Ninjas Love Noodles

by clapback

In admits of his studies, Ninjara finds it difficult to completely devote himself to his education. His mind was fixated on one thought: his sudden craving for ramen found at the Mintendo Noodle House. However, it wasn't just the food that was bringing him there – it was the girl that made the restaurant famous… But that felt like a good front to hide his feelings. One-shot.

It was 12 pm and the gong outside of the Mintendo Noodle House was struck. The neighborhood surrounding the restaurant was big, but tightly packed and almost claustrophobic. Smaller, more unknown ramen shops were scattered across the district. No matter how hard they tried or how much they leeched off the popularity of Mintendo's, nothing could ever rival the restaurant that was considered ramen royalty. The shop was beloved for a number of reasons, but many locals feel it brings life into the neighborhood. Truthfully, the Mintendo Noodle House wasn't located in the best area. The surrounding buildings were noticeably old and tired as its inhabitants struggled to make ends meet. The family that owned the ramen restaurant was highly respected, if not outright envied by a few. Regardless of the awards that decorated the walls of the restaurant they remained hardworking, friendly and open to anyone who wanted a meal. With affordable prices for all, it was no surprise that the Mintendo Noodle House has remained busy and as popular as ever.

The gong was placed in the back of the restaurant. It was almost as old as the building, but both the structure and the gong itself were taken with expert care. Every day, always at 12, the gong would go off. That meant that the Mintendo Noodle House was officially ready for business! Despite the conflicting noises of the city its resonating notes could be easily heard and recognized. It was often the father of the family that hit the gong, but lately he has been teaching his eldest son on how to strike the metal instrument correctly. While the boy understood the importance of letting the customers know the restaurant was now open; he easily got distracted by the crowd waiting to get in. His mother always opened the large doors on time, greeting every individual that entered. The youngest son prepared himself for the waves of orders that were about to come his way. One detail the family always knew to expect was a question about their only daughter. Specifically, there was always someone asking where she currently was.

Min Min had become the star of the restaurant. She was the majority of the reason of why Mintendo's popularity persisted. Her life had greatly changed when she developed the ARMS condition, transforming them into noodles. With this sudden development she felt there was no place else to go but up. She promptly joined the ARMS League and became a fighter herself. The girl remained loyal to her family's business, but along with her transformation her goals had changed. Even Mintendo's changed – outside of the building, near where the gong was, a stadium was built just for her. But despite her loyalty, when the restaurant opened she rarely was involved with getting everything ready. The family lived on the second and third floors of the building. Located near her room, the mostly unused guest area had become a small gym. Her morning hours were completely devoted to her training.

She was a versatile fighter. She didn't just want to be known for her punches but also her lightning fast kicks. She built up momentum by kick boxing her punching bag. It swung back to her with increasing speed. Min Min quickly hopped back from the bag. With its heavy weight, when it came back to her after her kicks there was the chance of getting legitimately hit by it. It lunged forward quickly as the girl prepared herself. As it got closer, she gave it a powerful punch. The rope that attached the bag to the ceiling flew off, making the equipment crash against the wall behind it. Min Min stood there, panting faintly. She didn't mean to get so intense. After looking at the thoroughly defeated bag, she immediately looked at her left arm. With the amount of force she was using it had mysteriously transformed itself into looking like a dragon. She had known about this ability for a while but didn't understand it much. She frowned as she watched the scales shrivel and morph back into noodles. She knew at that moment that her next training session would be completely focused on her ability – how to summon it and how to correctly use it.

Min Min looked up and turned around as she heard the door of the room creak. Her youngest brother was standing outside, peering into the homey gym.

"Hey," He greeted as his eyes eventually went to the fallen punching bag, "Is everything okay?" He asked with some concern.

He must have heard the sound of it hitting against the wall. She looked back at it and then returned to him with a smile.

"Everything's fine, just got a little carried away," She quickly explained, "What's up?" She went to pick up the equipment.

Her brother opened the door more and stepped inside.

"We're a lot busier today than dad expected," He said with a frown, "Is there any chance you can do a little waitress duty?" He asked reluctantly, believing that she was too preoccupied.

Min Min was hanging the bag as her brother spoke. As he finished his question, his sister noticed a clock positioned close by in her peripheral vision. Time was getting away from her – she had no idea that it was already after 12 and that the restaurant has been open for several minutes. After tying the punching bag's rope, she grabbed a towel and put it around her shoulders.

"Give me…" She paused to think, "Five minutes to fresh up and I'll be right out."

The boy nodded his head in response and left, closing the door on his way out. Min Min approached the table in the room which was located near a large window. She wiped off the sweat from her brow as her free hand stretched to grab a water bottle that was on the wooden stand. The window took up most of the free space on the wall. Being on the third floor of the building it provided a wonderful view of the city and its outskirts. The fighter sighed contently as she looked out, focusing on the dense forest that was located near her neighborhood. It was always calming to her. The forest only provided a scenic, often overlooked pathway into town. She sometimes wondered what it would be like living in the woodland rather than a city. With a small smile she shrugged and turned away from the window as she prepared to get herself ready for lunch time craziness.

While the forest located outside of that particular city remained lush and green, the trees that surrounded Rasen Ninjutsu University had become a vivid red. The area was mostly untouched by man – its natural beauty flourished as summer slowly became fall. With its rolling hills and the unassuming fauna made the perfect hiding spot for the college. Not many knew that it was nestled in the vast woodland and even more did not know such a school even existed. The Rasen Ninjutsu University was a very secretive and selective college. Truthfully, normally it was only the elites of the elites that were accepted in. The school expected their students to be completely dedicated to the ways of the ninja. They had ancient knowledge about the art of being a shinobi, varying from old folk tales to legitimate forms of experimental combat. They expected their students to study all these details and know them by heart at the end of their semesters. With the ninja craft being known for acts of espionage and sabotage, the environment of an average class could be cutthroat.

It wasn't a school where it was easy to make friends. While it wasn't entirely frowned upon, but the earliest lessons did stress that anyone has the power to ruin you. That was the majority of the reason of why it was so common to see students leave the college so early on in their academics. Many were not expecting the level of intense competition among its students. Needless to say, none of their sessions were blow off classes. Even the hall ways leading into its various class rooms had a spiritual quality to them – it was always quiet. The sounds of someone running in the halls were uncommon. Besides, there were much easier ways of transportation if you're a ninja. Why walk when you can teleport instead? That was something that made the Rasen Ninjutsu University famous among its peers: its lessons on invisibility.

For those nearing graduation most of their classes became focused exclusively on that. It took deep concentration to successfully vanish. A clear mind was required and an understanding of their opponent. Because of this, many of these lessons used either a dummy for beginners or a live animal for more accomplished students. For the exercise being held today they were using a dog. Specifically, a fairly young Shiba Inu puppy was their target. The pup was energetic and curious. With the fresh air and captivating sights of the forest, everything was catching her attention. That was the end goal of this particular lesson – sneak up on the little gal using one of your invisibility stunts without being detected by her. It was trickier than it sounded. One wrong move, such as stepping on a twig, the puppy would be immediately alerted to your presence. It did not concern the college's best student however. He had proven himself numerous times in the past. How could a dog mess him up?

Ninjara breathed in and closed his eyes. The puppy was currently in the middle of the clearing, sniffing the ground. The student of stealth hid himself behind the red tinted bushes. All he could hear was the wind and the rustling leaves. Everything was lining up perfectly. His opponent was distracted while Ninjara was completely focused on his goal. He opened his eyes and began with a leap. With his swift movements he managed to not make a sound. In the middle of his jump he vanished quickly. Everything was going well until his landing. Before he realized what happened, Ninjara heard the distinct sound of a puppy yapping and he found himself lying on the ground. He groaned as he looked behind himself, noticing a small rock by the heel of his shoe. He must have tripped over it. The puppy stopped barking and began licking off the dirt from his cheeks. A wave of quiet laughter came from his fellow classmates who were watching his practice.

The elderly teacher of the class emerged from his own hiding spot. The man wasn't angry but he did look disappointed in him. It wasn't an expression Ninjara was used to seeing and it certainly was one he didn't like.

The professor frowned, "I'd like to talk to you after class," He said calmly, gently poking the boy's shoulder with his walking cane.

That's exactly what Ninjara ended up doing. He didn't understand what has taken over him. He has dedicated his whole life to his studies and training. He didn't have much of a family. There was very little that ever got in his way besides when his arms changed. While there was some initial reluctance, he quickly accepted it as a new challenge. He could change the world of ninjutsu forever and leave his mark on its rich history. But he found himself sitting in his teacher's office, listening to his clock. It was the only sound in the room. Occasionally the ticking felt ominous in the complete silence. Ninjara let out a sigh. It wasn't the only time this month where this happened. He didn't like feeling unable to control his own abilities. For him that was the frustrating detail about all of this – this has never happened to this great of frequency before this month. The older man finished looking at the papers that documented Ninjara's growth as a fighter. He noticed that his student had signed up for the ARMS League not too long ago. He set down his files, clasped his hands together and rested them on his desk.

He began slowly, "Ninjara, I realize these last several weeks have not been the best for you,"

The student's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I normally love this amount of dedication but I can't help but to feel that you're pushing yourself too much," The teacher frowned, "I can't recall a time where you've used one of your school breaks for their intended purposes."

He had a point. If Ninjara was famed for anything other than his skills as a fighter or his unique arms, it would be his love for and attentiveness on learning. He mostly took intervals to either rest or for eating. As his professor continued to talk, the young man's mind began to drift. Even that behavior was uncommon for him. It truly showed how unfocused the student currently was. As he zoned out from the mild mannered lecture he heard his stomach faintly growl. At that moment he suddenly realized something: he had a craving for ramen from the Mintendo Noodle House. He initially wasn't sure what even made him think of the restaurant. He wasn't one that was driven by food, but the location kept creeping into his mind. Ninjara instantly stood up from his seat. His teacher paused from his talking and gave his student a curious look, raising an eyebrow. The ninja subtly directed a respectful bow to him.

"You're right," He spoke, "I need a well-deserved break. A weekend away will suffice."

Even when talking about his own relaxation the young man came off as solemn as ever. Although with that one instantaneous comment, Ninjara's break from his studies began. It has been the only time since enrolling and joining the ARMS League where he would be away for a small amount of time. The trip to the city where Mintendo Noodle House was located was fairly easy. As the ninja entered the weary metropolis a sense of uneasiness did briefly stir in him. He didn't have much experience with crowds or being surrounded by large amounts of people… Despite this, everyone seemed friendly enough. He passed through a farmer's market where many of the sellers were attempting to get his attention. He stopped to look at a man's selection of vegetables until he noticed the ramen restaurant through his peripheral vision. Ninjara turned to face it, eventually approaching the closed off arena. A smirk appeared on his face as he kicked a small pebble. The rock fell, rolling down to the concave bottom of the bowl themed stadium.

He thought of her as he stared at it. She had come a long way, possibly working harder than he ever has. Ninjara barely knew the young woman but he was proud of her. As he raised his head and looked around the surrounding people and businesses he wondered if they were all here because of her. There were several carts selling kitschy ARMS themed goodies, presumably located here because of the famed ramen bomber. He stood silently until the loud sounds of the city woke him from his thoughts. His stomach gurgled loudly again as it eagerly awaiting food. He put a hand on his abdomen, his focus going back to the restaurant that was in front of him. Prior to entering, in the back of his mind he hoped that the noodle house did take outs. There was a part of him that felt he had enough interaction with strangers for a day, but he also wondered how the customers would react to an ARMS fighter entering another ARMS related property.

Regardless of his concerns, the people didn't seem to think anything of it. Ninjara felt somewhat relieved to see that they were more invested in their meals. The inside of the Mintendo Noodle House was surprisingly spacious. There was plenty of floor room for the various tables, but enough to freely move around if a crowd were to form. In the forefront there was a counter that divided the main room from the kitchen. While the restaurant was undeniably busy, luckily the lunch rush was already nearing its end. It was a large, older woman that was currently taking care of their last order. Ninjara adjusted his glasses and blinked. Despite her physical appearance she did have a passing resemblance to Min Min. She gave her customer a smile as they left and handed them their change. As the college student approached the countertop he knew exactly what he was about to face – the girl's mother.

The woman put her hands on the surface and faced him with a similar friendly expression that she did with her previous buyer.

"Welcome," She greeted, "What would you like?"

There was a pause before Ninjara spoke. He acted as if he was unprepared for the question – his eyes darted to the menu that was on the wall. The noodle shop certainly wasn't bragging with their famous advertisements. They truly had every type of ramen available.

"Hakata," He finally decided, "To go, please."

The woman frowned as she turned to look at the kitchen.

"There's going to be a small wait for those," She went back to him, "We've been having some trouble with the thin noodles used in it. I hope that's alright."

He knew it was a specialty dish but he was slightly disappointed. Regardless, it was what he wanted the most from their menu.

With a shrug the ninja replied, "That's fine, I can wait."

The woman smiled and nodded her head prior to going into the kitchen. The expression she had was unusual to the young man. Ninjara wasn't sure what to make of it. It's almost as if she had a hunch of why he was here. He detected that she was looking at him knowingly, attempting to get a judge on his character. He felt a little awkward thinking about his quick interaction with her, wondering if her and her daughter has ever talked about him in the past. They were thoughts that failed to stir up confidence in him. He leaned himself against the left side of the counter. While there were some empty tables present in this section of the building, where he stood looked like a back corner that led to a different route to the kitchen for the employees.

"I wasn't expecting to see you today," A voice said, sounding like it was fairly close to him.

Ninjara turned to the direction of which he heard it and his eyes widened. It was Min Min. She was looking at him curiously with a small smirk. The girl was in her athletic clothes which exposed a little more skin than what the ninja was expecting. She had just finished her training for the day, still having her towel and water bottle in hand. He became red faced when he noticed her outfit. He adjusted his scarf in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"I was in the neighborhood," He softly said, not making direct eye contact with her, "I was hungry and decided to visit."

Min Min raised an eyebrow. She didn't entirely believe his claim, letting out a subtle giggle.

"Really?" She replied, "Well, it's nice to have you here."

Ninjara raised his head and studied the noodle house's design.

"It's a lovely restaurant," He complimented calmly; "I can see why you're so proud of it." He finished with a small smile appearing faintly.

"That's high praise," Min Min responded quizzically, "…For someone who hasn't eaten here yet."

He looked back at her and his smile faded. She still had the same vaguely amused expression. The dragon fighter liked giving him a hard time, gently teasing him at any good opportunity. Despite this Ninjara wasn't bothered by these little jokes. He kind of liked them, if only for the mischievous looks Min Min would always give him. His smirk came back with a faint chuckle escaping from his lips. For the first time in their casual small talk the two locked eyes with each other. Unfortunately, a lull in their chat soon followed. The ninja shifted his shoulders and looked away. The shyness came back to him in full force as he prepared himself to start the conversation again.

"Actually," He eventually began to confess, "I'm more here because of you."

Min Min's green eyes widened hopefully. She looked pleasantly surprised by his comment. While he had the courage to say that at the very least, he couldn't completely bring himself to be honest with her. His eyes looked away from the girl, focusing more on the window by them but he remained to have a clear view of her.

"I was thinking that possibly we could practice together," Ninjara added as he looked towards the floor timidly, "As in training for any future ARMS events, to be exact."

Min Min had her arms crossed as she heard his invitation. She cocked her head to the side after he finished, thinking about his offer. It was oddly endearing in his own disciplined way. She felt it was the most she was going to get out of him for the time being. It wasn't exactly first date material but hey, she knew that such a student could possibly provide answers to her questions. She put her arms behind her back and moved closer to him. A look of alarm flashed in Ninjara's eyes. It was obvious he wasn't sure what she was about to do. She gave him a playful smile.

"I'd love that," She replied gently, "Though I have to give a warning, I won't go easy on you." Her smirk grew confidently.

Ninjara returned a smile, albeit a somewhat awkward one. He backed away from her slightly after her response. He was glad that she took him up on offer, but he briefly wondered about her response. It seemed almost flirtatious to him… He quickly came to the conclusion that he imagined it. After all, his mind has been muddled with thoughts of her. Min Min's mother returned from the kitchen, approaching the side of the counter.

"Your order's ready," She spoke cheerfully, but paused when she saw her customer next to her daughter, "Oh, what are you two talking about?"

That look of panic from earlier returned to Ninjara. He was already shy enough talking to her, but attempting to hold a conversation with some of her family present was a completely different situation. He swiftly grabbed the bag the woman was holding and threw the money onto the checkout. In a blink of the eye he vanished hurriedly. He even managed to disappear successfully. The mother and daughter stood there in utter surprise, astonished by his sudden and abrupt exit. The two exchanged looks before Min Min looked at the surface of the counter and counted the money he left. He paid in full, even leaving a tip for the meal. She put her arm against the fixture and rested her head in her open hand, looking out at the open doors.

"He's a strange one," She commented, "But he's kind of cute." Min Min added casually with a small shrug.

Her mother let out a laugh as she took the money and was fixing to put it in the cash register. The chuckle caught the young woman's attention, making her look at her parent curiously.

"It doesn't surprise me that he likes you," Her mother spoke nonchalantly and then looked at her daughter, "It's a known fact that ninjas love noodles."