A New Start -Bnha x Naruto

Chapter 20

When Todoroki Shoto first heard about his father's condition, he was honestly pleased. He thought it was karma that the man deserved to end up like this. After all the man had put him, his family and his mother through, it had to be a gift from whoever was sitting up there. He thought it was the only right thing to happen and inwardly he thanked the person who had done it.

That was until he went to visit the man together with his siblings. For the family, Fuyumi had said when she had to drag the reluctant boy out of the house. The hospital was sterile and smelled of disinfectant, a place he couldn't stand. He wanted to leave, but for the sake of his sister, he stayed. She thought she could still save this broken family, he would let her, she would realize soon enough how hopeless it was. It was then that they entered the hospital room and if Shoto was honest, he was shocked. This man, his father, who always stood so proudly, taking no shit and countering everything with his untamable temper, sat there, broken, lost, silent. He stared at the ceiling above him, bandages covered his entire body and he was connected to countless machines.

When had he fallen like this?

But Shoto could not bring himself to feel sorry for him. He was shocked, yes, but his emotions reached no further than that. The time of the visit was silent, stifling, and unpleasant. The endless and steady beeping of the machines was the only thing that could be heard. And in all that time nothing was said.

"We should go" Fuyumi muttered and Natsuo had already jumped up and walked to the door. She herself stood up as well and Shoto followed, only to be held back by a hand on his wrist. The siblings' eyes fell to the man, who was now stirring for the first time since their arrival.

"Shoto, stay" he said quietly, and the others knew there was no argument. Albeit reluctantly and with one last look at his sister, who smiled weakly and nodded, he stayed and sat back in the chair. After the older Todoroki children left the room, silence followed for a moment. Enji had let go of his son's hand and was staring at the wall across from him. Shoto sat there, tense and ready to get up at any moment and run out of the room if necessary. It wasn't as if this man could run after him.

"You need to get stronger" was the first thing the flame hero said and Shoto's gaze shot up. His eyebrows drew together and his eyes narrowed. This was not what he wanted to hear.

"There are hurdles out there that you have to overcome that seem impossible to get out first".

Shoto gritted his teeth and his hands balled into fists. He knew that, he knew all that already and he would do it, but in his own way. He looked down at his clenched hands, his hair covering his eyes and he suppressed the urge to yell at the man in front of him.

"I didn't make it," Enji said, and Shoto's gaze flew to the man in front of him. His eyes widened. He hadn't expected him to admit his weakness so easily. Just said it like it was nothing, while he continued to stare at the wall. And for a brief moment Shoto thought that the person in front of him was no longer his father.

"And that's why I have to prepare you" he finished and for the first time he looked at his son. Their eyes met and silence followed for a moment.

Until Enji opened his mouth again and he told, he told so much with such painful details that Shoto for the first time became afraid of what was in front of him. What was this person in front of him saying anyway? Was such a thing even possible. Human experiments, brainwashing, blood and death, so much death that his stomach turned.

It was on this day that Shoto learned that a hero's job was so much more than looking cool, saving a few people and arresting criminals.It was so much more, so much more dangerous, so much more painful than that and for once he was scared. He was scared about what he was going to become.