Renzo sat on a fallen log, his arms resting on his knees as he caught his breath. Morning sunlight filtered through the forest canopy, the golden beams cutting through drifting specks of dust. His shirt clung to his skin with sweat, his chest rising and falling after hours of practice.
"You know," a small voice said suddenly, "you breathe really loudly when you finish training."
Renzo stiffened and turned. From behind a tree, Gon peeked out, grinning like he had been waiting for the right moment to speak.
"So you finally decided to come out," Renzo said, wiping sweat from his brow.
Gon stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back. His bare feet made almost no sound against the earth. His eyes were wide with excitement. "You noticed me?"
Renzo raised a brow. "You were not exactly subtle."
Gon laughed, scratching the back of his head. "I thought I was hiding pretty well."
Renzo smirked. "Not really. But you watched me long enough. What do you want?"
Gon sat cross-legged on the grass, his energy spilling out like sunlight. "I wanted to see what you were doing. It looked like… fighting practice. But also not fighting. I don't know how to explain it."
"Training," Renzo answered simply. "It is training."
"Training for what?" Gon asked, leaning forward.
Renzo paused. He thought of Jack's words, of gratitude and enlightenment, of rules against revealing too much. He chose his words carefully. "For myself. For strength. For discipline. Training because… I have to."
Gon tilted his head. "You have to?"
Renzo nodded. "Some things you do because you want to. Some things you do because you cannot ignore them. Training is like breathing for me. If I stop, I feel… wrong."
Gon looked at him for a moment, then smiled. "That makes sense. Kind of like fishing."
Renzo blinked. "Fishing?"
"Yeah," Gon said. His eyes lit up as he spoke. "When I am by the river with my line in the water, I feel like everything is right. Even if I do not catch anything, it still feels good. Like I am supposed to be there."
Renzo studied him. The boy's words were simple, yet they carried a purity Renzo found disarming. He exhaled a small laugh. "I guess training is my fishing."
"Then we are the same," Gon said proudly, as if he had solved a puzzle.
Renzo leaned back on the log, shaking his head. "Not quite."
They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the rustle of leaves. Birds chirped high above, and the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore echoed faintly through the forest.
"You live with Mito, right?" Renzo asked.
"Yeah," Gon said, nodding. "She is my aunt. She takes care of me. What about you?"
Renzo hesitated. His adoptive father's face came to mind, the man's tired but kind eyes, the roughness of his hands from years of labor. He could not tell Gon the truth. He could never tell anyone the truth.
"I live with someone too," Renzo said. "He is… a bit strict, but fair."
"Like a teacher?" Gon asked.
"Something like that."
Gon grinned again. "That is cool. I wish I had a teacher. Most of what I do, I learn by trying. Like fishing, or climbing, or running in the forest."
Renzo raised a brow. "And getting chased by foxbears?"
Gon's cheeks flushed. "You heard about that?"
"Everyone on the island has heard about that," Renzo said with a smirk.
Gon laughed sheepishly, then quickly changed the subject. "Hey, do you want to come to my house? Mito makes really good food. And we can go see the foxbear together."
Renzo blinked. "The foxbear?"
"Yeah," Gon said. "It is not scary anymore. You will see. I think it likes me."
Renzo tilted his head, considering. Jack had always encouraged solitude in training, but maybe this was part of the balance too. Gratitude, Jack had said. Gratitude was not only for the world, but for the people in it.
"Alright," Renzo said finally. "I will come."
Gon's grin widened. He sprang to his feet, brushing dirt off his shorts. "Great! Let's go!"
Renzo followed as Gon darted ahead, weaving through the trees like he had memorized every root and stone. The boy moved with natural instinct, fearless and light on his feet. Renzo trailed behind, watching with quiet curiosity.
As they broke into the clearing near the river, Gon turned back and waved. "Come on, Renzo! This way!"
Renzo could not help but smile faintly. It had been a long time since he had walked beside someone with such pure energy. Maybe training alone in the forest was not the only path after all.