Kaizen wasn't exactly satisfied with the results—but he wasn't completely disappointed either.
Ponzu's potential could reach a B-grade overall, which honestly surprised Kaizen a little.
But if her postscript rating was only C-grade, then it felt a bit underwhelming.
After all, Sally was already a C-grade Nen user.
That meant, even if Siper worked extremely hard and reached the same level, she'd still only be on par with Sally.
Unless... there was something unique about Siper that Altan hadn't picked up on. Something outside the parameters of the model he used to assess her.
Still, Siper's presence wouldn't be able to replace Sally.
That said, she wasn't useless either.
Kaizen continued teaching the two of them.
"There are four basic principles of Nen," he explained.
"They are Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu."
"You've already learned Ten."
"Ren increases your aura output."
"Zetsu allows you to close your aura nodes and suppress your presence."
"As for Hatsu, that's your personal ability—unique to your aura."
"And there's another important application called Gyo. It's a practical skill you'll need to learn."
...
At the gate of the Zoldyck estate, Gon and his group were training.
Back at the hotel, Ponzu and Siper were focused on their Nen lessons.
"Ring ring!"
Kaizen's phone buzzed. He answered.
"Hello?"
"Hi, I'm Hanzo. I passed this year's Hunter Exam. The Hunter Association gave me your number and asked me to get in touch with you, senpai."
"Ah, hello Hanzo. This is Kaizen."
"…Kaizen?" Hanzo sounded confused.
"Did I call the wrong number?"
"No, you've got the right guy," Kaizen said. "I'll send you an address. Just come here directly."
"Okay…"
Hanzo hung up, still puzzled.
"What the hell's going on? Why'd the Association give me Kaizen's number? Isn't he just another rookie like me?"
Kaizen frowned slightly.
"Hanzo… So the Association assigned him to me. Not Gon or Killua, huh? Still, Hanzo has potential."
"At the very least, he's more promising than Pokkle."
The more promising the student, the more valuable the experience for Kaizen as an instructor.
He sent Hanzo the address.
Just then, Ponzu walked in, looking uneasy.
"Team leader…"
"Ponzu? What's wrong?"
"My village contacted me. Things aren't looking good. I might need to return home."
"Then we'll go together," Kaizen said. "I can keep teaching you Nen on the way."
Ponzu hesitated.
"Captain… you're going alone? The village is in danger. Are you sure you don't want to bring more people?"
"No. Just me is enough. Too many people would only make it more dangerous."
If Kaizen had more information and the threat level seemed lower, he might've brought Nina and the others.
His team had been carefully assembled over time.
Each member filled a crucial role.
Nina excelled at gathering intel.
Tessia had powerful offensive and defensive capabilities.
Shizuku handled logistics and support in battle.
Sally was the long-range sniper.
Ponzu' village could be a good test run. A real-life trial to evaluate the team.
Still, without knowing what exactly was going on there, bringing everyone could be risky.
Smaller group. More flexibility.
"Oh, and one more thing," Kaizen added. "You'll have someone new joining your training tomorrow. Nen study buddy."
"Who is it?" Ponzu asked.
"You'll find out soon enough."
...
The next day, Hanzo arrived.
Kaizen had already booked airship tickets in advance.
Ponzu' village was located in the United States of Saherta—a country Kaizen knew all too well from past missions.
A decaying nation, gloomy and rotten beneath a polished surface.
They called it a 'major power.'
But behind the glittering facade…
Everything had fallen apart.
Kaizen knew this well from his investigation into the Red Trang group with Mizaistom.
A weak king.
Corrupt ministers.
Dirty nobles.
Greedy, cutthroat merchants.
And civilians, living in constant fear.
...
Unrest. Riots. Rebellion.
As if that wasn't enough, the frequency of natural disasters had increased too.
Some brave souls tried to stop the country's collapse by forming a revolutionary army.
But their power was too feeble.
They were nothing compared to the entrenched forces of the monarchy and aristocracy.
Kaizen didn't like Saherta.
And he definitely didn't expect to be dragged back here so soon.
...
Just after Hanzo arrived in the city, he got a text message.
"Head to the airship terminal."
Not long after, Hanzo spotted Kaizen and his group waiting there.
"Hanzo?"
Ponzu and Siper both recognized him.
Hanzo looked surprised too.
"Ponzu? Siper? You guys are with Kaizen?"
He was clearly caught off guard.
"We'll talk on the airship," Kaizen said. "We're short on time."
The journey was a long one—two days on one airship, followed by a transfer to another, and then a drive to their final destination.
Once the airship was in the air and flying smoothly, the four of them left their seats and entered a private lounge.
Kaizen had already paid for it in advance, ensuring they could use it undisturbed.
After confirming there was no surveillance, Kaizen turned to Hanzo.
"Every year, the Hunter Association assigns instructors to new Hunters who pass the exam. They teach a power called Nen."
"I, Hisoka, Illumi, Alita—we're all already Nen users."
"Which means, from the beginning, we were fundamentally different from most of the examinees."
"For us, the Hunter Exam was just a formality."
"I've worked with the Association on several missions before, so I'm not exactly new to the game."
"And right now, they're short-staffed."
"More people passed the exam than usual, so they asked me to step in and teach."
"Starting today, I'll be training you in physical ability and Nen."
"Siper, go ahead and give Hanzo a quick rundown."
------------
+490 chapters on patreon.com/FanficsHub