The monster of the ruins

It was said the Kaguya had been the strongest. The Hozuki had more of a mind for business but the true power and fear was of the bone wielders. Men and women more difficult to put down than the average soldier. Their bodies regenerating not just from what harm others could bring to them....but from the travesty they would put their own flesh through. Shaping their bones as horrifying weapons and leaving bodies skewered in their wake. To let a Kaguya close was to invite harm. Once they had led the village with one of their own as Kage. Their might had been indisputable. Yet with their most recent clan leader...they had fled the castle. Their powerful fortress had been abandoned over one man. One man who was half their blood and half Hozuki. The Nightmare that haunted the wicked and consumed their blood in penance. The commander of the anbu division called the nightmare brigade. A being who had spread such a ledger in red that few would even train under him now. Aside from those strong enough to join his brigade. Some whispered he was the hand of the devil himself. Few even willingly spoke his name without spitting after.

Lord Jaakuna Sero.

It was commonly known he resided at the Kaguya sovereign palace ruins. What had once been a pristine fortress with armed guards and the highest ranking members of the clan now lay in ruins. Those who had come before to do battle with Sero had found it....and in their turmoil time and time again he had torn them asunder. Consuming them and being on his way. Of this fate only a few had walked away. His student Blitz having limped away after their battle took half the castle. The grounds dirt was infused with ash and water enriching it as the burnt trees decorated it. Barren like outstretched claws. Yet the ground was coated in a sea of puddles and spider lilies. Between the edge of the blackened space where the woods began was a wave of red and blue. Cascading all the way up to the ruins. Half the castle torn apart and laying in shattered pieces of broken bone. The water dripping down off it from the moisture. Inside mold grew over burnt bone pillars in a long hall just passed the first ruined wall. There was no ceiling here as it seemed to have been ripped away. Water ran down one wall like a waterfall into deep cuts in the bone floor. At the end of the hall the wall was cracked with old blood long since stained where Blitz had hit it. 

What else was odd about this place was despite the sounds of old crumbling ruins and flowing waterfalls there was no other sound. Not one bird squawked or rat squeaked. No chittering of bugs or howling of wolves. Nature itself seemed to avoid this place. As soon as one would step foot across the boundary at the edge of the spider lilies they would understand why. A terror would grip them. As if they could feel there was something within those ruins. A beast that awaited them with hunger and malice being its only fathomable reasons for being. There was a beast within....Deep inside the ruins sat Sero on his throne. He had adopted black robes and had received his katana from Blitz once more. The brazers around the room burned in a dark purple flame as his hand held the sword at his side. His back stiff as his eyes would shift. His free hand on his lap as he sat barefoot in his rightful place. A being to rival the Kage. Awaiting those either foolish, brave, or both to come to his world.

The door would respond to the knock by crumbling away. As if that was the last bit it could hold onto. The simple touch of a knuckle withering its last vestige of life. It would collapse into a pile of wood chunks and dust. However his call would meet empty halls for a moment. The water dripping and his own echo was at first the only thing he would hear. Then somewhere deep within the darkness there would be a whisper and a distant giggle. A wisp of movement in the distance heading further in. Like a pale child in dark clothes fading out of sight. An illusion perhaps? His chakra wasn't infected or touched but it seemed so livid that something had been there. His own words seemed to be whispered back at him longer than echoes usually may happen. Almost mockingly as the hall with no ceiling seemed to stretch on with almost unnatural shadows. Stretching out to him like claws ready to pull him deeper within. This place resonated death and decay. Then as soon as the response to the sound of his voice was there it was all gone again. As if the mention of Burritsu was enough to quell it all.

From the left and the right torches would seem to light one at a time despite how damp the topless hall was. A strange purple fire lighting ablaze as it cast a dim purple glow across the floor. Flickering across puddles of water in their reflection. Slowly lighting one by one torches would lead the way further in. If he looked into the puddles he would see only out of the corner of his eyes faceless people watching him. If he tried to look at them directly they would be gone. As if they were never there. Still if Hisha progressed further in the torches behind him would extinguish. Leaving only the dim light of day and the deep shadows behind him. The empty doorway looking more and more like a portal back to sanity. Still they would lead the way to another door. This one still intact and made of bone. A pearl white door almost hot to the touch. It would open if Hisha drew close to it. Revealing the inner throne room of the ancient castle. Unlike outside it was mostly intact. If not singed black from some old fire that had crossed its boundary. Its warmth still seemed to radiate. 

Still the braziers hanging from the ceiling in rows would light a deep purple fire rapidly down one way and then up the other. The walkway leading up to the throne with chairs lining the sides on risen levels. As if once upon a time this used to be a room where a lord was given council. No water touched here and yet there sat a man in black with his sword sheathed in his right hand. Glowing purple eyes would take in his visitor as he tilted his head. It was abundantly clear that the sensation of death came solely from this being. Even from across the throne room it was obvious that he was something other than human. Still Sero would speak in a monotone. Taking in the appearance of the other. 

"You say Burritsu sent you? Tell me.....do you know who I am child? Or why you have come here? Some claim being within these walls risks your very soul. I do hope for your sake you have not also come to claim my life." 

Still Sero would rise from his throne. The purple burning braziers would shift into an inferno with almost laughing flames. Shifting slightly left and right as if they may threaten to spill each moment as a hot breeze shifted through the room. Sero would step down as his bare feet met stone. Steam rising from the difference of the freezing cold stone beneath his feet. The depth of winter meaning little to him as he walked forward. The heat clearly rising from him as he seemed to almost glide along. The shadows in the room seemed to stretch and dance against the purple flames as he approached Hisha. The sensation of a beast instead of a man growing. He was not human. He could not be. Nor any beast that had ever walked this world before him. A devil. It was the only word that fit him. When the Bijuu had fled from him it had further proved he was something more. Something dangerous even to those demons. Even to the demon sealed within him. Still he would stop a few meters from Hisha. Standing with katana sheathed in his hand at his side. 

His other hand free if he needed it. Pale with black claws instead of nails. The veins on the back of his hands standing out as darker than the blue that one may be used to. Almost black against his moonlight pale skin. His purple eyes seemed to burn with power as the shadows seemed to cloak his face besides those eyes.  Sero would inhale slowly through his nose. Taking in the scent of the boy now as if he could never hide from him again. Before speaking once more. 

"Fear has a scent....you humans all have a unique scent to you but fear almost always smells the same. Yet I can smell upon you a difference. Most do not succeed at my training or choose another path. Few still yet stand here today as Burritsu does. I trained him because there was something else to his scent....as there is to yours. Both the Jounin commander and the Mizukage shared this trait with you....your fear does not smell like prey...but of a predator meeting another predator. The first lesson I teach is to kill....to experience death or taking a life. Tell me Hisha....have you seen a soul leave a persons' eyes before?" 

Sero would step forward. A phantom as he seemed to almost glide. Each step would leave a red burned mark on the bone floor where it was heated under his foot. The temperature picking up. Those purple glowing eyes only shifting as the mirage of his inner thoughts would seem to materialize. Brazen in nature it would speak foolishly to Sero. Speaking with venom of another of Sero's pupils. And yet the main body would seem oblivious to this. This was not the first he had seen of alternate personalities and such showing themselves near him. Often he had been the cause of the birth of these twisted personalities. Yet he doubted he was the cause this time. Monster though he may be not all monsters in this world spawned from his darkness. He would step up as his eyes seemed to only settle calmly on the illusion for now. Brazen as it may be he could sense it was no actual threat to him. The shadows of the room seemed to stretch out for it. Hungry for this intangible thing that offended their master. Shadows stretching out from Sero as he stepped forward. Swallowing the red glow of his steps as he stood before the boy now.

He would let the boy finish speaking. Only once he had finished gawking at the idea of death would Sero's left hand snatch out at him. The one not holding the sword as he attempted to grip him by the face. His hand tight around the young mans jaw. However it was not strength beyond man. Physical blows and taijutsu meant so little to Sero. Still he would watch the illusion. Seeing how it reacted to the host being threatened. If they were aware of each other and playing mind games....or if it was a one way street instinctively used. Or if neither was aware of the other. Still Sero would turn his gaze to Meet Hishas eyes slowly. His skin however pale was hot to the touch and those black claws threatened to flay the skin if he moved to quickly. Yet sero would attempt to turn the young mans head one way and then the other before releasing him. A whisper of a laughter would seem to echo from the edges of the room. The purple flames in the Braziers would flare and those too would stop. Only then would Sero speak again. 

"You utilize Genjutsu. I have had those like you serve me before. However I do not think you are conscious of your illusion. It's words offend me and that is not a wise thing to do. You are too weak human to speak in such a manner as your....mind does to me. You will learn to control this...or you will find only suffering within my halls. However if you haven't the stomach for it...you may leave now....for the first lesson I teach is the value of being prepared. To experience taking a life while there is still a safeguard for you. Make no mistake human....you are a soldier now to this nation and you will face off against death one day. Element....weapons...your mind, all of it is to be utilized if you are to survive. So Hisha....flee....or become the one who remains after the battle is done."

Sero would listen to this boy before him. Wondering if he was being treated the fool. The illusion before him. However harmless it seemed to be it betrayed the inner thoughts of the physical being. Who otherwise seemed unaware of it. Unfortunate as it may be for him. However endangering the host didn't seem to bother it. If nothing else Sero may have assumed the mans chakra was attempting to betray him. Perhaps it wasn't a reflection of Hisha's inner thoughts at all. Instead it was something meant to rile the observer. Was it possible that this ones chakra or mind was actively working to cause him harm? Or was it to unsettle the enemy. If one altered the reality of a situation for another. Showing them a different perspective of a situation with fear or anger than the way they reacted would differ. Often becoming less rational and more predictable. However it did not seem to pick its enemies well in any case. Sero would note that Hisha wondered how he knew such a thing as them being a genjutsu specialist was almost laughable. There was an expenditure of chakra so the boy had to feel it. Or was his chakra sensory even within himself so lacking?

"I know what you are capable of because I am a sensory nin. The only practice I utilize outside of Ninjutsu. My chakra sensory has detected that you are actively using a genjutsu on me even now. As if my eyes could not tell. Standing next to you is an unpleasant version of yourself."

He would state simply. Still his mind would wander slightly as his glowing purple eyes would shift to the boy and then the illusions slowly and then back when he had spoken. The phrasing was concerning. As it had been with Azrael...with Sayuri....Burritsu....and finally with Kami Yurei themselves. It was not the sane and social that found him. That sought him out and could actually bare to stand in his presence for so long. To feel his touch upon their flesh and not feel tainted. So near to being Dragged into the shadows screaming and yet....promising in their own right. Though Sero was a Ninjutsu specialist with few in the world more prolific than himself...he had taught many. Most had either gone insane or comatose but only a couple were actually dead....only one by his own hand. Still he would speak up once more.

"Then we will begin your first hunt. A prey that was once just men. However they became a stain upon our lands. Bandits are simply humans who gave up their right to be treated as such. If you are keen to correct this mistake we will slaughter them like the animals they have become. Walk with me. I know where a camp is...a Mission for it came in this morning and I have not assigned it yet. "

Sero would walk passed the young man and almost seem to glide along the way the boy had come. Moving through the broken hall. As bits of light would cast through across Sero it was clear he had been cloaked in shadow. Glimpses of a black long sleeve button up shirt and slacks would appear along with pale skin....and he would sling his sword across his back...however whenever the light would catch it glimpses of a jeweled six foot tall crucifix would be revealed. Once they stepped outside even his bare feet in the light were now polished boots. He looked more normal in the light....more human. Yet that power radiated from him. So much so that the mist began to pick up and blanket the edge of their vision. Hiding the forest nearby almost entirely. A fog rolling in under his command of water and blanketing the ground. Concealing all but the tips of those red flowers poking out. Like little blood red creatures watching them. Though the shadows peeled away from him in the light of day the mist picked up in its place. However the sword itself was the only beautiful thing left to him visibly. Its dark mirror like blade reflecting Hisha's face as he walked with Sero if he was slightly behind. 

"There is a group of ten individuals. They have been robbing and murdering as they see fit along a trade route. Thinking it easy treasure with a shift in power and policy. They must be made an example of. Tell me....how will you go about killing a man once we are there? Have you any weapons or other skills at your disposal? Taijutsu or Ninjutsu perhaps? Though I don't sense any attuned elements to your chakra...."

B rank Mission:

Sero would lead the way. The road they were on was unkempt and overgrown. Not many traveled to the castle anymore. Leaving it as a ruin to the beast that dwelled there. Nor did Sero care to maintain the roads or building himself. It was all just materials to him. He felt no real connection to those without the power to defend what was theirs. Only a sense of duty to use his power to establish Kirigakure as a world power. A danger within its borders to dissuade criminal activity. His cold purple eyes seemed to gaze ahead through the mist. Still he would continue to almost glide along through the mist. Letting it cling to him as another seeking power had found him. Like a devil at the crossroads with promises of power for souls. They hunted the corrupt. They hunted the wicked. They hunted men. He did not seem to show expression but the feeling falling from his very being was the embodiment of violence. Still Hisha would answer him and primarily note that he had a weapon but was mostly used to barriers and genjutsu. Defense and subterfuge was it? Purple eyes shifted to him. A glimpse of Azrael in the young man from his memory shifted across his features. 

"I know very little about those two abilities. Yet it is up to the hunter to use all the tools at his disposal. It is my preference for those who are about to die for their transgressions not do so peacefully. They should know the fear of the consequences that have found them. Often I leave the bodies on display in the tree's to dissuade anyone else who would be so foolish. However genjutsu can accomplish this far easier than any other specialty. The mind is a fragile thing for most. Teetering on the edge of breaking at the simplest of terrors. You can instill this and even turn their minds against their allies. "

He didn't speak as if he was angry. Only that he held a duty to his power. To torment the wicked. Still their walk would take them for a few miles before reaching their destination. Sero was comfortable with this walk in silence. Though as they drew closer he would slow to a stop. Just at the edge of their vision was a clearing in the mist. Torches were set up and a camp nearby. Men keeping the natural mist at bay with their fires. They all were laughing with a pair of dead bodies nearby. Clearly the original campers that had been tormented to death. Their limbs broken and faces contorted in horror and pain. A couple by the look of them. These men hadn't just killed for necessity or even fun. They had tormented the two. Still Sero glance up as the feathers began to fall. Activating genjutsu Kai at the sight of a trigger he was familiar with. He would not fall victim to an allies genjutsu. Still the men did not seem so lucky. They would stop their conversation and look about in wonder. Trying to figure out where the feathers were coming from. Still Sero would lift a hand a moment. As if he was going to do something to those in the camp...before he would let it lower to his side. 

"Once they are asleep what will you do next? You can see the evidence of their most recent crime. The sentencing for them is clear. I wonder however if you are keen to let them die peacefully in their sleep or if there is more punishment due to them then simply death."

Sero would watch a moment as he stood still. He did not need to breath or fidget. Nor did he have need to blink. He was a statue as the young man with him would step forward. Not feeling threatened by the killers he had put to sleep. Nor did he have need to be. They had no way of resisting his influence. Not a one of them understood enough about genjutsu to defend against it. This method was effective and even meticulous. Often he had considered genjutsu a capable tool for an assassin. Allowing them to erase their presence from an enemy mind and disable them. These men were fighters but none of them had any chance to fight here. First and foremost they were fools to operate on Kiri soil. Still he would not approach as Hisha set about to tying them up. Sero would note that even when disturbed their slumber remained deep.  Even he would be vulnerable in such a state. If he needed sleep that was. The bijuu within him would stir as if questioning whether or not Sero was afraid of genjutsu. Only a small shift though Sero took note of it. A mild hint of irritation glinted in his eye before his bijuu would quiet down. He would need to establish control over it soon.

Still Hisha would finish his work over a couple of minutes. It took time to bind these men in such a way. Some would suggest that at least the leader be identified and taken in for questioning. However Sero had little patience for actual torture. Often his methods led to them bleeding out and dying as he was simply too brutal. He had put that job off onto his student but she was unable to be reached as of late. Likely busy with other duties. Interrogation techniques were in the genjutsu wheelhouse as he recalled. Still as Hisha turned to him for guidance once more Sero would step forward. Even as he approached the sleeping group they would react to his presence. Even in their dreams they would experience horrible nightmares. They would whimper and squirm as he drew close. Some crying in their sleep as they sensed the coming beast. Still Sero paid them no mind. No interest in the torment he passively gave these humans. Still he would glance to Hisha with those glowing purple eyes. 

"Normally they would not fall in their sleep against me. They would burn...they would drown and they would be ripped apart. They would die screaming for their crimes against our great nation. However my preferences do not dictate the actions you may wish to take. So long as they do not survive....so long as they are punished for their crimes against Kiri and its people. You may kill them how you see fit."

His eyes would shift to the side as he glanced over. The earth had begun to shake yet again. As it had before. The bijuu in him no longer silent as it reacted to something out there. The chakra sensory detecting nothing nearby but still he could feel the disturbance. However Sero did not respond with fear. Instead those purple eyes shifted about them seeking out a threat. His fingers on both hands flexing as he was prepared to unleash his Ninjutsu. The earth shook for a moment more but he took little interest in the earthquake itself. He would let out a growl as if he were displeased by it all. He felt danger in Kirigakure but could not identify it. He would need to report in for the first time in a while. 

"Be quick about it though. That earthquake was not natural. We should return to the village in short order."

Sero would look about them. For the first time in a while he was on high alert. It seemed he had grown too comfortable with himself. Believing no one could threaten him. This sensation of the demon within him surging against the seal like it was trying to break out with the earthquake was alarming. If the Bijuu did manage to surface he would likely struggle to survive the encounter. Still he would remain still and observe his sensory with a level of cold murderous calm that was not to be underestimated. He was prepared to kill anything that came at them. He did not notice Hisha sway but was brought back to attention as the smell of blood hit his nose. His mind registering finally Hisha having covered their guilt. So they had been guilty. It was suitable that they would die to a mere tanto. Still he would be vigilant while Hisha dispatched of the sleeping bunch. Far too peaceful for them. Still he would find that Hisha was efficient and finished quickly. The blood and bodies decorating the camp would be almost comforting to him. Still Hisha would approach him and Sero would glance back to the camp. 

"I do not know. But we will head back now. You have passed your assessment cleanly. Walk with me and I will ask my questions."

Sero would wave a hand and every body, tent and pack would suddenly erupt into purple flames before burning away to ashes in under three seconds. A burst of heat casting a purple glow along the trees as Sero turned. Only blackened earth and ash remained. Rotting bodies could nourish the earth but it could also poison the ecosystem. Too much rot was bad for nature. What was bad for nature was bad for the village. Still he would place his hand on the seal over his gut. Feeling it as if trying to sense if it was holding. The five tails was feral at the moment but he wouldn't feel it was breaking free. Still the path to the village was clear and he would need to check up on it shortly. Still he would remain calm as they walked. A purple glance to the young man with him to seem to study him as they walked. 

"Each shinobi eventually reaches a point where their power becomes greater than average. Granted we can do what the common citizen can not. There are tiers to this power. Eventually you will need to decide what it is you want to do with your power. I spread terror to the wicked to dissuade the innocent from becoming victims. An executioner for the village. What will you do when you acquire real power?" 

The member 'Sero' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

The member 'Hisha' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

Sero would ignore the lack of proper speech. He was a lord but thought little of it. He had the councils of both clans that had replaced the old keep tabs on each of their distributed duties. From funding to agriculture. He didn't think much on such things but instead had put people into the proper positions based on qualifications over status. Too often families had taken to passing on their titles and abused the system. They had fled when Sero took power. Knowing of his hard stance on law and his deadly actions. So he had found those who would do right by the clans. Then retreated as a threat to do no wrong. That he would surface once more if they transgressed upon his trust. And he would annihilate them entirely. However there was no threat to their families or any such thing. He simply watched the world and punished the wicked. This new sensation however had him on edge. He was unsure what could cause such a disturbance. If nothing else it deserved investigation but...he felt like it was connected to the Bijuu. He would take a breath and let out a bit of steam from his lips. 

The other with him would speak. Unsure of what the village would need of him. He had no goals as of yet and no desire for power. Yet he was efficient when it came to killing. Often Sero had to wait and search for evidence or be called upon by the village. His intentions were always to serve true justice. Not a frontier vigilante but a commander of an Anbu division he had created. He was responsible for the men under his command and the purpose they served. Most of them only took missions the village itself had assigned. However the spiders often sought out the corrupt and morally bankrupt. Choosing to find the wicked before they could do more damage and slaying them then. However to do so they needed to provide proof in the event of an investigation. Burritsu was more lenient with Sero in that regard but he still knew of one national power that could be challenging if they decided to attack him. One of the three previous rulers had stood against him from the beginning. When he was still forming his little death band. Still he would respond in the same monotone. The sun was starting to set and fog was picking up. 

"It is the responsibility of the strong to protect the weak. If it is purpose you seek it is a purpose I can provide. I can train you to join an ANBU division I command. One Burritsu had joined many years ago and others before him. The Nightmare brigade is a group of slayers who hunt the wicked. Our purpose is as executioners. When a criminal has gone too far, murder, rape, slavery and such things, we are sent in to eliminate them. It is our purpose to destroy such scum so the people can sleep at night. However one does not soak their hands in blood and remain entirely human. The other humans will despise you for it....can you dedicate yourself to a purpose serving the weak even as they turn their gazes from you in fear?"

The member 'Sero' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

The member 'Hisha' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Bunny Arrival' :

Sero would listen as the boy mulled it over in his head. A glance of purple gaze would shift over his shoulder as he noted the other had slowed down. Those glowing purple orbs taking in the ink and any chakra influencing them. He would say nothing however in response for now. Instead it would only take a minute to come to the conclusion that they were not evil. Simply willing to cross over the ethical lines of most people. They were willing to stain their hands for the right cause. When fires burned they came. When the wicked rise they fall upon them. It was a simple matter of perspective. They were viewed as evil because their skills were for killing. Yet Hisha was already seeing it differently. Having blood on his hands himself. Sero could smell it. The scent of iron and fire in the air. The blood that had to have stained Hishas hands when he slit all those throats. Men had died at his hands moments before and in Sero's experience, that did something to a human. Cracked their mentality. He had taken lives because he felt nothing but rage. Nor did he consider himself human. 

However Hisha would regain his senses and choose to quicken his pace to catch up. His skin cracking in lines visibly. Sero had rarely seen a transformation so quickly. Often it was over time. Mostly it was the leaders of the Yuki clan that developed some form of madness around him. Sayuri and Burritsu were changed. However this Hisha could very well have been that way before Sero. He was changing in tone as they walked over a period of a couple of hours. That ink and how he changed. Sero felt  a pulse of caution wash over him. How many devils could he raise before it was one too many to put down? This job cost something for these humans. A part of themselves with each life taken. If Hisha was so vulnerable to this change....However he was effective. He could determine guilt through memories and incapacitate the enemy. So often Sero needed to locate evidence before acting on his own. Or simply under contract from the village. However for now he would stop walking. 

"The Nightmare Brigade is a division of the ANBU. Operating as executioners for those the village has deemed volatile. It is our role to punish the wicked." He would say calmly before he would hold out his hands. The mist around them would swirl and rise in a thirty meter diameter. Rising up and forming a dome around them before the darkness would settle in. Quickly broken by one purple flame just below the ceiling and then another. Until a dozen lit up the space. Burning above them as Sero turned to Hisha fully. Speaking with a monotone voice and those unblinking glowing purple eyes. The shadows cast over him hiding his face except for those. "I hold the role as their commander. It falls upon me to punish our own. Know this, mist shinobi, If you lose yourself, if you abuse your power upon the innocent and become the wicked we slay, I will come for you. There will be no escape. " The Mist would begin to swirl around them like a storm as Sero remained still in the center of it with Hisha. It was clear the three elements he controlled. The suiton, fuuton and katon all used at once with a gesture. Sero was a Ninjutsu specialist. The world was his to bend and the mist itself loved him. The shadows loved him.

The member 'Sero' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Bunny Arrival' :