Shibirin made his way towards the dense forest, just after he had breakfast and dressed himself up and took hold of his katana. He made his way past the village buildings of konoha and somehow found himself in the village's dense forest. He looked around the place, truly he was lost. He had been meaning to find the village docks, there he could practise using lightning jutsu in the water, for it was a great conductor of electricity.

Nevertheless, he kept on walking, hoping that he might eventually stumble upon it. The forest was quiet, there were only small noises of birds chirping and the slight breeze moving the trees about. His foot steps stood out amongst all these sounds, so a person nearby would hear him instantly, if not within a few seconds

The Forest was alive for a time but the deeper one went into it the less it looked like it had ever been traveled. Soon one would notice the wild life had gone silent. Sero moves silently. his foot steps spaced and timed for silence. his presence silencing the creature's like a predator on the prowl. A slight fog coated the ground this deep into the forest. If one where looking there would be the briefest flash of silver like a haunting spirit passing from one tree to the next and then it was gone. Sero was the Phantom of the Mist and his moments in solitude remained as such because the way he was resembled trespassing on a haunted forest. Dare you track an Osada?

Shibirin was lost alright, he still couldn't find a way towards the docks. Should he just give up, it wasn't like him to give up so soon. This wasn't Suna though, so Shibirin couldn't risk getting lost in a village he barely was farmiliar of. He turned to head back, but saw a brief flash of silver, not too far from where he was standing. 'What was that?', Shibirin thought to himself, he had just turned around when the glimmer of silver caught his attention.

He walked slowly towards it, arm now rested on his katana's handle. He usually wore it on his back, but he was going for a change for once. Having it by his waist meant a quicker draw, but having it on his back was far easier to travel with when running at full speeds, it meant that the sword would just flow the user's every movements instead of interrupting with his footsteps, like it did when sheathed by the waist.

He didn't bother to call out towards it, maybe it was just an animal, but then again what animal shines of silver in a dense forest like this? Maybe it was Konoha's wild life that only did this, but it was best to think it was just an animal than a person.

Silence was the orchestra that played in this part of the forest. Feet would carry Sero through the dense tree's for a time as he watches his surroundings with as much expression as a funeral to an unknown man. Foot steps and the occasional clink of a sword being shifted by walking was heard in the distance and his attention turns to that.

An assassin? How odd that one dared to target an Osada. How many had been melted alive in the past? Sero moves now with purpose slipping quickly through the tree's. He pulls his hood up now and attempts to double back around his possible assassin. After all who came to an uninhabited part of the forest with a weapon? Sero himself was unarmed as always.

Shibirin stood in one spot for a while. He decided to let the being stumble upon him itself. If it did intend to harm him, he'd be more than ready to quickly draw out his sword. Now that he thought about it, maybe preparing for the worst was the best thing to do. He rested his right arm on the sword he had by his right hip. It was blue in color, so compared to the luscious green color from the trees, it would most likely stand out the most.

Shibirin was standing facing towards the sun's direction, this caused the light from it to reflect off of his glasses and possibly hide his eyes from sight, as if he was wearing plain white glasses. He brought his unoccupied arm up to his nose and fixed the positioning of the glasses. If one saw him in this state, they would see a glimmer of light reflect off of the glasses and then disapear in a matter of seconds.

There it was again. A glimmer of the silver that was Sero's hair. Closer now then before. Sero moves about a bit watching the individual with the blue sword. The glasses caught the light and hid his eye's. It was fascinating. Caution and preparation but a lack of fear. Was the swordsman that sure of his abilities? Or was Sero being underestimated ? Or was it just a trespasser on his quality me time of seclusion.

Out of the Mist Sero moves his graceful pace making it appear like he floated through the mist coating the ground like a phantom, hooded and hidden from those who would identify him. his lips and lower showing from the shadow of the hood and two cold silver eyes.

"You trespass into the heart of this place. What purpose do you seek?"

The words where spoken like the frost that stings to the touch. still passive expression from what little skin he showed.

Shibirin arched a brow at the sound of a male figure, but it wasn't those words that had caught his attention, it was the way the guy presented himself. He resembled a ghost, chilling as it may be this was the truth in what Shibirin was witnessing. The figure had some sort of dark-coloured cloack and a hood occupied his/her hair. The guy's attire, words and introduction all sent out negative vibes towards Shibirin. He didn't believe in ghosts, but maybe this was his punishment for not.

He set his suspisions at ease, the guy didn't carry any form of weaponry on him so Shibirin didn't see much harm in him. He wanted to reply to the guy in a way that showed he was just walking about not looking for trouble, though what would one say to a ghostly figure like his and not sound terrified? "Trespass, on who's ground exactly? Unless you are the hokage then i believe you aren't entitled to ownership of this part of land," he said, firmly to the guy. He didn't want to sound mean or ignorant, but they way the guy had spoken to him sounded as if he had some land to keep people out of, maybe he was the grim reaper, protecting the soil where someone he knew died

"ah."

Was the soft gasp followed by the turning up of those pale lips. the corners moving in just a slight way to show some sort of sadistic smirk. but the eyes. the eyes did not match the expression. they did not waver nor did they blink. Just stared at the other in such a way it was like it was looking into his very soul.

What was actually happening was Sero was assessing the other individual. Scars and subtle movements. For Experienced killers there was always a movement that gave them away. The shoulders tensing. the Blade loosening. the fingers twitching. the facial twitch of the pleasure of hunting the prey. the widening stance to strike. the not so obvious movement to adjust less of the body to a target by standing sideways.

None of this happened. So Sero lowers his hood with gloved hands showing his Silver hair. His skin pale like that of a ghost. everything about him seemed to melt into the surrounding fog like Natural camo.

"I Did not say the ground. I said the heart of this place. The silence was broken and the heart was awakened. The heart is not of the ground you see. The heart is the people and things that occupy it."

Shibirin forced out a smirk. He had not been so humble enough as to understand what the guy truly meant by the exachnged words. Nevertheless, he knew now what he meant, they were on the same page, at least, for now. He let out a small, "Tch," before bringing himself down to the ground in a crouching position. This guy seemed clever than Shibirin thought and so far he had shown a moderate amount of expression, understandable for a guy who has just met a stranger like he. Normally people either raged at Shibirin for being a smart ass or they just walked away and pretended as if he didn't exist, as this is how most rivalries are formed.

As he crouched down, he took a handfull of the loose dirt he could find. It wasn't too dry, nor too wet. The docks were either close to this forest or there was a river nearby that fed the ground with the water's moisture. "How about we introduce each other, my name's Shibirin, genin of the hidden sand and second oldest son of Tatsyuaga the founder of the Genko clan. And you are...?" he invited the guy to speak. He saw him take off his hood and instantly saw his silver hair, it closely resembled his own. Though their eyes may be the ony different as Shibirin's were purple in color, but only by a tint.

Sero watched the man crouch down and play with the dirt a moment before he too spoke. This mattered very little to Sero but none the less he could pretty much assume that perhaps the other was interested in science was well and exploring out territory to Lure an opponent to his grave. Or perhaps he was a tracker honing his skills. None the less he replies to the boy in much the same tone as before. his hands folding in front of him as he leans back against a tree.

"I am Sero. Currently next in line to inherit the Osada clan, Orphan of a murdered clan. From the Ashes that mark Where kiri fell. If you are currently looking about the area. No animal seems to wish to stay within 100 paces of me. The silence began within moments of me arriving. We are currently a quarter mile east of the village Of Konoha. are you lost or do you have a goal here?"

Wow, just wow. This guy spoke as if he were pinned against the ground and forced to spill out every, single detail about his past like his life was on the line. A name, village and clan would've done Shibirin just fine, he wasn't really interested in stealing anyone's valuable information, juts yet.

"Ahh, sorry to here about your clan and village," he began, he knew how it felt to lose family members but he didn't know what it felt like to lose an entire village. Was this the reason he had come to Konoha? Where there more of him? All these questions circled around Shibirin's head, but he couldn't register there answer from the guy just yet, he had to answer his question first to make the trade seem 'fair'. "I have no idea why i ended up here, actually. I was just looking for the village docks and lost my way from here. I'd be lucky if i managed to find my way back home alone, but then again, i'd do just fine out here. there seems to be water nearby and i'm sure there are plenty of animals to kill as food," he said, his voice dragging on.

He wasn't planning on actually living out here, if anything he hated nature. Shibirin hated alot of things but nature was in the top 100, which to him is pretty special. Lord knows what's the first. He remained in his crouching spot, till his legs began to feel sore. He stood up, stretched them out and shook em a bit.

Good. The boy had responded to his words and that had confirmed one thing. A recent arrival from Suna too late for the exams. It was common knowledge Kiri had fallen in Konoha by now so anyone not aware had probably very recently arrived. How interesting. Sero smiles a moment as that bit of intel had been gathered without much of the words themselves spoken. Lost and alone and not from around here. excellent combo. Sero lift his right arm and points to the south.

"The river you speak of is over there. follow it further down stream and you should find the docks. Welcome to Konoha."

Shibirin stared towards where the man was pointing to. Perhaps he had lost interest in going to the docks. Initially, he was going to go train there, but now all of that excitement had been washed away by the presence of this stranger. "You know what, forget about that, what i would like to know is how to get back to the village. I've been wanting to read some of the library's books there, have any idea when it is open?" said Shibirin. He didn't know it, but he had managed to fit two questions into one.

So, the ninja was farmiliar with the locations in konoha hey? This means he must've been here long enough to either find the map of the places or go to them himself. He now stood up and dusted himself off, ready to follow the man's directions if he did have any.

The docks to the library. what a random turn of events. Still finding this information could be crucial to some sort of an attack. Some of the villages most brilliant minds studied at that place. if it where to be hit due to the intel Sero provided.

But that was how Sero thought. calculating risks and such as his grey eyes watched the other a moment. There was of course the idea he was an intellectual lad. And actually had a desire to learn much as Sero did. So he speaks once more.

"If you head to the village now and seek out the place of knowledge. you may make it there in time to seek what you desire."

Shibirin was glad he now knew how to find the library, though it was the exact thng he had done towards Sero. Still, he wasn't sure on where to find the villae from here, unless there was a sign he had missed or soemthing. "Ahh, and the village is in which direction?" he asked, this time displaying a larger smirk than before which could easily be mistook for a smile.

Sero smiles a cold smile but his eye's do not share the emotion. indeed those eyes seem to reveal nothing but emptiness like an emotionless pit. He turns without a word and moves back into the mist pulling up his hood and in a breif moment he is gone again. Was he ever real? No foot steps could be heard as he moves in the direction of the village. Let the other give chase and find the path or forfeit the village and find the river.

Shibirin noticed the guy's odd smile. Was it real? He gave up on that thought when he saw the guy turn, put his hood back on his head and headed towards the direction he had come from. Was he trying to show Shibirin the way, or had he just given up on answering any more of his questions and decided to leave? Shibirin had too much patients to let it slide, do he gladly followed the guy. If he got annoyed by it, so be it, but Shibirin was betting any money that this Kiri nin knew what he was doing

Sero led the individual by example and eventually lead to the village again where he stood at the tree line in silence. He would let the other move on without him. best to arrive back at separate times to avoid whispers from eyes who knew to little and thought too much.

exit thread