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CHAPTER 37
There was one upside to having Killua gone: they could train a surprise of new techniques for him when he came back and see his cat-like reactions when they got ahead. While it was only two of them, Biscuit had cut a lot of their previous activities so they could focus on crafting their Nen techniques. She explained that right now they were at the start of the process, they had taken the clay, knew a rough design, but to actually define it was going to take more than just a vision in their minds.
Biscuit moved them to a greener area near Masadora, in an open field of grass with trees lining behind them, but with enough view to see any potential attackers coming their way. While they could feel eyes on them even from this distance. Biscuit also cast a spell card, Black Curtain, as an extra precaution, though the range of spell cards wouldn't reach without the player being in sight somehow.
Gon was practicing to master his technique, going to Emitter training with a practice that Biscuit had set for He sat in line with a rock just a few short meters away; this training didn't take as much aura, but it was still straining because Gon had to learn to separate the aura from his body and then direct it.
Gon held up his finger, focusing his aura at the tip until it became the size of a marble, bright and glowing. His last few tries had resulted in the sphere vanishing the moment it separated from his body, but he took some pride knowing that he could do more than Sakura in this exercise, since she couldn't even manage to create that sphere properly.
His brow furrowed in concentration as an aura gathered at his fingertip, swirling like a miniature storm.
"Separate it from your body," Biscuit instructed, her hands on her hips. "Then throw it."
Gon exhaled sharply, and with a flick of his wrist, the condensed aura shot forward only to fizzle out midair, dissipating before it could reach the rock.
He shook out his hand, frustrated. "It's harder than it looks."
Nearby, Sakura sat cross-legged, her eyes closed as she focused on her own training. She held out her arm, where the aura gathered and then turned green. She strained trying to extend it further than her forearm, but that progress was moving slowly. She wanted to learn the emitter techniques to apply to her own so that she could shoot out her own technique, but Biscuit said that it was going to be hard at her level now, and not just because she was a transmutter, which put her further away from the Emitter category.
Biscuit observed her with a critical eye. "Your armor doesn't actually touch your skin," she noted. "You're holding them together with a secondary layer of aura, which makes them flexible."
Unlike Killua's electricity, a single, focused property, her technique was multifaceted, requiring her to manipulate both the density and the sharpness of each individual scale crystal.
Then they heard a pop noise and looked over at Gon, who was staring out at the rock, "I reached it!"That was fast," Biscuit admitted. She believed it was going to take two or three days at least, but Gon once again had taken her by surprise with his potential.
"No way I'm falling behind in this!"
..
..
..
Killua should've been gone for at least a month, with the Hunter exam taking place, but when he promised to be back as soon as he could, he did not disappoint. Arriving in less than a week.
He stepped out of the tower, hands in his pockets, attempting to hide the eagerness in his eyes at the thought of seeing his friends again. Without them to fill the empty spaces next to him, Killua couldn't help but be brought back to his days as an assassin. A career, he was glad to retire early from.
Sakura, Gon, and Biscuit were waiting for him at the bottom of the tower, all eager to greet him. He couldn't help but smile wider when they rushed over to him.
"Killua!" Gon waved wildly, that familiar smile that had become a part of his daily routine now. Without them, there was no smile, no voices, no banter, no fun.
When he approached, Killua thought he might tackle him, but stopped just an arm lengths away. "You're back! How did the exam go?"
The memory brought back a pleasant smirk on Killua's lips. "Easy, of course. I'm a hunter now, too."
"And?" Gon pressed, bouncing on the balls of his feet. They expected him to pass, after how strong he had gotten from training, but they wanted to know the details, his story.
"And…I was the only one who passed." Killua looked at them, and Sakura couldn't help but wonder if he was a kitten waiting for pets.
"The only one? How did that happen, or what did you do?"
"Yeah. Their first phase was to knock out an opponent and take their badge. So I knocked out all one thousand applicants and took all their tags."
There was a short silence, where all they could hear was the wind brushing over the field, before little gurgles of laughter slipped through closed lips, before bursting out together from the three. Even Biscuit seemed amused by this revelation. She couldn't help smiling at the sense of pride , to finally be able to admire the gems she polished with her own hands. It was the greatest reward for a treasure hunter.
"You really did that?"
"I didn't want to waste time waiting for the next phases to pass. So I just made sure I was the only one who got through the first round."
The way his chest puffed, Sakura couldn't help but poke at him. She pinched his cheek, "Did you miss us so much you decided to speed run the hunter exam, just to hurry back?"
Gon and Sakura watched as Killua's face flushed red, a shade very visible on his pale skin. "Shut up! I didn't-It wasn't like that! Why would I do that?! Stop Laughing!"
"We really missed you, Killua," Gon said, his earnest voice was like a nail on the head. Killua's bluster deflated. He looked away, mumbling, "You're both so embarrassing…" But the tips of his ears were still pink.
"We have so much to show you!" Gon gushed, grabbing Killua's arm. "You won't believe how much we've learned!"
"What?" He wasn't even gone that long, and another reason he didn't want to be MIA was that his friends might get ahead of him in nen training.
Sakura and Gon exchanged a glance with each other, a mischievous look. One that could only be exchanged when you shared something. Their identical grins, brimming with excitement, made something inside of Killua's chest flutter with an emotion. Something he couldn't place, only knowing it was uncomfortable.
"What's going on? Tell me!"
Then Sakura smiled, a real, gentle smile that reached her eyes, "I'm glad you're back, Killua."
For a moment, he was speechless.
Biscuit cleared her throat. "As touching as this is, we have work to do. Let's look at our spell cards."
..
..
They were back in the game now, showing off their spell cards to Killua, eager to hear their friend's opinion on this new milestone they reached. They laid out their binders, spread out, revealing the cards. Still, Biscuit reminded them to remain cautious. Huddled together, as Killua glazed over. Being the gamer of the group, Killua would have better insight into what they could do now that they had all these spell cards. But with this good news came the gritty that had to be shared as well. They told Killua about their surprise visitor after he left, and about the bomber. But he reacted the same as Biscuit, pointing out there wasn't anything they could do at this time for the situation, but eventually they may come to confront him. At the very least, they now knew what they were up against and who.
"Wow. You've got some good ones. There's even an S-rank card."
"Do you think we should sell it?" Biscuit asked.
"No," Gon said firmly. "We should use it wisely."
All eyes turned to Killua. He didn't hesitate. "With all these defensive spell cards, we don't need to worry about it getting stolen. Have you tried any of these?"
"Just that one," Gon admitted.
"What's the point of having them if you don't use them?" Killua said, a hint of impatience in his voice. He selected another card, "Contact," and handed it to Gon. "This one lets you call a player you've met before. Let's try it."
"Who should we talk to?"
"You won't know until you use it," Killua replied with a shrug.
Gon held the card aloft. "Contact on!"
A holographic list of names materialized in Gon's binder, the mechanism allowing him to scroll through all the players that had crossed their path. Killua leaned in to scroll through the hundreds of names, since Gon was still fibbing on who to pick. Simple-mindedness had its disadvantages.
"There sure are a lot."
Sakura leaned over his shoulder to get a better look, her pink hair brushing against his cheek. Killua stiffened slightly but refused to react, though a faint blush crept up his neck.
"Wait!" Sakura gasped, her hand shooting out to point at a name Killua had just scrolled past. "Go back! Go back!" She shook his shoulder urgently.
"What? What is it?" Killua asked, irritation warring with curiosity.
"Killua!" she insisted, her voice tight with something he couldn't place.
He scrolled back, his eyes scanning the names until he found the one she indicated.
And froze.
His eyes met Sakura's, wide with identical shock. A cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck. Slowly, they both turned to Gon.
"Hey, Gon," Killua said, his voice unnaturally calm. "When did you run into him?"
Gon looked like a lost kitten. "Who?"
Killua turned the binder around so Gon could see the name glowing ominously on the list:
CHROLLO LUCILFER
Gon's eyes widened in disbelief. "Chrollo… Lucilfer?!"
The air went still.
Even the birds seemed to stop singing.
"This can't be right."
Chrollo Lucilfer's name had become like a curse not only for Kurapika, who had suffered at the hands of this man and lost his entire clan to him and his troupe, but also to his friends. They were certain that he had been cut from the picture after Kurapika placed a dagger into his heart. And the rest of the troupe had stepped away from the battle lines, at least the ones they were standing on, after it had lost all meaning.
"No way," Killua breathed, his fingers tightening around the edge of Gon's binder. "That's impossible."
"What's the matter?" Biscuit attempted to cut through the clear shock and perhaps panic? Not a very common mixture she had seen in these three since meeting, and that's what made her all the more curious about what could have brought this on. But when they didn't respond, she felt herself growing impatient. She stood just outside their huddle, her eyes narrowed. Being left out of the loop was not a position she enjoyed.
"I haven't seen Chrollo inside the game," Gon insisted, his brow furrowed. "I was with you the whole time. I would've noticed if he was here!"
"Besides," Sakura added, her mind racing, "his Nen was sealed. How could he even get inside a game that requires Nen to play?"
"I don't know," Killua said with new tension in his shoulders. "But do you really think anyone else would have that name?"
Sakura scratched her forehead, frustration etching lines into her face. "I don't know."
"Who. Is. Chrollo?" Biscuit asked again. But they ignored her again. Still lost in the concerns of their shared history, creating a barrier that was impossible to penetrate gently.
"Kurapika sealed his Nen," Gon murmured.
"Who's Kurapika?"
"Maybe-
Three sharp thwacks echoed through the clearing as Biscuit's fists connected with each of their heads, sending them tumbling to the ground.
"Let. Me. In. On. This,"
Rubbing their sore skulls, the trio reluctantly filled her in on the Phantom Troupe. They told her about Yorknew's auction, and how they attempted to do some bounty hunting against the troupe, which got them mixed up before it became personal, when Kurapika's vendetta had led them to engage several times with these dangerous individuals, about how they took down their leader by sealing his Nen away.
"I see. But he can't be in the game if he can't use Nen."
"Unless he managed to purge the seal somehow," Killua suggested.
"Is that possible?" Gon asked, his eyes wide.
"Of course," Biscuit said matter-of-factly. "If you can seal Nen, you can purge it just as well. Though it depends on certain… factors."
"Then why would he be here?" Gon pressed.
"I don't know," Killua admitted.
Sakura bit her lip as the thought occurred. "Remember, the Phantom Troupe was at the auction. Maybe they had the same idea we did and aimed for Greed Island. But we didn't see them during the audit."
"Maybe they got their own console," Killua said darkly.
The Troupe didn't acquire things through legal means. Their methods were violent, bloody, and left no witnesses.
"But why would they want to play the game?" Killua questioned. That was something no one had the answer to.
"So what should we do?" Gon asked, looking between them.
Sakura took a steadying breath. "I don't think we should do anything. Forget about using Contact on him."
"We should probably let Kurapika know," Killua said, already turning to leave.
"Do you want to use a card?" Gon offered.
"Save it," Killua called over his shoulder, a familiar grin spreading across his face. "I can be out and back within four hours."
..
..
..
Killua returned just as the sun started to set. He looked rather deflated, as if he had done something that just knocked the pleasantries out of him.
"Well?" Gon asked, springing to his feet. "What did Kurapika say?"
Killua kicked at a loose stone, sending it skittering into the underbrush. "He wasn't surprised. Wasn't even concerned." He mimicked Kurapika's calm, measured tone: "'If Chrollo is in Greed Island, then he is no longer my concern. My business with him is concluded."
Sakura's brow furrowed. "Concluded? After everything?"
"That's what he said." Killua shrugged, though the motion was tense. "He seemed… detached. Like it didn't matter anymore."
Sakura tried to make sense of Kurapika's reasoning. It wasn't like he could just hop in front of a console and get to Greed Island even if he wanted to. And they didn't confirm if this person was in fact the Chrollo they had faced. But the same first name and last name were cutting it a little too close for them to believe in obscurity. It just stood to reason that they hadn't seen this player in person. But they weren't sure if they wanted to. Although Kurapika had assured Killua that he would know if the chain was released from Chrollo, like a silent alarm, only he could sense it as the one who set the dagger in his heart.
However, that aloofness that Killua spoke of also concerned Sakura. Kurapika had been so bent on vengeance against the Phantom Troupe. Though they believed he was satisfied putting their leader out of commission, if that was jeopardized, Sakura expected some kind of wave to envelop, like a tsunami, but Kurapika had been detached, according to Killua.
'What is he going to do now then?'
Biscuit called to them. "Well, looks like you had nothing to worry about! Now we can focus on something else. Beating this game.
Gon's worry melted away, replaced by his usual infectious enthusiasm. "Yeah!"
Killua's deflated posture straightened slightly at Gon's energy. "Right. No point dwelling on it if Kurapika isn't worried."
But Sakura watched Killua closely, noting the way his hands remained clenched at his sides, the slight tension in his jaw. Kurapika's indifference hadn't just surprised him; it had bothered him. And it bothered her, too. Something felt unresolved.
Still, Biscuit was right. They had their own purpose right now, and that was finishing this game.
"Alright. Where do we start?"
"Masadora."
As they gathered their things, Killua fell into step beside Sakura, his voice low. "You feel it too, don't you?"
She didn't pretend to misunderstand. "Yeah. But for now, we play the game."
..
..
With their group reunited and the training regimen lighter, they were finally able to properly explore more of Greed Island and play the game as intended. In fact, they were all eager for it, to see how far their training would allow them to progress. They arrived at a clearing surrounded by forest. What stood at the center was a giant tree, and not in the typical sense. This was looming as tall as a building, and wide, silver-backed, shading a wide area.
They weren't alone, though. There was a man standing at the base with a hammer. They were able to confirm he wasn't a player. As he gave them instructions.
"This tree," the man intoned, tapping the bark with his hammer, "is said to house the legendary King White Stag Beetle."
Sakura grimaced. "Great. Bugs."
Gon glanced at her, surprised. "You don't like them?"
"Have I ever said I did?" Years of operating in forests and camping in the wilderness had desensitized her to their presence. But that didn't mean she enjoyed the feeling of insects on her skin. It was a small, human aversion, one that reminded her that even shinobi, trained as soldiers, were allowed their quirks. The same way Kakashi liked those books, or Naruto enjoyed Ramen, and Ino liked her boys and flowers.
"Wow, you're such a girl," said Killua, hands behind his head.
"Thanks, I was going for that."
The man who was paying little heed to their conversation continued. They usually hide deep within the tree and rarely surface. There is only one way to capture them: you must shake the tree by hitting it." He gestured to a series of dents in the bark, all in the same circular pattern likely left by previous players. "Only seven people have managed to capture them until now."
Gon stepped forward but he didn't take the hammer, instead he gathered Nen into his fist and threw a punch that echoed throughout the forest. His friends watched the tree rattle before they felt specks hitting their heads, and it wasn't leaves. Insects rained down on them, all kinds of species that typically nested in high places.
"I should've seen this coming!" Sakura was already moving, leaping back into a sunlit patch of grass well clear of the falling bugs. She brushed off her arms instinctively, though nothing had touched her yet.
Gon and Killua gathered three white stags amongst the crowd of bugs with their feet. Waving at Sakura.
"We got them!"
"Good job!" Sakura gave a crooked smile and a thumbs-up.
"Great," Sakura said, her voice dry.
Killua grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He leaned over and whispered something to Gon, whose face lit up.
Before Sakura could react, they began gathering armfuls of the less-desirable bugs, beetles, spindly crickets, and a few things that skittered a little too quickly and started advancing toward her.
"Cut it out," she warned, taking a step back.
They didn't listen. With a unified battle cry, they charged, bugs held aloft like weapons.
Sakura turned and ran, her composure shattered. "I said cut it out!"
Biscuit followed at a leisurely pace, shaking her head in amusement. "Boys."
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EARLY CHAPTERS FOR MEMBERS NOW: BUYMEACOFFEE
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter (102, 103, 104, 105, 106)
-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter (46, 47, 48)
-Crossroads of Fate chapter (38, 39, 40, 41)
-Through the Looking Glass chapter (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
- (Bleach crossover) Kunoichi amongst Reapers: (4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-Commission: Demon slayer x My hero academia (PART 1 & 2)
- Kunoichi amongst Benders (Avatar x Naruto crossover) (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes WHAT IF SPIN OFF: Dorms and Exams
-SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CHAPTER: Shinigami amongst Shinobi
THANKS FOR TUNING IN BUT NOW I'VE GOTTA TUNE OUT