Shikigami Dance: Naruto/BNHA Crossover - Chapter 49

“Wow! That match was intense,” Uraraka exclaimed, “Both Haru and Kirishima had a hard time winning that. I had no idea Cementoss was so strong!”

Recovery Girl shook her head, “As far as the practical exams go, All Might, Present Mic, Cementoss, and Midnight are especially hard opponents for you kids to best. Every one of the teachers at UA has years of experience, training, and time on their side.”

The intercom buzzed out a warning, [Team Asui and Tokoyami! Practical Exam! Ready? Go!]

Izuku and Uraraka eagerly watched the beginning of the match between the two students and Ectoplasm with high enthusiasm.

At first, the pro hero’s clones had the two students surrounded, but Tokoyami used Dark Shadow to throw Tsuyu to a higher level of the circular mall they were fighting in and Tsuyu used her frog-like tongue to pull him along with her.

The duo’s movements were executed quickly and with precision, allowing them to escape instantly.

“Nice!” Uraraka cheered.

Izuku’s face was lit up as he took notes on the action, “An escape only the two of them can pull off!”

The door to the room slid open and Kirishima walked in, “Hey! Did the next match start yet?”

“Kirishima!” Izuku looked past the other boy questioningly, “Where’s Haru?”

Kirishima blinked in confusion and looked around, “He was next to me a second ago. Where is he?”

“Ahem,” Recovery Girl was tapping her foot on the ground as she looked at the doorway, “Young man, come here.”

Much to the other three students’ shock, A pair of hands appeared around the doorway a moment before Haru’s upper face peeked into view.

“Can I stay here?”

Recovery Girl frowned at his question and pointed at the floor before her, “Come. Here.”

Haru gloomily obeyed, keeling before his mentor with his hand on his knees and his shoulder’s hunched.

A sharp rap cracked through the room as Recovery Girl’s cane smacked his head, making everyone wince.

With a final huff, Recovery Girl returned to her place by the display monitor.

Kirishima gaped at Haru’s crushed demeanor, “What did she say?”

For some reason, Haru had broken down into silent tears, ” I don’t know! I’m only bilingual! I have no idea what she’s saying!”

“Then why…?”

“I! DON’T! KNOW!”

Uraraka gripped her class rep by the shoulders, shaking him like a rag doll, “Get a hold of yourself!”

Haru rapidly blinked his eyes multiple times as his expression calmed. He placed a hand over his face as he sighed.

“Damn it. The old lady did it again.”

Izuku’s eyebrows shot up, “Again?”

The four students yelped in fear at the old heroine’s tone.

Recovery Girl hid a smile as she sat herself down in front of the screen, “Now take look at how your classmates work. Tokoyami is quick and can attack from afar, allowing him to keep his distance. Those are all strengths, but looking at it another way, it means he’s weak at close range.”

“Wow, I never thought of his powers like that,” Uraraka mused.

“And Mr. Ectoplasm’s clones can appear anywhere unexpectedly,” Izuku added

“Not to mention his clones work as a hive mind to the original,” Haru moved to stand by Recovery Girl’s seat, “Since they require a strong attack to be beaten, they are tricky to deal with. If Tsuyu wasn’t with him, Tokoyami would be in big trouble.”

“Ah yes. Asui,” Recovery Girl shifted her gaze to the screen showing the girl crawling across the ceiling, “A stellar student with no clear weaknesses. She can provide support to her ally, but she’s important in another way too. Her level-headedness and ability to provide emotional support are the key to their passing.”

They all watched in silence as the testing students reached the final room with the exit to find Ectoplasm waiting for them.

Kirishima squinted as he watched the pro belching out a glowing fluid from his mouth, “What the…”

Izuku and Uraraka gasped in horror as a giant clone of the mathematics teacher appeared on the screen and chomp down on the stunned Tokoyami and Asui.

Haru passively watched as he saw Dark Shadow shoot out from the clone trapping his master and making a beeline for the exit, “He won’t make it.”

His prediction turned out to be correct as the sentient Quirk was slammed across the head by Ectoplasm’s peg leg.

Kirishima watched in awe as he watched the hero dance around Dark Shadow, dealing out swift and brutal punishment whenever it attacked or tried to push past him, “I never thought Ectoplasm would be so fast. He so manly!”

“The man may have prosthetics instead of legs, but he’s turned that into a strength rather than a weakness,” Recovery Girl explained, “Not many people can handle being hit by the equivalent of a metal bat.”

Haru suddenly looked squeamish, “Guys, don’t look at Tsu.”

Of course, they all automatically looked.

“Mmmrph!” Uraraka turned green and held her hand to her mouth.

Haru hurried to her side, “I said don’t look!” he placed a hand to her back, activating his mystical palm to calm her stomach.

Kirishima, looking away from the sight gave the other redhead a strained grin, “Geez, man. Give us a better warning next time.”

[Team Asui and Tokoyami have passed the final!]

Uraraka gave a shaky smile after nearly losing her lunch, “Great! They won!”

“Haru, be sure to check up on their injuries,” Recovery Girl instructed, “Consider this a test of your knowledge during your apprenticeship under me.”

Haru nodded in response, “Yes, Granny Chiyo.”

***

[Team Iida and Ojiro have passed the final.]

“Impressive teamwork!” Kirishima beamed.

Haru looked up from tending Tokoyami’s minor scrapes and bruises, “It makes sense. Ojiro is an easygoing guy while Iida is all about the rules, but when it comes down to teamwork, they’ll pull through any day,” he nudged Dark Shadow’s head away as it tried to monopolize his attention as he held a hand over his classmate’s ċhėst, “Heal!”

The other students in the room stared in awe at the pale light glimmering from his hand from the sealing miniature sealing formula that appeared.

Izuku’s eye sparkled as if Christmas had come early, “So cool! Is this a new move? What is it? Is it anything like Mystical Palm!”

Haru held out his palm facing upward as a small sealing formula appeared, floating above his hand, “Voice-activated Fuinjustu. I ‘programmed’ the Sealing Jutsu to activate on command, automatically channeling a measured amount of Yang chakra into a selected person. It restores stamina, performs minor healing, and nullifies pain. The principal helped me create it.”

Tsuyu watched as Haru applied the technique to her as well, “That’s amazing. Ribbit! I’m sure that will be useful.”

Haru clenched his hand, staring at it thoughtfully, “It’s only a minor relief until I can perform more complicated healing that requires more focus. It’s a better alternative than the Beal Bite but it still uses a small part of my life force.”

Uraraka frowned, remembering Aizawa’s warning about using the Heal Bite, “Wait, what?”

“Before anyone gets concerned…” Recovery Girl interrupted, “Your class rep’s lifeforce is much more considerable than the average person. It wouldn’t surprise me if he lived past a hundred. A move like that is like a single drop to a lake. The reason why the Heal Bite is dangerous is because of its unrestrained nature.”

Izuku and Uraraka sighed if releif.

An alarm blared, announcing the next match.

[Team Todoroki and Yaoyorozu! Practical Exam! Ready? Go!]

***

(Later…)

“Got a little careless there, huh Sensei?”

Aizawa scowled at his student as he sat on the bed in the temporary nurse’s office, away from the other student.

“Do you want extra homework?”

Haru schooled his face into a neutral expression as he dabbed the gauze against the shallow cut on his teacher’s cheek, “Bold words to say to the person healing your wounds.”

Aizawa’s scowl deepened, “A single cut. I could have taken care of it myself.”

“And yet, here you are,” Haru let out a short chuckle as he used Mystical Palm on his teacher’s cut, “I’m impressed that Todoroki got you with that surprise attack. Those icicle bullets are something else.”

Aizawa sighed, “Forming ice into pointed bullets on his fingers before firing them at point-blank range. He’s taking too much from your book.”

“And… that’s bad…” Haru tilted his head.

“Problem child.”

Haru scratched the back of his head letting out an awkward chuckle, “Need anything for the eyes?”

“I’m good. Good back to the observation room.”

***

“…”

[Team Uraraka and Aoyama have passed the final!]

“…”

Izuku laughed in relief, “Uraraka’s judgment was great! I can’t believe she used her opponent’s power to get in close!”

Haru was completely deadpan, “…”

‘Should I tell him?’

Tsuyu was skeptical, “Ribbit! I don’t know. It looked to me like Ochaco just lost focus and let go for a second.”

Izuku looked at her questioningly, “Oh, really?”

She nodded, “Uh-huh. She and Aoyama were talking. I wonder what Aoyama said that shocked her so much?”

Izuku shrugged, “Who knows. It’s too bad we couldn’t hear their conversations.

“Yeah, too bad,” Haru repeated attempting to hide the fact he guessed the subject of said conversation.

“You know something, Class Rep?” Tsuyu asked, noticing his behavior.

“May-be,” he glanced at Izuku from the corner of his eyes, mischief evident in the look, “An answer to a maiden’s prayer…”

Recovery Girl spun her seat around to give the teen a warning look, “What do you know about maiden’s prayers?”

Haru raised his hands defensively, sweatdropping, “Nothing! It was just an expression!”

Tokoyami solemnly closed his eyes, “The void of the unknown.”

Izuku looked confused, “Wait? What’s do you mean by maiden’s prayer?”

Tsuyu shook her head, “Trust me. Just leave it.”

“Oh, uh… Okay…”

The doors to the room slid open as Iida and Yaoyorozu entered.

“Uraraka won! Not surprising,” Iida praised the brunette on the screen, “I’m happy for her.”

Izuku smiled in response, “Yeah, and you both passed too! Congrats!”

Iida gave the mossy-haired boy a rare smile, “Thank you for your enthusiasm,” he looked past him to look at Haru, “Congratulations on passing, Class Rep.”

Haru raised a couple of fingers in a salute, “Impressive work, Enginium. How are you taking to the new name?”

Iida brightened even more, “I am honored to bear it. I must thank you for suggesting it. Now that my brother is back to his duties it would have been awkward to use the same name.”

“I just switched the I and the E of Ingenium. It wasn’t that creative of me,” Haru admitted.

Iida gave him a small bow, “Nevertheless, I’m grateful.”

[Team Ashido and Kaminari! Practical Exam! Ready? Go!]

Yaoyorozu instantly took interest, “They’re meant to fight Principal Nezu. I curious to see him in action.”

Haru’s eyes glazed over, “Oh, they’re doomed.”

***

(Meanwhile…)

“Okay!” Ashido looked over at Kaminari as the two of them ran through the maze of factories and machinery of the industrial training ground, “So, what do you want to do?”

A few months ago, Kaminari would have said something like, ‘Ah, let’s just run. Even if he does find us, he’s tiny. I can take care of him with my electricity.’

But he didn’t say this for several reasons.

First, there was the philosophy Haru once quoted from a crazy old unc-wise old man in a forest. ‘Size Matters Not’

Second, he understood that appearances were deceiving. After all that had happened in the past year, learning under Aizawa, training with yakuza, fighting villains, making friends, he understood this fact all too well.

Third, and most importantly, he heard about Principal Nezu from Haru. It wasn’t much information, but even he could understand that if someone was much smarter than you, you have a problem.

“We’d better find a way out of here quickly without attracting too much attention,” he stated in a sober tone, surprising his teammate, “Our opponent isn’t much of a fighter, but he’s probably the top strategist in the country. Unless we happen to figure out exactly where he is, we don’t have a snowball’s chance at beating him directly.”

Ashido paled, beginning to cry crocodile tears, “Ah man! And I thought we had gotten lucky!” she pouted, “Since when did you come up with plans? What happened to beings stupid?”

Kaminari sent her a smug smile, “I guess hanging out with all the smart people are rubbing off on me!”

There was a distant sound of creaking metal that made the two students halt in their tracks.

Ashido looked around in confusion, “What’s that noise?”

Kaminari glanced over his shoulder, “It’s getting louder. It couldn’t be the principal, could it?” a shadow of fear passed over the electric blonde’s face as realization hit, “Oh crap.”

There was a final crash of metal as the factory pipes above them snapped and hurtled down towards them.

“LOOK OUT!”

Kaminari grabbed Ashido by her costume his body crackling with yellow electricity as he dashed himself to the end of the street.

He shut off his Quirk, steadying a shaken Ashido as he saw the collapse moving towards him.

“****!”

Both students ran down the street as fast as their legs could carry them.

“KAMINARI, WHAT IS GOING ON?” Ashido screeched as she fled for her life.

Kaminari screamed back at her, “I DON’T KNOW! IT MUST BE THE PRINCIPAL!” he used his electricity to give himself and his partner another headstart, “WHAT THE HELL? IS THIS SOME SORT OF KARMA FOR EARLIER? FINE! I’M SORRY! OKAY, I DIDN’T GET SMARTER! HAPPY?”

***

From the top of a wrecking ball crane a short distance away, Nezu calmly took a sip from his teacup, “Why yes, I am,” he reached out a paw, using the controls to send the wrecking ball towards its next target, “I can cause chain reactions depending on what I destroy.”

The crane swung around, smashing down the wall to a building full of electrical generators. The generators inside were crushed under the debris, exploding as a result. The explosions caused more damage which in turn caused more damage several times over.

“Such calculations are as simple for me to make as a cup of tea,” Nezu observed the movements of the two fleeing students, “Unfortunately, those two don’t realize that one by one I’m sealing off every direct path to the escape gate!” he cackled, nearly spilling the teacup he was drinking from, “A genius villain can always win from afar! AHAHAHAHAHA!”

***

(Back in the observation room…)

Recovery Girl leaned a cheek against her hand, as the principal’s maniacal laughter rang over the speakers, “Nezu is a truly unique being you won’t find anywhere else in the world. In the past, humans conducted horrible experiments on him. So, in times like this, he gets his vengeance.”

Haru stared at the screen, “Nezu: Principal of UA High School. Species: Unknown. Mutant Quirk: High Spec. Grants intelligence, perception, and comprehension beyond human capability and perfect photographic memory. IQ-wise, he easily reaches the 250 range. The only weakness to the Quirk is lack of information. It can only work with the information it is given,” he looked at the screen, “From where he is, Nezu is unstoppable. The only way to win this match is to take the opening he gives you,” his shoulders sank in the gloom, “It’s unnerving how fast he thinks. He’s already absorbed all the knowledge about Fuinjutsu that I have even though he can’t use it. I’m the one who’s supposed to have an affinity and he’s surpassed a grandmaster level in knowledge in only a few weeks.”

Needless to say, Haru had spent a few sleepless nights at one point upon realizing how dangerous Fuinjutsu was and that he had given it to a person who held a grudge against humanity. Only the fact Nezu could not use chakra gave the Uzumaki peace of mind.

Nezu wouldn’t figure out a way around that, right?

Haru swore that if the walking furry pulled an awakening and started using Jutsu, his soul would flee to the afterlife faster than a demon running from holy water.

Also, he had to make sure never to activate any of the seals Nezu inscribed without thoroughly examining it first.

It never hurt to be too careful.

***

[Team Ashido and Kaminari have failed due to the time expiring.]

Nezu sipped his tea and looked directly at the spectators at the other side of the observation screen, “And here I went and left and escape route open for them because I’m so nice… AHAHAHAHAHA!”

***

Chills zipped up everyone’s spines.

“They lost,” Izuku breathed out in disbelief.

Iida adjusted his glasses, “They never even saw their opponent. I can’t imagine how frustrated they must be.”

Haru looked at Kaminari’s devastated expression with saddened eyes, “And Kaminari worked so hard to improve his skills these past months. He didn’t get to do anything.”

The doors slid open as Uraraka ran in, “Mina’s team lost the battle?”

Yaoyorozu nodded sadly, “Yes, their opponent’s strategy was flawless. They just couldn’t beat him.”

The brunette girl clenched her fists in disappointment, “That’s terrible!” she looked in pity at the two defeated students on the screen, “They must be crushed.”

Iida tried to change the subject, not wanting to dwell on another’s misfortune when they weren’t present, “But you passed. Congratulations!”

Uraraka’s frown faded as she smiled at his enthusiasm, “Thanks, you too, Iida.”

Tsuyu raised a finger to her cheek, “Ochako, what were you talking to Aoyama about right before the end of your match against Thirteen?”

The question caught the other girl off guard, “Uh… oh… well…”

‘Do you like him?’

Remembering Aoyama’s question, cause her face to blush a bright pink as she waved her arms around frantically, “It was nothing! You’ve got it all wrong! It was just battle stuff, understand? I promise, you guys!”

Iida gave her a strange look, “What’s the matter with you?”

A question mark appeared over the oblivious Izuku’s head.

Tsuyu gave her friend a blank look. Something happened out there, huh Ochako.

“The deep secrets of the mysterious mind,” Tokoyami murmured.

Dark Shadow peered from over his shoulder, “Uraraka has a cru–” his mouth was covered by Haru’s hand.

“Let this play out.”

The Quirk snickered in amusement returning to its master.

The alarm caught them all by surprise.

[Team Koda and Jiro. Practical Exam. Ready? Go!]

***

(Ground Omega…)

Jiro and Koda looked at each other as they discussed their strategy.

“Let’s avoid Present Mic if possible,” Jiro suggested, “We should head straight for the escape gate. Sound good?”

Koda gave her a thumb’s up and nodded in response.

Jiro took the lead, “Then let’s hit it.”

In agreement, the two students ran through the forested area towards the exit gate.

***

“The practical exam matches student’s up with teachers they’re supposed to have a problem against. That’s the whole point, right,” Iida asked.

Yaoyorozu had a worried expression on her face, “Yes…”

Izuku looked solemn, “It’s clear to see what this team’s weaknesses are.”

Kirishima rested his hands on his hɨps, “Yeah.”

Tsuyu nodded, “I agree. What are they going to do against Present Mic?”

“Both of them have sound-related Quirks,” Izuku analyzed, “But their opponent will be able to drown out everything around them.”

Haru didn’t say anything as his eyes remained glued to the dark-haired girl on the screen, a preoccupied look on his face.

Even so, he remained aware enough to notice Dark Shadow appearing beside him.

“Jiro looks really nice today, Class Rep,” it murmured in his ear, “Or maybe she always looks nice to you.”

Haru rubbed the back of his head as a slight hint of pink dusted his cheeks, “You think so?” he paused, “Wait a minute…”

“Dark Shadow, behave,” Tokoyami reprimanded under his breath.

Haru held up a hand as he whispered to the sentient Quirk, “Ashido updated her ship list. Apparently, Tsu and your master are the newest hot topic.”

Dark Shadow giggled as Tokoyami grunted in surprise, trying not to reveal he had overheard.

“Hey, Asui!”

Tsuyu looked up at Dark Shadow, “Yes?”

Dark Shadow opened its mouth to speak but noticed the tiny ball of fire Haru was casually playing between his fingers.

“This match is going to be interesting, don’t you think?” it asked hurriedly.

Tokoyami breathed a sigh of relief and Haru snuffed out his flames.

***

Present Mic stood in front of the escape gate, sighing in boredom.

“Come on, let’s finish this set,” he ġrȯȧnėd, “Some people have arbor ardor but I’m more of a city kitty, yuh dig?” he took a deep breath, “YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Using his Quirk: Voice, the hero’s scream rose to a high pitch that pierced through the foliage of the forest, quickly taking effect.

***

Jiro and Koda covered their ears unable to move from the pain.

The girl gritted her teeth, “So loud!” she looked desperately at her teammate, “Koda, you can communicate with animals, can’t you? Try and get some birds to attack him or something!”

Koda waved his hand desperately signaling that even if he wanted to risk the animal’s lives for that, Present Mic’s voice would drive them away.

Jiro fought back the throbbing in her head, “His shouts make me feel like my eardrums are going to burst. He’s like a superpowered death amp! A speaker of doom!” they both took off running, hoping to avoid the next yell, “There’s no way we can get close to him, and even if we could, he’d probably see us coming. I bet he’s just standing at the gate, waiting for us.”

“COME OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!”

The scream hit them like a brick wall.

Jiro bit back a whimper of pain, “M-my ears!”

“I’M GETTING BORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRED! HURRY UP ALREADYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!”

The two students were driven to their knees, their hands pressed to their ears.

“Any more of this and we might go deaf,” Jiro said, searching her surroundings for something to help. She placed her hand on a nearby boulder to push herself up when she noticed a small, black insect crawling on it, “An ant?” her face lit up, “Hey, Koda! You control bugs and stuff, right?” she held up the ant for the boy to see, “Look at this. An ally!”

Koda’s face became overshadowed with fear as he let out a muted scream.

Jiro blinked in confusion, holding the ant closer to his face.

Koda let out another frightened cry as he ran to hide behind a tree.

Jiro deadpanned, “So. He doesn’t like bugs.”

The screams caught Present Mic’s attention, “THERE YOU ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRE!”

Jiro cringed and tried to use her own sound waves to try and cancel out the yell.

The attempt failed as the screaming overpowered the girl’s heartbeat.

“LET’S MAKE SOME NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOISE!”

Once again Jiro was driven to her knees, “Koda, tell me, can you control bugs or not?” she snapped out.

Koda gave her a trembling thumbs up to signify yes.

Jiro rammed her earphone jack into the boulder, “Good!”

The large stone burst as it was injected with sound. Underneath an ȧssortment of bug life writhed as their cover was exposed.

Koda, now completely terrified, screamed.

Jiro was getting desperate, “Sorry, I know it’s scary–”

“YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

She let out a cry of pain, trying to block out the sound with her hands as she yelled over the scream, “–Our opponent is way too strong! It’s the only thing I can think of!” the scream faded and she lowered her voice to a regular volume, “If you can pull it off, we still have a chance,” she sent the boy a reassuring smile, “You can do it. You want to be a hero, don’t you? If so, then we’ve got to pass!”

Koda opened his tear-stained eyes and gasped on seeing a trail of blood trickling from the girl’s ears. He stared at the bugs, his fear nearly causing him to faint as the edges of his vision darkened.

Steeling himself, he gritted his teeth and leaned over the creepy crawlies.

“Comeonlittleoneshearmycallnowitistimetotakeoutthemanwhoisresponsibleforallthisterriblenoise!”

Jiro completely freaked, “You can talk?”

***

At the gate, Present Mic whistled nonchalantly, “What’s the deal? Are they going to run down the clock and hide out the whole time?”

He felt a slight movement by his foot and look down.

The earth by his feet erupted as a swarm of various insects and their cousins crawled up the DJ’s leg.

The training ground echoed with the hero’s scream before he fell over in a complete faint, foaming at the mouth.

***

(Observation room…)

Haru deadpanned at the unconscious Present Mic, as Koda princess carried the injured Jiro through the escape gate, “All voice and no stomach,” he said uncharitably, seemingly miffed at the Voice Hero for some odd reason.

The other student seemed to disagree.

“That’s tough, even for a pro…” Iida grunted out, a little shaken at the sight of bugs swarming a grown man like in some retro horror film.

“Wow, Koda,” Izuku spoke in a similar tone, “Harsh move.”

Recovery Girl seemed to agree with Haru, “He let a few bugs beat him?”

[Team Koda and Jiro have passed the exam.]

Kirishima grinned, “Nice! They passed!” he looked at Haru, “Pretty creative of them, huh Class Rep?”

He stopped when he only saw the blinking outline of where Haru had been standing a moment before.

“Haru?”

***

Jiro hissed in pain as she was accidentally jolted, “Ow, ow, ow!”

Koda began sweating profusely as he stared down at her in concern.

Jiro gave him a reassuring smile, “I’ll be fine, Koda. Thanks for the help.”

The teenage boy nodded furiously.

There was a slight rush of wind as Haru suddenly appeared at the entrance to the observation building.

“I’ll carry her from here,” he stepped forward, reaching out his arms for the female student.

Jiro felt herself grow hot and tried to protest, “Wait, I’m fine! I don’t need to be–”

She was cut off by Haru’s steady arms, sliding under her, and pulled her to his ċhėst before she realized it had happened.

“Your eardrums have been ruptured,” Haru ran a quick diagnosis as healing chakra emanated from his arms and into the girl he was now carrying, “Due to the exposure to loud sound frequencies, the cells in your cochlea have been damaged. You may have brain injuries as well,” he looked up at Koda, “I’ll take you both to the recovery room to heal.”

Turning red in embarrassment, Jiro hid her face inside Haru’s robe, not daring to look at him.

Over her head, Haru suddenly had a giddy grin on his face, silently screaming over how cute she looked. He stopped when he saw Koda giving him a thumbs up but nodded in response just the same.

***

“There,” Haru sighed as he finally heard the peaceful breathing coming from Jiro as he finished healing her, “Now let’s check your injuries, Koda.”

Haru seated the other boy across from him and activated his Mystical Palm and placed them on both sides of his head, feeling for the damage caused by Present Mic.

“It seems your physical made you more resilient to Voice’s sound waves. Some minor damage to the ear canal and slight brain trauma. Your heartbeat is a bit off, something bothering you?”

Koda fidgeted with his hands, remaining dumb.

Haru didn’t press and continued to soothe the pain, waiting.

“S-she had to fight because I-I ran away! It’s my fault!” Koda’s childlike voice sounded strange from his large body, but it fit with his gentle and timid personality in a complimentary way.

Haru kept his expression calm as he spoke in a conversational tone, “You suffer from entomophobia, correct? I’m just guessing from your reaction during the test.”

Koda nodded, furiously.

Haru hummed deep in his throat, “There’s nothing to be ashamed of in being scared. Fear is a natural thing. It’s how humans are. It’s how we deal with it that fear that can make us stand apart from others. You showed fortitude when you pushed past your fear and won the match. You did a good job.”

Koda quirked an awkward smile at the praise, “Th-thank you… I’ll get stronger!”

Haru held up a finger, “Someone once told me that power and perfection are overrated. Choose to do what makes you happy. Don’t get stronger for strength itself. Be sure that strength has a purpose..”

Koda nodded in understanding, “Mmm!”

***

(Later in the observation room…)

“…Kill me now…” Haru strained from the bottom of his throat as he stared at the screen.

Izuku was frozen in shock speaking in the same tone, “What is he doing?”

After seeing Hagakure and Shoji’s impressive win a few minutes before, everyone couldn’t help but deadpan at the sight of Mineta running away, wailing at the top of his lungs.

Haru moved to crouch in the corner in shame, unable to live with the fact he was a class representative for… this travesty.

The other members of 1A in the room sent silent prayers for his peace of mind.

“But he was looking forward to the training camp so much,” Izuku wondered aloud, “Why is he ready to give up now?”

“I don’t know if he can bounce back from this,” Recovery Girl admitted with a sigh.

***

Midnight gave a sadistic smirk at the tiny figure fleeing from her as she cradled the sleeping Sero in her ŀȧp.

“Where are you going, Grape Juice? The gate’s the other way,” she chimed after him.

Mineta turned to look back, crying tears of blood in rage at the other boy, “Sero, you bastard! I’ll never forgive you for getting to be in her ŀȧp!”

***

Everyone had the same dumbstruck expression. ‘Is he crying blood?’

Haru looked up from his corner, where mushrooms had sprouted among the dank gloom or his aura, “I wash my hands of him.”

They all watched as Mineta frantically ran away, openly cursing Sero for sling-shooting him to safety and getting caught.

Instead of being happy to have avoided capture, he was more upset over the fact that the other boy and not he was being held by the R-Rated Hero.

“It might be hard for a kid like that to make it out of this school,” Recovery Girl observed.

Kirishima looked at her questioningly, “Wait, what do you mean?”

“UA is constantly creating new obstacles for our students to overcome,” Recovery Girl explained, “In order to move forward successfully, students need to have a concrete goal to focus on. If your dėsɨrė is to just be a hero for no reason, your path isn’t going to be easy. If some who only wants to be a hero reaches their goal, then they have no real future,” she placed a hand to her chin thoughtfully, “I wonder… is there a goal in that child’s heart he can focus on to win.”

At that moment, the sound tuned in for them all to hear as they heard Mineta gasp under his breath.

[I want girls to love me… so I can touch them…]

“Well, that’s straightforward,” Recovery Girl somehow managed to keep a straight face, “Haru, stop growing mushrooms in the corner.”

There was a sound of chewing as Dark Shadow hovered among the group with an armful of the fungi it had collected from Haru’s corner, munching them like popcorn.

The other student sweatdropped.

***

[Team Mineta and Sero have passed the exam!]

“Seems that he pulled one over all of us,” Recovery Girl mused, impressed, “He tricked Midnight into a trap and used his Quirk to keep her from stopping him from escaping with Sero. Seems like he has a scheming mind in that head.”

Tsuyu looked at Haru who was still slumped in the corner, “Are you alright, Class Rep?”

They all looked over to the corner to see Haru meditating.

“Class Rep?” Yaoyorozu called out, receiving no response.

Recovery Girl chuckled, “Now that the drama’s over, he’s probably preparing for the next match.”

Uraraka blinked and noticed Izuku was gone, “Oh yeah, Deku and Bakugo are fighting All Might next.”

Iida’s face looked grim, “I think this fight may be the hardest out of all the others.”