My Shinobi Academia: Naruto x ATLA x HxH x MHA

Chapter 29: All-Might Faces a Lawyer

Being Number #1 Pro-Hero was an experience that never got old for All-Might. No matter how many times he'd been to the WHA's building in Musutafu, there were always new people excited to meet him and get his advice on different problems from starting out as a hero, all the way to relationship problems. There was never a shortage of new sidekick proposals, each hopeful trying to learn from the best. Whilst he was always excited to help when he could, today, his focus was on finding Tsukamoto Chiyo, the human rights' lawyer who Tsukauchi believed could help the alleged child terrorists avoid Tartarus.

Standing above most of the heroes, All-Might scanned around the floor to try and find the lawyer. If she was being iced out by the Police Department as Tsukauchi had told him, then she'd have to be somewhere on this floor. If only he could stop all these rookies from hounding him!

It didn't take long for All-Might to find the lawyer. All he had to do was follow the noise — the direction of someone threatening to sue. It was coming from the civilian entrance of the Police Department where a few officers were trying to block a young lady from entering.

"You're not allowed to speak to those children without a lawyer," she snapped at them. "If you talk to those minors without legal counsel present, I'll have your badges."

"Ma'am, we told you. Have a seat and we'll have someone come get you eventually,"a young bespectacled officer told her. "Everyone's too busy taking care of paperwork to even interrogate those kids."

"Why would you tell her that?" A shorter blond man with a mole snapped at him. "They're not even in our custody."

"That's exactly what we're not supposed to let her know that!" the bespectacled officer snapped back at him.

"If the kids are not with the Police department, then which department is handling them?" She asked in a crossed voice. The two officers shrugged, refusing to speak. A frustrated Chiyo stared them down. They didn't budge. "You two really want me to talk to your supervisor today, don't you?"

"That won't be necessary," All-Might intervened as he joined the conversation.

The respect the two officers had for the pro-hero was put on display as they immediately saluted him, as they would a superior officer, greeting him.

"Just tell the lady lawyer here what she needs to know and we'll be on our way," All-Might told them.

"But sir..."

"I already spoke to Tsukauchi. He's agreed to let them handle their defense. And I'll keep an eye on her," he assured them.

The two officers looked at each other, then back to All-Might, and then Chiyo.

"They're technically in the custody of the PSIA. Spymaster Haruki wanted them in secure cells as they're accused of serious crimes," the bespectacled officer explained.

"Haruki Noya? They're with Haruki Noya," she asked. The officers nodded. "Thank you for your cooperation," she replied with a bow.

Needing no longer to keep Tsukamoto Chiyo away, they returned to their duties, leaving her with All-Might. Once they disappeared from sight, the lawyer adjusted her bag and straightened her clothes. She turned to see All-Might's large hand outstretched in front of her. She glared at it and scoffed.

"Keep an eye on me, how condescending..." she muttered before shaking it.

"All-Might," he introduced.

"I know who you are," she pointed out, withdrawing her hand as she looked up to him. "The question is why are you helping me. You're not exactly fun of people who aren't telling you how great you are."

All-Might scratched the back of his head and muttered. "That's a big assumption."

"Either way, thank you. But I have to get back to my work," Chiyo informed him. "The situation was bad enough without knowing that they could be spending time with that manipulator Haruki Noya and her deranged assistant."

She began to walk away.

"I heard you're trying to save those kids. I want to help," All-Might said as she walked past him.

She stopped. "No offense All-Might. But doesn't your work stop when you hand over your queries to law enforcement? This is rather unorthodox for the Beacon of Peace."

"I just thought you might need some help."

Chiyo turned to him with a smile. "I don't tell you how to beat your villains. You don't tell me how to defend my clien0ts."

She dismissed him and began to walk away. But All-Might's interest did pique her curiosity. She stopped again, turning back to him. "Why are these particular kids of interest to you anyway?"

All-Might turned to face her. He expected she'd be a bit abrasive to him as she had tried a few times to defend people that All-Might had put behind bars. And in some of her most pivotal cases, All-Might being the paragon of Hero Society, had been used as a constant counterargument for a judiciary determined to hold every person to the standards he set.

"I fought them at the beach. They were different."

"Different how...?"

"Good different. I've fought villains before. Those kids were not malicious or evil. I just think they deserve a chance," All-Might explained.

Chiyo scoffed. "So if we found that some of these kids once committed murder, or don't conform to the ideal you set for them, do they cease to be worthy of your mercy?"

All-Might scratched the back of his head, pondering his answer. "I can't prioritize their lives over those they've hurt."

"Good answer," Chiyo accepted, causing All-Might to smile. "Which is why we can't work together." He was confused. "Every criminal deserves a chance to a fair trial. And children shouldn't be held to the same standards as adults no matter how dangerous we think their quirks are! I think we should prioritize rehabilitation over penalization, which is why I'm taking this case."

"And I'm trying to help you."

Chiyo forced a small smile and cupped his left bicep. "I'm sure you are. But the existence of heroes like you is exactly why we're in this quandary in the first place. Everyone is quick to classify even the smallest offender as a villain..."

"You think heroes are the problem...?" All-Might interrupted.

"No. We need heroes. We just need to treat those who don't live in the light better," Chiyo argued. "Maybe just speak to some of those kids," she suggested. "Or even Stain. He was a big fan of yours, wasn't he?"