Pale skin hidden behind several layers of black clothing - that was the most accurate and short way of describing the young man known as Zhuge Shin Amida. He was a rather short person, standing only at 5 feet and 1 inch. This meant that he was often confused for a small child, much to his chagrin. He was a 15 year old. He still had time for his growth spurt to show up. And if worst came to worst, maybe there was a way that he could develop a genjutsu that mad him seem taller. Truth be told, he didn't quite know why his line of thought was headed this way. Zhuge was pretty much very blase when it came to well... pretty much everything. He rarely gave a damn about anyone other than himself. That also meant that he cared nothing for other people's opinions concerning himself. If the raven haired boy had to decide on a reason for this, it was likely because he had just seen someone that stood at almost 7 feet tall. For a fleeting moment, he felt hat it must be nice to look at everyone from above like that.

In any case, that had little importance. If he couldn't grow his height by sheer willpower, he could at least augment his body mass. His clothes made him look quite slim, but underneath them was a body built of sheer muscle. Despite his specialties revolving nowhere even close to physical combat, he always made an effort to keep himself in the best of shape. He was both a medic and a prospective master of genjutsu, but he didn't underestimate the value of arts such as bukijutsu and taijutsu. If given the right amount of time and someone he tolerated enough to train under, he wouldn't mind learning either. However, that was likely a long shot for the spiteful little man. In the meantime, he would settle for training on his own, in the parts of Konoha that were still under construction.

The young boy hadn't decided yet whether or not he enjoyed being in Konoha. Something about it seemed a little bit too... peaceful and... happy. It made him shudder. Nothing was ever like that, not really. If it seemed that way, it was only because it hid something terrifying underneath. He supposed it wasn't untrue for this place. After all, Konoha had always been a military force to be reckoned with. He wouldn't have been surprised if they were also responsible for any amount of war crimes and the like. After all, they had been the ones to breed people such as Orochimaru and Obito Uchiha in the past. Furthermore, hadn't Hao been from Konoha at some point. Maybe this place had a secret breeding ground where people like that were created and then set loose upon the world so that they could then swoop in and save everyone and gain the trust of, well, everyone.

Conspiracy theories aside, Zhuge had something to do. He needed to train. He had always hated doing so on his own. Then again, he also hated having to interact with most people. It was a bit of a paradox, really. At this point in time - and considering that his last solo training session had been pretty much a full blown acid trip - he could have really used some company. After all, Zhuge Shin Amida was the type of person that mostly always acted on a whim. And right now, his whims were telling him that company would be acceptable and even desired. Maybe he had chosen the wrong place to run into someone, however... oh well, let fate, luck or whatever you call it run its course. He would wait a few minutes before calling it quits and training on his own. Again.

[Training Endurance E to E-3: 450/450]
[Training Perception E to E-3: 195/450]

She wondered why she was even here.



.....not existing here per se, as in within the world. But rather, hanging out in a rather dangerous area. The beams, scaffolding and girders did not bode well for any that dared stand underneath them. And...it just sort of reeked a little here. It was the smell of not-so-fresh sawdust.

Retracing her steps:

One. She woke up in her little cove-let in the Rolling Hills of Konoha's controlled areas in Hi no Kuni. Two. She took a bath in some of the collected rainwater she had left over from a rather large downpour. She still had to distill and purify it though, since it was.....well, unfit to make contact with a human. Or anything living and sentient. Three. Go find someone to talk to, you lonely bag.

Damn, she had to stop talking to herself. Maybe that was proof of her loneliness....

Still, she knew what she wanted. Noriko was always that kind of person, going straight for what she wanted. Or rather, that was always her intent. Somehow....somehow, she managed to get sidetracked every single time. But she couldn't afford that. She needed to get stronger....if there was any remnant of the Shichiouza left, of Uchiha Hao's legacy....she would find it. And she would destroy it.

So, the young lady remembered why she even came to this rather....rough place. The training grounds were chock-full of the normal kind, the kind who just want to be Hokage. But the Ronin and Nuke-nin....well, while she didn't agree with how some of the latter acted, she knew that they were very well-versed in combat. Hopefully, the Katou though, she could accomplish something here today. It was useless to try and do everything alone.....she didn't want to be alone.

And thus did the frail girl run, no, sprint all the way to the skeleton of a building that overshadowed her, yet not even nearing completion. She went as fast as she could....her body could really have used a workout. Her chakra and control of it was in tip-top shape...she had a fairly large arsenal of techniques as well. So she decided to quit the mental training....and work on the physical.

And who would she spot in this place but an ever-so-convenient person....just by his dress he looked like a ninja. Delightful....a sparring partner, just what she needed. Wordless, she let her posture and relaxed body language do the talking. As she approached him, a faint smile---forced or not, though it was small enough not to be noted if she was forcing---graced her lips. Eventually, as she was walking, she got to his position. She was still panting a bit from having ran all that way.

[478 words]
[Speed E-3 to D, 300/300]
[Strength E to E-1, 75/75]
[Reaction Time D to D-1, 103/325]

Zhuge's eyes scanned the area. Only a few workers so far, their fat hanging over their pants, lightly exposed hairy stomachs, lunch in hand and yellow hats over their nearly bald heads. It wasn't exactly the loveliest of sights. The raven haired boy shuddered. Honestly, it was scenes like these that made him wondered why it was, exactly, that he was attracted to men. Not that he wasn't attracted to women as well - he was an equal opportunity lover. He really didn't care about gender or anything like that as long as he could get laid. This, however... this was the very definition of boring. The young boy considered - for a very very brief moment - entering a meditative state in order to train himself. That would require placing himself under several layers of illusions in order to access the deepest, darkest places of his mind. One would usually expect blood, gore and massacre from such things along with a healthy dose of unresolved childhood trauma.

But now. That would have been something that Zhuge Shin would have been able to deal with. He didn't give a rat's ass about death and destruction or about seeing the faces of dead people. Unfortunately, he wasn't that lucky. Therefore, he once again discarded that thought. He preferred boredom. It was at that moment that a tuft of brown hair caught his eye. It was a small girl - maybe around his height? - running in his general direction. She looked like the type that could potentially serve as a decent sparring partner. Not only that, but she wasn't too bad to look at, either. Maybe he had been saved. The girl reached him and stood there in silence, panting from the run. More than that, she was smiling.

Zhuge raised an eyebrow and looked at her with curiosity. He let a moment of silence pass between them before he decided to speak up. "Need something, little girl?" he asked. His voice was low, raspy and slightly chilling. It had a rather uncommon sound to it and no aspect of it could ever be called warm. It anything, he sounded distant, disinterested and maybe even a little mocking. He cocked and eyebrow and kept his gaze firmly set on the brown haired girl.

[Training Perception E to E-3: 450/450]
[Training Strength E-3 to D: 135/300]