"Achoo!"
"Who's talking about me behind my back?"
Hunter Association, Chairman's Office.
A certain "strongest human" with prominent ears and a small ponytail, dressed in refreshing attire.
He was balancing a beach volleyball on his head while holding a single-leg horse stance when he suddenly sneezed. The volleyball fell.
It rolled to the feet of Beans.
Beans had just opened the door. "Aiyah!" he yelped, unfortunately tripping and falling. The documents in his arms flew up and were deftly caught by the quick-thinking Netero.
"Ho ho ho. A fresh-off-the-press Pot Shadow Ninja. Can't let it get ruined."
Netero smiled and glanced at Beans. "Are you alright, Beans?"
"I'm... I'm fine." Beans got up, rubbing his knee, and shot Netero a resentful look. "Chairman, you're playing with a ball and reading manga. Is it really okay for people to see this?"
'He might be... called out for neglecting his duties,' Beans silently added in his heart.
"Ho ho ho. With Pariston and the others around, it wouldn't matter if I retired right now."
Netero started flipping through Pot Shadow Ninja without looking up, leaving Beans to stare at the back of his head.
After the Chunin Exams ended, Hiruzen Sarutobi died, leaving the position of Hokage vacant. Jiraiya and Tsunade stepped out from the shadows to the forefront, having a showdown with the traitor Orochimaru, who had killed his own teacher.
'If Hiruzen could see this scene from the afterlife, he probably wouldn't be able to rest in peace.'
He finished the chapter in a few minutes. The last page stopped with Tsunade freezing at the sight of blood, the situation taking a sharp downturn. Netero closed Pot Shadow Ninja, still wanting more, and sighed.
Beans thoughtfully refilled the empty cup in front of him with lemon tea and praised, "I read this chapter too. I can only say that Teacher Hon'an's control over the characters is too strong."
"I think he must be an old man who has experienced the vicissitudes of life, otherwise he couldn't portray human nature so profoundly. You just get drawn in without realizing it."
"Then you've guessed wrong." Netero turned his head to look at Beans and said playfully, "Teacher Hon'an isn't even an adult. He's no old man."
"Not an adult?!" Beans's mouth formed an "O," looking big enough to stuff an egg into.
He let out an incredulous cry. "Does the Chairman know him? To be able to draw a globally popular masterpiece before even becoming an adult... that's a bit too exaggerated, isn't it?"
'Exaggerated?' Netero seemed to have expected this reaction from Beans, just as he himself had nearly popped his old eyes out when he first learned "Hon'an's" true identity from Zigg.
"Beans... the world is vast. There will always be those born with exceptional talent."
'Ging, Pariston... those few from the Kakin family... are all in that category.' Netero looked at Beans meaningfully. "Zigg wouldn't lie to me. The author of Pot Shadow Ninja is indeed not an adult. He's eleven this year."
'Eleven?' "The Chairman isn't talking about that... Sean Zoldyck from the Zoldyck family, is he?"
"That's him." Netero smiled. "I even held that kid when he was born."
"I didn't expect that ten years later, he'd become a world-famous mangaka. I have to say, Zigg has a good grandson. Unlike me, who spawned a rebellious son!"
"All day long, he dreams about the Dark Continent. He won't get married, won't have kids, and only knows how to piss me off!"
Netero rambled on... Soon, the office was filled with the pungent smell of vinegar.
The conversation involved Beyond. Beans stood by awkwardly, forcing a dry laugh. It was only when he heard the Chairman mention going to visit Zigg that he snapped back. He bustled about, running off to book a flight.
The Hunter Association had its own airships, but Netero, the strongest human, disdained using public resources for private matters.
"Creak." The office door closed. He watched Beans scurry off on his short legs to book the ticket.
The old man suddenly remembered that Zigg seemed to have said Silva was going to teach Sean a lesson. A wicked smile appeared as he pulled out his phone to call Zigg.
'My son is a disgrace, but getting to see your precious grandson get beaten... Zigg... I bet you're not feeling so great right now, are you?'
"9972... 9973... 9999... 10000."
[Congratulations to Host for completing today's "10,000 Practice Swings." Physique +46]
'6 points from the main body, 2 points from each shadow clone. 20 shadow clones make 40 points... After the First Limit Break, the number of clones Sean could split into increased from 10 to 20.'
'The training efficiency is much higher than before. This was evident from the jealous look in a certain old man's eyes.'
"Hmph. What's the use, no matter how many that mutt splits into?"
"In front of a true master, it's still just a matter of one punch, isn't it?"
Maha rocked his chair, peeking out from behind his H-manga, and pouted at the Sean No. 2 through No. 20 clones filing in.
"Heh... Grandfather is just afraid I'll improve too fast and end up thrashing you ahead of schedule." Sean, bare-chested, was the last to return to the room. He snapped his fingers.
"Poof, poof, poof..." A series of pops, like roasting soybeans, rang out. Dozens of 'Nen' streams left the clones and returned to Sean's main body.
Sean let out a satisfied sigh and glanced at the H-manga in Maha's hand. 'Tsk... My Stepmother and I...'
He gave a cold laugh. "Old man, you're getting more and more shameless. At your age, if you want to find a stepmother, you'll probably have to dig one up from a grave."
"What do you know?!" Maha rolled his eyes at Sean, stroking the few strands of hair he had left. He said indignantly, "Haven't you heard the saying?"
"A man is a boy until he dies."
"In you young people's words, I, this old man, am still a baby under 100 years old."
"What's wrong with finding an eighteen-year-old stepmother?"
'Go to hell...' Sean was about to vomit. 'A 100-year-old baby? More like a 300-year-old dung beetle.'
"Yes, yes, yes... You're the big shot, old man. Too bad you're impotent. I'm afraid my eighteen-year-old great-grandmother will kick you to the curb!"
Sean couldn't be bothered with Maha. He opened the fridge, planning to get some instant noodles. Eating big meals every day gets tiring. Sean had specifically asked Gotoh to buy a few boxes of instant noodles from downstream and throw them in the fridge, so he could have a snack whenever he wanted.
He never expected... the fridge was empty. Not even a single hair. It was cleaner than Netero's ass!
Sean was instantly furious. "Old man, where are my noodles?!"
Maha let out an ill-timed belch. "Hic... who are you asking?"
"Your 18-year-old great-grandmother ate them."
'Great-grandmother? Is she a damn glutton?!!'
Sean glanced at the corner. The mountain of instant noodle boxes and soda bottles made his blood pressure spike!
'Good... very good!' "Forget great-grandmother. My dear Grandfather, in ten years, why don't you just become my great-grandmother!"
'I'll definitely castrate you then!'