The Hidden Beast!

"Mr. Oboro, please come with me!"

After a while, they finally reached their destination.

A subordinate had been waiting for some time.

Oboro caught sight of other mob bosses' cars parked nearby as well.

"Quite something..."

He nodded and followed the man.

When the car had started climbing the mountain road, he had already seen the palace standing halfway up the mountain. It was an entire complex occupying the mountainside, not just a single palace! He had heard that even the mountain region spanning more than a dozen kilometers was property of the Ten Dons, a private forbidden zone.

Patrols were everywhere, and security was exceptionally tight.

It had not seemed like much from the foot of the mountain, but up close, even the walls surrounding the palace complex were towering and magnificent.

Although Oboro had never been to Kukuroo Mountain, it felt... somewhat like the Zoldyck Family's style, only even more lavish and resplendent.

Before entering, he had to undergo a special security check to ensure he was not carrying any dangerous weapons. They also briefed him on several rules he needed to follow.

Only then did they lead him toward the building where the meeting was being held.

With his hands in his pockets, Oboro strolled down the broad stone-paved path, the corners of his lips curled upward... He sensed someone examining him!

"That Oboro is a Nen user."

"He took out River and Chibu, the main security personnel of two families, all by himself. That says enough!"

"I dug deeply into his background. He fought in Heavens Arena and was a Floor Master-level fighter... The buzz around him has died down, but some people still remember him when his name comes up. As for his relationship with the Fills Family, there is no way to confirm it for now. After all, just a few months ago, the Fills Family had merely been a mid-level force and was rarely even mentioned..."

"The Fills Family still has a direct descendant, a woman named Fills Lily, Fills Mabor's daughter... Judging by the attitudes of the butler David and Lily, there should be no problem with his identity."

A group of people had gathered in a room on a high floor.

There were nearly thirty of them.

Their gazes took turns passing through the windows and landing on the tiny figure gradually approaching with the servant.

"I watched his recordings, and judging from his performance lately... this man is dangerous! In a one-on-one fight, probably no one here could beat him. The odds would be slim! Of course, Sato is the exception." A man with his hands clasped behind his head stared solemnly at the tiny figure outside before turning to the ninja standing beside the Ten Dons. "You should be fine, right?"

The masked ninja in black said nothing, merely looking on with cold eyes.

It seemed he had tacitly agreed.

"His ability is Conjuration, and it's incredibly complex. Once a fight starts, it'll be hard to figure out how it works or what patterns it follows in a short time... He's a true expert!" the man added.

Besides the several dozen Nen users, Brown was in the room as well.

However, he did not join the conversation. He merely sat in his chair smoking a cigar, allowing the others to discuss Oboro.

"Hey, hey, hey... What do you mean by that, Achua...? Scared?"

Someone teased him.

"Please! No matter how strong he is alone, we have all these people... Even if it costs a few lives, dealing with him would still be easy..." The man rolled his eyes.

"If we really start fighting, whoever is weaker dies first... Hmm... That fits Meteor City's style perfectly."

Another man with messy hair grinned, baring his teeth.

"You can have this opportunity."

The one who spoke was a woman.

"He has already noticed you."

At that moment, the ninja standing beside Brown suddenly spoke.

"Oh? What sharp senses... A terrifying guy... Is he one of our kind...?" Achua clicked his tongue in amazement.

Suddenly, Brown tapped his cigar against the table, producing a sound. Everyone immediately looked toward their boss and fell silent.

"Don't get too worked up. At least for now... he's one of us."

The Ten Dons spoke blandly.

After saying that, he stood and headed for the door.

He was going to meet the guests summoned here today...

"This Sato seems to have followed the Ten Dons for a long time..."

"He's a ninja trained by the Hidden Group's Cloud Hidden Style... Unlike us latecomers, he's a professional! He started training from childhood. I heard that the other nine also have experts like Sato at their sides... The reason the Ten Dons can sit firmly at the head of the mafia is naturally because they have the capital to do so!"

"Could you guys show a little professionalism...? We were sold to the mafia, after all. We're mafia people now too. Is it really okay to talk about the boss behind his back? If the elders find out..."

"Can you not use the word 'sold'? It was a transaction, a transaction!"

"Is there a difference?"

"Yes!"

Not long after Brown and the other man left, the group began chatting.

"Does anyone want to have some fun and test Oboro's depth...?"

"Behave yourselves. He's a major figure in the mafia, after all... He might even become a future partner of Meteor City. Don't cause trouble."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing... I don't want to go back to Meteor City. Life is so comfortable now..."

The boy wearing a baseball cap waved at everyone and walked out.

"That kid Green..."

"It's fine. It's not like you don't know him..."

Not everyone in the room came from Meteor City, but more than half of them did.

Meanwhile, Oboro was following his "guide" toward a white building rising among the palace complex.

However, they still had to pass through a corridor.

From dozens of meters away, Oboro noticed a boy in a baseball cap wandering casually around the grounds... He seemed to have some status. He was completely out of place among the suited men stationed every few steps away, like they belonged to entirely different worlds.

No one stopped him.

The boy leaned against the corridor wall, his eyes openly scrutinizing Oboro...

Oboro's gaze also gained a hint of amusement.

The "guide" gave a slight nod toward the boy, seemingly greeting him, but said nothing.

The distance between Oboro and the boy closed.

At that moment, the boy pushed himself away from the wall and walked past Oboro.

The instant their figures crossed, the boy narrowed his eyes beneath the brim of his cap and released his aura, but without killing intent... Killing intent would have been a provocation. He knew his limits and did not want to be misunderstood.

He was merely playing a game.

Besides, Green understood the mafia's situation well... The other party was wary of the Ten Dons' status. Even if he was dissatisfied, he would not show it.

Even if Brown found out, he probably would not interfere.

However, the moment he released his aura and created mental pressure, a chill suddenly coursed through his entire body. His vision blurred, and piercing pain like needles stabbing into his brain struck him. He could barely remain standing.

In a daze, he staggered and bent over, causing the cap on his head to fall.

However, before the cap could hit the ground, a large hand caught it.

Oboro patted the pale-faced boy on the shoulder and softly comforted him, as gentle as a kind older brother next door. "Your hat fell... Walk more steadily. Don't be too naughty, or you'll get hurt if you fall."

The suffocating feeling came quickly and vanished just as fast. Green came back to his senses, his face flushed red.

His throat bobbed as he stiffly took the cap from Oboro's hand.

Oboro gently patted his shoulder twice more, then walked away with the guide.

Their entire exchange had taken only an instant. As an ordinary person, the "guide" had noticed nothing.

Sensing the gaze fixed on his back, Oboro murmured, "His Nen..."

This boy's Nen was rather interesting...

A few minutes later, Oboro was led into a conference room.

The moment he entered, he found familiar faces everywhere... They were the big shots he had seen at the charity gala before. The old man Badim was there too.

"Oboro, you're here!"

Their attitude toward Oboro was completely different from before. The moment he appeared, all seven immediately came over to greet him.

Although the mafia's ranks and hierarchy were clearly defined, everything rested on strength.

The current Fills Family could be said to be no weaker than any one of their organizations, perhaps even somewhat stronger.

Naturally, they would no longer stress seniority or anything of the sort...

That was reality.

"Those seven, plus me, make eight in total. We're the core circle of the domestic mafia."

Oboro thought to himself.

This time, he was not so cold toward them. He pretended to chat warmly with them... It was nothing more than a few matters related to business.

However, Oboro was giving them friendly looks because of his mood...

He was in a very pleasant mood, and also exhilarated.

He had sensed an extremely dangerous beast concealing its aura and watching them from the shadows.

The last time he had felt this way was when he first arrived on the 200th floor of Heavens Arena and encountered Echimilu... He had been rather embarrassed on the stage back then...

Before long, Brown, one of the Ten Dons, arrived from a side hall.

Upon seeing him, the seven called out in unison, "Boss."

Oboro nodded along with them...

This "very young man" before him was one of the Ten Dons!

The reason he called him young was that, given the man's status and position, being forty or fifty years old was not considered old...

He was also a minor character from the original work. Oboro remembered seeing him flash briefly across the screen in the anime.

"Everyone's here... Sit."

Brown took the main seat first and gestured for them to sit.

There were four seats on each side, and Oboro sat in the second seat on the left.

"Oboro, you've more or less taken care of everything, right?" Brown looked at the most youthful face at the table.

"Mm."

Oboro knew he was referring to the aftermath involving River and Chibu's families.

"Good... Unlike the others, as long as someone working under me has ability, they will have a chance to stand out. I'm very willing to cultivate the younger generation," Brown said.

"Thank you... I definitely won't disappoint your... expectations."

Oboro replied with a faint smile, emphasizing the last two words.

Willing to cultivate the younger generation... He just liked money more, didn't he...

"The main reason I called you here today is that the regional forces under our control have been somewhat restless lately... Keep a close eye on your respective areas. Have your people fight among themselves less, and if any disputes truly arise, try to avoid using force."

"Yes."

Just as expected, upon hearing this, Oboro knew Brown was indirectly warning him.

He was signaling that the Fills Family had already earned enough and should settle down and serve him properly.

The discussion gradually deepened, covering more and more matters.

They discussed changes in industries involving the domestic mafia... Then there were matters concerning other continents and the other nine districts.

Oboro realized that as their status rose, these mafia organizations operated more like legitimate major corporations.

They rarely discussed murder or the dirty work they handled.

After a long time, the meeting finally ended.

They had arrived during the day, but it was already dark outside.

A group of servants began bringing in the prepared delicacies and fine wine one after another. With the serious business concluded, the atmosphere relaxed considerably.

As the newcomer, Oboro naturally became the focus of everyone's discussion and praise.

It was all... just putting on a show.

Ten thousand words today. There's one more chapter, and I'll post it early!