Chapter 1

The Power of Youth

Ch. 1

It was an absolutely wonderful day. The sun shined bright in the clear blue sky with birds singing the song of nature from their place in the trees. It was the textbook definition of peaceful.

Well, it would've been if not for one tiny detail.

"C'MON, LEE! IF WE CANNOT COMPLETE OUR HUNDRED LAPS AROUND THE CITY ON OUR FEET THAN WE SHALL TRY AGAIN ON OUR HANDS!" A rich, masculine voice belted out to his protege.

The voice belonged to a green monste-uh,man. A man in an all green tracksuit with white trainers. He stood at a neck-bending six feet tall with two thick yet-perfectly-plucked eyebrows, a black bowl cut that gleamed under the the sun, and a dazzling smile that was on full display as he ran with his apprentice.

"YES, GUY-SENSEI! I WILL FINISH THIS LAST LAP BEFORE EVEN YOU!" The apprentice answered just as loudly. The apprentice was, well, the man but just...smaller.

Literally.

He was nowhere near six feet, but he stood a respectable five foot five, and had every feature aforementioned on the man he was running behind right down to the white shoes. If there was anybody around to witness the nearly identical twins running and screaming their lungs out, they might've called the police, but in a world of heroes you grow numb to these sort of things after witnessing a man made of wood or a woman who can grow to be as a tall as a skyscraper. These two were barely a blip on the radar, and that allowed them to work out in peace.

"YOSH! LEE, YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH ARE RAGING LIKE A WILDFIRE!" The man, Guy-Sensei, answered passionately. "IF YOU BEAT ME TO THE DOJO, LEE, I PROMISE TO TEACH YOU THAT NEW MOVE AS YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH WOULD THEN BE READY!"

The man smiled to himself as he began to speed up. The boy, Lee, let off a "YOSH!" before pumping his legs harder to match his master's stride.

They were in the last stretch before they reached the dojo, and they were neck and neck. A few more blocks and they'd be there. Lee could literally see the green roof of the place in the distance. He couldn't lose now with his goal within sight!

The final sprint, he thought. Lee grit his teeth and dug deep. He pushed his legs to go even faster. His heart pounded in his chest and his legs burned, but he pushed to go faster and faster. He began to pull ahead. It was one step than two and then he was an arms length ahead of his sensei. His heart soared. He would do it!

To his dismay, he heard his sensei's footsteps quicken. He could feel him beginning to close the gap, but Lee refused to let that happen! He dug even deeper and forced his legs to move even faster. He was in a dead sprint now moving as fast as he physically could and the dojo was right there!

His sensei wasn't one to give up easily, and he closed the gap despite Lee's best efforts. Lee didn't dare risk a glance at his sensei and put his focus into jeopardy. No, he'd win this contest of youth and show Guy-Sensei that he was ready for the new technique.

So he pushed his body to go even faster, but still he felt Guy-Sensei right there! In fact he was beginning to overcome him!

A-almost there, he thought to himself. He was so close.

They were within arms length, but Guy-Sensei was a nose ahead of him. He had only one shot to win. He needed to put it all on the line! So, Lee did something crazy.

He leaped.

Might Guy always preached about going beyond your limits, and this was his test for his most favored pupil. Well, only pupil at the moment really, but that was besides the point! He needed to push Lee and see how far he was willing to go for Lee's dream was not a simple one. They were within spitting distance of the dojo and Guy was running faster than he thought he'd have to. Lee was really giving it his all and showing off his raging flames of youth! Then, Lee did something that shocked Guy.

He jumped.

Lying there on the grassn-thank goodness there was grass-Guy jogged over to his breathing-heavily pupil who had rolled over on his back to face the sky.

"I," Lee gasped for breath, "I beat you here, Guy-Sensei. I did it," he said with a million dollar smile.

In that moment, Guy was filled with such an overwhelming rush of pride he couldn't help but smile back. Not blinding as he might've usually, but still warm and wide.

"You sure did, Lee. You sure did."

Guy looked down at his tired yet smiling pupil and reached down to haul the boy up. "C'mon now, Lee," he said as he pulled him up. "Let us enter and I can proceed in keeping my end of the deal."

"Yosh! Then what are we waiting for, Guy-Sensei!" Lee cheered and dashed into the dojo with a chuckling Guy-Sensei following behind him.

As his protege bounded into the dojo, Guy couldn't help but remember what brought him and Lee together.

It felt like a lifetime ago that I met him at that park, Guy thought to himself as he followed his pupil inside.

"I am ready, Guy-Sensei!" Lee yelled out unintentionally derailing Guy's trip down memory lane.

Bah, look at me reminiscing like I am not in the prime of my youth! Guy thought. I must focus on the present and prepare my pupil for his future as any good teacher should!

Guy took off his shoes and socks and placed them next to Lee's identical ones right by the door.

"Aha! I see you that are, Lee," Guy responded back.

In the few moments that it took Guy to enter the dojo Lee had switched out of his tracksuit and into his white gi and green belt. He sat seiza, eyes wide with excitement and all previous signs of exhaustion gone at the prospect of learning a new technique.

Guy couldn't help but be just as excited. He tossed off his tracksuit, revealing the all green gi and black belt he wore underneath. He was always prepared! To stay ready so you do not have to get ready is a phrase he lived by.

"Alright, Lee, you have taken to the physical side of the Strong Fist like a fish to water," Guy began, "but it is just as important to train your spirit. What have I told you about your spirit, Lee? Explain it to me in your own words."

Guy sat in seiza in front of his student, and gestured for Lee to answer when he was ready.

Lee took a moment and thought back to his previous lessons with Guy-Sensei. He eventually pieced together what he felt was good enough. "Spirit is the fuel that drives the body," He began cautiously. "Uhm, it runs through your body through these invisible channels and different gates, and it grows through meditation and the breathing techniques you have me cool down with," He finished with a confident nod.

Guy smiled at the answer and said, "Good, Lee. You are correct on all accounts except for one."

Lee's confidence faltered, and his smile was replaced with a look of confusion. He opened his mouth to ask what he was missing, but a raised hand from Guy silenced him.

"It is not any of your fault that you missed this piece. It is mine for not explaining it to you the first time, but there was a reason for that as it concerns you and your dream," Guy revealed to Lee's surprise. "That very same energy can be harnessed and used to push the body beyond what is thought to be humanly capable. You can access those channels and pull off feats only those with quirks should be able to," Guy told him.

Lee's eyes went wide with shock. Did this mean…

"B-but, Guy-sensei," Lee stuttered out, "how do you know that that is possible?" Lee couldn't help but ask.

"How about I show you, Lee," Guy said instead and Lee's heart jumped with excitement. They both rose from their knees, and Guy indicated for Lee to take a few steps back. Once Lee was a sufficient amount of steps back, Guy began his demonstration.

Lee looked on in wonder. He dare not take a breath as his sensei slid his feet apart into a modified horse stance. He watched transfixed as Guy-Sensei eased his arms to his sides and bent them at the elbow so his fists were poking forwards. Guy-Sensei took deep breaths as he closed his eyes. His body did not move besides his chest as it rose with each breath he took.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

Lee felt something begin to stir. As if the very air began to come alive. The hair on his arms rose, and Lee's pulse quickened in response. Guy-Sensei's eyes were still closed as if he was thinking heavily, but everything around began to move and shake. Lee suddenly felt a breeze graze his face and run through his hair and his eyes grew wide.

He wondered where it came from?

He got his answer as he began to see blue wisps of some kind energy or light begin to rise from Guy's body. His whole body began to be outlined with the blue energy. The very air around him looked to be picking up speed as his hair began to slowly rise in defiance of gravity. Lee couldn't believe what he was seeing!

"First gate: Gate of Opening, open!" Guy-Sensei yelled.

The very world erupted.

The proclamation set off what felt like gale force winds and Lee struggled to stay on his feet. His hair began whipping back and everything inside of the dojo from the lights to the weapons on the walls began to shake. He had to shield his eyes the winds were that powerful.

His heart was pounding in his ears and his knees shook from the power his sensei was giving off. His mouth had dried up from his gaping/ He tried his best to keep the winds from hitting his eyes, and gasped at what he was able to see.

There, in all his glory, stood Guy-Sensei. The winds seemed to be originating from him as slight wisps of blue energy leaked from his powerful form. His bowl cut whipped around slightly, and to Lee he looked even more muscular before! How was that even possible?

Lee was in awe at what he was witnessing. What power! Immediately he felt tears begin to form in his eyes. He swallowed thickly and tried to stifle the on coming water works, but the sight before him was too glorious. Too youthful. For Guy-Sensei to be exuding this kind of power was unimaginable.

And he wanted to teach him this?

The tears unbidden began sliding down his cheeks as the implications of what he was seeing hit him like a ton of bricks.

Guy-Sensei was showing him he could be a hero!

"Though you are without quirk, Lee, that doesn't mean your dream is any less obtainable!" Guy began passionately over the powerful winds. "You may not have what in the eyes of society it takes to become a hero, but that just gives you the chance to not only prove the them wrong, but to prove yourself right! To become what they believe you cannot! A hero! Was that not your goal?! Your dream?! As long as you believe in yourself, hard work gifts people like you and me the ability to break through our limits and rise above what everyone else believes we should be! Believe in yourself, Lee, and let yourself blossom into a genius of hard work! LET YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH EXPLODE!"

Lee succumbed to his knees and prostrated himself until his forehead met the mats. He clenched his eyes shut and tried to stifle his sobs. Sensei was right! It was time to work even harder than before! He would prove that he did not need a quirk to become a great hero for that was his dream. That was his life motto!

"Guy-Sensei!" He yelled over the powerful winds to his sensei. "Teach me!" He pleaded with all that he was.

Lee didn't know how long he sobbed for or when Guy-Sensei powered down and walked over, but a hand on his shoulder made him lift his head. His reddened, wet eyes met Guy-Sensei's strong black ones as he gave him a thumbs up in his signature nice-guy pose.

Suddenly, Lee wasn't in the dojo. Lee flashed back to the life changing moment at that park when he became a student under Guy-Sensei. That same smile and thumbs up that was able to bring hope when he had none, and he gazed on in wonder.

"You got it, Lee," was all Guy-Sensei said to him then and it was enough.

His world melted and he was back in the dojo, older and stronger with the possibility to become even more so.

"You got it, Lee," was all Guy-Sensei said to him now, and, just as before, it was enough.

"Now, c'mon, my beloved pupil," Guy prompted and shot up, flames in his eyes. "Wipe your eyes and let us begin! It's not to long now before U.A. holds its entrance exams and we have no time to lose!"

Lee rubbed at his eyes and scrambled to his feet, his flames of youth burning brighter than ever before.

"Yes, Guy-Sensei!"

"That's the spirit, Lee!"

.

.

.

Principal Nezu sat at the head of the table surrounded by his fellow U.A. staff members and teachers. Currently, they were going through the submitted applications for this fall. Quirk users from around the world all trying their hand to get into the prestigious school, and, usually, it was just quirk users that tried to earn themselves a place here. This year, though, there was an outlier. An individual without a quirk.

A Rock Lee.

"Principal Nezu," a voice he recognized as Vlad's cut through his thoughts and brought him back to reality, "what have you gathered us all here for today? You usually don't need more than Aizawa and I to go through the applicants with you," Vlad crossed his arms over his broad chest. "This is highly unusual."

"Ah, my apologies to you all," He apologized embarrassedly, "I was caught up in my own thoughts, haha. You are correct in saying this is highly unusual to bring you all together like this, but it is in response to a highly unusual situation I find myself wrestling with," He told them.

Nezu took the application and the copies he made and passed them to his right to Thirteen. "Could you take one and pass it down, Thirteen, please?" He asked her.

Wordlessly, she took the stack and did as he requested and took one then passed the stack to Cementoss next to her. As they were going around he decided not to beat around the bush as it were.

"The application that is being passed around to you all now is why I have called you all here," he began, "We have something highly unusual and extremely unprecedented in the form of a quirkless applicant," he revealed to his colleagues.

Whatever Nezu was going to say next was cut off as the table erupted in varied degrees of shock and disbelief. Nezu couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him at their reactions. Even the lethargic Aizawa straightened up and actually began to look through the application set in front of him.

The initial shock wore off quickly and the outburst of noise was quickly settled as everyone digested what he just told them. Nezu could only guess what they were thinking, and that was no good for anybody. He would give them a moment to gather their thoughts, as even he needed a moment after he read through the application.

Fortunately, it did not take long until someone broke the silence.

To his immediate left, President Mic spoke up, "Well, it's not like he's applying for the Hero Course, right?" He asked with a slight chuckle as the application finally came to him. His smile lasted until he read the words in bright red at the top of the application 'For the Hero Course'. "Uhm, this wasn't supposed to be here," he said pointing to the words.

Snipe didn't even need to look through the application as he received it. He took one and passed the stack promptly to Ectoplasm. His mind was already made up. "With all due respect, Principal Nezu," Snipe began from the right of Cementoss, "we can't let the kid apply for the Hero Course for his own health and safety."

The peaked his interest. "Care to elaborate, Snipe?" He requested.

"Because he has no quirk," He immediately answered as if the answer was obvious. He looked at his gathered colleagues and said, "We cannot in good conscience allow him to carry through with this suicidal endeavor. Without a quirk he just won't be able to keep up. He'll be putting himself in more danger than he needs to be."

"Whoa now, Snipe, that's a little mean don't you think?" the R-rated hero, Midnight spoke up from in front of him..

Snipe put his hands. "Hey, I am just speaking the truth and sometimes the truth is mean."

"But you're suggesting we do what? Throw his application out to stop him from trying?" Midnight shook her head. "I agree with you that he's putting himself and others in extreme danger, but we can't just do that."

"I agree with Midnight, Snipe," Vlad added. "We cannot just get rid of this. We are better than that."

Snipe shook his head. "I'm not saying we throw it out. We don't even know if it was accepted or not, right, Principal Nezu?" He asked as he looked to said person.

Nezu nodded at that. "I have not yet decided if he is to be accepted or not. It is why I brought it to you all to deliberate over what we shall do," he told them.

"See," Snipe said with a nod. "So, in light of that, I say we deny it to save him and us the trouble it would cause. It's nothing against the kid and his lack of a quirk, but logically speaking how would he even compete with those with quirks? He'd be so unable to combat those with quirks that he'd be flattened on his first day in the field. What kind of message would we be sending to the public if we allowed that to happen to him knowing full well he had no quirk. What would we tell his family?"

Cementoss nodded his head in agreement. "I agree with Snipe. It would be carelessly dangerous of us to accept an individual without a quirk. The kind of message we would be sending is one of recklessness and incompetence. Everyone knows there are no heroes without a quirk for a reason. No matter how major or minor the quirk, they still have one that gives them an edge," he said.

The soft-spoken Thirteen chose that moment to speak up. With the application flipped open to a certain page she said, "Says here he is an orphan. Reasons unknown, but the caretaker found him outside her door one night with a note that only gave his name," she hmmd as she read further down. "Says his current guardian is one Might Guy. His signature is here at the bottom as well, so we can assume he knows his ward is applying to U.A. with no quirk. He would then understand the risks that come with it on the off chance this Rock Lee was accepted," she reasoned.

"Hmm, good point, Thirteen," Vlad praised slightly. "If he and his guardian know and understand the risks that come with applying to the Hero Course then we cannot be faulted for what may happen. It is the same risks that anyone, quirk or no quirk, understands as they apply to U.A.."

Present Mic skimmed through the application until he got to the page he was looking for. The National Quirk Assessment Test scores. He let out a low whistle at what he saw. "Guys, turn to the page right before the last. It's his Quirk assessment scores."

The rest of them collectively turned to the page Present Mic said to and began to read. The results shocked them.

"Th-this shouldn't be possible," Midnight murmured out loud as she read.

Present Mic nodded his head with a wide smile on his face. "That's what I'm saying! According to these results, even though he doesn't have a quirk, kid still placed in the top 35 percent nationally! Hahaha, that shouldn't be possible!" Present Mic laughed. "This kid is throwing doubt on your entire argument, Snipe ol' pal."

Snipe scoffed and shook his head. "You and I both know that assessment does not accurately anything useful. It's only government mandated to give everyone a 'fair' chance at getting into the school they want to. It's why we still have our entrance exam in the first place. Throwing a ball really far isn't something we even consider," he argued right back.

Ectoplasm, who had been silent up until this point, spoke up and said, "That is true. I am with Cementoss and Snipe. While his scores are impressive, in the long run what good will they do to help him? He is at a severe disadvantage in comparison to his potential peers, and we would only be putting him in danger," he explained to nods of agreement from Snipe and Cementoss.

"I also agree with you as well," Thirteen contributed. "I do not feel good about denying someone their dream like this, but it is safer in the long run."

Midnight shook her head in disbelief. "I agreed with you, but this has changed my mind. Are you not seeing what I am seeing? This kid, this quirkless kid, scored better than half of the people with quirks did in the friggin country! The physical scores show potential, and from these scores this kid has a ton of it and as teachers it's our job to help him realize it," She slapped the application down onto the table. "I say we let him try! If he fails the entrance exam then he fails and it means he doesn't have what it takes, but I am not going to be the one to deny him even the chance," She looked to Vlad, "You with me, Vlad?"

Vlad, arms back to being crossed over his chest, breathed in, seemingly deep in thought, before letting out the breath. "I am with you, Midnight," he replied and received a victorious cheer from the R-rated hero. Ignoring it, he looked to his fellow colleagues and said, "This child, quirkless he may be, has achieved the achievements necessary to have his application accepted. It would dishonest of us as educators to not acknowledge his hard work and determination in the face of impossible odds," he explained calmly, "Like Midnight has said, let him take the entrance exam. Allow him the chance to either prove that he has or doesn't have what it takes. It is simple really; if this Rock Lee makes it, he makes it. If he doesn't, he doesn't," he finished bluntly.

Present Mic nodded his head and hmmd at that. "That makes a lot of sense, Vlad. Imma agree with you as well, Midnight," he smiled, but it wasn't one of his wide, eccentric ones. It was smaller one as memories danced behind his eyes as he stared off into space. "I won't deny this kid the chance to achieve his dream."

He blinked a few times and he shook off the memories. He looked to his right at a surprisingly awake Aizawa. He nudged his lazy friend with his elbow. "What about you, eh, Aizawa? You've been quiet even though you teach class 1-A," Mic said to his friend.

Everyone turned their attention the scruffy man. If Aizawa felt the eyes on him, he didn't show it. Instead he yawned once and stretched, unknowingly increasing the sense of anticipation in the room. Finally, he answered in his slow, always-tired voice, "Let him try."

"What?!" Snipe yelled out from across the table

"Yes!" Midnight cheered from beside Aizawa.

"You can't be serious, Eraserhead?" Snipe further questioned.

"Oh, he's definitely serious!" Midnight answered for him.

"But he has no quirk!" Snipe tried to argue.

"So?" Aizawa responded back promptly.

"So, he is at risk! The media will eat us and him for breakfast if they catch wind of us letting the first kid without a quirk into U.A.," he argued.

"We aren't 'letting' him do anything," Aizawa responded back calmly. "If he happens to make it past the entrance exam, it would be off his own merit and skill. He knows the risks just as well as every other child does. Due to his scores and achievements, it is only logical we let him try. If he fails, he fails. He he succeeds, however unlikely it may seem, he succeeds. Let the media run their mouths. We will still continue to do our jobs in preparing the next generation of heroes as best we can," he explained tiredly.

With that, Aizawa slumped back down in his seat and closed his eyes to take a nap.

Nezu took the opportunity to speak. "So, for a clearer understanding, Midnight, Vlad, Mic, and Eraserhead are all for letting Rock Lee take a chance with the entrance exam, and Snipe, Cementoss, Ectoplasm, and you Thirteen are against it?" He asked to the surrounding heroes.

He received nods of confirmation from them all besides Eraserhead who was fast slumped onto the table.

"An even split. Not something I expected. So, I guess the deciding vote will come down to me after all, hmm?" He asked more towards himself than anyone else. Principal Nezu leaned back in his chair, application in hand. He had read over and through this application enough times to know it by heart.

Orphaned since he was a toddler, grew up in the outskirts of Mustafu until his current guardian, Might Guy, found him and adopted him, moved into the city proper, and began getting increasingly higher and higher scores in school. Almost as if he was receiving training.

How peculiar.

He went over the arguments in his head. Flipped them around. Analyzed them. He could see the logic behind them both. Snipe was right in saying it was dangerous, but Midnight was also correct in saying that his potential was too high to just ignore. Once the media got wind of him, and he had zero doubt they would, they would be on him and U.A. even more rabidly. That doesn't even begin to cover the political implications of it all. A Quirkless student admitted into U.A.. He could see it now.

He sighed acutely. The safe bet would be to not accept the application right here and now. Save himself and everyone at the table the trouble. Nezu knew how unforgiving this world could be. How monstrous the villains grow everyday. How many heroes, ones with powerful quirks, fall in the line of duty. He knows this. He would be doing the child a mercy by denying him. Saving his life potentially.

But still, Nezu thought to himself.

They were teachers. Educators. It was their job to see the potential where no one else saw it. It was their job to help children realize their dreams no matter how ludacris they may seem. It was their duty to prepare them to face the horrors they will encounter and come out on top. This child has the world against him already, yet still he persists. Yet still he achieves. He has gone beyond what even some with quirks have!

Nezu didn't know why he was taking so long in debating on this. He knew in his heart what his decision was going to be the moment he read through the application.

Nezu knew the odds were stacked against the child, but his instincts told him something different. The world was changing. He could feel it. Maybe this was to be the catalyst for something bigger, maybe not. Nezu looked at the picture of the smiling boy with thick eyebrows and a bowl cut. A simple child who wanted to be a hero. A child who was up against the world and impossible odds.

So, Nezu thought to himself as finally he told the table his decision, let us watch the impossible.

A/N

I'm not dead. Just have been the busiest person ever. Also lazy and unmotivated. Also uninspired. It's been rough. Yet, still I persist. I took an extended break from this sight to allow myself time to read and better my writing. Reading books and other fics on this site made me question how is it the the greats of this sight are able to be great. I learned a lot in a year, and I am confident in saying I have become a better writer. I hope it reflects in my future fics.

To address my current fics, I will either be deleting/revamping/updating those I have enough motivation and inspiration to do so. Great White of The North will be deleted and replaced with another A:TLA fic I have begun to write. Dead to A Demon will get a revamp because I realized the entire beginning premise is mad weak and was the entire reason I couldn't keep writing for it. It just wasn't interesting enough. Codename: Teens Next Door has its next two chapters ready and raring to go. Don't know who still wants to read it, though, since it has been forever. Child of the Volcano, my child, my baby, my pride and joy...sucks. Like, no literally. It sucks and I cringe when I read it. I know I can do so much better with it, so I will. Instead of some Son of Neptune knock off like I made it to be, it will be bigger better and more firey than before. Is that a word? Firey? The red line underneath it tells me it's not, but whatever.

I also have new stories I am currently writing. Some one-shots, some full-lengths, and some in between. Either way, I am back and popping. This Author's Note was long as hell. Sorry not sorry. Uh, closing remarks. Uh, Avengers Endgame was great. Beer belly Thor was awesome. Uh, One Punch Man Season 2 is effing hilarious, so go watch it. Uh, uh, go read Friendly Foreign Dimensional Exchange Student Spiderman! By Zaru. Great freaking story with regular updates. It served as inspiration for this one honestly. Also, check out Unknown Legends by KTWizard, Naruto: Maoyu by TheWriteFiction, and literally anything ever written by Coeur Al'Aran if you're into RWBY. See ya later, s8ters.