Private A Night Out

[Uchiha Masami]

“I can’t…”

Tears trailed from her eyes in dense rivulets, streaking beyond her pale cheeks until they made their unceremonious plummet from her chin. Despite Masami’s apparent downtrodden disposition, the chatter and banter of customers and stall owners alike reverberated through the cool, evening air. Not bustling and rambunctious enough to suggest a named festival was in place, but lively enough to not be unfitting for the routine atmosphere Oak District tended to boast each day. All seemed to be in order, begging the question what mental anguish eviscerated her mind and will.

Leaning over the counter, shaky fingers bound a pair of elongated, twin instruments. Her fair visage obscured by a veil of extensive, black hair, the Uchiha clanswoman sported the red-and-white symbol emblazoned on the back of her eccentric, dress-like vestment; as matte as her eyes and lengthy mane. Another tear crossed her cheek, a saline trail left in its wake, the residual drop landing into the seething broth before her.

“It’s too hot…” The tears were collateral damage from her agitated sinuses, for Masami ingested ramen exhibiting such a magnitude of spice she mistook the scorching concoction to have been stewed in a demon’s belly. Careful not to touch her eyes, she employed the back of her hand to rub away the residual sweat, before swiveling the noodles and broth with her assigned pair of chopsticks. Despite the heat, despite the way its arid bite left her mouth with the impression of being scolded with boiling water, its taste was unrivalled; this was Ichiraku, after all.

This addiction—this destructive addiction to all foods spicy—she reckoned it would be her downfall, one day.

But in her mind, that day wasn’t that particular today. Mettle reimbursed, nerves steeled, tears and sweat flung away onto the counter before her, the young lady plucked another amalgamation of toppings, noodles, and broth from their sunset orange confines, and deposited the yield into her mouth; to suffer the heat, but enjoy the taste, once more.

(WC: 334)
(MFT)

 

[Uchiha Kei]

Judging from the other patrons speckling the humble establishment and the bowls set out before them, there were only two that had ordered something that violently betrayed a traditional ramen dish. There was Uchiha Masami, bravely tackling a bowl of molten lava and - well, nothing was set before the tanned, black-haired Uchiha adjacent to her; Kei. Not yet.

His eyes drew in the scene, fortifying the reason as to why he did not order similar dishes. Being destroyed by one’s own food would embarrass him to death; literally, he thought. A clank before him drew his attention in a panic from her and to his own order.

“Oh - thank you,” he replied, feeling as if it was deliberately set down loudly to correct his poor manners of staring. His bowl barely appeared to have anything but a heap of pork in it. There was broth - there was LIKELY broth and here and there, there was hints of noodle. Mostly, however, it was a gleaming heap of meat. The sight of it brought inarguable delight to his face.

“You may not gain weight now, but it’ll catch up to ya…” The comment was tossed towards him in jest as the one who had served it to him turned away to tend to other orders.

“Hey. You’re brave to take on such a dish,” Kei spoke, a makeshift apology for having been staring at her earlier. “Oh - I’m Uchiha Kei, by the way.” He took the opportunity following his introduction to take in some of the meat pile topping his ramen bowl.

<WC: 260>
<MFT>
​

 

[Uchiha Masami]

Who customized a handkerchief? Uchiha Masami did. One deft, sleek motion produced a white, absorbent piece of cloth from her pocket. She employed as a medium to collect and discard the sweat matting her bangs against her flushed forehead. Like the back of her unorthodox vestment, it was emblazoned with the crest of the Uchiha Clan. The woman was prudent in her endeavour to not jeopardize the integrity of her prized eyes; she abstained from peppering them with the touch of fingers potentially contaminated by molten death.

Sensing another anomaly through the tremors its weight rippled through the wooden counter, her distraught expression craned towards the source. Surprise hung her brows high as she witnessed the production of a dish consisting predominantly of meat; which seemed infinitely preferrable to the method of medieval torture she decided to subject herself to that day. The bastardization of a laugh, hiccup, and potentially the budding of a sob emanated from her as she shifted her gaze towards the one who made the order.

“Thanks – I feel like there’s a fine line between courage and stupidity, though…” Masami replied, her words minced by the continued production of periodic laboured breaths. Not only did she have a lot left to finish, the proportions seeming deliberately exaggerated, but she needed to contend with the desire to chug milk. She concluded that she would simply look like a wimp if she downed an entire carton filled with some manner of counteragent this earlier into her self-imposed challenge to herself.

“You’re an Uchiha, too? I’m Uchiha Masami. Somewhat of a fossil of a genin around here.” Indeed, if she didn’t separate herself from the ranking soon, she reckoned she would get into the habit of calling herself an overgrown genin. Which was the vibe she got from others in terms of opinions. “Have you decided to join the forces?”

(WC: 311)
(MFT)

 

[Uchiha Kei]

If one were to assume this was how Kei ate most of the time, and it was, they would be surprised to witness a physique as slender as his. He was getting his protein, bruh, but where were all those prepubescent muscles? If there were none, then surely fat would take its place; but no. Perhaps the calories were burned away enduring nigh nightly terrors. Who knew.

“There definitely is,” Kei agreed. “It’s so hard to separate the two. I think most draw the line when one’s life is on the line. As soon as somebody risks their life, it becomes stupidity; but then, a lot of those people that think along those lines lack the ability to assign proper value to things.” He spoke a little too long and made up for it by solving a large portion of the meal into his mouth. The time it would take to chew and swallow it all should make up for his brief period of rambling.

“Oh, wow,” he said with genuine surprise. He was uncertain as to whether or not he was supposed to know her. “It feels like I should’ve known that.” Kei decided to state as such, following up with a shrug in the form of a closed-eye smile that seemed to say, ‘eh, what can y’ do?’

“I have decided, yeah. This here’s preparation.” Kei allowed his gaze to fall toward the bowl before him momentarily. “But I’m just an academy student. I’m just starting to get a feel for things that aren’t entirely kinetic.”

<WC: 258>
<MFT>

 

[Uchiha Masami]

“Now isn’t that the truth,” Masami replied in response to the unexpected insight, a sparse laugh disseminated thereafter. The way she paused momentarily was indicative of her thoughts forming into an amalgamation over the notion, but she cleared her clouded mind via distracting herself with her torturous objective. The Uchiha clanswoman sank her chopsticks back into the igneous muck, stirred it around, and grasped a chunk of gangly punishment between the wooden pliers. Another large bite as she stuffed the noodles into her mouth, and swallowed them down with a sweaty grimace.

“No, not really—maybe if I was a higher rank, but I’ve been stagnating at this rank for years now. I should’ve been more diligent, but it feels like I stopped paying attention for a while. Too much interpersonal matters at the time.” A sigh escaped the woman as she pondered. The gravity of her situation somehow eclipsed the stinging pain she felt from the spices’ acute, constant probing inside her mouth. Then again, she wasn’t sure if she desired being a figure remembered in history, or if she wanted to simply blend into the background; or if she would even have a choice regarding either outcome.

“Ah, yes—when I first enrolled, it was difficult to even imagine. But once you grasp it, it can be a rather rapid upward climb from there, especially with our clan’s natural affinity with precise arts—such as the illusory, for example,” Masami started, once more stirring the contents of her unpleasant, but tasteful meal. Stealing a glance at Kei, her reddened lips curled into a wry smile. “Have you looked into visualization training? It can help with the process of moulding and using naturally unseen forces such as chakra as a medium.” At the very least, it certainly helped with her initial development, although it was knowledge passed down unto her.

[314 WC]
[MFT]

 

[Uchiha Kei]

“Oh…” he replied as if he came to a mild revelation. “I guess it would be perfectly fine to remain at that ranking, too; after all, we all can’t be squad leaders, right?” It was a question more rhetorical than not. Perhaps he was misunderstanding shinobi rankings. In his mind, he clearly understood that the higher they climbed, the stronger the role of a leader they were intended to play. “Maybe that’s what I’ll do. I’m still not sure if I’m better at giving orders or taking them.”

The mention of visualization training created a pause in the student’s eating. “I think that may be good for me,” he began, fevered with a muffling subtly. “I recently found out that people can picture things in their mind to varying degrees. I never thought anything of it. Some people can’t picture anything at all. I just thought that when anyone visualize something, they could see it clearly in their mind; but that isn’t the case? I know I can. If I really visualize, I can faintly see what I visualize even with my eyes open.

“I haven’t really started on chakra yet. I’ll try that when we do, though - or maybe I can start early.” He used this opportunity to mull over something internally as he continued to shovel his custom-order meat featuring ramen into his mouth. “I hope I’m one of those people who has a whole bunch of it.” He mentioned such a thing in passing without worry of its accuracy.

<WC: 252>
<MFT>

 

[Uchiha Masami]

“It’s what I reckoned, too. To my understanding, the criteria for further ascension tends to be exhibiting great judgment or and or leadership qualities. Eventually, you may also opt for a different division entirely; medical, ANBU, and main make up the triad. Growing up, I had a bit of exposure to each and was able to gauge which one really called to me,” Masami began, a tinge of nostalgia prevalent in her voice. She ate slower than before, but she supposed she needn’t worry about the noodles ever seeming cold. Even if encased in ice, Masami was positive the spices would reduce it to slush.

“So, if you can, I’d recommend that—if you get a chance, maybe take some initial classes specific to the branch you take interest in. I’m aspiring to join medical one day, personally. A lot of my upbringing, and words from a teacher of mine resonated with me.” Although it was correct, she didn’t want to insinuate wanting to be just like her, because she felt it would make her come off as significantly younger than her actual age. Instead, she left it at that, digesting Kei’s words with greater ease than she did her fire broth.

“It was weird to find out that not everyone can clearly visualize, but with our clan being so into the illusory arts, it makes sense that maybe we’d have a better grasp on it. Especially the ones with more of an affinity for visual when it comes to the sensory types. I actually live in an art store, so—if you ever need kinetic mediums to practice with the visualization aspect, I think that could probably be helpful, too…” It sounded like a good idea in her head, at least. “I think the visualization will trickle into chakra moulding, too, as having a clear image in your head, and reinforcing it, really helps with dealing with normally invisible forces like that.”

 

[Uchiha Kei]

Kei had barely considered the varying branches outside of, perhaps, one. He listened as he tended to the bowl before him, eyes wide genuine attention touched by a childly wonder. There was somebody that certainly possessed a hefty amount of experience in regards to his chosen career path. Kei was definitely willing to drink in the words she generously parted with. It was more help than he had gotten elsewhere, for sure.

“I didn’t really give any of that any thought. I don’t think I have an end goal in mind,” he replied with a hint of melancholy and an even smaller hint of knavery; the former, perhaps a result of his bowl already being empty. The tea on the other side of it, however, went untouched. “I kinda wish there was some rambunctious aspiring shinobi I knew about with a goal big enough to influence my decision. Maybe I could end up copying their goal. That would make things both easier and more exciting, I think.”

By then, the cup was cradled in his hands. He took a sip as his company elaborated on visualization. “An art store?” Kei echoed, plucking that alone, seemingly, from the rest of the response. “That’s neat. It’s something I even thought about doing; but I have training and studying to do. It really eats into my time, but looking at some could help and could be a part of studying - so that’s fine.” He closed off his response with his patented closed-eyes smile.

Since Kei entered into conversation with the genin, he ostensibly maintained this same disposition. Good, polite, safe - it acted as a wondrous veil; a concealing curtain for many saw nothing of note from an individual cloaked in such a mundane air. However, Masami did not seem to have such a veil at all. At times, with that understanding, Kei found himself looking upon her simply for that fact alone.

<WC: 306>
<MFT>

 

[Uchiha Masami]

“Heh,” Masami started, stout laughter perhaps a rare eccentricity to depart from her lips. “Personally, I’m a mess of different aspirations. When I was younger, I aspired to be a great painter, then that turned into the perception that life itself is art. That was subsequently supplicated further by the philosophy of a teacher of mine—led to me wanting to pursue the medical field, as a chaperone in the school of life. Odd amalgamations of unrelated goals can be rather useful for figuring it out, too.”

If he were to assimilate another’s aspiration, she acknowledged it need not be as pungently benign, either. Perhaps a particularly vicious main or ANBU branch member thieved his attention, and he may exhibit his blade towards the village’s enemies just as well. For the village to remain, their home required both swords and shields to prosper. Her own experience seemed messy, less defined, and she occasionally struggled to discern just who Uchiha Masami was at her core. She just hoped such a fate didn’t await the young student.

“Of course. You see, my idea here is that visualization is a fundamental aspect of art; from drawing, to painting, to sculpting. At least when dealing with tactile, visual mediums and not auditory. Picking up one of those as a pastime, especially in a spot with plenty of examples like that, can be fun—well, in my opinion—while also working on another essential shinobi skill.” Now that she thought of it, maybe that was the reason why she excelled at the refined manipulation of her techniques, as well as genjutsu.

Bringing the bowl to her lips, she started to drink the broth. It seemed fine at first, the contents and remaining toppings drained down her throat, and she even managed to place the bowl back down. A cough, then another, haggard and rough as she punched her sternum to try and strike the spice out of her system. “Wow, that’s good stuff…” Turning increasingly red and profusely sweaty, she grabbed her milk-based beverage adjacent and chugged it down her gullet.

 

[Uchiha Kei]

“Oh, the medical field," he parroted. To him, through assumption, it sounded like a tough route to take. In addition, instead of leaving a bleeding husk by the wayside, she would have to tend to them. It seemed like something that required a stronger stomach than simplifying dispatching enemies; tending to the bloody and disfigured aftermath.

“That’s really impressive. It feels like I would just end up as a regular ol’ ninja - assuming I graduate and all that, of course.” Kei said as he took another sip of the nearby green tea.

“Yeah, instead of drawing or something like that, I just find myself daydreaming a lot. I guess since I can imagine stuff so clearly, I didn’t have enough motivation to actually try practicing art.” He spoke as he watched her drink the rest of the ramen. To his understanding, it was a very spicy dish. So, with the understanding that what was left would likely be concentrated heat, he could not help but wince slightly as he watched, unable to turn his eyes away.

Kei wondered if it were a kind of training, the curiosity ending in him asking such. “Does that help with having to blow out those fire techniques?” The question lingered and Kei kept his sights upon the other Uchiha for a time. At a point not long after, there was a twinge of regret in response to having asked the question with such a genuine tone. It occurred to him that it was not one of his smartest questions; but perhaps she would take it as a joke.

<WC: 264>
<MFT>

 

[Uchiha Masami]

With how much she peddled artistry to others, one may believe the Uchiha specialized in techniques relevant to those passions; Ink Release, Puppet Jutsu, or anything else sporting a modicum of relevance. Surprisingly, her affinities lay in the domain of forces famously known for destroying art-based mediums. As much as she wanted to primarily hone holistic or prettier skills, she found her lineage’s natural talents difficult to detour from in this stage of her career. While her clan was known for its esteem in all facets of combat, she doubted any practice could usurp their reputation as illusionists and fire spitters.

Masami believed interpretations of destructive forces such as flame as unrivalled forms of art remained a slippery slope to lunacy.

But nothing emphasized sanity slippage greater than gorging herself on a broth that put her initial training with fiery techniques to shame. Even in the aftermath of her subsequent drink to ward away the feeling of a thousand searing needles in her mouth, she dispensed periodic coughs and drenched her handkerchief with perspiration from her forehead. The woman felt bad for her momentary lapse in focus for the conversation, and tried to recapture her bearings.

The laugh that followed his question teetered on brief manic territory as she wiped sweat out of her eyes.

“You know, eat enough of this and you’ll never lack clarity when it comes to the visualization required when manifesting flames,” she assured, her tone ambiguous enough to leave her uncertain of her seriousness. She wondered if spewing a couple fire techniques would make the sensation worse, or assuage it. “I’m no nutritionist yet, but eating this supposedly quickens the metabolism.”

A momentary pause, and she thought in retrospect to his comment earlier. “Main Branch is absolutely integral as well. Did you know it has its own subsidiaries? Off the top of my head, responsibilities range from teaching all the way to domestic security. It’s quite broad.”

 

[Uchiha Kei]

Kei chuckled with a tone plump with the youth he touted, tickled by the Uchiha’s response. He brought his tea cup to his lips once again as he allowed the final bit of laughter to die upon the cup’s steam-whisked rim. “It seems like we’d all be good spicy-food eaters,” he added, “so maybe I’ll try the same thing next time; not that I need a metabolism any faster than it already is.”

“Oh, does it?” Kei asked, having not been as vigilant as others may have been in researching the various roles and responsibilities of the shinobi’s various branches. He visibly entered into a period of thought soon after his absent-minded request for confirmation. “I feel like it’d be cool to be outside the village and not work inside it all the time, but I guess it can be pretty dangerous out there. Enjoying the sights too much might invite some kind of attack. The last thing I would want would be to be enjoying the wind, then darkness forever.”

“But, I’d have nothing to worry about if I pay close enough attention to things around me, right? And I think I’ll be fine doing just that. Even now, after finishing that big sumo-bowl of meaty ramen, I feel like I’ve become several times stronger than I was when I first walked in.” Kei turned his attention towards the nearby chef to offer his gratitude for the meal. “Thanks a bunch, it was great - better than great, even!” In a childly manner, he followed up with his exclamation with a hearty thumbs up.

<WC: 264>
<MFT>​

 

[Uchiha Masami]

“Oh? That takes a lot of courage.” While her eyes harbored intrigue, her lips curled into a sly smile. For undisclosed reasons, the more resolute in demeanor always fascinated her. As minor of a resolution or aspiration it seemed, it still was a promising aspect to her.

The darkness forever line nearly made her choke on the beverage she proceeded to finish in the aftermath of her diabolic meal. She spoke again after she secured a firm grasp on her bearings.

“When I first contemplated what I wanted to do, I looked into each facet as much as I feasibly could. Knowledge is power, they say, and I’m disinclined to disagree. As far as I was able to know without overstepping my humble boundaries, there are even journeymen who specialize in missions. I imagine there could be a focus on external objectives,” she theorized at the end, although she remained confident in the legitimacy of her claim.

“That’s quite the mood.” Placing a hand on her cheek, the words he spoke oddly resonated with her. It was an eccentric feeling after such a long period of self-imposed isolation and stagnation. “Of course. There is naught that can escape our gaze once locked within it. We may lack as expansive of a peripheral as some, but I know of several techniques that can help illuminate even those who slip beyond your visual notice. I would be willing to help where I can—although I am but a student of the game myself.”

That would undoubtedly change soon, however. Masami had no intention, since regaining her mettle, of staying in rankings predominantly occupied by children, as someone who was an adult.

 

[Uchiha Kei]

A lot of courage? Kei’s deciphering spun the words into a compliment. That was what his perception deemed it. If he did not just slay a bowl of swine decorated with noodles, he had the mind to order exactly the dish she had. “Oh! And for next time, what was the name of that dish, anyway?” Sure, Kei could have guessed from a detailed combing through the menu, but proceeding to ask anyway.

He listened to Masami’s approach to choosing a specialization. As for, Kei - well, he had his own preferred method. “I kinda like going by recommendation, y’ know?” he asked in response. “Like, someone tells you, ‘you’re good at this thing here,’ and then you effortlessly choose and excel at that. I wonder if they’ll do that with me,” he wondered momentarily.

Masami seemed to know quite a bit and impressively, conveyed such concisely. “Really?” He was pleased to hear she was willing to help him out when it came to, he assumed, their ocular abilities. “Could you show me something cool?” he asked with the spirit of a young boy, motivations sparkly misplaced for, at least, the time being. “I don’t think I have the eyes… not yet - or ever? I’m not sure, but maybe seeing something cool will help?” He looked around. “And maybe not in here.”

Kei imagined the cook here would appreciate anything like what Kei was asking for to happen outside at the very least; though, it was a humorous thought for kunai and the like to start flying all through the innards of the establishment and passed a slew of unexpecting patrons.

<WC: 270>
<MFT>​

 

[Uchiha Masami]

“I think it might be a limited time special. Kagu-tsuchi ramen, maybe? I’m not even kidding, I’m pretty sure it’s that,” Masami answered, perhaps requiring a momentary investment of concentration to recall after the spices nearly sheared her memory away of the infernal encounter. Honestly, if that wasn’t the name of it, she imagined the people cooking would immediately know what he was talking about from that implicative name alone.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it right now, though. Give it a bit of thought mayhap, but at the end of the day, you’re gonna have to graduate before you can go for any transferrals. And even then, we still need people staying in Main, too.” At the end of the day, he had options, and options for how he wanted to approach it as well, but in her eyes, he seemed like a proper fit for remaining in the one he’ll initially be put into upon graduation.

“Well,” Masami began, eyes temporarily veiled under their respective fleshy curtains. As she did, she chuckled at the thought of the establishment immediately going awry. If she was more brazen and insistent on losing her preferred occupation, a funny prank would have been assisting the cooks by alternating their heat source with something far more intense. Or, well, was that funny or just kind of dark? “We have to change spots for that, yeah, but for now, here’s this.”

Opening her eyes, she revealed the twin crimson pools and the defining black tomoe that encircled her pupil. An iconic triad denoting the maturity of her awakened eyes, her attention gravitated towards Kei once more, and her lips curled to reveal a small grin. “I can tell you more about them somewhere else, but honestly? Eat too much of that molten ramen and that’ll probably make the eyes wake up.”

 

[Uchiha Kei]

Then tomorrow. Kei marked tomorrow as the day he would return for the challenge. Waiting was not an option. He had to try the limited item mostly because he had less and less chance as time passed. “I’ll have to try it tomorrow, then!” he declared as he slammed the butt of a balled fist into the waiting, upturned palm of its counterpart.

“That’s probably where I’ll end up,” he said with a subtle sheepishness. It found punctuation with a mild shrug and dismissive smile. Kei did not feel strongly about which direction he leaned, just in the potency of his progression. It was not quite mundanity to perform the feats ninja are able to. Not everybody is one and even among them, the ability to execute such feats vary from individual to individual; so with Kei, being able to create a doppelganger to his side and being promised that such was only the beginning - it was hard to not be excited to continue to learn.

He leaned closer from his seat. “Oh, there it is!” he said in an excited whisper. “You think so?” The question was in response to the mention of the Kagu-tsuchi ramen allowing him to claim the legendary red eyes for himself. She jested, but the dish looked very taxing. It looked more like training than it did eating, so maybe…

“Do you have time? I’m about to leave here myself. I’m finished, already,” he said as he rose from his chair. Fishing around in his pocket as he reached the counter, he placed what was owed and turned back to the other Uchiha.

<WC: 269>
<MFT>​

 

[Uchiha Masami]

The question had her second guessing, really. Though she meant it in jest, it was hard to disregard the hellish dish as a legitimate means of mental conditioning. Each bite felt more like inhaling shards of glass than slurping delicious noodles, but it was still hard for her to take seriously. Probably because it pertained to matters as mundane as food, but in the right context she wagered it could have a darker narrative.

“You know? Like, combine it with the right circumstance and force feeding and probably. Man, that’s a bit dark though…” Well, what were they if not dark by nature? Sort of reminded her of sentient weapons of the occupation; or maybe that territory was reserved for the darkest of the three branches. The thought of one of her previous teachers force feeding seething hot ramen as a means of awakening latent powers made her snort at her own antics.

Always was a fun thought that every milestone she reached literally needed to be fuelled by pain and anguish to proceed. She remembered when certain stages of the Sharingan were explained to her when she was younger, by their newfound Hokage at that—power was great, power was worthy of a Chef’s kiss. Mwah. Sucked when you had to shave off a layer of sanity every time you got a new feat, though.

“Yeah. I don’t think I have much to do right now,” she said, although she suspected that may change in the future. Masami had yet to transfer at that point of time, therefore her responsibilities differed. Pushing herself up from her seat, she placed money on the counter—enough to cover both of their meals. The Uchiha clanswoman then motioned to begin leaving their station as she stepped away. “This one’s on me. Let’s head out somewhere else.”

[WC: 304]
[MFT]
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