An Uneasy Entrance (Open)

Ke-Ji shook the hair from his face. His steps echoed against the stone wall that surrounded him on either side as he made his way down the massive steps that led to to his favorite bench. In the background the various avian wildlife that had gathered cooed softly as they finished off the last of the seed that Ke-Ji had scattered for them. The tassels of Ke-Ji's long burgundy scarf hopped and bounced gently against the ground as he moved, mirroring the movements of the sash worn around his hips. Up ahead Ke-Ji heard the quietly building noise of the city streets that the ending of the steps would lead him to. The hustle and bustle had not slowed since the mid afternoon but instead had increased as the merchants began giving better bargains to the various shoppers still scouring the streets.

It had been a long time since Ke-Ji took an opportunity to travel the main road of the village. Without a team to be part of, a mission to undertake, or a teacher to enforce his training, he found himself in the rare situation of having free time. Having no destination of any real importance in which to transit to, Ke-Ji took his time to slowly survey his surroundings. This however, did not directly translate to the busy pedestrians around him, who held no issue with eagerly pushing him aside to maintain their accelerated walking speed. Tempers rising, nostrils flaring... Ke-Ji quickly took flight up the nearest set of stairs to prevent the endless shoulder barraging and body displacement. "How... rude..." he mumbled to himself.

'The village has certainly changed.' Ke-Ji thought to himself, 'As if overnight.' And it almost seemed true. With all of his training and time spend on various missions and in classes, the village had grown and progressed without him. Buildings had changed... and people had changed, but the feeling remained. The sense of pride, of purpose, and the desire to survive... that had not changed, and he could feel it. It was this feeling that forced him to compete, to remain a Shinobi. As Ke-Ji followed the unfamiliar flight of stairs upwards, he wondered what would be waiting for him when he reached its peak.

The guilt that rested in Sanzen's heart had finally began to grow a bit to much. Due to the spirits within her it was making her unstable. She leaped form the hospital window to the world below before breaking into a run, thanking her sensei for putting her through all the training he had. She was designed for war and because of this, falling from heights did not phase her as much. Especially since she had broken her ankles times before because of it.

Her heartbeat pulsed to the sound of her feet as she leaped from one stone roof to another. She was going to go to a place where she could relax and quell her thoughts about the recent situation. She appeared so calm on the outside despite the inner storm that it was actually rather humorous. With each step, she would reach her destination in no time. It was a place not many stopped at, which in a way was rather sad.

Dropping down from the trees below, she landed in a crouch as she tried to catch her breath. Tiny beads of sweat glowed in the sunlight as they fell from her brow. The weather today was magnificent and yet was in the higher temperatures; something she wasn't found of. As her red hues finally turned to the sky, she covered her eyes from the sun and released a light grumble. Next, she peered around to soak in more of the scenery. Cherry blossom trees blended in with a few pine all around her. Behind her was a long line of stairs. She was at the top of a hill, a reason many did not come here besides the fact that it was a "boring" place. At the moment, if anyone was coming up the stairs, she wouldn't be able to see them anyway.

Turning her attention to what was before her, she smiled slightly. It was a shrine designed to worship the many spirits of the dead. Seeing as how Sanzen carried seven within her, she felt it was right to pray for any that she came across. This one happened to be her favorite.

Finally moving from her crouch she crawled to the shrine before sitting in the usual Japanese posture. She released another sigh to calm herself as she wiped the sweat and reached into her pack. She had managed to obtain a simple peach on the way here, a food offering. Placing it before the shrine, her hands came up as she began to pray in silence; growing more aware of her surroundings because of it.

Footsteps approached.

As Ke-Ji's anger subsided, the color of his eyes gradually faded from a bright red, into a deep reddish burgundy. His slow and steady footsteps continued to guide him up the stone stairway, and closer to his destination. The stairway reminded him of the one that he had grown accustomed to, and eased his mind away from the rude behavior he had experienced. Each step gradually silenced the noises that played behind him until eventually all that remained were the sounds of his own footsteps, and the gentle wind blowing ahead of him. Before he had realized it, he had encroached upon the grassy surface of the hill.

As Ke-Ji moved closer, he could feel the presence of what he could only imagine was another person who wished to escape the melodrama of the inner village. He grew unsure. Unsure of his location... of his situation... and unsure if he may be encroaching upon someone's alone time. But Ke-Ji... despite his doubts, continued on, feeling the familiarity of Chakra playing at his senses. He allows his hands to retreat lazily into his pockets, and blew a bit of hair from in front of his eyes that the wind had managed to misplace.

Ke-Ji's steps took him closer to what seemed to be a type of monument... 'What a silly thing...' Ke-Ji thought to himself. 'What does a monument do for the dead? I have never once felt any differently after seeing a monument... it seems a waste of stone.' As he walked, and contemplated his inner-thoughts, his eyes swirled between a gentle mixture of burgundy and purple. By now his introspection had made him oblivious of the Chakra he had been sensing earlier, and also oblivious of it's commander, who he teetered increasingly close to as his eyes remained fixed upon the monument.

'Sanzen...'

As Kairo's words filled her mind she felt herself come back to reality. When she fell into deep thought like this, she tended to zone out and focus on what was before her. She was still awake in a way though. It was her spirits who were guarding her, especially Kairo, and it would be them would wake her up and even forcefully take over if they must. At this moment she truly was somewhat vulnerable. Which was the main reason she tried to pray when nobody was around. Majority of the time, someone showing up actually was not a problem; a sad truth. However now that someone was, it was time to stop.

"It's sadly unnatural to see anyone around these parts," she said towards the oncoming individual. She lowered her hands before beginning to fix the food offering before her; a statue coming to life. Her head soon turned back to peer at the new individual before she laid eyes on a genin. Just what she needed, another genin. It was as though genin were attracted to her lately. She was one to believe that everything happened for a reason though so to her this wasn't a coincidence. Her face remained apathetic as a spiritual pressure began to slightly rise off of her. Her eyes were dead set on him now as she studied him, picking up on his chakra signature as she had.

"Are you here to pray or is there something else you are searching for?"

Her caution rose as her eyes watched his every move. Yes, he was a genin, but she was trained to no take any chances no matter who the being was. Except around babies of course, but they did not count.

Ke-Ji blinked for a moment... then looked towards Sanzen as if startled... the color of his eyes shifted into a fierce yellow, before settling into a gentle green. The green... befitted the awkward and embarrassed smile the played gently upon Ke-Ji's face. "Pray?" he asked simply enough... "Oh... no, I do not pray." he managed to squeak out, almost as if disappointed in that fact. His right hand retreated from the safety of his pocket and moved up to the back of his head, which he rubbed and adjusted bits of his hair. He motioned with his head towards the monument that Sanzen knelt in front of. "This... reminds me... of a place that I can barely recall... I was there so long ago. The sky was bruised, the world had bled... and then Angels lead me away from the place where I sat in regret of all the things I'd done..." his eyes swirl gently between light green and blue as he speaks. His body language suggest that he has no ill will towards Sanzen, or anyone for that matter. "Have I intruded upon your place of worship... Should I go?" the young Genin asks of Sanzen... his words convey sincerity and his stance maintains the awkward posture of a boy who's seen a beautiful young lady.

"I see..."

She was a bit disappointed that he wasn't there to pray and yet this was to be expected. Her hands had lied on her skirt casually but now she used them to finally push herself to her feet and sigh. Her eyes moved from him, to the shrine, to him, and soon to the sky as she listened to her surroundings. The birds were chirping right on Que with one another as if attempting to sing as choir. Upon standing, a faint smile broken through the veil of apathy as her but her eyes remained shielded.

"No, you weren't interrupting anything. I was almost done anyway. To be honest, I am just surprised someone came up here. To the majority, it is just a shrine and thus they do not wish to make the effort to come up here."

As her eyes flowed back to him he could then notice that she was smiling a bit more than before, obviously in a happier mood. This was not the only different though appearance wise. Around her pupil lie a faint yellow-ish green tint that just barely revealed itself in her red iris. It was a rather strange combination of colors to most but she had a feeling he wouldn't mind to much. Reason she said this was because she had already noticed the fact his hues changed multiple colors; was it from his emotions? It was rather strange, but she did not have room to talk. Her eyes changed colors too after all. Except rather than emotions, it was because of spirit influence.

The sky was bruised.... the world had bled... and angels lead you to a place of what sounds like righteousness...." she said softly, peering up at the sky once more. There was some curiosity in her voice, "if you don't mind me asking, what do you mean by that?"

Ke-Ji smiles wide, his eyes closing as he does so. His awkward positioning relaxes as the two begin to converse. His right hand which he had kept back behind his head, now shifts to rest normally at his side, while his left hand remained hidden away within his pocket. "Oh... honestly I don't really know... There are times when sleeping, when dreaming, I am caught up in circles and confusion seems like nothing new. Flashbacks of warm nights... I'm almost left behind... and the rest is void of memories.

Ke-Ji turns and begins walking slowly around the grassy hill, kicking at various rocks that litter the ground. "After the memories fade and darkness turns to grey... sometimes I see images when staring through windows... and they seem as if they could be real. Secrets, stolen from deep inside." as he speaks he taps his finger gently against the side of his head. He chuckles nervously... "Ah well... I shouldn't say so much, I am sure that I seem quite insane to you." his eyes now stare into Sanzen's own, they swirl with a gentle green and friendly aura.

Her eyes fluttered to the genin as she studied him with further interest. He appeared as though he was only a ear younger than she and yet he spoke as though far older. It made her a bit jealous and yet at the same time she was an apathetic person and thus did not allow it to effect her to much. Right now she just wished she could understand him further. In a way what he was telling her was making sense and yet since she was ignorant of who he was, she was having difficult understand. Apparently she needed to talk to him more to quench her thirst for knowledge and subdue her curiosity.

She crossed her arms behind her back as she smiled a bit. A friendly aura rose off of her as the spiritual pressure around her grew a tad. Her hues grew silver around the iris before the silver slowly grew a tad. She was peering at the sun now so she had some doubt that he would notice but at the same time she felt even if he had it would not matter to much. His own eyes kept changing colors, this meant it must have been normal to him and thus how was she any different? He did not seem to be the type to judge either, or at least that was what she got from her first impression.

"No, you don't seem to be insane to me," she said before chuckling lightly. This wasn't entirely like her because of the fact she was under spiritual influence from one of the spirits peering through and taking some control. This was in fact her speaking but one spirit in particular happened to be interested in what the boy had to say as well; Nagori.

"Honestly I am curious about what you see and why you might see it. It seems you do not know though but maybe that is something you should look into more. Maybe it is something important, a calling so to speak. You never know I suppose."

She smiled at him as she seemed to be more at ease. By then her silver eyes would have been a bit more noticeable despite the fact she still had some red tint still, "I hope you figure it you too."

The interesting part about this was that although she was under influence this was actually her talking. Nagori's influence worked in strange ways compared to that of the other spirits. It was he that cause her to tear down her facade and appear as the true Sanzen despite the inner chaos she tended to deal with. An inner chaos that tormented her on a daily basis due to the mix of all the spirits feelings and thoughts besides her own. Of course she was able to handle it since she has dealt with it for years but this did not mean there was the possibility she could have a weak hearted moment.

"You want to go get some ramen or something? Maybe we can talk more about what you see. If not we could always stay here. I just don't want to bore you," she said, grinning a bit. Now, her eyes appeared to be a mix of blue and silver. Sanzen was somewhere in the depths of her mind; watching. Why the spirits were breaking through, she did not know.

Ke-Ji pulled his left hand out of his pocket, and mirroring the right, stretched his arms out as wide as he could, leaning back as he did so. "Ahhhhh... There is nothing better than a good stretch." The young Shinobi knew that it was impolite to refuse an offer of a meal as delicious as Ramen. As he heard the offer he immediately jumped at the chance "I would love to get some Ramen, I am totally starved! I've spent all afternoon feeding the birds at my special bench, and then when I came down into the village, everyone was so pushy and rude..." his eyes flared with a rambunctious orange as he excitedly spoke to Sanzen.

As the two conversed, Ke-Ji could not help but notice Sanzen's eyes. They changed much like his own. This, mixed with her interesting line of questioning prompted his honesty. "You must have something.... inside..." as he spoke... the young Shinobi placed his hand to his heart. "Something inside of you... like me." He turned, and prepared himself for the journey that the two of them would be taking down the stone steps that he had traveled to get to Sanzen's hill. "I've heard the whispers... from my captains... from the elders that an aura runs right through my being, burning... but I've never seen it... none have explained it, but I'm still alive. I can feel it all around me, thickening the air I'm breathing, holding on to all my feelings... These shadows dancing, say 'We are alone with you'. They take my hand, I give it to them, they own me... all I am... they say they will never leave me, but in their faces all I can see is the void. Hah... sometimes I honestly wonder how much of that is the dream, and how much is something else entirely.". Ke-Ji smiles, to himself for the most part, and begins a slow descent towards the markets.

Her attention turned to the base of the stairs below as different human beings walking about became a picture in her mind. She knew precisely what he was talking about, these crowds. She herself had been pushed around a lot when she was a genin and even sometimes as a chunin. It appeared that it was the jacket that caused them to avoid you and walk around but she didn't like wearing it all the time. Her attention seemed to be set on the stairs as if she were in a daze but this came to stop as the genin began to ask something more personal. She did not take a liking in being questioned of something personal but her posture and expressions remained the same. She would get over it in no time. It did not bug her THAT much, but it all depended on the question and person. At the moment, she actually did not mind telling him anything considering he also shared that something was within him. Should she tell him what specifically though? She always had trust issues no matter who it was.

"I do... actually," she said as they both made their way towards the stairs. Lucky for her she was one of those people who could walk down flights of stairs and keep talking; especially since there were a lot of them. It was a rather tell and random hill, no doubt about that.

"When I was younger, I could see spirits and because of it I was deemed a freak. They always made jokes, especially about how my eyes would change colors at random and how I seemed to change personalities a lot. I was believed to have MPD or Multiple Personality Disorder. Those that could feel spiritual pressure around me though knew otherwise. It took me a while to realize that these spirits were actually inside me. Each have different names, each affect me differently, and each happen to have different eye colors," she said before looking at him again, a slight smile on her face. Her eyes were still a peculiar mix of silver and blue, hiding their tint of red. One could only wonder if they were actually talking to the real of Sanzen or not.

Then, her interest turned back to this new shinobi with the same hint of curiosity in her voice while her eyes returned to the stairs below. She did not want to chance tripping after all for sometimes she did make clutsy moves randomly.
"This aura, and these shadows, I wish I could see it. You have no idea at all what it may be? Maybe I could help you somehow."

With each step down the stone stairway they found themselves growing closer to humanity. The voices of the people below began to break the silence and peacefulness from above; making Sanzen appear a bit more restless. The guilt and thoughts of Shihouin still had not left her.

As Ke-ji's foot hit the last step of the stairway he turned his head to look back at Sanzen. The volume of the people making their way through the crowded street was enough to drown out anything that he would be willing to say to her. His eyes swirled a mixture of neon green and a vibrant tangerine, and a mischievous smile played along his features. After a few seconds of contemplation his smile escalated and his eyes closed gently as his hand glided back so that the tips of his fingers just barely tapped her kneecap. Inaudibly he mouthed the simple word "...Tag."

Within a flash Ke-Ji bounded off of the last step and into the crown of people, his long neck scarf and sash blowing behind him and occasionally smacking into the passersby. He moved fast for being just a Genin, and his reflexes were top notch, able to dodge the various pedestrians and their belongings as he escaped from Sanzen. Although he was not able to run top speed, Ke-Ji still managed to gain generous ground quickly and only hoped that this may seem fun to his new friend. Stopping for a split second, Ke-Ji turned to see if his predator had begun giving chase.

A mark of surprised crossed her face as he tapped her knee and began to run off. She saw what he mouthed to her and blinked before he took off in the sea of crowds. In honesty she didn't know whether she should actually chase him or not. She WAS a chunin and playing tag was like a little kid game. Then again, who honestly cared? Could she not have fun every one in a while? Was not like anyone was around but then again this was her luck. Someone always seemed to pop up and scold her whenever she tried to have some fun. Since she did not exactly have that much of a childhood full of games, she figured she may as well. Besides, she was a higher rank and should be faster. Which, of course, Ke-Ji now had a pretty good head start. Taking off into the dark sea of faces she made chase.

She zipped through the crowd as the sound of angry beasts erupted around her. It wasn't like she was cutting anyone off or pushing anyone out of the way so why were they so angry? Nobody said she could not run through here and besides, what if it was an emergency? The nerve of people. Unless you were Jounin or higher it seemed they didn't care to much. Chunin had some credit but in their eyes it seemed as though any Chunin was a Genin unless they taught a class of students. The ninja was now in her sights except by the look of things he did not see her. She gave thanks to having the tracking skill as she came closer. Her chakra control skill also made it easy for her to hide; yay to stealth.

He simply stood there as she watched from nearby. Lurking about she soon came into range before casting forth a simple academy clone. Due to the tracking skill, she was 100% sure he wasn't pulling any tricks but being the catious type the clone was sent out. The clone moved swiftly through the crowd soon emerging out from behind and attempting to tap him on the shoulder. If he moved and the clone was destroyed, Sanzen would be able to give chase and most likely catch him in no time. This was actually kind of fun.

Ke-Ji grins, thinking to himself "She is certainly fast... and cunning. I would expect no less of someone with her level of Chakra". As the clone closes in on Ke-Ji, his smile never leaves his face. His hands become a blur of motion, as he begins creating hand signs. The speed of these signs is unbelievable for someone ranked as low as a Genin. In fact the pure unbridled velocity of his hand signs would even put many Jounin to shame. He speaks out softly "Moguragakure no Jutsu" Seconds later the Genin disappears entirely within the mass of pedestrians.

Moments later Ke-Ji appears hundreds of feet further down the crowded street. Despite his daring escape, he doesn't make a point to hide. Instead he climbs up the side of a short building and waves confidently to his pursuer. Although Ke-Ji may not be the most skilled ninja in the world, it was quite clear that he had played this particular game more than once. On the street below a few of the more elderly villagers call up to him "This is no place for training! You should be more considerate!" This concerned Ke-Ji little however. He was enjoying himself.

The top of the building is where Ke-Ji remained, waiting for Sanzen's next move. He was sure that after his display, she would certainly step her game up. He knew it would only be a matter of time before she caught him, but the thrill was more in the chase than in the spoils. He rests his right hand on his hip and stands in a lazy position, awaiting Sanzen to catch up a bit. Besides... he was hungry after all, and the Ramen awaited them both. There was no reason to drag the game on forever.

(Jutsu's used)

Spoiler:

Her eyes studied him before soon enough he made hand seals and sank below the surface. People standing nearby all turned their heads and looked at her clone in confusion. It was rather funny. Seriously they knew ninja were around, why were they always so surprised? Going back to her watching she sighed a bit. She knew what jutsu he had used for she actually had that herself. In fact she had recently used it when fighting Shihouin; well her clone anyway. One thing that she couldn't get over though was speed of his hands; it was phenomenal. Was he really a genin? She was beginning to wonder if he may have been an intruder who happened to see her and Shihouin fight earlier. Was he good with chakra control and hiding himself? If only she had met him before. The spirits within her grew very cautious. Now she really did need to catch him to make sure. He DID talk big for a genin after all. Strange, strange indeed.

Not allowing herself to easily be distraught from such simple movements she soon performed the same jutsu and sunk beneath the surface of the earth. From there she picked up on his chakra signature once again before beginning to follow him. It was rather humorous. This was the first time she had actually chased someone beneath the surface of the earth which at the same time it made things actually easier. Now that they weren't fighting threw crowds of people she had more move and it was a straight shot after him. She was on his tail.

By the time he began to reemerge above the surface of the earth, Sanzen was right there beneath him. She heard him begin to make a climb while the clone that was originally made continued to fight through crowds of people to get to him; a simple trick but efficient. Right as he lifted his first foot to begin to climb she snapped out her hand from beneath the ground and pulled. She heard angry voices but now not only had she won their little game but he was about to find himself stuck underground with only his head sticking out. The clone running towards the building then poofed into smoke; startling the people it ran by. Emerging nearby, the real Sanzen grinned slightly.

Ke-Ji gasped as his foot was grabbed from behind him... "So she knows that too eh?" as the hand touched Ke-Ji's foot, the clone vanished in a puff of smoke. The original Ke-Ji however had taken a different route. While the clone had exited the ground on the main street in front of the small building, Ke-Ji had moved a few feet farther, exiting the ground just behind the small building in the alleyway. As Sanzen's attempted capture remained focused on Ke-Ji's clone, Ke-Ji quickly, and quietly climbed up the side of the building and onto the roof.

From the small building above Ke-Ji peered down at Sanzen. He was upside down, holding himself up with a single arm, grasping the ledge of the building. A soft laugh escaped his lips and he said simply enough "I made a clone in the ground." That however was obvious. He then began tilting backwards, towards the street. As his hand gave out from beneath him, he flipped twice in the air and landed on his feet, directing it into a roll. This however was non a perfect landing, as seconds later he crashed into a wooden cart which was holding various types of bread. Slightly dazed, the young shinobi laid there, rubbing the back of his neck and looking up at Sanzen "You did however... touch my clone, which is like touching me. So you still win." a smile worked itself out from behind the pain he was experiencing, and his eyes reflected his feelings with a gentle green.

As the clone burst into smoke Sanzen grew a bit frustrated but this was merely for the fact that she was supposed to be a tracker and yet she seemed to hit the wrong target. If this were actually a fight then she could have just chanced her life. This was just the type of mentality she was raised to have though; even if it was just a simple game of tag. Another thing was the fact she got shown up by a genin too. She had some pride in her too. As she heard his voice though this all vanished. The entire time not a mark of anger appeared on her face but her eyes did manage to suddenly turn a very dark gray. For once it was Tsukimi, the lazy spirit, who was irritated. Was her frustration from his influence then?

Her eyes became more or a redish gray as she gazed up at the genin with a bit of a smile. He still considered it a win although in her eyes this wasn't the case but whatever. It was just a game of tag. At least she got some practice in her tracking skills. Next time, if they ever fought, she would make sure not to make the same mistake twice. She would get the right target and track him for days if she had to. This was what her sensei taught her do.

Walking over to him she held out a hand to help him up while smiling slightly. The gray had faded and her red hues returned once more. It was strange really. For once she actually felt she did not have to worry about her eyes changing and could finally make proper eye contact. She would help him up if he needed it but either way she still had a bit to say as she noticed his eyes turn a light green. One color her eyes never seemed to change into. The only

"Either way, you can trick me once but you can't trick me twice," she said before chuckling lightly. She directed her attention to a shop nearby, trying to show him as well.

"Well, there's the ramen shop. Are you still up for a meal or did the fall change your mind?"

Her attention was focused on him as she waited for an answer. She couldn't help but grow anxious as the smell of ramen caused her stomach to growl a bit. In a bit of embarrassment though she placed a hand on it and smiled lightly as if to say sorry.

The Genin grins as he is helped up. A soft whimper escapes as he stands upright, the fall had been more painful than he expected it to be upon initial crash. He smiled and spoke "No worries, I understand the rules of the game... The only time you show your opponent a jutsu, is when you have no fear of them knowing... or if you never intend on playing the game with them again. I have no intention of trying to trick you again. Alas... Before my adventure today, I was summoned by an official and was assigned to a team. I may not have the chance to spend time playing this game again."

As the smell of Ramen wafted through the air, the familiar sound of a hungry stomach could be heard. He chuckled gently and placed his hand to his own belly as well "I am quite hungry myself, after all of that escaping. Come, let us get something very tasty, my treat." Ke-Ji took slow, purposeful steps towards the shop selling Ramen, as his back and neck still caused him slight pain. Thoughts swirled through his head about the members that would be on his team... perhaps even Sanzen? But in most cases he wouldn't be so lucky.

She pulled him up as he continued to talk. He talked as though he truly were someone of a higher rank and level. This fact made her wonder what he would be like when he was a Chunin and even a Jounin. She also grew a bit envious as well. One problem of hers was that she could never seem to form her words right when explaining and thus it made her feel less. She had her moments but that was really it. Turning her attention towards the ramen shop now they both soon walked over. The smell made her stomach grumble a bit but it was just a light sound and so she ignored it. As they arrived the owner looked up from out of the kitchen before a wide smile crossed his face. He was always friendly to them and it seemed like that was a gene in every clan member that worked the shop; or so she was told.

"Can I get you two something?"

He spoke in suave manner that would probably made most girls blush. Sanzen however was currently elsewhere in her mind and wasn't paying attention that much.

"Oh ah, house special" she said in a bit of a daze. Leave it to her to zone out. As the owner waited for the genin he would take his order the thought of him paying for her made her feel a bit out of place. A genin paying for a chunin? Shouldn't that be the other way around? When the owner would take him order, he would soon returned to the kitchen to prep the meals. Once the owner was gone was when Sanzen would start talking again. In the meantime though her eyes scanned the shop as she gazed at three different people.

One guy always seemed to be here every time she was. He sat and read the newspaper everyday. On his head was a hat an adventurer would wear and he tended to wear a lot of darker colors. His skin was rather tan to so it easily led her to assume he was a traveler who just happened to be in Konoha for quite a long time. His hair was dark and curly. All of which making his ice blue eyes stand out; like light in the darkness. She never did try to talk to him, maybe she should at some point. Until then, she would simply make a mental note of it.

The other two wore business attire and sat in the back corner. One had ordered a coffee, since businessmen always seemed to drink that stuff, and had papers in front of him. Due to the others face it appeared that they were thinking hard and discussing plans. Maybe there was a new business on the way or an old one would be upgraded. Either way, she didn't feel it was any of her business and waited for the owner to leave.

"You don't have to pay for me. Besides, I'm the Chunin in this group, allow me," she insisted. Her head then tilted a bit as if she just had an epiphany.

"You know, I never did catch your name. I'm Sanzen Makai."

Ke-Ji grins at the owner as he takes his seat close to Sanzen. He takes a moment to observe his surroundings, taking note of the three other individuals that occupied the Ramen shop as well, though paying them little if any mind. He was unfamiliar with this particular shop, rarely having left the smaller district where he's lived with his foster parents. The smell of the food was intoxicating and only accentuated his hunger, causing him to salivate. After hearing Sanzen's order, he made his decision quickly. "Yes the house special sounds delicious! Make it two orders please."

As Ke-Ji settled himself, he focused on Sanzen who now turned to speak with him. He kept his hands placed on the table, and took the opportunity to slouch a bit, relaxing his painfully bruised back. After a few seconds however, he felt a secondary and different pain. Reaching back with his right hand, he slid his sash around bit, and adjusted the tool pouch at his side so that it sat more comfortably around him. As Sanzen spoke, he politely looked into her eyes and listened carefully, he had been taught that it was polite to do so, though... doesn't quite remember who told him it. Offering a sly smile he replied "Well if you insist then I shall not disrespect you by declining. Ahh... yes, forgive me for being inconsiderate, my name is Kenneru, Ke-Ji." He spoke his name formally, giving his family name first, and then his given name, as was tradition... or so he had read. As he informed Sanzen of his name, he offered his right hand as a form of introduction. "A pleasure to meet you."

A smile crossed her face as she accepted the handshake. Her shake was somewhat weak but not only was she not used to shaking hands but again, she was the cautious type. Another factor was trust. She had trust issues majority of the time and because of this it took many meetings and a lot of time to gain hers. However once achieved, she tended to open up like a book and everything about her mind puzzle becomes mostly transparent. This did not mean she was 100% readable though.

"A pleasure to meet you too. You have a nice name Keji" she said with a grin. Originally she had planned to mostly study him but she believed she rather have a friend. Strangers though would remain 'experiments' in her eyes until she met them.

"So you said you were in a team now. Who is your sensei? I haven't really talked to any of the Jounin around here but then again I haven't talked to a lot of people in Konoha," she chuckled slightly. She didn't know what it was about this kid but he was easy to talk to. She just hoped that he wouldn't happen to be the ones to be murdered in the exams.

Sanzen's ears were open and ready to listen to whatever Keji had to say but her eyes were glued to the kitchen door. From where they sat they could barely see inside and by the look of things, one of their orders was almost complete and the other was on its way. The smell of the noodles cooking and the added flavors made her mouth water. Her stomach growled in response which made her blush in a bit of embarrassment. She was never really the type to show any emotion but this kid had a calm aura to him. It only made her wonder who he was but this was something only time would tell. Problem was she also didn't exactly know what to ask nor bombard him with a bunch of questions.