Creaaak.

  In the middle of the forested camp, the wooden door of a traditional Japanese groaned open.

  "Haaah…"

  Kaminari stepped out, only to be greeted by a refreshing wave of crisp, moist m air. He paused at the threshold, inhaling deeply. The ess of the forest breeze invigorated him in an instant.

  "This air… it's eveer than Omiya Park," Kaminari thought with a small smile, his gaze fixed ahead.

  Taking a step forward, he carefully closed the door behind him, all the while admiring the sery that stretched before him.

  "The jade fan hangs upside dowhe sky of the East, the white snow on Fuji reflects the rising sun…"

  The lines of a poem he'd studied in junih came to mind as he stood there, captivated by the view. For the first time, he felt the weight of what it meant to experienething truly poetic—Mount Fuji, majestid pristiood t in the distance, bathed in the warm hues of m light.

  "The idea of stepping outside and seeing Mount Fuji every m… it's amazing," Kaminari murmured to himself, his voice ced with awe. "I've got t my parents here someday. They'd love it."

  But his peaceful musings were abruptly shattered by a calm, steady voice that pierced through the stillness.

  "Good m, Raikage."

  Startled out of his thoughts, Kaminari turo see Edgeshot stepping out of another nearby. He looked just as posed as always, his appearanged from the day before.

  "Good m, Edgeshot," Kaminari replied politely.

  He stuck to using the Hero's title rather than his real name. After all, Aizawa had made it clear to them before they departed: when w with professional Heroes, it roper etiquette to address them by their Hero name.

  Edgeshot goward Mount Fuji in the distance. "Since you're up so early, I take it you've already mastered the breathing teique I showed you yesterday." His voice was calm, almost versational.

  "The breathing teique wasn't too difficult, so I picked it up pretty quickly," Kaminari replied with a smile. "But holy, getting up early is just a habit for me. I've been waking up at this time for over ten years now to train for an hour or two."

  Edgeshot nodded slightly, a hint of approval in his gaze.

  ---

  The evening before had beeively uful. Kaminari and Edgeshot had goo a nearby ke and caught two fresh fish for diheir meal was simple: grilled fish, prepackaged miso soup, and freshly steamed white rice made with water from Mount Fuji.

  Though pin, it was surprisingly satisfying. Kaminari couldn't tell if it was the freshness of the ingredients or his hunger after the long day, but it felt like one of the best meals he'd ever had.

  After dinner, Edgeshot didn't immediately put Kaminari to work. Instead, he introduced him to the camp and id out the daily routine he'd be following.

  The camp itself was straightforward. It was enclosed by fh wooden walls, without any gates, as Kaminari had already discovered.

  The western side, where they were now, was the living area. It featured five wooden s in total, each built iraditional Japayle.

  Two of the s were designated for living quarters, one for each of them. The others served as a kit, a ste shed, and a small bathroom.

  The kit doubled as a dining area, though calling it a "dining area" was a stretch. It sisted of a single wooden table on a tatami mat, rge enough to seat four people at most. Despite its simplicity, the table's craftsmanship stood out, it was smooth and polished, clearly handmade with care.

  To the east y the heart of the camp: the training grounds. This area took up nearly two-thirds of the camp's spad was filled with an assortment of ninja-style training equipment.

  There were bamboo poles remi of plum blossom stakes, ranging from oo teers i, narrow obstacle paths lined with bck iron rods, humanoid wooden dummies covered in wear and tear, and more.

  Kaminari had asked Edgeshot the obvious question: "Did you build all this yourself?"

  Edgeshot's answer had been simple yet profound. "These were created by the ninjas who came before me. This camp has been passed down through geions."

  "Then it's like an iance of Heroism," Kaminari had mused.

  Edgeshot had nodded, his voice taking on a reflective tohe ninja tradition has always been about passing down knowledge. Iance is the core of what we do."

  ---

  Ba the present, Edgeshot's expression remaieady as he turo Kaminari. "It's clear that your strength far surpasses others ye. But it's irely due to 'talent.'"

  Kaminari tilted his head, curious.

  "Your teiques carry a refihat only e from hard work and dedication. That's not something you get from natural ability alone. Endeavor's son, oher hand, is what I'd call a true genius."

  Edgeshot's wave Kaminari pause.

  "You and Todoroki are like two extremes," Edgeshot tinued. "One builds his strength through relentless practice, while the other relies on ialent. Yet both of you stand far above your peers and even some professional Heroes."

  Kaminari chuckled softly, shrugging. "Maybe it's just a case of different paths leading to the same goal. But holy…"

  He trailed off for a moment, the image of Todoroki fshing through his mind.

  "If Todoroki worked as hard as I do, he'd probably be miles ahead of me by now," Kaminari admitted with a touencholy. "Talent is a huge advantage. I 't deny that."

  Edgesharded Kaminari quietly for a moment before speaking.

  "People blessed with extraordinary talent often fail to value hard work. They don't see the need for it because they already excel without much effort. That's why so many geeau, they never learn how to push themselves further."

  Edgeshot's voice softened, his tone almost encing. "But a person who achieves greathrough hard work has a kind of talent that surpasses most others. Effort itself is a form of genius. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many mediocre people in the world."

  Kaminari's gaze steadied as he absorbed the Hero's words.

  "Hard work surpass talent," Kaminari muttered to himself, "but there are also geniuses who work hard…"

  "That's correct," Edgeshot said, his voice carrying a note of approval. He could see the spark of determination in Kaminari's eyes, and it only deepened his admiration for the boy.

  ---

  "Alright," Edgeshot said, breaking the momentary silence. "Go put on your bat uniform. Today, we'll begin your workpce experience for real. You'll get a taste of what it means to live the life of a professional Hero."

  Kaminari's eyes lit up with excitement, his previous fatigue fotten.

  "And if you're not too tired afterward," Edgeshot added, "you train with me in the evening."

  "Yes, sir!" Kaminari replied enthusiastically. Without wasting another sed, he turned and headed bato his .

  Opening his bat suit box, a faint golden glow spilled out, illuminating his face.

  With practiced ease, he dohe cer's Golden Cloth. The dark gold fme patterns along the hem rippled like waves with his movements, while the five bold characters embzoned on the back stood out, their presenanding.

  Kaminari stepped out of the , his eyes glinting with determination.

  "Let's do this. Workstudy experience, here I e!"