Ron wasn't entirely satisfied with the results, nor was he completely disappointed. The fact that Ponzu's overall potential could reach B-rank pleasantly surprised him. However, Ruco's limit capped at C-rank, which felt a bit underwhelming. After all, Sally was already at C-rank, meaning that if Ruco kept training, she'd only be on par with Sally—unless something special happened later, or unless there was some factor Chii's model had failed to detect.
Even so, Ruco wasn't entirely useless to Ron's team. He continued teaching the two of them.
"The basics of Nen revolve around four main techniques: Ten, Ren, Zetsu, and Hatsu.
"You've already learned Ten.
"Ren can increase your upper limits.
"Zetsu shuts off your aura nodes and hides your presence.
"As for Hatsu, that's your personal Nen ability.
"Besides those, there's another useful technique called Gyo."
…
At the entrance to the Zoldyck Estate, Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika were training to open the Testing Gate.
In the hotel, Ponzu and Ruco were practicing under Ron's guidance.
Suddenly, the phone rang. Ron answered, "Hello?"
"Hello. My name is Hanzo. I just passed the Hunter Exam, and the Hunter Association told me to contact you."
"Hanzo… Right. I'm Ron."
"Ron?" Hanzo sounded confused. "Did I dial the wrong number? Weren't you also a new examinee who just passed the exam this year?"
"You've got the right number," Ron replied. "I'll send you an address. Head over here."
"Alright," Hanzo agreed, though he still didn't understand what was going on. "Why did the Association give me Ron's number? Didn't he only just pass the exam, same as me?"
Ron hung up with a faint arch of his brow. "Hanzo, huh? The Hunter Association wants me to instruct him in Nen. Not bad. He's no Gon or Killua, but his talent's still decent—at least better than Pokkle's. The better the student, the more data I can gather as I teach."
He texted Hanzo the current address. Just then, Ponzu walked in, looking anxious.
"Captain…"
"What is it, Ponzu?"
"I've just received a call from my village. The situation is terrible. I might need to go back."
"In that case, I'll go with you," Ron said. "And I can keep teaching you both Nen on the way."
Ponzu hesitated. "Captain…just you alone? My village is in serious trouble. Shouldn't we bring more people?"
"That won't be necessary. Taking too many would only cause bigger risks."
Ron had a good sense of how dangerous the crisis was. If it turned out to be minor, he'd have Nina and the rest join them—he'd spent a long time building up this team, after all. Now the members had more or less fallen into place:
• Nina (Manipulation): Skilled at gathering intel.
• Miste (Enhancement): Excellent at offense and defense.
• Shizuku (Conjuration): Handles logistics and supports in battle.
• Sally: A long-range sniper.
• Kastro: A sort of backup member—Ron had taught him some Nen, but he wasn't yet strong enough to join the team officially.
The issue in Ponzu's village could be a good opportunity for training and testing the group. But with no exact intel, bringing everyone might be dangerous. Fewer people meant Ron would have more freedom to maneuver.
"Oh, by the way," Ron added, "someone else will be coming tomorrow to learn Nen alongside you two—someone you've met before."
"Who?"
"You'll see."
…
The next day, Hanzo arrived. Ron had already bought airship tickets. Ponzu's village lay in the Sahelta United Republic, a country Ron knew all too well, having spent years there. It was a large nation in name only—on the surface it looked respectable, but beneath that façade it was rotten to the core. Ron and Mizaistom had investigated the 'Red Tron' group there, and he'd learned just how corrupt it was:
• An incompetent king.
• Treacherous ministers.
• Filthy nobles.
• Self-centered merchants to the extreme.
• Commoners living in fear.
• Turmoil and rebellion on all sides.
Amid such chaos, natural disasters had become more frequent. A revolutionary army had formed, hoping to save the country from collapse, but they were too weak to fight the powerful royals and nobles. Ron loathed this nation, and he hadn't expected he'd be forced back there so soon.
Hanzo received a text message upon arriving in the city: "Go to the airship terminal." Before long, he spotted Ron and two women he recognized—Ponzu and Ruco—waiting near the departure gate.
"Hanzo?" Ponzu and Ruco both greeted him, and his eyes went wide.
"Ponzu? Ruco? You're with Ron?"
"Get on board first," Ron said, beckoning them over. "We're short on time."
Their destination was far. It'd take two days on the airship, then another transfer, and finally some driving after that.
Once the airship was aloft and cruising smoothly, Ron led Hanzo, Ponzu, and Ruco to a private lounge. He'd paid for the space, so they wouldn't be disturbed. After making sure there were no hidden cameras, he turned to Hanzo.
"All new Hunters who pass the exam receive an introduction to a power called Nen. I'll be teaching you, on behalf of the Hunter Association.
"I, Hisoka, Illumi, and Elita are all users of Nen. That's the real difference between us and ordinary examinees. Frankly, the entire Hunter Exam is just a formality for people like us. I already had plenty of contact with the upper ranks of the Association, took part in many missions, and I'm not a complete rookie. Right now, the Association's short on staff, and with so many new Hunters this year, they asked me to help out.
"So, starting today, I'll teach you Nen."
He glanced at Ruco. "Ruco, give Hanzo a quick rundown."