Seeing Nen changed everything.
Ethan stood in silence, his aura resting under Ten, his breathing steady. The world no longer appeared empty. It never had been.
It had always been filled with presence.
He simply hadn't seen it.
Until now.
The door opened.
The man entered.
He did not speak immediately.
He stood in front of Ethan, his aura calm, contained, absolute.
"You see it," he said.
Not a question.
Truth.
Ethan maintained Gyo, his aura focused into his eyes. The man's aura flowed around him like a second form, stable and controlled.
"Yes," Ethan said.
The man nodded once.
"Then you are ready."
Not for awakening.
For mastery.
He raised his hand.
"Gyo allows you to see."
His aura shifted slightly, concentrating into his arm.
"Ken allows you to endure."
His aura expanded suddenly.
Not outward.
Around.
It wrapped his entire body in a dense, stable layer. Not leaking. Not fluctuating.
Solid.
Defense.
"Ken is Ten reinforced by Ren," the man said. "Full protection."
He stepped forward.
"Use it."
Ethan activated Ren.
His aura expanded.
Then he compressed it.
Contained it against his body.
Not thin.
Dense.
Stable.
Ken.
He felt the difference immediately.
His body no longer felt exposed.
It felt supported.
Protected.
The man struck him.
Fast.
Direct.
The impact landed.
But it did not break him.
His Ken absorbed it.
Distributed it.
Preserved him.
"Ken preserves structure," the man said.
He stepped back.
"But structure must move."
He raised his hand again.
His aura shifted.
It moved.
From his torso—
To his arm.
The density changed.
Focused.
"Ryu," he said.
"Flow."
He struck.
Fast.
Precise.
His aura concentrated in the moment of impact.
Maximum efficiency.
Minimum waste.
Ethan observed carefully.
Ryu was not release.
It was distribution.
He activated Ren.
Then he moved it.
From his body—
To his arm.
Focused.
Controlled.
He struck.
The air itself reacted differently.
His aura followed his intent.
Not equally.
Precisely.
"Ryu defines combat," the man said.
He stepped closer.
"Defense where needed."
A pause.
"Attack where intended."
He lowered his hand.
"Now," he said.
"Disappear."
He did not use Zetsu.
His aura remained active.
But—
It vanished.
Ethan could not see it.
Not with Ten.
Not with instinct.
Gone.
Ethan activated Gyo immediately.
Focused his aura into his eyes.
And saw it.
Faint.
Hidden.
Suppressed.
"In," the man said.
"Concealment."
Not absence.
Hidden presence.
"In hides aura from perception."
He paused.
"But not from truth."
Gyo revealed it.
Always.
He stepped back.
"You now understand advanced Nen."
Not completely.
But structurally.
Ethan stood in silence.
He activated Ken.
His aura reinforced his body.
He shifted it into his arm.
Ryu.
He hid it.
In.
He focused it.
Gyo.
All four existed within him now.
Not separately.
Together.
Structured.
Defined.
The man turned toward the door.
"You are no longer a student."
Not praise.
Recognition.
"You are a Nen user."
He stopped.
"The world will now respond accordingly."
Then he left.
The door closed.
Ethan stood alone.
His aura is calm.
His structure is complete.
For the first time since entering this world—
He was no longer learning Nen.
He was ready to use it.