Kisho stared at that patch of tree shade, his entire body taut, fully on guard.
Although there was nothing in his field of vision, he could be absolutely certain—someone was hiding there.
Just moments ago, at the instant he drew his triangular spike and knocked away the bullet, he had sensed an extremely faint aura, fleeting in an instant.
—Someone concealed beneath the tree shade was observing him.
After the gunshot rang out, that person might have arrived even earlier than him, but because they noticed him arriving afterward, they chose not to reveal themselves directly.
After that, perhaps they saw something on him and unintentionally leaked their aura.
Otherwise, he would not have noticed at all.
"Is it a concealment-type Nen ability?"
Kisho used "Gyo" and "En", observing and staying alert to his surroundings while thinking silently to himself.
Nothing.
"Did they use 'Zetsu'? Or did they use 'In' to hide their Nen?"
"In"—hiding condensed Nen material; without using "Gyo", it would be absolutely impossible to detect.
Kisho felt it was extremely troublesome: "If it really is 'Zetsu', being able to leave not a single trace… that level is far too terrifying."
One second, two seconds.
Returning birds hopped about on the branches above Kisho's head, emitting crisp chirps.
Yet it did nothing to ease the tension in his heart.
Another dozen seconds passed.
"If you're not coming out…" Kisho spoke slowly, his expression serious, his gaze sharp.
A strand of Nen fire suddenly burst out in his hand, roaring as it burned: "Then I'll just burn the mountain down!"
—Of course, that was a bluff.
Kisho still knew the principle of "burning down a mountain gets you locked up for life".
However, that person had also been drawn here by the poachers' gunfire, which meant they also valued this forest highly.
—Thinking that way, they most likely would not sit idly by and watch his actions.
Kisho lowered his eyes.
If even this failed to draw them out, he would choose to leave Whale Island immediately and only come back when it was truly time for the exam.
—He hadn't forgotten: he was carrying a bounty worth tens of millions of Jenny. Under the circumstances of being secretly watched by someone of unknown background and unclear allegiance, he could no longer leisurely "enjoy life".
The Nen fire in Kisho's hand drew closer and closer to a large tree beside him.
Just as the Nen fire was about to scorch a branch, a wisp of breeze drifted past from behind him.
Kisho's pupils suddenly contracted.
He withdrew and retreated at extreme speed, but even with the enhancement of the badge, his speed was still not faster than the figure behind him.
In a flash of lightning, a "zzzt—" sound rang out.
Kisho flashed to the other side, his expression grave.
That person—whether in Nen volume or physical speed—far exceeded his imagination. The instant they moved, the pressure leaking from their body even surpassed that of the bandit leader, the pervert, and the assassin he had encountered that night.
At this moment, that person stood where Kisho had been, tossing the half sleeve torn from Kisho's clothing to the ground, clicking their tongue.
"Got away." He reached up to steady the brim of his hat, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "That little brat's got quite some strength."
Kisho responded to his words with silence.
The only reason he had been able to break free was because the man hadn't used strength matching the Nen he had displayed. Otherwise, his right arm would definitely already be dislocated.
Kisho stared at him.
Before he had voluntarily appeared, his whole body had seemed to meld into the surrounding environment, without revealing the slightest clue.
But now, this guy in front of him looked very familiar…
Kisho suddenly recalled the photograph he had seen in the tavern that morning.
The guy in front of him and the person in that photo—calling them merely similar wouldn't do; they were exactly the same—aside from an extra ring of stubble that looked like it hadn't been shaved in ages.
Moreover, he looked almost like he had been carved from the same mold as Gon—well, maybe the order was a bit off, but that wasn't important.
Kisho stared at him, his tone filled with utter disbelief in life itself:
"...Ging?"
The disbelief came from what Gon had mentioned not long ago when they were chatting about his parents:
When Gon was still a baby, his parents had died due to an accident. Aunt Mito and his grandmother had raised him.
So this was utterly absurd.
—Why was someone who had already died suddenly appearing here?!
—Was this some kind of paranormal program?!
—Or did this forest actually have a Nen formation that could revive the dead?!
How did things suddenly turn so horrifying?!
Hearing Kisho's words, the man called "Ging" froze on the spot, then lifted his hand in frustration to rub his head, messing up his already chaotic hair even more.
"Ugh… headache!"
Although he had a baby face, the moment his eyes sharpened, his entire presence became dangerous.
He looked at Kisho, his tone slightly cold:
"Where did you hear my name?"
His identity information was among the highest-level secrets even on the Hunters' official website. And he had always deliberately erased all traces of himself—there was no way some random kid could know his name.
Although ordinary kids couldn't be mentioned in the same breath as the one in front of him.
Don't be fooled by the harmless look this kid had right now. From the speed and decisiveness with which he had just taken care of those poachers, and the thick, solid "Ten" around him that far exceeded what someone his age should be capable of, it was obvious this kid was anything but ordinary.
But that only made it stranger—why would such a kid run to a place like Whale Island, which had absolutely nothing?
Not to brag, but if a Nen user came to Whale Island on their own initiative, it would probably be because they had discovered that his hometown was here, and were coming for him.
As the Nen emanating from Ging grew increasingly terrifying, Kisho blinked innocently.
"The village tavern. And your photo inside the tavern."
Not expecting to be recognized in this way, Ging coughed awkwardly.
"So, aside from my name, you shouldn't know anything else, right?"
Ging let out a sigh of relief: since it was just coincidental, then it wasn't—
Kisho tilted his head in confusion.
"...Are you someone very famous, someone I should know?"
Ging choked.
Although this was indeed the outcome he wanted, hearing it come out of this kid's mouth somehow made it infuriating!
"Oh, right!"
Kisho suddenly looked at Ging with burning eyes.
"May I ask an impertinent question? Why did Gon say you're already dead?"
Whether it was an illusion or not, Kisho noticed that after he asked the question, the "Ten" around Ging showed a brief, unnatural disturbance.
An eerie silence.
Ging: "..."
Kisho: "..."
Receiving no answer, Kisho continued his analysis very reasonably:
"So that means you completely dumped Gon on his aunt to take care of."
"He's grown up this much, and you never took responsibility?"
"Six years—did you really not interfere at all?!"
"Not interfering would be one thing, but you didn't even show your face?!"
"If you know it's impertinent, then don't ask!"
Ging finally snapped, mortified into rage:
"—That's adult business! What would a little kid like you understand?!"
Kisho: "...Alright."
"As long as you understand—" Seeing that Kisho didn't continue pressing the issue, Ging finally let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"But I still have to say this, Mr. Ging—"
Kisho exhaled slowly and said in a calm voice:
"You really are… trash."