Gin sat on the edge of a metal beam over one hundred meters from the ground. This building - The Tower of Heaven - was definitely an ambitious project. Gin knew it had been under construction for years and wasn't even half way done. Some parts of the building, particularly the ones built during the early stages of the project, were beginning to rust over, covered in thick layers of dust. Several cranes stood still around the expansive yet isolated area. Gin lit a cigarette as she felt the wind's breeze caress her skin and toss her hair lightly. It was a good compliment to the clear sky. It looked like a pool of dark ink with small diamonds glimmering within. At this height, Gin felt like she could stretch her hand and it would sink into the air around her. She smiled faintly, lighting the cigarette held between her lips. She shielded her pocket lighter from the wind and soon found herself inhaling the bitter smoke. She put it away into the pouch strapped to her waist. Her fingers brushed against a piece of paper that made her sigh, reminding her of the reason why she was here. She pulled it out and reread it. She had lost count of the amount of times her eyes had scanned the coded words.

It was always hard to figure out the tone behind this boy's messages. Well, truth be told, it was difficult to figure that out when they were speaking in person. She wondered what the reason for this particular meeting was and how it would go. Judging by the amount of times that they had seen each other before, there was likely to be some fighting involved, but such was the nature of their relationship. It seemed that no matter how hard Gin tried to bridge the gap between them, she could never quite break through the walls that her young nephew had established around himself. It didn't matter what she did, whatever interactions they had were always strained. Once again, Gin sighed. If there was one thing she cared about, it was family. She considered Sero a part of hers and would likely do anything to keep him safe. That feeling, however, was something that he didn't seem to understand. In a sense, he didn't have to. Gin knew where she stood and she didn't need for the feeling to be reciprocated.

Gin kept her senses alert and focused, searching for Sero's presence or any changes in the atmosphere that could alert her that he had finally arrived. She had sharpened them over the years to aid her in battle and in avoiding stealth attacks. She knew the boy had a habit of sneaking around - he was an ANBU member and excellent at his job, after all - and that he also wanted to stab her to prove some sort of point. That, or it was because she had challenged him way back when. In any case, Gin didn't rule out some sort of attempted assault as a possibility. Once she heard him approaching, she would speak without turning around. She would keep her eyes fixed on the view before her, but her body would be ready to move in case he attempted anything. "Why is it that every time we meet, it's somewhere abandoned, dark and secluded? I'm starting to think this is just to make it easier to hide my body if you manage to kill me," she said lightly and jokingly. It was likely that he would take her words in the literal sense, however. Assuming he didn't attack her and a sort of spar atop the metal beams started, she would continue to speak after inhaling from her cigarette once again. "So, any particular reason you called me here or did you just miss your dear old aunt?"

Sero moved through the night as he slowly wound his way through the town as if on a hunt. Grey eyes drifted towards the tower ahead occasionally. Each time he did so he felt a little bit of a rush or something a kin to feeling as he drew closer. He wanted to come across her again. His only living relative that he knew of and not even by blood. He couldn't really explain any sort of reasonable attachment other than she was useful to him. She helped him gain strides in power he hadn't gained before. Drawing ever closer to a goal she had forced him to set. The goal to mark her one day. To prove that he was powerful. To overcome someone from his fathers generation. He hated that man. Even dead he was casting a shadow over the boy. All he left to him was that house on the island and a figure to chase and overcome. Either way it had suited him. Alone on the island no one bothered him when he trained. No one complained about the dead in the lawn and he didn't have to hold back. Without restraints like neighbors and their things that might be caught in his battles his rise to power was well lubricated with the insides of his enemies.

However she had never bled against him. It frustrated him that someone from his fathers generation was so beyond him. Special Jounin meant nothing in the end. Just another stepping stone for him. Soon he would apply for Jounin and rise even higher. Yet something else was bothering him. It wasn't just that he couldn't harm her. He had met with someone else on her level. Someone else he might have to fight one day. He was a wolf at the mans door or so he had thought. Yet the man knew this wolf. He knew of its fangs and its habits. The very first time they had met and Sero was the only one with no knowledge of the other. He felt restrained again. As if any move he made could be predicted by this strong enemy. He knew nothing of the enemy other then they were strong and he was bound to lose if he tried. He understood that and he hated it. But what angered him was the source of this mans information on him. His only family. Betraying him to another. Sharing information on him to someone who could beat him.

As he entered the base of the tower he could tell the signs of another recently having passed. The rain from a couple of days ago kept the construction crews away for a bit. Only one set of foot prints marked the floors. The appropriate size of her feet. His grey eyes rose up as if he could see her through the maze rising into the sky. His grey robes seemed to blend in with the metal beams. The worn metal blending into the grey cloth and the red rust mixing with the dried blood on his robes. Around the bottom hem and the sleeves anyway. His boots were padded and his head band hung about his neck. No weapons appeared to be on him but in his right hand he clutched a single sheet of paper. Red on the edges and dark symbols on it. He progressed upwards scanning for weak points in the structure as he got closer. The whole structure was in need of being reinforced. Still he spotted the spot he needed and placed the paper there within the maximum range from the top. Before moving up there himself and stepping into the moonlight like a specter. She looked to him and spoke a few words but all she got in return was a dead gaze and a cold reply. As well as that monstrous aura that always came with him...one that left no question that the blood on his clothes belonged to someone now deceased.

"People are bothered by my proximity. They are quick to react and just as quick to die. I avoid those situations. As for hiding your body. I don't intend to kill you. Just mark you in a way that no medical can ever fully heal. You ask me why i called you here? Because if I am disappointed with this conversation I will drop this building with you on it. Now...what did you tell the Raikage about me? How much does he know?"

757

He finally arrived, and with him, the smell of blood tainting the air. She worried about him sometimes. Not because she thought that he was hurt. She knew that the likelihood of that was minimal. He always chose his fights wisely. Rahter, she was worried about his mental state. Indulging in so much constant carnage had to have an effect on the boy's psyche. Then again, Gin couldn't really judge him for it, considering the amount of people that she herself had killed. "If you ever do manage to mark me, just make sure it's not the face. I like it pretty. My shoulders also wouldn't do. I wouldn't want the lasting pain to interfere with holding a sword," she said simply, with a twinge of humor in her tone. Not that he would probably appreciate the joke.

She took one last drag from her cigarette before letting it drop to the ground below, it's light flickering away as it was swept by the wind. Gin kept staring at the view, Sero still standing behind her as he spoke. One of her legs was hanging off of the edge while the other was tucked to her chest. Once Sero claimed that he would topple the building depending on the course of the conversation she shook her head and chuckled. "You're free to do as you wish. Repairs, however, would come out of Kirigakure's pocket and I'm sure Kashi-chan wouldn't be too happy about that," Gin said. For a moment, she regretted trowing away her unfinished cancer stick. Oh well.

Gin took a deep breath. "As for the information I gave, don't think for a second that it wasn't without informing the Mizukage about it." She turned to look at him for a moment. "Tell me, how many people have you killed here so far?" her voice was absent its usual lightness. It was quite unreadable and uncharacteristically serious. Often she acted like a drunken fool with an easy-going demeanor. But this - analyzing, commanding, cold and solemn - was what hid behind that. Of course, she knew the answer to Sero's question. There was only so much that he could keep to himself. "Because as far as I'm concerned, the number justifies my warning to the Raikage. I told him your tendencies and what you're capable of, all in an effort to avoid a diplomatic incident," she explained. It made sense now, however, that he would call her here so suddenly. She guessed that he wasn't exactly pleased with her divulging his information.

It was to be expected, really. When she had spoken to Sanosuke, she had briefly entertained the idea that this could happen. How he found out about what she had said, Gin really had no idea. She could only guess that Sanosuke had opened up his big mouth and said something that he shouldn't have. The former Kazekage sighed internally. This was really something that she would have rather avoided. That, and the threat to collapse the entire construction site on itself made this out to be a conversation with rather high stakes. It made Gin wonder whether or not Sero would end up doing it. If anything, he was loyal to the village. It seemed that anything that would cause it any ill was something that would refrain from doing. Then again, maybe Gin was underestimating just how angry her presence made him and how far he would go to live up to his word that he would one day cause her irreparable harm. Gin looked forward to the day when they could fight on equal footing, not that she would ever say so.

[1278]

Sero stood where he was a fair distance from her still. He didn't care to come closer then was comfortable for speech. After all he needed to be able to focus chakra and make a hand symbol before she could reach him and break his fingers. Judging from their last encounter he needed at least the current distance between them. Even then he had given space for personal growth in case she had managed to grow more then him or had held back. He needed to be able to react in time. Even given the space between them and the fact that he needed very little time at all to make the symbol he wasn't taking chances. Tactically distance was best. Still the longer this dragged out the more likely she would create her own plan of escape or even figure out what his was. After all Sero was far to efficient for a suicide tactic. He matched her gaze as she looked back at him. Unflinching even though he was fully aware of the difference in power between them. A fact that he hated more then his own weakness. It was because she was technically family...and he wanted to be stronger than anyone in his family. So strong that it wasn't expected of him to rise that far. His own power defining him.

Still she merely chuckled which made his left eyebrow twitch. She made a valid point about footing a bill but in all honesty he could see as well as anyone this building was already a hazard. Bringing it down was an eventual conclusion he would simply be speeding up the process. Casualties shouldn't be beyond double digits this time of night and assuming he fled quickly enough no one could prove it was him. Kiri wouldn't have to fit the bill if they thought one of Gins enemies had attacked her. Or would she go tattle on him for that? He wondered for a moment if she would force the information out there just to be right....however he knew her spending habits anyway. She knew nothing of conserving funding as far as he could tell. She would spend the countries funds without a second thought. She was simply playing on his idealism. She wasn't wrong though. He wouldn't do it if it could be connected to Kiri. What she didn't understand was that if he was sure he could silence her. If he could maintain the secret he would of dropped the building on her already. He took note not to let her know it was him next time. Conceal his involvement before involving drastic measures. An important lesson learned.

Still he leaned back against a section of wall that had been erected and crossed his arms. His posture was fairly defensive about just how many people he had killed so far. Even as she mentioned the Mizukage giving permission on disclosing things about him his teeth grit and he seemed to take on some expression of resigned defeat. If it had been approved at the top he had no reason to argue. Still he looked Gin in the eye and spoke in a cold tone. Uncaring and unashamed. Just factoids to him. Little more then raw data. "As of this moment there have been no Kumogakure citizen casualties. I hospitalized a dozen civilians but in self defense. I had the presence of mind to not use weapons so they should recover without damage lasting more then a year. The two Kumo shinobi I have come across I merely informed that should they cross me they will face what all mankind faces in time....just a lot sooner. The one person I maimed was a Kiri genin and he learned a lesson from it. He will recover with just a few scars and has promised me a task when he returns to Kiri. The only two casualties were a couple of thugs after an illegal contract on me from Kiri. My enemies there sent it after me. Since they came at me with intent to kill I made use of their bodies as warning signs to keep out of my current residence in a cave away from the populace. Any other questions on my activities?"

719/1476

Gin kind of regretted having thrown away her cigarette now. She felt like she needed the feeling of the slight burn the smoke gave her throat. Hell, she probably regretted dropping the thing the second it left her fingers. Well, it couldn't be helped now. Of course, she could light up another one, but she could feel this box running out and she didn't really need to buy herself yet another one today. The cumulative cost was really digging a hole in her wallet. Maybe she should quit or at least lay off the smoking for a while. She mentally shrugged and pushed the thought aside for some other time. Right now, she had more important matters to deal with than her dreadful finances. Her dear nephew was here, after all. It was rare that he dedicate his attention to just conversing with her, even if it was because she needed to keep him from doing something that could put a heavy strain on diplomatic relations between Kirigakure and Kumogakure or hell, any other nation that happened to have people in town for the Chuunin Exams.

"Self-defense or not, at your level, you could have easily avoided any confrontation at all. You could have fled instead of injuring them and make no mistake, Kumo's Council will take note of that, even if I do convince Sanosuke to overlook the incident," she elaborated. "As for the Kumo shinobi, you're free to defend yourself from physical attacks, but under no circumstance will you initiate the fight. If it comes to that, beat them within an inch of their lives, but let them live. We're guests here, remember that." As his family, she was actually concerned as to what it was that provoked such a group of people to attack him. She worried about his mental state and how these things affected him, even if he seldom showed any regard towards how people treated him. However, she wasn't here as his aunt. She had to remind herself of that. She was here as his superior, someone that had to command his respect. Nevertheless, these words left her mouth after a moment of silence. "Did they hurt you in any way?" Concern dripped from her voice.

Whether or not he could tell that she cared was another matter entirely. It was no secret that she had trouble getting to the boy. It seemed that he didn't quite understand emotions, or actively ignored them for one reason or another. Maybe no one really taught him how to let himself feel. Gin partially blamed herself for that. She should have taken him in the second he was born instead of leaving him be. Then again, that meant that he would have likely been trapped in Suna with the rest of her children, under the subjugation of the Council and threatened with death constantly. But maybe that fate was still better than the life of loneliness that he lived now. "I'll treat you to dinner and ice cream after we finish talking," she said, seemingly out of the blue. To him, the invitation probably sounded like a childish waste of time, but it was really the only thing that came to mind for Gin. Maybe they could do something normal for once.

[1852]

Sero lowered his chin as his dull grey eyes narrowed. His hair seemed to almost rise like a mane around his head as he frowned. Anger seemed to rise up inside of him as she turned on him. So she was like the others. She didn't care to understand the type of warrior he was. Even though he had held back so much she was acting just like the villagers. Judging him for his instincts. He had expected more from her and yet there she stood. Scolding him for fighting back against some fools who had attacked him. They had ample warning in a way. They could feel him and feel how dangerous he was. They could feel it like alarms in their soul screaming to stay away. Was he to be scolded because some others were fools? He had left them with their lives and minor injuries. Not a one of them would die. However that wasn't good enough. He was expected to flee before such minor opposition. Expected to follow the politics of the simple populace. A populace which had never accepted him. For just a moment he considered doing it. Blowing the building up and causing a real incident. If only to spite Gin. Of course this lust for destruction and chaos would be easily felt in the aura. Like a pulse that had been present before, near a heartbeat seemed to speed up. Paced now more towards a heartbeat excited to do something terrible.

He went to open his mouth and argue after a moment of silence when she spoke again. He paused and the pulsing stopped in that moment as his brow furrowed in confusion. The question was ludicrous. How could she possibly expect anyone here that would be foolish enough to try capable of hurting him? Only two people really came to mind in this forsaken country. The Raikage was one...he could feel the mans presence on his skin still like an electrical current. Or perhaps that was just excitement for another strong enemy. The other was the ANBU captain he had briefly interacted with before. Both of them he could feel the power near or couldn't feel at all. The idea of anyone else hurting him. For the first time Sero scoffed at the idea audibly. Almost a dark laugh in its own way. His eyes seemed filled with disbelief at the idea of the question. They were all so weak he had crushed them in a matter of seconds with his bare hands. Still he answered her in a cold voice as per his usual tone.

"They attacked me and I defended with minimal aggression. The Raikage has met me and will likely be aware that it could of gone a lot worse. The question of any damage to my person though is pointless. First of all the caliber of your average citizen couldn't cut me if I handed them a sword. Second you should know full well I wouldn't of lured you here and been prepared to damage you had I been hindered by some wound. As for the Kumo shinobi I have no intentions of engaging unless engaged. I was simply informing them how unwise it would be to test me."

Still she watched him for a moment and finally when she did speak she was once more speaking out of character. Was she attempting to trick him or lure him into a sense of comfort? One moment she was like those whom hated him openly and the next she wanted to act nurturing towards him? Where would they even go for a meal with him feeling as he did? No establishment would want him killing off business for them just by sitting there and their staff wouldn't want to service them. It was a foolish proposal unless she wanted to eat some M.R.E. with him. He couldn't taste them himself but he had heard from those that could the taste of preserved food was terrible. With Gin being a rather high class individual just based on her spending habits he doubted she cared for any of his rations. Still one question hung in the air for him. He tilted his head and looked to her once more.

"What is the point of freezing cream?"

725/2201

No response. Just silence from her as per usual. He narrowed his eyes and contemplated detonating the note just to spite her. She did have a relationship with Kumo and its leader after all. Likely she was just manipulating him for her own desires. Memories of the silence in the manor like an echo driving him into the cold nature he exhibited now rubbed at the back of his mind. An itch that could not be scratched that made his head twitch one way and than the other. Grey eyes looked into hers with disdain for her and all others. He cared nothing for almost anyone as they never seemed to care for him. He scoffed at the silence and turned away from her to reach out his pale right hand. Grey strings extended from his fingertips to reach out and down into the structure below he seemed to guide them in a slow falling pace in an almost graceful way until they dangled in front of it and then the strings formed into one and almost violently struck out at the note like a scorpions tail to attach to it. With that he yanked the note upwards before walking to the edge of the building. His eyes scanning the escape route he had planned. A crane just within range of his strings he already had out if he jumped. Gin probably could of made it without strings but he had been prepared to position himself in just the right spot to make his move and have a high probability of escape. He looked back at her as the note in his hand faded away into a wisp of mist. "I will be leaving Kumo. As well as becoming one of the seven swords. Do yourself a favor and do not make yourself an enemy to Kiri." His tone was bland as could be but he hardly cared. He turned and launched into the night. Making his way down the crane and away from Gin.

Exit thread
335/2536
A rank jutsu Burning restrictions trained 2000/2000