He felt a twinge of surprise at the stranger’s kindness, particularly considering what he had just done. But Gaara accepted his help and rose to his feet, then immediately brushed the dirt off of his robes. Hard to hide that fact, given the white material. His staff… where had it fallen, when he slipped? He turned around and began to search for it, through the darkness.

“That is fortunate,” he replied, looking back briefly, “No, I do not mind. I was training. That is indeed my primary Job Class. What is yours?”

Yes, he did aim to improve his physical aptitude. But he didn’t need to tell a complete stranger exactly how inept he was. He had been a powerful, formidable ninja before. Now… he was reduced to having a frail, regular human body. It was… quite an adjustment to become accustomed to, against his will.

Regardless, Gaara was perfectly willing to answer his questions. He needed to compensate for his mistake, in causing someone undue harm. Though, it didn’t take much for him to accurately guess, based on the line of inquiries, “Did you arrive recently?”