Together, Kashizudoto and the blind boy who he met at the marketplace had just retrieved a lost shipment of citrus fruits, not a mission but rather a job that they both volunteered to do for the vendor. It turned out, in the end, that it was just a broken wheel - nothing too major. It was just their luck that six bandits showed up after they arrived on the scene; Kashizudoto had pummeled five and trapped the other one, but Takashi let him go for some reason, perhaps because he was too held back by his visual condition to act confidently against the criminal. When Kashizudoto had suggested that the blind boy get a ninja pet to help him see, the boy explained that his clan already had ninja cats and that he was just not assigned to one just yet. That was a relief, at least Takashi would have something to stand by him and act as his eyes at all times.

Back in the Academy, which Kashizudoto had only recently graduated from, who he was placed with in various classes would dictate his friendships. That was to say, his "best friends" would change every year. That wasn't to say that he wasn't close with those friends, but the lack of longetivity was always very bothersome. He had always hoped to one day make a lifelong friend, who he would be alongside not just for one year. Perhaps this blind boy would become that longtime best friend that he was looking for, only time would tell if that was to be the case.

Anyway, they had all gotten back safe and sound to the vendor. While Kashizudoto completely forgot about what he had originally wanted to buy at the marketplace, it seemed that Takashi did not forget about the citrus tea leaves that he wanted so badly that they went out into the Dense Forest to get them. Looks like the guy really loved his tea. Anyway, Kashizudoto offered him to come over and celebrate their victory over some ramen at Ichiraku's. And who could refuse some good ol' ramen?

It was a quite evening, with a gentle, moist breeze that reminded him a little bit of the atmosphere of the Dense Forest that they'd just been in. He was walking over there with Takashi, who still apparently wasn't assigned his ninja cat yet. An interesting thing about the ramen place was that no matter how busy it was, there always seemed to be a seat open. Kashizudoto loved that about this place. Like some kind of genjutsu.

"Alright," said Kashizudoto to Ayame as he sat down and put some ryo on the counter, "Could I have some pork ramen please?"

"Sure," said Teuchi's loyal daughter Ayame, "Coming right up!" Those two, Teuchi and Ayame: they really were hard workers. It was always nice seeing them work together to make the best quality ramen that they could. The stuff they made was much better than the instant ramen sold in the marketplace for sure.

As they prepared the dish, Kashizudoto began daydreaming of the katana that he was going to buy some day. Like Takashi, Kashizudoto had also not unlocked his true potential. That is to say, he did not yet buy a katana yet - just as the blind boy wasn't assigned his ninja cat yet. He imagined himself swinging his own blade. Cutting down bandits. Parrying enemy strikes. Slashing through defenses. Fighting through jutsu. It was gonna be sweet! A sharp, shiny, fine blade it would indeed be. Mind you, Kashizudoto had already been saving up his ryo for a very nice katana that he would be able to wield as a chuunin. His mind then drifted away from his katana as he realized that his friend was right next to him - probably daydreaming as well although maybe not. He already had a taste of his friend daydreaming when he, lost in his imagination, referred to the simple townsfolk of Kodachi as "criminals" and continued accusing them until the real bandits showed up. Kashizudoto grinned a little looking back at it.

WC: 689

Was every mission celebrated this way? It sure was exciting. Takashi wasn't really worn out for helping move the cart, but he could use some rest. The place Kashizudoto had taken Takashi to was some kind of restaurant. Inside he found an open seat right next to Kashizudoto. It smelled good. It smelled of great meat and warm soup with spices that tingled his nose. "I will have one too," asked Takashi after hearing his friend's order, "also could you bring us two cups of hot water?" inquired Takashi. He wanted to regale Kashizudoto with a cup of great tea.
"Sure," replied the girly voice that also took Kashizudoto's order. Seems no one made any comment about Takashi's appearance. Maybe people often came here to eat dressed in festive yukatas or kimonos.
Cups with hot water arrived soon. The ramen took longer to prepare. Meanwhile, Takashi had a chance to prepare the treat using his newly gained lemon. He took it out of his robe's pocket and sliced off two slices of lemon and dropped them both in the boiled water. It made the water spill a little since both cups were full to the top. Takashi then proceeded to the next step. He pulled out black tea ingredients out of his pockets and dropped them into the boiling water. The tea now was ready. Takashi pushed one of the cups towards Kashizudoto and told him:"Drink it while it's hot. Add sugar if you want it to be more sweet!" and sugar surely was needed for this kind of black-lemon tea was really bitter. Takashi didn't mind this bitterness, since it would encourage him to be a little more talkative during the meal.
After he took a sip, Takashi turned more noticeably to Kashizudoto and started a conversation:"So, Kashizudoto, tell me more about Sarutobi. Does your clan also use some kind of animals as aid? Do your people also have some noticeable features?" - he was referring to whiskers, cat ears and tails that some of Nekomatas had. However he didn't have any of those features, at least not that he was aware of, since he had never really seen a normal person compared to a Nekomata.
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"I will have one too," Takashi declared to Ayame, the waitress, after he heard Kashizudoto's order, then adding, "Also could you bring us two cups of hot water?" Huh? What did he need hot water for? And why was he getting some for Kashizudoto as well? Did this have something to do with the citrus fruits?

"Sure," replied the waitress. She and Teuchi were always so cordial, especially with Kashizudoto. It was really relaxing to have two dedicated people at the stand.

The cups with hot water, predictably, arrived first. Kashizudoto liked his water cold, so he was going to wait for it to cool before he drank it. However, Takashi also took no interest in drinking the water as it was. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a lemon. He then took two slices of it and put one in each cup - making some of the hot water spill, as the cups were filled to the brim. So that's what he was doing. He was making tea! To tell the truth, Kashizudoto had never had tea before, but the idea had always interested him. Next, Takashi pulled out a packet of ingredients, adding them to the lemon tea - turning the water black. Looks like it was now complete.

"Drink it while it's hot," the boy said as he pushed one cup towards Kashizudoto, "Add sugar if you want it to be more sweet!" What a nice kid, to offer his friend a treat like that.

He'd always heard that things like tea and coffee were bitter; however, Kashizudoto learned - in an Academy science class - that he was genetically predisposed not to taste bitterness, at least not as strongly as other people.

What happened in class that day was kind of interesting. They all sat down at their seats as usual, but they had a slip of paper in front of them. He assumed it was just for an experiment, like perhaps a piece of litmus.

"You all have a piece of paper? Lick it," said the science teacher, surprising all the Academy students that day, including Kashizudoto. Everyone took it as a joke.

"I said: lick it," said the science teacher, adding, "I'm serious, go ahead and lick it." So everyone proceeded to do as he told. After a second or two, a ton of his classmates started making comments about how disgusting it was. Some people yelped and got their tongue off the paper. As for Kashizudoto, he could taste absolutely nothing, just plain paper.

"Alright, said the science teacher, "Give me a show of hands on who tasted something gross." Almost every hand went up, but, of course, Kashizudoto still had no idea what everyone was freaking out about, so he didn't raise his hands.

"Whoever didn't taste that," said the the science teacher, "You've got a genetic predisposition to not taste bitterness. You know what that means? You won't have to put sugar in your tea or coffee!

Back then, it didn't mean much to Kashizudoto, but - now - it had a practical application. So he started drinking the tea without any sugar, and - HOOOOOOTTTTT!!!!! Kashizudoto's face turned red as he tried to contain all the pain of sipping too much of the hot tea. Good thing his friend was blind and couldn't see his agony.

Alright, so now he'd learned a lesson. Drink tea in small amounts, don't chug. So he took a small sip. It was refreshing. As he expected, the only taste was the lemon - which Kashizudoto found refreshing since he enjoyed sour tastes.

"Yum, thanks a lot Takashi!" said Kashizudoto, trying to put excitement in his voice. Although the burns in his throat weren't very enjoyable, he was used to it as an obsessive user of katon.

"So, Kashizudoto, tell me more about Sarutobi," Takashi said as he sipped tea, "Does your clan also use some kind of animals as aid? Do your people also have some noticeable features?" Family. It was a sensitive topic for Kashizudoto, who absolutely abhorred his insane parents.

"Well, we're pretty much a staple clan around her actually," said Kashizudoto, "We don't have animals or anything like that. What we're most known for is our mastery of the katon element and our devotion to the Will of Fire to the point where we are guided by it to victory. There are two interpretations of the Will that members of our clan follow: the sentinel path and the paladin path. Sentinels, like my crazy parents, are generally more conservative folk, tending to favor direct defense as a way to protect the next generation, which is - by the way - a very ridiculous path. Paladins, like me, are generally more liberal and open to new ideas, tending to favor a more active approach in order to carry out the Will. Our most famous member by far was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who people say had this giant gorilla as his summon."

WC: 1529

Seems like Kashizudoto enjoyed his tea. Takashi could hear him taking a huge gulp at the very beginning. Drinking hot tea so fast? Either he was really thirsty or he loved tea just as much as Takashi did. If it was the latter, then this friendship could last for very long. "Yum, thanks a lot Takashi!" was a proof that Kashizudoto really loved this tea. It's no surprise that the tea turned out to be such a success. Fresh lemon is a rarity and it should be consumed soon after it's harvested. And knowing Kodachi townsmen, there was no doubt that the harvest took place when the fruit were most ripe.
Drinking tea was almost like a warm up for a greater meal. This gave Takashi some more ideas. What about opening a tea stand? He could run it. He knew a lot about tea. People could order all kinds of teas. Black or red tea before a meal (or whenever you want), green tea after a meal (or also whenever you want). It could be a real success. Especially in cold of winter. Tea is the most efficient way to stay warm from inside during the cold months. What if this idea could bring him thousands of ryo? It was not set in stone, that a Nekomata must become a jounin. He could simply chase his dreams of serving everyone a tea!
After another daydream of running a tea stand and hearing the story of Sarutobi clan, it was finally time to eat ramen. Takashi knew that, because the good smell behind the counter only grew in strength. "So, about Sarutobi... How exactly do paladins carry out the Will of Fire? " he inquired before getting the meal. He sure hoped that their methods didn't contain burning stuff down using their jutsus.
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Teuchi finished the ramen, and Ayame served it. Yum, yum, some good pork ramen! He'd been to this ramen stand so many times before; Kashizudoto never really got bored of eating the same food over and over and over again. It was just so yummy: why would anyone get bored of ramen? Since Kashizudoto had already burned his throat with the hot tea, he proceeded to eat the ramen very carefully - making sure that it was at a normal temperature before slurping it down.

Looking back, it seemed that this guy had a real obsession with tea. Like a really serious one. They went through the Dense Forest just to find citrus fruits for his tea, and, now, he had made tea at a ramen stand. Perhaps his clan had a penchant for tea? Kashizudoto couldn't imagine the ninja cats drinking tea, but, perhaps, that was the case.

"So, about Sarutobi..." inquired the blind boy, "How exactly do paladins carry out the Will of Fire?" All Kashizudoto had mentioned was an "active approach". He didn't even mention the Kekkei Genkai and such.

"Well," said Kashizudoto, "As I said, we are more about actively confronting the problem than shielding the next generation. In other words, we recognize that offense is the best defense. Therefore, our techniques focus on using katon as it should be: for attacking enemies who threaten the village. Our techniques, such as the Sword of the Will, reflect that by amplifying our strength rather than creating a defensive maneuver. As I said, the sentinels focus on directly shielding the next generation rather than actively facing the problem. That's why their techniques, such as the Shield of the Will, are defensive. I hope that makes sense." Hopefully, the blind boy didn't think of Kashizudoto as some brash kid who went around destroying buildings in the name of the Will of Fire.

"Hey," said Kashizudoto, "Have you ever considered opening up a tea stand in your spare time? I know one fine Hyuga shinobi who also owns a bakery when he's off-duty. Perhaps you could consider something like that?" He was being serious about this. It would be really cool for the blind boy to turn his apparent hobby, making and drinking tea, into a part-time job.

After getting the response, he went back to eating his ramen. Tasty, but after getting the burns in his throat, he really made an effort not to slurp. Slowly, while daydreaming about getting a katana for the 1000th time (seriously, he really needed to buy one right away), he finished his bowl of pork ramen.

"Yum," said Kashizudoto as he threw some ryo on the counter, "I'll be off then. Takashi, can you catch up with me when you're finished?" With that, he made off. What an interesting day.

WC: 2005

[Exit]

Doton: C -> B: 2000/2000

When he heard a bowl placed in front of him, Takashi thanked the servant and dug right in. The taste of lemon didn't linger on his taste buds at all, he could fully experience the ramen. Because he couldn't exactly see what he was eating, Takashi just poked with his chopsticks in the bowl hoping to pick something up. The main ingredients Takashi could distinguish were, of course, pork and noodles. Spices made pork delicious. You could also notice subtle taste of onions. Takashi liked onions in his food.
When Kashizudoto explained the way of Sarutobi Paladins it made so much sense. While on the task to Kodachi town, Kashizudoto had demonstrated the power of a Sarutobi Paladin and his Will of Fire. If the young Sarutobi kept on training, it was sure that he would make a fine jounin one day. But the praising of Paladins made Takashi wonder about balance. Was the third Hokage a Sentinel? Because the third Hokage was the one to work on peace treat with the other Great Nations. If the new generations of Sarutobi all choose to be Paladins, wouldn't that make them thirsty to show their power to other Great Nations and potentially provoke another war? This Will of Fire stuff worked Takashi over too hard.
But this overthinking was broken by Kashizudoto asking:"Have you ever considered opening up a tea stand?" What a coincidence! Takashi had just thought about it while preparing the tea for both. "Why, not really," Takashi lied, "I mean it sounds like something very hard to do. But that bakery you mentioned? Who runs it?" hearing some other ninja working on a similar job sounded like a great opportunity to get experience and tips for starting.
Takashi was still working on finishing his ramen bowl, when Kashizudoto got up. He obviously had finished the meal, so he asked:"Takashi, can you catch up with me when you're finished?" this question was a sign of clear friendship. Some would've got tired of being in each others presence after almost a whole day, but Kashizudoto didn't seem to think like that. Despite that, Takashi didn't want to push this boundary of friendship just yet, so he responded negatively:"Sorry, I think I will be heading back to my home for today. See you some other day!" If Takashi were a normal boy, he would now see Kashizudoto off and only then return to his meal. Instead Takashi just heard him off and returned to his meal.
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[Exit]
1107 words in total
Training:
Endurance from D-0 to D-1: 325/325 + 25 ryo
Reaction time from D-0 to D-2 725/725 +75 ryo
Leftover: 57 words