7 Beginning x Yukana

(Disclaimer: This will go by the manga because I said so.)

A large storm raged on the middle of the sea. Waves crashed against the boat smack-dab in the middle of it, as if there was no tomorrow. If you were on the ship, you would probably not be sure if you would make it that night. That is; if your captain was an ordinary person.

"CAP'N! HOLE IN THE HULL! WE'RE TAKIN WATER!" A crewmate(sus) yells to a short old man with a big nose, the captain of the ship.

"Arrr! Plug it with the butts of a few a' them worthless passengers!!!" The captain yelled back to his subordinate. A particularly big wave began building up in the distance.

"HARD TA PORT! WE'RE TAKIN' A QUICK FLIGHT!!" The captain shouted before the ship went up the wave, then soared back down. Mostly everyone in the ship went airborne for a moment before crashing down.

...

Contrary to the raging storm that happened hours ago, the sky was clear and sunny, and the waves showed no sign of aforementioned storm. The captain huffed out of his cigarette before walking out of his quarters.

"A fair tossup, that was." The captain backhandedly complimented the storm.

"It'll do, cap'n." A crewmate joined him as he walked down his ship, into the hull.

"How's the supercargo?"

"Copin' 'bout as usual." The two casually walked into a room, where many seasick and burnt out passengers were. If you were on the boat earlier, you would hardly believe these were the serious and hardened dudes from then.

"Pitiful dregs, this lot. And they're out t' become hunters? What a laugh." The captain glances at the various substances on the wall and floor while fixing his hat. He snaps to the right when he sees a kid with green hair dashing around the place while carrying a box of herbs. He also has a 12 year old kid with burgundy hair and red markings around his dark-skinned body babbling while following the green kid.

The burgundy haired kid is wearing a small red cap that reads "DEVIL CHILD" on the front of it, with horns protruding from the sides of it. His hair is put up into a high ponytail, well, as high as you can get with a cap on. On his back is a small scabbard for a shortsword, slightly off to the side. The boy wears a red haori-jacket hybrid, mostly haori but has a hood on it. His pants are just cargo pants with more pockets than he knows what to do with. A tiny smile is basically stuck to his face. This is our protagonist, Yukana, with now the last name Komacine.

"Here, some water. And chew this herb, you'll feel better." The green haired kid offers some of the plants previously in the box, held courtesy of your favorite new protagonist. The burgundy haired kid keeps mumbling on about nonsense, something about colors being "sus" and an "impostor" among him.

To the right of the both of them is a blonde haired teen wearing a small blue cloak and a white undershirt, coupled with white pants. He is napping on a hammock, and is fine, unlike the other passengers, Not too far away from him is an adult(hahahaha) with short black hair and side burns, donning a black suit. He is reading a por-*cough* model magazine.

"Heh. Some iron in those four, I see."

...

Now outside the boat, the captain of his ship and his crew are lined up on the deck with Gon standing at the front of the ship, Yukana with his legs dangling from the side of the railing, no longer rambling and currently basking in the sun.

"Take it easy for a couple hours, lads. Gonna be busy real soon." The crew didn't question their captain's orders, despite the sky being very clear, and responded with an "Aye Cap'n!".

"What's up kid? Sealegs flutterin'?" The captain walks up to Gon as Yukana leans back all the way, hitting his head on the wood floor but seemingly fine, while staring at the interaction.

"A big storm's coming, isn't it?" Gon asked, not responding to the captain's question.

"Mm? How 'dya figure?" The captain had an intrigued gaze in his squinted eyes, not questioning the absurdity of Gon's statement.

"The wind's tepid and salty, and the sea cranes are calling out warnings." Gon said, turning his gaze upwards.

'I thought those were seagulls...' Yukana thought, a small bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"You ken birdtalk, kid?!" The captain says in surprise.

"A little bit..." Gon mutters. Yukana suddenly swings upwards using pure leg strength, before gripping onto the railing and spinning his body upwards, his legs going from a split to fully outwards, before pushing his body up and landing on the deck. He wiped the bits of dirt and salt water out of his hair before turning his attention to the two once more.

'Well well, it seems we-' The captain finally realizes something. He squints towards Gon before his eyes widen, before seeing a silhouette similar to Gon right behind him.

"Hey, kid, you embarked at Whale Island, right?" This is when Yukana decided the question was boring him, so he went back inside. He assembles the sword, injecting the energy into it, and a red blade finished the rest of the broken short sword before he released it, putting it back into the scabbard on his back. Suddenly, an alarm came up on the entire boat.

"ATTENTION! THERE'S ANOTHER STORM AHEAD, AND IT'S A DOOZY! WE HAVE SPARE LIFEBOATS! ANYONE WHO'S ALREADY HAD HIS FILL CAN USE 'EM TO TRY AND REACH THE CLOSEST ISLAND!" Many passengers yelled in fear and scrambled to the lifeboats, ridding the boat of most of the "special cargo".

...

"So, it's down to you three, eh? Gimme yer names." The captain demands. The four are from earlier, Yukana, Gon, the blonde boy and the black haired adult.

"The name's Leorio." - Black hair

"Call me Kurapika." - Blonde.

"I'm Yukana but most call me Yukan or Kana."

"I'm Gon!" - Gon

"And you want to be hunters why?" The captain pried.

"Hey, what business is it of yours? You're just driving the bus." Leorio retaliated, glaring slightly at the captain.

"That a fact?" The captain was unfazed by Leorio's display of arrogance.

"You know it." Leorio challenged.

"My dad's a hunter and I wanna follow in his footsteps!" Gon blurted out, dispersing the tension between the two.

"Whoa there, kid! Don't spill so easily. Show some solidarity here." Leorio lectured, turning to Gon.

"Why? What's the big secret?" Gon asked, genuinely confused as to why Leorio was so skeptical.

"I think he means that you shouldn't just reveal that type of information to anyone. Although, I'd probably want to spill to the captain here." Yukana added in, being indecisive in the argument.

"And what proof do you have?" Leorio asked, turning his glare over to Yukana. His usual smirk grows in amusement.

"Call it a poor man's intuition." Yukana turns his attention back to the captain, refusing to answer any questions Leorio has about his "proof".

"I concur with Rioleo-" Leorio retaliates about the mispronunciation of his name, but Kurapika ignores him.

"One could simply dodge the question with a plausible lie. But I consider lying a sin equal to greed, and as dishonorable." Kurapika kept ignoring Leorio, who was voicing his anger.

"Yet, to give an honest answer to someone I don't know is not, to me, a reasonable alternative. The matter is simply too personal." While Kurapika was speaking, Leorio was still shouting in the background and Yukana was mimicking the two talking with both of his hands.

"That's yer view, eh? Then both of you can just get off my ship."

"What?" Leorio and Kurapika were confused at his statement.

"I see it still hasn't sunk in, so listen up! The hunter exam qualification has begun!" The captain announced. The waves ominously pounded against the ship, adding suspense to the situation.

"As many people want a hunters license as there are stars in the sky. You think there're enough examiners with enough time to judge 'em all? Not hardly! That's why there are people like me, who not only "drive the bus" but also screen the applicants. The other passengers are all drop-outs and have been reported as such to the committee. If any of them reach the site of the exam by different routes, they'll be turned away." The now revealed examiner of the preliminaries stated.

"I'm... The last of the Kurta Clan." Kurapika revealed. A guilty look flashed across Yukana's face but it was quickly replaced by his usual smile.

"I want to be a hunter so I can capture the Phantom Troupe! That gang of robbers killed my brethren four years ago!" Kurapika's eyes flashed a deep scarlet.

"You're out to be a blacklist hunter, then! The Phantom Troupe is a class "A" bounty. Even seasoned hunters balk at taking a run at them." The captain takes a quick drink of his bottle of alcohol. "Those few who've tried... have died."

"I do not fear death. What I fear is that my rage will one day fade away." Kurapika's eyes had a determined glare on them.

"So you're out for revenge? You don't have to be a hunter to do that." Leorio commented, trying to get a jab back at Kurapika for saying his name wrong.

"Don't be as stupid as you look, Rioleo. The places you can't go, the information you can't access, the actions you can't take--unless you're a hunter--would obviously boggle your tiny mind." Yukana tried to hold in his laugh at Kurapika's declaration.

"And you, Yukana?" The captain said, turning his gaze over to him.

"Well, first, there is somewhere I wanna go that has tons of classified information--to satisfy my curiosity, of course--but I had a falling out with my teacher and then here I am, taking the Hunter Exam." Yukana thought to himself if there was anything else, but there wasn't, so he stopped.

"So you have nothing to gain from being it, besides satisfaction?" Leorio thought, still questioning Yukana's motives.

"And to satiate my desire for beating impossible odds." Yukana adds on, finally remembering what he left out. Leorio was still a bit confused but let it be.

"And that leaves you, Leorio." The captain turned to him.

"Me? As it appears our business is your business captain, I'll cut to the chase! I want money--Lots of money!! Money gets you anything! A big house!! A cool car!! Top-grade booze!!" Leorio had a slightly crazed expression on his face as he described those things.

"And not a lick of class." Kurapika shook his head in disappointment, but that triggered something in Leorio.

"That's the last straw. Step out side, Kurapika. I'll make sure you're the last of the Kurtas." Leorio's declaration triggered Kurapika. Yukana was just watching the drama unfold with a stupefied expression.

"You dare say that?" Kurapika growled.

"That, and then some." Leorio challenged the clan member.

"Lets go."

"After you." Both men walked out of the room, dark expressions on their face as they went up the boat's stairs.

"Hey, we're not finished here! Are you withdrawing from the test?!" The captain shouted after the two. They seemingly ignored him as they kept walking away.

"Better let 'em go." Both the captain and Yukana turned to Gon, who had a calm expression on his face.

""If you want to know a person, find out what makes him angry." One of Aunt Mito's favorite sayings. Something is seriously bugging those guys. They need to work it out." Gon kept staring ahead.

"Hmm..." The captain hummed, fixing his hat.

"That's a weird but meaningful saying." Yukana commented, hopping off the crate he was sitting on.

"Cap'n!! The wind's gustin' somethin' fierce!" A crewmate burst through the door of the captain's quarters as soon as Yukana hit the floor.

...

A large wave hit the boat as Kurapika and Leorio stood across from each other. Around them were many people of the crew panicking to get the sails up, while the two stood menacingly on the deck.

"Shorten the sails! Or we'll capsize!!!" "Hurry!! The mast's strainin'!!!" "Heave ho!!" Many voices of the sailors rang out as they tried to pull up the mast.

"Take it back and I'll forgive you... Rioleo!" Kurapika shouted over the storm, purposely provoking him.

"Take it back yourself, Kurapika! I've said what I've said!" Leorio glared into the storm, somehow still being able to see through his glasses. Actually, how does he? They are too small.

"Uh-oh! If someone goes overboard, they're finished!" The captain commented as he, Yukana, and Gon exit the deck.

"Maybe I can help, captain!" Gon shouted over the crashing waves and shouting people.

"Be my guest kid!" The captain challenged, not strong enough to do this kind of job anymore.

"Are you ready?!" Kurapika and Leorio drew their weapons. Kurapika had only a nunchaku while Leorio had a pocket knife.

"Bring it!" Kurapika charged straight at Leorio, who stood there in a wide stance. Their fight was interrupted when the mast of the boat snapped a piece of wood off.

"Yaaaaaaaah!" Many crew members shouted, falling over due to the sudden loss of resistance on the ropes. The piece of wood swung violently towards a sailor named Katzo.

"Katzo!" Everyone called out to him as the wood brutally smacked into Katzo's face,sending him flying off the railing of the boat.

Everything seemed to slow down in time as Katzo flew. Leorio and Kurapika were frozen in place, and there was no one near. On the opposite side of Katzo's flying body were the captain, Gon and Yukana.

"Damn!" Time resumed as Leorio dashed past Kurapika, who was too slow to do anything for the time being. Both Gon and Yukana dashed towards Katzo, but Yukana slowed his pace as Gon was right behind him. Yukana smirked as he knew Gon's plan.

Kurapika moved and hung off the side of the railing, but neither he or Leorio could reach Katzo. Gon jumped in between the two, uncaring if he fell into the raging waters below. Yukana was close behind him but unsheathed the sword on his back, sliding across the wet deck.

He firmly grasped onto Gon's foot and stabbed the diagonally cut broken chokuto sword with the name "Shokubai Akaza" engraved on it. A resistance came as Gon's momentum kept him going, which caused the sword to drag through the deck. Both Kurapika and Leorio reacted, and pulled onto the sword, halting its progress in cutting the deck. Everyone helped Gon and Katzo back up.

"Grab Katzo, he's injured!" Katzo was, indeed, injured. He had blood coming from his mouth and a few teeth missing.

"Ow, I hid by doze..." Gon commented, rubbing his nose. Yukana inspected his sword for any new cracks or dents in it, before seeing a shadow above him.

"What were you thinking?! A mermaid would be hard pressed to survive that maelstrom out there! You'd go under in a split second!" Kurapika scolded, before the energy went to Leorio.

"Yeah, moron! If Yukana hadn't grabbed onto your legs, you'd be sleeping with the fishes as we speak!" Leorio joined in, pointing an accusatory finger at Gon.

'You were the ones fighting up here...' Both Gon and Yukana had similar thoughts.

"But, you did grab my legs!" Gon sat on the floor, as if to present his uninjured body. Both Kurapika and Leorio deadpanned at his comment.

"Mm. Good enough for me." Yukana agreed, adjusting his hat.

"Uh huh..." "So we did..." Both Kurapika and Leorio sweat dropped at his oblivious nature.

"Heh... My apologies, Leorio, for my disrespect." Kurapika suddenly apologized to Leorio.

"Aw, forget it. IT was an honest mistake. Sorry for all that crack about your clan." Leorio apologized back, thoroughly confusing Yukana.

"B-but you two were just...." Yukana gave up on it and laid on the floor.

"Heh... Hahaha! What a pair you are!" The captain suddenly laughed, catching everyone's attention.

"Arrogant, single minded... But I've taken a likin' to ya! And since I'm in such a good mood right now, I've decided to drop all four of you at the port nearest the exam hall!" The captain complimented, taking a sip of his booze.

"Huh? What about your test?" Yukana nudged Gon, as to not remind the Captain about the test but Gon said it anyway.

"Too nice a days for tests. Come on, I'll show you more about steerin' this tub!"

"YAY!!!" Gon ran off towards the captain.

"Hmm. It is a nice day." Yukana fixated his hat and took his hair out of his short ponytail, letting the curly hair reach the sides of his face before curling up in little poofs lower down.