"That island there my boy is an island that even a shinobi should take extreme precaution there are plenty who have ventured across the Juron Bridge and many a few to ever return.  Even so the ones who returned were either scarred or wounded I take pity on the ones who suffer from insanity from such a place.  If I were you I would steer clear you understand me boy, your more than welcome to stay the night here.  But heed my warning; DO NOT cross THAT bridge."

That was the small speech given to him by the small towns mayor who seemed to be paranoid about this Juron Bridge, but little did the elderly man know.  His warning was only encouragement for the young man named Suutei who looked at dangers like these as adventures.  Mainy this was from his care free nature and lack of sensibility when it came to actually performing tasks, and even though this was not a direct task it played a factor in his duty.  He was sure that Akira-sama was expecting a full report on his recent scouting of the borders between Kirigakure no Sato and Kumogakure no Sato.  This time he'd go off the reservation with this one and keep what ever he found there a secret, and the townsfolk had a reason for being afraid of such a thing and he was willing to investigate.  Yet he did not know what to expect in such a place and this foreign land was an adventure all on it's own so he would still take precautions.  He would wait until nightfall to venture across the bridge and figure out just exactly what the real deal was and if it really lived up to it's own hype.  It was legends like this that always got Suutei's blood boiling to discover the hidden truth.

The moon reached it's peak that night and Suutei stood at the foot of the bridge mentally preparing for the absolute worst experience in his life.  All at the same time he was actually excited just like anybody would be in the event that their life could come to an end in a minute.  Even at night as the moon illuminated the small coastal town, the bridge was covered in a thick fog and even beyond that it was as if he was crossing into the underworld.  He strictly remembered something like this back in school something to do with the Greeks and to cross over into the underworld a fee of a soul was required for passage.  A voyage across the River of Styx which was simply a sea of souls.  One would offer the soul of another to Styx a deity named after the river and the being would carry the passenger across.  The story itself sent chills down Suutei's spine and made him even more anxious all because he had no intel on what to expect up ahead.

Thanks to the fog it became even more difficult to see and he needed a bit of eyesight reinforcement, Suutei stopped and closed his eyes for a brief second.  Channeling his chakra into his pupils, he opened his eyes and the crystal blue color of the iris appeared as if it were being burned away.  His eyes now a more red orange hue and more reptilian in appearance.  This was the Kimura clan Dojutsu of heat seeking and it was actually quite useful in situations such as this one.  This allowed him to be capable of seeing and comprehending the infrared energy emitted, transmitted, and reflected by an object or being. Even the ability of interpreting multiple sources of temperatures at varying distances all based upon the clansmen skill that was.  The Kimura clan in his eyes were the underdogs of Konohagakure, not that large of a clan but powerful enough to stand toe to toe with the legends.  Even the clans own Takao was once the Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, and his reign was prosperous but short turning it over to a Uchiha.  The name of which escaped him at the moment, but still that Hokage's face was never even constructed onto the Face Rock due to his death very shortly after his inauguration.

Putting his best foot forward he could see the infared energy being emitted by the fish in the river beneath the bridge.  Looking straight ahead he saw a great amount of different heat signatures, about sixteen to twenty-two  and their chakra signatures were a whole other deal.  Suutei wondered why so many of them were all together and it came across him that it was possible they could be rogue shinobi, and they were the so called "monster" the mayor was referring to earlier that day.  Clenching his fist as the leather of his gloves were pulled making a strange sound, and he punched his hand this was his way of preparing for combat.  He no longer did the rigourous thorough stretching routine, or the speeches he now became a man of action.  Though recently he 'd founded a new knack for wise cracking even during very serious fights.  This more than likely from his newly adopted care free nature.

Approaching the middle of the bridge he got a strange chill down his spine as if he were being watched, and quickly turned around on guard.  Though only to find nothing and it was very strange that he was this jumpy.  Surely he was not afraid of this island, but something was not sitting right with him, while he wasn't very sure what it was he was on guard the rest of the trek.  Not much was brought with him and he regretted not bringing along important things.  Such as his fuma shuriken or the family sword Windblaze and currently with as many possible hostiles on the island one could never be too safe.  Deeper within the forest he noticed that there were not as many energy readings as their were before; looking closer he noticed a much larger heat signature deeper within the forest too far to read the chakra signature.  The heat signature was about 8 feet tall at the least and was very beastly shaped, perhaps this island was the home of a monster.  This reminded him of another Greek tale about the Great Minotaur and it was rather ironic he too was on an island with such a beast.  Just like the men in the book who'd believed they could best the beast and all perished due to their own foolhardiness.  It was very likely that Suutei could perhaps suffer that same fate on this very island.

"I'll be in for a treat tonight huh...absolutely...terrific."

1115

Chakra 245/250:

(Kimura KKG: Chakra costs of Katon techniques cost 1 rank less and do 1 Rank higher in damage (Max at S)

Sero sat on top of the roof of the fallen manor. He was neither tired nor uncomfortable standing yet the scene playing out before him was taking its time. He had known of the arrival of the bandits come to rescue the comrades still breathing from the grip of the island the moment they crossed the bridge thanks to the creatures that inhabited the island with him. Down there the mist swirled with each cold breeze and swept in waves around the island. Still his dull grey eyes could see just fine from where he sat above it all. Like a ghostly lake before him waiting for him to go fishing it surged as he watched. Little fools looking around and signaling to each other in silence as if they suspected they had not yet been detected. Oh how sweet it was for them to know so little of how wrong they were. Still he wasn't aware of their purpose as of yet. They had not brandished weapons nor had they brought any detection gear to find him. Normally individuals after him made a grand show as they charged forward to the river sticks but this bunch was trying to be quiet as a mouse and were not heading for the manor. Instead they were heading for the building along side it he had built the gauntlet in. His private interrogation chamber.

Sixteen in total were coming and he truthfully only had six individuals in those restraints hung within that chamber still breathing. A rescue attempt? It was almost adorable and yet it entertained him. A sick smile slid across the pale lips as he shivered ever so slightly. Only a few had ever left this island and all but two of those had been allies. His students had allowed two men to escape from his grasp before. A pair of twisted men with plenty of blood on their hands. Likely they had traded away this information on the chamber in return for something they too yearned for. He would hunt them later and find out once he got the information from one of those attacking. Still he wasn't one to dismiss all hope in favor of blood. If anything he liked the idea of someone actually thinking they would succeed in running. Especially the six they might rescue. That aside he wasn't really one for defense. His mouth watered as he thought of how much he greatly prefered the hunt. Still they had come while he was home and stepped within his web. He would need to rid them of their stupidty.

Still he sat there and waited as dead grey eyes followed their progress. So slow making their way along. Honestly a stealth rescue mission required speed and precision. Not this foolish caution and paranioa. He paused his thoughts for a moment though....he supposed it wasn't paranioa if he really was aware of them. If anything they were spot on to fear what was coming. Still their little forms like shadows in the night skittered across his front courtyard and then along the building before quietly breaking into the chamber. He couldn't hear the discussion that happened when the door opened but two men stepped outside and vomited on the ground. Quickly they spoke in hushed tones back and forth and still Sero watched quietly. He hadn't really bothered cleaning up after his experiments and what he left behind could hardly be considered human still. However he could smell a faint scent on the breeze now as they stood upwind. Fear permiated the air and he could taste it. They had made it too far now to turn back however. Quickly six went in and after a moment with the other ten standing guard they emerged as twelve. So his inhabitants were willing to try and escape. Certainly more energy than he had been led to believe they had left.

Still they split up then. A couple of individuals pointed to three men of frail nature by the look of them and then back the way they came. So they had leaders and scouts. More organized than the usuals but still they had come to the wrong place. For a moment he waited a little longer until the three had made their way away from the group and finally rose from his seat. Mist rolled over his form as he stood there before hiding him entirely in a thick white blanket. Slowly it peeled away to reveal Sero standing there in ANBU gear with a red cloak over his form. As the cloak closed his form seemed to fade away from vision even as the mist on the roof blasted away from him as he launched himself forward. He seemed to glide down across the courtyard almost reaching the tree line before his feet touched down and he began to move in quick bursts through the tree line. He was tracking the scouts movement thanks to the spiders speaking to him via their hive mind but he was only approaching them ever so much bit by bit. He wanted them to be closer to the bridge before he took them down. His gaze slid over to the three shadows ahead before he smiled beneath his mask matching the stitched smile on the outside before he came to a complete stop with a frown. the spider in his ear revealing there was another that had arrived. The spiders knew nothing of symbols or groups so they couldn't say if he was with this lot but he was stronger than them. If anyone could challenge him it would be that one the spider whispered.

Still Sero only sped up his time table. Quietly he encrouched on the group of three faster than they could react to feeling his presence like a great beast drawing near. Cerberus come for their souls. Still they reached not for weapons but for radio's even though they could not see him. So this lost was willing to be human sacrifices to warn the others? How charitable. Whomever they had taken back they must really like or was really important. However a flash of silver as a wakizashi was drawn was all it took to sever the muscles in all their hands and the cords to the radios. They would warn the group but not in the way they thought and not until it was too late. Still the screams of agony that rushed from them seemed to echo across the island to which Sero breathed it in as he raised his free hand spreading out a prelooped thing of wire. A couple of loops extra but more than enough loops slipped over their necks before Sero would yank hard digging wire into their necks and slicing them open with their own weight. Their blood running down their front as they slammed together in the air where Sero left them hanging and stepped back looking about him for this new arrival or the others to make their way there. Either ones would see the corpse in broad moonlight hanging there and feel Sero nearby but none of them should be able to see him.

1207

(EXIT BECAUSE THIS IS ANCIENT) Using 1000 Words to go towards Iryo Ninjutsu to C-Rank