Before officially starting his training, Yuu paid a visit to Maldo, the noodle shop owner from before.
After catching up, Yuu learned that the gang members hadn't dared to cause trouble since the incident. In fact, their attitude had done a complete 180. They were actually helping Mr. Maldo manage the shop and had even hand-delivered cash to cover the repair costs.
The reason?
Their boss had found out about Yuu.
The mysterious mob boss had strictly ordered his subordinates to look after Maldo's shop. He had also left a phone there, making it clear that the next time Yuu stopped by, he hoped Yuu would use it to contact him.
Out of curiosity, Yuu dialed the only number stored in the phone.
Beep.
After the tone, a middle-aged man's voice came through slowly: "This is Light Nostrade. I'm the head of the Nostrade Family."
"I heard my subordinates' subordinates offended you earlier. Please accept my apologies. I'm willing to guarantee that nothing like that will ever happen again. However, regarding you... how should I address you?"
"I don't have much time, so cut to the chase," Yuu said, his voice low. "I figure you want something from me."
At that moment, in Yorknew City.
Light Nostrade was sitting in his newly purchased luxury car. He didn't dismiss the voice on the other end just because it sounded young.
On the contrary, he was shocked that despite the boy's youth, he had immediately guessed his intentions.
After a moment of thought, Light spoke plainly:
"I was hoping... you could come and serve as my Head of Security. Specifically, to be responsible for my daughter's safety.
"To be honest, I can sense that my rivals are plotting to take us out. We desperately need an expert of your caliber to join the security team.
"As for the pay... as long as you're willing to meet in person, I will seriously consider any demand you make."
"Forget the money. I'm more interested in why protecting your daughter... has anything to do with the rise and fall of your family," Yuu asked.
Hearing the name "Nostrade," Yuu quickly pieced together who the "daughter" was.
Neon Nostrade.
In the original story, she was one of the few Specialists with a prophecy ability. It was solely because of her power that her father, Light Nostrade, was able to rise through the ranks so quickly, cozying up to various mafia big shots with her 100% accurate fortunes.
But naturally, that kind of rapid ascent made them plenty of enemies.
If Chrollo, the leader of the Phantom Troupe, hadn't eventually stolen her ability, Light Nostrade might have actually had a shot at a seat among the Ten Dons.
However...
Even though Yuu already knew the backstory, he wanted Light to say it himself. Even a small hint would show sincerity.
But regardless of whether Light spilled the beans or not, Yuu had no intention—and certainly no time—to play bodyguard.
Right now, Yuu's mind was entirely focused on his upcoming training.
"..."
After thirty seconds of dead silence on the line, Yuu simply hung up.
On the other end, Light put down the phone. He wasn't angry; instead, he looked thoughtfully at the man driving the car.
"Kurito, in the world of Nen users, how strong is someone who doesn't fear bullets?"
The driver, Kurito, was a member of Light's current security detail and claimed to be a seasoned Nen user.
"If they're an Enhancer," Kurito replied, "being able to block bullets with just their physical body would make them a top-tier fighter."
"As for other categories... forgive my bluntness, but I've never even met a master at that level."
Hearing this, Light fell silent.
Before rising to power through his daughter's ability, Light had never interacted with these so-called "Nen users."
Kurito was already the strongest expert he had met, capable of easily withstanding attacks from sharp weapons without a scratch.
So, after hearing Kurito's assessment, Light realized the boy's strength was far beyond his imagination.
For a normal person, the only smart move when dealing with a monster like that was to be friendly. Making an enemy of him was absolutely off the table.
Besides, in Light's philosophy... you never knew when you might need someone down the road. It paid to be polite to everyone.
...
Meanwhile.
In another bustling, unnamed city.
Following the address Hisoka had provided, Machi arrived at a hotel room door and knocked.
Knock, knock.
A moment later, the door opened. Hisoka, fresh out of the shower, stood there with a smile.
"Fast work~"
"You're a rare, high-paying client, after all. Also... put some clothes on before the treatment." Machi ignored Hisoka's gaze and walked into the room with a cold expression.
After a moment, Machi had Hisoka sit on the bed. She glanced at the right arm he had mentioned on the phone.
"Deactivate your ability. Let me see the damage."
"OK."
Hisoka smiled, brushing his hand over his right arm to reveal the hidden injuries.
Fractured hand bones, blast marks from explosives, and an arm covered in deep bruises and lacerations...
Seeing this, Machi frowned slightly.
"With your strength, the Hunter Exam shouldn't have given you any trouble. To end up this banged up... you did this on purpose, didn't you?"
"Unfortunately, this was an exception," Hisoka said. He thought back to Yuu, and the smile on his face twisted into something bordering on ecstasy.
Hearing this, Machi didn't bother prying further.
"Whatever. Let's just start the treatment."
"The situation is a bit complicated this time... it might hurt a little. Also, I didn't bring any anesthesia. Is that a problem?"
"Just get on with it~" Hisoka said, unbothered.
Machi took her tools out of her bag. She used a blade to reopen the wounds on Hisoka's arm one by one, exposing the cross-sections of the injuries to make her Nen ability more effective.
[Nen Stitches]
A healing ability capable of stitching wounds together at the cellular and neural level with extreme precision.
Basically, as long as the arm was still there—not incinerated or rotted away—this ability could perfectly reattach and restore it.
Without a sound, Machi released a massive amount of aura. She threaded her needles with 'threads' formed from her aura. After a quick assessment of the tissue, she entered a state of extreme focus.
She began stitching immediately.
Hisoka looked down at the Nen threads flashing back and forth through his flesh, a look of pure pleasure on his face.
In no time, the numerous wounds on his arm were stitched shut.
"Such a mesmerizing ability," Hisoka said, testing the rotation of his arm. He offered a genuine compliment.
Treatment complete, Machi grabbed her bag and headed for the door, tossing a reminder over her shoulder.
"The fee is 20 million Jenny. Don't forget."
"Don't worry, the money will be wired to your account. More importantly... any word from the Leader?" Hisoka asked, bringing up previous business.
Machi stopped at the door.
"The next 'gathering' will be in roughly one year. The location is confidential; I'll contact you when it's time."
"Also, while I'm happy to make a quick buck, try not to get torn up over boring stuff. Even my 'Nen Stitches' can only get you close to 100% recovery..."
With that, Machi left the room.
Silence returned.
Hisoka stood up and looked through the glass at the sprawling city lights outside. He muttered to himself:
"One year, huh...? That really is something to look forward to."
...
---