"Is the Bakugo Katsuki you're referring to the one who just joined as a freshman hero student?" Bakugo asked, his tone measured.
"Yes, yes! It seems you know him!" Ishimura responded eagerly with a wide smile.
Bakugo froze for a moment. It was clear they were talking about him, but when had he ever had two uncles? Their demeanor also hinted they were operating under someone else's orders—they knew his name, but not his appearance.
After a brief pause, Bakugo decided not to expose their lie immediately. Instead, he replied, "Yeah, I know him. Why are you looking for him?"
"Ah, something happened at home. We need to take him back," Ishimura explained, his voice laced with false sincerity.
Bakugo stared at them for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Wait here for a moment. He seems to be dealing with something inside. I'll go find him for you."
Ishimura grinned. "Thank you, kid. Much appreciated."
Without another word, Bakugo turned and walked back towards the school.
---
As Ishimura and his companion leaned back against the wall, Ishimura muttered, "We didn't slip up, did we?"
"No, no. You played the role perfectly. If I didn't know the truth, I might've believed you," the other man reassured him with a chuckle.
"Still, we can't afford to be careless," Ishimura said, swallowing hard as memories of his last encounter with Akira flashed through his mind. "Underestimating him almost got me killed before."
"Relax," the other man replied. "I already scoped out the school's security. Most of the teachers are off-campus, and there aren't more than five inside right now. As soon as that brat brings Bakugo out, I'll use my Quirk to subdue him. Once we grab him, we're out of here. Even if Yuei's staff finds out, they won't catch us in time."
Ishimura nodded, his confidence slowly returning. "Good plan."
---
Meanwhile, Bakugo was rushing towards the teacher's office.
But when he arrived, he found the room completely empty.
"Damn it, where did everyone go at such an important moment?" he muttered, turning around and heading toward the classroom in hopes of finding a teacher there.
Instead of running into any teachers, he bumped into Akira and Midoriya, who had just finished using the restroom.
"Kacchan? What's wrong? You look panicked," Midoriya asked in confusion.
"Have you seen All Might?" Bakugo asked, still catching his breath.
Akira shook his head. "I was about to ask you the same thing. Aizawa told me All Might wanted to see me, but the office was empty."
"What about Aizawa-sensei?" Bakugo pressed.
"He left," Midoriya replied.
Bakugo's face darkened. His luck really couldn't get any worse.
"Something happened, didn't it?" Akira asked calmly.
Bakugo hesitated for a moment before deciding to share the truth. These men were here for him, and without any teachers around, Akira might be the only one capable of helping.
"There are some shady people at the school gate. I suspect they're criminals," Bakugo said in a low voice.
"Criminals? That's bold, considering this is Yuei," Midoriya said, clearly surprised.
"It's just a suspicion," Akira replied. "But if you alert the teachers without proof, it could cause unnecessary trouble."
"Kacchan, I still feel it's unlikely. This is the top hero school in the country," Midoriya added.
"They claimed to be my uncles but didn't recognize me. If they're not criminals, then what are they?" Bakugo frowned.
Akira and Midoriya exchanged a look before saying in unison, "Then why did you add the word suspicion?"
Akira suddenly remembered the name Ishimura. After all, he had left quite an impression during their previous encounter. However, he quickly dismissed the thought; if it was Ishimura, he would have recognized Akira by now.
"Could they be linked to the criminal gang Aizawa mentioned earlier at Fashion Plaza?" Midoriya speculated.
"Who knows?" Bakugo muttered.
"Let me take a look," Akira said calmly.
"But it's dangerous," Midoriya protested.
"The school gate is equipped with security defenses. Anyone without a student ID or authorized pass would trigger the alarms. Whatever their intentions, they wouldn't dare to break in so blatantly," Akira reasoned.
"I'll come with you," Bakugo said. "Midoriya, keep searching for a teacher. I told those guys I'd bring Bakugo Katsuki out. You'll take my place for now."
"For safety, let's not step out of the school grounds," Bakugo added.
"Agreed," Akira said with a nod.