Jobo, the blonde-haired man, sat on an elevated throne and held his hands out in front of him in the shape of a rectangle; as if he was seeing the canvas of a photo.
"Deidara, what are you doing?" Kidomaro shouted over. The sound of metal clangs and objects being moved in the background while strolling over to Deidara, who looked down at his phone all the while.
"Haha, I'm envisioning the beautiful art show I'm going to showcase to Sasuke just as he's about to die... Hmmmm," Deidara peeked down at Kidomaro out of the corner of his eye, "And what are you doing, Sasori? You're not even focusing on the construction process at all. Hm."
Sasori showed Deidara what was on his phone. The phone illuminated with details about the Sports Festival, "I'm gathering intel on Sasuke to make sure we don't fail."
Deidara snickered, "He's a fifteen-year-old kid, Sasori. No matter what little tricks he might come up with, there's no way he could survive the art show I'm setting up here, hm."
Sasori sighed, "Wouldn't it be faster if we just broke into his home and killed him in his sleep?"
Deidara rolled his eyes, "There's no beauty in that. So boring. This is the first interesting job we've had since…" He put a hand under his chin, "Well… since we set up his dad HA!" Deidara spread his arms apart before he slapped his head and chuckled before continuing, "Besides, Sasori, drawing him into a death trap gives us a higher likelihood of killing him anyway, hm."
Sasori narrowed his eyes, "You should really learn to separate fun from the job at some point. If you wanna have fun you could just fight me in Ninja Storm 4."
"Tsk," Deidara closed his eyes, "Juggling me in the air with Minato is only fun for you, so I'd rather not. But ease up on the robotic behavior, Sasori. It's because AFO considers us so reliable that we're able to have the freedom to choose how we take care of him. Let's enjoy that. He even said we could take him dead or alive! Just try to embrace the plan. I know you can appreciate some art too, even if it's a weird type, my man. Hm."
Sasori sighed and turned around. The workers were setting up a caged ring with floodlights and speakers, surrounding the plain white floor. The ring itself was huge and about four times the size of a normal one. There were also plenty of open areas under the ring and all around to set things up. The walls which were nearly finished being painted with a mix of black and red. Deidara's chair itself was a throne of velvet cushions and gold. "Well, I guess I can't argue with that, but it's still a shame that it'll all be gone so soon."
He turned back to Deidara, "Hey, about your whole higher likelihood of killing him here; doesn't that only work under the assumption he comes alone? What if he decided to bring a bunch of heroes with him?"
"AFO told us he isn't the type to get other people involved with his revenge, but on the off chance he would…" A sharp smile warped the surface of his face. "I have someone that should be giving him a nice gift soon."
On Sasori's phone, all the remaining students were crowded together because the brackets were being announced. This caused a lot of murmuring among the crowd and the students themselves.
Both Sasuke's and Mina's eyes met.
Mina smiled, "Ready to get beat up again?"
"Heh, you won't get lucky like last time. There's no floor for you to drop me through." Sasuke shook his head.
"Well then, guess I'll just have to drop you normally." Mina puffed out her chest and put her hands on her hips.
"We'll see," he placed at the brackets one last time before class 1-A collectively moved to their designated stands. The area they sat at gave a clear view of the fights from a good vantage point.
Kaminari whistled, "These seats are the best!"
'Should I warn Midoriya?' his gaze averted over to Midoriya who was talking to Ojiro. 'Nah, that tail guy has it covered. Shinso shouldn't be hard to deal with at all, although when he beats him then, he's gonna face Todoroki. Even with his new Shoot Style, I don't think there's any way he can beat him at this point.'
He looked at the right side of the bracket, 'Yaoyorozu doesn't seem as good at combat as Tokoyami, so I'll likely face him, then I'm gonna fight Bakugo, and then Midoriya… or Todoroki more than likely. Either way, I'm fighting all of the strongest people,' he smirked, 'I wouldn't want it any other way. Bring it on.'
Everyone got to their seats and settled down. Present Mic was announcing the fight as Midoirya spoke with All Might, "You were a bit late on the uptake, but it looks like you finally got the hang of One For All!"
Midoriya put a hand on his chest, "All Might... No I-I'm still shaky on it. I applied the image of hitting the villain into the microwave, and I can consistently use the power now without as much of a risk of breaking bones... But I'm only using such a tiny percentage... It's not that strong."
"Hm, before we talked about how you were stuck at either zero or a hundred. That training with Sasuke did wonders for you. I'd say what your body is capable of right now is 5%."
"5%!? If you put it like that," he looked down, playing with his hands, "You make it sound like I'm blessed by fate, helped by everyone."
All Might's pep talk continued for a while longer until Midoriya finally made his way out onto the field. Cemontoss helped explain the rules, which was basically that anything–besides attacks meant to kill–was allowed.
Deku met Shinso's eyes. Shinso's head lowered, "If you have a strong vision for your future, then you can't fret over how you realize it. That dumb chimp made mention of his 'pride,' but...
"READY… START!!!"
Sasuke thought, 'Since he already knows his secret, this should be easy pickings for Midoriya.'
Midoriya's face contorted and Shinso continued, "Don't you agree he's a retard for flushing away his chances?"
Midoriya glared and charged at him, "What did you say?! He tensed up mid-run and stopped in place.
In the stands, Sasuke's jaw dropped, 'How did you fall for that?!?' he face-palmed.
Midoriya turned around and began walking towards the edge of the arena. Sasuke glared, 'Being forced to walk right off the stage without even getting a single attack in? There's no way you're gonna get eliminated in such an embarrassing way, Midoriya. Stop messing around.'
Midoriya was under the same haze Sasuke was earlier, 'It can't end that pathetically quickly! So many people placed their trust in me! For it to end in a place like this...'
Midoriya got right to the edge and a sudden gust of strong wind caused a smokescreen. When the smoke faded, Midoriya turned back around with an intense stare and a couple of broken fingers.
"MIDORIYA CAME TO A HALT!"
Sasuke smirked and thought, 'So you broke out of it too? Hn. About time,' his calm thoughts opposed his body language as he pumped his fist.
Green lightning sparked around Midoriya and he blitzed Shinso, knocking him out of the ring. Midoriya looked down at his hand, 'All Might was right, I don't feel any stress from 5%.'
Midnight waved a flag, "Shinso is out, Izuku Midoriya, you advance to the next round!"
During a round of applause by the crowd, Mina came back with drinks, looking to the side at the fight. She got close to Sasuke and sat next to him, handing him a drink, "Wow! Midoriya did great! Never seen him move fast like that before! He was like SWOOSH then POW!" She showed off the movements with her hands then stared back at Sasuke and giggled, "You look like a proud father."
Sasuke blushed and scratched his head, "Oh shut up," he looked back at her with a smile, "If he was the kind of guy to lose round one to something like that, I never would have trained with him in the first place."
"Yeah..." Her eyes looked everywhere from the ground to the sky while her hands were behind her back. "I think we should train together sometime."
"Sure."
Ashido turned away and pumped her fist whispering, "Yes!"
After a round of applause from the crowd both students went back where they came from. Midoriya was taken to the nurse's office to check for any injuries and All Might spoke with him about him breaking out of Shinso's control. Sasuke, who left the stands earlier, had made his way to the nurse's office. He approached the door and listened in with a hand on the doorknob. It was muffled, but it could still be made out.
A deep voice stated, "I think they're just the imprints of those who used OFA. It's not the sort of thing where they'd have a 'will' by which they could intervene on your behalf. In other words, it's not the illusion you saw that broke the brainwashing. Rather, it was your unwillingness of willpower that caused that vision to appear and break the spell. Even if just for a split second, even if just in your fingertips! Isn't it easier to conclude you simply overcame it on your own?"
Sasuke released the door knob and put his hands in his pockets before sauntering away, 'That explanation makes sense but...' He looked down, 'Is it really that simple? No, I definitely felt something deeper than my own willpower, almost like it was someone else's... I guess that makes sense for Midoriya's power since it's been passed down by generations… But me? I don't have anything like that.' For a moment, the memory of AFO putting his palm over his head crossed his mind and he gritted his teeth, 'No... I refuse to believe it has anything to do with that demon.'
His thoughts were interrupted as he saw Todoroki walk down the hall towards the stadium. 'Next fight is gonna start soon, I should get back to Mina.'
He ambled by, but stopped in his tracks when he heard the voice of Endeavor around the hall. "Your behavior has been nothing but disgraceful, Shoto. If you had used the power of your left side, you could have crushed both the Obstacle Course and Cavalry Battle easily. Your resistance is childish and tiresome, so stop messing around and see to your duty to surpass All Might."
'My duty to Kill all For One… is that so?' Sasuke stomped away while Endeavor finished, "Even if that works for you now in High School, you'll reach your limit soon."
While stomping down the hall someone in all black bumped into Sasuke and he grunted, "Watch it!"
"O-oh, sorry," the man rushed away and after a moment Sasuke kept stomping back to the stands. 'What the fuck do they know? I don't care how childish it looks or how much harder it makes things... What AFO took from me…' While making his way there, he heard the sound of paper hitting the ground and looked behind him to see a letter.
He broke out of his trance and picked up the letter to open it. Sasuke glared at it. 'Anyone you get involved with your vendetta against me will become a target. If you don't want them to suffer, you'll keep them in the dark.'
Sasuke's glaring eyes went wide and he tore up the letter. He looked around the hall before purple energy coiled around him and he rushed through the halls of the stadium. 'That guy that bumped into me! He must have planted it on me, where did he go?!'
He searched and searched, even running outside, but as he scanned the crowded area, he couldn't see anyone meeting the description. He grunted and made his way back to the stands.
Sasuke got back with gritted teeth and his hair covering his eyes. He hastily sat down in his seat, causing it to creak. Mina stared at him with a tense brow, "Sasuke?" Mina recognized the expression on his face and reached a hand out very slowly, but stopped as memories of what happened the last time he had that face rushed to her mind.
Meanwhile, Sasuke had clenched fist and was in his own world. Images of Mina, Midoriya, and other people popped into his mind. 'AFO! If you ever laid a hand on them…' he remembered the USJ incident and looked down at his hands. 'I'm stronger now, but how much stronger?'
After Present Mic announced both Todoroki and Sero he said, "START!"
Sasuke remembered the letter and held his hands together, 'Only I can do this. The power my parents passed onto me is more than enough. And I'll prove that at this tournament by beating everyone.'
Sero shot out his tape and bound Todoroki with it right away. He swung it trying to get a ring out, but he was shut down when a gigantic glacier suddenly shot out of the ground and covered Sero along with half of the stadium. The cold breeze that blew Sasuke's hair left him unphased.
He took a deep breath and looked towards Mina, "Mina, I'm gonna get first place. So you can forfeit if you want."
She scoffed and was about to tease, but Sasuke's confident aura stopped her. "Sorry, but it's not gonna happen."
Sasuke just turned back to the finished fight. Mina blinked a few times and also looked at the fight, 'Why did he look like that? Like he's telling the future or something?'
Midnight, who was half frozen, asked, "Hanta Sero, can you move?"
He shivered, "N-no, I c-cannot move."
"Todoroki advances to the next round!"
The next couple of fights didn't stand out to Sasuke, and finally, it was his turn to fight Mina. She lightly slapped his back and stood to her feet, "Good luck, Sasuke. Try not to lose! Well... Since I'm fighting too actually… yeah, do try to lose. See ya down there!"
Ashido ran downstairs and Sasuke himself made his way down to the floor they'd fight on. She was already waiting for him, stretching her arms as he walked up.
"MOVING ONTO THE 5TH MATCH, WE HAVE THE BROODING, BATMAN-WANNABE–WHO ALREADY LOST TO MINA BEFORE–UCHIHA SASUKE! FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEROICS! VERSUS! ASHIDO MINA! WHO'S ALSO FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEROICS! WILL SOMETHING COME OUT OF THOSE HORNS?! LET'S SEE IF SHE'LL KNOCK HIM OUT AGAIN!"
Sasuke blinked with low eyelids, "Why does this commentary sound so biased? Wait, how did he even know about that?"
"START!"
Sasuke turned back to the fight in front of him. Ashido started sliding on the acid she produced and she threw some globs of acid at Sasuke, but he easily blocked it with a skeletal arm. Sasuke observed the arm which only had some small dents, 'It's not melting nearly as badly this time around,' his gaze turned back to Mina. "My Susanoo has gotten a lot stronger. I'd suggest that you give up now. You won't be able to melt it like last time," his face was as serious as ever.
Mina smirked and threw another glob at him with both hands. Unlike before this time the acid dissolved multiple fingers from the purple hand, "You know I can change how corrosive my acid is right? What do you want me to give up so badly for?"
"Because..." Ashido slid towards him and got close. "I don't want to see you get hurt." His face was nothing but genuine.
Ashido's mouth opened, "Huh?"
She had been caught off guard and the opening was All Sasuke needed to grab her with a Susanoo arm and toss her out of the arena behind him.
Midnight waved her flag.
"Uchiha Sasuke wins and proceeds to the next round."
Sasuke strolled over to Mina and offered her a hand, "Sliding on your acid to move faster was smart. You know—"
"I'm not a kid, Sasuke!"
Sasuke recoiled as his heart jumped in his chest. Mina stood up on her own with a frown and her hair shadowing her eyes. "What's wrong with you? You were in a good mood, then when you came back and started acting all weird... And now you're treating me like some girl that can't be hurt?! I'm not a damsel in distress, I can fight! I've fought you before!" She put a finger on his chest. "You don't wanna see me get hurt? Is this about your vendetta against AFO?"
Sasuke's eyes widened, "How did you—"
"I'm not stupid Sasuke. I can usually tell what you're thinking. And what you're thinking right now is nonsense! Do you think that you can take on all those people who wronged you on your own? Remember what happened with the Nomu?"
Sasuke blinked. The corners of his lips wavered, but he remembered the letter and steeled his expression, "I was weaker back then, I'm much stronger now, and I'll show you and everyone else that."
He put his hands in his pockets and started sauntering away.
Mina scoffed, "What?! Don't walk away! How—"
"WILL THE STUDENTS PLEASE MOVE FROM THE FIELD ALREADY?! WE HAVE MORE KIDS RARING TO BEAT EACH OTHER UP!"
Sasuke walked back through where he came from, as soon as he was out of sight he stopped walking and gazed at the ground. His arms started shaking. "Mina… you don't know what they could do to you… just stay away… why do you keep trying to… RAAGHH!" he planted his fist deep into the wall; making a crater before continuing to make his way back to the stands.
Mina glared up at Present Mid and sighed. She trudged back up to the stands. 'Pff, much stronger... It's only been like half a month, how does beating everyone prove anything anyway?' her eyes went wide and she scratched her head, 'Ahhh man those would have been such great comebacks why didn't I think of that earlier?... Whatever... Sasuke is such an idiot! Walking away 'cause he knew I was right!' She made it back to the stands with the other 1-A students, when she saw Sasuke in his seat she pouted and sat at a different seat farther away.
Many of the 1-A students stared at her now and then as Kirishima and Tetsutetsu fought. It is accepted as a fact now that something is going on between those two. Tokoyami thought as he made his way past her down to the field, "Those two... They're around each other a lot. It's like she's always either yelling at him or teasing him. Could they be in a..." he crossed his arms and shook his head. "As someone else with an affinity for darkness, I doubt he's in one. It's none of my business anyway.'
Back up in the stands, Mineta was about to rip the purple balls out of his hair. 'Why do mysterious guys like Sasuke always get the hottest babes?! And he just walks away from her! I'd treat her so much better!'
The fight between Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu was the third match in a row to not even last a minute. Finally, the last fight of the first round was reached.
"IT'S THE LAST MATCH OF THE FIRST ROUND... THE BOY WHO'S BEEN SOMEWHAT FAMOUS SINCE MIDDLE SCHOOL! BUT THAT FACE AIN'T THE FACE OF A KID THAT'S BEEN ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW! BAKUGO KATSUKI OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEROICS! VERSUS! THE GIRL I'LL BE ROOTING FOR! URARAKA OCHAKO! ALSO PART OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEROICS!"
Sasuke leaned back in his seat and watched on with a neutral gaze. On one hand, he'd like to see Bakugo get beaten by Ochako of all people, but on the other hand, he had wanted to fight him himself at some point.
Ochako charged right towards him, but was blown away in a smokescreen–or so it seemed that way. Bakugo spotted her jacket and pounced on it with an explosion, but it was only a decoy as Uraraka showed up behind him. She could not go near–or even touch him for that matter–without being blown. Despite her efforts, she repeated this cycle for a while to the point where the arena was covered in small craters.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes then eased them, "Hn, so that's how it is."
Midoriya turned around from the row right below Sasuke, "Did you notice something, Sasuke?"
"Just keep watching."
Some people in the crowd booed at Bakugo, although Aizawa defended him. After a few moments, Uraraka put her fingers together and the ground vibrated, bringing the rubble up higher than Bakugo.
Sasuke thought, 'It's a good plan but–...'
She released it, causing the rubble to fall back down on top of Bakugo.
Uraraka shouted, "I WIN!"
'–In the face of overwhelming power.' Bakugo lifted an arm and eviscerated all of it with one hit. Uraraka tried to keep fighting after that, but she collapsed and was deemed unable to move. Bakugo moved to the next round.
Midoriya stood out of his seat and left the stands in a hurry. As Bakugo returned to the seats, Sasuke stared at him out of the corner of his eye as class 1-A messed with him.
Kaminari pointed at him, "But damn man, you have almost as easy of a time blasting a fragile little girl as Sasuke does making Ashido cry," he crossed his arms, "Knowing me. I couldn't go through with it despite myself."
Asui added, "But you got beat pretty easily, Kaminari."
"Hey now... Come on, Tsuyu."
Bakugo lowered his head, "Hmph! Who are you calling fragile?"
Sasuke's mouth opened, but he didn't say anything. Soon enough Midoriya and Todoroki walked onto the arena.
"AND NOW FOR THIS ROUND OF THE SPORTS FESTIVAL, BOTH COMPETITORS ARE AT THE TOP OF THEIR CLASS! AND THE WORLD AIN'T BIG ENOUGH FOR THE BOTH OF THEM! MIDORIYA VERSUS TODOROKI! START"