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As soon as the two had left the genin well and truly behind, David turned towards Shinji, still walking, but now paying more attention to the other young man. "So, Shinji..." he spoke, a smile quirking his lips again. "How's your stomach?" It was vague, and David wasn't sure Shinji would even catch it, but he was referring to their fight, so long ago for most, but still so recent for David himself, and more particularly, to the point where Shinji had impaled himself on David's staff.

As he asked his question, they reached their destination, though David began to regret it immediately. The ramen stand, situated as the most readily available source of food in the village, was filthy. The walls looks to be near collapsing, the interior was full of sand, as if it hadn't been swept out in months, with a fine coating over everything, and even the trash bins out back looked to be overflowing with rotting waste. David knew there had been complaints about this place coming in a lot recently, and even missions requested to clean it up, but as they weren't requested by the owners, they were impossible to perform. Business had apparently suffered too, as they hadn't even been paying their taxes for some time.

Not to be deterred however, David made his way inside. With a wave of his hand, the sand coating the stand flew out the door, dragging piles of loose trash with it to make the place look almost presentable, and made his way to a stool near the counter, taking his seat, and gesturing for Shinji to take the next one over before waving for the owner, or worker, whichever it may be, to come over. All the while, he wore a slightly disgusted look as he observed the state of the shop. Even with the sand and trash gone, the place looked near ready to collapse from lack of maintenance. At least Etsushi's home, even with it's obvious lack of care, was structurally sound, leaving aside the fact it wasn't a public building.

~
[Chakra: 57/90]
[Sand: 600lb]
[Mission Points: 58]
[D-0][C-3][B-1][A-0][S-1]

David smiled slightly once more as Shinji suggested a contest. The boy was apparently clueless. Good, this was the first time he'd actually been able to make use of his appearance change, and he'd been wanting to ever since he'd woken up. People just seemed to always manage to recognize him. Rather annoying really.

Not letting his thoughts convey to the other boy though, he shook his head, letting it appear as if his amusement was borne from the contest suggestion itself. "I'll pass on that bet. Not sure I'd trust the food here that far." he frowned again, casting a dirty look to the other side of the counter, where there was still plenty of sand and filth decorating the kitchen side of the shop. Shinji's impression of a hazing ritual was definitely not unfounded, even if it was false. If David had known the place was really this bad, he'd have gone to the market and bought something there. It was too late for that though really.

A waitress showed up at this point, before any more words could be exchanged, looking every bit as worn out and dirty as the shop. Greasy matted hair, completely void of any coverings as usually required in such establishments, truly filthy stained clothing... David was having second thoughts about going through with this. The woman, for her part, didn't look too happy herself, probably due to the way her workplace was being cut down. "What can I get you?" she asked, making a mediocre attempt to hide her ire.

"I don't care." David waved her off. He didn't know anything on the menu, so what point was there in making a choice? With that, he turned back to Shinji, giving him time to make his order before speaking again. "I was actually referring earlier to your wound from the chuunin exams. As I recall it, it was a fairly serious injury." he pointed vaguely towards Shinji's stomach, in the general area where his old chakra glaive had cut through him like butter. It was a pity he'd lost that really, but he'd never really used it other than that once anyways, and it was a pain to carry around. The young kage was beginning to rather enjoy himself, skirting around his own identity. The observation of Shinji's wound could be made by anyone who had witnessed, or even heard about, that fight, though the intentional stacking of tiny hints, such as clearing the sand from the shop so simply, should eventually build the konaga to the realization of who he was talking to. For that matter, Shinji hadn't yet bothered ask his name, had he? Ah well, it was more fuel for his fun.

~
[Chakra: 57/90]
[Sand: 600lb]
[Mission Points: 58]
[D-0][C-3][B-1][A-0][S-1]

David continued to watch Shinji with an add look on his face as, rather than respond to his words, the boy seemed to sink into his own mind. Was he finally putting the pieces together, or just trying to figure out how he knew what he did? He'd seen enough of Shinji during the exams to know the boy was excitable, perhaps even volatile given the right situation, and definitely dangerous, thanks to that unusual bloodline. But a deep thinker? That, he didn't know. Was he, like David, prone to losing himself in thought? He didn't really seem the type, but you never knew.

And then Shinji's expression changed, going from confusion and curiosity to intently staring at David. Suspicion almost. David's eyebrow, for what had to be the hundredth time today, rose up in curiosity as he watched to see what would happen. And what did happen, actually took him by surprise. Shinji's fist suddenly lashed out towards David's face, but the boy didn't move to react, actually exerting more energy holding back his automatic defense from catching the attack than dodging or blocking it, and the fist caught him straight in the face, shoving his head backwards.

In that moment, a shriek came from within the shop as their waitress returned with a tray of steaming bowls, which she promptly dropped, only for a tiny platform of sand to catch it and set it on the counter. Likewise, David's right hand flashed up in a single handseal, not to retaliate as Shinji might assume, but to stop the ANBU concealed across the street from retaliating for him.

As Shinji withdrew his fist, as he undoubtedly would, David's head bent back upright, still adorned with an odd smile, and suspiciously lacking any sign that it had just taken the impact of the other boy's fist. Not even a red welt was present, as normally occurred after such, impact. "It is not generally considered wise..." David intoned, as if still in casual conversation as he pulled one bowl from the tray, simply setting it on the counter before him to cool. "To attack the kage's representative within their village. Much less when they are responsible for determining whether or not you may stay." As he finished speaking, he slid the rest of the tray over in front of Shinji. "Now, I wanted to eat before getting to the more important parts of this interview." And with that, David picked up his chopsticks, and carefully lifted some of his noodles from the hot broth, allowing them to cool ever so slightly in the air before moving them to his lips, still acting for all the world as if he had not just been assaulted.

~
[Chakra: 57/90]
[Sand: 600lb]
[Mission Points: 58]
[D-0][C-3][B-1][A-0][S-1]

David looked at Shinji funnily at the words he spoke to clear up his attack. He had thought he was somebody else? And that made it normal to punch him in the head? Well, that someone was probably him too. He didn't imagine a whole lot of suna nin frequented Iwagakure after all. David remained silent though, not really seeing a way just yet to reply to that without ending his game, and simply continued eating, watching Shinji from the corner of his eye as the boy devoured, or perhaps inhaled, his meal, causing the young kage's eyebrow to arch once more. Soon it'd probably be stuck up there, making him look quite silly.

After swallowing his first bowl, Shinji started chattering away, asking a few different questions in a single shot before finally diving into his second bowl, and with the speed of intake, David wouldn't have been a bit surprised to see the boy pick up the third and just pour it all down his throat, scalding liquid and all. How would his body react to that anyways? Yes, he had established that he couldn't really comprehend normal pain, but would his body counteract the effects of overheating for him? This was the desert, pouring hot anything down your throat was commonly considered a bad idea.

"Sand jutsu are Sunagakure's secret techniques. We use the sand that surrounds us as our weapon to defend the village. And yes, it is rather common here. My sand manipulation though? Not so much. The jutsu, anybody with the affinity can use, but moving sand by your will alone..." David lifted his hand to his cheek where Shinji had hit it, and the area turned brown as a bit of sand melded off his cheek, forming a ball hovering beside his finger. "Only one person alive has that power." The sand flew back onto his face, recoloring itself to hide again as David lowered his hand. He didn't say why only one person had the ability, leaving that for Shinji to determine. It could easily be seen to be the work of a bijuu, though some might think he had invented the technique himself, which would explain it as well. Either way, it would probably return the Konaga's suspicions towards his identity, though he couldn't recall having use such pure manipulation tactics much in their fights. Well, it was still a fun game, and just about time to tell him anyways.

Just about.

"By the way." David looked up from where he had momentarily returned to his noodles, pointing at the other boy's bowl. "If you drink that so fast, your body will cook out in the sun. It's also a waste of water. Water is a valuable commodity here, which should be savored. We pay quite a lot to bring in shipments of it." With his 'scolding' complete, David lifted his now noodle-less and mostly cooled bowl, and slowly drained it into his mouth

~
[Chakra: 90/90]
[Sand: 600lb]
[Mission Points: 58]
[D-0][C-3][B-1][A-0][S-1]