Episode 4 (2011)

"Episode 4" redirects here. For other uses, see Episode 4 (disambiguation).



Hope × and × Ambition ( キボウ×ト×ヤボウ, Kibō × To × Yabō ) is the 4th episode of the Hunter × Hunter 2011 series. It first aired on October 23rd, 2011.

Overview
''Gon befriends Killua and Leorio nearly gives up, but Gon waits for him until Leorio gains the motivation to catch up with them. Later, they share their own reasons of becoming a Hunter.''

Synopsis
The applicants has run continuously for two hours a distance of over thirty kilometers from where they come from. Leorio starts to get exhausted and he becomes irritated when he sees an applicant using his skateboard. He sees it as a mockery of the Hunter Exam but Gon defends the applicant, saying that the examiner just told them to follow him, without forbidding them to use whatever means.

The applicant takes an interest in Gon and asks for Gon's age. Upon learning that they are of the same age, he jumps from and catches the skateboard with a maneuver, starts running alongside Gon and introduces himself as Killua. Meanwhile, exhaustion and frustration starts to have its toll on Nicole, a plump and geeky applicant. He has initially thought that they are nearing the exit but his calculations seems to be wrong. The Amori Brothers taunts him even more, and leaves Nicole slowly losing his mind from the emotional abuse.

Then, Tonpa approaches and pays them. Leorio stops then he looks at Gon, who also stops alongside Killua and is waiting for him. Killua tells Gon to forget Leorio and just continue, but Gon does not even move an inch, to Killua's incredulity. Leorio gains the motivation to catch up with them and starts running even ahead of Gon and Killua. Gon happily "fishes" out the briefcase that Leorio dropped. Satotz starts speeding up his pace when they reach eighty kilometers, marked by a long, wide staircase. Leorio now has kept up with Kurapika, who asks him if he is alright. Leorio tells him that he can keep up if he does not mind how stupid he looks, for he has taken off his suit to make himself more comfortable. Kurapika follows his example by taking off his blue outer garment. Kurapika then asks Leorio is he is really after money, for he sees Leorio as nothing like those shallow people who live for money.

Eliciting no answer, Kurapika then shares to Leorio about the Scarlet Eyes of the Kurta clan as the reason for his clan's demise. Claimed as possessing one of the most beautiful colors in the world and prized by people as rare, wealthy people as well as thieves like the Phantom Troupe want to get their hands on the remaining pairs. Kurapika plans to become a Blacklist Hunter and be hired by wealthy families to get access to the black market, be able to collect his clan's eyes and also avenge them from the Phantom Troupe. Leorio comments that Kurapika would have to swallow his pride, to which Kurapika replies that his pride is nothing compared to the anguish his clan experienced. Kurapika prods Leorio about his reason to be a Hunter, but the latter says that he really is after the money. Kurapika does not believe him, and Leorio snaps that money can buy everything, even people's lives. Kurapika thinks he is insulting the Kurta Clan again and threatens Leorio.

Leorio snaps back that his friend would not have died if he had money, then becomes embarrassed by the revelation and turns away. Kurapika deduces that Leorio's friend died from an illness; Leorio says that it was treatable had they have the money for the operation. He wants to be doctor who can treat poor children for free, but realizes that he has to gain much more money to be able to study.

Gon and Killua also share their reasons for taking the Hunter Exam. Killua joins for fun, thinking that the Exam is challenging enough. Gon wants to be a Hunter like his father. When Killua asks what type of hunter his dad is, Gon cannot tell. Killua finds it weird and Gon explains that he is raised by his Aunt Mito, thus he does not know much about his father. Gon says that he wants to know what is with being a Hunter that his father has chosen it over raising his son. Then they agree to have a race and the one to win will pay for dinner. They arrive at the Numere Wetlands, also known as Swindlers' Swamp, and Gon and Killua races ahead of Satotz. They bicker about who arrives first and asks Satotz to judge for them. Satotz answers that they both arrive at the same time. Gon proposes that since they he and Killua won, they will treat each other to dinner.

Other applicants come and Satotz has just warned then about the creatures' creative means to fool their victims, when a man shows up and drags with him an unconscious ape with a face like Satotz'. He claims to be the examiner and accuses Satotz of being a masquerading man-faced ape. The applicants become confused especially Leorio and Hanzo, a ninja. Hisoka then attacks the two "examiners" by throwing them his razor-sharp cards. The man with the ape is killed and is eaten by scavenger birds. Satotz catches the cards with his bare hands, and warns Hisoka not to attack again lest he wants to be disqualified. He then tells the applicants to follow him into the swamp

Manga & Anime Differences

 * Gon and Killua did not race in the manga.
 * Leorio is shown to be crying as he explains his past; this was not made a point of in the manga, although he does turn his face away.
 * In the manga, Nicole was the first to fail.