Beginning Author's Note

Just WOW! I'd hoped for more traffic once this story went in the My Hero Academia section compared to when it was labeled as a crossover, but this is just ridiculous!

First off, to all of you who are new to my story and discovered it because of it's new placement; Welcome!

Second, by the end of this chapter, I will have broken the 100,000 word mark! Not to toot my own horn but, for my first ever story, I'd say this is going pretty good!

As a side note, I will be adding a new section to these BANs called "Pilsen's Recommendations" which will basically be a highlight of any stories that I am reading or have read that I wish to promote simply because I like them.

Pilsen's Recommendations:

Story - Darkest Day and Brightest Night

Author - supertruckin

Genre(s) - Adventure/Romance

Rating - M

Summary - Tsukune is joined by a stoic teen who is far more than he appears to be. How will Tsukune handle being joined by a strong friend who has the ability to help him traverse the dangers ahead?

My Thoughts - This is a fanfiction based on the anime Rosario + Vampire, an anime that is near and dear to my heart. I have been searching for fanfictions in this category but they are either not updating frequently, if at all, or they are lacking in terms of genre a.k.a. romance. This story is well written and updating fairly frequently so far. In my opinion, this fic is a diamond in the rough as I was the first person that bothered to even review it even though it was five chapters when I ran into it. I would hate for this story to fade away due to lack of attention so please go and give it a look!

Review Responses/Comments:

Aruton900: Yeah, sorry about the spelling errors. I was kind of in a rush to get this chapter out there asap. Glad to know you enjoyed it nonetheless. Izuku actually has been using the other nature chakras like he did in his fight with Shoto. So far, he has used lightning chakra to enhance his speed, earth chakra to enhance his strength and durability, and has just used fire chakra in this manner for the first time to control his temperature to a certain level. I'm pretty sure I'll end up giving him some kekkei genkai (bloodline jutsu) but that won't be for a while. Glad to know you liked those IzuMina moments in there ;). I felt like the story was due for one at that point. As for the Ochaco and Shoto interaction, is that a pairing that you guys would like to see? Other than IzuMina, other pairings are possible if you guys let me know that you want it. Just know that IzuMina will always be a priority in this story.

TheBlakkat09: Good to hear my take on Izuku vs Shoto is getting good reception! Yes, as Izuku unlocks his seals he will discover more about his powers. At this point, the main things he doesn't really know about yet are kekkei genkai, sage mode, and Kurama's power. All Might will be telling Izuku about his mother after the Sport's Festival is over which should be this chapter or the next. As of right now, no other bijuu or jinchuriki will be in this story.

Satoru Ryoma: Glad you're enjoying the story so far! Looks like we have another vote for Maelstrom as Izuku's hero name. I'm having trouble giving Mina a matching name but may have an idea as a couple hero name for them which I will put in the EAN of this chapter. Based on the pacing so far, I believe I will make Mina and Izuku and official couple shortly after the Sports Festival is over so look forward to that! While I don't plan on making the fight drawn out, please understand why I make the fight like I did as I wanted to use this opportunity to clear the air between them.

s082829: I didn't realize I said Japan instead of the world and I will fix that asap so thank you for pointing that out. I'm actually interested in the kekkai tota you mentioned and would love to here more. Whenever you are able, please PM me so we can talk more about it as I think it would be a great fit for his possible hero name of Maelstrom. Thanks for reading!

BeyondThoughts: While I wouldn't recommend reading while working (depending on your job), I'm flattered that you enjoy my story enough to do so. I'll be sure to do my best in the future!

Frotendo: First of all, thank you for all the compliments! I'm glad you're liking the story so far. As for Izuku and Mina, I will be making them official shortly after the Sports Festival Arc so worry not!

JSua: Thank you so much for the constructive criticism! It's crazy how many people would rather bash my story instead of calmly telling me what's wrong with it. I will definitely take your tips to heart!

Alright! Without further ado, brightness on my computer turned up unreasonably high, and let the chapter begin!

"Hello" - normal speech

'Hello' - thoughts

"Hello" - mental speech

"Hello" - Kurama mental speech

'Hello' - Kurama thoughts

"Hello" - Kurama speech

I do not own the cover image. Credit goes to its respective artist.

All works of fiction within the story belong to their respective owners. I do not own Naruto, My Hero Academia, or any other anime that may be referenced in this story.

-Sports Festival's Explosive Climax!-

Mina loved every second that she was so close to Izuku. As she rested on his back, she begged to any higher power for the moment to last forever, a wish that Izuku himself shared with her. However, they were both hit with cold hard reality when they arrived at their seats and were met with Ochaco's shit eating grin.

Their embarrassment returning, Izuku gently placed Mina down onto her seat and took his own right next to her. Wanting to draw attention away from Mina and himself, Izuku cleared his throat, "So, did we miss anything?" Tenya shook his head, "On the contrary, you both are right on time. Bakugou-san and Kirishima-san have just entered the ring." Ochaco was interested on Izuku's take on the fight considering Katsuki was participating, "What do you think Izuku-kun? Any idea who's gonna win?"

Izuku furrowed his eyebrows as he thought, "I'm not really sure about this one. Bakugou is usually able to just blast at his opponents nonstop until he hits his mark and blows them away. Kirishima-san has a high level of durability so he may be able to rush Bakugou and dominate him in hand to hand combat but I'm not sure how long he can withstand Bakugou's explosions, or if he'll be able to hit Bakugou in the first place." His friends looked into the ring with new intensity after Izuku's analysis.

As soon as Midnight called for the match to start, Eijiro rushed Bakugou at full speed while the blonde readied his palms. Bakugou sent an explosion at his incoming opponent but Eijiro had already activated his hardening quirk. Sprinting through the attack, Eijiro cocked his fist back and launched it for Bakugou's face. Bakugou dodged the attack and sent another explosion into Eijiro's side. Other than burning his uniform, the hardening student seemed unaffected as he smirked and sent another punch for Bakugou's head.

Bakugou growled as he dodged the punch yet again although found that it was a much closer call than before. Changing tactics, Bakugou used an explosion to propel himself over Eijiro and a bit farther away from him. Eijiro turned and began his pursuit while Bakugou kept blasting him with explosions. Once Ejiro got within striking distance of Bakugou, the explosion user once again gained some distance before attacking again. Ejiro felt his defense weakening with every explosion and realized he needed to change his approach.

Digging his fist into the ring, Eijiro tore out a watermelon sized piece of stone which he threw at his opponent. Bakugou used an explosion to destroy the projectile but was immediately blinded by the dust and debris it created. Realizing his mistake with a second to spare, Bakugou dodged to the right, just as Eijiro's fist emerged from the smoke. While Bakugou dodged the worst of the blow, Eijiro did manage to scrape his face leaving a nasty looking gash as well as a cut in his mouth.

Bakugou wiped the blood that was dripping down his jaw line and spit out a bit of blood, "Alright then! No more holding back!" Bakugou's hands began to crackle and spark as he built up his quirk. Before Eijiro could take more then two steps, Bakugou unleashed a barrage of high powered explosions. Eijiro put his arms up to shield himself but he could feel his quirk growing weak under the constant attack. He tried to move forward but found the force of the endless explosions too strong. Finally, his quirk began to wear off and he lost his footing as he was sent flying out of the ring.

The crowd began to cheer as Midnight raised her whip, "Bakugou Katsuki wins by ring out!" Bakugou was panting as his palms smoked. It seemed as though his last attack had taken quite a lot out of him. Eijiro groaned as he picked himself up off the ground. Save for a few scuff marks, he appeared to be completely fine. It seemed as though his quirk had held out long enough to save him from the worst of the damage. Though Eijiro seemed a bit disappointed at his loss, he soon put on a smile as he gave a thumbs up to Bakugou, "Nice job Bakugou-san! I definitely didn't see that last attack coming! It was full of manly power!" Bakugou huffed, "Whatever."

Up in the stands, Izuku was honestly impressed by Bakugou's performance, "I'm surprised he used distance to his advantage. I thought he'd be too proud and see that as the same as running away from his opponent." Inside his mindscape, Kurama was just as surprised, "That brat has been growing in his own way since the year at U.A. began. I believe he's trying his best to keep up with you, even if it requires him to accept tactics he previously wouldn't have." It was clear that Izuku's friends were just as surprised.

Ochaco was the first to voice her thoughts, "Wow… that was a smarter play than I expected from Bakugou-san." Tenya nodded, "I agree. I had expected him to simply blast at his opponent until he was victorious. It was much wiser to maintain a distance that gave himself the advantage."

Before anything else could be said, Present Mic made the next announcement, "Will Midoriya Izuku and Iida Tenya please make their way to the ring for the next match." The two in question were caught off guard as they widened their eyes and looked at eachother. Izuku then began to get excited as he smirked, causing Tenya to smile, "It appears our it's out turn to fight Izuku-san. I must say I've been anxiously awaiting this moment." Izuku got up from his seat, "I'm with you on that one. You ready for this Tenya-san?"

Tenya rose from his seat as well, "As ready as I can be. Although speaking of which, I believe you should pay Recovery Girl a visit. She should have your uniform ready." Izuku looked down, remembering that he wasn't wearing his U.A. gym uniform, "Nearly forgot about that. I'll go do that then. See you in the ring Tenya-san!" Izuku then jogged from the seats as he waved to his friends.

He found himself in Recovery Girls office wear she was handing him a new U.A. gym uniform, "Please try not to ruin this one dearie." Izuku smiled bashfully, "I'll try my best." He then waved to the elderly woman as he went to the bathroom to change. He got out and did a few stretches, pleased to see that the uniform fit him perfectly. He then made his way to the ring where the crowd roared as he entered.

There he saw that Tenya was waiting for him, "Hope I didn't take too long." Tenya shook his head, "Not at all Izuku-san." Izuku then cracked his knuckles, "Alright then. Let's do this." Tenya smiled, "Let's" Midnight raised her whip in the air and swung it down, "Begin." Tenya's engines roared to life as Izuku sent a burst of lightning natured chakra throughout his body. In an instant, both fighters seemed to vanish as they rushed each other. Tenya went for a powerful kick. Izuku ducked under the blow and followed up with his own uppercut.

Tenya used his engines to correct himself in the air as he twisted to avoid Izuku's fist. Planting his right foot on the ground, Tenya used the engine on his left leg and sent another kick for his opponent. While Izuku saw the kick coming, he knew he couldn't avoid it. Sending earth natured chakra to his body, Izuku connected himself to the ground as his defense increased. Raising his left arm up and bracing it with his right, Izuku took the full force of the kick. While he had blocked it, he felt his arm go a bit numb from the intense impact.

He then took a hold of Tenya's leg and jumped up. Using Teny's captured limb, he spun his body while yanking Tenya towards him. He then used the momentum of his spin and sent his own kick at Tenya who raised his arms to block the attack. Izuku put more strength into the kick which impacted with Tenya's arms violently. He pushed even harder as he released Tenya's leg. Both fighters were blown away from each other, Tenya a bit more roughly than Izuku who landed gracefully back on the ground.

Tenya winced as his arms felt sore from the kick. He felt something on his lip and wiped it, finding a bit of blood. Izuku on the other hand seemed fine as he simply rubbed his arm a bit. This is when Tenya realized that he couldn't afford to hold back any trump cards, "I'm very impressed Izuku-san. I didn't think you'd be able to keep up with my speed so well." Izuku grinned while in his fighting stance, "You're not too shabby yourself."

Tenya rolled his shoulders and stretched each of his legs, "I was hoping to save this for the last fight but I'm afraid if I hold back I won't make it that far." Izuku was a bit surprised, "You've been holding back?" Tenya nodded, "Of course. It's always best to have an ace up one's sleeve." Izuku grinned as he cracked his neck, "Alright. Show me." With a nod, Tenya got into a running stance while Izuku got into his combat stance. The arena seemed to hold its breath as Tenya shouted, "RECIPRO BURST!" Tenya's engines seemed to nearly explode as jets of blue flames streamed from them.

Izuku went wide eyed when Tenya disappeared in a blur before reappearing right in front of the greenette. Izuku barely brought his hands up in time to block Tenya's first kick aimed at his right. He only saw a flick of movement before he felt the left side of his torso ache in pain. As he was sent tumbling by the blow, he saw that Tenya had immediately sent another kick after the first.

As Tenya rushed to continue his assault, Izuku flooded his body with lightning natured chakra with a shout as he rushed Tenya as well. The two sped around the arena at impossible speeds as they met each other in fierce blows before separating simply to try again. While the audience couldn't tell, Izuku was taking the worst of it, "Damn! I can see most of them coming but my body can't keep up with Tenya-san's speed. No time to weave hand seals either! If this keeps up-" Just when Izuku thought he'd be overwhelmed, Tenya's engines seemed to stall as he stumbled for moment. Something Izuku didn't miss, "There!" Going as fast as he could, Izuku closed the distance between him and Tenya before sending a powerful right hook for his jaw. Tenya was unable to dodge as he felt the impact rock his skull.

Tenya cradled his jaw with one hand leaving his left side exposed. Izuku followed up with a left body blow before grabbing Tenya by the shirt and tossing him towards the center of the ring. He was about to weave hand signs when he felt his body groan in pain. He held his body as the pain made moving a struggle, "Holy shit. Tenya packs more of a punch then I thought he would. Anymore of that and he might've had me." Kurama grumbled, "Why didn't you try using earth chakra to defend instead of trying to match his speed?" Izuku chuckled a bit through his pain, "Honestly? I wanted to see how my speed matched up against a speed specialist like Tenya-san. I don't think I did that bad." Kurama huffed, "Don't lie brat. You said it yourself, any longer and you might've lost the match entirely." Izuku rolled his eyes as he decided to focus back on the fight as Tenya was starting to rise off the ground. Izuku quickly stood up, ignoring the aching in his bones in order to keep Tenya from seeing the damage he'd done.

Tenya felt a bruise forming on his jaw and ribs as he stood up curious as to why Izuku hadn't finished him yet. When he faced Izuku, the greenette grinned, "I gotta say Tenya-san, you almost had me there. Why'd you stop?" Tenya smiled, glad he was able to challenge his friend, "That was a technique of mine that allows me to push my engines into a type of overdrive state. While it grants me speed far beyond my usual limits, I am only able to maintain it for approximately 10 seconds before my engines fail completely for a bit." Izuku nodded in understanding, "Not bad. I'll be honest, you completely caught me off guard with that. However, I'm guessing that if I let you rest anymore, those engines are gonna restart soon. So." Izuku then began to weave hand signs, pushing through his soreness, "Earth Style: Earth Wall!" He was then elevated as a think wall of earth rose from beneath him, expanding across the entire ring.

Tenya looked in awe as he'd never seen Izuku make such a huge structure up until that point. The wall rose up 10 meters high before it stopped, Izuku standing at the top, "Sorry about this Tenya-san, but I'm gonna have to end it here." Tenya struggled to restart his engines but found he needed slightly more time before they were ready. Izuku then weaved more hand seals before unleashing his jutsu, "Water Style: Waterfall!" From Izuku's mouth, a wave of water was released. The attack ran down the wall and then directly for Tenya as it crashed on the ground. Tenya panicked as his engines were still not ready. He then ran from the wave before jumping over at the rings side. Thankfully, the combination of Izuku releasing some of the power on the move and the elevation of the ring allowed for Tenya to escape the worst of the attack, leaving him mostly soaked and cold.

Once Midnight had called the match in Izuku's favor by ring out, he lowered his earth wall and somewhat painfully walked over to Tenya. He then held his hand out in a fist bump. After a moment, Tenya chuckled and obliged, "Izuku-san, you could have started out with something that spectacular from the start, right? Why didn't you?" Izuku smiled, "For me, this festival isn't just about winning. It's about testing my limits and finding my own weaknesses. What if I'm facing an enemy as fast as you but there are too many civilians around to unleash any jutsu like that? Then I have to think a lot more carefully, not only about beating my opponent, but ensuring the safety of everyone around me." Tenya nodded in understanding, "Of course. Once again you've shown just how much we all have to learn Izuku-san. Thank you for the good match."

Izuku smiled, "No problem. You know that last move was really unexpected! I think if you find a way to extend your limit that could be even more of an ace up your sleeve than it is now." Tenya smiled, "I'll definitely do that Izuku-san. Because something tells me that a few more seconds could've turned the tide to my favor." Izuku smirked, "Maybe. But it didn't and you got your ass handed to you!" Izuku then started to laugh as Tenya joined him. After, getting checked up by Recovery Girl, they both went back to their seats where they were greeted by their awaiting friends.

Mina was blown away by the fight between her two friends, "You both were incredible! We could hardly see what was happening!" Shoto nodded his head, "Indeed. Your speeds were both quite impressive." Izuku shrugged, "Thanks. Though, in terms of pure speed, Tenya-san's got me beat by a bit. Especially with that last technique he had." This caught his friends off guard. Before they could shake off their surprise, Izuku's eyes saw movement down in the ring, "Look. Bakugou's match is about to start."

This got the attention of his friends as they gazed at the ring. Sure enough, Bakugou and Fumikage were both approaching the ring from opposite sides. While Izuku had expected his friends to ask him for his thoughts on the fight, he realized that everyone who knew the quirks of the two fighters already knew that Bakugou had an overwhelming advantage over Fumikage. Fumikage's quirk, Dark Shadow, gained strength from darkness. It wasn't exactly the best against an enemy who's quirk can make them a one man light show of explosions. However, what made things even more difficult for Fumikage was the fact that Bakugou was an incredibly gifted fighter, while Fumikage himself didn't seem to be particularly strong. If Bakugou managed to close the distance between them…

MIdnight raised her whip in the air and began the match, "Begin!" Fumikage wasted no time as he sent Dark Shadow at top speed towards Bakugou. The blonde responded with a challenging yell as he charged forward at full speed. Dark Shadow pulled back his fist in preparation of a powerful punch. However, Bakugou was quicker as he used an explosion to thrust himself towards Dark Shadow faster than his opponent had predicted. He then followed with an explosion aimed at Dark Shadow's midsection.

While the explosion certainly hurt, the flash it created seemed to do the worst damage as Dark Shadow recoiled from Bakugou's palm. In addition to this, Dark Shadow very clearly shrank a bit as he retreated back to Fumikage. Bakugou wasted no time as he used his explosions to close the distance. Dark Shadow had recovered a bit in terms of size but still remained a bit smaller than before. Having no choice, Fumikage sent Dark Shadow to attack once again while he began to get some distance of his own.

Bakugou began to get frustrated as Dark Shadow approached once again. As Dark Shadow raised his fist up to attack, Bakugou quickly sent an explosion to the left, propelling him right, before using a two handed explosion to blast him past Dark Shadow and directly towards Fumikage. Dark Shadow's head whipped around as he realized the blonde's true target. Fumikage put his fists up in an attempt to defend himself as Bakugou closed in.

It became painfully clear that Fumikage hadn't spent much time training himself for close combat. Bakugou pulled his fist back causing Fumikage to put his hands to protect his face. This lead to him not seeing Bakugou's fist heading straight for his gut, though he soon felt it. The impact sent a bolt of pain through Fumikage's body as he groaned. Bakugou then opened his palm on Fumikage's chest and sent him flying with a small explosion. Fumikage flew until he crashed outside of the ring.

Midnight raised her whip and called the match, signalling Bakugou's victory. Bakugou huffed as he left the arena, not feeling pleased with the victory because of the matchup. Fumikage groaned as he sat up, Recovery Girl already tending to his wounds.

Up in the stands, Izuku's friends were all in awe of the explosive blonde's skill and power. Izuku himself had his arms crossed as he analyzed the fight in his mind, "Well, that went just about how I thought it would. I've gotta say though, Bakugou's gotten better at timing his explosions and implementing them into his blows. He used the first hit to disorient Fumikage-san and then turned it into an explosion within a split second. Definitely a step up from his usual 'explosions till victory' approach." Kurama simply grumbled a bit but Izuku knew that he agreed.

Izuku then rose from his seat and stretched, "Well, at least now I know who I'm fighting. I'm gonna go get myself ready. Wish me luck!" Ochaco sent several jabs into the air, "Go get em Izuku-kun!" Tenya gave a thumbs up, "We have full faith in you Izuku-san." Shoto gave a small smile, "My loss will be much less shameful if you win the entire festival." Mina gave her thousand gigawatt smile, "Go win this thing Izu-kun!" Izuku gave a broad smile and left to the waiting room.

Izuku sat down cross legged and prepared to meditate a bit before the match. He was able to have about 30 seconds of silence before the door was blown open with a yell. Izuku sighed without opening his eyes, already aware of who the intruder was, "Guess your quirk isn't the only explosive part of you huh?" Bakugou growled in response, "Shut up you prick! I just came here to tell you that if you hold back I'll fucking kill you! You got it!" Izuku opened his eyes and stared right back at Bakugou, "It's the last fight. I don't plan on holding back." Bakugou huffed, "Good. Once I kick your ass then I'll show you who's the strongest!"

Izuku furrowed his brow, "You mind telling me something? What the hell did I do to you Bakugou? You used to be a good guy. But once you got your quirk you became a complete asshole. Do you really think you're that much better than everyone else?" Bakugou scowled fiercely at the greenette, "I think I'M better than everyone?! You're the prick that was always acting so high and mighty! Always acting like everyone needed help! I-!" Before Bakugou could continue, Present Mic shouted over the intercom, "Will Midoriya Izuku and Bakugou Katsuki please make their way to the ring! Thank you!"

Bakugou scowled once more before turning around and storming out of the room. Izuku was left stunned before he snapped out of it and started to head to the ring, "What was all that about? I always thought that his strong quirk just went straight to his ego. But he made it seem like I really did do something to him." Kurama stood silent as he felt this was something that Izuku had to handle on his own.

Izuku was so busy thinking of anything he could have possibly done that he only realized he had made it to the ring when the crowd began to scream even louder and Present Mic began to give his introduction, "Here he is folks! Class 1-A's most promising contestant so far, Midoriya Izuku!" Izuku looked into the ring to see Bakugou waiting, a clear scowl on his face as he clenched his fists. Midnight was also waiting, whip in hand, ready to begin the match.

Izuku took his place opposite of Bakugou and cracked his neck. Midnight looked at each fighter, receiving a nod from both, "Let the final battle of the U.A. Sport's Festival… BEGIN!" Izuku's hands blurred as he wove hand seals while Bakugou used a two handed explosion to blast himself at Izuku. Just as Bakugou approached Izuku, he finished his hand seals and slammed both hands on the ground, "Earth Style: Adamantine Pillar!"

Izuku was then shot into the air as the jutsu took effect right underneath him. Bakugou's explosion narrowly missed him as the blonde grit his teeth in frustration and followed Izuku's ascent with his eyes. Izuku stopped about eight meters in the air and began weaving more hand seals. Bakugou had already used an explosion and was in hot pursuit of the greenette. Izuku then released his next jutsu "Water Style: Bucket Shots!" Izuku spit out three large blasts of water that headed right for Bakugou. The blonde's eyes widened as he used several explosions to dodge each projectile. Once he avoided the attack, he returned his attention to the top of the pillar. However, he was shocked to see that Izuku was no longer standing there.

His eyes searched furiously for Izuku. He finally found his opponent standing on the side of the pillar, just having finished his hand seals, "Wind Style: Pressure Cannon!" However, instead of aiming his palms at Bakugou who was already using an explosion to avoid any incoming attacks, he faced his palms behind himself. He was then blasted forward at breakneck speeds, right at Bakugou. He then cocked his fist back and hit Bakugou with a powerful punch to his jaw.

Bakugou began to spin in midair from the punch. Just as Izuku prepared another blow, Bakugou used his explosions to speed up his rotation before extending his leg and using the momentum to send a high speed kick right into Izuku's gut. Izuku was sent flying back as both fighters fell back to the ring. Bakugou used an explosion to right himself in the air and land on his feet while Izuku twisted to do the same.

Bakugou kept his eyes on Izuku while he held his bruising jaw. Izuku did the same as he cradled his stomach. Both fighters then rushed each other, Bakugou sent an explosion just as they closed the distance, Izuku using lightning enhanced speed to dodge to the right and rush forward. Bakugou moved his palm to send another explosion but Izuku grabbed his wrist and aiming it away from himself. He then grabbed the other and wrapped Bakugou in a bearhug before spinning around and tossing him away.

Bakugou used an explosion to right himself and turned to see that Izuku was building chakra in his right hand, forming a familiar blue sphere. However, he was too far to close the distance before Izuku finished the jutsu and slammed it into the ring in Bakugou's direction. The explosion shook the entire arena and sent a shockwave towards Bakugou. The blonde raised his arms up to defend but was sent flying backwards. He used a few explosions to counter the force and stop his movement but still nearly ended up outside the ring. Just as he prepared to make get some distance from the edge of the ring, Izuku rushed out from the smoke in front of him, another rasengan in his hand. Although this one was much smaller, Bakugou had already seen the type of damage they could do.

Bakugou braced himself as he knew dodging from such a small distance was impossible. Izuku the shoved the sphere right into Bakugou's gut. Bakugou was sent soaring out of the ring, but not before he unleashed a explosion right at Izuku, sending him flying in the opposite direction. Izuku tumbled back, feeling the effects of the explosion. His ears were ringing, his vision was a bit blurry, his head was pounding, and he felt a stinging sensation on his cheek that he was sure was a burn.

He pushed through the pain to see if his attack had worked. Bakugou used an explosion to gain some altitude before he used a powerful explosion to launch himself back into the ring where he crashed painfully into safety. Izuku groaned as he picked himself up off the ground, Bakugou struggling to do the same.

Izuku quickly weaved hand seals just as Bakugou faced him, "Earth Style: Adamantine Pillar!" Bakugou's eyes widened as he heard commotion behind him. He tried to move to the side but his battered body refused to react fast enough, causing him to be hit by a high speed pillar. He was sent towards a waiting Izuku who caught Bakugou before slamming him into the ground face down, pinning both of his arms and using chakra enhanced strength to hold them both to the side.

Bakugou struggled against the hold but was unable to break Izuku's grip. Izuku had wanted to win with a ring out because he was sure Bakugou would never concede, "Enough Bakugou! Just stop before I have to knock you unconscious to win!" Bakugou cursed, "Shut the fuck up! I'll kill you! Then we'll see if you keep looking down on me!" Izuku growled, "When the fuck did I ever say I looked down on you?! We may have argued, but I never once believed that I was better than you!"

Bakugou struggled more furiously as he glared at Izuku, "You always thought you were better than me! Always thinking you could help me when you didn't have a quirk! But then you were just hiding your quirk so you could make yourself that much better huh?! I don't need your help!" Izuku was actually a bit shocked, "This whole time, he's thought me trying to help him was me trying to be better than him?!" Izuku accidentally loosened his grip, something Bakugou didn't miss. He unleashed two explosions, surprising Izuku, before breaking out of his grip and using an explosion to gain some distance.

Bakugou huffed as he tried to regain his breath. Izuku simply stood there, fists clenched tight, head down. Bakugou scowled as he rushed Izuku, "I'll show you! You're not better than me!" Just as he approached, Izuku muttered, "Are you…" He then dodged to the right, avoiding Bakugou's explosion, and launching his fist right into the blondes cheek, "FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" Bakugou clutched his face as he was sent back. Izuku was furious, "You think getting help makes you weak?! How fucking stupid are you?! I wanted to help you because you were my BEST FRIEND! I never once looked down on you! I looked UP to you! You were always so strong! So determined to become a great hero! I just wanted to be your friend you dumb ass!"

Bakugou got up, wiping the blood running down the side of his mouth. He shouted as he rushed forward, "Shut up!" He cocked his fist back and sent it right for Izuku's face. Izuku dodged to the left and sent his own fist for Bakugou's jaw. Bakugou dodged with a spin and hit Izuku with a backfist in the cheek. Soon, both fighters completely halted the use of their quirks, turning the fight into a slug fest.

Izuku would punch Bakugou and then be hit by a counter by the blonde. This continued until Bakugou hit Izuku in the gut and Izuku grabbed Bakugou by the shirt, pulling him in for a vicious headbutt. Both stumbled back, never releasing their glare on each other. Then Bakugou spit on the ground and started to walk towards the edge of the ring, confusing the audience. Izuku had a hunch and started walking to the opposite end. They stopped at the edge and turned to face each other. Then Bakugou shouted, "Words aren't gonna do shit! So show me your guts!"

Izuku's eye brows furrows but he understood, forming a rasengan in each hand. Bakugou responded by building up for an explosion, his palms sparking and heating up. Then, without any kind of signal, Izuku shoved both rasengans into the ground and Bakugou let loose a massive explosion, both fighters sent rocketing towards each other. They began to yell louder as they rushed at each other, both cocking back their fists. Then, as they were feet away, Izuku sent his fist for Bakugou, Bakugou sending his fist for Izuku. Both punches connected, both refusing to back down. Then, Izuku shouted even louder and pushed forward before slamming Bakugou down into the ground.

Izuku was then carried by momentum and continued to go forward until he tripped and fell onto the ring. The crowd held its breath as they looked back and forth between the two fighters. Izuku then groaned, picking himself. He then held onto his ribs as he hobbled over to Bakugou who was struggling to rise. When he approached Bakugou, he held his hand out to him. Bakugou looked at his hand and hesitated before reluctantly accepted Izuku's help. He still couldn't stand on his own, leaving Izuku to support him, much to his displeasure. Bakugou then looked at Midnight, "I...I give up." Midnight stood in shock for a moment before raising her whip, "Bakugou Katsuki is out by surrender. The winner is Midoriya Izuku!"

The crowd roared at the announcement, Present Mic shouting over them, "And there you have it folks! The champion of this year's U.A. Sports Festival is class 1-A's Midoriya Izuku!" Izuku smiled as the crowd began to chant his name. He soon felt an approving feeling from Kurama, "Well done kit. That last fight was a bit sloppy but well done." Izuku rolled his eyes, "Whatever. I won didn't I? And I solved a couple of problems while I was at it. I think I did a damn good job!"

He was taken out of his thoughts when Bakugou spoke up, "Hey! Don't ever mention this again! Next time we fight I'm kicking your ass for sure!" Izuku chuckled as there was no hatred in Bakugou's words, "We'll see about that hot head." The medics then came and put Bakugou on a stretcher to be taken to a waiting Recovery Girl, the blonde shouting the whole time, "I'm not kidding Izuku! I'm gonna kick your ass!" Izuku shook his head as he smiled before falling backwards, letting his exhaustion take over. He laid there as the crowd continued to cheer and as the medics took him away on a stretcher.

Time Skip: 30 minutes

Izuku was lying on a bed in the nurse's office, bandaged up around his torso and jaw as Recovery Girl said she'd used her quirk on him a bit too much today and she didn't want to risk any overuse. Izuku understood and said his injuries were pretty minor anyways. After focusing on healing for the last half hour, he was fairly sure that he was almost back at 100%. Getting up from the bed, Izuku began to take off the bandages on his face and then the ones on his torso. Once he got them off he began to put on his newly washed gym uniform. He'd just gotten the legs through when the door began to open. Before he could let the newcomers know he was changing, the door swung open and in walked in Mina and Ochaco.

Mina was in the middle of speaking when she entered, "I really hope he's alright. He looked pretty tired when… he…" Both girls were then greeted by the sight of Izuku, his hands holding onto the uniform, his entire upper body showing. Mina's face became grape purple yet she couldn't look away. Ochaco got a bit red in the face but didn't let it bother her too much, "Hey Izuku-kun. Recovery Girl said it'd be fine if we came to check up on you." Izuku felt a bit of heat in his face as he continued to put on the uniform and respond, "Yeah. I'm feeling better now. I'm just glad that it's over. Not sure how much more of all of that I could take."

Mina cleared her throat and tried to get over her embarrassment now that Izuku was fully dressed, "Well we're glad that you're feeling better now Izu-kun. You look really good." She then thought about what she said, "L-like you look fully recovered now! I wasn't talking about you being shirtless! N-not to say you didn't look good shirtless! It's j-just that-!" Ochaco decided to save Mina as she put her hand on the pickette's shoulder, "You're looking better after your fight Izuku-kun." Mina looked at Ochaco gratefully and nodded.

Izuku blushed at Mina's words and decided to change the topic before his face melted, "Thanks. Where's Tenya-san by the way?" Ochaco shared a worried look with Mina before responding, "Right before your fight, Tenya-kun got a call. When he came back he said that he had to leave right away. He didn't tell us anything else but he seemed pretty anxious to leave." Izuku grew concerned. He knew that Tenya wouldn't miss any of his friends' fights unless it was an emergency, 'It must be pretty serious if he hasn't even told any of us yet.'

The somber mood was interrupted when Recovery Girl knocked on the door frame, "Izuku-kun. I hate to interrupt, but you need to get back. It's time for the finalists to receive their medals." Izuku smiled at her, "Got it. I'll be right there." He then looked at his friends, "We'll be sure to check up on him in a bit. But for now, I think Tenya-san would tell us if he wanted to, so it might be best to give him a bit of space before we do." Both girls nodded and followed Izuku out of the nurse's office.

They split paths as Mina and Ochaco headed to the ring with the rest of the students and Izuku went to a room where the finalists were supposed to be. He was directed to a room underneath the arena where he met with Bakugou and Shoto. Bakugou was all healed up and now scowling at Izuku. However, Izuku could feel that the anger was just Bakugou being Bakugou. They were then instructed to stand on the finalist pillars, Shoto to Izuku's left, Bakugou to the right, and Izuku on the highest pillar in the center.

One of the organizers then counted down from five, mouthing the numbers as he showed them on his fingers. Just as he counted down to one, the ceiling above them began to open and the pillars began to rise. Izuku then heard the crowd cheering as Midnight spoke, "And here they are! The finalists of this year's U.A. Sports Festival!"

Izuku looked around and saw that all of the festival participants were gathered in front of them. He spotted Ochaco and Mina cheering at the top of their lungs before he smiled and waved at them.

Midnight then continued to speak, "And here to award the medals to our three finalists-" Just as she spoke, All Might leapt into the arena, also stating that he was there to present the medals. This resulted in an awkward silence as Midnight apologized for talking over All Might. There were a few chuckles from the students as All Might shook his head and tried to recover, "Ahem. Well, without further ado, I would like to present you three with your medals!" All might walked up to Shoto and placed the 3rd place medal around his neck, "You did quite well young Todoroki. I understand that there are certain circumstances that make you hesitant to utilize you fire powers, but I would like to say that you made much progress in this festival. Well done." Shoto nodded before looking at his medal and grasping onto it.

All Might then made his way to Bakugou who was growling in frustration as a vein readied to pop on his forehead, "Young Bakugou. You showed much growth as well during the tournament. While there is nothing wrong with having pride in your abilities, always remember that even the strongest of us require assistance from time to time. Being able to forget your pride and accepting that help is one of the greatest showings of strength one can make. Congratulations." He placed the 2nd place medal around Bakugou's neck. The blonde scowled at the medal for a moment before huffing.

The hulking hero then approached Izuku, "Young Midoriya. Your performance in this year's festival was unlike any other. You showed, strength, empathy, courage, and true heroism while still attaining victory. Congratulations. You truly earned this." All Might then placed the 1st place medal around Izuku's neck which he received with pride. Izuku grabbed hold of the medal and looked at it. He saw his reflection in the medal and grinned, "Well done kit. I'm proud of you." Izuku felt his heart swell at the words, "Thanks Kurama. I couldn't have made it this far without you."

All Might then turned to the rest of the students, "Well done, all of you. This year's U.A. Sports Festival was nothing short of incredible thanks to the effort of every single one of you. Great work!" The crowd cheered the students on as they looked around and bathed in the applause.

And with that, the U.A. Sports Festival came to a close.

Ending Author's Note

First off, I'm really sorry about not updating for… a while.

Writer's block with a mix of a lot of things happening IRL have kept me from updating for a while. As a quick update on me, I graduated high school! I am now a freshman in college, and no I will not be saying where for privacy reasons. But yeah, I've been pretty busy recently.

As for the story, please don't be upset that Izuku didn't oneshot Bakugou like many of you seem to have wanted. While I do believe that my Izuku is stronger than both Bakugou and Shoto, I don't think that he's completely out of their league to the point of being able to destroy them outright. That and I wanted to begin mending/creating a bond between Izuku and Bakugou for my plans for the plot in the future.

Next chapter will likely stray a bit from canon events. IT'S IZUMINA TIME! XD

That's about it from me for now until next chapter. But just to give you all something to look forward to, I've decided that I'm gonna be making some big changes to the Hideout Raid Arc.

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Pilsen18th, out!