CHAPTER 93
The observation platform had gone quiet, as everyone watched the teams of two behind the split screen. It even felt hard to move, as if the tension had decided to play sardines with everyone. All strategizing had come to an end to watch the next match.
Izuku was already caught in his own world of analysis and sketches, that was, until Katsuki came up behind him with his verbal pistols ready to shoot between the eyes.
"You're gonna burn a hole through the screen. They're gonna feel your creepy stare."
"Kacchan!" Izuku called to him, almost like an excited child who had just ground his nerves raw. Even now, it surprised him how Izuku didn't cower every time he emerged and how chatty he was getting with him. But that had been the development since coming to UA; it was a school meant for the best. He wasn't bothered as much by Izuku's mere presence either.
Maybe because there was now a bigger target that he just couldn't hit as easily. With Sakura around, his attentions couldn't be equally diverted, and he preferred to focus on the one who kept making a fool of him rather than the mild annoyance.
"This is going to be like any match," Katsuki stated.
Izuku, emboldened by the lack of immediate violence, pressed on. "D-do you really think this is just like any other match? I mean, it's Sakura and Todoroki who are working together."
By now, they have seen great extents of both their classmates' abilities and quirks, and despite Sakura taking the top spot, Shoto was a close second in Izuku's option at least. In terms of range and overall power.
Katsuki scoffed. "Don't care. Five-head is gonna spend half her time fucking around. She doesn't take anyone seriously. Not like this is gonna be any different."
Izuku's sweat dropped, "That's not true, Kacchan-well, not anymore."
Hitoshi came up behind them, and the usually quiet teen offered his voice on the subject, which turned some heads, including Izuku's and Katsuki's. "She doesn't use excessive force when it's unnecessary. She says it's more efficient to conserve your strength-
"Against opponents weaker than you," Katsuki finished with a hint of disgust in his tone. He had learned that lesson from her, too. Yes, this is why his energy was going more towards her than Izuku because at this point, Sakura had pushed all of his buttons, broken them and he was intent on collecting repayment for that.
Hitoshi didn't blink, but there was emotion brimming behind his eyes and a rather odd twitch of his lips. "Probably pisses you off because to her, you're not a challenge. And that hurts your ego."
The reaction was instantaneous. Katsuki lunged, "What you say you purple-headed-
Izuku winced as he saw Katsuki's figure freeze midway to Hitoshi, now wearing that familiar glazed over expression whenever Hitoshi put someone under hypnosis. The fire in Katsuki's eyes had turned dull, and his expression glazed over, mouth slightly agape as if he was a deer staring into other headlights before a collision. Izuku's body stiffened as he remembered the experience, something akin to sleep paralysis, with all the inconveniences applied.
"KACCHAN?!" Izuku yelped, hands fluttering uselessly around. "Shinso, why did you do that?"
He shrugged.
From across the room, Shouta Aizawa's scarf unwound like a living thing, his hair floating as his Quirk flared. "Enough, you three, class is still in session. Perhaps save the fighting for the actual battlefield. Remember, why you're here, Shinso."
The boy nodded in response and turned his attention back to the screen. Not bothering to wake up Katsuki.
"Man, Sakura and Todoroki are, like, a real power couple, huh?" Denki grinned, ignoring his brainwashed classmate.
Mina squealed, "What a couple!? Since when?"
"That's not what he meant." Kyoka rolled her eyes, adjusting her earphone jack. "You mean powerhouse."
"Oh. Right. Yeah, that."
The observation platform was starting to become a battleground in itself as Neito Monoma's voice intersected their encounter. His usual smugness dialed up to manic levels as he gestured wildly at Class A.
"Oh, aren't you confident? Class A and their egos are always so inflated, so full of hot air. Did you forget Class B is in the Hero Course too!" His grin stretched unnaturally wide, eyes gleaming with something between excitement and derangement. "But you're in for a surprise! We've got a secret weapon! That's right our recommended student for the Hero Course! Don't think just because you go around beating up bad guys and causing trouble for everyone that you're-
THWACK!
That was the last sound that followed his voice as the class B's representative, Itsuka Kendo's enlarged hand came down on Monoma's head with the precision of a guillotine blade, cutting off his tirade mid-sentence. The blond crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut, his body going limp as Kendo effortlessly scooped him up in her palm, his limbs dangling like a rag-doll's.
"That's enough," Kendo sighed, shaking her head at his half-conscious form. "Honestly, do you ever stop?"
The rest of the students watched with varying degrees of amusement and exasperation, sweat-dropping at the sheer absurdity of the scene. Some of Class A debated whether they should intervene not for Monoma's sake, but to deal with their own problem: Katsuki, still locked in Hitoshi's brainwashing, standing rigid like a statue of pure, seething fury.
"Who's gonna wake him up?" Rikido asked, eyeing Katsuki with trepidation. The problem was that no one knew how he was going to react when they tapped him awake or where he might aim. It was like startling a lion.
"Maybe just... leave him like that?" Mina suggested, only half-joking.
"He is a lot quieter," added Kyoka.
Meanwhile, a few of the more level-headed students, Momo, Izuku, and Ochaco among them, had migrated toward Hitoshi, forming a loose barrier between him and the inevitable storm that was Katsuki's temper.
"You should probably stay back," Momo advised, her voice low. "At least until we're sure he won't... react."
Hitoshi shrugged, unfazed. "Not my first time dealing with angry people."
"START!" Vlad exclaimed into the microphone. This declaration called everyone back to attention as the match began.
"Monoma mentioned a recommended student, who could it be?" Shouto was among that group, and they were considered elite by UA standards, which were quite high.
Hitoshi stared up at the screen, "It doesn't matter how strong someone is. We're all made of the same thing. Flesh and blood. Regardless of our quirks, we're all human and we have one life."
Ochaco's eyes lit up. "That kinda sounds like something Sakura would say!"
For a fraction of a second, Hitoshi's lips twitched into an almost smile. But before anyone could comment further, the sharp blare of the starting signal echoed through the platform.
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On the other end Field Gamma, Class B's team Pony Tsunotori, Sen Kaibara, Juzo Honenuki, and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu stood near their cage. The training fields' industrial design made it hard to see much of anything overhead. A grove of pipes created a forest of darkness that obscured so much. And to top it off no one in that team had the ability to scout from a distance. Which Tetsutetsu was unashamed to bring up point-blank.
Pony shifted nervously, her hooves clacking against the concrete as she glanced between her teammates. "How should we do this? We don't have anyone who can scout."
Sen Kaibara cracked his knuckles. "Problem is, Class A has Todoroki and Haruno. Plus Iida, who's like hyper tank and Ojiro."
Juzo lightly rubbed his chin underneath his helmet. "Vlad-sensei warned us already. She took on her entire class, nineteen to one, and walked out without a scratch."
"That's easy," Tetsutetsu started. He stood in front of a line of industrial pipes and structures. Activating his quirk that turned his entire body to metal, a similar concept to Eijiro's transformation quirk. Before he began hammering with iron fists against the cluster of pipes. The loud clang cut through their attempted discussion. Like a one-man demolition crew. The metal shrieked in protest, buckling under his relentless assault.
"Tetsutetsu!" Juzo hissed. "We were told to keep damage to a minimum!"
"THEY'RE GONNA NOTICE US!" Pony added, her accent thickening in her alarm.
Tetsutetsu didn't stop. "SO WHAT? LET 'EM COME!" he roared, his voice echoing through the maze. "IF THEY WANNA FIGHT, WE'LL GIVE 'EM A FIGHT!"
The others exchanged glances, nearly able to feel their homeroom teacher's eye twitch and his hands gripping the microphone as if it were their necks he was wringing.
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Sure enough, their commotion didn't go unnoticed by class A's team, who could hear the metal crashing and grating, leaving a clear verbal path they could walk straight towards their opposing team. The sound tore through the stillness of the simulated battlefield like a beast gnashing its teeth. They could hear the metal structures buckling under some kind of force. But they knew this was not just noise. This was an outright challenge, a loud cry from the opposing team.
Mashirao rubbed his ears as his tail flicked in wary anticipation. "Is that their way of calling us to them or do you think it's a trap?"
Shout, Tenya, and Mashirao turned their heads, planting them on Sakura, who was watching out in the distance where she could hear the crashing but couldn't see it just yet. Sakura exhaled through her nose, a sound caught between exasperation and amusement. Putting her hands on her hips,
"Let's get something straight, boys. I'm not taking the lead on this. And I don't want you pausing to look at me for approval on your decisions." She tilted her head. "That isn't a luxury you'll have in real combat. You have to learn to move together without words. Take this as a chance to show off what you've learned."
Mashirao's tail stilled, his expression shifting into something more resolute. "I don't think it's a trap,"
Tenya frowned behind his helmet, "But there's no one to scout and confirm that."
"Why do you say that?" Sakura asked in counter.
"Because none of us have the right quirk to-
Sakura cut him off with a scoff, flipping her hair with a dismissive flick of her wrist. "What do Quirks have to do with it? Scouting is a basic skill. You don't need superhuman abilities to gather intel."
"Um, it's really not," Mashirao said, his tail dropping with his shoulders. "Whoever told you that?"
Sakura covered her mouth, "It is for survival."
"It sounds like Class B team intends to have a head-on battle," Shouto observed, his mismatched eyes fixed on the distant wreckage.
"Probably," Sakura agreed. "The question is what you'll allow from them."
Mashirao smirked, cracking his knuckles. "It'll be easier to deal with them that way."
"Agreed," Tenya said, his engines revving with a low, mechanical growl. He bent forward, poised to launch himself forward like a bullet from a barrel.
Sakura watched them, a slow, knowing smile curling at the edge of her lips. "Alright then,"
If that was what they'd decided was the heroic way to do things, charging in with boldness rather than caution, then she'd just tag along for this ride. After all, battles weren't won by hesitation.
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The metallic groans of collapsing towers grew louder. They were now close enough to feel the vibrations crawling up their legs from each crash that sent tremors through the ground. In the distance, they could also see some of the metallic structures toppling in the distance and kicking up dust clouds.
"We should take the high ground," Mashirao suggested, eyes scanning the labyrinth of pipes and scaffolds around them. "Todoroki, you could use your ice to trap them, then we can swoop in and catch them all in one go."
Shouto gave a curt nod, his breath already frosting in the air. "Stay within my line of sight. I don't want to hit you by accident."
That was the thing about Shouto's quirk, a nick in the armor he didn't even see until he came to face the hero killer. He had thought the range gave him the greatest advantage, the ability to take down an enemy before they even saw him coming. But since this was a team exercise, he had to exercise caution, requiring precision, restraint. This was a team exercise, and staying loyal to that theme was what this session required.
Tenya adjusted his stance, the hum of his engines a quiet promise of speed. "Understood!" he barked, already calculating angles.
Without another word, Sakura leapt onto the nearest pipe. The boys followed, scaling the metal framework in attempts to keep up with her leap.
As they ascended, Sakura couldn't shake the feeling that they were moving too comfortably. Too relaxed. Because she was here. And that bothered her. It wasn't good for them to develop that kind of mentality, but she also knew she had been feeding it for her own sake. As of late, she was standing on a line, with a pit of darkness at the bottom; the last time she allowed herself to slip, she barely climbed back out. This was why she welcomed the mundane distractions of this school and the people who surrounded it. For the sake of herself she needed something to keep her stimulated and free of her own thoughts.
Because while she wanted to stubbornly cling to the belief that she could make it back on her own, she wasn't a foolish optimist because she didn't have the power to enjoy that luxury. Not like some of her friends. In the back of her mind, she held the truth. Crossing dimensions was a power reserved for the divine and those who were blessed by them. None of which she could be included in. Comparing the two worlds, Sakura could see the differences, where even she was considered powerful. But she could barely stand beside Sasuke and Naruto, while her other classmates could do so from the time they were twelve.
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On the other side, Tetsutetsu didn't let up his assault on the field, tearing through the metal like paper, his steel fists barreling through on repeat while his teammates stood behind him at a safe distance trying to keep the debris out of their eyes.
Pony hovered near, her mouth pulling into a pout. "Tetsutetsu, the other team's not gonna come obediently like that!" she called out, her voice sharp with frustration. "They'll think it's a trap!"
But Tetsutetsu gave a metallic grin, his teeth glinting in the light. "Nah, they'll come. That's what I'd do!"
Juzo adjusted his mask with a quiet sigh. "They'll have Todoroki as their focus of attack. Then they'll try to swoop in after and capture all of us in one go." His dark eyes flickered toward the shifting shadows above. "They probably also know we'd be wary of Haruno."
A cold front hit them before they even saw the wave of ice, the drop in temperature sank through their winter costumes as ice crawled up their legs, most until the waistline. Tetsutetsu, who was on the front-line, was hit the worst, his iron form half wrapped in a blanket of solid ice. A large portion of the field was also covered in knee-deep ice.
"WHERE ARE TODOROKI AND THE OTHERS?!" Tetsutetsu roared, straining against the creeping frost.
"I CAN'T SEE THEM!" Sen yelled. He tried pulling his limbs against the ice, but to no avail; he could see the rest of his teammates searching around for any signs of class A.
Meanwhile, perched like spectators amongst the pipes and scaffolds stood the opposing team, observing from the shadows for a moment for any signs of escaping.
'Seems they learned not to jump in,' Sakura noted, as each of her classmates had split into separate sections so they wouldn't divert attention to the entire team if they were spotted. Even Shouto, who would relax his guard when he found someone caught in his ice, had taken a step back to observe first.
"Not a bad start," she admitted silently.
"Dammit, where is Haruno?" called Juzo. "Show yourself!"
'They're asking for me, huh? Let's bite then,' She was curious what they had to show for this performance, calling her out.
She landed on the ice, centering the four class B students. "Looking for me?"
"We should join her," Tenya moved first, launching himself off the pipes with the sound of his engines catching the attention of everyone. He landed on the ice. With a burst of speed that blurred the air, he shot forward, his Recipro Burst propelling him like a bullet. But the moment his foot touched the ice, it swallowed him.
The once solid ice had turned into a thick substance with more resistance than water, clinging to a person like quicksand made of frozen sludge. That's at least what Sakura and Tenya felt as they were pulled under this, sinking deeper until they were up to their necks.
"That's cold!" ge. His engines whined as he struggled, sinking deeper.
"What the-
Juzo stood on top of the sludge, no, rather it was solid ice again, crouched down with his hand over the surface. They knew now it was his doing. His quirk was softening, which allowed him to take any surface he touched and make it take on a mud like quality.
'Impressive,' Sakura couldn't help thinking as she realized class B had turned the tables on them quickly. They took the ice that was Shouto's weapon and turned it into their own.
Then Juzo found Shouto's hiding place out in the shadows and said mockingly, "If you came at us more cold-hearted with fire, there wouldn't be much we could do."
Biting his tongue, Shouto looked at Sakura and Tenya, who were face deep in the sludge of ice.
Mashirao attempted to make a move from the pipes and thought that staying on the high ground would protect him, but when he landed on the next line of pipes, he ended up sinking down. The metal is no longer holding to its physical structure.
"I also used my quirk on a bunch of random spots around," Juzo added with a rather coy tone.
'That's smarts,' Sakura shivered as the cold crept through her skin.
That's all for now Folks. I hope this read gives you a breather from any tough times, and that 2026 will be your new best year!
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EARLY CHAPTERS FOR MEMBERS NOW: BUYMEACOFFEE
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter (94, 95, 96, 97)
-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter (42,43, 44)
-Crossroads of Fate chapter 33, 34, 34, 35, 36
-Through the Looking Glass chapter 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47
- (Bleach crossover) Kunoichi amongst Reapers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
-Commission: Demon slayer x My hero academia (PART 1 & 2)
- Kunoichi amongst Benders (Avatar x Naruto crossover) (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes WHAT IF SPIN OFF: Dorms and Exams
-(SEQUEL) Through the Spyglass chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6
-SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CHAPTER: Shinigami amongst Shinobi