Boosting your aura capacity is a natural part of getting stronger. The best way to do it? Just keep grinding through the training.
Ronin had realized that Ninjutsu, when paired with the Sharingan, was perfect for mid-to-long-range combat. But for close quarters, the ideal setup was to keep the Sharingan active while using Nen.
Right now, Ronin had only mastered a halfway point. But he knew he could push it further.
All he had to do was convert a specific portion of his Nen into Chakra—just enough to keep the Sharingan running.
The technique felt a lot like Gyo. It was all about focusing energy exactly where it was needed.
This became Ronin's new obsession. He needed to build a solid foundation where converting Nen into Chakra to fuel his eyes became second nature.
Using Zetsu helped him recover stamina faster, but it had its limits.
That realized limitation made him appreciate Bisky's ability even more. Her magical massages that drastically cut down recovery time were nothing short of a godsend.
Meanwhile, the dynamic between Kurapika and Neon was working out surprisingly well.
Even though Kurapika wasn't exactly a fan of Neon's macabre collection hobbies, he'd accepted her for who she was after getting to know her better.
That evening, Ronin checked their progress.
---
Not bad.
But if they thought they were going to get a good night's sleep, they were dreaming.
Ronin rigged stones to hang from ropes directly above their heads. Even while sleeping, they had to maintain a state of alertness.
Ronin didn't exempt himself from this torture, either. When the three of them woke up the next morning, everyone was sporting at least a couple of fresh bumps on their heads.
By the seventh day, Ronin had fully adapted to the artificial gravity of the Added Weight Rock Technique. His excavation work on the mountain was becoming faster and more efficient.
The application of his Enhancement-type aura felt smoother than ever. He was cycling through Ren, Shu, Gyo, and Ken with practiced ease.
But the most striking thing about him during the dig was his eyes.
Ronin was constantly converting a stream of Nen into Chakra, feeding it to his optical nerves to keep the Sharingan active 24/7.
The hardest part of maintaining a technique like this indefinitely wasn't the physical strain—it was the mental discipline.
It reminded him of Dragon Ball, when Goku and Gohan stayed in their Super Saiyan forms continuously leading up to the Cell Games.
That was exactly what he was doing. He was turning a power-up into a habit, making the Sharingan his new "normal."
With the Sharingan active, his control over his aura became terrifyingly precise.
When he first started this training, maintaining Ken burned about 9 units of aura per second. After a week of micro-managing his flow with the Sharingan, he had whittled that down to 7 units.
The theoretical limit was 6.
Of course, that was in a controlled environment. In the chaos of real combat, those numbers would fluctuate.
What he really needed now was sparring.
Unfortunately, Kurapika and Neon were still too green. They wouldn't last a minute as sparring partners.
Ronin was forced to spar with his own Shadow Clones. It worked, but it felt lacking. There's only so much you can learn from punching yourself in the face.
---
That afternoon, Ronin wrapped up his training early.
Today was the day. Kurapika was going to awaken his Nen.
In Ronin's eyes, Kurapika was already strong. Lately, the boy had been following Ronin's lead and keeping his Scarlet Eyes active for extended periods.
This had boosted Kurapika's physical baseline significantly.
Just as the Sharingan enhanced Ronin's combat specs, Kurapika realized that the Scarlet Eyes gave him a raw power boost. So, why not use it?
As for blending in, he had already ordered custom contact lenses and sunglasses. He could easily hide the red glare when necessary.
Compared to the benefits of constant power, refusing to use the eyes felt like a waste.
Sometimes, Kurapika wondered: If our clan hadn't chosen to hide our eyes, but instead trained to weaponize them... would the Phantom Troupe still have been able to slaughter us?
As for the stamina drain, once he got used to it, it wasn't that bad. The Scarlet Eyes were just a biological state; the exhaustion usually came from the emotional turbulence that triggered them.
Watching Kurapika evolve, Ronin doubted the boy's abilities would turn out exactly like in the original timeline.
The answer was pretty obvious: No.
With Ronin acting as his big brother and shield, Kurapika didn't have to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. He didn't need to design a suicidal ability meant solely to kill the Spiders. He didn't need to be a one-man army.
Then there was Neon.
As a "natural awakener," she previously had zero concept of what she was actually doing. But after Ronin explained the theory of Nen to her, she improved faster than anyone.
She had already mastered Ten.
Her ability was evolving alongside her training. The Prophetic Verses were still there, but the conditions had loosened.
Now, if she actively focused, she could write a short prophecy without needing all the prerequisites—name, blood type, or date of birth.
Regardless of the changes, Neon was still sprinting down the path of a Support type.
Because of that, Ronin insisted she focus on the basics and learn martial arts. He was guiding her down the same path as Bisky:
If your ability is pure support, your body needs to be a tank. She needed to train as an Enhancer physically.
"I'm going to look like a She-Hulk!" Neon wailed when she realized what her future held.
She was already insecure about being flat-chested. If she worked out this much, even if she could transform like Ronin suggested, wouldn't she just be a muscular washboard?
Damn it, I have aesthetic standards!
Ronin saw the resentful look in her eyes but chose to ignore it.
Some things you're born with, some things you aren't. No point forcing it. Besides, there's nothing wrong with being petite.
---
Kurapika's physical condition met the criteria for awakening. At least, by Ronin's standards.
Waiting for a slow, natural awakening would take too long. Ronin decided to use "Initiation"—forcing the aura nodes open—and then have Kurapika train alongside Neon.
For Ronin, forced awakening was simple.
He placed his hand on Kurapika's back and injected a controlled amount of aura—devoid of any malice. That was enough to shock the body's aura nodes (pores) open.
As long as the target could master Ten (containment) quickly, there was no danger. Even if they failed initially, they'd just pass out from exhaustion as their life energy leaked away, and the nodes would naturally close again.
"Ready?"
Kurapika nodded. Ronin triggered the nodes.
A massive amount of aura erupted from Kurapika's body like steam from a boiling kettle.
But in less than thirty seconds, Kurapika wrestled the torrent under control. He formed a shroud of Ten, wrapping the energy tightly around his body.
It was seamless.
When Kurapika opened his eyes, he was no longer just a survivor of the Kurta Clan. He was a Nen user.