Life moves faster than some may want it to, and for Izuku, it moved so suddenly and without a steady path. The world was dark yet warm, endless yet small, if felt like a candle slowly whittling down as the wax melted into the kettle. Such an odd experience ran through the boy’s mind, the sense of floating in the stillness of this new world, a world of clear blue waters covered in the crimson spider lilies of nature. At the same time, it all went black, and Izuku opened his eyes. He gasped and shot from the bed he was laying in, and took several breaths. He closed his eyes holding his chest close, his hands trembling from a sudden loss of breath, his shoulders heaving up and down as he squinted his eyes shut with great force. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes again, and looked around his room. 

He was laying in a comfortable futon, one with soft white sheets and a soft maroon comforter. The colors felt out of balance with the rest of this room. The floors were made of white tatami pads, and as Izuku got out of the futon, he felt the soft pads caress his feet. The walls were made of a soft and polished wood, wood that was painted a deep and elegant golden brown. Each plank was fresh and smooth to the touch, and as Izuku explored his room, he noticed more trinkets. There was a kamidana above the desk, a small shrine meant for praying at home, and the desk itself was a starch contrast compared to the walls. It was a solid white with several drawers and a mirror. Izuku decided to sit at the chair, the cushion giving a soft patting on his behind, and he looked at himself in the glass. His freckled face and bubbly eyes remained pure, his emerald green eyes as solid as ever. He brushed his forest green hair to the side, and opened his mouth. His teeth were a beautiful white, but that’s when he realized something. 

He looked in the mirror with a worried expression, gazing at the yukata he was wearing. The yukata was a snow white with an open collar, not dissimilar to a kimono, and the soft, pajama style uniform included a red obi belt. However, Izuku noticed something on his chest, and as he slowly opened the collar, his eyes widened. He stared helplessly at the scar now adorning his chest. Across both of his thin pecs, Izuku had a large and apparent scar, one seemingly healed to the best of its ability. His green eyes lit with a silent horror, yet never once did he let out a scream. 

Izuku slowly looked down at this scar, and he took his right hand, gently and slowly dragging it across his new “accessory.”

           What happened to me? He thought. 

He looked again at the mirror, his chest now adorning the scar, and the fabrics of this yukata slowly falling from his shoulders. He didn’t stop it, and his yukata soon fell off completely, and Izuku sat there with his torso entirely exposed. He said no words, made no cries, and as he stared into his mirror, he soon watched as several lines of black kanji, moving as gracefully as a river, slithered onto his chest. He looked down once more as the kanji nestled themselves on his chest, and he slowly touched one of them. He lift his fingers after feeling his cold skin, and when he gazed upon his prints, he realized they were dry, no remnants of any foreign material, and he shivered in confusion. He could feel the coolness of the room continue to rain down his shoulders, and once more, he gazed into the mirror, glaring at his thin and meek body. 

The light shone through the door however, Izuku turned his head as he watched the door to the room slide open. It was a traditional shoji door, and as the paper shade moved, a figure stepped in, someone familiar yet oddly distant. 

            “Oh! You’re finally awake Izuku.”

            “It’s you,” Izuku replied. “Um- sorry I can’t really uh...”

The young man from that night calmly walked in and grabbed another chair in the room. He brought it to the desk and sat down next to the green-haired boy. As he did, Izuku studied him. That snow-white hair, his skin so pale that it could be mistaken for gray or silver, his golden eyes watching him silently, yet with a modicum of happiness. 

            “Right, you’ve been asleep for quite some time,” He said. “I’m Inari, and this is my home.”

Izuku blinked for a moment and shook his head. 

            “Inari, you mean the kami Inari?” He asked. 

            “The very same,” the pale boy said. “I don’t lie Izuku, I really am the kami you’ve heard of. In all the stories, all the prayers I receive every day. ”

He tilted his head. 

            “Oh, your yukata, were you… getting undressed?” Inari asked. 

            “Huh?” 

As Izuku looked at his stomach and chest, he blushed profusely. 

             “WHAAAAA?!!!!! NO NO IT’S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!!” 

             “Hehehhee, it’s okay!” Inari giggled. “If you want a bath I have a sento down the hall, there’s some onsen in town as well.”

             “Wha? Um… okay…” Izuku muttered as he blushed. He looked away at the floor and grabbed his shoulders, and shivered once more. 

             “Cold?” Inari asked. “I can always make it warmer.”

             “It’s fine! Really!” Izuku cried. “I appreciate all of this really but, I don’t remember putting this on before.”

Inari sighed a deep breath, and suddenly he brought one of his pale hands over the collar of his kimono, and he slowly brought it downward, revealing his bare chest. 

             “That’s because I had to get you changed into that after your near fatal injury.” Inari. 

Izuku felt his heart stop. 

             “Wh-What?” he asked in a trembling voice. 

Inari sighed, and he placed his hand on Izuku’s shoulder.

              “I know you have a lot of questions, and I’ll answer every one of them.” He said as he took off his kimono, he was now half naked much like his “guest.” Much to Izuku’s shock, the same kanji that appeared on his chest suddenly slithered onto Inari’s, each character slowly etching their way onto his pecs and upper stomach, the same way it was on Izuku’s own body

              “First and foremost your mother is safe, she’s here in my home actually. But we also need to discuss this.” Inari said, pointing at the kanji on his pecs. “You’re wondering what all of these kanji are, and why they’re suddenly stuck to your chest.” He said as he patted himself. “I have them too, and they’ll stay on our bodies for a while.”

              “What is it?” Izuku asked. Inari suddenly smiled. 

              “It’s our contract,” He said calmly. “Try to think back to what happened… how you got that scar on your chest, those moments afterward…”

Izuku grabbed his head and closed his eyes. He grimaced his face and grit his teeth, and memories flashed before his eyes. The woman with the scissors, how she sliced his chest right open. 

              “Nghh!” Izuku grunted as he grabbed his chest. 

He remembered more, the sudden place that existed in his mind, the spider lilies and the Torii gate, and he remembered… threads.

              “That’s right! That… I was bleeding, and then you were there! You were in that water area!”

Inari closed his eyes, and without warning, he placed his right hand on Izuku’s chest, much to the latter’s surprise. 

              “And it was there that we made this contract,” he said as he opened his eyes. “‘In my name, you will fight to protect those who cannot protect themselves. In my name, you will save those spirits who refuse to move on.'”

Izuku sat patiently, yet his eyes filled with wonder as the kanji suddenly flew off of his chest. The same happened to Inari, and the kanji on his chest soon flew into the air as well. Together, they melded into a long list of words, hovering before them at the foot of the futon. 

              “'In my name Izuku Midoriya, you will bring hope to the world.'” Inari concluded. “Those are the very words I said to you in that place. Those are the terms you agreed to.”

              “I really said that?” Izuku asked. Inari sighed. 

              “Indeed you did my friend, because I believe you can make a difference. Maybe you can help me and the others save all of those yokai and the human race.”

Inari pointed his two fingers at the kanji, and he spun them repeatedly. The kanji soon shot outward, and darted through the room. They softly returned to the boys, and they burned themselves onto their chests. There was no pain, no burning, yet the kanji glowed a soft gold, until they turned a solid black on Izuku and Inari’s skin. Then, the kami simply looked at his friend. 

              “Why me though?” Izuku asked as he felt his chest once more. “I’m just a normal guy, I don’t even have a Quirk! So… why me?”

              “I chose you because you have a strong will Izuku, I truly believe that,” he said. “You were willing to stand up to Bakugo all those years ago for me, you endured a decade of discrimination because of these ‘Quirks,’ and now… you were willing to sacrifice yourself to protect your mother, that was something that truly spoke to me.”

Inari stood up buttoning his yukata, and he did the same for Izuku. He grabbed the boy’s yukata and buttoned it for him, and then, he grabbed his hand and helped him stand. 

              “The reason why our contract is on our chests is because of that strong will,” Inari continued as he looked in the mirror and brushed his hair. “You heart is steadfast, so I thought its placement would be appropriate. But that’s enough about that right now, you must be famished.”

              “Oh no I think I’m fine, really!” Izuku chirped. 

Oh, that did not last long, for a loud rumbling could be heard, and Izuku suddenly felt the urge to hold his stomach. Inari giggled once more and laughed, and Izuku tightened his eyebrows in embarrassment. 

               “Come now, you need food.” 

Inari opened the shoji door and signaled for Izuku to go ahead, and the boy complied. As he stepped through the door he found himself in a small hallway, one that was a deep brown wood. It was warm unlike his room, and something felt tranquil. A tree, something so simple yet so nourishing, it revitalized the poor boy as he breathed every morsel of air. Together, Inari and Izuku walked this hall, one adorned with lanterns and small ornaments of flowers. Izuku gazed at them with his bubbly eyes, entranced by their beauty. 

               “Wow…” he said. “These are really nice!”

               “Thank you,” Inari said with a smile. “I’m a little old fashioned, I’ll be honest I’m not the biggest fan of uhm… ‘modern’ trinkets. But my guests would say otherwise. 

               “Your guests?” Izuku asked. 

As they approached the end of the hallway, there stood another shoji door, and Inari grabbed the handle. 

               “My house is quite big, so right now we’ll just stick to your room and the main living room through here.” Inari said. 

               “Huh, must be pretty lonely here by yourself, where are your parents?” Izuku asked. 

Yet as he asked the question, Inari suddenly looked away, and Izuku could sense something missing. He felt sad, alone. 

                “Oh I-I didn’t mean anything by that!” Izuku cried. He suddenly bowed before the kami. “Please, I’m sorry!”

Inari gasped in shock and placed a hand on Izuku’s frivolous hair. 

                “Hey it’s alright,” Inari said kindly. “It’s been a few centuries since I last saw my father, as for my mother well…”

He suddenly looked Izuku in the eye. 

                “I’d rather not talk about her,” he said. 

                “Oh, I get it.” Izuku replied. “Wait… a few centuries?!! How old are you?!”

                “Well, from what I remember I’m at least a thousand years old if we’re going by human years,” Inari replied. “Right now though I look like your average 14 year old boy, so technically I’m the same age as you!”

                HUH?!!!! Izuku thought. 

                “Anyway, it’s time we eat!” 

Inari suddenly slid the door open, and Izuku was in complete surprise. Before the two of them sat a rather sizable room, one with a beautiful table with the pattern of a tree in the center. It was a traditional chabudai table, and sat low to the ground. Next to the table was the kitchen, one surprisingly modern given Inari’s tastes. There was a top of the line refrigerator and freezer, a dishwasher, a kitchen sink with a bamboo spout, and a counter island. Atop the kitchen was a kamidana, much like the one in Izuku’s room, and the walls were painted with several mountains, rivers, forests, and most of all… foxes. Foxes ranging from a fiery orange, white, black, and even silver all adorned the walls, each of them living in harmony. Some were in the sky, others in the trees, some sitting by the shrine settled in the heart of the forest. This shrine lay at the foot of the mountain, and it was surrounded by a waterfall. The dark wooden Torii gate stopped over the small shrine, and leading towards its sacred ground laid statues of more foxes. 

At the table, there were several people eating, one a young boy, another a teenage girl, and a third was a man Izuku already knew. The boy was young, no older than ten, with a pair of circular spectacles, and dark brown hair. The hair was messy and curly, and he was wearing a patterned haori over a red kimono. The haori was black, with soft green lotus flowers, and he left it unbuttoned. He looked up as he stuffed his mouth with rice, his ruby eyes lighting with excitement, his freckles dotting his nose and cheeks, and Izuku watched as he swallowed all the rice instantly. 

                 “Lord Inari!!!”

The boy shot from his seat and ran across the room in bare feet, he ran so fast that he jumped into the air and rammed into Inari. The pale boy gasped and started laughing, carrying the boy in his arms and spinning around in many circles. 

                 “Hey Akiba!” He said in a kind and gentle tone. “Nice to see you too.”

Izuku looked on as Inari hugged the boy close, the child smiling so purely. He couldn’t help but smile seeing such a cute guy, and the boy opened his eyes looking at Izuku. He suddenly became silent and held onto Inari’s kimono like a doll. 

                 “Who is that?” he asked innocently. 

                 “Come now, is that a way to treat our guest?” Inari asked. The boy looked up at him. 

                 “No… I guess not.” He said. 

                 “Hey! It’s okay!” Izuku said with a smile as he approached the boy. He outstretched a hand after bending over to fit the boy’s height. “I’m Izuku Midoriya, nice to meet you!”

The boy’s eyes glittered with curiosity, and he looked up at Inari. 

                 “Go on, introduce yourself.” Inari said calmly. 

The boy nodded quickly, yet he slowly let go of Inari’s kimono, his innocent red eyes peering upward at Izuku. The teen left his hand in the open and his smile remained, and the boy… smiled with him. 

                 “Nice to meet you mister, I’m Akiba!” He said innocently. 

The two shook hands and Izuku blushed over the small boy’s happiness. For a ten year old, he was quite short, shorter than most his age. 

                 “Well then, go on finish your breakfast before it gets cold little one.” Inari spoke. 

                 “Yeah of course!!” 

Akiba ran back to his seat and climbed onto his chair, he immediately grabbed his chopsticks and grabbed another chop-full of rice and egg, stuffing it into his mouth. Izuku gave a small smile as Inari softly placed his hand on his back. The kami escorted Izuku to a chair, and when sat down crossing his legs next to the pale-skinned man. 

                 “I’ll make you some rice, egg, and leftover beef. It’s not much but it’s what I have right now.” Inari said from the kitchen. 

                 “Oh, thank you sir!” Izuku cried. 

The stove top could be heard clicking away, and the soft fume of the flames soon snapped into the air. Inari grabbed a pot and a few pans, putting butter into the pot before adding freshly grown rice into the mix, then he added several grams of water before adding the mix into his oven. As he worked, Izuku sat quietly watching everyone else. Akiba had finished his breakfast and he clapped his hands together, as did the girl next to him. 

Izuku couldn’t help but notice this girl, her black eyes quickly glancing over at him, the small surprise on her petite face as she sat there with a blue sweatshirt and slim jeans. Her chin-length purple hair, but most of all, the long and flexible earphone jack that appeared from her earlobes. She pursed her lips and soon closed her eyes. 

                  “Gochisousama!” The girl cried with Akiba. 

She separated her hands and grabbed her bowl. As she was about to take it to the kitchen,. She glared at Izuku, whose eyes were transfixed on her own, yet she let out a small grunt. 

                  "You gonna keep staring?" She asked. 

Izuku blushed and felt his hair shoot upward, like a jolt of electricity shocked him from head to toe. 

                  "WHAT, ME?!!" He cried. "OH NO NO IT WASN'T LIKE THAT I WAS JUST- Uh!!" 

Yet as he panicked in his seat, the girl chuckled. Izuku, in this moment of unrest, looked at her again as sweat poured down his face. 

                  "Jeez I was just kidding," the girl said with a sarcastic smile. "Name's Kyoka Jiro." 

Izuku lowered his arms and shook his head vehemently. 

                  "Oh... OH!" He cried with a nervous smile. "Right okay , I didn't know. Aha...hahhaa..." 

That guy's... weird. Jiro thought. 

                   "Oh, sorry I'm Izuku Midoriya, nice to meet you Jiro." He said kindly once he regained his composure. 

Jiro simply looked at the green-haired boy, and after one last look, she smiled. 

                   "Nice to meet you too."

As Izuku continued to shake in his seat, and the man next to him looked over. Izuku turned his head as the man looked down at him, his chopsticks in his mouth. He slowly took them out and chewed his food, then swallowed. 

                  “I didn’t expect you to be so skittish, especially after what you pulled off when we met.” he said. 

                  “W-What?” Izuku chirped. “Wait, don’t tell me.”

                  “That’s right, I’m the Big Bad Wolf that showed up at your door,” he said. “My name’s Tenko Shimura, nice meeting you kid.”

He offered a smile and his right hand, and Izuku noticed he was wearing soft blue gloves. The back of his hand was a jet-black, with the palm a deep ocean blue. As Izuku shook Shimura’s hand, he noticed that his index finger and thumb were left uncovered by the glove, but the rest of his hands were nestled in the soft fabrics. The pale, dry skin also left a certain feeling on Izuku’s hand, like he was grabbing a material that was a mesh of sandpaper and rugged tatami pads. 

                 “Yeah, nice to meet you too,” Izuku replied, and as he looked up at Tenko’s face, he saw the kind smile on him. 

Tenko’s lips were arid, chapped, and looked like they needed hydration. He noticed a scar on the left side of his mouth, one directly over his lips. Compared to the sickly pale skin of Tenko’s body, this scar was a strange brown, and it looked almost fresh. 

                 “Well, uh, I’m not the best at small talk so… I hope you enjoy your breakfast when Lord Inari finishes it.” He said. 

                 “He’s only saying that because he’s shy!” Inari yelled from the kitchen. Shimura grunted, and Izuku noticed his face turn as red as an apple. 

                 “THAT’S NOT TRUE!!” He cried. “I’M JUST SLOW TO OPEN UP TO PEOPLE!!

                 “So by definition you’re shy.” 

Shimura flared his breath and pointed a finger, his body shaking just like Izuku before him. 

                 “DON’T YOU EVEN START JIRO!!!!” He screamed. 

                 “PFFFFFTTT,” Jiro snorted. “You too?!” 

                 “I- GAHHH!!!” 

“HAHAHAHHAHA!!! What is it with you guys and always getting so embarrassed?” Inari cried as he cooked a brilliant egg. 

                 “It’s nothing!!” Shimura continued, Izuku was taken aback by his childlike nature, it was so different from the man he met last night. 

                 "Uh oh, big brother Tenko's becoming a meanie!" Akiba cried. 

                 “What is going on in here?!” 

And as the yelling and screaming continued, someone familiar called out, and Izuku turned his head. 

                 “Mom?!” 

                 “Izuku!” Inko cried. 

Without hesitation, the boy leapt from his seat and ran straight into his mother, hugging her so hard that she nearly choked. Her face turned a deep purple, yet the same happened to Izuku as Inko squeezed his thin body like a bear. 

                 “Ah! *gack* You’re killing me- Mom!” Izuku choked. 

                 “You- *wheeze* are too sw-eety!!” Inko cried. 

After a few moments they let each other go, Inko on the verge of tears as she entered the dining room. 

                 “I’m just so happy you’re finally walking again!” She cried. “You’ve been asleep for a week now, I was so worried about you, especially after that thing attacked!”

Izuku felt his heart stop, his eyes began shaking, his vision blurred as he stared at his mother. He took a small step backwards, quietly turning his head at everyone else in the room. Inari widened his golden eyes with worry, and he turned away with sadness. Jiro and Shimura looked at each other with concern, but they both nodded with stern faces. Inari grabbed two bowls of rice, eggs, steamed vegetables, and meats, and headed towards the dining room table. He set Izuku’s bowl next to Shimura, and he set Inko’s bowl at the head. 

                “Akiba, head outside or go to your room, all of us need to have a… discussion.” Inari said with a sudden, controlling tone. The boy looked up with a saddened face, his eyes filling with fear. 

                “Am I in trouble?” He chirped. Inari came to his seat and placed his hand on the boy’s back. As Akiba looked up, Inari simply smiled. 

                “Not at all,” He said in a sweet voice. “But right now the adults need to talk, besides you would be so bored hearing our boring talk wouldn’t you?” 

                “But Shimura and I always play games!” Akiba cried. “And Jiro’s been teaching me about music! They aren’t boring!” 

Jiro put her hand to her mouth and looked away for a moment, and looked away. Judging by her face, she seemed to be laughing.

                “It’s fine Akiba, it’ll only take five minutes,” Shimura said as he continued eating his breakfast. “We can go to the shrine later if that makes you feel better.”

The little boy grimaced and got out of his seat, he grabbed his slippers and headed for a nearby door. As he opened it, Izuku felt the warm fresh air of the outdoors pour into the room, and the winds filled his lungs with a beautiful gust of air. 

                “Masaomi! Mayu!” 

Inari turned towards the wall and stretched his arm outward, his palm flat against the air. The foxes and the trees on the wall all stared back, until suddenly. 

SHING

Izuku gasped as two foxes suddenly jumped from the wall, one was an amber fox with a poofy tail, with a white tipped end. The fox had a single tail, and his face contained bubbly blue eyes, thick white whiskers, and a smile stretched wide. It landed on all four paws, and particles left its feet. The second fox however was special. The fox had snow white fur, something so pure that neither Izuku or Inko could take their eyes from it. Its ruby red eyes glowed in the daylight of the house, and the snout contained jet black whiskers near the nose. Yet the most unique feature of this fox…

                “Does that fox have six tails?!” Izuku cried. 

                “That I do, Izuku Midoriya.” the fox said. 

                IT CAN TALK?!!! Izuku and Inko thought with panicked surprise. 

Suddenly, particles of light emerged from the fox’s body, the sparkling energy surrounding the creature as it stood on its hind legs. It started to change, the creature’s appearance grew larger, and more human. The light subsided, and as Izuku and Inko looked at the fox, it was suddenly a beautiful woman standing next to Inari. Jiro and Shimura both released happy sighs, and smiled.  

                 “My name is Mayu!” she said. “I am the Young Master’s advisor, and I look forward to working with you in the future.”

Mayu was a woman no taller than Inari himself. In fact, Inari was the same short height as Izuku, a simple 166cm. Her hair was snow white just like Inari’s, yet her skin was a warm and healthy appearing color, rather than Inari’s sickly and pale skin. She was wearing a white kimono over her top, however, she was also wearing a bright red hakama, with the tassels reaching her ankles. Her kimono’s sleeves were rather long, almost the same length as her hakama trousers, but they only reached to her waist. She was also wearing bright white socks along with a pair of zori sandals. Yet the one factor that remained from her fox form, were the six fluffy white tails that were protruding from her lower back. 

                 “Masaomi, a certain friend of yours is waiting outside, he’s getting quite lonely.” Inari said in a soft voice. 

                 “Oho! So little Akiba is waiting in the garden then. Time someone gave him a proper run!” The amber fox spoke. 

As Inari slid the shoji door open, the fox sprinted out of the room, and Akiba’s face lit up with laughter as the small furry animal pounced on him. Inari laughed happily and closed the door, and after several moments, he along with everyone else finally had the room to themselves. 

SNAP

Inari snapped his fingers as several ochoko cups flew through the air, and landed in front of his guests. 

                  “I thought everyone would enjoy some tea, they’re Matcha leaves.” Inari said. 

Together at the rectangular table, everyone took one sip from their cups. Jiro and Shimura both became overwhelmed by the aroma, and they started drinking more and more despite the hot temperature. Mayu took one, and she too enjoyed the tea to her heart’s content. 

                 Wonder what’s so special about this blend. Izuku thought. 

He took a sip from the cup, and felt his eyes explode from his skull. 

                 THIS IS HEAVEN!!!

Inko felt the same way as her eyes widened so far that they almost fell from her face. 

                 “This is amazing!!” Inko cried. “It’s just like the blend you made yesterday!” 

                 “Mmhmm! I grow the leaves in my garden, I can always teach you the proper method later!” The kami said happily. 

                 “It’s good that’s for sure, but pardon me Lord Inari-” Jiro said. 

                 “Please, I’m no one’s ‘Lord,’ just call me Inari.” he said. 

                 “Okay… Inari.” Jiro said awkwardly. “Didn’t you say that we need to talk about Midoriya? Besides what his mom just said a few minutes ago really, unraveled him. No offense!”

                 “It’s okay.” Izuku replied. 

The table went silent as the warm breeze entered the room once more, the muted laughter of Akiba could be heard from outside as the others remained at this table, the news of this apparent “sleep” setting in. 

                 “Alright, guess I have to say it. Izuku, like I said before…” Inko said quietly. “You were in a coma.”

Izuku felt the weight of the world hit him in the chest, like a bullet fired from a rifle. 

                 “A coma?!” He cried, he looked around the table and noticed Jiro looked down at the table. Shimura on the other hand crossed his arms, but looked the boy straight in the eye with pity. It didn’t feel condescending or rude, rather, it was sad. “How long was I out?! What happened since then?”

                 “Relax,” Inko said. “You were asleep for an entire week, and since then we’ve been staying here in Inari’s home. He’s been very, very kind so be sure you thank him for this Izuku.”

                 “Indeed, I have been watching over you on the Young Master’s orders,” Mayu said from the other side of the table. “I even closed the wound on your chest using my magic as well as receiving help from Sukunahikona. He's the kami of medicine since you seem so... 'out of the loop' with us." She continued. "It took time, but we were able to seal that wound and even cure the Blight that yokai left behind. Unfortunately, that scar is permanently there now.”

Izuku placed his left hand on his chest, feeling the scar remain after so long. It was a strange sensation, to feel something become a part of you that wasn’t there before, and in this moment Izuku could only think of that hideous, horrifying thing that attacked. 

                 “I remember seeing a woman there, she kept going on and on about not being pretty enough,” Izuku explained. “Was she some kind of villain?”

                 “That ‘woman’ who attacked you wasn’t a villain. She was a Kuchisake Onna.” Shimura said. 

                 “Kuchi- what?” Izuku asked. 

                 “A Kuchisake Onna, a yokai,” Jiro explained. “She was a spirit that wanted revenge on… whoever killed her.”

The room fell silent again, a leaf fell from the tree outside and landed gently into a small pond. 

                 “What are talking about?” Izuku asked with increasing fear. “Spirits? You’re telling me they really exist?”

                 “Izuku, you do realize you’re sitting in my home right?” Inari asked. “And well, not to sound rude but I wasn’t lying when I said that I am indeed a kami. A god. We exist because you humans have believed in us for centuries.”

Izuku shook his head. 

                 “I’m just trying to wrap my head around all of this.”

                 “Well if Inari summoning Mayu and Masaomi wasn’t proof enough then I don’t know what is.” Shimura asked. “Maybe a trip to town would change your mind then?”

                 “We’re in the Spirit World after all, it’s not like we have to worry about any Heroes or Villains.”

Izuku perked his head up. 

                 “The Spirit World?!” He asked. 

                 “Izuku, believe me I had problems accepting it too,” Inko said. “But everyone’s telling the truth. Spirits do exist, so do the kami!”

Izuku looked at his mother, who took his hands. 

                 “I know it’s a lot to accept, but please, just trust us okay?” She asked. 

Izuku’s mouth fell open, and he closed his eyes. 

                 “Okay.” he stated. 

He sat still and took a deep breath, and exhaled as the natural air gave him relief. He opened his eyes at the table as Jiro and Inari stared at him. 

                 “Sorry, what else happened?” He asked. 

                 “The Kuchisake Onna attacked you, and she nearly killed you too!” Jiro cried. “When Shimura and Inari came back I asked Sukunahikona to help. It took him and Mayu four days, but they managed to fix you.”

                 “Afterward I was told to guard and watch you, as I stated earlier.” Mayu added. 

                 “All the while I went back to the Human World with your mother, and we managed to uh… cover things up before any humans could get involved. 

                 “What do you mean?” Izuku asked. 

                 “I used several spells to wipe everyone’s memories. Your neighbors, the police who arrived? They couldn’t remember anything happening,” Inari explained. “All the while I had several spirits come in and repair your home. If you went back now, it looks like nothing ever happened. Even the car that Shimura was thrown into was completely repaired.”

Izuku looked at Inko, who nodded in agreement with Inari’s statement. 

                “What else is on your mind kid?” Shimura asked. 

Izuku closed his eyes and thought deeply in his mind. There were so many questions running up and down his body. The man in the mask, the flames spewing from his hands…

               “Inari, you said we made some kind of contract right?” Izuku asked. 

               “Yeah, I explained it to you when you woke up, what of it?” Inari asked. 

               “You said that I have to protect anyone I can, even these ‘yokai’, and if I’m remembering you said that I could even be a Hero!” Izuku cried. “Did you give me a Quirk?”

Inari sighed. 

               “Let’s make one thing clear Izuku,” He said. “I did not give you a ‘Quirk’ or whatever they’re called. I blessed you, and gave you extraordinary power.”

               “How’s that different from a Quirk?”

               “Quirks and Blessings are very different things Midoriya,” Jiro said. “Blessings… are uh…”

               “They’re given to us by the kami through a binding contract, and both parties have to agree to the terms and are obligated to follow them.” Shimura explained. “We aren’t born with them, the kami need to have a very good reason to trust us with that okay? The powers that come with them are divine and can be used against yokai, they aren’t something that anyone can have kid.”

Izuku looked at the blue haired man with confusion. 

               “To put it in simpler terms, the Young Master chose you in particular, because he believed you could bring some kind of change.” Mayu stated. “To receive a Blessing from the kami is a great honor, and the Quirks in comparison are simply limited to your physical body.” 

               “But our Blessings…” Inari continued. “They also bind to your soul. The stronger your spirit Izuku, the stronger you in particular will become.”

Izuku placed his hand to his chin. 

               “Okay I think I get it. So in essence Blessings are like Quirks in the way that they give us these extremely useful powers to fight against villains and I guess yokai in this context. That would mean if I was chosen then it means…”

Izuku shot his head up.

               “Do you really think I can be a Hero?!” He screamed. 

               “Izuku!” Inko 

Everyone at the table grunted in shock. Jiro and Shimura especially. The former’s earphone jacks located on her earlobes curled up slightly and jolted. Shimura clenched his hands tight and widened his eyes, his dry skin itching at him, causing him to scratch his eye. 

               “You said it at that place with the big Torii gate!” Izuku continued as he clenched a fist. “You chose me for some reason right?! You really think I can do it?!”

Inari let out a chuckle, even clapping his hands much to Izuku’s shocked uncertainty. He looked up and smiled after closing his eyes. 

               “For a human I can’t believe how dumb you are!”

               “Uh… I-”

               “Inari!!!” Everyone cried. 

               “Right, right sorry!” Inari chuckled. “Izuku, I’ll say it again since you didn’t hear me the first few times!”

               “I chose you because you truly have the heart of someone who can make a difference. As I said before, Heroes don’t need all the attention, the big capes, or the honors. You don’t need inhuman power to be strong, what you do have is the heart.”

Inari stood from his chair and sat next to Izuku. 

               “That is what truly matters, and I believe that with your kind nature, you’re perfect for the task and joining us to save others.” 

Izuku’s eyes filled with hope, and a smile appeared, one suddenly wet with tears, as Izuku started crying. 

               “You… *huff* you really think that?” Izuku whimpered. 

               “That I do.” Inari said. 

Words are precious things, and hold many messages. For Izuku, that was all he ever wanted, someone to truly believe in him. He grabbed his chest as his tears grew thicker, and he bowed in front of the god. 

               “Izuku!” Inko cried as she grabbed her son. 

Yet as she yanked him upward, she saw Izuku’s tearful smile, and she was overtaken. SO many years of being told he couldn’t be a Hero, so many years of bullying and harassment tormented the poor boy, but to see him so happy? So filled with hope?

               “I can’t… *sob*” Izuku mumbled. 

Inari placed a hand on Izuku’s shoulder. 

               “I’m truly blessed…” He managed to say. 

Inari smiled once again, and Shimura did as well. Jiro tilted her head. 

               “You want me to get something for you Midoriya?” She asked. 

               “No *sob* no it’s okay. I’m fine!” he cried. 

For many more minutes he continued to shed tears, and he finally wiped them from his face. 

               “I’m ready to do whatever you need!” he shouted. “I want to help anyone I can! And I’ll do it with a smile too, I’ll save others with a smile just like All Might!”

Inari chuckled. 

               “I appreciate that, but there’s one thing I need to mention.”

Izuku and Inko grunted with confusion. 

               “Oh no,” Jiro said out loud. “This is the hard part guys.”

               “What are you talking about?” Inko asked. 

               “Well,” Jiro started. “Technically we’re Heroes in the Spirit World, but back home? Back in the city?”

“We’re technically vigilantes.”

Izuku widened his eyes. 

               “Vigilantes?” He asked. 

               “Yeah, don’t get me wrong we’re fighting to protect everyone, humans and yokai, but we break the law in order to do it.” 

               “What?!” Izuku cried. 

               “Before you make any assumptions, we only break the laws that we need to,” Shimura explained. “If we have to chase after someone with our Blessings and Quirks, we do it. If we have to act when other Heroes won’t, we do it. We fight on our own terms.”

               “But we don’t do anything bad! We’re not thieves, we don’t ask for money or threaten anyone!” Jiro nervously clarified. 

               “And we especially don’t abuse our power…” Inari said with a deep tone. 

Izuku was taken aback, and he looked at the table. 

               “So you act like you can just do whatever you want?” He asked. 

               “Izuku wait a minu-” 

               “Mom these guys break the law!! They’re no better than villains!” 

               “THAT’S NOT TRUE!!”

Everyone gasped as Shimura erupted out of his seat, his fists clenched and his teeth almost grinding against one another. 

               “We NEVER stoop so low as to hurt people!” He screamed. “We would never act like tyrants or hurt others, and we ESPECIALLY don’t kill people! So don’t you DARE call me a villain!!” 

He took several breaths, his shoulders rising and falling, and as Shimura’s rage boiled, he suddenly gasped as he stared at the mother and son. He grunted and quickly dropped to his knees, much to Izuku and Inko’s shock, and bowed. 

               “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap like that.” He whimpered. 

Izuku lowered his head and looked at Shimura, who was shaking in his stance. He walked up and squat down. 

               “Hey, it’s alright!” He said, Shimura raised his head. “I should be sorry for assuming any of that. Come on, you’re a good guy right?”

Shimura looked at him with curiosity. 

                “If it wasn’t for you we might not even be here, so really I should be thanking you!”

Shimura stared for a moment longer, and closed his eyes. He stood up and looked at Izuku, who was in awe of this man, and he suddenly offered his hand. 

                “Right… yeah…” he said. “Let’s just start over and try to… be good.”

Izuku suddenly bumped his fist. 

                “Yeah.” He said quietly. 

Together they returned to their seats, and the ambience of the room, the tea remained on the table, still warm even after all the time that passed. 

                “Right, it would seem this discussion is starting to flare up, perhaps we should return to this another time.” Mayu said. 

                “That’s true, but it sounds like they’ve already made their decision.” Inari said. 

                “Now hold on just a minute,” Inko said. “The last thing I want is Izuku to be hurt, but do you really think this is right? You’re breaking laws by going out there and… doing what you do!”

The room remained silent. 

                 “I want Izuku to be safe, I love him too much to allow him to go out and potentially get himself arrested, if what you’re saying is true!”

                 “If it comes to it Izuku doesn’t have to go out there, he can always watch and help from afar.” Inari said.

                 “Then what good is this Blessing you gave me?!” cried. 

                 “Izuku-”

                 “I know… I know,” Izuku said. “If I do this I’ll be breaking the law, but… Inari you said you trusted me enough to do this.”

                 “That’s right.”

Izuku looked around, staring at Jiro, Shimura, and Mayu. They all seemed so trustworthy, willing to help. Jiro looked at Izuku with a subtle confidence, but one that was muddied by doubt. Shimura crossed his arms again, yet his body language seemed… positive, like he wanted Izuku to join their cause. As for Mayu, she remained neutral, yet her eloquent appearance hinted at a kind and polite nature. Izuku felt like she was asking him to join their cause. And as he looked at his mother, he saw her conflicted feelings. 

                 “Look, everyone…” She said. “I want Izuku to be safe, but after what happened last week, seeing these ‘yokai’ in person and how they…”

She took a moment to breathe. 

                 “It’s been Izuku’s dream to follow in the footsteps of his idol, to protect people like a good Hero should. And here he is now with Inari granting him something that he’s always wanted.”

She placed her hands on her knees as she took a quick drink of her tea. 

                 “I want him to be safe, but at the same time, I want him to be happy…” She said. “Which is why I feel so conflicted about this.”

                 “If you need time you can have as much as you need Ms. Midoriya,” Shimura said. “No one’s twisting your arm over this.”

                 “I know!” She cried, much to Shimura’s surprise. “But-”

She finally looked up, facing Inari. 

                 “If you can promise me that Izuku can be safe, while also living his dream… then I don’t see why he shouldn’t try to live this life at the very least.”

                 “M-Mom!” Izuku cried. 

                 “Are you sure about this?” Inari asked with shock. “No one is forcing you into this decision. I simply believe that your son is a force of good!”

                 “Mom please, don’t force yourself to do this! I don’t like the idea either! Maybe there’s another way.”

                 “Izuku… listen to me.” Inko plead. “For a long time you’ve always admired Heroes left and right, and when you needed me that day, I let you down…”

                  “Mom…” Izuku said. 

                  “I didn’t give you the courage you needed, the love you needed when that doctor said you’d never have a Quirk.” She continued. “And after what you told me last week, that was the last straw. But here we are now. I saw you fight that thing with Shimura. I saw you and those… strings! So, after all of that and what Inari showed me since you passed out… I-”

                  “I believe he’ll keep you safe and act as a proper mentor!” 

Izuku gasped, and he felt complete shock run through his body. His mother, who loved him for so long, was suddenly giving him the chance he always wanted. 

A chance to become a Hero. 

                  “Well… it’s your decision Izuku.” Inko said. “I’m okay with what everyone has in store. I know I sound crazy even suggesting that you break the law but, if this really means that much to you, then why I should be the one to take it out of your hands?”

Izuku closed his eyes. 

                  “Inko if you truly feel that way…” Inari said. “Well, what’s your decision Izuku? Will you join us? Fight to protect the Human and the Spirit World? Or will you turn away and go back to what you were before? If that’s what you want, no one will judge you. Just say the word.”

All eyes were on Izuku as he sat motionless, absorbed in his thoughts. 

                  This… Izuku thought. 

                  You can’t ever be a Hero without a Quirk Deku!! Bakugo’s voice echoed. 

                  Is this really the right call? 

                 Wow, really trying to play Hero you Quirkless wannabe? Another student laughed. 

                 Should I really do this? 

Yet at the seed of all that doubt, his fear and uncertainty… Izuku found himself in that place again. A calm ocean, one as deep as a puddle, and there stood the Torii gate. Izuku found himself surrounded by spider lily flowers, all in full bloom, and as he finished looking around, he saw him. 

All Might stood with his back turned, his stance powerful and strong, and Izuku was filled with awe. He took a single step forward, the ripples breaking the stillness of the shore, and All Might suddenly looked over his shoulder. 

                 “Sometimes it’s okay to have doubts.” he suddenly said. “But you want to know something?” 

The Symbol of Peace turned around, facing Izuku head on. 

                 “Take that fear and face it head on!!!” He cried. “As I always say…”

                 “I am here!!” 

And without hesitation, Izuku opened his eyes. 

                 “Where do I start?!” 

And in that moment, Inari, Jiro, and Shimura all smiled. Inari slowly stood up, and opened his left hand. His palm glowed a soft blue light, and kanji was painted onto his hand. Izuku felt a warm feeling on his chest, and as he looked down he saw his kanji glowing the same light. And as he looked at Inari, the kami showed him his undying faith. 

“Izuku, we start right now!!”