Amaya had spent the early hours of the morning finishing up with fixing Ashi's shoulder, again. In fact, she'd been rather surprised when no one had come running when she'd just popped the thing back into place, resulting in a large slew of curse words directed at no one in particular from Ashi. Still, she had had to do what she had had to do.

So, after a while of having her ears singed with some rather vial language she'd felt the need to just escape. To stretch her legs so to speak. She was still in a fowl mood over the lack of response from her squad, and the fact that none of them had bothered to show, and that made the already albino Uchiha look sinister with her rage. She'd been scaring off children recently, and knew she had to get a reign on her temper or else it was going to get much worse. While most people would just go chill out with their friends for awhile, Amaya found herself... lonely. Because of her young age of 14, and rank of Jounin, it made her a bit of an oddball. So what else did she have to do? Add in her sickly looking too thin figure and albino features of white hair, deathly pale skin, and red eyes, and yeah, only Ashi dared really get close to her enough to be considered a friend, at least outside of her family.

So, she figured she might as well go chill at the river for a while. Maybe get some reading done, since she had got her hands on a fresh book from the book store. She arrived walking, and after pausing long enough to check who might all be around she skipped her way from one rock through the other until reaching the large flat boulder that was just high enough to be out of the water rushing by it on all sides in the center of the river. It was a nice spot, directly in the sunlight that would provide an extra bit of warmth. Perfect place to sit down and spend the next several hours reading and relaxing. Without further waiting she sat herself down, Indian style, and just closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly several times over.

Keiji had been sitting at the bottom of the river bed for the past several minutes, wearing nothing save for a pair of swimming trunks. It had been surprisingly warm in Konoha, the bright sun heating up the water enough for swimming to be comfortable. Keiji had used the opportunity to meditate. He had done so in the past, finding that the sensation of being underwater was especially calming. The cool water rushing past him and drowning out most of his senses, he applied chakra to the parts if his body touching the floor as to not be swept away by the moderately swift current. Delving within his own subconscious, he began to reflect upon the various events that had happened recently.

The horrific attack on Kirigakure had been... unnerving, especially so. With its destruction being so close to the Chuunin exam, Keiji couldn't help but feel as if the attacks wouldn't stop with Kiri, which disturbed him. As a result of the attack, Konoha had been bustling. Competing nations from the Chuunin exams still lingered in the village and many from Kirigakure sought asylum within the Leaf's walls. Keiji didn't mind - no ill will had been shown between the villages thus far, and the influx of visitors was sure to do wonders to Konoha's economy and reputation across the world. Still, what would drive somebody to destroy and entire village?

Keiji opened his eyes, returning to the present. Feeling the dull burning and aches in his lungs, he surmised that he would need to surface for air sometime soon. The light around him suddenly diminished as a shadow blocked the sun's pleasant light and warmth. He looked up at the river's surface, noticing that a very pale woman was standing on the boulder he was currently sitting against, he smiled as she sat down in a meditative stance. 'Interesting,' Keiji thought. Not many people in Konoha, especially ninja, concerned themselves with the meditative arts. To find somebody who shared his passion and location preferences was... refreshing.

Not wanting to disturb the young woman, Keiji slowly swam out of the river, reclaiming his sandals that he had propped up against a tree before looking at the woman one more time. She was younger than he was, perhaps in her mid-teens, possessing fair skin and hair as white as snow. Keiji smiled as he heard the faint exhale and inhale of breath. She knew what she was doing.

Keiji turned and began walking away, being sure to look out for the young woman in the future.

All breathing entirely ceased for a moment as her eyelids fluttered open, red tinted gaze turning in the direction of the man who'd just stepped from the river. Her head tilted in mild curiousity, a slender white eyebrow raising. She glanced back to the river, and then once more to the man who seemed to be leaving. 'What was he doing down there?', she thought, but outloud she said "You don't have to leave... you're not bothering me, and I hope my arrival didn't disturb you.", her voice was soft in its tone, but loud enough to carry over the water rushing by.

Maybe it was because of her almost over whelming loneliness, but she actually wanted someone to talk to. Or, even someone to sit there. 'Odd, normally I don't bother caring if I get social interaction. My emotions are just all out of wack today.', she thought to herself. She wouldn't press for the man to stay, surely wouldn't ask a complete stranger to keep her company, but she did keep her reddish gaze on him, waiting for the what ever response he might have; even while she allowed the fingertips of her left hand to slip slightly into the rushing water, getting some small joy over the feeling of the water rushing by.

Keiji paused mid-step, hearing the young woman's breathing stop before she spoke. The man turned, meeting her gaze. Her eyes were a fiercely deep red, and unusual hue he had rarely seen in his life. The woman's words reached him, and he saw no harm in staying and conversing with the woman. Perhaps they could trade insight on the methods of their meditations. Besides, it had been far too long before Keiji had bonded, even slightly, with anybody since his sensei - it'd do him good to get to know the young woman on the boulder. Removing his sandals once more, he gingerly placed them near a tree before stepping back onto the water again, chakra keeping him still on the river's current. He sat cross-legged on the water, the rushing liquid tickling his feet briefly.

The Konoha-nin examined the woman more closely. Her skin was fairer than anybody he had seen in Konoha's, being rather pale in coloration, but still not comparing to the white of her long hair. She was thin, which concerned Keiji slightly, but he figured it was a metabolism issue rather than any other disorder. If she was a Konoha native, he wondered how he hadn't noticed her until today. He inhaled briefly through his nose as he closed his eyes, the fresh odor of the trees and foliage around him perforating the air and bringing him pleasure. Keiji opened his sapphire eyes and spoke.

"My apologies, I had just finished meditating and needed to come up for air when you began and I didn't want to disturb you, so I thought it best if I left." he paused before continuing, glancing at the spot on the river floor where he was meditating.

"My name is Kusao-Uchiha Keiji, and it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss?"

She watched him with that unblinking gaze of hers as he stopped walking and moved back over to the water and sat on it. The very slightest of smiles spread across her face as she finally blinked. 'Another Uchiha, eh?', she thought to herself as she shifted slightly so that she was seated facing him, while remaining on the rock. "Eh, it's quite alright." She gave a small nod of her head in greeting. "My name is Uchiha Amaya, and it's a pleasure to meet you as well."

She removed her fingertips from the water, allowing her hand to rest on her knee so that it could drip dry without her having to wipe them on her outfit; which consisted of a black pair of shorts that went almost to her knees with several pockets, a white long sleeved top, sandals, her headband resting for the moment much like a belt around her waist. She pushed a strand of hair from her face as he blew across her face and eyes. "I haven't seen you around before, though I guess that's not saying much in a village this size." She reached absently into her pocket, removing the small new book she'd just bought and placing it on the rock next to her; another medical book to add to her small library of a collection she had at home.

Keiji was silent, listening to the Amaya's words. She was a fellow Uchiha, which was unexpected, given the coloration of her hair. The clothing she was wearing complemented her features nicely, her hair and eyes contrasting immensely with the dark of her pants - also noticing that she wore a Konoha hitae-ite in the fashion of a belt. Keiji chastised himself about not seeing it before. He immediately responded to her comment about the two of them not meeting before.

"Yes, it isn't that odd that we haven't met." Keiji tapped his left pectoral, showing the Konoha symbol that had been permanently tattooed into his flesh. "Like you, I am a ninja of Konoha, and I've recently returned from a rather long string of missions. I also was unaware of my heritage until I became a genin, and as such I was raised outside of the clan's complex, which explains us not meeting before."

Keiji shifted uncomfortably, he hadn't engaged anybody in a conversation like this in years, and he was amazed at how difficult it was to carry it on. Suddenly, he noticed the cover of the book that she had pulled out - a medical ninjutsu textbook. Keiji's eyes widened. Two people who hold Uchiha blood and specialize in medical ninjutsu encounter each other while meditating - the meeting seemed forged by an ethereal presence. Keiji smiled as he spoke.

"It seems we have more in common than once thought, Amaya-san." he looked at the book, not seeing it before, which meant that she was probably more skilled in it than he was. "I'm going to assume that you are tokubetsu jounin or higher, am I correct?"

She nodded a bit at his words, taking note of the tattoo he'd indicated. "Your assumption is correct; I was recently promoted to Jounin not too long ago." She didn't mention the fact that most liked to try and dispute it, given her young age. She smiled a bit more, it becoming easier to show the emotions she normally hid so well the more the conversation progressed.

"As far as growing up outside of the clan complex..." She shook her head slightly. "Even if you had grew up there you probably wouldn't have seen me around, I was very ill from birth." She waved her hand absently at her hair and face, indicating with the gesture her odd coloring for her Uchiha heritage. "That's why they believe I look like this." She shrugged a bit before running her fingers over the book next to her, her gaze momentarily leaving Keiji in the process. She sighed softly, pulling herself from the past before it could over-take her.

Her gaze snapped back to him. "I guess that's what got me so interested in medicine in general." She shrugged a bit more. "Though, I've quickly found it's a topic most tend to avoid. Mostly because they can't stomach it after scratching the surface and getting into the dirty little details." She paused in speaking, obviously feeling as if she was beginning to ramble by this point. "So, what about you?" Her head tilted again as it always did when her curiosity peaked, gaze resting steadily on him as she fell silent in waiting.

Keiji was genuinely surprised - the promotion to Jounin didn't come to him until he was eighteen years of age and with a considerable amount of missions under his belt. To be a high ranking ninja so short into her life, this young woman must have possessed considerable levels of skill in what she did, which Keiji quickly noted. Amaya continued, revealing of how most of her childhood was spent afflicted with an illness which kept her confined. 'Odd,' Keiji thought; he hadn't heard of an illness or disease that causes both changes of pigmentation and frailty. Even in light of this disease, she had been able to climb the ranks and gain considerably knowledge in the field of medicine - to do this would require extreme willpower, which Keiji appreciating. He noticed that it was now time to divulge information about himself.

"As I said before, I'm Kusao-Uchiha Keiji. Along with Uchiha Naota and the previous Hokage, I'm one of the Sannin of Konoha." Keiji paused, hoping her behavior wouldn't change in light of this newly uncovered information. He looked at the water beneath him. "I specialize in ninjutsu and medical ninjutsu, though I suspect I'm no better than a Chuunin in the latter. Perhaps you might be willing to teach me?"

Keiji paused, thinking what else might be of use for his kinsman to know. "I primarily use Katon jutsu like most Uchiha, but I also have an affinity for Doton techniques." He channeled chakra into his eye, a fully developed Sharingan flaring to life. "As you can see, my Sharingan is fully developed, yet I have not managed to evolve it into the next stage."

His stomach growled softly, a mild pang of hunger bringing itself to Keiji's attention. He blushed slightly.

'A Sannin, eh?', came her mental musings as her head tilted in her curiosity a small bit. She remained silent until he finished, before smiling more. "Naota's my older brother.", she said softly, though with none of that annoyance most siblings had when speaking of their older brother or sister.

She paused in speaking long enough to stretch her arms skyward before going back into her relaxed sitting position. It wasn't the fact that she'd been sitting in the same positon for a little bit now that had caused her to stretch, but the strange joy that came with the feeling of her muscles pulled in such a way; which was why while she was stretching her eyes closed momentarily and a look of pure bliss crossed her face before it was gone upon her eyes reopening.

"I'd be willing to teach you." She smiled a bit more. "I'm not one to turn away someone seeking knowledge. Especially in something I enjoy so much. Medical ninjutsu is my specialty." She trailed her fingers once more in the water that was rushing past, though her gaze remained on him. "As far as that eye... " She paused again, wondering how to describe what she wanted to say. It only took a second or two before she continued, "Because of how sick I was when I was younger I never got to lean ninjutsu, so that eye, along with the our clan's jutsu are well.. out of reach for now, until I find someone willing to teach me who isn't busy." She chuckled. "The Hokage was willing, but he's got a lot on his plate right now."

Her own stomach was beginning to roar to life, something that rarely happened anymore and she absently rubbed it with her right hand, since her left was in the water once more.

Keiji was surprised of this new-found revelation - a young Jounin and a Sannin within the same family was unsurprising, yet interesting as it meant that she had unbelievable amounts of potential to advance. It wasn't odd that Keiji didn't know much about Naota, especially his family - he had tended not to engage with the other Sannin as much as possible, fearing that they would be unnervingly pompous and arrogant about their status. Keiji took in the rest of her words, happy that she would be willing to train him. He nodded softly as he took in her words about how she was never able to learn ninjutsu due to her childhood illness. While it was rare for an Uchiha not to develop a Sharingan during childhood was rare, but not unheard of. When Amaya's stomach growled, Keiji couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"It seems that we can mutually benefit one another, Amaya-san." Keiji began, standing up on the water and stretching his legs, knees popping slightly as he did so. "I require more training in medical ninjutsu, of which you are incredibly skilled in, and you require ninjutsu training, of which I am one of the most skilled in Konoha."

He extended a hand to her.

"It also seems we are both hungry. Would you like to go somewhere to eat?"

This was definitely an interesting turn of events; when she originally set out for this place to relax and calm herself she had never figured she would be leaving with a much bigger problem solved than the one she had originally shown up for.

"Well, seems we've both found a solution to our problems then." She couldn't help the eager grin that took over the smile that had previously been in its place. Even her eyes seemed to sparkle with her excitement.

Reaching next to her she picked up her book, sliding it into her pocket before she ended up forgetting about the thing in her excitement. She really didn't want to have to waste the time ordering another one. She then turned her reddish gaze to his extended hand, hesitating for but a moment given her usually social awkwardness, before reaching her own out. Cool feeling fingertips touching his as she stood in one fluid, graceful movement.

"That would be great, actually. I don't normally have an apatite, so I like taking advantage of having one." She bit her lower lip softly before adding on, "And I apologize beforehand if I seem to ramble.. social awkwardness and all that."

"Nonsense." Keiji said, being afflicted with a bit of anxiety and awkwardness himself in various situations. "Let's go get something to eat, how does ramen sound?"

The two walked away from the river, intent on filling their stomach.

-exit-

"Ramen sounds just fine with me.", she said softly, walking besides him as the pair left the river.

-Exit.-