Once Shinobi, Now Hero

Chapter 31: Pulse

The morning light that filtered through the reinforced windows of the UA conference room felt intrusive, a stark contrast to the grim shadows that had settled over the faculty. Outside, the world was clamoring for answers, but inside, the air was stagnant, heavy with the scent of bitter coffee and the exhausting weight of a society in free-fall.

Principal Nezu did not waste a heartbeat. He sat at the head of the long mahogany table, his paws steepled, his bead-like eyes reflecting a terrifying degree of calculation.

"I've reviewed the evidence provided by the police," he began, his voice a clinical chime that sliced through the room's low hum of anxiety. "And I have formulated our response."

The statement acted like a physical blow. Even among this gathering of elite professionals, the speed of Nezu's deduction was unsettling. Aizawa, leaning back with his arms crossed and his chin tucked deep into his capture scarf, narrowed his eyes into bloodshot slits.

What is the animal up to now? he wondered. Nezu's "plans" usually involved moving mountains; in this climate, a plan could just as easily bury them all.

"Out with it then!" Hound Dog barked, his massive fists slamming into the table with a violence that made the water glasses rattle. The beast-hero's breathing was heavy, his fur bristling with the sheer agitation of the week's failures. "All this crap happening one after another... it's a goddamn circus! I'm sick of being on the defensive!"

Nezu remained unmoved by the outburst. "I suspect that the League of Villains is operating on our previous intelligence. They likely know our original plan for the summer training camp."

The room went still. Aizawa's grip on his own elbows tightened. He had informed Class 1-A that the camp was mandatory regardless of their final exams—a contingency to sharpen them as the villain threat escalated. He hadn't, however, mentioned that the board had nearly scrapped the entire project following the Hosu Disaster and Kakashi's violent exodus.

"They most likely extracted the boy to gain this very information," Nezu continued, his voice dropping into a more somber register. "But since that is no longer our trajectory, we can convert their expectations into our greatest tactical advantage."

"What are you implying?" All Might asked. The former Symbol of Peace sat forward, his gaunt face etched with a weariness that went deeper than his physical injuries.

Nezu's gaze locked onto All Might's hollowed eyes. "You have been the North Star of the Villains' ambitions since the USJ. Even your proximity during Kakashi's escape has invited scrutiny. They saw him stand inches from you, defying your presence with total impunity. They will be expecting you to be at that camp, Toshinori. They will be hunting for a Symbol."

"So what?" Snipe interjected, his voice muffled by his respirator but sharp with a new, jagged edge. He cracked his neck, the leather of his mask creaking in the silence. "Are you suggesting we concede to their terms? Use All Might as a tethered goat?"

"You're close, Snipe, but your aim is slightly off the mark."

"What?!" Vlad King exploded, rising to his feet so abruptly his chair screeched against the floor. He leaned over the table, his face flushed with protective fury. "There is no way in hell we can risk the students like that! The entire school is scheduled to attend—not just the Hero Course! We're talking about General Studies, Support, Business... children with no combat training!"

Nezu let out a soft, weary sigh. "I am fully aware of the stakes, Kan. If this fails—if a single student is lost to the darkness—I will resign as Principal of UA immediately. Now, please. Sit. And listen."

The weight of that wager—the head of the world's greatest academy offering his career as collateral—forced Vlad King back into his seat. The silence that followed was absolute.