Location, location, location [Calling Shiori and Hiroshi]

[Megumareta]

Megu picked the glasses up off of the washboard, drying them with an off white cloth he held in his hand. He alternated between humming and whistling, allowing the hussle and bussle of the kitchen to pass him by. As he held up one of the glasses to the light he nodiced a slight smudge on the side of the glass. With a sigh he placed it back in the sink and was dismayed to find that the water had cooled since he'd used it earlier that day. Reaching inside he brought his charka into full flow, before using handseals to create a small flame, warming the water until it started to steam slightly. With a small smile he washed the cup and left it on the side to dry. Whilst he was tempted to use his jutsu to dry them he was happy enough to daydream whilst drying.

Once he finished replacing the glasses he stirred the tea that was steeping in a large iron kettle on the back shelf, turning off the hot plate it was sat upon. As much as he liked strong tea the flavour could sometimes be a little too bitter if it was left too long. He took out three small cups from a cupboard, placing them gently on one side of a table next to a pile of freshly made flatbread.

I wonder why he summoned us, it isn't like Suo to call meetings like this.

He sat at the table and held the empty cup in his hands as he waited for Hiroshi and Shiori to arrive. Whilst a team meeting was a little weird, it was even weirder still that he'd asked Megu to invite a friend as well. Whilst he waited he looked around the restaurant and was surprised to see that there was only a handful of people there. It had just turned 1PM and usually they were inundated with dinner orders, but not today. Infact, when Megu thought back it had been months since Suo's had even been half full. He sighed as the true meaning behind the meeting started to become clear.

 

[Hiyasu Shiori]

Shiori gritted his teeth, arm thrusting back and force, it was warm and wet up to his elbow.

God damn the sticky sweet and sour pork!

Whenever it was made, even his vapour jutsu couldn’t clean it away. And he would smell of it for days after as well. Even after a few ‘steam cleans’, as his parents termed it. He had been tasked with cleaning the family’s clothing after he had awakened his abilities with vapour jutsu. It had been a further strain to place upon Shiori’s home life, once harmonious, if simple. As Shiori had begun working on his abilities, growing in strength, his father’s slurred words had turned into slurred jibes. He spent more and more time at Suo’s.

And Suo had started to let the small boy cook, bit by bit. His talent for baking bread and blending spices had even been commented on by the other chefs as the small boy came up with creations that only a mind unfettered by the rigours of the adult world could create. He had introduced a spiced marinade that acted as a preservative if the meat was soaked in it whilst sealed. It seemed his time with Juro the spice trader had changed him.

He wiped his brow, smiling. The pot was clean.

Perfect!

Time for the staff meeting. It was an odd one. Suo had called only on Shiori and Megu. The pair had been used by Suo for work other than simple restaurant tasks. Maybe another such task? He hoped so, he would like to work with his friend, rather than in the same building.

He came from the ‘back of house’, taking off his apron and rolling it up as he sat down in the booth. He had grabbed a cup of water from the side as he moved through the almost empty restaurant. He could smell Megu’s tea. He liked the smell, but was still finding it hard to like the tea. He would often sip the tea, then the water. The flatbread was a welcome sight, though. He nodded at his friend as he sat down.

“Odd call, huh?”

 

[Naru Hiroshi]

Hiroshi had received the note from Megu and had felt a little bit confused at its contents. While his two friends worked regularly at Suo’s, Hiroshi had never been formally employed by the man, although he did spend a lot of time at the restaurant and had helped out once or twice when needed. Even so, he supposed that Suo must have known that calling a meeting with Megu and Shiori would have led to Hiroshi being the friend that his friend would bring, given the bond between the trio.

Ever since our first days at the academy, we’ve been relatively inseparable. Even if I don’t work here, I’m at the restaurant enough to qualify as part of the furniture.

The musings quietened as Hiroshi approached Suo’s restaurant and walked through the door. However, unlike the normal hustle and bustle that the young ninja would have expected, the establishment was almost empty. The Sunaku easily spotted his friends and walked over towards them, smiling at the pair as he approached and slipped into an empty chair before reaching out for one of the cups of tea. Taking a quick sip and wincing slightly at the temperature of the liquid, Hiroshi placed the cup down before speaking, his voice quiet so as not to carry but loud enough to be heard by his friends.

”Never thought I’d be called along to anything like this, what’s going on guys?”

 

[Megumareta]

Megu looked up as Shiori came onto the floor from the back. He extended a smile in his direction and watched as he approached, took off his apron and placed it away.

He's really fitting in here, I'm glad we can work together.

As he moved along slightly to give Shiori room to sit the boy spoke.

"Yeah it is weird. No one else seems to have been called either. Oh he asked me to invite Hiroshi as well, he's been doing some odd jobs for him after the Academy."

He wasn't exactly sure of what Hiroshi had been doing for Suo, nor how much Shiori was aware of this, but it was fair to assume Suo had at least mentioned it to them both briefly.

"Ah, here he is now."

Hiroshi wandered over to the pair and took a seat at the table, starting on the tea. He replied to the boy, matching his soft speech.

"That's what we were just trying to figure out. Suo's been acting a little off lately and it's not like it's been bus-"

Megu's remarks were cut off as a large double door to the outside area crashed open. A large ramshackle cart moved inside the building, being pushed by the hulking form of Suo.

"What do you think?"

The cart was made from a recommissioned barrel with large cart wheels, a crudely designed hatch was cut into the side. As Suo stopped the hatch fell open to reveal that the inside had been plated with metal. An iron grill was teetering above a bed of hot coals with a chimney jutting out the front of the barrel guiding smoke away into the sky. It looked more like the bastard offspring of cask of ale and a train rather than a grill, but Suo grinned nonetheless.

"If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain. Well the food must. We still sell food. So, thoughts?"

Megu sat slightly open mouthed at the man, taking in the burns on his apron and a fresh red welt on his arm. For once in his life Megu didn't know how to respond, looking over to the other two for guidance.

 

[Hiyasu Shiori]

Inviting Hiroshi was an odd choice. He had been hanging around the restaurant for a long time, so it wasn’t really a surprise he had been doing Jobs for Suo. The big man was savvy, using the shinobi-in-training to advance his business. He was happy the three boys had been called for the meeting. They had become close friends in their time together, the locus being the restaurant.

He turned his head as the door crashed open, and some sort of crime against nature was wheeled in.

"What do you think?"

What did Shiori think? The amalgam of barrel and barbeque looked as if it could go up in smoke in any moment. If it didn’t do that, it looked like it could also do a great job of simply falling apart.

But Shiori smiled, because he saw past that. He subconsciously warped himself straight to the mobile grill, walking around it, taking in every detail. The coals were glowing happily, throwing off heat. He began seeing the potential in such a venture. Suo’s on the move! They could set up anywhere in the city, and bag potential customers with street fare. He was starting to think up recipes already. Grilled meat and vegetable skewers, small stews cooked in ceramic dishes, even breads. They could even set up outside other restaurants!

He didn't know who Muhammed was, or why he would be so arrogant as to want a mountain to come to him, but Suo often had odd phrases like that.

“It looks great, Suo. What do you plan to do with it?”

Shiori was sure none of the chefs, entrenched at the ‘back of house’, would want to start going out and about, cooking on the go.

 

[Naru Hiroshi]

The door to the restaurant opened, and a large...thing ponderously trundled inside, pushed by the almost maniacally-grinning Suo.

"What do you think?"

Hiroshi couldn't bring himself to respond, surprise rendering him mute as he tried to comprehend exactly what it was that he was seeing. A hatch in the side of the barrel-carriage fell open, showing off a large grill and not much else inside. The young silver-haired student turned his attention to Suo, whose wide grin seemed at odds with the death trap he had apparently created.

"If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain. Well the food must. We still sell food. So, thoughts?"

Hiroshi looked over at Megu who seemed to be as speechless as he was, before turning his attention back to Shiori who had a very different reaction to Suo's surprise. The boy had been born to cook, and was seemingly over the moon with his boss' new idea, prowling around the vehicle with a look of glee plastered on his face. Unsurprisingly, he was the first to voice his thoughts on the older man's new venture.

“It looks great, Suo. What do you plan to do with it?”

Hiroshi found his voice as Shiori spoke his question out loud, and felt as though he had to air his feelings and concerns.

"It's impressive Suo, but I'm still a bit confused as to why you wanted me here in the first place. If you needed me to use my sand as some sort of fire extinguisher, you could have just asked. How can I help with all this?"

 

[Megumareta]

Megu got up from his seat and walked over to the monstrosity, trying to hide his surprise that Shiori had appeared there ahead of him almost instantaneously.

Did Shiori just? Did he... what.

He scratched his head a little and made a mental note to pay closer attention to his friend. As he walked around, his hand stroked the top of the barrel, half admiring the handiwork, half confused about this entire day. Shiori spoke up first, asking what the plan was. This was swiftly followed up with Hiroshi asking why he was even there. As much as Megu was slightly perplexed also, he kept this to himself. He glanced up at Suo who was frowning slightly.

"I'm sure you've all noticed that business is hardly booming these last few months, but we're not going down without a fight. That's just not the Suo way!"

He leaned on top of the cooker and Megu was sad to see that he looked slightly pained, the usual twinkle in his eye more a soft afterglow.

"We need to think of something fast to rum up business, which is why we, or rather you, are taking suo's to the road. Shiori I've seen what you can do in the kitchen. You're our travelling chef for the day. Megu You've helped cook most of the dishes so you're helping Shiori cook and also serving. Hiroshi, you're more than a firefighter. I was hoping you'd serve with the others as well as providing lookout. But if that's too much for you to handle I guess you can go home early..."

He winked at the young nin as he said the last part.

"Whatever you earn, minus ingredients, you can keep half. I'm more hoping this will attract more customers and advertise the business as well. Location is up to you, this is just to test out the cooker mostly. Oh and be careful out there. Lately we've had some shipments go missing and some posters have been torn down. I'm not saying that we're being sabotaged, but it's something to bare in mind."

With that Suo walked out of the restaurant and away from the scene. He trusted that the boys would make a dam good go of the task and was happy that they were more than capable.

With Suo gone Megu turned once more to the others.

"So, we now do meals on wheels I guess? Shiori, do you think we can actually cook on this thing?"

He looked inside the hatch and briefly created a flame in his hand, before remembering where they were.

 

[Hiyasu Shiori]

"We need to think of something fast to drum up business, which is why we, or rather you, are taking suo's to the road. Shiori I've seen what you can do in the kitchen. You're our travelling chef for the day. Megu You've helped cook most of the dishes so you're helping Shiori cook and also serving. Hiroshi, you're more than a firefighter. I was hoping you'd serve with the others as well as providing lookout. But if that's too much for you to handle I guess you can go home early..."


Travelling chef?! This was his time to shine. It was a simple grill, and he would have to cook quickly on it, as he understood the subtext of needing a lookout. Recipes started forming in his mind. If he could pilfer from the back...

"So, we now do meals on wheels I guess? Shiori, do you think we can actually cook on this thing?"

His head snapped up, suddenly drawn away from thoughts of food. He saw the flame in Megu’s hand. It seems both of them were on the same page. Suo had left as well. It seemed they were left to their devices.

“I reckon I can, Megu. I’ve got a few ideas going now. Give me a moment to ‘gather’ some ingredients.”

Shiori bustled off to the back, a mental checklist forming in his mind. Skewers, burgers, grilled meats in sauce, even seafood! Oh yes, Shiori could cook on this thing. He had been getting lessons from the other chefs, picking up small skills here and there. One of the chefs had begun long lectures on the science of cooking, why certain things had to be done. He had some skills, certainly enough basic ones to man a mobile grill.

He ducked into one of the pantries, pulling out an airtight container. Definitely the marinated meat. He shoved it under an arm. Then he grabbed some flatbreads, and vegetables. And prawns. And spices. And bamboo skewers. And sauces.

He staggered back into the restaurant, almost trembling under the weight of the assorted foodstuffs.

 

[Hiyasu Shiori]

Shiori ignored the reactions of the boys, putting his ingredients on the table. He looked at the barrel, lips pursing. There was something wrong here...

"Where do I put our ingredients?"

Now that he had voiced it, it was patently obvious. Suo had done excellent work crafting this grill from a barrel, but beyond a small rack under the hot belly of the construct, there was no space. He couldn't keep the more delicate ingredients there, they would partially cook and end up ruined. This presented a conundrum for the boy. He paced again around the squat grill, finger on his chin as he thought. He could attach more storage somehow, maybe a couple of tubs on either side? No, the whole thing would be unwieldy and off-balance. It would be bad if they tipped the whole thing over and broke it on their first outing as Suo's travelling restaurant. It was a nascent disaster, but something the boys could sort out now. Then they would be celebrated for their ingenuity. Sui would probably give them even more freedom.

So, if Shiori couldn't add storage to the cart...

He snapped his fingers,

"I know."

Before his friends could respond, Shiori had stepped into the back, disappearing from sight. His reappearance was preceded by a loud squealing and scraping noise. He smiled at his chums when their only reaction was confusion. Megu also covered his ears from the dreadful noise.

"I know it needs oil," Shiori yelled over the protesting bearings and axle, "But this should hold everything." He put it beside the grill. "One pushed the grill, one pulls the trolley, then we set it up behind me for when I cook. It's perfect!" A glimmer of the pride Suo felt in his creation was reflected in Shiori's face.

"And I think I know where we need to go first. That Sushi place down the road. Everyone is dead set on cold fish for lunch. I reckon we can turn them into Suo's regulars, if we play our cards right."

WC: 340

 

[Megumareta]

The sight of Shiori rushing round grabbing items brought a smile to Megu's face. For years he'd been allowed to work, but only under the watchful eyes of Suo and his mother. He was relishing the opportunity to go out on his own, to forge his own path in life. He stood watching for a moment more before moving to help, but found himself hesitating slightly. Although he'd worked around the kitchens for far longer than Shiori, it was clear who the more talented chef was. Before he'd really even contemplated what foods to offer Shiori had taken the mantle. To make it worse Suo had even named Shiori head chef for the day. As much as he was happy for his friend, he couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

His thought train was broken as Shiori brought up the fact that no matter how great the grill was, there was very limited storage. He stifled a laugh as Shiori brought in a trolley, but the noise. By god the noise from that thing. As he covered his ears he ran into the back, grabbing some cooking oil.

"This'll have to do until we can get to a mechanic! Good job Shiori! Yeah let's hit the sushi place first. We'll show them how much better cooked food is!"

Megu went over to the doors, propping them open before returning for the cart. As he pushed it outside he saw something red shooting up in the distance, shining bright in the sky way ahead of them. He stood for a moment, scratching his head in confusion.

"Hey Shiori! Come see this! What do you think it is?"

He'd wait a moment for his friends response before adding,

"What ever it is wanna go find out? Whatever is happening will be sure to draw a crowd!"

[Topic Left with Shiori]
[MFT-306]

 

[Hiyasu Shiori]

Shiori smiled as his friend slathered cooking oil into the joints, mitigating the banshee-like squealing the thing would make as it was toted around.

"This'll have to do until we can get to a mechanic! Good job Shiori! Yeah let's hit the sushi place first. We'll show them how much better cooked food is!"

“Excellent, let’s get going!”

Shiori grabbed the trolley, and began pushing it, slowly at first, a wince on his face, expecting that horrifying squeal. The wince faded as the trolley moved smoothly along.

“Moves like a dream. Great action. Nice work, Megu!” He got carried away pushing the trolley as he bumped into his friend, who had planted himself in the doorway. Faint red light was coming through.

"Hey Shiori! Come see this! What do you think it is?"

He looked at the bright point, slowly falling back to the ground. It sparked something from lessons… What was it now?

“A signal flare, I think.”

"What ever it is wanna go find out? Whatever is happening will be sure to draw a crowd!"

Shiori nodded emphatically. A signal flare Inside the walls? A big event indeed! There would be many people there. Cornering Konoha’s restaurant business would have to wait, there was custom to be had! He hunched his shoulders, pushing the cart after Megumareta, the pair of boys moving as fast towards the site of danger as they could. If there were going to be loads of people, they would need a good spot to serve from, with good access.

And for a good view themselves, of course.

[TOpic left with Megumareta]
[MFT 271]