Izuku Midoriya (Rogue Hero)/Relationships

## Inko Midoriya

* **Izuku:** "Everyone knows about One For All, Mum. It's only a matter of time before someone tries to kidnap you as blackmail. I can't protect you forever when so many other people need my help. We have no choice. You have to change your identity and cut ties with me. I'm sorry I couldn't be your son, but this is the only way."
* **Inko:** "You're not Deku to me, you're my baby, Izuku. You always dreamed of being a hero. Whenever you watched your favourite All Might video, you said you'd always smile like him. But this isn't what you dreamed of- hiding any smile behind a mask. I know you're strong enough to defeat anyone who might want to hurt you. You saved me and everyone else when you defeated the League. But if you don't care for yourself, your mind might become the enemy you never expected. You’re Izuku, my son. You can't change that part of yourself. Even All Might tried erasing Toshinori Yagi and reality soon came crashing down on him. "

The focus of Inko's worry shifted over time. After witnessing how powerful her son was, she realised the unlikelihood of a villain getting the better of him. If he remained quirkless, he could have never defended himself during Japan's collapse. Ironically, Izuku may be safer going into danger with a quirk, then running from danger with no powers. Inko made an conscious effort to not downplay Izuku's achievements and respect him as the hero he was.

Then, Inko feared her son's greatest enemy was his own mind and quirk. When he finally paralysed his arms, Inko lived with Izuku at the secret hospital. Due to All For One exposing the transferable nature of Izuku's quirk, the family was forced to consider witness protection. She begged her child to retire as a hero and return to living with her. She said he'd earnt his rest and his injured body could no longer keep up with his dream. Though, her words weren't enough. Izuku trained blackwhip to puppeteer his arms and he refused to join Inko in witness protection. He said he was still obligated to be a hero and asked Inko to cut contact for her own safety. He apologised for being a bad son, but he insisted that saving people trumped his personal life.

Losing contact for two years, Inko wondered if she could have done more to help Izuku. She played alternate realities in her head, such as making Izuku move schools or telling the UA teachers to stop ignoring Izuku's broking bones. After learning about the truth of One For All, she felt conflicted towards All Might. She didn't know whether to blame herself or All Might for Izuku's destructive path. Why was Izuku compelled to lie to her about One For All and would things be better if she'd known?

After Izuku is arrested, he has a haunting reunion with his mother. She has shed too many tears in the past and she is too numb to cry. She sternly grips Izuku's hand and says she is taking charge. She orders Izuku to corporate with the mental hospital. Izuku asks how his mother can forgive him after everything he's done. Inko acknowledges Izuku's crimes and says his victims are entitled to whatever feelings they have. She argues it is not her role to decide whether he deserves forgiveness or not. Her role is to be his mother and she has to ensure his wellbeing.

## Hisashi Midoriya

* **Izuku:** "It's not on my mind anymore. It's fine, go live your own life"

Hisashi was present for the first few years of his son's life. He wasn't confident in his abilities as a father and felt inferior to Inko. Before Izuku's fourth birthday, he was transferred by the Safety Commission to an USA Base. Feeling better suited as a breadwinner, Hisashi wanted to ensure his loved ones never worried about money. When Izuku was confirmed as quirkless, his sentiments were enforced further. He'd give Inko the funds to accommodate a quirkless child. On top of that, Hisashi was scared he'd say something wrong about Izuku's condition and make him feel worse.

This attitude caused Hisashi to stay years at the USA base. When Inko told Izuku about his father providing money; The green-haired boy didn't want to feel ungrateful towards his parents, so accepted the situation for what it was. Among Hisashi's busy hours, the two had monthly phone calls and sent gifts through the mail. However, Hisashi lost touch with who his son was growing into and didn't know what to say. They had awkward and neutral feelings towards each other.

After Izuku went into middle-school, Hisashi dug himself into a hole. He felt guilt for not being a present father, but assumed it was too late to change it. He feared Izuku would hate him if he had a sudden heel-turn and disrupted his blissful dynamic with his mother. Izuku found other father figures but kept superficial communication going with Hisashi for Inko's sake. As apart of his personality, Izuku would readily say he forgave his father if Hisashi admitted regret. He wouldn't want him to be distressed, even for personal wrongs against him.

When Hisashi saw Izuku working hard at UA High, he was misguidedly inspired to knuckle down at his job, so his son had good funds for his studies. From Inko, he heard about All Might's unexpected closeness to their child. Hisashi didn't dare to intrude on this dynamic, as it was any kid's dream and he couldn't compare. To make it worse, Hisashi was a former hero trainee, but got kicked out for his cowardice. He didn't want Izuku to discover his past and be a bad example.

When Izuku's arms became paralysed, Inko finally demanded that her husband return home or she would divorce him. She didn't care what crisis was currently happening in the USA, his family needed him. Izuku was no longer under the supervision of teachers or top heroes, he was alone. For the first time, Hisashi tried being emotionally open with Izuku. He explained his past and said his son's efforts were more admirable then his. Looking at his father with pitying eyes, Izuku numbly said that Hisashi didn't need to leave his job for his sake, as they already had separate lives. Izuku claimed he was devoted to One For All and he didn't have time for personal affairs like connecting with his father. Inko ended up divorcing Hisashi and was reluctant to let him visit when Izuku was legally sectioned.

## All Might

* **Izuku:** "I said you don’t have to worry about me. You're just making me worry about you instead. I know you're trying to help, but you're only endangering yourself. If you want to save as many people as possible... Step aside. The first day we met, I asked you if a quirkless kid could become a pro. You told me no: I had to serve others in a different career. Now that's true for you. You can't save people like you used to. Years ago, you inspired me with your speeches. You can do it again with a new generation. Leave the crime-fighting to me. Because no matter how far you chase me, All Might, you can never go back to being a hero."

All Might made Izuku his successor at the young age of fourteen. He was reminded of himself as they were both quirkless kids who tried to save someone without thinking. While All Might was competent in Izuku's physical training, he projected onto him and gave him overwhelming expectations to be a symbol. To keep up with his expectations, Izuku self-mutilated as he tried to replicate All Might's raw power. With Recovery Girl's and Gran Torino's warnings, the two realised that the boy needed to find his own style. During this time, All Might's respect for Izuku grew. He no longer saw him as a fanboy, but someone who would be his equal soon. He stopped keeping secrets from Izuku under the guise of protecting him. They shared an almost family bond, especially since Hisashi Midoriya was absent from his son's life.

During the first year at UA High, Izuku and All Might found a good stride. They were understanding each other more and making the necessary compromises. However, Izuku was soon caught up in All Might's past. With All For One's uprising and his mentor's retirement, the green-haired boy took the burden too early. Overwhelmed with the trauma and responsibility, he became a lone hero to stop attracting danger to his allies. Without his powers, All Might struggled to know how to support Izuku. Being unable to physically protect him, he desperately trailed Izuku to give him basic supplies. Though Izuku said to stop worrying about him and All Might wondered if he was getting in the way.

When Izuku was hospitalised with paralysed arms, All Might questioned his part in all of it. The former hero wished he could spend all his time with his injured pupil, but his duties forced him to leave on multiple occasions. Due to many reasons, Izuku had an existential crisis while he was bedbound. He questioned what symbol he would be and All Might's effect on society. After the League was defeated, All Might wanted to dedicate his time to Izuku's recovery. Upon arriving, Izuku had a slight breakdown and went into a long ramble. The boy claimed he could never match All Might's charisma and make people consistently smile. Secondly, he explained he didn't want to make the same mistakes as his mentor and make society too dependent on him. Since All Might entrusted him to make his own choices, he wanted to change up how the symbol functioned. Izuku would split the symbol into two roles, the crimefighter and the public speaker. That way, the two could focus on what they're good at and maximize their time to improve society. All Might understood his successor's points, but he was worried about why he suddenly felt this way.

When Izuku admitted he had no plans to return to high school, All Might begged him to reconsider. He reminded him that his development as a hero was rushed and abnormal, due to villains trying to kill him in his first year. All Might asked his successor to cherish his school experience as he was only seventeen. After all, the retired hero didn't reach his full potential until he studied at a USA university. All Might suggested they could return to basics like they did at the beach. To All Might's dismay, Izuku was unable to slow down as a hero. Within months, he trained blackwhip to control his arms and he was interning at World Heroes Association.

The former hero pleaded to accompany Izuku, but he declined. He asked All Might to focus on inspiring the next generation on TV. He reluctantly stepped back, wanting to respect Izuku's decision making. After his successor strayed into vigilantism and villainy, All Might became guilt-ridden. He seriously questioned his part in Izuku's downfall and if he could have prevented it. Did he put too much pressure onto a middle-schooler? Did the parasocial element make things too complicated? Did he not treat Izuku's self mutilation seriously enough? His self doubt deepened and he considered himself a failure of a teacher. He found a surprising kinship with Endeavour, as they both failed to stop young boys from destroying themselves. The Fire hero advised All Might to be more pro-active before it was too late. His personal mission became to stop Izuku's rampage.

While Izuku was constantly traveling across the world, All Might knew he couldn't physically reach him. Instead, he asked pursuing heroes to carry devices, so he could remotely communicate with his pupil. Izuku asked All Might to focus on being a motivational speaker. He coldly reminds his mentor on their roof conversation and it applies to him now as a quirkless man. As stubborn as each other, their conversations derailed into yelling matches. All Might couldn't believe what his relationship with Izuku had been reduced to. Worse, he saw alarming parallels between his pupil and their old enemies. Izuku's quirks were becoming uncontrollable like Shigaraki as a child. Then like All For One, Izuku had renamed himself "One For All" and he childishly stated he would become the "ultimate hero".

With Izuku's crimes continuing to escalate, All Might decided to travel in person to his pupil. Stars & Stripes got reports of Izuku barely containing blackwhip and hiding in a warehouse as it overflowed. All Might tagged along onto the battlefield. He intended to shout encouraging words or hug it out, whatever was necessary to save Izuku. Agitated from suppressing blackwhip, Izuku cried that All Might was too frail to be there and he needed to get out. Desperately, the retired pro tried to grab Izuku, but the boy shouted he wasn't a hero anymore. What happened next; even Izuku didn't know if it was anger, quirk instability or both. He aimed blackwhip towards All Might's legs, but the blast imploded into a spider's web. It pierced All Might's body in multiple places. Sir Nighteye's prophecy echoed in both their minds in that last moment.

## Bakugo

* **Bakugo:** "I thought quirks defined everything. So as a quirkless kid, I thought you were below me. I thought I hated you because you stepped out of line. You were pretending to be a hero and patronising the real prodigies. But actually, I was envious. You had a heroic spirit, way beyond my own. While people said I'd easily be a hero, you had to stay determined through the constant doubt. I'm sorry for the hell I put you through, Izuku. I still got a lot to learn from you."
* **Izuku:** "I wish you the best in reconciling with your regret, Bakugo. But I can't be the one to help you. I'm only licenced to use my quirk, not to counsel. Find the right person to help you."
* **Bakugo:** "Are you serious? I am even talking to Izuku Midoriya? You went through years of bullying and you have nothing to say about it?"
* **Deku:** "Who's under the mask, doesn't matter anymore. I just have to let One For All reach its full potential. Please, Bakugo, there are endless villains chasing after me. You're only endangering yourself if you come after me. Do you need my forgiveness? Would that help you?"
* **Bakugo:** "You’re the one who needs help. I know your selflessness is a bottomless pit, but you act like you're not human. Do you think you can function like a robot: No sleep or food for days? If you can’t realise when you’re being an idiot, then to listen to others when they'e telling you. Because you are right now!"

After years of bullying, Bakugo wished to apologise and reconcile with Izuku. However, the blonde boy never got that chance. Due to Japan's collapse, Izuku left UA High to round up villains and to not attract danger to his friends. When Izuku neglected his health, Bakugo and 1-A wished to bring him home. However, he manged to escape and reinforced his notion to stay away. The explosion user was guilt ridden, wondering if he was responsible for Izuku's self destructive habits.

When Izuku steadily became a vigilante and then a villain, Bakugo was in deep denial. The League and the public were convinced that Bakugo had villainous potential, not his childhood friend. He seemed to be born with a heroic heart and was willing to forgive his old bully so easily. How was it possible for someone like that to be a villain?

Out of all 1-A, Bakugo put the most effort into tracking Izuku down. He skipped months of lessons as he felt personally responsible. At first, Bakugo tried to be sentimental, apologising and recalling Izuku's heroic moments. Yet his words fell on deaf ears and he was back to square one. With each passing encounter, Bakugo was running out of things to say. Gradually, Bakugo's concerned words grew into ones of frustration. Without realising it, he would blurt insults again and literally try to beat the sense into Izuku. His actions in the present were getting eerily close to his past bullying.

After pushing for so long, Izuku broke his silence and had choice words of his own. He questioned if Bakugo was fixated on him due to him being All Might's successor and One For All surpassing Explosion. He insisted that he doesn't take pride in being stronger, but that is just how things worked out. Izuku coldly says Bakugo never crossed his mind when he decided to become a vigilante. He robotically offers to recite the phrase "I forgive you" if it gave Bakugo peace and to stop chasing after him.

At the point, Aizawa told Bakugo to stop. His teacher questioned his motives: Was he doing what was best for Izuku? Or was he trying to bury his own feelings of regret? Izuku might feel like the explosion user is harassing him and growing to resent him. Aizawa advised that Bakugo was too clouded by his personal bias and he needed to step away. Reluctantly, he returned to UA High and hoped other heroes could capture Izuku safely.

## UA Students

Izuku's crimes had a mixed reception amongst UA High. At the beginning, all of his classmates united and tried to bring him home. However, he manged to escape and enforced they couldn't keep up with him. While the numbers dwindled over time, 1-A members made many attempts to get him back. They ultimately wanted capture Izuku for his own safety.

Eventually, the green-haired boy was trying his classmates' patience. He kept avoiding them and allowed his crimes to get worse. There were two contrasting interpretations of Izuku's villainy within 1-A. One side insisted that he was the same kind person but he was doing his heroic duties in a misguided way. Another side felt that Izuku betrayed his own principals and he'd grown too self-righteous to listen to anyone else. Either Izuku's classmates remained hopeful in his good nature, or they resigned to him being a proper villain.

Outside of 1-A, UA students were more harsh towards Izuku. Their main exposure to him was his battle with Shoto Todoroki at the Sports Festival. Students became convinced that his broken fingers and intense expressions were signs of his future villainy. It became a cynical joke that the League kidnapped the wrong person. UA Students thought that All Might decided his successor poorly and Izuku had creating a twisted version of his mission. UA students still couldn't pin down Izuku's motivations though: Whether he was a fanatic before One For All or if All Might's expectations warped him.

## Stars and Stripe

* **Star and Stripe:** "Don't you think you're prioritising the lives of villains too much? If a serial killer is threatening innocents, your main objective is to stop them. Whether they end up in a body bag or solitary confinement, you won't see them again. You shouldn't be wasting time with mid-battle therapy. You're not a negotiator, you're a hero. No sob story should stop you doing your job. I thought All Might would have taught you that."
* **Izuku:** "Taught me what? For an All Might fan, your ideals don't seem to align. He always talked about saving and inspiring others "
* **Star and Stripe:** "He preached that on TV, Izuku, not during active combat. Anyway, I'm not All Might's fangirl anymore. I'm hoping to go beyond that and be his legacy. I want to be his equal. I want to improve from him. If he's chosen you as his successor, I hope you're doing the same."

The two have a complicated and layered relationship. As a young child, Izuku highly admired her and she was a favourite on raw power alone. Due to language barriers, Izuku was limited on how much research he could do. So he assumed she was female version of All Might and didn't learn about her beyond a surface level. She was a larger then life figure until he met her in person. They had a chance encounter when Shigaraki tried to steal New Order and they teamed up to defeat him. Izuku immediately caught Stars' eye due to his strength and she wanted to get to know him afterwards. At the same time, she didn't know him enough, to listen to his pleas to spare Shigaraki. In the name of saving the world, Stars traumatised the boy by brutally killing someone in front of him.

After the battle, Izuku was stuck in physical rehab while Stars took charge of defeating the League. As Izuku watched Stars on TV, he felt shameful for burdening someone else with defeating All For One. As the casualties stacked up, he wondered if he could have prevented those deaths, especially when Stars killed more villains. When the dust settled, Stars had the time to visit Izuku and personally thank him.

From her japanese allies, she heard rumours about him being All Might's chosen successor. At the same time, it was also public knowledge that Stars considered him her master. A deep discussion about their idle was a long time in the making. He asked if Stars resorted to killing the villains too quickly and if All Might would have tried to save them instead. Stars points out that he already crushed All For One's head and heroes killing isn't as uncommon as he thinks. She says that innocent lives take priority and villains can only blame themselves if they get killed from self-defence. She argue that he's describing the job of negotiators, not pro heroes. Izuku cynically asks if it is pointless anyway due to inhuman prisons like Tartarus undoing the inner peace villains gained. Stars reminds him that technology can't replicate Aizawa's eraser; So containing such dangerous quirk users while making it comfortable is very difficult.

Despite their philosophical disagreements, Stars felt obligated to help Izuku return to heroism. The teenager explained he couldn't return to UA High after One For All's exposure and he would get his full license as an intern. Stars wanted Izuku to pace himself as he was still a kid, but she would keep him safe if he went down that path. After All Might became quirkless, Stars thought she should help train his successor. She gave him connections to World Heroes Association, so he could intern with them.

Despite their busy schedules, Stars kept updated about Izuku's progress. When she discovered he was disobeying the Association, she ordered his school records to check if this was repeated behaviour. When she discovered his acts of vigilantism, she personally confronted Izuku. She blamed Izuku's teachers for being too lenient and he needed to learn true consequences. She had his provisional license suspended for a year and returned him to Japan. But Izuku obsessed about potential lost lives if he was out of action, so he continued despite his suspension.

As Izuku's criminal record racked up, Stars kept him on her radar. While his loved ones were shocked or disappointed, she got annoyed by how self-righteous he acted. She thought his motives were childish, refusing to listen to anyone and thinking he knew best due to his quirk alone. However, he wasn't a serious villain that could justify leaving America. It became serious when Izuku interfered with foreign affairs. As a Japanese civilian, other countries could blame Japan for not controlling their strongest quirk user. Fearing a political fallout, Stars got permission to take down Izuku personally. The two would have serval encounters during the international manhunt for Izuku. They didn't like hurting each other, but they weren't willing to back down from their missions. They had serval destructive battles. Stars was the one to arrest Izuku after he accidentally killed All Might and turned himself in. After killing her idol, Stars dropped her soft spot for Izuku and considered him a pure villain. She thought that Izuku deserved a life sentence in prison rather then a mental hospital.

## **Koichi Haimawari**

When Koichi read the reports about Izuku rampaging, he felt uniquely qualified to tackle him as a hero. He saw many parallels between himself and the young man. They were All Might fanboys, prone to vigilantism and failed to keep their villain nemesis alive. Despite being a licensed hero in the current day, Koichi still had a soft spot for vigilantes. Unlike other pros, Koichi would not arrest someone for illegal quirk usage and nothing else. He understood that vigilantism can be necessary when local authorities are lacking and civilians need to step up. Though Koichi warns that every area has its own individual problems and solutions. The Crawler's unique brand may have worked for Naruhata but it won't be the same everywhere.

Koichi thinks its important for vigilantes to remain competent and they're surrounded by allies to keep them in check. Otherwise, they may deserve the villain treatment and be taken off the streets. Koichi remembered how Stain was a lone vigilante who assumed his judgement was superior and became an irredeemable killer. Koichi doesn't agree with Izuku's form of vigilantism. He traveling to oversea communities he was ignorant about and didn't necessarily want him. His irrational state was causing reckless mistakes, which could be making everything worse. Finally, he was refusing to listen to anyone when they say he was going too far, whether it the authorities or civilians.

When Stars & Stripes left America to hunt down the boy, Koichi volunteered to go with her. He half believed in Izuku's mission to be a symbol to the World and not letting laws prevent him from saving lives. It sounded amazing on paper, but Koichi knew the alarming statics of Izuku potentially doing more harm then good. He was conflicted on whether he wanted Izuku locked up or advised on how to be a better vigilante. Behind Star's back, Kochi tried to give Izuku contacts to other vigilantes. He begged Izuku to let his mind recover and get the allies he desperately needed to keep him in check. However, Izuku enforced that nobody could keep up with him and he had to walk his dangerous path alone. Stunned, Koichi concluded he was too far gone and he needed to placed into custody. Though Koichi remained sympathetic as he saw himself becoming like Izuku in an another timeline. During the final battle between Stars and Izuku, Koichi was sided with the USA Number 1. Though he still shouted encouraging words at Izuku, saying he can return to being a hero once he gets the help he needs.

## Shigaraki

* **Shigaraki:** “All this time, I thought Bakugo had the most potential to see through the heroes’ façade. When they chained him to the podium like a dog. I got so distracted by those worthless medals, I couldn’t see the most obvious candidate. Izuku Midoryia. The boy who had to break his arms, just to live up to the hype. Including your precious All Might. You almost died because of his quirk and he was only focused on his legacy. That insane look in your eye when you fought Todoroki - You and everyone else thought it was your selfless devotion. Nothing could go wrong with it. But quirks don't work like that, Midoriya. No matter your intent, if you keep pushing with reckless abandon - You could accidentally kill someone. Your true potential as a villain."

With the League's various attacks on 1-A, Izuku and Shigaraki singled each out as moral enemies. Continuing the legacy of their masters, they believed they were destined to have the ultimate showdown. At first, Izuku hated Shigaraki as a simple evil. When he tried to expand his empathy as hero, he recognised Shigaraki's past as a traumatised and brainwashed child. Going against the advise of the vestiges, Izuku made a vow to save his nemesis.

After this declaration, Izuku would only see Shigaraki alive, one more time. He oversaw his battle against Stars & Stripe and flew over to assist her. With the combined efforts of Endeavour, Stars and Deku, they had the villain at their mercy. With Stars' clear intention to kill him, Izuku was forced to rush his redemption attempt. He claimed Tenko Shimura was still there and he could the hero he always dreamed about. As Izuku offered him a helping hand, Shigaraki spited him by decaying his fingers. He argued that Izuku couldn't force people to smile and people had more potential for villainy then they ever realise, including Izuku himself.

Those were Shigaraki's dying words before Endeavour snatched Izuku away and Stars landed the fatal blow. Witnessing the villain's gruesome death would haunt the boy for a long time. He thought he was a failure for not completing his all-important promise. It was the final nail in the coffin when it came to Izuku abandoning certain ideals. Izuku decided that speaking to villains mid-battle was a waste of time and took a warrior's vow of silence. He no longer thought that "mentally save" people was worth it and only focused on physical wellbeing.

## **Stain**

After escaping prison, Stain was curious to encounter Izuku again. He deemed him a true hero by his standards and wondered how the young student had developed. However, the hero killer was shocked and angered to see how he'd changed for the worst. He assumed Izuku was incorruptible but realised evil can take unexpected forms when something becomes too extreme. After watching him from afar, Stain vowed to confront him a single time and give him a desire warning.

He knew Izuku was too powerful to confront in person, so he went for a different strategy. He lured him to an isolated building with a dead body and used a stolen computer to live chat. Stain rambles about how Izuku is like a sloppy animal now. He may do good deeds in isolation, but Izuku is so reckless about how he does it, he doesn't recognise the wider consequences. Stain declares that Izuku only has the base traits of a hero, but lacks the tact to earn the title. Ending his speech, the hero killer tells Izuku to get back on track or he'll be his next target soon.

As apart of his vow of silence, Izuku swore to not engage with villain manipulation tactics. He listened to Stain's speech in case he hinted towards his location but promptly left afterwards. He assumed Stain's threat was a bluff considering how powerful he was. Either way, Izuku refused to indulge Stain's games, regardless of their personal history. He gave Stain's warnings no mind.

Irritated that Izuku didn't take him seriously, Stain planned to scare him and perhaps kill him. With weeks of searching, Stain looked for a gimmicky quirk that may stand a chance against Izuku. He settles on a quirk that: If the user touches someone, they can inflict their injuries onto that target while healing themselves. Stain tried to kidnap this quirk user but he was unceremoniously dealt with. Within seconds, Izuku knocked him out with a single punch and immediately left. But with his obsession with speed, Izuku made a terrible mistake. He didn't take the time to realise the second person was Stain's kidnapped victim and mistook them for his criminal accomplice. So like Stain, Izuku knocked out the second person and let the police to deal with the mess.

## Sako Amaya

Sako was a quirkless journalist who was deeply effected by All For One's leaked videos about Izuku's secrets. The public discovered how All Might and his successor were born quirkless, yet became Japan's most powerful heroes. Among people without a superpower, they saw the two as inspirational or dismissed them as lucky.

However, Sako wanted much more out of All Might and Izuku as public figures. Even with their pasts exposed, All Might or Izuku never openly spoke about the quirkless community. Sako wondered why they never became ambassadors and try to spread awareness. Sako questioned if the two felt any obligation towards their peers or if they were ashamed of that part of themselves? Sako became infamous as a journalist for being a rare critic of All Might's. Other journalists argued she was hyper focusing on one aspect and they could be busy with other crisis. Though Sako was unsympathetic towards this reasoning as she personally believed people with the same struggles should support each other.

At first, Sako wasn't focused on Izuku, as he was still young and could learn in time. As she did research on Izuku however, she concluded that he was the worst of the pair. From internet stories from people who knew Izuku, it seemed obvious that he had a self-hatred of his quirklessness for threatening his hero obsession. Sako interviewed Melissa Shield and discovered how Izuku outright apologised when he discovered she was quirkless. There was another case about a quirkless man becoming inspired by Izuku's vigilante actions and became one himself. When they had a chance encounter, Izuku told him that quirkless people shouldn't endanger themselves and he was the expectation due to other circumstances.

Angered, Sako began dabbling into illegal territory for the sake of her journalism. She pretended to be endangered to grab Izuku's attention and secretly placed a small wiretap on his costume. Since danger sense only detected if someone planned to physically attack, it did not pick up the wiretap as a threat. Using the device, Sako gained multiple recording of Izuku's dismissive attitude towards quirkless people. She used her recordings for her podcast. However, she was unintentionally giving criminals a useful resource. Through her recordings, villains could get useful hints towards Izuku's location and attempt to force him to transfer One For All onto them.

When Izuku uncovered the wiretap, he sought out the person who planted it. After tracking down Sako, he threw the crushed device at her feet. He angrily said how she was endangering the world by letting villains know where One For All is. He said the only reason he wasn't using physically taking her down was because she was quirkless. Enraged, Sako called Izuku a spineless hypocrite. She argued that he'd internalised his past bullying and he was enforcing the same messages that quirkless people were helpless. Izuku muttered that she was delusional and he was simply saying the truth. Turning away, Izuku says he better things to do then debate her and he has lives to save.