Izuku leaned against his desk after school, his mind replaying the fight with Bakugo. His body wanting more fighting, the experience was very useful, he had managed to get a better hold over his abilites and his victory had left him with a quiet sense of accomplishment.
He had proven to himself—and to Bakugo—that he was no longer the weak, timid Deku of before.
A faint chime echoed in his head, pulling him from his thoughts.
---
[Minor Quest Complete: Win against Bakugo]
Reward: High-Quality Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds.
---
Minor quests.
He has many of those to do all sorts of things, but they were mostly ignored by him since the rewards were pointless.
Izuku blinked as a sleek, black case materialized in his system storage, he observed it and opened it to reveal a pair of earbuds that practically screamed premium quality. The system's prompt explained their functions:
[Item Acquired: Pro Hero Earbuds]
Enhances auditory perception by 20%.
Crystal-clear sound quality.
Highly durable and resistant to damage, High water resistance.
He slipped the earbuds into his ears, marveling at the perfect fit and how they seemed to amplify even the faintest sounds—the rustle of papers, the distant hum of a vending machine. Testing their audio quality, he connected them to his phone and played some music. The sound was crisp and immersive, as if he were in a concert hall.
"Well, at least the system rewards aren't just for show," Izuku muttered to himself. He quickly pocketed the earbuds before getting up and heading home.
---
The next morning, Izuku met All Might at Dagobah Beach at sunrise. The breeze carried the salty tang of the ocean, and the sand, now pristine after months of cleaning, sparkled in the early light.
"All right, young Midoriya," All Might said, stretching his massive arms. "Now that you've made such incredible progress physically and mentally, it's time to focus on combat training to gain experience. You've got to know how to use that strength effectively!"
"Understood," Izuku replied, his excitement barely contained.
They started with boxing, All Might demonstrating basic stances, footwork, and jabs. Izuku picked it up almost instantly, mimicking All Might's movements with uncanny precision.
"Good, good!" All Might encouraged, though he couldn't hide the slight hint of irritation in his tone, 'there he goes, learning it instantly again while it took me months to learn it in my young days.'
"Now try combining it with a straight punch."
Izuku nodded and delivered a sharp one-two combination. His punches snapped with precision and power, surprising even himself.
"You're like a sponge, young man," All Might said, grinning. "Every time I show you something, you master it before I can even critique you."
Izuku scratched the back of his head, laughing awkwardly. "It's the Sharingan, Yagi-sensei."
All Might nodded, he had extensive explanation of what the Sharingan can do from Izuku, as to why he called it Sharingan? He didn't know but it probably has something with its copying abilities.
To be fair, All Might still wondered what the Sharingan even is, it feels out of this world, he wondered if he should ask Aizawa about this since his quirk is related to the ocular area as well, but he decided not to since, as stated by Midorya himself, it's not a Quirk but something else, plus, Midorya wanted him to keep it a secret.
All Might looked at Izuku's unnatural green hair.
'A mutation it is, not that rare.'
Although All might has never seen something like this before, the eyes, the insane endurance for someone as young and frail like Izuku, he wanted to keep Izuku's abilities a secret for he feared the worst.
Over the next few weeks, their training expanded to include grappling, evasive maneuvers, and even a bit of kickboxing. All Might pushed Izuku hard, but the boy absorbed everything with a determination that left All Might both impressed and slightly exhausted.
"You're going to surpass me at this rate," All Might joked one day as they finished a sparring session.
Izuku smiled but shook his head. "I still have a long way to go, All Might. But… I promise that I will."
All might laughed.
---
When Izuku left to school again, his transformation was impossible to ignore. His once-slender frame was now toned and athletic, his posture confident, and his eyes held a sharpness that made others hesitate to approach him, he changed his style and psyche so much that he is now practically unrecognizable.
During lunch, a few classmates whispered amongst themselves, sneaking glances at him. Even those who had once dismissed him as a weakling couldn't help but begrudgingly respect his evident growth, the girls that used to mock and giggle at his expense now look at him with curiosity and hidden appreciation.
'So is the nature of a female, always looking for a dominant male.' Izuku thought as he discreetly observed everyone.
"Izuku?" a classmate asked hesitantly. "You've… been working out?"
Izuku recognized him, it's the kid who can turn his skin into a rock, he offered a small, polite smile. "Yeah, I've been training a lot lately, excuse me."
"Ah..." Before the classmate could talk to him some more, Izuku got up and left.
As he sat down to eat in a quiet corner, he noticed Bakugo across the cafeteria, seated with his usual group. Unlike the others, Bakugo didn't glance in his direction once. If anything, he seemed to go out of his way to avoid looking at Izuku.
'Good boy, stay down.'
Izuku couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief. Bakugo's silence meant no unnecessary confrontations, and for now, that was exactly what he needed, although he would welcome a fight with an open arms but now was not the time, it's dangerous if he was cought.
Under the gazes of the curious students, Izuku ate alone in silence, his earbuds playing music in his ears, he had to put his phone in the locker room, but he kept his earbuds on since he can always hide it in his system whenever he was about to be caught, plus, strangely enough, the range of his earbuds Bluetooth connection is insane.
'That's premium for ya'
---
Later that evening, Izuku and his mother went shopping together. As they passed a boutique, a simple yet elegant yellow dress in the window caught Izuku's eye.
Izuku imagined his mom wearing it and the beautiful picture of a yellow dandelion with a green stem appeared.
'It's perfect.'
"Mom, you should try that on," Izuku said, pointing at the dress.
Inko's face turned red at the 140$ price tag. "Oh, no, Izuku, that's too expensive! I don't need something like that."
"It's not that expensive," Izuku said, already pulling out his wallet. "I've been saving up, and you deserve something nice for yourself."
Before she could protest further, Izuku entered the shop, bought the dress handed it to her all without letting her protest. "Here. You've done so much for me, Mom. Let me do this for you."
Inko clutched the dress to her chest, her eyes misting with tears. "Izuku… thank you. You're such an amazing young man."
Izuku smiled softly.
'One day, I'll be so amazing that every mother wishes to be you.'
'You'll be so happy that it'll be the norm to smile'
'Power, I need more...More...'
---
As the weeks passed, Izuku's training with All Might intensified. One day, All Might decided to test his strength in a way that would challenge both his body and his will.
"Today, you'll carry these ten kitchen appliances and do a balanced push-up session," All Might declared, gesturing to a pile of stoves, ovens, and refrigerators stacked precariously.
"They should weigh around 3.4 tons."
Izuku raised an eyebrow but didn't hesitate. "All right. Let's do this."
All Might grinned, shifting into his muscular form, this is his favorite part. "And I'll sit on top to make it more interesting!"
Izuku groaned but nodded, hoisting the appliances onto his back. The weight was staggering, but he dug his feet into the sand and began to lower himself and do push-ups.
Izuku has mastered full-body coating of OFA long ago.
Each movement was a battle against gravity, but Izuku pushed forward, sweat pouring down his face in big quantities. All Might sat atop the pile, shouting encouragement.
"Come on, young Midoriya! Just a little further!"
As All Might kept on watching, Izuku kept on going and going..and going and going...
All Might's smile faded; his expression became serious.
He has always wanted to ask the question, what pushes you so hard? Why do you always demand more training? What are you desperately training for? To be a hero? To prove something?
All Might jumped down and looked at his student's face, it was focused with a steady rhythm, sweat poured down his face non-stop.
To protect someone?
What kind of demons is Midorya facing? All Might wanted to help him...to tell him enough...but he knew, it's pointless, the boy is unstoppable.
After a minute of contemplating, he uttered a single sentence in a somber tone.
"Enough, training complete."
'I can't help him, I don't know who or what hurt him so badly... I can only hope that time heals his heart'
All Might looked at his student like a father looked at his injured son, furious and protective, he subconsciously considered the boy his own son but due to his lack of a son he didn't realize his actions.
When Izuku reached the end of the training, Izuku dropped the weight to his right and collapsed onto the sand, panting heavily and gasping for air like a drowning man, yet the fire in his eyes burned endlessly.
'I can still keep on going...it's not Enough for what I'm going to face in the future.'
However, as Izuku looked at his teacher's face, he decided that it was enough, he won't allow him to continue.
It was strange, All Might always stopped him in a face that showed no smile lately, ever since he dislocated his shoulder last time from his training.
Thankfully, healing vials for the win, they healed his aching muscles and give him a good painless night of sleep.
"You've got the heart of a true hero," All Might said, clapping him on the back. "Keep this up, and you'll be ready for anything."
Izuku wiped his forehead, a determined smile spreading across his face. 'I'll never stop improving. Not until I can become a genuine threat to others.'
'I have to protect them... protect my mother, future friends, myself and everyone I care about.'
'For that...I need more and more.'
As the sun set over Dagobah Beach, the two of them sat together, the sound of the waves a backdrop to the quiet determination that filled the air.
Izuku's journey was far from over, but he knew he was on the right path for now, he looked at his teacher who looked at him with a kind fatherly gaze.
"..." Izuku's face froze as he recognized that gaze instantly.
'All might as a father? Hmm ... Somehow... I don't mind that happy thought, All Might as her personal bodyguard is also a good point...'
'Hmm...why not? Sure.'
{Thank you for reading this fiction, I can't express my gratitude with words, please rate it to reach a wider audience if you like it so far}