MHA: A Hero’s Genesis

The scent of grilled fish wafted through the kitchen, mingling with the faint hum of the song her phone was playing. Aiko stood by the stove, expertly flipping the fillets, while Haruto sat at the dining table, his nose buried in a textbook on material sciences. The calendar on the wall displayed a new month—six months since the night Haruto first shared his ambitious plan.

"So," Aiko began, glancing over her shoulder. "How's the world domination going?"

Haruto looked up, blinking. "It's not world domination, Mom. It's preparation."

Aiko smirked. "Sure, sure. And how's that preparation treating you? Any progress?"

Haruto put down his pen and stretched, his joints popping audibly. "You could say that. Want the highlights?"

"Absolutely," Aiko replied, plating the fish and joining him at the table. "But make it entertaining. I need a laugh after burning my hand on the stove this morning."

Haruto rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Okay, here goes. First off, STEM. I've officially reached undergraduate-level knowledge in mechanical and electrical engineering. Did you know our rice cooker's circuit board was a mess? I rebuilt it."

"Wait," Aiko said, holding up a hand. "You took apart the rice cooker?"

"Technically, I improved it," Haruto corrected, his tone smug. "It's 15% more energy-efficient now."

Aiko raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought it was just me imagining shorter cooking times. Carry on."

"I've also started focusing on material sciences. That's been… challenging," Haruto admitted. "Currently, I am studying the integration of carbon nanofibers into regular materials to improve their durability and strength. I am mostly done with the theory part, actual testing and execution will take time though, as I am waiting for an industrial-grade printer to arrive, after which I will mostly have to modify it to meet my needs."

Aiko leaned forward, intrigued. "Did you blow anything up during this process?"

"Only a small beaker," Haruto confessed. "And I've banned myself from working with volatile chemicals without taking proper precautions. Lesson learned."

Aiko sighed, shaking her head. "What about linguistics? Still determined to be a polyglot?"

"You bet," Haruto said. "I've mastered Japanese and English at a degree-holder level. Now, I'm diving into the history and evolution of Germanic languages. Did you know English has more in common with German than with French, despite borrowing so many French words?"

"Fascinating," Aiko said, not really finding the history interesting. "How are combat skills coming along? Are you still flailing around like a fish out of water?" Aiko said with a laugh, remembering the first time Haruto tried to do karate katas, just by watching videos.

Haruto groaned. "Could you stop reminding me about it, it was my first try. It is not like you can do any better! Anyhow, I've made significant progress. I've mastered the basics of Karate and Judo on my own, and sessions that I have been taking with the Judo instructor for advanced techniques are progressing rapidly, according to my instructor.

"Good job on that Haru, be careful to not hurt yourself during sparings," Aiko replied with a small smile, with pride behind it, for her boy.

"And for Karate, I've been using training dolls, that you bought me from the dojo, which was closing down. I have even named them" Haruto continued, as if it was a normal thing to do.

"Let me guess," Aiko said, smirking. "Might Guy and Rock Lee"

Haruto hesitated. "...Yeah."

Aiko laughed at it and the fact that her son had these eccentricities. Wiping a tear from her eye. "What else?"

"I've gotten pretty good at throwing things," Haruto said, shifting gears. "Blunt objects, sharp objects—you name it. My accuracy is improving."

"Are you doing it safely? Be careful with sharp ones and store them properly after you are done training" Aiko suggested, with a serious expression.

"Sure, mom. I am already following the advice, but will still keep it in mind." to which Aiko gave an approving nod.

"Strength training is still on hold," Haruto continued. "I'm focusing on acrobatics, reflexes, and honing my senses instead. Swiftness over brute force, for now."

Aiko nodded approvingly. "Good, we wouldn't want to injure your body with strength training at this age. And what about your quirk?"

Haruto's face lit up. "That's where I've seen the most improvement. When I started, I could barely cover a single limb for more than 30 seconds, and the enhancement was only about three to four times my base level. Now? I can fully cover a limb and maintain it for two to three minutes, with an eightfold enhancement."

Aiko clapped, impressed. "That's incredible, Haruto. How'd you manage it?"

"Daily practice and forming the correct mental image," Haruto said simply. "I pushed my limits bit by bit. It wasn't easy—there were days I couldn't achieve the results, that I did previously—but with constant practice, control, and mental image, I was able to improve it."

"Good," Aiko said firmly. "Overtraining is a quick way to burn out."

"I know," Haruto assured her. "Now, onto hero research. I've been compiling information on famous heroes—their powers, moves, attitudes, and work histories. It's fascinating how many patterns emerge when you analyze their actions closely. Like Hero and Villan activity decreases a lot during winter times in Hokkaido and Tohoku regions, coastal regions have heroes with a higher concentration of quirks which will help in and around water bodies. So, by knowing from where a person is, we can guess the nature of quirk and what type of activities/missions they do."

"That's good to hear Haru, keep doing this you may become a counter specialist by the time you become a hero". Aiko gave an approving nod with satisfaction at Haru's line of thinking.

Haruto grinned, happy with the praise.

"Now finally on to our financial side, I have managed to earn around 300K USD from day trading and stock investments. You should check it sometimes, after all the account is in your name." Haru finished, with a complaining tone.

"I know, I know. However, I have been busy coordinating with publishers to keep the operation smooth. I don't want things to mess up after we finally got a contract, negotiating for 2 months with multiple publishers was a hectic process. On the other hand, we have already started receiving royalties from the sales." Aiko finished with a tired sigh.

"Thanks a lot, Mom, without your support, all these would not be possible. I know you are doing your best and I am lucky to have you." Haru said with a grateful expression. 

She didn't have any work experience till now and it's been only a little more than 6 months since her husband died. But she stepped up and ensured her son could concentrate on himself, while she cared for everything else. He knew not everyone could do it and how much work it takes to be a single parent.

Aiko pulled him into a hug "Anything for my son". "Yeah Mom, me too. I will do anything for you."

Once they serrated from the hug. "I'm proud of you, Haruto. Just remember, it's okay to take breaks. You're only ten, after all."

"I know, Mom," Haruto said softly. "But I want to be ready."

Aiko squeezed his hand gently. "And you will be. Just don't forget to enjoy the journey."

Haruto smiled, his determination unwavering. "I promise."

---

Later that evening, Haruto found himself in his room, the cool night air brushing against his skin. A makeshift training setup stood before him—two training dolls.

"Guy, Lee," he muttered, addressing the dolls. "Let's see how you hold up tonight."

He began with a series of swift kicks and punches, his movements fluid yet controlled. The dojo dolls absorbed the impact silently, a testament to their non-living nature After a few minutes, he transitioned to throwing practice, hurling small, weighted balls at a target painted on the wall. Each throw landed with precision, the sound of the impact echoing softly.

"Bullseye," he muttered, allowing himself a brief smile. But the smile faded as he moved to the balance beam.

Next, he practiced Yoga asanas to train his flexibility and balance. He went through different poses like Warrior, Mountain, Triangle, Tree, etc. Each pose stretched his body and tested his limits of ability to balance.

At the door entrance, a faint sound caught his attention. He wobbled, his foot slipping slightly. Opening his eyes, he saw Aiko leaning against the doorway, a cup of tea in her hands.

"You're getting better," she remarked, her voice carrying a note of pride.

"Still not perfect," Haruto admitted, going back to normal pose. "But I'll get there."

"Perfection takes time," Aiko said, taking a sip of her tea. "Progress is what matters."

Haruto nodded, his resolve firm. "Progress it is."

As the night deepened, he continued his training, each movement a step closer to his goal. In the quiet of the room, under the watchful gaze of the moon, Haruto Kuroyama prepared for a future he was determined to shape with his own hands.