Sero entered the cemetery during the fog of the still dark morning. his cold expression the same as usual even as he lights up his cigarette. taking a deep breath of it he looks off towards the direction of the burned Kiri in his calculations and calmly takes a drag. as usual he held no weapons. just his clothes. the pants and the hoody and the boots. his free hand flicked at the lighter idly while he contemplated the death toll and how one could rebuild without any people. and even if they rebuilt how could one prevent it from happening again. was there a way to prevent magical fire? doubtful.

Hao had given Kei free time while their plans came into effect. The young girl had decided to explore Konoha, since she had nothing better to do. She had left the rest of the group behind to go on her own. After winding through the streets and getting lost, she had wound up in the graveyard. A chill went down her spine as she went in. This side of her, filled with childish innocence, disliked any mention of death and the things related to it. But she was also able to find beauty in the strangest things. She liked to look at the flowers that littered the graves. She enjoyed the fact that the weather in Konoha was bright and sunny, unlike that of the Hidden Mist had been before. Kei skipped through the graves, trying to make walking through them a game. She was submerged in her own world - she had been ever since she saw her father's body. However, she had lost the ability to recall that memory. At that moment, she saw someone she recognized, standing by one of the graves. She didn't know whether to be happy or afraid. She didn't call to him - she had lost the ability to speak. Her eyes went wide as she stared at Sero.

There was the sound of someone moving about in an erratic pattern. perhaps some sort of an attack? if so they where very sure of themselves with the lack of stealth. it was a little frustrating as he heard them drawing closer as he blows out a smoke ring and then silence. that was never good. instinctively he jumps and turns as he flies up into the air taking a view of the scene only to spot Kei staring at him in silence. there was a surprise. last they met he had given her a smoke and then left. leaving her to deal with her trauma on her own as he had simply viewed it as a learning experience. now his cold grey eyes look to her as he lands standing on top of the grave stone. his expression cold though confusion flashes briefly.. why was he... was he happy to see her? that was a new experience all together.

Kei's eyes went wide. She still tried to decide whether to be happy or to be scared. Her decision was made for her when Sero jumped away, towards high ground. She stood frozen for a moment. She only snapped out of it when Sero landed atop a grave in front of her. Gin's facial expression contorted. She took several, careful steps back, flinching as she did so. She put her arms in front of her face, shielding herself from him. She firmly closed her eyes shut. But as she took her last step back, her foot caught on one of the graves, making her fall backwards. She curled into a small ball, hugging her legs to her chest. She thought Sero intended to attack her and she had resolved to let him. That was just the way she was. She would rather see herself get hurt than have to harm a person she was close to, a person she loved. She kept her eyes - filled with fear - fixed on Sero.

Sero watched her with those grey eyes as if studying her reaction in slow motion. time stayed the same but his mind whirred taking in the details. Her clothes worn from travel but lacking in burn marks. He did not see her headband anywhere and earlier in the office had been under the impression his team where the only genin to arrive. She moved into defense as soon as he approached as if afraid of some sort of attack. had she helped orchestrate the destruction of Kiri? honestly her clan was not on friendly terms and the mother who had escaped was clever and manipulative. however Kei begins to fall and his thoughts snap away as one foot plants on the back of the tomb stone and the other squares itself sideways on top so his boot can get the most stability. his right hand shoots out and grabs her wrist to keep her from falling and hurting herself. what? why had his body reacted to save her? it was strange this feeling he had was so alien to him. he pulls her back upright unsure what to say as he hops down off the tomb stone. his muscles where a little sore for the awkward actions now. he frowns though and tilts his head burning smoke in his left hand whittling away slowly. He was not sure what to say in this moment. but those eyes. like all the others. like his opponent he had tried to kill. they said monster. always everyone was afraid of him. sadness filters through his gaze for a moment like a splash in the cold grey waters and then he turns. turning to walk away and leave her be.

Kei was taken aback. Sero had... saved her. He helped her stand once again. A large smile crept on Kei's face. Sero was still the same, he still cared for her, he wouldn't hurt her. She was happy and relieved. Her gaze eased, but just as it did so, Sero turned around to leave. Had she done something wrong? She wanted to call out to him, to ask him why he was leaving her, but all that came out were struggling and unintelligible noises, like that of a child when he tried to speak. She ran after him thinking it was all that she could do to stop him from leaving. To illustrate her point, she hugged him from behind, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso and laughed. She was happy to see Sero, or at least this side of her was. She knew that her other side would likely hold a grudge against him for leaving her when she needed him the most. But this side of her was almost incapable of holding grudges. She saw no point to them.

Sero was walking when suddenly arms where around him and.. holding him? his eyes do a rapid check for weapons but finding nothing confusion sets over him again. he was simply being held and she was laughing. it was a charming sound but all the same he had never interacted with it before. it was odd but he had observed this before. affection is the label he had for it. he searches through his mind for the appropriate response finally landing on one. he gently rests his hands over hers. once more radiating the heat of his body. he never really felt cold. and for now he just stands there being held. in a way and surprisingly so he was happy to see her as well. so happy in fact that he was forgetting to find out what happened to her,

Kie didn't notice Sero's confusion or his hesitance. His hands were warm against hers, which Kei was glad for. There were so many things that she wanted to say to him, but she was unable to find the words. Again, all she could to was laugh and mumble unintelligible noises. The young girl could sense his happiness, however. Be the way he placed his hands over hers and accepted her embrace, Kei could tell that Sero was genuinely glad to see her. She slowly let go of the embrace and moved to stand in front of him. She smiled widely, closing her eyes. Her smile spread across her whole face. She wanted to tell him that she was also glad, that she was relieved that he had gotten out of Kirigakure before tragedy struck. She wanted to congratulate him for having passed on to the next round of the Chuunin exams. But she couldn't. All she could do was smile and hope that that was enough for him to understand how she felt.

Sero watches her smile. somehow he knew how broken she was but to be able to smile like that after what had happened. all that had happened. flashes of memories flipped through his head. the blood on the walls and floor. her mother the cause of it all. the feeling of wanting to kill and the mental image of the warm blood slowly dripping off his stained fingers that he had intended. the terror of his opponents. the way they're blood dripped and flowed. so many things in Sero where monstrous but this little one. he reaches out and pats her on the head softly as if to acknowledge her with a smile. the only time he smiles when not trying to kill someone. the moment between them in complete silence so far.

Kei's smile brightened when Sero pat her on the head, ruffling her hair slightly. Her cheeks turned a light shade of red, but she didn't bother to hide it. She was too happy to care. She didn't move for a moment, wondering how she could speak to him. She knew a little sign language - scattered words and awkward grammar. She only hoped that he could understand what she was trying to say. She bit her lower lip for a second and took a step back. It would take some movement to get what she wanted to say across. She would start with the easier message; congratulating him for his recent victory. The results had been published all over the village. When Kei had seen them, she couldn't have been happier. She started off by mimicking what she thought would be Sero's attitude during a fight. She played the roles of both him and his opponent and ended her small display by collapsing on the ground in an almost comical fashion. Any other person would have been embarrassed, but not Kei. She then quickly stood up once again and put her thumb up at Sero before hugging him tightly for a brief moment. She could only hope that his deductive reasoning was enough to understand her.

Sero watches her for a time flashes of certain moves she makes in time and in order bring flashbacks of his fight. The jabbing the kicking. The explosion and then. The moment he had gone entirely over to what he called the phantom side. It was when he became like an evil spirit and in silence went to kill his opponent. The want of theyre life. The flashing memory of attempting to cave in his opponents throat and the smell of burning flesh. The tear stained face as the boy thought his life was over. The electric shock had been enough that time to break him out of the trance but how much longer could that work? He watches kei hug him and pats her on the back before smiling slightly. The fading bruise was his reminder of that battle now. When he speaks it is to reassure her he understood.

"Thank you Kei. though communicating with a flier, words, or a notepad might have been easier. I do appreciate the enthusiasm. it was odd though. When he survived the explosion I lost myself for a moment in the urge to kill him. I would have had he not shocked me and tore me back to reality. I worry I broke his spirit."

Kei smiled when she saw that Sero understood what she meant. At his suggestion to use another form to communicate, the young girl squatted on the ground and began to write in the dirt with her index finger. I can't speak she began. She looked up at him with a melancholic smile, waiting for him to read the message and giving him a little time to let it sink in. Once he would motion for her to continue or say something in return, she would continue to write. Sero is a good person, Sero wouldn't kill anybody, not really. Sero only won his fight like he was supposed to! She looked up at him and smiled innocently. She was confident in what she said. in her mind, the possibility of Sero being cruel and sadistic simply did not exist. She saw Sero in a way that no one else did, though she didn't know why. He was kind and gentle. Why would anyone consider him a monster?

Sero watches quietly reading the words upside down. the method itself was crude and dirty but it worked for the moment. he nodded occasionally as he watched but then he smiles. she made him seem like the hero of a story. but truth be told he was just a slayer. He was not breed this way nor was it intended for him but his mind was best used in battle. he chuckles and picks her up setting her on top one of the stones by her waist before scuffing the message. no evidence of course. not with his name in it. instead he hands her his notepad and a pen after tearing out a few pages and pocketing them.

"I am encouraged by your outlook on me. its refreshing. however this may work better for you."

Kei stood up from the ground as Sero handed her a notepad. She wiped her hands and knees clean against her dress and took it gladly. She bowed her head slightly as if to say thanks. She uncapped the pen so that she could start writing with it. What do you mean 'outlook'? She began writing. Her handwriting was somewhat messy - like that of a child - but it was understandable. Sero doesn't believe me, does he? She wrote the words and showed them to Sero. She couldn't really understand why he had such a negative outlook on himself. She looked at him with an angry pout. She would make him see himself the way she did, you could say it was a personal goal. She sook heer head fervently and crossed her arms over herself, as if waiting and demanding for him to rephrase his words. She even tapped her foot repetitively on the ground for effect.

Sero waits patiently for her to write as she shows impatience while he himself looks as passive as ever. however once she finally shows him her writing he raises an eye brow to her. of course she didn't understand. she had only been on the receiving end as far as he knew. so he feels it best to explain to her as bringing up what makes him feel that way. ignoring her impatience with the topic. his voice was educational and his words educated. and he even ignores her hand writing.

"Every time I fight and begin to win. The expression on my opponents face is what tells me I am the monster. the thing in the dark. They're spirit is broken. terror has broken theyre mind and theyre body is broken and burned. tears cover theyre face as they gaze at me as if accepting that with me there. death is inevitable."

Kei listened to Sero carefully. They placed different names to how they saw Sero's behavior in a fight. To Kei, it was only a display of strength and power. To Sero, it meant that he was a monster that inspired nothing but terror and fear. But Kei was living proof that that was wrong. She wasn't scared of him and what he might do in the slightest bit. She trusted Sero with all of her heart, to the point where there was no doubt in her mind that he would hurt her unless he absolutely had to. He was still the same Sero as before. Sero isn't a monster, she began to write. Sero is kind and I will keep on telling him he is until he believes me, she finished scribbling her sentence and showed the notepad to Sero with a smile. And I'm happy that Sero is finally going to be a Chuunin, She added in at the end.

Sero actually chuckles a little at the words. His team mates would stare at this level of emotion from him as they never saw it. No one else did. Instead he places a warm finger on her lips and leans down to whisper in her ear softly. His breath also felt hot but again. the morning was cold.

"If I where the hero of this story. I could bring the beauty of your words to life once more. But i fear I am not able to heal you.

he leans back and stops touching her and smiles folding his hands in front of himself.

"and it is not confirmed I am ranking up yet. why did you not participate?"

Kei blushed slightly as Sero pressed a finger to her lips and whispered in her ear. She didn't quite understand what he meant by his words. Heal her? She didn't consider herself to be injured. She looked over herself quickly to see if maybe she had cut herself on while she was roaming the streets of Konoha. Alas, she found nothing that could count as a wound. As he drew away from her, Kei gave him a confused expression. "He means he can't take the pain away,"Said a voice she recognized as her own within her mind. It was one of those rare occasions when her other half could speak to her directly. She nodded to herself. She understood what he meant now. But he didn't know, he didn't understand. She grabbed the pen once again and scribbled a simple phrase on the piece of paper. Just being with Sero heals me, she wrote and smiled at him. Her words were genuine and sincere. When Sero asked her why she didn't participate, Kei continued to write. I'm already a Chuunin. She wrote and showed him the piece of paper.

Sero watches her expressions change for a while as if taking mental notes before he leans back against a tree and nods slowly. The sun was rising now and he could see her beauty a little bit clearer and he turns his gaze away until she pushes the notepad back to him. and he nods slowly as if analyzing the words. somehow he was her therapy. still he waits a moment. before replying to something on his mind.

"I did not know that. But I abandoned you in the moment of peril for I could not help you. All I can do is maim and kill and I was not able to do either as it was your mother."

Kei shook her head and rolled her eyes. Even she could understand that this was going no where. Shero seemed hell bent on proving that he was evil, tainted. He wouldn't sway her to change her opinion of him. I don't blame Sero for leaving, she wrote on the piece of paper. Sero only did what he had to do, so that he could be a Chuunin like me! She showed him the piece of paper for a brief moment before she continued writing. She bit her lower lip slightly as she concentrated on writing quickly. It had been a while since she had last had to write this much. She couldn't quite say that she liked it, but she had no better options for communicating at the moment. If it were up to her, she would probably go back to the charades. However, she was sure that Sero would find that tiresome. Sero can do much more than hurt people, whether he wants to admit it or not. She wrote and showed him the piece of paper. There was still a comical frown on her face as she waited for him to say something.

Sero lets out a slow breath and runs his hand through his silky silver hair. a strand of hair breaks away and floats through the misty grave yard like a wisp lost in the cemetery. his grey eyes read her notes as he slowly nods. before he lets the corner of his mouth turn up just abit. almost like a smirk. before he speaks.

"typically an unaimed soldier is just a wrecking ball let loose. however given something to protect he becomes something between a hero and a martyr. Will you have me as your hero Kei? or perhaps your martyr? either way you can aim me Kei."

Kei looked at Sero quizzically for a moment. He wanted to be her hero? It took the young girl a while to process the idea. Sero wanted to protect her. He wanted to stay by her side and help her. He cared for her. And was he even hinting at the fact that he would give up his life for her? That's what being a martyr meant after all. But Kei would never allow that. She would never allow Sero to give his life up for her own. A soft blush crept across her face. In return, Sero wanted her guidance. She actually wanted to do something for her. But what could she do? She had no particular power or strength. She was weak and frail in this state. She was unwilling to hurt anyone. She was nothing but blissful innocence. But maybe that was what Sero needed: Someone to remind him that he was still human, that he was what Kei believed him to be. She nodded only once and wrapped her arms around him without hesitation, letting the pen and notepad drop on the floor. She smiled widely. She now had a chance to make a genuine difference in someone else's life.

Sero blinks as she was hugging him again. he was warm even in the cold frigid air and his eyes stare blankly as if trying to analyze a situation with no clue on the proper handling methods. he blinks as he notices his arms around her as if protecting her. and honestly he wanted to protect her. but there where steps to accomplish that. separate her from her mother influence. Kill the woman so she could not be recognized and remove that factor. then annihilate all other hostile forces. Stealth would be required for that. still he would strike down all things intending her harm. and with luck she would never know.

Sero was warm. That was one of the things that Kei liked about him. She found comfort in it. She nuzzled into the crook of his neck and smiled. She was happy; as much as she could be given her circumstances. Despite the fact that she was currently unable to recognize it, she was broken and scared. Her trauma manifested through several things, though she thought both things were unrelated. She had trouble going to sleep. She had nightmares every night. Her other side obviously knew exactly what was happening to her. This one, however, just accepted things as they were. But never mind that. Being around Sero made her forget about everything that was wrong. She separated herself slightly from Sero and blushed slightly. Her arms were still wrapped around him as her face approached his. She was hesitant, her shyness temporarily winning over her intent. But without thinking too much, she finally pressed her lips lightly against his.

Sero was quietly holding her for the moment. it seemed to last much longer then he had seen in any public settings. was this what others called a relationship? was he supposed to preform the ritual commonly referred to as a mating call now? He was confused for the moment but she felt soft in his arms. He blinks as she pushes back slightly and then approaches him. Her lips touch his lightly and he just stares wide eyed. it was like electricity shooting from his lips to his brain and then back again. for a moment information didnt register and he freezes. when she pulls away he checks his mouth by sticking a finger in his mouth and running it along his gums. finding nothing he looks to her confused. His voice confused as well.

" I do not understand. Where you unsuccessful at passing a secret message? what type of numbing technique did you use?"