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Rhaim pulled out a single hand and held it just above his own head. He then moved the hand over Tenma's head at the same height that it was over his own. His expression and the direction of his head never changed, "I've grown this much. Well that was easy."

At the mentioning of prawns Rhaim stopped momentarily and then started back up again without a word. The last time he had had any was the last time he had eaten with Tenma. It was one thing to miss his favorite meal once in a while with his schedule being what it was, but to miss all of them over two years. The teen wanted to just stop right there and sulk at his misfortune. A practical joke by his own mother two years in the making. He would have to think of something good to get her back with.

After sighing away the food related depression he shrugged, "You're better than me. Always were. Nothing wrong with that."

[exit to Konohagakure]

<>

As the duo came upon the clearing next to the river there was a visible smile on the girl’s face. Her eyes danced about as the roar of the water filled the air. It was particularly active today; so much so that she would be curious to see how Rhiam held up if that’s what he chose to do. The spirit inside of her stirred in contentment of being near its home, where it was strongest. There were some light signs of the girl’s training days in the area: an area where flowers didn’t bloom because that was where she sat to meditate, a log, currently hidden in the bushes, that she used to practice taijutsu on, and broken tree limbs from her failed attempts at tree walking. This place had become as much of a home as the Nara compound and Tenma always felt safe there. “So, Rhiam,” Though it was obvious that she was happy her voice maintained control, which was something that she needed to practice. “what would you like to do?” This time Tenma was going to leave it completely up to him – she chose the location after all.

Tenma was glad that Rhiam wasn’t going to back out, even with the choppy waters. However, this meant that the girl would have to be on high alert incase he began struggling: this wasn’t worth getting hurt over. With a practiced hand the child removed the ribbon from her hair, rapidly braided it, and knotted the ribbon once more at the base. Her bangs still swung free and there were loose wisps playing about her face but otherwise the mess was relatively contained. “So, I suppose the whole reason people would fight in water is if one fell in or was pushed in and another had a tactical advantage: like the Hoshigake clan, for instance. Some of the stronger ones will not hesitate to create a body of water for their fighting purposes. Water is often overlooked as a fighting based environment, in my opinion. There are many different moves that you can perform down there without risking injury that, if you were unable to perform it on land, would bring you a considerable amount of pain. Water can be an effective torture device in some instances. There is also the idea that the environment can kill an opponent if used properly. However, if one lacks respect and does not stay alert they could quite possibly pay the price with that very same result.” Maybe Rhiam knew this already, but this was Tenma’s terrain – no one knew it better than she did. She had moved so that her feet were beginning to enter the water. “When striking underwater, if you get the opportunity to, the liquid will attempt to slow your motion. But if you lay your hand flat and close into a fist at the last chance you’ll be able to get a far stronger strike. Otherwise I do not know what to tell you. Ready?”

With a slight sigh the girl shook her head and too walked out onto the water as well. “Before I begin ranting like that next time, remind me not to waste my time before you space out.” There was a smile on her face letting him know that she was saying that in the kindest way possible. They were friends, but she had forgotten about that little trait of his. “So, you really cannot fight in the water when you are standing on top of it, now can you?” She was still kind and patient with him, but it was a bit annoying that his attention span was so lacking. “I figure the best way to learn something is to attack it head on. However, if you are more comfortable going step by step then we can advance that way.” Oh yeah, she hadn’t been around people in a while.

There was a smile on her face as the child realized that trying to explain it was useless. It was funny, though his appearance had changed; Rhiam was truly the same as he had been when she met him two years ago. Her stance was non-hostile and calm as she tried to figure out why the boy had come to the river with her if not to practice what she had mentioned. Oh well, she was just glad to have other people around. “Very well then, what is it you would like to do then because it’s quite obvious that we both know how to walk on the water?” Tenma was obviously comfortable balancing with the current as there wasn’t much concentration needed for her to stand there or even when she moved about.

A little boy walks into view. He was dancing around in mountains on a path back to the village. He is wearing a brown fluffy hat and a white shirt and brown pants. His smile was from ear to ear. As he came closer to the village and the trees around him began to clear he stopped and looked up at the sky. Hello Kaa-chan its your little Jomei again. I was just letting you know i am done playing and i am on my way back to the village! He is fine if you were wondering.....not that i care....but i had alot of fun today! Ill talk to you soon ok? Bye! As he was thinking this tears formed in his eyes. He missed his mother, it has been 6 years since she died.

Jomei realized that he was being watched. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He tensed and looked over his shoulder. He sighed a sigh of relief as he saw the two kids fighting in the field. Shinobi. He wiped his eyes making sure they couldn't see his tears and ran over to the two shinobi. He noticed that they had features that labeled them as Konohagakure shinobi so he smiled. "Hi....Im Jomei! Could you please help me get home. I dont want the Uchiha to escort me home again. My dad would kill me. Then make me clean the puppets again." He gave them a sincere smile and put his hands in his pockets waiting for their response.