"You're curious about something? About that man?"
"No."
Tsukauchi Naomasa was genuinely surprised by that answer.
After all, there were very few things left in this world that could still draw serious interest from his old friend. Most of the time, if All Might came looking for information, it was because the matter was connected to either a Villain… or that man.
Ever since being defeated by All Might, there had been no trace of All For One at all.
No sightings.
No rumors with substance.
Nothing.
If All Might himself had not remained absolutely certain that his old enemy had only been defeated, not killed, Tsukauchi might have started to suspect that the man had really died back then.
So when All Might came to him saying he wanted something investigated, Tsukauchi had naturally assumed it had to be connected to that shadow from the past.
But clearly, he had guessed wrong.
If it wasn't about All For One…
Then what was it?
Tsukauchi lowered his gaze for a moment and thought it through.
Then his expression shifted slightly.
Could it be…
He recalled the events of the previous night.
"The fugitive from last night?" he asked. "Is this about the wanted criminal you helped apprehend?"
All Might nodded.
"Yes."
Then, after a brief pause, he corrected himself.
"More accurately… I want you to investigate someone."
"The person who killed that wanted criminal last night."
That answer made Tsukauchi's brows knit together.
Because that was not what All Might had told the police.
The night before, his statement had been very clear:
By the time he arrived at the scene, the fugitive had already been subdued and killed by an unknown individual.
Because of the trust the police placed in All Might, they had accepted that explanation without pushing too hard.
And based on that, the department had classified the unidentified killer under a very specific category:
A person with extreme ideological tendencies.
In other words, someone dissatisfied with the current hero system, or someone whose beliefs fundamentally clashed with those of licensed heroes—and had begun acting on them.
Recently, the infamous Hero Killer: Stain had become the most famous example of that kind of existence.
So once the police heard that a wanted fugitive had been cleanly and decisively killed by an unidentified person, that was naturally the direction their thoughts had gone.
Unfortunately, there had been almost no useful evidence left at the scene.
The killing had been too efficient—too direct, too clean.
There weren't enough battle traces on the ground.
There were no witnesses able to provide detailed testimony.
And if even All Might himself had supposedly failed to get a clear look at the killer, then the police had little reason to think they would ever identify that person at all.
Which was why Tsukauchi immediately understood the contradiction now sitting in front of him.
If All Might came here today with a student handbook and a specific target in mind, then that meant he either knew—or strongly suspected—the identity of the person involved.
And that did not line up with the statement he had given last night.
Still, although Tsukauchi felt a trace of dissatisfaction at the fact that All Might had not fully cooperated with the investigation, he said nothing about it.
They had known each other too long.
He understood what kind of man All Might was.
If he had chosen to stay silent, then he must have had a real reason.
A real one.
Tsukauchi let out a slow breath and leaned back slightly.
"Well," he said at last, "if you didn't say anything last night, then I assume you had your reasons."
Hearing that, All Might couldn't help giving a wry smile.
He knew perfectly well that what he had done the night before had been… less than ideal.
But given Shigaraki's strength, his unusual mentality, and the other strange details surrounding him, All Might truly hadn't been willing to hand him over to the police system openly.
Because if he had done that—
then the matter would have become official.
Rigid.
Unforgiving.
And there was a very real chance that, in trying to deal with a potential danger, they would simply force a talented but unstable boy straight onto the other side.
A young man with no hostility might develop one.
A person standing near the border could be pushed across it.
And that was the last thing All Might wanted.
"There are… a lot of complications involved," he said carefully.
"And that boy's identity is a bit special."
He looked at Tsukauchi.
"I didn't want to make things more troublesome than they already were. That's why I handled it the way I did."
Then, more quietly, he added:
"I hope you can forgive that."
Tsukauchi waved a hand dismissively.
"It's fine. You don't need to apologize to me."
His tone was easy, almost amused.
"I know the kind of person you are."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"I trust that you wouldn't do anything that goes against justice."
That answer made All Might visibly relax.
If Tsukauchi had really pressed him over the falsehood in last night's report, All Might honestly wasn't sure how he would have explained himself.
Thankfully, his old friend had not forced the issue.
That alone saved him a great deal of trouble.
Taking advantage of the opening, All Might reached into his clothing and pulled out the student handbook he had picked up the previous night.
"I want you to investigate this person," he said.
He handed it across the table.
"This boy is the one who stepped in last night and subdued that fugitive."
"Oh?"
Tsukauchi took the handbook with mild curiosity.
"Now you've got me interested."
He smiled as he flipped it open.
"Let's see just what kind of person could make even the Symbol of Peace hesitate like this…"
Then he saw the name.
And the smile on his face vanished.
His expression shifted instantly into open surprise.
"Shimura Tenko?"
He stared at the page for another second, then let out a low, almost incredulous laugh.
"Well now…"
"That's interesting."
He raised his eyes.
"I didn't expect it to be him."
That reaction caught All Might off guard.
"You know him?"
He sounded genuinely startled.
Tsukauchi actually knew Shimura Tenko?
Tsukauchi nodded slowly.
"Yes."
He closed the handbook and tapped it lightly against his palm.
"I do know him."
Then his expression grew more serious.
"This morning's robbery case—you've heard about it, right?"
All Might's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Yes."
Tsukauchi continued:
"He was the blue-haired boy from the report."
"The one who took down the gigantification villain."
All Might went silent.
So it really had been him again.
And not long after the events of the previous night, too.
A faint complexity entered his gaze.
Tsukauchi, meanwhile, kept speaking.
"After that incident, the police made contact with him."
Then he paused, and his expression turned noticeably heavier.
"But the result of that contact…"
He exhaled slowly.
"…wasn't good."
All Might's eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean?"
Tsukauchi rested the handbook on the table.
"How should I put it…"
He tapped one finger lightly against the cover, as though organizing his thoughts.
"That boy has a strong sense of justice."
"Very strong."
"But the way he thinks…"
His gaze turned serious.
"…doesn't fit well within the framework of current law."
The room quieted.
For a brief moment, All Might said nothing.
Because even though the words were simple—
the implication behind them was not.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/StrawHatStudios