A Nation Watches

The aftermath of the Tartarus prison break was a blur of police reports, hero debriefings, and the grim tally of recaptured villains. Yet, amidst the chaos, Minato had one specific, personal task to attend to. He arrived back at his hideout, where he had teleported Lady Nagant. The room was clean and simple, designed for holding individuals securely but without undue discomfort.

Lady Nagant slowly stirred as Minato entered, her eyes, usually so sharp and cold, filled with confusion, then a flicker of recognition. "You... why am I here?" she rasped, attempting to sit up.

Minato offered her a gentle, reassuring smile. "You're safe here, Lady Nagant. You're free now." He paused, letting the words sink in. "The people who manipulated you, the ones truly responsible for the actions you took during your time as a hero... you've already dealt with them. Their influence has been extinguished. You've paid your dues, and more. It's over. You can truly enjoy life now."

Lady Nagant stared at him, her hardened facade cracking, a flicker of raw emotion in her eyes. The concept of freedom, of peace, seemed alien to her. "Free?" she murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "I... I don't know what to do. Where do I even go? What's left for me?" Her gaze held a profound lostness, a woman adrift after a lifetime of orders and betrayal.

Minato's smile softened. "Take your time. There's no rush to decide. Until you figure things out, this place, this hideout, is yours. Consider it a temporary sanctuary. You can stay as long as you need." He gestured around the quiet room. "Rest. Heal. And when you're ready, you can start fresh."

Lady Nagant looked at him, truly looked at him, a complex mix of surprise, gratitude, and a faint spark of hope in her weary eyes. She gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Thank you...." Her voice was still quiet, but it carried a sincerity she hadn't known she possessed. "Thank you for saving me, in more ways than one." Minato simply nodded back, understanding. He then turned on the large flat-screen television mounted on the wall, and together, in the unexpected quiet of the hideout, they watched the grim press conference of the U.A. teachers.

The U.A. faculty, including Principal Nezu and Eraserhead, and Vlad King, were assembled at a press conference, their faces etched with regret as they publicly apologized for the training camp attack and Bakugo's kidnapping. Minato's jaw clenched; He knew it was going to happen, but due to the Tartarus incident, he couldn't be there.

Simultaneously, an emergency strategy meeting was underway. Endeavor, always impatient, questioned his involvement in the hideout raid, but Best Jeanist sharply reminded him of his duty as a U.A. alumnus. Detective Tsukauchi explained that U.A. teachers couldn't participate due to media scrutiny, emphasizing the need for a dedicated Pro Hero task force. Best Jeanist added his insights into Bakugo's personality from their internship, while Tiger stressed the mission to rescue Ragdoll.

Tsukauchi detailed their two-pronged strategy: two villain hideouts, two teams. Principal Nezu's feigned cluelessness at the press conference was a deception, ensuring the villains wouldn't anticipate an immediate strike. The Hideout Raid team, led by All Might, soon arrived at the primary villain's headquarters, preparing to attack.

Meanwhile, Izuku Midoriya and his companions—Eijiro Kirishima, Shoto Todoroki, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Tenya Iida—scouted the second suspected lair. Using Eijiro's night vision goggles, they peered through a window, only to be horrified by the sight of a sprawling Nomu breeding factory.

At the primary League of Villains' hideout, Tomura Shigaraki ordered Kurogiri and Mr. Compress to restrain Bakugo. Their plans were shattered when All Might burst through a wall. Kurogiri's warp-gate attempt was instantly thwarted by Kamui Woods, who restrained the villains, while Edgeshot confirmed the hideout was surrounded. Endeavor, relegated to the perimeter, angrily questioned why Edgeshot got to fight, but Naomasa explained Endeavor's role was to catch any escapees.

Tomura then ordered Kurogiri to warp in Nomu, unaware that at the same moment, Mt. Lady was breaking open the Nomu factory. Best Jeanist and Gang Orca were already inside, restraining the creatures, preventing Kurogiri's transfer. All Might declared victory, and Edgeshot swiftly incapacitated Kurogiri. Gran Torino warned the villains against underestimating the heroes, revealing their true identities and demanding to know All For One's location.

Suddenly, mysterious, non-Kurogiri portals opened, transporting Nomu directly into the hideout. Katsuki Bakugo was swallowed by one, prompting Kamui Woods to call for Endeavor's help, but he was already swamped with Nomu outside. Efforts to contact Best Jeanist failed. Mt. Lady found the raid "too easy," a sentiment quickly dismissed by Best Jeanist as All For One himself emerged from a portal, casually announcing his theft of Ragdoll's Quirk. Best Jeanist's attempt to restrain him was met with a devastating explosion.

Izuku and his group, watching from afar, were paralyzed by fear. All For One teleported the League of Villains—including newly introduced members Viper (a master of toxins) and Shade (a manipulator of shadows)—away. Kamui Woods and Edgeshot acknowledged the impossibility of stopping All For One's unique, targeted warping. All Might repelled the remaining Nomu inside with an Oklahoma Smash, while Endeavor incinerated those outside, then urged All Might to pursue the villains.

All For One commended Best Jeanist for surviving his blast, then effortlessly defeated the Pro Hero, choosing not to steal his Quirk. Hidden, Izuku, Shoto, Momo, and Tenya watched in terror as All For One regrouped with the villains, telling Tomura it was "time for his game to be reset." Izuku wanted to move, but Tenya stopped him. Before All For One noticed them, All Might arrived, confronting his ultimate rival.

Katsuki recognized All For One's immense power. All Might vowed to defeat and imprison him, but All For One repelled his initial rush with an enhanced Quirk combo. All For One ordered Tomura to flee with Katsuki, forcibly activating the unconscious Kurogiri's Quirk to create a Warp-Gate. All Might clashed with All For One, holding him off while the remaining villains surrounded Katsuki.

All Might, unable to bypass All For One to rescue Katsuki directly, held back to prevent collateral damage from his powerful shockwaves. Katsuki, using his explosions to evade the villains, realized All Might's restraint. Izuku, devising a desperate plan, reasoned that while they couldn't fight, they could rescue. He and Tenya, using Eijiro's hardening, burst through a wall. Shoto created an ice ramp, propelling them into the air. All Might intercepted All For One's interference, clearing a path. Eijiro called out to Katsuki, knowing his friend would only listen to him.

Katsuki, trusting Eijiro, propelled himself with a massive explosion, grabbing his friend's hand. Magne attempted to launch Mr. Compress at them, but Mt. Lady grew to impede her. Gran Torino then arrived, swiftly knocking out Magne and Mr. Compress. Gran Torino complimented Izuku, comparing his actions to Toshinori.

All Might declared he was done holding back. Gran Torino prepared to engage Tomura, Viper, and Shade. All For One, however, forcibly activated Magne's Quirk, magnetizing and pushing all the male villains through a gate, leaving him alone to face All Might. He then warped Gran Torino in front of All Might's next attack. All Might recovered, grabbed Gran Torino, and countered All For One's spring-like limbs with a Detroit Smash. All For One taunted All Might for still holding back due to bystanders. All Might furiously declared an end to All For One's disrespect for common people, crushing his helmet with a powerful strike. However, All For One survived, and All Might began to partially revert to his weak form.

All For One, sensing All Might's weakness and the opportune moment, began to charge towards his weakened opponent, aiming to deliver a decisive blow. But as he lunged, a bright, three-pronged kunai was suddenly thrown with incredible precision, landing directly in the space between All For One and All Might.

In the very next instant, a yellow flash erupted around the kunai, and Minato Namikaze appeared, now standing directly between All Might and All For One. In his hand, a massive, spiraling Big Ball Rasengan pulsed with destructive energy. Without a moment's hesitation, Minato unleashed the attack, slamming the colossal sphere of pure Chakra directly into All For One's chest.

All For One roared in pain and shock, sent hurtling backward by the immense force, skidding across the ground and kicking up a huge cloud of debris. But Minato wasn't finished. Before All For One could even register what had happened, another kunai, thrown with blinding speed, behind the villain's rapidly flying form.

Minato teleported to the second kunai, reappearing instantly at All For One's back. Before the villain could regain his bearings, Minato unleashed another monstrous Big Ball Rasengan, slamming it into All For One's back. The villain was now caught between two massive, spiraling forces, compressed and hammered by their sheer power.

With his target momentarily incapacitated by the dual assault, Minato then teleported back to the initial kunai he had thrown near All Might. He stood there, he was now in sage chakra mode, shielding his mentor.

"Take some rest, All Might," Minato said, his voice calm but firm, "I will take it from here."

All Might, wide-eyed with surprise and relief, a faint smile gracing his deflated face, looked at Minato. "Thank you, Young Namikaze," he said, his voice weak but filled with gratitude. "Thank you."