Morning.
Izuku woke up in his bed, his finger tightly bandaged, his entire body feeling like it had been tossed into a blender and poured back out.
'Ugh… everything hurts… Is this what having OFA feels like before mastering it? Damn… canon Izuku suffered this from age fourteen? How did that kid even survive?'
He slowly sat up, wincing as his muscles protested.
"Ah! Izuku, you're awake!" Inko rushed in with a tray of food, worry written all over her face. "Kacchan said you overworked yourself! You shouldn't push so hard—your quirk just awakened!"
"Sorry, Mom… I got carried away," Izuku said, scratching his cheek sheepishly.
'Carried away? Dude, you detonated your finger like a grenade. That's way beyond carried away…'
Inko sighed and hugged him tightly.
"Just… don't scare me like that again, okay?"
Izuku smiled softly, returning her hug before gently pulling away.
"Mom… I need to go early today."
"Early? For school?"
"No… for training."
She hesitated, her lips trembling as if she wanted to say no. But when she saw the determination in his eyes—the same spark he'd had since he was little—she stopped.
"…Okay. But promise me you'll be careful."
"Promise."
---
At the Beach – 4 AM
The sky was still dark, the sea waves faintly glowing under the streetlights.
Izuku arrived before sunrise, breath misting in the cold air.
All Might was already there—in full muscle form—striking a dramatic pose like it was broad daylight.
"YOU'RE EARLY, YOUNG MIDORIYA!"
Izuku sweatdropped.
'Bro… it's 4 AM. Do you even sleep?'
"All Might… no—Sensei," Izuku said nervously, rubbing the back of his head.
"All right, young man," All Might replied with a grin. "You're doing well—before we start my teacher is s coming we'll start when he arrives,by the way what happened to your hand young man?"
Izuku froze for a second, glancing down at his bandaged finger.
"Sensei," Izuku said, bowing slightly. "I think I used a bit of OFA yesterday."
All Might froze mid-pose. His eyes widened.
"You what?! You already manifested POWER?!"
"Yeah and also sensei.., about that—actually, I, um… told my mom I got my quirk," he said quickly.
All Might's smile vanished. "NANI?! I told you to keep it a secret, young Midoriya!"
Izuku raised both hands, panicking. "W-wait! It's not what you think! I just thought… if I suddenly started acting different without any explanation, it'd make my mom suspicious, right? So I told her I awakened a quirk!"
All Might frowned but stayed silent. Izuku continued, trying to sound reassuring.
"And don't worry, Sensei! I only told her it's a strength enhancement quirk—nothing too crazy! So there's no need to worry!"
All Might sighed, crossing his arms. "Hmm… I see. Still, that doesn't explain your injured finger."
"Ehh, that…" Izuku gave a nervous laugh, scratching his cheek. "Actually, Kacchan—my childhood friend—challenged me to a duel after hearing I finally got a quirk. I kinda… got carried away and, uh, blew my finger off in the process."
He smiled awkwardly, trying to brush it off, though his tone betrayed a mix of embarrassment and guilt.
All Might pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling heavily. "You truly are reckless, young Midoriya…"
Izuku looked down, muttering under his breath, "Better she and everyone else think I was born with it… than start asking where it really came from."
"Oh. Ohhhh. That explains the bandage."
All Might deflated instantly into his skeleton form, coughing.
"Ahem—well—this is earlier than expected."
"Sensei," Izuku said seriously, "teach me how to use One For All properly."
All Might studied him for a long moment.
"Most users… they gain the power slowly. But you… you've already managed to manifest it. Even I took about a month to do that once. Are you… a genius?"
Izuku blinked.
'Genius… huh. Do you know how long I've wanted to hear that word again? Yeah, I used to be called that when I was a kid. But when I grew up, I realized I was just a pebble on a mountain. I only grasped things faster than others my age. I worked… and worked… hoping to be called that again. But I never was. Not until now. And you—yeah, you wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth.'
All Might noticed the flicker of darkness in Izuku's eyes and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you all right, young man?"
Izuku blinked and forced a smile. "Yeah, just thinking."
All Might smiled faintly. "What you did yesterday was dangerous. Very dangerous. One For All isn't a toy—even for a genius."
"I know," Izuku said quietly. "The pain was… insane."
All Might nodded. "Then let's begin your real training."
He pointed toward the far end of the beach.
"Your first goal—learn to manifest One For All without breaking anything!"
Izuku blinked. "…How do I do that?"
All Might grinned.
"With painful trial and error!"
"…I regret being honest."
'Okay, canon Izuku, I'm stealing your notes again,' he thought grimly.
Suddenly, a voice echoed behind them.
"What the hell… Toshinori, is this scrawny brat your successor?"
A short, elderly man with a gruff tone appeared out of nowhere.
"Scrawny…?" Izuku muttered, twitching. 'Bastard… do you know how hard I worked…'
"Sensei, who's this soon-to-be-dying old man?" Izuku said with his usual polite smile—just sharp enough to sting.
All Might flinched. "Young Midoriya! He's my teacher, Sorahiko Torino—also known as Gran Torino!"
'Shit. I should've expected this. I didn't even recognize him without the hero costume,' Izuku thought, taking an instinctive step back.
Gran Torino grinned. "Oh, you've got quite the mouth on you, brat. Let's see if your skills match it!"
He zipped forward faster than Izuku could blink, hitting him straight in the gut.
"GUH—!"
Izuku flew several meters before crashing into a pile of garbage.
All Might sighed. "Sensei… you really shouldn't have done that."
"What was that?"
"…Nothing."
Izuku groaned, pushing himself up, holding his stomach.
'Even All Might looks scared of this guy in muscle form. Guess trauma really doesn't fade easily.'
Gran Torino smirked. "Ohh, looks like you can take a hit."
'Bro, I nearly puked blood,' Izuku thought bitterly.
"See? Violence always works," Gran Torino said cheerfully.
"Oii, brat," he continued. "Since you can take a punch from me and get up this quick, your body's trained well. Toshinori didn't pick a total weakling after all."
Izuku forced a grin. "Oh, you're surprisingly not that senile for an old man."
Gran Torino's vein popped. "This brat…"
He powered up his quirk again, but All Might intervened quickly.
"Sensei, not now! He just awakened One For All!"
"What?! You already passed it on?!" Gran Torino barked.
"Yeah! He even passed my test!" All Might said proudly.
'Canon All Might gave OFA after ten months. Guess my timeline's fast-forwarded. He probably asked his teacher for help now because he knows he can't train me on his own… that's humility. Most people at the top hate asking help from those beneath them. But he did. That's… kind of inspiring, actually. Damn, I can see why so many people love All Might. Wait—if this goes on, I might actually become a fan.'
"YOUNG MIDORIYA!" All Might's voice jolted him back.
"Huh? Yeah?"
"I've been calling you for a while!"
"Sorry, got lost in thought…"
Izuku stood straighter. "All Might… never in my life did I think I'd get a quirk, or that I could actually save people. But now—I can. And I will. I'll become a hero. I'll save lots of people."
That one wasn't just Izuku's thought. It was his.
All Might smiled, eyes softening. "You already have the heart of a hero, young Midoriya. Even when you were quirkless, you risked your life for another. That's what I saw in you."
Gran Torino chuckled. "Looks like you've got yourself a handful, kid, Toshinori."
"Then let's begin the training," Gran Torino said, stepping forward.
---
Training Begins – The Flow of Power
Gran Torino stood with his hands behind his back. "Listen up, brat. You're trying to use One For All like a sledgehammer. That's why your body breaks."
Izuku frowned. "Then how am I supposed to use it?"
"By flowing it. Spread the energy evenly through your body—like electricity running through wires. Not all at once. That's Full Cowling."
"Full… Cowling?" Izuku repeated, eyes lighting up.
Gran Torino nodded. "Start with your legs. They lead your movement, they control your rhythm. Feel the power spread—don't force it."
Izuku closed his eyes. His heart thudded as he imagined the power running through him.
'Evenly… not too much… just a little…'
Sparks of green lightning flickered over his arms and legs—wild and unstable.
"Too much!" Gran Torino barked before smacking him with his cane.
Izuku yelped. "Ow! Sensei!"
"That's for overdoing it! You're supposed to channel, not explode!"
All Might chuckled nervously. "Ah… brings back memories."
Gran Torino shot him a look. "You shut up. You broke a toilet the first time you tried."
All Might coughed into his fist. "…Technical error."
Izuku couldn't help but laugh, even as he winced from the pain.
'Okay… again.'
He focused. Slowly, the current flowed smoother this time, dancing along his limbs like gentle sparks instead of violent lightning. His muscles tightened, but didn't break.
"I… I did it!"
Gran Torino smirked. "Hmph. That's 2% at best. Don't get cocky. But… not bad, brat."
---
[Seven Months Later]
The sun rose over Dagobah Beach, clean and shining. The piles of junk were gone—replaced by open sand and sea breeze.
Izuku stood shirtless in the middle of it, his once-scrawny body now toned and defined. He took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and vanished with a sharp gust—landing twenty meters away in a flash of green light.
'10% output… stable. No breaks. No strain.'
He grinned. "Finally… I've got it."
From the side, Gran Torino yawned. "About damn time. You were flailing like a newborn deer for months."
Izuku chuckled. "Guess I had a good teacher."
"Brat are you mocking me or flattering me," the old man muttered, though he was smiling faintly.
All Might, standing proudly in his muscle form, nodded in approval. "Splendid progress, young Midoriya. You've truly grown."
Izuku straightened. "Thank you, All Might-sensei!"
"The UA Entrance Exam is near," All Might said, his expression firm. "It's time to put your control to the test. Use your power to protect—and to inspire."
Izuku's eyes gleamed. "Yes, sir!"
Gran Torino waved lazily. "Don't die, brat. Heroes can't save anyone if they're in traction."
Izuku grinned, tightening his gloves.
Green lightning rippled across his skin—bright, steady, alive.
'Seven months down… a lifetime to go. This time, I'll make sure the world remembers Midoriya Izuku. Not as someone lucky enough to get power—but as someone who earned it.'