Chapter 4

-I- :Kurama talking

'Hope' :Thoughts to Kurama

[You] :Author speaking

"Enjoy" :Naruko speech in the physical world

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"What the f- I mean duck just happened." I sat down on the floor mind-blowned. "Gon!" I heard a scream, to find Kurapika, "Alright since he's here let's go!" I cheered.

• • •

"-Uko! NARUKO!" "NANI!!?" I screamed back out by reflex, "...It's nothing much but I just wanted to ask, how did you manage to fend off against him?" "You mean that pedo?" I asked, "Um... If you mean Hisoka than yes." Gon replied.

"Oh... Just lot's of practice and training for sure." I said, shuddering at the intense training I did when I was younger. "I see..." Gon placed on a thinking face.

But it did make you tough Yeah, so it's worth my blood, sweat and tears "Phew! WE MADE IT JUST IN TIME!" I fist pumped in the air energetically "Thanks for leading the way Gon." I said giving him a pat at the back for his good work.

"Leorio!" I heard Gon scream as all of us dashed towards him, "Urgh... Why am I so beat up." "You don't remember anything?" I asked with a mischievous smile, "Yeah, it's all hazy."

"Hah! That's cause you tripped and fell old man! Your bones were so brittle that you probably fractured them!" I laughed out loud ignoring his expression as he looked at me angrily.

"Hey! You guys actually made it out of there alive, I thought we wouldn't see each other again." Leorio's angry retort was interjected by Killua as we turned to face him. "Mou~ Have more faith in us Killua." I pouted at him.

"Yeah and I tracked Leorio here by his cologne!" Gon said "Yep, and if nobody stepped in, I would have kicked some more butts and looked badass!" I said sulkily, "You guys are definitely one of a kind."

"Alright guys listen up! Phase two of the exam will take place in the Biska Forest Park. And so, I shall take my leave, best of luck to you all." Mr sato announced before he walked off weirdly.

"By the way Leorio, just wanted to tell you... We are here at the forest." I stressed at my words, giggling evilly afterwards at Leorio's pissed off look.

"Of course I know that you brat!" Leorio snapped at me, "I know but just in case you forgot about it since you're so old." I pushed on Leorio's buttons smirking at him.

'He's way too amusing for me to stop teasing him' -Judging by his previous few expressions... Agreed.-

The wall opened horizontally as an authoritative voice rang out "All participants who passed phase one please enter."

[We are presented by Naruko taking her own sweet time walking there...]

"I want you guys to cook." Menchi announced which made several people amongst the crowed question them, "Cooking?" I muttered.

'I am certainly a good cook! This will be easy!'

-And how do you know how to cook?-

'Because I cook for Naruto and myself almost everyday?'

-So how do you know that your simple and easy Ramen dish, can satisfy them?-

'...'

I was left speechless, 'Kurama's right...' -I'm always right.-

'What if they don't like it? Does this mean I'll fail the hunter exams and have to wait another year to continue?' -Calm down, I'm sure it'll be just fine.-

"Yes, your challenge for the second phase is to produce a dish that will satisfy our palate." "Why do we have to cook?!" Someone from the crowd asked, "Why? That's because we are gourmet hunters." She answered his question.

Her reply caused people in the crowd to laugh at it, I scrunched up my brows in confusion before using my hands to prop my chin.

"Isn't cooking very vital in lifes? I mean without eating good food we will die, and besides if you hate anybody all you have to do is to just poison their food." I asked my friends.

Apparently I said that super loudly since everybody stopped laughing to turn and look at me surprised, "Yes this little girl is well... partially correct. For this challenge, the required ingredient is pork."

"You can use meat from any species in this forest and you must use those appliances provided to prepare the pork."

"You'll pass only if we both find it nice." Menchi said with a scowl on her face, "You may begin!" She said as everybody started dashing towards the forest.

After they found the meat...

I began dragging the meat back to my station as I stood there thinking of how to cook it. Hmm... Flavour is important as well as presentation... Well sucks to be you, I can't help you cook. Oh well time for me to try than...

Oh well, I'm just gonna roast it. Add some garnish, pepper and salt. *Randomly adds a pinch of salt and pepper* Hey it actually smells nice.

Well might as well add them in the ramen broth I made. I than began slicing up the meat perfectly as I kind of have a bit of OCD but that doesn't matter. I knew it! You have OCD! *Ignores Kurama*

"*Sniff* *sniff* Do you smell that Menchi? It smells delicious." "Hm... Maybe it might not be so bad." She murmured with an amused expression. "Now eat the pig and pass me." A rude contestant says as he crossed his arms arrogantly.

One by one Menchi rejects them while Buhara accepts all of the dishes, eating them up. By looking at Menchi's face she looks super irritated, I frowned. Great now there's a higher possibility that she might fail me.

"Hey Naruko! Where's yours?" Gon questioned, "Um... It's so bad... I charred it... You'll see it later." I lied as he peeked around me with me trying to block his view to find my genjutsu looking charred pig. "Oh... Good luck Naruko!" He exclaims positively.

Leorio went up and presented his dish as I sighed, what's with that flag on it... "IS THIS A KID'S MEAL!?" Menchi exclaimed irritated as she flipped the food up in the air. Buhara still accepts it as he jumps up in the air ti grab it.

"Good luck Gon!" I cheered as Gon presented his one, Uh... What did he do to it... There is firstly a pink ribbon tied on it's tail and ears, than there is flowers surrounding the whole plate and on it like a flower crown.

I tried holding in my laughter as my face became bright red, "IT'S THE SAME THING!" She screeched as I let out my laughter, "I'm next." Kurapika said as he presented his.

Well... It looks interesting like a burger. Ooh~ Menchi's taking a bite. "DISGUSTING!" She exclaimed as she flipped it once more, as Kurapika looks taken aback by her answer.

"Appearance is important but only if it tastes good. You're no better than the others." She lectured, Oh gosh... I'm feeling nervous now Don't be, yours actually looks decent. Wow thanks...

"I-I'm next." I stuttered nervously as I took out my actual bowl of food, "Wow Naruko what's that! I thought you said you charred your meat!?" Gon exclaimed, "Uh... I charred part of it. But it's bad." I said as I placed the bowl on the table.



"Wow something new and interesting, it smells and looks pretty decent." She praised out loud, "Now for the taste..." She said as I shut my eyes. "It's... It's..." I hear Menchi trailing off, "It's?" A ot of people chorused together and asked. "It's... DELICIOUS! Please join the gormuet hunters! You'll be a perfect match!" Menchi exclaimed shaking me.

My eyes widenned in surprised as I yelled out happily, "I PASSED!" "What!? That's unfair, you'te baised to females!" The other contestents exclaimed angrily. I gave them my infamous death glare which made all of them tremble, "Don't mind if I do." I hear Buhara say as he grabbed the whole bowl and poured it in his mouth.

"HEY YOU IDIOT! LEAVE SOME FOR ME!" She exclaimed pounding at Buhara's body angrily, "Whoops sorry. *BURP* I'm stuffed!" "Yup! Just eating that bowl made me stuffed as well. Therefore only you f/n (f/n means favourite number) passed. We're finished~!" She says happily.

"*Phew* I thought I would fail it." I say relieved, "WHAT THE HELL!" I suddenly hear the people outbursts as they started screaming at her angrily. "This isn't funny!" I turned my head to see the previous rude and arrogant guy breaking the sink as water spewed out of it.

"I refuse to accept this!" He exclaimed angrily, "Well in the end you've still failed~" Menchi gloated, "Stop f***ing around!" He exclaimed outraged, I ran towards him and smacked him down.

"Nah ah ah~ Boy you shouldn't curse infront of a kid." "What? You brat!" He exclaimed raising his fist to slam down at me as I stared at his fist. "Naruko!" I hear the others screaming out my name in worry as I smirked.

He was punched away by Buhara as I turned to him with grattitude and thanked him. "Buhara, I could have easily taken care of it for her." "But... If I didn't do that yu would have killed him. Right?" Buhara said, "Maybe~" She said as she stood up from her chair.

She walked down the stair with a pair of kitchen knives, "Let me tell you guys this. We frequently venture into lots of dangerous places searching for the best ingredients." She explained, "Besides every hunter knows some sort of martial art." She continued.

As she tossed up her kitchen knives and spun it around in the air in a circular motion as the knife itself is rotating a 360. "You lack the focus and willingness to experiment, and that's what disqualifies you guys from being a hunter." She says strictly.

"Than what about that kid?" Someone murmured in the crowd, "I'm a girl not a guy." I retorted back with a sadistic smile. "It would be excessive to fail almost every single applicant." A voice was heard through a microphone as we all turned our heads to look up.

There was a cool looking air ship as someone decended from it, jumping down from it with a huge 'thud' as the debris and smoke filled my vision. I rubbed my eyes vigorously as some dirt flew into my eyes.

I fully opened it and saw an old man walking on some weird shoes that creates a 'cluck' sound as he walked, he stopped right in the middle as I stared at his mustache, the tip of it is gray and it looked like it has a mind of it's own.

The people in the crowd murmured about who or what he could be, "The chairman of selection committee. He's in charge of the hunter exams." Menchi answered most of our unanswered question, "Chairman Netero." She said.

"Well I work behind the scenes, but I only take action when it is neccessary. Menchi..." He trails off, "Yes, sir." She replied politely, "You failed all the aplicants because you disapprove of their reluctance to try new things?" "Hey I passed!" I exclaimed but I was ignored as she continued explaining.

• • •

"Next new challenge will be... Boiled eggs!" She exclaimed, "Chairman can you take us to Mt. Split-in-Half by your airship?" She asked respectfully, "I see what you're doing, I certainly can." He replied happily.

It was undoubtedly a very quick journey as we arrived at the location within an hour, "Now guys... And girls look down here." She said staring at the deep ravine, "That's a spidder eagle's web." She explained, as a huge wind blew upwards as the fatty who tried to hit me fell on his butt.

"Look beneath the web." She says with a smile, "Those are..." "Yes they are the spider eagle's egg."

"Blah blah blah..." I hear the chairman explaining about the egg as I sighed, 'All this explanations are gonna make my head hurt.'

"Whatever, I'm going down." I murmured not bothered to listen to the chairman's lecture, "Wait Naruko!" I hear Gon exclaim as he tried to grab me away from the edge I was walking at.

I jumped off of it as people gasped at my behaviour, while making my way down I placed my hands behind my head like I was a super model as I fell down the ravine.

"Does she have a death wish!" Menchi exclaims, as I ignored her focusing on the main point of getting the eggs.

I snapped open my eyes and murmured "This is annoying." I landed on the side of the ravine wall as I placed my chakra on my feet, I slowly placed my feet on the thread, walking on it without a care for the world as I bent down to pick up a few eggs.

I stood there listening to the sound of the wind before jumping off of the thread once more, the wind gushing upwards as the pushed my back up to the surface. "YATTA! I got it." I cheered happily, "They're mine now." I say with a greedy smile ignoring everyone's shocked faces.

"Y-you... You walked on the wall vertically without falling off... What are you?" The same fatty exclaimed walking away from me, "I'm a ninja." I say.

"Well... She's a prime example of how to do it so go." Menchi said giving me an impressed look.

"Okay, let's go!" Gon and the others exclaimed before they jumped.

• • •

All of the eggs collected were in the pot boiling as I waited for the perfect time to take it out, since I placed it in earlier than the others.

I took out my eggs and began devouring them, "This is delicious~" I say with a stuffed face.

"You! What hunter are you planing on choosing!?" Menchi exclaimed with sparkly eyes, "I dwon't knwoe." I shrugged.

"Than please join the gourmet hunters if you pass! I'm expecting to see you there okay?" She exclaimed.

"We shall see." I say after swallowing down my food.