Greetings everyone! Here is the next chapter of Rhythm of Fate! Now please don't judge me (who am I kidding, we all judge each other :3 ) but there has been a HunterxHunter 2016 competition on Wattpad that I have entered! If any of you have a Wattpad account and you feel a little generous, could you vote for me? I don't expect you to, so there's no pressure3

my name is different from the one on here; TheWaystone! I'm not a big deal on Wattpad (or anywhere actually) so it will be difficult to find me if you choose to vote. And don't forget the read other people's work, there are some seriously talented people in that competition!

Enjoy the chapter!

Underestimation, your worst evaluation

Blinded by your ambition and your foolish determination.

Screw her reputation! Ignore all her creations!

Only a fool would make this estimation.

P #1

You'd be surprised at how often I've been jumped in the streets! People attempt to mug me, so when I see shady characters in the witching hour it isn't rocket science as to what they're aiming for! Is it my soft-spoken personality? Is it my unnatural golden hair? The fair, tan skin that convinces street folk that I come from a rich prospect? It could be all three and possibly more.

I mean take a look at me! You wouldn't think of me a fighter, would you? I'm all skin and bones, not to mention that my gestures and words are slightly feminine.

But must warn you, those who try to take my possessions end up badly injured. I don't take to thieves lightly. It's funny, the looks on their faces when I show them what for! I have to say it's a little amusing to watch them scramble like rats from sunlight! What makes me so intimidating, a scrawny boy like me?

Well, that's not important. What's important is the power of underestimation, and how you can use this to your advantage in battle.

How many times have you looked at that short kid in class and thought of him as weak and defenceless? How many times have you observed that shy girl on the bus and thought of her as a push-over? What about your maths teacher and his boring calculations? And the old lady that buys groceries from the supermarket once a month, staggering under all of her bought goods? That small flower growing in the crack of a sidewalk?

That short boy is a skilled martial arts fighter and has won three championships in the past four years! That shy girl? She is intuitively clever and knows everything about everyone. She could ruin your reputation at any moment! That maths teacher is always five steps ahead of you. He knows what will happen in the future, yet he chooses to hold his knowledge back. That old lady used to serve as a sniper in World War ll and has seen more blood and death than you have.

And that flower? It's actually a weed, spreading its pestilence throughout your neighbourhood and ruining gardens.

Don't underestimate the people around you. There is more to humanity than just physically strength! There is more to humanity than what you label as 'strong' and 'honourable'. There is more to you than just you.

"Looks like we made it in time."

The trio slowed their pounding feet as they entered the group of people. Together Kurapika, Gon and Ayano wandered, observing the winded applicants around them. Part of her scorned their weak bodies and limbs. If they had trained harder they wouldn't be a panting, sweaty mess! But the other half of her reasoned; The Numere Wetlands were full of dangerous creatures. Their bodies were simply reacting to the fear!

"Leorio..." Gon murmured to himself as their gazes racked the group. Suddenly the twelve year-old whipped around, a trickle of sweat running down his face. Ayano glanced around and spotted the instigator; Hisoka Marrow! The clown waved cheerfully before pointing to his left. A few yards away sat a confused Leorio!

"Ah! Leorio!"

Together they ran over. As Gon set down the man's brief case, Leorio winced and rubbed his blow-up cheek. "Man! That stings...why am I all beat up?" He asked them through a half-swollen eye. All three gawked at him! "Huh?" Gon asked. "My memory is kinda hazy." Leorio explained, rubbing his face ruefully.

Kurapika bent low, his voice nothing more than a whisper. " we probably shouldn't tell him what happened." He told the younger children. Both Ayano and Gon smiled awkwardly at him. "Yeah..."

"Gon!"

"Eh?" Gon whipped around at the sound of his name before he broke into a wide smile. "Ah, Killua!" The white-haired boy was walking across the green towards them, a cocky smile fixed upon his face. " I can't believe you actually got here!" He teased. "I thought you were done for."

Gon's smile grew wider, stepping forward to greet his friend. "I just tracked Leorio's cologne!" He explained, like it was normal to have the senses of a canine. "Cologne?" Killua gawked. "That's how?" He peered closely at Gon with narrowed eyes. "You...definitely are weird."

Killua turned to Ayano and his smirk grew wider. "Didn't think you'd get here either, with that coat weighting you down." Ayano felt a challenging smirk crawl across her own lips. The swamp didn't take its toll on him, he must be quite strong!

Quietly she wondered what his profession was; he had to have training in order to pass the Exam. Would he be fun to spar with? She hoped so.

"I'm surprised you're here as well. It must be tiring with all that ego you're carrying." She bantered. Killua huffed, his ice-blue eyes gleaming at her retort. He opened his mouth and the girl got the feeling that a serious verbal smack-down was about to happen! Suddenly Satotz called the applicants over, giving them final instructions before handing them to the next Phase. Killua shot Ayano a competitive smile.

"We'll continue this later?"

"You're on."

The gates to the next phase of the HunterxHunter Exam opened and the applicants walked forward. Ayano bounced on the balls of her feet, trying to peer over shoulders. She was so excited! What was the next phase going to be?

In front of them was a large garden. At the end of garden stood a tall home-like structure and two people; a humongous fat man and a turquoise-haired female.

"Welcome!" The woman called to the applicants. "I'm Menchi, The Second Phase Examiner!" As the group drew closer, she was able to fully observe their new Examiner.

Menchi's taste in clothing was flavourful for a young adult! Her turquoise-coloured hair was tied up in five top-knots, tied together with salmon coloured bands. Her clothes were, in Ayano's perspective, way too revealing! Menchi wore nothing but a black bikini top with a mesh shirt over it, accompanied with daisy duke denim shorts. The young woman kept her legs crossed in a laid back fashion as she observed the applicants walking in, confidence dancing in her green eyes.

The fat man dipped his head and smiled. "And I'm Buhara, the other examiner!" Buhara's clothing was mundane; what was more noticing was his size! A potbellied giant, he was a hulking contrast to that of fit-bodied Menchi.

The applicants all stood at attention below them, warily waiting for the next Phase to begin. That's when they heard it! A distinct rumbling sound that echoed through the courtyard! At once people were on guard. "W-what's that sound?" Murmurs rose as the rumbling persisted. Ayano shook her head from side to side, trying to distinguish the noise! It sounded like a rhino at full charge, or worse! What could it be?

Menchi cocked her head to look up at her massive companion. "You must be hungry." She stated. "I'm starving!" Buhara whined, rubbing his enormous stomach. Menchi giggled lightly before standing up. "There you have it!" She told the awaiting applicants. "Phase two will involve..."

Everyone waited, stone faced. What was it going to be? Battling magical beasts? Another race? "Cooking!" Menchi announced, throwing her hands outwards.

"C-cooking?"

"Wait, cooking?" A big-boned man shouted. "We're hear to take the Hunter Exam!"

"Quite right!" Menchi agreed, her confident voice holding attention of the applicants. "Your challenge for the Second Phase is to produce a dish that will satisfy our palate." The big-boned man scoffed, crossing his arms over his massive chest. "Then why the hell are we cooking?!" He demanded.

Menchi leaned her hip to the side, grinning nonchalantly. "That's because we are Gourmet Hunters!" The woman's eyes crackled with green electricity at these words. Immediately the group of applicants burst into peals of laughter. "Gourmet Hunters?!" They cried. "What a let down, they're Gourmet Hunters!" As far as the eye could see, men clutched their stomachs as they taunted the woman standing in front of them.

Ayano chuckled as well, but took liberty in observing their new Examiner's. Buhara looked slightly crestfallen at the jeers from the applicants but Menchi looked more annoyed than hurt. Gourmet Hunters? Ayano had never heard of such a thing! To her, being a Hunter meant wielding strength and command to conquer great powers! Hunter's that specialised in the Food District did seem like a joke to her.

"So then, Gourmet Hunter's," the big-boned man sneered. "what are we supposed to make?"

Menchi huffed to herself, her lime eyes glaring down at the crowd. "Buhara." She commanded. At once the massive man stood up, his gut wobbling slightly. The ground shook as his giant foot slammed into the ground and Ayano felt his strength in the soles of her feet!

"The required ingredient is pork!" He told the applicants. "You are free to use meat from any species of Biska Forest Pigs. You must use the cooking facilities here to prepare the pork! And you only pass is we BOTH find it delicious."

"And we will evaluate more than just taste." Menchi added. "Don't underestimate the intricacies of cooking! Got it?" She glared down at the big-boned man from before. "When we've eaten our fill, the exam will end." The big-boned man sneered. "Got it, got it." He dismissed her with his hand. "Let's just start!"

Buhara grinned and raised a massive fist. "The Second Phase of the Hunter's Exam-" with a grunt he hit his own stomach and a gong sound resonated from his belly. "-starts now!" The applicants all turned as one and exited the yard, hard on each other's heels in order to find the ingredients for their dish. Ayano was swept along with excitement, her eyes glowing! A Pig Hunt, huh? This would be interesting!

Soon Biska Forest was full of, "Here piggy piggy!" And "Where the hell are they?" Ayano silently tagged along with the other four as they wandered the forest. A tiny scoff escaped her lips as she circled a tree. Idiots! Pigs would be frightened by all the commotion going on, that's why it was near impossible to find the animal!

"Catch a pig and cook it!" Leorio stated as they wandered aimlessly. "This is way easier than the First phase."

"I hope it'll be that simple..." Kurapika murmured, his Kurtan finally on. Suddenly Gon took off, launching down a particularly slick hill! Killua launched after him and gestured for Ayano to follow. Together the duo slid down the grassy mound after Gon, eager at the prospect of a fun ride! "YAHOOOOOY!" Killua cheered, Ayano giggling uncontrollably! With a thud they ran into him.

Bang!

Bang!

BONK!

Killua ran into Gon, Ayano ran into Killua, Leorio ran into Ayano and Kurapika ran into Leorio! The breath rushed out of her tiny body as Leorio's weight mushed her into a human sandwich and she grumbled under her breath. "What was that about, Gon?" Killua haggled. "Found them!" Gon chirped, completely ignoring his friend.

"PIGS!" Leorio shouted! Standing before them were giant salmon coloured pigs, chewing on large white things."Um...they're chewing on bones." Leorio stated. Kurapika looked 25% done as he finished everyone's thoughts. "Don't tell me they're carnivores!" A pig turned with beady eyes and snorted aggressively. "Oh my." Ayano said monotonously. "I think they found lunch."

"EEEEEEEH!" Leorio shrieked. Like panicked chickens they took off in a cloud of dust, running hectically as the massive pigs charged them. As they careened over the next hill they came upon some other applicants. "Run you moist socks, run!" Ayano screamed at them. Gon burst into a fit of laughter at this remark, but it didn't change the fact that the applicants got bulldozed for not listening!

"THESE PIGS ARE CRAZY!" Leorio squawked as they ran faster. Gon whirled around and jumped high into the air, catching Ayano by surprise. "HYAAAAA!" The boy yelled, bringing his fishing rod down on the pigs, but it was in vain! The pigs large bone-hard snout tossed him to the side.

The group skidded to a halt and formed a loose circle. Killua angled his hands in a attacking gesture, a challenging glint in his cobalt eyes while Ayano fished out her letter-openers. Kurapika turned to defend Leorio, who was shaking in his shoes!

Suddenly the pig that attacked Gon squealed and fell to the ground! Everyone turned in surprise as the boy did a little victory dance. "Alright!" He cheered. "I got it!" Killua grinned devilishly and tilted his head. "Huuuh? Could their foreheads be a weak point?" He questioned. Kurapika seemed thrilled at this discovery and his grey eyes gleamed. "So the pigs evolved large snouts in order to protect their soft foreheads!" He concluded.

Ayano glanced around and noticed that other applicants were listening closely for tips. The fourteen year-old had to bite back a growl; let them figure out their own crap! Oh well, it was unfair since it was Gon's discovery, but now they knew how to get the main ingredient!

In no time the air was thick with pig squeals! Soon the applicants were rushing back towards the Second Phase Examiners with massive pigs in hand. Menchi and Buhara seemed suprised at the amount they caught, but didn't object as the applicants lit their grills and began cooking their catch.

As the different applicants brought their cooked pig up, all of them received little o's from Buhara and loads of x's from Menchi! The group of five watched Menchi warily as she raged at each applicant for not putting their full effort into their cooking. "Not a single person has passed..." Leorio murmured. Kurapika shook his head sadly as the female Phase Two Examiner continued to dump on the applicants. "And Menchi hasn't taken one bite." He observed.

Then Kurapika's grey eyes lit up again! "That's it!" He said, snapping his fingers. "This phase of the exam is a cooking test, but they're judging us on originality and observation!" Leorio clasped his hand to his chin and everyone else mimicked his actions. "I see..." He chuckled.

Leorio presented his pig with a tiny flag on the top, the Hunter Association's symbol on it. "How do you like my cooking?" He puffed up his chest. Menchi tossed the cooking pig into the air, steam puffing out of her nostrils! "IS THIS SOME KIDDY MEAL?" She screeched at the poor man.

Gon presented his with soft pink-hued flowers around its base. "I'm next!" He beamed at the woman. With a huff she swiped it to the side. "THATS BASICALLY THE SAME THING!" She complained. Gon pouted and moved away.

Ayano had cut her pig in slices, the charred meat daintily placed in a spiral. "What do you think?" She asked. The plate was tossed over Ayano's head and Menchi fumed. "YOU DIDN'T EVEN WATCH THE MEAT!" Fire burned in her eyes as she dismissed the young girl.

Kurapika displayed his with formality. "I am next." He stated. "Please judge my creation!" Both Gon and Ayano watched with child-like awe. Kurapika's looked promising! Bits of lettuce, tomato and some sort of fruit were placed neatly in between each slice of pork. Menchi seemed to be contemplating the dish, turning her X and O over feverishly. "Finally, someone's dish looks promising..." She grunted before taking a small portion of his dish and biting into it. As she chewed slowly the two young ones watched Kurapika. He had a quiet sense of confidence as he watched Menchi eat his food! The woman swallowed the food and-

"YUCK!" She screamed and tossed his food into the air. Kurapika looked vexed and his eyes widened. "Huh?" Menchi blew a loose piece of hair from her face with attitude. "Appearance is important, but only if it tastes good. You're no better than #403!" She flashed an X at Kurapika and the boy looked thoroughly humiliated.

Leorio chuckled as the blond walked over sourly. "Too bad!" He said. Kurapika sighed deeply. "No better than #403..." His voice sounded so melancholy that Ayano and Gon both glanced at the Leorio's tag and noticed '403' written in black print. The young girl snorted with laughter and Gon joined in, cackling and holding their stomachs!

"Man, I'm stuffed!" Buhara sighed happily, tapping his enormous stomach. Menchi sneered and tossed her judging stick to the side. "I'm stuffed too." She stood up and spread her arms wide. "Therefore, no one passes! We're finished here!" An outraged cry was taken up by the applicants as they all raged at Menchi. Ayano couldn't believe her ears! Over? Now? But...she had traveled so far and...she...

The scream of shattered metal echoed through the yard and everyone turned. The big-boned man from before had smashed his grill and was facing up to Buhara and Menchi. "I won't except this! I absolutely refuse to accept this!" He bellowed. Menchi scoffed and brushed some of her turquoise hair to the side. "In the end, you've still failed." She pointed out.

"Stop screwing around! You asked for pork, so we risked our lives to-"

Menchi growled. "I said to prepare the pork in a way that was we both found delicious! None of you made anything remotely delicious! You all did mostly the same thing, there was no effort made! Just when I thought that someone had actually tried, they changed its appearance. NOBODY attempted to emphasise the flavour. I'm positive none of you took cooking seriously!" The woman blew steam after her short rant and another man (a ninja) shrugged nonchalantly.

"All pork dishes are the same." He mumbled. Menchi shrieked like a banshee and grabbed at his collar, proceeding to scream profanities, mainly about shoving her hand up his butt and kicking him where the sun don't shine! Ayano leaned close to Leorio and coughed awkwardly. "Well at least we know what side she butters her bread on." She mumbled. Leorio looked her dead in the eye and frowned. "Did you just make a double food pun?" He questioned.

Ayano shrugged and smirked. "Yeah?"

Leorio nodded deeply. "Well done, shorty, well done." He complimented. Ayano's smirk turned into a grin as she continued to watch Menchi verbally wreck the ninja!

"Shut up!" The big-boned man yelled. "I'm not trying to become a cook or a gourmet, I want to be a Hunter!" Loud cheers and fist pumps were shared as the man continued. "My goal is to become a Black List Hunter and I refuse to let some measly Gourmet Hunter decide my fate!" Ayano ears pricked at the word 'fate' and she watched Menchi closely.

Menchi said something softly and the man turned red. With a furious yell he charged the woman, fists flying, when Buhara stepped forward and smacked the living crap out of him! Ayano's mouth formed an 'O' as the man soared through the air and smacked into the opposite wall. "Buhara, don't interfere!" Menchi scolded.

"But you would have killed him!" The fat man complained.

"Probably..."

Menchi stepped forward, wielding two massive meat knives in each hand. By the looks of it the woman knew more uses for the knives than just cutting meat!

"Let me clarify something for all of you," she shouted to the angsty applicants. "Us measly Gourmet Hunter's frequently travel into the dens of the most ferocious beasts for our culinary creations. Every Hunter knows some form of Martial Arts, and all of you lack the focus the willingness to experiment. This alone disqualifies all of you from becoming Hunter's!"

With a grunt she tossed her knives in the air. The blades separated and soon the air around Menchi was thick with gleaming silver, the sharp objects creating a controlled ring around her as she dangerously handled them! It was an impressive sight; everyone looked thoroughly chastised and impressed by her knife-wielding skills.

"That being said, it would be excessive to fail every single applicant!" A booming voice surrounded the small group. Heads leaned backwards and people uttered sounds of shock as they spotted a massive blimp hovering above them. A tiny dot descended from the blimp, growing and forming into a human being. CRASH! The air was filled with dust as an old man landed powerfully amongst them.

It was the Chairman of The Hunter's Association.