"We will begin freestyle sparring following the pressure drills. Everyone, stay sharp! Begin!"
Hmm. Of the nearly one thousand disciples here at the dojo headquarters, only about twenty are instructors. When it comes to those ranked Assistant Master or higher, there are only four... We are shorthanded.
It has been over ten years since Ryusho-sensei entrusted me with the position of Dojo Master. We have added branches and the number of disciples has grown significantly, but the number of instructors to guide them is woefully insufficient. I should probably request personnel from the branch schools immediately, but I wonder if there is anyone truly suitable... Even if the numbers are there, it means nothing without quality. Or perhaps I am being too demanding?
If I could focus entirely on teaching, things might improve slightly, but with this many students, it would be like throwing a drop of water onto a parched stone. Besides, I cannot afford to neglect my own training. I wish I could spend all my time honing my skills, but reality isn't that kind.
Sigh. If only there were someone capable of taking over as Dojo Master. At the bare minimum, they would need to surpass me in both mind and body. Actually, I won't settle for anything less. I absolutely will not allow someone weaker than myself to become my successor-to succeed Ryusho-sensei.
Ah, if only a day were forty-eight hours long, I could train so much more... There is never enough time.
"Master Liina! The office says there's a phone call for you. They're holding the line and say it's urgent!"
"...Urgent? That sounds ominous. Did they give a name?"
"Y-yes, they said it's Chairman Netero from the Hunter Association..."
"-! I understand. I'll be right there. Good work; you may return to your training."
"Y-yes, ma'am!"
An urgent matter from that old gee-Chairman Netero? Whatever could he want?
"-Hello. This is Liina speaking."
"Oho! Liina-chan. Sorry to bother you while you're busy. It's me, Netero!"
"If you know I'm busy, don't call me."
"Sharp as ever, I see. Actually, there are two things I wanted to ask you about. That's why I called."
"Things you want to ask? What is it, you old f-Chairman Netero?"
"Wait, you were just about to call me an old fart, weren't you?! Isn't that a bit harsh?"
"You're imagining things, Net-Old Fart Chairman."
"You didn't even need to correct yourself there! Why did you say it twice?!"
"My apologies. My tongue slipped."
"That was on purpose! Nobody slips their tongue like that!"
"We aren't getting anywhere. If you called just to waste my time with idle chatter, I'm hanging up."
"Eeh! Fine, fine, enough!"
I suppose I've teased him enough. It really is a waste of time.
"So, what did you want to ask?"
"Hmm. Before that, eavesdropping would be a nuisance. Would you mind switching to the secure line?"
The secure line? He must mean the direct line to Chairman Netero in Sensei's old room. If he wants to use that, the subject must be incredibly important.
"Understood. Please wait a moment."
What could it be? For a conversation to require the secure line... could it be about the Black Book?
The Black Book. A volume compiled by Sensei containing various Nen abilities and training methods. Because the title had faded from repeated reading and age, it was named the Black Book after the color of its cover.
I found it while sorting through Sensei's effects. The ink inside had faded considerably, and some parts were so damaged they were illegible. Even so, the Black Book contained descriptions of Nen abilities beyond the imagination of ordinary men. To a Nen user, it would be a coveted treasure.
And that is why-it was stolen. I sent it to a research institute for deciphering, and it hasn't been seen since. I've requested the Hunter Association to search for it, but there hasn't been any good news...
But now, a direct call from Chairman Netero on the secure line. Could it be-?
I can't suppress the racing of my heart; my pace quickens despite myself.
"Thank you for waiting. We should be secure now."
"Mm. It's been a while since this line was used. No one should be listening in here."
"Now, what was it you wanted to ask?"
"...The first thing I want to ask is about the Permeating Palm."
It's not about the Black Book... No, perhaps that's the second matter. It's too early to be disappointed.
"What about the Permeating Palm? Ah, don't tell me you want to experience it for yourself? Very well. It will be a poor imitation compared to Sensei's, but I shall strike you with everything I have."
"Are you trying to kill me?! I never want to feel that technique again as long as I live!!"
"Again? You've never actually received it. Not a full-power Permeating Palm. If Sensei had hit you with his full strength, you'd be in a grave by now. That is one of the most lethal techniques in the Kazama Style."
Though, knowing Chairman Netero, he might be able to defend himself by skillfully manipulating the aura inside his body.
"...Lethal. Which is why its practitioners must be chosen with the utmost care. Correct?"
"? Yes, that's right. As I just said, the Permeating Palm is so deadly that it remains the ultimate secret of the Kazama Style. I am the only one Sensei ever taught. No one else even knows it exists."
"...And you haven't taught it to any of your own disciples?"
"I've taught no one. To pass on the Permeating Palm is to name my successor. Unfortunately, no one of that caliber has appeared yet."
"Then what about the original branch of the Kazama Style back in Japon? Could there be a user there?"
"Impossible. Technically, the Permeating Palm is Ryusho-sensei's original technique. I've told you-I am currently the only practitioner... You're being awfully roundabout. What exactly are you trying to say?"
...Wait. Surely what the Chairman is implying-no, that's impossible. There shouldn't be anyone else who can use the Permeating Palm!
"The truth is... I fought a user of the Permeating Palm the other day."
"Absurd!! That's impossible...!! Are you sure it was the Permeating Palm?! Perhaps you mistook it for some other technique..."
"As if I could mistake it. How many times do you think I was hit by Ryusho?"
That's true... With the Chairman's skill, it's hard to believe he would be mistaken, but still...!
"If it were just that, one might think it a coincidence-two people developing the same move."
"You're saying there's more?"
"...They used the Willow-Leaf Sway to take my blind spot, and then they hit me with a soft-counter. Unmistakably the 'Aiki' of the Kazama Style. They caught me off guard and sent me flying through the air."
"I-I don't believe it... Even the Willow-Leaf Sway? And they threw you-the master of Shingen-Ryu Kung Fu-even if you were being careless?"
"You really don't hold back with the insults, do you..."
"Who is this person?! Where are they?! Why did you fight someone who appears to be a practitioner of our style?!"
"Technically, it wasn't a fight. Just a little game I played with a candidate during a break in the Hunter Exam..."
Playing games during the exam? That sounds like him.
"Then... this person is a candidate?"
"Mhm. Her name is Aisha. A gorgeous, black-haired girl in the prime of her youth-and quite well-endowed, I might add!"
"You should probably just die, you old creep."
"You're not even trying to hide it anymore?!"
"My apologies. My true feelings just slipped out. Please die as an apology."
"Why should I?! Ahem! Anyway, setting that aside. This girl, Aisha-"
"-Used the secret arts of the Kazama Style... Wait. You said 'girl'?"
"...According to her exam application, she is thirteen years old."
"Th-thirteen? At such a young age, she has the Aiki to throw you and knows the Permeating Palm? That's impossible! I won't accept it!! If that's true, then... then are you saying the hundred-plus years Sensei spent honing his craft are equal to a mere decade for this girl?!"
I can't accept that-I won't-
"Calm down, Liina! ...I understand why you can't wrap your head around it. Having experienced it firsthand, I find it hard to put into words myself. But the reality is, the sharpness of Aisha-chan's technique and the presence of her quietly burning fighting spirit... it was exactly like Ryusho."
"..."
If the Chairman says so, it must be true... This man was Sensei's only true rival and friend.
"...Do you remember me saying I had two things to ask?"
"Oh, right. That first part was so shocking it completely slipped my mind. Though I still want to hear more details about the girl."
"The second matter is about the Black Book."
"-! You found it!?"
"No, not that. We're still searching, but it hasn't turned up yet..."
"Ugh! What on earth are you people doing? You're a disgrace to the name of Pro Hunters!"
"My apologies. We heard rumors it hit the black market two years ago, but we've lost the trail since then. I dispatched Hunters immediately, but it had already changed hands through a different route, and we couldn't trace the source."
"I heard that report. I also heard the Hunters dispatched were from the Association's 'contractor' group, under the thumb of that fake Vice Chairman... If that man wasn't in his position, I would have beaten him senseless by now."
"...Yes, I'm truly sorry. Somehow, the mission was swapped to the contractors mid-way. It was my mistake."
"Enough. Just get it back as soon as possible. That is a precious memento left by Sensei... Honestly, I would go look for it myself, but I don't have the time, and tracking things isn't my specialty..."
"I know... We've drifted off-topic. Liina-chan, how much of the Black Book's content do you remember?"
"I remember every word that we managed to decipher. As his top disciple, that is only natural."
"I-I see. That's good. I read it too, but I don't remember every single detail."
"And? What about it?"
"Well, you know. I'm sure it was in there, wasn't it? That Nen ability about reincarnation?"
"Ah, you mean [Samsara: The Cycle of Rebirth]. The Black Book described it like this:"
[Samsara: The Cycle of Rebirth]
Type: SpecializationAbility: Rebirth into a new life after death. Allows the user to carry over their knowledge, experience, and aura reserves.
Does not activate unless the user dies.Any cause of death is acceptable, but it will not trigger upon suicide. Intentionally allowing oneself to be killed by another is also considered suicide.
"That is all of the configuration for [Samsara] we could decode. Unfortunately, the section regarding the Vows was torn, so the details are unknown, and other parts were missing, so it's likely inaccurate. If such a thing were actually possible, the Vows would have to be incredibly heavy... Even for a Specialist, it seems impossible to achieve."
"...The reason I brought this up is because I saw the shadow of Ryusho in that girl, Aisha."
"You can't be serious... You think this girl, Aisha, is Sensei's reincarnation...!"
"I believe there is a significant possibility..."
"Don't be ridiculous! Reincarnation with knowledge and abilities intact? Even for Sensei... Besides, Sensei was a Manipulator. He shouldn't have been able to learn a Specialization ability."
"He might have shifted to Specialization later in life."
"Even so-"
"Tell me, do you know what Ryusho's Hatsu actually was?"
-! The question catches my breath. That's right. I don't know. I don't know what Sensei's Nen ability actually was.
"...No. I asked him many times, but he never told me."
"Exactly. Even when fighting me, he never once used a Hatsu. When I asked him myself, he claimed he didn't have one for combat."
"No combat Hatsu... In other words, you think it's highly likely he had a Hatsu for something other than fighting."
"Precisely. It's unthinkable that a man so dedicated to becoming stronger wouldn't create a combat Hatsu. But what if it wasn't that he wouldn't, but that he couldn't?"
"-! He didn't have enough capacity left to create one for combat...?"
"Exactly. Which means he had created a Nen ability that consumed an immense amount of his capacity."
"And you think that was [Samsara]...!"
"To top it off, there's Aisha-chan's age. It has been nearly fourteen years since Ryusho passed away. The girl is thirteen. If he died and was reborn, the timing is perfect... With all these pieces falling into place, it's harder to deny it than to believe it."
"...Could it be? Is she really Ryusho-sensei's reincarnation?"
"I can't say for sure yet. However..."
"?"
"I find it hard to believe there's anyone besides Ryusho who could defend against my [Hyakushiki Kannon]. Especially at the tender age of thirteen."
...Huh? What is this old man talking about?
"Defend... against the [Hyakushiki Kannon]?"
"...Oh? D-did I not mention that?"
"This is the first I'm hearing of it! What is wrong with you?! Who in their right mind uses the [Hyakushiki Kannon] on a thirteen-year-old girl!! Were you trying to kill her?"
"N-now, wait, she used the Permeating Palm on me when I couldn't dodge... A-and she was mostly unharmed, so it's fine!"
"Being unharmed isn't the point-! ...Unharmed?"
"Y-yes. Well, she had some minor scratches, and I couldn't tell the state of her internal organs, but after taking the hit, she just bounced back up and ran off..."
"I-if she truly blocked the [Hyakushiki Kannon], then it really is hard to imagine anyone but Ryusho-sensei."
Sensei, reborn? -But if that's the case, then why-
"-Why hasn't Sensei said anything to us?"
"...We don't know for sure if she is his reincarnation. And even if she is, there's a chance she doesn't have his consciousness or memories. Based on our conversation, she really just seemed like an ordinary girl. I don't think Ryusho could pull off an acting job like that."
"...I understand. In that case, I will see her myself and judge. Where is the current Hunter Exam taking place?"
"Whoa, hold on. You can't just barge in there. It's too early for that. The third phase has only just begun. Meeting her now might ruin her chances of passing the exam. I can give you some time just before the final phase. Please wait until then."
"Tch... Fine. But you must contact me the moment that time comes. If you forget, there will be consequences."
"I know, I know. Don't glare at me like that. I'll call you with enough time for you to travel."
"Honestly, you should just pass her right now. Surely you have the authority? It sounds like she more than has the skill."
"I-I can't just make exceptions like that!"
"Why do you sound so flustered?"
"I-it's nothing! Anyway, since we're done here, I'm hanging up. Later~"
Click-
How incredibly rude, hanging up like that.
But if what he said is true... if Ryusho-sensei really has been reborn...
Even if his appearance is different, I might see him again? He could train me again!?
Oh, how wonderful that would be! I know! I'll have Sensei take over the dojo! It was his to begin with, so there's no problem at all. And then I can receive his guidance once more... Haaah...
N-no, I mustn't get ahead of myself. There's a strong possibility that Aisha is not Sensei.
But even in that case, perhaps I should make her my successor and have her take over the dojo?
From what I've heard, she is incredibly capable. A practitioner of the Kazama Style, too. I don't know her background, but if there are no issues there, it's a brilliant idea.
If there are problems with her background or personality, I'll just have to "correct" her, like I did with Tonpa-san... Though, I suppose that particular correction was a bit of a failure.
Her age might be a hurdle, but that is simply a matter of time. And then I could finally devote myself to my own training...
Ah! I want to meet her! I want to meet Aisha as soon as possible! How many years has it been since I felt this excited? Hehehe, I suspect I won't be getting much sleep for a while.
---
AN
The protagonist's embarrassing past begins to circulate through the world...
The "Black Book" (LOL) is conveniently damaged in all the places that would be dangerous if seen.