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367 HxH: The Strongest Assassin
🕑 Added 2025-03-17 06:03:01 +0000 UTC"No."
Gon shook his head firmly. "My nose and tongue are sharp—I can't be wrong."
Kurapika and Leorio immediately stopped drinking.
Even though they were thirsty, they trusted Gon more. After traveling together, they knew his instincts were reliable. Besides, even if they had any doubts, they weren't about to take unnecessary risks. Drinking it might be dangerous, but not drinking was the safer option.
"It's not expired—it's poisoned," Killua added, his voice cool and certain. "Right, old man? You spiked these sodas with a laxative. It won't kill anyone, but it'll give them diarrhea bad enough to keep them from taking the next part of the Hunter Exam."
Leorio and Kurapika immediately turned to glare at Tonpa, their hands twitching as if they were ready to act.
That was just Leorio's personality—he had a short temper. As for Kurapika, his determination to pass the Hunter Exam was deeply personal. This test was part of his path to avenging his people.
"Don't be ridiculous! You're accusing me out of nowhere!" Tonpa waved his hands frantically, shaking his head. "If it's poisoned, why am I fine? I've been drinking it too!"
"Because," Killua said flatly, "I've trained in poison resistance since I was a kid. Your weak little trick doesn't work on me."
Killua then smirked. "But since you claim it's safe, how about you offer it to some veteran examinees? Let them have a drink."
Tonpa paled.
The older candidates already knew his tricks—some had fallen for them before. If he tried to offer them spiked drinks, they'd see right through him, and he'd risk angering the wrong people. If they turned against him, he might not even get to take the first exam himself.
Desperate, Tonpa looked at Kaizen. "What about Kaizen? He drank it, and he's fine! How do you explain that?"
Killua turned to Kaizen, curious as well.
It was rare to meet someone who had trained to resist poisons. Even in the underground world, where strength determined everything, it wasn't common.
Kaizen remained calm. "It was poisoned," he admitted. "But it was too weak to affect me. Whether it affects you guys, though... I can't say."
Kaizen had heard two theories about Tonpa. One was that he was just a petty rookie killer who enjoyed tormenting newcomers. The other was that he was secretly a powerful fighter who disguised himself as a weakling, hiding his true strength within the Hunter Exam like a hidden boss in a game.
Judging from his observations, Kaizen found the first theory much more likely. But either way, he had no real interest in dealing with Tonpa any further.
Leorio clenched his fists, while Kurapika's fingers hovered near the hilt of his wooden sword. The atmosphere grew tense.
Tonpa's eyes darted around before he suddenly bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I was wrong. As an apology, I'll share the information I've gathered over the years. It'll help you in the Hunter Exam. I swear I'm telling the truth."
Tonpa wasn't worried about Gon, Leorio, or Kurapika. But Killua and Kaizen... he couldn't read them at all. Especially Kaizen.
"That guy over there, Hisoka—he's dangerous," Tonpa warned, lowering his voice. "He took the exam last year, but he was disqualified for nearly killing an examiner. In other words, even an examiner wasn't strong enough to stop him. If you piss him off, don't expect the proctors to save you."
He gestured toward another candidate. "That one's Gittarackur. This is his first time taking the exam, but just looking at him... he's not someone you want to mess with."
"Then there are the Yamori brothers. All three of them are strong candidates."
Leorio and Kurapika listened carefully, their expressions softening slightly.
Just then, a sharp cry pierced through the air.
Everyone turned toward the sound.
Next to Hisoka, a young man was trembling, his face twisted in agony, drenched in cold sweat. His arms had been sliced into fluttering petals of flesh, scattering to the ground.
The faint scent of blood filled the air.
Hisoka barely glanced at the boy.
"When you bump into someone, you should apologize," he murmured, a smirk tugging at his lips. But it wasn't the bump that had angered him—it was the interruption.
At that moment, Hisoka had been lost in thought, imagining the battles he longed for.
Chrollo wasn't here. Illumi was present, but their fight would have to wait.
That left Kaizen.
Kaizen had unknowingly become Hisoka's top choice for an opponent in the upcoming exams. He licked his lips in anticipation, already picturing their battle.
But what Hisoka didn't know was that his expectations were doomed to fail.
...
Footsteps echoed through the tunnel, followed by the sharp ringing of alarm bells.
"Time's up!"
A voice rang out, drawing everyone's attention.
"Congratulations on reaching the first test site within the allotted time!" The speaker stepped forward. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm your examiner, Satotz. From here, I will lead you to the next testing site. Please follow my lead."
With that, Satotz turned and strode deeper into the tunnel.
One step, two steps...
The examinees followed in a mass, their pace quickening.
Kaizen observed Satotz calmly. He was a Nen user, but his aura wasn't particularly strong—probably a mid-tier B-rank at best. Not someone worth worrying about.
Even without using Nen, Kaizen could easily overpower him with raw physical strength alone. Among the examinees, only a few of the more serious fighters could match him.
As they ran, Satotz gradually picked up speed—walking, jogging, then sprinting.
Gon and Killua exchanged a glance.
"Wanna race?" Gon asked, grinning.
"Sure," Killua replied with a smirk. "Let's do it."
Then, as if by instinct, he turned to Kaizen.
Kaizen simply waved a hand dismissively. "Not interested."
Racing wasn't his thing. He had no reason to waste energy on something so trivial.
Instead, he settled into a steady pace, staying near the middle of the pack. This position allowed him to observe the other examinees—and absorb as much useful information as possible.
