unwavering determination ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

page thirteen

“i'm masta. i'll be serving as the referee of the tournament.” everyone stepped aside as hanzo and gon took the center for the first match.

"may the best one win," masta announced. you hated to admit it, but just by looking at their physiques, anyone could tell who had the upper hand in this fight. 

however, if gon had any tricks up his sleeve—if he could pull off something unexpected—then maybe, just maybe, he had a shot at turning the tide. 

“hi, it’s been a while. you were following me during the fourth phase, right?” hanzo spoke, his tone light, almost friendly. masta visibly stiffened, caught off guard. 

“so, you noticed me all along.” your lips pressed into a thin line. this alone spoke volumes about hanzo’s sharp observational skills. 

“it was a no-brainer. during the fourth phase, each examiner was likely assigned to follow a participant. but i suppose the others should have noticed as well,” hanzo concluded. 

on your end, you had noticed, but you didn’t care enough to acknowledge them. they weren’t interfering, just trailing behind, so you ignored their presence entirely. still, it was reckless of them—what if you had decided to strike them down with lightning on a whim? 

gon, on the other hand, had no clue until hanzo outright mentioned it. killua had caught on. kurapika seemed like he might’ve noticed but didn’t think much of it. and leorio? completely flabbergasted. how was he supposed to pick up on something like that? 

“h-hey, y/n, did you notice it too?” leorio asked, probably hoping you hadn’t so he wouldn’t feel like the only one left in the dark. 

“i did. it wasn’t hard to, though i never actually saw who was assigned to follow me.” leorio groaned, rubbing his temples.

“great, so it’s just me then.” you gave leorio a side-eye before shifting your focus back to gon. he was sweating, his body tense—you could tell immediately that he, too, hadn't noticed the examiners following you all during the phase four. that realization alone might shake his confidence, making his fight against hanzo even harder. 

“time’s up,” masta announced, stepping away from the center to observe from the side. gon immediately took a step back, his body instinctively bracing for whatever was coming. 

“begin!” 

gon shot forward in an instant, his mind racing to form a strategy. he planned to use his speed to keep hanzo distracted, force him to chase, wear him down. but before he could even put his plan into motion— 

hanzo was already there. 

in just a second, the ninja had closed the gap like it was nothing, matching gon’s movement effortlessly. gon’s eyes widened in pure shock. he had underestimated just how fast hanzo really was.

“you're pretty confident about your speed. i'll give you that.” with that, hanzo delivered a perfect chop to gon’s nape, sending him crashing to the ground. his body slumped, barely holding on to consciousness. 

kurapika and leorio gasped, their worry written all over their faces. you, of course, felt the same concern, but you kept your composure, staying calm and collected. 

“if it were me, i would’ve dodged that easily,” killua thought, frowning from the side, though the tension in his stance betrayed his unease. 

back on gon’s side, just that one hit had drained his strength. his limbs felt heavy, his vision blurred, the world around him wobbling. 

“if this were a normal fight, it would already be over,” hanzo stated matter-of-factly. 

he crouched down, grabbing gon by the arm and propping him up into a seated position. 

“wake up, boy.” without hesitation, hanzo drove his knee into gon’s back while gripping his shoulders, pulling them back in a painful stretch. gon’s body tensed, a sharp shock of pain jolting through him as hanzo applied pressure, forcing him to snap out of his daze.

“after all, i knocked you hard enough for your brain to bounce around. we're completely on different level, you'd better surrender now.”

you understood now. at this point, this fight wasn’t about physical strength anymore. that part was already decided. now, it was all about determination—who had the stronger will, and who would break first. 

“no way,” gon answered in a heartbeat, defiant despite the pain. 

without hesitation, hanzo slapped the side of his head, causing gon’s already blurry vision to worsen. gon squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth as he coughed, trying to regain focus. 

“hmp.” you certainly didn’t like how hanzo was manhandling your child. you made a mental note—if you ended up facing this man later, you’d make sure to electrocute him. not to kill, of course, just enough to get back at him for gon. 

meanwhile, hisoka, ever observant, noticed the irritation creeping into your expression. a smirk tugged at his lips. he was enjoying this—watching your reactions, watching you care.

“surrender now, boy.” hanzo could snap gon’s back in half if he applied just a little more pressure. pain twisted across gon’s face, sweat dripping down his forehead as he struggled to endure. 

“who’s ever going to do that?!” gon shouted, his voice raw with defiance. 

his answer earned him another slap. sharp, precise. hanzo let go right after, and gon’s body slumped limply onto the ground. 

“ugh…” leorio clenched his fists, his entire body tensed. it was taking everything in him not to rush to the center, not to jump in and stop this fight himself.

everyone watched as gon struggled to get back on his feet, his entire body trembling from the pain. he barely managed to stand when hanzo drove a solid punch into his gut, forcing him back down to his knees. 

“don’t push yourself, gon! you’ll have another chance!” leorio couldn’t hold back, shouting in pure worry. 

“leorio,” you called, your voice steady. he immediately turned to you, desperation in his eyes, as if hoping you’d agree with him—hoping you’d say something to stop this.

because after all, you’d declared yourself gon’s mother, and surely, a mother would worry for her son. 

you met leorio’s frantic gaze, your expression as unreadable as ever. 

“gon will not surrender. you'll have your own fight too, don’t waste your energy on shouting like that.” your tone wasn’t cruel, just matter-of-fact. there was no need for dramatics, gon wasn’t looking for an escape. 

you understood something leorio didn’t yet. gon wasn’t fighting to win, not in the way most would expect. he wasn’t trying to take down hanzo. he was fighting to prove something much deeper—to himself, to everyone watching. 

“he’s fighting to stand his ground, even if it hurts. you need to trust gon and his ambition.” leorio could understand your trust in gon. he, too, trusted the boy—after all, they had been through so much together. but the sight of gon hurting, so helpless, made it hard for him to watch without wanting to intervene. 

it was ironic, though, hearing those words from you. you, of all people. you, who once had zero trust in human ambition. If this had been your past self, you would’ve seen gon’s determination as nothing more than a fool’s errand, a fruitless endeavor. 

but you couldn’t deny it—your thoughts flickered back to the time you fought the traveler on the plane of euthymia. the second time. she had defeated you, not through physical might, but with determination. 

she didn’t win because she was stronger. no, she won because her will was stronger than yours at that time. the traveler, with the help of miko and the people of inazuma, had managed to make you see the error in your view of eternity—that rigid, unyielding belief that your way was the only way to protect your people. 

you had thought you were doing what was best, but in the end, it was their unwavering determination, their conviction to fight for a future beyond your vision, that broke through your walls. 

eventually, you came to realize those errors and mistakes. it was humbling, but necessary. and through that, you became a better leader for inazuma. after all, you loved your nation just as deeply as you had loved your late sister. they were both precious to you, things you would protect with every ounce of your being.

it was a hard lesson, one you hadn’t expected to learn—but it changed you. and now, watching gon fight, you saw the same resolve, the same fire in his eyes that the traveler had shown you.

hours have passed, and still, hanzo continued to beat up gon. the floor beneath him was stained with gon’s blood, the young boy barely able to defend himself, let alone land a hit. two, maybe three hours—it was hard to keep track anymore. each strike from hanzo pushed gon closer to the edge, but still, he refused to give up.

it hurt to watch. as much as you wanted to intervene, you knew it wasn’t possible—not without consequences. no one could interfere.

“enough already, or i'll kill you! i'll take up his place and fight you!” leorio's shout broke through the tense silence, fury clear in his voice.

“if you can't stand this, then leave. it's only going to get worse.” hanzo merely shrugged, his tone casual.

leorio was about to charge forward, but before he could make a move, two men in black suits stepped in, blocking his path.

“if you do interfere, gon will be disqualified,” masta warned, and leorio froze, realization dawning on him.

“leorio, if gon is disqualified because of you… i'll kill you.” the words left your lips coldly, without even a glance in his direction. you felt the shift in his demeanor—surprise, and fear.

the room went silent, everyone staring in shock, as they wondered why you'd threaten leorio, of all people. you were his friend, weren’t you?

your aura shifted, becoming colder, darker—dangerous. you didn’t even have to say more. the threat was clear.

hisoka grinned, enjoying the tension in the air. his eyes gleamed with curiosity, licking his lips as he basked in the dangerous aura surrounding you. he found it fascinating, thrilling even.

“mom… don't scare leorio,” gon managed to mutter from his knees, his voice weak but filled with concern. he was still trying to stand, but with hanzo so close, it was clear he wouldn't last much longer.

“i was kidding,” you said, your voice light and almost indifferent. You weren’t serious, but it worked. it stopped leorio from going any further. and honestly, you didn’t care about the joke. you just needed him to stay in line.

“t-that wasn’t a good joke!” leorio sputtered, still shaken. you simply shrugged. fine, maybe you went just a little overboard with your joke, but at least it worked.

“don't worry, leorio. it doesn't hurt at all, i can handle this.” his words meant to reassure more than anyone else—not leorio, but himself.

the words were firm, but you knew, deep down, gon’s body was giving out. it had been three hours—three hours of enduring pain, of absorbing every blow hanzo could deliver. his body was a canvas of bruises, trembling from exhaustion, but his determination was unwavering. and that unwavering spirit? that was the key.

you turned your gaze to hanzo. a small smirk tugged at your lips as you studied him. you could feel it, the shift in his demeanor. he was starting to waver, slowly but surely. the confidence he had earlier was fading.

hanzo was physically superior, yes. but his resolve? it was nowhere near as strong as gon’s. and that, you knew, would be his downfall.

“i'm going to break your arm, i'm serious. say it. surrender.” everyone's tension thickened as hanzo threatened gon again.

“no!” gon shouted, and just like that, the sound of a bone snapping echoed across the room. it was the sound of gon’s arm breaking, and your fist immediately tightened. the urge to strike everyone in sight with lightning surged through you. if you didn’t keep your composure, that might be exactly what you'd do.

“don’t try to stop me, kurapika, y/n... but if he does anything else to gon, i’m sorry to gon, but i can’t hold myself back any longer.” leorio’s voice was strained, his teeth grinding in fury.

“stop you? do you think i'd do that? don’t worry, i’m not going to stop you.” kurapika responded, his usual calm demeanor slipping for the first time in a long while. his eyes were an intense red beneath his contacts.

killua stood at your side, the calm exterior masking the turmoil within. his gaze flicked to your clenched fist before he whispered,

“mama, calm down.” you glanced down at him, your face betraying nothing. you shook your head, a quiet defiance in your movements.

“i am calm.” the dark aura around you told a different story, but you had to stay in control. because when you truly lost it, that’s when thunder would rage across the sky.

suddenly, hanzo stood in a single hand stand and starts to ramble about his life—something about being trained as a ninja since birth. honestly, you lost track of what he was saying because you couldn’t care less.

“i’m doing this for your own good. it’s better if you surrender—” he was interrupted by gon’s kick, sending him flying back for a brief moment.

gon, on the other hand, looked like that kick took every last bit of his strength. He dropped back down to the ground immediately, his body trembling with exhaustion. Despite everything, he managed to sit up, holding his broken arm.

“that hurts, damn it. but because of the pain and your babbling, i’m able to think clearer now!” gon shouted, a fire lighting up in his eyes as he glared at hanzo.

“that’s right! beat him, gon. kick his ass out of here!” leorio cheered, a wide grin on his face. his earlier worry faded, replaced by his anger-fueled support for gon.

“i just let you kick me on purpose.” hanzo was back on his feet, trying to brush off the damage, but the blood dripping from his nose told a different story. he clearly hadn’t expected that kick. 

“you're really missing the point. i'm not advising you, i'm giving you an order. are my orders that hard to understand? then i'll make this clear.” his tone darkened as he revealed a hidden blade on his bandaged arm.

“i'm going to cut off your legs. you'll never use them again. maybe then you'll finally understand my point.” he swung the blade through the air, the sharp edge whistling as it sliced through the silence. 

“but before that, i have a request. surrender now.” 

“i won't accept that.” 

gon’s immediate response left everyone gaping at him in disbelief. 

“i won't let you cut my legs off, but i won’t surrender either. so let’s fight another way.” he spoke so casually, as if he wasn’t on the verge of losing his legs. 

hanzo twitched, veins popping on his forehead as he struggled to keep his composure. 

“what? do you even understand your situation?!” laughter rippled through the room, the absurdity of the moment catching everyone off guard. even you couldn’t help but chuckle gracefully, the tension in your body finally easing. 

“don’t just talk nonsense and mess with me. i'm serious about cutting your legs off!” hanzo snapped, his patience wearing thin. 

“even so, i'm still not going to surrender,” gon said firmly. “not to mention, if you do that, i'll bleed to death. that means you'll be disqualified, right?” 

gon turned his head towards masta, the referee nodding in confirmation. 

“see? we don’t want that to happen. so, let’s think of another way.” gon’s logic was so simple yet completely unshakable. 

hanzo clenched his jaw, his grip tightening on the blade. he was looking at gon like the kid had just grown another head. frustration flickered across his face before he suddenly lowered the blade to gon’s forehead, pressing the sharp edge against his skin. 

a thin cut split open, blood trickling down gon’s face, yet his expression remained unwavering. 

hanzo continued to argue, saying that if he killed gon, he could just return next year and take the exam again. but gon didn’t waver, his steady gaze locked onto hanzo, offering nothing in response.

“i want to see my dad. my dad is a hunter. so, i want to be just like him and go to see him after this.”  you don’t know much about gon’s father, only that gon had told you—and everyone else—that he was searching for him. 

“i believe i will meet him again someday. but if i give up here and now, i'm never going to see him again. so, i won't back down.” gon’s voice carried unwavering determination. 

you hummed softly. gon’s father was... strange. what kind of parent left their child behind and made them search instead of coming to find them? 

just as you expected, hanzo sighed, pulling back his blade and tucking it away beneath his bandages. without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away. 

“i surrender. you win.” 

his declaration sent a ripple of surprise through the room. everyone stared in shock, murmuring among themselves—why would he surrender when he had such a clear advantage? 

“i can’t kill you, no matter what,” hanzo admitted, his voice laced with frustration.

“and i can’t think of another way to make you surrender.” gon frowned, clearly dissatisfied.

“then let’s fight another way! i can’t accept a victory like this!” he insisted

“moron!” hanzo delivered a sharp uppercut, knocking gon unconscious in an instant. 

“referee, i lost this one. i'll fight in the second round,” hanzo announced, shaking his head. he muttered something about how stubborn gon was, insisting that someone should make sure the kid accepted his license when he woke up. 

as the men in black suits carried gon away to be treated, you silently followed, your footsteps light against the floor. you didn’t need permission to check on him. you were his mother, after all. 

standing beside his resting form, you gazed down at his peaceful face, soft breaths escaping his lips despite the bruises and cuts littering his skin. 

you leaned in slightly, voice barely above a whisper. 

“mom is proud of you.”

    ┌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌  ㅤ °ㅤㅤ 𝒪𝒪.   .ㅤ     ╭◜

      *       ㅤ            ㅤ                              ╎
ㅤ         ㅤ           to be continuedㅤ       ❀

note : thank you, everyone, for your kind words. they inspire and motivate me to keep writing.