It was time. The wolf spider's confidence had come to a point where she was certain she had mastered the silly human form to remain as one with the slightest effort of concentration. She was still unfamiliar with the idea of walking on two legs and having only two others to do what was needed, but what she lacked in amount she had thoroughly made up in efficiency. Her control over the human limbs was such that she could have each of them do something separate with meticulous control, something that had proven much harder to achieve in her natural form.

That said, the human form was an evil necessity to mingle in the giant bastion she had discovered recently. It was a strange construct made of stone, with a sort of invisible-but-not-really walls worked in it. There was a path that lead from the docks towards the gaping maw of two wooden planks and rings that seemingly invited humans to enter the construct's mouth. Oddly, the humans had entered and left its maw with the slightest of worries of being eaten. Curious. One of them, as she had noted, was a human that always seemed to wear black and white skin on top of his natural skin. He often bend himself towards visitors, averting his eyes from those that wanted to enter the mansion. While she had no idea why exactly he had been doing so, he gave of the feeling of being prey.

Of course, she was not as foolish as to simply walk upon the wooden maw. Haka had instead circled around the stone construct to look for a weak spot, an entrance where she could enter unseen, but she found no gap that was large enough for her to fit through. Once, she had found one of the see-through walls open. Large enough for her to enter, but there were voices on the other side speaking a language she was most unfamiliar with. The language of humans, most likely. She wouldn't have minded clambering in and having them scream in terror for her magnificent presence, but for some reason she felt uncomfortable with the thought she had no idea how many more humans were in there. Most of all, she wanted to know if he was there. He who had talked in the language of the spiders but had the shape of the inferior humans. So instead, she lurked around the mansion, close to the clear walls to pick up as much of the language she could.

Her human speech was still flawed, but it would do well enough. She knew that the stones were named bricks, and that the see-through walls were windows. The stone construct was not a beast but a 'manor', and the maw was a 'door'. The humans had names, and they harboured two distinct flavours much like spiders - male and female. There were more of these words she had come to recognise and understand, but the limited interaction had been insufficient to gain the full grasp of their meaning. Still, just like she had seen so many times by now, she walked up the stairs towards the double door that formed the entrance, grabbed a ring and knocked. The thudding resonated through the hallway on the other side, and a brief moment later the male with black and white skin opened the doors.

When he laid eyes upon her, there was a brief moment of hesitation. Her stoic face betrayed nothing as her amber eyes analysed his behaviour, her monstrous aura oppressing the nearby air, not bothering to hide her true nature and intent. The brief glint of fear in his eyes revealed that his sub-conscious was already affected by her presence, but he quickly blinked it away as he regained his composure. Little did she know the man was not unfamiliar with a predatory presence like hers. He bowed, and spoke.

"If you would like to follow me."

'Follow' was another of those words that she had caught a few times, resulting in someone else walking along the one who had spoken it, so as he stepped away to make room, Haka entered the double doors, eyes briefly looking around to take in the dimly lit archway that revealed itself to her. There were even more double doors here, but what mostly caught her attention was the webbing left behind by her smaller siblings, of which some skittered away into the shadows. The human in front of her left little time for her to observe, leading her towards the double doors on the right. As he lead her through the hallway, Haka found it perplexing how many more doors revealed themselves, wondering what the use was of sealing away spaces like this when they could so easily be opened. Her question would remain hers, however, as she disliked the idea of having to ask an inferior species why they indulged in such redundant constructions. Besides, her human language wasn't sufficient for such complicated sentences anyway.

Eventually, the human stopped at yet another door, knocking gently before opening the doors of the manor's library. He stepped inside, followed by the Haka, and coughed gently to attract Sero's attention.

"I believe you have a visitor, milord."

For a brief moment, it was Haka's turns to have her eyes grow into saucers before she reduced them back to her usual stoic glare. He was here. The one with the spider speech that had told her to find him. Finally, after what had seemed like an eternity, she had succeeded in finding him. The monster with the human form, his presence even more intimidating than her. She could feel her heart skip a beat in anticipation, but before she could truly indulge herself by asking him the one question that had burned on the tip of her tongue for so long, she shifted her gaze to the human next to her. He had served his purpose, his existence untouched for all this time. Her disguise had worked, but now she was rather inclined to devour him. And yet... Her eyes darted back to Sero. She had seen the human so many times by now, but it was the first time this question surfaced into her mind: why was it that he allowed such an inferior being to remain alive? Did he not eat? She had no answer, and as such she tugged the servant's sleeves and pointed at the door as an indication he had to leave. Only when she would be alone with Sero, she would finally address him in the speech of the spiders.

"Who are you?"

---

1119

Sero had set about to studying the seals he had found at the gate. He had never touched the books on religion before. Having found his own power to be the only higher power he needed. He had watched the fields burn and known hell was coming through but had never been in a moment that needed prayer. He had always turned to the steel in hand. Always brought forth his own chakra and dark power. He supposed those who knew desperation were different. Not that he never had. Left to die as an infant. He had chosen to survive. Not knowing there was another being to call upon. Knowing nothing of the village but instead being a rumored spirit keeping others from raiding his fathers house. A dog of war, the hell hound left loose on the island. Even as a genin he had forced himself through hurtles. His own clan members trying to kill him at times. He had taken down assassins...bandits...rogue ninja and more. Even as a genin mastering each blade style and allowing his darkness to reign. A prince soon to be turned king of the island. The island the world called haunted. The place only monsters could dwell.

Still that wasn't to say he had never known another power. Rather he had searched for it after having witnessed it. It wasn't faith that had him search it out but rather knowledge of what it was. No blind belief system. A sheep turned to the gods he thought he knew. Ayakashi had shown him the path of the sage. In turn he had sought it out. Finding his own path with the spiders. A covenant was made and his power was granted its boon. He had been forced to wallow in his own darkness. Only until he had mastered himself was he allowed to be whole again. A being of darkness and taint. His land growing ever darker for it. What he had not known was that the taint was being taken in by the spider who had granted him power. A new species was being born. He had met two of them so far. The Unmei were near perfect beings. Designed for a purpose of infiltration and assassination. They could blend into crowds or the wildlife. Changing faces at a whim and holding it so long as they remained awake. Guards at the front door and chakra use detectors did nothing to stop them from crawling up the side of a vertical wall. In general they were ideal in so many ways.

Yet they were far from human. He was unsure of how to teach them the ways of humanity when he hardly knew them himself. Still they were also not born of a higher power but his own. Even as the thought crossed his mind he could feel one cross the threshold of the manor. Feel a taint like a beast entering his domain. It pushed against his own much greater force and he allowed it. Continuing his work as it drew closer. His right hand scribbling away at parchment as his left hand turned the page on an old book. He sat there in grey robes with red trim around the neck and wrists as well as the hem at the bottom The robes long enough to conceal his feet. His long white hair spilling over his shoulders and down his back. He was focused on the task of what he had discovered only the day before. Just before he had met the Uzumaki girl. His pale fingers shifting as he wrote not in the usual written language but instead in the practice of older seals. Studying them and translating them as he went. An intuitive mind.

Still the doors to the library would swing open. He knew she had been led in by the head servant spider as soon as they did. The spider held a different scent. Still he would turn his attention back to his pages as he held up his left hand. Motioning to enter before going back to his work. To be so close to him. Words could not prepare. It was like facing death in its honest form. Bared before her. As if at will he could command her throat to spill open. As if he was already at her side with jaws on her throat...as if he was behind her with blade to her back. Above her with fire ready to burn her and below her with water to drown. Yet before her he sat calmly. No intent to move just yet from his seat. He could hardly be considered human. It was as if simply being close to her he was ready and willing to end her within a moment. Still the servant would leave quietly and shut the door for the two of them. Only the sound of his scribbles filling the air a moment.

Of course the silence would be broken by the young girl. He could sense her so readily. As if she too were just inches from his back with weapon in hand. His gaze shifted to his arm partially out of the robes. The tiny hairs there were standing at attention. As she chittered at him he knew it was not common speak used in the five nations. He knew what she said somehow all the same. As if it easily translated in his mind as just another language he knew fluently. He would pause as she questioned him a single time. Who was he...well he supposed some part of her knew that answer. They had so much in common it filled the air with a pressure between them. Still his hand would pause as he stopped writing. Setting the pen down before slowly rising from his seat. turning to face her. Handsome features easily ignored by the eyes one saw only from the dead. Glassed over and void of anything. Still they shifted and looked at her like the dead come back to life. A half moon on his forehead shifted slightly as if another eye pressed to open but then stopped. When he spoke the lights seemed to dim ever so slightly at his voice.

"It is odd of me to be asked who instead of what. I am the lord of this Island. Master of weapons and head of the Osada clan. Captain of the seven swords and the right hand to the Mizukage. None of that means much to an Unmei as new to this world as you though does it? For now, simply refer to me as Sero. I am your creation. However if you can I prefer you speak in common. It is good to keep in practice." Each word was in a chittering sound. Replying in the language she had arrived in and yet it seemed to come as a second nature. To Sero he was simply thinking of what he wished to say and the sounds came out as they should.

1175

Sero. He gave himself a name, like all the others from the manor. What did this even mean? Was everyone supposed to have a name of sort? Perhaps. At least he was right on one thing. Most of what he was meant nothing to her. Lord of Island was something she could place as she had heard about the mist and the waters that marked the end of the known world, but everything else missed its meaning. Weapons? Osada? Mizukage? She did know about the Unmei. It's what she had been called by Mother. A special kind of wolf spiders. Smarter, more dangerous. She liked that word. But the real answer came when he revealed the actual answer to her question: he was her creator. Haka wasn't sure what that exactly meant since she only know Momma, but the connection was too real to be discarded. She could feel it in every fibre of her being, in their clashing auras, that the two were related somehow, yet she remained motionless nonetheless, merely blinking slowly as its meaning dawned to her.

She could not so much appreciate his request to speak the human tongue. Not only because she was not as fluent in it as he would probably be, but simply because she considered the human being an inferior evolution in comparison to the Unmei. She would opt to ignore his request and speak her native language as she pleased, but there was this... thug that compelled her to follow his request nonetheless. It was not fear nor domination, neither was it the logic urging her to learn. It was something she couldn't define, yet felt similar to what she felt when Momma requested something. An unquestioned loyalty, for a lack of better words, that would have made her speak the human language when asked.

"Why practice?", she thus requested in the ugly sounds of the human language, her voice emotionless.

'Why' was one of those words she had caught, which for one reason or another tended to urge another person to speak a waterfall of words. While she had rarely understood the full extend of this word-waterfall, it had always been sufficient to the listening human. The trouble with this 'why' was that it held a different question and meaning depending the context. That word alone rarely sufficed, and thus she was obliged to add something more. In this case, she failed to understand why she had to practice the human speech when they could understand each other just fine.

---

424
Total: 1543

Sero would wait as he felt an odd silence from the girl behind him. She seemed to struggle with obedience as an immediate response. How interesting he considered it. Each Unmei so different from the last. He had thought with them being around the same age, same origin and same culture their personalities would be more in tune. Yet the three he had met so far including this one approached things entirely differently. One rebelled just to rebel from a lack of understanding. She had stolen instead of approached and had fled yet to return. The second and the one he refereed to as the first child was far more interested in pleasing him. Her very appearance when she transformed mimicking him in many ways. Seeking to prove herself by following any command he gave regardless of how odd. This one however spoke and asked an interesting question indeed. Why? A simple phrase most children used when they did not understand. Yet she had taken on the quality of him that had chased human kind away in the beginning. Leaving him an infant alone in that very manor. How many times had he asked himself why? Why bother learning so that they could communicate with him? Why bother practicing for something he may never have to use. A blade spoke leagues of his intentions. People knew immediately to avoid him without him ever opening his mouth. So why indeed? Why must he learn such a guttural sounding form of communication filled with emotions he never understood. He had only ever come up with but one answer.

"Why indeed. The simple answer is survival. Humans are by far the most dangerous creature I have ever come across. Perhaps not just one or two of them. But they have ignored evolution and created ways to become the superior species. Learning to communicate as they do only prolongs and chance of them turning on you. I assume you think because their teeth are so small and they have no claws that they lack being capable of any real danger to the other species? By that logic they should have died out long ago. However I will show you how they have not."

With that said he would rise from his seat. Turning to face her now entirely as his dull grey eyes would look to her own. The way he moved when he began walking was less like man and more like he were simply gliding along. His studies forgotten for the moment as he slid passed her. Long, pale fingers indicating for her to come along. Yet he felt like he might claim her head just by passing her. He noted that she too had taken some of his qualities. Though the aura was an interesting addition. Would more of them begin becoming infected with his cursed chakra? If so would she lack empathy as he did? It mattered not though. What he was about to show her would set her on a path of self preservation. He would move into the hall and turn to move down it before coming across a heavy metal door. With his right hand he shifted the bar holding it closed open. Letting it swing inwards before stepping inside and waiting for her. Within was a sight to behold. Katana, claymores, great swords, spears and halberds lined racks all placed in a row. Wakizashi and Odachi and other such things lining tables while tonfa and other blunt weapons hung mounted on the walls to the left. Along shelves on the back wall were dozens of arrows, senbon, kunai, shuriken, smoke bombs and other such things. A scythe hung on a mount near the ceiling next to a lance and a red cloak that almost faded from view. Vests, arm guards, shin guards and masks were mounted on two wooden figurines on either side of the room. His ANBU and hunter nin gear. Still he would walk inside after she entered and looked around. His right hand lifting as a kunai shifted and flew into his hand. As if simply at his bidding. He knew what would come of it but he handed it to her all the same. His weapons were sharpened.

"These are the claws of man. Each item in here a possible killing tool. If you are curious. Simply run your finger along the edge of it. You will see."

1911

The Sero seemed to mulling over her question, thinking on how to phrase the right answer. She waited. Not really in patience or impatience. She simply waited, much like a spider did, oblivious of time or need to move until the right moment to move was there. Or until forced to move. But neither of those came. Instead, he replied to her question. She had it right. This 'why' seemed to compel others to return phrases. Many phrases, it seemed, as the Sero started a cascade of human words in reply to her question. It was almost amusing to learn even her Creator was compelled to an extensive dialogue, were it not for the human speech making it so ugly.

'Survival'. It was strange to say that she had never heard that word in the human speech, yet somehow understand what it meant. Unmei were survival. Mother had told them. The hunt, the hunger. Survival. The fighting, the mating. Survival. The moving, and even the not-moving. Survival, all of it. The ability to think greater than her siblings and change into new forms. Even that was survival. It was an odd sensation to hear her Creator's answer. 'Why' became 'Survival'. Humans, which she considered unevolved and ugly became 'survival'. She blinked slowly. She hated to idea of accepting such a mocking answer, but her face remained placid.

Sero rose from his seating and glided by her without a sound. A brief moment of inner acknowledgement, of respect, that the imposing aura of the monster could move without a sound. A true killer, indeed, and as such she quietly followed him as his bony finger beckoned her. As they moved through the hallway, she observed his movement. While her movement remained devoid of sound, his was... even more without sound. It was a strange phenomenon she could not express in words, and intrigued by the superior quietude, she aimed to figure out how to mimic it.

When they arrived at the metal door and Sero opened it, she quietly moved inside the vault, still absorbed in figuring out how he was able to move with such graceful poise. It was only when Sero offered her a kunai that she snapped out of it, taking a brief moment to look at the odd tool in his hand with a neutral expression before she turned her head to look at all the other odd shapes that hung on the walls and rested on the table. Slowly, her eyes glided over the endless display of weapons, her eyes barely showing the sensation of amazement as they grew larger ever so lightly. Then, once again she blinked, her face returning to its usual stoic expression as she dropped her eyes once more upon the offered kunai.

Accepting the kunai, she picked it up at the shaft, moved it slowly before her eyes and titled her head slightly as she observed the tool from all angles. It felt cold in her eyes, soft light glistening briefly on the sharpened edge. As Sero explained that these are the 'claws of man', what little amazement she had felt suddenly dampened. How could such an ugly creature have such - what was the word - enthralling claws? She almost wanted to get killed by those claws, and as such she did run one of her fingers over the edge of the kunai. With no sense of danger for these cold claws, she swiftly ran her finger over its blade. An annoying sensation instantly shot through her finger, blood welling up there where her finger had touched the claw, but instead of wincing she just remained standing there, eyes fixated on the colourless fluid without a care in the world.

Then, as if sparked by a genius idea, her eyes shifted to Sero, followed by the kunai she was holding. She aimed to stab Sero in the hand with which he had given the kunai, wondering if he too held the same colourless fluid as she did.

"Stab", she uttered softly, with all the innocence of an apathetic, monstrous child. Or perhaps it was a twisted form of affection.

---

689
Total: 2232

Sero would watch with his usual cold gaze as another child of the web began to examine the fangs of man. In it's simplest form that he owned. A simple kunai in her hands. The weapons across the room were considerably more dangerous but this one was a good weapon for understanding the dangers of man. The bare bones of the basics. Something she too could learn to use in time. However the weapon itself was more dangerous the more capable the individual using it. If Sero were to take that kunai he could within his power erase someone from the world with it. Not by itself without a significant amount of time of course. However with his dark chakra many things were possible from even the simplest of items. Even a kunai could be a death sentence in his hands. However they were more primarily there for the purpose of how many students he allowed to utilize this room. However his interest peaked slightly when she slid it across her finger and it was not red blood that came out. An imperfection in their transformation? It was now dangerous for them to bleed in public. He would jot down notes of that for their future infiltration abilities. Still he would speak as she looked at her own new wound.

"Man knew its own limitations. They created their own methods of killing. First with the wood from trees and gradually the stronger minerals found in the earth. Using fire to mold it into a metal skin and a metal series of weapons. As a whole the human race dominated the planet as no other creature could compete with their evolution."

Sero was admittedly distracted by his own lecture. His own understanding of weapons was far superior to his understanding of people. They had made him into the lethal being he was today. Few who knew of him did not worry about his blade. Any of them within the room. Though the S rank gear and up, the scythe, the cloak and the lance seemed to have some sort of barrier around them. Reeking of a dark chakra that threatened anyone who would try and grasp them. The deadliest things in his arsenal seemed to be for his hands and his hands alone. Should anyone without his permission attempt to reach them they would have to break through that chakra and in doing so inform him of their trespass. Anyone could sense they were not to be touched. However his eyes caught the movement of her shifting the blade towards him. He had been distracted so his body began to move on its own in a practiced way. He recalled though some where within him that she was not to die as an enemy would. He knew within himself that she was not a threat but simply did not understand the cardinal sin she whispered at by attempting to stab him. In the second she said the word filled with innocence she would find that the kunai was gone. From her grasp to within his left hand. Captured within the blink of an eye faster than she could track. The next moment there would be an impact against her chest unless she had some way of refusing the shift. A hand with only the side of it chopping her. However for her it would feel like a hammer knocking the air out of her now human lungs. Enough force to fling her out of the armory into the hall and smack against the wall but not enough to do any permanent damage. By the time her mind would be able to catch up with what happened the door to the armory would be closed and Sero would stand before it.

"I will not tolerate my own weapons aimed at me outside of a lesson instructing you to do so. It is an insult to those who would wield such things. Once you can breath again we will go to the medical baths where you will recover."

2587

How quaint for man to overcome its limitations by making use of something that wasn't theirs. Weak. Weak was the only conclusion Haka made when she heard that Human had not learned to shift its own body into something more. It had not evolved beyond its limitations, it had simply learned to make use of others' powers. But... Was there not a lesson to be learned in this as well? What if the spider, able to evolve beyond its own limitations, also learned to make use of other things? What if they fly it caught was not eaten, but used as a slave to perceive the world around the spider? Did this not give a different dimension to the webs which were otherwise so tangible?

Still, her childish mind didn't linger upon this. Right now, she was intrigued by this 'claw of man' and had wanted to figure out if Sero too bled much like herself. Instead, in the blink of an eye, she found her hand suddenly empty where it had once held the kunai, and then felt her body hit something hard. The impact was enough to have all air from her lungs be pressed out, her human form registering a cacophony of signals. Involuntarily, tears started to form and with a frown she bit down her lip as she attempted to suppress the signals of pain that came from her head and torso, the areas that had hit the wall behind her hard. With a mixture of anger and fear, originating from her lack of understanding of the situation, she looked at Sero who stood right before her.

She didn't even need to ask 'why'. Sero explained her reason for punishment as soon as she had registered him again. With a sobbing gasp, she breathed as soon as he had mentioned it. As if those words needed to be heard before she was allowed to breathe again. Nodding in comprehension, she stood up and dusted off the petticoat and skirt she was wearing. Then, after a brief moment of looking at Sero as if to gauge his mood, she offered an open hand to him.

"Kunai.", she requested with a single word, hoping to have the 'claw of man' returned to her. She still wanted to analyse it, still wanted to know if others bled the same as her. Even if she had now understood stabbing Sero was not an option, there were others. Prey, not as fast and strong as him, which would suffice for her personal discoveries. The kunai would be a quiet reminder of that promise. Whether or not Sero returned her the kunai, her reaction would be about the same. With a neutral, wordless expression to his answer, she'd allow her arm to rest next to her torso and follow him to the medical baths for recovery.

As they'd make their way to the baths, Haka would replay the brief event again her mind. Her eyes had not been able to follow his movement. The kunai was gone before she realised it, his hand had knocked her away without effort. All that while maintaining the inferior human form. If he could achieve such power, so she deducted, the Unmei could do even better. Man might require the aide of these weapons, unable to surpass their own limits, but Unmei were able to change form. Adapt. Evolve. If she was able to reach the strength of her Creator, she should then be able to surpass him. Her thoughts were interrupted as she noticed Sero's quieter-than-her way of moving again, deciding to attempt mimicking it once more until they arrived at the medical baths. There, she would look at Sero again, expecting his attention, as she had formulated another goal in mind.

"Teach Haka to move like you."

His movement, his speed. She wanted to know where it came from and how she could make it hers. It would make hunting so much more fun.

---

668
Total: 2900

Sero would observe her. His grey eyes staring through her as her reaction caught him off guard. He had considered her to be him in his childhood. That she might act as he had. When was the last time he had shed a tear? When was the last time he had stopped to feel emotion...was it pain that she felt? He had never known pain himself. Had never understood it or the way people reacted to it. He had experimented on others but never truly understanding the way it felt. He had tormented those sentenced to death at his hand so often. Even now he had a secured place that he took others to in order to torment the body and the mind. Different places for each but they were there all the same. One was used more than the other and as of late his studies had left his torment into more length based methods. Starvation, gradual skin removal. It seemed to him that knowing pain was coming and not being able to stop it, To choose between filling their bellies with anything or keeping their skin another day. Pain in return for food. Which would break first. This was his pass time.

Her knowledge of pain would either help him with his experiments or she would be horrified by it. Perhaps even not understand his fascination with it. So few did. It was widely disapproved of. Criminals that were destined to die on paper just faded from the world. They died eventually. They always did. Only two still survived him and that was waiting for a new squad. His first had abandoned him. The ones who had set them free. He could have collected them but this one was part of the reason he had not. She was a predator. He would see how she took a humans life before attempting to see how she handled their torment. Still she looked up towards him and beyond the tears he saw defiance. Searching for understanding of new sensations. He could promise her answers but it would be a long road. He could give her the world if she could grasp it in her hand. Still she held out her hand and the one word out of her mouth was kunai. He would glance at her before deciding she had learned her lesson for attempting it with him. If not more pain would be dealt. Still he would toss it nonchalantly to her. Speaking as he turned to walk to the baths.

"While you are in the baths, study that seal on the hilt. Memorize its designs. It is a simple seal for sealing and unsealing an item. It may be of use to you in the future. Come along now."

He would keep his senses on her but glide along ahead of her. She followed him and observed his movements for a while. Together they would move like two demons of different levels but demons all the same to the back of the manor along the hallway the armory was in. She would speak of him teaching her to move as he did. The fluidity of his motions was far superior to the average man. He could accept that though it had taken years to accomplish it. He would raise an eye brow as he considered how to go about training her. Regardless he would reach forward and spin the wheel on the heavy metal door as they arrived at the back of the manor. Letting the heavy door slowly open to reveal a plain room with shelves of supplies and a stone floor with four square baths in the floor. Each of them filled with a milky liquid that seemed almost solid like wax on top. He would speak as slowly his form faded to mist. By the time he finished speaking he would be no more.

"Settle into one of these baths. They will heal your injuries. Only leave the water once the cut has faded away and any residual pain is gone. If you wish to move as I do, first study the seal as I have instructed. We will continue from there once you can copy it down on a piece of paper exactly. Simply ask one of the servants for pen and paper and find me when it is done."

Exit thread
3314
S ~> S-1, 1750/1750 perception

1564 remaining

"Settle into one of these baths. They will heal your injuries. Only leave the water once the cut has faded away and any residual pain is gone. If you wish to move as I do, first study the seal as I have instructed. We will continue from there once you can copy it down on a piece of paper exactly. Simply ask one of the servants for pen and paper and find me when it is done."

Haka eyed the milky wax for a moment. As a spider, she had never been emerged in any sort of liquid, always avoiding that sort of things as her instincts told her liquids were a bad thing. Hearing Sero state otherwise did not quite appeal to her spider instincts either this time. As she turned around to look at him, as if she wanted to defy his laughable idea of soaking into the wax, faint wisps of mist faded before her eyes, leaving no trace behind of him. His presence completely gone, the lingering imposing aura fading by the second, Haka looked at the kunai in her hand instead. Study. Everything Sero had talked about was about studying. Study the human language, study the seal, so by that logic, the wax bath was just another study as well.

Kneeling before the bath, Haka prodded the liquid with the kunai in her hands. The top of the liquid budged little, cracking slightly as it posed little resistance against Haka's investigative stabs. Under the wax-like coating, the sloshing of water could be heard. Seemingly having calculated that here would be no risk of random monsters, Haka rested the kunai next to her and eyed her clothes. Logical reasoning imposed her clothes had to be removed before entering any sort of liquid, even though the idea of removing one's skin seemed absurd to the instincts of the spider. That logic was further emphasised by her having seen the other inhabitants of the manor take off and put back on all kinds of clothes. Not long dawdling on the absurdity of it, Haka stripped herself naked and sat down before dipping one foot in the milky substance.

Finding that the water still did nothing against her body, other than sending the sensation of cold along her bared skin, she placed a second foot into the bath. Then, she completely plunged into the water, finding solid ground under her feet sooner than expected. Her human body registering this new experience, Haka's eyes observed the movement of the milky liquid's sloshing, breaking up as she moved through it and quickly reforming into new buttery clutter once her body passed through it. This water, a natural enemy of hers as spider, now intrigued her rather than scaring her. Her mind started to connect the dots that she had been seeing in this room - mist, water, wax - and how easily this enemy adapted and evolved. Water, while not sentient, was a reputable enemy worthy of her respect. And as such, Haka decided she would have to make it her own power.

Further connecting the change in water's form with her own ability to change forms, the spider-nin allowed some of her chakra to flow into the water. Once she had saturated the water with her chakra, she raised her hand out of it, urging the chakra-infused water to reach out of its natural confines. A blob of milky liquid detached itself from the greater mass she found herself in, upon which she started to try out various things. As she formed a fist, the water hardened to a compact ball. Stretching her hands as if to spread it, the water spread out over a minimal length and ripped in various places. Then, moving her hand in a similar chopping movement like Sero had performed upon her, the ball stretched itself to whip an invisible opponent at a distance. Satisfied with her new findings and suddenly bored, she splashed her commanding hand back in the waters, and with it the blob became part of the greater mass once again. Yes. This natural enemy of hers would make an adequate power for her to use.

Fifteen minutes easily passed where Haka did nothing more but soak in the regenerative powers of the bath, her nature as a spider taking over as she waited patiently for something to happen. Unlike the long times as a spider, her mind was calcifying everything she had seen and learned in this brief encounter within her mind for later use, cold logic determining the next logical course of action. Suddenly having found something else to try out, the spider-nin suddenly disappeared entirely under water. Another quiet moment settled in, before she resurfaced to inhale deeply. The conclusion that her new form was unable to breathe under water disturbed her, but convinced that her newfound abilities would be able to fix this she proceeded to grab the almost-forgotten kunai instead.

Eyeing the seal upon the kunai which Sero requested to be learned, she burned the image in her mind. She had no idea what it was supposed to do, but not quite wishing to borrow this 'pen' and 'paper' - whatever that was - she urged the water around her to emphasise upon its wax-like properties and started drawing the symbol into the wax with her finger. Those attempts she had considered too slow and too crude to do the original any respect were quickly wiped clean with a wave of her hand as she forced the waxen drawing board to be reset. It was only when she could copy it fluently and flawlessly with her finger that Haka approved of her work.

By then, the healing properties of Sero's medicinal baths had long finished their effect and as such Haka clambered out of the bath, wiped the chakra-infused liquid from her body with a swipe of her hands and dressed herself again. With a last glance at the milky bath behind her, she walked out of the bathing area, feeling strangely exhausted from the chakra use.

---

[EXIT]

1019
Total: 3919

Training: