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The two's little actions were not hidden from Rocky, who had already mastered the spell. However, he was curious about who was secretly rushing toward his direction.
Still, he assumed the people nearby were all members of the Kuruta tribe, so he wasn't worried about encountering any danger.
From that day, the atmosphere within the Kuruta tribe had been rather good, with everyone showing concern for the safety of others.
Had Rocky been lost alone, the tribe leader could have organized a search, but there was no indication of malice in the eyes of the tribe members. They weren't just preaching; they were genuinely concerned about the children running around.
It wasn't a large tribe. If the members weren't united, the Phantom Troupe would have destroyed the Kuruta tribe long before, and Rocky would have perished with it.
After a while, two little figures emerged from the bushes, walking toward Rocky.
He paused, still confused. Could it be that something was wrong within the Kuruta tribe? Were these two trying to hurt him?
No way! He hadn't done anything to provoke the Kuruta people. Why would anyone want to attack him?
As he wondered, Rocky quickly dismissed the thought, sensing that these two were just ordinary children. They didn't seem to possess any Nen abilities, so attacking him would be a death wish.
"Wow!"
Suddenly, one of the children jumped forward and shouted in Rocky's ear.
Rocky froze in surprise, turning to face the child calmly. The child looked disappointed when Rocky didn't react.
"Eh? Didn't it scare you?" the boy asked, a bit puzzled.
So they had only meant to scare him? Rocky couldn't help but roll his eyes.
But then another voice came from behind, "Pyro, he's still young. Luckily, he wasn't scared. If he had been, it might've been hard to calm him down after!"
Who would cry from a simple scare like that? Rocky thought to himself.
He was about to speak when he noticed something—one of them had blonde hair and looked much younger than expected.
Wait a second... Was that Kurapika?
"You! Your name is Rocky, right?" Kurapika asked, squatting down in front of him with a friendly smile.
"The kid who got lost that day—his name is Piro, my good friend. And I'm Kurapika!"
Rocky was still confused. What exactly did these two want with him?
Piro, standing next to Kurapika, squatted down as well and smiled. "Isn't it boring to play with your fingers alone? Why don't you come to the back mountain with us and explore?"
Rocky blinked, looking at his hands. Did these two think he was just playing with his fingers? Who would be so bored to do that?
It seems like playing with fingers might be fun for kids though, he thought.
"Why did you come to call me?" Rocky asked, still puzzled.
"Well, we saw you here alone without any friends. If you want, we could be your friends!" Kurapika answered kindly.
Rocky was stunned. From an adult's perspective, it seemed like a childish offer, but considering their age, it was actually quite heartfelt. The two were probably just concerned that he didn't have anyone to play with.
So they came to talk to him, offering their friendship.
He shook his head with a smile. "No! The clan leader asked me to complete my practice here. I can't leave until I'm finished!"
Practice? Kurapika and Piro exchanged confused looks. What kind of practice could playing with fingers possibly be?
Piro opened his mouth to ask, but Kurapika quickly held him back.
"Okay, okay! We won't bother you anymore. But if you ever want to hang out, come find us at the lake under the yellow-leaf tree in the west!" Kurapika said with a smile. "We'll be your friends from now on, and we'll come play with you when we're free!"
Without waiting for a response, Kurapika grabbed Piro's arm and started walking away.
Piro looked helpless, but he followed Kurapika with a smile.
As their figures disappeared into the distance, Rocky felt a shift within himself. Childhood friendships were so simple, yet meaningful.
It seemed it would be good to take a break sometimes and spend a day making sincere friendships.
"Wait for me! I'll go with you!" Rocky suddenly called out.
Kurapika and Piro stopped and waited for him.
They didn't mind his change of heart. Instead, they laughed, happy to have him join them.
What adventure? It was just a game, something a child would enjoy, and Rocky probably wouldn't have cared about it before. But today, with friends by his side, the hours flew by, and the day felt particularly fulfilling.
As night fell, the three of them returned home in a messy state.
When the tribe leader saw Rocky's dirty clothes, he didn't scold him. Instead, he smiled brighter than ever before and urged Rocky to wash up and head to bed.
That night, lying in bed, Rocky resumed his training, but his mind wandered.
Today, while spending time with Kurapika and Piro, the topic of becoming a Hunter had come up. It became clear to Rocky that Kurapika's dream was to become a Hunter. That's probably why he was so intent on joining the Hunter Exam.
As Rocky lay there, he suddenly sat up. He glanced at the calendar on the wall.
November.
Wait a minute!
The realization hit him hard—Kurapika had told him the Kuruta tribe was destroyed four years ago, right after he was born. The massacre occurred when Kurapika was twelve.
It was either at the end of the year or early January. It's already November now...
This meant the destruction of the Kuruta tribe could happen at the end of December or in January.
That left Rocky with barely two months before disaster struck.
He didn't know how much he could improve in that time, but now, Rocky had a new thought.
After spending so much time with the clan leader and forming bonds with Kurapika and Piro, how could he just leave them behind and run away?
His uncle had taken care of him for years and treated him with kindness, even if only for a few days. Leaving them now would feel heartless and ungrateful.
Rocky lay back down, determined. He couldn't abandon them. Not now.