Since in the background this whole time I've had this little extra plotline going on but just couldn't find a place to fit it into the main story, I thought why not just share the whole thing right here in one of these one-shot chaps.

*proceeds to write an almost 10k word long chapter*

Following this character, in case you forgot about him.

=================================

     "I have'ta thank you again for recommending me to the manager." Kouyama walked beside Sakurai, both carrying boxes between their arms. They paced back and forth between a semi truck bed and the storage room at the back of the shop.

     "It was no problem. Besides, she was searching for more employees anyways. Just remember to look presentable to the customers.. so I might suggest growing out your hair a little more on the sides and taking those piercings out."

     "Yeah, yeah, the manager said the same thing.. Unfortunately for me, though, is that I'd still have holes in my face." Setting his box down on top of the already existing stack, the taller, buffer guy rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

     "...I'm sure those are all manageable problems."

     "Tch.. Easy for you to say. You're already the the business lookin' type."

Clash!

     Something shattered in the shop beyond. Both froze, unsure if what they heard was real or not. It was very dim outside. Little sunlight remaining in the purple sky.

     "...Isn't the shop closed?" Kouyama whispered to his coworker, who nodded stiffly.

Ching!

    Something else shattered on the ground out of sight. "Must be a looter." Sakurai hissed sharply. Both men marched out the door, leading them into the front of the small shop.

     A dark figure stood in the isle immediately visible from their door. Tall as Kouyama, the dark shape stood casually, foot holding open one of the glass doors to their freezer display. A couple shattered objects lay at his feet, a deliberate act of defiance.

    "Oops, sorry, I'm such a clutz." The man down the isle chuckled. Sakurai flicked on the light switch beside the door, revealing none other than Ryo Shimazaki standing in there with a tub of ice cream held snugly in one arm.

     "Shimazaki?!" Both gasped, stepping back while preparing mentally for a tough fight. Ryo pried off the lid to the ice cream and dipped a couple fingers into it, scooping out a taste of strawberry ice cream to place pleasantly inside his mouth. He smirked as both men growled at him for that.

      "How dare you!! You're just going to waste perfectly good ice cream like that?!"
"Why are you here of all places?!"

     "Man, it's only been a few weeks and you guys are already starting to talk like a bunch of normies." The Esper sighed, dropping the tub of ice cream on the ground beside him and closing the glass door. He stretched his neck and arms casually while the two others freaked out about what to do.

     They couldn't just fight in here! The whole shop, their only chance at a normal life would be destroyed!!

     Kouyama couldn't wait any longer. Energy spirals crawled around his arms up into his fists. "Gaaah! We'll teach you to mess with our business!!"

     "Wait, Kouyama!!" Sakurai walled his coworker off with his right arm, keeping his glaring eyes on the intruder as he hissed. "Let's find out why he is here first. Perhaps then we can settle this like civil adults."

     Ryo clapped his hands together, tilting his head to lightly touch the side of his head to his hands. "What a great idea, Yusuke! Then maybe we can discuss our traumas together over a cup of tea!" Teasing. His foot nearest the freezer rose, kicking through the glass, successfully shattering the entire door. His eyes opened, revealing two black voids. "I'm not here to talk. I'm here to beat you into submission."

     Sakurai's head spun left and right in search of a weapon of any kind! Kouyama shouted at his side, charging past with his fists ready to strike.

     Ryo's expressions shifted into serious mode. He vanished, reappearing a instant later beside Kouyama's outstretched arm. He grabbed his upper, arm, yanking the muscular one off balance. What looked like a simple Indian rug burn quickly escalated into a bone cracking twist, followed swiftly by a clean removal of the appendage entirely!

     "YAAA!" Kouyama rightfully screamed, for his entire right forearm was gone in a second. Blood splattered on the ground beside the fallen limb, dirtying the groceries nearby as well. Sakurai fell back against the door, stumbling and falling into the other room. He saw that, right?! It wasn't just an illusion?? Ryo! Was he really!?--

     Ryo stood over the fallen Esper, not a hint of a smile on his face. Oh no.. he... He was serious now. No longer toying with his opponents like he used to.

     Ryo set his foot on the fallen man, applying weight to the already suffering one's back. "Your scars may be gone, but that doesn't change the fact that you're only trash. Roaches beneath my feet." Kouyama gritted his teeth, taking control of his frantic breathing to avoid passing out. Sakurai sat, hands propping his back up from the cold, hard ground. He couldn't take his eyes off of his coworker and attacker, no matter how much he tried. "But even cockroaches have their place in this world.. and not all of us are born with equal talents... Isn't that right, Yusuke~?"

     "S- s-stop calling me that!" How did this idiot even know his first name?!

     Ryo's head turned to the one wearing glasses, his dark, soulless eyes opening wide. "In fact, you were so special.. you didn't even go to a regular school. .. No, you grew up in a special school with special sorcerers, where you learned how to use cursed energy. .. Didn't you..?" Sakurai's eyes widened, breath hitching in an instant. The arms holding him up trembled.

     "..H...how do you know that??"

     Ryo dragged his foot off of the fallen man, black shoes leaving behind crimson footprints as he slowly approached the shorter man, fingers tucked into his pockets.

     "You know... I've been doing a lot more research lately... Looking for that secret Esper organization I thought I heard one of you illude to..." The man knelt down on one knee in the doorway, catching Sakurai's ankle with one hand so he couldn't scoot any further back. "..And I believe I hit the jackpot~" a smirk crawling onto his face, "because, not only did I find an entire underground world of Espers not even I knew about... But I stumbled upon your records as well~" as Sakurai attempted to yank his leg back, Ryo squeezed it, silently threatening to snap his bones too. "Yusuke Sakurai.. held back twice and barely graduated... Betrayed the closest thing to a family he had. .. You can correct me if I'm wrong, but to me I would say that is rather fitting. After all, you do have quite the history of betraying those who trust you the most... So, whose it gunna be next, hm~?" Sakurai could only breathe sharply. His other foot rose to kick at Ryo's hand still grasping his leg, but he decided against it at the last second. Surely, there was a better way out of this!

    "Wh-- what do you want?! Why are you targeting me??"

    "Because that special school taught you how to do things I simply cannot. So, I'll be needing you to come with me." Tugging on his ankle just a little to get the point across to the man's spinning and frantic brain.

     "Wh?? The h###!? I'd rather die than go with you! What are you even planning on doing with my abilities?!"

     Ryo clicked his tongue, sighed, and released that man's ankle to stand. "Well, if you don't want your friend over here to bleed out," pointing over his shoulder at the man who'd already fainted. "I'd suggest you quit asking questions and just agree to come along. The nearest hospital's thirty minutes away. This guy only has twenty minutes left to live." Clapping his hands together while swinging back a step. "The choice is yours, my man! Help me with a little task, or betray yet another man."

     Sakurai struggled to stand with all this weight on his shoulders. This decision likely all boiled down to ending one life or another's. Would he save the life of someone he knew or someone he didn't? Finally on steady feet, the man wearing glasses squeezed his head between two hands, messing up his perfectly straight hair in the process of deciding.

     "Tick tock~" Ryo's arms were crossed, a little playful smirk about his lips as he watched the man's expression of agony.

     "Fine!! I'll help you! But just with one thing! You got it?!"

     "Excellent!!" Ryo clapped, smiling so widely. He motioned for the man to follow him over to the fallen body, where he then placed his hands on both of them once they were in arm's reach. Sakurai felt his body suddenly lighten, all color draining from the world for a moment. An instant later, a completely new change of scenery entered his field of view. "Get a tourniquet on this man, pronto!" Ryo stood up, ordering a small group of people around as he rose to leave the other Espers.

     "Why don't you do it?" A man with a hand on his face griped at the standing Esper. Ryo froze in place, then vanished again. He reappeared less than a minute later with a couple nurse's heads under his hands, directing them to the fallen guy.

     Sakurai cursed under his breath. He shouldn't have assumed this guy had an entire hospital at his disposal.

     After a few brief trips, Ryo had succeeded in kidnapping an entire medical crew and their equipment to handle the situation he didn't want to. Placing two bloody hands into his pockets again, Ryo walked off, leaving the other villains to watch over the medics in this dark and empty room. Ryo teleported to the other side of the large metal door instead of simply opening it.

     Looked like...he was really stuck here, then...

     "Who the #### are you, anyways?" The handy man snarked down at Sakurai, unmoving from his seat on a small wooden crate.

     Four eyes sighed, deciding to just sit down where he crouched. This...was not how he'd imagined his day to go at all!

----------

     ...Everything Ryo said about him was true. After he ran away from the orphanage at the age of thirteen, Sakurai bounced around from barn to barn in the countryside, living off of farmers' freshly picked crops and other produce. He quickly became a nuisance among the local community, but, thanks to his innate knowledge of curses, he managed to narrowly escape their every attempt to nab him.

     Word of his special abilities spread like wildfire. People began to question if he was even human. Perhaps he was a wandering spirit.. or maybe just a kid with a mystical kind of quirk. Whatever the case, the boy was still not welcome anywhere by the age of sixteen.

     One day, a special class of underground hero was called in; the kind that focuses on spiritual entities. An Esper. One who had trained in curses and cursed energy. In other words... A Jujitsu Sorcerer.

     Since there were rumors of this kid being a spirit going around, the sorcerer was called in for an investigation.

     The man wore traditional dark gray and blue garb, two katanas slung over his back. The middle aged man entered the barn Sakurai had been sleeping in, shocking the teen. He thought no one could find him! The teen lay flat on his belly, staring down at the man from the hay covered loft.

     The sorcerer stopped just past the entrance. He stood still for a few seconds, making the teen's body ripple with goosebumps.

     "I can sense your presence, kid. Up on the loft. Come down here, boy! The ruse is up. You're obviously no spirit!" The man's gruff voice bounced off every wall, terrifying the child.

     "No!" It was all he could think to say. Immediately, he covered his own mouth. He shouldn't have said anything!

     "No?" Raising an amused brow. "Did your mother never teach you any manners??"

     Sakurai stood to run, but the man rose his hand towards him. The teen's right wrist was grabbed by an invisible force and twisted behind his back. Sakurai dangled dangerously above the edge of the loft, sheer force of will alone keeping his toes from slipping.

     "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll come down!!" The pressure released his wrist. The boy swung his arms out to reclaim his balance, gasping as he almost fell.

     "You should remember to be more respectful to your elders, especially those who fight on the daily to become such! This gray hair isn't cheap, after all." Stroking his beard, the older man rambled as the teen scurried down the ladder to reach him.

     Once on the same level as the man, stopping about ten feet away, Sakurai stood at attention before the elder. His glasses were all cracked and smudged, meshing well with the terrible shape his clothes and hair were in.

      The man, in all his wisdom, sighed a deep one when he noticed the poor state this boy was in, recognizing the situation right away.

     "You know.. that curtain you put up is a pretty advanced technique for someone at your level. One that is invisible to the average person, designed to completely hide your presence from anyone outside it. The disguised cursed objects you used to make up for your own low level of cursed energy; mm, mighty impressive~"

     "Tch.. What about it?" Stuffing his hands in his pockets, the teen rolled his eyes. But in reality, he took that compliment to heart. It took him years to perfect it, after all. It felt nice to finally meet someone who could recognize all of that time and effort.

     "What about it?? You've really got sass, kid. Let me guess, you're a runaway orphan, aren't 'cha?" The man took note of the teen's instantaneous flinch. "And ye've been doin' nothing with your gift these past few years but stealin' crops and free loadin' off other people's property... Now that's no honorable way to live, sunny."

    "The name's Sakurai.." The boy growled under his breath, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

     "Well, Sasuke, since I'm a generous man, I'll give you a choice. Either you shut up and let me take you to juvi.. or, you shut up and let me take you to a proper academy, where you'll learn to use your talents to help others instead of just yourself."

     "The second one. It is the only logical option, after all." Judging by this man's aura, Sakurai knew taking him on in a fight was as good as a death wish. And the offer intrigued him as well. A school meant for kids like him? Thh.. sounded a h### of a lot more practical than any normal school.

     "Wow, quick decision maker. I like it! Follow me, then!" The man spun around, leading the way out of the barn. A brief thought of slipping away from this stranger crossed the boy's mind as his back was turned. But then.. what else would he do with his life? His only other option involved sleeping on hay the rest of his life! Dragging his feet, the young Sakurai followed behind the older man. "The name's Musashi Iiko by the way."

     After a taxi ride, the two wandered around a small shop to pass the time until the right train came around.

     "Ahh! Here's something for you to wear!" Showing his choice of clothing to the teen.

     The boy frowned at the smiley face print staring back at him. "...I hate it..."

     "Well, it's half off! So put it on already!" Throwing the shirt over the child's head. "You need pants too. Hmm..." Scratching his beard, the sorcerer returned to searching the small clothing section in this store. The teen groaned and left for the changing room. His old shirt was so torn up you could see little bits of his belly, so it was a good idea to look at least a little more presentable. When Sakurai returned, he wore the baby blue t-shirt on backwards to hide the smiley face as much as possible. Though the tag was the first thing to annoy him as he exited the changing room. "Here! These shorts'll do, right?" Plain black shorts were handed to the teen, also half off. The kid shrugged and walked to the changing room again to change into these as well, replacing the torn up jeans with something cleaner.

     When he returned, the teen couldn't find the old man anywhere. Wait, was this good or bad? Free clothes, but now he was far from any easy food. ...oh no...

     "Over here!" The older man waved. Oh! Crisis everted! Sakurai caught up with the man over in the toy isle. "Which do ya prefer? Blue, or red?" The elder held out two plastic swords to the tattered child. He scowled at both of them.

     Looking up, "I'm not a child."

     "Hhoh-ho-ho-ho! The man bellowed a very deep laugh. "Keep tellin' yourself that, kid. -But this isn't for playin' with! Though I won't be your teacher or anything, I'll be the first to teach you a lesson on curses?"

     "...Huh?..."

     "You seem self taught -- an impressive feat, I'll admit -- so I'm going to assume you already know the power of your words is no joke!.. While your tactical thinking and creative mind have taken you so far, I'm afraid your cursed energy level is and will forever remain pretty weak... This is where support items come in to give you an extra boost." Again, the man offered the teen the two plastic swords, one in each hand. "It will take you a long time to craft one of these into a fine weapon, but I urge you to start now while you are just beginning."

     "..Uhhh.... Thanks..?" Not sure what this old man was going on about still, Sakurai picked the blue one, holding it with one brow raised still. He looked up again at the elder, obviously thinking this man to be stupid for talking so highly of a toy sword.

     The old man sighed, rubbing his brows as he slid the red one away. "...See these swords on my back?"

     "Yeah?"

     "They both started off as mere toys as well... Much cheaper that way! Do you even realize how expensive a quality katana is nowadays?! A-ha-ha-ho-ho-ho!!" Sakurai rolled his eyes. "But you must not miss the point. This will be a great learning experience for you! By cursing the same object over and over again, both you and it will grow stronger. It may not seem like much now, my boy, but I trust that in time you will become a master at it."

     "Hhh, alright then.."

     "Promise me this at least. I want to see this plastic sparkle -- a shining, metallic blade -- by the end of your first year! You got that??"

     "...Yeah, I got it."

     "Great! Now we better hurry and catch that train!!"

     "S###!"

     Sakurai was welcomed into the academy. Though it took him a while to settle in and catch up on studying, he quickly began to impress his teachers.

     He, however, did not transform the toy sword into a real one by the end of his first year. ... The first of many failures to come.

----------

     "You swing like a city boy!! Put your hips into it!!" The teen's second year teacher, a very brash, touch woman was using her insane speed and gymnastics abilities to evade every one of his swings.

     Sakurai was trying his hardest, but.. he was tired; worn down to the bone by all this intensive training forgoing this year's finals.

     "Oh come on! You've been training for three years now and you can barely keep your eyes on me!" The woman shooting passed gruffed. Her student was equally agitated. Even with his extra afternoon training, he was no better physically than he was the year before!! That old man was right. He really did tap out of cursed energy pretty early on, only able to use what some might consider mere embers! "Do you really expect to pass your finals like that!?

     "So what if I'm held back another year? That doesn't change anything! I'm already working as a Jujitsu Sorcerer anyways!"

     "That isn't the point I'm trying to make at all!" Landing right behind him, the teacher slapped her student real good on the back of his head! So bad that the teen nearly fell over. "I'm talking about promotions, okay?! If you want to be entrusted with higher level spirits, you need to up your game!! Otherwise you'll get no recognition for your job whatsoever. You'll be stuck at the bottom. So you really want that?!"

     "I CAN'T, okay!?!" This exercise was really working him up. Sakurai watched as his own sweat formed a puddle at his feet, vision blurring as he tried to focus on his shaking arms holding the now real metal sword, the same sword which was once only a toy. His breaths were ferocious and poorly planned. "I CAN'T get any stronger!! We all know that!! I capped a year ago already!! I don't even know why I'm trying to get stronger anymore! I just CAN'T!!" For the first time in a while, tears dropped onto his foggy glasses. He growled at himself before viciously wiping his own eyes with his short sleeve.

     The woman standing across from him allowed her shoulders to drop at her sides, a disappointed but also understanding him well.

     "With that attitude, yeah... I can't see you getting any better."

     "What do you mean?? How can I expect to get any better?? I'm not strong like you guys!!"

     "No, but you've got a big head... Don't let your emotions blind you to what you really need to be focusing on. We all saw how you took down Tsi-iika (a third year at the time) in your very first year. You haven't hit a ceiling. You just need to work a little harder and pave your own path. It'll be tougher than if you were born with a stronger curse quirk, sure, but that's just life. We all struggle in some places... Just do your best and don't give up..alright?"

     "...Okay..."

     Though her words were assuring at the time, even helpful motivation for that last push to the finish line, winning the finals and moving on as a third year student...he was quick to forget them, again stumbling through yet another embarrassing year. Again, he flunked and was held back year.

     Held back twice??

     What an embarrassment.

----------

     "Thought you'd be up here..." The old man who had taken him in all those years ago climbed onto the top of the roof through an open window in Sakurai's room. The young man sat on the very top of the old Japanese style roof, staring at the moon which rested on a bed of dark forest green. It was a little chilly that night. Nothing some long sleeves couldn't handle.

     The now twenty-one year old sat with a frown on his face, stern eyes unmoving from their hold on the bright moon.

     Taking his seat beside the young man, "I heard from one of your teachers that you always have trouble sleeping before tests. Is that why you are still up here so late?"

     "Hello, Master Iika." Sakurai responded flatly.

     "Oi!.. How many times have I told you to just call me Musashi?!"

     "Apologies."

     "...Hhhh..." The elder dipped his chin, shaking his head as he chuckled, patting the young man on the back. "Always so formal with you... Would it kill you to at least smile on occasion?!"

     "Probably."

     "Pffff!"

     "Why are you here, Master-- Musashi?.. While I am glad to see you are in good health, I don't need your sympathy."

     ...

     They sat in silence for a little, before finally, the older man spoke. "I understand these last few years have been hard on you.. and, I wish I would have prepared you better for the challenges ahead. But... I get the feeling that you are tripping yourself up more than you realize. You have amazing talents, and I've never seen before the fire I see in your eyes every time you come face-to-face with an evil spirit. It's just-- ...I get the feeling that you're letting your past chain y' down too much..you know?"

     Sakurai closed his eyes tightly, hissing a breath out through his teeth slowly. "..Thanks for your concern." He growled.

     "Yusuke..." Placing his hand on the younger man's shoulder again. His hand pulled away after the brunette knocked it off of him. "You've come far. Though you may not notice it, you have grown so much since I first found you.

     "Ugh.. Give it a break, old man. Even if I graduate after this.. it would have taken me five years when it took everyone else three." The young man pulled his knees in closer to himself, resting both his arms and chin on them. Still, his stare was so intense, unmoving from the glowing orb in the sky.

     "...We're all failures in our own way, kid..." Turning his head, the elder joined Sakurai in staring down the moon. "You failed to grow stronger as a sorcerer... And I failed to father my own son... Everyone has their challenges, no matter the person. And everyone is bound to mess up one way or another... That's just a fact we all must live with." While the two sat in silence, the old man faintly smiled again. "..I guess my last lesson to you will be to prioritize what is really important in life... It may be sorcery...or it may not. ... It took me a long... long time to find out what was really important to me. I warn you now, hoping you will not make the same mistakes that I have." Sakurai remained quiet, a telling sign that he was serious about absorbing all that had been said. The elder watched the younger man's stoic face for a little while. He chuckled, planting his hand on the young man's shoulder again, this time rubbing it a little as well. "I'm going to be one of the few Jujitsu Sorcerers who get to retire from the job.. Isn't that exciting??" Playfully, he shook the younger by the shoulder.

     "Wait, what?" The young man turned his head to the other only after he had been released.

     "I know, I know. I promised a few more years, but..." The elder turned to face the moon again, closing his eyes and allowing himself to breathe. "I really left a mess back at home. One which might take me the rest of my life to clean up. But...of it means raising my grandchildren into better people than their father, I'm willing to consider it worth the effort."

     Watching his part-time master, Sakurai stared with amusement. This old man had probably changed more in these past five years than he had!

     "Promise me one more thing, will you?"

     "But I--.. A- are you sure? I couldn't keep my last promise--"

     "--Just promise me this... Promisee that one day you will stop by and visit. But not just for anything. No.. I want you to look me dead in the eyes one crisp afternoon...and tell me how much you have grown. ... Ya hear?"

     Sakurai opened his mouth to protest. But, then he swallowed, stopping himself. He did however give this proposition some serious thought.

     "...I... I promise." He never intended to keep that promise, however, as much as he wished he would be able to.

----------

     He graduated shortly after, becoming a full time Jujitsu Sorcerer. There was very little money to be made for his line of work, however. It didn't help that he received such an embarrassingly low grade that he was only entrusted with low level spirits.

     But, he sucked it up and fought on, hoping to better himself. For two years, he lived as an impoverished Sorcerer, just barely scraping by. He had his past childhood starvation period to blame for his below projected height. These years, returning to a similar state of his childhood.. was like a slap in the face.

     After all these years.. all that effort... had he gone nowhere after all?

     At least there was one plus to all of this. Starvation is a terrific motivator. That, plus the lack of curriculum holding him down allowed for Sakurai to experiment with curses.. the same way he used to in his youth. Using the technical information he had learned from schooling, plus months of pouring all of his energy, soul, and time into one project at a time, the man was able to accomplish much.

     He was able to perfect a holding curse. A "Cursed Chamber" in its purest form. One which even his strongest teachers admitted to failing at. It was a work of genius as well. Instead of using thousands of cursed papers to surround and entrap a cursed object, a single cursed symbol on the ground could render anyone above it completely powerless! Espers..at least. The curse did not work on average quirk users.

     But, that was alright with Sakurai, for his opponents rarely ever had to do with humans at all, much less normal ones.

     That invention, plus many more, finally gave Sakurai the confidence to crawl out of the woodwork again. He wished to show off his creations; to prove himself equal in the eyes of his peers!

     He wished to impress everyone. So, finally, he would stop feeling so weak; so weak and out of place.

     He needed to find a big time baddie.

----------

     Toichiro Suzuki waited on the rooftop where he'd scheduled to meet up with a potential subordinate. The man had to be careful, however, since he'd recently struck a hornet's nest by draining a well known Jujitsu Sorcerer completely dry of power. He hadn't even realized how many of them there were until he was suddenly berated by their kind one after another.

     He didn't mind the attacks, however. He and Shimazaki could easily handle any and all opponents, taking all their power while he was at it. Eventually, they would learn to leave him alone. But, for now, it proved an annoying but crucial source of power to draw from.

     Shimazaki was not here today, however. The young man was presently recovering from being too careless and getting in the way of one of his master's energy blasts. A mistake he would surely learn from, but for now made the boss just a tad more vulnerable than usual.

     He was not afraid, however. Why should he be?

     "Apologies for my tardiness." A young man, maybe only a year older than Shimazaki himself, shuffled up to the business man. He too wore a suit that meant business, with his dark brown hair slicked back and a pair of rectangular glasses decorating his nose. "I wanted to see if you were invested or not in my offer to join you." Scraping his leather shoe over the roof, the man stopped before this "boss" of sorts.

     This better work... He bought an expensive suit and everything!

     Suzuki turned around with a plain, uninterested look on his face. "Oh yeah?.. Why should I be so invested in your offer to join me? What could you possibly grant me in return?.. Your aura barely registers compared to mine. Is it your skill you are hoping to bargain? If so, I already have Ryo Shimazaki at my side, an Esper practically born fighting people twice his age and size."

     "Well I have something you could never get from anyone else."

     The boss raised a brow of his. "Oh..? What might that be?" At the press of a button on his phone, the ground underneath Suzuki exploded, the large rubble remains collapsing into itself. Suzuki began to hover above the ground, his power strangely weakening due to whatever was below him.

     "JUUUGON..." The Jujitsu Sorcerer in disguise launched himself into the air, reeling back his katana in both arms. "SWOOORD!!!"

CRASH!

     Though the boss rose his hand to easily stop the blade mid air from hitting him, the impressive force made him slip, losing control for a second and falling into the pit below.

     Sakurai was blasted back by the impact, flying and rolling over the roof. He slipped off the edge and clung onto the rough concrete for dear life! Gritting his teeth, Sakurai grunted and pulled himself up. On his feet again, the man rushed over the the hole, peering down into the room and using his telekinesis to lift the large chunks which had fallen in. His curse couldn't take full effect until the roof was sealed.

     Realizing the efficiency of this trap, the boss clung onto one of these large chunks of roof, nearly making it out of there before Sakurai noticed and shook him off.

     "Tuff!" Suzuki landed harshly on the ground. Immediately, he was impressed. His abilities were rendered completely useless in this blank white room. The man spun around a few times, unsure of what to think. Was this all just a trap? Or, was this more like a sales pitch meant to show off his opponent's skill. Either way, suddenly not having his powers gave the man the first taste of fear he had experienced in potentially his entire life. "I'll have to hand it to you..." Speaking calmly, covering up his silent scare rather well, "this cage you have built is impressive. I have no access to my psychic abilities while in here." Looking around, the man noticed how cheap the black paint on the floor was. It was done in a hurry as well. That much was obvious. Could it be that..?

     Suzuki started to scratch at the painted symbol with his shoe. The paint easily peeled away from the white tile floor... While the man had little knowledge of curses, he had made sure to do some light reading on the topic before attacking a Jujitsu Sorcerer. So, he knew how crucial words and symbols were to them. ... This room was no different. But he had to admit this room was something new; something he could definitely see himself benefitting from in the future.

     As he rubbed the cheap paint away, his powers slowly returned to him. When he had rubbed away about ten percent of the marking, the man assumed now he would have enough power to escape. He prepared a sphere of energy in his hand, reeling his arm back and punching through the nearest wall.

BANG!!

     A massive hole blew through it, the boss stepping over the rubble unharmed. His eyes scanned the area, amused by how cheaply this whole trap really was. Other than the cursed room itself, the top floor was all rented office space. Suzuki smirked. ... So this man's biggest downfall was his terribly low budget... How cute.

     "RRRAAHH!" Speaking of whom, the Jujitsu Sorcerer charged Suzuki. Impressively, he managed to dodge and deflect the boss's casual laser strikes, coming in hot with a stroke aimed straight for his throat.

     He was no match for the boss's raw power, however.

     The young man ran into a wall of pure energy, which immediately entered into his body and burnt him up at the core. An explosion quickly followed, flinging the young man back into an empty desk, which he rolled over and collapsed onto the ground behind it.

     Suzuki stretched his neck, eyes trained on the spot where his opponent had fallen. He steadily approached, striding across the room to reach the man first. "I must admit, some of your skills are impressive.."

     Sakurai's heart thumped in his chest, struggling to push himself off of the ground. That...power! It was greater than anything he had felt before! This guy... This guy was no joke!

     Only Sakurai's sword flew above the desk, pointing at the boss. The man huffed. Even from just watching television as a kid.. he knew what was going to happen next. Not wanting to take too many unnecessary chances, Suzuki put up a blood red barrier around himself.

     The sword flew at him as expected..before suddenly charging into the ground instead. The weapon completely vanished under the ground. Suzuki started to look around, staring at the ground beneath his barrier.

Zzzip!

     Striking through the ground to enter into his barrier, Suzuki jumped back just in time to avoid getting stabbed. He created a smaller barrier within his own to capture the sword, then released his larger barrier.

     "If I had the same mental capacity as a child.. I might have fallen for that one." Suzuki strode toward his attacker again, keeping his prized weapon trapped within his barrier. The sorcerer sat with his back against the desk, gritting his teeth and digging his nails into his pants. This man was intelligent as well! Not only did he immediately figure out how to disarm his most powerful curse, he also captured his best weapon!

     It was time for emergency measures.

     Sakurai pulled out a dozen thin throwing blades he'd kept. Finally peering from behind the desk, the young man flicked his wrist, throwing six at a time. His telekinesis took over, making the little blades zip and dash around wildly!

     Suzuki simply put up a barrier as he strode forward, the small knives unable to even reach him. Sakurai cursed under his breath. How?! The people he'd trained with were never able to put up barriers this easily!!

     "You're strong for an Esper, weak for a Jujitsu Sorcerer, and pathetic compared to me." The villain droned. Sakurai stood to run. None of his plans were working out! The very least he could do was escape with his life and what little cursed energy he could call his own! As he began to bolt to the side along the wall of glass, the older man stuck out his hand. A gush of wind and energy flung the younger man back. He hit the glass wall, struggling to pry his arms from the transparent surface. "I am, however impressed with your cursed room back there... How did you make it? Can the room disable other types of quirks like All Might's?"

     "I'm not...telling you!" These were the worst hands for that information to fall into. The glass behind him began to crack as the pressure suddenly increased. Then it shattered, Sakurai falling through.

     Before he could fall out of the building entirely, the young man grabbed onto the thin metal window casing. Glass dug into his hands, his skin all cut up. Still, the pressure did not relent as the elder man approached calmly.

     Sakurai was able to pull himself far enough forward to wrap his arms and legs around the thin pole of a window edge, but now he just clung to that pathetically. The push suddenly reversed, the young man taken off guard and slipping. As he came hurtling toward the villain now, the older man used Sakurai's own sword against him, cutting a deep gash up through his chin.

     The sorcerer fell, rolling over the hard ground, blood now spilling from his face. He cried out and growled until at last he was motionless on the ground. Suzuki calmly approached the young man. When he was but a foot away, telekinesis grabbed Sakurai  by the throat and lifted him from the ground. Once eye level with the boss, the man grabbed the younger by the throat with his left hand and smashed his neck into the only stone wall in this place; the outside of that cursed cage.

     "A-AGH!" His world blipped out for second. For a moment there, he was certain he might die!

     The young man's glasses were gone, meaning the only thing his eyes could focus on was the stone cold face of the man holding his throat. His suit was reduced to shreds. His plan shattered.

     Why was.. why did...? Why was failing the only thing he was ever good at?.. Every...single time.

     A couple tears mixed with the blood on his cheek. A pathetic mess he had become.

     ...And all he wanted was to feel like he was worth something...

     "Hhh, such a pathetic sight... I've seen this many times over. Take away a person's power, and they are reduced to a sad mess of an individual.. You didn't start off with very much power to begin with, however. Not enough for me to waste my time stealing at least." Though his firm hold on Sakurai wasn't deliberately meant to choke him out, the young man could still feel the blood retreating from his face. It became a little harder to breathe..and think. Think!

     Sakurai desperately felt around for his coat pocket. The elder didn't even consider batting an eye. Whatever it was, it wouldn't harm him.

     The villain continued talking while the young man struggled. "While I do find your power uninteresting, how you have learned to use them I find interesting. Your mind is something worth keeping..is what I'm getting at. ... While you lack resources, I have plenty." So...close! "While you lack physical strength and raw power, I have been amassing an army full of individuals with such. Your strengths could balance out their weaknesses, and vise versa. You would no longer be seen as pathetic or weak, but instead as a powerful asset to our cause."

     "What..cause?" He gritted. His fingers could reach the object in his pocket, but it was another struggle entirely to grab it between them.

     "To take over the world...obviously. My raw power will rival all other powerful beings until I stand at the very top of the food chain. Those who follow me will be allowed to rule under me." Aha! Finally! He had a hold of it! "You could join me.. you know? Working a team of equals, with subordinates of your own. .. Doesn't that sound nice..?"

     "Yeah.." Sakurai coughed, finally raising his shaky arm, silver canister in hand. "To a psycho, at least!" He sprayed a dark red most into the boss' face. Just as he'd hoped, the older man fell limp in in front of him, fast asleep at his feet.

     Sakurai stood there quietly for a second, then room in a deep sigh of relief. Good...it actually worked. The man chuckled bitterly as he stepped over the fallen man, his words still ringing in his head.

     Ruling the world?... Teh. What a stupid idea? Yeah right.

     Though he attempted multiple times to call HQ and inform them that he'd finally caught the target, he realized he just...couldn't. He didn't know why, but he failed even at that simple task. Sakurai grabbed his sword, eyes watching the sleeping villain as he walked around for a bit, deciding what to do.

     As stupid as conquering the world sounded...he wanted to see if this man could pull it off. After all, it wasn't everyday that somebody was born with the power to drain other people's energy.

     And though he knew he shouldn't... he took that man's offer as a compliment.

     To be offered something like that despite his weaknesses? Promised to work alongside stronger individuals as equals? That sounded..really nice, actually.

     But no. He shouldn't betray the other sorcerers for such a wreckless cause. What would Master Musashi think?

     Sakurai left the boss villain alone to wake up on his own time. Though, his offer would never stop haunting him.

     About a year later, the man had had it. Trying to continue impoverished, unappreciated, was just too much for him. He wanted to feel special; like all his troubles in the past were worth something in the end.

----------

     Now, though... He was kinda wishing he weren't so special.

     "What's that stupid marking on the ground supposed to do, huh?" Tomura kicked around, too bored to bother anyone else apparently. Sakurai sat on his knees, delicately painting a symbol into the ground in the large, empty, dimly lit white room, ensuring that his stored up cursed energy embedded itself into every fiber of ink. Once done, he would wax the floor to prevent anyone in the future from smudging or otherwise harming the symbol.

     The older man rolled his eyes as the handy man stepped up behind him. Boy was this brat annoying. He knew absolutely nothing about curses and it showed!

     "Bug off, alright? This is a delicate process that requires concentration."

     "Hhhh, I'll never understand you Esper people. Always making no sense." Tomura dragged his feet out of the room, opening the door just in time to gripe at the entering Kouyama on his way out.

     The other Esper entered quietly, carrying a wrapped box of lunch in one hand. His other nub of an arm was now safely wrapped. He gently set the box down beside his coworker, turning to leave without saying a thing.

     "Your arm feeling any better?"

     "Uh-! Oh, yeah! Sort of, at least. Terrible phantom pain, still, but I can manage." Rubbing the bandage, Kouyama forced a smile and turned away. Sakurai sighed and returned to his work. He could always eat later.

     After Sakurai was done, he and Kouyama weren't freed. No, they were instead shipped off to some strange place. Property of Tomura's master apparently...whoever that was..

     The plan was to have the two turned into Nomu. While the men didn't exactly know what those were, they sure knew that becoming someone's science experiment was not on their to-do list.

     But they had no say in the matter. Despite their struggles, the two were imprisoned anyways, trapped in cells beside one another. They used the vents to communicate, often making predictions as to when it would be their turn to get dragged out of there.. turned into a monster.

     Sakurai felt empty inside as he waited for certain doom. Again, he'd been treated like less than dirt, herded into a cage like livestock. And why?? Was he special, or was he not?! Was he a help, or was he a hindrance?! A blessing, or a curse?! A traitor, or a homeless kid looking for his next pile of straw to lay in?

     He knew one thing at least.

     He'd never have a home.

     Strange... The only thing he wanted to do was to live a normal life. He had a lot of time to think while locked away. A lot of time to ponder what he wished he could be doing instead of sitting here. He remembered his days as a sorcerer, a Claw member, and as a simple salesman. ... Despite all of the excitement he had experienced from the other two jobs, he found that more and more, his heart longed for a simple life.

     He talked with Kouyama, who declared he wanted to become a superhero, but until then was fine with working wherever his buddy did.

     Oddly enough, it was in this prison that Sakurai smiled for the first time in decades.

     At least...now.. He finally knew what he wanted to do, where he wanted to go, who he wanted to be.

----------

BANG!

     Something slammed against the metal door to their cell hall, the sound reverberating off every iron wall.

     "What was that?!" Kouyama peered through the glass, his voids audible through the small vent shaft between their rooms.

     "You really think I would know?!" Sakurai barked, not caring to move from his spot on the stiff bed. There wasn't much he could do but sit around in there and daydream about making lots of money and buying a house of his own. Thick iron shackles around their ankles prevented anyone from using their quirks, so he couldn't even use telekinesis to entertain himself.

     Everyone was let down a little bit when nothing changed after that. Almost ten minutes later and everyone had settled down.

     Then came another noise. The sound of the door unlocking, followed by an ear piercing creeeeeak. Sakurai plugged his ears as he ran to the door, pressing his forehead against the small window of glass to see.

     "Stay by the fence and wait for a hero to find you!" A woman started releasing everyone from their cells. Kouyama and Sakurai were one of many whose hearts fluttered with glee. They were some of the first to be let out. Since the door to the exit was stuck, only open enough for the smaller woman and children to pass through, Kouyama wedged his one arm between the crack, tearing at the metal door. After the door had opened a few more inches the men fled with everyone else.

     Blood was everywhere. Chunks of flesh and fallen, distorted monsters littered the hallway. Man, what a mess! The Espers tried to look away from it as much as possible, instead focusing on finding an exit point.

     Following the orders of the woman who had saved them, Sakurai and Kouyama waited by the fence with the gathering of people. Since they'd kept track of how many of them there were, the two started counting heads, returning to the underground base two different times to grab someone who'd gotten lost in there. After their mini rescue was up, the Espers scouted out a hero to help them. Many were preoccupied with their injuries, but one nice guy with a green and yellow jester-looking hero garb was well enough to help everyone out.

     As things began to settle at last, Kouyama wrapped his arm around his coworker and squeezed him tightly as he could. Sakurai allowed it just this once... They'd been through a lot together. That was for sure.

----------

     He was free to do whatever he pleased. To go wherever he wanted to go -- as long as he had the money.

     ...

     So then why was he going back to where it all began?

     Sakurai drove the rental car up the windy road, steadily approaching a small village nestled between two mountains. He had to roll down the car windows. Just had to. The smell of freshly fallen pine was so nostalgic. Reminded him of his first trip up here, back when he was only sixteen. Kouyama sat in the passenger seat, enjoying the wind in his face, sticking his head out the window to get a good look at the impressive view! "D###, you used to live up here?!"

     "Around here, yes. Disguised as nothing but a religious sanctuary to the public, my old school trains some of the world's finest sorcerers." The man explained, his voice no longer holding sarcasm or venom like it usually did; instead a much softer, low tone. He was at peace with this decision. As much as he worried about what might happen, he knew it was something he had to do.

     But Kouyama wouldn't get to see his old school. Not today at least. He drove off of the paved road onto an even slimmer dirt one. The foliage above blocked out much of the sunlight, only the occasional patch peeking through.

     "Alright, so what am I supposed to do?"

     "Nothing. Unless you hear me scream, I guess. Then feel free to get involved." He made the man beside him laugh.

     "Ah- alright!"

     The two came up on a U shaped driveway, which stood as the paved entryway to a rather nice, large, traditionally styled house. The driver parked the car a little ways off, stepping out of his car. Slowly, he scanned the familiar sight. ... He used to visit this place on occasion whenever he was feeling overwhelmed with training. The old man had a koi moat and pond. Feeding the fish was something he always liked to do as a little distraction. The old man also offered to pay him for helping out with household chores, so I guess you could say his part-time master was his first employer as well.

     "Ya just gunna stand there??" Kouyama teased, still seated in the passenger seat. He was cool with just waiting.

     "No, I'll...." He never did get around to finishing that sentence.

     The grown man ambled up the driveway to the front door. About to knock, he stopped himself.

     No... It was 2:34 PM. If the old man was still alive, he'd be watering his garden in the back about now.

     The man dropped his hand and circled around the house, taking his sweet time figuring out what he was going to say. As he passed between a few hedges, his eyes rose to view the beautiful garden out back. A large koi pond circled around a concrete patio, which had a seating area and fire pit in the middle. A small wooden bridge crossed over the water to reach the place. Surrounding the pond was a beautiful garden full of bright green bushes and a large array of now beginning to wilt flowers. A few flower pots were on the circular patio, which were the ones the old man was watering.

     Back turned to the man, "You always did visit whenever you liked, Sakurai. Taking your sweet time as well, I see?"

     All of the man's joints locked up, his face flushing red. "I- I- I tried to set up an appointment-- but you changed your phone number and--"

     "-Heheh.. Always so formal.." The old man was smiling as he turned around to look at the younger man. Though he had gained some white hair and a few new wrinkles, he was youthful and healthy as ever. "That's why I changed my phone number. I asked for you to just drop by, didn't I?"

     "Well-well, yes! But, I wasn't sure if you'd even want me to visit after...you know.. and gas is so expensive that I didn't want to waste money either-" Poor guy was so nervous. His hands fidgeted with one another while he fought to keep his mind on track. All the while, he couldn't risk making eye contact with the old man, diverting his gaze somewhere else.

     "-And yet you took that risk to come and see me, knowing full well that I would whoop your a## if I so decided... Hmh, rather expensive a##-whooping, I'll admit. But that only proves to me all the more that you're past all that silly trying to conquer the world stuff... Did you enjoy blowing off a little steam while in that business?" Chuckling softly, the man turned his body only slightly to water the flowers beside him. Sakurai kept his head hung low, unsure of what to do or say anymore. "Come over here, boy. No need to treat me like something rabid beast!"

     "S-sorry!" The younger man shuffled up to the retired sorcerer, words still caught in his mouth. As he crossed the thin wooden bridge, the old man set down the watering can and turned fully to the young man. Slouching a little more now, the old man was nearing Sakurai's height. "I... I don't know what to say.." The young man admitted through mumbles.

     "Teh! Wasn't that the whole point of your promise to me?! What use does you visiting me after all these years serve if you can't even tell me how you've improved!"

     "I'm sorry, alright?!" Bowing before his past part-time master. Sakurai's glasses fogged up from the heat emitting from his own face. "I've grown a little stronger, yes, but it isn't nearly enough to garner praise or admiration! I'm still a weak sorcerer and forever will be!" Raising his head and torso, the young man looked upon the old man with guilt. "But that's not what I came here to tell you... I... I decided that I don't want to be a sorcerer, or a hero, or anything big or special at all. ... I work at a local grocery store now. It's nothing big, but my new ambition is to work my way up the corporate ladder until I am the CEO of my own company!.. I still don't know what I'm going to do.. or what I'm going to sell..but it's a work in progress. I'm certain I'll figure things out as I go. ... I've also been thinking of starting a family as well. Though, I don't know how well I'll do at that... It's just an idea right now." He stood as straight as he possibly could, staring the other man dead in the eyes. "...I'm sorry I haven't grown. I'm sorry I haven't accomplished much. And I'm especially sorry for wasting your time on me--"

     "--Just shut up already and give this old man a hug." Musashi took a couple steps forward with his arms open wide. The young man stiffened his whole body as the old sorcerer wrapped his arms around him.

     He didn't know what to do, what to say, or even how to act. ... He'd never received a hug like this before. One that enveloped his whole body, secure and long lasting. As much as he feared it for whatever, unknown reason...a warmth; at first the size of a tiny spark..grew as the seconds passed by. He could feel his own heartbeat. A strange warmth encompassing it, which he'd never felt before.

     "No... You're not weak, my boy... You're stronger than I ever was at your age. Perhaps even stronger than most men I've come across. ... And though you may have not grown in the ways you wished, I no longer see the boy from the barn, or the teen who flunked his tests, or even the sorcerer who betrayed us. ... No... I see a strong, young man who knows what he wants to do with his life. And boy, what an amazing life you have ahead of you. .. I can't wait to see it..."

     Sakurai sniffed, laying his forehead on the old man's shoulder to his the embarrassment a couple tears were to him. "...Thank you..."

     "Now that you have fulfilled your promise" Pulling away when he felt the time was right, the elder smiled at the younger, keeping his hands on his shoulders just a little while longer. "it's time that I fulfill my secret promise to you." Mid rubbing his eyes, the younger man flinched in surprise. "Why don't you come and meet my two adorable grand children? They should be inside." Brushing past Sakurai to reach the bridge, the old man's smile broadened. "Oh and also if you promise to take care of them after I'm gone, a third of my inheritance will go to you."

     "Wait, WHAT?!"

     "You should invite your husband in to visit with us as well."

     "He-he's my coworker!!"

     "Oh and do you want to feed the koi? The one I named after you died last week, so sadly you won't have the pleasure of meeting her."

     "You heard what I said, right??"

     "Does that mean I believe you?.. No."

     "Uhhgh!"

     He had a place to call home.

.

.

.

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I don't ship them btw. Just thought it would be a funny way to end the short story.

A few weeks later: hehehehehe, I found a cool picture