He thought to himself for a moment, wondering idly about the differences between people in the world. There were those tied to nature in unimaginable ways, and others born of incomprihensible means. The woman next to him was part demon, but partly human as well. It would answer most questions in regards to the curiosities of her appearance. However; the blue hair sported by the young man might have been simple dye rather than hints of his inheritance. Then again, he wouldn't have been surprised in the least if the man favored ice or water techniques. A small chuckle escaped his lips while his eyes turned to the floor at the mention of Mist Village. It wasn't one of mocking, but had the tone of realization and disbelief. Still leaning forward lightly, he looked up at the young man more with his left eye than his right. While healed, his right hand was still covered in blood while his left hung in his pocket. "Actually, I have heard about Mist." His response was subtle and concise.
As he heard footsteps approaching from behind, Jin'ichi would straighten up and shake some of the blood of his hand. Little red droplets scattered onto the sands, turning dark and forming little spheres. Looking back and over his shoulder a man dressed in medical garbs bearing the village emblem emerged at the same time. Uncharacteristically pale eyes watched as the good doctor spoke with a tone of authority, as if he'd come to police the situation. All the right questions were being asked, which the foreigners would easily comply with but not before the unamed medic asked about Jin'ichi and his teammate. Instead of answering right away, he would wipe the rest of his blood off on the side of his thigh, the black material easily absorbing it and somewhat hiding the mess. "Filthy. It's like you don't have any manners at all."</COLOR><i></i> Ruka's soft voice was tainted by disgust, but the only thing she'd get from Jin'ichi was a middle finger. A vein swelling with anger would appear at the corner of her temple, and her ears twitched before she swung a slap at his face. Leaning back just at the last moment, her sharp nails would graze his cheek and draw blood.
Giving only a wry smirk, he wiped the blood from his cheek with his thumb. "Why I oughta'-" "You ought do what?" She interrupted, sneering in the process. Shaking his head and closing his eyes for a moment he shrugged and looked at the other three males. The smallest and youngest of them had begun talking while him and Ruka grated each other's nerves. He too was from the Mist Village, and had apparently been on his own struggling to make it ever since. Jin'ichi found himself getting lightheaded, but only barely swayed in stance. He'd reach up and place a hand on his forehead, closing his eyes. He could see the boy he'd killed... They were probably the same age. They both had white hair. They both had red eyes. Why did that face keep haunting him? It wasn't as if he'd just murdered the boy, the child was in a bloodlusted rage and drenched in demonic essence. How was it his fault, was he supposed to just let himself be killed? Letting his hand drop, he laughed a little and showed almost no signs of the inner conflict. At best, he seemed to be a little ill or simply fatigued.
Tugging at the collar of his shirt, he would reveal the Sunagakure forehead protector wrapped around his neck. The sun would glisten off its hourglass shape, while the crimson orb at the front of Ruka's obi glowed with the same Sungakure emblem. "My name is Toraono Ruka, and it's a pleasure to meet the three of you." Her tone was pleasant, and welcoming even. Unlike when she spoke to Jin'ichi and every little thing seemed to cause friction. Rolling his eyes and finally speaking out he'd state his concerns. "Look, I know you have this under control and everythin' but it wouldn't right if I didn't ask any questions." Though calm in his demeanor, he seemed to avoid paying any real attention to Uziuke. The boy was an eyesore to him, and for no other reason than the child reminded him of the blood on his own hands. There would be no feelings of animosity or hatred, but a feeling of guilt began to gnaw at his intestines whenever he looked at the youth. He was far too much like Shiori's boy. "My cousin told me that Mist Village was frozen in an ice age, for lack of a better term. Buildings and people frozen in place, trapped in coffins of ice on display... Like some sort of wax museum. Meaning whatever happened there happened pretty quickly..."<i></i> It might have seemed that he was digging nowhere for no reason, but he would eventually have a point. He had more information on Mist than anyone would have though, even if it wasn't in depth or insider experience.
It was then that, while Jin'ichi spoke, Ruka could see the signs of fatigue more clearly on his face as he stood in the sunlight. A small frown found its way onto her face, and she'd merely fold her arms as she listened. "How did you either of you avoid the big freeze?" It was a simple question, but perhaps one that would be more complicated to answer than anything else. Neither young man nor boy seemed to harbor any ill-intentioned secrets, but Sunagakure itself was crumbling and perhaps their method of survival would come in handy preventing such a disaster for them. Maybe he just wanted a verbal sparring sessions to see if he could find any weak points in their stories, but whatever the case was it was obvious that Jin'ichi was doing his job for once.
"I don't have the authority to stop you or let ya in, but she does." He nodded over towards Ruka, whom then placed a light finger on his shoulder as she looked at the bags beneath his eyes. She could be a bitch, but she did care what happened to the Shinobi of Sunagakure. It didn't particularly matter whom they were, or how long she'd known them, there was a comraderie baptized in the legacy her father had left behind. It was that care for others that spurred her to become a medic in the first place. Her hidden benevolence wasn't limited towards residents of Sunagakure alone though. <COLOR color="#997a00">"He's right. I think you both should be fine, it's not as if Kuro-sama would ever turn away those in need. I am interested in hearing the tale of your survival though. If it's not a too sensitive topic. After all Katsumi-san, Uzi-kun... You were both just speaking of home any way, right?" She grinned pleasantly, somehow reinforcing her comarde's interests while having clashed with him mere moments before.
