Shikigami Dance: Naruto/BNHA Crossover - Chapter 51

The massive gates to the cityscape training area of Ground Beta slammed shut behind the two hero students.

Katsuki’s boots thumped softly against the pavement as he walked, his eyes staring straight ahead as bitter memories flowed through his mind.

‘I don’t know what’s going on with your power, but I saw the way you were using it now and I want you to know. It’s seriously pissing me off.’

Katsuki turned a fierce glare in Izuku’s direction, causing the other boy to flinch.

‘I won’t have a half-assed result from you like at the festival. We’ll be getting individual scores in the upcoming finals. New rankings. So we’ll all know exactly where we’re standing. I’ll show you how much better I am.’

He looked away, his glare intensifying as he remembered his words towards Haru.

‘After I slay those two, I’m coming for you. You better give it all you got from the start. I don’t care what you can or can’t tell me but be ready for me to force you to spill your guts.’

Why?

‘I’m not born of this world.’

Why?

Why?

‘I was born in a time of war, in a world where war was an everyday practice.’

Why?

‘Most of my memories of my parents are of them suffering through years of constant war, starvation, and betrayal. They had no happy memories to share.’

Why was he so damn weak?

He wasn’t strong enough.

All the secrets.

All the lies.

All the pain.

And yet he knew so little.

It wasn’t the secrets about Haru’s origin that pissed him off.

There was something there. Something deeper and darker. Something that was twisting and festering deep inside. Something Haru refused to tell to anyone. Even if no one else saw it, Katsuki was painfully watching his younger sibling die inside every day.

All he knew was that it somehow concerned Izuku. The look of guilt, the pain, the pity, the sorrow, the self-loathing.

Only Katsuki saw the hidden pain in Haru’s eyes whenever he looked at the green-haired boy.

It wasn’t because of the bullying or the times they drifted apart. It did not explain any of it.

Despite it all, Haru had always remained looking at Izuku, stood by him when needed, allowed himself to be cast off when pushed away, tirelessly patched every wound, wiped away every tear, remaining the guardian angel to the end.

Katsuki felt a sharp pain in his ċhėst, not sure if it was because of feelings of jealously and rage something else, and ultimately refused to care. Until he could prove himself the strongest, he’d keep fighting.

For himself and for his brother.

Izuku watched his former friend’s back nervously as he trailed along behind, hesitant to talk to him.

Summoning up his courage, he quickened his step, calling after him, “Kacchan, listen. In this exam, the teacher’s the villain and we’re the heroes. So, we need a solid plan. Normally I’d suggest that we’d analyze the villain’s combat ability and choose to fight them or run away based on that,” he spoke a little desperately, noticing he was being ignored, “But in this case, the villain is All Might, so we don’t even need to think about it! Combat is out of the question! It’ll be impossible to beat him in a fight!” Katsuki sped up his pace and Izuku hurried to keep up, “It’s a really bad idea, Kacchan!”

“Stop following me!”

Katsuki’s angry retort stopped Izuku in his tracks before trying to reason with him again, “All Might is probably waiting for us on this main road. We should take another route!”

“I’m not going to run away from this fight,” Katsuki growled, “It’ll look better if we blast that smile off his face.”

Izuku hissed in frustration, “No! We should avoid fighting him no matter what it takes!”

Katsuki kept his eyes focused on the path ahead, “I’ll toy with him until the time is almost up and then knock him unconscious for real!”

Izuku stopped, groaning under his breath at the ash-blonde’s stubbornness. ‘Why do things have to be so difficult between me and Kacchan? I don’t have time to worry about upsetting him!’

“Think about this! You know what All Might can do! Even with those handicap weights, it’s impossible for you to win in a fight against him!”

“I don’t want to hear another word,” his voice was even more menacing than Izuku had ever heard before, “Just because you think you’re getting stronger, doesn’t mean you get to tell me what to do.”

Izuku sat up, checking his hand to make sure his nose wasn’t bleeding before calling out again as Katsuki walked away.

“Wait, Kacchan! All I’m trying to do is get us past the final! This is for both of us!”

Katsuki whirled around screaming at the top of his lungs, “I TOLD YOU, I DON’T NEED YOUR DUMB POWER TO PASS! I CAN WIN ALL BY MYSELF!”

“WILL YOU STOP YELLING? THIS IS WHY WE NEVER HAVE REAL CONVERSATIONS!” Izuku finally lost his temper and screamed back at him with just as much force.

A sudden shock wave shot through the length of the main street, devastating the building and roads it touched.

The two distracted students were bȧrėly able to keep their feet as they were knocked back by the force.

As the blast faded, footsteps sounded through the settling dust as a familiar voice addressed them.

“Who really cares if I destroy this city?”

Both boys felt a sudden pressure of intimidation as the number one hero appeared before them.

“If you think of this as an exam and not a real fight, you’ll be sorry,” All Might’s intense blue eyes gleamed dangerously, “I’m a villain now, heroes, remember that. You’d better come at me with everything you’ve got. I won’t pull my punches!”

Izuku felt terror take over his mind, “It’s over if we fight him head-on! Let’s run!”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Katsuki moved to attack.

Izuku reached out helplessly towards his partner as All Might charged forward, “Kacchan, no!”

Katsuki ignored him, raising his arms, “How about a Stun Grenade!”

In a loud explosion, a blinding light hit All Might’s eyes, temporarily stealing his vision.

Katsuki instantly charged in, taking advantage of his stunned enemy “You wanted all I’ve got, All Might? Like that wasn’t my plan!” he raised his arm once again for an explosion, “I never–”

He was silenced as All Might hand grabbed onto his face. Instead of instinctively trying to make his opponent let go, Katsuki aimed both hands at All Might’s face and body, blasting off a rapid series of explosions at point-blank range.

Katsuki gasped, completely winded.

“Your rapid-fire blasts were weak, hardly more than a sting,” the Symbol of Peace taunted. He looked over his shoulder, “Where are you going?” in the blink of an eye, he vanished and reappeared directly behind Izuku, “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you already, Young Midoriya. Are you really going to leave your teammate here and run away?”

Izuku’s survival instincts kicked in as he activated his Quirk and leaped away.

He was startled by Katsuki’s angry yell that came directly from behind, “Move it!”

There was a crash of colliding bodies as Izuku and Katsuki accidentally slammed into each other midair. Each trying to go in different directions.

***

Haru felt a pain in his arm and pulled his nails from the skin of his now bȧrė arms. He subtly healed his broken skin and pulled the face mask of his costume back over his face without anyone noticing.

He could have hidden his emotions better if he hadn’t removed his robe and sugegasa earlier when trying to revive Sero, but he’d left them in the nurse’s room.

The plan to meditate during the match had ultimately failed as his ability to focus had dropped.

He held his chin in his hand, seemingly pondering the match casually, but his eyes burned searchingly as he closely observed the actions of the test participants.

***

Izuku pushed himself back to his feet, groaning from the hard fall. He looked up to see Katsuki stalking directly towards All Might again, his head bowed in determination.

“Kacchan–!”

“Out of the way,” the blonde snapped.

Izuku grimaced angrily, “Haven’t you been listening to me? It’ll be insane to fight him head-on!”

“Shut up, scum,” Katsuki’s voice rasped at the base of his throat, “I will win this,” he sent another glare in All Might’s direction as he kept walking, “That’s what it means to be a hero, Deku.”

Izuku paused, his expression changed slightly but he was still unconvinced.

“At the very least, we should still try to avoid him.”

“Incoming, heroes!” All Might’s call caught them off guard as the number one hero sailed in from the air, “I have a small gift for the one who wants to run!”

Izuku found himself pinned to the ground by a piece of broken rail, the rack of metal driven deep into the ground by All Might’s weight.

Katsuki hurriedly moved to blast the hero away but received a gut punch to the stomach that sent him flying away, also causing him to hurl his lunch.

Izuku, squirmed under the rail, unable to move, “Kacchan, are you okay?”

Katsuki’s body twitched slightly, but he seemed unable to get up.

Flashes of memory played through Izuku’s mind, remembering their childhood and when Katsuki had resolved to be a hero.

His goal to always win…

His determination to protect his family…

His drive to succeed…

Izuku watched as Katsuki slammed his fist into the ground, slowly pushing himself up. The green-haired teen grit his teeth and slowly pushed against the rail. ‘Kacchan… You may be a jerk, but… I get it. You always have one goal that you fight for in everything you do. You make sure that you’re the winner… and honestly, I admire you for that.’

All Might watched Katsuki struggle to stand, and began chiding him, “I wonder why you’re so angry, Young Bakugo? Is it Young Midoriya’s sudden improvement?” the Symbol of Peace stood over the young hero, “You have to remember each of your rankings when the years first began. It’s much easier to level up when you’re a novice. Getting all worked up over that is a waste of your full potential,” he turned his head towards the boy, “Do you see that? Do you understand me? You still have so much more room to grow stronger, boy, and I don’t just mean your Quirk.”

“Shut up, All Might,” Katsuki rasped, “You don’t know shit about me. If I’m so bad that I have to get help from a weakling like him…” he hissed in pain, “Then I’d rather lose this. Do you hear me?”

Izuku’s fist slammed into his cheek.

“DON’T YOU DARE SAY THAT YOU’D RATHER LOSE!” the other boy yelled at him furiously, “LET’S WIN THIS, KACCHAN!”

All Might, raised his fist to strike him down as Izuku spun on his heel, a new look of determination in his eyes.

‘Just like before. Like Haru-chan taught me. Focus the power into the palm.’ He pulled back his hand, channeling his Quirk into his arm. ‘And create my own move!’

“DAKOTA SMASH!”

Izuku flung out a palm strike sending out a blast of air in All Might’s face.

The hero grunted, unhurt, but slightly stunned at the unexpected move.

Izuku took advantage of the distraction and zipped himself to Katsuki’s side, grabbed him, and fled into a nearby alleyway.

***

“Haru, please don’t punch the wall anymore,” Recovery Girl ordered nonchalantly as a thud sounded from behind her.

Haru pulled his fist from the slightly cracked wall, “My apologies. I’ll fix it.”

Recovery Girl stroked her chin thoughtfully, “On second thought, give it another punch for me. I have some choice words for a certain someone later and need to blow off some steam until then. Just repair the damage when you’re done.”

“As you wish, Sensei.”

The other students sweatdropped.

***

“Drop me, you bastard…” Katsuki gritted out painfully as Izuku ran with him on his shoulder.

Izuku ignored him, “Hang on, I got you.”

Katsuki slammed an elbow into his rescuer’s head, forcing him to drop him, “I told you to put me down, damn it!”

They both collapsed on either side of the alleyway, breathing hard.

“Kacchan, I really can’t think of a way for us to beat All Might or a way to make a clean getaway without him stopping us.”

Katsuki glared at him fiercely, “Huh?”

Izuku spoke before the angry blonde could yell at him, “But before you give up, we can at least try using my power. You can’t say you’re okay with losing!” he looked at Katsuki straight in the eye, “You’re you because you never give in. You’re always fighting. Ever since we were kids, you always said, ‘The most amazing hero always wins.’ How can you give up now!

Katsuki let out a fierce yell and slammed a compressed explosion into the wall by Izuku’s head, “Haru, you better not be spying on us. Shut off your damn sensory.”

There was a rustle as a small paper buŧŧerfly peeled off the wall, just out of sight of the camera. It folded on itself for a moment before taking the shape of a hand. A hand that was clearly flipping him the middle finger.

The elder Bakugo grabbed the paper and burned it to ash.

Izuku paled, snapping out of his terrified trance, “How did you?”

“I know my kid brother, Deku,” Katsuki straightened up, forcing out his next words, “I won’t say this again, so listen, you useless nerd. All Might’s speed is insane. No matter where you try to run and hide, there’s no way you’ll avoid fighting him.”

Izuku protested, “Yeah, but we don’t stand a chance in combat! I mean, you saw him back there!”

“Shut the hell up, before I kill you!”

Izuku froze as Katsuki lowered his tone.

“He won’t stop unless by a full-power attack. I learned that earlier with my mini blasts. So…”

***

All Might trotted up the street, turning his head every which way as he kept an eye out for the testers.

‘That was an unexpected move. Where did they run off to? Are they planning to head to the escape gate? No.’

Katsuki suddenly blasted himself from an alleyway the Symbol of Peace had passed only a moment before, “You’re going the wrong way!”

All Might stopped, readying himself to counter the blonde, “Is that supposed to be a sneak attack?”

Katsuki’s face was twisted in mixed anger and humiliation as he sent several large blasts at All Might’s face, “DEKU!”

Izuku appeared from the other alley, wearing one of Katsuki’s grenade-shaped gauntlets on his arm.

Katsuki blasted himself into the air, “SHOOT NOW!”

Izuku aimed the gauntlet at his hero, furrowing his eyebrows as he pulled the pin, “I’m sorry, All Might.”

A massive explosion shook the training ground as All Might was engulfed in a raging inferno.

Izuku was knocked back from the recoil, nearly losing his footing. He grunted in pain as his shoulder was nearly wrenched out of its socket.

“Run, you idiot!”

Izuku shook himself and dashed towards the exit in a flash of green electricity as Katsuki did the same with his explosions.

As the smoke behind them started to settle, All Might ġrȯȧnėd slightly and coughed, “Ow! That got me,” he stared after the two fleeing figures, “A compromise between running and fighting, that’s pretty decent for an impromptu strategy.”

He glanced at his surroundings.

‘They also limited the damage by aiming at places I already damaged. I think I taught them that during their very first combat training.’ He coughed. ‘I see now. Both those boys are pretty darn clever. The problem is that they lose all sense when it comes to each other. Envy… hate… competition… rejection… pride… From what I can see, they have many complicated feelings about each other that are all piled up they can’t even interact anymore. The person who may be able to help them has withdrawn his feelings because he’s torn between them.’ He coughed into his hand again, spitting a small amount of blood. ‘It’s not something that can be resolved in a single test, but I’m sure their cooperation here will mean big things for them in the future. It’s just the first step. A starting point.’

“Now then, students,” he sank into a running position, his intense blue eyes gleaming intensely, “It’s time for your teacher to school you.”

***

The two students in question had finally come within sight of the gate.

Izuku was breathing hard from his running, “We’re almost there! We just have to make it to the gate! Just a little further!” he frowned, “All Might isn’t chasing us. Don’t tell me that blast actually knocked him out back there…”

Katsuki sent the other boy an annoyed glare as he growled under his breath, “Of course not! You’re the one who keeps crying how it’s impossible to actually beat him!” he turned his gaze back at the gate, “There’s no way that attack KOed him. When he catches up to us, it’ll be my turn to blast him to hell with the gauntlet.”

“Interesting!” All Might suddenly appeared between them, “And then what will you do?”

Katsuki’s eyes widened and he swung the gauntlet around to fire, but was flung back as All Might punched him, shattering the support gear.

With another quick punch, the gauntlet on Izuku’s arm was shattered too.

All Might gave a villainous laugh, “Now, heroes… It’s time for you both to die!”

Katsuki’s jaw cracked as a knee was slammed into his face, sending him crashing into an upper story of a building.

“Kacchan!” Izuku moved to help his partner but instantly found his wrist be grabbed in an iron grip.

Katsuki blasted from the building, his explosions blazing, “That’s my line!”

All Might swung Izuku over his head, using him as a flail to slam both boys into the ground.

The ground trembled from the force, sending up a large cloud of dust.

***

In the monitor room, the students all watched in horror as the dust cleared to reveal Izuku hanging limply by his arm in All Might’s hold while Katsuki was on all four, getting pressed into the ground by All Might’s foot on his back.

Recovery Girl sighed, having no comment to share.

Haru had gone pale, his eyes fixated on the scene in helplessness.

***

“Well isn’t that wonderful, boys,” All Might looked at Katsuki and Izuku’s battered features as they struggled to move, “You cooperated, although reluctantly, and faced me together,” he pressed down harder on the ash-blonde as he tried to push himself up, slamming him into the ground, “Sadly, it was not enough. Cooperation wasn’t an option, it was a prerequisite for the exam.”

Izuku’s expression was desperate as he tried to free himself, “Damn it!”

All Might tilted his head at the hanging student, “What kind of face is that to make, Young Midoriya?” he flung the green-haired teen away looking down at Katsuki, “You planned to get away from me using maximum firepower and then make a run for the escape gate. It wasn’t a terrible strategy, all things considered, but now that you’ve lost Young Bakugo’s gauntlets, you’ve lost your heavy attack. You’re helpless. This is over.”

On hearing those words, Katsuki snapped, flipping his hand so the palm was pointed directly up at the pro.

“SHUT! UP!”

The impact of the following explosion knocked the Symbol of Peace into the air, grunting at the unexpected attack.

Katsuki rose to his feet and raced to Izuku, grabbing him by the collar, “Get ready to fly.”

Izuku gaped at him, “Huh?”

Katsuki made as if to throw him over his shoulder, “I don’t the idea of running, but with the crap fest we’re in, this is the only way to pass the practical,” he tensed his muscles, preparing to throw, “Now, DIE!”

Izuku’s pupils shrank to pinpoints. ‘DIE?’

Katsuki blasted the smaller boy into the air in the direction of the gate.

Izuku stifled a scream and allowed himself to fall toward the shortening distance towards the gate.

“New Hampshire Smash!”

The smoke and dust scattered as All Might barreled through, pushing himself backward through the air with the force of a high-powered punch. Within a second the hero’s massive body smashed into Izuku from behind, knocking the wind from him and effectively cutting off any chances of escape.

Izuku felt a crack in his spinal cord before he was sent slamming into a bus.

“Damn it!” Katsuki ran forward ignoring the flaring pain from his muscles from overusing his Quirk, “Those gauntlets were only so I can use maximum firepower with no risk,” the veins on his muscles bulged as a feral grin grew on his face, “Now I see that was stupid…” his hands glowed as a powerful explosion powered up to annihilate his chosen target, All Might, “If I don’t take any risks, there is no way I can beat you! Right, All Might?”

An explosion as big as the stored power of the gauntlets combined lit up the scene, sending tremors through the ground.

Izuku winced at the painful light as he saw Katsuki appear from the smoke, gripping his arm painfully.

“DEKU! GO! HURRY UP!”

Izuku moved to run and felt an excruciating pain shoot up his spine. He gritted his teeth and began a staggering run towards the gate.

Katsuki landed on the ground, his feet skidding from the momentum of his fall, “I can still move better than you! Even if are still trying to use your pathetic power, I wouldn’t try to make yourself useful!” he raised his arm again as All Might appeared before him and blasted a nonstop barrage of high-level explosions while his muscles spasmed in pain, “YOU MORAN!”

Izuku felt his vision blurring as he struggled towards the gate, his body shutting down from the injuries he had received. ‘I’ll keep going, even if it hurts. If I head towards the gate, then All Might will have to stop me before I get there. Which means Kacchan can take advantage of that.’

Just as he predicted, All Might instantly moved to intercept him but Katsuki was quick to get in his way, screaming defiantly as he tried to blast the hero away.

All Might simply dodged and grabbed the teen by the face, once again slamming him to the ground.

Izuku heard the crash and glanced back, gasping as he saw Katsuki slowly go limp.

All Might knelt over the young hero, solemnly watching him lose consciousness, “It’s time to sleep. Good night, Young Bakugo,” he watched Katsuki’s final struggles stop as the teenager fainted, “I’m sorry. I may be the villain, but I’m still your teacher. It pains me to see you sacrifice your own body in a fight.”

He drew a quick breath in shock as Katsuki grabbed his wrist, his hand popping weak explosions.

“Hurry up…” Katsuki’s voice was bȧrėly a gasp for air, “Go… you damn nerd,” his crimson eyes glared directly up at the Symbol of Peace, “I’ll keep fighting… I’ll break myself… Even if there’s nothing left of me… I will win the way I want to… I protect the way I need to… I’ll destroy myself before accepting defeat at your hands…!” in a last effort he bit down on the pro’s hand, gritting out his last words, “You got that!”

A sudden flair of power caused All Might to look behind him, seeing Izuku flying towards him, wearing a smile eerily similar to Katsuki’s fighting grin and Haru’s killing glare.

“Please get out of the way,” the green-haired teen’s voice was commanding and dangerous, “Move, All Might!”

Izuku sent his fist into his hero’s cheek. SMASH!

In the brief moment that All Might flinched, Izuku snatched Katsuki up in his arms and ran towards the gate.

All Might coughed as he rose to take chase, “I won’t–” he sank to one knee, coughing more violently, steaming rising from his body.

Izuku’s body was running on adrenaline his senses directed almost by instinct telling him to run.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he passed through the gate as the alarm blared.

“Team Midoriya and Bakugo have passed the exam.”

Izuku collapsed his sense of relief causing his hotwired boy to stop moving. He bȧrėly registered the shadow standing over him or the approaching medical stretcher.

“Take them to the medical bay, quickly!” Haru directed the nurse robots.

“Roger, roger!”

Haru watched them the stretchers hurry off towards the medical bay, his face as hard as stone, before heading into the training ground to pick up his third patient.

***

(Later…)

Recovery Girl finished kissing Izuku and let out a sigh.

Izuku still had a slightly uncomfortable expression, never having gotten used to the nurse’s treatment, “Thank you, very much, Recovery Girl. I think I feel better.”

The old heroine frowned at her patients, Izuku lying on his stomach in a position that would place no strain on his back while Katsuki lay unconscious on the other bed.

“All Might, you really don’t know how to hold back!” Recovery Girl scolded, completely livid as she jabbed her cane against the number one hero’s heavily muscled leg, “If you hit them any harder, they’d have permanent damage! Midoriya’s back was horrible! I was bȧrėly able to heal it! Bakugo probably won’t even wake up for a while! Are you trying to make us use the Heal Bite! In case you’ve forgotten, it is forbidden by the school and the Commission after the events at Hosu. As things stand, the only thing they can do now is rest while Haruko aids their recovery.”

All Might coughed into his fist, unable to respond.

Haru was seated between the beds his hands resting on his sibling and childhood friend, channeling more chakra into their bodies so Recovery Girl’s Quirk could heal them. Although his features were schooled into a neutral expression, it was clear he was in mental anguish after sensing their injuries and pain in close detail.

Recovery Girl calmed herself down and opened the door to leave, “I’ll be back to check them out. Watch them for me in the meantime, Haru.”

Haru didn’t look up, answering obediently, “Yes, ma’am.”

“And chew him out while you’re at it,” she instructed, jabbing her cane in All Might’s direction, “Don’t forget to check up on his condition.”

Haru looked up at her, his expression blank, “Yes, ma’am.”

All Might felt a cold sweat break out across his forehead as the door slammed shut.

“H-Haru-chan…” Izuku mumbled out, trying to placate his friend.

“Shikigami Dance.”

A number of tags bearing the kanji of ‘silence’ fluttered from Haru’s body, sticking to the outer surfaces of the room. A second later a series of sealing formulas spread from them, covering the walls, floor, and ceiling.

“Don’t worry, just making sure we are not overheard,” Haru reassured them as the other two conscious people in the room began to panic. He looked down at Izuku, “If you prefer, I can put you to sleep until you’re recovered.”

Izuku hesitated, unsure if he wanted to leave All Might alone.

“It’s alright, Young Midoriya. As a medic, a brother, and a friend, he has the right,” All Might consoled his thoughts.

“…Okay.”

Haru turned and rest both hands on Izuku’s body, one on his forehead and the other on his ċhėst, releasing a faint blue chakra from his hands.

Izuku’s felt his sense go cloudy as his pain faded, his eyes fluttering shut in a peaceful sleep.

“You’ve gotten very good at your healing craft, Young Bakugo,” All Might complimented.

Haru swiveled his seat around, pressing the tips of his fingers together as he faced the Symbol of Peace.

“You can address me by my real name here and relax. This room is completely sealed off from eavesdroppers and our companions will remain completely out for a while.

All Might nodded in gratitude, reverted to his skinny form, “Thank you, Young Uzumaki.”

Haru took a deep breath, “Before I begin, I would like it to be on record that your actions today, while not only going way beyond test parameters compared to the other teachers, also demonstrates a level of carelessness that borders on the imbecilic…” he pressed his hands together bowing his head slightly while keeping eye contact with the number one hero, “And I mean that in a very caring way.”

All Might grimaced through his smile as a figurative arrow shot through his body. ‘Chiyo has been instructing him in a tongue lashing too? No, come to think of it, he’s always been this way, just never this intentionally before.’

“I apologize.”

Haru raised a hand for him to stop, “But the test requirements were flexible enough so you didn’t do anything that you weren’t allowed to. UA gives teachers free rein for a good reason. Just remember in the future that even our healing has limitations. Pain can still cause psychological damage, and the nurse’s office isn’t equipped or officially licensed to deal with that. We are here to heal chance injuries, not deliberate attempts to maim,” he massaged his temple, “And unfortunately, I understand why all that force was necessary, especially since I’ve been too much of a coward to try and fix it myself. Still, having a person they look up to, pushing them may plant the seed they need to grow stronger,” he smiled weakly, “It’s ironic. They’ve grown so far apart but they subconsciously trusted each other to do what is needed out there. Only that type of situation could have brought that about. So I think… I also owe you a kind of thank you for that.”

All Might slumped tiredly into a chair, “I’m sorry if I worried anyone or took it too far. I couldn’t think of anything else and I can’t leave it alone. I may not be a good teacher, but I can at least try.”

Haru leaned back in his seat, “First, you really are a terrible teacher. Second, that can be fixed by reading up on it, Third, you need to start by being a better mentor to Izuku. Passing on your Quirk is only the beginning.”

All Might began choking in surprise spitting blood on his costume, “Wh-what?”

Haru gave him a deadpan expression, “You think I wouldn’t figure it out? I saw through your power-up transformation at our second meeting, it’s kind of hard to ignore Izuku’s signature to go from Quirkless to screaming pent-up power with your name written all over it. Not to mention him telling Katsuki about receiving a Quirk,” he paused as All Might spat more blood, “Yes, I heard that too. To be honest, it’s pretty obvious something going on between you two. If some villain were trying to find if you had a pupil, it’ll be pretty easy to figure out.”

“…”

Haru’s eyebrows shot up, “Oh~”

“Yeah…” All Might rubbed his neck, “It’s complicated.”

Haru hummed thoughtfully, “I’d best seal any memories about all this away so I can’t reveal them by accident. I’m already on a target list and we can’t be too careful.”

All Might nodded gratefully, “Thank you. Even if just for your own safety. This power…”

“I felt it,” Haru rolled his seat until he was next to the hero, “Turn away and hold still. I’m going to check your condition.”

For the next few minutes, they remained silent as Haru held his hands on All Might’s skinny back, his hands humming with a green light.

All Might coughed, spilling more blood on his hand.

“I am able to heal the excessive damage for now,” Haru told him, not stopping his procedure, “But… I’m sure you know that even if I used Heal Bite, your injuries are too old for me to fix. On top of that, your Quirk…”

“Yes,” All Might raised his head, “I’m losing One for All.”

“Is that their name?”

The blonde hero blinked, “Their? Can you tell?”

Haru nodded as if it was obvious, “Of course. The other seven signatures inside the Quirk,” he closed his eyes, a peaceful expression on his face, “I can feel them within it. They are all alive… thriving. Their souls, consciousness, strength, dreams…” he frowned, “And pain,” he pulled away suddenly as if he had been burned, “Ah!”

All Might jerked, feeling his Quirk react inside of him, “Uzumaki!”

Haru pushed his chair back, holding out a hand for him to stop, “It’s fine! I delved too deep.”

All Might looked solemn, “It’s similar to what happened to Young Midoriya at the Sports Festival.”

Haru shook his head, “In this case, it was a warning. While my intentions weren’t harmful, I’m still an alien force to them,” he chuckled, “Not that they’re wrong.”

All Might let out a chuckle as well at the joke.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” he asked, changing the subject, “What is it you see in Young Midoriya?”

Haru’s smile dropped instantly giving the Symbol of Peace a serious look, “That sounds like a trick question.”

All Might sighed, giving the boy a steady look, “It’s the way I’ve seen you look at him. I can’t put my finger on it, but I can see your protectiveness is unusual. It’s like you want to hide him away and stifle him one moment but don’t because you’re afraid of him.”

Haru lowered his head, a shadow passing over his eyes, “I see…” he looked away, “Do you think anyone else noticed?”

“I don’t think so,” All Might answered, “I’ve lived a while and have seen you two interact together for months. It was only by chance that I saw it.”

Haru rested his head in his hand tiredly, “That explains Katsuki’s strange behavior. The whole secret about my birth family and a government secret isn’t what he’d be this upset about. I was stupid to think he’d never notice.”

All Might tried to press him, “What is it? If you need help, it is my job as your teacher to do what I can.”

Haru raised his head, giving the hero a strained expression, “This isn’t something that can be fixed by an outsider.”

All Might went silent, understanding the blunt, yet all too true, statement. Some things could only be settled by those involved.

Haru stood from his seat and walked over to the window, looking out towards the UA’s beautifully tended grounds, “There’s a reason Izuku inspired my dream of peace, All Might,” he stated, “Time passes. Memories fade or never come to light. True often fades to obscurity. Sometimes all is best left unsaid until all things are finished.”

What do you mean, ‘all things are finished?’ What time is that?” All Might frowned, his expression becoming stern, “It sounds like you expect to die.”

Haru turned around, sending All Might a vacant, closed-eyed smile, “I don’t plan to leave anytime soon, All Might. None of us truly know, even if we can see the future,” All Might’s eyes widened as Haru continued, “However, fate deals her cards impartially,” the redhead opened his golden eyes, revealing his humorous gaze, “But she has lots to do so can’t leave the whole job to her, can we? Sometimes we have to give her a little push.”

All Might stared at him incredulously, unsure of what to say.

The bell to the school rang signaling the end of the final period.

All Might poofed into his muscled form, standing up from his seat.

Haru yawned, holding a hand over his mouth, “Okay, better wake them up to go home,” He cricked his neck, “Geez, you three have such self-destructive personalities. They actually have a term for that. You want to hear?” he paused momentarily, not expecting a response, “It’s called masochism.”

All Might exploded back into his skinny form, spitting blood like a geyser.