Chapter 107: Make a deal.

After separating from Momo, Kai began to casually walk through the campus toward his workshop, but when he was close, All Might appeared within his detection range and swiftly approached him at high speed. This surprised him a bit because since their last conversation, the number one hero had been avoiding him like the plague.

“I am here!” All Might said his iconic phrase as he landed. At that moment, Kai asked, somewhat confused.

“And what’s this about? What do you want from me, All Might?”

“Well, Kai-shonen, actually, I wanted to thank you for the help you gave Midoriya-shonen. It really helped him a lot, and his results today prove it.” All Might thanked him with his typical heroic smile, to which Kai shook his head casually before explaining.

“I didn’t do it because I really wanted to. Being the class representative means a lot to Momo, and since she asked me to give your boy a couple of tips—because it looks like you’re terrible as a mentor—I just taught him a basic technique from my father, nothing more.”

“You’re quite direct, Kai-shonen...” All Might commented, somewhat crestfallen. But he quickly regained his enthusiasm and noted with a look of realization.

“But you’re right. Iron Palm’s Force Control had many similarities with One for All, so it’s only logical that the techniques your father developed would be useful for Midoriya-shonen.”

“I don’t like where that comment is heading…” Kai remarked, shooting All Might a sharp look. All Might smiled a bit uncomfortably, but just then the blue-eyed boy spoke with a slightly irritated tone.

“But if what I’m imagining is correct, it turns out there’s something I want from you. So I’m willing to make a deal.”

“Oh, that’s a relief, Kai-shonen. Do you want another duel?” All Might asked more cheerfully, but Kai shook his head and then explained.

“No, now you’re too weak for that. Actually, I have a very important matter at hand, and I want your support in it. If you agree, I’ll train your boy for a couple of weeks after we return from the apprenticeship.”

“What do you have in mind, Kai-shonen? It sounds serious.” All Might asked gravely. Kai nodded with a more serious expression and commented.

“If I tell you, it’s because you’ve agreed. Otherwise, I won’t say a word. That’s how serious the situation is.”

“It’s hard to accept without knowing what it’s about…” All Might replied a bit evasively, to which Kai nodded and began walking as he spoke.

“You’re right. Follow me to my workshop. I’ll give you some superficial information so you can make a decision.”

“All right.” All Might nodded understandingly and followed Kai to his workshop with a serious demeanor. After all, if something could worry someone of the blue-eyed boy’s caliber, then it was quite grave.

Once inside his workshop, Kai showed All Might a sofa where he could sit, while he went over to the coffee machine and turned it on. At that moment, he turned to look at the number one hero and asked, pointing to the table where the coffee machine and a heater stood.

“Coffee or tea?”

“Green tea, please.”

All Might responded casually. Kai nodded and then poured some water from a nearby dispenser into a teacup, took a tea bag out of one of the drawers, placed it in the cup, and heated it using his electricity. Then he set it down on the table in front of the number one hero.

“Your quirk is really convenient.”

“Quite.” Kai nodded casually as he poured himself a cup of coffee from his modified coffee maker. At that moment, All Might asked in a serious tone after taking a sip of his tea.

“So, what is it that you have at hand, Kai-shonen?”

“Well, here’s the thing: I want you to come with me to hunt down a ‘villain’.” Kai explained with a smile, greatly surprising All Might, who couldn’t help but ask, confused and astonished.

“Are you serious, Kai-shonen?”

“Very serious.” Kai nodded with a serious expression. Meanwhile, Salem, who had been on his shoulder the entire time, jumped down to lie on the sofa.

“I never expected you to ask me something like that, but I don’t understand. Why do you need to ‘hunt’ a villain yourself? You need a license for that. And why would you need my help? Is he that strong?” All Might asked, full of doubts. Kai answered evasively after setting his cup down on the table.

“I want to hunt him myself because I consider him especially dangerous, and for that reason, I’d like your support.”

“But I need more information. Although if he’s a villain, you could leave him to me, and I’ll take care of it.” All Might responded kindly, to which Kai shook his head and then explained.

“No, I want to go personally. Things could get complicated, and I don’t trust your strength as much anymore. You’re too weak.”

“…Then maybe I could organize a raid with more heroes, if that’s the case…” All Might suggested with a bitter smile, but Kai again shook his head and spoke seriously.

“No, that might alert the guy I want to hunt, and it would be counterproductive. In any case, what I want is for you to help me hunt down a villain. I assure you that if he turns out not to be a villain, you can walk away, and I’ll still train your boy for a couple of days. What do you say?”

“…Hmm, fine, all right. But if it’s something I can’t agree with, I’ll try to stop you.” After thinking for a moment, All Might agreed. After all, he wanted to know what the boy intended, or else he might go off and do it alone.

“Good, so let it be clear that since he really is a villain, you agree.” Kai confirmed, looking into the symbol of peace’s eyes, who nodded seriously.

“Yes, I agree.”

“All right, then let me tell you. By investigating what happened at the USJ recently, I managed to identify a rather dangerous individual who I suspect has the ability to steal quirks. So what I want is to hunt him down because his existence makes me very uneasy, and I want your help with that.” Kai explained seriously, greatly surprising All Might, who couldn’t help but stand up and shout in astonishment.

“What?!”

“Just as you heard. After I managed to track down that guy with the hands, I quickly realized he was receiving orders from someone else at a distance. So I focused on finding that person and managed to infiltrate several of their systems, which led me to conclude that they have the ability to steal quirks and give them to others. That’s how they’ve managed to build an army of what they call ‘Nomus.’” Kai explained seriously, a version very close to reality, and then took a sip of his coffee.

In truth, thanks to [Trace], a skill card that was basically a pirated version of Tomoko’s quirk—allowing him to mark a target and know its position and weaknesses at all times for up to three months—Kai had identified their hideout. With Sage’s help, he infiltrated all systems within a 10-kilometer radius, allowing them to notice a remote connection. They followed it and discovered what he’d just explained to All Might.

“…Kai-shonen, do you know where this person is?” After a moment to absorb all he’d heard, All Might asked with an incredibly serious expression, to the point that his usual heroic smile had vanished. Kai answered seriously.

“Not yet, but I’m very close. So soon I’ll have the exact location of this individual, and I’ll go hunt him down. What I want is for you to back me up in case things go wrong. Also, I’ll ensure that my family organizes a raid to capture the guy with the hands.”

“Kai-shonen, don’t get involved in this. Give me the information you have, and I will personally take care of putting an end to that villain.” All Might said, looking directly at Kai, who could only sneer mockingly before shaking his head and speaking seriously.

“That’s not going to happen. I got the information myself, and I won’t rest easy unless I deal with him personally. So you have two options: either you come with me in exchange for me training your boy, or I go alone. I’m not willing to negotiate.”

“Don’t get involved in this. That person is far more dangerous than you imagine. Leave him to me.” All Might spoke with deadly seriousness, looking almost threateningly at Kai. This greatly angered the boy and the cat beside him, both now covered in crackling electricity as a brutal pressure filled the room. Kai spoke in an angry tone.

“I already told you that’s not going to happen, and if you think you can force me to give up the information, try it. Let’s see how that ends.”

“…”

All Might, for his part, looked sharply at the cat and the obviously enraged boy before him, which inevitably made him think. After all, the boy alone was already quite dangerous and had grown stronger since their duel. He doubted he could defeat him in his current state. And with the cat, who was also quite strong, the odds were heavily against him.

After staring at Kai for a moment, All Might sighed tiredly and sat down again, taking another sip of his tea. This allowed the blue-eyed boy to calm down somewhat and pick up his coffee cup again, while the cat lay down on his lap, looking more relaxed.

“…The name of the ‘guy’ you’re talking about is All for One, also known as the symbol of evil since the birth of quirks. At one time, he dominated all of Japan, and One for All was created to put an end to him. I thought I had finally achieved that, but it wasn’t the case. He’s returned once more, and I have to finish him.” After a few moments, All Might explained gravely, and Kai nodded, then commented casually.

“I read a conspiracy theory on the internet that said something similar, so it turned out to be true. Who would have thought the day would come when you’d regret passing on your quirk so soon. Will you ask the boy to give the quirk back to you?”

“I don’t know yet, I’m not even sure if it’s possible since it’s never been attempted. And I really want to nurture my successor. But it’s too soon for him to face someone so dangerous, and the same goes for you, Kai-shonen. That villain has lived a very long time and is extremely dangerous, which is why I want you to leave him to me.” All Might said seriously, recalling the words Kai had told him some time ago. The boy then spoke firmly.

“I’ve already told you that’s not going to happen. You’re too weak now, and even if you recover your quirk, from what you’re telling me, he already escaped once. So no matter what happens, I’m going to hunt him down myself, with or without you.”

Hearing the boy’s words and tone, All Might could only remain silent as he considered them. After all, Kai was right. He still didn’t know if he could get his quirk back. Moreover, Kai-shonen was incredibly powerful and had a whole range of abilities that made him a real challenge.

If he was so confident he could “hunt him down”, he must have something to back that confidence. Besides, it would be hard to get the information from him if he wasn’t willing to share, and All Might didn’t want to push him into becoming a villain or vigilante over this.

But just as All Might debated what to do, Kai went into his office and came back with a folder, placing it in front of the symbol of peace. Then he returned to his seat and commented with a confident smile, as if he had just presented the key piece to achieving his goal.

“Also, as a bonus for your cooperation, I’ve prepared this little gift.”

Hearing Kai’s words, All Might couldn’t help but look at the folder in confusion before picking it up and opening it. He couldn’t help but widen his eyes in astonishment. After all, the first thing he saw were photos of a man who strongly resembled young Midoriya. The man was accompanied by a woman with light-brown hair and two small children, plus another on the way, along with a complete report about him.

“This is…?” All Might asked, stupefied. Kai smiled amusedly and then cheerfully explained.

“Yes, that’s exactly what it is: Midoriya Hisashi, your boy’s biological father. He’s currently in Canada, happily ‘married’ with two beautiful children and another on the way.”

“…Kai-shonen, I told you I wasn’t interested…” All Might said with a complex tone, not knowing what to think. Kai commented playfully.

“Check a bit further into the files, you’ll find something interesting.”

Now curious, All Might flipped through a couple of pages filled with evidence of Midoriya’s father’s infidelity. He reached a section showing two photos, taken at different times, of a woman with dark green hair. In one, she looked young, slim, and very beautiful; in the other, older and slightly overweight. Next to them was a representation of the same woman looking incredibly attractive, even more so than in her younger years.

“What is this, Kai-shonen?” All Might asked in a complex tone, his eyes fixed on the woman’s photos. Kai responded with a small, business-like smile.

“Well, that’s Midoriya Inko, your boy’s mother. The picture on the left is her a few years back, the one in the middle is current, and the last one is a representation of the result of a non-invasive treatment I would personally perform. What do you think?”

“…Kai-shonen, let’s drop this subject. I’m really not interested. As for your proposal, I accept. Let me know when you find the location.” All Might quickly stood up and spoke with a serious tone. Kai spoke casually.

“Wait a second, I’ll give you a copy of the data I’ve obtained so far.”

“All right.”

All Might nodded and remained standing near the door, watching as Kai went to his office for several folders. His gaze couldn’t help but drift toward the folder on the table until the black-haired boy soon returned. With a meaningful smile, Kai picked up the folder with Midoriya’s family information and placed it on top of all the others.

“Well, I’ll contact you when I have the information. By the way, try not to let this leak. If it does, I’ll blame you because you’re the only one who knows right now.” Kai commented as he handed over the pile of folders to All Might, who nodded seriously.

“I know, Kai-shonen, and don’t worry, I’ll make sure it doesn’t leak. I’m the one most interested in All for One’s whereabouts.”

After a casual goodbye, All Might left the workshop with the folders, the first of which contained information about Midoriya’s family—something he had ‘forgotten’ to tell Kai-shonen to remove—earning a mocking chuckle from the blue-eyed boy.

(Well, now I have an 'accomplice' and support, as well as a legitimate excuse to closely study the adaptation of One for All. So it’s a win-win for me. Now I just have to pinpoint that bastard and finish making the preparations to kill him. Although I really need to work on my patience to put up with that green-haired nuisance…)