Gin yawned and stretched. She had decided to retrieve a contract for a mission as soon as she had woken up. Both Sero and Nozomi were on the verge of becoming Special Jounin. She owed them both some sort of mission and training session before they left her team and were ready to have their own. They grew up so quickly. It gave Gin a slight sense of pride that they had been under her tutelage. She smiled at the thought. Sure, she wasn't the sole person responsible for their current strength. They had been the ones to train themselves and dedicate the necessary time to find the strength that they now possessed. Gin would have liked to think that she had been the one to show them how, even if only partially. Both Sero and Nozomi were certainly gifted. She didn't doubt that they would each achieve greatness in their own way. What that way was... well, it was hard to picture it.

Gin pictured Nozomi as the type that would fight in the light of day, for her ideals of peace and justice. Sero, on the other hand... well, her nephew didn't have much of a moral compass, like the aforementioned kunoichi had. He was willing to get his hands dirty and follow orders - both were valuable traits, necessary for the survival of a village. In the meantime, Gin would be happy to sit back and watch how things played out. Her curiosity was spiked. She would have her attention on them both for several years to come. Not only that, but she would also be there to train them and take them on higher ranking missions as her equals.

That is why she currently found herself waiting for her young nephew. She lit up a cigarette and inhaled its bitter smoke. She breathed it out, forming several rings in the air that could hardly be seen against the grey skies of the Village Hidden in the Mist. This place rarely saw the light of the sun, with its humid and rainy climate. After all, the village had to have gotten its name somehow. It was a dreary place, but one that she had learned to call home over the last few months - almost a year, now. She tapped on the cigarette a couple of times with her index finger, letting the ashes fall onto the dirt below her feet.

The mission they had received was simple - they just had to kill a few thugs that were causing trouble in the graveyard. The second that Gin had stepped into the office, they had thrust the mission on her to make sure that it was taken care of as quickly as possible. She didn't doubt that Sero would come as quickly as possible as soon as he got word. It was only a matter of seconds now, maybe a minute. Gin was itching for a fight. She would likely take on the leader while Sero took on the other two. That's all they knew for now - that there were three people, outsiders aiming to wreak havoc. It was a common occurrence. How they had gotten past the gates, however, was an entirely different matter that needed to be addressed. The guards needed to get their asses kicked and have sense knocked into them.

Was it really that fucking hard to pay attention? It was a boring job, yes, but not really a difficult one. In any case, that was their problem. She just needed to deal with the consequences of other people's stupidity. But a fight was a fight and she desperately needed one. She would complain to Ayakashi later.

[617/2500]

Sero had received word that he was wanted on a seek and destroy mission with his aunt. Gin was an interesting character but to call her family was purely a technicality. As with everyone else he had little to no compassion for her. No real emotional connection. If anything she had leeway with him due to her high rank. Though according to his fathers records she was not from Kirigakure. In fact according to his fathers records his fathers uncle had been named Jurou and that was what had brought about any relation. If anything she was a second aunt and not even through marriage. Yet somehow due to some rather dark circumstances in his history Sero's closest relative happened to be her. Along with that was the fact that she was technically his squad leader. Though little of that had actually taken place and he was on the verge of a promotion already. Soon he would be rising out of her shadow as well. For now she wanted to take him on a mission and much like with any order he was quick to react. The mission had been brought before him by a messenger to his front door. The messenger had awkwardly knocked on what was left of it before handing the message over and quickly leaving.

Now as with all his orders Sero waved the paper over a candle watching with dull grey eyes as the paper lit up in a brief light before he placed it in a glass tray to let it burn to ashes. In silence he slipped into some dark pants an boots. His shirt was a thick cotton tank top and his robes that he slipped his arms into were grey at the top but faded to purple the further down it went. He slipped on some fingerless gloves that ran up to his elbow to improve his grip on his swords. His headband he tied around his neck with the metal piece over his windpipe. Lastly he wrapped his sword belt around his waist to keep everything in place. Now it was time to arm himself. He moved over to the closet and opened it to reveal and assortment of weapons. First he grabbed the folded Windmill shuriken which he placed attached to the back of his cloak on a clip that held it firmly in place across the small of his back. His Katana and Wakizashi were placed on his left hip with the Katana on top and tied securely in place by their black bamboo sheaths. His Kunai were in a sash which he placed across himself from his left hip to his right shoulder. Eight strangely sharp Kunai were fitted into it. Final goodbyes was holstered over his right shoulder onto his back preloaded with two rounds. To top it off he placed a flash and a smoke bomb in his pants pockets. He was set for the mission.

He had left his house quickly to go to the arranged meeting place he had memorized. He knew the lay of the land as if a map was in his head and he never doubted himself. After all he spent every Thursday night memorizing maps of Kirigakure for fun. It was his favorite hobby next to sword and jutsu practice. His childhood was truly wasted. Still he moved along the path until he spotted and smelled Gin. Smoking as she was the smell carried a little but not before she would of sensed him approaching. Being near Sero always put a chill in the air. As if winter followed him and clung to him. Much like the mist seemed to almost reach out for him as he approached. As if wanting to hold one of its own. People feared Sero due to that aura. Still his grey eyes looked to Gin. As if they had never known life those cold orbs seemed to look into the very being before him and see everything from beyond the grave and back again. As if her very soul was on display to him. Still when he spoke it was cold as usual. Straight to the point and emotionless. No real expression behind it.

"I attempted to be prompt. I understand the objective. What scenario do you prefer when approaching the targets? Frontal assault or assassination?"

724/2000

Right on time. Gin could see Sero approach him from the corner of her eye. Her peripheral vision had grown to be quite clear, pretty much as accurate as her central vision. To think that such things could be trained to act far above the expectations of what was natural for humans. Her sense of hearing had also grown significantly more powerful. She could hear his steps - usually more silent than that of most - crunching softly against the slightly damp ground. Perception was something that was definitely worth training, that was certain. It was probably one of the more underrated skills that a shinobi could acquire. The silver haired woman dropped the cigarette to the ground and let it fall, only half finished. A shame. She put it out, stepping on it with the heel of her foot.

Sero's gaze was as cold as always. Gin silently compared it to that of the other Osada that she had known throughout her life. Jurou's had been rather cold and indifferent. However, it had held an air of confidence and haughtiness that Sero's lacked. Jurou looked at people as if they were inferior or not worth his time, seemingly annoyed. Sero... the young boy looked at people as if they were objects - tools to achieve an end, only to be looked at when he needed to. It differed slightly from that of his father, who had had a small trace of humanity in them, of concern for his village. The young Kazekage wondered if being cold hearted was something that ran in the bloodline. Her two eldest daughters certainly had a trace of it, each in her own way.

As was expected, Sero simply stood there, waiting for orders before he could act. He was dutiful and he knew his place. It was an admirable set of characteristics, one that Gin pretty much lacked, unless her fiercely loyal nature counted in any way. "Full frontal assault - assassination is a coward's tactic," she answered simply, scoffing some. Gin had never liked the idea of assassinations and backstabbing. It was a necessary evil at times, one that she herself had taken part in a few times in her life. Nevertheless, that didn't mean that she didn't want to avoid it whenever possible. This time, it was certainly possible. Besides, taking away the chance for these people to fight back drained the fun out of this whole ordeal. "Besides, don't you want a decent fight, dear Sero? You can take the two subordinates, if you want. You could use the practice, since one on one fights aren't as common as they used to be," she added.

Just like that, she set off, jumping from one tree branch to the next as swiftly as she could. The former Kazekage turned sensei was sure that her student was either right next to her or slightly behind her. They would most likely be close enough to talk, in case the boy had any more suggestions, comments or questions. It was... unlikely. In the time that she had known Sero, Gin had learned that he didn't waste any words. Everything he said he did so because it was necessary. He was intelligent, deductive and calculating. I he asked anything, it was usually because he had reached a dead end and needed further prodding to head in the right direction. He would be a remarkable ANBU without a doubt, if he chose to take that path.

Soon, they reached the graveyard where the three intruders were. Now the fun would begin. The young woman would let Sero make the first move and follow him shortly after. She was curious to see what he would do, which jutsu he would use and what method he would decide to take. She smiled as she looked at him, silently ordering him to go forward.

[1217/2500]

Sero was watching her for a time. She seemed focused in a way. Perhaps she was just interested in the task at hand. Rumors spread that his aunt loved fighting and drinking. As well as other more whispered rumors that she liked her men too. Sero wasn't sure what to make of her really. Either way she was a superior officer and it wasn't protocol to judge or question her and her choices. As far as he saw it she could do as she liked so long as it didn't threaten the homeland. Each individual had their use and so long as that use was brought forth to assist Kirigakure in its need for growth and maintenance it was more then permitted by his standards to exist. However once that turned around and began to harm Kiri Sero was quick to draw his blade. The nation was like a well oiled system. Each cog worked in unison and it all worked for everyone. However if one Cog jammed or tried turning the wrong way it could potentially break the whole contraption. When that happened the Cog needed to be removed. Bells was a big Cog but as he thought about it so was Gin.

Either way he was less then surprised about the choice. She always seemed like a very straight forward individual to him. Always picking to go through the front door never caring if it meant fighting harder then necessary. Still calling his preferred method of stealth kills cowardly brought one eye brow up. He was for once slightly insulted at the thought. He wasn't a coward. It was just more effective and produced better results more often. Certain situations involving hostages actually required it. He wondered for the first time how little his own aunt thought of him. For that matter if her opinion was a common one how little did everyone think of him? Was his father always straight forward? Did they all seem to think he was just a shame to his fathers name? It bothered him a little since he worked so hard to rise above his fathers image even as it faded to history only to find he was sinking. But he had no time to think on it. Already Gin was moving. Sero instinctively followed trying to keep up as he pushed himself. Still she seemed to only just stay ahead of him by a little.

Once they arrived after traveling in silence Gin waited a moment. Surveying the area. It was only a moment before she looked to him. Her gestures obviously signaling him to go forward. He was obviously the bait in this straight forward plan. Still he didn't hesitate to obey as he dropped to the ground below as silent as he could. He looked about a moment as his senses pierced the fog that he seemed to fade into. It was a moment before he began to walk forward. He hadn't moved more then thirty meters however likely with Gin trailing behind when the air suddenly smelled of fur and death. He stopped in his tracks as three individuals moved out of the treeline into the little clearing he was standing in. Two men and a girl each with a wolf at their side. Katana's already drawn out. One of the men hooted a little as he appeared to be the most aggressive of them.

"Well looky looky Sis. We gots an intruder. Shall we skin him fer trespassing too? The Wolves just ate but I am sure they can handle someone small as him between the three of them." He said with a sneer as his wolf growled loudly. Either way they thought it was a three on one. However the girl was not of like Mind. Her eyes scanned about as she looked. She was well beyond the two boys and it was obvious at how much she and Her wolf seemed to take in. Her wolf sniffed before she wined to her master. It was then the girl spoke. "Do not be too hasty. There are two new scents in the graveyard. He is not alone."

1422

Truth be told, Gin had expected Sero to attack the target instantly. It made her wonder, why, exactly, it was that he was stalling. Maybe that wasn't even his intent in the first place. That boy - his silver hair flowing in the light breeze, the mist enveloping his body tightly - would always remain a mystery to her in one way or another. It often made her wonder both about past events and about the choices she had made. For instance, had she been as strong as she was now during the invasion of the Kage Summit so many years ago, would she have been able to help save the late Mizukage? If so, would this child still be the way he was, or would he be a more cheerful person? Moreover, if she had been present during his upbringing - regardless of whether his parents had perished or not - would he have turned out differently? Would he have integrated into her family, similar to the way that Ren had? If that was the case, maybe he would have grown up in Sunagakure instead.

Nevertheless, everything happened for a reason. Gin personally didn't believe in fate or any sort of god that controlled and manipulated the world to fulfill some sort of predestined plan. She had never been much of a believer. Still, every action - even if seemingly meaningless - served a purpose in the end. Everything usually wound up coming full circle. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing depended largely on who you were asking.

Now, it wasn't that she had any desire to change the young boy that now stood ready to follow orders and face the enemy, nor did she pity him in any way for his childhood. Such sentiments were rather useless. The past was past. Instead, she wondered mostly out of curiosity, thinking of how frail the fabric of current events was and how one simple action done differently could have changed so much. Sero was strong, there was no doubt about that. Whether or not he surpassed his father and reached his goal was up to him, however. Personally, Gin believed that he would. She watched as one of the men taunted Sero, threatening to pretty much kill him and feed him to their pet wolves. Gin silently scoffed at the notion. As if there was any way in hell that that would happen.

The former Kazekage watched carefully as the wolf sniffed the air and alerted the woman of Gin's presence. She sighed. The woman dropped from the treetop with one swift movement. As she made contact with the ground, a small crater opened, her feet tearing into the ground about an inch. "A shame, and here I was thinking I could make a more impressive entrance," she said offhandedly. Her hands were at her hips, her pose casual, hardly speaking of someone who was ready for a fight, much less a mission of this rank. Then again, that was Gin Kuroka's attitude to almost everything - nonchalant and blase.

She would leave the two men to Sero and take care of the woman herself. "So, looks like we get to fight. It's a shame I'll have to scar such a pretty face," Gin said, locking eyes with the woman that the reports called Miyako Hinode. Hinode. The name rang true in her head. She had unresolved business with one of them from almost a decade ago. This would be fairly good practice for her, a good way to let out pent up frustration. The dark haired woman drew a sword as her wolf began to snarl at Gin. "You talk too much," she said, immediately charging towards Gin, her wolf flanking the other side.

They were both faster than Gin expected them to be. Hell, they moved faster than she did. "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!" yelled Miyako once she was three meters away from Gin. She went straight to it, no warm ups, no beating around the bush. Gin barely managed to roll out of the way. The jutsu had both speed and range, meaning that she had to do something quickly to counter it. Most of the jutsu she could use had a very large range... Oh well, Sero knew how to dodge. He'd be fine. Hopefully, the other two idiots would be caught in the crossfire. Oh wait! There was that one technique she hadn't used in a while.

"Wind Release: Dust Storm Technique!"

Gin held her hand over her mouth. At that moment, the impact of the wind against the large ball of fire slowed it down enough for Gin to dodge it once again. It crashed against the ground, blowing apart several of the makeshift tombstones and setting others ablaze. In the meantime, the woman was caught inside the full effects of the technique.

[2033/2500]

Spoiler:

Sero raised a single thin silver eyebrow at the mans words. He was confident simply due to Sero's size he was easy prey. While it was true that he was not yet full grown he was of average height. As for being thin he was that way due to his chosen muscle mass for agility. He had trained his body to be quick and deadly with some power behind it without sacrificing any mobility. That was his choice as a weapons master. He needed to be flexible for some weapons and strong with others but he always needed to be faster then the enemy. Still his grey gaze shifted from the man that had talked to the girl who replied. So it seemed stealth would of been wasted on them anyway without proper preparation. Had he known they were using canines he would of masked his scent. But as it turned out Gin was the leader on this mission and she wanted the up front approach anyway. He tilted his head as he heard her drop behind him. Always showing off. But that was fine. He watched the reactions of the three targets to the impact. The two men and their wolves reacted in a way that indicated worry. However the girl simply acted and engaged Gin. Within mere moments Gin was blasting a fire jutsu with a wind jutsu and scattering fire between Sero and her. Back up wasn't going to be a ready option without putting those flames out.

Still he returned his attention to the two men. One was smirking and the other looked bored. The bored one hadn't spoken yet. It appeared that he was calm and collected. If anything having him involved would be an issue if Sero couldn't apply any pressure to his cool mind. He found that agitated people made the most mistakes. Still neither of them seemed concerned with the fire. The one who had talked before clicked his tongue ring against his teeth and looked to his brother. "Leave the wolves to deal with the back up. Lets go help sis." The other merely nodded before both of them whistled. They were intending to ignore Sero. It was insulting. They truly had no idea who they were dealing with. For that they would pay for that mistake. They turned away as the two dark wolves charged at Sero snarling side by side. They were fast. Perhaps as fast as Sero himself. Sadly for them they had too much distance to cover. Sero formed the hand signs for the Rabbit, Ox and Dragon before slamming his palm to the ground. Nothing happened for a second as he watched the wolves approaching with cold grey eyes. The second second the Wolves launched into the air aiming to tackle him down and bite at his vitals. A typical hunting tactic. However they had a surprise coming.

As they drew within a meter of him and launched mid air the ground between them and Sero erupted with perfect timing as a 2 meter by 2 meter acid dragon slammed into both Wolves with its gaping maw open. The Wolves Yelped like a constant scream as it burned away their fur and their flesh even as it dragged them 40 meters before slamming them into the treeline with a mighty crash and erupting. At the base of a couple of burned tree's two terribly burned Wolves twitched as their breathing slowly grew slower and they choked on their own melted throats. Their mouths had been open allowing the acid to destroy them on the inside as well .Still it drew a reaction from the other two. For a moment they were both stunned at the display. The the talkative one roared in a rage at his lost companion and charged. The stoic one gave chase as he reached out for his brother. "Wait brother! He is stronger then we anticipated! Do not engage him head on!" the silent one finally called out. But his words of caution fell on deaf ears. Even as his brother charged head on in a blind rage his eyes filled with panic and he raced to keep up. Both drew weapons as they made it within 10 meters of him he made the hand signs for Whip and twin. As he focused his chakra they grew nearer, eight meters , seven meters, Six, five, Four, they raised their swords to try to cut him from opposite sides both high and low but that wasn't going to save them. From behind Sero two whip like tails shot out at twenty five meters per second. One was liquid and the other a semi solid mist formed as tails. Thin as whips they lashed out and snapped around the sword arms of each of the brothers yanking them down to the ground. But that wasn't all. Their flesh split two inches deep around the whip and burned closed in the same moment. It was sawing their arms to the bone. Still Sero spoke only once to them as he slammed them together. No more then 3 meters directly in front of him.

"Fortune did not favor you. Know an Osada when you see one." With that he breathed in deep. His hands free to do as he wished. He formed three final seals. The Bull, Ram and dragon were each formed in rapid succession before he breathed out once more. Once more another dragon two meters tall and two meters wide but made of mist this time roared forth slamming through each of them as they screamed and burned with third degree burns over every inch of themselves. With that done Sero released his jutsu moving to the quivering bodies. With his Wakizashi he took time to stab each of them in the heart and tear to the right. Severing the heart almost in half. With both men and wolves dealt with he quietly wiped his blade off on some moss before sheathing it. With his job done he finally looked to see how Gin was dealing. His half of the clearing of the fire wracked with bodies rid of flesh and two paths of grass burned away. He was an Osada.

2466/2000 (Christmas spirit reduced WC) Mission complete
466 words remaining

The wind ripped through the woman's skin violently. She was smart enough to move out of the way as soon as the wind made contact with her body. However, her left arm was caught in the violent rift of wind. Gin heard a sick crack come from it as she saw the limb twist into a direction that shouldn't have been possible. The look on the woman's face was one of pure hatred and rage. She snarled at Gin, like a wild animal driven into a corner. Smoke and ashes rained from the sky, covering the area. The entire graveyard would catch on fire at this rate. That was't her problem right now, though. She was more concerned with the raging wolf that sought to defend its master. Gin could hear its paws thundering against the ground behind her as it headed her way, teeth bared and ready to wrap around her neck. As if Gin would let it.

At the same time, the woman gripped her sword with the only arm that she could still move. Gin had to act quickly, before her wounds healed themselves as she knew they would. With both charging towards her, it couldn't be helped. She had wanted to avoid the use of weapons this time around. Oh well. She clapped her hands together. As she extended them, a giant hammer appeared in her hands. She swung it swiftly against the ground, sending spiked pieces of rock and earth shooting from the ground. Miyako managed to narrowly evade them, though one of them pierced straight through her right foot. The wolf, on the other hand, found itself interrupted mid run by a spike through its abdomen.

Gin didn't hesitate for a second. The dark haired woman was slowed. She tried to raise her weapon to defend herself, to try to stop Gin from getting any closer. She swung the hammer across the air, landing it straight in her stomach. The sheer force sent her flying, tumbling and rolling on the ground until she crashed through a tree. Her body was limp and still. It wasn't exactly a clean death, but it was a quick one. That was the best that Gin could offer, really. She turned to look at her nephew. He was done with his part as well. He had dealt with both of the bandits swiftly. It made her smile proudly.

The hammer in her hand - Jishin - disappeared and dissolved into thin air. She walked over to Sero, an expression swelling with both joy and pride as she looked at the boy. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, giving him a genuine show of affection. "You did well," she said, her voice gentle and motherly - something he likely would have never expected from his rash and brutish teacher. "I'm proud of you," she added, kissing the boy's forehead.

[2519/2500]

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