Scroll 17: Ramen & Trouble
At the Yamanaka home, something seemed very amiss. The only indication to any outside the home, such as those on patrol or passerby, of the wrongness of the house would be both the complete silence, and that any shadows from the house seemed somehow more…jagged, angular; as if the darkness itself was now violent.
XXX
"Hello once again, you little busy bodies." Yukari landed deftly on the ground as she smiled at the three kid-nins in greeting. "What are you three doing here?"
"Sheena's brother and Joma said we could do what we wanted for the day and we wanted to hang out with you because we don't know this place too well and you're nice and fun right?" Wydra informed her. Wydra had slept rather well the previous night, and had been a little inactive for the day. They'd been told to leave her alone while she'd been training so had wandered off, and it had taken them a few minutes to find her.
"Joma told us to leave him alone and BaRoKenDo said he was busy." Gilligan continued. "So that's what we thought it meant because Shozaku wasn't around to ask."
Sheena was a little closer to Yukari at this point, but was still looking down at the ground. She seemed to be wearing a non-spiked helmet today, though this one covered more of her face like a ninja-mask might.
"So Joma-san sent you to me to play hostess with?" Yukari laughed in joy. "Well, I suppose I can play with you three. My chakra reserves are resting, and the Med-Center won't let me see Kakashi-sensei." Yukari grinned at Sheena as she laid a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "I would be more than available to show you around the village. Did you have any ideas on what you might want to see first?"
XXX
Meiko Uzaruki had finished her class for the morning; and was promptly returning to the Uzaruki clan house to finish her punishments for her behavior in the nightly incident. However, she was pouting, dragging her feet and grumbling to herself as a brat kid would. Her deviated path took her close to the Yamanaka house.
The young Uzaruki had learned from her elder sister, Yukari; that the blonde-ninja had recently moved in with the pink-haired bimbo. Rumor had it that the Ino girl had fought with her parents over something bad enough to drive the girl into the shared-apartment deal that was now in effect. Sakura and Ino lived together as of now. Friends were great to use if they could get you away from the annoyance of your brethren, as it were. So it was odd when Meiko had paused to look at the darkened, scary front of the house that belonged to Inoichi-dono, Ino's father, and snorted her mild distaste.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid." Meiko muttered.
A child, looking to be only a year older than herself, would just suddenly appear standing next to Meiko. He wasn't wearing a shirt or anything over his upper-torso, and instead of a headband, he wore a belt with the symbol for 'Darkness' on it. The reason he flaunted it carelessly was because he'd assumed Meiko was ignorant of the news of the villages that attacked Konoha. He wore a normal pair of black pants that were form-fitting, and seemed to be in the shape of a normal nine year old. His eyes were black, with only whites around the edges, and his hair was white. He was facing the house but clearly talking to Meiko.
"Are you a friend of theirs? It might not be the best time to interrupt right now."
Meiko nearly jumped a foot into the air as the boy startled her. Iruka-sensei was right to scold her for not paying attention.
"Oh, piss, don't do that!" she hissed as her read eyes narrowed to study the scrawny kid. "No, I don't know the Yamanaka-clan that well, but what do I care? I'm not that important because I'm not even a genin yet."
Meiko stood there, just now aware of her sweaty-dirt stained blue shirt and green capris. She had worked out her frustrations in class today; which was great considering that it was grappling practice. Running a hand through her un-clannishly short hair, Meiko replaced her scowl with a smile. The boy next to her had the right kind of vibes: dark, angsty, and 'not-give-a-shit.' Meiko extended her hand.
"I'm Meiko Uzaruki, what's your name?"
"Jack Shan-chay." He shook her hand, holding the contact for a moment longer while one eye looked over and winked at her, his mouth forming a quick smile-smirk. Before too long, he turned back to the house for a moment before a couple of figures emerged.
One of them was Inoichi-dono, whose footsteps were followed by a child that was shaped almost exactly like Jack; except the child wore a full ninja-outfit. In place of the normal ninja head-gear/mask, he wore a reaper's hood. The two of them continued to walk past Meiko and Jack, and the shadows around the house became normal once more, and the surrounding area seemed a lot less tense. Jack turned towards Meiko.
"It seems the business here has been concluded. I'm kind of new here, would you mind showing me around?" His eyes still held the same look, as though he were observing everything that passed in front of them, as though each insignificant step he saw was calculated into a plan of his.
XXX
"What kind of places do yo…" Wydra stopped mid-sentence.
Sheena had managed to edge her way up to Yukari and tugged on her arm, then pointed in the general direction of the ramen shop that Yukari had first encountered the Wheel nin at. Gilligan, in the time it would take a fly to flap its wings twice, had the eyes of a normal child as he raised an eyebrow in surprise. For Sheena, this much sociability was unusual. Almost as though it was automatic, Gilligan's genjutsu was back in place and he looked adorable once more, eyes just staring so creepily; it had to be cute.
"Uhm…what's in that direction?" Wydra asked Sheena. Yukari smiled softly as she nodded at Sheena in understanding.
"Ichiraku Ramen it is!" the kunoichi led the trio to the shack and knew, in her head, that she would dip into Naruto-chan's account for this.
It was the very reason he trusted her with his account; which was not only an accumulation of his extinct clan's treasure, but his own hard-earned money. Before he had left to train in the wild blue yonder for three years; the blonde, hyperactive ninja extracted a promise and duty from her to take his place in supporting the Ichiraku Ramen shack while he was gone.
It was a solemn vow she performed with the utmost dedication she could muster. In the beginning, she had hated the taste of ramen (in general) but it had long since grown on her as a favorite. The food has a great source of protein and nutrients that were excellent for a ninja of her build.
So now she had three fresh new victims to push her ramen fetish upon; not that they would have minded. Yukari ducked under the white and red cloth banners that partially hid the innards of the shack and called out a greeting to Teuchi-senpai.
"Yo, old-man, I'm here for my daily serving of 'naruto'. She'd use the word in loving jest, since it was both a food ingredient and the name of her best friend. "I've brought three new friends as well!"
Wydra wheeled up to the counter excitedly and looked over the menu, asking about everything there was. Gilligan was already sitting at a table just staring off into space, waiting for the rest of them to join them. Sheena was hiding behind Yukari, her head poked around her side and looking about the ramen shop. This sort of environment was new and she was cautious, as though either frightened or unsure of what to do.
Yukari gentle sat herself down on the counter's stools as she pulled out her orange, plastic card that was linked to Naruto's account. She had stored this in the heart of her nin-pack, so it would take a Kyuubi-induced explosion to knock it free of its place. She then laughed as Wydra ordered everything on the menu. Yukari then ordered her favorite; fish and chips ramen - a dish that Teuchi made the swirly 'naruto' with pink salmon instead of orange-ish beef.
"Teddy-san, are you going to eat anything?" She'd ask as her eye was on Sheena's wary first-round sensory study of the small, stout shack. "The food here is different from the high-class restaurants, but it's better than their food, Sheena-san."
The statement earned a full-stomached laugh from Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame.
XXX
Meiko looked minutely intimidated at the six foot tall blonde Shinobi of the Mind-Walker Clan. The Uzaruki girl shook her head in nervousness before turning to Jack.
"Sure, I just got out of class, so I was going to the basic shuriken field to practice." She'd turn to her right and pointed with her thumb. "It's that way."
Jack seemed to take no notice of the two that walked by, as though he already knew where they were going. He chuckled slightly and nodded, looking for a moment in the direction she'd pointed, before returning his calculating gaze back to her eyes. It seems this one had no problem looking people in the eye.
"You had been in class and you're already going to train?" Jack continued. "Why don't you rest? On my way here I noticed several of your classmates doing the same."
Meiko snorted at Jack's inquiring statement.
"Beh, I'm just trying to avoid going back home for punishment duty. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time last night and Hibachi-Tousan got pissed." Thanks to her time spent with Kiba Inuzuka and the other genin males that had been genin for two years already, Meiko loved to use the more curse-y words in her vocabulary.
"It'd stand as an excuse if I told Tou-san that I went to throw shuriken at wooden dummies than come home." She'd walk and talk to Jack as she angled herself towards the genin-level practice field.
XXX
"Sure, there's always room for more." Gilligan said; or rather, the words came from his mouth but the voice sounded like someone else's. Gilligan just laughed until Sheena, momentarily snapping out of it, smacked him on the back of the head with a chain. Wydra then wheeled up to Sheena, grabbed the edges of her helmet, and pulled her up to the counter, picked her up, and sat her on the other side of Yukari.
"She's just not sure how to be here. This is…the opposite of just about anywhere she's usually been. This is the first place we've had time to relax in, so she's tried to adjust to since home." Wydra's voice had grown steadily louder to go over a growling that emerged from Sheena's throat. Sheena just kept looking down though, and had planned on nibbling whatever Yukari or Wydra ordered. Gilligan seemed to have disappeared somewhere along Wydra's explanation.
Yukari giggled at the antics of the trio of nin-kids: Sheena, Wydra and Gilligan/Teddy-nin. The Kunoichi tapered her laughter off as she ordered a regular, mild beef ramen for Sheena.
Whatever Sheena had done, the seat had been moved until she was sitting side-by-side with Yukari. When their ramen arrived, a couple of chains reached up and she pulled the bowl down with them, her eyes only gliding up to Wydra and Yukari momentarily before she looked back down and ate. One end of a chain split and formed into a pair of chopsticks, becoming her eating tools while her arms hid still beneath her chains. Words could echo in Yukari's mind: 'Sheena seems to have taken a liking to you.' As though to explain her current change of behavior.
XXX
Jack laughed.
"Ah, the punishment of one's overlords; something my siblings and I are way too familiar with. What wrong time were you at what wrong place last night?" He didn't ask with any kind of forcefulness, but he didn't ask as though he expected to be un-answered. He continued anyway though, not quite wanting to scare her off or make her feel like there was any kind of distance between them. "And are you really gonna throw shuriken around or just hang around for a bit?" He kept pace with her, occasionally taking his eyes off of her to look at the surrounding environment but mostly maintaining his gaze on her as they walked. He seemed…very interested in her for some reason.
Meiko canted her head sideways in response to Jack's thoughts on punishment. "Yea, this place isn't the best of hang-out joints on my list; and my throwing skills are ace already."
To emphasize her point, Meiko took a ninja star out of her right-legged pack and spun around to let the metal-wrought four-pointed tool fly from her fingers to slice through the air; embedding itself in the bull's-eye center that was the head of the left-most wooden dummy.
Jack nodded and watched her test of accuracy. "Well yeah, those aren't moving targets. Can you hit this?" He reached behind his back, pulled out a wooden disk, and tossed it like a frisbee over the field. Although it was facing them, instead of flying flat, so she would have something to hit. After she succeeded or not, if she tried at all, he'd just keep talking.
"What are some of the best on your list of hang out joints?" He'd ask; his voice the same as ever. He was acting very interested in the current subject.
Meiko smiled as she produced another star and flung it at the wooden disk, nailing it only a centimeter from the center. It was close enough to be viewed, by the naked, untrained eye, as dead-center. She grinned victoriously as she turned towards Jack.
"The top five places on my hang-out list are where-ever Kiba-sama is at and the second, the group of trees in the southwest section of the village. Those are some radical trees; like apple and sakura and dogwood." Meiko's Akashingan eyes crinkled in mirth as she began to enjoy this boy's presence.
Jack wasn't at all stupid or immature like the academ students that made up her class. Nor was he at all the sunshiny bundle of shit that was the Third-Hokage's grandson. Yes, she was currently in Konohamaru's class; and yes she sat next to him in class; along with the two other, naturally-made members of his future genin team: Moegi Akimichi and Udon Yurimi.
"Why don't we go over that way? Seems like it might be a bit better than standing around here staring at targets, doesn't it?" He smiled, or smirked one could never be sure, as he spoke. Unless she put up or offered a protest, he'd start walking in a southwestern direction. "Looks like you've got something on your mind there, and why are your eyes like that?"
"My eyes? I was born with the Akashingan." Meiko subconsciously followed Jack towards her tree hide-away, talking while walking. "The doujutsu allows the user to use the optic nerves of any bird."
XXX
Meanwhile, Inoichi, Ino's father, could be seen walking towards the Ramen shop the four of them were currently in. He entered the shop that stood opposite the shack quietly. Or rather, his entry didn't stand out and he would give the briefest of nods to any that spoke to him or commented on his presence. He positioned himself against the wall and made it look as though he was going over the menu, deciding on what he'd want. He was mostly just biding his time, looking for a good moment to do what he needed to do. If anybody looked closely enough, they'd notice his shadow wasn't leaning in the right direction.
Yukari, being the chuunin class material she was, had registered Inoichi-dono approach. She found this odd, since Ino-chan had told both her and Sakura-chan the reason she moved out of home. The two had yet to reconcile, so Yukari was on minor-level alert; wondering if the man wanted to talk to her about Ino or Naruto.
Using her nin skills, she shrugged into a nonchalant front; laughing and eating as both Sheena and Wydra discovered the wonders of Ichiraku ramen. A thought popped into her head as Shozaku, or one of the Wheel-Nin, had mentioned to her that Sheena shouldn't be in the presence of men. It was a miracle that the girl, now busy nibble-playing with the long strands of ramen noodles, had tolerated Teuchi-cook.
XXX
"Ah, that sounds like it could be very useful when you're trying to find something. If I could do something like that it wouldn't have taken me six months to find the rest of my family like it has. So are you the only person that hangs out where we're going or…?" He let the 'or' drag off as though she should finish it.
The only odd thing about him – the only clue that he either wasn't what he appeared or what he appeared – was that he always held his hands in front of him, in the same pose; as though halfway through the hand signs for a jutsu. The only time he stopped this was when he used his hands; but they'd always move back to that pose. He was also curious to see how Meiko might react if he walked a little closer to her. Not quite close enough to burst her personal bubble but closer than is normal. He'd only done this because he'd observed how she reacted to him so far, and was curious.
XXX
Inoichi was leaned against the wall, his legs locked into place with his hands behind his head as though taking a restful pose. He had indeed looked at Yukari a couple of times so the impression she had gotten would have been correct, except for everything that was going on within his head. Currently, his mind was a scary place as Yukari might soon find out. He would make sure his hands weren't visible by ninja means. Then, if nothing happened to make him pause or interrupt him, he'd do the hand signs for the family-famous technique and send his mind careening into Yukari's own.
The way that Inoichi pulled off his mind-takeover technique was smooth enough that Yukari gave no physical outward appearance that her mind had just been supplanted by another. The one in control, Ino's father, was years more talented than his daughter. So the Inoichi-controlled Yukari-mind, in the process of thinking it weird that Gilligan wasn't around, was pushed aside and subdued. Inoichi now had full access to her memories and bodily functions. The Shinobi was clever enough to leave his body in a position that betrayed nothing - given the fact that nobody was currently home in that blonde-pony tailed head of his.
Yukari would continue to act as normal for a span of thirty seconds, as that was all Inoichi needed. He had only waited this long to observe enough of her behavior so the ones around her wouldn't notice after such a short span of time. He quickly went over the events of last night; everything Yukari had seen and heard, and then left Yukari in full control. Returning to his own body, the mind-walker would leave the ramen shop and walk at a normal pace back towards his home.
Moments after he'd left, his shadow would become normal once more and he would look around as though suddenly aware of his own surroundings. Inoichi produced a hard look in his eyes, sighed; and spoke every so softly to himself.
"So it is done. May I never have dealings with such evil again."
Though he spoke in such soft volumes that you'd have to have your ear pressed to his mouth - or be have the Inuzuka clan hearing - to hear him. He made his way back home now at a much angrier walking pace.
XXX
Meiko gave a contented laugh as noticed Jack move slightly bit closer to her. Other than this initial entrance - which had startled her into flinching - she found Jack to be more and more her style; dark and gothic.
"Well, I often hang around with a few of the male genin in town, and that's where they normally gather to meet each other. But I highly doubt they'd be there now; I'm only an academ student, so what would I know." she smiled once more as the group of dogwood trees came into view. The group of trees would make a great rest spot of shade or hiding place.
"I've found that any kind of student knows a lot more than they let on. I'm pretty sure you do, don't you Meiko?" He smiled at her, winking just quickly enough to leave her wondering if he really had or not.
Just as they reached the dogwood trees Jack himself had asked her to lead them to – though he'd done most of the leading – the same figure that had followed Inoichi out of the house earlier stepped out from around a tree. Jack paused in his footsteps.
"Ah; if you'll excuse me just a moment." The figure stepped up. Since they were the same height, all it did was turn so that he was talking directly into Jack's ear. After a few seconds of this, Jack sighed.
"I thought it might have been something like that. I'll meet the two of you again shortly." After this, the figure stepped around Jack and suddenly disappeared from Meiko's view. Jack turned to her.
"I'm sorry but I've just gotten some important news, do you mind if we do this again sometime? I've got somewhere else I really need to be."
Meiko watched in annoyance as Jack left; leaving her alone by the dogwood tree. She thought she had a new friend, but now; wasn't so sure. Jack himself hadn't vanished, but rather walked quickly off in another direction. He paused momentarily to toss a black coin over his shoulder, back at Meiko.
"Hold on to that if you want to get in touch with me again, I can find that coin pretty easily." He said with his head turned towards her before continuing. He could have simply vanished but that would have revealed more at this time than he really wanted to, and normal walking always helped him think better. Meiko might now get the feeling she was being watched.
Meiko couldn't help but grin like the Cheshire cat as Jack threw her a way to contact him. "Thanks, I'll be sure to use it wisely!"
The coin was a simple tracking device; Jack's chakra was put into it so he could find it. If somebody tried to remove the coin's chakra; it would send Jack an alert; but other than that, the coin was an easy tracker.
Jack must have really made an impression on Meiko for her to talk so maturely. She tucked the coin into her waist pouch before leaning back against the blooming dogwood tree; a smile of bliss gracing her lips.
