Haruno and Bakugou, as at team-
Sakura and Katsuki cut out their homeroom teacher to glare at one another. They didn't make a sound or refute, but their faces were scrunching and their classmates even took a few steps away, as if something was ready to explode.
Although she hadn't been in a classroom in years, keeping up with the heroics curriculum was less than challenging. Training for heroics was the only action she had received within the school, and the practical part of the exam at least promised that. However, dealing with Katsuki was not something she obliged kindly to. And the feelings were mutual.
Katsuki Bakugou was a pompous, arrogant hothead that tried to constantly buttheads with her. When it came to a fight, Sakura hardly backed down and wasn't afraid to hit hard, despite the logic in reframing from such actions.
She held back on many occasions only to keep out of the limelight, so she could focus her efforts on escaping this world. But she had been maintaining vigilance for a while and had fallen lax from time to tie. Sakura's major issue was that her temper would boil over with Katsuki and she'd end up doing something horrendous to him.
Her fuse was already easily lit and spending all her time with Tsunade did nothing to tamper her fury. It was only by keeping a certain decorum that she evaded unnecessary fights, especially when she knew they were coming from vain, immature individuals like Katsuki.
For the most part, he had let her be. Likely his pride that refused to acknowledge he was watching her, observing with growing resentment. But Sakura paid it no mind as long as he kept his distance.
Katsuki attempted to close that a few times, especially before these exams and now they were going to have to work close.
It wasn't their opponent that would be their undoing for this exam, but each other.
When a shadow overcast them both, Sakura realized that her last notion was going to have a close second, as their opponent watched them with a wide grin that was adored by so many in society.
"I am here!"
'Why don't they just blindfold us while they're at it?'
Toshinori was the only one of the faculty Sakura considered a hard threat as an opponent. She considered heroes fortunate that Toshinori was on their side of the coin. If flipped, it was a wonder who could defeat him.
It was interesting that Katsuki was chosen as her partner and Toshinori her opponent. The teachers spoke about making the students face their weaknesses, and in terms of inter-relationships, Sakura and Katsuki were the worst combinations, and Toshinori in the mix could only blacken it further.
Fighting the number one hero was intriguing though. Most shinobi eventually came to enjoy action, especially a fight. Likely a mechanism for coping with the destruction and endurance of missions that they had to learn to find some pleasure in it. And she couldn't deny that she was excited at the prospect. Even if the rules were strictly set.
If only she didn't have to share the stage with Katsuki that was going to serve as an obstacle.
'This should be bad,' She sighed.
Even with the handicap of weights given to the teachers, Sakura knew that wouldn't be enough to stop someone with strength like Toshinori. Some ninjas also wore weights and while that might have slowed them down, it didn't deter their ability to fight completely. The same principle would apply here, even more so to All Might.
Sakura witnessed that strength and speed, and she could determine already that this wasn't going to be much of an advantage for them.
Katsuki looked like he had a lot to say, but he was overwhelmed so much that he couldn't spit out the words as easily. Sakura might not be chipper about being on his team, but he appeared like an open minefield. One wrong step and everything would go boom.
"Alright everyone, stop wasting time and get moving,"
Sakura watched Shouta take off and couldn't help thinking this was one cruel joke.
..
..
Sakura and Katsuki couldn't even talk to each other on the bus ride over to their station. Sitting far apart from one another, Katsuki glared viciously out the window while Sakura sat near the front with Toshinori.
The great hero was twiddling his thumbs, shoulders tense as he peered around trying to find something to occupy himself while the time went by. It was a comical thought that he was being made uncomfortable by the tension the two were causing.
'If only he could go down with just this,'
Number one or not, Toshinori was a poor teacher, not only did he lack the tools to handle a curriculum, but he had trouble facing interpersonal relationships. He couldn't solve a problem that didn't require him using his fists, was Sakura's opinion. But at least he could do that well enough.
"Uncomfortable enough All Might?" Sakura teased, watching him jump at her question.
"No-not at all Haruno-I mean- I mean I'm just that's not-
"How articulate," He kept this up, she would start to think Izuku got his stuttering from his teacher. Sakura knew enough secrets about All Might, more than he even knew but before a fight, she liked being informed if possible and with as much information as possible.
Learning about their opponents, and having intel was what determined a lot of Sakura and her friend's battles in the past. It's how they were able to craft strategies and determine weaknesses. It worked with Kakashi, even the most ridiculous notion had become the copy cap ninja's undoing.
She wanted to know what she could pry out of him in this short trip to do the same.
"All Might, how are those weights feeling?"
He flexed his fingers, "Heavier than I thought young Haruno,"
Sakura smiled, but carefully observed Toshinori's movements. She knew that he had an injury on his side and it showed that he was slightly affected. It was the only place Nomu had been able to wound even when he was digging his claws into his skin. She was sure that meant his strength wasn't just in his fists but in his entire being. Meaning using other means to attack and do damage would be difficult externally at least.
That put them at a greater disadvantage. Sakura might have monster strength, but pressure a blade into her belly it'll go right through with little resistance. Toshinori was still muscle. His strength also produced immense wind force she would need to look out for.
'At least his power is more straightforward,' He may not be transparent about his quirk as other heroes were, but its general execution was the same.
"You're worried?" Toshinori asked, curious about her question.
"Why do you say that?" Sakura tilted her head.
"Well, there's more than one way to pass the exam,"
"Yes, I know by escaping," Sakura said glancing out the window, "Aizawa said that's a real option, but have you ever taken it?"
He appeared visibly taken aback, Sakura could see that through the shadows around his eyes. Katsuki's ears were also perked though he continued to remain indifferent.
"You're asking if I ever made an escape attempt as a hero?"
"Escaping sounds good in theory, but real-world variables aren't that accommodating,"
The bus's wheels became louder with the engine noises after they all fell silent again. Toshinori took longer to respond and Sakura thought that maybe he would simply wait out until they reached their destination, but his grin widened.
"Young Haruno, it's not about what others have done but what's best for you in the given situation,"
Sakura smirked, turning away from the hero, but her gaze had cut into his spine like shards of ice, "That's fine by me,"
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..
When it came to the practicals for the hero course, Izuku felt tremors of excitement and nerves, especially for these exams. He was no more concerned about Sakura and Katsuki joining forces to go against All Might. Fighting any of the teachers was a heart-dropping prospect, but a few of them had already managed to pass, but Izuku was holding strong that there was no way to get over the wall that was the number one hero. No amount of punches or blasts could tear it down.
That's what he believed, as he watched the screen. Katsuki's anger was clearer than a day in HD. Izuku didn't know how they were going to defeat All Might much less work together as a team trying not to kill one another.
"This should be interesting. We've got the best students against All Might," Observed Tenya.
"Yeah but they don't exactly get along well, this could be detrimental to the results," stated Momo. No matter how formidable the two were, together they were a disastrous force in the making.
"I don't think they have any choice but to escape," Even as Izuku said this, he wondered if this was what they would choose to do. Or if All Might would even allow them an opening.
"Sakura probably has something in mind," Shouto said, with a clipped certainty and unchanging expression. He didn't want to take his eyes off the screen. After Sakura's performances throughout the semester, there was a strong curiosity burning about how she would fare against a real pro.
The best.
..
..
The location for their exam was ground simulating a city. The buildings were perfectly built, along with the streets, fire hydrants, and even electricity running through. U.A. spared no expense to give its students the most realistic experience when fighting in different environments. And the implied rules that they would need to follow to continue to hold the image of what a true hero should be. Able to defeat villains while barely leaving a spec of dust in their wake.
Heroes had to be conscious of their surroundings to keep people safe, especially in large cities where evacuation wasn't always possible.
This exam was like dancing around a minefield, Sakura and Katsuki being the bombs that might be set off. The moment the alarm went for them to start, Katsuki attempted to remove himself from Sakura's sight and was stomping forwards through a straight path toward the exit gate.
Where Toshinori was likely waiting.
"What are you doing Katsuki?"
"None of your damn business!"
"That's intelligent, walk right up to him, he'll never see it coming," Her tone dripped with sarcasm.
"Shut up Fivehead, I don't need your opinion to pass this exam! I'll beat up All Might and knock him out!"
Katsuki stomped heavy with his boots on the road, his tone had sounded so serious Sakura couldn't stop herself from snorting out her disbelief.
"What?"
"You know Katsuki," He hissed softly. "If you would just stop and think for a minute, we might actually both be able to pass this exam,"
"I DON'T NEED YOUR FUCKING HELP TO PASS," At least he was fast enough to know she was implying they work together, but even so he wasn't budging for it. His voice traveled far but was lost to the wind but not to Sakura.
"We'll see," Then she vanished in a blur, Katsuki couldn't even see which direction she had gone, but that's what she was, completely gone.
He could feel the vein on his forehead throb, "Good riddance,"
Katsuki continued to make his way forward but barely went any further before he was hurled into a mixture of wind, dust, concrete, and rubble.
It was like a tornado and earthquake in one blow, literally. As the tar from the road was uplifted, the buildings in the wake were partially taken apart from the sheer force of the blast, kicking up dirt and parts of the city structure, breaking metal, concrete, and glass alike. Once the wind was finished knocking the breath out of Katsuki, a cloud of dust rose into the air.
Through that cloud, a large silhouette appeared, closer than should've been possible from the starting distance.
"Who gives a dam about damaging the city? I'm a villain heroes" The voice was All Might's but it didn't sound like it belonged to the hero that always smiled. Katsuki got to his feet as quickly as possible, determined to hold his ground as he forced a grin to stretch across his face.
Toshinori appeared through the dust, one heavy footstep was enough to knock back the rest of the shroud around him, allowing Katsuki to feel the overwhelming presence, the intimidation pressing onto him like a weight.
"Come at me with everything you've got,"
Anyone else would've cowered, they would've attempted to run away no matter how futile, test or not had they felt this intensity crushing them. But Katsuki stayed and aimed at his teacher. His palm stretched out as Toshinori charged at him at a considerably slower speed. Letting him fall directly in the direction of his blast.
The light was too bright that he had to cover his eyes, and Katsuki took that chance to get the upper hand. Rising above his teacher to attack.
"I was gonna come at you from the start-
With his size, it was a simple feat for Toshinori to wrap one hand around Katsuki's face and keep him suspended in the air. But Katsiki didn't give up, he aimed his hands where he knew would hurt and fired continuous blasts at him.
Toshinori was impressed by Katsuki's ferocity, if not his fearlessness as well even though it bordered on reckless. He even fought against the normal response choosing to attack instead of getting out of the hero's hold. The blasts weren't having any impact aside from what was equal to annoyingly heated flicks to the face. It showcased the determination Katsuki had in fighting him instead of running.
Whether he intended to pass these exams was another matter.
Stilling grasping his face, Toshinori plundered Katsuki into the ground, knocking out the air from him.
"Such weak hits do nothing but sting like bees,"
Toshinori started surveying the area, he was certain that Sakura hadn't made it to the entrance yet but if she was heading there now likely intended to use Katsuki as a distraction while she made her way to the exit.
With a strategy like that, such crudeness went against what the teachers wanted to obtain from this exam. It wasn't even a guarantee that she would pass, using Katsuki's determination to stay behind and fight a losing battle so that she would have enough time.
'If they talked this out, I would be willing to believe they earned the marks to pass but somehow I doubt this is the case,'
Shouta spoke about how disdainful Sakura and Katsuki were. Rather it was Katsuki that had a harsh perception of the girl. Toshinori knew that Katsuki was still learning to properly respond to the blows he receives to his ego. In their first training session, Katsuki had lost all reason going against Izuku and even went off on his own to face him.
He wasn't happy about Sakura either, not just her quirk, but her combat abilities and instincts were further than anyone else in her class. Katsuki must've realized that she was levels above him and has been seeking to catch up, yet he hasn't been able to prove if he's gotten there. It didn't help that they were paired for this exam.
On the other hand, Shouta and Nezu saw it as the perfect handicap for Sakura to pin her with someone that whom she wouldn't get along with. Since she proved to have a rational and calm sense even in dangerous situations.
Initially, Toshinori was curious about what she had to offer in a fight against him, yet it looked like she just saw Katsuki as dead weight and decided to cut him loose so she could escape.
'Rather heartless for a hero,' A conflicting matter, this would become.
All Might looked around, "You're partner seems to have vanished, or are you waiting for an ambush? Haruno's someone to keep an eye after all,"
Katsuki brought himself to stand once again, gritting his teeth and straining his muscles but standing, all the same, aiming his hands at Toshinori, "Don't go getting sidetracked when I'm right in front of you!"
It was a rush, an irrational one, but Toshinori wouldn't back down even from Katsuki's distressed antics. Katsuki barely got his first blast to heat up before he was slammed in the gut with a force that felt like a net of bricks that made him lurch what was left of his breakfast into the air spluttering before he was flying through the air.
Toshinori watched him fall, and struggle to try and stand once more. "You're tenacious young Bakugou. Though it seems Haruno has chosen to flee without you, so I can't risk wasting time, not with her speed,"
"Shut up, All Might. Don't talk…." Katsuki wheezed in a breath, tasting the dust and bile on his tongue still.
"So you two couldn't agree and went your separate ways. That's not wise, even heroes who compete will come together to take on a greater force,"
"I don't need her power to pass!" Katsuki hissed, gaining the strength to stand on his anger. Toshinori's grin widened with amusement, "Oh?"
It was amazing how powerful Katsuki's anger was that it overpowered his logic when it came to Sakura.
'But this is still an exam,' Toshinori walked towards Katsuki intending to knock him out so that he could go hunting for Sakura. He was strolling halfway when he heard the girl's voice.
"You are an idiot,"
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..
Sakura could see that Katsuki wasn't getting far with his direct attack on Toshinori, but that didn't stop him from trying. He almost looked too determined to beat him in a head-on fight, but even Katsuki should be able to see that wasn't possible at his current level. If it were anyone else, he probably would've kept a clearer head, but Sakura had clouded it.
Facing someone like Toshinori, Sakura knew better than to head straight into the storm without insight. That's what she was accomplishing by letting Katsuki take on the great hero himself while she stepped back into the shadows.
She could've gone for the exit. It would've been the wiser decision to take the way Katsuki was willing to clear with his arrogance. This was purely on a selfish desire of her own. Her future at U.A. was appearing bleak, and she wasn't willing to wait for things to clear.
While this break was meant to be used for a training camp, Sakura was going to take the opportunity to move on and clear her trails for good.
What was the harm in going out with a bang? The harm in trying to feel something again? To take in some satisfaction from a good fight? Getting things over and done with were becoming numbing and that was worse than pain.
While shinobi were taught to endure, they also become prone to the desire to fight. She liked a fight, and right now she wanted a good one.
She would let the veil fall.
"Haruno," Toshinori called out but received no answer. Carefully surveying his surroundings. He knew that she couldn't be far, but where she could be hiding was another issue.
He threw a punch, it was sudden and face, but it cleared another part of the city grounds ahead of him, the winds came and gathered the debris before settling just as before, but nothing appeared.
"Oh young heroes, you're not doing a very good job at protecting this city," Toshinori prepared to throw another punch, turning to the other part of the city so that his path of destruction could come from all four compass directions.
"The school won't be upset about the damages?" Toshinori felt unsettlement slither down his back like a snake at the voice that appeared so close behind. He hadn't sensed any presence and yet Sakura managed to get behind him so suddenly. Recovering quickly, he made a move to turn around and take aim at a new target.
"So you finally appear-huh?" When Toshinori turned again, she wasn't there, yet her voice had been so close he could almost touch it. But the source wasn't where he expected.
'Did she just vanish?'
"I don't believe those weights impair your judgment," Again the voice came at his back and he turned, throwing a swing, and hitting nothing but air. Though it was quite a force to hit it with, throwing back some debris.
"Well, that's not what we have to worry about right?"
Standing on the other side of the road that would lead to the exit, Sakura held her hands behind her back, legs crossed and neatly posed.
'How did she do that?' He heard her right next to him, he was certain of it and she couldn't have possibly moved fast enough to get out of the way.
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..
"What's going on?" Izuku asked out loud watching Sakura and Toshinori's confrontation.
"You saw that too right Midoriya?" asked Tenya. It had been difficult watching Katsuki play such a one-sided with Toshinori, meanwhile, Sakura chose to leave their sights and the cameras hadn't been able to catch her, not even heading for the exit. No one knew where she had gone until now. But something very strange had happened.
"She'd gotten so close to All Might, but it was like he never even saw her," Sakura had come right up behind the man without being seen and was only noticed when she spoke. But even then Toshinori seemed to lose sight of her presence that was just moving around him.
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..
"That's an interesting technique, to make your presence disappear at will and become invisible to the enemy even as you stand in front of them."
Sakura smiled, "All Might's had a lot of experience,"
He had figured out her technique quicker than she thought. It was just a matter of sneaking around him in silence, as long as she kept closer to his back, his large body became a hindrance. But that wasn't the only weakness she was planning to exploit.
"So you haven't abandoned your teammate Haruno?" Toshinori glanced at Katsuki's trembling body still stuck to the ground.
"He admires you so much doesn't he?" That wasn't a question meant to be answered and they knew it. "Besides aren't the teams meant to give the illusion of advantage again our teachers? Pro heroes? This was just a means to give us a tactical advantage in numbers, but there's something other's night not realize,"
"What's that?'
Her eyes turned cold, turning them to emerald. "Numbers can also be a disadvantage, deadweight,"
"That's shrewd,"
Sakura leaned down as she saw Toshinori shift on his feet, seemingly discrete but his size wasn't an advantage in this case.
"Well, then Haruno let's see what you've got!" He charged her, his fist drawn back as he approached through the air.
There didn't seem to be anything off when Sakura went to put her fist up against his, he had seen her strength and would now be experiencing it first hand. It was further than what Izuku had reached, yet it didn't know by what extension. And he was keen. Yet when their fists collided, it was so soft that Toshinori feared he may have broken her entire arm. But then everything felt light as she vanished in a puff of white smoke.
"What!?"
When he looked back to where Katsuki was previously positioned he had vanished. 'Oh'
..
..
A clone as a distraction was the perfect means for Sakura to grab Katsuki and hide in the alleyway of a building that wasn't destroyed by Toshinori's attacks. Katsuki was set down to rest against the cold bricks.
Sakura stood in front of Katsuki, hovering her hands over his chest to heal his injuries. "Back off!" Katsuki spat, finding the strength to knock her away, although he was feeling his strength returning and his injuries partially closed. "I don't need your pity,"
"I've got plenty of reason to pity you, but this is not one of them. You brought this on yourself by rushing into this fight, although you did look pathetic,"
"Better than you fucking hiding out!"
Sakura sighed, running her hands through her hair. "I was at least able to observe him while he was beating the crap out of you. Honestly out of everyone in our class, I thought you had the better fighting instincts."
"Shut up!" Katsuki threw his hand out at her, his blast followed by a patch of smoke. Sakura stepped back watching him vent.
"I don't need your fucking help! I'd rather fail this damn exam-
"And fall even further behind by missing the training camp?" Sakura cut him off and brought Katsuki back to attention.
"Who's falling behind? Behind you? Don't flatter yourself Fivehead. You just lucked out with your quirk! Don't think-
He stopped. It was like a hand was squeezing his throat, even though Sakura's was at her sides, but
her eyes darkened, and a heaviness fell onto Katuski as he met her gaze, and intimidation similar to what All Might displayed, but it was mixed with true anger not just mimicking.
"Luck huh?" Her shoulders grew tense, "Of course, someone like you would see it that way,"
"What?"
A condescending grin broke out on her face, "You lucked out yourself, didn't you? With that handy little explosion quirk of yours, good thing too because you wouldn't have anything else going for you other than your power,"
Katsuki's jaw tightened so hard Sakura could hear his teeth grinding against each other.
"I am going to show you the difference between the two of us," Chakra flowed into her fists as she drew back her hand.
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The ground was shaking, Toshinori looked out into the distance, following a familiar sound of a building collapsing from its foundation. A signal of smoke rises to show where the box of concrete once stood.
'So they're there,' He wasn't able to find the two anywhere near the escape gate. The one thing about hiding out in the city was that two kids could pull it off since scouting wasn't his strong suit. But it wouldn't allow them to pass this exam.
He took off, launching into the air where he had a clear view of the damaged area. They wouldn't be able to use it for a while after this test, but the students would be on vacation by then. Principal Nezu knew what was coming when he selected this to be the ground sight for their practical.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?" He heard Katsuki shouting before he saw him with Sakura standing near the remains of one of the buildings. Toshinori descended on them, giving a hearty laugh.
"Now, now heroes, don't you know better than to damage the city?"
Sakura kept her back to the hero, pulling down on her gloves. Their teacher landed hard on the ground, kicking up dust and debris with a heavy air force.
"So you decided to stay and fight after all heroes?"
"Stop calling us that," Sakura said, turning to face him, strengthening her stance visibly. She pushed chakra to her feet to take off quicker. She was in the air, her body spinning as her foot straightened to come down on him.
He evaded to the side, watching as her entire leg hit the pavement, crushing the road and uprooting the tar. She didn't stay still long and moved in to attack again.
"So you were planning to fight," Toshinori blocked her fist with his own, that was the first time he felt the extent of her blows and he realized that he was suddenly shot with pain in his palm.
'She is strong,' Toshinori swatted away another blow and attempted his own, but she avoided his fist with the precision that surprised him. 'She's fast too,'
He tried again, and missed again, as she ducked. Using her nimble form to evade his hits.
He wasn't as fast as before when he was facing Nomu, but still, Sakura could see through his movements. His bulky body left his momentum more limited than hers, but Toshinori made up for that with his speed. Still, she could see his movements.
'As long as I don't lose focus, I can doge,' He was fast though. The blows were accompanied by amazing wind force that skimmed her, but she could withstand it, so long as it wasn't a direct hit.
To avoid another punch, she leaped into the air and came back down ready to throw her own. Toshinori caught her fist, encasing it in his larger hand.
"What now Haruno?"
Her left leg raised to kick his chin but that was caught by Toshinori's free hand, Sakura didn't stop her attack and used her left hand to punch, which landed hard on the hero's cheek. When he was shaken, she twisted her body to raise her other leg and bring it down from above onto his head.
Her body was suddenly fighting against the wall of wind as she was flung across the road, her muscles stiffened and strengthened as she bent and twisted that form to regain control and movement. Her hands touched the ground first before she was doing several back flips to regain her footing.
Wiping the side of his cheek, Toshinori held the grin that he was so famous for. Although he fought with a smile, he would still intimidate his opponents with how easily he wore such an out-of-place expression during combat. And while he was assessing his students.
"I'm impressed young Haruno,"
She had a strong force behind the attacks she produced with such small limbs, it was astonishing really. He was taken aback by how well she was handling herself in this fight, but it wasn't getting her anywhere, at least not closer to the goal of passing this test.
'There's no way I'm going to inflict any real damage like this,'
Reaching behind, Sakura took hold of the blade she kept strapped to her waist, the steel glistening in the light. "Alright then All Might, let's see if we can impress you some more. Have you ever heard that the outcome of a fight can be determined by a person's intentions, not only their skills or difference in power?"
Toshinori's back straightened a little, making him tower further. "What's that?"
Sakura played with the hilt of her blade, flicking it like a toy, "If their opponents can sense those intentions it will affect the outcome. For example, both parties have the skills to kill the other but only one makes the intention obvious,"
Her eyes had become like steel, and like a wave of dark mist was falling over him, a blanket that drew in cold and turned the blood to ice. That was how he felt looking at the girl now, who had lost all signs of playfulness. There wasn't so much as a hint of hesitance or fear. Toshinori knew that Sakura was a better fighter than most of her classmates, but where could she have earned the experience to express such malicious intent towards him?
"I had a sensei who gave me one rule about fighting, and it wasn't about technique or skill," Sakura threw the knife into the air and caught it, placing the blade at an angle, "It was to fight with the intention....to kill,"
With chakra in her feet and legs, she pushed off at blinding speed towards Toshinori, he could still see her, his eyes able to track her just as she was able to track him. But, she took away one of his key senses, adjusting the blade in her hand to reflect light into his eyes. That wasn't something he could bat away and had to close his lids.
He could feel her malice coming from behind, and swung back. "I don't think so!" He backhanded her side and watched as she took into the air. "It was a good try!"
But then the figure of Sakura was encased in a puff of smoke, with rubble falling in her place.
'How many tricks does this girl have?'
Toshinori looked around, but he didn't see her until he felt the skin along his wound split open, something cold touching his blood and torn scar tissue, he saw the head of pink and Sakura holding her arms to push her knife further into him.
"Argh!" That was his weak spot!
Sakura didn't continue her attack and backed away as if to admire her handy work, Toshinori touched the blade.
"You pull that out, it's going to be more inconvenient since you'll be experiencing a lot of blood loss before it stops,"
He panted softly, "That wasn't a very hero like Haruno, stabbing someone?"
She shrugged, with a smile that encased innocence, a ridiculous notion given the circumstance! There was even a bit of blood on her cheek she was unbothered by! "This isn't about being a hero, it's about winning, and didn't the teachers say do whatever it takes?"
'Fight to kill, is that really something a teacher would tell their student?' If that was true, what kind of teacher did Sakura have? Was it that teacher who made her so skillful and ruthless? Toshinori realized that she must've known about his weak spot from healing him at the USJ.
"It's not like I hit a vital, and I can just heal you when this is over anyway?"
"Truly ruthless,"
Katsuki wasn't sure what he felt watching this. He was in awe that someone was standing against the number one hero, at the same time he was furious because that person wasn't him. When he fought Toshinori, the man had nearly made him a part of the pavement, buried him in the ground, and pummeled him in under a minute. Yet, Sakura was here still well and fine after taking on the hero directly.
'Even with those damn weights I couldn't go against him,' His eyes were twitching, jaw grinding with his fists shaking like rattles. He had even seen her do something he wouldn't even consider, she stabbed Toshinori, just to get him to waver. And when Katsuki saw that it was working, it put one thought he never wanted in his head.
Sakura might be able to surpass the number one hero. It was a thought that made his stomach turn.
'Like hell…..' His fingers twitched, his eyes becoming glossy. 'Like hell….
"I'M GONNA LET YOU GET AHEAD,"
Sakura and Toshinori turned their attention to the firecracker of a boy as he charged at the hero. "I'm not falling behind!"
"Oh, not this time?" Sakura taunted but otherwise moved aside so Katsuki could get his chance to attack.
"Finally joining the fray against, young Bakugou?" Katsuki released a few minor explosions that rewarded the same results as before. He couldn't bring down the wall that was All Might, not with the power he was offering.
"That won't work," Toshinori moved in to strike Katksuki, but his fist was about to be met with Sakura's, the air pressure released came to clash with her chakra, creating an invisible bubble that kept them from meeting knuckles.
'This is something else,' Whether they passed or failed, this fight was going to be a headline in the teacher's lounge.
"Looks truly are deceiving,"
Sakura smirked, pushing back as hard as she could against Toshinori. The ground beneath them cracked and the shock waves were shattering the glass of buildings around them.
"OUT OF THE WAY FIVEHEAD" Sakura moved to the air as he pointed his hand at absolute proximity and pulled the pin on his gauntlet. The power output was strong, pushing Katsuki back as he was in the air for this, but he used the chance to move to form their target and towards the gate.
"Move it!"
Sakura looked at the blast remnants, the smoke where their teacher would be hiding in, and took off with Katsuki.
"What's with the change of heart?" Sakura sounded taunting to Katsuki. She hadn't missed the look on his face, the hint of disdain, "So we're working together on this?"
"Shut up!" Katsuki gritted, soaring through the air after her. "I'm not going to miss this training camp because of you!"
He couldn't afford that. Or he would fall further behind, never mind the rest of his classmates, but he couldn't fall further behind her. He didn't want that or he wasn't sure when he would be able to catch up again.
'She's too damn….'He didn't even want to think about it. She was going head to head with Toshinori, All Might, the number one hero. Just from attacking before, Katsuki knew that he wouldn't be able to defeat him and he thought that was something he and Sakura had in common, but after seeing that exchange, he was more determined to ensure he passed this exam. Even if it meant working with someone like her.
"Well then, how about a plan?"
..
..
Toshinori coughed, tasting the blood on his tongue. Katsuki decided to move with Sakura now instead of against her. It had taken them a while but they got there now. He wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to hold out though.
He hissed, touching the blade's hilt in his side, truly that was sadistic if not a little psychotic on her end. Though they gave the students incentive to do whatever it took to win, most would hesitate to resort to these types of extremities.
'She's a different cut,' Whether or not this was something to be concerned about was a worry for another day. What Toshinori had to do now, was focus on the exam and strive to improve his students as the principal instructed. They might have to face villains in the near future, nearer than other students had to, and in hindsight of that, it wasn't too bad that Sakura had no hesitance in attacking with great strength.
This also gave more credit to all the times she hadn't fought at full force.
Wiping his mouth, Toshinori gripped his knees, his eyes glinting bright blue contrasting with the shadows over his face. "Now, teacher's going to do his best!"
..
..
..
"How the hell-
"Don't worry about that and just focus on the plan," Sakura interrupted Katsuki, she knew they wouldn't have long before Toshinori appeared to get retribution for their previous attacks. At least they managed to get as far as the open area Toshinori had destroyed at the beginning of the exams with his punch.
'From the entrance to halfway of the city,' And that's while he was weighted down, but she doubted that affected the true strength of him. Not if he could pull this off, then a little weight was nothing. It certainly didn't make a big enough dent for them to break him.
'I should've used poison in my kunai,' Had she done that, this fight could probably be over, but she'd likely get another earful for her methods.
"Don't think this changes anything,"
Sakura raised her eyebrow, "Hadn't even crossed my mind,"
"When he shows up again, I'm gonna blast him away, so you've gotta keep him busy like before-
Katsuki didn't get another word out when Sakura abruptly shoved him to the side of the road, in that instant Toshinori appeared, face to face with her.
"And then what?"
He recovered rather quickly, against the same attack that almost demolished an entire building. But he seemed faster than before…..
'Uh oh,' Sakura looked at Toshinori's wrists and saw that he had removed the weights.
"Oh, cra-
There was barely enough time to bring her arms up to her body, encasing them in chakra to shield her from the full force of Toshinori's punch, though this slightly absorbed the impact, it didn't keep her on the ground as the force sent Sakura into a nearby building.
"It would seem, I truly can't hold back against you Haruno,"
He heard explosions behind, as Katsuki charged him, his finger was already under the pin to pull for another huge explosion, "Try this on!"
"I don't think so," Toshinori was at Katsuki's side and throwing a punch strong enough to completely shatter the gauntlets like glass. "No more of that,"
Although it only slowed him down, the blast did hurt a bit. It was more of an annoyance, but Toshinori preferred not to have his vision removed again.
A knee fell onto Katsuki's chin like a hammer that sent him flying into the opposite building. But it hadn't been enough to knock him out, and with his adrenaline racing, Katsuki couldn't comprehend the pain or severity of the injuries just yet.
Coughing caught his attention, as Sakura climbed out of the rubble, shoving off a piece of wall that fell on her. Though her clothes were a little dustier and tattered, she appeared fine after the attack, which did surprise Toshinori. He was mindful that he couldn't do anything that would cause permanent harm, but even so, she withstood it far better than he anticipated.
Though her punches were strong, the sight of her frail body made Toshinori hesitate to attack with too much brunt.
"I'll get you for that,"
"Empty threats won't work on me hero," There was that intensity she exhumed once again meeting his own.
"CHA!"
Sakura grabbed a large piece of the building that had fallen, and she threw it at Toshinori, giving a cry. Her teacher simply punched it into small pieces, keeping it from hitting him. Just as she had hoped. Toshinori realized that he had lost sight of not only Sakura but Katsuki as well.
'Where did they go?'
"DIE/CHA!" Katsuki came up from behind one of the rocks and sent a powerful blast directly at Toshinori and though he braced himself, he was blinded. All he felt was a powerful force landing on his back and forcing him down. The ground broke beneath him, and he felt painful bolts shoot through him, dust broke into the air as Sakura forced him further into the ground like she was trying to bury him.
Pulling his arm back, Toshinori punched into the ground, the force pushing everything and everyone back.
Once he was free, though in pain, he put on a wicked smile. 'I need to end this now,'
He would have been more patient and allowed Katsuki and Sakura more opportunities to reach for the exit, but the problem wasn't them. He wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to hold this form, not when he was going against Sakura's punches. On the outside, it may have appeared like it wasn't doing much, but in truth, he could feel something pushing through his entire body every time they clashed, it reached through his flesh and into his bones like the force ran through him internally instead of external as his punches would.
'What was that?'
Wiping off the bit of blood in the corner of his mouth, he chuckled, "Good effort kids, but it's time for this to end,"
"Katsuki!" On cue, he attempted to use another powerful blast against Toshinori, the same blast that he would use with his gauntlets. The support items were meant to take away the risk of injury, but Katsuki saw now that he wouldn't be able to stand in this fight unless he did in his power to win.
The air filled with smoke and he could taste the ash in his mouth when he inhaled from the pain in his arms like his flesh was trying to free itself from the confines of his skin and bones.
"ARGH!" He coughed out, as Toshinori came from the smoke, grabbing his face and slamming him to the ground.
"I must admit, I'm more than impressed by the two of you, but this was futile,"
Shaking, Katsuki bit into Toshinori's hand in a last-ditch effort, with no effect. Sakura came up behind him, and this time he felt her intent, quickly enough Toshinori moved away, reappearing behind her to throw a punch.
It connected, but in a puff of smoke, he found that all he hit was rubble again. "This trick is very interesting,"
Sakura was on the other side of the road, with Katsuki standing under her arm barely conscious. She whispered something to him, and all he did, in turn, was a grunt. "Stay with me,"
She put her free hand on his chest and Toshinori saw the wounds on Katsuki begin to heal, and he moved away as soon as he was able to stand on his own again.
'Her power, skill, and judgment are at a level that's far beyond most pros,' Toshinori knew this from his years of experience. This girl knew the attributes of combat very well, but could it all just be an instinct, because to get to this degree, would take years of experience.
"I think it's time we finished this, All Might,"
His grin stretched, "I agree, it should I am impressed that you kept fighting until the end,"
Her eyes flashed, "I'll do that until I'm dead,"
It was scary, that he believed her words. "Well then," Toshinori was leaning again, showing that he was ready to charge once more. He didn't get his feet off the ground before Sakura rushed him, and he readied to reciprocate. But she didn't reach him, instead, she landed in front, creating a crater, breaking the ground, and causing a cloud of dust to obscure his vision.
"Now Katsuki!"
Toshinori looked around, preparing for another explosive attack from him, but he saw the slight shifting in the smoke before a flash of silver caught his eye.
Toshinori moved out of the way, looking at a huge shuriken blade, he caught the tool. "Where was she hiding this?"
It had come at him with such speed because Katsuki threw it at him with the force of his quirk. Hearing the shuffling, Toshinori dispelled the debris and dust with his punch, seeing Katsuki heading for the clearing.
"You won't escape!" Again, Toshinori was on him. Literally, having Katsuki under his boot, and holding him down. "It's a good effort you kids are putting in but you won't make it past me. Now, where is Haruno?"
Katsuki snickered under his panting, inhaling some dirt.
There was another puff of smoke, and Toshinori felt a shift in weight on the weapon they had thrown at him. At then a click, his wrist was caged by the cuffs used to signify capture, and hanging from his wrist like a decorative ornament, grinning madly was none other than Sakura.
"Target acquired!"
His jaw was slacked, his awe weighing heavy in his mouth that he couldn't bring it back up. So Sakura hadn't been holding onto the shuriken, she had been the shuriken.
"I….don'-wha-huh?"
Sakura laughed, kicking her legs up like a child on a swing, "How articulate, All Might,"
Katsuki also chuckled, though his lungs were burning now. "Take that, All Might,"
"TEAM SAKURA HARUNO AND KATSUKI BAKUGOU HAVE PASSED"
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Recovery Girl was speechless at what she was seeing. She didn't think that Sakura was this capable. To be able to go head to head with All Might in this manner, not to mention this new ability she just shared with everyone.
Izuku was also shocked that his jaw was hanging open. He never thought he would see the day his favorite hero could be taken on like this. Though things were up in the air about power when it came to skill, trickery, and technique.
Sakura Haruno was truly frightening.