Noboru could feel his heavy boots lifting as the sand seemed to slowly release its warm grip to the sole of his boot. Each time his feet impacted onto the dry sand in his slow pace a cloud of dust arose from his travels. In his mind he recalled how often he had covered his tracks in the sand. After all it helped to think of other things. For there was an itch between his shoulder blades that he could not reach as per the Anbu armor he was wearing under his red coat. He frowned to himself at the idea of keeping that part of him a secret. After all he was a soldier in aspect for his home land.

His red cloak billowed out at the waist as a warm breeze caressed across him. Many would complain about the heat but he was used to it by now. To him it felt like the first breath in a new life. He let a small smile play on his face as he closed his yellow eyes and breathed in. The weight of his bundled puppet strapped to his back shifted and it brought his thoughts back to the present just before the wind died. His yellow eyes that frightened so many snapping open to quickly examine his surroundings as he was trained to do. The markings left behind by weapons and jutsu clearly marked this as a place of battle but no craters or cuts where so deep that any had been here that matched his power as of yet.

Undoing the straps to his puppet he sets it carefully on the ground. Adjusting where it had shifted to make sure none of its weapons where poking out through the wrappings. A pin on the collar of his coat flashed in the burning sunlight marking him a Suna nin. However no one in Suna had ever seen him before. He shook his head ridding himself of that same old concern about people and their nature to turn against that which they did not know. His gloved right hand reached into the inner chest pocket of his red knee length coat. His yellow eyes still looking through the yellow tinted sunglasses as he took a drink of the slightly warm water he had on his person. He was closer to the city then he had ever been before. It was a pity in his mind that he could not have grown up there. He shook his head again and dumped a little bit of water on his wild dark hair as if to cool himself. Shaking it out before finally speaking to his puppet.

"It took some time Zero but we have finally arrived I think." He said with a calm and collected voice. It wasn't cold at all in its tone but simply as if he where talking to a life long friend.

A small cloud of sand followed the boy as he dashed through the hot sands of the desert that laid just miles from the village, a slight smile on his face. He was so close to home, how long as it been since he had so much as seen another Suna-ninja like himself, let alone the village he grew up in. The young boys golden brown eyes locked onto a shimmer in the distance sliding to a halt on top of a large sand dune. He was breathing heavy, his heart pounding against his chest from the dead on sprint. "You know, if you don't hurry up, I'ma leave you behind." Looking back he could see a large tiger tiger catching up and he to stopped on top of the sand dune. "You cheated boy." The boy smiled looking at the large tiger. "You call it cheating, I call it using a clone jutsu." The tiger growled slightly and walked passed the boy heading toward the village, home. "Aww, don't be mad." The young boy ran up behind the tiger leaped over his back and started to sprint once more across the sand.

The boy was seventeen, and still a genin, most would say this was slightly old, but he always seemed to miss the exams right as they came around. Despite that, he did not care, as long as he could train and expand his knowledge he didn't care what level they place him as. It has been one year since the boy had seen his home village, having left to travel the nations he had finally made it back around. His smile never left his lips, he could hear the tiger chasing behind him and was closing in fast he didn't get a large lead like he did last time but that doesn't mean he was going to give up easily.

He once again found his movements stopped, this time behind a large bolder, the large tiger coming up behind him. "Now what is it boy." He looked down at the tiger then back up nodding toward a man in a red coat, from this distance it was hard to see what village he was from if any. "You know, I heard there has been a lot of attacks on village by missing nin lately." He got a certain look in his eyes, it wasn't fear, but excitement he always looked for a challenge, which often got him in trouble. "Boy, don't you barely know any jutsu." He waved his hand int he air slightly. "I'm just going to see if he is friend of foe, you stay here." The tiger growled slightly, but laid down in the sand. "If you die, I'm going to eat your body."
The boy left the cover of the rock and headed down towards the man in red, his eyes scanning the area around for anyone else who might be hiding. "Hey." He called out stopping a few meters away from the man, his eyes not only locked to his figure. "Let me ask you something, are you with that missin nin group that been attack villages?"

Noboru had been calmly readjusting his pack when he felt the slightest change in the wind. A presence was here other then him. His golden eyes narrowed as he continued about his work broadening his senses while pretending not to notice anything. At the moment he didn't sense any killing intent. However that rarely ruled out much. He had come across those after his life before who had shown only a couple of signs of violence before the actual deed was attempted. Still he waited and listened for any foot steps. He was in no way a sensory type nin but his experience in battle since child hood had tuned him. Slowly he remembered to breath as he worked. Oiling the joints on his puppet. His heart still raced at the unknown even after surviving thus far in life. It was that fear that kept him alive. It warned of caution at the best and the worst of times. Still his mind raced as no attack came. Was he imagining things? Should he turn and look? the image of horror stories of something right behind a person was what he had read enough of for just the thought of turning to look brought a smile to his lips.

His eyes widened at the sound he had been waiting for. Foot steps. That was usually a good sign as murderers tried to be some what silent. Less they be fools anyway. He sighed as he rose to a full standing position to glance over his shoulder with as much casualness as he could muster. Keeping a careful frown on his face as he studied a boy approaching him. By the looks of him a traveler by nature. Or perhaps hygiene just wasn't a hobby. Not that he could smell the boy yet but traveling through a desert and whatever else had a tendency not to leave you looking like a hand full of flowers. With an outlook of complete calm Noboru sets down the oil for his puppet and turns to fully face the boy. Looking through the red sunglasses at him as he approached. Even with the redish tint the yellow eyes behind the glass seemed to glow as if reflecting the very sun of the desert.

Still he blinked at the choice of greeting. The word 'hey' was all well and good for a greeting to a friend but to a stranger it seemed strange. Eye brows rose even further at the ludicrous question presented after the greeting. If only such a thing where so easy then the months of research he had put in wouldn't have been for nothing. to simply ask a Missing nin if they where such. Noboru sighed and shook his head. He doubted he was dealing with a mastermind assassin at this point. He tucked his gloved hands into his coat pockets as he opened his mouth to speak. Sure he had no weapons to speak of but hey. Best if a stranger think you might right?

"And how is one supposed to answer that question? If I claim I am not then you doubt me. If I claim I am then I would be a fool. Now then, To gather such information it's best to hide your presence and observe. Typically bad people will do bad things. As for an answer if that is what your seeking. Negatory ghost rider. I am not lost nor am I missing."

Syan never thought to many steps ahead, but as a nin he did always plan a step or two at the very least. As the strangers hands went into his pockets the sand around Syans feet swirled ever so slightly, just enough to show the stranger that he wasn't a total fool to come unprepared. Syan eyed the man carefully, looking for any markings of village, and any hostel intent. Syan looked up at the sun the beating of the rays would take a toll on anyone who was not breed in it. He lowered his head to look at the man once more, a long jacket wasn't one someone would wear, not in this heat, not while the sun was at it's highest point. Syan smirked slightly as the man spoke his words. There are a few things that give people away, body langues, tone, eyes, even the words they used could give them away, a master can hide one or two, but to hide all not likely.

A few seconds passed as Syan thought on the mans words, and adding a few other factors in, the sand stopped moving around his feet. "If not a missing nin, then you must be a sunanin, correct?" He crossed his arms over his chest as he continued to speak. "Not many people from out side this village can take the heat with so little sweat on their body, and you are wearing a rather warm jacket. If you weren't brought up in this heat, you would of collapsed some time ago." Syan was rash, and didn't think before he did something, but when he did he could narrow down many things. Although he narrowed it down to an ally, of sorts, his guard was never fully down, being in the desert, surrounded by sand, it would be to easy to dodge, or block an attack because of his Sabaku clan blood.

"My name is Syan Shinoda from the Sabaku clan." He reached behind him grabbing a canton from his belt loop tossing it to the stranger as a show that he doesn't mean any harm, not that he could at the level he was. "And that." He looked behind him as Kranox, not sensing any threat, came walking out from behind the large rock. "Is my pal Kranox." Kranox allowed a slight rumble to slip from his throat. "We are not friends boy, my offer of still eating you still stands." Syan put his hand behind his head rubbing it slightly. "Again with the eating thing?" Syans eyes went to the still stranger before him. "And who are you, and why are you out here?"

Noboru let his eyes breifly twitch to the shifting sands. They did not move in any normal pattern he had grown accustomed to. Though he was familiar with a few techniques that used sand. the damage and range had not yet been involved in his studies but he had his theories about how to get around such techniques. the problem with theories is if proven wrong in a battle it could be the last time you fail. His frown deepened as rather suddenly he wished he had explosive tags. Sure the sand blocked most things but an explosive tag to the face had a tendency to leave a mark.

Still the boy won a point or two for observing the obvious. Noboru was indeed local to the habitat. By knowing such one could more carefully pick a tactic to engage him with. Noboru lets out a sigh and a shake of his head. He would let the boy hold onto his pride for noticing it was a little warm for a coat. However Noboru had to wear such a bulky outfit to hide the outline of the Anbu armor underneath. Gradually Noboru began to get lost in his thoughts and barely caught the boys name before suddenly the boy was reaching behind himself and then tossing something at Noboru. It was a reactive movement when his foot twitched kicking up a small rock with his toe to intercept the projectile with only the slightest of movements. His eyes widening as he scans the deflected object. A canteen? oh well if the boy took offense from that then it would be a short conversation after all. What was left was to watch for any reaction to the idea. Sure now it appeared as if Noboru was acting harshly but explosives had been thrown at him under disguise before.

However what got Noboru to move a couple of steps back and rest a palm on top of the hat on his pack was the appearance of a large predator. A tiger. Of all things the boy could bring out for his questions he had a damn tiger. Fuck. Noboru however kept these thoughts to himself as he just observed for now. Sand techniquex and an animal companion. A strange boy indeed now stood before him. Still his yellow eyes narrow at how the next question was worded -"And who are you, and why are you out here?"- How dare this brat take such a tone with him just because he was confident in his skills and pet kitten. It would take mere moments for him to slice the kid and his kitten into itty bitty chunks if they where to openly threaten him. With such display of power he was assuming that the boy could become hostile quickly. Still he levels out his voice to hide any emotions.

"Mr. Chikamatsu. And i have only just arrived to town. Beyond that is solely my business. And thus shall be kept as such."

Syan blinked a few times as the canton was knocked away, an odd thing to do to say the least. "Kind of jumpy there arnt ya?" He used the sand to lift up the canton and bring it back to him. "By your reaction, you have seen combat before." He attached the canton to the back of his belt where it would stay. Syan couldn't help but smile as the man took a few steps back at the sight of Kranox. Once the tiger was in arms reach Syan reached our running his hand through it's fur. "No need to be scared, who wont bite." Kranox looked at the man speaking loud enough for him to hear. "Much." Syan sighed pushed Kranox head down at his response. "You need to stop that, that's how you get me in trouble." A growl slipped from Kranox's throat. "You do that all on your own boy."

Syan lifted his eyes to the man as he spoke. "Chikamatsu? Nice to meet ya." He smiled slightly and shrugged when he stated he wouldn't tell anything else besides that. "Alright your choice I suppose." He put his hands in his pockets looking passed the man to the village. "I haven't been here, in over a year." He frowned slightly thinking back to the days he did live here, images of his bother, his father and mother racing through his mind. He shock his head slightly looking back at the man. "So you use puppets?" He had noticed the mans puppet when he first walked up. "I heard it's one of the harder tools and ninjuts to use." He slipped his hands behind his head looking at the sky. "All I got is sand, and this guy who doesn't listen to me." Kranox sat in the hot sand licking his teeth slightly. "Why would I listen to someone as low as you? I'd take the one with the doll before you boy." Syan sighed hanging his head at the same time pushing Kranox's head down. "There you go again, you need to work on your people skills."

Noboru watched to subtle confrontation between the two in front of him. Carefully he visibly relaxed himself. This wasn't a dangerous situation so far from any aspect. If need be he could cut them both down with little more then a wiggle of his fingers. The way the boy manipulated the sand seemed to lack finesse and so he grew less worried about it. His speed was that of a Sannin and his puppet was even faster. He lets a breath out before taking one in slowly. You see he was not accustomed to any type of social gatherings. When he arrived in a place filled with people typically he was unseen and one of them was a target.

With a couple of failed attempts he manages to force an uneasy smile. He needed to at least try and get along with the locals. He removes his hand from his puppet and places his hand resting at his side. Listening to the argument between the two. A doll? He would call the last remnant of his warrior mother a simple doll? Noboru narrowed his eyes and quietly spoke to the tiger in the calmest voice. So calm it sounded cold even in the beating sunlight. "Watch your tongue cat. Or become a carpet. Zero is my companion. Not just some doll." And with that the moment faded and he was all smiles again. the transformation was so rapid it would bring some to question that it had even happened. However he realized he had just revealed the name of one of the top five most famous puppets of the village. Zero had been used to bath the sands in blood well before Noboru's time. He could only hope the child was too young to remember the name. After all that was over thirty years ago.

Noboru turned to the boy after that. He could make statements and assumptions if needed but for now he would prod out some information with some simple pokes. His voice had a more practiced softness to it as his middle and pointer finger push his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. His hair shifting as a warm breeze stirs the sands around them. Those yellow eyes seemed to haunt the mind and penetrate the heart. As if examining everything about the boy down to his very soul.

"A traveler then? I take it you never attended the academy. After all with everything going on Genin are forbidden to travel alone your know."