'Huh? Why have they both stopped moving?'
The capital airport's routine announcements played. Pedestrians were numerous, moving back and forth like a tide. On the seats in the public rest area, dozens of people were scattered about, either eating, drinking, playing on their phones, or chatting and laughing.
Only Sean and Netero remained bizarrely still!
"Huh? Chairman... Mr. Ben An, what's wrong with you two?" Beans, who had reacted half a beat late, still didn't know what had happened. He subconsciously reached out a finger to poke Netero.
But before he could even touch the corner of Netero's clothes, his hand was caught by a large hand that shot out—Tsubone's. "Don't touch them!"
A thin layer of Nen was attached to the old butler's eyes. She had activated *Gyo* on the spot. She recognized more clearly than Beans—
"They have entered the [Heartdrop: Kencho] state!"
"Eh?" Beans yelped, then slapped a hand over his mouth. He looked at Sean in disbelief. "I heard the Chairman say... the last time he entered this 'cho' state, or whatever, was 20 years ago!"
"And the person he pulled into that state back then was—Ging!"
'Ging Freecss?' Tsubone released Beans and glanced down at him. "My Young Master is no worse than him!"
Beans gave a dry laugh. "Of course, I'm not saying Mr. Ben An is bad... To be able to draw a masterpiece like *Pot Shadow Ninja*, Mr. Ben An's inner world must be
incredibly rich and colorful. I believe the Chairman will be shocked when he sees it!"
'He really knows how to read Netero's mind.'
In the [Heartdrop: Kencho] space.
Netero and Sean stood facing each other, sizing one another up. Both were amused by the hazy mist swirling around the other.
"What kind of secret are you hiding that you can't let people see, kid?" Netero looked at Sean, amused.
Sean pouted. "Aren't you the same as me? Mr. Chairman, your sealed-away secret... it wouldn't be information about the Dark Continent, would it?"
Netero smiled. "Yes and no."
He lightly tapped his toe, and the void rippled. A large lake appeared, centered on his foot.
"The Heart Lake." Netero paced to the lakeside with his hands behind his back, sat down, and materialized a fishing rod in his hand, just as he'd thought. With his back to Sean, he said faintly, "Shingen, Shingen... the 'source of the heart.' It's actually this Heart Lake within my mind."
"How many 'Heart Fish' you can catch from this lake represents how well you understand your own true nature."
'Oh? "Idealistic Materialization Theory"?' Sean sat down next to Netero and looked into the lake curiously. The hook, attached to the line, sank into the Heart Lake, kicking up a small splash and scattering many of the swimming fish.
"Where do you think you're going?" Netero saw this and laughed. With a flick of his arm, the hook seemed to grow eyes, aiming for a Heart Fish that was flicking its tail the most energetically. It instantly hooked the fish and pulled it up!
'Heh. Fishing without bait... you're just one straight hook away from being Jiang Taigong.'
A bright light flashed in Sean's eyes. He said thoughtfully, "So, you're saying... if I want to temper my own heart and master the power of the heart, the first step is to materialize a fishing rod, correct?"
"No." Netero grabbed the Heart Fish, nonchalantly removed the hook, and tossed it. "Go on."
The Heart Fish slapped the lake's surface, and with a flick of its tail, it vanished. Only then did he continue slowly, "You are far from the level of materializing a fishing rod. The first step, if you can discover your inner self through meditation and materialize your Heart Lake within a year, is already very good."
"But... that's still too abstract," Sean frowned. "Meditation is just a method, not *the* method. You still haven't clearly explained *how* to materialize one's own Heart Lake through meditation."
"That depends on your past experiences and your plans for your future." Netero looked at Sean deeply. "I have a disciple. In the past, she wanted to become a Hunter to find gems. She was indeed firm in her conviction. Her whole life is spent either looking for gems or on the way to look for gems. Therefore, she comprehended her own Shingen-ryu and became a Gem Hunter. But you—"
"Sean! What is *your* conviction? What kind of person will you become in the future? When you've figured out these questions, you will have your answer." Netero's counter-questions struck Sean's mind like a great bell.
The boy fell silent. After a long moment, he grinned. "Actually, I've had the answer for a long time."
'It's to get stronger and stronger in coordination with my Nen ability, to break free from the shackles of this world, and to obtain true, great freedom!'
'Oh?' This time it was Netero's turn to be surprised. The great Chairman shook his head and chuckled. "Don't speak so soon, Sean." 'A young man, lacking knowledge, shallow in experience, without enough life... it all sums up to one thing—his heart isn't set!'
"So... if the 'answer' you're referring to is your firm decision to be a mangaka in the future... I think you may have misunderstood." Netero flicked his sleeve. "Mangaka is just a profession. It doesn't represent *you*. Your conviction, your soul... when you have a preliminary understanding of these two things, you can then try to materialize your Heart Lake."
"And this timeframe, even for the most intelligent person, is one year."
"No. A year is too long. I seize the day, seize the hour." Sean stood up, gazing at Netero's vast Heart Lake, and said coolly, "Old man, you were wrong about one thing."
"To me, mangaka isn't a profession."
'It's the means by which I make a living, and based on that, the means by which I acquire great power to fight against fate!'
"Your understanding of the heart is limited to your understanding of *your own* heart. In other words... it's just your personal opinion, and it's not enough to judge *my* heart, or how long it will take me to materialize my Heart Lake."
Netero was stunned by these words. It was the first time anyone had used the "source of the heart" to counter and question *his* "source of the heart." He stared at Sean for a long moment before snapping back to reality, laughing with his hands on his hips. "Interesting... so, here's the question."
Netero looked at Sean slyly. "A year is too long, 'seizing the hour' is too short... Sean, follow your heart and tell me... how long do you think it will take you to materialize your Heart Lake?"
"This old man is very curious about that answer."
'How would I know? I... need a reference!'
Sean spread his hands. "Maybe a month, maybe a week, or maybe a day... Don't rush me, please give me a little time. Just a little."
His brain cells began to whir. His cerebral cortex grew hot. A flash of inspiration! Sean suddenly thought of a character who could serve as a reference—
'From Ino-Shika-Cho—the pig! From the Konoha 12! Ino's family—the Yamanaka Clan, who possess the 'Mind-Body Switch Technique'!'