Getting Lost In Lies - Assassin Kaminari

Hint 3 - Branding

The idea of getting a tattoo or really anything permanent to symbolize your dedication to a cause, especially one as top secret as assassination and assassination leagues were the most ludicrous thing Kaminari thought about the black market. Yet, it was a thing for almost every league within the black market. The one run by the Kaminari's was absolutely no exception to this idea.

Once again. Bullshit.

How was one supposed to hide their identity if they had a mark branded into their skin enough times that there was no healing the nasty scar? And, furthermore, how was one supposed to explain such a severe mark even if those around him didn't recognize the meaning of the symbol. "Oh, yeah. I got that in this bat-shit crazy league of people out for blood."

Obviously, that was a big no. But what else could be said? It wasn't like the marking looked remotely accidental and while other the years with his growth it had become slightly deformed and looked less like the original symbol it was still a symbol nonetheless.

Kaminari was probably thinking too hard on the topic. Sure, the branding was the most stupid thing he could think of about the assassination community but it had been several months and it had yet to cause any issues for him.

But luck was not a lady. She was a bitch.

And this was true for Kaminari once again. Training had been a nightmare and Kaminari was utterly exhausted. Or at least, that's how he acted. It was true that training had been much more taxing than most days, but it wasn't anything Kaminari hadn't been completely prepared for. But, he still had to make it appear that he was tired. His clothes were ripped up and he had splashed himself with enough water that he looked like he could be drenched in sweat. There was the case of smell, but when you are in a locker room with a bunch of other sweaty dudes and dirty clothes, it rubs off on you. No one noticed that Denki's labored breathing was not nearly as real as he meant for it to look.

But, in his attempt to keep up his act of being totally tired he forgot one minor detail. His outfit had gotten torn up in the back and there was a damn good chance that his branding was fully visible for the rest of the group to see.

Whatever chance there was that no one would notice was no help whatsoever when Todoroki appeared behind him and in a completely even tone asked, "Kaminari, may I ask why you look like you have suffered severe burns on your shoulder blade?"

Kaminari paused for a moment. To be honest he didn't have a clue what he was talking about for a moment. Then it hit him.

Oh.

"I mean, you can ask but I don't really have an answer. I got it when I was really young." That was only partially true. He knew exactly what happened and it had been branded into his skin up until he was 11. Once per year on his birthday. After that, he fled from his family and never got branded again. That was a massive perk of working for yourself in the black market. No one searing your flesh repeatedly. Not that it particularly hurt after the first few times. He had a naturally high pain tolerance that only got higher from his... training, and the scar tissue didn't have nerve endings that worked well, if at all. But, smelling his flesh burn brought back the memories of pain.

He couldn't recall more than two memories of it happening but he knew that it did happen.

"It looks like it was really bad. And not tended to."

Leave it to Todoroki to state the obvious like it added meaning to a situation. Kaminari mentally sighed and almost did physically.

Instead, he simply said, "I prefer to not talk about it. I don't know what happened and it just brings up topics I don't like to talk about."