There was once a man named Sato Kenji. A genius, talented in many fields, he eventually died of old age—alone. But he wasn't sad. He had lived exactly the life he wanted. He preferred solitude over the company of others. He disliked forming attachments and avoided them completely, even if the person was genuinely good.
1973
He had been reborn as a baby, and his new name was Kairo.
1978
As the years passed, the truth assembled itself piece by piece.
Kairo had been reincarnated into the world of Hunter x Hunter. He realized it almost immediately—because he had been born into the Kurta Clan.
The realization filled him with a strange mix of emotions.Excitement, because this was his favorite anime.Dread, because he knew exactly how the Kurta Clan would be wiped out.
If he didn't take action, he wouldn't even make it to age twenty-five.
Learning the language and writing system of this world wasn't difficult for him, but he couldn't help resenting the god—or whatever force—responsible for reincarnating him without giving him a proper cheat.
But sometime later, he realized he had been given one after all.
In a dream, he encountered a presence—an entity he couldn't see or speak to. Probably that so-called god. The being didn't reveal its identity; it simply explained the abilities he had been given.
His cheat was absolute immunity to all mind-related attacks—mind control, mind reading, mental interference, anything that targeted the mind.
After explaining the gift, the "god" told him they would never meet again. And just like that, the dream ended. The cheat was undeniably broken—so broken it felt unreal. Still, Kairo found himself wishing for a more straightforward combat ability instead.
Then he remembered: being born a Kurta—twenty years before the massacre—was already a cheat in itself.
He still wondered why a god chose to reincarnate him at all. He knew he wasn't a particularly good person. But he eventually shrugged it off.
Kairo (Thought):Probably just for fun. Gods in anime and fantasy stories tend to do whatever they want. Oh well. I'll accept it. If I question it too much, maybe the gifts will disappear. Besides… he let me keep my memories, too.
That alone gave him another massive advantage: he already knew a lot about Nen—and he knew the future. That made it three cheats in total.
The Kurta Clan massacre would happen in 1994.Right now, it was 1978, and Kairo was only five years old.
So he formed a plan early.
Kairo wrote down everything he remembered about Nen into a blank journal. Every day, he trained his body, sharpened his mind through meditation, and kept his distance from everyone. Just like in his previous life, he refused to form attachments.
Even with his own "parents."
Well—if he even had parents.
Kairo's parents had died when he was just a baby. During a raid by those seeking the Kurta Clan's eyes, several clan members—including his mother and father—were killed. Kairo survived only because his parents hid him at the last moment, and the elder happened to find him afterward. The elders, who had known his parents personally, decided to take him in.
Kairo did feel a faint fondness toward the elder, but even so, he made absolutely sure never to grow attached.
All of this happened before the clan relocated to Lukso Province—long before Kurapika was even born. Their disappearance was the very reason the Kurta decided to move.
The only keepsake his parents left behind was a Kurta pendant. It was said to be a protective amulet, but Kairo never believed those claims. Still, he kept it rather than throwing it away—though he had no intention of ever wearing it.
Kairo goal had already been decided:
Leave the Kurta clan at eighteen.
So Kairo trained everyday.
Kairo pushed his body through harsh physical training and meditated relentlessly, hoping to unlock Nen at an early age.
Whenever the elder caught him training that hard, he could only sigh. He tried to stop Kairo at first, but it was impossible—Kairo wouldn't listen no matter what he said. In the end, the elder gave up and simply let him be, quietly hoping he wouldn't push himself too far… even though that hope was never fulfilled.
Kairo never relied on the Kurta to learn Nen. They didn't know it anyway, and even if they had, he still wouldn't have asked.
Still, that didn't mean the Kurta were weak. Kairo understood perfectly why Uvogin had acknowledged them, even though they didn't know Nen. Some members of the Kurta Clan naturally manifested Nen without realizing it, and their physical abilities were already far beyond normal—especially when their eyes turned scarlet.
However, that level of strength didn't apply to everyone… including Kairo's parents.
Kairo believed he could learn it on his own. In his past life, he'd been considered a prodigy—a genius shaped by relentless effort across countless fields, not just combat. Even if this world's power system was something extraordinary, something bordering on the supernatural, he was determined to make it possible.
1979
When Kairo finally opened his aura, Kairo felt genuine happiness. Kairo then performed Water Divination and discovered he was an Enhancer—Kairo was sastified. He preferred straightforward strength. Still, he found it a bit strange; he had expected to be a Transmuter, Conjurer, or Manipulator based on his nature and personality. Maybe it was because Kairo had wished to be an Enhancer since he was born in hxh world…
Kairo (Thought):Well, all the better for me.
After that, Kairo mastered the basics, then the advanced principles, and even started crafting his own ability—something that fit him and for something that would synergize with his Scarlet Eyes too.
Kairo also developed his own fighting style, using everything he remembered from his previous life. He even had another idea: drawing inspiration from all the anime he had watched before. With that knowledge, he figured he could recreate—or perhaps even refine—techniques drawn from those worlds.
Kairo (Thought):Normally, that sort of thing would be impossible… but in an anime world like this, it feels strangely feasible.
Kairo continued to train…and train… until countless years seemed to slip by.
1991
Eventually, Kairo turned eighteen.
He had grown strong—far stronger than the average Nen user—but to him, it still wasn't enough. He still felt weak.
Kairo wanted to continue growing, but the village lacked proper training grounds and resources. He couldn't push his limits or explore new methods. One way or another, he had already decided it was time to move on.
When he told the elder he wanted to explore the outside world, the elder made him take a series of tests:A written exam.An oral exam.And a trip into town to buy groceries—without losing his temper—with a partner of his choosing.
Kairo passed all of them easily.
Unlike Kurapika, he chose someone with the most self-restraint—a boy around his age. Kairo didn't know him well, but he had observed him enough to know the boy rarely lost composure. The boy agreed without hesitation, and they headed into town riding a Piko—a creature that resembled a Chocobo from Final Fantasy.
They arrived, bought groceries quickly, and prepared to return. But along the way, three hooligans tried to provoke them, hurling insults and sneering. Kairo and his partner ignored them completely—and Kairo knew they were hired by the elder as part of the test. Their lack of reaction only enraged the hooligans further. One of them yelled, "Take this, you stupid poor village people!" and all three suddenly hurled rocks at them.
Kairo's partner turned when he heard the shout, just in time to see a rock inches from smashing into him—far too close for him to dodge or block. But before it could hit, Kairo caught all three rocks in one hand without effort.
The hooligans froze, stunned.
Kairo's partner was shocked too, amazed by the speed of Kairo's reaction. He tensed, thinking Kairo would retaliate. He opened his mouth to tell him to calm down, but Kairo spoke first, quietly assuring him that everything was fine.
Then, without activating his Scarlet Eyes or using Nen, Kairo tightened his grip and crushed the rocks to dust. The fragments slipped between his fingers as he turned toward the hooligans with a slow, unsettling smile meant purely to intimidate.
The trio paled—imagining their heads being crushed just as easily. A heartbeat later, they spun around and bolted in fear.
Kairo's partner was intimidated too, but he thanked him genuinely. He hadn't been able to react at all.Kairo simply replied, "It was nothing."And to him, it truly was—laughably insignificant compared to the other people in this world. Besides… the boy's gratitude meant nothing. He would die in a few years, and Kairo didn't even know his name, nor care to remember it.
After that, they finished their errand without further trouble and returned straight to the village. Kairo only wanted to complete the test and leave as soon as possible.
When the day finally came, he packed his belongings and the money he had saved. The entire Kurta Clan gathered to see him off—even though Kairo told them it wasn't necessary, since he had barely spoken to most of them. But they came anyway.
The elder and everyone else already believed that Kairo didn't want to stay—that he "hated" this place and the people in it. (Though in truth, he didn't hate any of it. He had lied.)
In the past, Kairo had chosen not to get close to anyone and always trained alone. When asked why, he was unsure how to respond at first. Eventually, he claimed that he didn't really like them, that they were distracting and annoying, that he hated living like this, and that he had no intention of staying forever. He said he would leave once he became strong enough.
None of it had been true, but the lie worked. Some people, angered by his words—since they genuinely wanted to get to know him—decided to keep their distance, muttering, "Fine, have it your way." Others tried to approach him but eventually gave up.
Even so, the elder told him he was always welcome to return. And if he chose never to come back, he should at least send letters from time to time.
Kairo gave a quiet nod.
But honestly? He doubted he would ever return…And he probably wouldn't send any letters, either.
Kairo didn't leave blindly—he already had a clear destination in mind:
Heaven's Arena.
It was the perfect place to earn money and gain real combat experience—though calling it "combat experience" was a stretch. He had no intention of climbing to the 200th floor; his main goal was the prize money. Still, experience was experience.
After earning enough, he planned to gamble his winnings at a casino until he reached the amount he wanted. Then he'd use that money to buy everything he needed to grow even stronger.
He had considered getting a Hunter License first, but ultimately decided to wait until the anime's plot began. It would be easier then. Strength alone wasn't enough to pass; he was certain the exam demanded far more than raw power. Waiting for the plot to start, however, meant meeting Hisoka was inevitable—but that was a manageable risk. If he took the exam now, he might face completely unknown threats—unpredictable dangers he had no information about. Even if the chances were low—and even if he could probably pass—he wasn't willing to gamble on a version of the exam he didn't understand. He'd rather face the one he knew.
At least with Hisoka, he knew what to expect—and Hisoka had far more interesting targets than Kairo anyway.
Kairo (thought):Well… if he did decide he wanted to fight me… I'd think about it when the time came. For now, my focus is Heaven's Arena.
Heaven's Arena was predictable, structured, and compared to the Hunter Exam, far safer. If the opponent was too strong, Kairo could simply surrender—though he hoped that situation would never arise.
To get there, he first needed to reach a nearby city and buy a plane ticket. The elder asked if he was sure he didn't want to take a Piko for the journey, but Kairo told him he'd rather walk. The elder accepted his decision without pressing further.
With nothing left to do, Kairo set out from the village. As he walked away, the Kurta clan members stood along both sides of the path, waving and wishing him safe travels.
Kairo didn't wave back.Didn't say goodbye.Didn't even say thank you.
But he did glance back—for just a moment.
At the edge of the crowd stood two adults holding the hand of a small boy. A nine-year-old Kurapika.
A faint sting of guilt flickered inside Kairo—Kurapika was one of his favorite characters, after all—but only faintly.
Kairo (thought): I probably could have saved the clan. I could've taught them Nen so they could defend themselves, or warned them about the future massacre so they could relocate—or at least told them to scatter to improve their chances of survival.
But the truth was simple: I wasn't the type to build relationships. Maybe I could have saved them… but I didn't want to try.
And even if I did, would it have changed anything? The Phantom Troupe was overwhelmingly strong. Even if I taught the Kurta Nen, I wasn't sure they could fend them off. In the worst-case scenario, they'd fail, get captured, and be interrogated… and then the Troupe would learn I was the one who taught them.
Warning them about the massacre carried the same risk. If anything went wrong, the blame would lead straight back to me.
I wasn't willing to take that chance.
My own survival came first.
So Kairo looked away and continued his journey.