A/N: Yeah it's been a long while between updates. Sorry. Hope you enjoy this one though.

Shout out to theriku260 for some great beta work.

Chapter 5

Izuku resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he watched Ichigo finish off the latest Hollow to haunt Musutafu. Izuku knew Ichigo meant well but it was time he got some experience fighting Hollows; he was thirteen now- far from the defenceless kid Ichigo had met all those years ago.

Ichigo Flash Stepped in front of Izuku and seemed to pick up on his protégé's annoyance.

"Alright, I know I said you would get the next Hollow but this one had some nasty Spiritual Pressure. It would've given you a bigger fight than you seem to think."

Izuku gave a reluctant nod. "I know, I can sense just as well as you," he said. "Would it have been a risk? Sure, but how am I going to improve unless you give me a chance? Not to mention that if things did get that bad, you were nearby to lend a hand."

Ichigo seemed to get embarrassed there.

"That's an excellent point, one that I can't really refute but remember you are still thirteen" he said sheepishly. "I know you want an opportunity to prove yourself but thirteen is too young. I was sixteen when I got my Shinigami powers and students in the Shinigami Academy are equivalently the same age when they go out on their first Hollow expeditions. I know you must feel stifled, but I only have your best interests at heart Izuku."

Izuku smiled and said, "Okay, but next time I'm going to jump in before you get a chance. Now, let us have a spar, it's always good to get some training in while your around." Ichigo's smile got a little strained.

"Right now? We're above the city, wouldn't it be better to use Kisuke's basement?"

Izuku took the choice out of Ichigo's hands by Flash Stepping behind him, slashing with his sword. Ichigo blocked the blow with his left-handed trench knife.

"Too bad Yoruichi told me to be more assertive." Izuku said, smirking.

Ichigo tried to Flash Step away and gain some room for himself but Izuku was hot on his heels, a grin on his face. Neither of them was trying too hard, but it was fun dashing across the sky.

Izuku flashed underneath Ichigo before pointing his right hand, "Hado Seventy-Three: Twin Lotus, Blue Fire Crash down!"

An enormous burst of blue fire threatened to burn Ichigo before he Flash Stepped away. Ichigo held up his hand,

"Enough! If you really want to continue, we can continue in Kisuke's basement. There's a good chance of collateral damage out here but that attack was excellent."

Izuku shrugged, "I'm not some battle maniac, I just want a chance to show you that I'm not weak. I know you're way stronger than I am, but I really want to deal with the next Hollow that shows up!"

A small smile crossed Ichigo's face.

"Alright but at the very least I have to tell you something. Soul Reapers that have spiritual energy equivalent to Lieutenants and above are marked with a seal. This seal prevents their large spiritual presence from effecting the world and people around them by only allowing them to use twenty percent of their power." He smiled and continued.

"Now, years ago Kisuke could sense your potential and placed one of these seals on you. While you're not at a Lieutenant's level yet, you're quickly getting there. I'm going to show you how to disable and reapply the seal, so that if there comes a time when you are fighting for your life, you don't die while fighting at only twenty percent."

A small flare of anger filled Izuku before he squashed it. True the seal had been applied without his knowledge, but it was for a good cause, right? He had been training at twenty percent of his power this entire time.

Ryujin Jakka spoke up. "Yes, that's all true. I would say quite confidently that with the seal off, you would be at a Third Seat's level, only one rank below a Lieutenant. But think, once Ichigo shows you how to take off and put on the seal, he has no excuse not to let you fight Hollows."

That brought a smile to Izuku's face and a dismayed grimace to Ichigo's once this was pointed out.

xXx

Momo Yaoyorozu was, strange as it sounds, rather unsure of herself. Her parents had come up with the idea that since the Pro Hero Endeavour had a girl the same age as their daughter, that it would be a good idea to build connections in that area. It had taken some time and multiple meetings before Endeavor had agreed to allow his youngest daughter to attend a, for lack of a better word, a play date.

Momo had attended all girl's schools the entirety of her young life but none of that experience prepared her for the enigma that was Shoko Todoroki.

Shoko was quiet but not shy. She didn't say much but was happy to study together in the Yaoyorozu mansion's library with her. Shoko wasn't simple either, both girls had been learning subjects above the average middle school's curriculum.

So, Momo was unsure about how to connect with the girl sitting across from her. The cooks had prepared some very nice soba at Shoko's request but while that seemed to ease the awkward atmosphere, the quiet remained. Momo was no psychiatrist but had read a few books on the subject, enough to realise that there was something bothering Shoko but not enough to know how to help.

Talking about heroes had been the one bright spot of the play date, turns out Shoko was a big fan of All Might. Thinking about how to broach the subject of Shoko's facial scar, Momo decided to just bite the bullet and flat out ask,

"Shoko, forgive me if I'm being rude but have you thought about applying make up for your scar?"

There was a long silence, long enough for Momo to think that she had grievously overstepped her bounds until,

"I don't know how and even if I did, I don't have access to make up. Father doesn't like me being too girly."

Momo blinked, that was unexpected but now there was a new way to connect!

"Shoko, I can use the time to teach you so that in the future you know how."

Shoko tilted her head to the side in consideration, "That, sounds nice but I will have to wash it off before I leave."

So, the two girls spent the rest of the afternoon in Momo's room giggling while applying makeup and doing each other's hair. Or at least, Momo kinda giggled while Shoko had a small smile on her face.

Shoko's look of determination as she tried to memorise everything Momo told her about foundation, spot reduction and concealer. She'd had a grand time applying them Momo as well.

True, Shoko may have made Momo's cheeks a little too red and her eyes looked more bruised than in shadow, but Momo had finally cracked Shoko's impassive face which made it all worth it. It was a shame that there wasn't a lot Momo could do with Shoko's hair, it only came to her ears. Practical it may be but there wasn't a lot to play with even if Momo was jealous of Shoko's natural two hair colours.

xXx

As a regretful Shoko wiped away the foundation and concealer on her face that would've allowed her to walk down the street avoiding people's eyes she felt Momo come up behind her. As Shoko turned, a medium sized matryoshka doll was pressed into her grip.

Momo gave her a sad smile, "I know what you said about your father but here, it's the least I can do."

Momo proceeded to open the matryoshka doll up, but three layers in, the pattern of another doll inside stopped. Instead inside there was a miniature make up kit. It was the barest of essentials but there was enough there for Shoko to look normal again.

Momo nervously poked her fingers together, "I know it's not much, but I could see how much this meant to you. I couldn't fit all that much in either, no lipstick or mascara there wasn't enough spa-"

Momo was cut off as Shoko hugged her. It wasn't a bear hug and there wasn't a whole lot of contact, but the intention was there and Momo understood it.

Neither girl realised that they wouldn't get another opportunity to meet after this; Endeavor would decide to step up Shoko's training in preparation for UA, but it was a moment both girls would remember for a long time.

xXx

Aizen smirked as he worked his magic. His Bankai had two different uses, one was changing someone's personal history with his illusions which was Perfect. Far superior to that Book of End that Full bringer Tsukishima had. There was no limit to what he could manipulate inside someone's memories nor how many memories he could fabricate and install.

Tsukishima could only make superficial changes but Aizen's Bankai could change someone on the fundamental level.

Not their biological make up of course, that wasn't possible but changing things that made someone unique? Turn a straight person gay? A racist into a non-bigot? All was possible with his power.

The second ability was to turn his illusions into reality itself. There was of course a limit to this, but that ability wasn't the one he needed right now.

Aizen's victim was a Quirkless person whose memories were being rewritten to having All For One taking their Quirk. There would be a daring escape which was only possible due to a minion's incompetence and upon escape make for All Might at top speed.

This was vital to Aizen's plans. He needed All For One distracted enough to allow him time to sneak into All For One's secure base. Whoever won the ensuing fight was irrelevant, Aizen only needed the time to steal what he needed from All For One.

It would then be a simple matter to release the victim nearby All Might's hero agency and watch events unfold. Sure there were holes in the story but only upon careful examination would they be uncovered but Aizen was counting on All Might's hot head to overpower Sir Nighteye's intellect.

Knowing of All Might's hatred for All For One allowed Aizen to accurately predict the number one's actions. All Might would head straight towards one of All For One's safe houses and promptly tear it apart searching for his enemy.

xXx

All Might felt his heart break as he watched young Jin break down in his office while speaking of his time in All For One's 'care'. It was a story he had heard before, but it never ceased to be painful. He managed to keep his voice level however as he asked,

"Do you know the rough location of your prison?"

"Um, it looked like the area where all the ship containers are kept. You know, they all sit in separate piles?"

Nighteye pushed his glasses up, "You would've passed at least three other hero Agencies before getting to this one. Why come here specifically?"

Jin had a terrified look in his eyes, "All For One had a message for All Might. 'It's time to settle things, hero. If you're not here midday on the day of Jin's escape, I'll blow up a hospital.'"

All Might didn't even wait to hear anything else; he was out the window and leaping through the air to the rough area outlined on the map Jin had been given. He gave no thought to the incredulous response of Nighteye that he barely heard or time to consider how it would be a trap, no all All Might thought about as the bloody face of Nana Shimura and how it was time for justice.

xXx

Izuku had barely started eating his lunch when he felt a surge of spiritual energy somewhere in the distance.

'Ryujin, is that who I think it is?!'

"Yes, that signature feels like your grandfather. Not sure how this has happened, but you should check it out."

'What about school?'

"Do you want to stay bored for another three hours or see your grandfather again? Hurry up brat."

Izuku didn't need any more prompting, leaving his food and Katsuki behind with a Flash Step. It had been three years since Gramps's death, and he was going to see exactly what was going on.

xXx

All Might felt his smile turn a little blood thirsty as he gazed down at All For One. The villain had taken significant damage and was lying on his back, suit in tatters and face a broken mess.

"Today your reign of terror ends All For One!"

All For One chuckled, "Perhaps but let me just say one more thing. My life will end with far more dignity then your precious Nana Shimura's. Did you know, she begged for her life at the end. Begged, like a dog, like a bit-"

Fury filled All Might and he lost all sense of reason; all he knew was that he needed to punch All For One in his face with everything he had.

That was why All Might missed All For One raising his left arm, cloaked in a multitude of different Quirks and tear the left side of his body apart.

All Might stumbled backwards in agony before falling on his side. His breathing was laboured, and he could feel himself drifting into unconsciousness, but he forced himself to stay alert. The appearance of a purple cloud caught his attention and a purple, gaseous figure with yellow eyes emerged.

"Master, there has been a development that requires your urgent attention. Tomura has been taken by the one you call Aizen."

All For One struggled to sit up and growled, "So that was his angle huh? Well played Aizen but he made a dangerous enemy today. Come Kurogiri, we are leaving."

None of that made any sense to All Might, who was Aizen and how had he angered All For One? This Tomura sounded important but there was nothing All Might could do about it. There was no strength left in his body, even the act of breathing was an effort. The distress beacon on his belt may as well have been in another country for all the good it did him now.

All Might blinked as a boy in a middle school's uniform appeared out of nowhere, looking around curiously before his eye's widened in alarm.

"ALL MIGHT! DON'T WORRY, I'll CALL FOR HELP!"

All Might coughed and summoned the very last bit of his strength, "No, young man come here. Tell me, what do you want to be?"

"A hero, someone who saves people with a smile, just like you."

Blood trickled out of All Might's mouth, "Good. This will sound bad, but I need to drink a drop of my blood. I fear I am dying and need to pass on my Quirk. Talk to Gran Torino and Sir Nighteye, they will tell you everything you need to know."

The boy's mouth dropped open in shock, "W-What are you talking about? Pass on Quirks? That's impossible!"

All Might might've chuckled if he could, "It's true. Now quickly, just dip a finger in my blood and drink it before I die. I should've picked a successor years ago."

The boy still looked completely lost but did as he as told, face scrunching up with distaste. The last thing All Might felt at that second was relief that One For All had been passed on in time.

xXx

Sir Nighteye hadn't known what to expect by the time he arrived at the location provided but a bloody and unconscious All Might wasn't it, nor was the presence of what looked to be a middle schooler who also looked to be unconscious.

Sir had managed to gather Gran Torino and Best Jeanist, who's agency was nearby, as back up but All For One was nowhere in sight. Training took over and Sir started first aid on All Might while the others patrolled the area to ensure that they were in fact alone.

A cursory check on the boy revealed no injuries of any kind but a horrible suspicion rose in Sir Nighteye's mind. All Might still had to find a successor and might've panicked at the thought of dying without passing on One For All. Had the boy passed out from the strain of adapting to One For All? And most importantly, was the boy worthy of wielding it?

xXx

Izuku frowned as he looked around. His soul-scape had always been a forest with a mountain in the distance but now it had changed. Different kinds of flowers and fruits hung from the branches and Izuku could hear the trickle of water somewhere.

Normally Ryujin Jakka would meet him first thing when Izuku came here but now he was nowhere in sight. Closing his eyes, Izuku focused. There! Roughly a hundred meters away was his Zanpakuto spirit.

When Izuku got closer, he saw that a lake had formed, one that hadn't been there the last time Izuku was here. Standing on the sandy shore, he saw Ryujin and he wasn't alone.

A quick Flash Step and he stood next to Ryujin, looking at a beautiful woman with long black hair, kind eyes and a mole under her lips. The women looked down at Izuku before giving him a kind smile,

"Hello there, you must be Izuku. I bet you have a bunch of questions but so do I! I guess we can take turns answering if that's okay?"

Izuku nodded, "Alright. Well you know my name but what's yours?"

She extended a hand, "Well I used to be called Nana Shimura but, in this instance, would it be more accurate to call me One For All? I don't know but it's a pleasure to meet you.

"Now, would you mind explaining where we are? The big orange guy next to you wasn't very talkative. In fact all he's done is glare at me."

Izuku scratched his head, "Um, well this place is my soul-scape; It's where I come to talk to Ryujin Jakka here. It's exactly as it sounds, it's a place inside my soul but what did you mean when you said One For All? All Might said that as well."

Nana, or was it One For All? Hummed thoughtfully, "Well One For All was All Might's Quirk. It stockpiles power but also has the ability to be passed on from one user to another. As the Quirk is passed on, the stockpiled energy of One For All is increased so every new wielder is stronger than the last.

"Now, since getting here, I've been getting brief flashes of your life. What exactly is a Soul Reaper?"

So Izuku explained all about Soul Society, Hollows and spiritual energy. That was when he got an idea,

"Wait, I remember something Mr Urahara said! Quirks are the result of latent spiritual energy emerging in humans and since I'm a Soul Reaper and One For All is a Quirk, it stands to reason that you are basically the avatar for One For All here in my soul-scape."

She nodded in agreement, "That makes sense. In that case just call me Nana. I was the Seventh holder of One For All and I can feel the other six holders before me in the back of my mind. Thinking back, I believe One For All has always been a little sentient but this is far more than what we got before."

Nana threw back her head and laughed, "I can feel the wind in my hair again! And you can hear my voice perfectly. Training you up to be a hero is going to be a piece of cake now!

"Oh right, the First holder was Quirkless but the myself and the other five all had Quirks. In time, you will have to master their use as well, not to mention the most basic use of One For All; enhanced strength and speed.

"I would hazard a guess here and say that when it comes to the other Quirks, the previous holders would take my place."

Ryujin Jakka crossed his arms and growled, "Sorry to cut the happy atmosphere but can you explain why All Might was so badly hurt? Who was All Might fighting?"

A serious expression crossed Nana's face, "Right, Toshi was fighting All For One. He's a villain whose Quirk allows him to take, use or give out other people's Quirks. He is the sworn enemy of us, the holders of One For All."

She explained the origins of One For All and just how tightly wound the fates of both Quirks were. That was information that alarmed both Izuku and Ryujin Jakka. The fiery sword spirit stook a step towards Nana, voice filled with urgency,

"Would you say All For One was a master manipulator? One capable of keeping up an act for years at a time? Who wouldn't let the idea of destroying the happiness of a boy keep him from his goals?"

When Nana gave a terse nod, Izuku sank to his knees in shock, it could not be true! Nana crouched down, concern on her face.

"Izuku, what's wrong? Why ask those questions specifically?" She asked.

Ryujin spoke of the doubts he'd had of Tohdoh's death, how there hadn't been a soul present that needed passage to Soul Society that day but Izuku was too distraught to notice. He spoke of how his experiences with Yamamoto and the Soul Reapers of the Thirteen Divisions had led Ryujin to suspect that Tohdoh was hiding something but Izuku refused to hear it. How they had sensed the presence of Tohdoh again today and followed it, arriving at the broken body of All Might.

In a small voice, Izuku explained how he had met his grandfather, Tohdoh Midoriya and everything up to his 'death'. How Tohdoh had taken Izuku under his wing, moulded his world view and how Izuku had come to love his 'Gramps'.

Izuku stopped talking when he felt Nana's arms envelope him in a hug.

"I'm sorry Izuku. I know that doesn't mean all that much to you right now but it's true. All For One is a real bastard and he will pay for everything he's done. I'm not sure why All For One felt the need to interfere with your life but you can bet that we'll find out the truth, together." She said, comforting him.

Izuku didn't respond, just hugged Nana even tighter, tears threatening to spill from his eyes as the image of his kind, loving grandpa shattered into a thousand pieces and the sting of betrayal ached in his heart.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: So what did you think? Shoko gets some girl time with Momo and Izuku's psyche takes a hit. We find out a small part of Aizen's plan.

As for the delay, no real excuse. My mental state suffered a bit during the isolation but I'm feeling better now so hopefully a more regular update schedule will occur but no promises.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.