For the first time in a long time Sukoshi felt nervous, so nervous he felt like he was going to vomit. The thought of meeting up with someone that was on the fast track to being a sannin of Kirigakure was bad but going on border patrol where the chance of dying was highly possible was worse. He had no doubt that the shinobi, Sero Osada, was well capable of protecting him if worse came to worse but the variables of any uncontrolled event left fate in the hands of no man no matter how strong they are. He sat on a boulder looking down at the grass under his feet, he noticed a lady beetle crawling through the grass. Following the lady beetle with his eyes, Sukoshi's mind wandered to the female shinobi he had been speaking to. Shirayuri was also a member of the Osada Clan and knowing that Sero was too made it feel like she was going to be with him also. There was something about the beautiful kunoichi that really made his erratic nature calm. As he started to drift off into his own little imaginary world the hard truth started to sink back in and the scene before him became real again.

Sukoshi couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched from somewhere, he looked around and than grabbed a kunai from his pouch. There was nothing on first inspection but he knew never to dismiss a gut feeling. Kunai at the ready he approached a nearby bush, hand trembling he pushed aside the branches. BANG! Out jumped a wild rabbit from the bushes smacking Sukoshi fair in the face. He stumbled backwards and tripped over a rotten tree trunk falling back hitting his tail bone hard. "OWWW! Stupid rabbit watch where you are going can't you see there's someone here! It's not nice to sneak up on people like that!" Sukoshi yelled shaking his fist whist rubbing his tail bone. "I'm so glad Sero wasn't here to see that. I wonder what he looks like.."

Sukoshi sat pondering all the different types of ways that Sero could look like, first a huge, towering man with muscles on top of muscles and a big bushy beard. Second a tall, thin, handsome man with powerful jutsu and two awesome swords. At the thought of swords, Sukoshi started to wonder whether or not he was going to be one of Seven Swordsman of the Mist. He stood back up and dusted himself off, Sero would be here any moment now, it was best that he made himself look appopriate. You do only get one chance at a first impression, Sukoshi thought to himself and he wanted it to be perfect unlike his meeting with the Mizukage. Which left him pretty embarrased by his actions.

There was no barrier between Sukoshi's brain and his mouth, so he spent time every afternoon practicing how to speak to higher ranked shinobis preparing for this day. He really didn't want Sero to think he was rude and not want Sukoshi to be around. It would be a tragic waste of a perfect opportunity. He took off the Iron Falls jacket and looked at the symbol on the back remembering his vowels to the corporation. He slipped the jacket back on his determination refueled again he needed this not only for himself but for the things and people he cared most about and more importantly Kirigakure. He sat back down on the boulder and stared at the beautiful scene before him patiently waiting for the arrival of Sero.

WC: 607

Sero sat quietly on the branch deep within the woods near the border. His grey cloak fluttered in the wind beneath him as he held a scroll within his pale fingers as dark claw like nails dragged across the paper. Tracing along the letters there. It was an odd thing how suddenly he was being trusted with the low ranked shinobi of the village near him as of late. Yet a part of it was to be expected of him as a ranking individual. His dead grey eyes read the words over and over again. Each letter falling in place just so that mimicked Ayakashi's hand writing. So there was an upstart that she wished to go on a patrol with him. Someone confident but considerably more rude then usual. His pale lips slipped into a frown as he wondered how patient he was expected to be. After all he wasn't known for doing so well with those who spoke back to him. He had nearly branded his own student for her tone of voice when she met him. Still he had resisted that urge to mark the flesh with his unique abilities Something he would of never done just a few years ago. Either way the instructions and a personal rule of his were to burn all correspondence with him. So his fingers released the paper and as it left his fingers a corner of it ignited. It burned before it fell all the way to the ground to nothing more than ashes in the wind but Sero was gone well before it was done. On his way to see for himself how the day would proceed.

As he shifted from tree to tree as little more than a flickering phantom the mist of the village seemed to pull after him. The thicker parts of it near bodies of water and the ground rose up in tendrils like the mist itself wanted to catch up to him and fuse with him. He seemed to absorb the life of the marshes and the mist to him and taint it even further. Around him all that lived and could hide did so. The forest felt him as he moved and almost shuddered into a silence as the predator passed. His ANBU gear was fitted already over grey pants and padded boots. Shin and arm guards with a vest over his grey long sleeved shirt. All designed to hide skin as much as possible. His cloak was a simple one with a hood hiding most of his grey hair though it framed his face on either side. Still a border patrol was no joke when he was involved. He wasn't leaving much to chance as he moved closer to the meeting point. When he moved some organizations usually got wind of it. Organizations that did not like him living and usually tried to collaborate quickly to try and rid the world of him. They would not care that a genin was accompanying him this time. He would either become collateral damage in this little war they had picked with Sero or he would live as a witness to slaughter. It was Sero's job to make the latter a reality.

Still the boy would feel Sero approach like a wave coming towards him. First he would see the birds in the tree's scattering from the south. Flocks of them fleeing in every direction from something. He would hear their panicked cries and be able to see them flying erratically and rapidly from his perch on the boulder. After that any and all sound in the area other than his breathing would cease. No wind blew in the tree's, No crickets nor toads made a sound and no animal could be seen moving. The mist would slowly swirl around the area and thicken before whispers would float across the open area. Inaudible for the most part but enough to know there was many. If one sought the sound out they might notice tiny spiders scaling the tree's and the sound coming from them. They were speaking but far too small to be heard. A sign of the coming spider sage. However as Sero arrived he ran his hand across his face. Mist forming there to cover his young features with a dark leather mask...two eye holes were the only openings in the mask revealing grey eyes that looked like the eyes of the dead. the only pattern on the mask was what appeared to be a stitched up mouth in a smile. The leather itself was what appeared to be human skin. His aura when he was close enough to be seen would feel like something was hunting the boy. That feeling like he was being watched would multiply to the feeling like a great beast was nearby. It's eyes watching him and its fangs constantly about to close. Sero himself stood there with the cloak and mask hiding most of his features but no hint of a weapon could be seen. Odd for a master of Bukijutsu. When he spoke however it was like multiple voices speaking in unison as a pale hand rose from his cloak. Claws darkened with what smelled like dried blood.

"Identification."

882

As Sukoshi sat waiting on his chosen boulder, he noticed something coming from the tops of the trees. He turned to get a better look and on closer inspection it was flocks of birds scattering from the treetops as though something big was coming and it appeared to be heading straight for Sukoshi's location. The sounds the birds were emitting were those of complete terror. Then as if it was all in his head, everything went deadly quiet which gave Sukoshi the eeriest of feelings. He jumped off his boulder and hid in the surrounding tree border. He preformed the Ram, Snake and Tiger hand signs and produced a clone. He sent the clone in place of him and awaited for the arrival of the entity. The mist began to swirl slowly around the opening in which his clone stood and then began to thicken. As he sat in his hiding spot Sukoshi began to hear what appeared to be whispering coming from the distance but not the whipering of one soul entity but the whispering of many. This sent shivers down his spine and almost froze him to the spot. He did not know what he was supposed to do in this situation and the energy coming from where the entity was approaching from was absoutely terrifying. He tried to hone in on what the whispering voices were saying but there was no point they were far to subtle almost to the point of inaudibility. Looking around he noticed that a fair few spiders had approached the scence and the whispering appeared to be coming from them.

Sukoshi had his doubts that he could be right about the spiders but the evidence was undeniable and than confirmed by a soul person dressed in ANBU gear and a cloak arrived. His face was to blackened by the cloak to recognise before the shinobi ran his fingers across his face producing mist then a leather mask, which at first glace looked to be made of human skin. The mask only had two holes in it from which two eerie almost dead looking grey eyes peered soulessly from within. But the creepiest thing about the whole mask was the only pattern on it was a single smiling mouth which had been sewed up. The shinobi approached and spoke in a voice that sounded like the echoing of multiple voices asking for Sukoshi's identification. But the shinobi's voice appeared distant to Sukoshi. He couldn't shake the feeling of a huge beasts eyes gazing at him licking his lips ready to swallow him whole from within the shadows. Sukoshi slowly reached for his kunai, hands trembling. This shinobi it had to be Sero he reasoned to himself and decided on letting his true self be known. As the clone dissipated and he walked closer to the shinobi he thought to be Sero Osada, identification in hand and kunai in the other. He noticed the feeling of the beast closing in grew more and more and in a shakey voice he said "Sukoshi Kemono, Sir. Would I be right in assuming you are Sero Osada?"

Sukoshi handed the shinobi his identification and than looked around the area trying to find any indication as to where the beasts location may be, gripping his kunai tightly. "Excuse me Sir not to be rude but can you feel that presence with as? I've felt it ever since your arrival. Is it maybe a pet of yours?" Sukoshi said uneasy thinking that maybe he could of been wrong about the shinobi's identity.

Jutsu Used:

WC: 599

Sero turned his gaze well before the young man actually became visible and the clone faded from sight. It was impossible for a genin to conceal themselves from Sero. Even with a distraction the moment the boy moved Sero had shown he was aware of him. Those dead eyes watched him as he approached with kunai in hand and he heard his knuckles pop audibly. So his hand was tensing in preparation to rip out the boys throat should he make a move with the Kunai was it? He doubted that it would come to that but his experience with people so afraid was they made poor choices. Madness consumed them in the moment and typically they died for it. His own shadow seemed to writhe unnaturally behind him like a great, hungry maw opening and waiting for blood to fill its infinitely insatiable hunger. Had Ayakashi not warned him of Sero? Had she sent the boy here with no hint to not draw a weapon against the man before him now and to not try and ambush him? Surely she intended for the boy to survive. Still he was handed the identification and his grey eyes looked down to it as dark claws flipped it open. The paper quality was right and the water mark was there. The picture had not been modified and the dates lined up. A genin rather new to all this by the look of it. Sero quietly would hand the identity back while keeping an eye on that knife. So close to him it was like the beast was snarling right in the boys ear. Ready to consume him. The mask distorting his voice as before likely did little to help ease the scared child's nerves. Probably going so far as to increase it.

"My pet has not come in attendance for today as she is still being trained not to eat....what she pleases. The sensation you feel is what all people feel near me. Note the lack of wildlife around. They all sense it. As for our patrol today I have a special use for you."

Sero would raise one of those hands with the darkened claws on it. The smell of blood so close to him was obvious but it was aged and none of it his own. He didn't look like he skipped bathing so that meant his kills were recent. He had only just arrived and already someones blood was dried onto him. Still as his hand held up with the palm upwards a seal could be seen there with intensely intricate designs in it. A multi layer seal for sealing items in the academy with dozens of layers to it. To stack so many onto each other should not be a simple task. Still above his palm mist formed and spun before peeling away in threads to reveal two head sets. One of which floated over to Sukoshi and the other Sero caught in his hand before placing it in his own ear. The design of it a collar around his neck for ease of carrying. He pressed the button on the color which lit up with a very faint, dark blue light and he spun a dial on the ear piece. When he spoke again it held no emotion and yet each voice echoing his own seemed to sound different. A series of monotone voices.

"Adjust your head set to channel five. For the purposes of this patrol you will refer to my code name Mercy for me. You will have the code name Beta. It is important on a patrol no one knows your name and survives. Out here those who engage you intend to bury you. If they are given the chance to escape with knowledge of who you are they will skin your friends and family alive. As for the task at hand. Someone has been using the rumors about me to make his or her own identity as me to attack people on the street. Less combat and more retreating from my name or so the reports said. Whenever I grow close enough to the group they sense me coming before I can get a lock on their position and move. You will be my bait. Lure them out on the last road they were seen and radio me. I will be able to reach you before they can escape if I know their exact location. Do you copy all that?"

1632

Now closer to the shinobi known as Sero, he could smell the distinct metallic scent of blood he knew all too well . Every time he smelt blood it would remind him of his parents as they would come home from a mission, it was strange but he found the smell rather comforting and even more so knowing it was blood from a human not an animal. As Sero took the identification from him the looming feeling of doom still hung in the air and no matter what Sukoshi did he could not shake this, the feeling was suffocating. After recieving his identification back and placing it in his pocket again he noticed that he had his eye on the Kunai in Sukoshi's hand still and quickly stuffed it back into his ninja pouch. Sero replied almost robot like without any emotion at all saying that his pet was not with him due to.. Sukoshi had to second guess himself at this point but he was right he said not to eat what she pleases.Then explained that the terrifying feeling he had been feeling all along was him and noted the lack of wildlife was not because of a huge beast hunting but they too also feel the same sensation. This made Sukoshi's heart sink he needed a way to shake this feeling so that he could consentrate on the mission at hand. He came to the conclusion of telling himself that Sero was on his side and if he is scary to us then he would most likely scare off most attackers before they even had to do battle. But it was what Sero said at the end that made the most difference to him telling Sukoshi he had a special use for him. He had never been special but it was something he wished for more then anything else and he could bearly hold back dancing on the spot but did only releasing a huge smile at Sero.

Sero raised his hand in the air, his hands were strange he seemed to have darkened claws from what Sukoshi could tell, he turned his hand putting his palm side upwards in the air releasing one of the most intricate designs he had ever seen in his life. Knowing a lot about seals and summoning he could tell by sight alone that this type of summoning should not have been done so easily. What made it so magnificant was that Sero had stacked about a dozen if not more layers on to it truly something Sukoshi wished to learn and hopefully accomplish in the future. A mist started to form around Sero's palm and began to peel away in strands to reveal two headsets, one floated towards himself as Sero caught the other in his hand placing the ear piece in his ear and putting the collar around his neck. Sero pressed the button on his collar, which was indicated by a very faint dark blue light only just distinguishable to Sukoshi even at this close of a range, and then began to turn the dial on his ear piece.

In a series of monotone voices, each seemed to have a different sound yet still in that eerie monotone, Sero began to explain the details of the mission they were about to begin. He started with instructing Sukoshi to change the head set channel to five which Sukoshi did after quickly putting the collar on and ear piece in than informed him that his name would be known as Beta and Sero's would be known as Mercy. Enlighting Sukoshi with some gorey details of what could happen if you allow an enemy to escape with them knowing your name. Even though Sukoshi didn't really have either he couldn't risk possibly putting Shirayuri in danger so he made a special mental note of what Sero said. He went on the explain that the mission involved someone one using the recent rumors about himself to pose as Sero and attack people on the street. Most people would then run at the sound of being threatened by such a powerful shinobi. Sukoshi couldn't help but quickly think to himself, 'yeah I would be running too if I had to face the real Sero.' He went on the explain that every time that he would try to pinpoint the imposter they would sense him coming and move positions and that he needed Sukoshi to go in as bait and lure them onto the last road they were seen on. This way once he knows the exact location and he would be able to make it before they have the chance to run and hide. Sero then asked for comfirmation that Sukoshi understood his roll in the mission.

"Copy, Sir. I just have one question I would like to ask you before we leave. If the imposters try to run before I can lure them onto the road, would you like me to pursue and inform on location and direction heading? A lot of these types are cunning and cowards, would they most likely have some sort of hidden getaway path to make evasion easier?" Sukoshi replied. He wanted to impress Sero on this mission so he knew no matter what these guys were not going to get away. Hoping that he could possibly even detain the suspects so Sero would not have to hurry or worry about their escape.

WC: 912

Sero stared at the young man for a moment. He wasn't sure what to make of him but if anything he had his uses. A soul sent to the funeral pyre to see if he could survive. Such trials were usually reserved for the members ranked high enough to join the ANBU. Some of which barely survived the encounters Sero experienced daily. However this patrol wasn't like the typical ones. In fact the patrol they were taking was more frustrating than deadly. Sensory was a precaution some tacticians used in times of war but rarely did mere bandits and criminals have that ability at their disposal. Likely a group of close knit friends from the ranks of dishonered shinobi. If not discharged ones than ones hiding in the ranks. Either way he would end them when he found them regardless of who they were. He would find them and put them to the sword. He simply needed the oppertunity. For the moment all he had come across was the remnants of their efforts. Always leaving when their sensory shinobi caught wind of him. He knew they had sensory because it left a small sensation in his chakra network. Almost like a pull on him he could not figure the direction of. However the fact that he could sense it on him meant it wasn't a high enough rank to threaten him. Otherwise they would of eliminated him by now. He simply needed to know their position before they sensed him and he could easily outrun them.

This was all based on the level of damage he had studied from the crime scenes. Bodies disposed of crudely. Blood stains from Genin and chunnin engagements that didn't belong to the dead. Based on the pattern and saturation of the land around the area they primarily used water jutsu backed with the occassional fire jutsu. No acid by the burn patterns. They were pretending to be an Osada without even having access to the release. Worse, they were pretending to be him. For that they would face more dire consequences than if they had picked anyone else. His face was not famous but his name was and he would not be rumored as a common road thug. His legacy was far more terrifying than they could comprehend but he would stretch their imagination. He would provide them with a view of hell and he would start with the sensory nin. Even if a couple of them escaped without the help of sensory they would not be able to evade him hunting them for long. However there was the issue of the genin he was using for his project. Oh this sweet little chunk of meat was going to dangle nicely. How odd it was that he would already face a life or death mission though. A border patrol with Sero was no joke. Ayakashi must of had a goal in mind when sending the individual to him. He could almost taste the fear in the air from the bait but he could work with that. For now he would simply tilt his head at the question. How interesting an individual to think he was capable of what he suggested. Sero would speak as his voice was surrounded by the sound of distant laughter...a mixture of mocking adult laughter and scared childrens laughter both distant echoes. His mask preforming its task automatically. It was a special mask that echoed Sero's inner mind. Hardly any adjustments ever needed to it.

"These individuals focus on eliminating witnesses before fleeing. Even if they were to run before I arrived, from the evidence I gathered if I have a lock on their position before they sense me they can not outrun me. You will want to prepare a substitution jutsu and you will have the sole task of surviving. Keep in mind they have killed genin and chunnin in teams before. A single genin will have to struggle to survive before I arrive. Simply put, run once you locate them and I will end your pursuers. If you copy follow the west road in plain sight. I will be behind you by a hundred meters. Well within the range of the radio. If you do die I will be sure to reclaim your corpse."

2354

Sero would watch the young man for a reaction. A trembling scared creature sat before him for a time as he waited. Bait didn't need much courage but it appeared they needed to be somewhat oblivious to the danger they are truly in. For the moment he wondered why this child had been pushed towards him by Ayakashi. Like an ant set into a spiders nest. Breifly he considered she wanted the thing dead but that itself should of been communicated to him. A patrol with him was well beyond a genin anyway. Still he wasn't sure her motives half the time anyway. Just that she was someone he wasn't ready to let out of his sight as an example of a power to strive for. She was his example of what he wanted. Proof that kind of power was possible. Already he had surpassed the other Osada and their draconian ways. They had been so sure they couldn't learn a fourth specialization that they had stopped trying. To them it was too much to focus on and was a failure in battle to lose focus. For him it was like automatic combat tactics that he had trained himself to do without hesitation or thought. With training he had surpassed even the limitations of his clans best. Uncle Jurou was a thing of the past and aunt Gin was on his list to fight till victory. He could feel himself drawing closer to her level from what he had witnessed and he would soon be her equal.

For now he stepped forward and placed his hand up. He couldn't take this kid with him. Ayakashi was probably testing him to see if he would spare a child a fate that led him to the grave so soon. Seeing if Sero would show the mercy she had so desperately been asking him to learn. If anything this was so obviously a test that he had little qualm with treating it as such and so he would. To the young man before him it would seem like that pale clawed hand grew over his shaking and silent form. Like it was growing to massive size and enveloping him and all the light from the world until his mind was locked within its grasp. His conciousness fading away as that surge of chakra would overwhelm his chakra system and his eyes would roll back before he collapsed. He was a little dissappointed that there were genin that were sent to him that couldn't really move well just being close to him. It was a lesson he needed to learn that he as a shinobi would be asked to risk his life for the village time and time again with insurmountable odds in the end. Still Sero stared at him with grey eyes and finally turned away. Letting the boys body collaps to the floor of the bit of forest as Sero shifted away to go on his patrol. A demon living in the dark. It was nothing new to him but even if she hadn't intended for him to leave the boy behind his report would reflect his choice in preventing an obvious casualty. The child simply wasn't ready to work with Sero of all people. Failure had been his destiny from the start.

Still Sero moved on his patrol alone now and decided he may as well not bother going after the group that was skilled in evading him without the bait. He would find a different way to track them at a later date. For now he moved to the border where he knew there were bandit camps and missing nins held up within them. He wanted to take out his frustration on someone and the poor souls in those camps were it. For hours he would slaughter and burn those who would defy Kiri and its might as he gradually felt better. Blood stained the forest floor of those camps and the fires died out quickly. Smoke rose into the air in about seven different places but Sero was already on his way back to turn in the report to the village gate and no further. He handed a written report in of his decision to knock the genin out and spare him the battle and the fourty seven casualties he had created on his patrol. Turning in several known names of missing nin and reporting that a gang he had thought had been wiped out still had members. He had killed a few of them. The bandit camps had stopped warring and now were simply trying to survive as long as they could with stolen meats and wheats. Living off the land and the surrounding farmers. It would explain a couple reports of missing live stock. For now Sero finished his report and turned to go home.

Exit thread
3170
Strength A-0 to A-2 2150/2150
Perception A-0 to A-1 1000/1000

20 wc remaining