Disclaimer: Both Street Fighter and My Hero Academia belong to each of their respective franchises. I claim no ownership whatsoever.

The next morning, Toshinori and the boys went into the city to buy supplies with Gouki's permission, with only the barest comment to bring as much as they could possibly need. The night after their return, the boys received a pleasant surprise in the form of a share of the profits from selling the fruit. 10000 yen each, as Gouki had no real need for money other than what could be added to the dojo.

"Hey, Kacchan, maybe we could go to a store," Izuku suggested, sitting on the other side of Katsuki in the back of the truck, wearing a blue All Might t-shirt and red shorts. Toshinori was at the wheel, wearing a loose yellow t-shirt and gray jeans.

"To buy trading cards?" Katsuki guessed, to which the other boy confirmed with a nod. He was wearing a red sleeveless Endeavor-themed shirt and green shorts. "Fat chance, Deku. I'm saving mine."

"Eh?" Izuku blinked. "Saving?"

Katsuki rolled his eyes, having expected the boy's lack of hindsight. "Deku, think about it. Did your parents ever give you any money? Like an allowance?" The shaggy-haired boy shook his head. "Neither did mine, but now we do have money. If we continue to sell fruit and other stuff, it's only right that Gouki pays us for the work. And with that money, we can save for the future."

Izuku racked his brain for what he might buy in the future, and asked, "Like what?"

Katsuki smacked a hand against his forehead. "Costumes! Equipment! Maybe even a smartphone, you dingdong! That's what we'll be saving up for!"

Izuku reeled from the boy's usual bluntness. "O-Oh, r-really?"

"Dang it, Deku, it's like I have to do all the thinking for the both of us," Katsuki remarked seethingly, genuinely annoyed that the other boy didn't think such things through. He understood that they were still young, but if someone like him could manage to plan so much ahead for his future, why couldn't the geek sitting across from him? "If you're still planning on becoming a hero, you should know that a lot of what they have doesn't come cheap. If we save up now, we'll be able to afford it all and more when we finally get started. Do you get it?"

Izuku rapidly nodded his head in comprehension. "Yeah, I get it. Sorry for even suggesting it, Kacchan."

"You should be," Katsuki shot back, then looked to the side in thought. "If we got some extra cash to burn, then maybe, but the rest should be put aside in a fund."

"A fund?" Izuku echoed.

"Yeah, you know, savings," Katsuki clarified. "Let's say, we split the 10k we have. That still leaves us with 5k to put in a piggy bank or something. Heck if I know what you want to spend it on, but if it isn't that important, then it's better to just put it all away until you really need it."

Pondering on the matter carefully, Izuku had to concede that Katsuki made a very good point. Maybe he should just save up his money. It wasn't like he was lacking in anything, and that he was still eating healthy - or that he was eating a lot more than usual because of the caloric surplus needed to even power through Gouki's training. Had he eaten his usual or less, his body would have experienced severe deficits in energy and muscle gain. It was why Toshinori, armed with his own wealth of knowledge in strength training, had helpfully advised them to eat more, and that they couldn't afford Gouki to deprive them of their needed portions.

When they finally arrived in the city, they drove around looking for a store or shop that sold camping equipment and other things they might need, until they settled on MALera. It was a large mall filled to the brim with shops and restaurants. Getting out of the truck in the parking lot, the trio was heading for the door when they almost ran into a family of four.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Toshinori apologized after he had to stop suddenly from almost bumping into the husband after he had rushed out of the automatic door ahead of his family. The man looked to be in his mid-thirties, with short black hair and glasses. He had a stern looking face, but otherwise seemed just as apologetic as Toshinori, bowing his head.

"It is I who should apologize," the man said in a deeply sincere tone. Toshinori blinked in recognition as he gained a better look at his face, for the man was none other than Ida Tenma, the Turbo Hero: Turbine. The woman behind him, his wife, was a sweet-looking woman with neck-length black hair, wearing her own glasses, and standing an inch shorter than her husband. Next to her were two boys. One was a young man who looked to be of university age, while the youngest was about the same age as Izuku and Katsuki.

"It is quite alright, sir," Toshinori replied in a considerate tone. "I should have paid more attention to my front."

Tenma shook his head. "I was looking away from the door while in a rush. That was inexcusable."

"No harm done," Toshinori insisted cordially, then swept his gaze over the rest of the group behind him. "Were you spending time with your family?"

"Vacation, actually," Tenma admitted. "Business, too, which is why I was in such a hurry to get to a meeting this afternoon. I am deeply sorry for my impertinence." He bowed once more, which Toshinori again waved off. He then politely stepped aside for the family to pass and bowed again in apology to the rest of them. The woman, who had a demure smile on her face, bowed as well. The sons were just as polite, the eldest giving a friendly smile to Izuku and Katsuki. The youngest son was more taciturn and only spared a glance at the two boys before he sauntered close to his mother and took her hand.

Katsuki scowled but said nothing. Izuku had bowed along with Toshinori, having been taught to always be polite by his mother. It was only when he looked up that his peripheral vision caught something strange. His gaze fell on the back of the boy's legs and found six odd holes that seemed to be embedded into the skin. "It must be his Quirk," he thought to himself, and went inside when the moment passed. The trio wandered through the mall, more out of interest than anything else as the boys were naturally awed by their surroundings, the inside of MALera being quite large and brimming with shops and their wares. Izuku was tempted, of course, but he remembered Katsuki's words from earlier and stuck to window-shopping. At least until they finally found a shop that sold the desired camping equipment.

Toshinori pulled a list out of his pocket which Gouki had checked before they left, which he curiously added to over what was jotted down originally. That being said, one can never be too careful, as this was likely one of the first few times that the boys will be out in the woods camping. "Waterproof tarps, rope, flashlights, chlorine tabs, a water filter, a swiss knife." He peeked at the section where survival knives were put on display. "Hm." A good knife was always a welcome tool in the outdoors for cutting food, wood and other tasks. He checked his wallet and was thankful that he still had his card with him.

"A pot, a skillet, aluminum plates, utensils, canteens, batteries," he muttered as he added more and more items to a cart that he wheeled through the aisles. It didn't take long until boredom crept in and Izuku and Katsuki asked if they could walk around the mall for a while. Toshinori, always the watchful one, told the boys to be careful and not to be gone for too long.

"Yeah, yeah," Katsuki scoffed.

Smiling, Izuku added, "We won't be long, A-Toshinori-san." He had gotten used to calling the man by his real name, knowing that it was supposed to be a secret identity in every sense of the word. Toshinori had mentioned to them some time ago during dinner that if it had not been for his current condition, he would have liked to make his identity public. Eventually.

Katsuki had wondered aloud why he never bothered to like a number of other pros, since even among the top ten, their real names were out there. Endeavor, or Todoroki Enji, was just one of the prime examples.

Ideally, Toshinori originally planned to do so when he was close to retirement, as he still valued his privacy. Knowing full well the impact of his public status and rankings, he wouldn't have had much peace in his private life. But there were just a few other reasons that he had left unsaid, which he had been mulling on whenever he was alone with his own thoughts.

His past Quirklessness being just a point of contention.

It would not be remiss for anyone to say that he had made good on his promises. Promises that he had committed to himself after he was made to experience his first ever tragedy.

The death of his parents.

He had been left devastated and alone in a world he came to understand was cruel and unforgiving. He remembered those days so clearly. There was not a moment that went by without some villain, criminal, or madman running around committing all sorts of depraved deeds. The world had been plunged into such turmoil, it had gotten to a point that there was never a shortage of talks like:

Will there even be a tomorrow?

Will any of us still be alive?

Those had been just some of the conversations he would hear around his old school before UA, a number of his classmates and teachers having suffered as well. Just being outside held the risk of being accosted or caught in the crossfire of a skirmish between heroes and villains, or just being targeted for the hell of it. There was really no place that was truly safe, even within one's own home.

Those days of hopelessness, of despair, of having one's dignity and humanity trampled on, chewed up and spat out without a care in the world. It was more than any one person could endure without completely disengaging themselves.

However, before the darkness had a chance to swallow him as well…she would come into his life.

Or rather, he did, having moved without thinking with only a metal pipe he had picked up from the rubble. It had been a stupid thing to do, the woman told him, but he didn't care. He no longer cared if it meant going through more of the same. The same tragedies, the same cries of fear, the same calls for help, only to have their voices snuffed out by some bastard who would gleefully laugh at their misery.

And now... he was here, in front of a register to cash in what he had bought for the trip. He looked down at his hand and observed the calloused skin on his palm, his bony fingers, his spindly wrist, a far cry from the bastion of power he had once been after years of hard work since Nana had taken him under her wing. Through tireless hard work, he gained the power to make his dream a reality.

I am here!

But…the dream didn't last long. Or rather, lasted longer than he would have liked.

Now, it could be said that he was starting over. With a new master, one who couldn't have been more different from the one he knew and loved. Gouki was...everything Nana wasn't and more (almost none of it good). But what this could mean for the future was anyone's guess, not least of all his.

He came out of the shop with a pack on his back and found Izuku and Katsuki waiting for him, the latter tapping his foot impatiently.

"I'm hungry," Katsuki told him, while Izuku was more demure.

"I-I'm kinda hungry, too."

Toshinori smiled, nodding as he said, "You two have been a lot hungrier lately, huh?"

"Well, duh," Katsuki replied hotly. "Gouki made us do laps around the dojo this morning."

"While wearing our gis," Izuku added quietly, rubbing his arm. The two young men had gradually settled into the training, even though Gouki seemed hell-bent on keeping them on their toes. The night before, after they had returned from selling fruit, they had been made to do squats while balancing a sand-filled vessel on each of their shoulders. Gouki did not mention an exact number, only that they would stop when he said so.

When they did stop, around twelve midnight, Toshinori nearly counted up to three hundred, leaving the boys so painfully exhausted that they passed out after the vessels were removed, with Gouki insisting that they be left to sleep in the yard. Still in their gis, they were awakened from their well-deserved slumber with a splash of cold water and ordered to run the aforementioned laps around the dojo. Toshinori, counting again, stopped at about a hundred.

"How are you boys feeling?" Toshinori asked as they headed for a fastfood restaurant.

"Fine!" Katsuki snapped, looking ahead as he walked.

"O-Okay, I guess," Izuku replied more gently.

Toshinori paused for a moment. "What of…the training?"

The two boys didn't answer in the time it took them to finally reach the restaurant before Katsuki said, "It's not like it was ever going to be easy."

Izuku nodded and added, "Heroes go through a lot more, so…I guess it's fine."

Toshinori blinked, amazed, but also worried. "Are you sure? You two are still young, after all."

Katsuki sneered at him. "A little late for you to be saying that to us, old man."

Toshinori flinched while Izuku gently scolded the other boy, "Kacchan!"

The veteran hero let out a humble chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck as he replied, "I guess I sorta walked into that. But still, it doesn't change the fact that you two are still young children. Your bodies are still developing."

"So?" Katsuki scoffed. "We're getting a head start. Better to just blow away the competition when we finally make it to UA."

"It's not really about competition," Toshinori countered. "In a hero school, the most important criteria is how you can use your skills in the field, especially in times of crisis. Like rescues, or even more dire cases like hostage situations. Lives are always at stake in our line of work, Young Bakugo."

Katsuki grimaced at that last part, because the man made another good point that he couldn't really refute. If his life was on the line, he would want a hero to be competent in ensuring his and his family's safety. Not show off or make things worse. "I…I guess," he conceded, hanging his head.

Toshinori smiled. Having observed Katsuki's behavior at close quarters, he had gained much insight into the boy's psyche and beliefs. He valued the strength of a hero above all else, the kind of hero that would dominate every trial and challenge that came their way. However, this mindset only covered a very narrow view of what made a hero. Were it not for the ranking system, which he never cared for in the first place, such a mentality would hardly be entertained in the public sphere.

Given enough time, the young man's thinking would change, perhaps even expand into facets of heroism he might not have explored on his own, becoming more grounded. That said, he knew as well from experience that a hero had to be strong. It was why heroes like Mirai and Aizawa had trained their bodies independently of their Quirks.

"Gaining strength is all well and good," Toshinori continued. "In fact, I would be a hypocrite if I expressed an outright aversion to it, but that very strength should not be used for selfish glory or validation. Heroes are heroes, whether they are strong or weak, it is our actions that count in the end. I can tell you this, though."

Katsuki and Izuku listened intently. "A hero is at their strongest when they have something to protect."

"Protect?" Izuku echoed questioningly. This earned a nod from the older man.

"A hero, or really, anyone is at their strongest when they have something to protect," Toshinori expounded. "Your family, your loved ones. People just walking down the street, or even a stray dog that just happened to be there. The world we live in, which we all share, should be protected. That is where my own strength comes from, boys. It isn't really about how strong your Quirk is or a special skill you might have, but having things that are precious to you and what you can do to ensure that no harm comes to them."

Both boys fell silent at the words of the Number One Hero, words that carried the experience and wisdom of a man who had seen and done everything to bring about an era of unprecedented peace in their time. Katsuki's expression softened as he thought about what he had heard. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with being a strong hero, but whether that hero was stronger or weaker than others, what really mattered in the end was fulfilling what was expected of the profession. But, even that seemed so myopic compared to the bigger picture. His parents, his home, he should want to do everything in his power to protect what was important to him.

With nothing more to say, the trio entered the restaurant to fill their stomachs. After waiting in a short line, as it was still early, it was the boys' turn to order first.

"Three of the breakfast specials, please," Katsuki told the cashier, who was a young woman. "And some orange juice."

The girl replied as she was keying in the order, "For the three of you?"

"For me," Katsuki replied. The girl paused, then shrugged. A number of customers often ordered large portions in connection with their Quirks regardless of age or build. This one seemed to be no different.

Next came Izuku, who was indecisive for but a moment before settling on, "Three Belly Bursters and a hashbrown, please. With some apple juice."

The girl paused again, looking at the boy, who had to be about seven or eight years old like the previous one, before punching in the order. A Belly Burster was a fully loaded, double-pattied burger, with each patty weighing about 250 grams. More than enough for the average adult, let alone two, but a child? And he ordered three?!

"Maybe they're brothers," the girl thought to herself.

Next came Toshinori, and still experiencing whiplash from the other two, she expected an equal or even larger order. "I'll just have some pancakes with maple syrup. Black coffee."

The girl paused, having maintained an iron grip on her composure so far. Marking everything down, she declared, "That'll be 587 yen, please." Toshinori casually took out his card.

As soon as their orders arrived, the boys wasted no time in devouring everything in front of them. Katsuki's hand was a blur as he shoveled scrambled eggs, sausages, hash browns and biscuits straight into his mouth. Izuku tore into a burger with the ferocity of a hungry lion. Toshinori was calmer as he cut into his pancakes, and took sips of his coffee to help mash it in his mouth.

The girl held onto her smile, even as her latest customer and everyone else in the place gawked at the sight. When they were finished, the trio did some last-minute grocery shopping. Toshinori instructed the boys on a high-protein diet that would help their bodies develop. Canned tuna, eggs, lean meats like chicken, turkey, and beef, yogurt, cottage cheese, okara (tofu waste), and bottles of whole milk. Legumes and nuts were not exempted. The fruit garden back at the dojo should have more than enough for Toshinori to make more voluminous protein shakes, since the ones Mirai had packed with his things were running out. He also bought grams of creatine. They would need a more specialized diet to maximize the benefits and gains from training.

Needless to say, they came back from their trip with a satisfied spring in their step, unloaded everything and placed their food in the kitchen, which Gouki had agreed to modernize a bit with a large refrigerator, an oven and even a microwave. Toshinori had also bought a high-powered blender and a food processor. Gouki's methods might have their own effectiveness, but Toshinori had experience that couldn't be dismissed. It could be said that he was the unofficial co-trainer of the boys besides being their fellow trainee.

It would be before noon when everyone had prepared and packed everything for the camping trip. Gouki was waiting for them at the bottom of the stone steps. He was leaning against the truck, dressed in his own signature gi and prayer beads. He was barefoot. The others were dressed more casually, with Toshinori still in the clothes he had worn earlier, while the boys wore tank tops and shorts. Toshinori placed their equipment on the back of the truck, everything in an extra large backpack. Before they could start, Gouki called them to stand in front of him.

"You two," he said, pointing at the boys, "push the truck."

There was a moment of silence before the implication slammed into them like a truck - their truck. "We'll be inside," he finished, referring to Toshinori, who was squirming for Gouki to reconsider.

Katsuki and Izuku were quaking in anxiety, before they swallowed, shared a look, and nodded. They were already strong enough, so putting their combined strength into pushing the truck shouldn't be impossible. Gouki had been merciless for the entirety of their training, with no signs of him ever relenting or softening his approach. Why believe he would do things any differently now?

With no further arguments or remarks, Toshinori resignedly got into the truck and sat down on the passenger seat, while Gouki relaxed next to him with his arms crossed. The boys got into the back of the truck and after a few deep breaths and some last minute stretches to warm up, they got into position. Planting their feet firmly on the asphalt, they leaned forward and placed their hands on the back door to make sure they had a good grip.

"Okay, Deku," Katsuki breathed, clenching his jaw for the hard road ahead. "On three."

Izuku nodded and took a deep breath himself. Strengthening their resolve, they both shouted in unison, "THREE!"

They started slowly, testing the weight of the truck before moving forward, step by step. They soon got into a rhythm as the truck began to move before stopping. To their relief, the truck wasn't that heavy, at least for them. Not as herculean as the test gate had been, though that could have only been because they were still in the beginning stages, and after their recent training sessions and the food they ate, their strength could only have increased slightly. And knowing Gouki, they shouldn't stop until he said so.

Their minds and bodies set, they marched on, pushing the truck while the two men relaxed inside. Or rather, it was Gouki who was enjoying the ride, munching quietly on an apple while Toshinori had little choice. Hours later, the truck was in a more open section of the road, the hot sun overhead causing the boys to sweat, soaking the path they treaded. They wouldn't stop for anything unless they were told to. Not even for a drink of water. As slow as they were going, Toshinori had to admit that they were at least moving.

It must have been a strange sight for the passing car or bicycle. Two kids pushing a truck while two older men were chilling inside. Izuku and Katsuki breathed evenly in time with their steps, careful to keep their concentration. Anything too drastic might cost them more energy and leave them exhausted than before. On Toshinori's advice, they would do breathing exercises between training and resting periods. As an integral part of the training, it helped greatly in regulating the body's stress, as well as improving their lung capacity and oxygen processing. The other benefit was the functioning of the most integral muscles in the neck, back and chest, reducing the risk of injury.

Hours later, Izuku began to feel pain in his arms, shoulders and legs. It was a burning sensation that had eaten away at his willpower, but it was the same with all the other sessions he had done lately, only told by Gouki to ignore the burn, to ignore the pain, because what awaited them would be much worse if they did not work on building up their tolerance. More hours passed, and even Katsuki, who was usually the most resilient and persistent of the two, started to show signs of cracking, but he kept going, gritting and gnashing his teeth hard enough to break them. The veins on the arms and legs of both boys were popping, the two of them marching on as if possessed after the adrenaline had kicked in.

Toshinori's concern for them had only increased since the beginning of this hellish march, as he regularly looked into the rear view mirror and leaned out of the window. He did not cheer for them or make any loud noises for fear of breaking their concentration. He snapped his head at Gouki and asked, "For how much longer?"

"When I say so," Gouki insisted with his usual credo, his attention more focused on a magazine about...photography? "Quit your bellyaching. This is all part of the process."

Toshinori still looked unsure. "The least we can do is give them some water. They should need some rest right now. Maybe even something to eat."

A low hum escaped from Gouki. Not his usual grunt or growl, but a genuine, thoughtful hum that only seemed to last longer before he gave in, admitting that it should be time. With a loud slam of his hand on the outside door, the car stopped moving, causing Toshinori to practically scurry out of the passenger seat and head straight for the boys with two water bottles. He found them in a state of exhaustion, puffing out labored breaths that would have put even the most seasoned Olympic athlete to shame.

Izuku sat hunched over a damp spot on the asphalt, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily with his head down. Tufts of hair framed his face as if he had just been doused with water or had taken a dip in a river. Katsuki was still on his feet, but slumped down with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily as well. He fell onto his back soon after, his and Izuku's limbs limp as noodles.

After nearly half an hour, the two recovered enough to take the water bottles from Toshinori and down them in one gulp. He reached into the back of the truck and pulled out two more, which they drank just as greedily. He then handed them some bananas, fresh from the grove, which they devoured with gusto. Next came a tupperware full of protein bars that Toshinori had made in his spare time, which became their go-to snack. It was a blend of good carbohydrates and protein that he had developed with Gran Torino years ago, and while he couldn't eat them anymore, there was no reason the boys couldn't.

After they had had their fill, Gouki allowed them to rest for another five minutes before they continued on, feeling only less fatigued than they had been moments before. The rest of the march went on into the middle of the night, when it was quieter and the boys weren't cooking under the heat. They finally came to a halt once Gouki again sounded the gong, allowing the two boys to fall over from total exhaustion.

Getting out of the truck, Toshinori scooped the two boys up in his arms and gently placed them in the cargo bed as he sat with them. Gouki started the ignition and drove the rest of the way up an elevated dirt road that led deeper into what he and Toshinori could identify as the Hida Mountains, a vast range that stretched across the rest of Gifu, Nagano, and Toyama. The ride was bumpy due to the uneven terrain, but neither of the boys could complain as they had fallen fast asleep, Toshinori holding them protectively in his arms.

They finally stopped at a clearing, the only source of light being the headlights of the truck, allowing Toshinori to immediately scan the area for any potential danger. There was a stream nearby, which was always good, and even better with fish for them to catch. Gently, Toshinori laid the two slumbering children down and dug into the backpack to get what they needed first. Flashlights, two of them, tossing the other to Gouki who caught it after exiting the driver seat. While the beastly man didn't really need such a tool to see in the dark after years of his wanderings, they needed the extra light to navigate and set up camp.

The two men went to work, taking the wide tarp and securing it with two tall poles to form a roof under which Toshinori would place the boys, surrounded by a wooden fence that he dug into the ground after making short work of a tree with the hunting knife he brought, his strength and speed serving him well. With a tarp already laid out on the ground, Toshinori unfurled the first two sleeping bags. For the rest of the night, Izuku and Katsuki slept soundly while their base was completed. As soon as the pit was ready, Toshinori started to gather the materials for the fire, both for warmth and to keep the animals away. The extra food they had was safely secured in an animal-proof container in the back of the truck and covered with an extra tarp for added protection. Gouki had hung a separate basket for them to store fish in with rope, about ten feet off the ground and four feet away from the trunk.

Once they were completely settled, Toshinori sat by the fire and tended to it while Gouki went deeper into the forest. The man didn't question the other because he knew that whatever Gouki did, it was always for a reason. Plus, he was confident in defending their base, or at least to keep the boys safe. It didn't take long for sleep to come for Toshinori, the past days of repetitive training bearing down on him. When morning came, Toshinori awoke to faint sounds in the distance. He opened his eyes, seeing the boys lying next to him and still snoring soundly, having totally been drained from pushing the truck for nearly 30 miles. What was incredible about the time it took for them to even cover such a distance was that the truck had to be moving at a marching pace.

He stared at the boys and pondered over their potential. No average child would be able to endure the kind of training they had been subjected to, let alone adapt to it at the rate they were going. From what he had observed, Katsuki had to have a naturally durable body to be able to withstand the force and recoil of his explosions, and that same durability only seemed to improve with the rigors of the training. Izuku was a different matter as he lacked a Quirk. However, Gouki had once confided in him that the Satsui no Hadō had given the boy great vitality and a quick recovery. A healing factor by the looks of it.

"These two..." He no longer had any doubt that these two would fulfill their promise to become heroes like he once had. They truly were the next generation. But they still had a long way to go. There would be trials and tribulations of all kinds that they would have to overcome, and he had faith that they would.

When he got up and left their tent, Toshinori spotted Gouki by the stream. He looked over to the fire pit and found two pots hanging from a wooden stand that Gouki had no doubt made. The lids shook violently from the boiling contents and Toshinori could tell by the smell that it was white rice. Fish were roasting around the pit, skewered and stabbed into the ground. There was enough food for everyone, though Gouki seemed unsatisfied.

He walked across the camp to reach where Gouki was working, when his eyes caught something just around the corner. It was a Japanese black bear, but instead of intruding into their camp to pick at their food or be potentially hostile, it was dead, lying face down on the bank of the stream. One could only guess how such a creature had met its end.

"Uh, hey," Toshinori began, keeping his tone only slightly even, "morning." He chuckled to calm his nerves, but it was a losing battle as he kept stealing glances from the dead animal, a single glassy eye staring at him as he crept closer. "Already busy, I see."

Gouki's characteristic grunt was the only response. "So, uh, where'd the uh, bear come from?"

"I killed it," Gouki answered bluntly.

"...Did it find its way into our camp or…?"

"I went hunting last night."

Toshinori nodded. "I see. So, uh, what…exactly are you gonna do with it?"

"Skin it, cut it, tan it," Gouki listed. "As you may recall, I had expressed that this was part of how I survived."

Bear meat, while nutritious and high in protein, was prone to parasite infestation, so either Gouki had a method of cleaning the meat well enough to be edible, or he simply had a cast-iron stomach. "It's safe," Gouki said knowingly, as if sensing his anxiety.

"How do you know?" Toshinori couldn't help but ask.

"I know how to pick them," Gouki replied, but it was vague enough for Toshinori to still be worried. The man was sharpening a knife. It wasn't his, as the blade looked to be quite old with a wooden handle.

Still a bit skeptical, Toshinori left the man to his own devices and decided to trust that he wouldn't poison them. A few hours passed before Katsuki woke up. He walked around the camp in boyish wonder, marveling at the setup and running excitedly to the stream when he spotted it. He splashed some of the cool water on his face, feeling even more refreshed from his long sleep. Toshinori was also at the stream, pumping water through a filter to make it drinkable. He had brought some chlorine tablets, but they were more for emergencies, since boiling the filtered water was usually enough to disinfect it.

They had brought along plenty of essential supplies (mostly to add weight to the truck), but they were expected to practice rationing in case of shortages, as Gouki had not set an exact period on how long they were to make the wilderness their home. Fortunately, not a word of training had slipped through the man's lips so far. Hopefully, this really was shaping up to be a regular camping trip, but he recalled mentions that this was to be part of their training. It didn't take long for Toshinori to piece it together. "The Oniguma," he thought. It would have been much simpler to ask the authorities for help and hunt down the beast, assuming it really existed, but from what Ogata had implied, they had asked for help months ago, long past the time when the situation could be resolved.

He didn't even need his instincts to tell him how dangerous such a pursuit was going to be with two children with them. Izuku awoke soon after and went about the camp in the same excitement as Katsuki. He had never gone camping with his family, as his father was often overseas, but Hisashi had made the odd promise once or twice, but sadly never followed through. It never bothered him, however, as he was satisfied just playing pretend with his mother.

Breakfast came in the form of rice, fish, and, with the sound of a thick cutting board being slammed down in front of the group, piles of raw bear meat prepared into sashimi. All of them were gathered around a wide folding table and folding chairs that Katsuki and Izuku had helped set up.

Katsuki, gawking at the food before them, asked in an appalled tone, "Are we really going to eat that?"

Gouki grunted in the affirmative. Izuku couldn't help but be unnerved by the red of the meat.

"Well, it has been said that you get more of the nutrients that would be lost in the cooking," Toshinori opined. "But that's more of a myth than anything. Eating raw meat has plenty of obvious health risks."

"What about sushi?" Izuku pointed out, having already eaten raw fish before.

"Sushi is always sourced and treated before being considered safe for consumption," Toshinori clarified. "But this meat has undergone no such treatment, so…well…" He stole a glance from Gouki, who didn't look the least bit offended by their reluctance. "I…guess…we could…"

Frowning, Katsuki decided to take the plunge, struck out with his chopsticks and took a slice. To the befuddlement of the other two, he shoved the sashimi into his mouth and chewed. Toshinori and Izuku could only watch helplessly as the blonde might have just condemned himself to an upset stomach. While he worked his mouth, Katsuki's face went through a few expressions. From determination to bite the bullet, to fascination, then what might have been regret, before ending in a blank stare after he swallowed.

"Well?" Toshinori dared ask, bracing for the worst.

With a blink, Katsuki answered, "Not bad, I guess? It's kinda sweet."

Intrigued, Izuku took one next and slowly bit into it, the tip of his tongue brushing on the soft tissue before chewing it into his mouth. The texture was slightly gamey, but it was indeed sweet as Katsuki had described. "It's actually pretty good," he mused aloud, though he wasn't a fan of the texture.

Toshinori decided to try, picking out a very thin slice from the pile. "Hm, it is good."

Gouki, seeing that they had not rejected just one of nature's bounties, nodded in satisfaction. He then brought out his own meal, which made his three students look twice as soon as they saw what it was. "Is that... a brain?" Katsuki asked shakily, pointing with a trembling finger.

The bear's brains, organs, intestines, all of which were gathered on top of a separate chopping board. All of it raw and for Gouki to feast on.

Toshinori, Izuku and Katsuki could only stare at the garish meal, then down at their own food. They each shared a look before swallowing their collective disgust and continued eating.