First Shift [ Open ]

[Eichi]

The clouds that were in the sky were beautiful. The gloomy atmosphere gave the restaurant a great impression during the evening time. Nightfall was only a few hours away.

Eichi stepped behind the cash register. The hiring process wasn’t what caused him trouble, it was the position that he applied for that had the shop owner chuckling. He was still a kid, so the owner saw that the kid had potential, but to throw him under the responsibility of taking care of the customer’s meals? It was hysterical. Eichi was still given what was considered a hard job. Working the cash register, a job where you had to prove that you could be trusted. Handling yen of course was something Eichi hadn’t done before. But it was his first job, so he was still unenthusiastic about the job, yet happy if that made any sense.

”Just a basic order of ramen? Sir are you sure? We have a few house specialties that we can serve up?” With the offer declined, Eichi gave the customer his total.

The business in the shop was great, and it wasn’t considered one of the busy days. The customers could see the small smile the boy was trying to give, and thought it was cute. It only helped business. He was referred to as the new kid. They even spoke of his future and the years to come, saying he would make a great cook because he started so early. Eichi figured when he learned to make a few dishes he could cook for the clan back at home.

 

[Shinrya Kosuke]

Before he had left, this ramen shop was one of the few places Kosuke behaved himself. It was for a fairly logical reason, too: they made good food, and good food made him happy. In fact, it was one of the few things that was able to get and keep him a good mood, and, had anyone in his life payed enough attention to his behavior when he sat in this particular ramen shop, they would have been able to accurately guessed what a well-behaved Kosuke looked like: quiet, calm, and surprisingly cordial.

He had not been, and likely never would be, the type to make friends of the people who worked at the shops he frequented. They might remember him enough to know his order, but when it came to food and conversation, the two seldom mixed. Kosuke would enter, sit, order the same, "Tonkatsu ramen, extra thick broth, extra spicy, extra green onion and bean sprouts, hold the egg," and eat quietly, often alone. Once he finished, he would leave the yen on the table, always an even amount, always with a moderate tip, and simply leave.

This time, however, something was different. It could have been the fact that it was his first time stepping into the establishment in quite some time, and so everything looked smaller, or it might have been the fact that he was wary about asking for extra spicy (Yuriko did not like spicy, and so his diet for the past three years had been very spice-less), or... "He looks familiar, but not from here."

There was a new boy manning the cash register. Kosuke was good with faces, he had become accustomed to all of the normal workers at this time of evening, and this face was not among those he remembered. The more interesting part was the fact that it was not a completely new face, either - he had seen him somewhere, recently, in passing, but they had never interacted. And because they never interacted, Kosuke had paid him very little mind. This face was at home somewhere else, somewhere darker than here, somewhere more... "Hmm."

Regardless, now their interaction would be, more or less, enforced - both in simple reality (Kosuke wanted ramen, and the only way to get ramen was by speaking to this other boy) and in decorum (the customer-employee relationship was fairly commonplace). Kosuke walked up to the register, his white cloak no longer billowing in the wind to reveal his baggy red canvas bottoms, and looked at the boy, himself unable to soften the natural intensity of his dark eyes. "I've seen you before, but not behind this register. What's your name?"

[ WC: 444 | MFT ]

 

[Eichi]

”Hmm?” It wasn’t that he was slacking on the job, on the contrary, the boy had been alert and wide eyed while dealing with customers. Even aware of those that sat down to enjoy their meal. Just because he wasn’t in formal shinobi uniform, didn’t mean that he wouldn’t continue to carry out his job.

But rather, he was caught off guard by a certain aura that he felt. It was his first time feeling such a mood. He shrugged it off, unaware that the clan’s blood that was within him was beginning to awaken. ’His appearance is rather familiar, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.’ Taking a moment to speak up, he studied the guy’s appearance. ”Mmm, maybe from one of those recent festivals? Or perhaps while out helping on the Yamanaka farms?” Eichi put forth a few ideal places that he last visited while out and about. He didn’t remember seeing him in an Academy class, but he kept his mouth shut about the ANBU HQ. He almost knew this is where he’d seen this guy before. With ANBU keeping their identities a secret, the boy wouldn’t speak about such a topic while out in the busy streets.

”The name’s Eichi. I’m of the Saito Clan here in the village. You’ve probably seen me around that area I suppose.” He knew that giving his Clan name would probably ring a few bells. The Saito Clan was known throughout the village, so he probably would assume that he was a shinobi of the village. He could also assume that he was of the Hyūga bloodline.

Keeping things smooth, Eichi asked for his order. ”We’re having a special on the ramen today, depending on how you want it served. The gates of this shop are open, but not a lot are allowed to enter through.” He wondered if the other could catch the code phrase he threw in there. He forgot to ask for his name, but it’d come to him when he realized he was speaking to someone and couldn’t remember the name given.

[ MFT | WC: +300 ]

 

[Shinrya Kosuke]

"You should reach the limits of virtue before you cross the border of... ramen." So, that is where Kosuke had seen this familiar face before. He would not say much else beyond that, but now he knew he was dealing with another who called the halls of Sileo Tempestas home. Eichi looked young, so the fire-eyed boy did not think they differed very much in rank. Kosuke was not aware that they could hold jobs outside of their training, but, that was a curious conversation for another time.

"Aye, I've seen you around areas. I'm glad to meet a peer. I am Shinrya Kosuke," he responded with smooth ease, his own Clan name likely ringing the same level of bells. In fact, it probably rang more than the usual, for the Saito Clan rang more than a few in Kosuke's head. They were two boys from not only prestigious founding clans, but clans that boasted rivaling Doujutsu. Unlike Eichi, however, Kosuke had since awakened his own and trained it past its initial stages. With Eichi's name and face etched into memory, Kosuke would more likely keep somewhat of a tab on this young fellow - after all, though Kosuke may have gained control over his anger, he was still a fiercely competitive lad. The Hyūga were known not only for their all-seeing eye, but their fabled Taijutsu.

"I would like a tonkatsu ramen, extra thick broth, extra spicy, extra green onions, extra bean sprouts, hold the egg. How long have you worked here for, do you plan on staying rather than attending other duties?" Apparently 'another time' meant 'now', in a conversation-within-a-conversation that only they had the context for. Kosuke had not yet met many other ANBU in Training, and so he seemed to want to stay near-ish this other boy... At least, for now.

[WC: 305]

 

[Eichi]

Eichi listened to the code response, now knowing that this was one of the ones he served with as ANBU. ’Shinrya.’ Thinking of where he heard the name before, the cash register attendant kept in mind the boy’s first name. ’I believe our Kage is in that clan.’ The Clan’s history stretched as far back as the village itself, so there was a title of respect held with that name.

”It’s actually my first day, but I plan to be around for a while. As far as other duties, they come before the shop, but I’m learning to cook to help out the Clan back at home. Who knows, I may end up with my own shop one day.”

He broke the conversation to shout out the order. ”I need one of those spice straws! Extra everything, but hold the egg!” Configuring the cash register, the boy gave Kosuke a the price, with the normal shinobi discount. He could already hear the cook in the back preparing the order. After accepting the yen and giving the correct change, if any, the boy would continue on. ”Speaking of duties, I’m awaiting to fulfill a request from the office at any time. If you could aid in any way, we could check in at an office at any time. I’ve had an assignment in the past, it was fairly easy. This would be my second assignment perhaps, but I’m sure I’m ready for whatever awaits.” Eichi knew the assignment he was on was easy because he was alone and still of low rank, but with friends, maybe he could accomplish more.

”I’m guessing you’ve already been out a few times?” Telling from the chakra signature that he could sense earlier, the guy probably had been out on a few missions. He wanted to hear of a few of the higher ranked tasks, but it probably wasn’t the place to discuss such a topic as of currently.

 

[Shinrya Kosuke]

And with that, Kosuke realized how woefully unprepared he would be for a life beyond shinobihood. His entire life had been devoted to training him to get to where he is now, so that he might continue honing his skills among the most elite combatants in Kumogakure. But there was nothing more than that, nothing more keeping him going - he wondered how much of a problem that was as he handed the exact amount of yen to Eichi, leaving a moderate tip in the jar next to the register.

"Do you enjoy cooking, and working here?" It was a genuine question. Kosuke was not much of a social boy, and so the idea of waiting on customers and serving them was not his personal idea of an enjoyable occupation, but then again... He had never tried it, so how could he say for sure?

He listened to Eichi speak and ask about an upcoming assignment, as well as mentioning one previous that he had been on. Kosuke tilted his head, curious. If it had been easy for one person to complete, then... His eyes, for but a few short seconds, flashed as fiery tomoe spun into existence, his eyes seeming to posses two separate sets of curve-spoke wheels spinning slowly in opposite directions. His eyes looked Eichi over, seeming to gaze right through the register-and-bar obstacles that separated them, gaining technical Insight on his fellow ANBU.

Just as quickly as it had appeared, the flaming wheels of his Mangekyou Sharingan disappeared. While he was sure that Eichi was lethal in his own right, or very much had the potential to be, Kosuke had been able to see the difference in their chakra. "It depends on the assignment, you'll have to tell me more later. I'm looking to move to... more difficult ones as quickly as I can. Perhaps you can assist me in my next one," he offered, before shrugging at Eichi's final question.

"Only one, I'm barely returning to Kumogakure proper after about three years of individual training. I have catching up to do, I should have more experience..." He sat at the nearest seat, waiting patiently for his ramen. He certainly was behind, and even during those three years, the only practical progress he had made was awakening his Sharingan. It was good progress, but he should have been able to do it in half as much time.

 

[Eichi]

”Well, I guess so. It’s still my first day, but I know the activities done here are some of my favorites. I like the fact that I’m not working for myself, but rather, I’m working for others. In a sense, I guess you could say that it’s something that I love, but I like getting to the field work a bit more.” Comparing it to the shinobi work was a no brainer. Restaurant was nice, and took his mind off of the tougher ordeals, but shinobi work always held priority.

As he looked into Kosuke’s eyes, he saw something that was all to familiar. The Sharingan do jutsu activated. The swirls were different from the ones he was used to seeing, and as he stared back, he almost felt hypnotized. Again he felt a chakra that he never felt before being emitted from the boy. He began to feel the veins around his eyes swell up, but quickly disperse. It was quite the weird feeling. It was as if, for a split second, he could literally see this guys chakra moving within his body. He didn’t notice his field of vision grow, but instead, he already knew the server was coming from the back of the restaurant.

Was this guy bringing the ninja out of him? Was that possible? He figured the skills of the better would awaken what was within him, but he didn’t expect it to happen so soon. He still had a few years before his own bloodline abilities would awaken, so he were taking things slow. Though he knew at some point he would have to search the extent of his abilities, otherwise he’d be thrown out of the Clan. He didn’t see the rules as harsh, as he knew he would exceed expectations, but his mind did drift to the thought from time to time.

His thoughts were correct as Kosuke mentioned he’d be going on to the more difficult tasks. The higher ranked assignments that were given to the shinobi. ’Outside of Kumo.’ He had never been outside of the village before. As an ANBU, he were to expect to leave the village on track and capture missions. As Kosuke took his seat, Eichi watched as the server now came from the back, placing the boy’s meal before him. The utensils and an ask of if he wanted a drink came into play before the server made his way to the back once more.

”What’s out there?” Eichi asked. He didn’t want to keep Kosuke talking as he were enjoying his meal, but he’d find out sooner or later what was going on.

 

[Shinrya Kosuke]

Kosuke was able to understand Eichi's 'deal' fairly quickly from this short interaction alone. 'Help out the Clan back home', enjoying working for others for the sake of... Eichi was a good guy, even if he did perhaps look a bit intimidating. The Shinrya boy would notice the telltale veins and surge of chakra to his eyes, and he could not help but give a small grin - hearing about the Hyūga's battle prowess was one thing, but battling it would be another. He would say nothing about it now, but a fellow ANBU of great ability would make an excellent sparring partner. He hoped Eichi would survive their long of work long enough to see his Doujutsu to its fullest power.

"I don't think many people like helping out, so... Good on you. I hope all of it goes well," he said, sincerely. The existence of the ANBU, of the Black Books they keep, said enough as to what sorts of people lie lurking outside of Kumogakure's walls. They would need all of the good guys they can get, and it seemed Eichi was born and raised to be one.

Kosuke shrugged in response as he took his seat and pulled his own pair of chopsticks from the small cross-bag across his chest. "More land, other provinces filled with non-shinobi. I wasn't out traveling, if that's what you're thinking. My branch owns the Raimei no Seika province, it isn't too far from here... I was there, in a small part of it. Mountains and forests, just like here. I didn't see much, I was only training... I had to put my duties on hold because I was, uhh.... Hard-headed," he snickered as if it were a joke he shared with someone, someone who wasn't currently present. He began to eat, though it didn't seem to stop him from speaking - he might've been trained out of his hard-headedness, but it seemed he had not gained much in the way of manners.

"Do you know much Taijutsu? I like Taijutsu, maybe not as much as fire Jutsu, but I... Cross-specialize? Is that a thing?"

[WC: 353 | MFT]

 

[Eichi]

’Places where shinobi don’t even exist. I wonder how their society runs? No one doing missions, no shinobi force guarding the gates. Not even a Kage. Who would run society?’ The thought was nurturing to Eichi’s mind, he wanted to know what was out there. Requesting a passport was the uniform idea when looking for such an opportunity. Maybe when he was in a formed team he could be included in such endeavors. Listening to Kosuke, it sounded as though it was a place to take in.

”I know a few basic Taijutsu techniques. I’m looking for the right training session to learn a few new ones. Having a training partner would always be the best approach to such methods.” Finishing his sentence he watched as yet another customer approached. It only took a moment to serve this order up. It was from a customer that ordered and decided to come back and pick up the dish. Watching as the guy left, the noodle worker gave Kosuke a question.

”Hey are you on an assigned team by chance?” He was still new to the force, but each answer proved beneficial. Did they expect the kids to come in unison on forming a bond? He wondered if there were any loners out there.