The forest was quiet.
Tall pines stretched toward the sky, filtering soft morning light through their branches. A cool breeze stirred the leaves, and the earth beneath Keiko and Kairi's bare feet was cushioned with moss and pine needles.
Kairi looked around, wide-eyed.
"Whoa... it's like a secret training ground."
Keiko nodded, stepping onto a flat patch of earth surrounded by trees.
"This place has served me well for many years," he said softly. "Today, it's yours too."
He turned to face her, voice calm but resolute.
"Today, we begin your real training: karate."
Kairi tilted her head.
"You know... I always thought karate came from the Buddhist temples."
Keiko gave a faint chuckle.
"That's a common belief. But no — karate's roots go back to ancient Chinese martial arts. Okinawan warriors adapted those forms into what we now call karate."
He paused, a gleam in his eye.
"And as for Buddhist temples... I've been to one. Beautiful. Brutal. But that's a story for another day."
Without another word, he stepped forward.
⸻
The Warm-Up
Keiko stopped beside a narrow trail and pointed ahead.
"Run."
Kairi blinked. "How far?"
He didn't answer. He didn't have to.
So she ran.
The trail wound through trees, over roots, up and down slopes. Ten minutes passed, and her lungs burned. Still, Keiko said nothing — only watched.
Then came push-ups.
Then sit-ups.
Then squats.
By the time he silently gestured toward a low-hanging tree branch, Kairi groaned.
"Seriously? Tree pull-ups now?"
"Four sets. Eight reps each."
She grumbled but obeyed, gritting her teeth and pulling herself up again and again. Her arms shook, but she didn't stop.
⸻
The Circle
Later, Keiko used the tip of his sheath to draw a wide circle in the dirt — nearly three meters in radius.
He stepped to its center.
Silent. Unmoving.
Kairi stood at the edge, panting, arms aching.
"What now?"
"You don't leave this circle," Keiko said. "Not until you land a clean hit on me."
She blinked. "That's it?"
He nodded once. "That's it."
Kairi stepped in, raising her fists.
"Alright, old man. I'm knocking that serious face off—"
She lunged.
Keiko sidestepped with effortless grace.
She pivoted into a roundhouse. He blocked it smoothly, shifting so softly she nearly overbalanced.
Backfist. Feint. Low sweep — all dodged or deflected.
He moved like wind. No wasted motion. Always just outside her reach.
Her strikes were fast. Her instincts sharp.
But her footing was just a little off.
Her weight, a bit too forward.
Her breathing, uneven.
Her frustration — clouding her judgment.
Keiko remained silent. His eyes, like steel, analyzed every movement.
She charged again.
Palm strike — wide.
Spin kick — too ambitious.
Her arms trembled now. Her breath came in sharp gasps.
Then—
Keiko raised a hand.
"That's enough."
Kairi froze, chest heaving. "What? But I didn't even touch you!"
"It doesn't matter," he said, already stepping out of the circle.
"But... I could've done better if I wasn't so tired from the warm-up—"
Keiko turned. His voice was low. Steady.
"Two things."
She fell silent.
"First — don't make excuses."
Kairi bit her lip and nodded.
"Second — if fatigue weakens your performance, then train until it doesn't."
He paused.
"You're good, Kairi. Natural instincts. Power. Heart. You learn fast."
He place his hand on her head
His gaze softened — but only slightly.
"But if you want to be more than good... we start from here."
He turned again, hands slipping into his coat pockets.
"Let's go home."
Kairi stood there for a moment, staring at the ground where the circle had been.
Her fists clenched.
Then she followed.
Quiet now.
But behind her red eyes...
Fire.
⸻
Weeks Later
It had been a few weeks since the day in the forest.
Since then, I'd continued training Kairi — not in flashy moves or choreographed forms, but in real karate.
The kind forged through repetition. Through silence. Through sweat.
Her body strengthened. Her focus sharpened.
She was good. Frighteningly good
She absorbed every correction like a sponge — footwork, breathing, weight transfer. Every lesson I passed on, she mirrored the next day with twice the intent. It reminded me of myself in my earliest years — how technique soaked into me like water into stone.
Sometimes, I forget how young she is.
But then she laughs at a beetle, or pouts over burnt rice... and I remember.
I still go out as Akaito when needed. The world hasn't stopped turning.
Rogue villains. Border flare-ups. An explosion outside Kyoto.
Violence doesn't pause just because I have a daughter now.
One night, I returned from a mission and stopped by U.A.
"I need help with paperwork," I told the staff.
"I'm enrolling Kairi in school. She needs to grow up around other children. To live, not just fight."
They didn't hesitate.
The teachers helped me navigate the red tape, fast-tracked the process, and smoothed over the final steps.
A few days later, Kairi was officially enrolled.
Uniform. Schedule. Class number.
She was ecstatic.
I... was cautious. But hopeful.
⸻
The Staff
Midnight still flirts with me.
I won't lie — she's beautiful, confident, and sharper than people give her credit for.
"You keep pretending you're made of stone," she once told me. "But even stone warms in the sun."
I've seen how serious she is when it counts. How fiercely she protects her students. There's depth behind the smirk. Heart behind the act.
She's a good person.
Still... she's the reason there's now a rule about how revealing hero costumes can be.
I haven't mentioned that.
Let her have her fun.
I can take it.
Some of the teachers mentioned that Kairi shows promise — that they'd like to train her one day if she's serious about becoming a heroine.
I was clear.
"If Kairi chooses that path, it'll be because she decided to.
Not because I pushed her.
Not because any of you did either."
They nodded.
Or said they did.
⸻
Today
Today, I bought two tickets.
The U.A. Sports Festival.
They say it's the biggest event in Japan — where the next generation of heroes prove themselves.
I plan to take Kairi. Let her see the world from the stands instead of the battlefield.
Let her witness its pride — and its flaws.
Midoriya will be there.
I'm curious how far he's come.
Kairi doesn't know yet. I'm keeping it a surprise.
She's never been to a stadium.
And I haven't watched a tournament in over a hundred years.
Maybe it's time I did.