All characters and story belong to Kohei Horikoshi and Masashi Kishimoto
Today was the most important day in Katsuki Bakugo's life since the fateful day of Mikoto's death. Today he could be one step closer to his goal of becoming Hokage and thereby uncovering the truth about the Uchina clan massacre; or, on the other hand, his wings could be clipped, making it impossible for him to achieve his long-awaited goal.
In the morning, Bakugo, along with the rest of his 12-year-old classmates, took the written test. It was a qualifying test, so he needed at least a 5 to pass the practical exam. He practically nailed it. He got a 9, the fourth-highest grade in the class. He was only behind Sakura, Sasuke, and Shikamaru.
In the afternoon, Iruka, accompanied by another chunin, gathered all the students and explained the rules of the practical exam.
"Let's start the final exam. When I call your name, come to the exam room," Iruka began to explain. "The final exam will be on the Bunshin No Jutsu (Replica Technique). It's an E-rank jutsu, so I trust you won't have any problems. We'll start in alphabetical order by last name. Choji Akimichi. Come with me to the exam room."
"Yes, sensei," Choji replied, stuffing a bag of chips he was eating into his pocket. The two of them left through the side door of the room.
"I'm next," Bakugo thought. "I don't have to get nervous. It's in moments of maximum tension that I unleash my hidden potential. I'm sure I'll make it."
After a minute, Iruka returned accompanied by a smiling Choji.
"Shikamaru, I passed!" Choji exclaimed excitedly.
"What a pain, now I have more pressure to pass," Shikamaru said, smiling back at Choji.
—Katsuki Bakugo. Follow me. —Iruka ordered.
"Good luck, Bakugo-kun," Hinata thought, her cheeks flushed.
Bakugo obeyed and went to the shared room with Iruka, leaving the rest of the class very curious. Despite his apparent ineptitude, Bakugo had something in his eyes that suggested he would surpass them. So no one in the class knew for sure whether he would pass or fail.
In the next room, Bakugo noticed a table in the center, littered with Leaf headbands. Also sitting in a chair was a chunin Bakugo had never seen before. There was something odd about the way the white-haired chunin was looking at him, but Bakugo was too nervous to care about it right now. Iruka went straight to an empty chair and sat next to his white-haired classmate.
"Go ahead, Bakugo," Iruka said, crossing his arms and focusing on Bakugo.
—Okay, Katsuki, this is the moment of truth. It's all or nothing. You know the seals. You know the theory. All you need is to manipulate the chakra and send it into your hands. Come on, you can do it. —Bakugo thought, encouraging himself.
—Tiger, bear, ox, dog... —he said aloud as he made the seals. —BUNSHIN NO JUTSU! —
And then the unimaginable happened. The unimaginable thing for Bakugo, since for Iruka it was predictable coming from him. Nothing happened. Not even a single sad clone.
"Suspended," Iruka said emotionlessly.
—FUCK!—Bakugo shouted, punching the ground with his fist, making a hole in the ground.
"Iruka," the other chunin said, causing Iruka to turn his head in his direction. "He got a 9 on the theory test, which is the fourth best grade in the class. Also, from what you've told me, he's pretty good at martial arts. Maybe we should give him a pass."
Bakugo's face lit up, this stranger had suddenly become his favorite person on the face of the earth.
—Mizuki, what kind of senseis would we be if we allowed someone incapable of using Ninjutsu to be a genin?—said Iruka
"And what about the browed, scar-faced one?" Bakugo said, annoyed with his sensei.
"Lee's situation was an exception. Might Guy specifically asked me to approve him because he wanted him on his team. I can't make another exception for you. I'm sorry, Bakugo, but my decision is final. You're suspended," Iruka finished.
"Grrrr," Bakugo groaned, trying his best to hold back his tears. He bit his lip hard and stormed out of the exam room. He kicked the door open with a mighty force, and the rest of the students turned simultaneously toward the source of the sound.
—HAHAHA! I KNEW I'D FAIL THAT DUMB GUY! —Kiba shouted.
"You don't know for sure, Kiba," Ino said. "How's it going, Bakugo?" Ino tried to ask, somewhat worried about the ash-blond. She'd been seeing him differently since the day of the flower offerings.
Bakugo ignored everyone and left the compound. He ran home at full speed. When he got to his apartment, he knelt beside his bed and started punching him until he broke it.
—FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! —Bakugo shouted, covering his face with his pillow.
Finally, the tears escaped his face; he couldn't hold them back any longer. After 10 minutes of continuous sobbing, he fell asleep on the floor of his apartment. An hour later, continuous knocking on his door woke him up. His eyes were still red from crying earlier. He opened the door and, to his surprise, stood Mizuki, the gray-haired chunin.
"Bakugo, how are you feeling?" Mizuki asked.
"Don't give me that crap, gray-haired guy! Leave me alone!" Bakugo tried to close the door, but Mizuki's foot got in the way and didn't let him do it completely.
"What if I told you there was another way to pass? Do you still want me to leave you alone, Bakugo?" Mizuki asked with a fake smile.
Bakugo, seeing that it wasn't over yet, didn't notice her fake smile. He was blinded by the hope Mizuki had given him.
"What other way?" Bakugo asked, very intrigued.
"It's a very special secret. So you can't tell anyone," Mizuki explained.
"Yes, yes. I swear I won't tell anyone, now tell me what I have to do," Bakugo said impatiently.
—If you can steal the Sacred Scroll of Seals from the Yondaime's office without anyone noticing, and then deliver it to me outside the village, I will approve you.
"Huh? What you're saying is a little weird..." Bakugo said, a little suspicious.
"Stealth is a very important part of being a ninja. It's a very difficult task, especially with the Hokage's office being so heavily guarded. It's the only way I've managed to convince Iruka to approve of you," Mizuki explained.
—Hmm... What you're saying makes sense. It's certainly a much more complicated test than making a stupid clone that can't do anything. Get my bandana ready, gray-haired! I'll be out the door with that scroll in no time! —Bakugo said, regaining his confidence.
Mizuki drew a picture of the Hokage's office, indicating the location of the scroll. Bakugo pocketed the slip of paper and headed to the Konoha headquarters building. He hadn't visited the Yondaime's office since the day after his eighth birthday in this world. That was when he had asked to be transferred to the Ninja Academy. But Bakugo had a very good memory, and he clearly remembered that one of the night shift guards kept the key to the office in the right pocket of his vest. Luckily, the guard on duty that day was the same one who had the habit of keeping the key in that side of his vest.
The ash-blond was useless at chakra management, but he made up for that with his skill with ninja weapons. He pulled out his blowgun, which he had bought two and a half years ago, and fired a tranquilizer dart at the guard's neck. He was instantly knocked out in his chair. As Bakugo expected, the guard hadn't changed his behavior, and the key was still in the same place he remembered. He quickly entered the office. Inside, he took out Mizuki's drawing. After a few seconds, he was able to locate the location of the Sacred Scroll and took it with him, hiding it under his clothes.
When it was time to leave the village, he encountered no obstacles, so he was able to leave very quickly. Outside, Mizuki was waiting for him, nervously biting his nails.
"Did you get it, Bakugo?" Mizuki asked impatiently.
"Who do you think I am, gray-haired!" He took the scroll out from under his shirt and gave it to Mizuki.
"Orochimaru will be very happy!" Mizuki thought with a sparkle in her eyes as she held the scroll.
"Where's my bandana, gray-haired?" Bakugo asked.
—HAHAHAHAHAHA.—Mizuki laughed uncontrollably. Then she put the roll on her back. —I still can't believe you could have believed that story I told you about the special exam!—
"Cut the crap! I've done my part! You and the scarface can't back out now!" Bakugo said, his voice rising in anger. "Give me my bandana!"
"Still don't get it, Bakugo?" Mizuki said with a sly smile. "You're an idiot who did my dirty work! When I get back, I'll tell everyone that you stole the scroll out of spite for failing. I caught you red-handed, you attacked me, and I had to defend myself. But I couldn't control my strength, and I ended up killing you. Do you like my story, Bakugo? I think it's pretty good." Mizuki pulled a long shuriken from his back and slowly approached Bakugo.
—But..., but... I... You... —Bakugo stammered, not understanding anything and instinctively moving away from Mizuki.
"What I can't understand is why Itachi left such a stupid, useless kid like you alive," Mizuki said, baring her teeth at Bakugo. "Anyway, it's time to die, Bakugo."
For the first time since he'd been in this world, Bakugo felt true fear. Fear of dying. He had no business being in this body with a chunin skilled in chakra management. But it wasn't just fear he felt. He also felt rage and hatred. Rage at himself for being stupid enough to let Mizuki trick him. And hatred toward Mizuki for getting in his way and for bringing up the Uchiha clan scandal.
This mix of emotions greatly increased Bakugo's adrenaline. But not only that, his hands were starting to sweat profusely. His body, as a reflex to these emotions, acted as it would in his other world, secreting nitroglycerin. But Bakugo didn't realize he was doing it; after all, he'd already given up on his Quirk.
"Any last words, Katsuki?" Mizuki said mockingly, approaching Bakugo at a very slow pace.
Bakugo's body kept secreting more and more nitroglycerin, but he still didn't realize it. His mind was completely occupied with trying to get out of there alive.
"What does it smell like?" Mizuki asked, stopping at the strange smell and looking around. Bakugo didn't take his eyes off her. "It smells like candy. How weird..."
"Huh?" Bakugo exclaimed, not understanding. Then he remembered what his UA classmates had said: that when he used his Quirk, he smelled like candy. He looked at his hands. When he looked at them, his eyes widened. Then, a smile of absolute arrogance spread across his face. "FINALLY!" He made small explosions with his hands.
"What did you do? Weren't you supposed to be unable to use chakra?" Mizuki asked.
—I already know what I want my last words to be. —Bakugo said, narrowing his eyes and showing him a smile that would be envied by any villain. Mizuki, despite being a chunin, was scared by Bakugo's face and took a step back. —It's actually just a... —he said in a whisper, which made it even more terrifying. —DIEEEEEEEEE!— A huge explosion emerged from his right palm, instantly knocking out the chunin as he hadn't prepared for that attack.
Bakugo proudly looked at Mizuki's unconscious body. He retrieved the scroll from her body and placed it on the ground. He then focused on his hands. He tried to get them to secrete nitroglycerin again, but this time there was no reaction. He muttered internally, but suddenly an idea occurred to him. He remembered the feelings of fear, rage, and hatred he had felt a minute ago. Instantly, his body reacted by secreting nitroglycerin again. Bakugo realized that, in his case, the way to manipulate chakra was through his emotions. Overjoyed with his discovery, he clenched his fists tightly and looked up at the sky.
—KATSUKI BAKUGO IS BACK, BITCHES! —Bakugo shouted at the top of his lungs into the night.