Dawn broke with a wash of orange and gold across Mineta's window. He had been awake for nearly an hour already, sitting cross-legged on his bedroom floor, surrounded by a semicircle of purple sticky balls he'd harvested from his scalp.
Tools, not weapons.
The phrase had come to him during the night, jolting him awake at 3 AM. He'd scribbled it in his notebook before falling back asleep, and now it was his morning mantra.
He picked up one of the balls, rolling it between his fingers with newfound appreciation rather than disgust. The tacky surface clung to his skin, but not painfully so—just enough to remind him of its purpose.
"The original Mineta never really understood you, did he?" he whispered to the ball, as if it were alive. "He just saw you as a way to stick to girls and walls."
A translucent window appeared in his peripheral vision:
[Ultimate Training System]Quirk Understanding: +0.3%Intelligence: +0.1
Mineta smiled. It seemed the System approved of his epiphany.
Yesterday's disappointment had crystallized into determination overnight. His quirk wasn't flashy like Todoroki's or destructive like Bakugo's, but that didn't mean it was worthless. It just meant he needed to be smarter about using it.
He reached for his notebook, flipping to a fresh page labeled "REWRITING THE BASICS." Beneath it, he wrote:
Pop-Off Analysis:
Adhesion strength: Extreme (supports full body weight easily)Duration: Variable (depends on stamina, 2-3 hours max)Detachment: Only happens naturally after time passesWeaknesses: Limited quantity, scalp damage if overusedCurrent applications: Too limited
He tapped his pen against the paper, thinking. The balls weren't just sticky; they were incredibly sticky. Strong enough to support his weight, durable enough to last hours, and small enough to be easily concealed.
In the hands of someone creative, they could be devastating.
"I need to stop thinking like a warrior," he murmured, "and start thinking like an engineer."
The system chimed softly:
[Ultimate Training System]Intelligence: +0.2Strategic Thinking: +0.5%
Mineta stood up and moved to his desk where he'd gathered various items from around the house: fishing line, paper clips, rubber bands, small weights, and even some of his mother's sewing thread.
For the next hour, he experimented. He attached fishing line to the balls to create retrievable anchors. He linked multiple balls together with thread to form sticky chains. He flattened some against paper to see if he could create adhesive patches with controlled stickiness.
Each experiment was carefully documented in his notebook, complete with small sketches and potential applications.
Modified Pop-Off Applications:
Remote traps: Balls + fishing line = triggered adhesive snaresMobility tools: Balls + strong cord = swing points, climbing anchorsCapture nets: Multiple balls connected with thread = flexible restraintsSelective adhesion: Partially covered balls = controllable stickiness
This wasn't just training. It was reinvention.
[Ultimate Training System]Quirk Proficiency: +0.4%🕷️ Sticky Arts Tree Skill Unlocked: [Basic Manipulation]
By mid-morning, Mineta's room looked like a mad scientist's laboratory. Purple balls were stuck to various surfaces, some trailing threads, others flattened or modified. His mother had knocked once, seen the mess, and wisely decided to leave him to his work.
"Time for a practical test," he said, gathering his most promising prototypes into a small backpack.
The local park was nearly empty this early on a weekend—perfect for what he needed. Mineta approached a sturdy tree, fishing line and sticky ball in hand.
"Let's see if this works," he muttered, tossing the ball toward a high branch. It connected with a soft thwap, and he tugged on the line to confirm it was secure.
Next came the real test. He pulled harder, lifting his feet off the ground. The ball held firm, supporting his weight without any sign of strain.
"Yes!" he whispered, grinning. He wasn't just hanging—he was climbing using his quirk as a tool rather than a direct weapon.
[Ultimate Training System]New Skill Unlocked: Swing Training I (1%)Skill Tree Path: 🔗 Mobility TreeRequirements to Level Up: Practice 20 successful swings
He let himself down and moved to a nearby bench. This time, he placed three balls in a triangular formation, connecting them with thread to form a simple net. He tossed it onto the bench where it spread out slightly before sticking firmly to the surface.
"Capture tool, check," he said, marking it in his notebook.
For the next two hours, Mineta ran through every application he'd conceived. Some worked perfectly, others failed spectacularly, but each attempt taught him something new about his quirk's potential.
By noon, sweat dripped down his forehead, and his scalp ached from harvesting so many balls. But his notebook was filled with successful tests, and his mind buzzed with possibilities.
[Ultimate Training System]Stats Update:Dexterity: +0.2Endurance: +0.1Intelligence: +0.3
Skills Progress:Quirk Proficiency: +0.5%Strategic Thinking: +0.8%Swing Training I: +2.4% (3.4% total)
As he packed up his equipment, he noticed a small group of older kids playing basketball nearby. One of them—a tall boy with spikes protruding from his elbows—kept glancing his way and snickering.
The old Mineta would have shrunk away, embarrassed by the attention. But this Mineta merely nodded in acknowledgment before returning to his notes.
Let them laugh. They didn't understand what he was becoming.
Back home, Mineta spread his findings across his desk and began drafting a more comprehensive plan. His quirk wasn't just about producing sticky balls anymore—it was about how those balls could be implemented into a fighting style.
"I need to think about support items," he muttered, sketching a rough design for a belt that could store pre-harvested balls for quick access.
He drew a small launcher that could fire the balls with greater accuracy and range than his throwing arm. He outlined special gloves with adhesive-resistant fingertips so he could handle his own quirk without getting stuck.
The system window appeared:
[Ultimate Training System]🧠 Tactical Tree Progress:[Basic Strategy] → 4.5% (Unlocks at 10%: [Environmental Analysis])
Mineta leaned back in his chair, staring at the U.A. application form pinned to his wall. The entrance exam was still two years away, but that was actually perfect. Two years to transform himself from Mineta the Pervert into someone worthy of being called a hero.
He wasn't just a joke with sticky balls anymore. He was becoming something else—something unexpected. And he had time to make it happen.
His phone buzzed with a news alert. A villain attack downtown involving a slime monster. He switched on the small TV in his room just in time to see footage of All Might saving a spiky-haired boy who looked suspiciously like Bakugo.
Mineta watched intently, analyzing the scenario. How would he have handled that situation with his quirk?
Slime villain countermeasures:
Create breathing tubes with hollow sticky ballsUse adhesive net to separate portions of slime bodyRestrict movement with strategic ball placementExtract victim using sticky rope system
It wasn't perfect, and it certainly wasn't as impressive as All Might's Detroit Smash, but it was viable. It could work.
[Ultimate Training System]🧠 Tactical Tree Progress:[Basic Strategy] → +1.2% (5.7% total)Intelligence: +0.2
That night, as Mineta prepared for bed, he stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Physically, he hadn't changed much yet—still small, still round-faced, still purple-haired.
But his eyes were different. Sharper. More focused.
The eyes of someone with a plan.
He opened his stats window one last time before sleep:
[Ultimate Training System – Stats Panel]
Stats:Strength: 5.1 Agility: 5.4 Dexterity: 6.4 (+0.2) Endurance: 5.4 (+0.1) Intelligence: 9.1 (+0.6) Charm: 3.5
🪄 Skills Panel:Quirk Proficiency: 7.9% (+0.9%) Strategic Thinking: 6.5% (+1.3%) Swing Training I: 3.4% (NEW) Basic Manipulation: 1.2% (NEW)
🌲 Skill Tree Progress:🔗 Mobility Tree: [Basic Balance] → 21% | [Swing Training I] → 3.4%
🧠 Tactical Tree: [Basic Strategy] → 5.7%
🕷️ Sticky Arts Tree: [Basic Manipulation] → 1.2%
🛠️ Suggested Training Plan (Tomorrow):
30 mins Quirk Usage Drills (Sticky Arts Development) 20 mins Strategic Analysis (Tactical Growth) 15 mins Swing Practice (Mobility Enhancement) 10 mins Strength Training (Core Statistics)
Est. Gains: +0.7% Quirk Proficiency, +0.6% Strategic Thinking, +1.0% Swing Training I, +0.2 Strength
Special Notice: Hidden Path Detected – "The Tactician's Way"Requirements to Unlock: Reach 10% in [Basic Strategy], Develop 3 Unique Quirk Applications
The last notification made him pause. "Hidden Path?" he whispered, trying to expand the notice. But the System offered no further explanation.
Mineta closed the window and climbed into bed, mind still racing with possibilities. Tomorrow would bring more training, more experiments, more growth. But tonight, he had accomplished something profound.
He had taken his greatest weakness and begun reshaping it into his greatest strength.
Two years until U.A. Two years to become someone else entirely.
Not just sticky balls to climb walls or trap villains. Not just a perverted gimmick to touch girls.
Tools. Resources. Assets.
"Rewriting the basics," he whispered, as sleep began to claim him. "From joke to hero, one sticky ball at a time."
[Ultimate Training System]Character Development Milestone ReachedTomorrow's Training Efficiency: +10%