A single cloud in the sky caught by the wind current, cast a shadow over the young Shinobi that was walking in the desert heat. The shade was a nice break from the sun beating down on him, however it was not much help with the actual heat. The wind blew in from the east, kicking up sand along the way, the wind was not refreshing as it had the sting on the heat with it. The boy was used to the heat of the desert he had grown up around it, so it did not bother him except for the stinging of his eyes from the wind. He had been walking for hours and he knew he still had a long way to go his only hope was that he did not get lost on his journey back to the village hidden in the sand. It has been three years since he had been at the village, ever since he had graduated from the academy. He wondered if things had changed since he had been there, but his main concern was being able to find the village on his own. The last time he had made this journey he was under the escort of his family guards, this time he did not get that luxury, this time he was on his own. As the young boy continued to walk north his mind trailed back to what had brought him to this point.

Raphael had gone to his mother to tell her that he had decided to return to Sunagakure to continue his Shinobi training, however she would not hear of it and refused to let him leave insisting that he must remain at the estate to take on his responsibility as clan leader in four years. After a conversation with his uncle the young boy left the estate under the cover of night, leaving a note to his mother explaining that he had to go, as well as a note to the rest of his family giving them to his uncle, who help him past the estate guard, to give to them once he was gone. He had been walking for two days now only resting briefly in a small cave he found for shelter along the way the night before, and it did not look like there would be another shelter for as far as his eyes could see so his only option was to keep going.

He knew the hidden village was north and so he stayed on the path north of his home, "goddess please do not let me be lost," he spoke aloud though no one was around to hear him. He wished he had paid better attention all those years ago when he had first traveled to the hidden sand village under his escort, but alas his younger self was to excited about joining the academy to even care about what was going on around him. All he could do was head north and hope that he reached his destination soon, and without running into any problems along the way as well.

---

518

It was just another day in the Village Hidden in the Sands for the young Kuno Uchiha. He had been back from his mission with the Kazekage for a couple of days, and since he was now confident that he had regained enough energy for some proper work, he had decided to assist with some of the patrols that were…closer to home. Since the last one had led himself and Midori far off into the desert and chasing traitors from their village, he hoped that nothing too exciting would come from this short patrol just beyond the walls. Despite the exhaustion that had come about as a result of the mission, it had been an amazing experience overall, and he was happy that it had happened.

First of all, it had been an excellent opportunity for the young Uchiha to show his skill directly to the Kazekage herself. They had been confronted with stealth, combat, and endurance obstacles that Kuno was able to flourish in, which he hoped was enough to at least impress the young Kage a little bit. He had worked hard, and had done what was required of him efficiently and effectively, and she had mentioned that it was a taste of what the ANBU Black Ops were expected to be able to do. Since Kuno wished to join the ranks of the ANBU, it was encouraging to hear that she trusted him enough which such a mission, even if it was accidental. But better than that was the walk back to the village. It had taken some time, but over the coarse of the trip he had been able to chat with his Kazekage, getting to know her better and even opening up to her as well. As much at it may make Midori show favor to him in the future, Kuno was more pleased with the fact that he had been able to further see who the Kage was as a person, and not just a figurehead.

It was important to Kuno that Village Hidden in the Sands be protected by a powerful shinobi that could stand in the face of adversity when it tried to take on the village, but even more important to him was that the Kage be someone that could relate to the people. For too many years Sunagakure no Sato was let by a faceless Kazekage that would eventually abandon the land; but now Midori was here, and things were going to change. Of that Kuno was sure, considering that they already were changing for the better. Crime was down, and the active Kage presence had led to more and more shinobi joining the ranks of the village while also working toward bettering themselves. It was a major boost to morale to see someone so involved in the village’s day to day operations, and because of that, the community was on the verge of thriving like it had so many years before Kuno was even born.

It was this collection of thoughts that ran through Kuno’s mind as he wandered through the desert surrounding the Village Hidden in the Sands. The sun was beating down over the Land of Wind harshly as usual, though Kuno did not feel its heat as much as most. Wearing his Ninshiki cloak over his mostly black outfit, he rested his left hand on the hilt of his miao dao which was strapped to his hip, while also adjusting the Sunagakure forehead protector with his right hand. He wandered like this for some time before, as he crested over the top of a sand dune, he glanced down the hill to see a figure making its way up the same dune in the direction of the village. From this distance, Kuno could not determine any affiliation with any sort of village, so with caution in mind he slowly made his way down the side of the dune toward the stranger. As he approached, the young Uchiha raised a hand to wave and called out. “Hello there! Are you headed toward the village, traveler?”

WC:681

Raphael noticed the figure as they came over the dune that he was currently walking up, the figure was dressed in garb that Raphael did not recognize, but that was the last thing on his mind as his attention was quickly drawn to the sword that the figure had on his hip. 'Great, just my luck that I would run into a bandit' he thought to himself, however something else caught his eye. A glint of metal on the figure's forehead reflecting the light of the sun, 'a headband? he could be from Suna or he could be a bandit or traveler from another village' Raphael thought as he began deciding whether or not to take precautionary measures. He eventually decided there would be no harm in trusting this man rather than instant distrust, so Raphael lowered his travel cloak's hood to reveal his vivid blue eyes that have become the identifying mark of the Kozai Clan. His cloak is all white with the Kozai clan symbol on the left breast and the cloak covers most of his body, leaving only his black shoes as well as his arms and hands visible. Raphael sized the man up and made note of the man's blade making sure to keep it in his view, without drawing attention about him keeping his eye on the man. If he needed to, he felt confident enough in his own ability that if the figure was a threat he would be able to defend himself. However this changed as they drew nearer to one another and he noticed the Sunagakure symbol on the man's headband, he let out a small sigh of relief. 'This guy is from the village, hopefully he is friendly', and no soon than this thought crossed his mind that the guy raised his hand called out to him.

Raphael returned the man's waive and thought whether or not to tell the man of his intention as he was still sizing up the man's intentions. "Hello," he replied before outstretching his hand to shake the man's hand of course if the man had ill intentions this would probably be a bad idea, but still Raphael pushed those thoughts from his mind and proceeded with faith in his fellow Shinobi of the Sand. "I am Kozai, Raphael and yes I am headed to Sunagakure," Raphael said with a smile in hopes that the man would also be forth coming with his own name. After a moment's pause Raphael motioned in the direction he was he was heading, "I am hoping I am headed in the right direction, I have only been to Sunagakure once before and it was a while ago and I'm not real good with direction," Raphael said with a chuckle, "I do not mean to be to forward but would you be interested in accompanying me? I have been out here a while and could use some company, at the same time it would also ensure that I do not get lost."

---

510 + 518 = 1028

As Kuno approached the stranger down the dune, a wave of relief came over him for a moment. The figure lowered his hood, and even from this distance Kuno could see the short blonde hair that topped his head. The fact that he was not trying to hide his identity at this point meant that he either was not a threat, or he was so much of a threat that Kuno would not be able to do much about it anyway. The distance between the two men lessened more and more as they continued to walk toward each other, and Kuno too a moment to size up the stranger when he returned the Uchiha’s wave. The boy was shorter and younger than Kuno, that much was obvious by his appearance. His piercing blue eyes reminded him of something that he had read one, though he had never been one for books, and so he could not recall exactly what that memory entailed. The cloak that the boy wore was impressive, all white and radient in the sunshine of the day. The crest on the left breast was familiar as well, but Kuno did not pay much attention to it.

He instead focused on the greeting he was receiving form the young man; his hand was outstretched and waiting for the Uchiha’s. Kuno did not hesitate, reaching out his own to greet the stranger who proceeded to introduce himself. "I am Kozai, Raphael and yes I am headed to Sunagakure," He paused for a moment, and Kuno filled the silence with an introduction of his own. “Nice to meet you Raphael. I’m Uchiha, Kuno. I’m a chuunin of the Village Hidden in the Sands.” With their names exchanged, Raphael motioned toward the village. "I am hoping I am headed in the right direction, I have only been to Sunagakure once before and it was a while ago and I'm not real good with direction," Raphael said with a chuckle, "I do not mean to be to forward but would you be interested in accompanying me? I have been out here a while and could use some company, at the same time it would also ensure that I do not get lost."

Kuno simply smiled in response, trying to remember why the boy’s name, eyes, and crest seemed so familiar. He remembered reading something about the Kozai clan back when he was in the academy, though now that he needed that information, he could not bring it to bear. Cursing himself for being such a poor study, Kuno decided to leave it be and help the young man. “Well as a matter of fact, that’s sort of why I’m around. I’m on a kind of patrol I guess, but I’m supposed to direct travelers to the village if need be! So, I would be happy to help.” He turned around and pointed slightly off to the left of where Raphael had been pointing. “I will say though, you would have made it if you kept walking where you were headed. It’s pretty hard to miss once you get close.”

With that, the young Uchiha turned and began walking toward his home, beckoning for the young man to follow him. As they started to walk, Kuno turned back toward him inquisitively. “So, what business do you have in the village? No offense of course,  but you seem kind of young to be headed to the village unless you’re a shinobi of some kind...”

WC:592+681=1273

Luck seemed to be in his favor, he was not only heading in close to the right direction, but he was lucky enough to run into another Shinobi of the sand that was out here to help guide travellers to the village. Raphael quickly moved to follow Kuno, the name Uchiha sparked some interest though, the library at the estate had an extensive collection of different clans and people of interest and he had spent most of the last three years reading them, but the last record they had was when the Uchiha were nearly wiped out. Of course since the great revelation there were rumors of them resurfacing, however since the Kozai had not encountered them they were no true record, Raphael was more than interested in the fact that he was meeting an Uchiha then he had been when he had first completed his training in his awaking. Raphael made a quick mental note to try to learn more about him in the future before answering the man's question, "You are right, I am returning to Sunagakure to become an official Genin of the Hidden Sand, I graduated the academy three years ago but due to family matters I had to return home, but thankfully that is no longer an issue and I can continue to on with my own goals." Raphael paused briefly taking in a breath before he countinue, "My family has had a history with the hidden sand, longer than I have been alive at least, my family has trained and served in Sunagakure for generations. Our Estate is near the water front as well so under the blessing of Raava we are able to grow crops as well as a couple of different livestock and we share them with Sunagakure and its people, we may be small compared to some other supply lines Sunagakure has, however I like to think that we are at least the nicest." Raphael stopped himself realizing that he was rambling, "My apologies, I do not mean to give you a history lesson it has been a few days since I have had anyone to talk to, and I sometimes get carried away" he said thinking back to how he had been after his Awakening and how he had talked non stop. "Anyways to answer your question I am here to continue my training not only to better myself but also my clan as well as Sunagakure itself. There is no doubt I have a long road ahead of me and more than likely I will have many obstacles in my path, however anything that stands in my way will fall before me, because I will not stop until I achieve my goal." Raphael stopped feeling as though he might be talking about himself to much and he wanted to know the man that was an Uchiha, "Forgive me, I just kept going on and on about myself, if you don't mind me asking and I hope I am being too forward, but your attire, is it common in Sunagakure? Or is it like clan apparel? It is just I have never seen anything like it."

---

528 + 1028 = 1556

The young Kozai quickly moved to walk in step with Kuno, and nearly immediately obliged him by answering his questions in full. Kuno listened carefully for any hint of deception, but the boy seemed more excited than anything else.  "You are right, I am returning to Sunagakure to become an official Genin of the Hidden Sand, I graduated the academy three years ago but due to family matters I had to return home, but thankfully that is no longer an issue and I can continue to on with my own goals."Raphael paused briefly taking in a breath before he continued, "My family has had a history with the hidden sand, longer than I have been alive at least, my family has trained and served in Sunagakure for generations. Our Estate is near the water front as well so under the blessing of Raava we are able to grow crops as well as a couple of different livestock and we share them with Sunagakure and its people, we may be small compared to some other supply lines Sunagakure has, however I like to think that we are at least the nicest."

At that moment, it seemed to occur to the boy that was following the Uchiha that he had begun to ramble, and though he paused to apologize for it, he jumped right back into it before too long. Kuno merely chuckled to himself as he listened, interested in the young man’s history at the very least. "Anyways to answer your question I am here to continue my training not only to better myself but also my clan as well as Sunagakure itself. There is no doubt I have a long road ahead of me and more than likely I will have many obstacles in my path, however anything that stands in my way will fall before me, because I will not stop until I achieve my goal." Kuno nodded and turned to him at this revelation placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder reassuringly. “You’re right, it will be a long road ahead. I’m on a similar path myself, trying to rise through the ranks and become the best shinobi for the Village Hidden in the Sands that I can be. So I can attest to the fact that it will not be easy. But let me tell you Raphael, if you are half as good a shinobi as you are a storyteller, then you’ll make it. I believe it.” He let out a soft chuckle once more as the Kozai boy asked him for forgiveness followed by a question that left Kuno more concerned than anything else.

He had received his current apparel from a man that had journeyed to the Land of Wind from Kirigakure no Sato. The man, Issei, had been forming a group of shinobi from around the world that would eventually travel to the lands that had long since been forgotten and try to restore them to their former glory. It was a goal that Kuno had seen a great purpose in, and s he had joined, awaiting Issei’s return that their journey may commence. But unfortunately, he had not heard anything yet. Sighing, he addressed Raphael once again. “No, this robe was a gift from a friend. Most people don’t wear them; in fact, I don’t think there is another person in the Village that has one. I have t because I am part of a group of shinobi called Ninshiki. We search out lost or forgotten knowledge and items so that they can be restored. For example, I have this,” he said as he pulled back his sleeve and gestured to the bracer on his left hand and wrist. “This bracer can absorb chakra from a jutsu and nullify its effect. It doesn’t work on incredibly powerful techniques, but even so it is a powerful tool.”

He stopped walking for a moment and flexed his hand a little bit. “I could show you, if you like? It’s been some time since I’ve used it but it’s pretty impressive. All you have to do is you a jutsu against me and I should be able to nullify it.” If the boy wanted to, then Kuno would wait for the attack to come. Otherwise, he would continue his walk toward the village, not minding either way.

WC:735+1273=2008

Raphael listened to the man as he explained how he had come to this attire, the name Ninshiki did not ring any bells in the young genin's memory which would explain why he had never seen such a garb before now. However their mission to restore relics of the past for modern use was something that Raphael could find appreciation in, consider he was in a way himself a student of his own clans ancient traditions. Raphael found the man's gauntlet to be very fascinating, with a look of modern as well as ancient to it, however more fascinating than its appearance was what the man said it was capable of doing. For it to be able to nullify jutsu would give the man a huge advantage in an actual fight, even if it can not work on some of the stronger jutsu assuming it was used at the right time and not wasted on something that could otherwise be avoided it could easily give the man the upper hand, but that was not his concern Raphael was certain that the man would not have the gauntlet if he did not know how to properly wield it. The man then flexed his gauntleted hand and offered to show Raphael how the device worked by nullifying a jutsu, causing Raphael considered the man's offer for a moment. Whether what the man said about his gauntlet is true or not Raphael doubted very seriously that he would be able to injure the man despite his own confidence in his ability as a Shinobi, the man seemed to be more than a capable fighter and if his gauntlet did not work the way the man said it would then the man would simply dodge the strike. Still it would show poor etiquette for him to strike out at a higher ranking shinobi, even if it was just to show him the use of the man's gauntlet, considering he was new to the village, not to mention the fact that this could be a trick to exploit Raphael and get him thrown in the dungeon or something. Raphael thought back to his training so long ago about controlling his actions, even if the man was serious it could be a ploy to see Raphael's own ability and judge his weaknesses or even his strengths, the Kozai were proud warriors, however they were also very calculating. It was one of the reasons they were able to stay out of most conflicts and how they remained hidden, as well as the fact that they were not very trusting. The Uchiha, according to all records at the estate, were highly manipulatable and would be able to use their sharigan to their own advantage to steal techniques that would otherwise never be trained to another or they could use it to get inside someone's head and manipulate them that way. Raphael did not understand fully how the sharigan worked or what it even looked like considering there were no picture or true description of it in the estates records other than saying they were the eyes of demons, it was quite possible that the man has had his sharigan locked on to him from the moment he meet the man.

Still whether the man's intentions were pure as he said or not Raphael decided that it would be best for himself to not press his luck. "My apologies Master Uchiha, but my journey has been long and the desert sun has been unforgiving and I have become wary from it, perhaps you could show me the use of your gauntlet at another time after I have had some rest," Raphael said with a slight bow before they continued on their journey to the hidden sand. There was no doubt that Raphael was interested in the working of the man's gauntlet as well as the fact he was interested in learning more about this man and the Uchiha clan itself but he would have to save his quest for knowledge for later after he had some sleep.

After a few more moments of walking they came over yet another dune and Raphael saw the great village of Sunagakure for the first time in almost four years, a smile crossed the young Kozai's face as he looked  out at the village. "Sunagakure, I have made it." Raphael said in a low voice before turning to the Uchiha that helped him reach his destination, "if it is not too much trouble could you point me to the Kazekage's office? And perhaps a place to rest my head?" Raphael asked in hopes that the man would give him a quick tour of the village or something before they parted ways.

---

798 + 1556 = 2354

The young Uchiha could tell that his proposition had brought on some nervousness in his companion. In truth, he could not blame the boy. If was the perfect way to put him off his guard, so when Raphael finally responded, he was not surprised with his reply. "My apologies Master Uchiha, but my journey has been long and the desert sun has been unforgiving and I have become wary from it, perhaps you could show me the use of your gauntlet at another time after I have had some rest," He gave a slight, respectful bow and continued walking. Kuno nodded and walked alongside him, reassuring him as he did so. “Ah, I understand. Well if you are ever around the Tsumi Sand Grounds, you can usually find me there training. So I’ll be sure to bring this gadget the next few times in case you show up.”

The pair of shinobi did not have to walk much longer until they crested over another hilltop and the Village Hidden in the Sands came into view. It was certainly a sight to see, and as he heard the young man beside him exclaim his excitement quietly, he remembered the first time he had seen Sunagakure no Sato. It had been yet another dark time in his life. His father had driven himself, his sister, and his mother from their family home in the Land of Fire, and they had fled across the world into this foreign land where they knew nothing and nobody. Kuno had stared down this very same hill, but for him it had been hatred that had filled him. He had hated the place he now called home; to him it had represented the betrayal and evil of his father that had forced him there. It had taken some time, but eventually, he began to view the village as more of a refuge than a prison, and soon after that it had become his home.

So this time, as he stared down at the village, though he did not smile excitedly or sing the village’s praises to the young man that would join the ranks of his shinobi brothers and sisters, he was happy to see it. He nodded once with pride, and turned back to Raphael who had asked the young Uchiha to show him to the Kagekage’s office and a place to stay. Once again, Kuno nodded in response. “Of course. In fact, I have to make my way to the Administration Building myself, so I can take you there personally." And with that, the duo marched on toward the gates, eventually crossing the threshold into the Village Hidden in the Sands. Since Raphael was with Kuno, he was vouched for and so they had no issue entering the village. From there, the pair walked through the streets, passing by the roads to the Tsumi Sand Grounds, the Mystical Glass Museum, the Hospital, and eventually the Grand Bazaar. As they passed through the sprawling marketplace, Kuno turned back to the boy following him. “So Raphael, what do you think of the village so far? Has it changed much since you were last here?” He paused to hear his response ad then continued. “There are places to stay around here, though as a ninja of the village you may have access to some cheaper housing that the administration can direct you to.”

Their walk continued, and Kuno made sure to avoid the Sand Dune Slums by walking through the better end of town. After all, an introduction to the village via a mugging would not be the best idea in the Uchiha’s mind. After walking for a few more minutes, the pair finally found themselves standing outside of the large Sunagakure no Sato Administration Building. Lifting his hand and gesturing to the structure, Kuno looked over to Raphael and smiled. “Well, here we are! Just head inside and you should be able to get signed up with all of your paperwork. If the Kazekage is in, she’ll be up in her office. Though I will say, Lady Midori is a very busy woman, and you may have to wait a while to get an audience with her. Is there anything else you need before I head inside to turn in my mission report?”

WC:721+2008=2729

Raphael remained silent as they finished their approach to the village gates, once there he waited a few moments while Kuno talked to the guard and then waved for him to continue following the Uchiha. They passed by a large open area that did not have much inside the area, but Raphael remembered from his academy days that it was one of the areas that the Shinobi of the Hidden Sand train. They past by a couple of houses before coming to the Mythical Glass Museum, of course this place was hard to miss due to the size of the sign alone. Raphael remembered the day the academy took a field trip to the museum to better understand the history of the Great Hidden Sand Village from the good times all the way to the bad times and then now back to the good times. Raphael's favorite part of the entire trip was getting to see all of the memorials to the Previous Kazekages, he remembered that it was that day he had made a promise to himself that one day he would be in this museum, perhaps not as a Kazekage, but as a hero of the village and that people would come from all around the world to read of his story and see his statue.

Raphael's focus snapped back to reality from his thoughts as they past by the Sand Village's Hospital, a place he was hoping to avoid, at least as a patient. The next stop on the tour was the Grand Colosseum which Raphael had read about more than once, he never would have believed that there could be a place this big until he saw it with his own eyes, it was at least four times the size of the Kozai's training building if not more. It was indeed breathtaking in person, however Raphael did not have much time to awe in the beauty of the colosseum as the soon arrive at the Grand Bazaar. This was the first major difference he had seen within the Hidden Sand Village from the last time he had been here, the streets were packed with civilians shopping which was normal but there were also merchants crowding the streets trying to sell to those that walked by them. Kuno seemed to read Raphael's mind as he asked the young Kozai about anything changing from the last time the boy had been here, "well, there is a lot more merchants than I remember," the young Kozai responded to the question. Raphael had never been comfortable with merchants, they were fast talkers and most of them would swindle you out of your clothes if they thought they could. No Raphael preferred to deal strictly with the blacksmith that made the item as there was less chance of him being ripped off that way.

As they continued walking Kuno pointed towards some different housing that was available within the village, as well as some different inn's which offered room and board, Kuno also explained that as a Shinobi of the Hidden Sand Raphael might find himself capable of getting cheaper housing if he talked to the people in the administration office. Raphael made a mental note on Kuno's words to remind himself to ask about the housing, they continued their journey to the administration office as Raphael marveled in the beauty that was Sunagakure. He had not been able to do very much site seeing the last time he had been here, mostly due to his studies being his priority, not to mention he had been under the watchful eyes of his twelve guards the last time as well. Still the beauty of the Hidden Sand Village was a site to behold, and Raphael was extremely greatful that he had encountered this young Uchiha when he did to have such a wonderful tour guide of the beautiful village. As they arrived in front of the Administration Building, Kuno began explaining what Raphael would need to do, before adding that the Kazekage was a very busy person and he might have to wait for an audience. The young Uchiha then asked if Raphael needed anything else before he took care of his own matters, the young Kozai smiled at Kuno with sincerity as he spoke, "No that will be all, thank you very much for your assistance Kuno Uchiha, I am in your debt." Raphael bowed slightly to the young Uchiha that had helped him reach his destination before adding, "I do hope to see you around and see that gauntlet of yours in action, and if there is ever anything you would require of me in the future simply ask and I will do what I can to return the favor you have shown me."

With that said Raphael walked into the administration office and began speaking with the secretaries there to start getting what he needed done, done. What he had said to the Uchiha was true he was in the man's debt for assisting him and he did hope to talk with him more later on after he had gotten settled into the village.

{Exit Thread}

---

863 + 2354 = 3217

Acquiring Scaling Jutsu Wind Sense (3000 words)

With their journey at an end, Kuno was hardly surprised to see the polite young man bow slightly before thanking him for the assistance he had given. "No that will be all, thank you very much for your assistance Kuno Uchiha, I am in your debt. I do hope to see you around and see that gauntlet of yours in action, and if there is ever anything you would require of me in the future simply ask and I will do what I can to return the favor you have shown me." Kuno returned the bow, an action he was not all that used to since he had graduated form the academy, and smiled as Raphael stepped away. “Of course you’ll see this in action. I expect to end up on a mission with you or something as soon as possible. And as far as returning the favor goes…just become a great ninja that can keep our home safe alright? That’s the best gift you could give me.”

And with that, Raphael was gone, off into the depths of the administration building to undoubtedly fill out an obscene amount of paperwork just so that he could end up with a proper Sunagakure no Sato forehead protector. In any case, the young Uchiha was happy to see that there would be another genin joining the ranks of the village. Soon enough they would all rise up to be strong enough to protect the village from its various threats. Nodding to himself, Kuno hopped up the side of the building to the third floor sing the supernatural walking practice and hopped in a window, bypassing the traffic on the first floor to turn in his report on the brief patrol. As it turned out, he had his own fair share of paperwork himself…

[Exit Thread]

WC:304+2729=3033

Training

Fuuton from B-Rank to A-Rank (3000/3000)
Unused WC: 33