"Are you ready?" Akira asked with a small smile as he stood opposite Izumi inside one of Might Tower's advanced training grounds.
The massive indoor arena was filled with reinforced concrete walls, automated combat dummies, rescue simulation obstacles, and dozens of hidden mechanisms built specifically to test Quirks under controlled conditions.
High above the arena, behind a large reinforced glass window, Sir Nighteye stood quietly inside the observation room with a clipboard in hand, prepared to record every detail of Izumi's first official Quirk training session.
Izumi nodded so enthusiastically that her green curls bounced. "I've been ready ever since yesterday!" she exclaimed, unable to hide the excitement bubbling inside her.
Her emerald eyes shone brighter than Akira had ever seen before as she slowly closed them, taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart.
'Kurama...Please lend me your power.' A deep, warm chuckle echoed gently within her mind. 'Of course... Lady Izumi.'
The instant Kurama answered, brilliant crimson energy erupted from deep within her body.
The energy swirled around her like a living flame before wrapping itself around her form, creating a translucent crimson cloak that danced with enormous vitality.
A single tail made entirely of condensed chakra emerged behind her, lazily swaying through the air like the tail of a living fox.
Her emerald eyes transformed into crimson irises with narrow vertical pupils, while three whisker-like markings appeared upon each cheek. Even her fingernails sharpened into delicate claws, completing the transformation.
Izumi slowly opened her eyes. "I..." She clenched her fists as overwhelming strength coursed through every muscle in her body. "...I can feel it."
A wide grin spread across her face. "One-Tail Chakra Cloak!" The words had barely left her mouth before she vanished.
A loud boom echoed across the training ground as the floor beneath her feet cracked from the sheer force of her acceleration.
Akira couldn't help smiling. 'She's already adapting...' To an outside observer, Izumi became nothing more than a crimson blur darting across the battlefield.
She appeared directly before one of the villain dummies and instinctively threw a punch.
BOOM!!
The reinforced dummy was launched dozens of meters through the air before crashing violently into another training target, reducing both to twisted piles of scrap metal.
Izumi stared at her own fist in amazement. "I-I actually did that!"
Before her excitement could settle, the crimson tail swaying behind her suddenly reacted to her thoughts.
It shot forward like a whip. The chakra tail wrapped itself around another training dummy before effortlessly lifting the heavy machine into the air.
"W-Whoa!" Izumi instinctively swung her arm. The tail mirrored her movement perfectly. The dummy flew across the arena like a cannonball before smashing into another target with enough force to flatten both of them.
"This is so cool!!" Her delighted laughter echoed throughout the enormous training hall.
For the first time in her life...She wasn't imagining herself as a hero. She was becoming one.
Meanwhile, Akira silently watched everything with crossed arms.
'As expected...Amazing.' Even he couldn't hide the admiration in his eyes. 'The original Izuku Midoriya was already ridiculously talented.'
'He received One For All far later than everyone else received their Quirks, yet he still managed to stand alongside students who had spent their entire lives mastering theirs.'
'His analytical ability was absurd. Professional heroes spent years refining their combat styles, yet Izuku could observe them once and immediately understand how their techniques worked.'
'He could dissect an opponent's strengths and weaknesses within seconds. That level of battle intelligence wasn't something you could teach.'
'It was a natural talent.' Akira watched Izumi smoothly transition from attack to attack. 'And this Izumi inherited all of that talent.'
'Maybe...She's even more gifted than the original.'
At that moment, Izumi suddenly stopped moving. She stretched out one hand as crimson chakra gathered within her palm.
The swirling energy rotated faster...And faster...And faster still.
A compact sphere of violet-blue energy condensed in the center of her hand.
Akira blinked. 'Already...?'
Sir Nighteye looked up sharply from his clipboard. Even he paused writing.
Izumi stared at the spinning sphere with sparkling eyes. "So this is...Rasengan!"
She dashed forward. The spinning sphere slammed directly into one of the reinforced training walls.
BOOOOOOM!!
The entire wall exploded. Concrete shattered into thousands of fragments before being completely pulverized by the spiraling force of the attack. Dust billowed through the arena as cracks spread across the surrounding floor.
When the smoke finally settled...Half the wall was simply gone.
Izumi froze. "...Eh?"
She looked at the destruction. Then back at her hand. Then back at the wall again.
"I-I broke it..."
A second later—"Hehehe..."
A quiet giggle escaped her lips. "Hehehehehe!" Then she burst into joyous laughter.
"I really have a Quirk!"
"I actually have my own Quirk!"
She spun around happily while her crimson chakra tail danced behind her like an excited puppy.
"I can train!"
"I can become stronger!"
"I can become a hero!"
Watching her laugh so freely...Akira felt the corners of his own lips rise.
'This...This is exactly why I made Kurama.'
'Seeing her smile like this makes every bit of effort worth it.'
High above them, Sir Nighteye silently observed the entire exercise through the reinforced observation window.
His normally unreadable expression softened ever so slightly.
What impressed him wasn't Izumi's raw power. It was how she instinctively chose to use it.
Whenever the simulation released civilian rescue dummies alongside villain targets, Izumi unconsciously prioritized saving the civilians first.
Her chakra tail carefully wrapped around the civilian dummies before carrying them out of danger, while she personally intercepted every villain dummy attempting to approach them.
Only after confirming the civilians were safe did she destroy the hostile targets.
Sir Nighteye made another note on his clipboard.
A true hero instinctively prioritizes rescue over victory.
His eyes drifted toward the report Akira had written when presenting Kurama to him and All Might.
[Kurama: The Nine-Tailed Fox Quirk. A sentient Quirk that allows the user to utilize Kurama's chakra, i.e his energy, in numerous ways. The user can form a cloak of chakra around their body to drastically increase their overall physical abilities, create powerful energy-based attacks, and shape the chakra into various constructs such as claws and tails. The Quirk also grants limited control over both fire and wind elements, while possessing remarkable regenerative abilities capable of healing many injuries within seconds.]
Sir Nighteye quietly lowered the report. That description alone failed to capture the Quirk's true potential.
Kurama possessed countless possibilities that Izumi had yet to discover.
Flight through chakra manipulation...Additional tails...Larger chakra constructs...Massive energy techniques...Perhaps even transformations beyond what she herself currently understood.
But none of that could be rushed. Even the greatest Quirk would become dangerous if its user lacked the body to withstand it.
Sir Nighteye looked down at the smiling green-haired girl below.
"It will take time," he murmured quietly to himself while making one final note on his clipboard. "Her body must gradually adapt to Kurama's chakra. Only then will she be able to draw out its true power."
Below, completely unaware of the expectations resting upon her shoulders, Izumi simply laughed as she admired the crimson chakra flowing around her body.
A grin slowly spread across Akira's face as he watched Izumi happily admire the crimson chakra flowing around her body.
Seeing her move so naturally with Kurama's power ignited something inside him.
"Let's spar," Akira said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Izumi blinked twice before pointing at herself. "W-Wait... what?" she asked nervously. "You mean... against you?" Her enthusiasm from moments ago immediately shrank as she scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Is... is that really okay? I don't really want to fight you, Aki-Kun."
Before Akira could answer, Sir Nighteye's calm voice echoed through the training ground speakers.
"It's fine, Izumi. This is a controlled training exercise. Both of you may begin whenever you're ready."
Even after receiving permission, Izumi still looked hesitant. Akira simply chuckled before placing both hands in his pockets.
"Don't worry," he said confidently. "Even if you use your full power, you won't beat me." A cheeky grin appeared on his face. "After all...I am the strongest."
Izumi couldn't help laughing at his completely shameless declaration. "You really do say embarrassing things with a straight face," she giggled before smiling warmly at him. "But... you're right."
Her smile softened. "Aki-Kun really is the best."
Akira scratched the back of his head in embarrassment before quickly hiding it with a cough.
'BoBoiBoy.' Inside the mindscape, the cheerful boy instantly saluted. 'Yes, Master!'
Crimson lightning suddenly exploded around Akira's body.
BOOM!
The ground beneath his feet shattered as he disappeared from where he stood.
"Lightning Speed."
Izumi's eyes widened. "So fast!"
One moment he had been standing nearly twenty meters away. The next...He was directly in front of her.
At the same time, brilliant green crystals rapidly formed around his right arm, growing larger and larger until they resembled a massive crystalline gauntlet.
Akira swung his fist forward. "Crystal Smash!"
The enormous crystal fist shot toward Izumi's stomach. Instinct took over. The crimson chakra tail behind her lashed forward and intercepted the punch before it could connect.
CRACK!
The collision sent shockwaves through the arena as chakra and crystal energy clashed against one another.
Izumi immediately jumped backward to create distance. Without wasting a second, her chakra tail curled inward as swirling energy rapidly condensed at its tip.
A familiar sphere began spinning violently.
Rasengan.
Akira smiled. 'Nice reaction.'
The chakra tail thrust forward. Akira sidestepped at the last possible moment.
The spinning sphere missed him by mere centimeters before slamming directly into the ground.
BOOOOM!!
The reinforced floor exploded apart, leaving behind a wide crater.
Dust billowed everywhere.
Akira merely smirked. He inhaled deeply.
FWOOOOSH!!
A gigantic stream of flames erupted from his mouth, racing toward Izumi like a blazing tidal wave.
Instead of panicking...Izumi focused. 'Kurama!'
'I know.'
The chakra surrounding her body surged dramatically.
The single chakra tail rapidly expanded into an enormous crimson fox claw.
The gigantic claw reached forward...And actually caught the incoming fireball.
The flames struggled violently against the condensed chakra before slowly dispersing into harmless sparks.
Sir Nighteye quietly adjusted his glasses. "...Excellent chakra control."
But before Izumi could celebrate...The hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stood up.
A surge of crimson lightning flashed behind her. 'Behind me!'
She instinctively turned—Only to find Akira already standing there.
"So fast...!" Her thoughts barely finished forming before something unexpected entered her vision.
A frying pan. "...Eh?"
Akira raised it proudly. "Pan Smack!"
BONK!!
"Owwwwww!!"
Izumi immediately clutched her forehead as a perfectly round comedic bump appeared where the pan had struck.
She crouched down dramatically. "T-That hurt!"
The crimson chakra surrounding her forehead gently flickered. Within seconds...The bump completely disappeared.
Izumi rubbed the spot one last time before pouting at Akira. "You hit too hard..."
Akira scratched his cheek sheepishly before smiling. "Real villains won't hold back, Izumi."
His expression gradually became more serious. "If you hesitate because your opponent is someone you care about...someone innocent might get hurt." He thought about Shigaraki as he said this.
Izumi quietly lowered her gaze. She understood exactly what he meant. A few seconds later, she nodded. "...You're right."
Akira's smile returned. "So..." He casually tossed the frying pan upward. It vanished into particles of light before disappearing completely.
"Want to finish this with a bang?"
Izumi looked up. For just a moment...A competitive grin appeared on her usually gentle face.
"Okay." She clenched her fists. "...Just this once, Aki-Kun."
The atmosphere inside the training ground changed instantly.
Akira slowly inhaled. Red scales spread across both of his arms while black magma-like markings crawled across his skin.
His fingers transformed into enormous crimson claws. 'Let's do this, Groudon.'
A deep roar echoed proudly inside his mind. 'Leave it to me, Master!'
Molten lava gathered between Akira's hands. The glowing sphere rapidly compressed, becoming denser and denser until the surrounding air distorted from its incredible heat.
Without hesitation—He slammed both hands onto the ground.
Across the battlefield, Izumi closed her eyes. 'Kurama...Let's give it everything we've got.'
The great fox smiled proudly. 'Of course.'
The chakra cloak surrounding her body flared violently. A second crimson tail slowly emerged behind her.
Izumi immediately felt the difference. Her muscles trembled. Her breathing became heavier. Her entire body protested against the overwhelming increase in power.
'It's... harder to control...' But she didn't stop. The two chakra tails stretched forward together.
Between them...A Rasengan began to form.
Larger.
Denser.
Faster.
The spiraling sphere continued growing until it reached the absolute maximum size her current body could safely withstand.
Sweat rolled down her forehead. "This...is my limit!"
Akira's crimson eyes blazed. "Precipice Blades!!"
The training ground erupted as dozens of gigantic magma spikes burst from beneath the earth, racing toward Izumi like volcanic spears.
Izumi planted her feet firmly. The two chakra tails thrust forward. "Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!!"
The enormous sphere of spiraling chakra collided head-on with the advancing magma blades.
High above the arena...Sir Nighteye's eyes widened.
"...Wait." He looked at the rapidly rising energy readings.
"...Wait." His calm expression finally cracked.
"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!!" He grabbed the microphone. "Both of you stop immediately!"
Unfortunately...Neither child heard him. Or rather...Neither child had the luxury of stopping anymore.
Their attacks had already collided.
Elsewhere...Inside his office on one of Might Tower's upper floors...Toshinori Yagi, currently in his thin form, let out a long exhausted sigh.
Stacks upon stacks of paperwork surrounded his desk like mountains.
"So much paperwork..." He rubbed his aching shoulders. "Being the Symbol of Peace is somehow easier than being a secretary..."
After spending nearly three straight hours finishing reports, signatures, and agency documents, he finally stood up from his chair.
Stretching both arms above his head, he smiled to himself. "I wonder how the kids' training is going."
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!
The entire tower shook violently. The walls trembled. The windows rattled. Books fell from shelves. Toshinori barely managed to keep his balance.
His eyes slowly widened. Then...He watched in complete horror as the bottle of black ink sitting on his desk tipped over.
Time seemed to slow.
"...No..."
The bottle fell.
"...No..."
Splash.
Fresh black ink spread beautifully across the mountain of paperwork he had spent the last three hours completing.
Silence filled the office. Toshinori slowly fell onto both knees. His soul visibly left his body.
"...Why..."
A few seconds later, he mechanically reached for his phone and dialed Sir Nighteye's number.
The call connected almost instantly.
Before Toshinori could even ask anything—Sir Nighteye sighed.
"Toshinori...Before you panic. It's not a villain attack. It was simply Akira and Izumi sparring."
Click.
The line went dead.
Toshinori continued staring blankly at the ink-soaked paperwork. A vein twitched on his forehead.
"...Now I can't even beat someone up to vent my frustration..." He muttered bitterly while looking toward the ruined reports.
His shoulders slumped as he slowly covered his face with both hands.
"I want to slap my past self. Whoever said parenting was easy...lied."
"It is absolutely not easy at all."