Hunter × Hunter Volume 8

A lone ship sails across the open sea under a partly cloudy sky. Suddenly a large white cloth or sail flaps violently with a sharp SLAT sound effect. The view shifts to a sturdy two-story stone and wood house standing alone near the shore, complete with a chimney, shuttered windows, and a small yard. From behind, a young boy with light hair stares at the house and calls out excitedly toward it.

Killua stares in shock, eyes wide, as Gon runs forward with one arm raised high, shouting his name. A small figure stands in the distance behind them. The scene cuts to break time: Killua sits in a bath with shampoo suds covering his head, while Gon relaxes with eyes closed and a content expression, arms resting on the edge of the tub.

At the Freecss family home, a woman's voice calls out from inside, 'I HAVEN'T PREPARED ANYTHING!' and adds, 'IF YOU'RE GONNA COME BACK, LET ME KNOW!' Gon peeks around the corner with Killua beside him and asks, 'SHOULD I HELP?' while urging, 'JUST SIT DOWN.' The woman at the doorway, arms crossed, replies, 'I CAN'T DO THAT, YOUR FRIEND'S HERE TOO...' and 'ANYTHING IS FINE.' A spiky-haired boy bows politely, saying, 'PLEASE, DON'T MIND ME.' Suddenly the woman shouts 'NOW!' and later instructs, 'OK, LATER. AND TAKE OUT ALL YOUR CLOTHES, I'LL WASH THEM. ALSO, TAKE A BATH BEFORE SUPPER.' Gon and Killua sit on the floor; Gon remarks, 'MOST OF THE TIME.' Killua asks, 'IS SHE ALWAYS LIKE THAT?' as the woman yells 'O---NE' and warns, 'YOU'VE GOT 10 SECONDS.'

A large bowl of rice, meat, and vegetables sits beside grilled fish as someone exclaims 'ITADAKIMASU!' Gon and Killua hold up food with chopsticks while the light-haired woman smiles and serves more dishes at the table. She later comments, '...AND OF THEM, ONLY 7 PASSED.' and notes, 'ONLY 400 OR SO PEOPLE GOT TO THE EXAM PLACE...' The boys discuss the difficulty: 'IT WAS QUITE DIFFICULT.' and ask, 'HOW WAS THE EXAM?' Killua proudly holds up a black card and announces, 'THIS IS THE HUNTER LICENSE.' Gon grins and says, 'OH, YEAH! LOOK!'

Killua examines a small black device in his hands. A loud CLACK erupts as he activates it. "LOOKS ORDINARY," he remarks. "AH..." Gon leans in with wide eyes. Killua suddenly grins and declares, "JUST JOKING!" Gon shouts back, "WHAT'RE YOU DOING?!" The scene shifts to the street outside a large building where Gon and Killua stand together. Gon pumps his fist and yells, "YEAH!!" Killua rubs the back of his head and says, "I THINK SHE WAS DOING IT FOR REAL." In the background, a woman in a long dress stands near the entrance. The view changes to a dense forest. Gon and Killua walk among towering trees. Gon suggests, "NO, WE'LL GRAB SOMETHING IN THE FOREST!" Killua asks, "SHOULD I PACK SOME FOOD?"

Gon and Killua continue deeper into the forest. Gon mentions, "YOUR KITSUNE-GUMA FRIEND'S NEST IS AROUND HERE TOO?" Killua replies, "YEAH." He adds, "BUT HE PROBABLY WON'T SHOW UP." Killua points out, "I MET KAITO HERE." Gon observes, "I SEE." Killua continues, "ALSO, IF THE ELDER OF THE FOREST IS FRIENDLY WITH HUMANS, IT WON'T LOOK GOOD TO THE OTHER ANIMALS." He warns, "THE FEMALE KITSUNE-GUMA HATES HUMAN SCENT, SO IF HE MEETS ME, HE'LL HAVE A FIGHT WITH HIS WIFE." Gon suddenly stops and exclaims, "OH!" Killua turns and asks, "WHAT?" The view opens to a clearing with stepping stones across shallow water. Killua recalls, "GON AND I USED TO PLAY IN THE WATER OFTEN."

Three fish lie on the wet ground near the water's edge. The largest fish flops with a loud SLAT as it lands. In a rocky clearing by a stream, a lone figure stands on a boulder with arms raised. Gon appears in a small panel, smiling and pointing as he calls out, "WELCOME HOME." Killua stands nearby, looking toward the figure. The scene shifts to night. Gon and Killua lie side by side on their backs atop a flat rock, gazing up at a vast, star-filled sky. Their silhouettes are dark against the glittering stars.

Gon and Killua continue their conversation while lying under the stars. Gon says he will start looking for his father at York Shin and rest until August to collect information, noting there will probably be a lot of Hunters there. Killua responds with "I see." In the next panel Gon asks what Killua is going to do now. Killua replies "Hm..." while upside down. Gon then suggests Killua should stay in York Shin with him. Killua reacts with surprise, asking "What?" and "What should I do?" Gon insists there are things he wants to do, like Killua. Killua admits he does not have things he wants to do. Gon exclaims "Huh?" then tells Killua he thinks he is great. Killua answers "No, I mean," looking uncertain.

On the beach at night, Gon sits by a small campfire and speaks quietly to Killua. "I envy you," Gon says. Killua replies that he has a lot of things he doesn't want to do, like staying home or taking on family business. Gon leans in close, eyes wide, and softly calls his name. Killua continues, explaining he is happy when he is with Gon. Gon reacts with surprise, asking what Killua is saying so suddenly. Killua looks away, then turns back with a gentle smile. He tells Gon that his studies were through distance education from home and that there are only a few real residents on the island; the only other child is a little girl named Noko. Killua says this whale island is for fishermen to stay at during their trips. Gon, now standing and facing Killua, declares that Killua is therefore his first friend. Killua stands with his back to the fire, looking out over the dark water.

Killua sits on the sand with one leg raised and answers that he guesses he is happy when training his assassination skills with Gon. Gon beams with excitement and suggests they go together. Killua admits Gon is his first friend too. Gon leans forward eagerly, proposing they look for what Killua wants to do and that he will look for his father. The two boys sit side by side on the beach as Killua agrees they should go together to different places and see different things. Close-up panels show Gon's determined face and Killua's slightly surprised but warm expression. Gon raises his voice with a bright smile and declares it will be fun. Motion lines emphasize Gon's enthusiastic outburst as the final panel captures his joyful face.

Under a starry night sky, Gon and Killua sit on rocky ground. Killua declares, "UNTIL I FIND THINGS THAT I WANT TO DO, I'LL HELP WITH YOUR SEARCH." Gon raises his arm and answers, "OK!" Killua turns his head and replies, "I GUESS THAT'S NOT BAD." Gon pumps his fist and shouts, "YEAH!" Both boys then tilt their heads in confusion, with Gon saying "HMM?" and Killua responding "HM?" Gon looks directly at Killua and asks, "WHAT'S YOUR MOTHER DOING?" Killua leans in and begins, "BY THE WAY..." In a wide panel against the dark sky, Gon states, "THAT'S A MUCH HARDER THING TO ASK ABOUT THAN MY FATHER." Killua finishes the thought with, "MY MOTHER ..."

Gon continues, "I WOULDN'T HAVE WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT MY FATHER EITHER, IF I HADN'T MET KAITO." Killua responds, "IF I HADN'T MET YOU, YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BECOME A HUNTER EVEN WITHOUT MEETING HIM." Gon sits with arms crossed and says, "I SEE..." Killua adds, "MITO-SAN WAS LIKE MY MOTHER AND RAISED ME... SO I FEEL BAD ASKING HER ABOUT IT." In a new scene, both boys sit facing each other. Killua states, "BUT I HEARD THAT MY FATHER WAS STILL ALIVE..." Gon replies, "I HEARD THAT BOTH OF MY PARENTS DIED IN AN ACCIDENT..." Killua asks, "IS MITO-SAN..." Gon answers, "BUT, FOR MOTHER... THAT'S QUITE CRUEL. AND I BELIEVED THAT MY MOTHER WAS REALLY DEAD."

Under a vast starry night sky, Gon gazes upward with a wistful expression. He states he has nothing to ask because he has no one else. Nearby, Killua reflects that Mito-san is the best, though a little picky, and Gon replies that he wishes he had a mother like Mito-san. Killua responds simply, 'I see.' The scene shifts to a rocky shore by shimmering water where Gon and Killua sit side by side. Mito-san stands a short distance away, holding a large basket and wearing a long dress with boots. The page ends on another star-filled night sky as a shooting star streaks across it.

Inside a house, Gon carries a tray with food while Killua stands with arms crossed. Gon reacts with surprise saying 'WHAT?' as Killua calls his name. In the kitchen, Gon reaches for dishes while Killua asks how long they can stay. Mito-san replies about a month or so. Later panels show Gon and Killua moving through doorways and the kitchen. Killua asks if after that they are going to search for Jin. Gon answers 'YUP!' while Mito-san stands by the counter. The page closes with close-ups of Gon looking determined and Mito-san with eyes closed in a gentle expression.

In a dimly lit space, a sturdy wooden crate rests on a pale surface. A voice declares, "THIS IS..." Gon stands in profile, eyes wide and a bead of sweat on his cheek, whispering "MY FATHER ... FOR ME..." A small, radiant panel shows a younger Gon surrounded by a starburst effect while an unseen speaker explains, "HE SAID TO GIVE IT TO YOU WHEN YOU BECAME A HUNTER." Beside it, the back of a long-haired figure states, "JIN GAVE THIS TO ME." In the bottom panel a close-up reveals a girl with light, shoulder-length hair and large dark eyes. She promises, "EVERYTHING THAT I KNOW ABOUT JIN." and adds, "I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING."