Chapter 24: No Comparison, No Pain
"Unlike her, at least I don't pretend to be young. However old I feel inside, that's how old I am—honest and straightforward!"
Haru's self-assured declaration left the burly, bearded Ginta momentarily speechless.
Menchi, however, was skeptical. "A fifty-something granny who looks like a porcelain doll? Is that even possible?"
Ginta cleared his throat and interjected, "I'm guessing you're talking about Biscuit Krueger, right? Haru, do you know her?"
Haru nodded seriously. "I know her, but she doesn't know me."
"...I see," Ginta replied.
Menchi's jaw dropped. "Wait, she's real?!"
Ginta nodded. "Biscuit is the most outstanding disciple of Chairman Netero, and my senior. I won't comment further." He paused and added pointedly, "I'd suggest you two avoid speaking ill of her in my presence."
"Who's speaking ill of her?!" Menchi exclaimed, clenching her fists. "I'm just saying I admire her! Imagine maintaining eternal youth like that! If Nen can do that, then when I get old, I want an ability like hers too!"
"…Do you guys have anything else to do? I need to resume my afternoon training," Haru said, brushing them off.
"Afternoon training?!" Menchi was stunned. Inspired by Haru's dedication, her competitive spirit ignited. She decided to join him in his training.
Having a lively companion like her around wasn't exactly unwelcome for Haru during his otherwise monotonous training routine, so he didn't object. Toru, however, seemed to have mixed feelings about Menchi, though he kept his opinion to himself.
"Are you sure about this?" Ginta asked.
For a Nen user, the details of their ability type and specific skills were closely guarded secrets, shared only with trusted friends.
"Oh, it's fine!" Haru replied nonchalantly.
Hearing this, Menchi was deeply touched. Does this mean Haru trusts me so much already?
Haru continued, "I already trained my Nen abilities this morning, so this afternoon's practice will focus on something else. Nothing too secret."
"...I see," Ginta said flatly.
Menchi frowned. "What about me?"
Haru smirked. "You? You don't even have a fully developed Nen ability yet. What secrets do you even have worth hiding?"
A vein bulged on Menchi's forehead as she instinctively reached for the knife at her waist.
"Plus, didn't you already admit that you're a conjurer? Little sis, you've got no secrets left in front of me."
Shing!
The flash of a blade sliced the air.
"Stop running, you jerk! If you're so bold, don't dodge!"
"...Oh dear," Ginta muttered, beads of cold sweat forming on his brow.
After some playful squabbling, Menchi, still fuming, joined the training session. She had already mastered the basics—Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and was struggling with Ko. Ideally, she should have begun training her Hatsu under Ginta's guidance to develop her unique conjurer abilities. However, Ginta's pursuit of poachers had derailed her training schedule, and by the time they reached Ghost Island in December, she still didn't have a clear direction for her Hatsu.
"Why do I still need to practice these basics? Shouldn't I focus on Hatsu now?" Menchi grumbled as she sat still in Zetsu, suppressing her aura.
Ginta shook his head. "The basics are crucial. Ignoring them for the sake of Hatsu would be putting the cart before the horse."
Menchi pouted but reluctantly complied.
"Look at him," Ginta said, nodding toward Haru.
Menchi glanced over. Haru was standing on an open patch of ground with his fists lightly clenched and his eyes closed. His body was tense but stable. Toru, his tiger companion, lounged nearby, looking utterly relaxed, with two birds perched on its head and tail. The scene seemed oddly harmonious.
"What's he doing?" Menchi frowned in confusion.
"Using Gyo," Ginta explained.
"Oh!" Menchi quickly channeled her aura into her eyes.
She blinked in astonishment. What looked like a motionless stance was actually Haru's entire body enveloped in a dense layer of aura.
"But… that's just Ren, right? Why couldn't I feel anything from him earlier?"
Ren involved releasing one's aura at full strength. From her experience, even non-Nen users could feel the change in atmosphere when Ren was activated. If someone's Ren carried malice, animals would flee, or cower in submission.
"He's not using Ren. He's using Ken," Ginta explained. "Ken is an advanced derivative technique. It's essentially Ren stabilized by Ten to contain the aura."
Menchi's eyes widened. "I've never heard of this before."
"It's beyond your current level. Master the basics first."
Reluctantly, Menchi nodded and returned to her training, trying to replicate the techniques she'd just seen.
"Ren!" she called, fully releasing her aura. Then, cautiously, she attempted to stabilize it using Ten.
Whoosh!
A sudden burst of chaotic aura disrupted her control.
Ginta watched calmly. Letting her struggle and learn through mistakes was part of the process.
---
Meanwhile, Haru had grown tired of his own training and wandered over to watch Menchi's progress.
Menchi had moved on to experimenting with Hatsu. As a conjurer, her abilities naturally leaned toward manifesting useful tools. Since she was a chef, it was only natural that she thought of kitchen utensils, specifically knives.
"But if it's just a knife, why not buy a high-quality one instead?" Haru teased as he played with the birds perched on Toru.
"You're so annoying!" Menchi snapped. "I'm talking about a knife that can cut anything! That's the perfect weapon—great for cooking and combat!"
Haru chuckled and held out his hand. "Give me your knife."
"I haven't conjured it yet!"
"Not that one. The one you tried to stab me with earlier."
Menchi handed over her knife with a pout.
Taking the blade, Haru enveloped it in his aura.
Ginta's eyes narrowed as Haru skillfully coated the knife in an even layer of aura.
Without hesitation, Haru swung the knife down onto a nearby rock. The blade sliced through effortlessly, leaving no mark on its edge.
"There. Now it can cut anything," Haru said nonchalantly, handing the knife back to a stunned Menchi.
"What was that?" Menchi demanded, turning to Ginta.
Ginta wiped the sweat from his brow. "That was Shu—wrapping aura around an object to enhance its properties. It's another advanced technique, like Ken."
He hesitated before adding, "You're… not quite ready for it yet. Master the basics first."
"Master the basics first," Menchi muttered bitterly, repeating the mantra she'd heard a dozen times. Then, unwilling to admit defeat, she asked, "How long did it take you to learn Ken and Shu?"
"Learn them? I picked them up at the same time," Haru replied, genuinely puzzled. "Are they supposed to be hard?"
Menchi stared at him in silence, clutching her knife tightly.
Ginta, meanwhile, was increasingly convinced that Haru might not be as young as he looked—perhaps he was another prodigy like Biscuit Krueger.
(Chapter end)