Oboro watched Gon thoughtfully, the question lingering unspoken in his mind: What would you do if you and Killua had to fight to the death one day? But he remained silent. There was no reason to burden someone so young with such heavy thoughts. Besides, he could already guess what the boy's answer would be.
The Hunter Association's airship descended from the sky, its massive form casting shadows over the testing grounds. The staff began to revive the unconscious candidates while Oboro led the twelve successful candidates into the cabin. Unlike last year, Chairman Netero hadn't made an appearance, which meant that Gon and Killua would miss their traditional game of ball toss with the old man during the flight.
As they traveled toward the third phase, Oboro observed how quickly Killua and Gon had bonded. Their friendship had blossomed naturally, the two boys already inseparable. Seizing the moment, he approached Kurapika and handed over the ancient Kurta documents.
"In return, I'll give you some information," Oboro said as Kurapika took the book. "A significant portion of the Scarlet Eyes you're looking for is in the collection of a prince of the Kakin Empire."
Kurapika turned away without a word, but Oboro's next words stopped him in his tracks. "Your clan was indeed slaughtered by the Phantom Troupe. After harvesting the Scarlet Eyes, they sold them through various channels to the Kakin lord for an enormous sum. Although they may have been hired directly by the prince, I can't say for sure. You'll have to confront the spiders face to face to find out the truth."
Studying Kurapika's cold expression, Oboro asked softly, "Do you remember the name Shira?"
A flicker of recognition crossed Kurapika's face.
"The woman you and Pairo rescued in the forest, she was from Meteor City. She grew up with Chrollo, the leader of the Troop, and almost joined their ranks. She probably died after leaving your village."
"How do you know that?" Kurapika demanded. The mere mention of the Phantom Troupe had triggered him - a red glow emanated from beneath his contact lenses. The revelation about Shira had taken him by surprise; only Pairo, the elders, and his parents had known about that encounter.
"Do you have ties to the Phantom Troupe?" Kurapika pressed, his voice tense. The outside world knew very little about the Spiders. He knew they were his enemies, but their appearance, abilities, and operations remained a mystery.
"I have met them," Oboro replied simply.
Kurapika turned around to face him. As a Three-Star Hunter, Oboro's power was immeasurable - he had no reason to lie.
"What do you want?" Kurapika asked darkly. The difference in power between them was obvious. Oboro must have an ulterior motive for sharing this information.
Oboro's slight smile and the shake of his head were unexpected. "You have nothing I need."
Kurapika bit his lip, suspecting a trap. But Oboro continued, "Listen carefully." What followed was a detailed description of each Spider - their names, Nen abilities and other important information.
When he was finished, Oboro walked past Kurapika, pausing to put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "With your current strength, facing them would be suicide. Get your hunter's license first. And drop the hostility - I'm helping you because I borrowed this book. Without it, becoming a three-star hunter would have taken much longer."
He lowered his voice. "Complete your mission well, I heard about the brutal end of your people. The troupe - they deserve to die."
The words instantly transported Kurapika back to that horrible scene: returning home to find the bodies of his people lined up in pairs, their bodies scarred and their eyes gouged out. Most killers left the bodies of their victims, but the Spiders had arranged the Kurta corpses like some twisted celebration - arrogant, treating human life as mere playthings.
Oboro walked away, his hands in his pockets. At the end of the corridor, Hisoka lounged in the shadows, his eternal grin in place. "Are you sure he can threaten the entire troupe alone? He's not in the same league as those two," he meant Killua and Gon.
"Never underestimate the power of determination," Oboro replied calmly. "Don't worry, I only mentioned your number, not your identity."
"Mm, that's fine. You can tell him."
"Should I reveal who you are now?"
"Don't do anything unnecessary."
They walked down the corridor to the lower level of the airship, one in front, one behind. In the stairwell, a small figure reacted with lightning speed, jumping back and disappearing the moment Oboro and Hisoka appeared. Both pretended not to notice.
After they had passed, Killua emerged from his hiding place, his heart pounding. "They're working together?" he thought, pressing a hand to his chest. "Oboro and Hisoka know each other?! I knew Oboro was dangerous - Gon is still in the dark. I have to tell him," Killua's mind raced. His hatred for Oboro stemmed from a bitter realization: the man had taken advantage of his youth and naivety, forcing him to "control" Alluka in order to heal his injuries. This had made his family - especially Illumi - suspicious of his relationship with Alluka, making the following years a nightmare. Only a vow to his father Silva had finally eased his suffering.
That bastard got what he wanted and walked away clean," Killua seethed. Using a child to do his dirty work, he's inhuman. Those snacks and gifts for Alluka were just to sweeten the poison.
But when Killua told Gon about the suspicious connection between Oboro and Hisoka, Gon just smiled. "Wow, Mr. Oboro can even be friends with someone like Hisoka! But they probably just met - it's normal for an examiner and a candidate to be on the same ship."
Killua almost lost it. Who makes friends with a creep like Hisoka?" He found Gon's admiration for Oboro exaggerated. Though Leorio agreed with Killua's analysis, Gon remained firm in his trust of Oboro.
They also noted that Kurapika had disappeared without a trace.
As night fell, the airship continued its journey. Oboro was reading in his quarters when he felt a presence. Moments later, there was a knock at the door.
"Enter," he called.
Kurapika entered, his expression grave.
"Yes?" Oboro asked, even though he knew why the boy had come.
Kurapika dropped to his knees and bowed deeply. "Please accept me as your student! I'll give everything to destroy the troupe and to avenge my people. Those words you spoke earlier, they weren't without meaning, were they?"
"Heh, you're clever," Oboro finally smiled. "Forget about becoming my apprentice. Frankly, your talent doesn't meet my standards and I have no interest in teaching. However, I can help you hunt spiders."