Aura Lesson 2

Nen is a process. A long, grueling journey. First comes opening the aura nodes, then learning to control Ten, Zetsu, and Ren—step by step, piece by piece.

Every hunter, he knows, had to be guided through each stage before they could begin shaping their abilities.

But Raiyo?

Raiyo skipped everything.

Jin sees it happening in real-time. This is no ordinary Hatsu.

This isn't just a Nen construct.

This is something primal. Something alive.

Raiyo stares up at the creature, his mouth slightly open in awe, his golden eyes wide. "Did I… just make that?" His voice is barely above a whisper, his usual sleepy tone replaced with quiet shock.

Jin swallows hard, struggling to process what he's witnessing. He had expected Raiyo to pick up Aura fast—but not Nen. He had expected a strong Aura pool—but not this endless well of power. He had expected Raiyo to struggle, to take time before forming a Hatsu, Nen ability—but instead, the boy instinctively created a manifestation of his power without even knowing what he was doing.

"What the hell are you?"

Jin doesn't say it out loud, but the thought lingers in his mind, heavy and unshakable. This isn't normal. This isn't even rare. This is unheard of.

And yet—he can't stop himself from smiling. A slow, almost disbelieving grin spreads across his face.

"This kid…"

Raiyo skipped the traditional process. Instead of taking months, maybe years, to discover his own unique Nen ability, his power manifested on its own, in minutes. His body, his mind, his soul—everything was already aligned for this. As if he was never meant to struggle through the steps of Aura, or Nen like everyone else.

He was simply meant to wield it.

Raiyo's golden Aura slowly begins to fade, flickering like the last embers of a dying fire before disappearing entirely. The room grows still, yet the lion remains. Midnight blue with piercing gold eyes, standing tall and proud despite its slightly warped features. Its presence alone is mesmerizing, as if it were a creature pulled from the very fabric of Raiyo's soul.

Raiyo, his breath steady but his body feeling lighter, watches the beast with quiet wonder. There's something about it that feels right, as if it was always meant to exist.

He slowly reaches out again, fingers brushing against the creature's thick fur, feeling the warmth of its presence, but just as he does—

"Hey, Raiyo!"

Jin's voice breaks the moment. The call is casual, lighthearted as always, but it startles Raiyo just enough.

His golden eyes shift toward his mentor, and in that single second of distraction, his lion vanishes—dissolving into golden fragments before completely fading from sight.

Raiyo blinks.

He tilts his head, eyes narrowing slightly. "Huh."

Jin watches him carefully, observing the flicker of disappointment that crosses the boy's normally sleepy expression. "You alright there, kid?"

Raiyo sighs, dragging a hand through his hair. "Yeah… I guess," he mumbles. "It just… felt real."

Jin steps forward, hands in his pockets, a thoughtful look passing over his face. "Well, it was real. It was made from your Nen, your Aura, your emotions—it is you, in a way."

Raiyo hums in response, his gaze still lingering on the empty space where the lion once stood.

Jin claps his hands, breaking Raiyo's daze. "Alright, we need to test something." He points at Raiyo. "I need to know if you can do the basics. That flashy stuff is great and all, but if you can't use the fundamentals of Aura, we've got problems."

Raiyo stares at him blankly, his usual half-sleepy, half-curious expression returning. "...Basics?"

Jin sighs dramatically. "Yes, basics! You know—Ren, Ten, Zetsu. All that good stuff. I just taught you."

"You kinda skipped quite a few steps, so let's see if your body even registers them."

Raiyo lets out a long yawn, stretching his arms over his head. "Mmm… okay."

"Start with Ren, remember that's to bring out your aura, a large amount of it at that," Jin instructs.

Raiyo doesn't even hesitate. Almost instinctively, he lets his aura flow, wildly, but controlled. His body is glows with a large, layer of golden energy, almost shimmering under the light.

Raiyo's aura grows, bigger, and bigger, and bigger.

It doesn't stop.

His Aura is endless, way more than any hunter Jin has ever seen. 

Jin watches closely. The flow is strong. This kid's energy is like a deep ocean—vast and limitless—but even an ocean needs direction."Good," Jin mutters under his breath. "Now, try the other techniques. Let's see if you can do Ten."

Raiyo flicks his wrist dismissively, his expression bored. "Too much effort."

Jin sighs, rubbing his temples. "Just do it."

Raiyo huffs but tries anyway.

...Nothing.

No matter how much he focuses, his aura refuses to wrap around his body properly. It leaks out, uncontrolled, like an overflowing river with no banks to guide its course. Ten is impossible.

Jin frowns. "Try Zetsu."

Raiyo blinks. "...Zetsu?"

"Yeah. Y'know, shutting off your aura completely. Concealing it."

Raiyo stares at him for a long moment before exhaling through his nose. He closes his eyes, attempting to will his aura away… but nothing happens. The golden glow remains, faint but stubborn.

Jin waits. Ten seconds pass. Then twenty. Raiyo cracks one eye open, looking vaguely unimpressed. "It's not working."

Jin clicks his tongue. "Figured."

Raiyo tilts his head, curious. "That bad?"

Jin smirks. "No. Just means you suck at everything else except Ren. Probably got too much damn aura to suppress."

Raiyo shrugs, unbothered. "I guess."

Jin rubs his chin, still analyzing. "Alright, let's test one more thing. I want you to make that lion again."

Raiyo straightens slightly, his golden eyes flickering with something unreadable. He nods.

This time, he doesn't hesitate.

It's strange—despite having only done it once, the process already feels familiar.

His hands remain at his sides, his expression relaxed, but his aura pulses as he breathes in deeply.Slowly, steadily, it begins again.

A golden glow spreads around him, weaving itself into form. The air grows heavy. Energy crackles, shimmering like heatwaves, shifting and solidifying into a creature once more.

And then—it appears.

The same lion. Or, at least, almost the same. It's still a deep midnight blue, still carrying those golden, star-like eyes, but—

It's smaller.

Not only that, but less refined. Its shape is slightly off, its edges softer, its form more unstable. It flickers in and out, just barely holding itself together.

Raiyo frowns, tilting his head. "Huh."

Jin watches intently. "What's wrong?"

Raiyo lifts a hand, touching the lion's mane. The creature rumbles, leaning into his touch, but Raiyo feels it—

"This one's weaker," he says simply.

Jin nods. "Makes sense. You're not used to doing it yet."

"This is good, though, you're 2/4 with your ability use, you can use Ren, and Hatsu/Nen, but not Ten or Zatsu"

Raiyo yawns. "Mmm… yeah. Feels like I can make three more, though."

Jin raises a brow. "Three?"

Raiyo nods, rubbing his eye lazily. "Mhm. Feels easy."

Jin whistles lowly. "Damn. You're something else."

The lion leans its weight against Raiyo, wrapping its body around him in a protective motion, rubbing its head against his chest. Raiyo, without thinking, begins absentmindedly petting it, fingers threading through its mane.

Jin watches the scene unfold, a slow smile forming on his lips. "Good."

Raiyo hums, eyes half-lidded. His fingers continue to scratch lazily behind the lion's ears. "Mmm… I don't really wanna train…"

Jin sighs, exasperated. "Yeah, yeah, I figured as much."

Raiyo lets out a soft, sleepy chuckle. "But…" He glances at his lion, golden eyes shimmering. "...I wanna see what else I can do."

Jin grins. "Now that's what I like to hear."

a deep pride flickering in his expression. But for a moment, just a moment, a sadness crosses his face.

Then Raiyo looks up at him. "Jin…?"

Jin snaps out of it instantly, his signature smirk returning.

But Raiyo doesn't miss that moment of sadness. Something about it lingers in his chest, an unfamiliar weight.

Still, he pushes it aside as he looks back at the creature before him. His own creation. His power.