127 ZeroXQualified

<30 minutes later>

The applicants started returning with different fishes in tow. They then started created different variety of sushi for the judge to offer her opinion

"It's ready, I'm the first one to finish it.Tada! I call it the Leorio's Special." Leorio was the first to offer his sushi. At the center of the plate is a ball of rice with different full fishes chucked into it. Different set of heads and tails twitching could be seen outside the rice ball.

"Are you crazy? Didn't your parents ever told you to not waste any food?" Leorio shouted.

<"What? You failed!" Pointed Menchi. "Listen everyone, the shape is very important. A shapeless sushi can't be good.">

"Damn, I was sure I was gonna pass the thing." Leorio returned with a saddened expression.

"Ok my turn!" Came in Gon as he served his fish covered in rice.

<"Failed! It is just similar to #403!" Said menchi as he tossed the food away.>

"Same as #403?" Gon said in depressing manner in realization that his work is no better than Leorio's.

"It's ok Gon. Don't take it too hard." Consoled Kurapika.

~~~~

<"Failed!" Menchi threw a fish barbecue.

"What is this?" As she threw a fish cut in half with rice in the middle.

"This is an onigiri!!!" Complained Menchi.

"Why can't anyone do a simple thing as a sushi. Can't you try any harder?" Berrated Menchi as she knock the table with her knuckles while holding chopsticks.>

~~~~

Kurapika contemplated and look at the judge's table. He then look at the items present in the table and how Menchi holds her chopsticks. 'Since I have no idea what-so-ever about the shape all I can do is find the logical solution... Hand-made... hearing this you would imagine something in the shape of a steak or a potato croquet, but if I look at the set-up she uses I deduce that it is put in the little saucer before it is eaten. Meaning the size cannot exceed the size of an egg. That's it!' Kurapika placed his food, a twitching fish rolled in a rice.

<"No better than #403!">

*gloooom* -Kurapika.

<"This can't be it, doesn't anyone have any smallest sense of culinary art?">

"Hihihi... I believe it is my turn, so how about this?" #294 the bald ninja presented a proper sushi.

<"Oh hoh. Close enough. Let' see." *nom*...

"Nope. Not good enough.">

"Huh? Rolled rice shaped to be eaten in one bite with a layer of raeford... all of this covered by a fine slice of raw fish meat! It isn't more comolicated than that! Oooops, damn! Shouldn't have blurted that out."

<"You're saying it isn't more complicated than that?" Menchi questioned as an eerie aura came from her. "Are you kidding? It is said that to be able to make good sushi, it takes at least 10 years of practice!! And you bunch of fools, even if you reproduce the sushi's form you'll never be able to make good sushi!">

"Then why are you asking us to do it!?" Complained #294

<"Shut up, baldy. Or I'll kill you." Menchi threathed the applicant while gritting her teeth.

'I knew it would happen. Do not make her lost her temper: She becomes picky with the taste... Cooks who fit into Menchi's standard can be counted on the fingers of one hand... and that's understatement.' Thought Buhara.

"That's what you get for making me angry! Next!" Spat Menchi.>

The next second applicants after applicants turned in their sushi.

<"I see, because of baldy everybody found out how to make sushi! In that case, I can onky judge by taste."

"Fail!"

"Fail!"

"Fail!"

.

.

.

"Fail!"

>

A series of failure came in as Menchi started no nitpick on the taste. Not a single sushi passed his assignment.

"I believe, it is my turn." Silver came in clutch. He offered four rolls of sushi. Each sushi has fish meat, cucumber and avocado slices with sesame seeds splattered on the rice. It is then rolled and sliced in near same size.

'Hmmm, the taste is good and texture is authentic. If I have to give this a score, it would be a 4.5 out of 5. Good enough to pass this exam with flying colors. However...' Buhara looked at Menchi with a a defeated look.

"Fail!" Menchi simply replied.

'I thought so. Indeed has the uncanny familiarity.' Buhara sighed.>

"What? How did it failed? This is an authentic sushi recipe and receive recognition from an aristocrat!" Silver tried to reason with Menchi. He prepared the same food to Lara during his butler days and even Lara acknowledge his recipe.

'Thought so. With her already being angry earlier, she will also nitpick something like this even if the cooking is good.' Buhara sighed again.>

"But... but... but..." Silver could not deny the fact that he did copy this recipe and the way the meat is cut from that very same Himiko Kudou. He could only drop his head down and walk back gloomily, imaginary rain pooring down on him.

"Whaaaat!?" Everyone shouted in unison. Silver is still mopping in a corner.

"It can't be that the trials end this way... they must be joking." Complained some of the applicants.

~~~~~

"Hello hello? Those aren't good manners. Mr president, she removed her cellphone's battery. I don't think she will agree to change her verdict." Says a green man who look uncannily like a green bean.

"Uhoh, that girl is stubborn. We won't be able to change her mind through phone. I may have to go down there." Answers an elderly man who is currently balancing a glass of juice by his feet while trying to drink it from a meter long straw seemingly effortlessly.

"You're not thinking of going down there are you?" Asked the bean man.

"But of course I am, it is my responsibility as a president. It's not the first time this has happened, and it won't be the last. There are many stubborn people among the hunters. They are not ordinary people, and it is those same hunters that became the jury for the members afterwards. It has already happened that the commision misalligned with the jury's decisions, and no candidates were admitted, but this time it might have gone a bit too far." Explained the president.

~~~~~

"I do not accept this!" Complained #255. "I didn't come here to be a gourmet. I came here to be a blacklist hunter!"

<"To bad, tell yourself you're just unlucky to be tested by us. You may try your luck again next year." Menchi rebutted without care.>

"You are mocking us! I'll ki-" *baaaam*

#295 was sent flying out of the building by a single slap from Buhara.

<"You know you didn't have to do that right?" Said Menchi.

"I know, but if I haven't you would have killed him" Replied Buhara while eyeing the two knived in her hands.

"Gourmet Hunter, Treasure Hunter, Game Hunter. No matter what kind of hunter you wannabe, you need to have perfect knowledge on the art of fighting." Explained Menchi while juggling her knives. "In our quest for new food, it isn't rare that we need to get into the nests of violent monsters and other kind of beasts. What I want to know, is if you are able to take on a challenge in a domain you do not know?" >

"THAT'S ONE EXPLAINATION. BUT DOES IT JUSTIFY SUCH SEVERITY?" Came a loud voice followed by the flopping sounds of an airship.

"Who's that?" Came the unanimous voice of everyone. "It has thr sigil of the Hunter confederations. Is it the examination commity?" Voiced another.

A shadow started comming off the side of the airship. The shaddow suddenly grew as it dropped fast from the airship and hit the ground.

*boooom*