The Noodle Arrangement (Capped)

The evening was turning into a glorious night, the most brilliant sheen of autumn glow, illuminating every tree, rock, and couple in its path granting a gorgeous halo of life bringing beauty to everything it touched. Unfortunately in its path this evening was a young genin by the name of Itsumi Hatake, swaying slightly as she walked, a hip flask of sake; half full at this point; swinging freely in her left hand as she walked, sloping small amounts of the drink on the ground as she continued her path to the noodle bar. 
Itsumi wasn’t drunk per say, her father used to coo at her mother that he was merely *relaxing* after a long day and a drink or two turned 3 or 4 was merely a normal progression and shouldn't be frowned upon. Itsumi had taken the saying to heart and taken up the practice after her father had passed, especially after a hard day of solo training. With her head lighter than the cool air around her she waltzed into the noodle shop, head held high and confidence top notch. Stepping up to the counter, she leaned her forearms heavily on the counter and let out a soft sigh as she read over the familiar menu for what seemed like the hundredth time.
“Ms.Hatake, good to see you again, and sooner than usual!” the shop keeper said jovially, as Itsumi carefully placed herself on the chair closest to the shop owner, a smile blossoming on her face as she was greeted. Leaning her cheek on her closed left fist she gave a genuine smile and ordered her usual, the shopkeeper nodding kindly and getting to work preparing her food. To this day Itsumi was a failure at cooking, if it weren’t for the kindness of her neighbors and the noodle shop she was at this very night she was sure to have starved to death.Thinking internally, Maybe you wouldn’t have such a shit time at training if you weren’t always alone, doesn’t make it easy to get ready for chuunin exams coming up does it? 
Shaking her head slightly to avoid the intrusive negative thoughts she straightened up, a steaming bowl of tonkotsu ramen being placed in the center of her place setting. Taking a deep breath, inhaling the savory smell of her ramen, she waved the bill away, leaving it as an open tab for the time being, Maybe someone will join her and she can convince them to join her in training, make a few friends in the mean time.

[WC 427]
[Rolling WC 427]

The night was always something that calmed Vergil during his patrol of the village streets where he was looking for something to do or eat usually. After sending his servant out to do a job that was outside of the village in her official capacity he was a bit lazy when it came to preparing his own food. As such he felt hungry while travelling past the late night families that roamed the streets to their own destinations as he decided that a bit of ramen might do him some good for the day. It had been a while since he last had it yet the memories of the tastes he had experienced were already making their way into his brain.

He made his way to the village's favored ramen destination Ichiraku, his blue coat flapping softly to the gentle breeze the night was providing the village, before pulling over the entrance's flaps and noticing another person was already there. A woman looking a bit tipsy in her body language as he ignored her and took a seat that was as far away from her as possible. He sat his sword along the wall beside him and placed his order for one bowl and a cup of tea to help soothe it all down. He placed his elbows on the counter, interlocking his fingers together as he did so, and rested his head on the top of his hands by using the underside of his nose. He closed his eyes while listening to the sounds around him, the sounds of hot water being poured or noodles being made and stirred, as he would relax in that position while waiting for his order to be brought to him.

(WC 287)

The ginger enjoyed the nighttime. It was oddly relaxing staring up to the night sky, trying to discern which constellations were which. Staying out while it when it was dark outside cultivated Tadashi's fondness of stargazing. During the day, the young teen... volunteered let's say in forced yard work in the Fire Country fields. It was originally his older brother, Raiu's assignment by the government due to his lack of times he accepted labor missions that were designated to him. Deviously, he used Tadashi as a scapegoat for not being able to do the missions due through "malicious inconveniences" that were orchestrated by the younger brother. The government then swiftly reprimanded the ginger by assigning him all of the labor missions that Raiu purposefully avoided. Reflecting on the said situation only made the teen more enraged at his brother so he tried to block it out with the positives. Sorrowfully, there were no positives that outweighed the negatives of the ordeal. It was rare to see Tadashi in a dour mood; he was always a cheerful kid since birth unless someone made him lose his marbles.

Very soon would his spirits be lifted. After changing back into his classic getup consisting of his black and white jersey zip with black pants, a grey shirt, and black/white sneakers, the intoxicating smell of freshly made ramen flew through his nose. In conjunction, the stomach rumbled heavily like an inner earthquake. He forgot all about food for the whole day, now dawning on him that he hasn't eaten since breakfast. Instantly, he dashed to the door before stopping when entering. Happily, there were very few people here, which meant that Ichiraku could dedicate their full attention to perfecting their customers' meals. The teen's mouth nearly watered at the rousing thought of eating the world's best ramen when deprived of food. Sake battered tonkatsu... Lightly salted and hearty pork broth made from scratch. Flakes of fresh green onion brought from the harvested crops of the Fire Country... All brought together with golden yellow noodles boiled in mineral water... 

As Tadashi ordered his food, two people would catch his attention. First was an adult woman who was very good looking, but her eyes and body figure seemed to be rather aloof. "Is she drunk?" The young boy curiously thought. He had never seen a drunk person before, even on his grand escapade to Sunagakure a few months before. The Ace had a sudden urge to try to talk to her, but he restrained himself out of shyness. It would be embarrassing for the teen to ask a grown, attractive woman if she was drunk. Shaking his head out of mental humiliation he would walk towards another man. He appeared somewhat younger than the woman as if nearing the end of his teen years. One of the few reasons he approached the man is because of his appearance. He looked like a badass. Period.

"Can I sit here, sir?" he asked politely. If Vergil accepted, he would promptly sit down, waiting for his order. As an attempt to start up a conversation he would begin speaking,


"Your coat looks cool. Where did you get it?" Tadashi asked with an innocent smile.

WC: 535

Vergil was at peace. The sounds of the food being prepared was a nice initiator for the light meditation he was going through within his mind. The sizzle of the fryers, the pouring of hot water, the entrance flaps being moved as another person entered. This would snap him out of his trance as, without even trying to sense something, he could tell the person who'd just entered was powerful. Their chakra was way higher than he'd ever felt before. And while he could tell the woman who was already there when he had come was a ninja herself he could also tell she wasn't very strong chakra wise. This one however...

Vergil opened his eyes as he heard footsteps make their way towards him and he remained calm while keeping his head rested on the tops of his fingers. Out of the blue he would hear a lighthearted voice asking his permission to sit in a chair beside him... What? He would give a quick side glance around his shoulder to notice a red haired teenager looking hopeful before turning his eyes back forward before speaking plainly.

"I have no problem with it."

His order would finally make it's way onto the table in front of Vergil, steam softly billowing upwards from the liquid and seeping into his nostrils, as he took a pair of chopsticks from a cup that was nearby. Upon hearing the red head's next question Vergil stopped for a second, his face emotionless yet mind in a frenzy, before he separated the chopsticks and dipped them into the soupy and delicious smelling noodles.

"It's a family gift. One of my ancestors made it."

Of course he was hiding a big part of the truth in that explanation but he didn't want to spill every little detail of his past to a stranger. Taking a small sip of noodles he heard the voice of the woman sitting far apart from them speaking to them now. Vergil was a bit perplexed about whether or not he wanted to answer anything she had to say. He wasn't a stranger to female interaction but a drunken female was a different thing entirely. She introduced herself as Itsumi Hatake which was a surname Vergil hadn't heard of in a long time. The only Hatake he had ever heard of was the name of the village's sixth hokage from long ago. Nevertheless he figured giving her a name in response couldn't hurt as he chewed and swallowed some more noodles. He would give one single word right after she had finished her introduction before taking a small sip of his tea.

"Vergil."

(WC 447)
(TWC 734)

Kizaru walked slowly down the road with Kimchi resting on the young puppeteer's shoulder. Usually he would rest in Kizaru's hood but he was excited to get out of the house and so the shoulder is where he perched. The monkey's golden hair only now starting to grow back. At this stage it looked like yellow peach fuzz all over his little buddy's body. He would be fine and back to his playful self in no time.

Kizaru himself however was not returning to normal so easily. His usual clothes were all burnt so now he was wearing a black undershirt with a red hoodie. Both had holes and he looked overall as poor as he felt. His new legs were not the right size for his body and they felt stiff and weird when he walked. He was adjusting to it, but the process was hard. He had decided to go for a run around the village, but his legs were already aching after only a few minutes of running.

"Sorry Kimchi bud. I don't think I can keep going for much longer." He'd say scratching the little Tamarins head. The monkey looked disappointed at the thought of going home again so soon. Kizaru hated seeing his buddy pout and he was certain the little guy had already figured that out, "Okay we can go somewhere. Are you hungry?" He'd ask, recieving a series of quick up and down nods.

He looked around to see what was around for food and spotted Ichiraku. Kizaru had heard all sorts of praise about the place but had never been to it himself before. After all he only moved to the village a couple years prior. Ramen did sound good though.

He lifted the curtain at the door and ducked in to the small shop. There were a few people sitting already, but plenty of open seats still. He took one next to a girl he had not seen around before, and looked at the menu.

"I'll have the miso with extra pork. And uhh... could I also get a small plate of fish cakes for my friend here?" He would ask gesturing to the monkey on his shoulder.

(WC 367)

Vergil replied in a rather impassive manner which surprised the boy a lot. Tadashi prided himself in picking up human emotions, a young empathist so-to-speak. From his experiences with people, they always met two categories he created in classifying: those who emanated positiveness and those who emanated negativeness. It was self-explanatory how people were sorted in each category, yet it felt much different when being around Vergil. The adult exuded nothing more than sheer nothingness. His words showed no hostility, yet no warmth to it. This subconsciously intrigued the ginger, wanting to know more of the man, where he hails from, and his experiences in life. The conversation would have to be put on hold however, due to the teen not wanting to bombard the man with many questions that could intrude on his privacy. 

Many questions spawned from ginger's mind as he asked about the man's clothing. Expecting a straightforward or possibly convoluted response, all he got was an answer extremely clear-cut yet it felt off. It was as if he was missing the full story, but it wasn't extremely necessary. Feeling more at ease with the atmosphere the man exalted, he would respond with the same warmth he used earlier, "A heirloom from your family? I see... They say that heirlooms carry centuries of lore, meaning, and worth. You seem to be very fond of it if you wear it all the time I assume?" Shortly after, the same woman who reeked of booze turned towards them. The ginger gulped audibly, hopefully, she didn't misunderstand what the boy said that he was talking behind her back. In contrast to Tadashi's premonitioned thoughts, she responded with warmth. Suddenly, all of the ginger's troubles slowly drifted away as if they were a figment of his imagination.

After Vergil responded, the Ace replied with a bright smile, "My name is Tadashi Namikaze. It's a pleasure to meet you too, Itsumi-san." A pregnant pause, "Um... You look pretty." He tried to politely compliment her. It was always weird referring to himself as "Tadashi Namikaze", now that he had discovered his Pendragon lineage as part of the Royal Family and attaining his Sharingan. 

Suddenly, curtains flew open as two familiar faces entered the ramen shop. "Well look who's here! Join the party!" The ginger cheerfully said, sipping on green tea. As Kizaru and Yoi attempted to pay for their meals, Tadashi would interject respectfully, "Add both meals' prices to my check." He asked the cashier as he obediently did so. As Yoi and Kizaru sat down, he would strike up a conversation with them, "What's up Yoi-chan and Kizaru-san? How's the recovery going?" 


WC: 533
TWC: 1068

Slightly distracted as her eyes roved over the man named Vergil’s coat, which as Itsumi gazed had to admit was very handsome, the coat that is, mostly. She was still leaning on her arm before it hit her that she broke her own rule and spoke of her history so blatantly, her last name being something she tried to keep to herself, since she wasn’t exactly living up to the name's grandiose demands. Thankfully, before she began to panic over what had been a tipsy slip up, the alarmingly ginger boy who had entered closely behind Vergil had introduced himself to her as - “Tadashi Namikaze,''she whispered audibly to herself, connecting the name to something in her memory she would realize was important in the morning. Her attention snapped to his next sentence like a spider to a fly, narrowing her eyes playfully and throwing her hair back off her shoulder as she maintained eye contact with him. “You seem a bit young for me, don't you think?”, her tone was jovial and gentle so as not to embarrass him in any way but as the last words left her lips her bright blue eyes unmistakably slid back to Vergil, holding the stoic profile in her gaze for a few seconds before dropping to her lap, finally thankful that the alcohol blush was hiding any outward expression of interest.

Once more her attention was averted from her momentary companions as the room was beginning to fill; two more ninja came in from the approaching cold of the night, the warm and inviting aroma of the famous ramen clearly having a magnetic pull this evening. Her drink still coursing through her veins had not, as she had hoped, subsided in the least, the dull pink flush still glowing on her upper cheeks as she surveyed the new comers with obvious intrigue. One of the first to enter was a tall, very thin teen who had - taking a long look - the cutest golden monkey perched on his shoulder who almost matched her excitement at being out. Itsumi’s eyes would widen in wonder, held transfixed as he took a seat next to her and ordered his food. She couldn’t help herself she gave small waves to the monkey, close to gushing over him. Luckily Tadashi was busy holding the owners’ attention so she could coo at the monkey further without looking like a further idiot. Another young nin entered soon after, joining Vergil, and an inviting Tadashi at their end of the bar. Her complete attention now focused on the little monkey sitting next to her and completely ignoring her now cold ramen.
 (WC 440 TC 1344)

Vergil was getting a feeling he found all too familiar during his time in the academy where he felt as though he was being watched and observed. He could never understand why people took such an interest in him. Was it because he was a part of a very prestigious clan within the village? Was it because he was able to earn top marks while in the academy? One thing he did not expect to be so interesting was his coat as the red head talked about "heirlooms" and "lore" and "centuries". His coat wasn't at all that old. By all retrospect it had been highly cared for while passed down the family line to him to the point it looked fairly new. He could admit he held some emotional connection to it due to who wore it last before him but he didn't feel ready to divulge any hard information to a teenage stranger with too much chakra coursing through him and a tipsy woman who was clearly looking in his direction every so often. But he wasn't about to start correcting this boy on his assumed history of a simple coat either so he simply continued to eat before answering a question that was thrown his way.

"I'm quite fond of staying warm when it's cold out, if that's what you mean."

After the woman had introduced herself as well as Vergil he would take another sip of his tea as he could hear the ginger give his introduction which gave him yet another pause in his actions. Namikaze... Yet another name he's read in history books belonging to a past hokage of the village. He was in the presence of two clan members that bore powerful histories and, from what he could feel coming off of Tadashi, he had the powerful potential of adding his name into the history books himself. However Vergil sighed as he put his tea cup back down onto the table as he heard Tadashi's next comment about their other occupant's looks. Whether or not Tadashi meant the compliment to be harmless it wasn't usually something you go right out and say to a woman who had to use her arm to support her head from falling. However any tension he may have caused was washed away as she made a point towards Tadashi's age and Vergil couldn't help but give a small smirk at the whole interaction while eating his ramen. He would also take notice that the shop owners seemed to be running a bit slow with Tadashi's order as they hadn't placed any bowls or anything in front of Tadashi yet.

At that point the flaps over the entrance furled once more as Vergil would give a quick glance over his shoulder to see two more teenagers enter. This was quickly becoming a busy hour for Ichiraku as Vergil took note of one of them bring in a monkey over their shoulder. Turning back to his bowl which was nearly empty of the soupy ramen he slowly began to finish up as he heard Tadashi exclaim mildly over the two newcomers entrance before offering to pay for their meals. It was quite clear this Tadashi knew them as he even would give out their first names for everyone present to hear. Soon the whole steam covered shop was becoming even more so as noodles were being made for everyone. Maybe the added attention of the newcomers would draw attention from him so he could finish his meal in peace as he would notice that even Itsumi was more interested in the monkey than anything else there. Today was turning into one full of excitement for Vergil even if he wasn't one of the ones feeling any excitement.

Taking another swig of his tea he would place an order for another cup as he swirled his chopsticks around in his bowl to gather the last bits of noodles. He knew it wasn't a good nor healthy idea to separate himself from others but, things being as they were, he couldn't afford himself the luxury of friends or allies so easily. He had much work to do in a period of time he felt was too short to do it in and he thus fell into the foolish thinking that making himself friends would take too much time. Thus he kept to himself as the ninja present around him talked all while he enjoyed his meal  and contemplated various things to himself. It was certainly going to be one long night once he got home...

(WC 765)
(TWC 1,499)