Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot.
A/N: I wish to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter and added this to their favourites and follows.
Five days have passed since Naru last saw Killua. In those five days, she hasn't saw or sense the person targeting her. A good thing too because she didn't want to get into anymore fights but then again, the last fight she had wasn't even that good. She was just too strong for that timid man. Oh well, she could always fight the person that was watching her.
Yes, watching her. For the past week, she had sense someone watching her over the course of the exam. The person didn't want to fight her that much she was certain because the person would have attack her, the moment she fell asleep. It doesn't help that she hasn't sense any negative emotion from the person, which leads her to believe that the person had another reason for watching her but what reason, she doesn't know.
Well, it doesn't matter to her anymore; seeing as the fourth exam phrase had just finish and they were now going to the fifth exam site. She wondered, whether this was going to be the last exam phrase or were there going to be more? She hoped not because she is tired of these exams. All she wanted now, was a bed and go back home to yell at Kakashi for teaching Sasuke that stupid move.
She grimaced at her thoughts. It was Kakashi's fault that she nearly died as well as Orochimaru along with Sasuke. Kakashi because he didn't consider the idea of Sasuke betraying them or realize the fact her ex-best friend wasn't exactly the sanest person in the village. Orochimaru for giving Sasuke an offer he couldn't refuse and Sasuke for nearly killing her.
The worst thing was, is the fact that she made a stupid promise to Sakura.
"I should have used my head when I made that stupid promise," she twirled her hair around her finger as she said this. "Now, I have no choice but to fulfill the promise I made."
"What promise?" A voice called out to her.
She twisted her head around, grimacing at the sight of Gon and the others staring at her with confusion and curiosity. She should have gone to the room that president had provided for them because at least she can talk out loud and not be completely worried about anyone hearing her.
"Naru, what's the promise that you made?" Kurapika's tone was gentle and she hated the fact that it was. It would make it so easy for her to snap at him because his tone had been harsh but it wasn't. It was gentle and soft, reminding her of how Hinata use the same tone whenever she was upset.
That tone always made her want to confess about all the things that upset her and this wasn't any different.
"I made a promise to my teammate that I will bring back our male teammate back home and I said that I would do it even if it hurts me," she curled her lips into a scowl. "At the time, I thought it would be something easy because I could always talk some sense to our stubborn teammate but, now…" she trailed off, remembering the hurtful words that Sasuke had said to her.
"What do you know about family? You never had one, Naru!"
The damn bastard had to remind her that she never had the love of a mother or father.
"Now, what?" Leorio asked impatiently.
The blonde blinked her eyes, realizing they were still waiting for her to finish her sentence.
"Now, I think if I ever say another word to him then he would kill me." She confessed, bowing her head in sadness. She chuckled at their raised eyebrows. "What? I'm not kidding, if I see him or say something to him then he will try to kill me!"
"You're making that up?" She shook her head at Gon and he frowned at her. "Friends don't hurt each other or try to kill each other! So why do you say something like this, Naru! What makes you believe that?"
She pursed her lips at his question. Should she tell them the truth? Should she tell them about how he nearly killed? She didn't want to ruin his vision of what the world is like but yet; they deserve to know the reason why she was so sad. After all, she told Killua and they have the same right to know why she never gave them a true smile.
"Because he nearly killed me," they stared at her with a mixture of disbelief and horror. "It sounds unbelievable but I have a scar on my chest to prove it. I'm lucky that I survived because if it had been anyone else, no one would have survived it!"
"Why?" Leorio asked, his eyes hardening as he stared at her.
"Because the attack can even pierce through the largest boulder."
"And he used it against you! What the hell was he thinking!" Leorio yelled, clenching his hand into a fist. "He shouldn't use a technique like that against his friend, especially if his friend is a girl. If I ever meet the bastard, I will make him pay for hurting you."
"You can't defeat him Leorio! It's my duty to beat up the bastard for hurting me, not you!" Naru gritted her teeth. "I won't let anyone beat him up until I break every bone in his body before releasing him to the dogs!"
"Or you could always give him to the authority in your village?" Kurapika suggested.
Naru laughed at Kurapika's words. "The authority in my village would never dream of harming him! They worshipped him because of the fact that he is the last of his clan!" Her tone turned bitter. "If I gave him to the authority, they will just give him a light slap on the wrist before releasing him!"
"That's unfair!" Leorio and Gon yelled.
"Well, that's my village for you!" She said. "They aren't fair people and are the most prejudice people that you will ever meet!"
"And you want to go back there." Kurapika said, frowning at her.
"Well, where else can I go? I can't let them think I'm dead, can I?" she said irritably. "I would love to travel the world and have fun but I can't do these things if my own village believe I'm dead!"
"Let them think, you're dead after all it isn't like they care about you if that's what is going to happen to you when you give them the boy!" She smiled softly at those words. "You shouldn't go back there!"
"I will think about it!"
Leorio opened his mouth to protest further at her words but was interrupted when a voice called out from the speakers. Naru smiled in relief, knowing that she didn't have to worry about having any more doubts about going back home.
"…Candidate 406, we ask that you please come to the reception room."
Naru frowned at this and stared at the others in confusion but the three of them simply shrugged their shoulders at her. She sighed, knowing that she had no choice but to go to the reception room without knowing what she was in for.
It reminds her of her Academy days.
She just hoped that it is for a good reason and not for any bad reasons.
Through knowing her luck, she wasn't going to be lucky.
The reception room was a room that reminded Naru of the Hyuga's estate, with its bamboo floors and serene feeling. There were little things in the room, only having a couple of plants and a couple of her world's calligraphy. For a brief moment, she wonders if she was back home but when she saw the president smiling at her, reality finally hit her.
She was so far away from home and had little chance of going home.
"Sit down." The president said, gesturing at her to take a seat on the cushion in front of him.
Naru nodded and sat down cross-legged on the cushion before staring at the old man with weariness and suspicion. Looking at the president, Naru was surprised that someone like him was the boss. He wasn't like any of the leaders that she knew, if anything he looked the complete opposite. While the other leaders were strict and held no nonsense, this man was different. He was eccentric- acting like he was younger then he really was.
"You wanted to see me, sir?"
He nodded his head, smiling at her. "Oh yes, I wanted to have a small talk with you."
She frowned and flicker her eyes towards the doors before to the window, trying to figure out what was her fastest route of escape. If the man attack her or tried anything funny then, she could always fight him or run as fast as she can from him. Through the last option was definitely not a choice she would like to do.
"You have nothing to fear child! I won't harm you!" She smiled sheepishly at him, causing the man to laugh out loud. "I just wish to know you better!"
"Oh?"
"Tell me, Naru how old are you?"
"Twelve years old."
"You don't seem to behave like a twelve year old girl." The president said, smiling at her. "I would have thought that you were older from the way you talk and behave."
"Sorry to disappoint you but I'm twelve." She said calmly. "I can't help it if I tend to act more mature then the rest of the kids, my age."
"I guess not." The old man muttered. He scratched his beard and smiled kindly at her. "Tell me Naru, where are you from?"
Naru raised her eyebrows at this question. How was this anyway relevant to what they were talking about? And why was he so curious about where she is from? She shook her head at this thought. The man asked and he had been kind to her so far. He hadn't snapped at her when she was thinking or was pushing her for answers. He was being patient with her, seeing as he wasn't pushing her for answers.
"Would you believe me if I tell you that I come from Konohagakure."
The old man blinked and laughed out loud. She crossed her arms in irritation, ready to yell at him for laughing at her words but closed her mouth. This wasn't the time to yell at him and it did sound outrageous. If she had been someone else, then she would have laughed as well. So she sat there, waiting patiently as she can for the old man to stop laughing.
"It makes sense now that I think about it!" He chuckled and stared meaningfully at the headband wrapped around her waist. "The last person I met with that headband was a young boy around your age, and if that doesn't help you look similar to him, especially with that hair color." He shook his head. "Through his eyes were a bit more brighter but, the two of you have the same sigma in that headband. I wonder, are the two of you related?"
"Um…I don't know." Naru admitted, smiling at him.
The old man simply blinked his eyes and shrugged his shoulders at her, giving her a smile. "So tell me Naru, in your village what was your status? Genin, Chunnin or Jounin?" he smiled. "The boy I met at that time was a genin but he had so much potential in becoming the strongest person in the world." He sighed. "It's been years since I last saw him. I wonder what happened to him."
"I'm a genin in my village."
"I see…" He wrote that down in the clipboard, giving her the occasional glance as he did so.
"Now Naru, tell me why do you want to become a Hunter?" he asked. "Not many shinobis decide to become Hunters and when they do…well it's an interesting reason."
The blonde blinked her eyes at his question, before shaking her head at the man in front of her. Does she really have to tell him why she chose to become a Hunter? Will she have to confess about the fact that she doesn't know how to get back home? It sounded so wrong but maybe, the man knows the way back home. Then again…
Does she really want to go back home?
There was nothing waiting for her at home. She might loose them the moment she gets back home and there were just too many painful memories there. The ramen stand would remind her of how Team Seven used to be. Her friends remind her of how far she came from only having Hinata and Sasuke as friends to having the rest coming after the exam. The worst yet would be the Academy, where she had made friends with Sasuke.
She wasn't ready to go back there.
But that doesn't mean she couldn't tell the old man.
"My reason for coming here isn't like any of the other participants in these exams." Her tone turned sad. "My reason for becoming a Hunter might sound ridiculous but it is the truth. The reason I become a Hunter is because I don't know how to go back home! And only Hunters know how to go there!"
"Only one star hunters have access to this type of information and only because they aren't like the other professional hunter." The old man told her, frowning at her. "Besides, finding the Elemental Continent isn't easy, if anything it is difficult. Even the best have difficulty finding it."
"Why?" The more she listens, the more she wants to kill Sasuke for sending her here.
"Because the location changes every time and the information we do have, only tells you the signs of its location." The old man said fondly. "Even then it is advised that you stay far away from there because the continent isn't anything like ours…if anything it is more blood thirsty," he smiled at this, "and chances of people coming there back alive is slim. Are you still willing to become a Hunter, now that you know this?"
Naru pondered at his question for a few minutes before giving him a grin. "You bet your ass that I'm still willing to become a Hunter! Now I have more reason!" she crackled. "Who knows I might become the best Hunter in the whole world!"
The eccentric old man grinned at her words and wrote something in his clipboard before saying. "Now among the nine other participants, which one retains most of your attention?"
That was an easy question for her to answer.
"I guess 405, 404, 403 and 99 but not because they are strong or anything but because they are different from the people I know." She smiled. "When I'm with them, I forget that I'm so far away from home."
The old man bowed his head at her words. "Well, last question." She sighed and he shook his head at her. "Among the other nine participants, who do you want to fight against the least?"
"I would say 44 as well as 405, 404, 403 and 99." He raised his eyebrows at her. "44 because he reeks of bloodlust and well, I'm not really practically ready to die. I don't think my luck will last against him." She shook her head. "The other four because they are my friends and I don't like fighting with my friends, especially when I know that I can take it too far."
"I see," the old man said, writing it down in his clipboard. "You can go back now."
Naru grinned at his words, and immediately dashed out of the door, happy to know that she doesn't have to deal with another painful question. Through as she left, she couldn't help but feel as if the old man was hiding something from her.
A stupid thing, seeing as she had just met the man.
For the next three days, Naru spend her time relaxing and reading any books that she could find in her room. The books were interesting, seeing as she had to ask Kurapika to teach her how to read their language, which made it interesting to read. Although a major embarrassment for her in her part, seeing as it made her feel dumb but she quickly got over it when she started to read the stories they have.
It was different from all the books that she read. It had more truth and was more to the reality that she had grown up in. Through some of them made no sense, seeing as it was talking about witches and wizards and other strange things. It doesn't matter because it was very different from the books she read, which were all about princes and princesses.
The sad thing was that she couldn't take them with her, seeing as she didn't want to hear the boring speech that they were about to hear.
Honestly, she had been hoping that they wouldn't hear such things.
"The last trial will be in the form of duels of one against one!" Netero scanned the room, smiling at the sight of their weary faces before taking out the sheet that covered the board in front of them. Naru frowned at the sight of them, noticing how the grouping was quite uneven. In fact, this was the weirdest grouping she ever saw and was one that she had never seen before.
"And now the rules in this last round, it's very simple to follow." Naru arched her eyebrows at this. "One victory and you pass the exam, meaning in this tournament, winners quit the game one by one."
"So does this mean the principle of this tournament is different from any regular tournament?" Naru asked, drawing everyone´s attention to her. "Because usually it is the other way around."
"Hmm, yes it is different from a normal tournament." The old man chuckled. "Indeed, the principle of the pyramid is to designate the loser not the winner. Do you understand?"
"So basically the loser of this exam isn't going to become a Hunter." Naru grimaced. "And by the looks of things, there would only be one loser."
"Precisely," he smiled at them. "There will only be one loser but that is if they loose in their three opportunities. Any questions?"
"Why isn't the pyramid well-balanced?" A participant asked, staring at the man in weariness.
"That's a good question. Why didn't I tell you guys earlier?"
Naru wanted to slam her head at these words, wondering why the man didn't just tell them in the beginning. She shook her head, knowing that this old man was just an absented-minded man but still...he shouldn't forget something important as this. Then again, he was an old man, so he had some excuse.
"These groups were chosen using the result you had in previous round." Naru frowned at this. "Simply, the ones who got good marks up until now have better chance of passing."
"I wonder how he count the points." Killua muttered.
"Just ask him." Naru whispered right back. "It won't hurt you, will it?"
"Smartass."
"Thank you."
He rolled his eyes at her and turned around to stare coldly at the old president in front of her and said loudly:
"Mind telling us, how you count the points!" Killua said, smiling at them. "Because I don't like it."
"Impossible!"
"EXCUSE ME!" Killua yelled, staring at the man in anger. He opened his mouth to yell even more but Naru stomped her foot on his feet, causing the boy scream out in pain. Everyone turned around to look at them but she simply gave them an innocent smile, waiting for them to turn around before scolding at her friend.
"You should never yell at people who are older then you! You don't know what they can do!" Naru hissed. "And he's the president so he can do anything he wants! He could make it difficult for you not to pass the exam because of what you just said!"
"But!"
Naru glared at him and that immediately caused him to shut up. She grinned, happy to know that she still have her touch. Even Sasuke and Kakashi would shut up when she gave them this glare, and this was a feat that wasn't easy to do.
"Now if you two love birds are done talking-"
"WE'RE NOT LOVE BIRDS!" They yelled in unison, causing everyone to laugh.
"Right, back to the topic, the way we counted is an absolute secret. I can't reveal everything to you." Naru grimaced at his words. "However I can still give you some explanation of our ways. First, the basis of the evaluation and they were based on three essential points. These three essential points are strength, mind and charisma. Now the explanation."
"I hope it isn't going to be long."
"I'm glad that I'm not the only one that have the same thought!" Gon said, smiling at them.
"...In the evaluation of strength, these things are taken into account: speed, suppleness, resistance, and use of the five senses." Naru grinned at this. "The evaluation of the mind, as for it, it regroups of the uses of resistance, adaptation, appreciation and creation but this only corresponds to references' measures because what allowed you to reach the end, is first your charisma."
"That doesn't make sense to me." Naru muttered.
"It's something difficult to quantity something and the essential component of a hunter." He said calmly. "The result come from all I just told you and all you told me. That's all."
Naru grimaced at his words and stared at the man with weariness. This wasn't enough for her, if anything she wanted more information about how the results came to be. Through, she supposes that she wouldn't get the answer unless she became an examiner or have a high ranking. A pity because she was curious about it.
"The fight rules are simple to understand and follow." His tone held a mocking tone. "Weapons are allowed and pushing your opponent to quit gives you the victory! However if you kill your adversary, you'll be disqualified! So, if that ever happens, the only disqualified candidate will be designated and the exam will end."
Make sense if you ask her.
"FIRST MATCH: NARU VS. HANZO!"
Naru winced at the loudness of the man's voice and glared at the man as she walked to the arena. She turned around to face her opponent, who was a bald young man dressed in shinobi clothing but that isn't what caught her attention. It was his eyebrows and that was because it looked like a girl eyebrows. Maybe, Lee and Gai should take some lessons with him and this guy from them about eyebrows.
"I'll be the referee of the match." Naru sighed. "Good luck to the both of you!"
"And we meet again!" Hanzo said, cheerfully and the blonde sighed, crossing her arms at the pair of them. "You were the one that followed me during the 4th round, weren't you?"
The referee raised his eyebrows at this. "You saw it."
"Of course." Hanzo's tone was smug.
"Each candidate was followed by a juror during this round?" He frowned. "I couldn't have been the only one to have noticed it."
"I guess that make sense of why I felt that I was being watched." Naru chuckled. "I'm glad to know it wasn't some kind of pervert because I was ready to kill that person for watching me!"
"Anyways, I should thank you! If I was so well placed in the pyramid, it's thanks to the report you did on me!"
"Can we get to the fight." Naru said, yawning at the two men.
"Wait kid-"
"I'm not a kid!" she yelled. "In my village, I'm considered an adult.
"An adult!" He laughed. "You don't know anything about the world! You haven't seen how cruel the world is. You should-"
Hanzo didn't even finish his sentence when Naru smashed her fist against his chest. He groaned in pain, causing Naru to grin in satisfaction. She stomped her foot against the man's chest but only for it to be block by the man's hand. It was good to know that the bastard in front of her wasn't just all talk and no play but it won't be enough against her because he did the one thing she hates.
He said that she doesn't know how cruel the world is and that is the one thing; she can't forgive because she of all people knows just how cruel the world is.
"I see that you're quite strong for a girl your age." He said, clutching his chest in pain. "Not even kunoichis in my clan have strength like yours."
Naru stiffened at the word kunoichi and she stared at the young man in front of her with curiosity. She couldn't help but asked:
"Are you a shinobi?"
"Yes and judging from the headband around your waist, you come from one of the hidden villages in the whole world." Hanzo said, looking at her with interest. "Through what interest me is why would someone from those parts come here, especially such a young kid. From what I read, kids don't usually come here. Tell me kid, why have you entered the Hunter Exam."
Naru chuckled darkly at his question. "Let me say this again, I'm not a kid! In the hidden village, if you get a headband then you are acknowledge by everyone as an adult!" she grimaced. "As for I have enter these exams, well let me just say that it is none of your business, teme!"
With those words, she lunged at him. Hanzo stepped to the left, avoiding Naru's punch and barely dodge the kick that she sent to him. He jumped high in the air and took out several shurikens from his pouch, throwing it in her. Naru narrowed her eyes at this and quickly avoided the shurikens. She quickly formed the handsigns needed for the jutsu. This jutsu she was about to use was the one Itachi had taught her just before he betrayed Konoha.
"KATON: ENDAN!"
Almost everyone gasped when they saw flame bullets heading towards Hanzo. Naru frowned when she heard the man hissed in pain as a small part of the flame had hit the young in the arm. She immediately went to attack the man but only to have Hanzo lunging at her. She ducked his punch and twisted her leg to kick him in the knee. He wasn't able to block it on time.
He clutched his knees and jumping up and down, swearing at her as he did so. Naru smiled innocently at him and said. "That's what you get for underestimating my age! I wouldn't have come this far if it had been just luck, you know."
"I can tell!" He grinned. "Just shows that I shouldn't go easy on you."
Naru smiled at his words but her smile quickly turned to a frown when she felt his presence behind her. Sighing, she stepped to the left, missing his kick. Well that was easy, she thought that it would be a little bit more difficult-"
She spoke too soon because, before she even realizes she had been kicked in the head. She was sent flying to the wall. The mere force made her wince but it wasn't enough for her to cry out. She stood up, glaring at the gawking man. It looked like the poor man had never seen someone surviving his kick before.
"H-how the hell...I put all my strength into that kick!"
Naru snorted at his words. "Seriously! I thought it would be stronger than that! My own teammate can kick harder than that!" she smirked. "If that's the strength of a shinobi from these lands then I have nothing to worry about!"
With those words, she quickly made her way towards him. She smashed her fist against the man's head, grinning evilly when she heard the sound of him crying in pain. It felt good to make a shinobi go into pain. It felt like she had paid back for all the bad things that they have done to her. She was like a sadist in that way, but you would be to if you had her life.
She grimaced when she saw that the young man was taking a knife out of his sleeve. This guy just turned a little bit more troublesome. She stepped to the side when the man lunged at her. She twisted her leg and kicked the man on the back. She took out her kunai and kneeled down at the groaning young man in front of her.
"Tell them that you lost and you can still save your pride as a shinobi!" he glared at her. "If you don't do this then I will personally take out the one part that makes you a man."
"You wouldn't!"
She grinned at his words, putting her kunai deathly close to the man's crotch. "Try me!"
"I ADMIT DEFEAT!"
Naru grinned at his words, and made her way towards her friends. They smiled and congratulated her but she say anything listen to them. Instead, she leaned against the wall and stared blankly at the arena. All she could think was the fact that there were shinobis in this world and that these shinobis don't even use chakra.
Several times, he could have used it against her but he didn't and, when she did the fire jutsu that man just gawked at her, looking as if he had never seen anything like that. This was strange because she remembered the Hokage telling her that the difference between a shinobi and civilian was the fact that civilian don't know how to use chakra. This was the main difference as he told her. So why would a shinobi look so shocked.
Research needs to be done on that.
"Naru, are you alright?"
The blonde stared at Killua and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"You gave that guy quite a beating!" he grinned. "I didn't think that you have it in you."
Naru sighed. "It would have been completely different if I hadn't used chakra." She shook her head. "If I haven't used chakra in my punches and kicks then the guy might have stood more of a chance."
"Is that why you're irritated."
"No."
"Then why are you irritated!"
"I'm not irritated. I'm just bloody confusion!"
"Why?"
Naru frowned at the boy and answered. "Every shinobi should know about chakra but this guy didn't know about it It looked like he had never seen anything like that." she frowned. "I have been taught my whole life that the difference between a shinobi and civilian is the fact that shinobi know how to use chakra and a civilian can't use it!"
"So?"
"I'm getting there!" she snapped. "Anyways, this guy says that he is a shinobi and yet, he didn't use it!"
"Maybe he was going easy on you."
The blonde reluctantly nodded her head at his words but she doubted his words. This guy would have used it the moment, he declared that he wasn't going to go easy on her but he didn't. Not only that, he was just so shocked, acting as if he had never seen someone doing that before. A good thing she didn't use the shadow clone or else he will be even in more shocked.
The one thing certain were that this world was even stranger now.
The fight between Gon and Hanzo had been interesting and quite funny to see, with Gon declaring that he didn't want the young man to cut off his leg. Naru had never laughed so hard in her life until that moment. Through, the fight was quite one sided in her opinion but, it was quite interesting to know that the shinobi did have some honour. Still, she wanted to murder the man for sending Gon to the infirmary.
The match between Kurapika and Hisoka was worrisome, seeing as the latter had declared that he lost after he whispered something to Kurapika's ear. What worries her was the expression on his face- it was almost like his whole world have stopped from hearing it. She will need to keep an eye on Kurapika after this. The last thing she wants is for him to do something stupid.
The fight between Hanzo and Pokkuru was very much one-sided, with Hanzo beating the crap out of Pokkuru. Maybe, it must have been because of the fact that he had been defeated by two pre-teens. That teaches him for thinking that two preteens are weak; through he had truly held back when it came to Gon. Maybe, she should think about making the boy stronger than this.
The match between Hisoka and Bodoro was completely one sided but Bodoro truly didn't give up, making her think that he truly is a worthy guy. A man that doesn't give up was a man that was just too strong for that guy; perhaps, he would have stood more of a chance if it had been someone else.
The match between Killua and Pokkuru made her pissed because her best friend had decided that there was just no point fighting his opponent, since he thought the guy wouldn't be any fun. Why was she friends with him? He shouldn't care about fun but how to gain the license.
Honestly, what was she going to do with him?
Leorio match with Bodoro was now being postponed since Leorio was being nice, by requesting that they fight when his opponent's wounds were healed. If she didn't know he was pervert, she would have said that he was the nicest person in the world. Sadly, her friend was a complete pervert.
Now they were at the current match, which was between Killua and Gitarakuru. The one thing, Naru was certain about was the fact that the man in front of her was very creepy with all those pins in his body. Still, she was curious to know how strong that guy was and if he would be able to defeat Killua easily.
"START!"
Naru shook her head at her thoughts and stared in interest at the two males. Killua was walking closer to the man, who looked to be quite amused at this. For a brief moment, she felt dread at what is about to happen but, she doesn't know why. There was nothing special about this man but something tells her that this match might be the worst match up for her friend. She shook her head and concentrated on the match in front of her.
"It's been a long time, Killua."
Killua raised his eyebrows at this and she wondered what the relation between them was because her friend doesn't seem to realize who he is. Her eyes widen as the man took out the pins from his face, causing his whole face to morph to something completely different. He actually looked a lot less ugly. If anything he looked pretty. She shook her head and glanced at her silver-haired friend, who stood there in horror.
"Illumi-niisan!"
Niisan...this guy was Killua's brother! The two of them looked nothing alike.
"This guy is Killua's brother!" Leorio said, frowning at this.
"Looks like it." She said softly.
Illumi sighed and said in a monotone voice. "Kaa-san and Milluki told me you hit them."
Killua nodded and reluctantly said. "You could say it like that."
His brother crossed his arms. "Mum was crying."
The blonde rolled her eyes at them. She would cry to if her own kid hit her, in fact even tried to kill her because he didn't want to have this job. She glanced at the others, noticing that Leorio also had the same thoughts as her. In fact, he was voicing them out through, there was just some things she couldn't agree with him.
"She was confused." Illumi said, giving Killua a blank look. "Succeeding in education that way gives me such pleasure," Naru arched her eyebrows at this piece of information. "But I'm worried to see him leave right now so after that, she called me. It's an unexpected that I will meet you here but Kaa-san did fear you would like to be a hunter."
Illumi paused, waiting for Killua to say something but her friend said nothing instead he just stood there, giving his brother a blank look. "To tell you the truth, I also wanted an accreditation for my next job."
"I don't especially want to be a hunter, I just wanted to try the exam." Killua admitted.
Illumi raised his eyebrows at this. "That's reassuring because it means I can talk to you openly," his tone held a hint of amusement or so she thinks. This guy just reminded her of Itachi with the lack of emotion. "You won't become a hunter because your vocation is to be a killer."
Naru gritted her teeth at his words. She wanted to yell at him but she couldn't do that because, this was between Killua and him. Through, she wanted to punch the man because Killua can be whatever he wants to be. Her friend deserved to have a choice on what he wants to be and this guy had the nerve to decide who her friend can be like. If he doesn't want to become a hunter then they should be ok with it.
"You're just a dark puppet, passionless." Illumi continued. "Inside you, you have no passion or desire. You feed yourself with shadow and the only pleasure you can feel comes from the death of people. You are just as Father and I taught you." Naru gritted her teeth at this. "What were you expecting in becoming a Hunter?"
"It's not that I wanted to become a Hunter that led me here." Killua said softly. "But there is something I would like to have..."
Illumi shook his head. "No, there isn't anything."
Naru was very close to hitting the man in front of her but held back because she was certain that Killua would have enough sense to yell at his brother. Honestly, if this is the reason why Killua is the way he is then maybe, she can understand. Seriously, his brother was just so messed up.
"Yes there is something!"
Illumi snorted. "So tell it to me! What would you want?"
Killua didn't answer.
"Well? There's nothing is there?"
"I want to become friends with Gon and Naru." Killua admitted. "I'm fed up with killing and I just want to become friends with Gon and Naru. I want to have fun like a normal kid."
"Idiot!" Naru yelled, causing the two males to stare at her. "I thought that I made it pretty clear that we're friends! Even through we argue, I think of you as a friend and the same can be said for Gon! You had our friendship from the very beginning! What the hell made you think that we aren't friends!"
"Naru..."
"Don't Naru me! You are one of my closest friends and that is a fact!" Naru said angrily. "And I think the fact that you thought we aren't friends makes me pissed."
Illumi stared at her thoughtfully and for a brief moment, she wanted to cower but she stood her ground and glared at the man when he said. "That's nice and all but Killua can't make friends."
"And why the hell not!"
"Because the only judgement he is able to pass on a human is to know if he can kill them or not." He said. He turned his attention to Killua. "You're amazed by the two of them in fact, the three of you are always together aren't you. This has nothing to do with being friends."
Killua shook his head. "That's false."
"If you stay close to them then one day, you'll want to kill them." Naru shook her head at this. "Because you'll ask yourself if you're able to kill them or not."
"Don't listen to him!" Naru yelled. "I know that you are not going to kill Gon or me! I know that you are stronger than that!"
Illumi ignored her and continued on. "Because you're a natural born killer."
"Don't listen to that idiot, Killua! Gon and me consider you as a friend! Through I think you can be an arrogant bastard but still! But listen to me, he doesn't know a damn thing about how we feel about you!" Naru yelled, glaring at the man. "Now fight the bastard and get that damn license because me and Gon consider you a great friend!"
"Really?" Illumi asked.
"Of course, baka!"
"That bothers me...if you and Gon think he is your friend," Naru really wanted to punch the guy. "I know I'll just have to kill the two of you."
"Kill Gon and I will murder you!" Naru snarled. "I don't care that you are Killua's brother but I will kill you if you lay one finger on him."
"Then don't become Killua's friend!" She raised her eyebrows at this. "Killua is a killer and killers don't need friends, because they are always in the way!"
"You're damn wrong!" Naru yelled. "Friends are what killer needs so that they don't become crazy or feel so damn lonely! If you're his family then you should see what makes him happy and if having friends makes him happy, then leave him be! Brothers aren't supposed to be like this."
It seemed like he wasn't paying attention because he was walking towards the door, but only to be stop by the referee, who was trying to tell Illumi that the match isn't even over. She scowled when the referee immediately gave the information when Illumi threw his pins at him. She runs towards the door, blocking the man from the door.
It seems like she wasn't the only one because she saw Kurapika, Leorio and Hanzo standing with her.
"Damn it! If I didn't need this certificate for my next work, because now if I kill them here, I'll be disqualified and Killua will automatically pass." She glared at him. "I was going to make a mistake because if I kill Gon and Naru here then the result will be the same." he snapped his finger. "Yes and I'll start with passing the exam and then I'll start by killing Naru then Gon."
Killua started to sweat at this and Naru wanted to yell at them but she couldn't find the words to form.
"Doing it this way, even if I kill everyone here then my title can't be taken back, can it?" Illumi asked.
"No." The president said, softly. "No special rule allows that."
"Did you hear that, Killua?"
"If you don't win against me, you won't be able to save Gon or Naru." he said. "Will you be able to fight for friendship? No, you can't. The reason is simple: more than friendship because what matters is the if here and now, you can defeat me or not."
Killua looked petrified at this notion.
"You already have the answer. With my strength, I can't beat my brother." He said, walking towards Killua. "If you feel, you can't beat him, don't confront him and I was the one who gave you that advice, do you remember?"
Her friend walked a little bit closer to his brother but stopped when his brother raised his hand. "Don't move." Illumi ordered. "If you move even a tiny bit, I'll consider it to be the start of the fight. From the moment our bodies touch each other then the fight will begin. There is only one way to stop us, Killua, do you understand." He leaned his hand forward. "But don't forget if you don't confront me then your precious friends will die."
Naru wanted to slap Killua on the face for standing there. For even thinking that she couldn't protect herself from his maniac of a brother. But maybe, he was considering about Gon, who barely had the strength to protect himself now. No, that's stupid because she could protect Gon as well as she could protect herself. So it had been to something else.
If only she knew what was going through his head!
"Damn it, I lost." Killua said softly but it was still loud enough for everyone to hear.
She hated this. Hated the defeated expression on her friend's face! It just didn't suit him as well as the haughty expressions that he usually has. She was just so used to seeing him smiling and saying that these exams were easy! She wasn't used to seeing him scared or so ready to give up and it was all because of the man in front of her. His brother knew his weakness, knew how to toy with his mind and make him behave in ways that weren't himself.
Illumi's tactics were in some ways so similar to Itachi.
"I feel better now that I'm done with the fights!" Illumi chuckled as he clapped his hands. "I lied to you, Killua, I have no intentions of killing Gon and Naru! I just wanted to test you and now I have what I wanted…"
The blonde narrowed her eyes at the two boys, frowning when she couldn't hear what the older boy was saying to her. Through from his expression, she can guess that it was something horrible. And only if she could find the words to say but nothing she thinks or says seems to get through her friend's thick head.
What could she do?
Shaking her head, she watched as Killua came towards them. His expression was blank, giving no hint for them to guess how he was feeling. Which makes her really angry. How can they help him if he shuts them from his heart! No, she was going to speak some sense into the idiot and if that doesn't work then a good slap in the cheek would do it.
"Whatever your brother said to you is a lie, I hope you know that. You aren't anything like he described!" He didn't answer, causing her to sigh in frustration with him. "Answer me, Killua! Tell me what is going through your head, right now! Because I'm not a mind reader! At least tell me how you feel!"
He didn't say anything or give a small indication that he heard her.
"Answer her, Killua!" Leorio yelled, shaking the silver-haired boy. "She has been yelling like an idiot because of you! At least, give her some hint that you heard her! And answer her question!"
"She isn't the only one worried." Kurapika added, staring at the silver-haired boy with worry. "Leorio and I would like to know if everything is alright."
He didn't respond.
Naru growled. "I KNOW THAT YOU ARE SCARED OF YOUR BROTHER BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHUT US OUT OF YOUR LIFE." She yelled stomping her feet and this caused the whole room to shake. "WE WANT TO HELP YOU AND THE ONLY WAY FOR US TO DO THAT IS FOR YOU TO TALK TO US! SHUTING US OUT PROVES HIS POINT AND I THOUGHT YOU WANT TO PROVE TO YOUR FAMILY THAT THEY DON'T OWN YOU."
He still didn't say anything, not even a retort.
She was really starting to worry for his mental health.
"The match between Leorio and Bodoro is about to begin." The referee announced, smiling apologetically to them. Naru grimaced at this piece of information and glanced at Killua with worry. For some strange reason, she had the idea that he would do something stupid but the question is what?
The answer to that question didn't come soon after.
Before anyone realized, Killua had entered the arena and pierced Bodoro's chest. He clutched the man's heart, staring at all of them with an unreadable expression as the referee declared that he was disqualified. But while everyone else stared at Killua with horror, all she could think was the boy in front of her isn't the Killua she knew.
The boy in front of her isn't the Killua that she had spend weeks arguing with. Not the boy, who kept insulting her height or the boy, who made it easy for her to forget home. The boy right now is just a mere ghost of who he really is. She watched blankly as he run off towards the door and normally, she would run after him but she couldn't process what just happened.
This isn't the Killua she had seen for the past couple of weeks.
Her friend right now is just a shadow of himself but that's okay because she is going to bring him back. When she finds him
"…Now, the question is where will I find him?"
Replies to reviews:
Kingdomlily: You will see the rest of his family reaction towards Naru in the next couple of chapters but I can tell you that it will be diverse between all of them.
AbBytoTs: Naru will get a chance to speak with Kurama but it won't be anytime soon and even then, they won't immediately become friends but they will be friends. When is it, well you just have to wait and see.
Sousie: I'm glad that you found the last chapter nice and I hope that this chapter was also nice.
Mousey45322: I'm glad that you love the story and the moments between Killua and Naru and the way I deepened the past between them. To answer your question about whether Naru is going to be with them to the end of the manga, well it will be up until the current manga chapter, after that, well it is a surprise.
Evelsaint93: I'll try to tone down the mush mush and make it more kick ass.
OBSERVER01: Yes, Killua is way nice than Sasuke and about Kishimoto truly has no idea what he is doing, well I think the way he is doing it is making it questionable but I won't formed a opinion until the next chapter is up.
Nara816: I will try to update the next chapter as soon as I can and the next chapter is when things show a slight divergence from the manga.
Kojiro Kun: I'm glad that you enjoyed the fact that I made Naru replace Tonpa and how it didn't changes to many things. I was really worried about that because I didn't want to make the big changes in the early arches but I wanted it to show how it is different from the canon. I really like your theories about how Nen is also chakra and the explanation won't come anytime soon.
Michelous: Yes, it would be quite cool if Naru could use nen and chakra together but how it will work, I will have no idea.
Road and Tyki: If Naru learns Nen, her type would most likely be specialization but I will keep her ability a secret so, you can only guess.
Pri-Chan 1410: Who doesn't love a blushing Killua? And yes, it was quite boring for Naru to get her badge but the guy had to deal with her punch so, it was really poor him. In this fanfic, chakra and Nen are nearly the same thing with only slight difference but that will be explained better later on in the story.
GreenDrkness: I hope that you enjoyed this chapter.
TsukiRiver: I'm glad that you like how Naru is opening about Sasuke and she will continue up opening up to them about it and the next chapter is where Gon is retrieving Killua so you will know how it will go and I hope that you will enjoy my spin on the arc.
ImagineBreaker7: I'm glad that Killua's reaction satisfied you and I hope that the rest had satisfied you. And yes, Naru will go to the tournament and she will learn Nen. Naru will switch between Nen and Chakra depending on the situation but that is as much as I'm willing to say.
Kinunatzs: Naru won't have the same ability as Karin the Mind's Eye of the Kagura and I'm glad that you like how I reveal little about Naru's past.
Alice: Yes, 301 is Killua's brother but Naru doesn't know that until this chapter and yes, I agree that Hisoka is a little bit strange but it is a part of his charm.
Thank you for reading!
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