Beta: TaintedLetter

(≧ڡ≦*)

"Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations on escaping Trick Tower," spoke a short man with a pink spiky mohawk. It wasn't difficult to recognize the man was the proctor who had talked with them over the intercom and had watched everything that went on in the tower.

After the 72 hour mark a door at the bottom of the tower opened up and the contestants stepped out onto a beach where the man had been waiting for them.

"Only the Fourth and Final Phase remain," the man went on. He jerked his thumb behind him, over the glistening blue waters of the ocean to point at a tiny island in the distance. "The Fourth Phase will take place over there, on Zevil Island. Let's proceed."

He snapped his fingers and an unimportant helper exited the tower, pushing along a small cart. Resting atop that cart was a black and blue box with a square cut out on top.

'A ballot?'

"I need all of you to draw lots," the man said. "To determine who will hunt and who will be hunted. There are twenty-eight numbered cards in here. In other words, the numbers correspond to all remaining applicant's ID numbers. Now, I need each of you to draw a card in the order you left the tower. Will the first person step forward?"

The joker-like man stepped forward calmly, reaching into the box and pulling out a blank white card.

Then one by one the other contestants stepped forward to take their cards, Miwa included.

"Has everyone taken a card?" the examiner asked after the last contestant took a card. "Then go ahead and remove the sticker."

Miwa pulled back the sticker over the white card revealing the number 11.

"That indicates your target."

While the other contestants immediately covered their numbers, Miwa didn't bother. She left her 13 alone, uncaring who went after her. It might finally make things interesting.

The examiner patted the box. "The box has recorded which card each of you drew. That means you're free to dispose of the cards if you wish. The objective is to steal your target's ID badge."

"Oh, so we don't need to kill each other," one of the contestants said, sounding relieved.

Pussy.

"Naturally you're free to use any method you choose to procure the ID badges. That includes killing your target and taking the badge off their body. Listen carefully. Your target's ID badge is worth 3 points. Your ID badge is worth three points. All other ID badges are worth 1 point. You need 6 points to advance to the Final Phase. You must gather enough ID badges to total of 6 points. That is all."

After that explanation, the contestants were guided on to a ship to take them to the island. They would be forced to remain on the island for at least a week before the ship would return to pick them up.

The ship was decently sized, almost all wood, and to be honest, it looked like it wouldn't be able to survive a B-ranked jutsu.

Miwa took a seat beside Killua, and Gon sat down next to her. She leaned back on the railings of the ship, breathing in the salty taste of the sea.

"What number did you draw?" Killua asked.

"11," answered Miwa immediately, glancing down at her black cargo pants to see if there were any tears that needed attention. Unsurprisingly, there weren't. "Did either of you get my 13?"

"I didn't get 13," Killua said, shaking his head, his white curls bouncing from the motion.

Gon also shook his head. "No..."

Killua held out the card he drew. "I got 110."

Gon winced and pulled out his. "44."

"Who's 110?" Miwa asked.

"No clue," Killua admitted, grimacing as he looked at Gon's. "You got Hisoka?"

"Yeah," Gon sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"Want me to kill him for you?" Miwa offered idly, starting to pick out the dried mud from her black military boots. She frowned when she picked out a piece of human bone—she could tell by the dull smell—before she threw it back over the side of the boat. Killua watched the bone piece go over before he immediately started checking his shoes from any bits of human remains.

Gon shook his head, pulling off his shoes to examine them. "No way. If I can't do this on my own... I don't really deserve to be a Hunter, do I?"

Miwa only shrugged in response, finding another bone piece. "I'll grab some random cards and set up camp near some freshwater. You're both welcome to come find me afterward, or if you need any help."

"You got camping supplies?" Killua asked, surprised, then his eyes widened even more so. "You've got more of those scrolls, don't you? How much can they fit?"

"A lot," Miwa answered, looking over to see Killua flick off a bone piece he had stuck to his shoes. "I got camping gear."

"Eh? How?" Gon asked, looking Miwa over.

"Storage scrolls," Miwa told him. "Come find me on the island and I'll show ya, okay?"

"Okay!"

(≧ڡ≦*)

Upon reaching the island the contestants were let off one by one in the order they completed the tower. Once Miwa was let off she did a quick run around the island to examine it—which barely took a couple of minutes—before she found a good camping spot.

After that, it didn't take ten minutes to track down three different contestants, snap their necks, and collect their badges. Miwa ripped apart their flesh to make it easier for the scavengers to feast, and then decided she'd get to work on setting up a camp.

None of the other contestants worried her, so she wasn't going to bother doing something as silly as hiding.

Nope. She found a decent-sized lake on the island, pulled out her stolen camping supplies from her storage scroll, and set to work. She pitched her tent, rolled out her sleeping bag, blankets, and then gathered up the necessary supplies to start a campfire.

It only took a couple of minutes to grab some fish, and while the fire was getting started she quickly skinned and gutted them.

'Yum,' Miwa thought, dumping the unnecessary guts off to the side. She sent off a few shadow clones to forage the forest of the island. She set up her cooking rack and pot over the fire, and placed the fish inside to cook, along with some basic seasoning.

'Life without storage scrolls is a life I don't want to know about,' she decided.

While the fish was cooking, Miwa laid back in the cool grass and stared up at the pretty blue sky. She supposed now would be a good time to pull out those children's books she stole and try to learn the written language of this world, but she wasn't feeling ready to do so just yet.

A cool breeze blew over the lake, carrying with it the smell of freshwater and grass. Miwa took a deep breath in, letting it out slowly as she felt herself relax.

You should use bijū bomb on the island.

'Kurama!'

What?

'I like Killua and Gon. I don't want to accidentally kill them.'

Oh, sure, accidentally kill some people, just not ones you like? Feh.

'Don't feh me. You'd do the same if it was me!'

Lies.

'I see through your denial, you tsundere.'

HORRIBLE LIES.

Miwa giggled, stretching out in the grass. 'I suppose now would be a good time to... to look at the seal?'

If you can find it, Kurama said. I haven't been able to see it since we... came here.

'But you're with me? I don't remember everything, but I do remember the only thing that's keeping you here with me is that seal. It's supposed to be the bridge between our minds, so both of us should be able to see it in our mindscape.'

Should be able to, yes, Kurama answered in a frustrated tone. Yet it's nowhere to be seen. Come here.

Miwa could feel the gentle tug of Kurama's chakra in the back of her mind. She had not visited her dear, dear, friend since coming to this world but the trip there was not something she could forget. She felt her mind slip away, following the guiding warmth of Kurama's chakra like a lantern in the night.

In between one heartbeat and the next she found herself in their shared mindscape. Her avatar reflected that of her physical, but its outfit was replaced with a comfortable white nightdress and fox patterned pajama pants.

Kurama remained in his ever-impressive true form: a huge chakra monster resembling that of a fox.

The proportions were wrong for a true fox, but there was no denying that he resembled one.

He flicked his ears towards her and stretched out a massive clawed hand for her to step into. Without hesitation, Miwa climbed into his palm, grabbing onto his thumb—it was bigger than she was—and using it to keep herself balanced as he carried her to the top of his head.

Atop Kurama's head, Miwa could see the mindscape Kurama had shaped. She knew he was basing it off their shared memories, and bits of it seemed familiar to her. It was a wide valley covered in delightfully smelling flowers and dotted with crystal clear pounds that reflected the pretty blue sky. As gentle winds blew through this valley, it carried scents that Miwa could practically taste on the tip of her tongue.

They were painfully familiar, yet she could not name who they belonged to.

"Can you feel the chakra from the seal?" Kurama asked her.

Miwa was surprised that she couldn't. It should be obvious while they were inside the mindscape.

"No," she admitted. "That's definitely... odd."

"It's more than odd, it's eerie," Kurama muttered, swinging his head to the right. "I can still change the mindscape as if I was accessing the seal, but it's by sheer will instead of using the seal."

To demonstrate, the world around them was abruptly thrown deep into the water. They rested at the bottom of the ocean, fish and bubbles swimming around them. In the distance, they could see gorgeous, and vividly colored coral reefs that housed thousands of unique plants.

The memory was only that—a memory—so both could breathe fine. The water felt like cool mist against their skin/fur, but nothing unpleasant.

"Oh my," Miwa let out, now trying to will the environment change for herself.

She succeeded in recreating the clearing she was first found in when she came to this world.

"Something's not right here," Kurama admitted. "And it... it doesn't sit well with me."

Miwa scratched her cheek as she considered the problem. "There's always an answer, Kurama. Let's think this over for a while and come back to it. You might have amnesia, too."

Kurama paused at that, his tails flicking. "Hmm... I suppose that's true. Okay. We'll think this over for now."

(≧ڡ≦*)

The first day and night on the island slipped by in comfortable ease. No one came to bother Miwa, and she spent her time sharpening her weapons, making more scrolls, and practicing reading the language of this new world.

She would have been fine to spend the rest of the week in isolation, but she wasn't going to turn down the company.

Especially since it happened to be one of her new friends.

Killua hopped into her camp the second day into the exam with a grin and a wave. "Hey, Miwa. Got your marks?"

"Three of 'em at least," she answered. "Wanna camp with me?"

"Sure," Killua responded, looking around at her camp. "Man, did you fit all of this in one scroll?"

"Yep," she answered smugly, puffing up her chest proudly.

Killua nodded to the book in her lap as he took a seat beside her on the grass. "Is that about it?"

"Huh? Oh... um, no. It's a children's book from the city the start of the exam took place in. I'm, um, learning how to read."

"You... you don't know how to read?" Killua whispered this in disbelief, his eyes filled with mocking pity.

Miwa felt her cheeks burn, and she flushed with embarrassment. "I-I know how to read my language."

"You mean, what'd you call it? Fooey-jutsu?"

"Fūinjutsu," Miwa corrected with a snap.

Killua held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, but there was still a glint of teasing mockery in his eyes. "Is that all?"

"I know kanji," she said, "but there is no kanji here."

"Where did you come from?" Killua asked, tilting his head. "I've never heard of these languages before."

A strong breeze blew through the campsite, picking up the sweet scent of the forest and rippling the water across the river. Miwa's flustered state cooled as she considered how to answer his question.

She had no memories of before—nothing concrete, at least. What she had were flashes, brief moments of intense anger and fear. She knew who Kurama was, but aside from that—

"I don't know," she admitted with a whisper. Her sky-blue eyes glanced away, a small frown tugging her lips down. "I don't remember."

Something about her tone made Killua frown. He leaned toward her, his own pale blue eyes assessing her. "Nothing?"

"Not really," she admitted. "I know... skills, I suppose. The only personal memories I have are of Kurama."

"Kurama?"

"Yes," Miwa said slowly, drawing out the word as she considered how to explain him. She fiddled with her bangs, as she thought before she finally said, "I honestly don't know how to explain him."

Killua sat back at that with a huh. "Is he family?"

"Yes?"

"Is he your dad?"

"He's not related by blood," Miwa said. "But I love him like family."

"Is he dead?"

Many people wish.

"No," Miwa answered.

"Do you know how to get in touch with him?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't you just ask him?" Killua suggested.

Because I don't want you to know. I want you to experience life without baggage.

"Because he won't tell me," Miwa said. "He doesn't want me to know. I guess I have baggage."

"Everyone has baggage," Killua dismissed. He leaned back, placing his palms behind him as he looked up at the pretty sky. "And you can't make him?"

"He's definitely stronger than me," Miwa confidently said.

"Then you'll just have to get stronger," Killua concluded before he grinned cheekily. "And learn how to read."

Miwa flushed. "I-I am learning!"

"Clearly not fast enough," Killua taunted, eyes sparkling with mirth. "You teach me that fooey stuff and teleportation and I'll teach you how to read."

"The hiraishin is family exclusive," Miwa stubbornly said, her eyes narrowed. "Either marry me, or adopt me, because I'm not sharing it any other way."

"Tch." Killua's eyes narrowed. "Is that the only one family exclusive?"

Miwa considered. "Rasengan and its variants are family exclusive, too."

"Rasen-what?'

Miwa smirked, raising her nose up and puffing up. "Heh. Wanna see?"

Killua gave her a look as if to say duh.

The pigtailed blonde raised up her right hand, summoning forth the basic rasengan by memory. The condensed ball of chakra swirled around its dazzling blue, spinning so rapidly it hummed. Killua's eyes were wide with childish wonder—Miwa thought the look suited him—and he asked, "What is it?"

"Condense chakra," she said. "Well, we call it chakra."

"Could I do that?" he asked her, tearing his eyes away from the rasengan to look up at her.

"I think so," she said. She raised her other hand to gently poke his stomach. "You have chakra inside of you. It's strong enough you should be able to use it, but you clearly haven't trained it." She withdrew her hand, tilting her head as she added, "But all your chakra is in one spot. My chakra is throughout my whole body, running alongside my nervous system. I'm not sure if that will make it easier, or harder for you."

Miwa then completed version one of the rasengan, changing it into the rasenshuriken. The other version, rasenharō, was a bit too hazardous to show off. The sheer power of the rasenshuriken vibrated the entire area, making the ground tremble as its high-pitched ringing made Killua wince.

With practiced ease she tossed it away into the river. It obliterated its nearby surroundings, breaking everything down on an atomic level. The radius wasn't overly impressive, but the rasenshuriken wasn't about explosive power like the rasenharō. It was about thorough annihilation.

"It's not as flashy as others," Miwa said, as Killua gaped at the crater, "but it destroys things down on a microscopic level. Nothing survives touching it."

The sheer pain on Killua's face concerned Miwa for a moment before he looked her straight in the eye and deadpanned, "Marry me."

Miwa stared at him for a moment before she burst out into a fit of giggles.

Killua grinned at her. "What? I want those techniques."

"How about you teach me to read and write in this funky language of yours, and I'll teach you fūinjutsu and some other techniques," Miwa offered.

"That's fine. But I'm not giving up on the rassy ball or the hirai-tely-porty thing. How far can you teleport?"

"Countries away," she proudly answered.

"Yep. Not giving that up." Killua nodded firmly at this while he reached over and grabbed one of the childrens books. "Come over here and let's get started."

Miwa scooted over to sit close to Killua as he flipped open the first page.

(≧ڡ≦*)

The week on the island went by smoothly. On a whim Miwa put up a very minor genjutsu around the campsite so they wouldn't be interrupted by pathetically weak contestants. It was subtle enough that anyone smart enough ought to be able to ignore it.

But it seemed to be powerful enough that it deterred several contestants from even coming near them.

Killua and Miwa alternated between teaching each other the odd languages. Miwa showed off several ninjutsu techniques that made Killua's eyes sparkle like a clear night sky. Even water walking made him whistle.

Kurama wanted to step out and show him true skills, but since that would definitely mean the devastation of the island (and a lot more) Miwa politely told him absolutely not.

At the end of the week Killua and Miwa packed up camp and headed over to the beach to meet up with the rest of the surviving contestants. To Killua and Miwa's delight Gon was already waiting for them, giving them both a sunny grin and welcoming them. "Hey guys!"

"Gon!" Killua and Miwa exclaimed happily, rushing over to him.

"So how did your exam go?" Gon asked them, all sunshine and smiles.

"Pretty good. Killua proposed to me," Miwa said nonchalantly.

"Wha—Congrats!" Gon exclaimed.

"Thanks," they said before the three of them burst out into a fit of childish giggles.

(≧ڡ≦*)

BONUS TT!AU - In which Miwa, Killua, and Gon have traveled back to this point in time with all the knowledge / skills they possess.

Assuming they were all well behaved at this point and did not kill anyone yet.

"Okay, everyone got their cards?" Killua asked, glancing over at Gon.

He, Gon, and Miwa were currently standing atop the water, a fair distance away from the island. Miwa had conjured two shadow clones that were currently carrying Kurapika and Leorio since neither of them could water walk.

"Yep," Gon said cheerfully.

"This is weird," Kurapika observed, looking down at the cards that were shoved in his hands.

"Thanks for helping us and all, but you really don't need to," Leorio tried to say but was shushed by Miwa.

Gon and Killua turned to Miwa, eyes bright as they started to chant, "Bijū bomb. Bijū bomb. Bijū bomb."

Bijū bomb. Bijū bomb. Bijū bomb, Kurama joined in.

Miwa smiled at her friends and obliged.

The bijū bomb obliterated the island, the remaining contestants, caused several tidal waves, and made Leorio faint.

(≧ڡ≦*)

Wholesome and innocent friendships make me smile.

The story will be taking a minor break for the holidays, resuming on January 6th, 2020. :) I'll see you all next year, and hope you guys have an absolutely fantastic winter!

Answer: Does Pokemon count? If yes, then Pokemon. If no then How I Met Your Mother because it'd be nice to for sure get a happy ending and have all my worries resolved in one or two episodes.

Question: If you were a character in HxH what would be the theme of your character arc? Finding self worth like Uchiha!Killua? Finding humanity like Big King Daddy Ant Man? Finding your old man like Gon?

Reviews are love!