5: Help Others

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Disc: HrPrTeam

(Beta Reader - Honoured_Writer. Thank you for the free labor XDDDDDDDDD)

-Story Start-

A violent snowstorm engulfed the entirety of Akita and the surrounding prefectures.

Freezing temperatures, enough to freeze the very marrow of anyone's bones.

Powerful winds that only strengthened the effect of the cold.

All were decorated by excessive snowfall, covering the roads and roofs of houses with inches upon inches of it.

Worst of all, it obscured sight.

Not many Heroes or Villains could operate under these conditions unless their quirks were specialized for these types of hazardous environments and weather conditions.

Unfortunately for the small Town of Kinzagawa, they were out in the boonies.

Their local hero, capable of only so much on his lonesome under these conditions.

...

In the eye of the storm, ran a boy.

His expression was firm, and even amid his lack of proper rest, he was laser-focused on his task.

His eyes searched, as he ran at a brisk pace only rivaled by those with impressive speed quirks.

His steps were powerful, as with his every movement he cleared the layers of snow and sent waves of them into the air at his sprint.

Running past and managing to cover the entirety of the frozen ricefields near the town, Yuji's eyes narrowed as he muttered in frustration, "Where could they be?"

Four children had been lost in the snowstorm.

Truth be told, it wasn't out of any sense of purpose ingrained in him:

"Yuji, you're a strong kid. So help others."

No...

These last words that left such a resonant impact on him had not been in the forefront of his mind when he burst out of the window of that clinic.

They weren't there when the freezing cold sent shivers down his poorly dressed self.

And they still aren't here when he's exerting all his power to try and find a few lost children.

He simply... Wanted to save them, to help them.

It wasn't about proving anything or living up to someone else's expectations.

In this moment, all that mattered was those kids, alone and scared in the storm.

Everything else.

The cold.

The danger.

His exhaustion.

His confusion regarding his and his brothers' situation.

It was secondary.

There's no profound philosophy behind it.

He just wants to save them.

Yuji exhaled a deep breath, the vapor exuded quickly dispersed amid the troubling winds.

His eyes narrowed in further focus at the mountainous forest beyond the Ricefields.

He had long passed the much more cautious and slower Hashimoto who drove in his car, who was not as evidently resilient as Yuji.

The thought of whether the children could have even run that far, or even of giving up hadn't crossed his mind.

His muscles tensed and reinforced with Cursed Energy, he burst into motion once again.

His movements created a storm within a storm - Signifying his resistance and revolt against nature itself.

-------------------------------

Within the mountains, beneath a small clearing created by a large nearly uprooted tree.

Lay four children clothed in heavy fur clothing.

Their figures shivered in a mixture of the cold and their fear.

The tears trickling down their faces had begun freezing themselves.

One child was the only force managing to keep them alive, his quirk, albeit weak at the current moment provided a moment of respite.

Cold - Heat Circulation.

With each breath of the cold wind he took in, he exhaled a much warmer, bordering on boiling vapor, and vice versa when dealing with hot temperatures.

It seemed to be the ideal quirk for such a predicament.

However, it had not managed to outmatch the cold outside.

Only delay the inevitable.

The minutes trickled by as the kids huddled with each other, trying to maintain heat by hugging each other.

Even the Quirkless child, who shivered the most, was allowed to huddle with the others due to their dire situation.

The cold wind brushing against their skin at every moment was an agonizing feeling.

Amid their tears and suffering, they prayed to be saved by a Hero.

First, by their local hero - Leafblade.

Then, after they were only met with the cruel silence followed by the looming noises of the storm around them, they prayed for the obvious.

"A-All Might! S-Save us!"

They echoed.

They repeated.

He was the man to call when all seemed lost and the stakes were insurmountable.

A man who could even disperse this storm with the force of his blows.

Once again... They were met with silence.

Then, they prayed for...

"A-ANYONE! SAVE US!" Their collective voices shrieked and cracked under the tireless outcries, the cold doing them no favors.

They called.

For any man, woman, or stranger.

Hero.

Villian.

Anyone.

Even Jujutsu Sorceror.

But that prayer...

Was heard.

"Anyone there?!" A worried, anxious voice called out at the collective prayer of the children, still a distance away, uncertain as to their whereabouts.

Hope.

The hopeless expressions of the kids lit up with renewed hope, as they cried out, "WE'RE HERE!" They screamed with all their might, their voices cracking once more.

It was at that, with a burst of speed, that a teenager appeared beside them with a truly relieved smile on his face.

Normally, he would have been met with perplexed and cautious gazes.

He wasn't a familiar face, and in places as remote as these - An unfamiliar face usually warranted exercising excessive caution.

They couldn't care, as they outstretched their hands towards the teenager with the strange, battered clothing, ungluing themselves from each other.

The kid who overexerted his Cold - Heat Circulation Quirk promptly fell unconscious.

The teenager caught his falling figure, "Is he okay?" He mumbled.

"He went plus ultra! Like All Might, to save us!" The quirkless kid praised tearfully.

"I see... Sorry, but this'll be a little uncomfortable." The teenager ignored that recurring guy's name, as he gently cooped up the four kids in a pile.

He smiled gently, "Hold on tight, will ya? I'll get ya back home safe and sound." He promised, his gaze certain and reassuring.

They nodded, further relief washing over their features, yet they obeyed his order, grabbing onto his clothing tightly.

In a speed and force that made the three children's mouths gape, he burst out of their little hiding spot, dashing through the snow-clotted forest at a mind-boggling pace.

-------------------------------

Hashimoto's search method for the children relied on the speed of his car and the creative usage of his quirk.

He drove his car, only leaving a small opening for his neck and head to scout the surrounding areas for the children.

With the exception of that sudden burst of snow and wind from the frozen ricefield area that obscured his vision for a couple of minutes, he was making steady progress in covering the area.

Nonetheless, he had yet to find the children.

That was until... He managed to barely perceive a speeding figure.

In nearly an instant, from the edge of his vision, the figure appeared beside his car, disregarding all the snow and wind it kicked up in its path.

Revealing Itadori Yuji alongside three gobsmacked children held gently in his clawed arms.

Hashimoto's jaw hung loose, "I-I'll be damned, kid."

His eyes widened upon recognition of the children, their complexions, and even the one unconscious child didn't bode well for him, "Get them in the car, now."

Yuji hadn't hesitated, he swiftly opened the heavy vehicle's door and entered it alongside the four children in his arms.

The heat from the car's air conditioner contrasted greatly with the outside and brought immense relief to the children and even Yuji himself.

He sighed in relief himself, "Ah... Safe." He expressed tiredly.

The children, at the prospect of finally truly being in safe and capable hands, alongside the heat - Collapsed in exhaustion, falling into slumber.

The sight brought a smile to Yuji's face, noted by Hashimoto who drove the car back in the direction of the town.

He dialed numbers on his phone, and as the phone rang - Finally a familiar voice responded.

"Did you find them?" The voice was barely audible, as it seemed the man responding was himself, amid the snowstorm.

Hashimoto confirmed, "The strange kid found them. The kid and the children are with me in the car, we're headed to the clinic."

...

Silence and screeching winds were Leafblade's response to the news.

Only a moment later, a stoic response came back, "I'll meet you there." A sense of foreboding came across the tired Yuji.

He pointed at himself, a small frown crossing his features, "Am I in trouble?"

Hashimoto shook his head, "You were. Earlier. Reeking of suspicion. Now that you've saved these kids? You've gotten points from me kid. As well as their parents."

Yuji blinked, "I didn't do it to-"

Hashimoto interrupted, lifting the palm of his hand. "It doesn't matter why you did it. You did what you did and you did good, kid."

"We're not like those stingy and rigid bastards in the cities. Using your quirk here without a proper license is a daily thing, no one really cares. As for Leafblade's Hero School-induced brainwashing, I'd think we've washed that grime off of him long ago."

Slumping his shoulders in relief and leaning back into his seat, Yuji scratched his head at the still confusing terms, "Umm... I'll take your word for it. Thanks!"

Lowering his gaze to the sleeping children, "Let's just get them back their parents."

"Clinic first, they need medical check-ups. Hypothermia's a bitch, I'll tell ya."

-------------------------------

The children were safely delivered to the clinic, Doctor Tenma giving them a lookover as the parents tearfully thanked Yuji and Hashimoto.

The former was slightly sheepish at the praise and gratitude.

Whilst that was going on - Big Brother Choso was dealing with the more troublesome matters:

"What he did was irresponsible," Leafblade stated with a heated tone.

"My little brother did your job, better than you." Choso folded his hands, arching an amused and steadfast eyebrow at Leafblade's nonsense.

Letting out an exhale of frustration, Leafblade argued, "The fact the kid saved them is praiseworthy, I have no qualms about that. What does bother me is that he ran headfirst into a dangerous situation when a Pro Hero was on the case."

"A snowstorm is no danger for my little brother," Choso confirmed with a proud nod.

Leafblade's eyes twitched at Choso's firm stance, conflicting thoughts racing through his mind.

He had spent years upholding the law even in a snowhole like this, and the thought of bending it for two strangers, exceptionally suspicious strangers at that, regardless of their good deed, gnawed at him.

But looking at the children's sleeping and relieved faces, a part of him wavered, "Argh... Fine. That doesn't matter," he said, more to convince himself than anyone else.

"I thank you for saving these kids, but that does not mean my decision to take you two in for questioning at the closest police station has changed." He met eyes with Choso.

Choso's eyes narrowed dangerously, and the air grew a degree colder and tenser.

A tenseness that was cut through by Hashimoto's approach to the bickering duo, "Don't you think that's a tad ungrateful? Taking the Hero of these children for questioning?"

Hashimoto's loud voice seemed purposeful, as the tearful parents managed to hear his sentence, their eyes narrowing at the Local Hero.

One specific mother approached, her tone low and threatening "My boy's quirk was overexerted to the point of near death, and it may have been my irresponsibility that led him to that situation..." She shivered at her awful mistake.

She pointed at the even more sheepish Yuji, tears pooling in her eyes, "But this young man is the reason I wouldn't have to live with the consequences of my mistake for the rest of my life!" She roared.

Placing her finger on Leafblade's frozen figure, she growled, "And I'll be damned if you take this young man to the police for what he's done."

A tense silence followed that heartfelt sentence.

Yuji remarked straightforwardly, "I mean... I don't really mi-"

He was thoroughly ignored.

Leafblade said firmly, "Ma'am, this isn't about today's heroics. It's about the unanswered questions surrounding him and his brothers. Their origins, their lack of common sense, their appearance - It all raises red flags. This is just a routine inquiry. Ever more necessary given the-"

Hashimoto shook his head, cutting him off, "Does it really matter where they're from or what they are? I think the kid's act was enough to put my trust in him. This uncomfortable situation stemmed from the mistakes of the adults here. A kid had to deal with and solve our mistake. For that embarrassment, I say damn your stupid protocol."

Leafblade hesitated.

Choso's smirk only furthered his frustration, until Yuji's voice called attention.

He met the gaze of Leafblade, "I'll be honest. We can't give you a lot of info about where we are from or who we are."

"I'm a bad liar so... I'd appreciate you didn't ask me anything too complicated." He added with a smile.

"We don't know what a Quirk is." He started.

"We don't know who that All Might guy is." He continued.

"And yes, we were fighting someone in Shinjuku before we suddenly got here." He said finally.

He turned to look at all those present in the room, making eye contact with Choso who nodded in agreement, managing to gleam his brother's intentions.

"Once Aoi's woken up... We'll be out of your hair. I swear we mean no trouble." He turned to Leafblade, emphasizing a fact, "Even if you were to take us to questioning, I'd say the same to the police there." He stood firm in his stance.

"How could you ever mean trouble after what you did for us?!" One of the parents roared.

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you want!" Another roared.

It got a bit awkward for Yuji, he couldn't help but scratch his cheek, yet his decisive and firm gaze fixated on the contemplative figure of Leafblade.

Scratching his head in frustration, Leafblade cursed, a hint of bitterness in his tone, "This kind of shit wouldn't fly in the cities... That reluctance and mysterious act should be ringing alarm bells in all of your heads." He pointed at the crowd as if they were madmen.

Getting stationed here was both a blessing and a curse to Leafblade.

These people were so different...

He shrugged "But fine, I get it, I truly do. I would've trusted him in your position immediately after that as well... I'm not that quick to convince, so I'll be keeping an eye on you to stay out of trouble. Or better yet... Get out of our sight." His tone was cold.

He ignored the glares of the parents and the sigh of Hashimoto.

Leafblade was just doing his duty, whether they agreed or understood him mattered little.

Yuji and Choso locked eyes and nodded, turning to Leafblade, "As I said, we'll be out of your hair once Aoi's back in shape."

Leafblade nodded, though the tension between him and Choso remained thick.

Turning towards the door, he paused, a hint of grudging respect in his voice, "Your names?" He inquired, looking over his shoulder.

Maybe they weren't the criminals he initially suspected, but that didn't mean he could completely let his guard down - They were still raising red flags in his head.

He still had to check for those, after all.

Yuji didn't care whether he appeared in any record or whatever, "Itadori Yuji."

Choso followed his little brother's choice, "Choso."

"Choso? No last name?"

"...Just Choso."

"And your sleeping brother?"

Choso's eyes narrowed, but Yuji answered regardless, "Todo Aoi."

"Methods of identification?" Leafblade threw one final inquiry.

"You've asked this earlier... We lost them." Choso answered that question without pause.

-------------------------------

Call Leafblade ungrateful.

Call him paranoid.

He didn't care.

While he did appreciate Yuji's actions, he truly did, he did not let that taint his pragmatic perspective.

Leveraging his connections to the police, he managed to look through the citizenship database.

Obviously, there should and could be holes.

But in this day and age, even the most remote town in Japan manages to register all the residents, including newborns in the database.

And what did Leafblade discover upon checking the names of the three brothers?

Ghosts.

They were ghosts.

Besides another man also named Todo Aoi, who looked radically different than the bedridden one, Leafblade had managed to learn nothing regarding the mysterious brother trio that appeared in his little town of snow-covered responsibility.

Shinjuku.

Villain fight.

Lack of common sense.

The puzzle pieces didn't fit, nay, they couldn't fit.

It's as if they popped up from thin air.

"The teenager is a straightforward good kid, but those eyes of his, he's seen some things," Leafblade mumbled as he sat on his desk, grabbing his head in frustration.

"For a fifteen-year-old to have such a profound gaze, such a powerful quirk that allowed him to wield both regeneration and enhanced physical capabilities..."

The prior thought of underground activity resurfaced in Leafblade's mind.

Nevertheless, the kid seemed too good-hearted to partake in such a life.

"Maybe out of lack of choice?"

"The big brother seemed overtly protective..."

No matter what Leafblade tried to think up, he never managed to gleam onto the real truth.

There he sat, boiling in his own frustration and uncertainty.

The typhoonish cold wind of the snowstorm and the dark outside contrasted greatly with the warmth of his office, and the light of his lamp.

The warmth did little to placate his unease.

A part of him believed that his paranoia and fixation on those three was a pointless endeavor.

...Perhaps, he would listen to it?

-------------------------------

The dawn of the next day finally came, and with it, the snowstorm had gradually subsided.

Truth be told, this shall be a day the brothers will remember for the rest of their lives.

December 24th was a tragic, chaotic, and eventful day.

Whether the year was 2018 or 2233 for the brothers.

And, in poetic timing fitting of Todo Aoi.

With the rising dawn of a new day and age.

Came his abrupt awakening and the return of his consciousness for the first time in this new, Alien Japan.

His eyes shot open and met with an unfamiliar, hospital-like ceiling.

Aoi could already piece together the situation, however, the fact he wasn't dead gave him hope of Ryomen Sukuna's defeat.

Gritting his teeth through the pain in his abdomen, he carefully lifted his upper body.

His eyes widened in shock, tears pooling in his eyes at the sight of someone he'd believed dead at the climax of their battle against the King Of Curses.

"Brother... How?" Aoi teared up at the sight of the smiling Choso.

A sense of deja vu crossed Choso's features at Yuji having asked the same question yesterday.

"It's complicated," Choso replied simply.

Lightly nudging the sleeping Yuji with his hand, Yuji stirred awake.

His eyes blinking, he was met with the teared-up expression of Aoi, "Todo! You're awake!" He cheered happily rising to his feet easily.

Having rested properly, though he'd admit he's pretty hungry.

"That I am brother, I see a miracle has returned our brother to life!" Aoi placed a fist to his heart, as a waterfall of tears trickled down his face.

Yuji smiled and nodded in agreement, "Yeah!" Just then, Yuji's figure tensed up at the prospect of explaining their situation to Aoi.

Aoi, having a profound 6th sense connection with Yuji, immediately noted his Brother's stiffness, "My best friend. Do not hesitate."

He turned to Choso, who was similarly stiff, but more levelheaded in his expression, "What's the situation?" Aoi nodded firmly, wiping the tears from his face.

The prospect of them having lost to the King Of Curses came to the forefront of his mind, but he shelved it in favor of hearing the situation first.

There's no need to speculate when you've got the answers beside you.

...

What followed was half an hour of elaborate explanation regarding their new reality, situation, and how they got here.

Quirks.

Heroes.

Villains.

All Might Guy?

The year 2233.

The loss to Ryomen Sukuna.

An explanation Aoi was incredibly silent and attentive to, as his mind raced.

What followed, was a tense silence as he processed the information.

Aoi let out a simple, yet profound:

"I see..." His expression hardened, as he stroked his chiseled chin in a deep thoughtful manner.

The reality of the situation has sunk into the depths of his psyche...

-------------------------------

The Tokyo Airport was buzzing with activity and movement.

The sound of airplanes taking off and landing reverberated from the distance.

Aoi found himself unexpectedly at a boarding gate.

In front of him was...

"T-Takada-chan?!" He exclaimed.

Her lips lifted to form a small smile, "Aoi-kun, I'll be going now. I'm quitting my idol career and moving to America." She gestured to the boarding ticket in her hand.

Aoi's muscular hands balled into fists, as he called out, "Takada-chan! How will I be able to move forward without you?!" His face twisted into a most pained expression.

She shook her head, she approached him, meeting his eyes with a gentle smile, "Don't be silly. Aoi-kun. You do not need me anymore-"

"But I do!" Tears, the most manly of tears trickled down Aoi's face.

Silently and gently Takada wiped the tears off his face, as she shook her head, "No. Have you forgotten, Aoi-kun?"

A moment of silence passed.

And his eyes widened, "My brothers!" He admitted.

Takada nodded in pleasure, "That's right, Aoi-kun. Just like I'm moving forward in life, chasing my dreams of studying in America. So can you, alongside your Brothers."

He shook his head, smiling as more tears formed, "T-This is too sudden, Takada-chan."

She giggled, yet she smiled gently, knowingly, "I know... Be strong, Aoi. Like you've always been."

-------------------------------

"TODO?!" Yuji shouted in worry as he noticed a literal waterfall flowing out of Aoi's eyes as he gazed at the ceiling in a profoundness no one could understand.

Choso was in much the same anxiety, as he shot towards, Aoi, standing before him, "Little brother?"

Aoi appeared lost in thought as he let out a melancholic chuckle, "Ah, MIT's Electrical Engineering, is it? Takada-chan, I always knew you were brilliant..."

Yuji and Choso immediately deadpanned upon coming to the realization of what was going on in that head of his.

"Even so... It still hurts..." Aoi cried.

Like a real man.

To Be Continued!

-Author Note Start-

No, Takada-chan isn't gone.

It's just a realistic take on the situation.

Takada is still very much multiversal LMAO.

Anywho hope the chapter's been to your enjoyment.

I had wanted to cut this into 2 chappies, but I've been rather motivated so Aoi woke up in this longer one.

It'll be a while till the next chapter, cause I've been neglecting my others. But I'll be back to this one dw, cause I'm really hyped for this.

On that note, cya later my lovelies!

I'll also appreciate any and all constructive criticism and feedback regarding the characters that appear in this fic (Especially my representation of the Bruzzahs.)

If ya'll feeling frisky and rich you can donate to my P A T R E 0 N to show some nice and kind support.

Here's the link:

patre0n.com/BurgerNoTomatoes