An Explosive Situation

In a rocky, forested area, Kurapika crouches low among the boulders while Hisoka stands nearby holding a hand of playing cards, chuckling 'HO HO...'. Kurapika thinks to himself, 'MAYBE THOSE TWO.' The scene shifts to Leorio leaping through the air amid clouds of dust and debris with a surprised 'Ho?!'. Hisoka's face appears in close-up, a single tear of sweat on his cheek as he thinks 'AMUSING.' with a small heart symbol. Gon grips his fishing rod tightly in panic, thinking 'WHAT SHOULD I DO?!' as narration states 'HE'S GOING TO TAKE LEORIO AND KURAPIKA AS TARGETS....'. In the final panel, Leorio sprints away at high speed with motion lines and repeated 'ZAT ZAT ZAT ZAT ZAT' sound effects.

A massive close-up of Hisoka's smirking face dominates the page, a black star tattooed on his cheek. In the foreground Gon leaps toward the viewer with arms flung wide and a huge excited grin. Behind Hisoka, Killua stands with hands in his pockets and a calm expression while Leorio leans forward with a determined look, one arm extended.

Gon sprints at full speed through a rocky canyon, dust exploding behind him as he chases Hisoka. In a thought panel Gon decides, "IT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN GET HIS TAG NUMBER!" Another panel shows him sweating while thinking, "WHAT CAN I DO?! I'LL KEEP ON FOLLOWING HISOKA AND FOCUS ON HIS TAG NUMBER!" Hisoka runs ahead on a cliff path. Gon shouts "NO! I CAN'T!" and adds "IF THINGS GO BAD, I'LL CHANGE MY PLANS!!" The final panel shows Killua and Leorio standing together; Killua's eyes widen in alarm while Leorio glares forward with a serious expression.

In a sunlit forest clearing, Hisoka stands far in the distance among the trees as Leorio and Killua approach from the foreground. Hisoka's close-up reveals a sly expression as he greets them with a single word in a speech bubble: 'HELLO.' Leorio reacts with shock, shouting 'HISOKA !!'. Hisoka, now shown with a confident smirk, proposes a trade: 'HOW ABOUT YOU GIVE ME YOURS?' and adds, 'I NEED TWO POINTS, THIS TWO TAGS. ♠'. The forest setting emphasizes the tense encounter between the examinees and the dangerous opponent.

Leorio questions the situation with 'ARE YOU KIDDING? I...' while Killua stands nearby. Hisoka responds with 'EXCUSE ME?' in a close profile. Killua clarifies 'MEANING WE AREN'T YOUR TARGETS TO BEGIN WITH, RIGHT?' and notes 'YOU DID SAY TWO POINTS, DIDN'T YOU?'. Hisoka replies with a heart symbol, 'THERE'S A CONDITION.' and states 'I'M THE ONE ASKING THE QUESTIONS ♡'. He then asks 'SO DO YOU ACCEPT? OR... DO YOU REFUSE?' as Leorio shows a determined expression with a sweat drop. The dialogue reveals Hisoka setting terms for the tag exchange.

Gon peers from the shadows into a sunlit forest clearing where three figures stand among the trees and tall grass. In the panels below, Kurapika holds up four tags and explains their situation. "ONLY TWO OF THESE TAGS COULD BE THE ONE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR." He raises two fingers. "FINALLY, THE FOURTH AND LAST ONE IS LEORIO'S." Pointing to himself he continues, "THE FIRST IS MINE, THE SECOND IS MY TARGET'S. WE'RE IN THE POSSESSION OF 4 TAGS." Kurapika identifies the third tag as worth only one point. He then reveals the tag marked #16, declaring it was Tompa's target. "SINCE EACH TARGET ONLY HAS ONE ASSIGNED HUNTER... WHO WAS MY TARGET. HE WAS TOMPA'S TARGET, #16... LEORIO IS #403." Leorio, wearing badge #44, stands with a slight smirk.

Close panels show feet stepping on a tag labeled #44. The examinee with badge #44 confronts Kurapika, saying the other two tags are not his target. Kurapika replies that if the contents are handed over there will be no fight. The examinee questions the difference. A dramatic close-up shows Kurapika's intense eyes beneath his headband. Drawing his sword with a burst of speed lines, Kurapika declares, "THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO FIGHT ME FOR IT." From the side Gon watches and states, "NOR THE OTHER TWO. IF YOU WANT TO GET THEM BY FORCE..."

Hisoka stands with a confident smirk, flipping several playing cards between his fingers in quick succession. FLIP FLIP. In the dense forest clearing, three examinees maintain distance from one another among the trees and undergrowth. Hisoka approaches the blond examinee from the side; the examinee turns sharply as Hisoka's hand snaps forward with a crisp SHLAK. Close-up panels reveal a stern dark-haired man glaring, a narrowed eye, the blond examinee looking wary, a figure with hands clasped over the mouth laughing, Hisoka's star-marked face smirking, and a single focused eye.

Hisoka speaks with a sly smile, stating it is not his target and he is not after the other either. He asks for the examinee's number. The blond examinee replies with 404. Hisoka accepts the answer with a pleased expression. He raises a finger, suggesting the remaining tag might suffice, and declares the end of negotiations. In the forest, the blond examinee walks away from a tree saying he will leave the tag there. TAC sounds as the examinee with number 44 watches while holding a device to his ear.

In the darkness, two small figures stand apart. Hisoka appears with arms crossed, a star marking his cheek, and speaks reassuringly. "DO NOT WORRY," he says with a heart symbol. "I WON'T MOVE FROM THIS SPOT UNTIL YOU'RE FAR AWAY." A rumbling SFX "RUM." echoes across a grassy expanse. Gon peers from the shadows toward a distant forested clearing where a lone figure stands amid trees and bushes. Close-up on Hisoka's face reveals his thoughts: "THEY STILL HAVE A LONG ROAD AHEAD." Another panel shows Gon looking up as Hisoka continues, "NONE THE LESS..." Hisoka smiles, "HEHE... IN ONLY A FEW DAYS. THEY MADE GREAT PROGRESS."

A lone figure walks through the sunlit forest, commenting on the surroundings. "CAN LOOK APPETIZING." and "IT'S HORRIBLE HOW GREEN FRUIT..." Hisoka appears holding up a numbered tag marked 118, declaring "TOO BAD. ISN'T THIS ONE EITHER." He turns away, back displaying a heart-and-diamond pattern. In the distance a small silhouette stands among fallen logs and dense trees. A final balloon states "ONE POINT LEFT..."

Gon grips a wooden weapon tightly with both hands, his face tense and covered in sweat as he mutters 'OLIF!!'. A close-up shows his wide, anxious eyes and dripping sweat. In the next panel, a small 'PLOP' sound effect appears near foliage. Gon continues thinking while crouched with his backpack visible: 'Next time Hisoka meets someone, I won't have a second chance. But that cuts my chances in half.' He imagines a tiny version of himself in a circle panel and wonders, 'His adversary doesn't engage in combat? Let's see, what if the next time he meets someone...' A sudden '!' reaction hits him. Gon taps his nose with 'TAC' and reacts in surprise as Leorio leans in, exclaiming 'STUPID IDIOT! WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?' and 'NO, IF HE HANDS HIM HIS TAG...'.

Gon suddenly looks up with wide eyes and an open mouth, exclaiming 'AH!'. A narrow horizontal panel shows a distant treeline silhouette with small birds flying across the sky. The bottom panel reveals a dramatic close-up of Hisoka's face, eyes half-closed with a slight smile, his star and teardrop facial markings clearly visible along with sweat or makeup streaks running down his cheeks.

Gon stares wide-eyed from the foreground at a lone figure standing far down the forest path. Sweat beads on his face as his thoughts surface: "THAT URGE TO KILL..." and "BETTER NOT TO GET CLOSE." Motion lines erupt with "FLIT" as a determined spiky-haired boy grips a weapon and advances. "TAP TAP" sounds echo from quick steps on the ground. The boy lunges forward with a fierce cry of "HIAAA!!!" and "HIAAA!!!" striking at a snarling, furry creature that lunges back at him.

Hisoka's face fills the panel in close-up, a single tear of blood trailing down his cheek as he speaks with a heart symbol: "THOSE TWO CONSIDERABLY WORKED UP MY APPETITE." He continues, "THAT'S ENOUGH." and "I MUST FIND SOMETHING TO CALM ME DOWN." with another heart. Below, the forest scene returns with the same lone figure standing among the trees while Gon watches from the bushes with a tense expression.

Gon stares ahead with wide eyes and a bead of sweat, shouting "THERE IT IS!!" In the next panel Hisoka stands among the trees, his wild hair flowing, face marked with a star and teardrop, a confident smirk on his lips as he says "LET'S GO." Narration notes that Hisoka's usual expression has changed completely; he is unrecognizable. His negative energy has diminished, but the next one to cross his path will face his full wrath—even if the target gives up, escape is impossible. Below, Gon runs through the dense forest with his fishing rod, determined to reach Hisoka first.

Gon declares he must go up front and find his adversary before Hisoka does, answering "Yes." with fierce determination. A massive impact erupts in the forest, sending shockwaves and debris flying. From a high vantage, Gon looks down at a distant silhouette standing in the trees. In a rapid sequence Gon leaps between branches, swinging with his fishing rod as "HOP!!" sound effects mark each movement, closing in on his target from above.

High in the dense forest canopy, Gon perches among the thick leaves, scanning the area below. He thinks to himself, 'I NEED TO HIDE SO I CAN STRIKE AT THE PRECISE MOMENT WHEN HE'LL ATTACK...!' A bright light flares in the distance as narration states, 'ONCE HE SEES HIM, HISOKA WILL ATTACK HIM.' Gon continues, 'IF HE KEEPS ON HEADING IN THAT DIRECTION, HISOKA SHOULD FIND HIM IN A FEW SECONDS.' Spotting movement, he exclaims, 'THERE HE IS !!!' With urgency, Gon concludes, 'NO TIME TO WASTE.'

A close-up shows Leorio with a tense, sweating expression. Gon leaps through the branches with a sharp 'TAC' sound. In the forest clearing he lands and shouts 'HERE !!!' while swinging his fishing rod. The rod strikes with a loud 'TAP' impact. Hisoka reacts with a sweat drop as the blow lands nearby, his face showing surprise.