Thank you everyone who read and everyone who left reviews! This chapter completes the introduction to the story and I promise it only gets better from here on out! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto.

Hunter x and x Shinobi

They had been moving non-stop for a couple of hours now and were now close to the village, according to Kite. Gon was full of stamina, and one glance at Killua let him know that his friend was too. This reminded him of the hunter exam, and he let a fond smile spread across his face. It faded a bit when he thought about Leorio and Kurapika and how much he missed them. Killua was his best friend and all, but those two were the first companions he had met on his journey and they held just as much space in his heart as Killua. He knew they were adults and had their own things going on, but he still had planned on going to see them with Killua once they had finished Greed Island and after meeting with Ging. Instead, he never got the chance to meet Ging and was now stuck in a different world where he wasn't even sure if he would see them again. He had tried to think positively, but the thought of being stuck here made him uneasy.

What about Mito-san and Granny? What would they think? Would they miss him a lot? Would they blame Ging? Would Mito-san despise Gon for following his father to begin with? What about Hisoka? Gon still had to settle the score with him! The Troupe? What if they go after Kurapika again? Wing and Zushi! He'd planned to go visit them too! He wanted to see how much Zushi has improved! He never visited Hanzo's homeland! There was so much he hadn't done back home! He hadn-

"Gon, are you ok?" Gon looked over at Killua and saw the concern on his face. He smiled and nodded before focusing back on running. "You sure? You had a really pensive look on your face. Don't think too hard or you might explode," Killua joked. That made Gon laugh, a real laugh. He's right, he should try to stay positive. There had to be a way back, right? If anyone knew the answer, it was Ging!

He took a moment to look ahead at Kite who was running beside Bisky. Kite had been here for years and he didn't seem to be too bothered. Maybe he had settled in to this new world and made a life for himself? Or maybe there was just nothing for him in the world they came from? Gon didn't know. All this thinking and these unanswered questions were making his head spin. Normally, it was Killua's role to do the heavy thinking. But, Gon couldn't help it. This was a very confusing experience for him. He figured Killua was so calm because there wasn't really much for him back in their world, but didn't he miss Kurapika and Leorio too? Wing and Zushi? Didn't he ever want to see Canary, Gotoh, or any of his siblings again? His father and grandfather? Then again, Killua always had been good at staying calm.

Suddenly, Kite leaped up into the trees and started leaping across branches. "Travel is faster this way!" he said. "This is how Shinobi travel! Think of this as training!" Bisky, Killua and Gon all followed him through the branches, though Gon was having slight trouble with balance. He had done this all the time back on whale island and in the hunter exam, but he hadn't done it in a while. He attributed Killua's ease due to his assassin training being drilled into him, but he couldn't process how Bisky was jumping through the trees in heels. He couldn't help but watch her in fascination. Ever since he met her she had done nothing but amaze him. But with his attention focused on her, he ended up slipping on a branch and falling.

Killua instantly tried to grab him. "Gon!" His hand missed. Gon quickly pulled out his fishing pole and expertly wrapped it around a branch, allowing him to swing back up. Killua just looked at him exasperatedly. "Baka! Pay attention to what you're doing!" Gon just stuck out his tongue at him.

"Listen to Killua, Gon! You could've cracked your skull open or something!" Bisky scolded. Killua muttered something about old ladies always having a lecture ready and Gon chuckled lightly. His head had taken much harder impact. He still remembered the feeling of slamming head first into Netero's stomach from back during the Hunter exam.

"What's on your mind, Gon?" Kite asked. Gon looked at Kite questioningly. "You've been somewhat subdued for the past hour now. And I can tell that you're thinking a lot back there. Are you worried about something?"

Bisky looked back at Gon. She had also noticed a while ago but she decided she would wait till they were in the village to talk to him. No doubt this situation was a lot for the boy to take in.

"Well, I was just wondering..." Killua looked slightly sad for a moment, but he didn't know why so he continued. "Are we stuck here? Is there anyway back? You seem pretty comfortable." When he got no answer, he turned to Killua to ask what was wrong but was cut off by Kite.

"Yes and no," he said. "I myself do not know a way back. But since these two worlds are connected, it's very possible to get back. I know for sure because Ging-san knows the way back." Gon knew it! Ging had a hand in almost everything!

"If that's the case, then why didn't you ask him for the way back when you found him?" Killua asked. "You found him in this world and trained under him right? Why didn't you ask him to send you back at some point?" Kite was silent for a few moments before he spoke again.

"I never really had a family or any real friends back in our world. There was nothing for me to go back to anyway. But... that wasn't the reason," he said. "When Ging-san started training me, I had wanted to go back to our world so I could start being a real hunter. But, he told me he wouldn't send me back until I had completed his training and passed a series of tests." Tests? Gon was more eager to know about Ging's training and the tests than he was to know Kite's reason for staying. "During one of the tests, I had to go off on my own and hunt down a creature that Ging had told me about. While I was out looking for it, I encountered a man... or maybe not so much a man..."

Gon was confused. "What do you mean?"

"You mean a transgender?" Gon looked over at Killua even more confused. A trans-what now? Bisky looked like she was on the same page as Killua.

"Not exactly..." Kite replied. "It was a man—I think—but it was also a snake..." Gon's eyebrows raised. Sounded like some weird type of magical beast. "He had pale white skin, long black hair and gold eyes with purple markings around the eyelids. As soon as I noticed him sneaking up on me, I activated my ren and got ready to take him on. His whole face turned sadistic and he licked his lips with this long snake-like tongue. He moaned and said that I looked 'appetizing'..." Gon and Killua shared a look. Scratch magical beast—it sounded like Hisoka mixed with a snake. A truly frightening thought.

"What did you do?" Gon asked.

"I pulled out my katana and we fought for a while. I ended up having to use my nen ability just to stay alive. While I was physically stronger and faster than him, he had a whole bunch of strange abilities that stopped me from being able to take him out. Every time I hit him, he replaced himself with snakes." Gon 'wowed', Killua looked interested and Bisky looked grossed out. "He also had a lot of abilities that kept me at bay such as spitting fireballs and launching wind attacks. Eventually, he wore me down and I was basically at his mercy." Kite paused once again.

"But you got away right? Or else how else would you be here to tell the tale?" Bisky had a point.

"That's the thing—I didn't get away. Ging-san is the one who saved me. He appeared in front of me and knocked the snake bastard back himself. He was about to kill him too, but the man fled." Gon's eyes lit up at this. Ging just got more and more amazing to him! He was snapped out of his musings when Kite suddenly jumped down from the trees and landed on the ground, coming to a full stop. When the three landed next to him, he continued. "But I didn't get off scotch free... Before Ging-san got there, I received a little 'parting gift' from that man." Kite pulled down the collar of his turtleneck to reveal a mark right on the junction of his neck and shoulder. The mark consisted of three black crescent moon shapes all surrounded by a black ring. "He somehow extended his neck and bit me with his fangs, and this mark was left behind. It's been a pain ever since."

Gon knew there was more to it than that but Killua beat him to it. "What does it do? And how does this connect to you choosing to stay in this world?"

"Other than cause neck pains and give me occasional headaches? It tries to corrupt my mind." Gon and Killua were confused, but Bisky had already predicted it would be something like that. "You see, this is what's known as a curse seal. The curse is that it is designed to slowly corrupt the mind of the user so they will act according to the creator's will. The seal is filled with that man's chakra and acts as an energy amplifier when it is activated. It grants power in exchange for falling prey to one's inner darkness and becoming submissive it." Killua shivered. This reminded him a lot of what Illumi did to him in the final phase of the hunter exam. Forcing him into submission by drawing out his inner darkness. He didn't like this, and he was sure as hell glad he wasn't the one with that seal. "Luckily for me though, there wasn't much darkness in my heart to prey upon. I learned to control it relatively easy and instead all it ended up doing was becoming a tool for me to use. I still try not to have it activated for too long though, lest it actually start having a toll on my mind like it did for others."

Gon had been listening intently and was surprised at this. "Others? There were more targets than just you?"

Kite nodded. "Yes. It was me and a lot of others. The man had been experimenting on people in Konoha to perfect the technique and a lot of them were failures. The victims eventually lost their minds and had to be killed. Only me and one other woman in the village got the seal and survived, even learning to utilize it. I'm sure there are people outside the village with the seal too, but I can't speak for how many. But in short, the reason I'm staying here is to track that man down and find a way to remove the curse marks. For both myself and others."

Bisky hummed. "So the man is from the village we're now heading to. I'm guessing he either left or was kicked out?" Kite nodded and said it was the second one. "Still, I'm sure you know more about that man, especially since he's from the village you're affiliated with. What's his name?"

"Orochimaru. He's one of the legendary Sannin, a group of three very powerful ninja. But he apparently became obsessed with learning jutsu and acquiring power to the point where he began doing more and more gruesome experiments under the radar of the village. He was a Hokage candidate as well, but I heard that another shinobi being chosen over him is what caused him to fall into this downward spiral to begin with. He probably attributed him not being chosen to be Hokage as him being weak, so he began looking for ways to obtain the ultimate power. By doing so, he went against the rules of the village and the Hokage which was unacceptable and considered treason."

"Is that what being a ninja is all about?" Gon asked quietly. The other three turned to looked at him. "Always following the rules of the village and the Hokage? Is that what it means to be a ninja? They're meant to get stronger and learn all these special techniques... but just to serve their village?" He wasn't angry or even upset. He was genuinely trying to understand, Kite noted. "I mean, I know he did bad things with the experiments... but still. This is why I had a hunch that this would be a bad idea... it's just too different from being a hunter! They're like complete opposites!"

Kite, seeing Gon's inner conflict, decided to help him out. "Gon, what does it mean to be a hunter to you?"

"Being a hunter means you hunt for your dream!" Gon immediately answered, mind wandering. "Leorio dreams to become a doctor! Kurapika dreams to recollect his clan's eyes! Bisky dreams to get jewels! Killua dreams to find what he wants to do! I dream to find Ging! Every real hunter is always on the hunt for something!" Kite was pleased. Good answer. That was the first Hunter commandment, after all. "Whether it be money, bounties, or even food, every true hunter is going after something! But for ninja... it sounds like they have no will of their own. They just take orders and follow the will of the Hokage without ever going against it. Like a tool. I'm no tool, and I'm not good at following orders." Gon felt Killua's eyes on him. "I'm a hunter, Kite. I just don't see myself being a ninja."

Kite looked at him for a few moments before smiling. "You have the heart of a hunter. You're definitely Ging-san's son." Gon's eyes lit up at this. "And that's exactly why you should become a shinobi." At Gon's confused look, Kite continued, "Don't you think becoming a shinobi would be the smartest route to finding Ging-san? This is an unfamiliar world and it isn't as easy to navigate. There are no cars, blimps, or anything like that here. Computers and TVs exist, but can't be accessed by the general public. No phones either. A shinobi village will give you access to more information, especially if you ask the Hokage to keep a look out for any potential leads. It also can be a place where you can train and get stronger without having to fend for yourself outside a ninja village. There's a lot of powerful people in this world and there's no doubt in my mind that you will get into many altercations along the way. All the more reason for you to take this time to grow as much as you can. And like I said, I have an agreement with the Hokage that lets me stay outside the village and act on my own. You might get the same in the future."

"He's right Gon," Killua said. "Think of this as a test from your old man. If you can't handle being a shinobi, you're not willing to do everything you can to find him." Gon's eyes widened in understanding. He didn't even think of it like that! He was too busy thinking Ging would be disappointed in him becoming a shinobi. "You becoming a shinobi won't make you any less of a hunter. Especially because you're doing it to reach your goal."

Gon suddenly tackled Killua in a hug. "Thanks Killua! You're amazing! I didn't even think of that!"

"Oi! Get off, stupid!" Killua was heavily embarrassed. Kite and Bisky both smiled. They really did make a good team.

"So, are you ready to get a move on?" Kite asked. "The village should only be a few minutes away."

"Yea! Let's go!" Gon said before sprinting off.

Kite sighed. "He doesn't even know where he's going..." He ran to catch up with Gon while Bisky and Killua followed.

"Good... at least he's happy again..." Killua thought with a small smile. Bisky looked at him knowingly and he just blushed before calling her a hag and running. That didn't end well.

"Wowwwww!" Gon said in amazement as he gazed up at the large village doors and walls as well as the vast amount of buildings he saw inside. The walls and buildings weren't as tall as some of the taller buildings in Yorknew City, but were still big none the less. And on top of that, the village had a much warmer atmosphere than he had anticipated from a shinobi village. Everywhere, there were people walking and talking, kids playing, and just homely vibes in general! It reminded him slightly of life back on Whale Island.

"This looks like a village straight out of one of my brother's favorite manga." Even though he tried to sound unimpressed, it was clear from his eyes that Killua wasn't expecting this either.

"Oooooh I wonder if they sell jewels here! Kite-kun do they? Do they?!" There goes Bisky.

Kite sighed deeply and Killua empathized with him on a spiritual level. "I don't know Biscuit-san." He once again ignored the 'Call me Bisky-chama!'. "You can find out after we go see the Hokage and discuss business." He started walking and lead the three through the village. They all received odd looks, no doubt because of their strange outfits and appearance. Not to mention their clothes were still slightly damp from falling in the water. Thanks to their above average senses, they could hear people mumbling about them.

"Oh my god! Who is that man! He's soooo handsome!"

"I know right! I've only seen him here one time before! I wish I could marry him one day!"

"Forget him! What's with the fake princess and the kid that looks like it could be his son?"

"That little girl kinda looks like she could be his child too... but what about the black haired kid?"

"Yea! And why are his shorts so short? Is that age appropriate? He looks like child bait!"

"So much for this being a welcoming atmosphere," Gon thought.

Killua, on the other hand, was about to snap at them for talking about all of them when they were right there and talking badly about Gon. Gon put his hand on his shoulder and shook his head, calming Killua down. Bisky was too busy looking around for a jewel shop to care what the villagers were saying and Kite just kept his hat covering his eyes and kept walking. Soon enough, they reached the Hokage Tower.

"So... basically, three more people from your world suddenly appeared in front of you, they use the same 'nen' energy that you do, they're looking for the man who trained you, and they want to become shinobi with the same deal as you so they can search for him better?" Kite nodded. Hiruzen sighed. It was a good thing he dismissed his ANBU guards and activated a seal that made the walls soundproof.

He dragged his eyes over to the three kids standing behind Kite. The black haired boy held himself with determination but nervousness and also a bit of curiosity. The blonde-haired one appeared very unassuming, but he could tell that it was faked. Though, he didn't think she was a threat. She probably just uses outward appearance of weakness to have potential enemies underestimate her—a useful tactic. Lastly, the white haired boy held himself with a silent wariness and distrust that he guessed was just a part of the boy's nature.

He considered having Inoichi check them just to be on the safe side, but he decided against it. He would do anything to protect his village, but he trusted Kite. Ever since the man arrived, he had done nothing but good for the village and had also been a victim of his former student. He would still keep an eye on the kids with his crystal ball though.

"I know they're young, but they have already experienced real battles and been in many life or death situations," Kite said. On the way to the village, Gon and Killua had told him about their Greed Island adventures, encounters with the Phantom Troupe, their time at Heaven's Arena and what their Hunter exam was like. It was safe to say the kids were tough and had been through a lot in the past year. "I'm not asking you to start them off at the same rank as me, but at least consider adding them to the shinobi ranks. Having extra ninja isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially ones with unique abilities like them."

Hiruzen chuckled. "Oh, don't worry Kite-kun. I've already decided to allow them to be shinobi. I can tell they are capable." Before Gon could start cheering, he continued, "However, I'd like to start them out from genin. You see, in three weeks, the current academy students will be taking their tests to become genin. A written test and a practical test. I would like these kids to take time to get caught up and study for the written exam. Their physical capabilities, strategy, and nen will be tested in the practical exam. I'm afraid I can't start them out as chunin because they would have to take the actual chunin exams which will be held in this village in a couple of months. They can start off as genin now so they can at least have a steady source of income in the meantime."

All Gon could think was, "Study? Written exam?!" He felt a foreboding feeling arising in him. "Is this what Hanzo had to go through? That's not what he told me during our fight!" Then again, he had been too focused on the pain of his newly broken arm to fully listen to Hanzo's ramblings about his ninja training.

Killua looked over at Gon and mentally sighed. "Oh boy... he's panicking." He looked over at Bisky and saw her deep in thought. Ever since they found out they were in a different world, she had been doing a lot of alternating between acting normal and being silent and seemingly deep in thought. Killua didn't know what to make of it. She was a transmuter like himself after all. You never know what one of them are up to.

"I understand, Hokage-sama." Kite said.

"Kite-kun, I thought I told you to call me Hiruzen or at least Sarutobi-san." The Hokage said with a chuckle. "While you are always welcome here, this is not your home world. I'm sure using such formality to address a village leader in a foreign world has to feel quite strange. Just think of me as a friend."

"Nonsense Hokage-sama. It is true that I am not from here, but I still highly respect you and the formality is my way of expressing that."

Hiruzen just chuckled again before taking a drag from his pipe. "Suit yourself. Though, I will get you to let up one day, Kite-kun." He then turned to the others. "What are your names?" After they all introduced themselves, Hiruzen found himself already taking a liking to this Gon boy. His enthusiasm reminded him a lot of Naruto, but it seemed to be much more genuine and to a bigger extent. "Gon-kun, Killua-kun, and Biscuit-chan, eh? Alright."

He pulled out a pen and wrote two different notes before handing them to Kite. "Luckily for you, a few people just recently moved out of an apartment building in favor of buying houses. Take this there and show the lady at the front desk this note and they should get you kids situated. Kite already has an apartment so he's fine." He turned to look at Gon and Killua. "You boys don't mind sharing an apartment, do you?" They shook their heads 'no.' "Good. I figured it would be better to save money. One last thing," he said while writing another note and handing it out. "Take this note to the library and look for the books listed. It's the textbooks you need to study for the written exam. I also wrote down important topics you should know such as shinobi laws."

"Thank you Hokage-sama!" Gon, Killua and Bisky said at the same time while bowing. Well, almost at the same time. Killua, not used to having manners, started a bit late.

"Well, if that is all..." Before Hiruzen could finish, he was suddenly cut off by Gon.

"Hokage-san…" he started. He looked unsure whether to keep going and Hiruzen just waited for him to continue. After a short pause, he looked up with determined eyes. "What does it mean to be a shinobi?" Killua and Bisky had been around Gon long enough to not be surprised at all by his question. Kite was slightly surprised, having thought they already discussed this in the forest. But then he realized that Gon wanted to hear different viewpoints from different people. The Hokage was a no-brainer to ask.

Hiruzen put down his pipe and met Gon's eyes for a few moments. The boy didn't even blink. "What does it mean to be a shinobi, eh?" He chuckled. "That's a tough question my boy. Different people have different answers. But that's exactly why you asked me isn't it?" Gon nodded. Hiruzen sat back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling, contemplative. "For a lot of people, mainly those in other villages, being a shinobi means to be a tool for the village. Everything you do is to follow the orders and ultimately be a human weapon following the commands of your leader. You carry out your mission by any means necessary. Even if it means sacrificing yourself or your teammates. To be a shinobi is to be a means to an end. No different from the kunai and shuriken we use as lethal weapons." One glance over at the boys let him know that they didn't like that.

It was clear as day that Gon didn't like the idea of being used as a tool and sacrificing comrades for the whims of the village, and Hiruzen figured Killua felt the same. What he didn't know was that Killua was uneasy because it sounded exactly like what it meant to be an assassin of the Zoldyck family. It's like all this time he's been running in a circle, only to come back to the start. Killua looked over at Bisky and still couldn't tell what was on her mind.

"But," Hiruzen started again, "Not in this village." Once he saw the boy's questioning looks, he continued, "This village believes in something called 'The Will of Fire', a philosophy created by the First Hokage, one of the founders of this village. 'The Will of Fire' states that the entire village is one family and every Konoha shinobi with this in their heart shall love, cherish, and protect the village no matter what, just as the past generations have done before them. This also extends to protecting all comrades and loved ones, not using them as tools and sacrificing them." He saw Gon start smiling in admiration and Killua look taken aback. "This is what gives Konoha shinobi the strength and spirit to keep fighting against all odds, even when things seem grim. In short, the way of the Konoha shinobi is to love and protect. That's why there's no other shinobi like us." He looked at Gon in particular. "It's up to you to decide what your ninja way will be. Whether it's to serve, protect or something else entirely is all up to you."

Gon looked at his hand and made a fist. "To love and protect..." He mentally went through all the people he cared about. Mito-san and Granny. Killua and Bisky. Kurapika and Leorio. Wing and Zushi. Kite and Ging. There were a lot of people he cared about and he wanted to protect them no matter what. They all make up his village. He looked at the Hokage. "I was worried that being a ninja wasn't exactly cut out for me... but I think I get it now. I'm a hunter... I'll always be a hunter at heart. Hunters are driven, always hunting for their dreams. I thought I could never be a ninja, someone who settles and serves. But now I see... that I've had the 'The Will of Fire' of a Konoha shinobi long before I even came here!" He smiled. "Hunter and ninja... I don't have to pick one or the other because both are different sides to me... they make me whole!" Everyone in the room smiled at Gon. The boy just shined too bright. "Thank you Hokage-sama. I feel like I've learned a lot from you and I understand myself a lot better!" He held up his fist. "The Will of Fire... that'll be my ninja way!"

Chapter 2 End