Sero was standing on the shore looking over the waves slowly and repetitively rolling in from the ocean. His dull grey eyes looked at the tide with little emotion towards its serenity. The ocean seemed calm as far as he could observe. The fog bank dimmed and ultimately cut off looking too far. He was a soldier here. These islands hidden in the mist. He had been shattered as a child and then sharpened and honed by the harsh reality that was survival. Where others built relationships with people he focused on his understandings with weapons. How to wield them, what it felt to cut another person and how his own body could move to harness the true abilities of a swordsman. His nights and holidays not building memories but studying the human anatomy. He barely recalled now feeling sick with his first kills. How many times he had emptied his stomach when forcing himself to take apart the bodies piece by piece to study where the vitals were and how deep. He vaguely remembered the shine fading from his eyes each time he dry heaved over another body. Now he felt nothing when he took them apart. Just a vague memory and a practiced set of strikes.

Still his boots shifted on the rocky beach as he turned, His grey robes shifted in the breeze he assumed was cold. He couldn't feel that either. Yet another part of him that had died. He didn't have a sense of touch anymore. Perhaps it was due to practice of shutting down his senses one at a time that had left it off and could not be turned back on or his body had suffered so much pain during his early training stages that the brain refused to acknowledge anything be it pain or pleasure or everything between the two. He had beaten his body into a half dead thing for the longest time he could hardly remember feeling anything. His left hand lifted as he studied it held at arms length as if reaching across the oceans. His pale fingers outstretched as if reaching for something. Faded scars decorated his exposed skin in harsh patterns from poorly healed wounds. Still he only seemed to reach for a moment, reaching for memories he couldn't manage to grasp before he was done. The ideal of regaining humanity fleeting as his left hand dropped to rest on the hilts of his two swords, A wakizashi and a Katana on his left hip. Two weapons he was decent with among the many he could use. He felt this would be all he needed however.

Still his right hand shifted as he looked down at the air tank it was holding. A single tube leading out to a breathing mask. He wasn't here to simply reminisce at the beach. He was heading down to a sunken city to collect forgotten treasures as he was ordered. Another mission they had assigned him to. The excavation team had been wiped out when they went down there each time and each time they had sent someone to deal with a creature. Rumor had it the creature was immortal. Now instead of excavation teams they sent skilled shinobi down there to collect what they could find and escape. However this mission had been optional to Sero. As if he wouldn't accept the task. He was eager to test himself against the monster of the forgotten city. It was a rare hint of emotion that he displayed before he really unleashed. Even now his dead grey eyes seemed to glint as he tilted his head. He was going to face off against something that many people feared with no back up. He wondered if he was finally put down if anyone would find his body. If not he supposed he didn't care. An animal like him didn't pity itself. If anything he was looking forward to the encounter. He was going to step away from any population that he would of had to mind before. He was finally going to be able to let go and lose control. He was going to get to test his boundaries against an immortal being and it excited him greatly.

712

While some would see Sero as an unfortunate child he did not see it that way. He had never looked for a better life. He was satisfied with his goals as it was. His father had managed to raise to the heights of power in Kiri but in the end he had been to weak to hold it. His goal was simply to be stronger then that man had been without question. He didn't care to raise himself to Kage as he saw no point in him holding the mantle of leader. He cared only for the strength to be able to stand amongst the strongest as an equal. For any warrior that would trespass in his home to question challenging him. Even now people his own rank and lower kept their distance. But he was only just now maturing. Some people wished to mold him before he got too far along but truth was he was moving along his own path. Each day that passed was a growth spurt in his abilities. Jutsu experiments were getting a larger rate of success as well his physical abilities. Yet the heights he had reached could only begin to view the heights of his masters. Past Kage the both of them had been. Now they dragged out his potential with force.

Still he intended to release the hesitation from his thoughts and now he stepped forward. He was trained by two Kage and was at the top levels of his rank already. He had no reason to doubt his abilities. His strides carried him to the water. Each step bringing him deeper and deeper. His breath mask was placed over his face with his left hand as his right hand turned on the oxygen tank before lugging it with. As he submerged his feet left the bottom as if dropping off into the sea. For a time he sank before he began to kick his feet. Slow breaths taken to preserve oxygen as he swam through the depths of the ocean near the shore. He knew his direction that he swam even as the current pulled him closer to his destination. For a bit it seemed dark down there. The only light dimmed by the surface above. But the sea life avoided him. Even down here he was another predator to them. One they did not near in fear of becoming a meal. He was avoided even by the most basic minded life. Survival meant avoiding him for even the sharks.

Still his course eventually was lit ahead by the sunken city. Somehow even down here it seemed to reflect the light of day. It was a massive expanse of ruins. Anyone would be impressed just by seeing it but Sero was here with purpose. He knew that somehow it had managed to keep a massive air pocket around it due to its design. Though the science of it eluded him. Regardless he found his way towards one of the lower sections of the city which seemed to be built in layers. He knew air would rise if not blocked which meant he would need to be on the lower levels in order to access that air pocket. As it happened he was right. As soon as he opened a door leading into the slums of the city He seemed to break out of the water into an air filled corridor. His booted feet landing on the floor with a couple of quiet taps as he regained his balance from the shifting depths and sudden difference in weight. Still he turned off the air tank and stashed it nearby. He was off to go hunting now. Whatever this immortal beast was it was likely to find him before he found his relics. So he stepped forward walking at a slight upwards angle in the corridor towards the inner parts of the city. It was only a short time before he stepped into a close housing district. Each building seemed connected in some manner. With its wide streets he was sure to find something here. From where he was standing he could see a large but damaged museum. However he could also see the monster down below on one of the streets. It's black eyes met Sero's grey eyes as it sensed him enter. Neither of them looked away but both seemed to tense as if preparing for battle. It had already begun.

1455

In a moment both of them suddenly launched from their positions leaving gravel flying in their wake. The dark monster of the fallen sea shifting into a dog form nearly ten feet tall and losing no speed for it. The weakened streets crumbling under its paws due to its weight plus the force of its passing. In a second Sero could tell it was faster then him. However his grey eyes took in the surroundings as they drew ever closer. His light weight form was superior for moving in alley ways. As such he charged forward locating the meeting point where they would clash based on the current speed of both approaches. He watched as the massive dog opened its maw to try and consume him whole. With a narrowed gaze Sero suddenly dropped to his knee's and leaned back as the jaws sailed just over him as the massive dog launched at his position. Having missed at full speed the dog tumbled to the ground. Rolling to a stop it crashed into one of the buildings as Sero grabbed a drainage pipe and swung himself still sliding into the alley way. He had barely managed to get to his feet and run down the alley towards the fire escape when the giant dog slammed into the entrance behind him. It was several meters away now and too wide to get through. Sero appeared to have the advantage now.

Suddenly the Beast seemed to shrink down to a four foot tall dog. The shape shifting ability hadn't been covered that much but that wiped out Sero's advantage. Now the dog was small enough to fit into the alley. But that seemed to be the least of his issues. The dog wasn't moving but its back seemed to be shifting as a slightly larger mass then it should be. Sensing the killing intent suddenly launch up Sero turned and with his left hand gripped the Wakizashi backwards and with his right hand he gripped the Katana tightly. His instincts proved spot on as suddenly two black spikes shot out of the Dogs back streaming at Sero. Deftly Sero drew both blades as the spikes cleared the distance and raised them across each other like a cross to block both spikes only to realize they were stronger then he had anticipated. The combined blows pushed him back hard. The bottoms of his boots skidding across the aged surface of the alley ground before he could brace himself. He grit his teeth before pushing back as hard as he could stopping the two spikes. He stared the creature in its black eyes with his grey ones as they both pressed for ground. It appeared they were matched in strength now.

He watched for a moment as the creature growled its displeasure before suddenly a third spike shot out of the dog. Seeing it coming Sero lifted his feet off the ground and let the previous two spikes push him back before slamming his feet against the back alley wall. Pressing off against it at the same moment he released the two spikes he managed to launch himself over all three before they buried into the wall with enough force to send the wall crumbling down. It was then that Sero sailed up into the air. He had noticed the difference in mass when the dog had created the tendrils and as predicted the dog withdrew its tendrils to shape shift into a larger form yet again. Sero smirked in satisfaction as his plan played out. Quickly he sheathed his weapons and preformed rapid hand seals before taking in a deep breath. Once more the Dog shot up in size and opened its massive jaws to try and consume Sero. It was then that Sero released his own jutsu.

2094

Suddenly as the rising jaws of death rose to immense heights after Sero and it appeared all was lost his mouth opened and out came something of incredible power and size. A massive acid steam dragon burst into the space between them and streamed down the throat of the monster searing away its insides as it roared through the beast. The immense power of the jutsu dropping the massive hound to the ground by the time Sero could land on the roof. It layed there twitching as dark blood pooled out of its open mouth and its eyes closed. Its internal organs fried by the jutsu even if temporarily. Sero had counted on the beast trying to eat him whole again. Still he watched it a moment before he sighed. His gaze went down to his side as he smelled blood. He eyed a small gash along his right side right under the ribs. It wasn't a serious wound but he had barely managed to avoid the third spike being fatal it seemed. So he wasn't capable of fighting the monster untouched yet. He frowned before turning and hopping off the roof towards the Museum. He didn't bother bandaging it as it would stop bleeding soon.

Still he made his way to the museum which had already had its doors wrenched off. It took him some time but he managed to work his way through the ruins of the place before spotting a case of relics which hadn't been looted yet. Satisfied with it he collected the relics he knew he could swim with before taking his leave. As he walked back towards the air tank and mask he noted the beast had faded away and managed to retreat somehow. It seemed there was some truth towards its immortality. One day he wanted to find out what had created the creature and perhaps even capture it as some sort of guard dog. For now he was not immortal so he quickly moved away from the area and with his breath tank left the fallen city. Sure to avoid the creature before he could be caught by it again. Regardless he knew he would return. He hadn't been fast enough this time but next time he would be far better a warrior. Still he made his way back to the beach and to town to return the diving gear and turn in the ruins. Accomplishing yet another task.

2506/2500 Mission accomplished

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