Ron watched as the woman finished talking to Gogus. With a quick mental command, he dismissed Sasuke, and then he, Ponzu, and Ruco headed down the mountain path. More members of Gogus's team arrived one by one, but only Gogus actually went into the village; the rest stayed outside, setting up a small support base.
Ruco, having just awakened her Nen ability, was still excited and hoping for a chance to test it out. Ponzu, however, seemed dazed; she clearly couldn't just forget about her village so easily. In some ways, her situation resembled Kurapika's: both left their homes, only to return and find nothing but destruction. Everyone in the village had vanished. But there was a crucial difference. Kurapika knew his tribe had been murdered and who was responsible. He had a target for his revenge. Ponzu had none of that—she didn't even know if there was a culprit at all. She had no idea whether it was a natural disaster or a human-caused catastrophe.
At least Kurapika's hatred had a clear focus. Ponzu wasn't sure if she should be angry at anyone.
Once they reached the foot of the mountain, Ron glanced backward, saying nothing. He pretended to be absorbed in a casual conversation with Ruco instead.
"Ruco," he asked, "what do you plan to do next?"
She hesitated for a moment. "Ron… teacher, do you have a plan for me?"
Ron paused as though weighing his words. "I have two suggestions for you:
"One: You could pick the type of Hunter you want to become, then look for partners, form your own team, and move forward like most Hunters do. Regarding the Nen training I gave you… If I need your help later, just repay me then.
Hearing this, Ruco couldn't hide a flicker of disappointment. She had assumed Ron wanted her on his own team. Now it sounded more like he was dismissing her. Did that mean he considered her talent lacking?
She glanced over at Ponzu. Ron went on, "Two: You could head to Heaven's Arena and look for someone named Sally. She's part of my team, and her abilities are somewhat similar to yours. You could train under her."
A hint of excitement sparked in Ruco's eyes. Before learning Nen, she'd been torn about whether to stick with Ron. But after discovering how expansive the Nen world was—and realizing how strong Ron was—she understood that joining his team would be a rare opportunity. Missing it would force her into a lesser circle of Nen users and limit her growth. Someone who's had a glimpse of a greater world is reluctant to settle for less.
"I'll go with the second option," she said without much hesitation.
"Alright," Ron agreed. "When we get to the city, I'll give you Sally's contact. I'll also talk to her in advance about you going to Heaven's Arena."
"Thank you, Ron… teacher."
"No need to call me 'teacher.' Like Ponzu, just call me 'Captain.'"
"Understood, Captain."
Ron then looked toward an abandoned little cabin off the path. "Ruco, Ponzu—let's go in there to rest for a bit."
Ponzu was still distracted, while Ruco looked puzzled. "Captain, you want to rest already?"
He led them inside. The moment they entered, Ron flicked his finger, causing a door to materialize on the wall—an entrance to Sumass's space.
"Go on in," he said. "I'll explain later."
Ruco and Ponzu exchanged a glance, then went through without question. Another thought from Ron, and the door vanished. Now he wouldn't have to worry about protecting anyone in the coming fight. This was one of the reasons Sumass was so useful: if a battle broke out, Ron could hide his support- or intel-focused allies inside it.
He exited the cabin and looked toward the nearby woods. "You're not coming out, I take it?"
Someone hiding behind a tree felt his heart jump. He assumed Ron must have sensed something amiss and was bluffing. But in the next second, he realized something was very wrong: a figure suddenly appeared nearby, inhaling sharply.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
Flames roared forward, forcing the hidden man to dodge hastily. "He really did find me!" he thought.
Before he could recover, another figure flickered at his flank, lightning crackling around his hand.
Sasuke's electrified palm drove into the stranger's torso, delivering not only physical damage but also a numbing shock. The man lurched back, clutching a fresh wound on his abdomen. The edges were scorched black, giving off the pungent odor of burnt flesh.
From a distance, Ron sized him up: a young man in ragged clothes, vines and leaves sprouting from his skin. His twisted expression betrayed either agony or something else entirely. Lifting his eyes to Ron, he wore a look of bitter hatred. But Ron sensed it wasn't directed at him.
"If he's not targeting me," Ron thought, "then it must be Ponzu or Ruco. But Ruco's never been here, so that leaves Ponzu."