Big surprises and Nen training

"Ohohohohohoho what interesting people there are this year… Satotz you were absolutely right ohohohohohho. From now on I will take the lead and be the examiner of the next challenge, which will be…." Netero begins to explain the next test before…

"And who the fuck are you old? You can barely walk, let the really shitty people talk-" A man starts to speak before being punched by the President.

Silence falls and tension is palpable in the air, everyone around us has their muscles contracted and I can feel the fear emanating from their bodies. Not everyone is fit to be a Hunter…

Netero releasing a fraction of what I assume is Ren is freaking people out, I remember that crazy Hisoka at the Heavens Arena also used it to stop Gon and Killua from registering on floor number 200. Releasing in his Ren malice and bloodlust inducing terror and paralysis but Netero released him for a fraction of a second to show who is at the top of the food chain and who is not, he has always been described as a madman sick of challenges and always looking for a very strong opponent that he would fight him.

"Well, as I was saying, I'll take over the exam from here. Let me introduce myself, I'm Isaac Netero the president of the Hunter association. The next test will be to fight you all in a royal rumble, the last 15 standing will pass the exam and the rest… he can try again next year, if he survives of course Ohohohohoho!" She states playfully in his voice.

Practically everyone was shocked to find out that he was the President, but by not giving him time to digest the information he declares the rules for the next test leaving a bad taste in the mouth of most of the participants who are not so sure of their possibilities. Not giving us time to think, he beckons us to follow him on the airship that will take us to the next arena where we will fight.

"What do you think Ken? How strong do you think he is compared to us? I felt more pressure than that Kraken we faced years ago!!" Kaku asks me with great curiosity and desire for a challenge.

"Well not even 1000 of us right now could handle that, not even pushing our skills to the max would we have a chance to survive… Compared to that Kraken, you can look at it this way. Netero is the apex fighter while the Kraken has yet to figure out how to get out of his mother." I explain with a smile to my friends, who look at me with amazed faces but eager to become strong enough to try to challenge him. Seeing their faces I can't help but feel my blood boil with the desire to have such great power!

As if she hears our thoughts, Netero turns and gives us an approving look with a smile of someone waiting to see our growth to fight us with all his might.

Arrived in the arena we wait for directions to start. Netero goes to sit in the stands and waves to start immediately.

Three people behind me immediately try to attack me from behind, but with a backward leap I arrive behind them, unsheathing my blade and cutting the bodies of all three obliquely, leaving only a flood of blood and three corpses. Silence hangs over the arena for a second before everyone proceeds to fight like it's worth their lives, and indeed it's carnage and in the end maybe only 15 people will be left alive.

Jabra and Kaku do not stand still and launch themselves in different directions, Jabra starts punching everyone who comes within range killing them or making them on the verge of death while Kaku limits himself to stabbing all opponents with Shigan leaving blood trails behind of himself.

"Those three are really interesting… They have incredible strength without having learned Nen yet. Especially that boy, what's his name Satotz?" Netero informs himself while he sees us slaughtering our opponents as if they were lambs awaiting slaughter.

"His name is Ken Himejima, 15 years old, born in Japan in a village named Jubilife who was attacked by some bandits when he was 5 years old. From what we found out he killed a large number of bandits before something strange happened… Everyone in the village passed out and when they woke up the bandits had all been decapitated, the boy was also passed out but… We assume it was his strange power to make everyone swoon. After this incident they moved to another village which was refounded with the help of the government and transformed into the current prosperous Viridan City, has a brother and both parents alive and one thing the four have in common is that they are all strong enough to kill or at least survive people who don't use Nen. They have a fishing business and I've found that they go a long way from the coasts, battling monsters that are terrifying to people who don't use Nen. The other two are guys with similar histories until they became friends and they too started to develop their skills to this level of power." Satotz explains reading the reports with a thread of interest and curiosity about the strength of these kids and Ken's family.

"Mmmmh hunting in the distant ocean… Did they find some monster using Nen? Who knows… Looks like monsters have arrived this year that might give me a challenge in a few years Ohohohohoho!! I can't wait. Satotz who do you think is more recommended to teach them Nen?" Netero says expectantly and then reflects on possible trainers.

"If I can freely express my opinion, I would say either the Hokuto School or your President. The former has a multitude of Nen users with great skills in driving and at the same time putting the right pressure on these three. The second one instead… You have one of the strongest Nen users in this world as master President, Biscuit Krueger. I believe he would be thrilled to teach these three as he saw their potential or even his newly promoted Master student, Wing" After some thought Satotz offers his thoughts to Netero.

"Mmmmh highly valid opinions Satotz. I think Hokuto is more suitable because it focuses on more disciplines than Shingen Ryu dojo… We'll see what goes through my head in 5 minutes. Ohohohoho what a rare perception of the battlefield these three little ones have! Makes me want to be young again!!" Netero ponders the possibilities and his blood boils with excitement.

While I navigated the arena not going out of my way to kill my opponents, I'm still not a psychopath… Some were killed upon sensing their intentions and others simply KO'd with precise blows to the back of the neck, Jabra and Kaku also didn't all to kill and after about 5 minutes we were 12. Among them was a girl who gave me a feeling of being above average, surely she would become a Hunter and learned Nen regarding others… I highly doubt unless there are no particular situations.

"Perfect! You 12 have passed the exam to become Hunter, now I will call you individually in that room to deliver your Hunter cards. Let's start with you mr. Ken, follow me." Netero calls me into the room with him and I just follow him, when we sit down he takes out a box with a Hunter card inside.

"Okay, let's get straight to the point. Here is the Hunter card that certifies that she is a true Hunter, what she will do with it will depend solely on his will. It goes without saying that having passed the exam does not mean having reached a goal, it's now that it all begins! If you feel that you do not have the requirements to do your job as a Hunter, and looking at you I strongly doubt ohohohohohoho, you are free to hide the license or even put it up for sale as it is a mere decorative object for those who are not the actual owner. There are people who, in order to obtain this status, are willing to pay huge sums to have fun for a lifetime… and even the next seven! Because professional Hunters enjoy preferential treatment as they can train new aspiring Hunters, this card is more important to some than vision itself but at the same time it is a worthless item! What matters is what he becomes in his career as a Hunter." Start by explaining the benefits of the Hunters before continuing.

"I assume you already know about the Nen right Mr. Ken?" She says with a smile.

"Yes President Netero! I signed up to become a Hunter and to really be one I have to learn how to use the Nen. My goal is to explore this world and fight against the best and this obviously puts her at the top of the list." I answer in one breath and with willpower.

"Ohohohohohohoh! Interesting, really interesting. My goal in life is to find people to fight with, I can't wait for that day to come..." Netero answers me with a smile.

"My friends and I would like to ask for a hint or advice on how to proceed with teaching the Nen. I know this may seem inappropriate and you will probably let the Hunters go without this information, but my blood is boiling in my veins and I can't see I can't wait to learn more about the Nen and start training." I say making the President smile.

"Usually we don't give directions but… I have some advice, if you go back to Japan go to Mount Akaita and there you may find what you are looking for. Here take your license and remember that tomorrow there will be the course with all the notions on your new career as a Hunter, now it can go. Goodbye Mr. Ken, I look forward to our next meeting ohohohohoho" Netero concludes the speech by inviting me to leave.

"Goodbye President Netero!" I bow and then proceed to walk out of the room.

After 1 hour we are finally ready to go and call home and then go and rest. Tomorrow we have 6 hours of explanations about our new profession…

Inside the classroom, a Hunter explains to us what our Hunter card entails.

"…And now we will say a few words about the Hunter license, to begin with this card allows entry into 90% of countries where civilians are normally forbidden to enter and 75% of territories whose borders would otherwise be impassable. It also allows free use of all public facilities, the owner can even obtain loans from banks like a first-class company! To say that this object has enormous value is not an exaggeration, it could be said that Hunter's first task is to protect his license. As for the use of the license it will be good to provide a detailed explanation, the card apart from the technology used unique to ...

It is the task of Hunters to preserve the balance between men and nature, hunting animals or searching for treasures are things that second-rate Hunters do, or rather amateurs… Hunters who are highly successful in a specific subject are considered 1 star Hunter instead those whose merits will remain engraved in history have the honor of receiving the nickname of 2 star Hunter or 3 star Hunter which consecrates them as characters of….

There are various types of Hunters:

1. Beast Hunters: Research animals that are scientifically undocumented or thought to be extinct.

2. Blacklist Hunters: It is a type of hunter whose skills are devoted to tracking down dangerous and wanted criminals.

3. Botanical Hunter: he is a type of hunter with a great knowledge of plants, who searches for and collects them.

4. Crime Hunter: He is a type of hunter who tries to solve mysterious cases in the world of crime.

5. Disease/Virus Hunter: they are types of Hunters who try to find new elements to cure incurable diseases.

6. Gourmet Hunter: is a type of Hunter whose goals are: travel the world in search of rare foods/exotic foods and find and collect rare ingredients normally obtainable only in remote and inhospitable places. They are often world-renowned chefs.

7. Hacker Hunter: This is a type of hunter who has extensive knowledge of computers and specializes in working with the internet and tackling cyber crimes.

8. Head Hunter: This is a type of hunter who specializes in discovering and cultivating new talent.

9. Ruins Hunter: He is a type of hunter dedicated to discovering, restoring and preserving ruins to "revive" ancient societies. Like the Hunter Satotz you met in this exam.

Obviously there are other categories and subcategories of Hunter, well now let's continue with a very important factor for us Hunters:

By typing in the correct URL, entering their license key, and swiping it on any computer, a hunter is able to access Hunters' Tavern, a hunter-only website where all kinds of information not retrievable with others can be purchased. means.

To carry out our work, knowledge is a very important aspect, as you well know…" The lesson continued for another 3 hours until he had finished listing all the advantages and obligations of the profession.

Getting up and stretching, we walk towards the port, after booking a boat, to go home to celebrate with our families before finally starting our adventure as Hunter!!

............................

Viridian City, the next day.

At the moment a big party is being celebrated at the Himejima house, Kaku, Jabra, Sig Togashi and Kishimoto are also present with their families. They are having a big barbecue in the garden of the villa, grilling a sea dragon caught yesterday by Kuro and his father.

"So was the Ken-san exam difficult? You have great courage to take the exam… I heard that there are always many victims, this world is full of criminally insane people who can't wait to kill the next one! A chance like this must attract many!" Asks Mr. Togashi with some apprehension.

"Let's say that if you are as prepared as I am, you always keep your guard up and you are strong enough to know how to defend yourself and know when to give up, the exam is not difficult. It always depends on the years of course! There are much stronger people out there than me, so it's always possible that if I took the exam next year or 10 years from now I might not pass. But preparation is the key to everything, never overestimate yourself and also underestimate yourself. I think even dad could pass the exam easily this year." I explain my vision and involve my father.

"Hahaha son! You know I don't care, it's enough for me to be able to defend you and Kuro, the rest doesn't matter. Then who carries on the business when Togashi and Kishimoto me retire? I hope that at least you Kuro will want to continue the work we are doing together with Tamada and Jotaro. My father explains to us, also trying to entice us to continue fishing. Sorry dad but I have other goals for the future…

"Hahahaha sure dad! I want to live a carefree life, fighting is a pain in the ass sigh… Even if Hacker Hunter and Gourmet Hunter are interesting things… Computer science is my passion, while food well you know how much I love to cook and then we literally fish sea monsters with meat fantastic! Opening a restaurant would be nice…" Kuro reassures our father and opens up interesting scenarios.

"Then we get on well with Tamada and Jotaro! We have been friends for years, we study, train and fish together ahahaha; even if Jotaro wants to fight more than anything…" he continues his speech, whispering the last part.

"Jotaro cursed! You see you have to become a great fisherman or no more training for the whole year huh!!" Mr. Kishimoto scolds Jotaro, but with little conviction... In the end everyone knows that it's better to follow your dreams rather than impose a job that your children don't like.

Jotaro however is quite gifted, he could become a Hunter if he tries harder.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" X15

"In a week we will leave to go find the Dojo that was recommended to us by the President of the Hunter association, so this week will be relaxing before the hellish training hahaha." I inform everyone of my decision to Kaku and Jabra, making our parents sigh in the knowledge that we won't see each other again for quite some time.

............................

The week passed pleasantly, we went on a boat trip to relax a bit. We visited the nearby Fuchsia City Zoo and spent some good times together, but now it's time to say goodbye… We will leave for a long time if our trip is fruitful, of course we will be able to talk by phone but… We will certainly go a few years without seeing each other and it is the first time this has happened to us since I came into this world. I see my mother with red eyes who can hardly hold back tears, my father who keeps a hard face but I see the concern in his eyes and my little brother sniffling trying to be tough saying he doesn't care much.

"Kuro, mom and dad… I'll call you every week to let you know the news, don't worry! You know me and you know that I'm a guy with a head on my shoulders, I won't take any risks (sure…) and I'll be careful not to overexert myself. You have to be calm, if you are calm, so am I…" I finish the speech trying to hold back the tears. When I arrived here I never thought I could have a bond like this… It may be that in both my previous lives I didn't get to enjoy my childhood due to different problems but in this life, I have two parents who love and support me in everything even when I don't fully agree and a brother who loves me and always finds a way to drag me on his adventures and boat trips.

"Son go and take care of yourself and eat everyday three times a day, go to sleep early at night and don't bully others but make lots of friends. You're still young to think only of work, enjoy your years every now and then…" My mother tells me, no longer holding back her tears.

"Ken, be prudent and wise in your path. Always know this is your home, anytime the door is open, we will always be waiting for you and remember to call every week at least." My father holds his stoic face with a slight smile.

"Ken… I will miss you… Call me and tell me everything you do, so it will seem to me that we will live this adventure together." He tells me with moist eyes and at that moment I go to hug him tightly, our parents join us and after a while we part with a smile on our lips and a goodbye.

Taking the bus to the slopes of Mount Akaita we find a spectacle of nature and above all with Observation Haki I perceive at least three auras that are below Netero's level, but making an estimate I think they are at most 25% less than his strength. Strength and danger, however, are very different things…

Looking into each other's eyes, we set off along the path, knowing that a journey of at least 3 hours of walking awaits us.

When we have traveled 3 / 4 of the way we perceive 6 auras that begin to surround us and at that instant a man of about 30 appears from behind a tree with his characteristic white hair that reaches his shoulders and what looks like a diadem of orato on the forehead. He looks at us with a peaceful and calm air, as if he were the kindest person in this world… but at the same time I feel an overwhelming pressure that makes me realize that if I move even just 1 centimeter I could lose my life.

"Good morning! We are Ken, Kaku and Jabra we have just passed the Hunter exam and under the direction of President Netero we went to this mountain. The President told us that here we could find what we are looking for: learning the Nen." I say looking directly into his eyes and I can see his understanding of my speech.

"Travellers, you must be tired from the long journey. Follow me to the temple to rest and then I will take you to Grand Master Hokuto Ryūken to talk to him about your possible stay in or out of our dojo." He answers us with a warm smile.

"We thank you. May we know your name?" Kaku asks.

"Of course boy, my name is Toki and I am one of the students in this dojo." Toki replies calmly.

"Tsk one of the students… Toki-dono you are the successor of the Hokuto School! Don't be humble for once… Sigh." We hear a voice from behind us and see a man appear with mid-back red hair tied in a bushy ponytail and a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek.

Two swords hooked by his obi can be glimpsed above his kimono.

"Ken-dono, Kaku-dono and Jabra-dono this is Himura Kenshin, a student of the dojo. Follow us to talk to Ryūken-dono I'm sure he will accept you under his care, even though the rules in our dojo are very strict and you will have to stay here for a long time before you can leave." He states with a smile going to follow Toki.

He seems much easier to talk to, he doesn't have that otherworldly aura that Toki possesses. Which leaves you almost overwhelmed… it's definitely one of those 10 scary auras I sensed at the foot of the mountain.

Nodding to Kaku and Jabra we proceed to follow the two, after a peaceful walk we can see the immense and spectacular temple ahead of us! The atmosphere is serene and we see students proceeding to fire shots with strange moves that remind me of the Shigan, other people sitting to meditate and a man the size of a mountain performing a series of movements in what looks like a battle simulation.

The mood is broken when we see an elderly man appearing from the dojo walking with the aid of a cane, everyone bowing in sincere deference as the man approaches us. Followed by two men who are also mountains, not like the first though, one with a strange mask covering his face and the other a shirtless man with strange scars or marks on his torso trying to analyze us in every single detail.

"Wayfarers, what are you looking for in this temple." the old man asks us.

"Dear elder, we came to this dojo on the advice of a man you probably know. We have recently passed Hunter's exam and at the direction of President Isaac Netero we have come in search of a guide to learn Nen." I speak with a clear respect in my voice, this man is in my perception the closest to Netero power I have ever heard or seen.

"Mmmhh that old man decided to throw me new students again… You don't need to be so formal. I am the Grand Master of the Hokuto School, Hokuto Ryūken, and you can simply call me Grand Master or Ryūken-san. Looking at you I perceive great powers in your bodies and also similar but different styles… I understand why you were sent here. In the Shingen Ryu Dojo they focus more on physical and palm martial arts, while I see you are more diverse. You big boy seem more prone to hands and feet and perhaps the mace... You tall boy seem well suited for the sword even if he doesn't disdain the use of his hands. While you are the most variegated… You don't have his talent with the sword but you make up for it with your experience and your strength is so great that I think I have seen a select few have your skills, while you will never become a Grand Master in swordsmanship you will have a brilliant future if you don't die before you can achieve it…" The Grand Master analyzes us as if he has my status system… By the way I haven't even tried to look at their status yet let's see what they show me.

Name: Hokuto Ryūken

Strength: 111

Stamina: 110

Speed: 88

Vitality: 130

Intelligence: 60

Mastery:

Hokuto Shin Ken: Grand Master

Category Nen: Emission

Nen Mastery: Grand Master (28.37%)

Ten: ?

Ren: ?

Zetsu: ?

Hatsu: ?

Name: Hokuto Toki (Successor)

Strength: 90

Stamina: 75

Speed: 110

Vitality: 96

Intelligence: 45

Mastery:

Hokuto Shin Ken: Master (66.33%)

Category Nen: Emission

Nen Mastery: Master (78.25%)

Ten: ?

Ren: ?

Zetsu: ?

Hatsu: ?

Wow… These two are monsters. In the story they were never named but Ryūken is almost at the level of Netero, even if he is much further in surpassing the level of Grandmaster in the Nen. But on a physical level they certainly play it even if Netero as a fundamental strength has his speed which is almost double that of him, apart from Toki and Himura the ones I have seen so far are all more brute force oriented and are o Emitters or Enhancers. I haven't seen Specialists, Summoners or Manipulators yet… They might be rarer categories than the others; this could be the right place to best prepare for Nen and lay the foundation to be truly strong in this world.

Name: Hokuto Kenshiro

Strength: 112

Stamina: 103

Speed: 75

Vitality: 94

Intelligence: 27

Mastery:

Hokuto Shin Ken: Master (18.33%)

Nen Category: Enhancement

Nen Mastery: Master (23.42%)

Ten: ?

Ren: ?

Zetsu: ?

Hatsu: ?

Name: Hokuto Raoul

Strength: 130

Stamina: 100

Speed: 60

Vitality: 96

Intelligence: 30

Mastery:

Hokuto Shin Ken: Master (62.39%)

Nen Category: Enhancement

Nen Mastery: Master (78.25%)

Ten: ?

Ren: ?

Zatsu: ?

Hatsu: ?

Kenshiro and Raoul look quite similar but the former compensates for less strength with greater speed, while Raoul seems to be more strength oriented. The 130 strength stat is the third highest he has ever seen and the other two were in the Hunter recognized to be the strongest in the world: Netero.

Name: Himura Kenshin

Strength: 69

Stamina: 73

Speed: 89

Vitality: 76

Intelligence: 29

Mastery:

Hokuto Shin Ken: Advanced (7.57%)

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu: Master (18.31%)

Nen Category: Transmutation

Mastery Nen: Advanced (79.21%)

Ten: ?

Ren: ?

Zetsu: ?

Hatsu: ?

Name: Hokuto Jagger

Strength: 100

Stamina: 95

Speed: 60

Vitality: 84

Intelligence: 17

Mastery:

Hokuto Shin Ken: Advanced (12.33%)

Nen category: Enhancement

Nen Mastery: Advanced (34.52%)

Ten: ?

Ren: ?

Zetsu: ?

Hatsu: ?

Himura and Jagger are on Satotz's level in stats, although he is more assassination oriented and is a Ruins Hunter so he doesn't make fighting his reason for living.

Continuing to walk towards the entrance of the dojo I notice a positive and competitive environment among the various students but without hidden malice in the heart, there is nothing to complain about Nen except the amount of training and effort you put in! Then of course there are the more talented ones who have more Nen pools, but they are factors that can be canceled with perseverance and dedication just like Haki.

Arrived in a room we sit in front of Ryūken-san and Toki-san, who begin to list us the duties in enrolling in the Hokuto school.

"In this place we forbid conflict between our members, we are a family. Most of the people here are orphans or have lost someone, a good number don't want to come down this mountain for their whole life and just train and be in peace.

Of course not everyone is like that… Outside of this mountain there are some students who work like Hunter or who after being here have decided to live a normal life and continue their training out there." Says the Grand Master pointing away.

"We don't force anyone to stay here, except for the training period. In the next 4 years if you decide to stay in this school we will teach you the basic and advanced techniques of Nen, we will advise you if you want in the creation of techniques and we will provide you with a guide on the all-round world in which we live. She won't sweeten the pill… It will be four years of intense and hellish training, but if to obtain all this power you are not even willing to sacrifice so much what is the point of all this? " It ends with a rhetorical question.

"Ryūken-san is right, ever since we met the three of us we have always given our best in training both to improve our strength and not have to succumb to the wicked and to support our families both safely and economically. I am willing to train here if you allow it, Grand Master!" Says Kaku looking at us to get our consent as well.

"Zeahahahahaha says Kaku well. I Jabra am eager to train in this dojo and learn everything possible about both Nen and life, I'm not a brainiac like these two but… Knowledge is survival! And then I feel that you are incredibly strong!!" Says Jabra making everyone in this room smile.

"Ryūken-san of course we're looking forward to training under the Hokuto School! To be honest you are the strongest person I have seen since Netero… Everyone here is incredibly strong, I can feel it clearly and I am looking forward to learning from all of you." I explain with fire in my eyes which is appreciated by Toki who gives me a satisfied nod of her head.

"Mmmh interesting… Stronger after Netero. In fact, even if I don't like to admit it, Isaac is stronger than me, but as a first lesson… The strongest doesn't always win but the most prepared and adaptable, then obviously if you have overwhelming strength you can imagine the result.

Ok then it's time to give you an explanation of the power system said Nen:

The aura is the vital energy produced by all living bodies, it is vital for survival and directly linked to one's resistance. The places on the body where the aura comes out are called "aura nodes". Also, the aura is invisible to non-Nen users, it can only be seen after the aura nodes in the eyes have been opened. However, sensitive individuals can feel its presence without being aware of its existence.

Under normal conditions, the aura from all parts of the body tends to flow together, producing a mass of energy. This occurs without the individual being aware of it, typically resulting in the aura slowly flowing out of the body steadily without overly harmful consequences and rising and detaching from the crown of the head. On the other hand, if someone whose aura nodes are fully open does not attempt to close them or control the flow of their aura, they will soon become so exhausted that they are unable to stand or even lose consciousness. Learning to control your aura nodes is the first step to becoming a Nen user.

Since every living thing subconsciously emits auras, learning to sense auras is a useful skill for those who are trying to track living things or look for non-living things that have been infused with auras. An experienced user of Nen can judge the position and relative strength of one's opponents by reading the output of their aura. On the other hand, experienced Nen users can also regulate the flow of their aura, so they appear to be beginners or regular individuals.

A student learning Nen trains himself to manually open and close his aura nodes so that he can control the flow of his aura. Typically you learn this process slowly and gradually through a series of shapes that we will show you later. There is a second method, colloquially called Initiation achieved by forcing the nodes of the aura to open through an influx of aura, like having someone who is already able to control their aura by channeling a gentle blast of aura into their body. Since your training will last four years we will proceed with the first case study, since the second is also quite disapproved in the community" Ryūken explains to us while waiting for our assent.

"Certainly Grand Master, we prefer to take the longer route and understand how to open the aura nodes normally" We all three confirm.

"President Netero with his advent as Grand Master of the Shingen-ryu dojo invented the practice of:

Nen of the Flame which is used as a precursor to learning true Nen. They are mental exercises similar to meditation that strengthen one's willpower. Regular practice can smooth out the flow of one's aura. The Four Exercises of the Nen of the Flame are as follows:

Ten: Focus your mind, reflect on yourself and determine the goal.

Zetsu: Put it into words.

Ren: Intensify your will.

Hatsu: Put it into action.

It is a practice to focus our will and our emotions, which play a fundamental factor in the road to learning Nen.

To fully understand Nen, one must first learn the Four Major Principles of the Shingen-ryu school. Everything else, including a practitioner of Nen's individual skills, is based on basic manipulations of one's aura flow. The Four Major Principles, in order of study, are: Ten, Zetsu, Ren and Hatsu.

These basic techniques become second nature to those experienced in Nen. For example, a beginner must learn to use the Ten and focus on maintaining it; whereas someone with experience will practically always be in a state of Ten, even while sleeping.

I will now proceed to explain the Four Major Principles to you:

1. Ten: Once a person has opened their aura nodes, they must learn to prevent their aura from leaking out of their body. Ten is the process of keeping the knots open, but also letting the aura flow through and around the body rather than away from it. Once maintained, it creates a thin veil around the user that feels similar to standing in a warm, viscous fluid. Once learned, it will never be forgotten, just like swimming or cycling. While it is the most basic technique of all, Ten is also one of the most important, as it, along with Ren, plays an instrumental role in determining the strength and smoothness of a Nen user's aura flow.

Ten maintains youthful vigor and reduces aging, as the energy that fuels the body is no longer lost; one can therefore prevent the body from breaking down and discourage the aging process. Ten is also the most basic defense against emotional Nen attacks, and also offers limited protection against physical attacks, but almost none when said attacks are aura-powered. Through frequent meditation and practice, one can improve the quality of one's Ten and ultimately maintain it even in sleep.

2. Zetsu: While Ten allows a user to stop the aura from flowing out of their body, Zetsu stops the flow of aura from their body altogether. By closing all nodes of the aura, the user is able to stop all the outflow of their aura like water from a valve, making their presence much more difficult or even impossible to perceive.

Closing the nodes in their eyes prevents the user from seeing the aura, but, as they are no longer surrounded by their own aura, they become more sensitive to the aura of others. The Perception Enhancement is such that Zetsu can counter In, although it is not recommended to employ it in this way. This technique is therefore doubly useful when tracking another person, as it will not only make it easier to follow them, but will also prevent other Nen users from noticing your tracker. However, there are other ways to perceive a person hiding with Zetsu: Aside from the effectiveness of the five senses, particularly perceptive individuals are able to perceive another person's gaze, although they may not be able to discern the position and number of bystanders. Also, if Zetsu is used within a certain range by a Nen user, that Nen user may notice that his presence disappears, especially if the Zetsu user's aura is powerful. While the technique doesn't directly affect vision, activating Zetsu in front of someone else will give them the impression that the user has become transparent. Zetsu can also be used to relieve fatigue, as it forces the outer layer of the body's aura to be completely contained within. By the same token, it can be dangerous because it leaves the body defenseless against any attack from the aura. Even a weak attack boosted with Nen can do massive damage. Since even the subtle protection offered by Ten has disappeared, a Zetsu user is also particularly susceptible to hostile emotional attacks, resulting in his mind becoming as vulnerable as his body.

3. Ren: Ren focuses on emitting more aura than Ten, shooting it outward explosively. This amplifies the wearer's physical strength and durability, and provides a large reserve of aura for any advanced techniques or individual skills they decide to employ, even if at the cost of expending said aura. If Ten is considered purely defensive, Ren can be considered its offensive counterpart, although it also grants the user greatly enhanced defensive capabilities.

Because Ren is a display of power, it can also intimidate other Nen users, as it offers a rough measure of the user's raw strength.

You can train your Ren to extend its duration and increase the amount of aura at your disposal. With the right timing, Ten can be used to contain the aura produced by Ren.

4. Hatsu: Hatsu is Nen's personal expression. Its qualities are influenced, but not limited, by the Nen user's natural category of Nen, one of six available which I will explain later. Hatsu is used to project one's aura to perform a certain function, creating a special and unique paranormal ability which is colloquially referred to as the "Nen ability".

At first, Hatsu appears simply as a result of using Ren during the water divination which we will perform shortly; however, it is more than a mere property of the latter, and can be trained individually either through the Water Divination itself, which seems to affect only the user's natural category, or by honing one's skills in a Nen category through specific exercises . Once a certain skill level is reached, the student can attempt to create their own personal Nen skill.

A good Nen skill reflects a person's character and idiosyncrasies, regardless of its simplicity or complexity. The key is that it should feel right to the user himself; gut instincts play a very significant role in the development of Nen skills. Also, it's best if someone creates their own skill from scratch; if a skill can be achieved through Nen then it's possible for someone to learn to use it, however one can never truly master Nen if they just copy someone else's skills.

Because they can have an immensely wide range of effects, Nen skills can be recognized as any manifestation of one's Nen that cannot be attributed to one of the basic or advanced techniques, although there are cases where Nen skills are essentially applications of Ko , an advanced Nen Technique using Hatsu, with special conditions or restrictions.

This is the explanation of the basis of the Nen, do you have any questions?" Grand Master Ryūken continues.

"Ryuken-sama was very clear. Hatsu is what struck me the most, we can define it as the special power of every Hunter and in addition I would say that it is difficult to find more users who have the same power but not impossible. I assume that the various Schools have their distinctive points and therefore some Hatsu are redundant in the end." I say getting a nod from Toki.

"You are right Ken, but before adding more information I would say that the first step we need to take is to proceed to unlock your aura nodes. You must know that in our body there are 361 primary aura nodes, each of these is connected to one more than the other primary nodes and each of these is connected to dozens or even thousands of other secondary nodes. There are over 9000 secondary aura nodes in our body, but these are opened automatically when we go to open the primary nodes and therefore we will focus only on those. The first one is the most difficult to open and is considered the key to open the others, it is located at the bottom of the back and it is also the point where the more aggressive opening can be forced with the second method that the Ryūken master explained earlier . Now we move here and you will observe all the positions you will have to carry out to proceed to unlock your aura nodes, usually the process can take a week or even 10 months depending on your initial talent. Typically people with exceptional talent unlock them in a week or less, with normal talent in three months and average people with low aptitude in 10 months. Toki begins to explain moving to a cleared part of the room.

He starts doing what looks like a push-up in 12 different variations, then stopping he begins to explain to us "This is the first position you will have to do to unlock the first knot." Afterwards he continues to do other strange positions that go from vertical to positions that are frankly difficult for a person who is not very flexible…

"After doing this routine, always under the eye of a teacher you can unlock your Nen. I remind you to perform them only in the presence of a member of the Dojo because when you unlock the Nen your aura and therefore life force will flow from your body, in case you don't have a guide on what to do you could completely exhaust your life force and die. " Toki affirms with a serious face.

"Of course Toki-san!" We exclaim at the same time. x3

"Okay, let's move to the right area now." He says nodding to us and walking out with us in tow. The Grand Master remains to deal with other matters.

"Toki-san I understand why people prefer the second method, besides being faster it prevents you from looking like a circus tightrope! If you are not flexible you can forget about unlocking the Nen that way." I affirm with the consent of all.

"Obviously Ken. But as everything sweaty has its strengths, speaking from experience I can guarantee that by unlocking it in this way you will have greater control and an amount of aura that will be at least 10 / 15% greater than those who proceeded to force the opening of the knots." Toki explains the advantages of the procedure.

"The more talented you are and the less it takes you to open your nodes the greater the profit! If you take 10 months even if your reserve will be greater than the others, this factor will be compensated by the training carried out by those who have proceeded to unblock the nodes in a different way." She says she makes us think.

"Okay, let's proceed to making the shapes. You will start first, Ken, you will do it individually so you can see my explanations on how to do it in the meantime. That's perfect, flex your legs more Ken. Exactly, now move on to the next one and remember to base your balance and focus on the stability of your hands..." After doing the various shapes for over 2 hours, I felt a strange heat coming from my back, pointing this out to Toki, she replies.

"Very good Ken, with this progress you should be able to wake them up tomorrow or the day after tomorrow at the latest. Go ahead Kaku."

After another 4 hours we proceeded to do some physical training and then we went to eat together with the other students.

The day after actually while we practiced the shapes, this time all three together, we unlocked our aura nodes.

The trio looked at their hands and the air around them in shock.

Toki explained "This is the life force. All your aura nodes are open, you can see it right? This is due to the fact that your knots in your eyes are also open."

Jabra exclaimed "It's like water vapor. Like the steam that forms inside a Turkish bath."

Kaku more logically points out "Toki-san is running away everywhere, shall we use the Ten to hold him back?"

"Think of the aura as a liquid that surrounds your bodies. In your mind imagine it as a halo enveloping and swaying you" Toki continued as he gave me a side glance looking very surprised that I had done everything before he even finished explaining.

Kaku and Jabra took a relaxed position leaving him surprised by the fact that in a few seconds they had managed to do what many have difficulty.

He stated "How do you feel now?"

"It's like being covered in mucus!" Jabra answers making Toki smile.

"It's like wearing very light clothes." Kaku answers.

"It's like finally being complete." I answer astounding Toki.

Nodding Toki he continued "Now try to keep this image steady in your mind. When you get used to it you will be able to keep it even in your sleep. For the next few days until it has become instinctive like blinking or breathing we will train only on the Ten."

Over the next two days we proceeded to stabilize the use of the Ten alternating it with the meditation of the Nen of the Flame which proved to be very helpful in improving our control though after having the experience with Haki which affects spiritual energy our control it turned out to be phenomenal.

Toki continued to be amazed at our speed of learning, in fact on the third day we proceeded to experience the Zetsu.

"So guys! After learning Ten the next steps are easier, when with Ten you have to think of your aura as a liquid to be held close to your skin with Zetsu you have to close all your aura nodes in the same way as you would turn off a tap. While the next step is Ren where I am concentrating to emit my aura projecting it towards you, as you are doing now keeping Ten you will feel the danger but it won't be a problem for you, I release my intent to kill you... Ready" Toki explains , when suddenly we are overwhelmed by his intent to kill us and we are like boats at the mercy of the stormy sea but by focusing on the Ten we manage to remedy the problem even if the feeling of unease remains as he is much more advanced than us and probably in right now he's projecting an ounce of his true Ren.

After a few moments the sense of unease and danger disappears and we see Toki nodding at our performance.

"Well guys, here is a book with notes and notes on which you can solve some doubts during your training phase. From today you can proceed to perform the training routine and perform the mandatory tasks of the Dojo, you can choose between some tasks of hunting or fishing, cleaning the temple, collecting water or patrolling the area. The activities will not take you more than 3 hours a day, you will have to mark yourself on the board in the common room according to the times already taken by the other students. For the next 5 months you will take care of increasing your Nen pool by continuing to use it so you can use it more and more, my advice is to bring your capacity to at least 3 hours within the next 5 months you will also have to stabilize your Ten succeeding to apply it evenly on any occasion of the day whether it is from hunting to sleeping. It must be in perfect condition. After this period we will proceed with a test in order to evaluate your progress and then we will move on to the advanced forms of Nen. Now I'll leave you to your training." After an explanation of what we are going to do Toki gets up and walks away.

"Kaku, Jabra we will have to train seriously in these 5 months. We'll make a nice surprise for Toki and the others, let's go book ourselves for next week's assignments and then proceed with training." I explain walking towards the common room followed by my friends.

After marking our task list we proceed with Ren training and constantly emitting our aura after 15 minutes I am exhausted, Kaku after 8 and Jabra after 9.

Upon entering Zetsu we proceed to recover faster and then proceed to do another session of Ren going on with the same routine until dinner time. After 8 hours of continuous training we see the first improvements Kaku has already expanded to 10 minutes, Jabra to 12 and I to 18, it will be easier at first but going forward the increases will be increasingly reduced. Eating and chatting with other students we get to know an interesting girl named Merlin, she seemed different from the other students of the school… she didn't look like a brute in short ahahaha.

Over the next two months we proceeded to work on our Ten and Ren. He started the day with spar always keeping their Ten active and as stable as possible, when they started to falter they pushed themselves beyond the limit to adapt more and more to the situation. After that they proceeded to practice Zetsu to recover faster they continued the routine for 3 hours. After lunch and their obligatory activities they proceeded with Ren's session as long as they could last and then again to recover with Zetsu, until dinner time continuing more and more to increase the period in which they could resist. After 2 months of intense training Ken managed to last 1 hour and 57 minutes, Kaku 1 hour and 20 minutes and Jabra 1 hour and 45 minutes still far from the time required by Toki but, they still have 3 months of time and they are quite sure they can finish ahead of schedule.

Their life wasn't just training though, Ken during his fishing activities met a girl who had enrolled in the Dojo the year before them. An ordinary person who after losing her parents decided to travel to find her place in the world, after 6 months she found herself attracted to this mountain… as if there was something calling her and arriving here she began her training . They bonded quite easily, both being young and eager to discover new things about the world! Compared to Ken she is more logical and rational, which compared to all the calculations and thoughts that she often has she finds herself at the mercy of emotions. Her, who goes by the name Merlin, on the other hand is always more calm and rational and can seem a little manipulative every now and then… but it's just her cautious nature after the vicissitudes she has faced.

She has also started training with them from time to time, even forming a slight bond with Kaku and Jabra.

At the end of these 5 months all three managed to hold their Ren for more than 3 hours: Ken for 4 hours and 25 minutes, Kaku 3 hours and 50 minutes and Jabra 3 hours and 55 minutes. After reaching the threshold set by Toki they proceeded to vary their training in a small part, inserting immediately after the exhaustion due to the Ren they proceeded to fight each other and this even if slightly proceeded to grow in a greater way than in Before. Even if the turning point happened with Himura's indications.

FLASHBACK 4 AND A HALF MONTHS AGO

"Guys Ten is essentially wrapping a wet cloth around a leaky pipe to prevent water from escaping. When you opened your aura nodes to release it without your Ten blocking it it would simply escape and not stay around you, so using Ten you would smear this aura around your bodies and by doing so the aura could no longer come out from your nodes. Ren instead requires you to force the aura out of your nodes, but having already formed Ten prevents the aura from leaking out but if you activate it too late you won't be able to control your aura and you couldn't stop it from escaping! So the trick is to use Ten let it break for a moment and allow the aura to disperse some of it and then quickly reactivate Te, to reconstitute it and strengthen it so that the expelled aura does not disperse but is enveloped by your Ten thus forming the your Ren, Initially you will find it difficult and laborious but in a few sessions you will get used to it and it will be as natural as breathing" Himura explained to us.

END FLASHBACK.

Today we are faced with Toki and Himura who are evaluating our progress.

"Toki I think they did a good job! Reaching 4 hours or close in 5 months is a good result, I am ashamed of it but I was not at their level when I started sigh… How about we could start with the water test and then proceed to explain the advanced techniques?" Himura asks.

"Mmmh yes good job, let's proceed with the water test for now." Toki replies after a bit of contemplation going to get four bowls with water and a leaf inside each.

"Okay now put your hands around the bowl and use your Ren" Himura states with a smile.

By emitting our Ren into the bowl, Jabra and I see that the water present transships, while Kaku changes color more tending towards blue. Looking at him in anticipation Himura and Toki wait for the explanation.

"So guys! The most accurate way to determine one's aura type is through Water Divination. This divination requires floating a leaf above a glass of water. A student of Nen will place his hands around the glass and perform Ren. The effect resulting from touching one's aura with the glass will identify a person's aura type.

1. If the volume of water changes, then the user is an enhancer.

2. If the taste of the water changes, then the user is a Transmuter.

3. If the color of the water changes, the user is an Emitter.

4. If impurities appear in the water, the user is a Summoner.

5. If the leaf moves on the surface of the water, the user is a manipulator.

6. If a completely different change appears, you are a specialist.

Augmenters have the ability to use auras to strengthen or augment the natural abilities of an object or one's own body.

Transmuters are people who can change the properties of their aura to mimic something else or replicate specific attributes. The transmuted aura can take on the properties of natural elements, artificial substances, and even animals, among other things. Altering the shape of one's aura also falls into this category of Nen.

Emitters have the ability to separate their aura from their body. Due to its properties, Emission is typically employed in skills with an emphasis on range and/or those that have long-lasting effects. Basic applications include firing projectiles or high-velocity aura beams.

Summoners in most cases can create a physical, independent, material object from their own aura; however, users in this category can also create laws and principles and enforce them in a specific area, or even create their own pocket dimension.

Manipulators have abilities that allow the user to control living or nonliving things, including aura constructs. The main advantage of this category in combat is the ability to manipulate the enemy himself.

Freelancers are unique in that their strength is that they can create any ability that doesn't belong in any of the other five categories, making it the vaguest Nen type. Specialist skills also tend to have more levels and conditions than skills of other types of Nen.

So after that we can say that Ken and Kaku are Enhancers while Jabra is an Emitter." Himura says calmly describing our Nen categories to us.

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Little Troll guys in the previous chapter!! LOL

Here is the second, but for the third we will wait a little...

I just realized that there is a translation error in Netero's Nen category, sorry. I proceeded to put the correct wording in the following chapters.

As you may have noticed I have little imagination with names ... Eheheheh

But who wouldn't want to see Kenshiro than a Nen LOL.

In the next few days I will upload pictures of the characters and also some monsters they fought against! As always, comment and tell me yours, always with due respect.

I'm a beginner so pity me...