*Finding Leorio*

by: WhiteGloves

"I do not fear death, I only fear that my rage will one day fade."

-Kurapika


Chapter 7: His Consequences (part 2)


Leorio tried to be familiar with the place as he turned his head from left to right with a crease on his eyebrows. He was led to a dark, suspicious place which he didn't find surprising. With strange guys come strange places after all. It has always been like that.

Following the man's back, he continued to follow him until he was able to reach the middle of nowhere. Not that he was particular with the man's offer, but he couldn't help feeling interested with the guy. The stranger knew about the Ginei Ryodan. He knew where they were hiding and even lived to tell it. Now that wasn't normal, Leorio thought. A feat like that deserves praise, even caution.

And to think he would follow the guy to some unknown place, he must really be desperate for information. Leorio was aware as he followed the guy, that he wanted him to tell him more about the Ginei Ryodan's whereabouts… then maybe…

He had forgotten the time, he just went on. He would have questioned such a place in the middle of the metropolitan— wreck buildings, boulders and debris—a forgotten asylum: a likely place where strange people would gather. Finding himself walking on its dark pavement was not an inviting thought.

Still Leorio continued for what he was worth. The idea that he could hear the man speaking inside his head was already enough to make him trail the guy for no other reason.

He came out on another passage. As Leorio looked around the darkness, he spotted a light coming out from across the narrow. Pulling his collar closer, he next dug his hands on his pocket and ran there.

Truth or dare, here he comes!

He came out on the other side of the alley and discovered empty space amdist tall and empty buildings. The buildings were so tall the moonlight could hardly reach the floor. There were giant pieces of boulders on the ground as if it had been left forgotten after a massive earth quake. In the middle of all the heaps of rocks sat the shadow of the man.

Leorio found the strange man was sitting on the highest boulder with a calm look. The man was also eyeing Leorio with a sort of welcome gleam on his eyes. Nobody else was around.

Leorio decided to take his last step to show himself despite feeling apprehensive at what he was doing.

"You followed?" the guy started monotonously. Leorio calmly took in the situation.

"Ah. Since I have no choice. You've intercepted me. I'm taking you responsible."

"I already told you their whereabouts. Why not head there if you were in a hurry?"

"That's the point!" Leorio's voice had suddenly become strong as he clutched his fist toward the unknown person, "How did you know where they are? Why did you tell me? Who are you?"

He saw the man cock his head on one side and answered.

"I knew it all along. I told you because you asked for it. I'm Rye Shin, a hunter. "

"A hunter?"

Leorio's eyes widened as his questions were answered one by one. Rye continued eyeing him in the same fashion that didn't deflect interest or curiosity. Leorio stared at the guy and swallowed hard as he continued,

"My names Leorio… I'm also a hunter."

Rye Shin raised both eyebrows and rested his chin on his palm. He gave Leorio a leery look, as if weighing him with an unknown scale, before sitting properly again.

"It's interesting to know that you are a hunter," he said once more, "and finding you after the Ryodan made me curious."

"So you're hunting them too? You're after those monsters?"

To find a person that hunts the Ryodan as well…

"Not quite," Rye answered conversationally, "I'm just aware of their activities since it's my area of expertise... I'm a Black List hunter."

Upon hearing this, Leorio's eyes widened and his heart raced hopefully. Maybe if he could have this guy meet with Kurapika, then maybe they could help each other! Not even Kurapika could turn down an informative guy like Rye!

But then, just as hope was filling him in for the help that he wanted to give his friend, Leorio heard Rye spoke so softly, he thought it must've been all in his head.

I see. So you're friends of the chained guy who stopped Kuroro?

Leorio's eyes rounded. He just noticed Rye wasn't opening his mouth but was just staring at him from all the way where he was sitting.

"This… again…" Leorio muttered as he strained to grasp the man's power, "you can read minds?"

"Only those of the weakest," Rye finally said with a little smile, "and those whose guards are down."

"You…" Leorio hissed with a clutched fist, "get off my head, bastard!"

"But your mind is full of inviting thoughts," the strange guy put one hand on his chin looking, "and you can hardly contain them inside… ha… it's like it's all bursting out—wanting to be heard."

Leorio stared at the man who closed his eyes thoughtfully.

"…amazing… your friend is amazing…" he whispered after awhile, "he really puts himself there ha… willingly, he's destroying himself… that chained guy. You purposely came after me because you want me to help this friend of yours who's really after the brigade… that's an interesting thought."

"Oi… stop it…" Leorio whispered after a few moments, "reading my thoughts… don't you have any manners…?"

"Sorry," Rye muttered looking unconvincing, "but as I told you, your thoughts are leaking."

Leorio gritted his teeth but couldn't think of any counter. He just stood there staring at the guy, in his pitch black eyes that seemed to have no end. Then he saw Rye's eyes gleam again.

"You want me to help him?" the guy asked.

Leorio felt a trickle of sweat run down the side of his face.

"Ah… if you have read my thoughts correctly—then I'm really here to ask for help. You know those Ryodan… and you seem to have fair power yourself… that's why… if you're also after those guys then—"

"You think your friend and I can help each other?"

Leorio nodded. That's exactly what he was thinking… Rye seemed really powerful… he could help Kurapika… then Kurapika will have a powerful ally and taking the Ryodan down will be easier for him.

"How selfish."

Leorio's eyes widened. He saw that Rye was looking at him with a disappointed look.

"What?"

"You want me to help your friend because you cannot do it yourself. Isn't that selfish? Using another person to aid your friend… but I guess you can't help it, you're too weak after all."

Leorio's jaw tightened but he couldn't say anything to defend himself. He just stood there rooted on the spot with eyes flickering at the man in front of him. He felt suddenly degraded.

Rye looked away.

"Having said that, I still think it'll be a good opportunity to meet your friend. A fallen guy like him… extremely interesting."

"He's not a 'fallen guy'!" Leorio bellowed that earned him another look from Rye.

"Ho? You think? A guy like him who used his nen so terribly to dispose of the people he hated… a guy like him who willingly risked himself for vengeance? You do not consider that fallen?"

"SHUT UP!" with clenched teeth and jaws, Leorio couldn't think of anything but hitting Rye's cold face, "you don't know what he's been through!"

"Oh, I know…" Rye muttered looking unchallenged, "do you want see it?"

And before Leorio's eyes— visions started appearing. It was as if a memory he didn't know exist was shoved down his mind—playing itself like it was part of him—

Blood. There was lots of blood. And screams. Agony. Excruciating pain.

And Leorio saw it as if it was part of his memory… a vision so near reality it made him want to cry out in despair. There were many people—there were many screams. And then a voice—a voice so clear to describe what he was seeing…

"The massacre of the Kuruta clan … all 128 villagers had been killed. Family members had been forced to sit facing each other and they have been stabbed, but were still alive before being beheaded…

Leorio felt his knees give way as he saw people sitting in front of him and were all crying… all were tortured… all were getting killed.

"…what…" Leorio found himself too shaken even to speak, "…this…"

Blood and dead bodies were scattered on the ground.

"The pureblood members of the Kuruta clan all had their eyes gouged out. Those from outside who married into the clan kept their eyes but their bodies showed considerable more injury (The adult men have many injuries as well, but this surely was evidence of resisting the enemy before being captured.)

"From this, it is hypothesized that the culprits first attacked the clansmen from outside to agitate the pureblood Kuruta clansmen, whose eyes would then turn red from grief and anger. They were then beheaded one by one.

"No!" Leorio was screaming but nobody seems to hear him as the hideous scene come one after another. And then there were more bodies around… small, defenceless bodies of children…

"It is said that the Kuruta's scarlet eyes that arise from anger are the most brilliant shade of red and command quite a price on the black market. There were many merciless wounds on the bodies of the children as well and it is thought that the culprits did this to incite the eyes of their parents to turn a more brilliant shade of red."

And Leorio was screaming for all his voice could muster. And he was on his knees with fists clutching his head as if so would get rid of the memory. But there were still agonizing cries and shouts… screams… and blood.

"We reject no one. So take nothing from us."

And Leorio was crying. His whole body was shaking as he choked on the floor. It was too much—too much to be even considered a lie. All his eyes could see were the swimming bodies on blood. All his ears could hear were the screams of the children and their parents… and all he could do was cry with them as if he was there when it all happened.

Then silence.

When Leorio came to, he was breathing heavily on the ground as if he had run for miles. He was sprawled on the floor like a broken toy with arms and legs stretched out before him. He figured he was trying to run from something but his numb body had prevented him from it. Perspiration covered his body and face, his damp clothes sticking to his body. His eyes were thumping against its sockets and his body shaking terribly.

It has to be a dream.

What he saw just then… it has to be a dream… there was no way it could be true…

Rye eyed Leorio looking placid. He watched as the helpless man twitched before him with indifferent eyes. The man was shaking with his hands trying to clutch something from the ground. After several minutes, he saw Leorio raise his head a little. Rye turned solemn.

"My ability does not only allow me to read thoughts. It allows me in thoroughly to the point that I can control it. People that lacked in concentration and control in their own mind can easily fall in my hands… what you witnessed just now is a true recount of what happened to the Kuruta clan… your friend whose face I saw with those distinct red eyes is no doubt a Kuruta survivor. I can understand why he made such a charming choice. "

Leorio's hand twitched as Rye continued,

"I think your friend is worthy to observe, so I might actually accept your request. Not that I am interested in the end of the spiders but I've always been fascinated by Kuroro himself. The fact that he was sealed away using a unique nen ability that destructs its master—I believe that it is worth looking in to. I think I can really help your friend in one ways or another."

Leorio found his strength by this time and has already pushed himself from the ground. Looking visibly shaken, he looked up to Rye with intensity and suspicious mind.

"A-are you going to show him that?" he asked breathlessly.

Rye smiled. "I might. Though, I doubt he hasn't read the reports about the massacre again and again. That is where he's anger is coming from… that is how he was able to make his choice."

Leorio then remembered Kurapika's words when he first met him…

'I do not fear death, I only fear that my rage will one day fade'

"Then?" Rye stood up and put both hands deep in his pockets, "where is your friend? I want to meet him as soon as possible."

"You're really gonna help him?" Leorio straightened with a look of doubt on his face, "just because I asked you to? You're going to help him?"

"That's what I said. I can be help especially if he wants his anger to heighten, making it more possible for him to perform his goal with ease."

"How do you plan to do that?"

It was only a moment ago when Leorio felt that something was wrong. True, this guy was powerful, and that among all the people Leorio has met so far, this guy was the most capable of something that can help Kurapika. But why did he feel that way? What was with this guy that made him think he was able to help Kurapika? As far as Leorio could tell, he wasn't just a normal hunter. He was above that. And his aura was visibly reminding him of someone he loathed… even feared…

Like that guy…

Leorio eyed the cool stranger with apprehension. Something was definitely wrong.

"You said you're gonna help him by heightening his anger?" Leorio found himself asking, "what exactly do you mean by that?"

Rye's eyes narrowed as he answered, "Giving you the details just like that…? I doubt you'd even understand… but if your friend plans to finish the Ryodan he needs to get stronger. And when I said that he needs to be more like a killer who has no hesitation to kill."

Leorio's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the guy whose face shone in the dark like a warning. It never occurred to him but just then he realized that it was probably a bad omen. Coming to this guy seeking for help was a bad idea… because just then… their idea of helping Kurapika was the exact opposite.

What the hell…?


-To Be Continued-

Leorio's decision in the next chapter:

His Consequences 3

Thanks for Reading!