Shikigami Dance: Naruto/BNHA Crossover - Chapter 35

( The first day of the internships…)

Erasure Head face the huddle of Class 1A students as they all met at the station.

“Everyone has their costumes, right?” he asked, his voice stretched out into a drawl, “Remember you don’t have permission to wear them out in public yet. Don’t lose them or anything.”

Ashido held her briefcase over her head as she cheered, “Gotcha!”

The hero gave her a sharp look, “Speak properly. It’s ‘yes sir,’ Ashido.”

The poor girl deflated, “Yessir…”

Aizawa showed no sign of remorse as he instructed the rest of the students, “Make sure you mind your manners with the other heroes during your internships. Now get to it.”

“Yes sir!”

Everyone split up to head to their respective trains.

Iida split off and was heading alone in one direction when Izuku and Uraraka ran after him.

“Iida, wait!”

Iida stopped but didn’t turn around.

Izuku gave his friend a concerned look, “If you ever want to talk or anything, just let us know.”

Uraraka nodded in agreement, “Yeah! We’re friends, right?”

Iida turned to face them, his face unreadable. For a short moment, he looked at the pair before glancing behind them. He saw Haru awkwardly laughing as Katsuki was ranting at him for some random reason as everyone looked on.

He brought his gaze back to focus and gave Izuku and Uraraka a mild smile, “Yes.”

With that single word, he left.

***

(Unknown location…)

Stain took the dim surroundings of the bar as he eyed the two villains in front of him, “Now I get it. You must be the ones who attacked UA,” he sneered, “You want to recruit me to build up your little group again.”

Tomura Shigaraki replied in his usual raspy voice as he leaned against the bar, “Yeah. It’ll be great. You have so much experience.”

Stain raised an eyebrow, “And what’s your mission?”

“For now, I really just want to kill All Might. I like to destroy anything that pisses me off,” Shigaraki held up a couple of photos of Izuku and Haru during the sports festival, “Like these little brats. Game over.”

Stain’s eyes hardened as the room filled with killing intent, “Why those specific targets?”

Shigaraki disintegrated the photos, “They both thwarted my ultimate goal,” he gritted his teeth, “But the redhead really pissed me off. Playing the part of a hero when he’s just another fake. Only he’s worse. He really thinks he’s helping people when in reality he’s no different from the others. Without hesitation, he tried to kill me and my subordinates, spouting something about being a shinobi and being a member of the Uzumaki Clan, it pisses me off.”

Stain gave the young villain a disgusted look, “Quite a claim. Tell me. Before he tried to kill you, did you happen to attack anyone, more specifically a boy with blonde hair and an Explosion Quirk?”

Kurogiri’s yellow eyes widened in shock. The question was way too specific to be just some random curiosity.

Not realizing the thin ice he was on, Shigaraki shrugged, “Him? He got in our way, so I ordered him killed. He was lucky to get out without a scratch.”

Stain suddenly began to chuckle, shocking both the villains, “To think you still don’t get it. You want someone dead, but you can’t realize the obvious,” his bloodshot eyes pierced into Shigaraki’s soul, “If that boy truly went for the kill, you’d be dead.”

“Well, you weren’t there,” Shigaraki shot back, “He tore my Nomu to pieces and gave me this.”

He lifted his shirt to reveal a healing scar on the stomach.

Stain bȧrėly gave a wound a glance, “Did you see that incident in Musutafu several months ago?”

Kurogiri nodded, “Yes, that was where he first drew our attention.”

“He used explosives,” Stain pointed out, “And yet he did cause harm to the captures victim or to his surroundings. If he had that much precision nearly a year ago, don’t you think he would strike at vital points if he really tried to kill you?”

Kurogiri became thoughtful, “I see. Even though he was clearly ready to kill, his attacks were all aimed to miss fatal wounds. Of course, Nomu was an exception, but the boy knew it had Super-Regeneration. That puts things in a different light, but it makes me wonder, why?”

Stain shrugged, “When a person thinks they could die, more often than not, they’d lose their fighting spirit.”

Shigaraki was glaring daggers at the Hero Killer, “So what if he was faking it or not. I plan to kill him slowly with my own hands.”

A bloodthirsty look appeared in Stain’s eyes, “I was a fool to think you could offer me anything. It turns out, you’re the kind of person I hate most in this world.”

Shigaraki and Kurogiri grunted in mixed surprise and confusion.

Stain reach for his knives, “The goals of your league are the goals of a child. What meaning is there to killing if you don’t have real convictions?”

Stain slowly unsheathed a pair of blades.

Kurogiri looked at the ever-present monitor, “Master, should I step in?”

[Let it happen. It’s possible it the only way he’ll learn anything. He needs to think about the ways he must grow; how he can mȧturė. Only then could he reach his potential.]

Stain moved so quickly, the two villains didn’t have time to react. Less than five seconds later, Kurogiri was bȧrėly leaning against the bar, his body unable to move, while Shigaraki was being pinned to the floor with a knife in his shoulder while another was pinned directly by his head.

“So you want me to be a part of your crumbling league?” Stain mocked, “But you won’t accomplish if you don’t have conviction and dėsɨrė. Without those, you will always be an aimless weakling. Achieving nothing. That’s how you got here.”

Shigaraki let out a hiss of pain, but to his credit he was completely calm, “Hey now, getting a little rough. Kurogiri, take this guy back.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t move!” the misty villain apologized, “It must be the Hero Killer’s Quirk at work.”

“The word ‘hero’ has lost all meaning in this society,” Stain’s tone was bitter, “The world is overrun with fakes. Criminals like you, who chase petty dreams,” his glare deepened, “They must all be purged!”

Shigaraki grabbed the knife next to his head as it was moved to slice into the hand on his face, “What do you think you’re doing?” the villain’s eyes blazed as he made the blade rust away into dust, “If you touch this palm, I’ll kill you,” Stain’s eyes widened slightly as the villain continued, “You sure talk a lot, Hero Killer. Conviction? Maybe I don’t have anything as loaded as that. If I had to choose a dėsɨrė, though… yeah… it would be killing All Might,” a maniac expression grew on Shigaraki’s face, “If this world wants to worship trash like him, then I’ll destroy their beloved Symbol of Peace and then crush them while they’re in shock.”

Stain felt his instincts flare and he leaped back as Shigaraki swiped out at him. The Hero Killer raised his remaining knife out defensively, his expression stern.

“The last of my injuries was finally finished healing, and now this,” Shigaraki complained as he stood up, scratching his neck aggressively as blood stained his shoulder while the wound on his stomach reopened, “You shouldn’t be playing around with knives. We don’t have a healer in our party, you know.”

“If you reconsider killing Haruko Uzumaki we could recruit him,” Kurogiri pointed out tiredly, “His healing skills would be quite useful.”

Stain’s eye flickered slightly, “I see your nature. It seems our goals fundamentally oppose each other,” a small smile lifted his lips, “However, this wasn’t in vain. We agree we need to destroy the present.”

Shigaraki gave Stain a dismissive look, “I’m over this. Leave. Drop dead. I’m the kind of person you hate most, right?”

“I was testing your motives,” Stain resheathed his knife, “People always show their true colors in the face of death. It’s abnormal. There is dėsɨrė. A warped sprout of conviction deep inside of you. How will it bloom in the end, I wonder?” he spread his hand, “Maybe I’ll let you grow. If you don’t turn out well, I’ll take care of you later.”

Shigaraki gripped his bleeding shoulder, “You think you can get rid of me?” he asked in disbelief.

Kurogiri suddenly found himself able to move, “I’m free.”

“Kurogiri, someone as crazy as this will be nothing but a problem for the League of Villains.”

Kurogiri’s looked at his ward, “Please, reconsider. This man can be a great ȧsset if he joins us. I’d say this was a success.”

Stain relaxed, showing he was done speaking, “My business here is done. Now, return me to Hosu. There are still several false heroes I need to take care of there.”

Kurogiri nodded, “As you wish.”

Stain sent Shigaraki another glare, “Oh, another thing.”

The young villain returned the glare, “What is it?”

The Hero Killer licked his lips slightly, “Whatever plans you have for Haruko Bakugo, I suggest you forget them. He’s been on my target list for a while.”

“So you wish to kill him?” Kurogiri was a little surprised.

Stain placed a hand on his knife, “I’ve been watching his actions for several months now. His character interests me. I want to test his mettle myself and see if he’s truly what I am looking for.”

“And what would that be?” Shigaraki growled.

Stain’s face broke into a feral grin, “The one to remake the society that I destroyed.”

***

Haru shivered slightly as he gloomily tramped beside Katsuki from the station.

“Stop moping and keep up already!” Katsuki yelled despite the fact they were both walking at the same pace.

Haru ġrȯȧnėd, “I’m going to be exhausted by the end of the day. An hour from Musutafu to Tokyo because my new costume wasn’t ready until today so I have to come and pick it up and then another five hours from Tokyo to Fukuoka in the opposite direction. I didn’t even get the agency I wanted!” he whɨnėd.

Katsuki popped a vein, “Shut up! You shouldn’t be complaining at all!”

Needless to say, Katsuki was a little salty. He had chosen to intern under Best Jeanist because the hero was the highest-ranking pro who wanted him. Haru had received offers from several top rankers including the aforesaid, number four, Hawks, Edgeshot, and surprisingly Endeavor. Of course, Haru, being under tight surveillance by the Hero Public Safety Commission since the awakening of his new powers, had to have his choice approved by the higher-ups. UA had of course protested this, but this was the only compromise they could get.

Ultimately, Hawks had been approved, much to Haru’s disappointment. He had wanted to intern under Best Jeanist or at least Edgeshot, heroes who understood his fighting style. He would have been okay with Endeavor. The man could probably have demonstrated several ideas for Haru’s Fire Style during the internship. It wasn’t as if Haru had anything against Hawks. As a matter of fact, he was one of Haru’s favorite Heroes. It was just that he knew he was unlikely to really learn anything. The number three hero had a reputation to do all the work himself and leave the paperwork and cleanup to the sidekicks.

Katsuki was mainly mad because Haru had gotten someone with a higher rank than him. Actually, he was also pissed at the Hero Commission but he’d never admit it openly.

The two finally arrived in front of the Genius Office, Best Jeanist’s agency.

Haru suddenly began to sweat, “I just realized, I’m probably going to see her.”

Katsuki sent his brother a hard look, “Which one?”

Haru reached for the door, “My designer.”

Katsuki stomped through the open door, “Quit whining. The hag isn’t that bad.”

“I destroyed her last costume,” Haru held up his briefcase, “I hope she got a creative fever or she’ll rant that her designs were not good enough and make me feel even more guilty than I already do.”

“Tch… Coward.”

***

When they had entered the lobby, the receptionist had asked Katsuki to change into his hero costume. Once the elder Bakugo was fully geared up, the two siblings were led to the main office by one of the sidekicks.

Best Jeanist was there, his back facing them.

“Sir, the intern is here,” the sidekick said.

The blonde hero didn’t move, speaking in a tone Haru knew was reserved for a telling off, “To be perfectly frank, I don’t like you very much.”

Realizing that the words were directed at him, Katsuki bristled slightly, “Huh?”

Best Jeanist turned to face the ash-blonde, “I know full well why you chose my agency. Because I’m one of the top five most popular heroes.”

Katsuki sent the pro an annoyed look, “Hey look, you’re the one who made an offer for me.”

The Fiber Hero sighed, slicked his hair with his hand, “Yes. All my recruits have been perfect little angels,” Haru suppressed a snicker at unintentional pun as Best Jeanist pointed at Katsuki, “You certainly stood out. I watched the way you fought at the sports festival. You have a good handle on your powerful Quirk and a decent grasp of its applications as well. You’re an outstanding talent. I’d say you’re already good enough to take on as a sidekick. However, you do have a fatal flaw. You think you’re the best and you display your belief without regard to how that reflects on you or your image. You have a ferocious nature,” he gave Haru a side glance, “And your brother hasn’t done much to really fix that.”

Katsuki was trembling with suppressed rage, “Don’t tell me you brought me here just to give me a lecture!”

He took a step towards the hero but instantly found his elbows and knees pulled together by several strong threads, rendering him helpless.

“I have to correct people like you,” Best Jeanist stated matter-of-factly, his expression cold, “It’s part of my duty to society. Heroes and villains are cut from the same cloth. So, your job here is to watch me. I’ll show you what makes someone a hero.”

Katsuki glared at Best Jeanist, “What in the hell are you doing?” he demanded angrily.

“Isn’t it obvious?” the hero countered, “I’m educating you into becoming an exemplary pro. That includes being aware of the way you speak, your appearance, your emotions, your morals,” Jeanist’s green eyes glinted, “There are countless things you need to learn in a brief period of a week. I will stitch these things into the fabric of your being. Now… Haru.”

Haru lifted a hand, flicking his wrist upward. A few paper blades sliced through the fibers, setting Katsuki free. Everyone in the room didn’t seem to notice (or they just fixedly ignored) the redhead’s trembling knees.

‘Damn! He’s so scary sometimes!’

Best Jeanist retracted the cut threads, “Now, someone show this one around. His brother and I have an appointment with someone.”

The office door opened as the receptionist entered, “Sir, she’s here.”

“Very good, bring some tea to the meeting room. Be sure it’s our finest quality, she’s very particular.”

“Yes sir.”

***

(Five. Minutes. Later…)

“Do you think she’ll kill me?” Haru asked as he kept stride with his mentor.

The hero let down his stiff facade and chuckled, “I think she has a soft spot for you in particular.”

Haru pondered that a moment, “I mean, my parents know her since she started in the fashion industry…”

Best Jeanist quickly shot that thought down, “More like she sees you as a challenge for her work. She never accepts ordinary jobs. Only people with highly unusual Quirks get items designed by her.”

“So, I’m just a source of entertainment?”

“It’s nothing personal, she sees all her clients that way.”

They were about the enter the meeting room when the door was opened by a small, bespectacled woman with a bob cut. Although clearly Japanese, she spoke rapidly her words laced with a German accent.

“There you are! I’ve been waiting! Come, come, we have much to discuss.”

The designer turned and reentered the room. Despite her short stature, the woman walked with a confident stride all the while holding a cigarette holder with an eternally unlit cigarette in one hand.

Best Jeanist sat down as the woman plopped herself on the couch opposite him, “Thank you for your time, Edna.”

Edna Mode. One of the world’s top fashion and hero support designers. Born of Japanese and German parents, she held the brilliant creativity that rivaled the greatest minds of both countries. A perfectionist who was as demanding of herself as she was of others. As one with a constant dėsɨrė for creation and design, she required high levels of stimulation to take a true interest in a project. This was the woman who had designed Haru’s costume.

Edna dusted some imaginary dust from her skirt as Haru sat down next to his mentor, “Yes, things are going quite well, quite well. No complaints… but it is… not the same at all. Clients used to be more challenging.”

The hero smiled from behind his collar, “Wasn’t there some story in the news about you turning down a commission by Mount Lady or something?”

Edna lifted her nose in the air scornfully, “Superheroine. Hah! I see nothing super about her. Spoilt top-heavy stick figure with poofy lips who thinks mainly about herself.”

The two sitting across. from her sweatdropped at the irate woman’s tirade. The receptionist hurried in with a tray of tea before making herself scarce. Still huffy, Edna grumpily served herself some of the hot beverage her every move refined and professional.

Seeing that she had calmed, Best Jeanist signaled Haru to set his briefcase on the coffee table.

“This is the damaged costume. The school cleaned it, but it was beyond repair to use again. You’re the only one who knows what it’s made of, so we hoped you could help.”

Edna opened the case, muttering to herself as she slipped her hand through the hole in the shoulder from Shigaraki’s Decay, “This robe is made from optimal materials and you tore right through it!” she hopped off the couch and made a beeline for the nearest wastebasket, “This is a hobo suit, dahling! You can’t be seen in it! I won’t allow it! A month ago, maybe, but now… Feh!” she made a sound of disgust as she threw the costume away.

Best Jeanist raised an eyebrow, “With all due respect, E, you’re the one who designed it.”

The designer returned to her seat, brushing off the hero’s comment, “I never look back, dahling! It distracts from the now. Luckily I heard the first suit didn’t satisfy so I immediately began work on a better one before you even called me.”

She set a holo disc on the table. After stabbing in a code with the buŧŧ end of her cigarette stick, the projector turned on, revealing a 3D projection of the new costume.

Haru leaned forward, “What did–”

Edna quickly hushed him as she made her pitch, “Of course, I covered the basics, but I made multiple improvements to the original,” the hologram began a demonstration as she described each feature, “This new suit can now withstand temperatures of over one thousand degrees (537.78 C), a difficult feat, dahling, considering the choice of material to optimize your paper transformation, it’s a work in progress. Expect an update at some point,” she took a sip of her tea, “Using spider silk as a base, it is breathable, resistant to wear, and when reinforced by your Quirk, completely bulletproof. I also made it waterproof, electric resistant, and machine washable, a new feature.”

Haru would be lying to say he was displeased, but this was a little unnerving, “What kind of situations do you think I’ll be put in?”

Edna shrugged, “I’m sure I don’t know, dahling, luck favors the prepared.”

The hologram changed to reveal a different uniform that looked similar to Haru’s base costume.

“You redid his inner costume,” Best Jeanist said as a statement, not surprised at all.

Edna huffed, “The original suit was out of the question, I did a complete overhaul of the entire design,” the hologram zoomed in to show the details, “I optimized this part of the costume for better breathability and movement while keeping a few defensive features. I replaced the mail with a simple top. The collar extends to cover the lower half of the face, providing a mask for filtered breathing in the case of smoke while making the expression harder to read during a battle,” she pointed her cigarette holder at Haru warningly, “Do not think it will filter germs or gas, that’s not how a cloth mask works!”

Haru nodded dutifully, “Yes, ma’am.”

The designer muttered something about amateur doctors and leaned back in her seat a smug look on her feature, “So! What do you think?”

Haru looked at Best Jeanist who gave a nod of approval and looked back at her, “I think it’s perfect!”

Edna pulled out a remote and pressed a buŧŧon. A moment later, the door to the room opened and a man walked in carrying a briefcase.

“Enjoy your new suit, dahling. I’m sure your gratitude is quite inexpressible. Do not ask me for last-minute projects again, my schedule is far too busy,” Edna said dismissively as she made her way out of the room.

Best Jeanist stood up to accompany her out, “Thanks, E. We’ll be sure you are compensated–”

“I’m joking!” the woman showed a rare smile, standing on her tiptoes to pinch Haru’s cheek, “I enjoy every minute working for this one,” she gave the blonde hero a stern look, “Just remember I am that boy’s exclusive designer throughout the known universes and until the end of time.”

***

After Edna left, Best Jeanist had Haru follow him back to the office.

“Your brother and I will be patrolling later, we’ll accompany you to the station before the next train to Fukuoka,” the hero said, “While we wait, we’ll try and give your brother a makeover.”

Haru sweatdropped, “Please don’t go too hard on him.”

“I’m sure he’s a tough guy. He’ll be fine.”

They reentered the office where Katsuki was lividly waiting.

“About time, you bastard.”

Haru body flickered behind his brother, slapping his head with a harisen fan.

“Stop using that word!”

Katsuki ġrȯȧnėd and threw a glare at his sibling, “You want to die?”

Haru suddenly wilted and took a step back. Katsuki quickly realized the reason for this when a strong hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him into a chair.

“Lesson one,” Best Jeanist spoke seriously as he picked up a hairbrush, “To be a good pro, you must calm those in danger and give them peace of mind. You must be capable of course, but there are other things to consider. Physical appearance, speech, and actions must all be… elegant. You must give off the aura of a hero. Do you understand?”

Katsuki was rendered speechless as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His spiky ash blonde hair was neatly slicked down.

“Another perfect style, Best Jeanist!” the sidekicks in the room chorused.

Haru slapped a hand to his mouth, his shoulders shaking, “Pffffffffff…”

Katsuki was too shocked to get mad. ‘Damn it! I came to the wrong hero agency!’

There was a poof as the elder Katsuki’s hair exploded back into its original form.

“This may bit a little difficult than I originally thought,” Best Jeanist hummed.

Haru used both hands to hold his briefcase behind his back. Being sure to avoid eye contact with everyone, he sneakily floated a bottle of hair spray to the table right behind Best Jeanist.

Hearing a small thud of an object being set down, the hero turned and picked up the bottle. He glanced at it, then at Haru, raising an eyebrow. Haru just looked away, whistling innocently.

***

Three figures made their way down the street. Two of them wore hero costumes while the third wore a UA uniform.

“There’s been a little bit of villain activity since the USJ Incident,” Best Jeanist warned, “This just be a patrol but keep your guard up.”

Katsuki, wearing slim jeans and with his hair slicked down rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah.”

Best Jeanist glanced at the ash-blonde teen from over his shoulder, “Here’s a question for you. Patrols are mainly meant to deter villains from committing any crimes, but they also have a secondary purpose. What is it?”

Katsuki’s face twisted in a feral grin, “If we see some bad guys, we can beat them up on the spot!”

“Incorrect,” the hero responded sharply.

A couple of schoolgirls recognized the hero and called out to him. Best Jeanist gave them an acknowledging wave, making them swoon.

“The answer is: To remind people who we are. Our presence gives the public peace of mind. This helps weave a tapestry of trust between the protectors and the protected.”

Katsuki clicked his tongue in annoyance, “I think you just like being recognized.”

“Hey! I’ve seen that blonde guy on tv before!” a nearby child called out.

Katsuki sighed. ‘Another fan from the sports festival…’

“Yeah, a villain caught him and he almost cried like a baby!”

Haru took a step forward as Katsuki’s hair exploded back to its original spikiness.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?” he towered over the child and his friends, causing them all to cry.

Best Jeanist gave a tired sigh.

Haru placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, gripping it painfully. Katsuki glared at him and noticed Haru’s closed-eyed smile.

“Stop scaring the children, Katsuki, or I’ll smite you.”

Katsuki’s anger meter went down a couple of notches, “Yeah, fine,” he placed his hands on his hɨps leaning over a bit until he was at the children’s level, “Listen up. I wasn’t helpless. I was just coming up with ways to fight him. Sometimes a hero has to pretend that he is caught,” his glare intensified, “You think I would lose? You eat those words when I’m the new number one hero! YOU DUMB KIDS WILL NEVER LAUGH AT ME AGAIN IF YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU!”

The children screamed and ran to the nearest object of safety, which coincidently turn out to be Haru. The redhead wasn’t even capable of being angry as he gave his elder sibling a ‘what the heck?’ look. He petted the children’s hair, calming them down from their fight, giving everyone nearby the mental image of a mother hen with her chicks.

Best Jeanist pinched the bridge of his nose, “What am I going to do with him?”