Kashizudoto had not been to Ichiraku's Ramen in years. It used to be his favorite restaurant back when he was still in the Leaf, but it had been about five years since he had first departed the village on a trip to the Land of Earth. It was ironic that after rising the ranks so quickly, from genin to jonin in mere months, he had completely burned out and retreated to the wilderness for years, allowing some of his peers who he had once rushed past in terms of ability and rank to catch up to him - or potentially even overtake him - as shinobi. He couldn't help it though; he had seen some quite frightening things during his time as a shinobi, and his training in senjutsu under the Raikage Sanosuke Flynt gave him the perfect excuse to escape life as a shinobi and become a sage sitting under a big tree in the middle of nowhere in Hi no Kuni. He ended up befriending the nearby villagers and was quite a hit with the local girls, but after years and years of living a calm, laid-back life as a sage, he decided that life was not worth living if it didn't scratch his itch for growth and adventure. It was time to return to the shinobi lifestyle.

In truth, though, Kashizudoto was a little rusty. Over his past five years in the wilderness, he had read many books and studied many theories on chakra and jutsu but had not actually gone about learning a new jutsu or improving his skills beyond maintaining his physique. He needed to train so that he could catch up on the latest gadgets and techniques of the shinobi world. It seemed now that he, the one who had rushed past everyone else since his first day out of the Academy, was now the one who had to worry about his peers rushing past him.

But Kashizudoto knew all too well that a shinobi could not train on an empty stomach, and he heard that Ichiraku's Ramen was having a steak and crab special. He didn't care much for steak, but he liked crab, and he decided that it was best to have his first meal in the village be at Ichiraku's Ramen, if only for the sentimental value alone.

He walked in and ordered a small bowl of the steak and crab special.

WC: 406

Sunadokei Akimichi sat happy as could be at counter of Ichiraku's Ramen. It was one of her rare day's off, no mission to tend to and no familial duties or personal errands to finish up. Just free time, which she planned to make the most of as only an Akimichi can, eating another food a lesser shinobi would physically burst. It was overall a bit of a muggy day, with grey overcast skies and light drizzles of rain throughout the morning. Sunadokei didn't much mind, she was inside where it was warm, happily seated and munching away at her one woman feast. Were she stuck with patrol duty or trucking through the wilderness on her way to her next assignment though, that would be a different story altogether. Sunadokei disliked patrol duty enough as is, rain would have made it nearly unbearable.

When Sunadokei had caught wind that Ichiraku's Ramen was having a steak and crab special, she'd come running, quite literally. Planting herself right at the center this morning she hadn't much moved for hours, save for her mouth that is. Known throughout the Konohagakure restaurant scene as the Densetsu no Ōgui Joō, the Legendary Queen of Gluttony, Sunadokei was more than making her presence known and earning her title. When she'd first arrived the curvaceous kunoichi took her seat, reached into her more than ample cleavage, and withdrew a small coin purse she kept tucked away in her bust. The Akimichi clan were one of the Hidden Leaf Village's Four Noble Clans, and their prestige and long history afforded them great wealth. In spite of this, most of Sunadokei's food budget came from her mission payouts, as was the case with the fistful of ryo she'd slammed down on the counter.

"Four dozen bowls of ramen please, the steak and crab special. Half with egg and half without. Oh, and a pitcher of water. Please." Had come her order, spoken confident, commanding, and ravenously hungry. Normally the portly chef behind the counter would have protested such an outlandish order, but he instantly recognized the woman before him as an Akimichi after all. As is Sunadokei's telltale heavy hourglass figure weren't enough of a distinction, she bore the Akimichi clan kanji on the back of her kimono. Bright crimson symbol for 'food' itself embossed against violet silk, it told the staff of the restaurant they were dealing with a seasoned veteran of the culinary world.

"Yes of course miss Akimichi, we'll get to it at once." The chef had said, giving a short bow. The owner watched from the register, silently filled with both nervousness and pride. On one hand, he was going to lose money on this woman. This was a loss leader, meant to pull in more customers for repeat visits. How much depended on the young woman's cavernous appetite, and Itachi Ichiraku had heard plenty of stories from rival business owners. On the other hand though, Ichiraku knew Sunadokei to be the Heiress of Akimichi, the eldest daughter of the head of the Akimichi clan's main branch. Having her endeared to him as a customer would be a huge marketing tool, and earn the goodwill, and customer loyalty of one of the largest and wealthiest clans in the village... and the biggest eaters to boot. The potential payday had his business senses tingling with anticipation.

In a gluttonous haze Sunadokei had spent the next several hours devouring her order. Stacks of empty bowls heaped a dozen high were piled off to her sides, as meal after meal was swiftly devoured. Sunadokei's hands moved with a kind of keenly honed rhythm that was only possible through intense shinobi training and fervent dedication to her leisurely craft. That is to say, she had fast reflexes and loved to eat, so food moved to her mouth in a blur of chopsticks and noodles. Barely pausing to chew as the Legendary Queen of Gluttony slurped down her feast one bite at a time. She worked her way through the first of her orders by lunch time, and gave herself a minute to rest and freshen up in the restroom. When she returned the woman began her feast anew, doubling her order to the shock and horror of the kitchen staff. The owner nearly had a heart attack, already imagining the numbers in his checkbook after today. Maybe she'd tip generously at least, and that'd cover the difference from the sale. At least, that's what he hoped, otherwise his wife would be giving him a harsh scolding when he informed his beloved of their restaurant's 'special guest.'

When most people ate, their belly's grew full. They'd get slightly bloated and then go lie down to digest. For Sunadokei Akimichi, that was hardly the tip of the iceberg. As an Akimichi her Calorie Control kekkai genkai afforded her body a greater degree of control over its body fat reserves than other shinobi. Firstly, and perhaps most important on days like today, the Akimichi could stretch, grow, and enlarge body parts at will with their chakra. From a single fist to their entire bodies if need be. This meant that, for all intents and purposes, Sunadokei's stomach held a great deal of elasticity. Without expelling chakra, and therefore energy, her cast iron stomach could contain many times the food of a normal woman. With chakra, that limit was increased a hundred fold, but seeing as that would cost her chakra, and thus energy, it rather defeated the point. Eating for calories just to spend them on jutsu just to eat more was a paradox even she couldn't wrap her head around.

The second important aspect of Calorie Control was that Akimichi had incredible metabolisms, their body's able to convert foot rapidly into body fat, and this body fat could then be broken down later and converted into raw chakra. This was the Akimichi's true strength, as it gave them great chakra reserves to power their clan's otherwise extremely chakra intensive jutsu. This longevity and stamina was their great edge in a fight. Or in today's case, the first portion was Sunadokei's secret to avoid needing to be rolled home or rupturing her stomach. Sunadokei Akimichi had always been a curvaceous woman, ever since puberty hit her like a flash flood hitting a wooden bridge. She'd inherited every ounce of her mother Kikyo Akimichi's generous curves, much to the delight of herself and the men her age. Even at her thinnest, she was more buxom than most, with plump thighs, wide childbearing hips, and an ample rear.

When she ate though, this changed considerably as Sunadokei gorged herself to outlandishly curvaceous proportions. She could double her body weight almost in one sitting if need be, and today she was well on her way too. Many of her close friends, and likely many more who oggled her from afar best described her as 'thicc.' Though she herself preferred the word voluptuous, at least thicc got their point across. Today though, a few extra c's were needed to truly describe Sunadokei's steadily growing figure. Her derriere had grown enormous, no longer properly fitting her seat. Like a huge pillowy cushion for her to sit upon. Her thighs were decidedly plump, as thick as a man's waist and straining her dark blue thigh highs. The tight fitted garments cutting lovingly into sun kissed flesh. Sunadokei's hips were noticeably wider, now a full foot and then some wider than her slender shoulders. Her body eager to store fat in all of her womanly curves. Her bust had grown considerably, as well, already enormous breasts now skirting with the word gigantic as they sat like watermelons stuffed into her violet kimono. The cleavage she normally displayed was more than generous, but now it was downright bordering on perverse. Her bosoms strained against the now ill fitting confines of her dress, rising like mountains of dough out of a baking pan.

However, all this paled in comparison to the Akimichi glutton's belly. Normally soft yet toned, with firm muscle underneath from a shinobi lifestyle, and aspect of muscle or definition had been replaced by a monument to hedonistic gluttony. Sunadokei's belly had grown spherically round and comically large. It jut out feet past her, to the point she could scarce reach her arms around it. She looked ready to burst with triplets inside her, though the only baby in this belly were ones born of food. Sunadokei had been forced to completely loosen the sash she normally had cinched tight around her waist, it now hung loose from one side as her swollen midsection alone kept her kimono secured tightly in place. It gave the woman an overall very motherly look, like a fertility goddess heavy with child. She quite liked it, openly flaunting her prominent curves and much preferring a smooth round belly to jellied rolls and folds that plagued women who became traditionally fat. The mere thought of 'getting fat' was wretched in Sunadokei's eyes, and she thanked all the gods that were listening for her kekkai genkai. She didn't know what she'd do without it... except maybe diet she guessed. The thought of that sounded nearly as terrible, an Akimichi without food was like a fish without water.

Sunadokei paused, polishing off her latest bowl and lazily adding it to the fast growing pile. Only a dozen or so to go, then she'd decide if she was full. A slender hand lovingly patted her taut belly, which felt drum tight with food. The women took a moment to bask in her gluttony, a content smile on her face and cheeks flushed slightly pink at how good it all felt. It was rare she got to overindulge like this, and she was quite enjoying it. Several patrols of the restaurant had been watching her from afar, in a mixture of shock, fear, or arousal as she ate. Sunadokei didn't much mind, she was used to stares. Both for her wanton figure and her commanding appetite. She couldn't help who she was, only embrace it like her figure embraced food. Her brief pause now complete she let out a long sigh, taking a drink from her water and then grabbing another pipping hot bowl of ramen to continue her feast. Such was her gluttony she mentally ignored the people coming and going. It was all background noise to her while she ate, and with the packed house due to the special sale, currently the only available seat was the one on her right. Few dared sit next to Sunadokei, choosing wisely to give the bloated woman her personal space.

---

Word Count: 1,820

Kashizudoto was never much of a big eater and was rather unvaried in his choice of food. Ever since a young age, he typically ate one small plain bowl of ramen each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner - maybe two in one meal if he was really hungry. But today was a special day - his first night back in the village in five years - and a special day demanded a special meal: a small bowl of ramen with steak and crab. It was unusual for Kashizudoto to add in anything to his bowl of ramen, besides maybe some chicken and herbs, so the addition of steak and crab was quite a change of pace.

Given how much ramen he ate, it was no wonder that Kashizudoto frequented Ichiraku's Ramen rather often and had developed a relationship with the owner, Itachi Ichiraku. Their conversations were mostly one-sided, however, as Kashizudoto could be a little bit shy around older people and never really thought he had much to say that would interest the old man. He was, however, quite comfortable at this point with Itachi Ichiraku's younger daughter Azumi Ichiraku, who often assisted in the preparation and serving of the food and was around his age and could thus partake in more engaging conversation with Kashizudoto than he expected the old man to be capable of. After five years, Kashizudoto wondered whether those two were even still running the place. Certainly, he did not expect that either of them would recognize him after all this time, especially now that he had grown so much.

When he opened the door and saw Azumi, he quickly took note of how much she had changed. The last time he saw her was when they were 13, and now she had grown into a fine young woman. The same could be said about Kashizudoto, who merely stood at 5'7" five years ago and was now six feet tall. He still looked fairly similar face-wise, though a little sharper, and it was clear from her familiar smile that Azumi recognized him - or at least thought he looked like someone she might have met before. Kashizudoto had those moments every now and then where he would see a familiar face but not be confident enough about who they were to actually act on it; after all, mixing up someone with someone else is always an embarrassing situation.

The composition of the customers at Ichiraku's appeared to have changed too. Chairs that were once filled with young, hip aspiring shinobi were replaced by middle-aged men, couples, and an unnaturally fat woman who dressed in an unusually crude manner. And of course, given Kashizudoto's luck, the only open seat was to the right of the fat woman. It should have really only been considered half a seat: you would want to sit a little bit on its right edge, so as not to get too close to the giant body that was invading your personal space with its mere size alone. To make matters worse, the woman wasn't exactly dressed appropriately for her size, so if she accidentally bumped into you, you might accidentally make direct contact with her massive belly. It was a little bothersome, but he took the seat anyway and got ready to order.

It appeared that the old man himself hadn't changed much at all. When he turned around and saw Kashizudoto, his face lit up with the satisfaction of seeing a familiar face. "Ah, look who we have here,, said Itachi Ichiraku, "It's you!"

Kashizudoto smiled, a little shyly, "Hi."

"You know, boy," said Itachi Ichiraku, "When I heard that you were named a sannin, I planned to give you a week's worth of ramen on the house! But boy, I haven't seen you in years! What happened? You don't like my ramen anymore?" Kashizudoto was named a sannin while he was out and abroad in the Land of Lightning, having just finished quite a few missions in the Land of Earth while on a diplomatic trip with the Hokage. And after his work in the Land of Lightning, he didn't return to the village, at least not for an entire five years, and now he had a whole lot of explaining to do. But he figured that could wait.

"Oh no, I just had a lot of work to do, that's all, he explained, with his eyes averted a little bit, " But I love your ramen, and now I'm back for more!" He was back for more: not just more ramen but also more adventures, more friendships, and more knowledge.

"Well, congratulations! declared Ichiraku, "That's quite a promotion you received!" He was fairly sure that the title of sannin was retired by now, and, whether or not it was still his title, he didn't really care either way. In truth, Kashizudoto was quite rusty after his time in the wilderness, and the title of sannin, even when used in the past tense, did not fit him very well. Although he had spent quite a bit of time reading books and studying various theories relating to chakra and jutsu during his time as a sage, he had not had a proper battle or learned any new jutsu during his time in the wilderness. The ninja world had changed over the past few years, and Kashizudoto had not yet had the time to adapt. This wasn't even to mention his age; even though he had spent about five years away from the village and shinobi life, he was still only 18 and had quite a bit of growing to do. He was a jonin and a former sannin only in name, it seemed to him, and though he was still quite a talented shinobi, he didn't feel like he was strong enough - not yet, at least.

Ichiraku set a small bowl of ramen in front of Kashizudoto and then bowed, "This one is on the house, boy!" Kashizudoto had plenty of ryo to spare, and, in truth, he never liked getting free things. He felt like it made him indebted to that person, and he never really knew how he could properly thank the person for their kindness, which made him feel guilty on top of it. But, nevertheless, he outwardly displayed quite a bit of gratitude, "Thank you!"

He noticed that the fat woman next to him had piles and piles of empty plates in front of her. Did she really eat all of that? What a glutton. But now that he was seated and could see her face with his peripheral vision, he noticed that her face was actually quite pretty, which wasn't quite what he was expecting judging from her size and her garb.

WC: 1548

Sunadokei was almost totally engrossed in her vast one woman feast, only dimly aware when a stranger seated himself at her right. Her wide hips and overstuffed stomach came dangerously close to touching him, not that she particularly minded. Not while there was food yet still to indulge on. The owner however, seemed overjoyed at the sight of the man, and eagerly rushed up to greet him. Sunadokei couldn't help but divert her attention, and for the first time today managed to slow her ravenous eating, if only a brief amount as she listened in on them talk. The stranger was rather soft spoken, though she swore she recognized his face from somewhere. The memory rattled around in her brain, though she simply could not place his face. The overfed Akimichi woman kept listening, eager to see if their conversation would yet reveal a clue.

The curvaceous kunoichi's eyes went wide when she heard the word 'sannin', and she nearly choked on her ramen. Pausing to recover, her eyes glanced to the side to take stock of the stranger. Neither man had spoken his name, much to her chagrin, but the title of sannin was not on that was used lightly. It prompted Sunadokei's undivided attention as she quickly downed her most recent bowl and added it to the growing piles. She then poured herself a fresh glass of water, mulling over what exactly she wanted to say while she drank. Hoping the strange shinobi hadn't caught her wandering eyes staring. The stranger had jet black hair, short and mostly unkempt. That much was fairly common among men of the village, black hair was common and most just seemed to let it grow out in whatever wild way it pleased. His amber eyes though were a much more distinctive feature, though she still couldn't place his youthful appearance. It irked her, and the gnawing hunger for knowledge within her was fast outpacing her more literal hunger.

The stranger and the shop owner finished up their chat, with Sunadokei somewhat envious he was getting free noodles. A week's worth of free ramen, she mused, and she could run this place out of business. Her father had raised her to be careful with other's generosity, and not to let her gluttony get the best of her. Sunadokei mused that if the roles had been reversed, she'd be forced by her conscious to begrudgingly turn down the offer of free food. It's not like she was desperate for money, she could easily pay. Sunadokei let out a soft sigh, having briefly gotten lost in her day dream. She resolved to begin her next bowl of ramen before they got cold. Though now she ate at a much more reserved pace, eating more out of duty and less out of desire as she stewed on the topic of the stranger sitting inches away from her enormous derriere.

Sunadokei caught the stranger glance her way, his eyes flickering slightly as he caught her in his peripheral vision. Like a viper in the tall grass, she chose this moment to strike. It was now or never, her curiosity had gotten the best of her, she just had to know the truth. Sunadokei swallowed her latest bite, turning her head slowly and angling to the side in her seat. Careful about how she positioning her now vast round belly, it commanded the space in front of her, and looked heavy with twins ready to come to full term. "I saw you glancing." She said sweetly, her words soft spoken and delicate. There was no need for her to be her normal, gregarious self just yet. Her boisterous nature was reserved for once this serpent had sunk her fangs into her prey. "It's a lot to take in isn't it?" Sunadokei teased, one hand lovingly patting her belly as the other arm cradled her massive bust.

Sunadokei turned to fully face the stranger, nearly knocking him out of his seat as her belly swung wide. She gazed at him, verdant green eyes studying his dark robes trying to gleam information from his attire. The heiress of Akimichi had a soft, heart shaped face with a delicate chin and full, plump lips. She lifted a hand from her bust and brushed a few locks of azure hair from her eyes, giving the man a warm smile as she extended the hand to shake. "I am Sunadokei Akimichi, eldest daughter and heiress of Makaro Akimichi, twenty third head of the Akimichi clan." That was just her formal title, she neglected to use her informal one. Her heartwarming gaze remained locked on the stranger's amber eyes, as she awaited his response. "I couldn't help but overhear you are a Sannin... I'm both surprised and impressed. I'd think I'd remember the name and face of a Sannin, but unfortunately yours escapes me." It was slightly embarrassing to admit, but it was the honest truth. Sunadokei was well versed in village politics, she could recount the heads and heirs of each and every one of the major clans, but this 'Sannin' escaped her memory. "I didn't happen to catch your name stranger. Care to enlighten a growing girl who exactly the mysterious Sannin she's speaking to at a wayward noodle shop is?"

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Word Count: 925 | Total: Word Count: 2,745

"I saw you glancing," said the fat woman as she turned around, her massive belly only a few inches away smacking him right off of his chair. Kashizudoto felt it a little embarrassing for her to call him out like that for glancing at her, as he preferred not to appear to be too nosy or observant, even in the face of such a big eater, and he averted his eyes a little bit in a feeble attempt to avoid having this carry on into a conversation.

It's a lot to take in isn't it?" Yes, it was, indeed, a lot to take in. In all his travels, he had never seen someone who had devoured just as much as this woman had. Dishes upon dishes stacked one on top of another; he was a little worried that, after eating such a great meal, this woman would proceed to let out a massive belch that would stink up the entire store. In that case, he would take his ramen to go.

"I am Sunadokei Akimichi, eldest daughter and heiress of Makaro Akimichi, twenty third head of the Akimichi clan." Akimichi - that explained it. The mountains of food and the fat all made sense now. And to be the heiress, it would only stand to reason that she would have to be the fattest of all the Akimichi women. He looked at the dishes and then her belly for a quick second. That confirmed it; she was, without a doubt, an Akimichi. Given the massive amount of fat she had, a normal person's biology would allow the fat to sink into rolls, but, for whatever reason, her belly simply expanded with no rolls, almost as if she were pregnant. Kashizudoto knew a little bit about the Akimichi clan because there was a kid in the Academy who was an Akimichi. Fat, awkward, and clumsy - he was as far as you could get from the most popular kid in school and was routinely harassed. But one day, he expanded his body and created quite a scene when he pulverized his bullies. Served them right, of course.

"I couldn't help but overhear you are a Sannin... I'm both surprised and impressed. I'd think I'd remember the name and face of a Sannin, but unfortunately yours escapes me," the Akimichi proceeded, "I didn't happen to catch your name stranger. Care to enlighten a growing girl who exactly the mysterious Sannin she's speaking to at a wayward noodle shop is?" The title of sannin was something Kashizudoto was somewhat proud of, but, at the same time, was also not too fond of talking about. For one, he didn't know squat about the status of the title; he had been gone for five years, and he assumed that his title could probably only be uttered in the past tense now. Secondly, he was not even present in the village when he was named a sannin, and this was actually his first night back in the village since the day he received the titie a little more than five years ago. Add onto the fact that he was just a little kid when he was named a sannin, and it was a real head scratcher as to why the jonin council decided to elect him as a sannin in the first place. Perhaps it had something to do with his solid record of completing missions abroad or the fact that Konoha was low on high-ranking ninja but needed to display some strength in the midst of the Kumo-Kiri war, but, either way, he didn't feel confident that the title was quite an appropriate fit for a kid who simply burned out after a few months as a shinobi.

Regardless of whatever reasons he gave to Sunadokei, it would take a lot of explanation either way

"Well, it's not really as big a deal as you might think," he said as he pulled out a scroll from his robe and handed it to the Akimichi, "I was sent this message while I was abroad on a mission. If Sunadokei was to open to scroll, she would see a congratulatory message from the Hokage and the jonin council naming him sannin. If the Akimichi was well-versed in current events, she would probably be able to notice that it was dated around the beginning of the Kumo-Kiri war and carried the signature of the old Hokage, Kenta Inuzuka.

"And this is actually my first day back in the village," he added, a little hesitantly, "In five years." He left out the part about the burnout and his retreat into the life of a sage if only for the fact that it was utterly embarrassing for a shinobi that had done so well in his first few months to suddenly quit and wander off to the middle of nowhere to meditate.

"So actually I'm not really sure if the title of sannin still stands," he said, "I'll be catching up with the administration later, so maybe I'll find out." For the first time ever, Kashizudoto was a little scared to visit the administration. It stood to reason that if a ninja left the village without notice just after receiving such a promotion and now wanted back in, the administration would, at the least, chew him out, if not give him major disciplinary action or even expulsion for his offense. Leaving a village was no laughing matter, and although travel regulations and village transfers had become increasingly lax ever since the historic Fourth Shinobi World War, leaving on a whim and without notice, as Kashizudoto had done, was nearly unprecedented as far as he was aware and could carry a great punishment. And from what he had heard, there was a new Kage in town, the Jundaime Hokage, meaning that he would not be dealing with the former Hokage Kenta Inuzuka, who had been rather understanding and lenient towards Kashizudoto.

"Kashizudoto Sarutobi, by the way," he said, extending his right hand for a handsake. He would then proceed to continue eating his ramen and would listen if the Akimichi heiress had anything more to say.

WC: 2590

Sunadokei tilted her head, raising an eyebrow at the supposed sannin's nonchalant response. "Not a big deal? Sannin is a legendary title. There are only a few in an era... it's a big deal to me." She said hastily in response, before taking the stranger's scroll and reading it thoroughly. It was old, faded slightly, but the seal was true. The seal of Kenta Inuzuka... which placed it several Hokages ago. Sunadokei read through it carefully, eyes darting over the kanji. Reading and rereading the text, over and over again. "It's real." She said, mostly to herself. "I'm not expert or anything, but it doesn't look like a forgery. Or if it is, it's way beyond my ability to tell." Sunadokei had a keen eye and a great love of detail, but she could hardly place herself among the analytical intelligence and espionage members of ANBU. If it was a falsified document of some kind it was leagues beyond her modicum of skill.

A look of shock and confusion crossed the Akimichi woman's heart shaped face when the Sannin stated this was only his first day back in the Hidden Leaf Village. "Wait, What?" She stammered out, visibly confused by his words. "Five Years!?" She gasped, nearly choking on her ramen. After coughing a bit and clearing her throat she glanced back at her acquaintance. His eyes told her it was no joke, he really had been gone for years. His face however, told her he was embarrassed by this fact. Sunadokei knew that meant nothing good had come of this absence. "You weren't gone on a mission, were you?" She asked questioningly, suspecting the shinobi of being a deserter. Traitors to the village were harshly punished, but he wouldn't declare this so openly were he an enemy of the Hokage.

Sunadokei rubbed at her chin, musing to herself on this perplexing stranger she'd met. "It probably doesn't." She admitted aloud, thinking of how the government of the village had changed over the last five years. Hokage had some and gone, as they always did. "Hokage Kenta Inuzuka-sensei has not served in years, the current Hokage is Takao Kimura-sama. I can't speed for Kimura-sama, but he may not agree with all his predecessors' edicts, or their decisions." Sunadokei ate her ramen slowly, thinking what best to say next. She used it to buy time to think, unsure what to say. "Catching up with the Administration is a smart idea. You'll be years behind on your registry. And you know if you've been gone this long ANBU will want to interrogate you. A high level shinobi going missing for years? They'll make sure you aren't an impostor, or a Human Corpse Puppet, or a double agent. The Hokage himself will likely want to speak with you as well. Boy, you're in for a rough week."

Sunadokei shook the shinobi's hand, smiling warmly. "Kashizudoto Sarutobi. A pleasure to meet you." She gave him a tender gaze, withdrawing her hand and slowly returning to her meal. "You know, I know a couple Sarutobi's. Probably your cousins right? Your clan is very influential, even if it isn't a Noble Clan." It was true, and the Sarutobi had produced many legendary Shinobi over the generations, most famous of them all being the Fifth Hokage. "So what are you doing for the rest of the day?" Sunadokei ask innocently, glancing over at her new friend. "I mean, after lunch that is. I've got the day off. I planned to just eat until I'm full, then go home and take a nap. Some days it's just nice to kick back and relax." She made no comment to her still swelling figure, which only continued to bloom as she greedily began devouring the remainder of her feast. Her stomach inching dangerously close with her new friend with every hearty bite.

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Word Count: 720 | Total: Word Count: 3,465

"Not a big deal? Sannin is a legendary title, the Akimichi pointed out with obvious irritation, "There are only a few in an era... it's a big deal to me." Yes, he had once thought of the title of sannin as legendary, but it only dawned on him how meaningless the title was when he actually received it. It was like that with most of his accomplishments; every promotion, honor, and compliment he had received only seemed to assert their own meaninglessness in his eyes, and it seemed that he was never satisfied with what he had - only what he didn't have. He would have preferred not to give the Akimichi heiress such a nonchalant response, but he just couldn't seem to muster anything else. And the only thing he could do to meet her response to his nonchalance was a shy smile.

"It's real," she muttered, "I'm not expert or anything, but it doesn't look like a forgery. Or if it is, it's way beyond my ability to tell." He took no offense to her suspicion about the validity of the document or his former title. To have an 18 year old tell you nonchalantly that he had some sort of great standing among the upper echelons of Konohagakure's shinobi was not something that could be easily believed at first, which is why he really didn't want to have this conversation in the first place.

Upon hearing how long he had been gone, the Akimichi stammered, "Wait what? Five years!?" And this was another reason he didn't want to be having this conversation, not with some random stranger in a noodle shop at least. Itachi Ichiraku was hard at work making noodles, but their conversation was starting to catch the attention of everyone else in the noodle shop, including Ayame. He simply nodded in response. There wasn't much else he could say to make things better.

But then she pushed a little too far, asserting, "You weren't gone on a mission, were you?" He saw it as a thinly veiled accusation - that he was a deserter and perhaps even one with foul intentions. Perhaps he was being a little presumptuous about her intentions, but, regardless, he had to do some damage control. Of course, by definition, he was a deserter, albeit one who was 13 years old and totally burned out, but he couldn't just sit there allowing her to tarnish his reputation.

"Actually, I was. I can't regale you on the details since I'm not sure what's classified and what's not, but I was sent abroad five years ago on various long-term missions concerning international diplomacy," he explained with a little bit of a "you're wrong and I'm right" smirk. He was intentionally being as vague as possible about the nature of the missions, given that he truly was unsure about whether or not they were classified, and their timeframe, given that his last mission, retrieving intelligence about the final battle of the Kumo-Kiri war for Konoha's administration, ended about four years ago, so while he was telling the truth, he wasn't telling the whole truth.

"It probably doesn't," the Akimichi concluded about his title, "Hokage Kenta Inuzuka-sensei has not served in years, the current Hokage is Takao Kimura-sama. I can't speed for Kimura-sama, but he may not agree with all his predecessors' edicts, or their decisions. He didn't need this woman to tell him that his title was no longer standing; he was already 99% sure of it himself.

"Catching up with the Administration is a smart idea, she proceeded, "You'll be years behind on your registry. And you know if you've been gone this long ANBU will want to interrogate you. A high level shinobi going missing for years? They'll make sure you aren't an impostor, or a Human Corpse Puppet, or a double agent." He cracked a smile when he heard her say "human corpse puppet." For a high-level shinobi like the Hokage, seeing through a human corpse puppet - or any disguise that wasn't some super secret kinjutsu that had been lost to the annals of time - was child's play and didn't even require the presence of ANBU. Of course, the concern that he was a double agent was legitimate, but from what he had heard, there were some members among the ANBU who could even detect lies.

"The Hokage himself will likely want to speak with you as well," she continued, "Boy, you're in for a rough week." He nodded in agreement. Explaining his disappearance to the Hokage would require quite a bit of charm - and luck.

"Kashizudoto Sarutobi. A pleasure to meet you," said the woman, who continued, "You know, I know a couple Sarutobi's. Probably your cousins right? Your clan is very influential, even if it isn't a Noble Clan." Truthfully, he didn't care much for his clan. He had done almost everything by himself, independent of his clan, and he didn't really like it when someone attributed his achievements to those of his clan. Still, he simply nodded. No need to do with damage control when it was simply a matter of pride rather than reputation.

"So what are you doing for the rest of the day?" she asked, "I mean, after lunch that is. I've got the day off. I planned to just eat until I'm full, then go home and take a nap. Some days it's just nice to kick back and relax." He didn't like it when people asked him about his plans, partly because he often didn't really have any immediate plans and because oftentimes there was the inevitable follow up where they asked to join and he would have to inevitably let them tag along. Of course, Kashizudoto liked spending time with kids his age, especially girls, but beyond that, he wasn't really all too thrilled to spend time with a stranger.

"Well, I'm a ninja," he chuckled, "I figure I'm gonna do some training in the forest before this new Hokage chews me out." He didn't want to spend any more time with this stranger, and he figured that, given her huge meal, she would not be ready to join him in training even if she wanted to. Perhaps this woman would find a way though, and he would be stuck training with her...

WC: 3690

[Exit]

Hanuman, Lord of Monkeys: 3690/6300

Sunadokei groaned a bit at the explanation, dismissing it with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "Yeah yeah, secret mission, sworn to secrecy, classified details. I understand." She huffed at his expression, opting instead to return to her meal mostly out of irritation. She knew well enough it was a thinly veiled excuse not to tell her more about the five year gap between his mission and his reappearance. Kashizudoto was hiding something, Sunadokei was more than curious to find out what it was. She munched away at her ramen, which was starting to get a bit cold, musing on how best to address that. This Kashizudoto wasn't much for conversation, and he wasn't much of an eater either. Both a great shame, as the gregarious Akimichi woman was quite the opposite.

When Kashizudoto nonchalantly commented on being a ninja, Sunadokei suddenly got very self conscious about herself. She looked at her swollen figure, suddenly feeling like a glutton. "Well... I am too..." She said sheepishly. "Yeah, you go do that." Sunadokei said, polishing off the last of her ramen and setting her bowl with the rest of the pile. What started off as a feast had ended as a chore. It took a lot for her to feel that way, and her chair breathed an almost literal sigh of relief as she stood up. "Well... don't let me hold you back then. I'm only a Genin after all. I'd only slow down a Sannin like yourself." Sunadokei said paying her tab and leaving a generous tip. It would probably cover the difference from the sale, hopefully.

Sunadokei then proceeded to move her way towards the door of the restaurant. Her hips sashaying with a ponderous sway to them as she moved her swollen weight. The woman was far too proud it ever admit when she had eaten too much, but this was close to her limit. As she stepped outside she turned back to give one last look at the man. Kashizudoto Sarutobi, she thought to herself. A Sannin. She could do that, if she set her mind to it. Sunadokei raised her hands, which was admittedly difficult with her titanic bust and over-sized belly in the way. She quickly threw out the hand seals for the Ram and the Akimichi Special Seal. "Human Bullet Tank Technique!" Sunadokei cried out, in a poof her body ballooning into a three meter wide purple sphere with her arms and lets sicking out the edges. She tucked her lips into her clothes, and quickly began rotating. The Human Bullet Tank was a good way to burn calories, and it was a decent trip back to the Akimichi clan's estates. Sunadokei then took off like a runaway boulder, rolling down the busy streets of Konokagakure taking up an entire lane of traffic to herself. Sunadokei had her own training to tend to, but first, a much needed nap to sleep off her meal and digest.

---

(Thread Exit)
Word Count: 565 | Total: Word Count: 4,030
Specialization Training:
Ninjutsu from B Rank to A Rank: 2,500/3000+500=3,000/3000
Ninjutsu from A Rank to S Rank: 3,530/4000
Remaining Word Count: 4,030-500-3,520=0