Little Jay, the Hero, Each Harboring Their Own Thoughts

Kuroro’s thoughts were a complete mystery to Kurama. At this moment, all of his attention was focused on Gon—even though he was chatting with Kuroro and his gaze never wavered, the Makai dandelions he’d scattered across the plaza upon entering the exam hall served as an extra pair of eyes, constantly feeding him the information he desired.

So, Kurama “saw” the boy whose appearance bore a striking resemblance to Ging, entering the square with a face full of curious anticipation, accompanied by two companions. The boy wore green clothes almost identical to what Kurama remembered, and though the fox had often doubted in the past whether such a color would be overwhelming in reality, now, witnessing it with his own eyes, he realized how unexpectedly fitting it was for Gon.

Gon’s vitality made the green suit him perfectly, and the color’s association with abundant life only accentuated the boy’s boundless energy.

—What an incredible child.
—Ging’s child.

Only at this moment did Kurama’s perception of “Gon” shift from a mere anime protagonist in his memories to someone more tangible: the child of a friend.

If not for Kuroro and Shalnark’s unexpected meddling, Kurama thought he might have already approached Gon to strike up a conversation. Despite Ging’s repeated, emphatic requests that he not reveal anything about him to Gon, Kurama found it hard to see how someone as gentle and kind as himself could possibly collude with an irresponsible father like Ging.

So he’d already made plans—to properly guide the young boy, giving him more confidence and, perhaps, some enjoyment on his journey to find his father.

But now...

His gaze toward the young man before him grew increasingly laden with an indescribable emotion (in truth, pure misdirected annoyance—though the leader failed to notice). Seeing that his stare once again caused Kuroro to falter in conversation, Kurama’s lips curved in a faint smile, signaling his anticipation for the coming exam. He would never openly oppose Kuroro, but behind the scenes...

There were plenty of plants more covert and insidious than mere hallucinogens, perfect for stealthy attacks.

The fox blinked, smiling with enigmatic amusement.

***

Shalnark suddenly felt a chill at the nape of his neck.

He pursed his lips, glancing at his leader running just ahead and the red-haired youth ambling casually at the same brisk pace as the examiner—realizing with a sigh that they might have once again underestimated the mysterious Kurama.

It had been over ten minutes since the Hunter Exam began. Leading the way through the tunnel was the examiner Satotsu, who claimed responsibility for the first phase. The task: keep pace with him as they pressed forward.

A pitch-dark tunnel, an examiner whose seemingly casual stride actually forced examinees to sprint at full speed, a finish line unknown in both distance and location... It was, quite obviously, an endurance, physical, and psychological elimination round.

With his intellect, Shalnark had recognized this immediately, and, comparing it to his own exam year, couldn’t help but silently mock the association for its lack of creativity.

Mind only half on his own running at the front of the group, his full attention was fixed on two figures ahead—his leader and… Kurama.

More than a year ago, his supposedly foolproof plan hadn’t even had a chance to unfold before it was forced to abort. As the “brain” of the troupe, he’d been ignominiously dumped onto a deserted island in the vast sea—thrown from the ship without anyone noticing. The confusion and questioning on his teammates’ faces when they rescued him remained vivid in his mind.

—Never before had he been so humiliated in front of his companions.

Unlike the battered appearances so common in Meteor City days, this embarrassment was a blow to Shalnark’s pride as the troupe’s strategist.

It drove him, over the following years, to search relentlessly for any trace of the youth named Kurama.

Unfortunately, his efforts yielded nothing; the boy might as well have vanished from the world. In truth, this was a minor setback, nothing worth dwelling on. However, Kuroro’s interest in that white, round creature hadn’t diminished in nearly two years, and Shalnark’s own frustration at his past humiliation made his focus on Kurama habitual.

Thus, when Kurama’s civic ID suddenly reappeared online a few weeks ago, purchasing a luxury cruise ticket, Shalnark was elated to be the first to notice. He immediately informed his leader, and together they decided to pursue Kurama—especially after Shalnark hacked the Hunter Association’s internal network and found Kurama’s name on the 287th exam roster.

So, two bold fugitives, disguising neither name nor appearance, ignoring Shalnark’s already legitimate Hunter license, entered with false identities, passed the initial selection, and—just as expected—ran into Kurama at the exam site!

At first, Shalnark viewed this as a trap-and-revenge operation, but the more he interacted (or clashed) with Kurama, the greater his surprise. Kurama’s handling of certain matters completely confounded both him and Kuroro.

If their ability to chat amicably with Kurama was the result of long preparation and innate talent, then the way Kurama matched them in verbal sparring and nonchalance revealed a formidable opponent.

Unlike Kuroro’s growing intrigue, Shalnark sensed a subtle, unsettling undercurrent beneath the placid surface.

Yet...

Watching his leader, whose usual calm had now been stirred to competitiveness and persistence, Shalnark could only silently shake his head and resign himself to carrying out their plan.

***

Kurama was just as oblivious to Shalnark’s worries.

After the exam began, he deliberately kept pace with the examiner at the front group, mainly to widen the distance between Kuroro and Gon—he did not want the leader to notice the exceptionally conspicuous boy too soon.

Especially since beside Gon was Kurapika, as volatile as a ticking time bomb. As the last survivor of the Kurta Clan, the boy flaunted his cultural attire openly, knowing few would recognize it—practically inviting disaster!

If fortune kept certain people unaware, all would be well, but now he was right under Kuroro’s nose! Could the famously erudite leader fail to recognize the Kurta Clan’s distinctive clothing?

Impossible.

Perhaps the Phantom Troupe had only found the Kurta settlement in the first place because Kuroro had studied their history and culture in depth, enabling him to trace their hidden home.

So, expecting him to ignore Kurapika’s identity?

That was far too optimistic.

Kurama wasn’t particularly worried for Kurapika—though there were theories that the four protagonists of Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter x Hunter corresponded, with Kurama and Kurapika as counterparts, Kurama considered himself far more clear-headed and rational.

True, Kurapika’s suffering was profound and deserving of sympathy, but his values and methods didn’t entirely earn Kurama’s approval.

Still, Kurama had no desire to judge another’s way of life. What concerned him was that, if Kurapika’s identity was exposed to Kuroro, Gon might also be implicated—a result Kurama desperately wished to avoid. After all, that was Ging’s precious son.

So, after subtly guiding Kuroro and Shalnark away from the protagonist trio, Kurama employed a small trick—

Makai Plant: Phantom Spore.

Even smaller and harder to detect than the Makai dandelion, this plant could cover a person’s body and disguise their appearance at will—of course, the exact illusion was determined by the spore’s master.

From the wearer’s perspective, no change was visible, eliminating any chance of Kurapika noticing his clothes had altered.

To ensure that Gon and Leorio—who’d spent much time with Kurapika and were familiar with his attire—didn’t notice anything amiss, Kurama kept the changes minimal. At first glance, nothing appeared different, but to someone as knowledgeable about Kurta culture as Kuroro, the details were a chaotic mess; it wasn’t even a poorly made imitation, but simply ordinary clothing that happened to resemble the garb.

This modification had cost Kurama considerable effort.

He sighed inwardly. Though he’d intended not to get too entangled with canon characters, the web of coincidence and intent was drawing him ever deeper into their affairs...

He wasn’t sure whether this was for better or worse.

***

Once the exam began, Kuroro sensibly stopped chatting with Kurama. Though he kept pace beside him, not having to constantly parry his words was a relief, allowing Kurama to observe the other examinees in silence—not only to satisfy his curiosity, but also to mislead Kuroro, making it appear that he, too, was just a curious, naive youth, thus lowering his guard (though Kurama doubted it would have much effect).

Through observation, Kurama soon noticed something interesting.

“Chitarlak, what are you looking at?”

Giving Kuroro a polite nod, Kurama drew away and moved closer to Illumi—he’d noticed that ever since the start, the “tack-faced” eldest Zoldyck seemed intent on watching the rear of the group.

Kurama was as aware of events at the back as any participant, thanks to his arsenal of Makai dandelions.

So he knew that the plot had reached the point where Gon and his friends were tricked into the Bewilderment Tree area, and that, after a period of hesitation and going ahead alone, Killua had also dashed after them, disappearing at the end of the line.

Kurama wasn’t certain how much Illumi knew, but it was clear he was at least generally aware of the situation.

One could easily imagine the feelings of this brother-obsessed assassin.

Their brief interaction after Kuroro and Shalnark exposed Kurama’s real name had left Kurama with a strange impression of Illumi. Previously, he’d never have approached him, let alone struck up a conversation—but now...

Not denying his own sudden curiosity about Illumi, the fox boldly moved closer.

The tack-faced oddity turned, looking at Kurama in silence.

“Clack, clack-clack.”

Though only meaningless clicks spilled from Illumi’s throat, Kurama suddenly had the odd feeling he understood...

Wait! Wasn’t this development a bit too surreal?

Frowning slightly, the fox ventured, “Are you saying... you’re dissatisfied with your brother’s actions?”

Illumi’s footsteps paused imperceptibly.

He turned his head, fixing Kurama with an intense gaze from that fearsome, tack-studded face.