Sand under ones foot

Adam would walk through the gates towards the training area with slow, unmotivated steps. After all, he didn't really have that much of a reason to train. There was no threat, nothing he needed to overcome to be stronger, nothing to be gained from it after all. Maybe besides shutting Legion, the AI in his head that had been bothering him for the better part of a week now, up. Legion, while certainly giving a valid point, wasn't too happy with their statistics. While Adam was unusually resilient, Legion pushed for more. While Adam was as fast as any normal human, Legion insisted that they were better than that, had more potential, and needed to reach it accordingly. Much to the dislike of Adam, naturally.

"Are you happy now?"
"With what are should we be particularly happy, adam?"
"Dragging me out here to do this?"
"Making us better? I think it should be standard for us, not something to be happy about, but meat-bag emotions are strange to us anyways."
"Well, newsflash... it isnt natural for us."

There was a bit of a silence between the to until Legion spoke up again with a single:

"So you expect to defend your friend like that? Like we are now?"

Stopping dead in his track, Adams's thoughts raced with all the speed a raging alcoholic could muster, only to realize, after roughly a second or so, that he was right. He was in a foreign land. If he wanted to keep her safe he needed to be strong enough. Shaking his head slightly, he would continue his steps through the training area, not replying. Luckily Legion either wasn't pushy in such a sensitive regard or was pleased with the result his example had.

Adam would not have stopped in his tracks long before there was a sound of some group of things approaching. Mere moments before a murder of screaming crows would surge from the treeline. The canopy dumping them into the sky in mass as it threatened to blot out the sun before they fled south. Soon after an assortment of forest animals from deer to rabbits to squirrels burst free from the forest and in mass and panic rushed south as well. All of them fleeing something in the direction Adam was heading. Something that had terrified everything living in the area to the point of sheer madness of needing to escape. Even from where he stood he would begin to feel something sinister beyond those trees...further down the path.

If he moved closer to the training grounds the already cloudy day would begin to grow dimmer. A light sprinkle falling from above as a thin fog filled the forest around him. Wisps of it trailing along the path but not encasing it. Ahead soon he would hear the assorted grunts of training. Along with the smell of burning wood. If he progressed he would finally see what had caused the effect. As well as feel a pressure set upon him. The pressure would arrive first. Like something was with him in those woods. Watching and waiting for him to be vulnerable. Hunting him. Despite however much he might look around it was always just out of sight. Waiting and watching vigilantly.

The training grounds themselves however had three individuals. Two of them were clearly shinobi of the mist. Wearing blue shinobi pants and long sleeved shirts with katana and headbands on. As well as chunnin flak jackets. Both armed with Tanto. These two had heard the commander of the Nightmare Brigade was still a genin and wanted to put a lord of two clans in his place. After all most of the village feared him so they needed to show no genin could match up to real shinobi. Especially chunnin. So they had challenged him. However they had been ill prepared. The training grounds looked like a war zone. Entire sections of it were burning in an emerald blaze with smoke rising up and sizzling against the rain. Both chunnin looked exhausted as they stood on either side of Sero himself. Some minor burns on their person and a couple of cuts here and there.

Sero on the other hand stood comfortable in between them. Not a mark on him or his white robes. The whites of his eyes had long ago turned black and the blue in them shined with power. A purple katana sat sheathed on his left waist. He had no need to go that far just yet. But upon laying eyes on him it was clear that pressure of being hunted...it emanated passively from Sero. However emerged from his back were four long liquid tentacles with barbed bone hooks lining the length of them. It was clear that these tails were keeping the two at bay. While his hands were folded in his sleeves and hidden there from view. Keeping his hand signs hidden. Unlike the two chunnin who had foolishly challenged him based on rank he did not seem winded at all. Stoic and unblinking he awaited their next attempt...and their next lesson in pain.

However the two chunnin would spit on the ground and sheath their weapons before one flipped Sero off. The two retreating back to the village to see to their wounds as they had realized they were no match. Only after they were gone would the flames smolder out and the four tails seem to suck back into Seros body. Leaving him standing in a smoldering battleground alone. Unamazed by the attempt and if anything mildly impatient.

Adam would come just at the right time to see 2 burnt and battered chunin giving someone else - something else- the middle finger before making their retreat. Laying his head to the side, he would catch something along the lines of "...fucking idiot..", however, he wasn't too sure if it was directed at their opponent or him. Looking after them for a while as they ran off, back to where they once came from, likely at least, Adam would take his time before looking back at the only person left standing inside the small battlefield the people there had made. Seeing some kind of reddish and transparent tails retract into the young man, Adam would do the only right thing is this situation. Stopping dead in his tracks, his hand would fly inside of his trenchcoat, bringing forth his trusty metallic flask of booze. Uncorking it and taking a large sip, he would keep the smokey-flavored drink in his mouth for e few seconds, before he let it slowly rinse down his throat. After all, seeing this he either had been drinking too much or not enough at this time of the day already.

"Legion. You are seeing the same thing i am seeing"
"Indeed we are, Adam... It appears to be hot."
"Note to myself then... dont touch that thing."
"I recon its less of a question wheter you like to touch it, or it likes to touch us, i am afraid."
"Well... if everything else fails we can fly away maybe... what is that thing though?"
"It appears to be a human male. Around our appearances age, i reckon."
"The hot stuff i mean."
"We dont know. We only know what you know."

Shaking his head slightly, Adam would sigh and store the bottle in his trenchcoat again before he went closer, his hands hidden away in his pockets again. As he finally was about 5 meters away from the other man, he tried to play off the thing he just saw and simply asked: "Hey there... you don't uh... happen to know where someone could train here a little bit? Besides walking around the place i mean."

Sero would pause as he was spoken to. A stranger approaching him with the smell of alcohol on his person. It hung prevalent in the air around them despite the smoldering fires. Sero would lift a hand and let it fall and all the fires and embers would cease at his behest. As if responding to his wish. Cold blue eyes would take in the man who seemed lost if nothing else. He held no sense of fear about himself despite being so close to Sero and the horror that was his aura. He even stepped casually within the range of the fear aura without a hint of being effected by it. An odd man to say the least but from the question...a foreigner. Was he simply confident in himself or lacking self preservation skills? The moment the man would of stepped within ten meters it would of been an almost oppressive difference for him. Like there was something massive and starving just out of sight. Watching him...hunting him. Yet all he did was simply take a drink and ask a casual question. Perhaps where he was from this was an every day sensation? Did he live in some dangerous war torn place?

Still Sero would turn slowly to face the man. Graceful in nature but beyond that he didn't seem to step with his bare feet more than he almost seemed to glide as he turned. Like some spirit facing him. Some terrible yet great spirit. His hands would remain folded in his sleeves as he patiently listened before speaking in reply. His voice monotone and his expression blank. Never changing...and never blinking. The blue in his hair and eyes in stark contrast to the pale white of his skin and the black where the whites of his eyes should be.

"This is the Kirigakure training grounds stranger. Here is the designated area to train as you may see fit. That said it is strange to see a foreigner these days. What brings you here...what's more is what kind of strength do you wish to gain by training here?"

There was patience there but those eyes simply demanded answers. Cold and calculating. It was evident simply by being in Seros presence that he would tolerate no lies. He would settle for no half truths. Here in this moment this was his territory this man had blindly stumbled into and here he was in power. Still despite his hands being hidden he made no evident moves of offense.

Adam hadnt noticed it at first, but coming closer to the man that seemed to have fended off, no, dominated the two chunin earlier, he began to feel something weird. Shaking his head slightly, he frowned. Had his alcohol gone bad while traveling? This would be a serious drag, not to mention a hard hit to his finances, seeing how much he booze he had taken with him, and how much Ryo he sepnt on it in return.

Legion knew better however. Legion knew that it was something about the stranger in the field. Some kind of aura that seemed... hungry... . Regardless, for now it didnt seem too be too big of a matter. After all, he should have no reason to be against him. And with their way of flying, they should be out of ways harm easily.

Adam, answering Sero now, Adam would give a slim smile as he said: "Well... i am here because someone dragged me out here to uh... well... "get better" they said. Though you wouldnt know him i am sure."

Meanwhile, there would another conversation ensure within his mind:
"Be careful around this one."
"Yeah, i saw the things he did. Last time you did the same to me wasnt too pleasant. I remember that very well."
"This time its different. Even with my abilities, it would take a lot of stupidity on his part, or briliant show of strength from us and a huge portion of luck to come out of it unscathed."
"You dont trust in my abilities? This hits me really "deep"."

After pausing for a few seconds, Adam would shrug disarmingly and then ask Sero: "What can one do around here even? Like... do you people have training targets or... a running course or..." Pausing yet another time, Adam would take another sip from his trusty bottle once more, his face making a bothered look again as he brought out: "Sage tell me what this terrible taste is now..."

Sero would quietly observe the man. His glowing blue eyes taking him in. He did not feel threatened by this man and could smell the alcohol when he opened that flask. Was it perhaps his fighting style? Bloodlines through out the world were many in number. It was unlikely he could name them all. There were rumors of drunken fighters in other countries. A form of martial arts. It was said their movements were unpredictable and actually catching one of them proved difficult. If this was the case for this man he would need to be cautious about allowing him much closer. However this was a respectable distance for a conversation. Still it was unique that he didn't sense fear from this man. He must be hiding something.

He would answer Sero however. Speaking to him plainly. Perhaps this was the way of his people. Cold blue eyes never seemed to blink as they continued to study the man. However a rare frown would appear on Seros expression for the reasoning. He would have expected such an answer from a child. Yet to hear it from an adult. He wondered if the man held any goals at all. That he had to be persuaded to gain strength meant a great deal. Sero could not help but to shake his head and mutter to himself audibly.

"Such weak reasoning...."

Still he would return his attention to the man before him. Sero didn't know what kind of strength the man sought if any at all. The lack of ambition certainly set him apart here in kirigakure. Here monsters were raised to serve a higher purpose. Sero raising a few of them himself until Kirigakure was a kingdom one did not easily mess with. Such was the way of things. Still Sero would listen to the mans next question and with that he would glance to the ruins of the expansive training grounds. Choosing his words as his cold blue gaze returned to Adam. Still never seeming to blink.

"That depends on the level of strength you wish to achieve. Children will often race through a course or attack targets with jutsu and weapons. However that kind of activity will only gain you so much before you stop seeing results. More often than not people find others of similar strength and fight them here. If they gauge the strength correctly both parties emerge stronger...if not perhaps only one emerges. Stronger for it. But without reason to gain strength often there is a lack of will. As for myself...I am late to introductions. I am Jaakuna Sero. Genin of the mist. I would have your name sir."

Adam would stand still under the other man stare, blinking whenever necessary as there was quietness between them. Strangely, even Legion seemed to be quiet for once, seemingly waiting for the stranger's answer to their open reasoning. When it finally came Adam shrugged slightly as he said: "I agree. After all, for the things i am doing as of now, i should be strong enough i guess.", before he would give his statement to the other man's explanation.

"Well... i am no child, though racing isnt my style either... As far as fighting goes... i think you did something wrong if only one emerges from a spar and the other one doesn't. After all, where is the benefit of one being slightly stronger while the other one is dead." Pausing for a few seconds he would muster the other person. What was their primary drive? Was it honor? Was it greed? or was it something else entirely? Not too sure about this fact, he would add to his earlier sentence: "Even more so... where the honor to fight an opponent that is so much weaker that they die in a spar?"

The other part of Sero's speech was strange, however. Without reason, there was a lack of will. True to some extend he would say. Bringing this fact into words, he would begin once more: "I guess so... i can't really make and secret out of the fact that coming here wasn't my idea in the first place so... beats me. However... my name is Adam Jensen... i am kinda visiting here. Making a holiday, you see?"

Training too hard didn't make sense for him. After all, there hadn't been a propper, long-drawn war for quite some time, and even if there was, Adam was sure that there wouldn't be one for quite some time anyways.

Sero would glance off in the direction of the two chunnin who had just fought him and attempted to do him great harm....only to find they were no match for him. He had spared them of course but they were much weaker than he was. He could have wiped them in a matter of seconds as nothing more than charred marks on the training grounds. He had no interest in murdering other shinobi of the mist even if they were attempting to do so to him. It would be like a lion choosing to crush ants under foot because they irritated him. However should they attempt to break the law and murder him directly instead of in a spar...he would not be so merciful. He would turn them to ash and report their folly to the village himself. They wouldn't be the first nor would they be the last. Still his cold black and blue eyes would shift back to Adam. Watching and measuring. Like a predator might to a prey it was not hungry for just yet. The battle a moment ago had hardly taken much out of him but this person was an unknown. Nor was he the type that Sero enjoyed training. He had no drive.

"Often it is not myself who chooses my fights. Surely you can sense my presence. Everyone can. It frightens many and fear leads to foolishness. If they attempt to murder me despite being so weak....I do not tolerate it. Sometimes they use the guise of a spar and I attempt to restrain my abilities....yet it is often the weak who choose to ...whats the phrase.....fuck around and find out. Regardless Mister Jensen I should welcome you to Kiri. I would ask where it is you travel from of course if you please. After that...if you are confident I will step in as a sparring partner for you. I will warn you though despite being ranked as a genin here...I am one of the top five strongest in the nation. Please do not underestimate me."

Adam would listen in to Seros explainations and finally react to it with a shrugh as he answered: "Well, so in fact its you and not my alcohol. I guess that certainly is better then my aclohol being contamined or something. Though, regardless of your uncanny affection to find enemies, i am thankful of your introducion to how things are being handled around these parts of the world. While i cant say that i have the desire to spar with you, i think i should get my training going, or someone will be rather upset about me not having done that."

Pausing for a few seconds he would finally add: "Though, i am sure you are within the strongest of your nation. After all, the devastation you have caused around here is quite... severe. As suck i recon it would be rather foolish from me to invite you to a spar, after all i plan on walking away from this with a bottles intact. For now, i fear i have to bid you farewell though."

With that, Adam would turn around and continue his path deeper into the trainings area until he had reached a distance where he felt comfortable with, beginning his training.

exit 40 exp