Naruto: Hunter x Hunter Chronicles
Chap 4
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot.
Naru stood quietly in the darkness of the passageway, fiddling with her blond hair with boredom. In a couple of minutes, the exams will hopefully start and the real battle will soon start. The people here will try their hardest to become a hunter, doing whatever it takes to become one. They would do anything to become a hunter. An idea she despises, but one she's also plans to do.
"What do you think the first exam is?" Gon asked.
"Who knows." She shrugged her shoulder. "We could've asked Tonpa-san about it but...I don't trust that man."
"He could've answered our question." Gon pointed out, smiling brightly at her. "He wouldn't have hesitated to answer it."
"Yes, that's true." The blonde frowned and stared at her hands. "However, he's quite the liar and I for one can't stand liars, besides he's of no use to us."
"Well, didn't you say-" Gon never got to finish his sentence because the next minute, the four of them heard:
BRIIIIIIIIIIIIING!
Immediately, the blue-eyed girl put her hands into her ears, cursing under her breath as a shrill ringing sound echoed throughout the place. Rubbing her ears, Naru started to relax her tense shoulders, messaging the tension between them. As the knots in her shoulders start to loosen, the blonde started to become curious to see who had made that awful bell rang.
"Now, this concludes the registration." The man said as he jumped down from the pipe and right in front of the participants. "And we will commence the Hunter Exams."
At his words, tension started to fill the room. Some of the participants seized each other up, looking for the opponents that they should worry about. Others started to mutter under their breath about their plans, cursing the other participants as they did so. None of them seemed happy of how sudden the man said this. A few like Naru and Gon stared at the man, waited anxiously and excitably for the man to continue speaking.
"Please this way." The man said, walking straight into the tunnel. "I will confirm one more time. The Hunter Exam is extremely difficult, so whether it is because of unfortunate luck or a lack of skills, you can get hurt or even die."
Naru laughed bitterly at his words, feeling the weight of her headband growing heavier and heavier at each passing minute. Death! She had been so close to death that it wasn't even funny! A close brush to death was definitely something normal to her now. She winced as memories started to rush through her head, filling her with memories of Haku, Gaara and even the damn bastard Sasuke. Gritting her teeth, the blonde concentrated on the man and blocked any thoughts of her friends and her past.
"...And there have been numerous instances where examinees have been incapacitated by other examinees." The examiner said. "But if this doesn't matter to you then please follow me."
Naru didn't bother to check if anyone had decided to stay behind, following beside Gon and the others. She closed her eyes, hearing the blissful sound of all the other contestants breathing. All of the participants seemed relax, not one of them seemed to be breathing heavily. At least some of them can be calm about this...then again, none of them had something very important to loose.
Failing these exams wasn't an option!
"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Satotsu, and I'm the examiner of the first exam." The examiner said. "I'll now escort you to the second exam site."
"Second exam...? Then what about the first?" A participant asked.
"It has already begun." Satotsu answered. "To follow me to the second exam site, that's the first exam."
Naru blinked and blinked again, not believing what the examiner was saying. She glanced at the others, who all had the same expression as her. Rubbing her head, the blonde wonder if the man was joking with them or was actually telling them the truth. If it was the first, then she knew it was too good to be true because her luck wasn't that good. If it was the former, then her luck has gone a turn for the better.
She honestly hoped it was the first.
"I can't disclose the destination nor the duration." The examiner said. "All you've to do is follow me."
Frowning, the blue-eyed girl put her hands into her pockets as she followed the man along with the others. Stamina wasn't a problem for her. She had plenty of it and was well known for having more stamina then anyone in her class. The problem lay on the fact that she has no idea of how long they will be running. For all she knows, it can be hours, days or even weeks before they reach their destination. Just the mere thought of the duration made her worried. Even through she's worried, her worries pale in comparison to her drive to go home to her friends.
N-Naru-chan, y-you n-need to be m-more careful. Y-You could have g-gotten hurt.
Naru gritted her teeth at the memory and forced herself to walk faster, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her heart. However, it didn't stop the pain. Pain started to become excruciating as she remembered all of the times Hinata scolded her for being reckless. From fighting with bullies to recklessly getting with fights with Kiba. Her reckless got her into this mess and it was only her recklessness that taught her the value of thinking before you act.
Next time, she fights a strong opponent, she'll think of the consequence of her actions.
"Is this a test of endurance?" Leorio said, snapping her from her thoughts.
She blinked her eyes at him. "It seems like it." She shrugged her shoulders at him. "But it can always be something else entirely."
"Well, whatever the test is! I'll follow the examiner where he goes." Leorio grinned at the three of them.
Curling her lips, the blue-eyed girl crossed her arms. "I'm shock that you swing that way, Leorio." She paused and gave the shocked man a mock thoughtful look. "No, in second thoughts I'm not surprise that you're. There have been signs that you do swing that way."
"W-What! Naru, I don't swing that way! I prefer girls, preferably with..." Naru gave him a look that said 'if you dared finish that sentence then you're dead'. He gulped and shook his head at them. "Forget whatever I said."
"Will do!" Naru said, beaming at him.
"What're you two talking about? What do you mean that you aren't shock that Leorio doesn't swing that way? And what does that mean?" Gon fired off, looking at the blonde with expectant eyes.
She smiled nervously at him and answered. "I'll answer your question later...way later."
Just as soon as she said that, a boy skate pass them, causing her to step aside while the others stared at him. Gon and Kurapika ignored him, not seeming to care that he had passed them. Leorio stared at the boy, not looking happy at all and she didn't blame him. The boy was riding on something while they were running. However, her frustration wasn't as much as her curious. She didn't know what the thing was or what it could actually do. It looked like a beautiful painted piece of wood with wheels on it with some strange patterns on it. Did it have any weapons? And if so, is the boy that dangerous? She shifted her gaze on the boy. He had pale skin, having paler skin then Hinata or even Sasuke, if that was even possible. He had spikey silver hair; through it was nothing like Kakashi's hairstyle. He had beautiful blue eyes; you'd be blind not to notice it. He wore a lavender shirt with a dark blue-coloured turtleneck shirt underneath it, and light purple shorts that reach just above his knees. No, he didn't look that dangerous in her opinion.
However, the way he looked reminded her of someone but for the life of hers she couldn't remember whom. No, he wasn't important. She needed to concentrate on the exam. She nodded her head and focused her attention on the people in front of her, reminding herself of her goals.
"Hey kid! That's not fair!" Leorio yelled, when they caught up to him. "That's cheating! Hey!"
"How come?" The boy asked, looking at the man with confusion.
"This is a test of endurance!" The older man yelled.
"But you're wrong." Gon said, smiling at them. "The examiner just said to follow him."
"Gon! Whose side are you on!"
"Obviously not your side, Leorio!" Naru grinned at him as she increased her pace. "He definitely didn't say you're right!" she shrugged her shoulders and continued on. "And Gon is right, the examiner never truly said that you had to run. We just presume that we had to run since we have no other way of transport."
"Naru's right, Leorio." Kurapika sighed. "The examiner never mentioned we had to run so it's alright if he used a skateboard-"
"So that's what its called." She sighed. "I really have a lot to learn about this place."
The blond-haired boy ignored her words and continued. "Besides, you shouldn't waste your stamina shouting at him. In fact, you should just shut up. As long as you don't cheat, this test allows you to use anything you want."
"He never did mention any rules about the test." Naru pointed out dryly, giving the angry man a smirk. "So it basically implies that anything goes, from skateboards to one of those cars you talk about." She sighed dramatically. "Honestly, you need to use your head more."
Leorio glared at her and muttered several curses under his breath. Shaking her head, the blue-eyed girl concentrated her eyes on the examiner and the participants around her. The examiner didn't look tired or have any indication of stopping soon and some of the participants looked like they were going to drop soon. Was it tiring? She tilted her head and shook her head. No, these people just didn't have her stamina! No one in this room actually did, except maybe Gon. If he has chakra then maybe he might have as much chakra as her.
Smiling, the blonde turned around to tell this to Gon, only to find him talking to the silver-haired boy. The brown-eyed boy seemed to be animatedly talking to the silver-haired boy, who appeared just to have much fun talking to him. She shrugged her shoulder and started to slow down in speed, not wishing to waste any of her energy.
She has to match the speed of Leorio, who seemed to be looking at her in annoyance. She shook her head. The man didn't like it when she sped up and then slowed down but to be fair he was awfully slow! Honestly, he was slower than an academy student and that was saying something. Even Konohamaru is faster him and he was nine years old.
Shaking her head, Naru decided that she would help Leorio increase his speed when the exams were over.
"How old are you?" The silver-haired boy stared at her. "And what's your name?"
She blinked her eyes. "My name is Naru..." she paused and stared carefully at him before continuing. "And I'm twelve years old, why do you ask?"
"Out of curiosity." He smiled. "I asked Gon too."
"You know, if I was older then I would have strangled you for asking that question." She shrugged. "Luckily for you, I'm not or I don't really care about these things." He smiled at her words while Gon nodded his head in agreement.
"Yeah, you don't act like Mito-san when someone asked her these question!" Gon said, shuddering as he remembered how his aunt reacted whenever someone asked her this question.
"Your aunt is a woman and generally woman don't like being reminded of her age." Naru shook her head. "In fact any sane woman doesn't like being reminded her age."
"Why not?" Gon asked.
"Do I look like I know why?"
"But aren't you a girl! You should know how a girl thinks!" The silver haired boy said.
The blonde rolled her eyes. "I don't act like a girl nor can I think like a proper one!" she scowled. "The day I can act like a girl is the day I where a pretty little skirt and listened to whatever a boy says without any complains." The two of them tilted their heads at her. "That's mean that is never going to happen."
"Oh." The boys said in unison.
She chuckled at the pair of them before staring at the silver-hair boy and said to him. "Since you ask my age, you should ask the rest of the boys." He arched his eyebrows at her and she crossed her arms at him. "It's only fair! Asking Gon and me won't allow you to make many friends!"
"Friends..." He muttered, staring at her and then Gon with confusion but as soon as it was there, it was gone. For a brief moment, she thought she had imagined the confusion in his eyes but, she was certain that she didn't imagine it. He was good at hiding it but she was better at reading people. Not as good as Hinata but, still good enough. At least good enough to know people's intention and good enough to know if people were lying to her. Living in the streets taught you about who to avoid and who to go to, as well as who's dangerous and who is kind. It's a skill that she cherished with all her heart and one that was extremely useful. Like now as she stared at him. At first glance, he appears to be just like Gon, happy and naïve but a closer look told her that it wasn't the case. His eyes...his eyes were just like hers. He looked just as lonely as her. Maybe, he wasn't too bad.
"You know, you should ask Leorio about his age." Naru smiled at him as she pointed to the panting man behind them. Her eyes twinkle with mirth as she whispered loudly to them. "I think he's forty something but, I'm not certain! I mean he could be thirty something."
"I'm neither!" Leorio yelled.
"Then how old are you?" The silver-haired boy paused. "Ossan."
Naru glanced at Leorio's red face and then to the smirking boy, laughing at the two of them. Gon scratched his head; not understanding why she was laughing while, the blond-haired boy shook his head at her. However, it was quite obvious to passers that Kurapika was trying to stop himself from laughing, with him biting his lips at the pair of them.
"Don't call me Ossan! I'm Leorio!" He yelled, glaring at them. "And I may not look like it but I'm still in my teens, just like you guys!"
"NO WAY!" Gon and the silver-haired boy yelled in unison while Naru gawked at Leorio. She tilted her head and observed him, trying to see if there had been any clear hints that he was in his teens. Looking at him in all angles, she just couldn't see it. He just looks so old, no matter how she looked at him. He looked to be in his thirties or forties, definitely not in his teen.
"I'm sorry Leorio but no matter how I look at it, you look so old. The bright side is that you're able to retire the job early because of how you look!" Naru smiled to the man, who looked ready to murder her. She ran a little faster, reaching to where Gon and the silver-haired boy were and just out-of-reach from the older teen.
"Naru, why do you always insult Leorio?" Gon asked.
"It's fun." She shrugged her shoulders. "His reactions makes me laugh and he is easy to rile up. It has been a while since I did that."
"You like making people angry?" The silver-haired boy asked.
"Don't you?" she asked. "It's fun and their reactions are always funny to see besides it's my way of saying that no one can control my life."
"...You're weird!" The silver-haired boy stated.
Gon inched away from the boy as Naru glared at the boy. The boy dare call her weird! He smirked at her, causing the blonde to become even angrier. He's dead! No two ways about it! And with that, Naru slammed her fist on his head. The boy moved his head, causing the blonde to glare at him. She was going to kill him! No one calls her weird and gets away with it!
"You're awfully slow, blonde!" He said smugly.
"I got a name, you know!" She yelled at him. "So you better to remember it...what's your name?" she smirked. "I don't want to keep thinking of you as a boy with an old man's hair colour."
Gon sweat-dropped at this while the boy's eyebrows twitch at her words. She crossed her arms at the two of them. "You never told me your name, you know, oldie!" He glared at her. "So if you want me to stop calling you oldie, that then you have to tell me your name!"
"I'm Killua." The boy said, introducing himself as he gritted her teeth at her.
"Killua?" Naru chuckled. "That's a strange name, it's a name I certainly never heard before and I heard strange names!" she frowned. "You know if I shorten it then it says kill! What kind of parents will give their child that name?"
"Mine." He deadpanned.
"Yeah but if we shortened your name, it says 'Kill'. It makes it seem like your parents wants you to be some kind of killer." He flinched but it went unnoticed by her and Gon. "Through, they might have not realized that when they gave you that name."
The boy smiled and asked. "What if they did? I mean what if they did want me to be a killer? How would you react?"
The blue-eyed girl pursued her lips and stared at the boy, trying to see if the boy was joking with her. There was a hint of mischievous in his eyes but no smile on his lips. He said it so lightly, like it was some kind of joke to him, but the way he held himself said otherwise. She pulled on her ponytail as she tried to figure out if the boy was kidding or not. This was the first time in her life; she couldn't tell if someone was lying to her. This is bad. She could always tell but, not this time. Not with him. Now, how can she be certain if he was a friend or foe? She gulped. It seems like she will have to rely on her instincts.
"How would you react?" He repeated, still smiling at her.
"I'll say that your life have been horrible because you got no choice then since they're your family." She put her hands into her pocket and whistled. "But only if your parents wants you to be some kind of killer, but if you're a killer then I'll say, harm my friends and I will murder you."
Gon and Killua stared at her, looking as if they didn't know whether she was joking or being serious about killing him. She would. It doesn't matter who you're but if you hurt her friends then she will try to torture you. No one, especially her friends don't need torture. Memories of Sakura being tortured by the sound Nin rushed through her head, and the guilt inside her increased. How was her teammate now? Was she training hard or was she daydreaming about Sasuke? Was Sakura dreaming of the day where Sasuke will come back, being dragged by her missing teammate?
Hell, can she even do it? Was she really willing to bring Sasuke back?
Naru, please bring him back!
She winced at the memory and clenched her hands into a fist as she tried to think of positive thoughts that could drown the memory. Nothing came to mind. She couldn't stop the flow of painful memory of what she had answered to her teammate before leaving to get Sasuke.
Of course Sakura-chan, I'll bring him back or my name isn't Naru Uzumaki! I promise you that I will bring him back!
Wincing, Naru bit her lips until she could feel blood coming out, wishing for the pain to drown the memories of her promise. Remembering it was just too painful. Thinking about it was agonizing itself. It just reminded her of how much of an idiot she was to face Sasuke like that. Now, she has no choice but to fulfill the promise. She couldn't face her friend until she brings him back. Fulfilling her promises had always been important to her. Breaking a promise always meant to her that you aren't trustworthy, and she wants to be seen as trustworthy and a failure. Not bringing him back, won't that mean she broke her promise? Won't that mean she was a failure and untrustworthy? She gritted her teeth and snarled at her thoughts.
She was and because of that she will fulfill her promise to her teammate and bring Sasuke back.
With that thought, the blonde increased her speed, whizzing past Leorio, Gon, Kurapika and Killua. For the first time in weeks, she felt free as the wind brush through her face. Like nothing in the whole wide world can bring her down. Nothing! Not her homesickness, not her lack of knowledge of her parents! All she felt was free, like she could do anything.
She twisted and turned, passing through some of the groaning participants, who all looked ready to quit. Passing through them the scent of sweat of the participants tickled her nostrils. She crinkled her nose, trying to block the smell. It smelt like that none of the participants had taken a bath in ages! Not only that, she can smell the food they ate and it seemed like that some of them had eaten some onion while others have eaten garlic.
She will be able to deal with this! When the exams finish, she can have a shower!
It was about four or five hours into the exam and Naru felt bored. A couple of participants had dropped out from exhaustion while there are many others, who are being slowed down by the lack of food. She sprinted, skipping a couple steps as the others struggle to climb up the stairs.
She looked behind her, turning pale at the sight of a half-naked Leorio running behind her followed by Kurapika who wasn't running with his clock. The older teen should wear at least a shirt! It's disgusting to look at his chest! She looked down at her orange jacket and then to the two of them. Maybe, it will be a good idea if she took off her jacket, it was only slowing her down. She hesitantly reached for her zipper and shakily started to open her jacket before firmly tying it on her waist. The cool wind brushed against her arm, Naru sighed in content and started to slow down her speed.
She grinned when she saw that Gon and Killua had caught up with her. The two of them were in good shape compare to the others, not looking one bit tired. Gon didn't seemed surprise to see her, only smiling goofily at her while the silver-haired boy frowned at her.
"I didn't realize that you were the head of the pack." Gon said happily. "You must be really fast, Naru!"
The blonde shook her head. "Nah, the other examinees have gotten tired from the lack of food." She put her hands into her pockets and continued. "So, it's only natural that if you're less tired that you would be faster than the ones tired."
"You were already running faster than us." Killua pointed out. "So shouldn't you be exhausted by now? You've been in the head of the pack for a while."
"I'm definitely not tired, if anything I feel energetic!" she snorted. "A run like this isn't something for me to complain or be exhausted over...I just wish it was a little bit more fun."
"More fun? Why isn't this fun, Naru?" Gon asked.
"It feels like I'm being trained all over again." She answered bluntly. "If I wanted training then I would do it myself besides, as much as I like running, this doesn't make one bit tired! It isn't challenging enough."
"Well, he slowed down the pace a bit, so shouldn't you feel a little bit tired? Isn't it agonizing to you?" Killua asked, looking at her with curiosity.
The blonde shrugged her shoulders at them and answered. "Nope, can go like this for days if needed too."
"This just proves my point, if the Hunter Exam is this easy the it's goanna be pretty boring." The silver-haired boy muttered. Naru blinked her eyes at his words, before frowning slightly at his comment. He found the exam boring? Sure, it seems easy but it feels fun. The exams were just so thrilling in her opinion, letting her see the world like she had never seen it. Letting her learn what the world is like, what people outside of her village is really like. Testing her to her limits. She didn't want to admit it but it's been a while since she has been a situation where she had lacked food.
"Killua, why do you want to become a hunter?" Gon asked.
"Me?" Killua blinked his eyes. "It's not that I particularly want to become a hunter." He smirked. "I just heard it was extremely difficult so I thought it would be fun to try it out but, it's been disappointing so far."
Naru rolled her eyes and stared at the examiner, who kept staring at them every couple seconds to see who had been disqualified. She yawned and winced as she felt her ribs cracked. When this part of the exam finish, she was going to relax and message her muscles before cursing Sasuke for what he did.
"What about you, Gon?" Killua asked.
"My father's a hunter so my goal is to become the kind of hunter my father is."
"And what type of hunter is he?"
"I've no idea!"
Naru smiled slightly at his comment. It's just the comment that Gon will make but one she can kind of relate too. She got no idea about her parents, having been born the same day that they had died. She has no idea on who they could be and only knew one person, who knew a lot of things about them. Unfortunately, he died before he had the chance to tell her what he knew. She smiled bitterly, all she knows is from the Hokage that they had died during the Kyuubi attack, being one of the unlucky people who had been killed during the attack. The Hokage didn't even know that much about them, only that they had been strong.
"What about you, Naru? Why did you decide to become a hunter?" Killua asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"To go home." He frowned at her words. "I bet you're wondering how I don't know how to get back home?" he nodded, causing the blonde to sighed. "I don't know how to go home because apparently the only people, who knows how to get to my home village are Hunters!"
"How can you not know the way back home?" Killua said in disbelief. "That's so weird! Anyone should be able to find their way back home!"
The blonde glared at him. "It isn't weird!" she snarled. "I would know my way back home if it was a place I know but of course at the time I didn't know where I was!"
"How can you not know where you were?"
"Because of that baka of teammate!" She clenched her hands into a fist and growled. "It's his fault that I'm in this mess! It's his damn fault that I came here!"
Gon inched away from her, feeling the killer-intent from her, while Killua furrowed his eyebrows at her before asking. "How's his fault that you're here?"
"Yeah, Naru, what did he do to you? You never really told the others or me about it." Gon admitted, staring earnestly at her.
Naru kept her eyes fixed on the examiner, pursuing her lips at him and said coldly. "You don't need to know how I came here, I certainly don't want to be reminded of it!"
The two boys glanced at each other and nodded their heads at her. She sighed and gave them an apologetic smile as she looked up ahead. Just remembering what happened to her, made her furious. He left them because of power. For his idiotic idea of revenge. It was like everything they went through together had slipped his mind. Forgot, how the three of them would do anything for each other. Memories of the events in the Nami no Kuni clogged her mind and for a brief moment, she remembered when he took the attack for her and his answer to her question of why he did it.
"I don't know...my body just moved on its own...dope..."
More memories started to spin through her mind. She could remember all of their silly arguments and her arguments about him being so reckless. Tears leaked out of her eyes, slipping to the ground and Naru hoped that no one notice it. She hates this feeling she has. She despises the fact that she cares for Sasuke! Loathes how much he can do to hurt her! Because if worse comes to worse, she knows she would never do the one thing that might eventually come.
Naru-chan, there'll be a time where you will have no choice but to sacrifice someone you cared about or else there're consequences.
Those had been the Hokage words to her when she had been a nine-year-old girl. At the time, she had naively thought that you could save everyone and stay alive at the same time. She should have listened to the old man. Should have known that he knew what he was talking about. If Sasuke truly does betray the village then she will have to make the choice that the Hokage talked about.
It'll tear her heart apart if she has to make the choice.
"It's the exit!" Said a loud voice behind her, she winced.
The blonde shook her head and jumped to the next step, before walking to stand beside Gon and Killua. Blue eyes widen at the marshland in front of her and she whistled at the sight of it. Mist covered the whole land, but from the beautiful shade of green from the grass, it was safe for her to presume that it was very beautiful place with the few plants that she could see. Her eyes linger on some plants and a part of her was curious to know what each of the plants can do.
"This place is called Numere Marsh, otherwise known as 'The Swindler's Nest'." The examiner turned to them, giving participants a stern look. "To reach the second exam site, you have no choice but to go through here." His voice hardened as he continued. "This Marsh is home to rare species that can't be seen anywhere else. The majority of these species are cunning and greedy, and feed on humans. Please take all precautions and stay alert at all times. Being fooled is as good as being dead."
Naru rubbed her chin at this piece of information and took out her shurikens from her shuriken pouch in her leg. She held tightly to her shuriken, as the examiner started to continue about the speech about how dangerous these species were. "...The species that live in Numere Marsh will stop at nothing to obtain and eat their prey-"
The blue-eyed girl raised her arm, leading for the man to pause at his speech. Everyone else gaped at her but she ignored them as she gazed monotony at the examiner in front of her. Her heart seemed to leap through her throat as she asked. "What will these species do to obtain their pray?"
The man smiled at her and answered. "Well the ecosystem of the species is to trick and eat their target, this is the very reason why this place is also called the Swindler's Nest. So you can guess what that means right, kid?"
"Hai." She clasped and thought over what he had just informed them. The creatures in this place must be intelligent if they were able to trick humans. She grimaced. The best course of action will be to stay close to the examiner if she wishes to survive. Defeating these creatures without any knowledge will be damn near impossible unless, you have great knowledge of them. However, with this thick mist, it may be a challenge to follow the leader without being misled.
She grinned at this as she stared at the flower near the bush. This was a challenge that she will definitely enjoy.
"Naru? Naru! We're going now! You should stop staring at that flower now! If we don't start running, the examiner will leave us behind!"
Naru blinked her eyes and looked at her surroundings. Vultures were now surrounding a two dead body and were now eating the dead bodies. She scratched her head as she tried to figure out what had just happened and made a mental note to stop thinking at times like these. She stretched her arms before starting to run with Gon.
It wasn't long before they caught up with Killua.
"What made you so absorbed?" He asked.
"I was just thinking about what the examiner said about the creatures in this place." She rubbed her hands together to generate some heat. "These creatures aren't anything I dealt so the best course of action for me is to stay beside the examiner if I want to live!"
Killua nodded in understanding and chuckled at her. "Are you scared then?"
"To die? Of course I'm, who isn't scared to die?" She grimaced. "But I'm more scared that I can't protect my friends from harm."
Killua blinked, not looking as if he understood any of her words, while Gon nodded his head in agreement with her. The blue-eyed girl curled her lips into a small smile and concentrated on what's ahead of them. Not protecting her friends was the one thing she fears. It's because of her friends that she can get stronger or wants to become stronger. Memories of the fight with Gaara rushed through her head and for a brief moment she winced. He had been so difficult to defeat and it's only because of her friends, she defeated him. If it hadn't been for that, she would have died. She smiled bitterly and shook her head. Even through he nearly killed her, she missed the guy. He may have been bloodthirsty before but he was now one of the shyest guys she knows as well as being a nice guy, once he controls his thirst of blood.
"Let's move closer to the front." Killua suddenly suggested.
"Probably be a good idea." Naru agreed, noticing the brief outlines of the examiner.
"So that we shouldn't lose sight of the examiner right?" Gon asked.
"Yeah, we can't loose sight of him." She grimaced. "With the fog getting thicker, it'll be harder to keep track of him and more likely for us to be in situations that we don't wish to be in."
"Oh."
"But that isn't the reason why I said we have to move up."
"Really? Then what's the reason?" Naru and Gon asked in unison.
"It's a good idea to get as far away from Hisoka as possible." Killua sighed. "He'll probably kill a bunch of them in this fog."
The blonde turned her head around, gulping as she saw the killer-intent in his eyes. The man was licking his lips and had that bloodthirsty look in his eyes, eyeing them as if the three of them were a piece of meat. She certainly didn't want to get his attention in any form or way! He just looked like a murdering pedophile. Especially with how he was eying them. The question now, was...
"How the hell do you know?" Naru paused, glancing at Killua. "What makes you say that he's going to kill a lot of people?"
"It's because he's just like me." He smiled at them. "I can tell by the smell."
Naru sniffed the air and frowned, before gazing thoughtfully at the boy beside her. The smile on his face and the mischief in his eyes made her doubt him but Kakashi always told her that appearances were deceiving. It doesn't help that whenever she sees the boy, he was always smiling and laughing. Not something she could picture for a killer. It just made it more difficult for her to tell if he was lying to them or being honest.
She flinched as a memory rushed through her mind.
The best liars are the ones that can tell that bend the truth, Naru-chan
She slapped her cheek and gritted her teeth, wishing to avoid that particular memory. The last thing she wants is to remember the time when she actually trusted Itachi. He told her that the best liars are those that bend the truth but, she wonders now if it were those that can say the most outrageous thing as if they were serious. She certainly hoped that it was the former then the latter.
"You...? Just like him?" Gon said, snapping her out of her thoughts. He sniffed the air and looked at him before declaring. "You sure don't look like it."
"That's because I'm hiding my true self right now." Killua smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."
Naru frowned at him and looked down at her battered headband, tracing the symbol of her village with her slender fingers. Hiding his true self that was somewhat believable. She knows no one will show their true self the moment they meet. Hell, not everyone would reveal everything about themselves. No one was like Gon. Revealing everything about yourself is a way to signal that you trusted them wholeheartedly. She wasn't like that. Not when she was a little kid, and definitely not now. Trust was rare and one she doesn't give easily. The only person who earned her trust was the Hokage. He saved her from her own personal hell! Protected her from living in the streets! He had always been there for her, from her birthday to the day she learnt the truth about the Kyuubi.
Now...now he was dead and could no longer be there for her.
"LEORIO! KURAPIKA! KILLUA SAYS THAT IT'LL BE BETTER TO MOVE UP FRONT-!" Gon yelled. Naru shuddered at the loudness of his voice and rubbed her ears as she glared at him. Didn't the boy know that his voice was already loud as it is? Besides, couldn't he tell it was a bad idea to yell now of all times. Everyone was anxious. Some of the people around them, looked like they could kill someone because he aggravated them.
"He doesn't have any sense of tension at all." Killua said.
"He isn't Gon if he did." Naru causally shrugged her shoulders. "But I guess that makes him more endearing in that way."
"It also means he can get himself into a dangerous situation because he doesn't have any sense of awareness."
Naru didn't bother to argue with his words, giving him a curt nod. The fog had started to gradually get thicker, covering the forest like a blanket covering a bed. It was spreading too, making it impossible for her to see without putting some chakra into her eyes. She concentrated her chakra into her eyes, smiling when she saw Gon and Killua a couple centimeters in front of her. Suddenly, shrill screams and cries were filled throughout the forest, causing many of the participants excluding Naru, Gon and Killua, to gulp.
The blue-eyed girl increased her speed, now running beside Gon and Killua. The examiner was hard to make out, making her wonder if it was a trick or not. However, this wasn't the case with the boys because she could clearly smell their scents and make out their outlines.
"Why are screams coming from over there?" Gon asked.
"They were probably tricked, I guess." Killua said, turning his head to look at the direction of the screams.
"Then it'll be safe to presume that most of them are dead, then." Her tone turned quiet, withholding any emotion she felt. "You know what the examiner said, if you're tricked by them then you are pretty much dead."
The oldest of the Amori brothers interjected.
"All the guys behind us have vanished." The second eldest Amori brother sweated at this.
"Really? Weren't there more than 100 of 'em?"
The blonde nipped her thumb, trying to rid of the lump that formed in her throat. A 100 people have vanished; probably more than ninety percent of them are dead. She winced as they heard more yells and shrills from the other participants. Make that more than ninety-five percent of them are dead! This exam was completely ridden with death and gore; perhaps she was wrong about her thoughts of the exams being hard. These exams were going to be difficult. However, these exams may make her stronger, strong enough to defeat her enemies at least.
If I could become stronger in these exams then I might be able to protect all of my friends.
Naru could feel her heart beat quicken as she heard more screams filled the air. Worry started to fill her heart. She wasn't worried for herself but more for Gon and Killua, especially Gon. The boy was so easily led. This made him an easy target for people to trick. If someone told him that they needed his liver to live then the boy would do it, not once questioning if it was a trap. She shook her head, reminding herself Gon wasn't senseless. She ran closer to Killua, fishing for her kunai in case they meet a creature that will harm them.
If worse comes to worse, then she will have to kill the creature.
"Gon." Killua's voice broke her out of her thoughts.
She turned around to see that Gon was now looking behind him. Her eyes widen when she heard more cries echoing the marshland. Frowning, she shook him, trying to get his attention but it didn't seem to work. It seems like the boy had a lot of things in his mind, she frowned. If he's distracted then he can get himself
"Gon! Snap out of it!" She yelled.
"Huh? What!"
"You need to start paying attention." Naru slapped him in the back of the head before continuing. "If you don't pay attention, you're going to get yourself killed! These creatures are ruthless, they're willing to trick us remember that!" her eyes soften. "Please, just think of your own damn safety! I know you're worried about them but...this isn't the time to worry about the others!"
Gon replied slowly.
"Okay..."
The blue-eyed girl's eyebrows twitch and she slammed her fist on the boy's head. "Are you even listening to me!" she screeched. "I know you're worried but Leorio and Kurapika are strong and they aren't a bunch of idiots or little kids!"
Killua stared at them and said. "Naru's right, the two of them aren't a bunch of idiots or kids and the situation now for us is getting bad. If you notice by now, the fog hides even the people right in front of us. If we get separated, we're out." He grimaced. "Just hope that you don't hear your friends among the screams."
Killua winced as the whiskered girl banged her fist against his head. "What the fuck do I do to deserve that!" he yelled. "Are you mad!"
"Mad? I'm mad! You're the one who's mad as well as being an idiot! What the hell are you thinking by telling him that, huh?" She screeched. "Now that makes him want to go save them even more! If you're trying to convince someone then don't tell something stupid like that!"
"Well, it's true!" He snapped. "If they miss the examiner then they are just as good as dead."
"They still have some chance of surviving!" She growled. "Don't be so pessimistic! Leorio and Kurapika can do this, they will be able to find the examiner and pass!"
"How can they pass if they can't see the examiner!"
She flinched at his comment, clenching her hands into a fist and furiously glared at him. Those two will make it. They just have to. The two of them had helped her so much and if they don't make it...she doesn't even want to think about it. She clung her hands together, wishing for it to drown the images that her mind had conjured.
"Gon!" Killua yelled. The blonde twisted her head, palling as Gon started to run to get to Leorio and Kurapika. What the hell was the idiot doing? Did he want to get killed? Doesn't he want to become a hunter? She took in a couple of breath and shook her head. No, she had to trust him. Gon will be able to make it. He had pretty good senses but a part of her had doubts. What if he meets someone stronger then him and fights him! Will he survive? She tightened her grip on her hands and firmly tried to tell herself that he will be able to do it. But what if he needs help? What if his opponent will try to kill him? Damn it! What is she suppose to do? Does she stop and go after Gon or follow Killua?
"Don't tell me you're thinking of going after Gon?" Killua said.
She looked at him and then to the direction where Gon had run off too. Going after Gon? Yeah, she wants to do it. The boy was so rash that it wasn't even funny. He could get himself injured because he doesn't think properly. It wouldn't surprise her if he gets injured. This just makes her want to follow him. However, a large part of her had a feeling that he will be fine, and knew by going after him, she might severely lowered her chance of going home.
But still...
"Well, are you going too?"
"No, I'm not going to go after Gon." She said blankly, loosening her grip on her hand. "He'll be able to find his way back that much I know but whether or not he's uninjured will be up for debate!" she took several calming breaths and continued. "I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid."
"If you're worried about that then why don't you follow him?"
"Why don't I follow him, huh? That's actually a good question." She mused. "Following him is something I should do but...it's too late." She sighed. "Following him now is nearly impossible since I can't see him and smelling him now is impossible, since there are so many scents tangled around him. For me to know which one is his will take a while."
"Not enough time for you to find him before he does something stupid, right?"
"Yeah." Naru nodded. "It might be hours before I can actually distinguish his scent."
Killua bobbed his head and started to speed up, causing the blue-eyed girl to speed up as well. There was no chance in hell that she will get left behind. Being left behind means she failed the first part and failing is no longer an option. Going back home to her friends isn't something she can easily give up to follow these boys.
She just hopes that the three boys will be fine.
The examiner finally stopped running when they reached a storehouse, causing all the participants to look at him in confusion and anxiety. Satotsu didn't say anything to them, not even a single word about what was happening. Just standing there as the other participants breathed in some air or lay down in the ground to get some energy.
"Everybody, congratulations." Satotsu said, turning around to speak to them. "The Biska Forest Park is the second exam site. I take my leave" He turned around and started walking away. "I wish everyone good luck."
Naru grinned and started to hum to herself. She could finally relax a little, not put her hair down yet, but she can relax her shoulders at least. Her eyes widen when she saw Hisoka carrying Leorio in his back. What the hell was happening? And why does he have a huge bruise in his face? Well, it doesn't matter. At least he was fine. She nodded her head at this thought and smiled. Her smile was soon replaced with a frown and she took out a kunai, ready to maim the person behind her. She twisted her body and was about to strike the person when she saw that it was only Killua standing behind her. He arched his eyebrows at the kunai in her hand and she smiled sheepishly, twirling the kunai with her two fingers before putting it in her pouch.
"Do you carry those things with you?"
"No, I magically got this to appear." Naru said sarcastically. "Of course I carry these things with me."
"Do they have poison in them?" He asked, eyeing them with curiosity.
She smiled mysteriously at him. "Maybe they do, maybe they don't."
He sighed at her response and started to mutter something about girls being difficult. She shook her head at him and turned her head to look at the forest, smiling when she saw a movement on the path that led to the open area. Killua seemed to have seen it too because he stood up straighter and looked at her with relief. She grinned at him and the two preteen looked towards the opening as Gon and Kurapika reached towards them. The two boys immediately went to Leorio, not bothering to look at them. She glanced at Leorio and winced. His face was badly swollen and this made her want to know what was happening.
She immediately walked towards them and stood behind Gon, staring quietly at the ticking clock in front of them.
"...But why is everyone outside?" Gon asked, staring at the surrounding participants with curiosity.
"We can't go in." Killua answered.
Gon stared at the boy and happily yelled. "Killua!"
"Yo."
"Where's Naru?"
The blonde sighed and tapped the boy in the shoulders, leading the boy to jump in shock. He grinned when he saw the whiskered girl. She gave him a smile, before glancing at Leorio and then to the other two boys. She sauntered towards Leorio and bend down to lightly touch his bruise, ignoring him as he yelp out in pain. She frowned. Turning around, the blonde put her hands on her hips and stared at the three boys.
"What the hell happened to him? If you don't answer that question then you should expect hell to break loose!" Naru growled. "And also tell me how did you get here without using the examiner?"
Gon and Kurapika turned towards each other and started to reluctantly tell them the whole thing.
"You followed the scent of cologne!" Killua burst out.
"Yeah..."
Killua looked at Gon and said. "You're no ordinary guy..."
"You think so?" Gon asked.
The blonde nodded her head at him and quietly said. "You followed his cologne, very few people are capable of doing that and those that can, are...a little bit unordinary and you were able to not be killed by Hisoka says a lot of things." She rubbed the back of her neck. "But that's good! It means you're just fun to hang around with! As well as being the most reckless person I met!"
"S-Sorry, Naru!"
"Just don't do anything stupid like that again."
"I will try."
Gon looked at the door and frowned, repeating the same question again.
"Why can't we go in?"
Naru frowned. "Well the sign said that the next trial won't start until noon today." She curled her lips. "And the doors are locked since we saw a couple of people trying to enter but couldn't force the door open."
"It doesn't help that we can hear are some groaning noises so all we can do is wait." Killua added.
"It won't be long." Gon muttered.
"Yup." Killua said in unison.
Naru stared at the warehouse and suddenly asked them. "What do you think is inside?"
"I don't know!" Gon replied. "I can't wait to see what's inside."
Naru chuckled and quietly mused about how the boy was so bright and cheerful. He was everything; she wished she could be again. Putting on a fake smile was getting easy for her to do, and being optimistic was now no longer something she can do. That scared her. She turned her body to stare at the door, ignoring Killua who came to stand beside her. The general atmosphere was getting tenser and tenser and people were starting to become restless. Some of them looked ready to run while others looked ready to fight, making her feel anxious for what is about to happen. She stumbled as some of the people started to shift around, glaring at them as she moved closer to Gon.
The doors slowly creaked open...
Thank you for reading! I hope that all of you find this chapter enjoyable.
I would love to hear your thoughts about the chapter, especially about the interaction between Naru and Killua.
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