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As the boat approached Whale Island, Gon's excitement was evident in his every move. He eagerly pointed out familiar sights to Sakura and Killua, his enthusiasm infectious as they neared his home.
Once they docked, Gon wasted no time in bounding off the boat, his eagerness propelling him forward toward home. Sakura and Killua followed closely behind, amused by Gon's boundless energy.
The trio made their way through the surroundings of Whale Island, taking in the sights and sounds of Gon's hometown. It was very much like a small village town surrounded by nature, and to Sakura a close hit to home. The only defining difference that told her this wasn't her home, was the strong scent of the ocean that lingered around them. Still, it had a nice taste to it.
They could understand where Whale Island, got its name as the whole piece of land appeared to be a whale from the distance peering halfway on the surface of the ocean. It was a distance to run from the town to Gon's home, but they were there in the early afternoon.
Gon led them to an isolated part of the island, where they barely passed any houses. He picked up speed when they reached a hillside, indicating he was nearly home.
A house on a ledge in a clearing, a few white sheets could be seen on a line next to it, waving in the wind like flags welcoming Gon back. Someone was hanging them up.
"Aunt Mito!" Gon waved with jovial delight to the women. She had short back hair and wore a red dress with an apron. And had a very warm expression even before she saw Gon. She rushed over to embrace the boy.
"Welcome home, Gon," She looked past him and at the two figures making their way slowly up the hill. She smiled, "You must be Killua and Sakura,"
Within the six months, he had been absent from Whale Island, Gon had only sent one letter to his aunt to tell him about his results in the Hunter exam and that he had something important to do before he could return home. But he hadn't told Sakura or Killua about it, so they were taken by surprise by the warm welcome.
Sakura bowed her head slightly in the habit of greeting, "Hello! Thank you for having us."
"Hi…." Killua trailed.
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When they entered the house, Mito went into a fuss over Gon not informing her ahead of time that he would be coming back and bringing his friends. She was particular about not having time to prepare anything for their arrival, despite their reassurance that it was fine.
"We're sorry for coming so unannounced," Sakura said politely, setting her drink on the table, which she and Killua had been offered without the impression that they were inclined to refuse. In front of them sat an elderly woman; Mito's grandmother.
"Oh don't be. I just wish I was told sooner so I could've had something ready for you kids when you arrived,"
"But it's fine, we're good with anything" Gon repeated.
His aunt was bustling about the place, running back and forth from the kitchen to the dish closet, taking out plates and ingredients to start making something.
"Don't be ridiculous. This is the first time you've brought friends over," Mito said as she continued packing several plates on top of one another from the open glass case.
The three peered at each other from the table, offering sheepish grins. It didn't look like they were going to sway Gon's aunt to relax. They straightened when Mito looked back at them.
"You three can go and take a bath while I prepare dinner and put out your dirty clothes," That was a command that left no room for discussion. When Gon said that they would do that later, she began counting to ten.
"Okay, I'm going first!" Sakura chided, rushing to the bath.
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After that bath, Gon and Killua went to take theirs and Sakura brought out their dirty clothes. She found Mito in the kitchen, the aroma of whatever was boiling in the pots and sizzling on the pans made her stomach growl. Mito noticed the girl carrying their dirty laundry.
"Oh, you can set that in the corner here Sakura," Mito said.
Sakura spotted a picture hanging on the wall, of a man who was crouched down in a dusty background, most of his face was covered, but she could see him smiling, and his eye visible-resembling Gon's.
'That must be Ging,' Sakura remembered that Mito had been against Gon becoming a Hunter because of his father. Considering that she was the one who raised Gon, Sakura could understand why his aunt wouldn't want him to take on the title hunter. If it meant more than family.
There was another image framed on the wall, it was the one taken after they got Killua back from his family. "So that's what he did with his one,"
"Mm, did you say something Sakura?"
"Oh, I was just looking at the pictures," Sakura said, "I noticed our one was up here too,"
"Yes, Gon sent the post after the Hunter exam," Mito smiled, "I was so worried about him, but he wrote about how you all helped him,"
Sakura shook her head, "I didn't do much. We all helped each other out," her mouth curled upwards, gazing back at the picture, delicately tracing around the inside of the frame. "If it weren't for them; I'd be all alone,"
Mito watched quietly, not wanting to break her from that expression. As if knowing it was one not often held. Of true peace.
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Their lunch was ready by the time Gon and Killua were out of the bath; Sakura helped set the table before everyone took a seat around it. Killua took his fork and took a meatball off the pile, popping it into his mouth but there was silence and he saw everyone else with their heads down, Gon and his family had their heads down, eyes closed with their hands on the table and Sakura had her palms against one another with her head bowed; she then turned to him.
"What?"
"What are you all doing?" he asked softly.
"We're offering our gratitude," Gon said, one eye open.
Killua scrunched his face, the fork still sticking in his mouth, "What does that mean?"
"Thanking god," Sakura muttered softly as Mito and her grandmother finished and told them to eat.
"Please help yourselves,"
"Thanks!"
The three filled their plates; after nearly six months of takeout orders and room service, a home-cooked meal had become foreign which made the taste all the better. They even discovered a weakness of Killua's.
Killua stared at the red peppers Gon was dishing into his plate while pulling a face. "You can actually eat those?"
"Yeah, they're good," Gon exclaimed before taking a bite and Killua watched him with disbelief.
Sakura snickered, "What you don't like red peppers?"
Killua scoffed, "Now why would you assum-um!" Sakura took the chance to stick a red pepper in Killua's mouth, watching his face twist, his mouth drop and the piece fall out.
"I'll grab a towel!" Mito said rushing up to the kitchen.
"Hahaha!"Sakura snorted trying to contain herself, but she couldn't help the outbreak of laughter for the new face her friend was showing. Gon had also turned his head because he accidentally laughed with food in his mouth, but his shoulders were shaking.
"I'll get you for this!"
They resumed their meal without any incidents, other than pecking food off one another's plates; until the table was completely cleared.
Gon didn't give them a lot of time to digest the hearty meal, however, as he wanted to show his friends around the island as soon as possible. Even after Sakura pointed out that they were going to be here for a while as the deadline for Yorknew was still a while away.
"Give me a few more minutes," Sakura said.
"But I want to show you the forest where I met Kon!" Gon whined. Sakura was lying on his bed, with her back facing him and Killua.
"Just wait a little longer,"
Gon was downcast until Killua patted his shoulder; there was a mischievous glint in his eye. "No offense Sakura, but you might need the run,"
There was dead silence, and an obvious tickle in bloodlust but Killua continued, while Gon felt the need to inch towards the door, "You weren't doing much at Heavens' Arena either and with everything you ate it's starting to look like you put on-
"GAH KILLUA!" Sakura suddenly leaped from the bed, her face red in anger and embarrassment; this quickly put Gon and Killua on alert. They dashed out laughing with the kunoichi right on their heels. Gon gave a quick shout to his aunt, telling her that they would be going out.
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"It was a joke, I can't believe how gullible you actually are,"
"That's called harassment,"
"Then what do you call this?" Killua pointed to the heavy bump on his head.
"Well deserved,"
Killua stuck out his tongue while touching the bump which Sakura refused to heal and she mimicked the gesture. She ended up chasing the boys all around the island. At least by the time she had gotten her anger out, they were already far from the house so she wouldn't go back in a fuse.
As they journeyed through the vast forest, Sakura, Gon, and Killua reveled in the experience together, making a game out of everything they could. They leaped through the trees, enjoying the rush of wind against their faces as they soured over the canopy. They enjoyed the breathtaking views of the landscape.
Their exploration led them to cliffs overlooking the ocean, where they dared each other to leap into the crystal-clear waters. With exhilarated shouts, they plunged into the cool embrace of the sea, laughing and splashing as they swam.
Underwater, Sakura was enchanted by the vibrant marine life, her eyes widening in amazement at the colorful fish and graceful creatures that surrounded her.
As also ended up playing a game of tag. Sakura's favorite, where she used her ninja skills to outmaneuver her friends, darting between trees and using her replacement jutsu to evade capture.
Sakura laughed after watching Gon and Killua bump heads in an attempt to catch her clone, but it vanished the moment they made contact after chasing it around. It wasn't even a clone with substance.
"Dammit, not again!" Killua hissed, before glaring up in the trees where he heard the laughter. Sakura was crouching on a branch.
"You're going to have to do better than that!"
"Oh man!" Gon groaned, touching his forehead. "We were so close!"
"And with our hour deadline hit; I win!" Sakura made a peace sign, as she landed in front of them.
"I swear," Killua sighed, throwing himself back to stare at the forest canopy. "Are we ever going to beat you?"
Sakura winked, "You've still got a ways to go,"
Gon gave a jovial laugh, "But that was fun!"
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Gon had memorized every part of the forest where he had once been and had a story for nearly everyone. Including the tree where he waited to capture the Master of the Swamp and earned the right to take the Hunter's exam.
The sky was nearing a deep red and violet when Gon brought them to what would be their final stop for the day.
"I used to play here with Kon all the time," There was a nostalgic smile on Gon's face.
The lake lay without a ripple in the silver-blue water and as the wind settled with the sun, it was as if time itself had been frozen. Despite all the tall pine trees around the edge, there was no movement of branches, no birds calling. Gon directed them near the edge of the water, surrounded by smooth rocks. There were signs of someone being here before with the ashes of what used to be a fireplace.
"So where is this fox bear you grew up with Gon?" asked Killua.
"We probably won't see him. Female fox bears hate the scent of humans. His mate would get upset with him. Besides if the ruler of the forest was seen hanging around with humans, he'd lose the respect of the other animals,"
Sakura went over to the edge of the lake when she saw something flopping about. A pile of silverfish. "Well, he can at least drop off presents."
The tranquility that the night brought was welcomed by the three who had been merrymaking for hours. They set up a fire, long finished the fish they were brought, and just lay to look at the star-filled sky and the crescent moon above, Killua on the left, Sakura on the right, and Gon in between. It was a good while before someone decided to break the rhythm of the fire crackling behind their heads.
"What are you guys going to do now?" Killua asked.
"I'm just going to rest up here for a while and gather the information I need. After that, I'll head to Yorknew and start looking for my dad,"
"What about you Sakura?" Killua asked again after she didn't answer the first time.
"Why are you asking? We're all going to Yorknew together right?" Sakura wondered if maybe Killua had plans to leave before the deadline. "Or are you planning on leaving?"
Gon sat up straight in panic, "Huh, Killua are you leaving?!"
"No!" Killua exclaimed, throwing himself upright, "I'm going with you guys to Yorknew but that's not what I meant by my question..." Gon and Sakura silently waited together for Killua to eventually speak again, "I asked because well…..There's nothing really; that I want to do."
Sakura sat up slowly, as she resonated with what Killua was implying. He wasn't talking about the plans they had for the now, which involved the three of them going to Yorknew together, but their future. A goal in life. Something that they wanted to achieve. Killua said before how he wanted to decide his own future, but now that he had that liberty, he wasn't sure where to go from there.
And that was when they saw a solemnness in Killua's eyes, "There's a lot of things that I don't want to do. Like, stay in that house….Or inherit the family business." Killua pulled his face straight, closing his eyes, "I guess I'm a little jealous thinking you guys already know what you want to do,"
"Killua….." Sakura trailed with a softness in her voice.
"That's right," Killua said suddenly looking over to Sakura, "You didn't say what you want to do Sakura,"
Now it was her turn to share a solemn expression. Killua was referring to what they wanted to do with their life, but she couldn't answer that her current goal was to finish this story and return home...That was right though, it's what she wanted or was it what she had to do?
She would have to go home because she didn't belong here; she had friends and family back in her world. But she couldn't deny that her sense of urgency had dulled to the point where she would go for days without even thinking about her home and she would actually forget that this world was not the one she was meant to be in. She would forget about her world, and when she remembered, it was easy to forgive herself for slipping.
'My goal is to return home,'
And yet she felt nothing burning in her as she said this herself. Perhaps because this was just a compulsory step toward her real ambitions in life. So she thought again, 'My goal is to become stronger so I can stand with my friends and bring back Sasuke!'
Nothing.
There was no trigger of warmth when she thought this line; one she had been telling herself for almost three years. The one that kept her pushing herself in training even when she felt like dying, reminding herself of her failure to stop Sasuke from leaving before and what drove her. However, this never failed to make her feel an unbearable weight. Even now, that would always be the same. But she bared it, thinking that it would motivate her to try and get Sasuke back.
What would happen after she did that?
Somehow this sudden thought, made her feel so empty. Her life since that time was devoted to her friends, but she couldn't compare the experiences she had with her friends; and her team back in her world to the ones she had with Gon and Killua. Kurapika and Leorio too.
There was so much similarity she had noted and at the same time completely different. Her time spent here was much shorter than the ones she spent with her team, and yet somehow even as she was reliving familiar settings of the past with these individuals, it was much different. She had been far more enthusiastic, and energetic, everything somehow was just...…more.
There was a lot of conflict within her group, Sasuke and Naruto started out hating each other to becoming best friends; though if she was honest that didn't leave much room for her in that department. She was in love with Sasuke and Naruto liked her, but she....at the time she wasn't there.
The rivalry, the exchanges, the arguments, the teamwork; the bonding; she was hardly a part of any of it. Their first real mission together was with Naruto and Sasuke who had become closer to understanding one another, to know more about the other and that just progressed as they acknowledged each other. For better or worse.
She was always on the sideline while they made the changes.
Naruto left and he came back stronger, and even though she trained hard and tried with everything, it hardly seemed like she moved. Even when they got Sai as a new teammate; it was Naruto who broke through to him, it was Naruto who said he would save Sasuke, while she just stood there. It was difficult to keep up, or rather to realize she wouldn't be acknowledged like them.
Where was she really in all of this?
And somehow, what disturbed her now, was that she began to feel sick about returning to it all. It was her responsibility to continue to the end of this story, and she had to return to Naruto and do whatever little she could to compensate for letting Sasuke leave. But this was Naruto's objective, somehow Sakura knew she was going to rely on him to bring Sasuke back because the reality was when it came to the two of them, she had already been worlds apart from the two. It was only now that she was away from it all that she was beginning to see it.
This world was where she could truly acknowledge everything, because of the distance that created a broader image. Or perhaps this was merely her making excuses for herself, even though it didn't feel that way.
Conflicts and struggles were happening here too, but she wasn't standing by while everyone else was going ahead of her. She wasn't brushing the sides, she was in the center.
And she wasn't alone.
So for her answer to what she wanted to do, Sakura exhaled, "I...….don't know,"
Killua and Gon had been waiting silently for a while, noticing that Sakura seemed to be scanning through her thoughts, but they didn't think they'd receive such a certain answer of uncertainty.
"Took you a while," Killua commented.
"I just realized.....I don't have anything that's for myself," Sakura said honestly, realizing that the night sky was the perfect reason to avoid eye contact. She didn't expect the twelve-year-olds to give a response that would cure the bitterness overcoming her; it was too much even for them.
And yet Gon spoke not soon after, "Sakura; Killua….."There was such an incredible softness in Gon's eyes despite their sharp color; he didn't show any definite expression, but he was like a bright light in this darkness and what he said made him shine. "I think it's fun; the three of us being together."
Sakura jolted a little, and Killua had to lean back, he didn't expect that "W-What's that about?"
Gon turned to the sky, "Whale Island is a place for fishermen to stay during extended outings. There aren't too many native residents. There is a girl around my age here but I never got to know her. So until I left I didn't have any friends close to my age; like the two of you,"
"It's sort of the same for me," Killua admitted, "I was stuck at home most of the time and only really left to learn how to kill. You two are my first friends."
Sakura shook her head, "I've had plenty of friends who are my age but...my relationship with the ones I thought I was closest to-well we might not have been as close as I made myself believe. I've been rushing to get back home to them because there's this conflict I wanted to help resolve. But I just realized, I'm not relevant to it. And the more time I spend with the less I've been wanting to go back because…"
'Because I've been relevant,'
Gon quickly chided, "Then stay! If you don't want to go home, just stay here with us!" Sakura looked at him with wide eyes. "Right? Isn't it fun with the three of us together?"
"Y-Yeah,"
Killua blushed, grabbing his head, "What is with the two of you saying all this embarrassing stuff!?"
"Well, don't you have fun Killua?" Gon asked again, directing the question at his snow-haired friend.
Killua couldn't deny it, no matter how red it turned him, "I guess, yeah."
"Then we should all stick together!" Gon exclaimed, "We can travel around and see the world together! I'll be looking for my dad. You can look for something you want to do Killua. And Sakura can stay with us for as long as she wants!"
Gon's words were of a context that meant more to Killua and Sakura than he might have realized but that was okay because he said it anyway and they were willing to believe.
"You know, that doesn't sound half bad," Killua's voice soft.
"I think I'd like that very much," More than she should.
Killua stretched out his arms, breaking their tranquil setting, "Okay! I'll help look for your dad until I figure out what I want to do." Then another thought occurred, "Oh yeah, you never mentioned anything about your mom, Gon,"
"Hey that's right," Sakura said, shivering slightly when she realized that the fire had died out.
"It's hard to ask about my dad but asking about my mom's even harder." Gon curled his body, resting his arms on his knees, "Since Aunt Mito raised me by herself, it would feel wrong asking her that. At first, I was told that my parents died in a traffic accident. She was worried I would end up like my dad if he was alive and a Hunter."
"She was right about that," said Killua.
"When I found out about my dad, I figured that my mom was probably dead,"
Sakura grimaced, "That's really...
"Harsh," Killua completed.
"So I always thought of Aunt Mito as my mom!" Gon said surely, "She's the only mom I have. So I don't need to ask."
Killua sighed, "Man, I wish I had a mom like Mito-san,"
"She's the best, even if she nags a lot. Like Sakura-
"What do you mean like me!?" Sakura exclaimed,
"Well you do nag sometimes," Gon pointed out.
"What's with the two of you taking shots at me today?!"
While the three stayed engrossed in conversation, Mito was listening from a distance, with a smile. A revelation overtook her. In what she had hoped she would never have to do.
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Gon, Sakura, and Killua returned home later that night, Mito had already prepared dinner for them and it was a rock-paper-scissors match to see who was going to use the bath first. After, Gon offered to put the dishes away, while Sakura and Killua got their beds ready in his room.
But Gon still hadn't appeared while Sakura and Killua had already turned the light off and were lying in their beds.
"What is taking Gon so long to put away some dishes?"
Sakura yawned, covering her mouth and in turn, Killua did the same "He's probably chatting with his family; it has been over half a year since they were together,"
"When I used to come back from long assignments and my family wanted to see me, I'd try to hide if I didn't feel like seeing them. It was always about the same old annoying things. Mostly about assassination,"
"Yeah, I'm guessing your mom was especially dotting. Though it seems to me that everyone at your home was fond of you; not just your family but your employees as well,"
Killua scoffed softly, "You think? I just find it smothering. My dad decided to make me the heir to the Zoldyck's even though I'm the middle child and all of a sudden I have to be constantly watched over."
"You had to do deadly assignments that could easily kill you; I think that warrants some kind of concern from your family right? My own parents were overbearing at times when I came or went on missions and it often annoyed me. But I can't blame them, I'm the reckless type"
"Yup,"
Killua glanced over at Sakura, catching her smiling to herself until she realized he was watching her and turned her head to meet his gaze. Something Killua noticed about Sakura instantly aside from her hair was her eyes; like a mirror made of emerald, reflecting her. Throughout the time they spent together, Killua realized the easiest way to figure out what Sakura was feeling was by looking closely at her eyes.
He couldn't do the same with Gon's eyes, because they were constantly bright, but he was already so dangerously honest that it was probably better that way. Most of the time her eyes were like that as well, but sometimes they were also so dull it was as if the color had been painted with dark thoughts.
The last time he saw this specifically was at Heaven's Arena when Sakura came back from her shopping trip. Her eyes were dull back then and Killua had attempted to coax her into telling him what happened by bringing up her extended absenteeism but when she didn't respond with an explanation, he just took her bait. When he saw how occupied she became with Gon's recovery and a bit of light return to her; he just teased and pulled some stunts that brought the rest of that light back.
At this moment, the moonlight allowed him to catch that shine since their agreement to travel together.
"Well, I'm sure that they usually sent Illumi to watch me whenever I left the mountain. He's one of the worst, next to my mom,"
Sakura chuckled, "Ironically, your family is overprotective of you,"
"Hence, why I couldn't make friends until now," Killua said, "My family made sure there were a lot of things I couldn't do,"
"Which is why you left even without knowing what you wanted to do," Sakura said, her gaze on the plane ceiling, her fingers clutching the fabric of her blanket, "Your older brother…..seems especially attached,"
Killua just blinked, "Illumi; was usually the one to train me along with my dad. Always telling me what I shouldn't do or have and…..other things,"
Neither said anything; the silence stayed long enough that the wind chimes were heard from the outside.
"He said some of those things to you during the exam....didn't he?"
Sakura spoke without conviction, "That one day, you'll want to kill me?"
They hadn't discussed what happened during the exam, as there was a clear indication that the topic had lost any relative context for their present or future. Sakura learned that discarding or rather brushing it off like a breeze that only made you slightly shiver but could be bared with sunlight; was what made it possible for her and her friends to make it through some of their ordeals.
It was something she knew she was going to need if Sasuke chose to return to the village someday. There would be so many things she would have to discard to embrace him again. Even if recollecting a few of those things caused a needle to prick her chest every time. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why this weightlessness she had been experiencing here was so foreign and addictive.
Sakura looked at Killua whose form had become like freshly hardened concrete, his eyes wide enough for her to compare them to clear pools of sapphire. Then she smiled, "He said something to me too," Killua's breath hitched, "He told me that if I wanted to be with you; I should just kill someone already."
"He what!?"
Killua was certain he had misheard Sakura somewhere because his brother was specific when elaborating that Killua could not have any friends. He couldn't believe that there was even the slightest chance his big brother was even slightly considerate of a friendship with someone. Especially after what he told Killua himself about Sakura. That she would likely try to kill him if he didn't kill her first. So where could this have come from?
"He said that?"
"He did. I don't understand why though, he also something us choosing not to be friends but somehow I could still stand by your side. I didn't really get it," Sakura admitted, "Why would I need to kill someone to be with you?"
It was only after Sakura repeated the statement that Killua began to put things into a different perspective, as a clearer picture of his brother's words presented itself he turned scarlet, making a small choked noise before leaping from the place on the floor. Sakura barely blinked before Killua climbed into Gon's bed.
"Killua, what are you-
"Gon's taking forever, so he loses his bed," Killua threw the blankets nearly over his entire form turning away from the pinkette watching him.
"Did something-
"Goodnight"
Sakura attempted to coax him into explaining his sudden jolt, but he kept his back facing her until she gave her, sighing a goodnight and eventually falling into a slumber. Killua was still feeling his neck burn in discomfort. That was probably why his father wanted to talk to Sakura specifically.
'Those idiots…..like I would,'
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A silver box, formed with small metal plates sat in the center of the circle the three had made. Gon had been talking with his family last night but it wasn't on a topic they were expecting. Mito showed Gon a box that his father had left behind along with him ten years ago. Mito and her mother had explained the events with full disclosure. How Ging left to take the Hunter exam without much explanation and only returned years later with Gon in his arms and dropping him off to be taken care of. It was for this reason that Mito had gotten custody over him instead of leaving that to Ging, as she believed he wasn't fit to be Gon's guardian. Mito also brought up the topic of Gon's mother that night but it was brief, as Ging refused to tell them about her, and only disclosed that they had separated.
The rest of the night Gon had managed to get his aunt to tell him more about his father as a child; although her memory from that time was distant on account of how young she was. Yet it was still vivid enough to capture Gon's attention.
"Ging told Aunt Mito not to give the box to me until I became a Hunter. Though she also tried to throw it away a few times,"
Killua held up the box, inspecting for an opening that couldn't be found. "How do you even open this?"
"I don't know. I tried a couple of things, but it wouldn't open,"
"Mind if I use some force?" Killua grinned.
"Go ahead,"
Killua tried to twist the box, heaving heavy breath, his veins straining under his skin until he finally stopped. "This is no ordinary box. I can twist open a regular steel box. Sakura why don't you give it a try?"
A bit doubtful somehow, Sakura took the box from Killua and attempted to pry it open in the same manner as Killua but with the same results. "Okay, something is wrong if I can't get it open,"
"And we can't break it if we don't know what's inside,"
"Yeah,"
Taking the box back, Killua began tossing it into the air, "Your dad said to Aunt Mito not to give this to you until you became a Hunter....Until you became a hunter…." After the last toss, Killua grinned catching the box. "I figured it out! There's one thing we haven't tried!"
"What?" Sakura and Gon mimicked.
"Something you have as a hunter that you didn't have before,"
Sakura then immediately understood what Killua referred to, though Gon was a bit confused.
"My Hunter Licence!" Gon held up the card and looked at the box hard. His friends just looked on in disbelief, "But there isn't an opening for the card,"
Coughing, Sakura spoke, "Gon we meant Nen,"
"Oh…."
The ends of the box were pinched between Gon's thumbs and index fingers, as he emitted his aura, focusing it in a shroud of a nearly transparent white and then increasing that power until a bright light peaked through the spaces of the metal plates and fell apart. Thus revealing a second box but with a clear lock and a small rectangle opening in the front.
Killua picked up a steel plate and turned it around before showing it to his friends. There was a pattern engraved on each plate, similar to the design from Wing's promise thread he made Gon wear.
"So they were welded together with Nen?" Sakura realized.
Gon took his Hunter's license again and put it into the slot, the sides unlocked and it opened. The inside of the box was lined with a soft material, holding only three items. A tape, a ring, and a card that Sakura couldn't place.
"It's a memory card," Killua told her,
Sakura looked at the ring and noticed the pattern on the inside, "Looks similar. It's probably infused with Nen too,"
"Probably shouldn't put it on. Just in case," Killua instructed Gon.
"Really? You think that Ging might try to hurt me?" He didn't sound surprised, merely curious.
"Better safe than sorry,"
"I agree with Killua on that one,"
Gon nodded, "Alright, but we can at least listen to the tape."
"Yeah, but make a copy too!"
Gon found a tape recorder in his closet along with a blank tape to use for the copy. He plugged the device in and inserted the tape before hitting play. They gathered in front, with a heavy silence before they finally heard a voice echo through the speakers.
"Yo, Gon. So you became a Hunter too. Anyway, I have a question for you.
Do you want to see me?"
Gon, Killua, and Sakura didn't say anything in response in case they should miss something being said.
"If you do, keep listening. If you don't, press the stop button"
The tape continued with silence for about ten seconds before they heard Ging's voice again.
"I take that as a 'yes'. Then I'll ask again. Are you prepared?
Hunters are selfish creatures. They're willing to sacrifice anything to get what they want.
If you're only slightly interested in seeing me, you should stop the tape. I'll give you a minute to consider it,"
It only took one look at his face, to know that Gon was far from 'slightly' interested. And they continued to listen, only showing the slightest surprise with the next statement.
There was a sigh,
"I guess you want to see me.
But I don't want to see you.
I don't know how I could face you now. After all, I chose my own desires over my parental duty.
I'm a bad person.
I'm guessing that by the time you hear this tape, ten years will have passed.
But one thing still hasn't changed. I'm still me.
As you listen to this tape, I'm off doing reckless things.
If you want to see me, find me. But as I said before, I don't want to see you.
If I sense you nearby, I'll make myself scarce.
Catch me if you can. You are a Hunter aren't you?"
It was as if a new flame had been lit within Gon and this was easy to see. Despite not giving an outright declaration, it was obvious that finding Ging would be no easy task. The tape continued to roll and they heard him again.
"Ah, I almost forgot. It's about your mother. If you want to know more keep listening. If you're not interested-
Gon's finger had already pressed down on the stop button before Ging could finish his sentence. "Are you sure Gon?" Killua asked.
"Yeah,"
"But this might be your only chance to learn something about your mother," Sakura told him.
Gon just smiled, "I told you. I already have a mom. Aunt Mito!"
He was too sincere to try and argue with, even though Killua and Sakura themselves were curious. This wasn't their information to learn without Gon's approval.
"Are you guys hungry? I'll go grab something to eat,"
And just like that, the atmosphere changed. Gon was about to step out of the room while Sakura and Killua were about to occupy their attention with something other than the recorder when it drew them all back by starting on its own and rewinding.
"Gon take a look at this! The tapes moving on its own!"
Gon rushed back and immediately noticed that there was an aura shrouded around the recorder.
"Nen's rewinding the cassette!" exclaimed Killua.
"But why?" Sakura asked.
"Nen?" Gon looked to the window, "Is he nearby?"
"No, he infused this player with Nen over ten years ago. So it would rewind once it stopped playing,"
"Is that even possible?" Sakura wondered out loud.
The tape soon stopped but a button on the recorder went down,
"Now what's it doing?" she asked.
Killua cursed under his breath, "It's recording! He's trying to erase the message!"
"Eh!?" Gon attempted to press the stop button, but the Nen barrier wouldn't allow him to push any of the buttons. He opted for simply unplugging it but the recorder was still functioning. Killua then tried his luck at breaking the player, but when he punched it, even after slamming it into the wall it didn't break.
"Sakura!" Killua called, still stepping on the recorder over and over again.
"I can't smash it, what if I break the tape as well!?" She exclaimed.
"Just do it! It's not gonna matter if the tapes are erased anyway!"
Sakura ran over to the recorder, and threw down her fist, infusing it with charka as lightly as she could to ensure that with luck the tape would survive. However at the moment of impact, when her chakra was released from her fist and came into contact with the aura she noticed that the Nen surrounding the recorder had actually dispersed it from the device, redirecting and the chakra released split the wood of the floor instead.
"What the hell?" Sakura stared at her open palm; the tape recorder had finally stopped recording but by then both of the tapes that were supposed to hold Ging's message had Gon, Killua, and Sakura's panicked episode.
"Both tapes were wiped,"
"Why would he go through so much trouble just to erase his voice?" asked Gon.
"Probably not to leave any clues. You can extract a lot of information from an audio," Killua began to elaborate. "You can determine the speaker's height, weight, gender, facial features, and chronic diseases,"
"And a background noise can usually give away someone's location too," Sakura added, breaking from her thoughts.
"There's also something else,"
"What?"
Killua narrowed his eyes, "Nen. There might be someone out there with a Nen ability who could analyze data better than a machine. Someone who would know everything about a person just from the sound of their voice,"
"Oh, I get it,"
"That just means we're going to have a much harder time finding your dad," Sakura said but she smiled knowing that there was excitement at the prospect.
But with the tape gone, and only two clues left there was also a sense of caution. They needed to find the trail that would lead them to their target, but it wouldn't matter if they lost the only clues to lead them there.
"What is that card used for anyway?" asked Sakura.
Gon picked up the item, pinching it between his fingers, "I'm not sure it's smaller than a regular memory card. Maybe you need a special machine?"
"Unbelievable," Killua shook his head. Holding up the memory card, "This memory card only works with the JS,"
It wasn't surprising that neither Gon nor Sakura knew what a JS was; so he elaborated, "A three generation old gaming console, called the Joy station. You two don't anything do you? Well if this island still has tape players, there's probably a console too. Is there a toy store here?"
"Yeah, there is,"
Killua stood up, "Okay, I'll be right back!"
..
..
..
Killua was able to find a Joy Station at the toy store and set it up immediately after returning. Neither Sakura nor Gon had ever seen the device before, so they were fascinated. Especially since they would be able to look at what was on the card.
"I can't believe neither of you has ever played games like these before," Killua stated while plugging in the device to the monitor.
"So where do we put this?" Gon asked, holding up the memory card, "I don't see a title anywhere,"
"That's because it's not a game disc. That just holds the game's memory data,"
"So we can't use this to play," concluded Gon.
"Yeah, you have to put a disk in first. But if you insert a memory card and power it on without a game inside, you can see what's been saved on it,"
Killua did just that, and the blank screen flashed on after he inserted the card. He then took hold of the game's control and started navigating but only found one game that had taken up all of the memory slots available.
"Greed Island," they read.
"I'm gonna copy the memory data just in case," Killua took a spare card he had gotten along with the Joy Station and copied the data while he and his friends tried to figure out what their next move would be here.
"So why do you think your dad would leave you a card like that?" asked Sakura. "In terms of finding him?"
"I don't know; we can't even play it,"
Killua went to the laptop on Gon's desk and booted it up, "That's why I'm going to try and find a store that sells the game."
"Good idea,"
The search didn't take long because Killua was met with a dead end, "How are there no matches?"
"Does that mean it's out of print?" Gon asked.
Holding his chin, with a frown Killua explained that he couldn't find any used copies of the game either, "Even a sold-out game should have used copies out there. It's possible that this game isn't for sale,"
"How come?"
"It could be an Indie game that was never for sale or banned for some reason,"
Sakura tossed up her hand, "Why would you ban a game? What harm could it cause?"
"That's what I'm curious about," Killua did another quick search and at least discovered some kind of results with a gaming website that gave a clear history of the game's release. So it was sold through legitimate channels.
Gon read, "Greed Island. A hunting game for Hunters,"
But they all stopped when they saw the official price tag, they were so stunned they had to zoom in to make sure they were looking right.
"Five hundred and eighty million!?" exclaimed Gon but his friends quickly corrected him.
"It's five billion eight hundred million!"
"And only a hundred copies made?!" Sakura exclaimed, "Okay I don't know much about gaming but, that can't be considered a release right?"
"Of course not!" Killua's jaw clenched, "But since the game is for hunters, that explains the price."
"Do the makers have any more in stock?" asked Gon.
Ignoring the issue of the price for the time being, Killua called on the developers and asked them however at the end of his call he told Gon and Sakura that they were sold out and that there was no issue to make any additional copies.
"Ah crap," Sakura sighed.
"I guess we'll have to find someone with a copy and then ask them if they'll let us have it," Gon said after some thought.
"Yeah but what about the price?" Killua pointed "We can easily go on a reverse auction website and ask for a copy but the money's the big issue," He took out his phone and looked at their accounts, since Sakura and Gon didn't have a cellphone, they mostly depended on him to make sure that the prize money from Heaven's Arena was sent to their accounts. "Even pulling our money together from the arena, we're only barely at a billion."
Each of them had managed to make about four hundred million at the Arena give or take, and that would mean they were hardly at twelve hundred million.
"We're still four billion short,"
"Not necessarily. With these private deals, the seller holds all the power. They could even ask for double the initial selling price." Killua pointed.
Groaning, Sakura threw herself back on the floor, "There is no way we're going to be able to pay ten billion for the game,"
Gon got up and went to the computer, typing in the want-ad for Greed Island. "We might as well try and see what we can come up with."
"Yeah but I doubt anyone will click it," Killua stated.
Gon posted the advertisement for the game, requesting Greed Island with a negotiable price, and while they had honestly assumed no one would click on it. The response slot numbers went from one to ten thousand in a matter of seconds.
Sakura let out a guttural sound from her throat, as the number continued to grow "There were only a hundred copies made. Are we going to confirm all of these to find out who has the game and who's trying to scam us?"
Killua crossed his arms, "It's likely that they're all trying to scam us here, and you can't blame them with the price tag,"
"So the ad's a no-go?" Gon said disappointed.
"We can't check every copy and we don't even have a way to confirm if it's the real game anyway," Killua moved away from the computer. He told them that they could continue digging online for information but the chances of them coming up with someone was slim enough and what's more none of them were experts in those sorts of things pertaining to games or technology.
"Is there anyone who knows a lot about games and the net?" asked Gon.
Killua actually held a thoughtful expression that gave them a glimmer of promise, however it dropped to disdain and annoyance. "There's someone who knows a lot about both. He might even own a copy of Greed Island,"
Sakura chided "That should be good news then,"
"I guess," Killua grumbled,
"So why do you look like you ate red peppers?"
With a heavy release of breath, Killua sank onto the floor and pulled out his phone, "Cause I really don't want to call him,"
"Who is it?" Gon didn't receive an answer to his question because Killua had already dialed the number and was waiting. He paused with the phone to his ear, "Oh Gotoh. It's Killua."
Gon and Sakura looked over each other with mirrored expressions; listening further to his conversation. It started off with Killua answering questions about how he was and where he was (which he refused to disclose to the butler case his parents should find out).
"Can you get Piggy for me?"
"Piggy?" Sakura and Gon asked.
Killua frowned suddenly, "Don't lie! He never goes outside! Tell him if he doesn't answer the phone in ten seconds I'm going to smash all his figurines!"
A few seconds later, Killua sounded to be on the phone with someone else and they figured out who. "I'm just kidding Bro. You're scary when you're mad."
Sakura instantly thought of Illumi but then she remembered that Killua had more than one sibling. It was still odd to think Killua was going to his family for help on this with everything that happened previously.
Killua had called Milluki. His brother's skills in computers and technology were at a genius level as was his insanity when it came to online games.
"Anyway, have you heard of a game called Greed Island?" Killua listened on the end "Do you own a copy?"
"No, I don't. I wanted one but I was five when they were released so I didn't have any money. There were over twenty thousand requests for a hundred copies despite the price. I tried looking around for copies later, but there wasn't a single owner. It's a legendary game for all kinds of reasons.
So what's up? Are you looking for a copy?"
"Maybe…" Killua drawled with a smile.
"Forget it. It's impossible even if I had to give up."
"Oh, you're saying it was too much for you to handle?" Killua heard him scoff annoyed.
"That was in the past. I have a lead now. But considering the amount of time and money it would take, it's honestly not worth it."
Killua grinned, "So tell me this lead of yours," as expected though his brother wouldn't give out the information for free, unlike the game itself, he had a way of paying this time. "Would you trade that information for a Greed Island memory card?"
There was a pause on the other end.
"What do you mean?"
"I happened to get my hands on a memory card. You can probably decipher the data and recreate the game right?"
"Are you telling the truth? You better not be lying."
"I never lie." Sakura snorted and Killua added "Not when I'm making deals,"
"Okay, I have two leads,"
"Wait! Not over the phone!"
"Don't worry. This information won't help anyone who might be eavesdropping. The lead is…
"Alright. I'll send the card the usual way,"
Killua hung up without a greeting and apologized to Gon, "Sorry, I promised my brother the copy of the memory card."
"It's fine, it's just a copy."
"In return, I got two solid pieces of information," Killua held up two fingers, "First there's the Hunter's website. We can probably find information on Greed Island there,"
Sakura snapped her fingers, "Of course!"
Gon moved to the laptop with his Hunter's license but wasn't given a chance to even insert it into a slot because Killua tackled him back.
"If you use your home computer, they'll know your address! You'll have bad guys coming here for your license."
"Really people can do that?" Sakura tilted her head, "Is it something similar to how Hisoka tracked us?"
"Somewhat." Killua answered, "We have to use public computers for this sort of thing and anyway, my brother still has to send the URL address."
"So that's on hold. What's the second clue?"
"The Yorknew auction."
According to what Killua heard from Milluki, there was a rumor that the Yorknew City auction would be distributing dozens of Greed Island copies. That was already their destination, to meet with Leorio and Kurapika in September so it was convenient in terms of location. The real issue was the money they would need in order to purchase the game if it was going on sale. However, at the present time, they didn't show much concern.
"I guess it really was our destiny to go to Yorknew City,"
"So when do we leave?" asked Sakura. \
..
..
..
Mito and her mother had prepared a great dinner for the three friends, who were both surprised and appreciative. The table had been decorated with a variety of dishes, stews, roast chicken, beef, shrimp and more. They had to ask if something special was happening that night and they just hadn't been informed about it. As it turns out; the meal was to bid them farewell from the island just as it had been to welcome them.
Mito didn't ask for the details, but she obviously understood that Gon would be leaving sooner than expected and she was right. So she wanted to send them off with a good meal to remember. Which sat well in their stomachs hours after eating.
Gon wanted to leave the very next day so that they could travel to Yorknew City. This would still leave them ahead of the deadline, but there was their new objective to now consider as well and that was making enough money to buy the game Greed Island. Something they had to do before the auction began.
..
..
When the house became still enough for her to hear the wind chimes outside; Sakura crept out of the window with the book tucked under one arm and a flashlight in her other. The sea made for colder winds and she felt her skin rise from her exposed arms to her torso and the bare soles of her feet sting against the soft grass but she continued to walk further from the back of the house towards the cliff that it stood on. It was difficult to see anything from the position where there was nothing but the moonlight, still, Sakura knew when she had reached the edge and sat down. She sat the book in her lap and stared at the cover, her hand stopping.
It wasn't a craving for her to read anymore, to know what was coming next in this world; rather this was just a jab from a dull blade that couldn't cut any longer. But was just enough to coax her out of bed and try and see if it would lead her to look once more. She would be starting a new chapter without a doubt, one that was meant to bring her back with all of her friends.
'And one that will bring me closer to the ending,'
There would be an eventual ending, she knew that was a certainty and it's what she would remind herself when she thought to be drawing closer to the people here but even if this story were to end it's not as if this world would stop. Life would continue.
Even if she wasn't here.
And the same could be said for her world. It's what had been clearer after her discussion with Gon and Killua. Time wouldn't stop for her back in her world. Her friends would continue living, so would her family, everyone would move in the direction they wanted. It was like a wheel running down a shallow never-ending hill, there would be bumps and rocks that would slow it down, but it would continue to roll until it was worn and finally cracked.
Perhaps it was that she was getting further ahead into this story. If she looked at the time that passed in this world as chapters, Sakura would know she was passing the middle of the book. And that's why she had this urge to open it once more.
When she looked down at the book and then towards the sea; a wicked thought crossed her mind-the thoughts that usually appear when visually stimulated by a typical sight and its entrails. She could just hold out her hands and drop the book into the ocean, then maybe even if this story reached its end she could stay in this world.
A world where her future was undecided, but her burdens weighed less. Where all she knew was absent, but with the promise of a new beginning. Where she could do more than small things for the sake of those she cared about.
It was selfish. And somehow she felt that she didn't deserve this possibility of chance, however, she remembered what Ging told Gon…..
"Hunters are selfish creatures."
She smiled, "I am a hunter now, aren't I?" Her hand traced along the spine of the book.
Suddenly she stopped.
At first, it was faint, so much so that she thought she had been imagining the feeling altogether but then she saw it. The white mist that was aura slowly seeped from the book. And it was growing stronger until she could barely see it in her hands. The force it created had her shut one eye and made her struggle to keep the other open.
'What's happening?'
It began to feel like pressure was forcing her back Sakura had to stand up and drop the book on the ground, watching as the aura continued to pour around it. The bright light slowly began to fade around the book and it was then that Sakura could see something else happening to it.
Coiling around the pages and covers like a snake slithering through the grass, the inscriptions were broken, but it didn't stop. Not until it had wrapped the entire book, painting it in what looked like dark ink. Then it faded and things grew silent.
Sakura cautiously examined the book in her hand, recognizing the markings as the ones she had seen before. From Nen.
When she turned to the back cover, something began to write itself just in a bright white, standing out against the rest of the markings. And in the language that she knew.
For the heart tied to all perceived
The blood path is lost
The gate is closed
To open another
Grant the heart
A new desire
A true desire
For the climax shall remain obscure.
THAT'S ALL FOLKS!
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-Commission: Demon slayer x My hero academia
Kunoichi amongst Benders (Avatar x Naruto crossover) (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter (71, 72, 73)
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes WHAT IF SPIN OFF: Dorms and Exams
-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter ( 30, 31, 32)
-Crossroads of Fate chapter 21, 22, 23, 24
-Through the Looking Glass chapter 26, 27, 28, 29
-(SEQUEL) Through the Spyglass chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6
-SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CHAPTER: Shinigami amongst Shinobi
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