All he could feel was the weight on his chest, something holding him down in place. Izuku rubbed his eyes as he slowly woke up from a long slumber, his head feeling strange and almost shaking from exhaustion. When he finally opened his eyes, he realized a strange truth. He sat up and leaned forward from his pillow, taking in his environment.
Wait, I could’ve sworn I was back in Inari’s house again, He thought. But… this looks like my room from back home!
As Izuku rubbed his eyes again, he was met with several All Might action figures on his nightstand. Several All Might posters lined the walls, giving his room a red, white, and blue color with that extravagant and incandescent yellow. All Might’s hair, which spiked over his forehead like ears, made up the arms on Izuku’s fans, and as Izuku uncovered his All Might bedsheets, he slowly put his feet to the ground.
If I’m back here… no, maybe it was just some crazy dream. Izuku thought as he put on a pair of slippers. He slowly made his way over to his closet and opened it, taking his pajamas off and putting them in a hamper filled with dirty clothes. He stared at a calendar hanging in the closet as he grabbed a pair of underwear and put them on, then he grabbed a pair of tan cargo shorts and white socks.
It’s summer break, maybe I can start a new note after Kacch-
Izuku stopped for a moment as he looked at the calendar, the same day he met Inari and was attacked by that woman, the Kuchisake Onna. June 28th was that fateful day, and as that week passed in the Spirit World, so too did a week pass in the Human World. Izuku had crossed out every day on the calendar since the beginning of the year, but an entire week had gone, and the calendar was left blank. As he grabbed an All Might shirt, he grabbed a red marker he left in the drawer and crossed out seven days, and then he checked his phone.
If I was really in a coma for a week, and all that crazy stuff happened yesterday, then today should be July 6th. Izuku thought. Wait, July 6th?! I’ve already missed out on a week of summer break; I could’ve had so many new notes!!
Izuku put the shirt on, but before he closed the closet, he saw what lay beneath his shirt. An old shirt of Endeavor, the Flaming Hero himself. He was just as imposing as All Might was, his crimson flames bellowing all over his body, those sharp turquoise eyes. Yet, Izuku couldn’t find that smile, the smile that saved so many hearts of those who needed help. The smile of the Symbol. Endeavor looked head on with his arms crossed, that prideful posture looking down on all those unworthy, that same posture that reminded him too much of-
Bakugo… Izuku thought.
The boy clenched his fists as his body started shaking, his thoughts racing back to that day.
You might as well take a swan-dive off the roof, and hope you’ll have a Quirk in your next life! That voice echoed.
“Izuku! Time to wake up!” Inko’s voice echoed as Izuku’s mind wavered. The boy snapped back into reality as Bakugo’s voice disappeared, and he finished changing into summer clothes. He grabbed the red marker and crossed out July 8th as he forgot to before, and then closed the closet. He opened his bedroom door and stepped into the hallway, walking through his small apartment towards the living room, and then, a certain smell overwhelmed his nostrils.
What is that?! He thought. Wait, I recognize that smell; smokey, it’s got a deep aroma too.
He smelled the air again.
It’s got a deep richness! Is that coffee?
As Izuku walked into the living room, he saw his answer sitting at the couch, a certain blue haired man wearing a black All Might t-shirt and jeans. He sipped his coffee from a mug, his black and blue gloves once more covering his hands. That’s when Izuku saw that he was reading from a certain note book. The boy went blue in the face, and the man smiled.
“All Might Jr, Mighty Man, Mr. Might, wow these are… well I can see where the influence came from.” Tenko Shimura joked.
“Ohohoho yeah, Izuku’s looked up to All Might since he could walk!” Inko said she drank a glass of water from her chair. “We used to play games together and he would always run around in his little All Might costume to save me from the evil Dr. Blanket.”
Izuku blushed immensely as his mother continued.
“HAHAAA!” Tenko laughed. “Ah man! I did the same thing with Sensei after-”
The man suddenly paused; his red eyes transfixed on the deep brown coffee in his mug.
“Well, we used to do it back when I was younger…” Tenko said as he flipped the page.
“How- wha? HUH?!!!” Izuku shouted.
Inko looked over as she set her glass on the table, her smile shining radiantly like the sun.
“Ah, there you are Izuku, look who came over for some breakfast!” She cried as she nodded her head over towards their guest.
Izuku looked over as Tenko turned his head around, his dry face adorned by a look of youthful wonder. He smiled as he raised the notebook in his hand, and suddenly, he grinned with a trickster’s snark.
“All-Deavor huh? Pair of Endeavor glasses and an All Might wig?” He asked with a jovial laugh.
“HEY!!! THAT’S MY HERO NOTEBOOK GIVE IT BACK!!!” Izuku screamed. He quickly ran up to the couch reaching for the book.
Suddenly, Tenko threw the book straight upward and ripped his legs into the air. Izuku gasped in shock, and the man flipped over the back of their couch, landing on his feet instantly. He jabbed forward with his right hand, flames lining his fingers, and before Izuku could react, Tenko’s fingers nearly touched the boy’s throat, the heat of the fire crackling against his skin. And then, Tenko caught the book in his hands the moment it fell from the air. Inko sat and sipped her tea, completely unmoving as the wolf sat with his claws bear.
“Huh-” Izuku whelped. Tenko suddenly smiled with a pure energy about him.
“See? This is why you need to train, if you’re gonna be a Kaiho-sya and save Yokai like us, then you need three things.”
The flames danced across Tenko’s fingers like a ballet, ever so slightly tickling Izuku’s throat. The man continued to stare at the boy, who was so scared he barely moved, even the slightest tickle on his skin sent shockwaves through his soul, his Niwa.
"Three Pillars: Body, Mind, and your Niwa." Tenko spoke. "If you can master those, then you've earned the right to call yourself a Kaiho-sya."
“Mrs. Midoriya! It’s time for me to head out with this little guy, you don’t mind right?”
Inko gripped her tea cup, and stood up looking at the two with conviction.
“You’re positive that you can take care of Izuku? Can you promise me that he’ll be safe?” She asked.
Tenko doused the flames on his hands and without notice, he gave Izuku the notebook back. The boy took it slowly but was hypnotized by this sudden scene. Tenko turned around, and much to the Midoriya’s shock, he dropped to his knees… and bowed.
“I’ve seen a lot of things out there Mrs. Midoriya, things that even I have a hard time with,” he said as he pressed his forehead against the floor. “But I swear, I’ll train Izuku here to be strong, and to have faith in what he can do. I'll keep him safe, besides, I'm sure he and I will get along.”
Before Inko could react, Tenko said one final word.
“Tamashiwo Chikatte.”
Tenko lifted his forehead off the ground and opened his hands. As Izuku joined his mother, they both noticed something magical. When Tenko opened his palms, glowing red kanji shined in the air, with dozens of red particles surrounding them.
魂を誓って
The kanji vanished quietly, and Tenko looked up at Inko with determination in his heart, yet the mother let out a disgruntled sigh. Izuku looked at her with worry, and Tenko’s smile… disappeared.
“Alright, he can go, but on one condition.” Inko demanded.
“Wha- hold on I’m lost here!” Izuku cried. Tenko simply stared at Inko.
“That’s fine, what’s your terms?” Tenko asked. Inko sighed.
“If Izuku’s going to work hard he least deserves to have a hardy breakfast first!!”
Izuku went red in the face, his head felt so warm that steam burst from his ears. As for Tenko, he blushed immensely and immediately bowed once again.
“Well… uh… I-I’m… wow that was extremely rude, you’re right.” Tenko muttered as his red turned so red it glowed. “Yeah… I’ll uh… I’ll be outside…”
The man slowly turned around and almost tip-toed towards the door, putting his hands into his jean’s pockets. Izuku and Inko both looked at each other, their eyes speaking confusion and… awkwardness.
“Oh you can have breakfast too if you want! I’ll get started right now.” Inko said as she sheepishly walked into the kitchen.
Tenko turned his head around, his long blue hair thrown around by the force as he looked back into the Midoriya apartment.
“No really I’m good-”
“It’s fine, I’d like you to be here with us anyway! Maybe we can get started while we eat hehe…” Izuku said strangely. Tenko shrugged his shoulders.
“Uh… I really like rice.” He spoke.
“Well I’m making some right now, so let’s get to it!”
As Izuku sat down on the couch, Tenko joined his side. The young teen couldn’t help but notice however, that brilliant All Might t-shirt Tenko was wearing. The black fabric was a stark contrast of Tenko’s sickly pale skin, the color was so drained of life that it could be mistaken for bone. And yet, Tenko seemed surprisingly muscular.
“Wait, that’s a limited edition All Might Banzai shirt with glowing eyes!!! How’d you get that?!” Izuku cried once he settled in. “There’s only-”
“Thirty around the whole world? Yeah, I know,” Tenko chuckled. “I got it a few years ago, wanna see something cool?”
Tenko looked left and right, and then reached inside his shirt collar. He pulled his collar outward, showing a small amount of his chest, and he turned it inside out. Izuku looked closely, and then, his eyes sparkled.
“YOU GOT ALL MIGHT’S AUTOGRAPH?!!!” He yelled.
“Yep!! I went nuts when Sensei and I met him on the street once. He was fighting a B-Class villain back when Endeavor was the Number Three Hero and when he got backed into a corner-”
“He whipped out an Oklahoma Smash and cried-”
“I AM HERE!!” Izuku and Tenko cried together.
“YEAH!” Tenko yelled. “How do you know about that?”
“All Might’s the best hero of all time! I’ve got all kinds of stuff in my room, did you wanna see some of it?!”
Tenko chuckled as he turned his collar back to normal.
“Maybe some other time, we have your training to worry about,” he said. “After breakfast we’re gonna head out to this special place, then, we’ll finally get started.”
“Is Inari going to be there? What about Jiro?” Izuku asked.
Tenko stroked his chin.
“Guess we’ll find out.”
“Alright, breakfast is ready!” Inko said from the kitchen. “Izuku if you’re going to really start, you need a good meal first! Shimura you deserve something too!”
“Okay!” Izuku cried. “Yeah, still I can’t believe you actually have that shirt! Man I wish I had one.”
“Well beggars can’t be choosers, come on, let’s eat and then we’ll get started with the training.” Tenko said, he got off the couch and headed towards the dining table. As he was about to sit down, he turned around, Izuku following him. The boy stopped and looked into the man’s red eyes, and then…
“Maybe when we’re finished, you’ll be a real Hero.”
And then, Tenko took a seat, leaving Izuku stunned on his feet. As Inko brought over a small pot of rice, she asked Izuku to sit. The boy did as his mother said, and he grabbed a pair of chopsticks. Inko returned with plates of fish, a bowl of miso soup, and fresh pickles. Together, the three of them ate together.
“Itadakimasu.” The three of them said.
Tenko poured himself the miso, downing it in seconds before grabbing another portion. Izuku and Inko both picked away at their fish while Tenko tried the pickles. His chopsticks fell from his hands, and he panicked trying to grab them again. Izuku laughed slightly, but held it in as Inko gave him a look. However, Tenko looked up and gave a small smile. He quickly finished his pickles and rice, and then clapped his hands.
“Gochisousama Ms. Midoriya.” Tenko said.
“Huh, Inari said that to me also.” Inko said.
“It’s proper manners, isn’t it? That’s what he and Sensei taught me.”
“How old are you again?” Inko asked.
“Nineteen, I turn 20 next April.”
“Oh wow, my birthday’s in a few days.” Izuku added.
“Really, what day?”
“The 15th, that’s uh… oh man that’s only six days from now.”
“That’s fine, I’m sure we can put something together, anyway, it’s time to go.”
Tenko stood up and bowed toward Inko, then he grabbed his plate, bowl, as well as several dishes into the kitchen and began washing them.
“Uh before you leave can Izuku at least pack a bag if he’s going away?” Inko asked.
“No need for that, we’re not heading to the Spirit World, not for this portion anyway.”
Portion? Izuku thought.
Inko helped Tenko wash the dishes and together they put them away in their proper cabinets. Tenko then took Izuku to the door of their home, with Inko suddenly running towards them.
“Wait!” she cried. “So, this is it huh? You’re really going to be a Hero?”
Izuku nodded his head and grabbed Inko.
“It’s gonna be okay Mom, I’m going to do my best.” He said quietly. Tenko simply waited, and then, he stepped forward.
“He’ll be home every night, but he’ll have to start changing his diet,” he said. “He needs to build muscle and work for a stronger body if he wants to handle his Blessing.”
“Okay…” Inko said. “Izuku, you know I’m proud of you right?”
“Yeah, thanks Mom.” Izuku said quietly, trying not to tear up.
“Well…” Inko said. Izuku walked towards the door and opened it, he turned around once more.
“I’ll see you later Mom!”
His smile reigned supreme, and Inko teared up a small amount. Tenko removed his hands from his pockets, and he left the apartment after he bowed to Inko once more. Izuku waved goodbye, and he closed the door behind him. With his hands clenched, he looked upward at Tenko. Suddenly, the man swept his hand over the two of them.
“Tobari!”
帳
The red kanji appeared out of Tenko’s left hand, and Izuku felt an energy fly over and engulf him. It was something he couldn’t quite explain, yet at the same time he felt a force brush his body entirely. It was formless, unknowable.
“And just like that we’ve crossed into the Spirit World.” Tenko said.
“Wait, what?” Izuku cried. “But everything looks exactly the same.”
“Yep, the Spirit World and Earth are one in the same Midoriya, they’re intertwined. Shinkyo and the surrounding area are all part of a different realm.” Tenko explained. He walked down the stairs from Izuku’s apartment, and the young man followed. “I’ll teach you all of that in the coming months but…”
He suddenly turned around.
“We’ve seriously been putting this off for too long, let’s get to training!”
“AH! RIGHT!!” Izuku cried.
As the reached the bottom of the steps, Tenko started jogging, and Izuku followed. Every step felt faster and faster, quicker as the buildings blurred by, Izuku could barely feel his lungs as they continued.
“HEY! SLOW DOWN!!” Izuku screamed. Tenko only ran faster.
“No chance! You want to become one of us?! Start working on your stamina!”
Suddenly Tenko’s feet caught fire and he ran into the sky, and Izuku… simply trembled behind.
His training has officially started...
“Hey! WAIT FOR ME!!!!!!!”
