Sero had stood outside this place as a child. Even before he had become infamous during the chunnin exams, he had come here.  It seemed to resonate with him. It smelled of old death and blood both fresh and old. Its ancient structure stood tall and cold. People avoided this place and as such it seemed abandoned, unwanted, and feared. It held within it the darkness of a nation. It was every bit the monster Sero was. His dull grey eyes stared at it from outside the gate now as dead as the grave, as they had been even as a small child. He had to mature quickly to survive and it had killed a great deal of the things in people that made them human in him. Even now his aura could be felt by anyone within forty meters of him. The walk here alone had people rushing into their homes and locking their doors and windows for the night. he couldn't remember when it happened but much like this academy anyone could feel it. Like blood was dripping from his hands, as if fangs filled his mouth and a demon resided within him. He had the Aura of a beast, a monster. To most he wasn't a guardian. He was the boogeyman. They avoided him as they did this place.

And so he stood there in grey robes with old blood stains around the bottom hem and the edges of his sleeves. Blood didn't come out of clothes so he had decided to simply wear it as was. The moon was high in the sky overhead and the fog seemed to blanket the ground like a sheet just up to his ankles. Yet around him small tendrils seemed to reach up as if grasping for him only to fall away. When he walked it was so fluid he almost seemed to float with his feet hidden. On his left hip resided his tools. A katana and a wakizashi. He was a weapons master but these two felt comfortable to travel with. A slight breeze picked up his shoulder length silver hair and caressed his pale skin. Still this place felt natural to him. He was closer to it then anywhere else short of his home where he kept his trophies, heads of those who had fallen to his blades. He wasn't much for company after all. Still his right hand lifted to touch the Kiri head band around his neck before he frowned. He didn't need to reflect on others, their ideals were a waste of time. His duty was to slay those who threatened this country. And that he was good at.

Still his hand left his headband and moved to the old gate. Pushing it open with pale fingers and ease as if ignoring the heavy rust. Its audible complaint echoed in the night as it screamed its agony and abuse from being opened after so much decay. However Sero ignored it. He had no doubt people wouldn't question him being here. This dark castle was a perfect place for a monster. His slow strides carried him across the courtyard like he was floating along. The cold night didn't bother him, after all he couldn't feel it. Yet even as old as it was the smell of blood filled his nostrils as he stopped in the center of the courtyard and stared at the tall building. Those dull eyes seemed to lack life yet at the same time seemed to see everything. As if it was the very soul of the place he was looking at. As if he was the monster the people claimed he was. The monster he never denied being.

625

Most people tended to forget how rich Kirigakure no Sato was in terms of its history. Ruins littered the village and its outskirts - from the Nukenin graveyard to the Fusa Prison Monument... and well, the Bloody Academy where Gin stood in front of right now. It was usually a quiet place, nice for reflection, training and meditation. It was almost like it was its own world, away from everything else. The moon shining between the cracks left in the concrete ceiling was the only source of light in the room. She lay on the ground, covered by a thick bed of weeds and vines that had almost become a part of what was left of the structure. The former Kazekage guessed that this room used to be some sort of training facility, judging by the wide spaces and the markings on the walls that were slightly different from those produced by the decay of time.

That was of little importance, however. What was important was... well, Gin didn't quite know. She wasn't sure why she had wound up here. All she knew was that the atmosphere of Kirigakure had been slowly turning into something suffocating, chocking her slowly and driving her insane as a result. This village... it was much too strict and structured. Everyone had a clear purpose assigned to them and little freedom to sway from it. You either followed orders or you were cast aside. The notion of imposed loyalty went against Gin's nature. She was loyal to people, not abstract things like places or ideals. Of course, she was loyal to Ayakashi, there was no doubt about that.

Nevertheless, when she had nothing to do and no one to fight, she tended to get anxious. Maybe that was the reason why she was suddenly so dragged down by her surroundings. Gin was a mad dog on a leash. If it wasn't loosened every once in a while, she became tense. She lit up a cigarette and pressed it to her lips, lighting it with a small burst of concentrated fire chakra. With a deep breath, the young woman inhaled the smoke as she looked at the sky from the cracks overhead. This was a place for outcasts. That was likely the reason why she had subconsciously found her way towards it.

It was also the most probable reason as to why she felt an oh so familiar aura approaching. She smirked, breathing out a thick cloud of pale smoke. She let her own presence be known, unleashing an aura of sheer chaos and carelessness that would make a weaker soul flee or freeze in terror. But not Sero. Of course not. He was an Osada, after all. Stubbornness was in his blood. She now wondered if he would approach her or not.

[470]

Sero studied his surroundings for the moment. Calmly blueprinting everything in his mind. He had picture perfect memory so even the distance was measured to within a foot. His grey eyes studied the broken windows and the dirty ones still intact. He wondered how much of it was just due to age and how much of it was vandalism. Either way he felt he had been born at the wrong time. Had he been born during the days of the bloody academy he would of fit in perfectly. His blood lust would of been expected. Yet with the way times had settled since then, he was a monster in comparison to most others. Their fool politics were just hindrances to his methods. However even as a monster he followed a code. His loyalty was to the village. Even if his reaction to the going ons in the village were dull in nature. He was nearly a hermit if not for the fact that in order to best protect a village he should be a part of it. Still he had studied most of the inhabited areas. Yet this place was new to him. Even if he had come here to map it out and see what could be learned it seemed to suit him better then even the manor.

Still his thoughts came to an abrupt halt suddenly. The breeze which had been blowing his hair shifted direction almost violently. As if the very air was trying to run from the source that had caused it. Still calm, cold eyes shifted in the direction of the building on his left. The source of that chaotic energy was easily recognizable. Since the area hadn't frozen over that left only one person with any capability to accomplish such a thing. He had never sensed her energy to this extent but he was familiar with it. Dead eyes rose window by window as he let his senses stretch out. She was purposefully doing this so it wasn't hard to locate the correct floor. The windows on that floor had been blacked out. Spray paint likely as some random vandalism. The dark glass even trembled under the pressure of her presence. He contemplated walking away but it was too obvious it was an invitation. She was within the range of his aura so obviously she had felt him. Turning down an invitation from family was likely to burn bridges. That aside, to some small extent she had been an instructor to him. Not nearly as much as he was self taught or even as much as Ayakashi had taught him. Still every time they had met blood had been spilled to some degree.

Regardless of his thoughts on her nature being too unpredictable he at the very least owed her and audience. If nothing else the honor of arriving when summoned by a master to any degree demanded it. Still he frowned as he turned to face the wall. It was three stories up. His eyes studied the rusted railing on the second floor balcony. It was rusted through and obviously no longer sturdy enough to hold any weight for any amount of time. However at his speed he could easily make use of it to use it as a secondary launching pad to reach the third window. That was one thing that marked Sero as similar to Gin. Neither of them even considered the common and reasonable route of actually using the door and taking the stairs. They would always choose the fastest path regardless of the danger it presented. They had no use for fear. Still he calculated the correct landing position with his capabilities in a vertical leap and the angle and power he would need to land on the window ledge of the third floor and balance himself. After only a couple of seconds he finished double checking his calculations in his head and crouched. Suddenly he launched upwards with so much power it left a trail of mist clinging to him. He cleared the second floor rusted balcony by just enough before he slammed his feet down and rocketed up once more causing the railing to collapse with a crash. He soared high into the air before calmly reaching out with his left hand and catching the top of the window sill with his left hand and planting his toes on the bottom. His right hand reached out to the trembling windows aware of the pressure they were under. However at his touch it seemed to peel back. The glass and the framework turned liquid and began to drip sizzling on the roots inside before it was gone. The windows would melt away like a portal from some other world. There Sero stood calmly gazing in. His features darkened by the moon shining at his back. Only his grey eyes and silver hair could be clearly seen by anyone less. When he spoke it was dull and lifeless as always but attentive.

"I assume you were summoning me?"

1466

His presence grew closer. Gin was mildly surprised that he would come to her so willingly. Then again, he was nothing if not loyal to his superiors. He was the ideal black-ops agent, more so than even the captain of the ANBU himself. Sero followed orders exactly as they were given and had no moral qualms with carrying out even the bleakest of them. In other words, the kid's work ethic was impeccable, to say the least. It differed greatly from Gin, who would question orders more often than not. She was great at giving them. Taking them? Not so much. There were very few exceptions to that rule. Maybe if Ayakashi or Sanosuke directly asked her to do something, she would, but that was because they had worked hard to win her undying loyalty. She trusted them to make the right decisions for their respective villages and even for herself. End of story.

The young woman stared through the large gaping hole in the ceiling. It was a clear night - overall peaceful and silent. The wind that came through the open or cracked windows caressed her skin gently. She closed her eyes and once again inhaled from the cigarette she held between her fingers. With a tiny flick, she discarded its ashes on the ground. It was at that point that she heard the windows shattering entirely, or rather, bubbling and melting away as if they had been made out of little more than water. Besides the small smirk that graced her features of a second, Gin's overall expression and demeanor didn't change at all. Her eyes remained closed, her posture relaxed. She inhaled the bitter smoke once again and sighed loudly before responding to Sero's question.

"Yes and no. I was curious as to whether or not you would come if I called you. You did, so my curiosity is satisfied for the time being," she explained simply. She paused for a moment, finally opening her eyes and turning to look at the boy. His silver hair and the color of his eyes reminded her greatly of his late father and of Jurou. She often wondered how the boy would have turned out had he still had them as family. Yet he grew up alone. She felt partially responsible for that, despite the fact that they shared more legal ties than those of blood. Gin felt a need to watch over the boy. Family, after all, was most likely her greatest weakness. That, and the fact that she couldn't run for shit.

"Now that you're here, though, I wanted to make sure that you're doing alright. If Dameon is overworking you, I'd be happy to make him stop," she said with a devilish grin that perfectly characterized her mischievous nature. I suppose I just want to know how you're doing and what you've been up to."

[959]

Sero allowed for his cold grey gaze to monitor Gin as she continued to lay there comfortably before him. It interested him how comfortable she was being in such a difficult to defend position with him there. It spoke volumes to her confidence in the event of an attack from him. Or perhaps she simply felt that there was no reason for him to attack. The smell of her smoke almost dominated the muskiness of the room. if anything it smelled like mold and smoke in that room. However within the room the faint scent of death did not come from the area, but rather the two of them. The amount of blood they had spilled combined was enough, had it been recorded, to send entire hit squads after either of them. They were far to dangerous apart but when placed together they were an Armageddon in the making. Either of them consistently getting stronger as well. After all that was his purpose for coming here. Aside from idle curiosity he had been searching for something. He raised an eyebrow as she mentioned on summoning him that she was simply curious if he would actually come. The parable of the boy who cried wolf came to mind but he said nothing of it. After all the boy wasn't summoning the wolf, less karma could be considered summoning. Either way it ended badly for him

Still Sero stepped from the melted window sill and almost seemed to float down as if he was weightless. When his feet touched down he was already slowly walking passed Gin. His eyes scanning the room for something. When he spoke it was a cold tone but not angry. He didn't seem to feel one way or another towards Gin. If anything he considered her dangerous. She was always an unknown variable. Sero never liked unknown variables when he made plans. The word he would put towards her personality and loyalties was chaotic. Always shifting. At the same time he did not care to attempt to do anything about it until it actually became a problem. After all most organisms shifted to survive their environment when something changed. It was nature taking its course. Still his voice seemed hollow.

"I have not yet met any Dameon. As for my work load that is classified. However my condition is at optimum performance levels. I am prepared to handle the missions assigned to me. As for my purpose here, it does no harm to tell you. I have a theory involving the use of seals. Being as this was once an academy I assumed they would have some records I could teach myself from the art of seals. However, due to the passage of time and the security of such documents, I am not sure even I can locate anything."

His steps carried him over to one wall. Reaching up with his right hand his sleeve fell away to reveal the black gloves underneath. With a gloved hand he gripped some vines crawling up the wall and pulled them away. The roots breaking off in his hand and with that he pulled them up to study in the nights light.

"Red in color, possible explanations range from this root having evolved from its birth within the old blood of this place causing it to take on a red hue or perhaps rust mixed with its water supply. I will have to take a sample of this home, see if I can make a poison that causes rapid onset tetnis. Could be used as a paralytic. Ahh but the black board it was covering is far too worn. Any information it was depicting has been long wiped out or is under a layer of dust. Removing the dust would likely remove any remnants of chalk. A floor plan for which room taught what would of been helpful" He paused as he turned to Gin, an individual older then himself. "Do you know of which rooms are where perhaps?"

2137

Gin tapped her fingers to the ground, following a mindless rhythm. She chuckled at Sero's response. One day, maybe, he would understand that Gin showed concern towards him. Or rather, he would someday understand what it meant that she did. At least, that was what Gin hoped. She would never label the boy as a lost cause, but she sometimes doubted whether or not he was capable of feeling anything akin to affection towards another human being. Today evidently wouldn't be that day, however. Gin feared that Sero would forever be cursed to live a lonesome life. "I'm a member of the Seven Swordsmen, I have access to almost every file there is," Gin said offhandedly. "I might not look it, but I can keep a secret or two," Gin said, her voice filled with a sly sense of mischief. Then Sero mentioned being in the old academy for research purposes. Gin titled an eyebrow and turned to look at the boy, intrigued, to say the least. She wouldn't have pegged him as the type that was interested in Fuuinjutsu. She thought that he would opt for something more aggressive, like the all popular Sage techniques. It seemed to be what ll the kids were into these days.

Gin had been to this place several times before over her stay in Kirigakure and even before then, always intrigued by the stories behind it. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her more than once. As a result, she had searched for secret passageways and other bits and pieces of information that could clue her in on what the place had hidden within its walls. The decay of time had eaten away at most of it. It had been difficult to find anything that could be put to practical purposes, but whatever Gin found, she took very good care of. Despite her usually destructive nature, she could be gentle and careful when she needed to be. The old documents and items had been more useful towards identifying what life in the times of the Bloody Mist had been like than anything else. Through them, she had been able to discern the specifics of the Academy's daily schedule as well as the rituals and traditions involved in the infamous final exam. Gin had transcribed anything that she found into a journal for safe keeping.

As for information in techniques, specifically sealing... well, there were a couple of complete ones and several that either weren't fully developed or the documents were partially eroded away. Gin reached into the small pouch where she kept most of her things. She identified the slim, leather-bound book that was her research journal and pulled it out. She held it between her fingers and showed it to Sero. "Everything that I've found in this place is in here - a couple of techniques related to your clan's use of fuuinjutsu are transcribed. At your level, though - which I'm guessing is non-existent - you won't be able to do anything with it," she said, tucking the book back in for safe keeping. She finally stood up from her resting position and wiped the dust and dirt off of her clothes."Of course, I could teach you. I'm afraid that unlike learning ninjutsu or weaponry, fuinjutsu's a lot less... flashy. It's theoretical, for the most part," she explained. For  moment,the young woman remembered what it was like for her to learn the basics of sealing. Memories of  a dead husband, the loss of an unborn child and of a far less happy time flooded her mind before she forcibly pushed them aside.

Gin stretched, cracking her back. She had lost track of time and forgot how many hours she had been just lying on the ground. Now that she thought of it, there was this one jutsu - based off of the sealing techniques that she had found buried in the place - that she had wanted to develop and perfect. She supposed now was as good a time as any. "And speaking of seals, wanna see something cool?" she asked with a devious grin. In all likelihood, Sero wouldn't give a damn and would most likely roll his eyes or something. In actuality, that mad him perfect for this. Sure, maybe it would be better to keep this form of hers and its effects from an audience, but Sero was the least likely person to spread it around. Regardless of what he said, Gin would carry on.

The former Kazekage pressed her index and middle fingers to the center of her forehead. She took a deep breath and focused on the chakra running through her body. She concentrated on etching the specific pattern of the seal that she needed into her skin. getting the different components right and mixing them in the proper way was key in order to achieve the effect that she wanted. A minor error could cause an imbalance that would leave her chakra in a difficult state to control and maintain. Worst case scenario, she would end up blowing up the whole building. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that. Gin finally released the energy from the tips of her fingers, letting it flow onto her forehead. A bright light enveloped the area and surrounded Gin's body.Warmth emanated from her and towards the rest of the room. Gin felt her body change and morph. It wasn't as unpleasant as she thought it would be. It only stung slightly.

Once the light dissipated, a small girl with silver hair and large blue eyes would stand where Gin was before. Her features were round and childlike, making her seem harmless and innocent. She looked to be about eight years old or so. "Ta-da!" she said, her voice high pitched and very girlish. She twirled around a couple of time to show off her new appearance, complete with an entirely different outfit. It felt odd to be so small. For one thing, the fact that she was now at least two feet shorter made it so that the way she saw everything around her was distorted. Everything looked so much... bigger. No matter, she would just have to start getting used to it. She smiled brightly towards Sero and extended a hand. "Now then! Shall we start this?" she asked the boy.

[Taining Heaven Style: Small Angel's Fatasy - 2031/2000]

Sero watched her in silence as she replied to his inquiry with her own revelation of having studied the subject herself. Those dull grey eyes simply observed her without blinking. Everything about him seemed cold. His breathing was calm and shallow so it didn't really show that he was breathing at all. No rise and fall of the chest. No nostril flares. Nothing. To top that off he didn't move as much as normal people did. Most people twitched or shifted from one foot to the other. Concentrating on remaining comfortable. Sero stood almost entirely motionless. The only thing that stirred on him was his hair and clothes in the breeze the filled the room with a little bit of cold. However like his father Sero made the room warmer just by being present within it. As the breeze passed him it warmed significantly and by the time it reached Gin it would be a Luke warm gust. Still the comment on her authority being fully capable of accessing his confidential files received little more then a raised eye brow. If she was capable of doing so then she might as well. He only figured she had to ask him because once more she forgot to invest any interest in his existence.

Still he shifted as she held up a notebook, promises of its information held in front of him for a moment. Most of his studies were based on studying such documents before putting them into practice. His fathers library was both advanced and massive. Ninjutsu had been a large part of the library as his father had spent a lot of his youth experimenting and creating a lot of jutsu. Most of the library was common jutsu or simple theories but a couple had been actual successes. Of course each scroll or book had to be decoded as his father preferred security over simplicity. If anything that notebook probably wasn't even encoded. Gin had always been far to upfront for anything deceptive like that. Still she spoke of assuming his level of skill was little to none. Her reasoning was fairly sound but still annoyance flickered across his features as she pocketed it once more. Yet another reason to get close to her when she revealed a weakness. That notebook apparently held secrets that could benefit him. He would make it a goal of his to acquire it. Right next to drawing blood from her. After all that had been the goal of their first training session, she had never stated if the objective was still active or not. Either way her offer to teach him would be sufficient enough for the time being. After all if she was as capable as half the people thought she was then learning from her yet again could suit him. As for the bit about it being flashy he shook his head at that as if growing increasingly impatient. Speaking in dull tones. Even with him appearing to be entirely non aggressive the room would still feel like he intended to rip her throat out and shove his hand down the gaping wound to pull out her lungs. It was just how Sero felt.

"You always preferred a straight up and overly impoverished fight. Throwing yourself full body into it and rapidly exhausting both parties. You also frowned on my preference for stealth and quiet kills. Less flashy works fine for me."

Still she asked if he wanted to see something cool and he began to wonder if she too could affect the temperature. After all he wasn't accustomed to slang as not many people spent time conversating with him. Still he watched with slightly more interest in his dull grey eyes as they reflected her touching her forehead. She began to focus as the seemed to somehow use chakra to etch symbols onto herself. He was seeing his first demonstration of sealing it would seem. However in a second after the seal was formed he hadn't a moment to study it as suddenly the jutsu activated and became near blindingly bright. His left eye closed as he tilted his head right instinctively avoiding looking directly at it. Still even as it faded his eyes took a moment to adjust to the dark room once more. His left eye had a spot in the center of his vision left over from the bright light. Still before him was a little girl. A lot of similarities to Gin herself which led to the logical conclusion that Gin had modified a transformation jutsu in order to adjust her appearance for longer periods of time or just an improved transformation, it was hard to tell. Still Sero tilted his head looking around. There was no evidence of it getting colder. He couldn't really feel if it had. Still he lifted his hand and studied it for a moment while he spoke.

"I don't see how it affected the temperature but I can certainly see how it might be useful to conceal your identity. Unless you have actually reduced your age. In which case seals are the doorway to eternal youth. Still I assume you don't have a capsule in your hand hidden somewhere. That being the case then you must of made the seal with chakra. Being as you can do so I sense that so much as taking your offered hand is equivalent to grabbing the blade of an exposed sword. Still if you use your chakra to make seals...I wonder..."

With that he turned and walked over to the wall. His hand that he had been studying held out before him before he hesitantly touched the wall. For a moment nothing happened. Then at first the wall singed. A small trail of smoke rising before suddenly it became damp. Then melted away from his finger peeling back the wallpaper to the wall itself. Sero was obviously experimenting with his chakra natures to attempt to make seals. Still after a moment more there was a flex of spent chakra as the burst of it shot air around the room. With that Sero pulled his hand back revealing a few random seals in a pattern. No real effect in place.

"Theoretical scenarios play out rapidly for me. So I moved onto the experimentation. I created the seals with my chakra. However being as they do not yet have a purpose, rather then risk burying us in burning building I didn't infuse them with enough chakra to activate. As for my theory, I call it project named- the kings authority. So my question for you. Can words or sign language be used like hand signs in order to adjust the design of the seal you place to a more specific purpose? As in before I create the seal making a hand sign and the sign language stating a rule and when I create the seal that stated rule becomes law within it."

3304

This new form of hers felt... oddly light. It was strange, so very strange. Gin clenched and unclenched her small fist to further test the feeling of it, to see if there were still some undesired physical effects still rippling through her body. So far, there weren’t any, but she would have to test that out with greater movement and exertion. Additionally, not only that, but she could feel her diminished strength, speed and power in general. However, if she felt vulnerable, there was nothing in her posture or expression that showed it. If anything, she seemed as comfortable and carefree as she always was.

The young woman knew that Sero would relish the opportunity to take advantage of this weakened state of hers if given the chance. But doing so - letting him see that this form of hers was much, much weaker than what she truly was - would make things much too simple for him. Gin liked challenging the boy. She thought of it as a way to encourage him to grow stronger, even though it would come back to bite her in the ass in time. She was sure of that. The boy's potential was immeasurable and she was only growing older.

Gin supposed that this was her way of looking out for him and making sure that he managed to surpass her in time. It was the biggest gift that she could give her nephew, even if he didn't see it. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes briefly, as if finding her own thoughts ironically funny. She looked at him once again, keeping that warm smile on her features. “You’re right. I do favor recklessness above likely more efficient forms of dealing with things. But, I am a Kuroka after all. Brutishness like that is in my blood, unfortunate as that is,” she shrugged. The now transformed Gin decided to sit on the ledge of the window that had just recently melted. She had to hop onto it, though she seemed graceful in doing so. She leaned forward, keeping her gaze on her dear nephew and leaning her head on her chin while she heard him speak.

Gin remained silent for a moment, considering how she could answer his question. After a few seconds, she spoke. "Hm... theoretically, it is possible. You would have to tether the seal to the movements of your hand - say, a small thread of chakra between the two. That way, when you move your hand, the seal modifies to the command that you would place." She worked on visualizing how this idea of his could work and nodded to herself. Yes, it could be done if he managed to develop the right level of skill and control over the art of sealing. It might take some time, but considering his dedication and intelligence, it would be far quicker to reach that point for him than for the average shinobi.

"You see, seals are all about the commands you embed into them. Each line, each inscription means something. Your chakra is merely a tool to carve those commands onto a surface and give them the raw power that they need as fuel," Gin explained. She grabbed a kunai from her pouch and began carving a different series of symbols onto the surface of one of the wooden desks that still remained standing. The rotting wood made it easy to draw the symbols and a small kanji beneath that pertained to the element or purpose that each of the symbols represented. "These are the basic carvings that you need to memorize and put in place. The beauty of it is how you manage to combine them to create the effect that you want. In other words, creativity and logical thinking are the two key aspects that you need. Once you have that, well, the world is yours," she said, locking eyes with Sero and smiling deviously.

The former Kazekage couldn't help but wonder the kinds of things that the boy could come up with. He had the chakra control and skill to manage great things. She had to admit that she looked forward to seeing what he created with this power. "You said you didn't want to use the full extent of what you've learned to avoid collapsing this old structure. How about we go outside so that you can show me exactly how you'd put this knowledge in practice?" she asked. Of course, she knew that she could have simply ordered him to follow her outside and he would have most likely done so, but she liked giving him the power of choice. It seemed like he was rarely given that option, though if he minded, there was nothing to indicate it. In any case, it was just a habit of Gin’s: she didn’t order people around if she could help it.

[Training Reaction Time A3 to S - 845/1550]

Sero listened to her retort as an excused towards her clan being brutish in nature. Apparently the blood of that particular clan was actually very aggressive. Such things as charging into battle with no plan were probably common place to them. He wondered to himself if not many in the clan had managed to get very far. Gin was the only one of her level that he knew of. His grey eyes seemed to examine her in depth as he retook his usual measurements simply based on appearance. This new form was smaller which may suggest an increase in speed and flexibility. He doubted someone with such a nature that they themselves were aware of would willingly weaken themselves. Again though, Gin had managed to survive mostly intact. He was aware of her enhancements, or at least two of them had been used on him. That arm and the eye. He wondered to himself how she managed to adjust those appropriately to her new form quietly. If she had in fact lost access to those while in her smaller shape, he might have a chance to leave a mark on her. His right hand twitched ever so slightly as he contemplated how fast he could draw his blade and cross the space between them. Caution reigned the urge in though and his right hand slowly relaxed and strayed back to his side hanging there on his belt. He needed to study the limits and strengths of this form and how fast Gin could release it before he attacked her. Study her weaknesses and move only when the objective was optimal for him. She was no challenge he took lightly, but he would be the best of the seven swords. That meant eventually he would have to demonstrate he could cut even her down.

Still he finished measuring her with his eyes and turned to look just passed her out the window he had arrived in. Then he slowly stepped across the floor. The roots crumbling away from him as if burned. All forms of life seemed to know to avoid him. He was the apex predator in Kiri. Ayakashi and Gin were both stronger then him but they had compassion. They didn't condone the darkest side of a person. Sero on the other hand was a dweller there. He had grown there and was comfortable there. Most would say he had even been born there. He wasn't sure what compassion even felt like. All things met his blade with equal vigor. He had seen many people breath the last and final gasp of life, studied it like a science project, he was so deep in the darkness it was considered a high probability by many that he would eventually murder them by the dozens. However those who had served with him or trained him knew he had one undying quality that made him more then just a beast. His loyalty to Kirigakure was unmatched. He would kill or refrain from killing anyone for the good of the country. Not a drop of blood had been spilled by his blade that he had been ordered not to touch. Of course that order may have come after he had already carved into them. His old squad, one of which he had only met once, had been cut into and would of both bled out had Gin not stepped in. In his defense though they had attacked him first. Their blood lost was their own doing. As would Gins. Only the mark he would leave on her, no amount of medical would be able to completely heal.

still as he arrived he paused in front of the carvings she had placed into the wood. His eyes scanned them as he studied each Kanji. The symbols and their meaning adding to his extensive knowledge. He seemed to have a talent when it came to holding onto information without actually writing it down. Still he stayed there for a full minute before he nodded to her suggestion of taking it outside. With a shift of robes he slipped straight out the window. A fall from this height was dangerous but he remembered the lay out. A patch of grass had mold over it six feet away and three feet to the left of the window. He seemed to glide from the window through the air as he had launched almost perfectly at it. The mold was a loose substance and would act as a cushion decreasing the chance of injury. As it so happened he landed on it lowering into a crouch as he did so softening his impact. He then rose quietly and waited for Gin to get down. Curios on whether she would reveal anything about her new abilities on the way down. Either way once she was nearby he would turn and find a flat patch of ground. He would contemplate it as his right hand rose and tapped his chin. Finally he would raise his hands and kneel. Placing his left hand on the ground his right hand rose up. With only his right hand he made the hand seals of the Kanji for water, fire, and acid as well as combine and spray. Once he was done with that he focused the chakra tethered to the hand symbols through his left hand. the mist on the ground parted and began to seep downwards as if being absorbed. Soon solid lines of water in the shape of seals dragged lines through the ground into three circles in a triangle. Sero sitting at the bottom of it in the middle. To his left a spout of water began to rise. To his right a pillar of flame flickered to life. Slowly both tilted and then fell before following the symbols towards the top circle. It was slow but again this was Seros first actual seal. Slowly though both made it to the center circle at the top. It was there that they began to swirl and mix. The water wasn't putting out the fire though but instead seemed to sizzle and boil as both combined into a grey liquid. The two original pillars faded fully into the third circle and for a moment they simply mixed. Then suddenly the mix burst forward with a huge amount of force as the grey liquid sprayed on one of the buildings. Acid raining down on it with softball sized drops. Each drop crashing through the wall and melting it down. It only lasted for about three seconds but when it was done part of the building was just a melted mess. The wall facing them was just a puddle of discolored muck on the ground. With that Sero stood and looked to Gin before speaking one word.

"Observations?"

4440

Naturally, Sero accepted Gin's request to move outside of the building. He spent little time looking at the symbols that she had carved out on the desk. How nice it was to have such an accurate memory. When Gin had been his age, she had been somewhat dimwitted when it came to anything that required theory or memorizing. She was a creature of instinct after all, which was why she was so well suited to close quarter combat. Developing the ability to give things like this the careful attention that they deserved had taken a great deal of time and discipline. It had paid off eventually, seeing as she had been able to translate those instincts for battle and the rationale that she had for fighting into tools that helped her greatly. Her skills in engineering and mechanics were, for instance, two of the things that had come to fruition as a result. Her theories behind the workings of fuuinjutsu had developed similarly.

Gin watched as Sero jumped out of the window with little to no hesitation despite the height. At times, she wondered if there was anything in this world that the boy feared. She knew that he was unable to feel pain - past training sessions where he had been wounded and had not reacted in the slightest were proof of that. It was both a strength and a weakness. Certainly it was useful in terms of not being hindered by pain in battle. At the same time, those who didn't feel pain never knew the full extent of their injuries and therefore never knew when to stop. After all, feeling pain was essential to an individual's survival. Gin frowned. For all he knew, he could have fractured his legs upon landing, not that it really seemed like it. Gin sighed, now standing on the ledge of the window. In her current form, she could comfortably stand there without having to duck to avoid hitting her head against the top of the pane.

With a beaming smile, she jumped, allowing herself to do two somersaults in quick succession. She landed gracefully on the ground, her legs effectively absorbing the impact of the fall. Her fall and landing had both been impeccable as well as showy - both typical aspects of Gin's style. She stood in front of Sero, who remained silent. She examined his following actions closely and with curiosity in her now childishly large eyes. Her head tilted to the side slightly as he began to use his chakra for the inscription of the symbols that he had just memorized. They were disjointed and slow, but that was to be expected. It was his first time performing any sort of seal, after all. The elements took a moment to converge and become a single unit. The resulting technique was vast in its destructive power, that was certain. But the timing and method underwhelmed the end result of the seal. Gin nodded, keeping these notes in mind to relay them back to her nephew. Of course he would ask for them once he was done.

The now young looking girl took a moment to contemplate the destruction of the historic building. No one in Kirigakure really cared for the old structure. In fact, most people wanted it gone because of what it represented - a stain in their proud history. It was ironic that it had been one of the few things left standing after the destruction of the village ten years ago. To Gin, however, it was a shame that something with such an amount of history was so discarded and willingly forgotten. The fact that there would be no consequences for the parts that Sero had damaged was a testament to that. Gin said nothing, however, and turned her attention back to the silver haired boy in front of her. "I trust you know that if you used that technique in battle, you would likely be dead before it did anything," she began. "The inscriptions you make should be wired into your reflexes, you should be able to put them together without giving it a second of thought. You're thinking of them as separate components in place of putting them together into the whole that they are. Your seals should be quick and precise."

Her explanation was strict, her words demanding, letting him know that she expected more from him. She took a few steps backwards to create e decent amount of space between them. She wanted to demonstrate to him how to put her words into practice. She pressed the palm of her hand onto the ground, pouring a precise stream of chakra into it. The seal was carved into the earth instantly. The second that Gin lifted her tiny hand from it, a pillar of wind and fire rose in its place and into the sky, twirling around itself with violent speed and displaying a large amount of heat. The ground five meters from where the seal was placed was now scorched, the grass turned into little more than ash. The technique dissipated, leaving nothing else to indicate that it had even been performed. "Try again," Gin commanded sternly, keeping an observing eve on Sero and his actions.

[Training Reaction Time A-3 to S:1721/1550]

Sero listened to her criticism of his jutsu with a frown growing on his face. He had always been a star pupil and a fast learner. Even when self taught his abilities had surpassed anyone and everyone around him. He had always been first at everything he put the effort into. He had raised himself to be a warrior and had made it to the big leagues as an ANBU with his own power. His gaze flicked to the pure destruction of the jutsu he had cast. How it had melted half an entire building. Its prep time was rather long but for a first attempt at a new form of techniques it had been beyond exceptional. He was growing tired of her never acknowledging his power...never expressing her approval to his talent. All she ever did was bait him to be better. To surpass her and eventually overcome her. Not once had she done anything more then disapprove of his movements or helped him merge into society. He had been a monster to everyone and not even the closest thing he had to family would acknowledge him. Something that typically flicked on when he was around her lit within him. An almost silent fury.

However as silent as it was the air would suddenly become thicker. As if blood was dripping from the sky itself. Nothing actually changed but Sero's mood had pulsed out a harmful intent a moment before he acted. Without any compassion in his eyes he acted within his orders. He had not been ordered to hold off on trying to mark her yet. As the current orders stood he was to try and leave a mark on her in order to be accepted by her as far as he could tell. And what better way to do so other then to use fire? Fire marked all things in the world. The earth, the people, everything. His pale right hand lifted towards her in that instant from a mere four meters away. Just within range of the five meter technique. Suddenly as he did so flames flew out of his palm forming seals. However in the quarter second it took to form the seals Gin should of easily been able to tell something was off. Sero wouldn't know yet but the flames were starting to burn his palm. The seal wasn't entirely complete and using it he was harming himself.

Still in that instant a one meter by five meter cone of fire shot out right for Gin. Yet again something was off. Instead of racing right for her at full speed it crashed along the ground towards her burning a line in its wake. Slowing it down considerably. Now at a mere five meters per second there was no way Gin couldn't counter or dodge it. Had Sero hesitated due to being unsure if her current form could handle it? Or was the seal burning into his palm really the source? It was unlikely that Sero would make so many mistakes. He wasn't known for it. Still fire stretched between them and reflected in his dull grey eyes as the seal remained on his right palm. Still slowly burning him. Not enough to cause the smell of burnt flesh but by the time it got that far it could lead to serious damages. It was up to Gin to put a stop to it. Up to her to either put her foot down physically or accept her role as a commanding officer and order him to obey her. Either way their relationship was about to change.

5047
Thread closed

Sealing trained to D 1500/1500

3547
Reaction time B ~> B-2 1500/1500

2047
Speed B ~> B-2 1500/1500

547 remaining