"I heard you sent a personal internship application… to a student?"
It was 12:30 in the morning when Sweet Mask—an A-class Rank 1 Hero—stopped halfway through prepping for a late-night recording. Dressed impeccably in a tailored suit, he stared at his phone, frowning deeply.
"That's correct," replied a composed voice from the Hero Association's executive board. "Based on his physical evaluation and combat capability, we've conservatively ranked him around B-Class for now, though the actual upper limit remains uncertain."
Sweet Mask pinched the bridge of his nose. "Have you all lost your minds? He's still a child. A kid. The profession of a Hero isn't something you toss into the hands of some transfer student from across the world just because he beat up a tiger mutant at an airport."
"His case is… unique. And worth keeping an eye on. That's why we're informing you in advance."
The call ended soon after, leaving Sweet Mask staring at the blank screen of his phone.
"Great potential or not, if this backfires…"
The next morning, just as promised, a luxurious black car pulled up in front of Uchiha Madara's apartment complex. A uniformed driver, expressionless and efficient, stepped out and opened the door.
Madara, now dressed in the black long-sleeved outfit provided by the Association, stepped out with the Hero Association-issued smartphone in one hand and his usual cold confidence in the other.
The car ride was silent. The driver didn't bother with small talk—Madara preferred it that way.
They arrived at a massive training facility situated in the outskirts of City A, the type of place where concrete met steel and everything smelled like sweat and seriousness.
"This is the special examination center for Hero certification," the driver said curtly as Madara exited.
Inside, he was greeted by a staff member in a blue uniform, clipboard in hand. "Please follow me. Your evaluation is scheduled now."
The Hero Certification Evaluation:
Item 1: Repeated Horizontal Jumps – The machine broke after Madara's fifth set.
Item 2: 1500m Run – Finished in under two minutes.
Item 3: Weightlifting – He lifted weights designed for S-class durability tests, then asked if they had anything heavier.
Item 4: Shot Put – It soared past the testing field and embedded into a distant hill.
Item 5: Vertical Jump – Ceiling shattered.
Item 6: Whack-A-Gopher – He moved so fast, sensors failed to record his hits.
Item 7: Boxing – He cracked the reinforced wall behind the punching dummy.
Item 8: Written Exam – Finished in twelve minutes. Perfect score.
The testing officials were speechless. Most thought the results were bugged.
Afterward, Madara was brought to what looked like a schoolroom. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, and the walls were lined with posters of various pro heroes. He sat alone at a desk, arms crossed and eyes half-closed in boredom, until the door creaked open.
A thin man in a brown snakeskin suit stepped inside. His black hair was slicked back, and a smug expression twisted across his face.
"Ahem. From today onward, I'll be overseeing your field work." He stood with an awkward sense of authority.
"My name is Snake. A-Class, thirty-eighth in the ranking. You can address me as mentor, sir, or sensei—"
"Snake, got it," Madara replied with a yawn.
Snake's eyebrow twitched. "Listen here, brat. Do you have any idea how lucky you are to be assigned under an A-Class Hero? I've mentored plenty of rookies. You should take this seriously."
"Just get to the point," Madara muttered. "I already read the Association handbook."
Snake scowled, but kept his tone level. "Starting this afternoon, you'll patrol sections of City A. I only intervene during large-scale incidents. Don't expect me to babysit."
Madara stretched, uninterested. "Sounds like you're just slacking."
"I'm giving you independence." Snake bristled. "Think of it as trust in your abilities. After all, I've reviewed your file thoroughly."
Madara narrowed his eyes. "Is that so? Then I'm sure you understand my 'quirk.'"
Snake paused, sweating slightly. Of course he hadn't read the file. He had skimmed the headline and skipped the details. Who needed reports when the intern was just a kid?
"Of course!" Snake lied. "Your Quirk… yes, very unique."
Madara smirked knowingly. "Then let's go. You want to test me, right? Let's get it over with."
Snake's smug grin returned. "Perfect. I'll take you to the combat grounds. Let's see how much bark you really have behind that arrogance."
Hero Association Combat Training Facility – Sector C
The open-air training field was deserted save for two figures—Snake standing with his hands on his hips, and Madara stretching like he was warming up for a jog.
"We'll do a simple spar," Snake announced. "I'll go easy on you."
"Don't bother," Madara replied flatly.
"You might regret saying that," Snake said with a smirk. "Don't blame me if you get a few bruises. Begin!"
Snake lunged forward, his arm coiling like a whip as he struck out—only to find Madara gone.
Boom!
Snake's body smashed into the dirt, back-first. The crater he left behind cracked the reinforced ground like glass. He coughed up a mouthful of dust.
"What... just...?"
Madara stood behind him, arms folded. "You're too slow."
Snake staggered to his feet, rage burning in his eyes. "You little—!"
He charged again, this time unleashing a barrage of strikes enhanced by his elasticity-based quirk. But Madara simply moved, side-stepping and weaving with surgical precision.
"You're opening your left side," Madara said casually, slamming his foot into Snake's ribs.
"—Guh!" Snake flew ten meters and crashed through the steel fence.
Groaning, Snake lay still for a moment before pushing himself up, limping slightly. "What… are you?"
Madara dusted off his sleeves. "A student. Isn't that what you said?"
Snake stared at him. The boy hadn't even broken a sweat.
At that moment, two Hero Association staff members who had been observing from a distance approached in a hurry.
"Mr. Snake, we were monitoring the feed," one said. "Shall we stop the test?"
Snake raised a trembling hand. "No need. Test's over. He passed."
Madara turned, not sparing Snake another glance. "So much for understanding my abilities."
Later that day, while Snake lay in the infirmary icing his ribs, he received a phone call. It was from one of the Hero Association's senior advisors.
"You went against protocol. That boy isn't ordinary."
"I noticed," Snake groaned. "Who is he, really?"
There was a pause on the other end. "Uchiha Madara. We're still investigating his origins. But one thing is clear—he's not from this world."
"...Figures," Snake muttered, closing his eyes.
Meanwhile, in a secure data room beneath Hero Association HQ...
Several elite staff and analysts reviewed the combat footage.
"Frame by frame… he moves faster than S-Class Speed-o'-Sound Sonic."
"And his strength rivals Puri-Puri Prisoner at max transformation. Possibly more."
"Do we tag him as a potential S-Class recruit?"
"Not yet," said the division head. "Let's observe. For now, Snake will keep tabs. But alert Sweet Mask and the rest. This boy... might be our wild card."
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A/N: Advanced Chapters have been uploaded on my Patreon, please do check it out, it will mean a lot to me
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