One For All, And All For One

Permission

One for All and All for One by CelestialBronze1299

Chapter 2

Permission

Word Count: 3,505

Toshinori looked at the trembling boy, crouching on the ground. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly as Izuku's tears streamed down his face. He had only met the high schooler that day, but already, Toshinori knew that this boy would become a world-renown hero.

The battle earlier confirmed that. This kid, this Quirkless boy ran in to save someone when even the heroes stood still. Even without any protection, knowing full well the risk of death, he went in without hesitation. There was only one thing that bothered him about the battle. Izuku managed to hold his own against the monster somehow.

The grin on his face turned into a small frown as he contemplated, unbeknownst to Izuku. When the slime monster had brought his arm down on the boy, Toshinori had thought for sure that was the end. There was no possible way any Quirkless person, let alone a teenager, could survive a hit that powerful. And yet, when he had rushed into the dust, he saw Izuku not only alive, but pushing back against the monster with unnatural, gigantified arms.

Normally, Toshinori would've assumed that a Quirk manifested for the boy, however rare that may be. It was possible for people to develop Quirks suddenly late into life, but there was something else that bothered him. For one, his arms looked exactly like Death Arms' limbs, but that could've been a simple coincidence. What really set him off was Izuku's hair.

He wasn't sure that Izuku had noticed, as he looked like he would've combusted under even the slightest amount of pressure. But to Toshinori and even the trapped kid, it was painfully obvious. Izuku's hair had turned grey, the exact shade of grey as Death Arms' hair. Even merely glancing at Izuku's hair, Toshinori couldn't help but think of Death Arms. It was unnerving, and to the kid nearby, surely was confusing, but the sight of his sent a deadly chill down Toshinori's spine.

He had seen that before, years ago, on one specific person. Five years ago, the world was hidden from the terrors of All Might's hardest battle. A villain that, for generations, had been controlling the world of Quirks under the surface. The enemy that All Might was born to fight.

The villain had looked like a normal person back then. Some even called him handsome, always dressing his finest, but after their battle, Toshinori was sure that wasn't the case anymore. Nonetheless, this enemy had one of the most powerful Quirks of all time. The power to steal and give Quirks, the power of Quirk manipulation. That villain's name was All For One, the antithesis to everything All Might stood for.

His Quirk had seemed impossible to beat, but every Quirk has some sort of indicator. For that villain, it had been hair. His hair had turned into the color and occasionally shape of the person's Quirk which he was imitating. It was a saving grace in their battle and had ultimately led to All For One's defeat. However, everything that he had witnessed Izuku do in the fight against the slime monster matched up exactly to what All For One's Quirk had been.

Toshinori felt fear watching the scene, both for Izuku and for himself. It had been a long time since he had seen that Quirk, and the sight of it brought him right back to that day. Izuku's actions had proven he was a true hero, and Toshinori truly wanted him as his successor, but before he could take any action, he had to make sure that Izuku's Quirk was what he thought it was.

That being said, he couldn't bring Izuku into this without explaining what he was getting into first. And so he did, telling Izuku everything about his Quirk, One For All, how it was passed through generations, how it accumulated the power of every person who wielded it, and how Toshinori wanted Izuku to be the next holder. He watched as the young boy's expressions shifted from surprise to fascination to fear and ultimately to determination. When he finally asked the question, Izuku had replied yes without hesitation, causing Toshinori to chuckle. He knew that Izuku would accept, but it was heartwarming nevertheless to see the young boy's aspirations.