The profits of recent discoveries.

Metaru was paying a visit to the acquaintance. After his recent run in with the giant character, Metaru needed to understand more about him, and thus he collected information. Everything the man had done, from his mannerisms to how he knew about Metaru's armor, came down to clues. Using those clues, he had started an inquiry as to what this being was. Yes, the Willow Clan was a well kept secret, but no, they had not tied up every loose end. For a sum of money, plenty of travellers who had had run ins with the willows gave Metaru all they knew, though some were fakes, Metaru paid the real ones in full, then had them disposed of. He assumed the willows were a well kept secret because they wanted to be. He was not about to impede that.

Staring down at a compass he had created, Metaru muttered to himself. "I know it's around here, where are you Willow?"

"right here." ki chuckled, right behind metaru

"Smooth..."

Metaru turned, looking Ki in the eye, or as close as he could get rather. "You're probably wondering how I know your name. But please, no formalities, my name is Metaru, and your true name?"

Metaru stopped, holding his hand out, and up, to greet the giant.

ki smiled. " i prefer not to touch. and people call me ki, and so my true name will be hidden until i reveal it."

(ki=tree0

Metaru nodded meticulously, "Right..." My these willows were an awkward type, or perhaps just aged. Twitching his fingers, the metal on Metaru's back shifted, forming two chairs and a small table between the nin.

"Sit, please, though I'm sure you feel just as comfortable standing. And yes, they're steel, but comfortable, trust me." Metaru sat down in the nearest chair, cushioned by a small magnetic field. Gazing out, he looked past Ki, at the gentle rolling plains.

"I forgot about the touching thing. I've learnt alot about your... do you call it a species?- in the past little while? But that's why I wanted to come and talk to you. By all means, I know you harbor no emotions, good or bad, but I felt we were having a pleasant chat before we were so rudely interrupted. Don't you agree?"

ki sat down. " well, it wasnt rude. i was.....releived that he intervened...."

Metaru looked up. "Ah, due to the ransacking of a Buddhist temple so many years ago. Aheh, I've seen the records, no survivors, however there were a few recorded as missing. You're quarrel is not with me on that front sir. Remember, I do what I do for the good of mankind, not it's vile destruction. That's why I'm here in fact..."

Metaru let the words sink in.

"i know it wasnt you. your armour just reminded me. you are too young to be at the age i was all those years ago."

Metaru laughed a bit.

"For someone with no emotions, you seem to let yours out of hand, aheh, I wonder how many little anger squirrels you've got running around. Regardless, here, I have, well, a form of riddles."

Metaru reached behind him, unclasped a large, heavy vial from his belt, and placed it on the table.

"Take a look, with those eyes, and tell me what this is. And please, don't open it."

(Francium, very unstable liquid metal.)

" francium."

"Perfect, you eye is unmatched Ki. But, I happen to know something even your eyes can't see."

Taking a kunai out, Metaru sliced a long division along his forearm, then focused on the bottle, having it's top twist off so a small amount of the liquid could squeak out. Then, before it could evaporate, it latched onto his skin, bending to Metaru's will, covering the fresh wound. When it did evaporate, a light scar was left.

"Now, based upon that, let's try your mind instead of your eyes, what else would you theorize this liquid could do?"

"........cure cancer i presume...."

Metaru smiled, "You are a puzzle solver yet."

He then proceeded to push the bottle towards the giant. "In other words, I can help you, and the willow clan. Only if you'd like me to however."

ki examined it. "it can cure cancer, but not this one. we evolved to fit it and now we are apart of it. so if you give this to me, i will have to refuse and im not the one to choose what is good for the clan." ki retracted his claws a few inches, picked it up and pushed it back slowly.

Metaru shook his head, accepting the bottle but being careful not to touch Ki.

"You have no idea what it can cure, it's all just postulation, but it's cured similar diseases. You have lived with it, have you no idea what living without it could be like?"

Among the ground a series of yellow dashes seemed to jump from place to place. Finnaly it stopped near two men having a talk that seemed to be involved with a liquid in a vile on the table. Cyrus walked up to them, only knowing one man truely but theother by only what he had read. "Helliw fella's hows it hanging"Cyrus says not taking his eyes off of the vile.

Heplaced one hand in his pocket and his free hand pushing something into his shirt. "I hope thats not what I think it is."Cyrus thought to himself. "If it is then this man must know the effects it has on the human anatomy, I should have exspected this"Cyrus thought remembering what he had read on the man.

ki smiled. " nothing much. just talking."

Metaru frowned, always interrupted, however, perhaps it wasn't anything major.

"Discussing futures is all, Metaru Jisei at your service." His hand was stretched in the leaf nin's position. "And who's company am I now basking in, if I might ask?"

ki made cyrus a cushioned chair. no hidden secrets about it.

Cyrus sat down almost in one fluid motion, not being stopped by off balance-ness. Cyrus took the mans hand, shaking it like any other persons, "You may call me Twilight or Cyrus Uzumaki."Twilight said as he looked at the frown on his face. "Srry I interrupted, your 'Future' science exsperiments."Cyrus says as he looks from oneman to the other.

Metaru grinned, tucking the cylinder back into place with his other five.

"You know more then you let on, which is normal of an Uzumaki, aheh, I've run into others of your kind, I'm sure you know. But what interests you, in this science experiment?"

ki sighed. " for one thing, im glad you came...."

Cyrus gavee a slight shrug of his shoulders, "Well the people down where I came from have been experimenting with that same liquid. The problem is, and this part is the weirdest, It's kept under a file alone and by it's self."Cyrus says pausing to adjust himself on the seat. "Do you think that you know the full extent of that complex liquid that you have, cause if you do I believe we can set a new page in the record books, titled 'Smarter than a Nara'" Cyrus says in the most content voice, he wasn't trying to provoke anyone he was honestly telling the truth. "Whats it going to be"Cyrus says as he pulled one of his hands out of his pockets.

ki smiled at the uzimakis wit. though he missed a big gap in the conversation. " the question is, do you know why its kept in a file by itself? because it eats certain bacteria that would make a human helpless if used too much anf i think against me, it would do nothing since i have no bacteria that is known to you or the history of this vile. anyway, lets get out of the clearing and stop sitting on metal chairs. theres a storm coming." he sighed, looking up at the clear sky. " we shall continue this at my household."

Metaru stood and followed the Willow to his house.

"I've already been over the properties of the bacteria, and they're relatively harmless as long as you aren't using the liquid over too large an area. The main reason why the liquid is kept in a vial, and I'm sure the Nara's already know this, is because as soon as it's overexposed to anything, it disappears. The only advantage I have over the Nara's is not intelligence, but technique, as I can guide elements away from the liquid with my magnetism, just long enough to give it a few seconds in open oxygen."

Metaru smiled, showing that even though a Willow may live hundreds of years, they can't see everything.