Snake House

"Congratulations, kid." Chizome grunted, without the cheer that should come when congratulating someone, and threw the envelope of documents upon the dining table where the boy was peacefully eating his crab sticks. "You're now officially Akaguro Mikumo."

He still had no idea why the kid insisted on having his last name too along with changing his given name. Was he not on good terms with his parents, or did he have some kind of past that he wants to run away from?

Who knows what kids these days think.

"Ah, thank you, Chizome-san." Mikumo, now legally named as such, nodded in thanks to his guardian as he daintily picked up the envelope with his clean hand while the other dipped his crab stick into a bowl of Kikkoman. "Fortunately, this arrived before my official schooling began."

"Your school starts in what-? Four days?" Chizome huffed and stole a crab stick from the boy's bowl, with the boy narrowing his eyes at him.

"It is indeed due to begin in four days." Mikumo nodded, moving his plate away from his guardian's thieving hands.

"You got everything you need?" Chizome clicked his tongue and stuffed the entire crab stick into his mouth at once, savoring Mikumo's appalled expression with a taunting grin.

With his face scrunched in distaste, the boy replied. "Everything needed has been sorted out. All that's left is to receive the issued textbooks from the school itself."

"Alright. You should be able to do that on your own." Chizome stretched his back, grunting when several bones popped audibly before slinking towards his bedroom. "As for the rest... Do whatever, as long as you don't burn down the house."

"I see." Mikumo said, finishing his food, now without the threat of it being stolen.

As long as he didn't burn down the house, was it...

Well, anyways, it was about time for him to start training this pathetic body.

...

There was a park a few streets away from the apartment complex where Chizome lived. One which wasn't frequented by many because of how close it was to an ongoing construction project.

Because of the noise and the paranoia brought by the possibility of getting crushed if something went wrong during the construction, not many would choose this place to relax.

But, to Mikumo, who was searching for a secluded place to begin his training, this was perfect.

Unfortunately, this body was already past the most optimal age to begin Shinobi training, but, it wasn't like he could be picky with what he has.

For now, he had to make do with this. And, like all things physically related, one must begin with the basics.

Hence, stamina training.

This body, for sure needs as much stamina as it could get, with his quirk heavily relying on his energy stores in order to work.

But, if he just focused on that alone, he'd still be useless for everything else.

So, while he persevered in running laps around the park, trying to build up his stamina along with his muscles, he made a plan to gradually regain his former battle prowess in the most efficient way possible.

Therefore, a specialized diet, along with a strict training regimen was a must. And, when his body was up to sufficient standards, he'll try to see if the back alleys were offering any additional practices.

Unfortunately, this era was a bit too peaceful for his taste, and even using quirks in public would require a government issued license.

Though, he'd like to say that the law which prevents using quirks in public for any given situation was stupid. Or perhaps, it was made during the time when quirks weren't as widespread as it was now, and the politicians that came after never bothered changing it.

But, since he wasn't one to be content with living a life of following rules like a mindless sheep, and he'd already spent too long living the life of a hunted man in his previous life, he'd just have to ensure that he'd acquire one of those licenses soon.

The quickest way to that was obviously-

To become a Hero.

So that was what he was doing. Training.

Slowly, gradually. Getting his body attuned, so it follows the will of his mind, no longer feeling too slow or too weak.

Until he catches up and surpasses his peers who had years ahead of him with the aid of their quirks.

After all, even in this peaceful era, one can never be too safe. Danger lurks everywhere, and anytime, it might resurface, catching everyone unaware.

Only power and knowledge can ensure absolute safety.

After his sixth lap around the park, Mikumo felt his body approaching its limits. Inwardly, he winced.

The park itself isn't even that big, yet, his body was so pathetic that it can't even manage ten laps before giving up.

Midoriya Izuku, did you really do nothing all your life?Were you seriously expecting to become a hero like this?

He dreams of becoming a hero despite being quirkless, yet he never even did anything to combat that in the first place.

What was he thinking? That All Might would suddenly appear in front of him and proclaim that he passed a secret hero test and present to him a ticket to becoming a hero without him doing anything?

To add to that, he was a coward too. If he can't stand up for himself, how will others trust him to stand up for them?

Mikumo really didn't like the past him. To the point that he refused to acknowledge that they were the same person.

Atleast, despite Orochimaru's many crimes, he knew exactly what he wanted and did everything he could to achieve it.

Taking deep breaths, he went to the grassy area of the park and began stretching his muscles, otherwise, they'd start aching come next morning.

He really needs to get a lot of work done to get this body in passable standards.

"But Fumiii! You need a friend! And, what do I see? A potential friend, ripe and ready to be picked!"

On a bench behind a tree, some distance behind him, Mikumo could hear a strangely distorted voice whining, causing him to look up curiously in the middle of his leg stretch.

"Dark Shadow! Cease this at once! I will not-"

There was a boy with a raven's head, talking to a similarly bird-like shadow that was attached to him.

A rare case of a sentient quirk! How fascinating.

"Too late! He's already looking this way!"

"You-" The bird-headed boy took a look to confirm that the subject of their conversation was indeed looking at them and immediately winced, head lowered in what was most likely embarrassment. "What a mad banquet this has become."

On one hand, he really should mind his own business and continue training. But... It's such a rare quirk.

Mikumo stared at the two in interest, mentally debating in his mind the best course of action to do in this situation, before Izuku's and Orochimaru's need to... study something won out.

"How magnificent." He muttered, somehow appearing in front of the other boy before he could notice. "Absolutely intriguing."

"Wha-" The boy took a startled step back, with his shadow squawking in surprise as well.

"By any chance, are you two able to communicate with each other mentally?" Mikumo continued, paying no mind to their reactions. "The shadow seems attached to the lower back area, but is it possible for the connection to be physically cut off in a way? Perhaps with the aid of a strong beam of light? Will the presence of light reduce the size of the shadow? In that case, total darkness might help increase the size or strengthen it. Truly marvelous."

While the strange, golden eyed boy was muttering to himself and effectively deconstructing their quirk, the two birds silently kept to themselves, one perturbed, and the other curious.

"Um-" The shadow bird waved a single clawed hand in front of the golden eyed boy in an attempt to catch his attention. "Hi?"

"Oh! Pardon me! You must be quite taken aback by that. I tend to get lost in my own thoughts when faced with something that catches my interest." The boy, finally snapping out of... whatever that was, turned towards them with a polite smile. "My name is Akaguro Mikumo. Your quirk is incredible, by the way."

The bird-headed boy blinked and cleared his throat awkwardly. "Tokoyami Fumikage. And this is-"

"I'm Dark Shadow!" The shadow bird announced and floated closer towards Mikumo, coming right up to his face. "No one's ever called me incredible before! You're the nicest person to Dark Shadow, only second to Fumi!"

"Is that so?" Mikumo tilted his head in confusion. "But Dark Shadow really is incredible. Sentient quirks are extremely rare after all, so more people should appreciate being able to meet one such as yourself in their lifetime! It's like being able to see a wild panda."

"Really? Uwah! I'm super happy!" Dark Shadow said, clutching Tokoyami's shoulders as the boy was rocked to and fro by his own quirk. "Hey, hey! Since you like Dark Shadow, and Dark Shadow likes you too, why don't we be friends so Fumi can be friends with you too?"

"Dark Shadow-" The one called Fumi said, eyeing the other boy hesitantly. Maybe it was a little too early to propose a friendship? Especially with someone who obviously looks a little suspicious.

"Friends via proxy?" Unfortunately for Tokoyami, today just happens to be the day where his words are often cut off by everyone else. "It does sound interesting. I'm in."

"Yosh! Friend get!" Dark Shadow cheered, stealing Tokoyami's phone from his pocket, and offering to exchange phone numbers with the strange boy they just met.

And all Tokoyami could do was sigh helplessly while his quirk listed the new number under a cutesy nickname.

...

Tokoyami Fumikage, in the eyes of others, was a gloomy child who said strange words and only has his own quirk for a friend. Or, atleast, that was what he looked like to others.

In all honesty, Tokoyami, despite his quirk providing for a good enough conversation partner for him, still felt quite lonely from time to time. But, considering the fact that his classmates tended to avoid him because they didn't understand his personality or his insistence on having his quirk be deemed as a separate being from him, he was left friendless until now.

Most people tended to ignore the fact that Dark Shadow was sentient and refused to see them as anything more than a quirk. Since that was the case, Tokoyami was fine being alone. Dark Shadow was more important to him than anyone else anyways. It didn't matter if he never gained a friend.

Or, that was the case, until he met that boy in the park a few days before the end of their Summer Break.

Akaguro Mikumo.

Or, more like, Dark Shadow met Akaguro Mikumo, and Tokoyami was just dragged along for the ride.

And, subsequently, dragged into a training session which left his body aching for days.

To be honest, he still didn't understand the boy.

Even after communicating via texts and meeting up in the park during the past four days for training, he still didn't know much about the boy.

All he knew was that his name was Akaguro Mikumo, he just moved into the area recently, he spoke in an old fashioned way, his quirk had something to do with snakes, and he finds his quirk intriguing.

In all honesty, he could've gone his entire life perfectly fine without meeting Mikumo. He did well enough keeping to himself.

But now, on his last year of grade school, Tokoyami was faced with this conundrum.

"Hello! My name is Akaguro Mikumo. I will be your classmate from this day forth. Yoroshiku!"

Looking at the strange boy who appeared into his life and threw all his plans into disarray, smiling innocently with his predatorial snake eyes that no one else but him could see, Tokoyami sighed helplessly.

Perhaps, this was fated.

After all, one look upon those cunning eyes, and he couldn't deny the inevitable feeling that a mad banquet of darkness was upon them all.

...

Mikumo was in need of weapons to begin his weapon training, but in this era, no one would even sell a kitchen knife to a child, let alone things like kunai and swords which are rarely seen being sold in regular shops in the first place.

So, obviously, Mikumo was feeling troubled.

Of course, there's always the option of just using henge to buy them, but why should he trouble himself when there was a much easier solution at hand?

Mikumo eyed the window that was left slightly ajar when Chizome sneakily left the apartment.

Several streets away, in the dark alleys where no one of polite company frequented, a mysterious masked figure was confronting a heavily muscled man nearly twice his size. Below the muscular man, the downed figure of an elderly man laid unmoving, with only his faint breathing to signify his condition.

"A hero- no, you don't smell like one..." The muscled man spoke thoughtfully, eyeing the sudden visitor with scrutiny. "A vigilante."

In response, the masked figure only unsheathed his blade in silence.

"Why can't you rats just mind your own business, eh?" The muscled man grunted in irritation before charging towards the vigilante as lava began to coat his fists.

Knowing well that it was unwise to confront the man head on with their difference in physique along with the man's dangerous quirk, the masked vigilante had to rely on his speed and skill to lure the muscular man away from the victim.

He even managed to injure the man with his blade, yet, just as he though he was succeeding, tongue darting out from behind the mask to lick the blood on the metal, the muscled man suddenly punched his blade, causing it to fly out of his grip.

"Ah, that was dangerous." The muscular man commented with a mocking smile. "I think I remember now."

Eyeing the sword briefly, the vigilante noted it's now-broken state, with the blade being partially scorched and melted, still hissing with steam. If the punch was aimed at him, he would have incurred fatal injuries or outright death.

He'd have to be more careful.

"You're Stendhal, aren't you?" The muscular man said lightly, rubbing both lava fists against each other. "I heard about a vigilante who can paralyze anyone with just a single scratch of his blade. Hehe- I think I know how you do it now."

The vigilante narrowed his eyes behind his mask. Just why can't this guy just be a muscle-head like the rest of his body?

Realizing that it won't end well if he continued this confrontation, Stendhal switched his priority from the villain to the victim.

So, while the villain was busy monologuing, he took his chance and darted towards the downed elderly, aiming to rescue and run.

"How heroic-"

But, just like before, right as he was about to succeed, a large, steaming hand reached right towards his face, aiming to melt it right off.

Or, that was what would have happened if a string-like creature hadn't suddenly leaped out from the vigilante's collar and latched onto the villain's exposed neck.

Feeling the sensation of being bitten, and the immediate searing pain that coursed through his broodstream that followed it, the villain was quick to change his target from the vigilante to whatever was on his neck. But, just as quickly as it appeared, the creature was gone, slithering off into the dark corners of the alley while the villain crumpled to the ground in pain, breathing heavily and heart pumping wildly.

"What the-" Taken aback by the sudden turn of events, Stendhal leaped away, cautiously eyeing the villain on the ground.

And, just a few minutes later, all movements coming from the villain ceased.

He was dead.

Upon that realization, the vigilante immediately knew that he had to get away quickly, before anyone else stumbled upon this place, so, in a quick burst of motion, he picked up the unconscious elderly man, dropped him off unseen at a nearby hospital, and sped back to the apartment, determined to get some answers about what just happened from the mouth of the most likely cause of it.

Though, right as he arrived at the window which he used to quickly get in and get out of the apartment without the risk of being seen by neighbors if he were to go through the door, he found it locked from the inside with a note taped on the glass.

[Please use the front door. Thank you.]

"That brat."

...

The lights were dim, the door creaked eariely, and the first sentence that greeted him when he entered the apartment was-

"I assume you've seen the perks of having an aid with you during your excursions?" Golden eyes glimmered from within a nest of snakes. 

"What do you want?" Chizome frowned, shuddering in surprise when a single snake slid out of his clothes and joined it's brethren.

"Nothing too extraordinary." Mikumo smiled calmly, pulling the upper half of his body out of the bed of slithering snakes. "In exchange for letting them aid you, I simply wish for a steady supply of... weaponry."