MHA: The Sentry

_____[POV: Ryuji]_____

Look, I already knew All Might wasn't the smartest person in the world, but he really outdid himself this time. Seriously, is this guy dumb or just really naive? He just revealed his biggest secret to two students he barely knows. What if I or Izuku were spies? (Not that I am, but what if I were?)

And I swear I saw Recovery Girl's soul leave her body for a second before coming back with an ancestral fury. The old lady started yelling at him like she was about to have a heart attack. And rightfully so. How can someone so important be so careless? I was already imagining an alternate scenario where All Might gets assassinated in his sleep because he revealed his secret to a villain in training. "Oh, no, Mr. Symbol of Peace, I'm a huge fan! Please tell me about your weaknesses!" And he just does it!

I rub my eyes, feeling a slight migraine coming on. My God, how is someone like this still alive?

Meanwhile, Izuku is on the bed, muttering a million things at once. The kid has gone into detective mode and is connecting all the dots that didn't make sense before. I think he's one step away from figuring out the meaning of life or how to solve the equation of the universe. The problem is that only he understands what he's saying. I only catch fragments like "so, the active time decreases because of the life energy... body weight... muscle fiber healing... Oh! So that's why he...!". I leave him to his corner.

All Might, on the other hand, is getting verbally and physically beaten by Recovery Girl. Every time he tries to explain himself, he gets a whack from her cane. "ARE YOU THE SYMBOL OF PEACE OR A FUCKING DOOR?!". If he hasn't developed a trauma of old people with canes yet, he will now.

Eventually, the big guy lifts his head and looks at me expectantly. "So, Ryuji, can you heal me?" All eyes turn to me.

I sigh heavily. Here we go.

"No."

The silence that followed was almost funny. Almost.

All Might looks like he just got punched in the gut. He emotionally collapses right then and there, and I swear he's one step away from sitting on the floor hugging his knees. Recovery Girl takes the opportunity to give him another lecture, but he doesn't even respond anymore. The man is in full-on blue screen mode.

I just sighed and leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. Of course, I could heal him. But this guy? He relies too much on One For All. He's held onto this power for 40 years, as if it's the only thing that defines his existence. He needs to learn to let go of this thing before it ends up killing him for good.

While Recovery Girl was unloading more lectures, All Might let out a tired sigh and muttered something.

"I knew I could trust him the moment he worried about saving Young Midoriya. The way he acted... shows that Young Fugimoto really cares about others."

I stayed silent.

I care? About Midoriya? Since when? I looked over at the green-haired kid, who was now scratching his head while analyzing some convoluted theory.

The worst part is... maybe it's true. Deep down, I felt a small smile creeping up at the corner of my mouth. Ironic.

"If only you could heal just once, then use that chance on someone very dear to me. Someone I want to see well again."

Huh?

He's talking about Nana Shimura, isn't he? That makes sense. She never died, she just fell into a coma after the fight with All For One. So, even though he has a chance to heal himself, he's putting someone else first?

Typical. This guy cares more about others than himself.

I scratched my head, already feeling the stress building up. I didn't like what I was about to say next, but oh well.

"All Might. You can't be healed right now because my ability works in a specific way." Dramatic pause for effect. "It's not exactly a healing ability, it's more like a reset of the body to its original state. But it depends on how long the body has been injured. Your wound is too old, it would take too much of my energy. So, yes, I could heal you, but I'd need to gather a huge amount of energy first. And I'd only be able to do it once."

This is all a blatant lie. I could heal him with a snap of my fingers, but hey, secrets are essential. And more importantly, this guy needs to learn to pass the torch.

All Might looks at me for a while before lowering his head and sighing. "I see. Still... I'm glad to know there's a possibility."

He composes himself and thanks me sincerely.

Recovery Girl, on the other hand, seems more intrigued by my ability. "I'm still amazed by your ability. Ryuji, are you sure you don't want to be my assistant?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

The old lady grumbles something about me being a waste of talent before leaving the room. I finally relax a little, but then I notice a strange sound next to me.

Muttering. A lot of muttering.

I slowly turn my head and see Izuku in deep analysis mode. His eyes are shining with the light of obsession. He's connecting the dots... and that's not good. "Wait... so your ability depends on the time of the injury... but you also said you spent energy creating materials for me... what if... what if you had used that energy to heal All Might?!"

There it is. He's reached the plot hole I was trying to avoid him discovering. The kid is already considering all the times I said I used a lot of energy and almost "exhausted" myself creating technology. "So if you had saved energy over the years... you could have healed All Might by now?!"

I stare at him, not blinking.

He stares back, waiting for an answer.

I keep staring.

...

"None of your business."

Izuku glares at me. I give him a smirk.

All Might looks back and forth between us, completely lost. But he better stay out of it. I've already worked too much for one day.

_____[POV: Third Person]_____

After some more time, Izuku was finally discharged from the infirmary.

They walked through the U.A. hallway, with Izuku commenting that he needed to start being more careful to avoid further accidents.

"You're lucky I'm here. If it weren't for me, you'd probably be living in a bed, being fed through tubes," Ryuji retorted, sarcasm lacing his words.

Izuku shivered at the comment but remained silent for a moment before asking:

"What about Bakugo? What happened to him?"

Ryuji shrugged, showing little concern. But he wished something bad would happen to Bakugo; he definitely deserved it.

Arriving at the door of Class 1-A, both entered and were immediately surprised by their classmates.

Izuku was surrounded by a group worried about his condition.

"Izuku! Are you okay? That explosion was terrifying! I thought you had..." Uraraka was the first to speak.

"Midoriya, it was reckless of you to expose yourself to that level of danger! You need to better consider your future strategies!" Iida added, adjusting his glasses.

"Dude, that was insanely hardcore! You really managed to defeat Bakugo with pure strategy! That was amazing!" Kirishima smiled, giving Izuku a light punch on the shoulder.

"Still, that was definitely dangerous. I didn't expect Bakugo to lose his cool like that," Aoyama commented, crossing his arms, a glint in his eyes.

Tsuyu blinked slowly. "Ribbit. You gave us quite a scare, Midoriya. Good thing Ryuji was there," she said in her calm manner.

Sato nodded in agreement with Tsuyu's response. "And your armor? I've never seen anything like it! It was awesome to see how you used it to beat Bakugo."

Izuku, a bit embarrassed by the attention, raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"Guys, I'm fine! Really! You don't need to worry so much."

Ryuji, watching from afar, chuckled discreetly at the commotion around Izuku. But his moment of amusement was interrupted when Hagakure approached.

"F-Fugimoto... are you okay?" Her voice carried concern.

Ryuji looked directly at her, causing her to startle slightly before blushing timidly. It was obvious she still wasn't used to the fact that Ryuji could see her.

"I'm fine," he replied with a sigh. "Just worried about a friend."

Hagakure seemed to relax a little, letting out a soft sigh of relief before smiling. "That's good... you disappeared so quickly after the explosion, it worried me."

Ryuji raised an eyebrow.

"You were worried about me?" Ryuji said, confused. After all, he would be the last person anyone would worry about.

Hagakure visibly flustered. "I just thought it was strange! Normally you seem so... in control."

Ryuji only grew more confused but quickly cut the conversation short, looking around the room for someone.

"Where's Bakugo?"

The question made Izuku divert his attention from the others.

"Yeah... where is he? What happened to him?" Izuku asked, also curious.

The atmosphere in the room shifted. The students exchanged uncertain glances, their expressions becoming more serious and hesitant.

"Ribbit. He was expelled," Tsuyu replied, breaking the silence.

The impact of those words hit Izuku like a blow. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. Ryuji, on the other hand, maintained a neutral expression, though inside he was pleased with the expulsion.

"Expelled...?" Izuku repeated, almost in disbelief. "But... I-I didn't want that!"

"U.A. had no choice, Midoriya," Momo interjected, her voice filled with concern. "After what happened, the rules broken... an attack like that, especially against a classmate, was unacceptable."

"He left without saying a word," Kaminari added, crossing his arms. "After coming back from the principal's office, he just grabbed his stuff and left. Didn't look at anyone."

Izuku felt a weight in his chest. He knew Bakugo had issues with control, but he never wanted things to go this far. Part of him blamed himself—if he had been faster, stronger, maybe he could have avoided it all.

Ryuji watched Izuku in silence, seeing the storm of emotions on his friend's face. He could say something, maybe even ease his guilt, but he chose to stay quiet. Sometimes, people needed to accept the consequences of their actions. And with Bakugo, it was no different.

"Well... this changes everything," Ryuji thought, crossing his arms. "Now we just have to find out if Bakugo will accept this or if he'll find a way to come back... or worse, if he'll do something stupid."

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Nezu was seated at his desk, his sharp eyes analyzing the reports of the incident that had occurred earlier. His small hybrid mammal body remained still, but his mind was racing at full speed. He had already made the toughest decision of the day: the expulsion of Katsuki Bakugo.

Sighing, he reviewed the footage captured by Ground Beta's security cameras and the testimonies of the students. The level of destruction caused by Bakugo's explosion was unacceptable. Not only had he broken the rules of the exercise and the school, but he had also posed a direct risk to his fellow students by attacking one of his peers without hesitation. Katsuki Bakugo had crossed the tolerable limit, and for that reason, Nezu had decided to expel him.

Nezu wasn't naive. He understood that Bakugo didn't truly intend to harm Midoriya in that way, but the issue wasn't the intention—it was the outcome. Students needed to be trained to control their powers and use them responsibly, and Bakugo had demonstrated a critical failure in that regard.

He drummed his tiny fingers on the solid wood desk, his eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and calculation. What intrigued him most about this event wasn't just the destruction, but the presence of an unexpected factor: Ryuji Fugimoto.

Nezu has been monitoring Ryuji Fugimoto's entire academic record since the beginning of the school year. The boy was an enigma. His physical and intellectual performance was far above average, and his Quirk, though officially described as "Solaris Absolutus," still held many mysteries. What stood out the most was how he handled situations. Unlike other students, he didn't simply adapt to the world around him—he shaped the situation to suit himself.

The office door opened, and a muscular figure entered. Toshinori Yagi—All Might—walked up to the desk and gave a slight bow before sitting down.

"Have you come to talk about Katsuki Bakugo?" Nezu asked, cutting straight to the point.

All Might sighed and rubbed his face with one hand. "Yes... and about Young Fugimoto."

Nezu tilted his head slightly. "Ah, I thought so."

"I can't say I disagree with your decision," All Might began, his voice carrying a serious tone. "Bakugo crossed a line. Still... I can't help but wonder if there could have been another way to save him."

Nezu crossed his paws, looking at All Might with his characteristic smile. "Perhaps. But what he did was far more than a simple mistake. He lost control in an unacceptable way. And if it weren't for Ryuji Fugimoto, we might be dealing with an even greater tragedy."

All Might nodded slowly. "Yes. Fugimoto... he truly prevented the worst. What he did for Midoriya was impressive. Healing him completely, without any side effects... Recovery Girl confirmed that Izuku's recovery was absolute, as if he had never been injured."

Nezu smiled slyly. "And that's why he intrigues me. Did you see the footage? The moment he confronted Bakugo? If it weren't for his intervention, I don't know what would have happened during Bakugo's outburst of rage. It was fortunate that he calmed down at the last minute."

All Might rested his elbows on his knees, deep in thought. "Yes... he displayed incomparable strength when he restrained Bakugo's arm. And, to be honest, I've never seen a Quirk so versatile and powerful. It makes me question the true limits of Young Fugimoto's abilities."

Nezu chuckled softly. "Ah, so you've noticed too? Ryuji Fugimoto is a mystery, and I'm certain he hides far more than he reveals. And, Toshinori... I believe he knows more about you than you do about him."

All Might's eyes widened slightly, but Nezu simply continued to smile, enigmatic as ever.

"Regardless, Bakugo is already out. Now, my concern is seeing just how far Ryuji Fugimoto can go."

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After classes ended, each of the U.A. students said their goodbyes and headed to their respective homes.

Izuku walked alongside Ryuji, still lost in his own thoughts. Bakugo's expulsion weighed heavily on him, like a burden that refused to leave his shoulders.

"If only I had paid more attention... If only I had planned better..." Izuku murmured, almost to himself.

That's when he felt a sharp slap on the back of his head.

"Cut it out," Ryuji said, with his usual tone of impatience. "It wasn't your fault. Bakugo lost and couldn't accept it. He broke the rules and almost killed you. That was his choice, not yours. You don't have to carry the guilt for that."

Izuku fell silent, absorbing his friend's words. Deep down, he knew Ryuji was right. But that didn't make it any easier to accept.

"Besides," Ryuji continued, crossing his arms, "if I hadn't healed you, Bakugo would have faced even worse consequences. On top of being expelled, he probably would have been arrested too. He sabotaged himself. You're not responsible for other people's problems; they have to deal with their own choices."

Izuku sighed, exhausted. He knew Ryuji was right, but it was still hard to swallow. Still, for the first time since the incident, he felt a small sense of relief.

The silence between them was broken when Ryuji grabbed Izuku's shoulder and pointed to a market on the right with his thumb.

"Changing the subject, buy me a Coffee Jelly. I deserve it for saving your ass today."

Izuku raised an eyebrow. "But there's a market closer to home. Why this one?"

"That market doesn't sell Coffee Jelly, this one does," Ryuji replied as if it were obvious.

Izuku rolled his eyes but gave up arguing. "Fine, fine, let's go."

As soon as they entered, they were greeted by Josei, who smiled upon seeing Ryuji.

"Oh! Ryuji, welcome back!"

"Hey, Josei," Ryuji waved.

Josei waved back with a friendly smile. However, as soon as her blue eyes fell on Izuku, she seemed to shrink back slightly.

Izuku, on the other hand, stood still, watching her in surprise. He hadn't seen many people with such distinct mutant quirks up close before. Which, to his surprise, made Josei visibly nervous.

That's when Ryuji slapped him on the head again.

"Ow!" Izuku protested, rubbing the spot.

"Stop staring. It's weird," Ryuji commented, unfazed. "If you're going to focus that hard, at least use it to grab the Coffee Jelly I asked for."

"Ah! Sorry!" Izuku scratched his head, visibly embarrassed. "I just... um, I'll get the jelly."

Josei, who was watching the scene, let out an involuntary giggle before covering her mouth, nervous.

Ryuji turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "What's up?"

She waved her hands in front of her face. "Nothing, nothing! It's just... funny seeing you two interact like that."

"Got it," Ryuji turned back to Izuku, who was having a dilemma over which Coffee Jelly to pick. "He's not used to seeing mutants. And you're really tall, so the initial shock is understandable."

Josei laughed nervously but relaxed a bit with Ryuji's casual demeanor.

"You two seem like good friends," she commented, smiling.

Ryuji smiled back.

"You could say that."

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In a remote location in Russia, where the biting cold dominated the desolate landscape, a black helicopter landed on an isolated platform. The wind whipped the snow around as the aircraft's blades slowed down.

The helicopter door opened, and a man stepped out. He wore a heavy black coat, his face hidden beneath a hood. Without wasting any time, he was greeted by two guards and escorted into an underground facility. The walk was silent, with only the sound of boots echoing through the metal and concrete corridors. The path led deep underground, where the meeting room was located.

Inside the dark, minimalist room, five figures were already present. Shadows cast by the faint glow of a projector made their features difficult to discern. Four men and one woman waited, and with the arrival of the new member, the circle was complete.

The first male shadow broke the silence in a neutral, controlled tone:

"Greetings, fellow reincarnates. Thank you for being here today."

The burliest figure, a broad-shouldered man with a gruff voice, snorted impatiently.

"Cut the small talk. Everyone here already knows each other. Get straight to the point."

The first shadow chuckled lightly, nodding his head.

"Very well. Let's get to the matter at hand."

The projector activated, displaying an image of Japan on the world map. Everyone present already knew what this meant.

"As you all know, Japan is the center of all major events. Reincarnates who awaken in other parts of the world invariably try to go there. But when they arrive... they disappear."

There was a pause, and the only female shadow crossed her arms, bored.

"That's not news. Everyone has already noticed that."

Another man nodded.

"We sent our own agents, and the result was the same over the years. As soon as they set foot in the country, they vanished from the radar. Most of them had strong abilities, but they simply disappeared."

The first shadow continued.

"It's not just that. Japan's economy has changed drastically. Companies like RF emerged out of nowhere, introducing technology and products that simply didn't exist in the original timeline. Additionally, there's the new tourist attraction, the Nine & Tails Inn. None of this was part of the original story. All of this points to a reincarnate operating on a large scale."

The image changed, now showing the results of the U.A. entrance exam. The numbers were projected on the screen, highlighting two names.

In second place, Izuku Midoriya, had a surprisingly high score. But it was the first-place ranking that caught everyone's attention.

Ryuji Fugimoto.

The room fell silent for a few moments. Murmurs began to spread among those present until the first shadow spoke again:

"Does anyone here remember him from the original work?"

The shadows glanced at each other, and one by one, they all denied.

"Never heard of him."

"He wasn't part of the story."

"First time I've seen that name."

The first shadow smiled.

"Exactly. This confirms our suspicions. Fugimoto is a reincarnate, and more than that... He's the one preventing other reincarnates from thriving in Japan. He may be responsible for RF, the Nine & Tails Inn, and perhaps the elimination of the other reincarnates."

The woman among the shadows slammed the table in frustration. Her voice was filled with resentment.

"So it's this son of a bitch who's keeping my Izuku and Bakugo apart?! How am I supposed to form the perfect couple if this damn meddler got in the way?!"

The other shadows weren't fazed by her outburst. It was expected. However, the burliest shadow immediately reprimanded her.

"Crazy bitch..."

She turned to retort, but the first shadow raised his hand, cutting off the argument.

"Enough. We can't afford to fight among ourselves. Our enemy here is Fugimoto. He is the real threat."

There was a brief silence, but one of the men present finally spoke.

"He must be incredibly powerful. If he really eliminated all the reincarnates who tried to enter Japan over all these years, then we're dealing with something far beyond our level."

Another man looked at the two empty seats around the table.

"Maybe it's time to bring in the other two."

The first shadow sighed.

"They're busy. For now, this operation will be just us. But if we join forces and attack with everything we've got... we can definitely bring down the tyranny of Ryuji Fugimoto."

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(A/N: It's exhausting to update once a day, you have no idea how much work it takes for me to write after getting home from work. Well, I admit this update was the weakest one so far. But what can I do? I have to develop the characters. I hope you enjoyed Bakugo getting expelled; I still plan to make his life a bit more hellish, hehe... But now I have to deal with the open spot left in the hero course. Maybe I'll resolve that during the Sports Festival. I'm trying not to rush into the USJ attack; I know you're eager to see it too, but I have to be patient and craft a good story instead of just indulging in a basic whim... It hurts trying to be good... I just remembered I forgot to show what the MC looks like 😭

Here's his appearance.

I'll post the image in a comment on chapter 9 later, so new readers will know what the MC looks like beforehand. I'll stop here for now, until the next update.)