The muscles burned and screamed at Roku as he left the Tsumi Sand Grounds, having just been whipped half to hell by his sister Sana in what she called 'training'. If you could call unsuccessfully dodging bullets of earth, getting beaten by a golem made of rock-hard sand and not even stopping for a break 'training'. Personally, he just thought his older sister was a bit of a sadist and enjoyed the sight of Roku in pain. The hour-long session left him bruised and likely bleeding internally, but he still had to thank Sana for taking time out of her schedule to help him. It was definitely the last time Rokumaru would ask her to train together. She didn't even offer to heal him up with some medical jutsu, when they both knew she could. Should have listened to Gorou's warning.

He really hadn't been this beaten up before. All of his training prior to this was in long-range offensive combat, using a practice puppet to hone his hand-eye coordination and Ninjutsu that could be used from a distance. The only experience that came close were the Taijutsu sparring sessions back at the Academy, when the civilian kids took their chance to bust the haughty and proud Sabaku down a couple notches.

Even still, those bruises couldn't compare to the agony of a combination of deep bruises and burned-out muscles the boy was going through now. Roku thought of crawling back home and sleeping until the next morning, wrap a few warm and damp washcloths around his aching arms and legs. If only he had a tub to soak in, instead of that cramped shower.

And suddenly, a thought struck him: that is exactly what the Oasis at the edge of the village was for! Roku had only been there a few times as a toddler with his parents to learn how to swim, but he could remember how refreshing the hot, salty spring water felt on his body. He built up a nice little stack of ryo with his frugal spending habits; his only possessions the house his family rented, a rather small wardrobe of clothes and the gourd of sand that was currently making his back muscles scream. More than enough ryo to spend a few hours in the oasis, to take a nap on the edge of a pool and let the water work out his tension for him. With a pained grin Rokumaru began walking to where the underground building was located, a short walk away at the outskirts of the village.

When he arrived at the stone entrance to the building the sun was entering its zenith, baking the desert with its merciless heat. The waters in the spring were warmed by the hot sand they rested under, meaning the waters would be hottest at this time of day well into the night. He was hoping this would drive off most other bathers looking for a dip in the pool so he could relax and watch any ladies who were in attendance.

He entered through the stone doors, humidity hitting his face as soon as air escaped the building into the dry desert heat. Inside was a small rectangular room with a low ceiling and two doors on each wall, a stone desk carved from the floor where a woman stood behind to act as the cashier and concierge, who gave Roku a smile as he approached. The boy paid for a few hours of relaxation in the spring, as well as for a towel and a pair of water-resistant shorts as he hadn't brought either item with him. He rented a locker as well to store his clothing and gourd in, the woman handing him a metal key to it and ushering him into the door on the right.

It led through to a locker-room for bathers to undress in, obviously one for males as the other door likely led to the woman's locker-room. He stopped by the locker whose number corresponded with the one on the key he was given and changed from his t-shirt and cargo pants into dark-brown swim trunks. He folded his clothes and placed them in the locker, then sat the gourd of sand on top of them before locking it securely. He put the key into a velcro-sealed pocket on his right thigh and walked through the door on the far side of the room.

Now, Roku had entered the oasis itself, and it looked just like it had years ago with only minor renovations made. It was a massive room with a three large rectangular pools separated by wooden fences for privacy, two for each gender and one that was for both in the center. He chose the center one as it was his best chance to gaze upon the feminine form, walking over to the edge. At the edge of the room a steaming waterfall poured heated water into each pool, replacing whatever water was drained from the holes surrounding the pool's walls.

The pools were designed for wading into, a sloped floor leading deeper into the water until it disappeared unter yards of water. Roku walked over to the sloped floor and waded a few feet in until he was submerged up to his knees, then sat down and laid on his back until the water lapped at his chin, his head readying on the part of the floor that was dry. He was off to the side where he wasn't going to be in the way, and after seeing the only other patrons were a few elderly men practicing water-yoga and no ladies to ogle, rested his eyes as he focused on the feeling of the water.

It was divine; the minerals in the spring water soothed his sore and aching muscles while the heat of it worked out his tension. He wished he had brought a book to occupy his time, but this was an unplanned trip and he had nothing. Perhaps later he would join the old men in their exercise, or bother some other patron who stopped by.

Either way, for now he focused on the hot water itself, more satisfying than any bath could be. Roku thought to himself with a smile, 'Now that's what I call high-quality H2O!'

WC: 1071

It was not until nearly midday that Kuno Uchiha, the young immigrant from Konoha, groaned his way into consciousness after a long night’s rest. Even as he lay in his bed, trying to motivate himself to sit up to begin his day, he could feel his legs and feet protesting aggressively. He had been walking for almost four days straight on his missions into the Endless Dunes outside of the village, and all of that exercise and adventuring was finally catching up with him. He was about to give up on doing anything at all that day when he heard his sister call from downstairs. “Kuno? Kuno, are you awake yet? Get your lazy ass out of bed and get down here!” Kuno did not respond with words, but rather a loud and exhausted groan. It was met with laughter from downstairs before his sister, Kumi Uchiha, continued her tirade against him. “Well if you’re not going to get up yet, then make sure you do before mom gets home. We left the dishes for you to do, so don’t disappoint.” With that, he could hear his older sister shove some items into a bag of some sort and then leave out the front door with a muffled farewell.

Continuing with his complicated monologue of the morning, Kuno groaned, rose from his bed, and ran to the shower to clean up before the day began. His shower was short, and before too long, the young Uchiha found himself in the kitchen, finishing up the last of the dishes. As he put the last of the bowls away in his cupboard, he felt his knees screaming for relief. Shaing his head, he collapsed into a chair and tried to figure out what he could do today without sitting at home the whole time. If there was one thing Kuno hated, it was sitting and doing nothing. It took him a while, but finally, as the sun was reaching its zenith, Kuno realized what he should do. Grabbing his swimming trunks and a towel, he rushed for the door, willing himself forward through the pain of his lower body. He was going to the Oasis.

When Kuno had lived with his family in Konoha, one of his favourite past times had been swimming in the river near his house. He had always found it relaxing and fun, especially on those hot summer days. At least, they used to seem hot; now those days would feel like nothing to Kuno, Sunagakure had changed him in more ways then one. But he still maintained is love for swimming, and though the Land of Wind did not supply him with any rivers to play around in like he used to, the Oasis was still a good place to spend some time when he could spare the ryo. As he arrived, he excitedly paid the attendant at the front desk for a couple of hours in the springs, heading then to the change rooms where he put on his trunks that he had purchased the last time he had some here, not realizing that he could just rent them. Regardless, he checked all of his possessions into his assigned lock and before too long was standing in the oasis proper.

It was a large enough area, separated into three areas, one for men, one for women, and one for mixed company. Glancing about the three pools, he took in the sight of the steaming waterfalls that poured into each pool, and frowned as he realized how sparsely populated the pools were at this time. Shrugging, he strode into the center pool as it seemed to have the most people, one of which appearing to be nearly completely submerged in the water. Looks like this is my best option for some conversation if I want any at all. As he stepped into the pool, his feet gliding over the sloped floor that gradually allowed the water to become deeper and deeper, Kuno found himself relaxing as each moment passed. The mineral-rich water was extremely soothing, and his feet were already feeling better after these few short moments. Kuno looked around for a moment, taking in the scene around him, before deciding to just dunk himself and get it over with. The water felt amazing running over his scalp, and as he emerged, he floated himself over to the only other young person in the pool.

He was younger than Kuno by quite a bit, that much was for sure, and his dark red hair contrasted starkly with his fair skin. Though young, he appeared to be on the muscular side for a boy his age, so Kuno assumed that he probably had some shinobi training if he was not a full genin at least. As the young Uchiha floated over to the nearly submerged young man, he offered up a greeting. “Man, the water is amazing today, isn’t it? I really need to come here more often.” He smiled at the stranger, hoping to start some sort of conversation and to not be forced to float around in silence for the rest of his time here.

WC:864

Don't get it twisted; Roku liked the hot, dry air that permeates Suna and Kaze no Kuni as much as the next guy, probably even more so. The feeling of the sun's rays bathing his skin in its warm embrace, heating him down to his very core. He had especially liked how dry and thick the air could be, even wearing dark colors to magnify the feeling of warmth the boy felt to an unbearable extent, for anyone else that is. The feeling of sand beneath his bare feet and in his hair was a gift from some cosmic being above.

But at the moment, there was nothing that felt better than the warm humidity of the air against his face, the feeling of the hot mineral water lapping against his cheeks. Rokumaru had laid in the pool of the Oasis for only about half an hour and he could already feel the tension and pain in his body slowly ebb out and replace with a feeling of satisfaction. The rigidity and aching in his muscles were lessening with each passing moment that he spent in the water, the headache he felt earlier all but forgotten to his immense relief. If he wasn't worried about his head slipping underwater and drowning, while the old men watched and wouldn't be quick enough to save him, Roku would have fallen asleep right there on the slopes surface of the pool. Maybe next time he would bring an inflatable tube, or get some water wings and a life jacket. The thought of sleeping peacefully as he floated through the water cemented the idea in his head.

Few people came into the pool while he was laying there; the old men had to be pruned from the water by now, but still they floated out there in the deep end doing low-intensity exercises and telling stories about the past, a few of which Roku strained his ears to hear but didn't bother shifting from his comfortable position. A few ladies did enter the Oasis but all chose to use the women's strip of pool instead of the shared one much to Roku's frustration. Was it the old men out there cramping his style? Surely the sight of a half-naked Sabaku should have drawn more than his fair share of wandering eyes and quiet giggles. No, he could have been a hunchbacked midget amputee for all the attention he was getting. It was almost enough to put a damper on his great mood.

When the water shifted around him from people entering or exiting the pool Roku paid it no mind, but the intense waves and loud splash of someone dipping their head into the waters threatened to swallow his face in a large ripple. He held his breath and the water passed over him, and the boy couldn't help but look at who caused it as that sort of energy wasn't the old men's style. Cracking his eyes open when the water leveled out, he was a bit pleased with what he saw: an athletic-looking pale young man older than Roku was, spiky black hair tinged with red dripping from being submerged in water. The guy was handsome, and that suited Roku just fine; maybe a few more young guys could attract the ladies over from their side, drown out the look of the wrinkled and flabby bodies from the elders doing their yoga. The young man would attract them and Roku would swoop in, show off his handsome mug and throw his clan name around to score a few dates with some lovely civilians. Roku did not know at the time that the young man's clan was one of the few that drew more respect than the Sabaku did in Suna, and every other village for that matter.

After soaking his body for a few moments, the young man began floating over to where Roku was laying slowly. It endeared the stranger to the boy; friendly enough to approach someone he didn't know AND didn't make Roku shift from his comfy spot? The guy hadn't spoken one word and he had already scored a few points in the young sand-nin's book.

When the stranger had floated within conversation-distance of Roku he broke the ice with an agreeable observation. "Man, the water is amazing today, isn’t it?" Granted, the water was probably this good every day, but with so few people around to dirty it up it likely couldn't have gotten any better. Upon hearing this Roku let out a hum in agreement. "I really need to come here more often."

That comment signaled the guy wasn't a regular all that much, same as Roku, so the boy continued the conversation using that. "What brought you in here today?" Normally, Rokumaru would start the conversation getting introductions out of the way, but he was mildly curious and the two probably weren't going anywhere soon. Thinking back on his own reason for soaking here brought a few aches back to his body, and he wondered absently if he did have a few internal wounds. Sand bullets weren't as fun to receive as they were to deliver, his bruised back was telling him.

Up close Roku could see more details about the pale stranger: his eyes were so dark they looked black, and he really wasn't sure if this stranger's red streaks in his hair were dyed or natural. The young man had a few faded scars on his face and body, alongside several recent-looking ones, and it popped into Roku's head that the stranger was likely a shinobi. One who dealt in close-combat, from the looks of those scars and his build. Roku might have been in shape, the tight muscles he did have not hidden by a single ounce of fat, but the stranger looked rather strong by the look of his upper-body corded with muscle. He still had a very lithe and lean look, one that spoke of speed and fluidity. Again, Roku decided it wouldn't hurt to lift a few weights when he got back. It's hard to compete with all these athletic young guys.

WC: 1071+1056=2127

Kuno drifted himself over to that he was sitting next to the young stranger as he responded to Kuno’s comment after a hum of approval, "What brought you in here today?" Then leaned himself back in an imitation of him. He let out a long sigh of relief as the water cascaded over his whole body. “I hope you don’t mind if I join you over here.” He gestured over to the old men in the corner of the pool performing water aerobics of some sort, “Those guys aren’t really the company I was looking for.” He chuckled to himself, stretching his arms out behind his head to better relax. The question that the young guy asked him brought back memories of all of the walking he had been through in the past few days, and those memories brought back a dull ache into both of his feet. He let out another tired sigh, “As far as why I’m here today? Well, let’s just say some of the missions that this village has to offer me involve a lot of walking. Not that I mind of course, the adventure of exploring the Endless Dunes is great. But man, walking back and forth twice in four days is killer on the feet.”

He sat up slowly, letting the water trickle its way off of his body so that he could catch every little bit of the wonderful feeling. “My name’s Kuno Uchiha,” he said, looking down at the kid beside him and smiling. “I’m a Genin of the village. How about you? You look pretty capable for a guy your age.” Suddenly, the conversation was interrupted by the loud sound of someone falling over and splashing into the water. Kuno glanced over at the group of old men at the far side of the pool who were all pointing an laughing at their fallen comrade. Two of them then proceeded to help him up before the group of them started wading past the two young men, out of the pool and into the changerooms. Kuno smiled. “Well at least we might get some better company in here now, if you know what I mean.” He chuckled again, only partly serious in his comment. Kuno had no trouble with floating around alone, and he certainly did not mind chatting with the stranger he had decided to float up next to. He seemed to be kind enough, and judging by the lack of an ounce of fat on his body, the young Uchiha’s suspicions of him being a shinobi as well were all but confirmed. Yes, he would make fine company for an afternoon in the sun indeed. Though admittedly, he would not mind in the slightest if their company became mixed with some of the ladies that had wandered into the woman’s only side of the oasis springs.

After waiting to see if the stranger would introduce himself, and now that the pool was empty, Kuno stood up and wandered into the deeper end on the sprint so that he could actually swim without the annoyance of his feet contently kicking the ground beneath him. “I used to swim all of the time back when I lived in the Land of Fire; I’m going to get in a few lengths while I can.” With that, he began to swim back and forth across the width of the deep end of his section, coming up to take a breath only as often as he absolutely needed to. It felt good to move through the water like this again; the warm, mineral-rich liquid flowing all around his body. As he swam, his mind began to wander back to his home. The rivers of the land surrounding Konohagakure no Sato would be beautiful this time of year. The farm that he had lived on would have been in full swing, and the days would have been long and full of adventure. It was a life that he loved a great deal, but was forced to leave behind. He could see his father now, in his mind’s eye, beating on the bandits that would try to raid his family home, and working the fields so that they could live far outside of the village walls. He did all this while being such a wonderfully loving and caring father. Why did Kuno have to insist on becoming a ninja? Why was it so important to him? Why did he have to go and ruin his perfectly good life like that.

He abruptly stopped his swimming and stood up, shaking the water from his hair and running his finger through it, now soaking wet and flattened. He then dipped back into the water and turned around to swim back to the young man he had been speaking to earlier, wondering what he had gotten up to since he had gone for his swim.

WC:827+864=1691

The stranger floated closer to where Roku lay in the shallow water, and lay a few feet beside the redhead. The dark-haired boy relaxed himself on the slope of the floor similar to how Roku was laying. “I hope you don’t mind if I join you over here.” With a causally point at the old men doing their yoga, he continued. “Those guys aren't really the company I was looking for.” Roku just shrugged and felt the guy to relax next to him, waves lapping against his neck. The company Roku was looking for were more in the shapely and feminine variety, but a young guy close to his own age would have to suffice. Wouldn't have to deal with the old folk of he wanted to be social.

The guy sighed, and answered Roku's question. “As far as why I’m here today? Well, let’s just say some of the missions that this village has to offer me involve a lot of walking. Not that I mind of course, the adventure of exploring the Endless Dunes is great. But man, walking back and forth twice in four days is killer on the feet.” That was something Roku understood perfectly as he had done his own share of long treks. The redhead hummed again agreement again, still focused on relaxing as he kept his eyes closed loosely.

The stranger sat up straight on his rear, and Roku heard the drops of water falling off him into the pool. Roku also heard the guy say something next that made his eyes snap open. “My name’s Kuno Uchiha,” he said, looking down at Rokumaru with a smile. That clan name, Uchiha, was known by every shinobi, civilian and half-smart dog in all of the Elemental Nations. One of the oldest and most powerful families in existence with one of the most powerful Doujutu in their bloodline. This was the first time Rokumaru could look at a member of the clan through something other than a book, and the most striking feature that denoted his family resemblance were those nearly black eyes. It was a rather humbling experience.

The man, Kuno, swept past that point like it was no big deal, because to him it really wasn't. “I’m a Genin of the village. How about you? You look pretty capable for a guy your age.” Roku didn't immediately say anything, still strong somewhat absently at the raven-haired man beside him as he tried to think of a response, but a loud splash and subsequent laughter snapped him out of the trance he was in. A quick look at the old guys told him one of them must have botched a yoga pose and fell into the water hard, his buddies laughing at his expense while helping him out. The one who fell wasn't exactly as good-humored about what happened, grumbling while he left the pool as his chucking friends followed behind him.

The average age of the occupants in the mixed-gender pool fell dramatically to the high teens, much to both men's relief. Kuno turned from watching the old guys leave and gave Roku a lecherous smile. “Well at least we might get some better company in here now, if you know what I mean.” And Roku knew exactly what he meant; the two shared a laugh at the prospect. It was endearing to hear Kuno talk like that, and it really broke the illusion that the Uchiha were larger-than-life mythical beings. Roku should've known they were normal people just like everyone else; it wasn't even like they were very rare these days. You couldn't toss a stone 10 feet without hitting someone who claimed Uchiha ancestry anyway.

Roku laid himself back down to relax, and offered up his own introduction. "Well I'm glad you stopped by today of all days, Kuno. I am Rokumaru Sabaku, victim of an attack by a certain crazy older lady, and also a Genin of Sunagakure." Lucky it happened today, too, otherwise he wouldn't have gotten to meet the Uchiha rising from his seated position. Roku would have rather come to the Oasis for better reasons than to wash away the pain that wracked his body, but it wouldn't have brought him here any other way.

Rokumaru watched as Kuno began to swim laps in the now vacant pool, continuing to talk with he redheaded teen. The black and red haired Uchiha remarked how he used to swim often in the Land of Fire, and would take the chance to get a decent swim in while the opportunity presented itself. Hi no Kuni was a large nation with many villages, but the one that stuck in Roku's mine was Konohagakure. The oldest Hidden Village and one of the most respected, it was about as well known to people as the Uchiha were. That must have meant Kuno was from the nation before he came to Suna and joined the Academy. That didn't mean the man was from Konoha, but as the largest and most populated village it was very likely.

The Uchiha finished his swim and shook the water from his hair, then turned back to swim over to Roku. The Sabaku hadn't moved an inch from where he lay the entire time the encounter took place. As the man drew closer Roku thought of another question to ask. Normally, he would take the opportunity to talk about himself or his clan or even Suna for the entire conversation. This time, he was much more interested in what Kuno had to say.

"The Land of Fire, huh?" Roku thought back to all the things he learned about the nation, but could only come up with how large the forests were there. "I've never left Suna before. What was it like in the Land of Fire? What exactly brought you to a remote village in the middle of a desert?" The guy had to be sick of all of Roku's questions by now, but he would say so if that was the case. Roku was beginning to prune from the warm water anyway.

WC: 2127+1044=3171

Kuno raised an eyebrow as he moved through the water back into the shallows of the oasis spring. It looked like the shinobi who had introduced himself as Rokumaru Sabaku had not moved nearly an inch in the entire time that the young Uchiha had been swimming laps of the pool. Kuno knew a little bit about the clan that Rokumaru belonged to, mainly knowing that they were famous for their ability to control sand with their chakra. That made the deserts of the Land of Wind their ideal battlefield, and Kuno was intrigued at the prospect of facing off against such an interesting ability on the home turf of one that could control nearly the whole world around him. He also knew that the power that the clan once possessed had been lost long ago. The fifth Kazekage, who was known as Gaara of the Sand, was the last person that could manipulate sand directly. Now, through a combination of doton, fuuton, and suiton techniques, the members of the Sabaku clan could manipulate sand in a form known as sabaton like their ancestors once could. Regardless, Kuno had always been impressed by advanced releases like that of the Sabaku, and made a note to himself to ask about training with the young shinobi someday soon.

As the proximity between the two ninja of Sunagakure lessened, he heard Rokumaru speak from his leisurely position. "The Land of Fire, huh?" The boy paused in quiet contemplation for a moment before continuing. "I've never left Suna before. What was it like in the Land of Fire? What exactly brought you to a remote village in the middle of a desert?" Kuno hummed quietly as if to voice his thinking process out loud. The Land of Fire held so many feelings for the young Uchiha, but it was not uncommon for people around him to ask about it whenever he brought it up. It wasn’t like he tried to hide the fact from people; but every time he was asked about it he felt a twinge of regret about mentioning his home all. Sighing and leaning back next to his companion Kuno chuckled quietly. “What’s there to say about it? I mean, you know how there is lots of sand here? Picture that, but all of it lush and green, and covered in trees and rivers. It’s not nearly as hot as here, not that I don’t like the heat. Hmmm…” His voiced trailed off as he became lost in thought for a moment, harkening back once again to the rivers he would swim in so frequently. “The rivers are probably the best part of it all. It’s like this place except just out in the world! You can just go swimming whenever you want, and it’s all free,” he said, winking toward the young Sabaku when he mentioned it being free.

“As for why I’m all the way out here? Well, let’s just say my dad was a bit of a grump, so the rest of my family decided to ditch him and find a new place. That new place is here, and we’re happy with it.” He smiled a genuine smile then, considering that he was actually content with their new home in the Village Hidden in the Sands. Part of him, however, did long to return home and find his father. He stilled loved the man, despite how much he wanted to hate him for destroying their family. But he was still his father, and he could not get past that fact. He abruptly sat up again and glanced down at his hands which had begun to prune slightly. “Ah man, I wish I could sit and soak here all day without turning into a glorified raisin.” Glancing around the pool that they sat in, he sighed as he wished that some other people, particularly of the female variety, had shown up to keep them both company. But despite his wishes, the only presence of woman that he could notice was that of the giggling he could hear coming from the female section of the oasis spring.

Turning back to Rokumaru, he felt that before he left he should at least find out a little bit about the new acquaintance he had made. “But enough about me Rokumaru. Tell me about you! Did you say that you’ve never left the Land of Wind? You should try to travel to Konohagakure no Sato in the Land of Fire if you ever get the chance. I know I’m a little biased, but I think you’d like it there. It gives you a new perspective on what the world is like, moving from country to country.” He then furrowed his brow and smirked, “But before you head off to far off lands, I would not mind seeing that ability that your clan is so famous for. I’ve never seen someone control sand, and I assume that living out here must give you a nice advantage huh?” He chuckled, enjoying the light mood that settled around the shinobi. It was nice to get a break from all of the tension that filled a ninja’s life for once. Pushing himself back to lean against the side of the swimming area, he listened to Rokumaru and kept his eye out for any people that might join them before the time he had paid for had run out.

WC:916+1691=2607

As Roku asked his questions about the raven-haired man's nation of birth he watched Kuno foot back over to him, relaxing ok his back a few feet away. The older boy hummed as he thought back to his days in the forests of Hi no Kuni, taking a moment to reminisce. Roku knew Suna and the Land of Wind were great places (perhaps even the best around, in his humble and unbiased opinion) but someone's first home was always special to them. The pale redhead wouldn't blame the guy if he felt even an ounce of homesickness.

When Kuno finally spoke it was with the familiarity only someone who lived amongst the forests could have. The Uchiha drew a comparison between the deserts of Wind and the forests of Fire; whereas here the sand stretched for miles and miles in every direction, the same was true about the trees and rivers in the land just to the north. It also wasn't as hot in the Land of Fire, ironically. Roku listened to the older boy with his hands folded behind his head, a rapt audience though his appearance looked rather distant. “The rivers are probably the best part of it all. It’s like this place except just out in the world! You can just go swimming whenever you want, and it’s all free,” The Uchiha brought up how fondly he thought of the rivers up north, and it made Rokumaru quite curious. He had never seen a flowing body of water in his life, only sedentary pools in the Oasis and out in the desert. And you could swim around in them without paying? He added that to the top of his list of things to do when he decides to travel.

Kuno then settled from his happy tone, and answered the other question Roku had broached. “As for why I’m all the way out here? Well, let’s just say my dad was a bit of a grump, so the rest of my family decided to ditch him and find a new place. That new place is here, and we’re happy with it.” The raven-haired teen smiled at that, and Roku felt that he genuinely meant it. "I'm glad you managed to find a place that makes you happy. There's worse places you could have ended up." Roku said the first sentence clearly while mumbling the second to himself. He wondered if Iwa had any pools of water dug out in those caves they had.

Kuno noticed he was getting pruned from the waters too; Roku heard him lament the fact they couldn't stay in the water all day without withering into a wrinkle-golem. Through his closed eyes Roku felt the boy turn towards him, ripples of water washing over his half-submerged body. “But enough about me Rokumaru. Tell me about you"! It was only polite for Kuno to ask his temporary companion about himself, by Roku felt happy about it anyways. The man seemed eager to know and talking about himself was one of his favorite hobbies.

The Uchiha laying close by mentioned how the Sabaku should travel beyond the Land of Wind at some point, especially to Konohagakure, to broaden his view of the world and see new things. Rokumaru couldn't argue that he wanted to see more than the endless desert, no matter how much he loves it, and figured he would start with Konoha. As soon as he made Chuunin and found someone to seal a huge amount of sand in a tattoo on him, he'd start his travels. "I'll definitely stop by Konoha first when I finally have permission to wander around a bit. You make it sound like a decent place to live."

“But before you head off to far off lands, Kuno said with a smirk, "I would not mind seeing that ability that your clan is so famous for. I’ve never seen someone control sand, and I assume that living out here must give you a nice advantage huh?” The Uchiha was inviting the Sabaku out for a training session or maybe a spar, and the redhead was more than happy to oblige.

He opened his eyes and pulled himself up to a seating position, beads of water running down Roku's body, and turned to the older boy with a smile. "I'll give you a show of what my Sabaton can do. But only if I can see the legendary Sharingan in action. How about a spar, at some point in the future?" Rokumaru gave the boy a smile. "I would prefer my first look at the doujutsu be from someone friendly, rather than in combat where they're trying to kill me."

Roku looked down at his body, now rather wrinkles from being in the water for likely close to an hour, and grimaced. He wasn't one to waste money, having paid for another two hours in the pool, but it was getting rather uncomfortable being in so long. He turned to his temporary swimming companion and sighed. "I don't think my skin can stand another few hours in this hot water. This is where I must bid my goodbye." The redhead pulled himself to his feet, and gave the Uchiha a kind smile. "I appreciate the company, Kuno, I actually rather enjoyed our talk. How about we set up a spar the next time we see each other?" He waited for the Uchiha's answer, raised a wet arm above the older boy's head and dripped water on his head playfully.

Rokumaru gave the guy another quick farewell and retreated into the locker room to change. Feeling much more relaxed and less sore, both from a long soak and pleasant company, he slid into his clothes and strapped his gourd onto his back. After a quick stop by the reception desk to see if he could be refunded for the extra time he paid for, which unfortunately he couldn't, he stepped out of the humid Oasis spa into the dry Suna air.

WC: 3171+1028=4199
Thread Exit~

Training: 4199/4000:

Kuno nodded hos approval as Roku sat up and addressed him with a smile. "I'll give you a show of what my Sabaton can do. But only if I can see the legendary Sharingan in action. How about a spar, at some point in the future?" His smile then broadened as he joked, "I would prefer my first look at the dojutsu be from someone friendly, rather than in combat where they're trying to kill me." Kuno chuckled to himself a little and turned away, looking into the torrent of water flowing over the waterfall in their section of the pool, but not really paying attention to it at all. He closed his eyes, thinking of the dojutsu that his bloodline was so famous for: the Sharingan. He himself did not possess it, and though he wished he could gain the power it granted so that he could better protect his new home, he was also happy that he had not awakened it yet. For he knew that in order for that to happen, something tragic would have to occur in his life. Being forced away from his home had been traumatic enough, so the young Uchiha was not so sure that he wanted such a power. “Well,” he finally said to the Sabaku. “Whether it is good news or bad news depends on your perspective, but my life has not sucked quite enough for me to awaken my Sharingan. But I’ll tell you what, once I’ve got it, we can train. But for now you’ll have to deal with my regular old, boring eyes.” He again let out a dry chuckle.

The redheaded companion of Kuno then began to stand up form the water, the droplets cascading back into the pool below him as he rose, preparing to leave.  "I don't think my skin can stand another few hours in this hot water. This is where I must bid my goodbye. I appreciate the company, Kuno, I actually rather enjoyed our talk. How about we set up a spar the next time we see each other?" Kuno looked back to him to see that he was presenting him with a kind smile, before he walked over and trickled some water from his hand onto the young Uchiha’s head. Laughing now, Kuno slapped his hand away jokingly and smiled back. “That sounds like a great plan to me. I look forward to it! Hopefully I see you around the village.”

With that, Kuno’s temporary swimming companion bit him another farewell and left for the changerooms, leaving Kuno sitting in the center pool all on his own. He sighed, and swam out into the deep end of the spring until he was up to his neck in water. Moving slowly through it, he swam around in quiet contemplation for a while, before he too became tired of the pruning. Exiting the pool and heading to the change room, Kuno took a moment to listen to the giggling girls in the next pool, silently cursing his luck. He did not take very long to change back into his clothes, and had to admit as he put his sandals back on that his feet felt much better than they did when he arrived. Not only that, but he felt like he was in a better mood. His meeting with Rokumaru Sabaku had been a most pleasant one, and the prospect of sparring with the kid had left him excited and content that he had not completely wasted the day away.

Kuno then wandered back out into the hot air of Sunagakure no Sato and made his way home, hoping that there would be a good dinner waiting for him when he got back. Relaxing in a pool all afternoon was hungry work after all.

[Exit Thread]
WC:639+2607=3246

Training
Strength, Speed, Reaction Time, and Perception from E-Rank to D-Rank (3000/3000)

Endurance from E-Rank to E-2 (225/225)

Unused WC: 21