened during that recovery operation was when those damned thugs had decided to flex their muscles to patch up their wounded pride, they had done so when the shelter was largely full of people, entire families inside either having their dinner, resting or putting the young, sick and elderly to bed. All that meant that over 400 people were inside when the fighting started, quickly followed by the fire.

That was packed, extremely so as the community centre was originally built for just a little over 200 but that number had only grown in the years as it was one of only 3 shelters in the entire prefecture that took the quirkless in without hassle. They had heard horror stories about other shelters that either prioritized those with quirks who actively were hostile to quirkless who were lucky enough to be accepted.

Of the over 400 people, they had confirmed at least 140 dead, with both residents and the firefighters still pulling bodies out when he was forced to leave. Most of the dead were those same sick, young and elderly, people too weak or small to fight their way out in the initial chaos before they fell victim to the smoke. Another 120 were injured, with most being taken to nearby hospitals on mass but that also meant the people were spread out, with it proving slow for friends and family to figure out who was sent where, or at least, that was what he heard while he helped distribute wood and blankets to those left without a home.

But the master was nothing if not kind and immediately opened the sanctuary to them, with many families offering to host other families for the time being, so that meant he was busy most of Sunday helping people move what little they had, with trucks coming and going regularly to pick up people and ferry them up the long mountain road.

'But things wouldn't be so bad if they just got there when they were supposed to!' He might have kept his face passive, disinterested in the affairs of those around that he didn't even bother to clean up his desk of its usual flurry of insults and suicide messengers, but in his mind and heart, he was seething in rage. If those damn firefighters hadn't taken so long, if they had bothered to care for the lives of all those people even a little, then maybe they wouldn't need to plan so many funerals.

His disappointment for All Might took on some shades of resentment, as they had only come in force once the number one had decided to grace them with his presence because of course they did after all anything involving All Might was big news, a fact by how the media was quick to follow and focused almost all their attention on All Might who had the gall to smile as he worked.

He knew that he wasn't being reasonable, that All Might probably was busy, or thought that others would pick up the slack, that he probably was smiling because he was trying to reassure people that help was there…but he didn't care. The hypocrite claimed that he did what he did so that people could live without fear, a lot of good that did, so many died terrified, confused and in pain, most likely waiting and praying to heroes that never came till it was too late.

He gave the man his statement, but he didn't have much faith that'll lead to much, for those that survived anyway as 11 thugs had gone into the shelter, and they only managed to find 4. Did he care that the other 7 perished in the flames and smoke? Not really, no. Karma was a bitch and she came for them. It was the living he was concerned about as while the dead rotted in hell, there was the issue of the charges against the 4 that lived with the police being so blasé about it, he wouldn't be shocked if they got hit with misdemeanors for illegal quirk use, maybe an assault charge but an actual murder or lesser manslaughter conviction would need the law to see them as what they were, a mindset that would force them to let go of the idea of victim blaming.

He sighed, turning his attention to the window as he wished he could have spoken with the master at all during the weekend, but she had been busy with body identification, preparing for funerals and helping with treatment a top of her normal duties, so he didn't feel like it would have been appropriate for him to ask for what little spare time she had. Still, his brain kept going back to the inciting incident, he couldn't help but wonder why so much could happen, so much suffering and pain, so many lives cut short, because of what? Some petty gang's ego? Was something like that worth such a price? Because those that were meant to protect and serve them all had better things to do? Or were they seen as so lesser that their lives meant nothing to them, to the thugs and the heroes?

He wasn't sure, and that only angered him. Almost as much as the news coverage of the entire thing, which they barely did as when he got home last night and put on the news while he made dinner for himself, the fire was only mentioned in passing with more focus paid to how the greatSymbol of Peace was quick to appear-a line that almost made him throw his cooking stick through the TV-and handled the situation. Nothing on the preparators, the injured, the dead-just some feel-good fluff piece that said nothing of value. Why, because it didn't matter, they didn't matter as the victims were quirkless and mutants, who cares about that when they can praise the blonde hypocrite?

"You hear about the fire over the weekend?" He listened in to some of his classmates, who happened to be discussing the fire rather than whatever it was that Hawks or Uwabami did.

"Damn shame about that gas leak, but when you live in the slums, shitty maintenance is always a thing." A classmate of his, a girl with a quirk that turned her hands to flames replied.

"Only idiots would live somewhere like that, what did they expect?" His fist tightened as he tried to keep himself calm, even as he listened to such disrespect.

"I heard that it was a dumpster fire gone out of control." He didn't know where that rumor started, but he'd like to have a word with whoever saw fit to say something so misleading.

The straw that broke the camel's back was hearing another classmate, a boy who could turn his hands to stone scoff at it, as if the tragedy was somehow insulting for him to hear. "They had it coming, you live in such a shitty place and light fires all over and you're gonna get burnt. Maybe they'll learn from it."

"Take that back. Now."

"What?" The boy and the rest of the class turned to Midoriya, who had got up from his desk and was staring at the boy with an intensity that might just cause him to burst into flames.

"I said," His grip on his desk tightened to the point that the wood started to creak and buckle under the pressure. "That that back! They were victims, they were attacked. They didn't deserve their fate any more than you do and I won't tolerate your foolish ideas contradicting that." He yelled at them, making them jump back in surprise and slight fright as Midoriya was never known to express such emotion, often keeping himself neutral and flat with only brief moments when anything more shined through, but this was much more than that.

Right after he yelled, the door to the class opened and in walked one of Midoriya's least-liked people. "What this, Deku? Trying to bark at your betters?" He glared at the green-haired boy, having heard him on his way in and not taking kindly to him asserting himself in his domain.

"I'm telling them to respect the dead," Unfortunately for him, Midoriya cared as much for his ideas of his dominance as he did a rat's ass. "To insult them for being attacked is a mockery I won't stand for." He stood tall, his eyes squarely on Bakugo who approached him, the frown on his face turning into a sneer.

"So, what if they got attacked, if they lost it just means they're weak." Midoriya for a moment, was stunned by that. He knew that Bakugo cared little for others, that he valued strength over everything else and saw himself as the strongest, but he had hoped that some part of him understood that heroes fought for the sake of others.

"What?" Everything else faded away, his attention solely on Bakugo who seemed to take his reaction as a victory.

"You heard me, Deku. Just like you, the only thing those extras are good for is talking a big game and running away. Anyone with real strength would have defended themselves." He aggressively pocked the boy in the chest, forcing him back a couple of steps but on the third, Izuku didn't budge, with Bakugo being surprised that he didn't, even when he put his whole hand on his chest to try and push it, it was like Izuku was bolted to the floor.

"…I'll give you…one chance. Apologies, right now." Midoriya stated, slowly as he felt his anger at this blonde increase to levels, he didn't know he could feel towards him. Sadly, for him, Bakugo didn't pick on this.

"I don't listen to pebbles," Bakugo responded, getting ready to blast Midoriya onto his ass and be done with this conversation, but never getting the chance. The moment he finished his reply, Midoriya reacted with a powerful punch to the face that didn't just knock him off his feet but sent him flying to a couple of desks, crashing into them, knocking them over and leaving him on the ground with the rest of the class stunned at what they just saw.

That shock turned to fear as they all felt an aura form in the room, a force of will that was coming from Izuku who pulled back his fist, glaring at Bakugo with a level of disgust one would reserve for a piece of gum that they stepped on. He had always been quiet, non-confrontational but right now he was anything but as he raised his other fist. "Then I'll have to beat some respect into you."

Bakugo was…confused for a moment, he had just been struck by a weakling, but then why was he on his back on the floor? Why did his nose feel like it was broken, and why was Deku of all people looking down on him? His confusion turned to pure rage as he got up, ready to correct this massive mistake in the universe and ensure that it was just that, a mistake.

"What the hell is happening in here?" The tension was immediately broken by the arrival of their teacher, who opened the door and saw the mess the class was in, with his best student and the…other looking like they were about to have a back-alley brawl. However, he caught how it looked like Bakugo was injured. How did that happen?

Neither boy answered, their attention remaining on the other though they did stop any attempt to fight. In the absence of them saying anything, someone else did as they pointed at Midoriya like he was the murderer. "M-Midoriya punched Bakugo!" With that, the rest ganged up on him and while, yes he did throw the first punch, he would happily share those punches with the rest of them for their willful removal of context.

"You did what?" Hearing this, the teacher zeroed in on Midoriya with a harsh glare which didn't phase him. "You couldn't help yourself, could you? Now you're picking fights? Go to the principal's office, now." He turned to glare at the man, making him jump back in fright from the intensity of it before Midoriya turned back to Bakugo. He wanted…so badly to teach him a lesson, to make him understand just how little he was, how little he mattered in the grand scheme of things instead of being God's gift to humanity…but he had enough problems as is.

"Fine." He lowered his arms, grabbed his bag and walked towards the door, stopping to stand next to Bakugo to say one last thing. "We'll settle this, Bakugo. We'll see which one of us is the pebble on the side of the road." With that promise, he walked out of the class, slamming the door shut with enough force that it cracked.

"I can't believe this! What were you thinking, Midoriya? Starting fights, who do you think you are? This school has rules and we're sick and tired of students like you that think you don't need to follow them." Midoriya couldn't help but frown at the irony of that statement, but he knew that pointing it out would only make his balding principal all the angrier with him for daring to threaten their chances of the golden boy of Aldera getting into U.A.

He had been sitting in the principal's office for the better part of 30 minutes now, after he had explained the situation to the man and why he chose violence, the principal had soundly ignored that, including how technically Bakugo started it by pushing him and focused on his admission to throwing a punch.

What he was more focused on was scolding him like a petulant child and demanding he apologies which he said he'll do so when hell freezes over. He might not have used that language, but he did convey that the man has been getting increasingly pissed with him and his refusal to play ball. "And of all the students you decide to injure, you attack your class's star pupil, Bakugo. The boy has a bright future ahead of him, can become a great hero and he doesn't need you interfering with for petty reasons." If he didn't stop ignoring the reasons he gave him for striking Bakugo, he'll punch him in the nose too as he was getting sick and tired of hearing that what he did was 'petty'.

The man reached for the folder he had, his academic folder and slid it across the table for him to read. "This isn't the first time your behavior has ended up on my desk, from your grades being just above average and you're constantly taking sick days." He knew that he wasn't the smartest, but he also know that what he was seeing was almost assured bullshit as no way his grades were that low. He knew that he consistently got in the top ten of his class, but he didn't expect anything more from these people as letting the quirkless student outshine the other 'real' students wouldn't be good for them, now, would it?

However, he couldn't help himself and be a bit catty with the man after having to listen to him pretend to be an adult and fair educator. "I would have thought you would like not having to deal with me or have to worry about my contaminating the 'good' students with my presence." He never said he took those days off because he was sick, but if they wanted to believe that the quirkless kid also had a pathetically weak immune system, he'd let them believe it so long as he could use it to serve his goals.

"Don't get smart with me, you little brat!" His snarky comment wasn't appreciated by the man who looked like he was going to continue to yell at him and imply him a failure and problem child when the door opened, his…mother walked into the room still in her suit and phone in hand.

Walking in, she was speaking on the phone, not even glancing at him as she took the seat next to him, with Izuku crossing his arms and looking anywhere but at her. "Yes…I'll be back in an hour, maybe a little longer…No, you don't have to clear anything." She ended the call and turned to the principal. "Morning, principal. I've been told that my son was involved in an incident?" She cut straight to the point, not greetings, no questions on why he did it.

"He was. Earlier, he started a fight with another student, Bakugo Katsuki and broke the boy's nose as well as damaged school property. Worse is that he's completely unrepentant and refuses to apologies for his gross misbehavior." He glared at the boy who didn't buckle under his glare, meeting it with his own.

"I'll sooner drink acid than apologies to him." He had been taught to have a backbone by his master and to stand by his beliefs even when others questioned them. Bakugo deserved that punch to the face, he deserved a proper ass-kicking and he wouldn't say otherwise just to appease this guy.

At last, she turned to her son and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Aren't you two friends, why would you fight him?" How little she was involved in his life for her to still think they hung out like they were 5.

Of course, the principal had his theories as to why he did. "If I had to guess, it stems from jealousy as it's no secret the two boys are destined for different things, with both having applied to U.A.'s hero course, it's clear that Katsuki with his talent and quirk will get in whereas Izuku-!" Midoriya slammed his hands onto the desk, rattling it and knocking stuff. He wasn't going to sit there and watch this poor excuse for an educator tell blatant lies to cover Bakugo and his ass.

"You know damn well that wasn't why I hit that prick." The man stumbled over his words as Izuku glared at him, his control over his anger frayed and worn from the fire, and its aftermaths and he had to listen to people speak of it like it was something minor, something not worthy of respect.

"Izuku, be quiet!" Inko grabbed him and pulled him into his seat again, but his glare didn't let up as the man collected himself, deciding to ignore the boy for the moment.

"You can see what I mean about his jealousy. Either way, we've already called in Katsuki's parents and we'll have this sorted out soon." He used his outburst to prove his false claims, but Izuku bit his tongue, recognizing that he wasn't going to win this rigged game. "In the meantime, Izuku is suspected for 2 weeks, and when he returns, he'll be given another month's detention."

"I understand, I'll be sure to make it clear to him that he was in the wrong and needs to correct himself." She stood up and bowed to the man, before dragging him out of the room.

There was once a time when spending time with his parents, even on a drive to and from somewhere would have made his day. But that time had passed years ago as Izuku sat next to his mother as she drove them home, his mother not too pleased with him as she let him know. "I can't believe it. I expect you to behave, attend your classes and do your chores, but then I'm called away from work for this?" Of course, because why he did it wasn't important, all that was important was that he dragged her away from work and forced her to spend time with him.

"Picking fights with people with quirks? Have you lost your mind, Izuku? You should know better than that, you're not like them, you're fragile." What did she know about him, he didn't need some stupid quirk, nor did he want one. He wasn't the fragile piece of glass she thought he was. For the entire ride, he didn't respond to anything she said, and let her rant and scold him. He didn't see any reason to respond as not once in the drive did she ask him about his day, how he had been since the last time they spoke, even shared the same space at the same time, she didn't ask him to explain himself, wish to know why he started a fight.

No, because she had all she wanted to know, and him bothering to dispute it wouldn't help his case as she didn't want to hear his side of things. She barely tolerated her failure of a son as is.

"You better not make a habit of this, do you understand, young man?" She told him as they entered the apartment. Izuku dropped his bag by the door, too frustrated to take it to his room.

"I'll do a lot worse to that Bakugo or anyone else if he keeps disrespecting the dead." He muttered, his thoughts back to that moment when he struck the boy, he hadn't reinforced his fist, but a small part of him wished he did just so that Bakugo would have got a concession.

Inko heard this and disputed it. "You're not the one that decides who to punish."

"Then who is?!" He turned to her, angry as this was getting old. "Who decides whose good or evil? Who decided that I could step up and defend people and be the one punished while Katsuki gets off with nothing but a broken nose?" What sort of system punished one for doing good? Mocked you for having bad luck that led to you needing a shelter, that encouraged people to see quirks first and people second?

"Has my life been decided to be lesser than that prick's who can't even be bothered to remember names?" He asked her, stepping closer to her but she wasn't phased by his outburst as she turned around to leave, she had work and already lost enough time dealing with this as is.

"I don't want to hear any of your excuses, Izuku. You'll grounded for the next month since you can't seem to understand this kind of stuff just makes us look worse." She told him over her shoulder, only for Izuku to laugh at that comment.

"What do you mean 'worse'? Why am I the problem child? How could you even make that call when you can't be bothered to spend more than 5 minutes a month with me?" He asked her, not giving her to give him any response as he left for his room, the door slamming shut. With his breath shaggy, and his anger bleeding out of him like water from a sponge, he sat cross-legged in the middle of the room to calm himself via meditation.

"Things…things need to change." He thought aloud, his breath coming back under control as he regained his composure. As he did, he recalled that night and how All Might, with his power, was a key factor. As he was now, he was capable, far more than anyone in his class, close to the prodigy Bakugo…but that wasn't enough. He wished to change the world, to help those who were forgotten, mistreated and abused like him and to do that, he needed to become so strong that he became a symbol like All Might. A force so great that none could dare challenge it.

'I need to reach it, which means I'll need more power to do it.' He might be grounded, but that would imply he would listen to it.

He needed to speak with the master. But until then, he would let the natural energy of the world around him flow through and over him, carrying away his frustration and leaving him as calm as the clear pond's surface.

"Enter," Teitora stated as she continued to fill out paperwork. She didn't need to look up to know who entered her study, closing the door behind them as Midoriya came up to her desk and bowed to her as one would to their master.

"Greeting, master Kenmikito. I was hoping to speak with you before you retired for the night." Midoriya greeted her, waiting for her to allow him to stand at his full height before he did so. Looking around the space, he saw that it was adorned with feline-themed décor from an oil painting, to a couple of statues and even the paint on the wall which resembled a tiger's stripes. Her two tigers were present, as always as one was sleeping in the large bed in the corner while the other lay on its stomach playing with an oversized cat toy.

Along with that sight, there were many knick-knacks that the woman had collected over the years, from expensive sculptures she inherited from her parents, to what looked to be the biggest piece of jade he had ever seen, the polished gem being the size of a soccer ball and sparked under the light, no doubt the thing must have been worth millions.

"You seem tense, Izuku. Is there something on your mind?" Kenmikito didn't look up from her papers but still managed to state her correct observation of him.

"Many things, master. But I came here for something else." Midoriya replied, having calmed down considerably compared to the morning but that just left him feeling…lost. A feeling he wished to correct with what he was about to ask of her.

"Well, them, spit it out."

"I wish to complete the final trial." Her pen stopped mid-stroke as she turned her attention to him, her amber eyes burning him with how little amusement they carried.

"You shouldn't joke about such things, Izuku. It lacks any value of humor." She advised him but he wouldn't back down, even if he knew what he was asking could very well result in his slow, painful death.

"I'm not joking. I wish to take the last step." She looked him over, looking for something he didn't know. Because of that, he wasn't sure what to make of it when she returned her gaze to his eyes.

"And why, pray tell," She leaned back into her seat, bringing her hands together as she watched him. "Should I even green light this? You know that what you ask for isn't something that will be easily obtained, nor can be reversed."

"Because…because I can't remain as I am, not if I wish to achieve my dreams." He had thought about it a lot before he came over, and despite the perils and risks, he couldn't not take this chance.

"I've known that my goals will be harder, harder than anything else that I could attempt but I still chose this path." He could recall when they first met when she saved him when no one else did. That was the day she started to supplant All Might to him. Seeing her strength, not just in body but in mind and spirit inspired him to train day in and day out, to push himself further than anyone would have believed him capable. For a while, he believed that he was making good progress in that, in 10 months he could take the U.A. entrance exam and hold his head up high.

"The fire…it changed things as for all that strength, I wasn't strong enough," That day might very well stay with him for the rest of his days, among all the tragedy, he felt humbled and humiliated when he saw just how…little he could do. "I didn't have the pull needed to save people. I am seen as strong enough to defend their honor when they were slighted."

"And you think this will give you that?" She asked him, with Izuku nodding his head.

"As you've said in the past master, even the tiger needs to prove its might to maintain its rule over the jungle. I am strong, but to face what comes next, to do what I need to do, I need as much strength as I can get." She went silent, watching him again, observing him like he was nothing but a specimen under a microscope, looking for any impurities or flaws, and ready to refuse him and tell him to leave.

But she found none, he was young-yes, younger than anyone else who even attempted what he was asking for, but he was also one of her best if not her best students. His talent for tenet was better than close to anyone she had trained and he trained and refined his skills religiously, never settling when he could improve himself, even if by centimeters.

"What you seek has killed people before you, it has taken all but one person before you and could very well take your life as well." She warned him as she had lost many other students to this, each of them had had great potential and confidence, but none of that saved them. "You have this one chance, my boy. One chance to take back what you've said and walk away. Once I agree to this, there is no taking it back, not with me."

Izuku to this, smiled though it lacked any warmth or amusement, but it was resigned and eager. He knew he was taking a dangerous step, but a part of him couldn't help but want to see what it would entail. "I want this."

Sighing, she nodded. Accepting that he made his choice. "3 days. Be back here in 3 days at the crack of dawn, no later." He stood straighter before he bowed to her once more.

"I won't disappoint you, master." With that, he excused himself and left her in her study, the woman feeling the decades coming down on her shoulders all at once as she leaned into her chair, her eyes going to the ceiling and its many paintings.

"I don't wish to see you lose your life if it's just to impress me." 8 times. 8 times she had allowed her students to do this and 8 times she had lost them. some got further than others, but none ever made it to the end. She only prayed that the 9th would be the exception.

"Izuku," Izuku felt his heart skip a beat, and not in the usual way when he heard that voice as he turned to see Kyūfune approaching, the taller and older woman stopping once close enough. "Are you staying the night again?" She smiled as she looked down on him, her clothes still dirty from working out in the fields tending to the crops and harvesting what they could to accommodate the extra mouths to feed.

"No, I just wished to speak with the master." He shook his head, knowing that she wasn't going to be happy with what he'd done.

"About what?"

"I asked to go for Sage training." There was silence from her, as if his words didn't register in her head as she kept on smiling like he had just said something amusing, or mentioned the weather. But in a flash, she moved and with a yelp, she grabbed him in her arms and lifted him to her eye level, those pretty pools of blue now a stormy sea from her rage.

"…Are you an idiot?" She asked him but didn't give him time to answer before she added onto it. "I need you to be honest with me, do you have a half dozen screws loose?" She pulled him closer.

"I might, but my goals were never for the completely sane." He replied.

She didn't find his response funny as she started to shake him like a rag doll, her mutated body giving her more than enough strength to do it even without needing to use tenet. "You need to march on back and beg her to reconsider. This is suicide! You'll be lucky if there is enough of a body to identify!"

Despite being shaken around like a doll, Izuku didn't change his mind. "I won't." His response came through over the vibrations of being shaken.

"Why?! What could be worth risking your life?" She mercifully stopped doing that to ask him for his reason.

"They mocked them." He looked into her eyes, his own filled with nothing determination as strong as an age-old tree that had stood the rest of time. "My classmates, they heard what happened and couldn't stop talking about how it was their fault for being attacked, that they should have known better." She let him down but kept her focus on him as he did her.

"That they only suffered because they're weak. That they deserved to die just because they couldn't defend themselves." He repeated what he heard, what made his blood boil which had the same effect on Kyūfune as she wouldn't lie and say that she didn't get similar stuff during her morning classes, but she didn't want him to die for it.

"I fought for them, knocked Bakugo right on his ass, and got 2 weeks suspension among other things." He bitterly smiled as her eyes widened at that, with him turning from here to the grounds, the place lit up by dozens of lights with the night sky overhead. As his eyes took in the many flower beds and shrubs that dotted the place, he continued.

"Even my mother is more concerned for appearance than reality as to her, it's bad enough that she has a quirkless son, one that sticks out is even worse." He kept his sight away from her, not seeing how she was handling this. "The world as it is…will never accept this, accept us. Not as long as we don't have the power to force them to."

He turned back to her, his eyes alit with a fire that she couldn't deny. "That's why I must become a sage so that I can get that power. To use it to fulfil my dream and destroy this broken system for all their sakes."

She knew that, but it didn't make it any easier to let him go off with that beast. She wished to tell him to stop, to not do it even if what he wished for was such a beautiful world, a world where she wouldn't have had such a bad childhood, a bad present, but more than that, it was seeing just how determined he was. Kneeling, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before she pulled him into a gentle hug.

"All that means nothing if you die," She whispered to him, her grip on him tightening ever so as she considered that this could be one of the last times, they could do this. She had been abandoned by her birth parents and had lost so much just because she was a heteromorph. She had found connections in these walls, met some of the most wonderful people she could, and found a woman that she was proud and happy to call her mother in all but blood in the form of the master. She even had Izuku, the little kid who trained his heart off and loved old kung fu movies.

Thinking about it, she couldn't help but add something. "I don't want to lose people I care about, not before you've worked up the nerve to ask to sit with me at dinner." She pulled back a little to see his reaction.

Izuku's face, which was already a bit red from her little kiss and hug, exploded as he registered her words. "You kn-" She placed a finger on his lips to silence his babbling, he was cute when he babbled like that, reminded her of that soft side which made him who he was.

"That you like me? Kinda hard not to. You get this look on your face whenever I bring up other guys like you jealous but trying to not let that control you, it's cute." He blushed even harder at that, he couldn't believe he had been so obvious. Just how many times had he made a fool of hime-wait, was that why the others laughed? They knew, didn't they?

Bastards.

She giggled, bringing some humor to the situation as she reluctantly let him go, standing back up to her full height. "Make sure you live, and I'll let you take me down the dining hall where we can celebrate you becoming a sage with a big meal."

"I will, I got too much riding on this to up and die." He smiled as he responded.

As instructed, 3 days later, he was at the gates of the dojo. He hadn't been able to sleep most of the night and arrived early, getting there to see that he had people waiting for him. That being the 5 top students, each ranked higher than him and acted as the 5 hands to the master. With them were Kyūfune, Hanen and the master. All of whom had arrived early much like he did, but while he would focus on them normally, it was the extra party present that had his attention.

He had been used to seeing cats around the place, anything from housecats to the tigers that the master had taken as pets and guardians. But the feline that sat next to the master with a fanged smile that spelt nothing but bad news for him was closer in size to an elephant. Even when sitting on its hind legs, it was easily taller than Kyūfune, making the fox woman that towered over everyone else seem small by comparison.

It looked like a tiger if tigers could have jet-black fur, but its stripes were all wrong. It looked like a lion, but its mane wasn't large enough, perhaps it was a cheetah, but its legs didn't seem lean enough. He couldn't make heads or tails on what this was and from how its sapphire and ruby eyes shifted in glee, it took joy in confusing him.

"Master, I have arrived." He bowed to her, with the woman grunting back.

"Early I would say." She ignored the fact that everyone had arrived early, even Hanen who looked like he wanted to fight someone for being told to wake up so early.

Izuku nodded before his attention shifted back to the elephant-sized feline among them. "Might you introduce us, master I find myself not knowing how to address our guest."

Before Kenmikito could respond, the big cat giggled, its voice so different to whatever he expected as it was like listening to dozens of cats of different breeds, sizes and ages giggle. "Well, if nothing else, girl, this one has manners, unlike the last one you saddled me up with." This transferred into its words but Izuku was more concerned about the lack of respect it was showing.

"Hey! I don't care if you're a cat the size of a mountain, show the master the proper respect she is due." He glared at the monster cat, which only smiled at him as if he was an idiot while the master sighed, she might have seen this coming but it didn't make it any less painless.

Before the boy could say something else, she cut him off. "Izuku, this is Shizune, the spirit of the mountain and they'll be your teacher as they were mine. Which makes them my master." Hearing that, Izuku turned with a duck-like face of surprise to the monster of a cat which took deeper amusement in his shock.

"Yup, she's as great as she is because of my brilliant teaching." The cat stated with a paw on its chest before pointing at him, one of their claws shooting up like a sword which made him flinch. "So why don't you bow low to your new master, I want your head kissing the dirt, human."

"That can wait, Shizune." The newly named Shizune turned to pout at the woman, but she didn't budge on this as it dramatically signed, retracting its claw.

"Oh fine, buzzkill. I remember when you were such a little hell-riser. The decades have made you boring." Kenmikito didn't rise to the bait of her master, she had far too much experience to do something like that.

"I like to think they made me responsible." She answered as the cat moved to inspect Izuku, not so much walking around him as they did floating even though he swore he saw their legs touching the floor but they made no sound, reaching out with Nezumito, he was shocked to find that whatever Shizune was…they were immense, as just feeling their aura made him sick with fear and awe.

If Shizune noticed that he finally picked up on the fact they were youkai he shouldn't piss off, they didn't show it as Shizune continued with the inspection. "Well, he's certainly in good shape, you said he's 14?" She turned back to Kenmikito

"He'll be 15 in 2 months."

"I forget, are all humans his age this small?" They ignored Izuku's offended response as they tapped his arms. "I'm used to the tall and muscly ones you normally send to die." They finished as they moved away from the boy before she gave her assessment.

"I doubt he'll do any better than them, but once the deal is struck, it can't be broken." This didn't help the mood of the gathered group as the master just looked resigned, the five hands looked mourning as if he was already dead, Kyūfune was holding back tears while Hanen just looked pissed that he was trying to become a sage when he knew the risks.

However, despite their lack of faith in him, Shizune wouldn't let him just back out as before he could even blink, they were back in his face, their tail wrapping around him like a boa constrictor, holding him in the face as they moved closer to him, his eyes focusing on those blue and red orbs that starred back at him with so much wisdom, wrath and power than he ever thought could be possible. At that moment, he fully understood that if he was a puddle to the master's lake, Shizune was an ocean.

With a voice that sounded like the roars of 20 tigers, they laid out how things would work. "Alright, human. Here is the low-down of what's about to happen. For the next 6 months, I own you. You'll do what I say when I say it, how I say it. You won't have the time to argue or question me because the training will leave you too exhausted to even plead for mercy. It will be cruelling, dangerous, and insane by your human standards. I've been told it's torturous." They smiled as if that was an achievement to be proud him.

"If I can't back out, why are you telling me this?" He asked, getting a chuckle in return that seemed to exude bad luck for whoever heard it.

"I just like seeing the faces you humans make when you start to realize what you've signed up for." They answered but were mildly surprised and a little eager when they saw that despite that, he didn't falter. Oh yes, maybe this one would be more entertaining than the others.

"It's a good thing that I'm not going to back down." He had already had both his master and friends try to dissuade him from this, but he was set on it.

"I like you, you have a strong spirit, maybe you'll last the first 2 months." They let him go before pushing him towards the rest of the humans, taking a step back to give them space. "Go on and say your goodbyes, it might be the last time you see them, well they'll see whatever remains of you, but you get it."

Kyūfune handed him a locket and some finely craved wood and gold forged in the workshop. "Take care, Izuku. Remember what you promised." She told him as she knelt and hugged him, a gesture he returned.

"I will take care of yourself, I know you can overwork." He replied as she laughed and broke the hug, wiping away from tears.

"Look who's talking." He smiled her tearful smile with one of his own before he moved on to the next, Hanen was silent, choosing to just watch him for a moment before he finally spoke.

"You're an idiot for doing this, you know that, right?" Despite his words, the man was smiling as Izuku smiled back, shrugging his shoulders.

"I've never pretended to be the smartest person in the room," Izuku replied as he lifted his fist, getting an amused grunt from the man who gave him a fist pump.

"Take care of yourself, if there is anyone who knows what it does to you to fly too close to the sun, it's me." He gestured to himself. Izuku never did find out how he got those burns, but he had figured that it was a training or quirk accident.

"You got enough for the both of us." Hanen laughed at the pretty poor joke.

"Smart-ass. What about the old hag? I'm pretty sure she'll notice you missing after a week or two." The two lowered their fists as the older man crossed his arms.

Izuku waved that concern off. "I left a note saying I'll be spending my days at the library studying with friends. If you just show up to clean the place now and then, she won't notice the difference." Hanen would think he was exaggerating how bad things were in his home life, but he had already heard the story of how the woman forgot his last birthday and when she saw him 2 weeks later, she just told him to 'Buy groceries, I'm been staying late at work.'

"Great, I'm your cleaning service." The man hugged him, catching him by surprise as the older man patted his back before letting him go.

"Just be sure to feed Mario and Peach when they show up. Oh, and don't worry about my school, I already sent in a notice that I'll be out just before Winter break." He told them who muttered that he wasn't a cat sitter but he didn't refuse it.

Lastly, Izuku walked up to his master who had an unreadable expression. "Master." He didn't know how to frame this, she was his mother, his protector, his hero. He knew that she didn't like this, but he still wished to do it. He wondered if that made him ungrateful.

"Izuku. I wish that I could stop this, but even if I could I wouldn't." She took a breath, a hint of worry appearing in her eyes. "I'll respect your wishes on this."

"Thank y-!" He didn't finish the sentence as she pulled him into a one-armed hug, crushing his head against her chest.

"You better come back alive, or else I'll feed whatever remains of your corpse to Ruby and Sapphire." Her two tigers nodded their heads in agreement, they also liked him but he was sure that they wouldn't feast on his remains…mostly sure.

With that said and done, he walked back to Shizune who had remained silent, his bag of gear in hand but they stopped him, pointing to said bag. "You're not going to need most of that clatter." Izuku looked at his bag, it wasn't very big, and he only packed one.

"What do you mean, it's just the essentials." He looked back to Shizune who looked unmoved by this, gesturing him to empty it right there and then.

"You'll need a couple of changes of clothes. That's it." He waited for them to say anything more, but groaned as he started doing it, placing his bag on the ground and removing stuff, starting with spare shirts and pants before Shizune burst out laughing at him. "I'm kidding, you can bring whatever the hell you want, just don't expect to have a signal so unless you like to play games, a phone's useless." He was in for 6 months of this…wasn't he?

Muttering something about crazy cats, he put all his now slightly dirty clothing back into the bag and zipped it up, standing up once more to look around for what transport they were using. "So…how are we going to get there? Walking?" Was he going to ride them or something?

"Like this." The spirit stated as it pounced on him, engulfing him in its body, swirling around him like mist. "Hold onto your stomach." Was the last thing they heard before the mist vanished, taking the youkai and boy with them.