Neko Ninja:

Mathias was in the trees, watching the people below him. No one had noticed him, the always silent observer. All he was doing was a simple report, a spying job. The red head had no heart at all for the more violent aspects of the shinobi life. That was why he had managed to become an expert at thievery and information gathering.

Amber eyes shifting quickly, he made a few quick sketches of the layout of this place. A small smirk graced his lips when he saw Kakashi with his team. Those were quite the handful, he should know since he had been the one assigned to watching them silently. With a sigh, the young man jumped from his perch and landed in the street of the village. He was still practicing before his missions as he always did, surveying the village in order to hone his skills.

Takeo helped his father move the last box into their new home;which was in the forest, surrounded by trees. "Alright, Dad. This should be the last of it." he told him, setting it atop a stack. His sister, Tori, was taking her stuff to her room. She hadn't wanted to move, but of course, she didn't get a say in the matter.

"Alright. Since that's everything, I'll start unpacking. You to can take a look around the village. But please stay together." their father, Takashi, said.

"But I don't want to go around with him!" Tori exclaimed. She hated having her brother hanging around. It was harder to make friends.

"Don't complain, young lady. Now go."

Takeo smirked as Tori pouted. She followed him out though. Their first stop, the Hokage's office since they are both already shinobi. They just needed the leaf headband. So it would be smart to go there first. They headed out, but had no idea where they were going. They managed to make it to the main part of town, but after that, nothing. The breeze blew his black hair over his sky-blue eyes and Tori pulled her long hair up into a ponytail.

The red head noticed two unusual people coming down the main street. Mathias cocked his head to the side then smiled. They were new here, and he'd heard about them. Walking briskly, the shinobi moved forward while adjusting the head band he wore around his wrist like a bracelet. Reaching the two he extended a callused hand. "Welcome to Konoha. You must be the new shinobi's I've heard about. My name is Mathias, and I'll be showing you around." Smiling, he waved behind him to take in the town.

Once he had listened to their answers, he began walking towards the Hokage's office. It wasn't very far. For that matter, the young man had spent more time there then was usual. Sometimes he played one trick too many, when the opportunity arose.

Takeo froze when someone stopped in front of him while Tori pulled out a kunai. But he stopped her from attacking. He could tell he was a shinobi from this village and it wouldn't be smart to attack him.

"Hi. My name is Takeo. This is my sister Tori. Its nice to meet you." he said, a smile on his face.

"I don't need you to introduce me, Takeo." Tori said, glaring at her brother.

"We appreciate you showing us around." he said, following Mathias. Tori reluctantly followed after him. She didn't want his help. She could find things out herself.

The red head led them towards the Hokage's office. During the walk, he smiled a little about the differing ways the two had reacted. Absentmindedly, Mathias noted certain aspects of the village which were unusual. People stopped to stare a little at the new arrivals. A few were so distracted that carts of fresh fruit ended up being toppled over. No one spoke with them though, they knew where they were headed.

Once at the office, Mathias led his charges inside and up a few flights of stairs. "Hey Mathias! I'm surprised you aren't off gathering intel." The woman who spoke was an older shinobi woman, but agile non the less. Her name was Elkanah, and she was much like a grandmother to Mathias.

The young man in question laughed and waved before leading the two siblings into the office. The Hokage sat behind his desk, reading papers and choosing missions for the various teams. Mathias was unique in the fact that he was an advance scout, he had no team members. Bowing his head in respect he spoke. "Hokage, I've brought Takeo and his sister Tori to see you as instructed."

(Hokage is an NPC so we both can control him, as are all the other characters form the manga)

Takeo and Tori looked around the village, following Mathias to the Hokage's office. The people staring didn't really bother them. At least, not to much. And they kept their opinions to theirselves. They didn't want to appear rude.

Takeo couldn't help but smile at the older woman. He always did respect his elders. Even if other people his age didn't. And a look to Tori told her to be nice. They all entered the Hokage's office.

"Thanks you, Mathias." the Hokage said, smiling at him. Then he turned his attention to the others. "You two are from the Hidden Earth Village, correct?"

Takeo nodded. "Yes sir. We are."

The Hokage nodded. "Alright. That sounds good. And your ninja ranks?"

"I'm a jounin and Tori is a chunin."

"I don't need you to talk for me!"

As they spoke Mathias had moved to the side. Standing by the wall he suppressed the smirk he knew would make things worse. It appeared that Tori already didn't like him, and the siblings were both in for a surprise. The young man snapped to attention when the Hokage's eyes fell upon him for a few moments.

"Takeo and Tori, I presume you have already met Mathias?" As he spoke the leader of Konoha regarded them over his clasped hands. Thought gnarled they showed an immense strength. "Not only has he been your guide, but he is assigned to your team. I will leave you to discuss the name, and give you a week before your first mission. " Raising an eyebrow a smile crossed his lips. "Dismissed." Two leaf headbands were placed in the care of the siblings as he spoke the last word.

And their interview was done. Mathias gripped the arms of both his new team mates and dragged them out of the office before any outbursts could occur. Differing levels, but still they need to work together to forge a whole. Mathias knew very well he was the outsider, and would need to work hard. The young man had been appraised of his new situation that very morning, hence why he had awaited the arrival of these people so eagerly that morning.

Takeo and Tori both nodded when asked if they had met Mathias. But Tori looked at him in disbelieve. Teammates? She hadn't been on a team in a while. Not since she had been a genin. And she didn't want to be on one with him and her brother.

She took her headband and tied it around her neck while Takeo put his around his head at the forehead. Tori pulled her arm away from Mathias, but followed anyway.

"I can't believe this! It isn't fair!" Tori exclaimed.

"Get over it Tori. Whining isn't going to change it." Takeo said, giving his sister a look. She just glared at him.

{{btw, Tori is about 13 since she's six years younger that Takeo. She's just advanced for her age.}}

(Do you mind that they're in the same team?)

A sigh escaped Mathias as he watched. More difficult then he had ever imagined... He let them walk in front of him, but silently wanted to run in front of them and tell them how glad he was they were there. The young man hadn't been in a team for quite a long time, so very long, and he'd been looking forward to it.

With a shrug Mathias went to walk beside Takeo. "Is she always like this, or does she simply hate this?" Shifting his dark eyes, he regarded the other young man silently. Taking in details of how he walked and dressed so that the information might be used later on.

(What do they look like?)

{{Yeah. That's fine.}}

Takeo and Tori argued a bit more before Tori just shut up. There was no point in arguing. "I am going to go explore the village on my own. I will be back in time for dinner." With that said, she ran off. It would be easier for her to look around herself. Plus, she didn't want to hang around her brother all the time.

Takeo looked at Mathias. "No. She's not. She just mad because dad made us move. Give her time and she'll be fine. Besides, she's reached a rebellious age." he told him. He knew that it shouldn't take to long for his sister to adjust.

{{I could send you some pics if you want. Also, would it be alright if you played as either Sasuke or Neji for Tori. I normally put here with one of them.}}

((I can play Sasuke, and pics would be nice. Can you imagine what Mathias looks like?))

Mathias nodded without comment as they walked away from the office. There were a few places the two would have to be shown. The young red haired man decided that Takeo was probably hungry. For this reason, he led him towards the raman shop on the outskirts of the village, all the while explaining where everything was.

"You must be hungry. I'll pay for this first meal, take it as a welcome gift." Mathias waved to the shop as he spoke. A smile was on this young man's face as he walked forward, his amber eyes sparkling. It was going to be nice, sharing a meal with someone who wasn't obligated to do so. Mathias wasn't always the most liked person in the village, due to the particular type of work he did.

{{Awesome. And I sent the pics. I can, for the most part. But if you have a pic, then I'd like to see it. If not, then its fine.}}

Takeo listened silently to Mathias as he explained about the village. It was interesting. He was about to say that he wasn't hungry, but his stomach growled. So that made him stop. "You don't have to pay for me.." he said. He didn't like accepting people paying for things for him. But, if Mathias insisted, then he'd let it go.

Tori walked around the village, looking around. This place wasn't to bad. But she still just wanted to go home, where all her friends are. She hated her father for making them come, but not really. She could never really hate him. She understood his reasons, whether she liked it or not. So, she was going to make the best of it. First things first, finding someone to be her friend.

Shrugging, he went to take a seat at the shop. Mathias knew the other would follow him, and then perhaps the information gathering would start. Mathias needed to know things, and he would need to know quite a bit about his new team mates. Lifting a hand casually, he waved the cook over.

"A vegetable, chicken, raman please." Turning to Takeo, he patted the seat beside him. "You should order something, and we'll discuss who pays later." Compromising, because he wanted information. That was one of the things Mathias was good at.

Falling behind his team, Sasuke noticed a new arrival within the village. Glancing at the rest of team seven, he decided he needed time away from them. Quietly slipping away, the dark haired teen went to sit alone. Of course, he was in sight of the strange girl, but he certainly wasn't going to introduce himself. What happened happened, and hopefully she wouldn't be another Ino or Sakura.

Takeo followed Mathias into the shop and took a shirt next to him. "I'll have the same." he told the cook. Its been a while since he's had ramen,so he was hoping that it would be good. "I wouldn't mind paying for both of us." he said. That would be the right thing to do; treat his new teammate to a meal. It was something his mother would have done. But he pushed that thought away. He didn't want to think of her now.

Tori noticed a boy up ahead. She had seen him while Mathias was taking her and Takeo to the Hokage, but she couldn't remember if he said his name. And it wasn't like she was going to talk to him. She could tell just by looking at him that he was a stuck up jerk. And she wasn't going to waste her time. She's been with guys like that and it never ended well.

It seemed like the two of them were too polite for their own good. Already, Mathias was beginning to see that this would be a wonderful opportunity to learn things he had never experienced. Siblings, how he wished he had some! A well, the young man didn't know very much about his family, and probably never would. "Alright, have it your way. This just means I'll be paying next time." Shrugging, the red-head started eating his ramen with gusto.

Sasuke watched the blue eyed girl with curiosity. It was a surprise to him that she didn't want to approach him, a curious one. He was so used to having girls fawning over him, that seeing one who didn't made him want to know why. Feeling slightly foolish, Sasuke moved forward. Taking a few steps the dark haired boy ignored the voices of his team mates as he frowned.

Takeo nodded, a smile on his face. Though he wasn't sure if there would even be a next time. And if there was he wouldn't mind paying again. But he could tell Mathias would insist on paying. He began eating his ramen slowly, not wanting to get burned. That wouldn't be a good thing. "So... Tell me a bit about yourself." he said, looking at him. He wanted for them to be friends, and that would require knowing something about him.

Tori's eyes narrowed when Sasuke moved towards her. She turned and started walking the other way. There was no way she was going to get caught up with another stuck up jerk. It just wouldn't be worth it in the end. Besides, there was still way to much she could be exploring before she needed to go home.

Mathias carefully ate his ramen, while being careful of the hot broth. It was delicious and relaxing. The atmosphere was all a bustle, but a certain peace reigned despite the nature of the village. "There isn't very much to tell. I like knowing things, and that pushed me into the information gathering side of things. Also, I have this fear of seeing blood.. It makes me feel faint and I start panicking." Shrugging he finished the ramen, broth and all, then set the bowl down to regard his new team mate with his amber eyes.

Shrugging, the dark haired boy turned away and walked past her. As he did so, Sasuke didn't let his penetrating eyes leave hers. It wasn't long before he had rejoined the rest of team Seven. Naruto and Sakura were arguing as usual, and Kakashi was reading. Curiosity about the white haired man plucked the back of the boy's mind.

Takeo was a bit surprised to hear that. "How could you be a ninja if you fear the sight of blood?" he asked, clearly confused about that. Everything else sounded cool. But that was the one thing that didn't make any sense to him. While he waited for an answer, he finished up his ramen, put aside the bowl, and paid for their meal.

Tori watched the boy go, relieved that he wasn't going to bother her. She really wasn't in the mood to start a fight, though she knew she would win. She could beat him with her eyes closed, no problem. She would just have to do that another time. Turning, she continued walking in search for a good place to get something for lunch.

The red-head laughed at Takeo's reaction. Standing up with ease, he smirked a little as he answered. "That's why I deal with information, not battles. I'm a forward scout, who finds out the things everyone needs to know before they go into battle." Motioning for his team mate to follow, the young man began walking away from the restaurant. There were other things which needed to be shown, and plenty of other people to be met.

He kept wondering a little about that girl. It was such an unusual thing for Sasuke not to get a reaction out of anyone... Naruto and Sakura both commented on how distracted he was. His only answer was to shrug.

Oh.. That made sense. Takeo stood and followed after Mathias. He personally liked avoiding battles when he could. But that wasn't always possible. And he always stood his ground when he had to. "So. Where to next?" he asked, looking around. This village was huge and he was really hoping he wouldn't get lost. He didn't always have the best sense of direction.

She found a place selling origini and stopped there. This would work. She took a seat and got some tea with her meal and ate slowly. When she was done, she paid before heading off again.

Silently leading the way, they left the immediate confines of the village. It wasn't very long before they reached the place Mathias wanted to show the other man. Waving his arm towards the place, and all it's training equipment he smiled. "Our very own training area, with additions courtesy of myself. There are rope traps here and there, well a whole obstacle course.." Mathias set off, and vaulted easily into the forest, leaving his new team member to try and keep up.

Takeo looked around the place Mathias showed him. "This place is incredible!" he exclaimed in awe. This place was great! He noticed that the other had taken off and he took off after him. It wasn't to hard to catch up. Even if he was like a foot behind. He was worried, as long as he could still see the other. That was what was important. Besides, he could easily make him stop if he needed to.

Grinning back at the person following him, Mathias winked before simply... Disappearing. One moment he was there, and the next no one remained in the spot where he had been. From jumping in mid-air, somehow the young man had managed to vanish. In reality he was not too far away, observing how this new development would make Takeo react. It was a simply mater really, of blending in with one's surroundings. Mathias had watched chameleons and how they changed and disappeared. This perfection of this ability had earned him the nick name of Chameleon and he rather liked it.

Takeo stopped when Mathias disappeared. He closed his eyes and focused his chakra. It wouldn't be to hard to find him, after all. He focused for a few minutes before turning towards him and heading in that direction. It took him a moment to reach him. "You did a good job of hiding, but nothing gets past me." he told him, stopping in front of him. There wasn't any place he could hid that Takeo wouldn't find him, for that matter.

Shaking his head, Mathias nearly laughed so much he gave himself away. A simulacrum of himself, infused with some of his chakra... That was what he had found! Snapping his fingers, Mathias made it disappear leaving a puff of smoke in it's place. Jumping from his spot quickly, he landed in front of Takeo. Winking, the young man let his laughter burst forth. "You were very nearly right."

Sasuke couldn't take it anymore! Quickly sneaking away from the rest of his team, he went to sit atop the sculptures of the Hokage's past. From there he could see the whole village. It was peaceful there, far away from all the noise. A rare moment of contentment filled the boy.