Private [Req. Hirateuchi] Blood and Coffee

[Shieo]

Arriving in a quaint settlement out in the expanse of the great deserts of Wind Country, Shieo hadn't sought anyone in particular; though the fates had other things planned for the peculiar individual. Though presently, he had sought a particular sort of coffee as the taste and profile of it drew his interest for a passing time.

Though for the present it was not the primary purpose of Shieo's being here, not that he was privy of that quite yet. Instead he had been on his way out of the settlement with a bag of coffee beans in a rucksack on his out of the settlement when he stopped at a rundown home that was damaged by the elements a few fifteen minutes from the settlement itself.

Here he stopped and sat, with a water-skin in hand to stay the elements from wearing him down much like the building at his back. Looking in the horizon he saw a figure approaching in the distance, though not familiar from this distance it had looked as if the individual was heading his or her way towards the settlement and would be passing him in tow.

 

[Hirateuchi]

Hira wandered through the arid wastes of dunes and rocks, every bit looking the same as the last. Umbrella held overhead to cover himself from the sun's harsh rays, he continued on until spotting what appeared to be an unusually large stone, with some water surrounding it. Was the heat finally starting to set in? He had heard that the desert could deceive those who lost their way. Could he really spare the distraction if he was to make it to the Sand in one piece?

I guess if I die out here in the wastes then I can't really get to him...

Against his better judgement he decided to investigate the area, hoping that he was not simply digging his own grave.

---

Upon further inspection, Hira noticed that he wasn't quite imagining things, but had also determined that the place he had found completely on accident was not the village he was looking for. Frustrated and worried he was about to lose all hope of ever reaching his destination, until he saw a lone figure in the distance. There was an equal change of it being illusion, local, or even enemy. Walking cautiously over to the individual, distorted by the shifting rays of light bombarding the lands like flame and cinder, Hira called out.

"Hey! Are you from around this area? Do you have any idea how to get to the Hidden Sand village from here?"

He knew he was risking much by stating his intentions so clearly, but he was running out of options.

 

[Shieo]

With the lip of the water-skin touching mine own, the lukewarm liquid revitalized what energy I had and helped stave off any sort of wear at least for a temporary reprieve. It didn't take terribly long for the traveler to make it to where I had setup myself to rest. The wind had gusted behind me as a reminder that there was a building there- not strictly from the wind itself but the dust and dirt that filtered through the debris of the two-story building that was rundown and more or less in pieces and pattered about the area.

Upon the arrival of the traveler and his questions in tow, I simply offered my water-skin at first as a gesture of goodwill. Figuring he had seen me drink from it, probably deterred any thoughts it may be a trick.
"Around 'ere? Nah, o'er I do know the way t' the Village y'seek." Filling the gap of silence with a sniff, I examined the man; there was a sense of familiarity of him; though that was many years past; a shinobi even if he lost the title doesn't necessarily decree his senses dullen- He was from where I once was, if I recall. Perhaps through my line of work and training?

"Ere' y' from Kumogakure a' dare question?" Arching a brow, as I inquired the young man. Certainly my usual dour expression affixed my eyes whilst doing so.


[MFT]

 

[Hirateuchi]

"Oh no..."

The stranger speaking was all it took to jolt an unpleasant memory into Hira's head, etched in there as though branded by iron and flame. Though he couldn't recall the details as accurately as he may have wished, there was certainly a time at which these two had fought one another, back before he had left his home to train. Back in the sands of the coliseum.

Was he an Anbu? No, any Anbu worth their salt would be able to speak better than that of an academy student's younger sibling, and they surely wouldn't be sitting around waiting for a stranger to greet them. He must have been in the medical branch then? They wouldn't need him to be able to speak in order to heal the wounds of those brought in... Wait if he's a medical ninja, what would he be doing all the way out here in the outskirts of Wind Country?

Hira looked the man up and down, all the while trying to juggle what role the simpleton could have possibly played as a ninja. Shaking his head at the offer of water, he spoke out with a tone of worry and embarrassment.

"Look old man, if you don't remember how to speak properly I won't judge the grip time has obviously had on you. As a shinobi of the Hidden Cloud I would be remiss if I were to just leave you out here on your own. If you would be so kind as to just point in the direction we should head, I'd be happy to accompany you back in case anything dangerous were lurking out here."

[MFT]

 

[Shieo]

"Ehh-- Y'know m' accent inna' about age. Years'n Marsh'll do'ya pretty cruel. Tha' seems yer' eyes playin' you. I'm far from'a Cloud shinobi; departed sometime ago t'be a Mercenary 'fa my own." After he spoke he let a breath of silence so Hira could process what was said, while doing this Shieo had tapped his own forehead twice as a motion to think. "Tha' I think y'might be the one tha' ought t' be careful, last I recall I was t'one testin' you. 'n I know these roads a bit better'n you." Offering a gentle smile, he stood up and took another swig of water afore capping off and placing it next to his bag on the stairs- or what was left of them at least.

Stretching his arms above his head as he seemed to be taking some time to think, then looked around the horizon and shrugged; probably to himself, he did seem a bit central in his internal communication. "Say'a we never did resolve t' test we did, did we? Care ta' entertain 'n old man? See if yer' up to snuff for Wind? After I'a can take y' to Sand Village."


[Offering bmod here if Hira would like to]