Here There Be Monsters (Sero)

His hand tightened around the hilt of his 'weapon' as he swung it through the air toward the target. it struck center mass and snapped, splintering a mess of wood as the shaped tree branch he was using as a practice sword shattered against the weight of the impact. At this Valen would sigh before tossing it to the side, into the pile of tree branches that had already been shattered. He was a tiny figure standing at 5'1 but his body was lean and well muscled due to his time as a slave rower. His back was scarred with old brands showcasing the pirate captains that had owned him throughout his life. A variety of shapes created via scar tissue due to the branding and causing knots upon his back that most saw as grotesque. He did not care though, and he took some form of pleasure out of seeing people uncomfortable around him. If they couldn't deal with seeing the scars of such a life than maybe they didn't deserve the kushy lives they had now.

Still, this situation regarding breaking tree branches was getting annoying. He had a little money from the village but he didn't want to use it on a cheap sword from the market. His caretaker here had always told him the market quality stuff was cheap garbage and to find a craftsman who could create a much better quality weapon for him instead. However how was supposed to make the money for such a weapon without a weapon to use at first? He could use his fists and the few jutsu he knew perhaps, but otherwise he was pretty defenseless without a weapon. Hence why he was in the middle of a training ground near the outskirts of the village searching for a hefty enough branch to handle being stuck and used to strike. While also being sleek enough to be swung effectively as a weapon. That way he could train with it and potentially simulate something as close to an actual katana as he could.

He was naked from the waist up again, wearing only black shinobi pants and boots. As such his scars were visible to anyone who saw but that didn't bother him really. As previously stated he actually found it somewhat amusing to see the discomfort in others. Oft times he would wear a black jacket coat that went from his shoulders to his feet that had a white collar but for the past few days he'd eschewed it. It wasn't quite cool enough for him to want it and he didn't mind going without the garment on warm days such as this. The mid morning sun was cutting through the mist, burning it off rapidly and making everything somewhat hazy for the time being as it worked to free vision and sight lines. If one looked around Valen one would see multiple trees having their smaller branches removed and the pile of the them not far away and the splinters in the training dummy before him, would show what he was doing to others. Now, he was looking around at the tree's, looking for another potential weapon.

The sounds of wood breaking had hardly disturbed the forest or its inhabitants. The creatures of the forest knew to give a wide berth to those who trained here but beyond that it was life as usual. If anything the rising morning sun brought a calm to the forest as birds would chirp or squawk out their morning calls and go about gathering for their nests. The mist clung to the trees and despite the rising suns heat it was still a little damp. Dew clinging to the grass and slowly dripping down. Streams and creaks trickling along as a frustrated squirrel chittered at the young man about its habitat being terraformed. Still there was a peace here that one may not be able to find in the cities. Not that much of that mattered to a warrior training in said forest. The broken branches evidence of his increasing efforts to gain strength. If only life could remain as peaceful as the forest depths in the morning. But that was not to be. Other things haunted those woods deep within. Things blending to the shadows and calling forth the mist as weapons and torments. Such a beautiful peace was not to last for long.

In the distance a murder of crows would erupt from a rather large tree. Cawing in a mixture of panic and anger at whatever chased them off. Any creatures in the area would perk up and quickly shift to their hiding places. Into any hole or tree or even to the skies as they could sense what the young man could not yet. The wild creatures knew death when it came. They knew to step out of its way. Unfortunately for the three pirates they had never gotten the chance. At least most of their crew had not. Three men covered in blood and senbon made of bone sticking out of their bodies were hauling themselves as fast as they could through the forest. Wounded as they were it wasn't fast. Their breathing was heavy and panic was making their movements very loud. Behind the three men a thick blanket of mist was following them through the woods. Light fading in its wake as if it was chasing them and turning away any hope they may have. whispers echoed in the mist as one man tripped. He cried out to the others for help but as they turned to look...it was too late.

The mist seemed to part as a pale man with blue hair emerged only for his pale hand to reach out. The man screamed as he was grabbed by the hair and dragged into the mist once more. His screams cutting short with the sound of bones crunching and blood sprayed out across some trees. The two men would stare before turning and running as hard as they could. The mist once more shifting and moving to follow them. The two men would burst into the clearing the young Valen was training in. They had created some distance but they both froze upon seeing him. One pulled a dagger in his shaking right hand but his left arm hung limp at his side. Useless with the half a dozen senbon in his shoulder and upper arm. The other had dropped his sword when they started running and froze before looking to him. The blood all over him was not his own...and the senbon in his thigh looked painful. He would look pleading to the young man as he spoke in a trembling voice. Unsure of who he was and seeing the brands...Hope fading from his eyes as he knew this may fall on deaf ears.

"Pl...please let us pass.....Don't let it catch us..."

As he searched, his eyes scanning the trees for a suitable branch he would hear the sound of heavy foot falls, panting breaths, and cries of pain before his eyes fell to seeing two me. A mist bank seemingly following them although it was some distance back and was moving slowly. The mist rolled over the area like an all encompassing thing that would consume all it touched. Considering the shape of the men that were standing before him, one with a dagger in hand, they believed that mist would indeed consume them too. As he looked at them his peripheral vision caught something above them, but his eyes didn't leave their forms. His gaze was unfocused, keeping an eye open for sudden movements from either of them. He began to walk toward them as one of them cried out for him to help them. To keep something from catching them. Valen just moved over without a word, and slowly he began to pick up speed, his eyes focused on an area behind them. Should he be able to when he reached them he would leap up, his small form easily managing the nimble movement before vaulting off their shoulders and higher than he would have been able to jump before. Near the apex of the jump his hand would lash out and snap off a branch that was directly above the fleeing men. It was perfect for what he needed, but he simply didn't have a way to reach it before. At least not without using chakra and he didn't like to use that as a crutch. He would angle the jump back a bit, so while he caught the branch and tore it, he would land before them. He landed gracefully, catlike, as one might expect of someone who relied on speed to fight in anyway. Although his body held a surprising amount of power.

With that done he would focus his eyes on the one who had begged him for help. He would meet those eyes and not turn away, red orbs meeting the man's as he stared silently and quietly before his lips peeled back in a silent snarl of derision and arrogance. "The weak have no place to beg their betters for help. Save yourselves, I have no pity for those who seek the crutch of others." He would say before turning and moving away, his hands moving up the length of wood in his hands and taking off the smaller, excess branches so that it wouldn't have resistance. He moved back to his location at the training dummy and with a branch he thought would survive the impact in hand, moved with his Kendo style to strike at the dummy. With another resounding 'crack' the impact and snapping of wood would sound throughout the area and Valen would sigh again in frustration. That was the last potential branch, he'd either have to cave and get a lower quality sword that he would have to replace as soon as possible anyway, or maybe get his hands on a bokken or something to use. But they cost money too, and he didn't have the extra money to spare. He needed all of it to pay for an eventual weapon. So he needed to save every single red ryo he could.

Heedless to what might be happening to the two men whom he saw as less than dirt for their weakness he would muse aloud. "I suppose I should start doing more missions to make money." He would say, knowing that the lower ranked missions were little more than chores. He could safely take those without risking any harm from not being armed for battle properly. The funds from those missions could be saved and he could eventually purchase a better katana and then start trying to look into higher ranked missions. Should he be allowed to do so.

The mist would billow along the ground. Waves of it like water pooling through the dense forest. However as it approached the three of them it would stop and slowly encircle the open area. Unlike normal fog this would seem to act of its own accord. The waves shifting direction as they pooled through the woods all around. The young man using the men as a spring board was distracting enough for it to fully surround them. The man with the dagger would make a panicked swipe at Valen but much too late to have any real effect. While the other would look after Valen before his eyes would drop to notice the last path through the mist closing around them. His eyes widened but he knew it was too late. As if summoned by the fear and panic, the sound of the cracking wood bringing him forth, a horrid pressure would begin to fill the area. Something less than human was out there. Hunting and watching. It knew they were there and yet it hung back in the mist. As if driven slightly mad the unarmed man would yank two bone senbon out of his shoulder with a grunt of pain before clutching them in his hand. Like a weapon but mostly just there for comfort.

The pressure would build as a low growl would echo through the woods. The two men would swallow as they looked around with panic in their eyes and blood soaked into their clothes. The smell of blood heavy in the air. For a moment silence would fill the air before suddenly all the broken branches would ignite. Green flames burning and casting a dim green glow over the area. Yet the fire did not burn out quickly or spread as normal fire would. It would only herald the coming of the beast. A hot breeze would blow through the trees as they creaked in complaint and shifted slightly. The mist would pick up and blanket the surrounding area leaving only the clearing free from its vision constraints. One of the men would step back as he trembled. As if this provoked a response a corpse would fly out of the mist and land on the ground before them. Their friend left behind with terror stuck as an expression in his dead eyes. His flesh torn and his bones twisted. A bone tail that had flung him would briefly be visible in the mist before pulling back into it. A long pale bone tail splattered with blood and covered in bone blades.

The sensation of being hunted filled the air continuously as the men would swallow and hold still as could be. Paralyzed with no where to run and no hope left in their souls. Still a pair of glowing blue eyes would seem to appear within the mist. Just the glow of blue from the eyes as they fell upon Valen. Upon his body and the markings there. Not a pirate likely but still he would inquire. Curiosity gripped at Sero as his monotone voice would echo out to the boy who cared nothing for the weak.

"Do you not hate them? These pirates who have lost their right to live. They have murdered and enslaved and thus their lives are forfeit....Yet I wonder...you speak as if you know power yet have no weapon to prove your strength. Sate my curiosity by vowing to end the lives of these two and I will lend you my power for the time it takes you. Show me power and I will grant you mine temporarily."

The clumsy, panicky swipe at the young man wouldn't even phase him as he made his move and obtained the branch before proceeding to shatter it. Looking at the broken stump of wood in his hand he would sigh in annoyance at the situation before everything seemed to come alive at once. Gooseflesh stood upon his skin as he dropped into a crouch, holding the stump close to his chest, the makeshift, and incredibly ineffectual weapon turned into a reverse grip. It was better for shorter weapons in the end and the sense of being hunted. The mist had coalesced around them, more of a fog bank really, and it left them in a circle with no exits. Suddenly green fire would ignore the broken branches he had scattered. He had his pile near him yes, but that did not account for the other hands that had been shattered off. Those had been flung across the clearing haphazardly and now they made little green fires to give the area and eerie glow. The predatory growl that came just prior caused the hair on the back of Valen's neck to stand and he turned this way and that, trying to find the source of all of this.

A hot blast of air coursed through the area, blowing his hair back and causing the various trees to creak and grown under the strain before one of the men stepped back. When they happened something flew from the mist. Valen wouldn't move toward it, but his eyes would snap to the place where it had come from to see a strange, tail like protrusion covered in blades pulling back into the mist. Valen kept his eyes on the area where the tail disappeared and kept his other senses open. He wasn't a coward by any means, and he would face any threat without turning his back to it. The corpse of another man lay destroyed, flesh and bone twisted and maimed. A pair of glowing blue eyes would appear in the mist and his red ones would meet them. Dual instincts clashed within him as part of him fought to run, while the other fought to face whatever creature this was. He despised weakness to his very core. But weakness was not a measure of physical strength, intelligence, or dexterity. One could lose, fail, and still not be weak. So long as one did not give in against everything telling you to do so. The men in the clearing, the pirates, he didn't find them weak because they couldn't fend for themselves. He found them weak because they wouldn't. It was entirely different because one compounds the other.

A voice would echo through the clearing, the source seemingly to be the eyes he could see piercing through the fog and mist. Hate? Right to live? Lend him power? Valen's head tilted to the side and he felt his instinctive desire to run fade. He lips peeled back in a snarl before he spoke. "Hate? Why would I waste such an emotion on weaklings who can't even face their fate? Who has rights to life? Everyone seems to have the right to take it and torture and enslave others. So why would there be a 'right to live'? So far as I'm concerned the only 'rights' one has are the ones you take." He would say at first, before looking back toward the two men. "Killing such worthless scum is beneath me. Strength is facing what's before you, no matter what comes. Strength is taking the hardship that comes with life and either succeeding, or failing. I don't attach 'weakness' with 'power'. One can physically be incapable of fighting yet still have strength. Keep your power, I'll earn my own rather than use anothers." He would say, before turning his red eyes to the pirates.

"With that said, pirates aren't allowed in the village, and this is a training ground within it. I may think it beneath me to kill them because of their weakness. But my position in the military requires me to do so." He would say as he flipped through a few hand seals and breathed a column of fire at the men. They had turned to stare into the mist toward the voice and only turned enough to catch the fireball engulfing them as they processed what Valen said. The boy didn't bother to drag it out. The fireball impacted the men and what was left was charred and barely recognizable as human. The cracking of bones as their marrow boiled out from them sounded through the clearing before Valen turned his non-glowing red eyes toward the incandescent blue. "Duty fulfilled, scum dead." He would say, wondering what the voice would do next.

Sero would watch quietly as the young man would virtually scoff at his offer. Cold blue eyes narrowing a moment as the fire jutsu was turned on his prey instead of the need for a weapon he had been expecting. For a moment the long bone tail would swish back and forth. Slowly like a cat interested in something like a bug. Still he would not move closer just yet. Instead he would watch the men burn with a shift of those cold blue eyes. So this one could utilize katon ninjutsu and was a shinobi of the mist. That cleared up a few things. Still despite their position they referred to it as a duty. That at least was something Sero could relate too. Still he would watch the bodies burn a moment. His shadow filling in the mist as it appeared to be much too large for him. Almost fox shaped with five tails swishing back and forth before it faded once more. A new plaything for the five tails in its mind. But all it could do was show itself in his shadow. Sealed deep within him it could only observe and serve when called upon. A caged fox was a bored fox.

The mist would begin to swirl and pull into the focus point where the blue eyes were centered. Slowly at first and then pulling into his body as he consumed the liquid within. Soon the abnormal mist was gone and faded into his form as his hydration levels were replenished. There Sero stood. The long bone tail crumbling into dust behind him as he stood amidst the green glow of the flames. His glowing blue eyes were even stranger now as the whites of his eyes were not white at all. But black like swamp water. His skin was pale and his blue hair hung wildly and unkept upon his head. A bone jaw decorated the right side of his face marking him as a kaguya if the bone tail did not. White pants matched a white long coat with a black high neck shirt hung loose on his torso. His feet were bare against the ground. No expression decorated his face or eyes beyond that dangerous feeling. He would breath in the scent of burned flesh as he stepped forward. Hands folding in front of him as he stopped five meters away. His eyes casting about to see all the burning broken chunks of wood and the pile nearby that burned like a bonfire. Speaking once more.

"You kill effectively. However I disagree with your views. These men had no right to take lives or enslave. It is against the law of this land. As such they paid the same price so many like them do. They summoned upon their heads the wrath of the village in the form of the Nightmare brigade. They paid for these sins with their lives as did their comrades." He would look to the bodies once more before those pitch black and glowing blue eyes would shift back to the young man. Continuing his words. "Failure is a part of life. A part of growth. However to be truly strong one must have purpose. The man who fights for his own gain will not fight as hard as the one with something to lose. Yet those in the village we serve do not fight this stain on our lands. So it is up to we the strong to fight. To kill and spread terror to those who would target the village and its inhabitants. To avenge those too weak to survive and send a clear message. All that awaits scum like this is pain and torment. Eventually ending in death. I am Jakuuna Sero. Who are you?"

Valen would watch and listen. The fog and mist would revert into the man, seemingly being absorbed into him and as it did Valen would be able to see the man for the first time. The thing that drew his interest was the crumbling bone tail. He watched as it seemingly turned to dust, ensuring it was completely gone before looking elsewhere. Any weapon someone didn't have near him was a good thing after all. Then his red eyes would turn toward the man's blue and..black? This would cause the shorter of the two to tilt his head to the side a bit, like a curious dog hearing something they hadn't heard before. The whites of the this man's eyes were black and it added an interesting contrast to the blue of the irises. The man would move close and as he did Valen would watch the way he moved and carried himself. Careful to ensure that no sneak attack was forthcoming. The jaw bone that seemed attached to the side of his face was interesting and caused Valen to earmark the man as a Kaguya which given the crumbling tail of bone was probably a safe bet. A boring one. While the red eyed man wore mostly black it would seem this blue hair and blue eyed man preferred white. An interesting contrast but not really significant and when the man stopped, five meters away, hands folded before him, he would speak again.

Valen would listen, never taking his eyes from the individual as he spoke. Apparently he disagreed with Valen's views. Which Valen did not care about in the least. The multitude of brands upon his back proved to him that the only rights one had were what you could take through trade or strength. One's ability to withstand what life through at you, one's ability to stand against the unfairness and unjustness of the world was what made one strong. Still, as this man said, those pirates had killed and enslaved. Which was very much against the laws of this land. The rules those in power put in place. They had strength enough to exert their desires through a nation and expect it to be obeyed. While those like Valen would be expected to ensure they were and to punish those who failed to do so. To that end Valen could agree, the pirates deserved to die for doing their business in the land were such things would get them killed. The land whose leaders forbade such acts. Having to kill such trash disgusted him, simply because of their inability to meet their fate. If they had fought, had stood before what came and met it. Valen would have actually had a measure of respect for them. Would not have minded killing them. Yet they couldn't even muster enough of a spine to face their death with a brave face.

This was beside the point though, something else this blue haired man said resonated deeply within him. A purpose? Did he have a purpose? No, not that he knew of. Did he want that? He didn't know, but he felt a draw toward finding out one way or another. However right after speaking of purpose the man would go on to say that those within the village did not fight the scum. So they the strong had to. Valen wasn't sure what to make of that and he tilted his head to the side again in curiosity as the thought. He didn't like the idea of avenging or defending the weak. If they couldn't survive they own then they either needed to meet their fate or become stronger themselves. To expect, to rely, on others to fight on your behalf. That was the height of weakness in Valen's eyes. Then the man would introduce himself and Valen would nod his head, he knew enough about social cues to reply in turn. "Minamoto Valen. I can't say I agree with defending or avenging the weak. In my eyes if one is too weak to survive then they need to face their fate. But to rely on others to do so sounds like weakness on a scale that I find sickening. I agree that the laws of the land require us to do so. That does not however mean I like it. Yet those with power get to define those laws. I simply follow what they would have of me. If they wish me to defend the weak and avenge them I will. I won't like it, but I will do so, because it is expected. But to rely on others is a crutch in my views. A hindrance, something to be eschewed so that one can grow stronger, gain power, personally." He would say, crossing his arms over his chest in a subconscious gesture.

He didn't see the hypocrisy of his views, that he himself had been saved by Kirigakure shinobi. That when he was a slave he had not freed himself. That he had relied upon the strength of those who came to rain righteous fury on the pirates who had enslaved him. All he knew was that he had been born a slave, and had survived through the experience for over a decade before it had ended. Life had been hard, and he had faced it and survived. As those two men whom he had just killed should have done. He couldn't see that he himself was just a weak in his own views as they had been, needing to rely on others to get to where he was. On a deep level he wasn't able to accept that and so unconsciously he put those facts into a corner of his mind and closed the door, not even acknowledging their existence. Still, the idea of having a purpose appealed somewhat. Although he didn't know why. It was then that a curiosity came to him. Tilting his head to the side again he would meet Sero's eyes before asking a question. "You said something about a 'Nightmare Brigade'. What is that?" He would ask, his expression curious.

Sero would listen in silence a moment as the young man talked. He was filled with hate but not for anyone in particular. More of an idea of what weakness meant to him. Would he hate the average man in the village? Safe in their homes with their children and working a day to day job? People who never once held a weapon in defense of their home and yet contributed to the village in some way. For some life was a challenge in a different way. Not all had known their own version of torment. This one bore the symbols of his own as scars and brands across his body. Sero held no scars and had not shared the same torment through his youth. He had merely survived despite those wishing him dead...a phantom in a hospital until he gained the strength to escape that place. He had known mankind hated those different than themselves...He had faced those who pointed weapons at him and thrived. Few in the village held more power than him now in his opinion. Would this one rise to such heights as well? Would he one day gain the strength to become one of the spiders?

Sero would consider the mans words...he himself did not care for the strength or power of others. Only gaining it for himself. Expanding his own might so he could serve his country...his home. If he could hone his skills to become something all feared he could protect others without ever having to get directly involved. A phantom that was whispered of to children to behave. A thing in the woods that the wicked feared. His black and blue eyes would study the smaller man as he turned and lifted his hand. His palm opened before his fingers curled and his hand turned into a fist. The green flames snuffing out to leave the smoldered remains of the wood they had ignited. As if bidden to do so by his gesture. With the light of day breaking through once more the light of the flames was no longer serving a purpose. Those he hunted were very dead. Burned or tormented to death. Now he was simply holding a conversation with someone else within the shinobi ranks of the village. When an inquiry was made to him he would fold his hands before him again. Regal yet terrifying for most. This one knew little of fear though.

"The brigade is the newest division within the ranks of Kirigakure. We are those who punish the wicked. Those who have set aside ideals like mercy and compassion in turn for vengeance and retribution. When the village deams a group or individual no longer worthy of salvation we are summoned. A dark spirit for those who were innocent and yet the wicked took from them what was not theirs. You view strength as the ability to take what you wish....others share that view. Pirates...slavers...missing nin who crossed a line too far...terrorists...the list goes on. I command the nightmare brigade as the first spider. I create a web of fear and pain for the pests that are foolish enough to cross into my territory. In short we bury the bodies of those foolish enough to push the village too far. We do not take prisoners....we do not allow sins to go unpunished and when we are summoned the wicked are buried in their own blood and screams."

Valen's eyes would stay on the man as he opened his hand and closed it again. From his peripheral vision he could see the glowing green fires all be snuffed out into nothing, gone without a trace of their existence besides the charred and smoldering piles of the tree branches and the scent of wood smoke in the air. He didn't know if it was any kind of wood in particular. He was a ship slave. He could fish, haul in nets, fix them, row, repair a sail, and other such mundane things on a ship or boat. However he could do little in terms of camping in the wilderness. Once that was done the man would begin to speak. Valen's head would tilt to the side again as Sero answered the question. Honestly though? Valen felt like the same could have been said in fewer words. Perhaps the man tended toward the dramatic? Perhaps, but that wasn't a bad thing per say. It was not like Valen could confirm it himself at that moment. Although if he thought about it for more than the briefest moments he would have been able to prove it outright. What with the extended chasing of his targets. The use of the fog bank, the throwing of the corpse with a bone tail and such. It all screamed a penchant for causing a scene, making sure what happened had the largest affect on the psyche of the target.

Still though, something the man would say would pique Valen's curiosity. He had stated the Nightmare Brigade was a branch of the Kirigakure military dedicated to punish the wicked. But in the same breath compared Valen to those same individuals. Without a single change in expression the red eyed man would ask, point blank. "So if you punish the wicked, and the wicked think as I supposedly do. The ability to take what you wish being strength, does that mean you'll be killing me now before you go?" He would ask, It was a very relevant question. If this man considered him one of the wicked for thinking as he did, was he to be 'punished' next? They were here after all, secluded in a training ground. Who was to say what happened? The pirates could have happened upon Valen as they were moving to escape from Sero and killed him. Sero of course killed them pirates in return. It would be an easy story to sell and Sero himself would be the only witness.

Amusingly enough the idea didn't bother Valen. All he really wanted for his death was to face it head on. To face it proudly. He wouldn't die easily, accepting death, and embracing it, are two different things. Valen wasn't suicidal, he was...lonely. He supposed it would suffice to say. With that thought running through his head he would consider what to say next, but coming up with nothing he would instead reflect on what he had said. Was he articulating himself properly? He had only learned how to speak within the past few years and it was entirely possible he wasn't explaining himself correctly. Thoughts and feelings were hard to put into words, it was actions that mattered, so he didn't bother trying to focus on the words himself. As he thought he would finally break eye contact with Sero but it wasn't due to any uncomfortable feelings on the situation. His eyes would be looking up to the left, trying to consider what he had said, trying to remember his exact words, and whether or not he had messed things up.

Sero would listened as the smaller male before him would speak. A simple enough conclusion to come to but still a silence would fall between the two for a moment. The forest never seemed so cold and empty. So quiet with nothing but the two of them left alive to move. The crackling of the burnt wood and bodies faded away until there was a sound. Directionless. One moment it seemed like it was right next to him and the next it would be somewhere in the opposite direction in the woods. An echo of several different voices laughing one after the other. As if the spirits of the dead had found the thought humorous. Yet none could be seen. It seemed as if the dead danced in the shadows of this man. For he buried a great many souls. His cold blue eyes would stare. Never blinking. Not even once. A glow of a dark power behind them. As if killing was simply his nature. His purpose and being were death given flesh. Just being so close to him left the feeling of a great and hungry beast stalking from just out of sight. All this just from being so close to him. Sero seemed to be satisfied with his search however of the young mans eyes. As if confirming he didn't see something there. He would shake his head no before replying to him.

"No. It is not our thoughts that betray us to the headsmans axe. It is our actions. No being is without sin but he, she or they may find salvation in living a righteous life. My duty to this village is to avenge those lost to the lost ones. That is the duty of any of the eight spiders or those who serve under them. Choice is what makes us who we are and what we can become. So I offer you this chance. A reward for the elimination of those pirates. Allow me to show you the brigade....show you the soldiers under my command and see if you feel a common ground with them. Or stay here...break more branches until doubt and failure drive you mad. Purpose or Madness. The choice is yours."

With that Sero would turn from the young man and begin to walk. As he did the distant sounding laughter would fade into the shadows once more. The light of dawn shifting in appearance as the black faded from his eyes. Replaced with normal whites as the light hit him. Spreading out a blue glow around him for but a few seconds before he left the light and moved within the depths of the forest. The glow of light cast from the sun shimmering on a clear waters surface. Waves of light all around him for a moment before his darkness could return. As if there was something else beyond the monster. Some good thing among the wicked that could shine despite the oppressive presence he cast off. The corpses forgotten Sero would begin to walk in the direction of the Hozuki clan compound. A well known place of wealth from one of the founding clans of the village. Even if this young man did not know Seros name before today, He would know of the Hozuki. Heading towards home base whether Valen would come or not.

Valen would continue to match stares with the man. The shorter male knew that Sero was more powerful than him on a scale that he couldn't fully put in words. He was a fresh genin, without even a sword to practice his kenjutsu capabilities with. While Sero apparently led an elite group within the village itself and had this strange aura about him that caused one to go on the defensive immediately. It was like standing in a dark room and knowing that somewhere within the darkness that stretched so far around you there was a hungry predator, staring at you, knowing that you couldn't see it. The feeling that surrounded the blue haired man was akin to the one one feels when they know a predator is about to strike. The moment when the blood seems to chill in the veins and the heart goes cold in sheer reactive terror. It was like that, only all the time. At, that's what it was like to Valen. Still though, the man had made no threatening moves toward him. Not yet, although Valen's question still hung in the air between them. The dark haired man would focus on keeping his heart rate down to manageable levels and trying to get his instincts under control. If this was what it was like just being around the man, what was fighting him like?

Probably like punching an insurmountable wall.

As he considered this Sero would begin to speak, denying the intent to kill Valen for his thoughts and opinions on things. That it was actions, and not our personal thoughts that earn the axe. He would speak of how his 'spiders' duty were the same as his. To 'avenge those lost to the lost ones.' Whatever that meant. It was at that moment that Valens education failed him. He had only been talking for a few years now and while he could get by usually without too much difficulty some phrasings still confused him and words that were too long caused him to request someone to explain it to him. Still it would appear Sero was giving him a choice, to follow him and let him introduce him to his 'spiders'. Or stick around here and potentially go mad. Valen wasn't sure about the going mad part. He didn't think he would go mad by simply trying to find a sturdy enough branch to practice with. Although he had been wrong before. Or was he already mad? Probably not, although did one think they were when they were? Still, the offer to join the man and be introduced to others of power and influence seemed interesting. He was also considering his earlier description of what fighting the blue haired man would be like. 'Like punching an insurmountable wall' was an estimation. He hadn't fought the man himself and one had to see to believe. Still though the challenge of trying to overcome such a wall and be introduced to others that might give him a purpose both caused him to say the same thing. "Sounds fun." He would respond to the man as he moved along with him. His shorter legs keeping pace by dint of faster steps, although it wasn't like he was having to jog to keep up or anything.

"So what does the phrase 'avenge those lost to the lost ones' mean? I'm still learning when it comes to speech and language and so somethings confuse me." He would say simply, not hiding his difficulty at times. He never did, what was he going to do, lie about it? Then he'd have to guess what things meant and that would never end well. Better off to explain in advance that one had some difficulty with something so that others understood. Even if they didn't deign to assist in explaining things themselves.

Sero would walk through the woods with the smaller man as he seemed to glide along. The mist following and blanketing the ground in front of them like a wave of water. As if the mist...while not actually obscuring a practiced eye was heralding their path. Perhaps Sero was doing this on purpose or perhaps it was simply how the mist reacted to him. Still he would Keep his eyes straight forward as they moved. The inquiry into the meaning of his words would be enough to draw one short glance to the side from him. Already they were making progress towards the clan compound but it would be some time yet. So he would entertain the question with a response. His tone never changing and those blue eyes never blinking.

"I refer to those the village has sentenced for their crimes. They have lost their right to live. Those we hunt are 'the lost'. For they can no longer be saved and must be punished for the sins they have committed with their lives. This is our way. Once we have been given a target there is no room for mercy. No hesitation or forgiveness. We must perform our duty and end them."

As they got closer to the clan compound suddenly they were not alone. Yet Sero did not seem to mind. He continued to walk as two men in dark cloaks with black masks would fall in line next to them. Each of them glancing to the smaller yet dangerous looking man a moment before looking to Sero in silence. They held themselves differently than most. Veteran shinobi that were experienced with elimination missions. They had an air about them that suggested they took lives when needed. Still Sero would address them. Speaking calmly as he knew them. "Back the way we came you will find three bodies. Pirates. Two of them are burned and one of them is mangled. Attempt to determine where they came from and see if they have any allies. I want a report on my desk by morning." With that the two men would bow and fade into the mist. He was clearly in charge and they hadn't said a word. Still Sero would continue on walking towards the Hozuki clan compound. His attention forward always as if he felt no need to keep an eye on Valen. Foolishness maybe but he was confident. Still he would speak once more.

"Most of the Nightmare brigade are outcasts. People who do not fit into the usual idea of society. We have a code and we follow it but admittedly some in the village fear us. Our influence and reach is greater than they would like for who we are. Yet we are subservient to the needs of the village."

As they walked and Valen asked his question Sero would draw a quick glance from the man. Was it a stupid question? Either way it didn't really bother the vertically challenged individual. If it was stupid then it was. He didn't know the answer regardless and he would need to know it in order to fully understand what Sero was saying. As such, he would have to ask no matter what. It was annoying of course but such was the way or things. They tended to be that way at times. Either way though Valen wasn't the type to care about whether or not someone thought him stupid or ignorant. He was after all. Why hide what you were? That was something that Sero seemed quite content with as well. He did not seem to hide anything from anyone, the aura about the man still had not faded away. As such Valen was still on edge the entire time but he would not make an offensive move toward the blue haired individual. Instead he would listen to the answer to his question as the mist seemed to coalesce before them as they moved. Was that Sero's doing or just coincidence? It did not matter in the end.

The answer to his question would seem obvious in hindsight, as things always seemed to. The 'lost' as Sero referred to them, were those who had lost their right to live. Those that could no longer be saved and needed to be punished for what they had done. That was a thought Valen could get behind. Those that fell victim to their baser wants and desires were oft times criminals of the worst sort and showed a weakness that the young man despised as much as not facing the challenges before you. Eliminating them as part of his job? That seemed like a solid career choice in his eyes. As he considered this two individuals would appear next to them, one on either side. They were men, their builds proved that much as least, but their cloaks and masks hid their identity from any other possible identification. Sero gave them simple orders without even turning to look toward them and they would bow and disappear into the mist, more than likely, leaving to do the task ordered. With that done the man would continue to speak. He spoke of most of the Nightmare Brigade as being outcasts and people who failed to fit in society's usual pattern. Of course such individuals would be feared by some, but apparently they always served the needs of the village.

The more Valen heard of this group the more interested he was. It was a purpose, as Sero had said, and it was a purpose eliminating those who were weak in some form of other. It was something he could see himself doing. Something he wanted to do. The only question was how difficult it would be to join if he wanted to. "I'm already looked at and either shunned or pitied by many due to my years enslaved to pirates. The scars on my back show what I was, but I never asked for either their acceptance or pity. So what's a little fear added to the mix?" He would ask, his question hopefully enough to show his interest in the idea of joining the Brigade to the man and potentially get him to go into detail on what Valen would have to do to join it.

Sero would listen to the young man as he spoke of pity and shame. Well the word used was shunned but that stemmed from shame did it not? Others were ashamed due to his past. Due to his scars. He was divided from the world he was training to overcome. Wickedness could plague him easily enough but given direction...He could be another beast in the mist like Sero was. Hunting the wicked as one must do to purge it and cleanse the village of impurity. Sero would walk with him as they crossed the gates of the Hozuki compound. Men in dark cloaks with masks would watch them as they passed. Scattered along the walls and roof tops as silent and nearly motionless sentries. The village was different but here the soldiers were all soldiers of the nightmare brigade. Members of the shinobi forces still lived within the compound but it was clear the Nightmare brigade held control here. Still aside from being ever vigilant soldiers they did not seem to press themselves along the crowds going about their business in the market. The compound was thriving and highly profitable. Still as they began to walk the streets it would all seem to come to a stop.

The first sound of a quiet gasp would seem to echo and spread silence across the streets. Eyes would turn and people would split to either side of the street. Heads would bow as the lord of not only their clan but the Kaguya clan would pass through. His nightmarish presence sending shivers down the spine. There was utter silence as they walked save from a mother shushing her weeping children. Fear in their eyes as well as those eyes averted to the ground. He had never brought them harm but they feared him despite his service to them. No one here was under the impression he was anything but a monster. Still they would approach what appeared to be a reoutfitted warehouse. A large building with a metal spider above the door. Three names carved into three different legs. Sero was the first...Sayuri the second and someone named Miaka as the third. Three spiders out of eight legs. Still he would pass through the doors. Entering into an area that was filled with bustling soldiers all in black with white masks with spiders on them. Some of them had the mask pulled to the side as they sat around tables sharing a meal while others were busy with cleaning weapons or other gear. All talk would stop however as they entered.

Sero would stand in the doorway. A couple of men nearby would salute him but the rest were mostly just watching. Those whose faces the smaller man could see were all battle hardened. Scars were visible on some faces but all of them had a certain cold look to their eyes. They were experienced killers and soldiers. Men who put others in the ground on the regular. Some of them were just assigned to gather information but it wasn't uncommon for them to go out in force and end some ballsy bandits as commanded. However Sero would walk passed them up the stairs to an office in the back. The office itself was rather plain. He had no need for extravagant things. Just a desk and a filing cabinet with a pen on the desk. One seat behind it and two seats in front of it. Sero would move to the filing cabinet and find a simple document. Speaking as he placed it upon the desk.

"You saw the eyes of the men below. You saw what we are in them. Sign your name below there and you will join us. I will train with you and assess your strength. If you remain long enough you may even become one of the eight spiders. Leaders of this place who's strength stands above the rest."

As they walked they would enter a clan compound. He knew the place, the Hozuki Clan compound. Everyone in the village knew the clan compounds and where they were located. Some learned as a matter of course of living in the village. Others learned it via going there to buy clan products and services. Valen was among the former, the Hozuki were the premier fishermen of the village and as such Valen had learned of them and where their compound was simply as a sort of professional curiosity. He had spent his life as a sailor after all. One in chains, but a sailor nonetheless. Sero didn't speak as they moved through the compound and their arrival was heralded by the sudden silence of the crowd. Everyone moved aside for them, creating a clear path for them and refusing to look at them. Actually no, everyone moved aside for Sero, and refused to look at him. Valen wasn't known enough for this kind of fear, or respect. Some would look at him, some in mild curiosity and fear that was earned by nothing more than association. Other's wouldn't even look at him for fear of what the Hozuki and Kaguya Clan leader would do to them if they offended Valen or him. Although the shorter male wouldn't know it.

All he saw was the usage of power. No, this was the reaction of the masses to one with power. For Sero exerted absolutely nothing, no will, no desire, no nothing. He had not even asked them to step aside for them. Perfectly content to move around whatever was necessary to get to their destination. But the people moved aside for him regardless. The look of fear was evident in their eyes. Those close enough to feel the aura of a predator stalking you had it worse off. Children cried and were shushed by mothers fearfully. Only some successfully, large, strong men who looked like they could handle themselves refused to meet the eyes of the master of this house. It was the kind of power he himself wanted. Although he did not want to be feared. He saw the way these people acted toward the man and he did not want that, want the power? Respect? Yes. The Ostracization? No, that didn't settle well with him.

They would arrive at their destination, a repurposed warehouse with a spider above the door. A name was inscribed in three of the legs. Sero himself, Sayuri, and someone named Miaki. He knew Sero now obviously. Sayuri was the name of one of the Triumvirate, a powerful figure in the village. Although Valen himself had never seen her personally. He'd seen Kitsuki once at a distance as she went about her duties for the military. However Sayuri and Arisu were visually a mystery to him. They entered the building and stoop in the wide doorway. All eyes turned toward them and what eyes they were. Valen looked at them all curiously, his own eyes blinking idly as he looked around. He'd seen hard looks before on slaves, slavers, pirates, and captives. He could recognize the look. It was the look of hardened killers, the cold, detached look of those who were willing to do what needed to be done regardless of the consequences. After a time Sero would move in and Valen would move with him, letting him lead him into an office. The office itself was simple, a desk, a few chairs, a filing cabinet, and a pen. The taller man moved to the filing cabinet and pull out a document before placing it on the desk and finally speaking.

Valen would listen as the man spoke, he was being offered the chance for power. If he signed below he would be trained, his strength assessed, and he could work his way up in the group. Potentially becoming one of the leaders of it. He craved that power, that purpose, although he had not realized prior how badly he wanted it. He wanted the respect, wanted the power. But if he signed his name, would he become ostracized like Sero? He thought about what his caretaker had told him about his life. About how those who are feared, are never loved. Did he want to be loved? Did he want to risk losing such a possibility for the sake of strength? He stared at the paper considering for a few long moments. His life as a slave flashing back before his eyes. The long familiar feel of a hot iron against his skin as he was branded. The smell of his cooked flesh as the brand did it's work. It had been sickeningly appetizing then, as constantly starved as he was. Was that the mark of an animal? He didn't know, what he did know, was that he would never allow himself to be weak, to be without power again.

He signed the paper

Once he had done so, once he had chosen to potentially give up any future having to do with love, and acceptance. He looked to the man he had just signed his life away to. Was this what making a deal with the devil was like? That was irrelevant. He had done so, and Valen kept his word, kept his oaths. So when his red eyes met Sero's blue, the only thing that came out of his mouth was simple. "So what happens next?" He would ask, his tone neutral.

Sero would watch him sign the paper and as soon as the pen lifted the paper would form a seal along it. As if something had been bonded by soul and chakra. Green flames forming in a circle with a star and 穆王 as a symbol in the center for only a brief moment. The kanji for the name of the five tails. As soon as the flames would complete the paper would seem to burst into green flame and fade away. There was no actual connection made. No difference in their bodies or chakra. No bond with each other with consequences for breaking it. (Purely theatrical). However the clothing around Seros stomach would seem to peel away. For the clothing was not real but a mold of his shapeshifting and as such a part of Sero himself. A seal on his stomach would be revealed and along one of the lines the mans signature would appear. Sero would seem just as surprised as he watched in silence. His eyes watching the green flame burn into the seal and place a name there. Then it was gone and the clothing would unpeel back into place until it was whole again. Sero would seem to speak as if to himself.

"It seems Kokuō likes him....interesting."

The boy had finished and now that was over there was a moment of pause. He had inquired about what was next but Sero was silently studying him. Perhaps it was the nature of this Valen....perhaps Kokuō felt a connection to his freedom. Sero had always known since they had been placed together that Kokuō valued freedom above all else and hated being bonded to Sero. Still Kokuō had been entertained enough up until now to not show himself much. Perhaps Valen being free even of the controlling hand of fear had intrigued the beast. Still Sero would let out a low growl of thought before moving to settle into his own seat. He would open his right hand as he spoke to the young man. A small ball of green flame forming slowly and harmlessly above his palm. "On one hand we can begin your training. We can reach into your chakra nature and pull your latent abilities to the surface. Improve upon the katon jutsu you showed earlier today. We can begin this right away." He would close his right hand and open his left. The fire snuffing out quickly. On his left hand water seemed to emerge from his palm. Revealing the shape of bandits frozen in place as they attacked a cart. As if a sculpture made entirely of water. His control over water was clearly immense.

"Or we can go on a mission and assess your current capabilities. I have one we can begin tomorrow if that is your desire." He would close that hand and the water would seem to simply mold back into his pale skin. "The question becomes....train to increase your might or....begin missions to prove your might?"

The moment Valen signed he would be surprised when suddenly a strange Kanji appeared, stamped as if in green fire along with a ring of the stuff around it. However then something else would occur that drew both his and Sero's attention. The clothing on Sero's body would peel back, specifically that of his stomach, and reveal a seal. Even the man himself seemed surprised by this development and watched as green fire placed Valen's name upon the lines of a seal, etching itself into the design. Once it happened Sero would speak as if to himself, speaking a name. 'Kokuō?' The shorter man would think as he watched what happened occur. Once it was done the clothing upon the mans stomach would peel back into place. As if nothing at all odd or strange had occurred. When he asked what was next it would take some time for the man to answer. He sat in his chair, studying him, curiously. Then a low growl of thought would escape his lips as he opened one hand and a small ball of green fire appeared. Then he would speak of training, of improving upon his fire capabilities. That they could do so right away.

Then he would close that palm and snuff out the fire, opening the other where it seemed a miniature still of a group of bandits had formed. In it they were attacking a cart and Sero was offering to take him on a mission with him tomorrow to assess his current capabilities. The decision was left in Valen's hands and he was left pondering it. To train more, or go on a mission to assess his capabilities? He didn't even know his own capabilities. He knew he could use fire, but he'd never had a blade to practice what he was taught. So he didn't even know what he himself could do. He pondered it for a moment before opening his own palm and causing his own fire to appear. His wasn't green like Sero's, it was the normal colour of flames, red, orange, and yellow. The flame flickered in his hand almost like a candles flame, seeming vulnerable and weak. With that his red eyes would dart to Sero's blue up from the flickering fire as it vanished. "Training. I'll learn all I can first, then show what I can do." He would say simply. Sero had said they could start immediately but he obviously hadn't meant right here. So he would look to Sero for direction as to what to do, or where to go next.

The man would hold up his own smaller flame. The color normal. Sero would look to it without expression as he took note of it. He did not seem to judge it for its size. Simply observed it as it played off his blue eyes. This one would state he wished to train before he would prove himself. So Sero would nod before moving from behind the desk. He would walk to the door without a word. It seemed normal to him that the other would simply follow without being told to do so. They would exit the office and soon after the building. On the way out there several men would lift up their cups and chant in Unison "Death is our calling! Retribution is our cause! The Nightmare Brigade will punish the Lost!" It was a bit of a welcoming chant to a new soldier. They would all drink as Sero ignored them. He wasn't really the team building exercise kind of leader and they had come up with that particular bit on their own. Sero had no such chants established for his faction. They knew what they were about and didn't need to chant it as a reminder.

They would exit and go next door. Here there were men sparring. However there wasn't any slow and steady training. Men were going full pace as they clashed with wooden versions of their training weapons. Some wore pads but others did not. All of them were skilled fighters in their own right. The yard itself was large enough that Sero would pass them by to the Ninjutsu training yard. A couple of people were studying there with their particular elements. However as soon as Sero arrived they would seem startled. They would bow and quickly leave. They didn't wish to remain there if Sero was training any of his Ninjutsu. However that was not the case today. Instead he would step forward and stop nearby a line drawn in the sand. A safety line to keep anyone from walking into Ninjutsu firing lanes. Ahead of them was several straw targets with someone else's doton ninjutsu not yet fallen from the course. Creating a bit of an obstacle with earth spikes between them an the targets. C rank earth spikes but still a deterrent. Sero would look to them a moment before back to the young man.

"Today we will be focusing on amplifying what you already know. There are Ninjutsu specifically designed for this purpose. Enlarging and empowering your jutsu can often mean a great deal of difference in battle. However one of these jutsu attaches itself to a chakra nature and can not be undone once those bonds are made. It can not be transferred to another element either. If we train this technique you will need to be prepared to use katon as your primary element. Shall I proceed with a demonstration? For my demonstration however I will have to use my Kaguya bloodline as that is the element my focused amplification attached itself to."

When he gave his answer Sero would nod and begin to move from behind his desk. Valen would follow him as he passed, making his way out the door after Sero. When he exited the office however he was greeted by some of the men lifting their cups up and calling out a chant. This would cause Valen's eyes to widen in surprise, no one had ever done that before. At least not in a positive way. He had been involved in chants to help keep time while he rowed and such. However he had never had anything like this before. He nodded to them, unsure of what to do or say but wanting to acknowledge them somewhere and before long they would be outside. It was only after they were out of ear shot of everyone inside that Valen would speak to Sero. "What does retribution mean?" He would ask, his red eyes curious, it was a new word to him and he wanted to know. Besides if they were going to be chanting it at him he should at least know what it meant right?

When they entered the building next door Valen would see men sparring. He would watch, keeping track of movements as best he could. He could catch some of them and keep track of others but many were fast enough that he simply couldn't really tell anything beyond a blur. It all looked like full contact sparring, full speed, no holds barred. The only nod toward the fact that they were training was the training equipment instead of blades. The yard was large enough that both Sero and Valen passed by without any risked incident and they went into another yard. Here a couple of people seemed to be training with their elements and when they saw Sero they would seem startled and a bit nervous. They would bow and leave, being perfectly respectful but nonetheless nervous about practicing ninjutsu around him. Sero however would simply stand up to a line in the dirt, without crossing it. Then, looking down the course, at the spikes of earth before turning back toward Valen and beginning to speak to him regarding what he wanted to show him. Valen would listen intently, amplifying his fire techniques would certainly be an interesting trick and would allow him to increase his potency to some degree.

The drawback being that he could only augment his fire jutsu if he chose to do so was not really a drawback in his eyes. After all it wasn't like he often used others. So when Sero asked him if he should proceed with his demonstration, warning him that his demonstration would have to be with the Kaguya Clan techniques as that was what his amplifier was assigned to he would nod his head. Ready to watch what happened.

Sero would wait until they had stopped at the training grounds to answer the question over a word again. His cold blue eyes settling on the young man as he studied him. No expression of judgement or anything really. His blank eyes simply stared without blinking. Sero would take a moment before he seemed to glance at the target at the end of the row. Speaking to Valen without looking to him. He was picturing the target as one of the wicked. As a man who had kidnapped him and forced the beast into him. Who had risked his death simply for an experiment. "Retribution is the act of righteous vengeance. When the wicked stray too far we bring justice to them. We bring upon their heads retribution." He hated that man. He hated feeling weak. He hated being used and taken advantage of. Of not being able to fight back. He built power so he would be ready. When someone came for him he would not simply bleed and die. He would take their lives first. He would survive those who hated him. He would survive that man and his followers. He would survive Kitsuki....He would refuse death his fee.

Sero would turn to face the target fully. Speaking as he did. The area around them becoming so still as he gathered chakra. As if nature itself knew something sinister was beginning. The wind died off and the sounds of the men practicing behind them seemed to dull. As if distant and forgotten. A mere memory lost in the darkness of Sero's chakra. "The hand seals for the giant shuriken technique Are Tiger,rabbit and dog. The Amplification technique is simply snake. Add these to the end of any string of hand seals for a jutsu ranked B and under that you actually launch in some form. Envision your chakra adding to the technique. Growing it...amplifying it. Changing a technique that normally wouldn't be too dangerous into something formidable." The ground beneath Seros bare feet would crack and blacken as he focused his chakra. As if the dirt itself was dying simply from Sero stepping upon it as he prepared for battle. Sero would lift his hands and with B tier coordination his hands would fly through the signs. Dragon, Dog, Snake, Rat, Rabbit, Tiger, Rabbit, Dog, snake. As he finished he would form his hands into a triangle.

Sero would place the dummy inside of the triangle of his hands. Marking his target before suddenly kneeling down. Both palms slamming into the ground in front of him. The entire Arena would rumble as men had to stop fighting to stop from falling down. Sero had only done this particular technique once before but one could not possibly miss it. The ground in front of Sero would crack and erupt as a 50 meter long bone snake lined with 5 foot long bone blades would erupt forth. Rushing forward seemingly endlessly at B rank speed. Slamming through the doton jutsu remnants without so much as slowing. Somehow it seemed to roar. Perhaps it came from the bone construct or perhaps it was simply the sound of the wind passing along its massive form as it moved. The target would be wiped out entirely without a trace left before the snake reared back and lifted straight up into the sky as if it was flying. A pillar of power in the center of the clan compound. People would stare in shock and awe from all over the compound before the snake would stop at the height of its lift and burst. Sero releasing the jutsu as the bones fell apart and before they could fall would split apart into dust. As if like ash as it appeared to snow around them. The ashes fading before fully touching the ground. The other lanes left untouched but the lane Sero had used was utterly demolished.

Valen would wait patiently for the answer to his question. He wasn't the type to assume he had not been heard and constantly needed to ensure that the other individual was paying attention. After all shinobi were supposed to be aware of their surroundings right? Did that not also include listening to everything around you? So to assume that Sero had not heard him would have been just a tad bit ludicrous of the young man. When they arrived the taller male would inform him of what the word 'Retribution' meant in short order and the red eyed man would nod in understanding and contemplation as he added another word to his ever growing box. Shortly after that Sero would turn to face the target down the Ninjutsu line in full. As he did he began to lecture. Explaining the properties of two techniques. One of which was apparently meant to make shuriken or potentially other such projectiles larger. The second was the amplification jutsu he had explained before. With those two jutsu explained he would proceed to focus his chakra.

The ground beneath his feet cracked as power radiated from the man and he would begin to flash through hand seals at a pace that Valen couldn't visually keep up with very well. Clearly the dark haired man would need to work on his ability to track things visually if he were to be able to keep up with anyone. Still when he was done he would kneel down with both palms slamming into the ground. When this occurred a giant bone serpent would crack and tear its way out of the ground. It's scales were blades and the bone white snake seemed to roar as it traveled forward, tearing through the earthen spikes and obliterating the target dummy before angling upward and then dispersing into harmless ash. Valen would watch the spectacle quietly, as he was never one to be vocal. However his red eyes would widen at the display as he blinked curiously in wonder. He began to consider how long it make take him to be able to use a technique like that. However that would depend on his ability to do what he was taught already now wouldn't it? So without further ado. The shorter man would slip a hand into a shuriken pouch at his waist and throw it at another target before flashing through the Tiger, Rabbit, and Dog seals.

The shuriken immediately would enlarge midflight as the jutsu took effect. The spectacle wasn't anything like Sero's. Valen wasn't in that league yet, however it was a properly performed technique from everything he could think of and and the enlarged shuriken slammed into the target dummy and cut it clean in half before continuing on for a bit and dispersing down to it's regular size. Nodding to himself the young man would immediately begin another set of seals. Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger. However rather than stop on Tiger he would go one seal further and perform the Snake seal again and hold it as he took in a deep breath. The technique would drawn more chakra than it normally would and upon his exhalation down the field a great orb of fire would be launched down the training line. The orb ripped into the ground and tore a furrow into it as it traveled toward a training dummy before exploding violently. It was significantly more powerful than the one he had done before to execute those pirates. With that done the young man would turn toward Sero and tilt his head to the side. Neither jutsu equaled up to what the man had used. That strange bone serpent had destroyed everything in it's path. Granted his fireball had too, however the serpent had been much more impressive. After studying the man silently for a moment the young man's quiet voice would come out. "What's next, Sero-sama?" He would ask, the term easily coming to his lips given his past.

Jutsu Learned:

Sero would watch in silence. First the young man would form the hand seals and chuck an actual shuriken as the technique was intended. The weapon would launch forward but not quickly. It was slow but very large and as such highly dangerous to anyone caught in its path. In due time it would be more formidable but they would need to build up his strength first. The massive weapon would slice the training dummy in half all the same proving the techniques effectiveness at least. Next up was the amplification. The same fireball technique from before was performed in the same flawless manner but this time the amplification technique would take effect. The now considerably more powerful fireball would crash along leaving a burnt trench in its wake as heat rose from the training grounds smoldering lanes remains. It had effectively wiped out to the same degree of power as the bone snake but simply not nearly on the same scale as far as size. Still he would look at the aftermath quietly before glancing back to the young Valen. He was a quick learner and effectively lethal. So Sero wished to test him further. To see his limitations.

"You pick up new techniques quickly. We have scrolls for the world's more common jutsu available within the barracks library. I encourage you to learn what you wish to from them when you can. Consider how certain techniques can be combined as well. Most people deal with a fireball as an energy based attack. If you hide a physical attack within it the technique becomes lethal if they don't detect it in time. Simple water jutsu may not entirely stop a giant shuriken hidden in a fireball. Let us move on to another of your talents."

Sero would turn and walk away from the ninjutsu training lanes. Back the way they had come. The men training with swords had taken a break when the jutsu lanes began being utilized for more intense jutsu than usual. Most of the men here were genin. Some of them chunnin at best. They were more skilled with weapons than jutsu so the sight of something so destructive and massive had been distracting. Now they would watch with curious eyes as Sero would approach a widely unused space. A sand box with sandbags in a circle around it. It was an enclosed space forcing two fighters to have a five meter diameter circle to work within. The way one typically won a spar there was pushing the other outside of the box. Sero would step within the circle and move to the far side of it before turning to face Valen. As he turned he would hold out his right hand. A long katana shaped bone would emerge from his palm before he would toss the blunt weapon to Valen. Before repeating the process and holding one himself in his right hand. Neither sword having a guard or an edge. His grip on the end of the bone weapon was decidedly amateurish.

"This will be a difficult task for you. While I am not experienced with a blade I will be your opponent for now. The others here will assess your skill and become your training partners in the future. Come at me with all the skill you have gathered until now. If you fail to push me out of this circle within two minutes or are forced from the circle the assessment of your close combat capabilities will end. Begin."

Turning his head toward Sero, Valen would listen intently. He was apparently satisfactory in the ninjutsu department. At least for the moment. He would obviously have to progress, but frankly he had never been as drawn to ninjutsu as he had been toward other things. He learned it because it was expected of him and it was useful. He would probably pick it up eventually but for the moment he was content with his current skill level and didn't really need to be able to use stronger techniques. At least not in his eyes. No, what he was really drawn to was the sword. When Sero told him that they would be moving on to test his other talents the young man would follow up to a practice ring. A circle in the sand demarking the area in which one was able to fight. He was never particularly gifted with words, however numbers and such things he seemed to have an innate ability in. For example he could tell at a glance that the circle was exactly five meters across. Enough for two people to fight, although if larger weapons got involved they might become too close together. What word was that? To be enclosed into a tight space with someone? Confined? Intimate? Intimate, it was that one. The ring would become too 'intimate' if weapons too large got involved.

Still the idea of testing his swordplay appealed to him and one could see this by the small, very small, smile on his features at the prospect. It was very little more than a slight upturning of the corners of his mouth. But it was a smile nonetheless. Still, it would be the first one he had shown in days. His mind went back to the first time he had ever held a sword. It had been during his enslavement. It was an accident, but he remembered it clearly. The cloying scent of blood in the cabin below decks. The sweet, metallic scent of blood laced with. The deafening sound of cannons and the heart pounding splintering of wood as cannons fired and cannon balls blasted through hulls. The rowers were all chained beneath the ship, on benched with their long oars in hand. They had been pulled in now, to prevent them from being shorn off by the impact of the other ship. Slaves were expected to reextend the oar back out and try to knock out the other ships rowers. It reduced maneuverability when the ships parted and the oars came back out. An enemy pirate had come down with the idea to free the slaves so they could potentially have an attack from above and below. He had slipped in during the bloody battle, killed their foreman and freed them.

Valen was the first slave he had come to, he had been there longest. Had been working hardest. The captain was his master after all, his owner. So the boy worked hard, and his effort was rewarded. He was the first out of the deck, and the last on it. As the first of his row the work he had to do to row was less than the other two, although still considerable. He was given slightly better portions of food, although he was still malnourished to a severe degree. Still, it was as it should be. He was a slave after all. So when the enemy pirate unlocked his manacles, Valen acted fast. The manacles themselves served as a solid weapon and he swung them viciously at the man, striking him hard upside the head as the man's hands were busy with the next slaves manacle. The pirate crumpled like a sack of grain and Valen took the blade at the man's side. He stared at it for a time, feeling the grip in his hand, the weight of it and it felt right. Looking up toward the stairs, Valen felt the draw to help in the battle. He knew the ships crew by sight. So he ran up the stairs and joined.

He was a natural with the weapon.

He moved like a coiled viper, unconsciously moving well with the weapon. He blocked, parried, and redirected blows, with his own slashes, cuts, and thrusts aiming to kill. He fought hard, although eventually their ships crew had been defeated. They had been outnumbered by the larger ship and they were too far behind for one freed slave with a sword to turn the tide, no matter how talented he was. He was of course taken as the slave of the other ship. Rebranded, whipped severely for killing the man's men, and put in the very back of the rowing deck of the ship that had attacked them. That position was frequently whipped as an example to others, at times was forgotten to be fed, and in general was considered the worst one in every way. That didn't bother Valen though.

After all, the captain was his master.

He had held a blade since the of course. His caretaker has seen to it that he had properly learned a basic style and he taught him how to ignite his blade in fire with his chakra nature. He rather enjoyed fighting with the weapons and it was where he felt his draw toward. It was what he wanted to focus on. He had a natural gift he was told, and that it was good that he wanted to make use of it as it meant it would not go to waste. So when Sero handed him a training sword, expelled from the man's body. He took it gladly and felt the weight of it. It had a solid weight to it and felt strong and sturdy. It was blunted of course, as was proper for a training weapon. Sero told him the rules of the engagement and Valen fell into his stance. When Sero told him that he would fail if he was pushed out of the arena, or failed to push Sero out of the arena within two minutes. The moment the man said begin Valen's sword would ignite in fire, the flames licking up the blade as the young man moved, his training with his caretaker taking over. 'Be vicious, and unrelenting.' The old man had said, which was why the first thing Valen did was kicked sand up toward Sero's head, the grainy substance potentially getting caught in eyes, mouth, and nose and causing disruption. The he would swing. The fire cracked and hissed as the blade swung through the air at his maximum speed, a backhand strike that had the purpose of forcing Sero on the defensive, letting Valen set the pace of the battle. The swing was wide, purposefully, and if the man blocked it he would find Valen stronger than his size would make one seem. His years rowing ships coming into play. If the blade was blocked Valen would aim to either push the interlocked blades so that the tip of his was aligned with Sero before thrusting toward the man. Intent on making him step back and toward the end of the ring.

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Stuff:

Sero would watch valen as he caught the weapon. Slipping into a stance with it with ease. As if it was an extension of himself. Sero would glance at his own as he held it in one hand. Tilting his head. He had never had to hold a weapon before. He had always used his power and wiped out most of his enemies before they could touch him. He would give his practice sword a couple of flicks through the air to get a feel for it. It felt so foreign to him but this would be a learning experience. He felt the weight of it and didn't really feel right in his hands. Still the sudden flare of fire from his sparring partners weapon would draw his cold gaze to the fire. Now that was dangerous. Some of the men gathered nearby would stop to watch as now this was a show. It was a common technique but for someone to pull out an elemental attack during a sparring practice was surprising. Especially against their commander who they had never seen spar before. There were nervous glances and whispers. However Sero would raise his weapon up across himself from his waist to his opposing shoulder. It covered the most of his body that way.

The stance wasn't practiced but it was sturdy. Still he would frown as Valen would move first. The attempt to knock sand into his face was clear as day. For Sero the sand itself and the charge was slow. He would duck under it as the sand sailed overhead. However it was mostly a distraction which became readily apparent. The strike with the flaming sword was much faster than the charge or the sand attack. Sero could see it coming but he was barely fast enough to bring his own sword up in time. The two weapons would clash and Sero would be surprised once again. He had not expected such physical strength from his opponent. He immediately switched to two hands with one hand holding the back of the top of the blade in his own hand. The fire licking at his hand as it caused him pain just from being too close. Still he was being pushed back. In a contest of physical strength he could not keep up. Not without channeling something else he did not wish to. So if he couldn't keep up in strength....

Suddenly all the resistance against Valen would fade and Sero would turn to liquid at B rank speed and rapidly slide between his feet in liquid form at a consistent B rank speed.  Moving out of reach before reforming on the other side of the ring. It had only been a few seconds. Yet he would glance to his burned hand as the skin slowly faded back to normal. He was regenerating. His cold eyes would shift to Valen before nodding slightly in approval. As if impressed.

"I am not much of a physical fighter myself. Your attacks are fast and there is power and skill behind them. Yet your technique includes trickery. Unfortunately this swordplay is not my forte. Allow me to demonstrate my own skill though. "

Sero was not a master of the blade. However He would form a single one handed seal. He didn't expect Valen to just let him do as he wished so he would prepare to slam his own sword to the side of Valens. Not to engage but to simply delay. Instead his one handed seal would open and a hand would appear in his palm. Opening forth as he directed the jutsu at the ground between them. If he pointed it directly at Valen he knew he would be sending the boy to the hospital and he did not intend that. Instead he would use it to wipe out the arena and force Valen to simply be washed away some distance if he succeeded. Mixing close quarters combat with rapid ninjutsu. He had chosen this technique because of how quickly he could pull it off after all.

Jutsu used:

As the sand flew threw the air the blue haired man would duck under it, managing to keep it out of his eyes and temporarily blinding him. However Valen's usage of the fire technique would draw Sero's gaze to the blade. Apparently that was something the man hadn't expected. However fire tended to make for a good way to push someone back. No one, absolutely no one, wanted to be enflamed and thus being able to utilize the threat of fire was always a useful tool in ones pouch. Especially when the goal of the practice was to attempt to push their opponent out of an enclosed space. Members of the brigade began to whisper and mutter amongst themselves but Valen paid them no heed. They weren't important at the moment. All that mattered was the fight. When he moved to swing, using the failed attempt to blind the man with sand as a distraction, Sero would block it, barely. Valen's eyes would widen in a brief moment of surprise. He had not expected to be physically stronger than the taller man but there Sero was, needing to use a second hand to brace the back of his 'blade' against the attack and still being pushed back.

However suddenly, every single bit of resistance would disappear and Valen would barely catch himself before he flung himself out of the ring due to the force of his own blow. Looking down to see a puddle of water of all things moving across to the other side at a rapid pace he would tilt his head in confusion. 'What in the?...' He would think to himself as the man reformed from the water. He hadn't seen that happen before, did not know Sero could turn himself into water. Still, apparently he had surprised the man enough to warrant an approving nod. The man would begin to speak and Valen would be tempted to begin to move to assault the man as he spoke. Generally on the ships anyone he saw speak was attacked as they did, usually to horrific effect. However things seemed to be a bit different here. It might be rude to interrupt, besides, this was not a fight to the death. Or even for a specific goal, it was only a test. Therefore it only made sense to let the man finish speaking. He might ask him to show something else.

Of course that turned out to not be the case as he told him to allow him to show him a demonstration as well before forming a single seal and spitting out an absolute ton of water. The pressure and force of the stream was blasted mainly at the ground between them but the shear amount of the liquid would scatter. Brigade members would move back, a good number getting out of the way before the tidal force struck them but some not quite being so fast. Of course since the main force of the technique was aimed at the ground it wouldn't really hurt anyone but it would knock them ass over tea kettle. Of course that also included Valen, who was supposed to not let himself fall out of the ring. Yeah, that didn't look like it was happening. As the wave struck him he would swept off his feet. He would try to brace in the sand but he didn't have enough strength yet to do so and so he would find himself thrown back, his back hitting a wall. It wasn't overly hard and his head in particular didn't impact it at a bad angle. When the jutsu finished he would drop, the pressure of the water no longer holding him up against the wall. His hair was soaked of course and he shook it out to prevent it from falling into his eyes. He'd managed to keep hold of the weapon but that was it.

Turning to the man who just spat enough water to fill a pond Valen would blink before shrugging. "I suppose I lose then." He would say simply, before sticking the bone weapon in the ground. Afterwards he would reach down, balancing on one foot and take off his boot and tip it over. Water had of course gotten inside of them and the water drained out of the boot before emptying and then Valen would do the same with the other foot after putting the first one back on. Then he would take the bone weapon back up and move over to Sero. "So what next?" He would ask when he got closer. He hadn't actually expected to win of course. That would be reaching too far. However he'd wanted to show off more with his kenjutsu. That was neither here nor there though. He could always come back and train whenever he wanted now. Valen himself wasn't surprised by the usage of the water technique. The man had used more dangerous looking jutsu before and he had turned himself into water prior. As such, Valen was simply ready to continue with whatever was next. Neither letting his defeat, nor his inability to do such high level techniques himself yet get to him.

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