9-10

Chapter 9: Charity Gala Farce

Never let it be said that the Hero Public Safety Commission was an unimportant, underfunded government agency. It was one of the most powerful organizations in modern Japan, being one of the strongest and most influential hero governing bodies in the world in the same ring as its counterparts found in the E.U, United States or China and it showed what was supposed to be a relatively simply gala dinner to celebrate how much was raised for the people of Raxus, ballooned into a massive social event that anyone who was anyone was expected to attend. Hosted in the Valorum Centre, a massive mushroom-shaped building that was one of the biggest stadiums/ entertainment center's in the world, and one of the grandest spots in all of Tokyo.

Using their massive influence, wealth and resources made securing such a location and preparing it for the night's events easy for the president. With the press out in full force, they and those watching at home could see as hundreds of guests arrived and walked into the venue, either stopping to wave or speak with reporters who merely posed for the cameras. In dresses and suits that cost more than most made in 6 months, the assembly of politicians, corporate executives, foreign guests such as ambassadors, support company representatives, media moguls and all other kinds of famous people arrived.

However, they were considered to be playing second fiddle to the real stars of the show, the heroes. Despite the time, the commission had elected to announce that a surprise hero billboard chart would also be held. The media had spent the last week theorizing about it, adding hype to the machine which only encouraged more attention in a self-sustaining cycle which ensured that any hero who wished to up their public image attended, while those who received an invitation would have been foolish to not attend. Just to attend to such a crowd required a small army of staff who patrolled the grounds, kept the press back, checked those who entered, prepared the food, and served it to the ever-growing crowd of people while also managing everything else.

Inside the massive building, the main area, which was surrounded by a 5-tier ring, had been decorated to the tee, with flower arrangements, large banners, intricate lightwork and silk fabric clothes hung around. The centre area was packed with people as they all conversed with one another, polite discussions about the latest investment, who captured who, which hero was doing particularly well so far, offers for partnerships or ambassadors offering pros good deals to spend time in their home country.

It was all disgusting as far as Kenmikoto was concerned, as this was meant to serve as a means to allow the rich, ignorant and uncaring to feel good about themselves, that they 'helped' those less fortunate. She hadn't thought that the commission would use it as a means to further their gains by including a slap hero billboard event but she could only blame herself for underestimating how morally bankrupt such an organization was. Now the entire thing was less about them, and being treated more like the opening night to some long-anticipated blockbuster where all the performers, directors, writers and other big-name staff would be in attendance.

Kenmikoto watched the entire thing from the 3rd ring, leaning against a pillar while she held a small wine glass in her gloved hand. Her eyes and ears saw and heard it all, reminding her of how…boring it all was, as she had been to such events in the past, far too many to care to count and it would appear even for a woman of age, that if you attend one of these things, you have attended them all as there was barely anything new to take him. However she found it amusing to see not only were the entirety of the top ten, but they all had forgone their hero costumes for the event. From what she had heard about them, it was quite an achievement from madam president to get people like Mirko and Hawks to respect the dress code, as the one who owned the place with her blood red dress which revealed just how muscular her leg was, while the other was stealing hearts in his silk black and red suit which complimented his wings.

All Might had the most attention from others, with Endeavour not even close with the man being as approachable as normal. However, she raised an eyebrow when she saw that the number 2 hadn't come along, having brought along his youngest if her sources were correct, his dual white and red hair sticking out like a sore thumb as the boy wore a white and blue suit, as if trying to contrast his father's black and orange one. She kept her attention on him for a moment, wondering why the man decided that tonight would be a good night to unveil his masterpiece when the brat wasn't even in U.A. yet but then again, the flame hero was nothing but ambitious and no doubt had no fear that his child wouldn't make it, so seemingly decided that tonight would be a great time for the boy to gain some connections of his own, before anyone in his future class even had the chance.

"It would seem that the number two is trying to give his boy a leg up, do you suppose it's out of love?" She asked her plus one for the day, turning to her daughter.

"I wouldn't know, maybe…" Kyūfune replied, not paying attention to the issue as she'd rather fuss over herself for what felt like the 50th time since they left the compound. "Heavens, I feel ridiculous." The fox woman felt exposed as her mother had forgone her normal clothing and instead went for an elaborate and finely made, form-fitting, knee-length red Cheongsam that matched her tanned skin, with pink and black accents to add spice, the same with the gloves she wore. Her thick orange hair relaxed and styled into a thick braided ponytail with a jade pin through it. Finally, she added to her already impressive height with a pair of orange 3-inch heels.

Kyūfune in contrast had been dressed in a 1920s style black slim fit drop waist dress, with white elbow length gloves and 2-inch heels that didn't feel like they didn't anything for her. Her hair had also been done up, styled into curls with a feathered tiara head which she wondered who would even see when she was so tall. Unlike her mother, she had also gotten some make-up done, namely eyeliner and fur-friendly blush and lipstick.

Seeing her daughter doubting herself again made her wish to find whoever first made her feel like this and break every bone in their arms, but that wasn't important as Kenmikoto pointed her pipe at her, the woman making it clear to the guards and wait-staff that if they wished to take it from her, they'll have to fight her for it. "You are anything but, you're a young and beautiful woman. Show some pride in that as if muscle-bond men can show off their pecks, you can get away with some skin. I already know it'll make one boy crazy." She blushed at that, not used to such attention from anyone.

"Most boys would barely give me the time of day." She muttered, her experiences throughout her life informing this as her mother waved them off.

"And by doing so, they reveal their inner ugliness. Such filth isn't worthy of a little fox who is one of the best catches out there. How could she not when she had me for a mother?" Kenmikoto replied, both complimenting her and herself, which Kyūfune expected but couldn't resist smiling at. Her mother might embarrass her just for the fun of it, but she loved her fiercely, always had as she would sing her to sleep, or let the ever-growing girl hold her when she needed it, reminding her that she was as beautiful on the outside as she was on the inside.

Maybe…maybe tonight will be different. Even if she had reservations about taking any of the men she might meet on their offers for a date, it was still a room filled with people who were supposed to come from the tougher spot and it wasn't like she was the one notable woman present as Mirko seemed to gathering a following much like Hawks, even if she seemed to more irritated then amused by all the suits trying to gain her attention.

"Evening," They turned to see someone approaching them, a blonde woman in a white and purple knee-length dress. "I never thought I'd meet a woman that could be taller than me but here we are." She smiled as she looked up towards Kyūfune, even the other woman was a beast, with eyes that reminded her of a tigress that was observing its territory.

Kyūfune frowned at this sudden interruption, and what sounded like an extremely poor attempt to break the ice. "I'm sorry but who are you and why would it be hard to meet people taller than you? You're not exactly on the tall side." The woman just laughed at that, grabbing a drink off the tray of a passing waiter.

"True, most of the time I'm like this, but when I use my quirk, well I tower over buildings," She replied as she lifted her hand to Kyūfune to shake. "Mt. Lady, might I know your name?" The fox woman didn't think this was a good idea, but an encouraging look from her mother convinced her to take the plunge as she shook the pro's hand.

"Kyūfune Takasame." It was over for her after that as it seemed like the pro wished to speak with her about her last villain fight, drawing her away so that they could speak in private while the fox woman looked like she was barely following this. Kenmikoto merely waved her daughter off, holding back to tell her to play safe if only to not turn the fox woman into a blushing mess. Her smile remained as she turned back to the centre floor, now leaning on the pillar as she spoke, seemingly to herself.

"If you wish to talk, it would be prudent to man up and just walk out." She stated, and for a moment, it appeared like she was speaking to herself another person appeared, having gone unnoticed by both Mt. Lady and Kyūfune. The person in question was quite old, easily in his late 60s, but remained in great shape with a scar-filled bald head and long white beard. Their pale orange eyes resembled her own, down to the fire that they held in them.

"I was expecting nothing less from you." The man spoke, his age showing in his words, yet they still carried a deep rumble of power that made even his younger comrades respect and listen to him.

Kenmikoto wasn't one of those as she snorted at his words, taking a small sip of her drink, her back still turned to him. "Why'd you even bother getting the blonde here? Or am I to believe that the media chasing Mt. Lady just happened to decide to take a break from things and find us by chance?" She had felt their presence a while ago, and once Mt. Lady appeared and he stayed hidden, she knew what his game was.

To his credit, the man didn't try and deceive her, having more than enough experience in that department to know it would be fruitless. "I didn't trick her if that is what you're implying, I merely suggested that she might find someone of interest up here." He had seen the tall fox woman and used that as his bait, pointing her out to Mt. Lady when she stepped away from Death Arms and Kamui woods. "As for why I did so, I wished to speak without an audience nor did I wish to leave your companion by herself as she seemed on edge."

"How nice of you, or it would be if that was all there was to it. If you wished to speak with me, you could have called, but it would appear that is too much to ask." She replied as they both knew he had been avoiding her, even if he had lost her number which she doubted as he might be old but he wasn't senile, she called him now and then and never got past voicemail.

He didn't fall for it as his eyes hardened. "It wouldn't do well for me to have regular contact with a woman like you." She met his gaze for the first time, a sad look to her even as she kept up the smile.

"How harsh. One shouldn't speak to their mother like that you know, I'm not above taking you over my knee and spanking you like when you were 5." Honestly, it didn't matter how old her foolish son got, or that he was now one of the top heroes, if he wished to act like a brat, she'd treat him like one. Even if she felt saddened that he saw her as a risk.

Later, after the guests had time to meet and speak with one another, the main event of the night kicked off as they were led towards the main hall, where tables had been set up for the many guests. Taking her seat, Kenmikoto found herself sharing a table with Death Arms, Kamui Woods and Mt. Lady, as she saw that to her joy, her little fox was far more relaxed around the heroine and had invited the two to their table. When asked if there would be space, she pointed out that each table sat 5 and they were just the two.

There was quiet chatter for a few minutes as the last of the guests arrived and took their seats, in the interim, while Lady and her little Fox continued to talk, she found herself in a surprisingly engaging conversation with Kamui Woods about gardening tips. When most of the lights cut out, these quiet conversations ceased as Madam President herself took to the stage. The 40-something, despite her average looks, cut an impressive figure mainly through her sheer confidence as she walked over to the podium as she owned it like she had no challenge to her authority.

But that didn't mean she had attended in her normal business clothing, as she had gone with a modest black number with a diamond necklace being the most expensive thing on her as she could imagine she had an intern get her the dress. Kenmikoto was never the less impressed by little madam President as despite wearing the most modest dress there, she through sheer presence was more than able to stand out for all the right reasons.

"Evening, I would like to thank you all for attending these proceedings. It is always a pleasure to see just how much support the heroes of our society get, as well as witnessing how we could come together to help those in need." The president's soft yet stern voice was carried over the microphone to the many speakers installed across the place, ensuring that all heard her loud and clear. Her opening statement was met by some claps from the guests, even if Kenmikoto felt slighted that the fire was playing second fiddle to a hero pony show.

"While I understand that this hero billboard is months early, we thought it would be prudent to present them now and help affirm the faith that the people have put in us. While only a select few have managed to make the top 50, we hope that each of you continues to protect lives as you're done up till now." She moved just a little as the massive screen behind her turned on, with the massive logo for the HPSC being first seen before it was replaced with that of the billboard charts.

"To that, we'll start by presenting the names of those who placed in the top 100 spots from 100th down to 20th." It wasn't much to write home about as the screen changed to a list format, with the hero's name and rank shown and little else. It wasn't much fanfare but she hadn't expected much when the big attention grabbers were those that made it to the top 20, there were still people who clapped when they saw a particular pro's name, such as Mt. Lady who saw that she had come in 47th, impressive for a hero that had only been solo for less than a year but then again, she had name recognition from her time under Best Jeanist. Death Arms merely grunted when his name was a while before up at 74th.

As the numbers continued, Kyūfune looked toward the woman seated next to her with a frown, wondering how to approach the topic before deciding to rip the band-aid off. "Mt. Lady, why did you approach me? Was it just because of the novelty of speaking you someone as tall as me?" Kamui Woods's name came up at 40th, which got him some excited applause from a few young girls, fans no doubt as the mask-wearing pro waved towards them, the man having seen fit cover his face with a mask and hat, much like how Edgeshot still wore a half mask even in his suit.

Lady took in the question and nodded to it. "I suppose that was it. I'm used to guys being taller than me, just look at those two," She stated. "But girls? That's a blue moon event."

"So there was…no other reason?" Kyūfune asked her, looking a bit dejected as Mt. Lady caught into to this.

"Was there supposed to be one?" Lady asked her, if was she perhaps swinging for the home team and thought she was into her.

"No," Kyūfune shook her head. She couldn't fault her for that, not when she had also forgotten till they started speaking. "It's just surprising." Lady didn't have the chance to make sure she didn't make a mistake with her as the list came to an end at the 21st stop. Those in the 11th to 20th spots got more fanfare than just their name on a list as going from 20th down, they not only showed their names and rank but their picture and some of their highlights since the last ranking. Shishido, who came in the 18th seemed to of had a good year, stopping a major bank robbery which got him some support from the audience.

In time, they made it to the cream of the crop, to the names that just about everyone knew, the top ten. Even before the names were called out, there was hype among the attendants, some of it because people already knew that a few were all but assured to be in it, others because they hoped to have broken into it after not seeing their names or the name of the hero they liked already called out. As her son would say, that second group were quite optimistic as outside the top 3, the ranks meant little, more results of the ever-changing popularity landscape than any actual results. However, when she looked towards those in the top ten, she saw that they had been sat in their section, separated from what 'rabble'. At their tables weren't friends or sidekicks, but investors, executives and anyone else that could have shelled out the 500K for the chance to sit next to a top then.

"Is it true that you had to pay to sit there?" Kyūfune leaned to her to whisper.

"Yup. Most likely it'll be used to help pay for this entire thing." Little Madam President was nothing if not pragmatic, after all, when you could recoup some of the cost of a charity gala, why not? As for the pros she could see, she didn't quite understand a few of them. All Might she could get, the man was as basic as it came in his desire to be a hero, so much so that she spotted him a few times helping out in Raxus, both in his hero form and in that frail skeletal form he used. She wondered what could have led to it, having picked up that he breathed weirdly which led to the assumption he was suffering from some sort of injury, but she never pursued it.

Endeavour was just as simple as the number one, if only in his desire to surpass the demi-God that stood so far ahead of him, she wondered if he truly thought he had a snowball's chance in hell of actually reaching him. His efforts had been useful, but the man tended to work with just his sidekicks whenever he was around. Jeanist was the most eccentric, bringing in fresh clothing for people, though it was predictable all jeans. Mirko was there once or twice but didn't stick around long though she could tell it wasn't for lack of interest and more lack of useful talents in the clean-up as she was a brawler first and foremost, recovery and repair wasn't her specialty.

As Madam President took to the podium once more, her eyes trained in Hawks, a wildcard if she had ever seen one as he was young, and seemed laid back but he always seemed tense, as if he couldn't stop himself from taking it all there was. More than once she felt his eyes on her, the first time she could pick up surprise and fear, and after that, steady concern. She wouldn't be surprised if he was the one who informed the president that she had left her compound to help.

From across the room, their eyes met and to others, if they could even tell what was happening, they would have merely assumed she was smiling at the handsome young man, while those on Hawks' end might have thought he was flirting from a distance, befitting his laid-back character but that couldn't be further from the truth as it was less flirtatious and more a silent conversation between a bemused cat and the little bird that had entered her domain.

"A round of applause for those heroes who have placed, and for those who didn't as we hope they continue to protect and serve the greater good." The head of the HPSC's statement drew their attention off one another as they turned to the stage, offering their claps along with the rest of those in attendance.

"Before we get to the top ten, I would like to extend a hand of gratitude to the donors of this event, and the pillars that help ensure that heroes have the tools they need to carry out their important work such as Baktoid, Kuat Enterprise, Geo Industries as well as chief law enforcement officers and those in government such as the chairwoman of the National Public Safety Commission." When each party was mentioned, the light would shine on their table, allowing them to stand and accept their applause. A wise move from the commission to invite them as the representatives of those companies, each was a major player in the hero support item industry, people who no doubt created special gear for the commission when asked in exchange for privileges over competition.

Once the last person, that being the 60-something-year-old head of the NPSC took her seat, the Hero Commission president took a bit of a surprise turn. "But they aren't the only ones that deserve thanks for their efforts as I can't forget to mention the heroes and other wealthy benefactors present who donated their time, resources and funds to the people of Raxus in their trying times after a senseless attack from villains saw their homes and livelihoods burned to the ground." Kyūfune frowned, keeping her hands on her lap as she wondered how they'd talk about it, what she'd draw attention to, or if she even cared about it, to begin with. The fact that they were hosting this despite the fact they were seriously lacking funds hinted that she didn't.

She was in the minority in this as a large part of the audience applauded her, disgusting the fox woman more than she thought would happen that night as she could see it in their faces, how proud they felt, how much better they believed themselves over people like that, like her just because they decided to give 1 or 2 donations to their 'lessers'. There were even heroes in that group which disheartened her a little. It wasn't done, they still needed to rebuild what little they had! This wasn't the time to pat yourself on the damn back!

Kenmikoto reached for her hand, grasping it in her much smaller one. Despite the massive size difference, when she squeezed it, Kyūfune felt some of that tension leave her body, giving her mother a grateful smile to which the woman returned as they got back to focusing on the president.

"A special thanks to the Yaoyorozu conglomerate, who donated more than 21 million, but the commission has decided to set an example which is why I'm happy to say that we'll be donating 100 million to the Raxus reconstruction project." While the father/daughter duo stood up to soak up the praise when their family business was announced as the single biggest private donor, Kenmikoto paid greater focus to the president who while had covered it up well enough to avoid most even noticing, she saw how brow twitched ever so slightly, and how for a moment her eyes locked onto her with a passion and hate that only made the old cat lady proud.

She might have been roped into this farce, but forcing the commission to pay through the nose made it all worth it, that was a nice way to explain why they would be giving away such a large sum but it wasn't like she could come clean and say she was forced to as it would somewhat…diminish the good mood.

Keeping her frustration over having to redirect such a large sum of their funds to the rabble in check, and with the ego boasting for the many donors the commission had done, she finally moved on. "With the ranking of the top ten heroes, we have at the 10th spot, it is Killer Whale Hero: Gang Orca." Gang Orca nodded when the light focused on him, with a couple of dozen people applauding his success, including the seal-looking man who sat at his table. "Taking the number nine spot would Dragoon Hero: Ryukyu." When it turned to the 9th place, those who applauded Gang Orca were dwarfed as at least a third of the place seemed happy for the humble woman who didn't look all that excited about having the literal spotlight on her.

"Is it just me, or are people paying Ryukyu more attention than Gang Orca?" Mt. Lady asked as that was weird to her.

Death Arms, who had seen it as well, merely shrugged it off. "She did place higher than him."

Lady thought about it for a moment before she agreed with him. "Yeah, maybe you're right. Plus, she's on the eyes." She missed how Kyūfune glared at her out of the corner of her eye at that comment, the woman having her idea as to why Gang Orca despite his efforts was seen as lesser to his fellow top hero. It was the same reason the man despite his deeds and attitude kept getting voted in the top 5 of heroes that looked like villains.

"And what does that mean?" She muttered, but Mt. Lady didn't hear it but Kamui Woods did as he turned to look at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering what she meant by that question.

He didn't have time to ask her as the president continued with the ceremony. "Coming in 8th, we have the Equipped Hero: Yoroi Musha." With his name called, the veteran stood for the crowd but didn't wave at them, merely letting the applause greet him while Kenmikito merely smiled, happy to see the little boy dressed like a samurai proclaiming he'll be the best, that same boy who digested all she could teach him on tenet make it to top ten. Seeing him reminded her of his father, may his soul rest in peace.

Mt. Lady nudged Kyūfune in the side, drawing her attention. "Yeah?" She pointed towards Kenmikito and then towards the old man.

"Does your friend know him? I think I saw them talking not too long ago?" Kyūfune looked towards her mother, and her eyes as she looked at Yoroi Musha as he took his seat again. While she could tell the pro what was up, she decided against it and merely shrugged.

"The 7th spot goes to the rising Rabbit Hero: Mirko." The woman in question didn't so much stand but brought her leg onto the table, presenting one of the two powerful legs that they all knew could shatter steel and concrete in a single kick, though Kenmikito could see that the president seemed to take issue with that provocative move from the battle loving pro. Still, she didn't focus on it, having long since accepted that Mirko might play ball, but that didn't mean she'd play by all the rules. "At 6th, we have a regular in the top 10, Shield Hero: Crust." In contrast, Crust stood with a tear in his eye and a big smile on his face, leaving her to wonder if the man was more of a child at heart than the others.

"Coming at the 5th spot, we have the Ninja Hero: Edgeshot. Following him, at the fourth 4th spot will be Fiber Hero: Best Jeanist." While Best Jeanist was far more media friendly and dressed to impress in a suit that surprise, wasn't made from denim, but instead made the pro look like a model straight off the runways of Paris or Milan. Edgeshot by contrast, was silent, in both his attire which despite being a suit seemed more like what the staff were wearing, and in character as he barely reacted to his place on the ranking which helped explain why the president didn't give him time to posture like the others, having known that he wouldn't have done so.

As the name had been read, she noted that more people applauded them, but with the top 3 spots, even with their names still yet to be revealed, two of which were a forgone conclusion and she could tell people were eager to hear them. This was a mood that the president no doubt knew would happen and was purposely feeding to gain as much hype as she could. "Taking the 3rd spot, we a man that has reached the top with lightning speed and no sign of slowing down, Wing Hero: Hawks." The man waved when the light focused on him, his easy-going smile matching his surroundings as his entire table was nothing but a beautiful young women. She kept her laugh to herself when she heard her daughter call him a player when one of the girls swooned over him in front of everyone.

"In second place, we have the man who has more resolved cases than any other hero, Flame Hero: Endeavor." The man in question had decided to attend in a suit, but his flaming facial hair had been present the entire time, which gave away some of his irritation either at the event or for the fact he was once again 2nd place to All Might, someone that hadn't changed even once since he reached the top 2 spot at age 20. At his table, sat two of his sidekicks, both in evening wear while his son sat the furthest from him, looking stiff as a board.

Perhaps it was one everyone expected, but it didn't do anything to lower the excitement as the president reached the last name. "We have finally reached it, the number one. This sacred spot at the very top goes to our Symbol of Peace: All Might." Unlike the others, it wasn't just a few lights that focused on him but every single one as the man stood up in his tacky pinstripe yellow suit, a hearty, powerful laugh coming out of his smiling mouth as the entire room erupted in cheers, even a good chunk of those in the top 50 joining in as the symbol took a bow.

However, as All Might took in the praise and admiration that only the best could get, she noted that his table just had the two others. The first was a dark-haired man who she didn't recognise as anyone of renown, perhaps he was a new sidekick to the number one, but wouldn't that have made news? The man only ever took on one sidekick and they cut ties five years ago. The second person was…an animal? She was sure that it wasn't human, it didn't give off the same presence as one, but it also didn't give off a presence which she could identify as belonging to just one animal.

It took her more time than she would have liked to admit to realize that it was U.A.'s principal Nezu, though that raised its own questions as to why would All Might bring him. He might have gone to U.A. but that was 40 years ago, Nezu wasn't the principal back then, so she would be surprised if Nezu was alive back. Did he not have any friends he could bring? Perhaps because the Symbol of Peace was extremely private, he didn't wish to expose close friends and families to all this.

"Mt Lady is exhausting," Kyūfune said to herself, having split with the pro who had been quite the chatterbox, filled with energy but after her comments at the billboard announcements, she had decided to take some time for herself. Lucky for her the heroine had caught onto this and while she didn't know what was the reason for the tension between them, she hadn't pushed it when Kyūfune said she wished to seek out her master. She would have said mother but that was a no-go for several reasons, one of whom being that the last thing she wanted people to hear were rumors that she ran to her mother.

Walking about the reception area, she found that without Lady, she didn't have anyone to talk to, and it wasn't like she had a line of options either as she could feel how people's eyes locked onto her. First out of surprise at her size, then followed things that she had gotten used to even if she hated them: fear, suspicions and disgust. She had seen it so many times that she did her best to avoid looking anyone in the eye, keeping herself together to not act like a scared middle schooler all over again. This wasn't school, but a room of the rich, powerful and influential, the last thing she wanted any of them to see was weakness.

Rather she focused on her mother's lessons, on the calm surface of the lake as she let the feelings of fear and anger fade. She couldn't control how others saw her, nor would she make these people recognise her as a person and try to approach her. All she could do was control herself and make choices that she could live with and that she was proud of. It was in this calm state of mind that she found her mother, the woman in the middle of a conversation with several wealthy people. Seeing her approach, she excused herself from them and met her halfway.

As they walked away, she asked a question" Why did they bother with this entire thing? It's just been a colossal waste of time and money, why even bother having such a large event for the hero rankings? Most don't even watch them live and just read about them in the morning." Kenmikoto smiled at her, as if pleased with the question.

"It's all part of the show. People need these kinds of pony shows, or how else would they connect to heroes when they only see them out in the field? I can already tell you that more than a few people were pleased to see the number 2 in a suit and tie, or the legs on our resident rabbit hero." She replied, getting a few laughs from the group of wealthy people that she was pretty sure her mother cared for as much as she did a fly on the wall.

"Is it appropriate that you should be making such statements?" Kyūfune asked her, to which she waved her off.

"A woman of my standing and accomplishments can say whatever the hell she wants." She replied, before leaning in a little closer with a smirk. "Besides, you can't deny they're hot as well, though I would pick the dark-skinned bunny for any…play date." Her eyes darted to the side where the mentioned woman seemed to be being bored out of her mind by her conversation with Crust.

"You're insufferable."

"And yet, you love me all the same." She smiled at her daughter, wanting so much to grab her cheek and wiggle her around, present company be damned but she had to focus.

"Still, you're right in that this event is more for show than substance, as they've raised 286 million, which is a little over a 5th of what we actually need. Yet I can imagine that it cost more than 30 million to host this entire thing." She saw the entire thing as a waste, part of the reason that she left behind such a lifestyle was the opulent spending that was done either to fill a hole or merely to present the fact you could.

"Excuse me," Their conversation was interrupted by a newcomer, not a hero but someone that was in her daughter's age group, if older by a couple of years. Like the rest, he was dressed to impress with slick-back orange hair and a smile that said he was rolling in his parents' money. "You wouldn't happen to be madam Kenmikoto, would you?" He paid his attention solely to her, ignoring Kyūfune which automatically lowered her opinions of him.

"That's right, to whom am I speaking?" She presented her gloved hand for him to kiss her knuckles, the man acting like he was doing her a favour when she most likely made more cash in a month than he did in a year, and had enough strength in a finger that slap the smug smirk off his face.

"My family was one of the donors. We might not have managed to match what the Yaoyorozu's contributed, but we're sure that the 1.2 million will go a long way to help." Oh, it was one of those talks, she had already dealt with a few and none had been any good.

"It will, every yen counts when managing such affairs." She slapped on her polite smile, wondering when this would end so she could engage in fruitful talk.

"It's a shame that we can't do anything about such a shitty area, one filled with crime and vagrants." Her smile didn't change, but Kyūfune started to openly glare at the man as he leaned on the pillar.

Grabbing a drink from a passing waiter, she took a sip, slowly swirling it in her hand. "Oh, it's so bad. The only real issue is the rats, they show up out of nowhere, act like they own the place and are incredibly difficult to get rid of." She told him, her smile going just a little feral. "The worse ones are the ones that make a mess of things."

"I can't say I agree, but I've never been able to stand the sight of rodents." Another knock against him, if she thought he was annoying before, he was slowly earning her ire. Perhaps picking on this, even if he didn't know where the source was, he finally turned to her daughter who looked close to throttling the punk. "I'm sorry…miss…have I offended you?" He asked, sweating at the site of an angry mutant, wondering if he should perhaps get security involved.

Taking a breath through the nose and out the mouth, Kyūfune grabbed a drink, her first of the night and sipped, but with someone her size, that meant that more than half the glass was gone. "No, I'm merely thinking of something…unpleasant."

"That's a relief, I have to remember that there are good ones." He thought he was smart muttering that last part, but both heard him loud and clear as Kenmikoto kept upper the façade of ignorance and patience.

"And what do you mean by that?" Thinking that he had been sleek, he grew more confident in his words.

"I mean that Raxus is underdeveloped. With insane levels of crime and unemployment. When all the residents are those kinds of people, it would be foolish to not consider a connection between the two." He stated that the area was one of only 8 places in Japan where the population was over 40% mutant, most places including Tokyo were only 15% mutant. Throw in the fact that Raxus also boasted a large quirkless population and he was surprised that things hadn't gone to shit sooner as you can't put criminals and the unevolved in the same spot and not expect problems.

What he didn't know was that his words were doing nothing but angering the fox woman more as he had the gall to act like an intellectual. She had to deal with crap like this from her less-than-polite classmates, she didn't appreciate having to deal with it here. "Apologies."

"Excuse me?" The man looked towards her, taking a step back when he saw how enraged she was.

"You heard me, apologies for that garbage!" She yelled at him, cutting through most of the conversations happening around them leading to more attention on them.

Gathering his wits, the boy stood his ground. "Garbage, my dear, that was facts. It's not my fault that mutants are the most likely to become villains." She growled at him, making him and several others nervous upon the sight of an angered mutant woman. All while her mother merely stood by her side, silent but supportive.

"Yes, it is, because people like you treat them like dirt or criminals, they struggle to find honest work." She remembered how hard it was to find places that would take her for junior and high school, how much sleep she had thought that Tokyo U would reject her because she was a mutant.

The man scoffed at this, his anger rising to match hers and only drawing more attention to them as even the heroes started to pay more attention, among those being the numbers 3,4,7,8 and 10. "Wrong, there is no law in the books that allows for discrimination of that nature. Maybe if they were better candidates, they'd be picked more for work."

"Like that has ever stopped people!" She yelled back at him, nearly throwing her glass to the ground as she had heard that bullshit for years! How 'we don't discriminate' or 'we're an equal opportunity institution, that didn't stop them from mistreating you and hyper-focusing on whatever you did to justify it! It didn't stop people from blaming you for what the other kids did! It didn't stop teachers from accusing you of cheating on tests just because you scored higher than most!

"You, my dear," The man spat the word out like it was trash. "Should hold your tongue." She made him reject those words, taking a step closer to him, towering over him while her glare locked him in place.

"And what will you do if I don't?" She asked him, daring him to try something, to back up his words as she was more than willing to handle it. "Call security? Cry foul?" Some of the security moved to intervene, but Hawks and Yoroi silently stopped them. neither suspected that it would get that out of hand, but also saw them as just a means to add fuel to this fire

This proved to be the right decision as when the expected help didn't come to his aid, the pompous college student was forced to back down as he knew he couldn't handle her in a fight. "Animals." He growled, fixing his tie and trying to get some of his lost dignity from this humiliation back. "You should teach this one some manners." She would have punched him then and there for how he turned to her mother and referred to her in such a manner, but her mother beat her to it.

With a smile akin to that of an enraged tiger ready to tear into a fool who dared to get too close to her cubs, she replied to his provocation. "I have, but it seems that the same can't be said for you. Now leave before you embarrass yourself more than you already have." She ordered him, making it clear that should he try to refuse, it would be at his own risk. Stuttering in confusion and anger, he yelled something about his family would never forget this before leaving.

There was silence for a moment after that, as people focused more on how close to losing it her daughter looked, which pissed her off as she turned to glare at the crowd, her amber eyes alit with a fury. "I'm sorry, but are we your evening's entertainment?" Her eyes, and the aura she gave out affected people in different ways. To even pros like Mirko, their bodies screamed at her that she was dangerous, to those with years of experience in the field such as Edgeshot, he knew that she was a force not to mess with. To the younger members in the crowd, like Todoroki and Yaoyorozu, they felt chill force itself down their spine while a stone settled in their stomach as it was like they just witnessed a massive tiger glare at them from the thick brush, about to pounce on them.

It didn't matter the reason, all that mattered was the effect as they all turned away from it and tried to pretend like they didn't see whatever they just saw. Downing the last of her drink, she placed it and Kyūfune's which she took from her hand onto the tray of a waiter that had been left frozen in terror at her. With that done, she grabbed her hand and made their way for the exit. She had done her part, and if All Might could bounce early, so could she. If anyone wanted to stop her, they'd be eating out of a tube for the next month.

Breaking from the main area, she took Kyūfune aside to speak with her. "Taki," her daughter naturally knelt so that she could bring her hands to her face, wiping away the angry tears which were now being replaced with tears of grief. "Are you alright?" Her daughter tried to collect herself but was struggling as all of it was just coming out of her. Shaking her head, she hugged her mother, hiding her face in the Kenmikoto's neck as the woman soothed her, muttering that she could cry if she needed to, that she had that right.

She hated how she felt like this. It wasn't the first time she dealt with someone like this, she knew it wouldn't be the last. So why did this affect her so much? She knew that those with power didn't care, it was why things never changed, so why did seeing it first-hand make her feel so angry, so broken up on the inside? How could her mother have the strength to face all that and not so much as flinch, to have the strength to take it all in and make them bow to her?

"How can you stand it? Hearing all that…horrible stuff by saying like it's a fact of life? How do you not react?" Teitora sighed, her anger towards that punk forgotten in favour of caring for her little fox. For the little girl whom she took in at the age of 7 and grew to love with all her heart. An aura of menace formed, sending anyone close by packing, giving her time to and the privacy to address this.

Pulling her face free of her neck, she gave her a little kiss on the forehead just like she used to when she would tuck into bed, and a pained smile. "A tiger might hate the swamp, but it learns how to swim through it to get to the other side."

Chapter 10: Power of Sage

If this was anything else, Izuku was sure he would have lost count of the days a long time ago, but when every second of training felt like it was an hour of brutal conditioning, you managed to keep track if only to help preserve your sanity through the madness. It was because of that that he knew he had been at this for a little under 4 months. Waking up, he was surprised to find that…he had been allowed to sleep in, as when he looked out the window of his little hut, he saw that the sun was already in the sky, and might have been that way for perhaps an hour. Normally Shizune forced him out of bed an hour before the sun was up.

Not looking this gift horse in the mouth, he thanked the heavens for the fact he was able to get 2 hours extra sleep before he left his hut, having slept in his worn-out pair of shorts and nothing else as he wandered over to the river to freshen up. Moving down the beaten path, he could appreciate the beauty of this place and the fact its weather pattern wasn't erratic as there were some clouds, and a good breeze but that was it. Such a thing was rare on this otherworldly mountain as he could recall how the weather could change without warning or reason.

Some days it would be unbearably hot, leaving him sweating even as he did the simplest tasks, other days it would be the exact opposite as he'd wake up to find the place covered in a thick blanket and snow with freezing winds blowing through the place, leaving him shivering even if he wore as many layers he could manage while still being able to train. Other times it'll be nothing but pouring rain from dawn to dusk. He had tried to ask Shizune about it, but they would always laugh in his face and tell him that 'they had secrets that they didn't feel like telling the little human.' The last time he asked had been a month ago while it was snowing like a Russian Winter, after that reply, she strapped another 30kg worth of deadweight to him and told him to get back to running.

Making it to the river, he knelt to wash his face to fully wake up and drink up the fresh mountain water. Seeing his reflection in it, he couldn't help but give it a nostalgic smile as he saw just how different he looked from what he had appeared when he first arrived. His hair, which had always been far too fuzzy and wild to be properly combed or styled had somehow become even wilder, greener in it than black. It was also longer, nearly reaching his shoulders much like the mane of a lion, combing a hand through it, he could pick out small twigs and leaves that he hadn't been able to get rid of before he collapsed onto his bed last night and passed out.

His hands drew his attention next as he pulled his hand free of his hair, inspecting it and seeing that despite the fact he washed his hands every morning, his nails were still dark with grime and soil, which along with the fact they were longer than he had ever let them by, made him look as wild as a caveman. As he washed them in the river to try and clear the dirt away, he observed his body in the rippling water, seeing how his torso and arms were covered in scars from the intensive training Shizune was putting him through. Training that normally lasted from before the sun rose to after it set, as had been his schedule for nearly 4 months now, was nothing but grueling, punishing training with little time for rest or meals.

Meals that he had to get himself as he learned the hard way during his first week when he waited for them to get him something a tiring 20km run, only for Shizune to reappear, act surprised that he decided not to eat during his break and forcing him to continue with wall climbing up a small waterfall. Safe to say that he made sure to always keep an eye out for fruit trees and berry bushes after that so that he could use as much time as he could actually eat during his breaks.

But he'll take the physical training over the sensory training any day of the week, as Shizune and he had spoken about how tenet could increase one's perception of their surroundings, but under them, he was put through sensory deprivation training. He'll go hours without sight, smell or hearing blocked and be forced to either fight against the various wild cats that called the mountain their home or escape through obstacle courses that he never knew how they found the time to set up. For every inch of progress he made, they'll add another mile worth of challenge for him as if they didn't want him to feel like he was making any progress, even if he knew that he had to be…right?

Finishing up, he left and went to look for his master, finding them in their usual spot which was lounging in what looked to be an old shrine, why they liked it? When was it built? Who built it? He didn't know the answers to those questions. Looking up at his arrival, they gave him a lazy wave.

"Look who's finally awake, was going to get you myself if you slept in any longer." Shizune smiled at him as he came and sat close to them.

"Most people would assume I work up at the normal time." He replied, thinking that it couldn't be any later than 8 am.

"You're too crazy to count as most people, little boy." They waved that off, anyone that could touch it out for as long as he wasn't sane in their books. "But we have other things to work on today."

Midoriya straightened up, ready for whatever they could throw at him. "What would that be? Are you going to strap a boulder to my back and make him jump from tree to tree? Climb up a raging water with one hand tied behind my back? Plunge my hands into heated sand? Wrestle a Lion?"

"You've done all that. if I try and take it a step further, I'll probably break you." Shizune waved that off, though they were impressed with his performance as out of the 8 that came before him, only 3 had made it this far, the rest dying at some point before, or just losing the will to continue. Frankly, they liked that about him as no matter what she put him through, how far she pushed him, he kept coming back for more.

"Then what?"

"Sage." That one word froze him for a moment, before a smile broke out across his face, his joy reaching the stars as he couldn't help but cheer, jumping to his feet as he had made it, he had cleared through whatever testing process Shizune had and made it!

"Yes, we're finally moving into it." Shizune let him have his moment, he had earned that much anyway and if the 3 were any indication, it'd be the last happy moment he had. "Remember what we talked about when you first came here, on what sage was?" They asked, bringing his attention back to the meat of the discussion.

Midoriya nodded, taking his seat once more. "Yes, it's essentially a boast to everything I've already learned by pulling in tenet from my environment to use."

"Correct, but there is another use of it. It's an offshoot of Toratsume and Feline Purr," He knew of those two techniques, though he only practiced the one and not the latter. "Which allows one to affect and alter the physical world through the use of their tenet." He blinked at that, having never heard of a use like that…wait, no he had. But such techniques could never be used in any situation requiring speed.

Shizune saw his confusion and explained it. "Now, normally this is a slow and draining thing, requiring multiple uses to get anything substantial done, which is why it's best for tasks that normally take a long time to begin with such as farming as spending a couple weeks growing something might seem long, but when that plant would normally take a couple months to grow, it's a smart play, it also cuts down on the work-force needed as now a fraction of the people are needed."

That was why they could grow so many crops in such a small amount of time, everything from fruits to literal trees for lumber, but it was as she said, long and tiring, requiring teams of people working in shifts to get sustained growth of any worth.

"Are you saying that Sage power amplifies this?" Midoriya asked, to which Shizune got up, stretching their supernaturally long body before they walked over to a small pond.

"It does," They started as they reached one of her claws towards the water, gently tapping the surface of it to his amazement, as they pulled their claw back, the water followed like a string. "And when properly used it can do whatever one wishes of it." Shizune twirled her claw around, the water, which remained attached to her via the little water cord, formed into a swirling top, then a ball before she flicked it at him, which he easily dodged despite the speed and surprise of the move. When he heard the water smack into a rock, it wasn't much of a wet slap he heard, but a thud followed by rock cracking.

Turning his head, his eyes shot wide open as he saw that the rock, half the size of a car, now had a circle shape indent in it, one which had at least a dozen cracks forming. The water she threw did that? What would have happened if it struck him?

"I…" He gulped down some sweat when he saw them smile at him, he knew that smile way too well and was getting ready to run if he had to. "I didn't know you had a quirk."

"That wasn't a quirk, little boy, that," Shizune replied, their smile showing far more teeth than should be capable of fitting in a mouth. "Was what sage power could do when used by a master."

Seeing his confusion, they enjoyed it for a second, but they still had to explain it to him. "What I did, was impart some of my tenet into the water so that I could control it, but since one can't control tenet once it's left the body, I kept the cord of water attached."

"But how would the water have done that? I heard that when you apply enough pressure, it can cut through steel but that was just a ball of it." Midoriya asked if they had formed the water into a thin line, or a blade and swung that at the rock, maybe there would have been some damage but they didn't. they went with a blunt attack that by all accounts, was far too slow to do even half as much damage.

"Tenet doesn't just vanish once it's out of your control, so I just imparted some into it to make it so that the water could crack the rock," Shizune explained, getting him to nod as he thought of ways they could used in a practical sense, even outside combat as depending on how long it could last, he could see it being great for rescue work.

"So, when will I be able to do that?" He asked them, getting a chuckle from the youkai.

"So eager, Sage training is done in 2 phases. The first allows one, in this case me, to project their will onto the physical world but keep in mind it works best on the basic elements of nature." Okay, he was following there, even if he'll have to ask about the elements thing.

"The second is the most dangerous as it's where one forces their tenet reserves to drastically grow in a short period to cope with this excess of tenet flowing into them." That part confused him. He understood why it was dangerous, and why it would be needed but there was something off about it.

"Wasn't that what I had been training for all this time?" He asked them.

"Yes and no," They giggled. "That training barely impacted your tenet, rather I was training up your body to become a suitable vessel, forcing it to adapt so that when you got sage power, it didn't rip you apart from the inside out." That…was certainly a mental image, but that at least explained why he barely felt any different with his tenet despite all his training. Was he just at the level where he couldn't provide any more physical power to add no matter how much he trained? Did he need more experience to add to the spiritual side of it? Was it some combination of the two or something else entirely?

Shizune smacked him over the head with their tail to get him back in the game. "But the real question is this:" He blinked, seeing that they had closed the distance, now surrounding him with their body, twisting and swirling like a viper made from black water. "Are you willing to die for power? Willing to take the risk now that you've reached the cliff?" Shizune whispered to him, being so close to his ear that he could feel their breath.

Despite how much time he had spent with them, how much he thought he had grown comfortable around them, that question, the images it brought up in his head made him shiver, his heart skipping a beat as he was reminded that this…this wasn't something he could beat, he didn't think anyone could beat them. "How far will you go for your dreams?" They asked him, this time in his other ear as he tried to gain some air in his lungs to speak.

"To the ends of the earth, even further…" He was shaking, his heart and mind screaming for him to run, but he remained still, locking his legs the best he could to ensure he didn't flee or buckle, not when he had come so far. "I've come too far, trained too hard to just give up now. That would be crazy." He managed a give them a shaky smile, a flimsy thing that couldn't stand up to much, but it was enough to please them as they laughed, their laughter booming through the area like the roars of a dozen lions.

"Oh, I like you, human! But you're not the first to say that to me, and it didn't save the others from an agonizing death that followed." They reminded him, though he hadn't forgotten, not when they had shown him their graves in his second week as a means to 'keep him humble.'

"But like with them, I'll honor your wish, it might be your last one anyway." Before he could ask what that meant, flashed him a smile made up of nothing but teeth before striking, biting down on his neck faster than he could react, flooding his body with their essence before just as quickly retreating and stepping away from him, leaving him stumbling and confused as he reached for his bloody neck wound, pulling back his hand with a hiss as he looked at his bloodied hand.

Before he could question them on them, or even how they managed to hurt him when he had his Yukitora active, pain like nothing he had never felt set in, crashing into him like a towering wave that washed him away in it. He tried to resist it, biting his tongue to not scream but it was futile as the massive injection of supernatural tenet entering his body overwhelmed him as he fell to his knees, gasping for breath as he finally screamed in pain, feeling like every part of him was on fire as his pain receptors were all firing.

He couldn't even remain on his knees as he fell onto his side, rolling about as if to try and put out the fire his body was sure was engulfing him as he continued to scream and plead for it to end, all while Shizune dispassionately watched his suffering. He didn't notice, he couldn't notice anything as it felt like his body was burning on the outside and was starting to implode on the inside, giving him so sense of relief or rest. If Mōfu is like a warm blanket, this was a lava bath as it felt like it was seeping in every pour, stretching it out to allow even more into him.

He tried to get up, to run for the pond, but all he could manage was crawl to it, every movement felt like hell as his skin felt like it was melting off him while his muscles were tearing and his bones imploded as all 261 tenet point on his body were rupturing, shrinking and growing randomly and extremely painfully. Soon blood started to flow as his body's catastrophic failures and regeneration were taking their toll, leaving him blind and deaf as liquid that kept him alive flowed out his ears, and eyes while all he could taste and smell was copper thanks to similar effects happening with his nose and mouth.

"It burns!" He managed to get out over his screams, moans and pleas as he collapsed once more, the strength of his limbs falling him after he had only managed to crawl a couple of meters, nowhere close to the pond which wouldn't have offered him any help even if he had managed to will his body to crawl close enough to try anything.

Izuku blinked, taking in the sight and smell of his surroundings. With a groan, he slowly got up, rubbing his head as he felt the lingering effects of a major headache. Looking around, he saw that he was…in a cave? When did he get here, wait-did…did he pass out? Feeling the breeze higher up his leg than normal, he looked and saw that he was in nothing but his boxers.

Reaching for his face, he groaned into his hands as he wondered just what the hell happened to him, but his fingers caught his attention. They looked different. His fingernails had been longer than normal, sure but now they looked even longer, sharper and had a green tint to them, as he tried to make sense of that whole thing, he noted that there wasn't any sunlight entering the cave, nor were they any lit candles but despite that, he could see just fine. Looking around, he saw that it wasn't just because his hands were close to his face but he could make out details on the walls, from groves and cracks as if it was daytime.

It wasn't just his eyes that seemed to have changed, but his sense of hearing and smell as well as he could hear much more clearly how the air coming in from the entrance was moving down the cave, how there was a couple drop of water leaking from the top of the cave a little deeper in as they splashed down into two puddles that had formed. He could hear some small forest critters scampering about, looking for cover for the night despite the fact he couldn't see them but he could smell them, with the scent of a couple of rats clueing him into what they were, along with the smell of moss growing on the walls.

Deciding he needed answers and some clothes, he got up from the slab of rock he had been left on and walked towards the entrance, noting that his sense of touch was also greater than normal as his bare feet told him a lot of the environment that he otherwise wouldn't have been able to tell. As he reached the entrance, he paused as he wondered if this was sage power, if that was what the master had. If that was true…did that mean he made it? What else could it be? He had taken the bite and lived to speak of it, that was an absolute win!

Giddy with joy, he all but danced out of the cave into the open, the moonlight sky illuminating the clearing, along with the thousands of stars that dotted the sky, constellations he didn't recognise in this alien world but still beautiful in their wonder. He never had time to star gaze before, always too exhausted from training but now? Now he wanted to just sit on a tree stomp with a telescope and a map and plot out the stars, take in their wonder. Hell, he didn't think he needed a telescope, such as how happy he was with his newfound sight, leaving him to wonder how he ever managed before as it felt like he had gone his whole life wearing someone else prescription glasses.

The smells of the forest drew him next, the drew on the leaves, the scent of dozens of plants and flowers he'll never find on earth, the rich soil and thick plentiful shrubs, all inhabited by cats, bugs and fish that he wished to explore, to study, to hunt. His body yearned for it, for all of it. It was all…almost overwhelming.

"You know," His head shot to the side, looking towards the pond where Shizune lay on their back, moon-bathing with their head turned to face him like an owl's. "The little girl had the same reaction. Even ran off into the woods and didn't come back for two whole days while she explored to her heart's content." He blinked, not so much at the comment that his master went on the Tarzan for a while, but at the fact he could make out their shape far more clearly than before.

"This…this is…it?" He whispered, praying that this wasn't some fervor dream as Shizune gave him a soft, amused smile.

"Yes, you have tapped into sage mode, which is why you're basically running on feline time right now to which you should be grateful as you could have been bitten by something unpleasant, like a dog." They waved that part off as if she would allow a student of her student to ever make a contract with another youkai, they had standards!

"So, how do you feel?" They asked him, with Izuku feeling himself, noting that his body even felt different, or maybe his hands were just more sensitive.

"I feel…good, better than ever really." Taking a deep breath, he felt like he could fight 10 of those damn tigers Shizune has around, and come out on top.

Shizune chuckled at that, unsurprised at his response, though they had been pleasantly surprised by the fact he had woken up at all. "That's because you have far more tenet in you, which is allowing you to augment your base senses. But you'll need to learn how to suppress them unless you want even minor stimuli to be enough to screw with you."

"Oh, and to help with the tenet exhaustion as right now you'll burning through far more than normal." They added, giving him a downside to this which he had to contend with, people with animal quirks or just boosted senses often complained about such things, like how if you had a dog's sense of smell, most public places could be unbearable.

"Noted," Closing his eyes and concentrating, he could certainly feel that he was tapping into his tenet, but he also could feel that the pool he normally tapped was far larger than normal, a lake inside of him. "As for the rest, is this normal?" Flexing, he felt like his muscles and bones were made from steel, a couple of shadow boxes only confirmed that.

"Yes, much like the little girl, you've found yourself upgraded to the deluxe human body thanks to sage mode. So, I hope you don't mind how you'll look for a while since once you hit your prime, you're staying there." God, he hoped so, he wasn't exactly the tallest guy in his age group, and he had seen enough of his Inko's high school photos to know he shared an unfortunate resemblance to her. He wouldn't mind if he could age up a little more, and gain a couple more inches in height before hitting his peak.

"Still, there is one difference between the two of you; how long you were asleep for." He looked towards her, wondering as to what was so special about that.

"Wait, it's not the same day?" He asked, as with the moon up and the unpredictable weather and climate of this place, he couldn't even be sure that the moon and stars followed a similar pattern to Earth.

"Of course not, silly human. You've been unconscious for the last week." He blinked at that, it taking a second for it to sink in.

"A week!?"

"Quiet down, it's not that big of a deal." Shizune liked it better when he was quiet and asleep.

"You and I have a very different definition of what counts as a 'big deal.'" Midoriya had so many questions. How was it possible to sleep that long? Was it because of that damned bite they gave him? How was he still in tip-top shape when he hadn't eaten or drank anything in days? Did they force-feed him? What about the bathroom situation?

"I wouldn't say so, you beat your master's time." The master, she went through that experience as well? What was he thinking? Of course, she did.

"How long was she out for?" He imagined that she was out for a couple more days, maybe an extra week if Shizune hadn't yet perfected whatever process she did to him decades ago.

"2 months." They gave him a smile that made them look like they belonged in Alice in Wonderland, even as they gave him such a ludicrous number. That was impossible! She was the strongest person he knew, the best at using tenet, how the heck did she remain out cold and he was up and running?

Shizune raised an eyebrow at him. "Or did you think I just decided that 4 months was enough for you? That's the benchmark."

"2 months…Heavens that's a long time…" He groaned into his hands before he asked one of his other questions, namely the one related to his state of dress. "Wait, is that why I'm in my underwear? Wait, did you change my underwear during the week?"

"Yes, it's long but she was the only one before you to survive. Yes, I changed you. Yes, don't worry about it, I'm as interested in you as you would be in your housecat." He didn't take much comfort in that as a supernatural being or no, he wasn't in the business of letting just anyone see him in the buff. His only mercy was that no one else would know about it and if asked, he'll deny it without hesitation.

"I'll just have to lock that away in the 'Don't think about it box.'" There were a few memories in there, but as the name implied, he didn't think about them. his motto being that unless he needed therapy in the future, that section of his mind would remain unexplored, a place to banish shit like this.

"To each their own, onto other matters. This presents us with a unique opportunity." Shizune finally got up and approached him.

"Such as?"

"The plan was to wait for you to wake up and send you back to the human world, but since you work up so early. I can help you with your training in sage mode as right now, you're as green as the grass you sit on." They explained to him, and his eyes widened even as a small part of his brain realized that she planned to dump him back without any real training and maybe some advice.

"Really? That's amazing!"

Shizune fanned herself, soaking in his praise and letting their pride grow even larger. "Yes, yes, and I'm a merciful and benevolent master but you can praise me more later," He gave them an unimpressed look at that. "Right now we need to figure out your nature affinity."

"Does this have something to do with the nature elements we talked about…last week?" Damn, that would take some getting used to.

"Yes. Your affinity as the world implies, is the natural element you connect with the most. You'll find using that one both the easiest for you and the one you have the best chance of taking the limits and beyond. Now you could learn another, but you'll burn through far more tenet to do something that another with an affinity with said element would." They started.

"Also, since it's not your element, you'll find it far harder to even learn how to use it. Much like how those with quirks would need to put in far more time and effort training to match what you could achieve in a fraction of the time as a quirkless person." He supposed that made sense, like if you were good at one track event, that meant you were athletic, but that didn't mean you could do another one as easily.

"Okay, makes sense. I'm guessing your element is water?" He recalled that little water stunt that may or may not be enough to knock him on his ass at best or kill him at worst.

"Yes, and little Tei's is rock but she managed to specialize further, or did you think she just found all that jade in her office?" Shizune smiled as his jaw dropped at that revelation.

"She made it?!"

"Every last piece." They were quite proud of their student, and her habit of just making jade whenever she was bored by molding earth into it. "Give me a second to gather everything, if you want to go mad for a bit, I won't stop you."

10 minutes later, he sat across from a collection of things. Those items are a: pot with a fire in it; a jug of water; a wooden log; an iron ring the size of a type; and a rock. "Reach out to each of them then and see which one feels the best."

"Okay." He nodded as he looked them over, wondering which to start with before he reached for the fire, reasoning that perhaps he'd have an affinity to it thanks to his father. Reaching his tenet out to the flames but found he could barely do anything with them, they kept on dancing without any input from him. When he reached for the metal, it proved to be a stubborn element, giving him even less than the fire as it didn't so much as move. With the rock, there was…something, a connection there but it was weak as the best he could do was tether his tenet to it and make it slightly wobbly. Same with the water as when he tried to do the same trick that Shizune did, all that happened was that it tipped the jug and spilt the stuff all over the soil.

With just one element left, he placed his hand on the wooden log and imagined it growing as he pumped some of his tenet into it, at first there was nothing but then the wood slowly started to react as from the seemingly dead piece of wood, a tree branch started to form, forming smaller branches which grew leaves on it. When he removed his hand, he found that the log had turned into a small bush. "Whoa."

"Seems like we found it," Shizune stated, surprised that he managed to connect with wood to such an extent, it had been a while since they had met anyone that used that element, even if they considered other youkai. Midoriya didn't reply as he reached for a piece of the shrub, a tiny branch which he moved to break off, but stopped himself and instead, tried something else. It took a moment, and some effort on his part but the branch broke itself as if an invisible force had shattered it from the inside out. With that new piece of wood, he stood up and walked a little ways away, with Shizune silently watching him as he worked.

Coming to a stop, he poured more of his tenet into the piece of wood in his hand but tried to control it. His efforts were lackluster at best, but impressive to Shizune as she hadn't met a human that could do such right out the gate the branch in hand grew in size and length, becoming a staff while the top portion became a tree, with dozens of small branches, each with leaves growing. Once the bottom touched the ground, it didn't stop and continued to grow, forming roots which dug into the earth, allowing Izuku to perceive even beneath the soil thanks to his tenet flowing through the entire three/staff.

His roots found other roots which upon contact, increased that field of vision, as well as his reach as his tenet started to flow into more plants, from the trees to the flowers and even the grass, influencing all of them and causing them all to rapidly grow and expand.

Blinking, he came back to reality, feeling exhausted as he nearly fell over, having to lean on the tree that he was standing next to, wait…where did that tree come from? Turning to it, he realized that it had been that tiny twig he had picked up, only he had turbocharged its growth into a tree easily 5 times his height. Around him, the grass had grown an extra 3 inches, while the flowers that once covered the edges of the place were far larger, more vibrant and plentiful. Without realizing it, he had added to the local environment.

'I don't know where she found this one but,' Shizune thought to themselves, amazed by the display as they reached for a flower that had sprouted next to them. Their eye turned to him and they couldn't help but feel giddy at the prospect this boy would bring. 'He'll be an interesting human to watch. I haven't seen a display like this in…centuries.'