Sero sat on the edge of the forgotten well as he crossed his legs beneath him and seemed to balance perfectly. His eyes were closed and yet to any who drew close be them human or animal in nature they would feel his gaze on them. It was as if even without being able to see those cold, dead, grey eyes watching them he could see everything. His senses were stretched out to their limits but he could pinpoint even a grasshopper flying away from him at this point with the slightest sound it made. He could tell its exact trejectory and how it would land. He felt the nature around him but to him it was avoiding his contact. Even as a sage Nature slipped around him to avoid contact. However not all things in nature did. He could sense the rot in the well and the dead animals that had fallen in below. He could sense the mold growing over a maggot ridden corpse a dozen meters away and he could feel the life energy of what came with death reaching out for him. Empowering him and wanting to give him more. For so long it had been ignored and feared and now death and rot was a source of power for one of the living. To those who would come within a dozen meters of Sero however they would not feel a human but instead as soon as they stepped within range of his aura it would be like walking into a monsters lair. Like a cold gaze shifting on them from the shadows and like the mist under foot was seeking to open like a great maw and consume them. Whatever kind of beast Sero was he would never be mistaken as one of the humans.

Still he sat there in grey robes freshly made by Yasuo and yet to gain a bloodstain on them. Even on the edges of the sleeves the grey pattern hadn't been marred yet. Yasuo demanded Sero dressed in clean robes and was only dissappointed in the color choice. Sero liked blending in with the mist so grey was his go to color. Even his skin seemed like a pale enough color to fade into the mist. However his nails were like crimson claws that didn't belong on a human hand. Stained dark and pointed as if he had evolved for the sole purpose of being a predator. His feet were covered in padded shoes for silent moving and his grey hair shifted in the slight breeze. Slowly his eyes opened as he turned his attention to a vanilla folder in his hand. As an ANBU he had access to the files of each individual in the village and he had chosen some promising new recruits to look through for a new position in the restoration of his island. Five names within the folder had photos next to them. He had sent invitations to all five with his signature for a job offer to them but so far none had arrived. Only one of them stood above the others in his mind though. Ryu Hatake was a promising swordsman with ninjutsu as a specialty as well. Sero could offer a lot to such an individual but most of all they seemed to blend with society better than he or the others did. He needed someone who could traverse where he could not and collect supplies he needed or the other staff needed. He was forbidden from the market and Yasuo felt too much like him. Kamakura was so inexperienced with their culture he stood out like a sore thumb so much so that people got suspicious. Sero could only hope his infamous reputation as the beast of the mist wouldn't scare a genin away.

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The day has been indeed quite a long one for the young Hatake. He has been out training for quite a while and was still resting every now and then since the last mission he performed. Quite a simple one really, but to be able to know one's limits was in Ryu's opinion one's only chance of ever surpassing them. You cannot get better until you know what your better is, in some sort; that was quite a nice way to summarize his way of thinking actually. Nevertheless, apart from all this extra work spent near the waters, trying to perfect his mastery of the Hyoton element (one of the chakra natures his Aisu clan was so renowned for) but also to train his swordsmanship. He was quite a decent swordsman, but there was still just so much more room left for improvement it would be a shame to "waste" (in some sort, time given to the wrong cause is wasted) his time on ninjutsu when he had to focus on what mattered more to him. He just loved swords, katanas in general, it did not fascinate him or anything but swordsmanship did provoke a little something in him every time it was involved in a spar, or a fight, or a mission, anything. For now though, his eyes were set on quite some other prize; a job.

This job was not that much of an ordinary one (not that he had to be especially gifted to perform it or anything), but more like an unusual job. He would become the handyman, the messenger of a certain man with the given name of Sero, an Anbu of the mist known for his Boil Release and his ability with weapons and chakra control; some said he even was a sage, and yet he was feared by most of his own comrades; quite a strange situation for a sage now, was it not? Ryu was asking for this job for the sole purpose of gaining some experience and having the chance of being closer to a man of experience and full of knowledge that he could transmit to Ryu in exchange for his help. Obviously the only thing that he knew about the job was that he would be a handyman, perform a wide range of jobs across the land such as delivery and transportation, but would also serve as a security guard for the manor of the man who employed him. It would be a huge understatement to say that this man was asking for a lot, but Ryu was up for the job and when he received the invite from this so-called Sero Osada, he left home right away to ask the Mizukage's counselors for more information on this Sero person, as he was still a former Anbu of the village, yet no one else said more than words like "strong" and "afraid". This did not scare the Hatake at all though, and so he left what he called home and went back to where he thought he could be of more use.

His arrival at the well was not disturbed by anyone, yet the interview still said that it would be in a place that was a bit more private; it was quite a far from the village, but surely some people may eventually come there, shouldn't they? Nonetheless, Sero probably knew what he was doing, and if the interview was to be done near a well, he knew that no one would come here, and that it must be a forgotten, abandoned one. So there he was, walking towards the only silhouette he could notice on the horizon. When he would finally arrive there, he would make a hand gesture and give his hand to the Osada, waiting for him to shake it before they would start talking and doing introductions (even if they knew a bit about each other, Sero knowing more about Ryu than it was the other way around).

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Sero was reading the file when his grey eyes shifted to the side. The smell of the area had changed and he could hear a crinkle as grass began to frost just a little from something approaching. His gaze shifted through the mist as a long figure casually approached him with no hostile intent. An Aisu. So there was one among them who would come and he could see his power ever so slightly flowing from him. However as it approached Sero the frosted grass would suddenly stop croaching forward as if it hit an invisible barrier and shift around it in a perfect crescent. Sero's own chakra ran a little hot and could not be overwhelmed so easily. The mist where the two met swirled and faded away before the man stepped within the circle. If he could feel anything Ryu might notice a temperature difference like a hot breath and that close he could easily sense it. Something there was monsterous as if it was stalking him. Something in the area with only the two of them visible in it was like a massive demon slowly reaching for his neck with its fangs and ready to rip him apart. And yet he reached out with his hand and seemed unpreturbed by it. Beyond that he was willing to reach out and touch Sero? Such gall for a young man. As much as it surprised him that someone would act so comfortable around him, he wanted to see what impact touching him had now on someone.

Slowly Sero closed his file and seemed to float up to his feet like some kind of spirit. He could see this person was the one who refered to himself as Ryu Hatake. Why he hadn't taken the Aisu name with his abilities so developed was interesting. Having a member of Ayakashi's clan working under him might be a way for her to keep tabs on him anyway. Still his pale hand reached out with dark fingernails stained an almost black red. As if blood had long since stained and dried onto them. Slowly his pale hand would grasp Ryu's and its warmth would be well above normal but nor enough to burn. Yet something else would happen as their skin made contact. It was as if the chakra in the man began to slowly infect Ryu's from a single touch as he held him for only a second but would expand like an eternity. It felt like he was alone in an endless pit with things gnashing and reaching for him in the darkest shadows and an almost audible scream of agony and fear in the distance. This man was anything but pure and as his hand fell away the feeling would fade but the memory would remain. Touching Sero was unpleasant for anyone who tried. At least anyone with that much rank difference. Still Sero tucked the files under his arm with a flick of his hand and they seemed to fade from exhistence. As if they had never been before a cold, emotionless voice spoke out.

"I assume you are Ryu Hatake, here for your interview....I am Osada Sero the second. Tell me....does being near me and all this bother you?"

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Ryu had a strange feeling approaching the silhouette that seemed to become more clear as he got closer to it, or should he say "him". His steps were silent, or at least as close to silent as he could get them to be, as only little noise was made around them; only the cold wind blowing against the Aisu's face changed the ambiance of the setting; as for the rest, it was a quiet, intimate location. Quite a good choice by this so-called Sero Osada. As the Hyouton user stepped closer, he could feel a bit more uneasy, the temperature around him rising slowly and reaching a certain point that would make him a lot more uncomfortable, especially at the moment at which the both of their hands made contact. Yet by pure politeness, the grey-haired shinobi kept his hand tied to that of the Osada's for quite a few instants, before removing it after it started aching a bit. Well, it was quite far from aching but it did feel a bit uneasy to have to shake the hand of someone so literally warm, and it just did not feel that good at all.

His hand removed, he detailed more closely the facial features of his host, who asked for confirmation of the Hatake's name, who nodded briefly as he was examining as much as he could of the Anbu's body and facial expression. His big, red eyes were staring back at the boy, who seemed like he was midway between feeling assertive and hesitant. After a couple of seconds that may have probably seemed like an eternity for the both of them, Ryu finally opened his mouth, taking a step back and making himself clear on the subject.

"Indeed, I am Ryu Hatake; it is a pleasure and an honor to meet you, Sero. To answer your question, far from it, no, just a feeling of unease and the fact that the air seems so warm today, or maybe that is the strength and influence of your bloodline."

He wanted to follow-up with another additional comment but felt as if it would not be needed and more futile than useful to this conversation they were slowly starting to have; indeed, he was supposed to be the interviewed and not the interviewer, questions and additional advices or comments were to be made by the Osada unless Sero requested for the opinion or such from the Hatake. Surely, he was applying as a handyman for the Osada which would then mean he would be part of his entourage, and so he needed to build a good relationship with him starting from this moment onwards; first impressions, as low as someone may value them, still were the biggest part of how someone judged someone else. Nonetheless, he was not there to think of psychology or philosophy, his job there was to obtain the trust of Sero (even if it may probably be quite hard to get), and most importantly to get this job of handyman; it was the first step towards becoming a successful ninja for his nation, and he was sure he could learn a lot from being one of the Osada's right-hand men.

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For the moment Sero would watch with dead grey eyes as he wasn't in sage mode as of yet as the young man approached. His eyes almost like those of the long dead with little to no life in them. It would be like looking into the eyes of the grave. Some questioned if the Sero they saw wasn't actually a reanimated puppet and the living puppeteer was hidden in the mist somewhere. Still he would wait as the young man reached out. If there was an attempt at an attack on his person Sero was ready to reach out with that same hand and rip a limb away from a body. He could easily be pushed to the edge. If he was pushed over the ledge that empty gaze wouldn't blink as it ripped the man before him limb from limb. He knew he was worth some money dead. The criminal element was not a fan of his and yet here he was waiting for them to try again. He punished them when they did but occassionally someone took the job for the illegal bounty and came for him. Restocking his fridge was such a kind gesture. Still damage to the house and grounds would be a stab into his wallet now that he had staff that wished to fix it up for their own comforts. Still as their hands met it was like there was a static and tiny rise of steam from the two hands meeting as his heat overwhelmed the cold boys passive and cold nature. Still it was odd that nothing seemed to happen when they touch beyond mild discomfort. Usually everything Sero touched became corrupted but this boy seemed fine with him. How curious it was that would happen. He would need to investigate further how this young one was so immune to him.

"Indeed, I am Ryu Hatake; it is a pleasure and an honor to meet you, Sero. To answer your question, far from it, no, just a feeling of unease and the fact that the air seems so warm today, or maybe that is the strength and influence of your bloodline."

They had released each other but the response was almost dull to him. Intriguing but at the same time it was as if he held little sway here. Some part of him enjoyed the terror in others eyes and yet more than one individual was rising forth to him and either being unaffected by his presence or simply aware of it. How strange it was that this one was so similar to Yasuo. Perhaps he would be a good fit within his staff if only to study his immunity and see how far it stretched. Still the idea that the thing the boy felt was a bloodline almost made Sero scoff. Either way he was reserved from continuing to do anything more than to greet and answer. Direct and obedient were good signs. For the time being he felt the Aisu before him or rather the man named Hatake was showing increasing promise. Another monster to his game and one he could observe with interest. However beyond that he seemed almost normal. Perhaps the mechanic would enjoy the company of a more normal individual like himself. For now Sero would cross his own arms and study the young man as he spoke again. This time a note of seriousness in his tone.

"The job you are being offered is not a simple one. Everyone on the island will rely on you to fetch whatever they need and deliver payments and letters. As such you will be expected to live on the island with them. Whether you wish to live in the manor or bring your own home of sorts on the property is up to you. However beyond your normal duties, on this island there are massive spiders, cannabals and we are under frequent attacks by mercenaries. You will need to be prepared to defend yourself as well as cater to unusual needs. Does any of that discourage you?"

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