Issei wanted to treat his time in Konoha a bit differently than his time in Suna. Certain things in Sunagakure definitely caught his fancy, especially historical landmarks and the architecture, but being in the middle of a smoldering desert was a miserable existence, at best, if he was being honest with himself. That was what he thought, at least, having grown up in a place that was shrouded in a semi-permanent mist and always cool and humid. Sunagakure had been mostly business, as a result, because there was nothing particularly "fun" that Issei wanted to do, other than visiting the aforementioned landmarks and also recruiting for Ninshiki in the Bazaar. Now, Konoha had a shopping district just like any other major village, but Issei didn't want to do the same thing that he had done in Kiri and Suna. This time, he was going to do everything that he knew to be popular and "touristy" in Konoha, and enjoy his time there, and any shinobi that he met along the way that he got a good feeling from, he would try and explain Ninshiki to them, and recruit them that way. Sure, it might not have been nearly as direct, and as such he was less likely to find anyone who was interested based on Ninshiki's technological and combat prowess, but he didn't mind having to rely on his personality to win anyone over. He was becoming more of a natural charmer with every passing day, after all.

And so, Issei's first destination within Konoha was the world famous restaurant, Ichiraku Ramen. It had been a staple within Konoha that everyone in all five nations had heard of at least once, and plenty of high-status people had eaten there over the decades since it opened, ranging from renowned shinobi to Kage to Daimyo. Issei was eager to try it for himself, especially since he had run out of food on the way to Konoha and was practically starving by the point that he entered the restaurant, brushing the banners that hung in front of the building aside and sitting down at the second seat to the left. There were two other people there with him, eating quietly, and Issei looked them up and down before turning his attention to the man who was standing behind the bar. "Hello! How's your day going, sir?"

The man smiled and replied, "Oh, my day is just fine so far. How is yours? And what can I get you?"

"Mine is wonderful. I'm happy to be in Konoha, finally. Just traveled in from Suna. And, hmmm..." The Chuunin looked over a small menu attached to the wall behind the man, and said, "I'll have the shoyu ramen, thanks." The man nodded, starting to prepare the meal while continuing conversation. "Suna, huh? And you're wearing a Kiri headband, too. You must do a lot of travelling." Issei had forgotten that his headband was around his neck, but he agreed politely. "Yes, I try to. I wish I could spend all my time travelling, if I'm being honest with you, but that's not always practical when you're a shinobi and you have responsibilities and all of that."

There was a certain elegance and clarity which came along with a good night’s sleep. It had a way of making the world seem newer….sharper. However, Shinako hadn’t felt the warmth of her bed as an embrace in months now. Its heat baked her nightly, bringing forth a beady sweat that soaked into her sheets and kept her awake. She would have to replace her thin mattress soon, as it was starting to bring a stale smell to her entire room. The thought made the Kunoichi’s nose crinkle as she donned her sunglasses and exited the front door of her office for her lunch hour.

Her deft fingers absentmindedly plucked a crumpled, red packet of cigarettes from the front pocket of her grey uniform jacket. Her right hand fumbled briefly in her pocket for the dented lighter she had been using since picking up what her brothers had called a ‘nasty’ habit. The woman dragged gently as her thumb flicked the flames to life at the end of the cigarette, and then inhaled deeply as she stowed the pack and the lighter once more. Shinako let the cigarette hang loosely from her pink lips, and savored the taste of smoke on her tongue. Part of her still hoped that nobody along the street would recognize her as she indulged. A larger part of her did not care.

After about a block, Shinako had made up her mind about what she would eat that day. She was feeling sloppy and tired, and might as well treat herself to some comfort food. It had been almost a year since she had last eaten at Ichiraku’s counter, and she thought about how strange that really was. People came from around the world to have one meal there in a lifetime, and during festivals waited in long lines to eat the noodles out of cheap plastic tubs. Shinako walked by the place at least a dozen times every week, and had long since stopped seeing whatever magic a foreigner could find there. Even now, as she approached, the thought quickly slipped from her mind, never having fully formed in the first place.

“You can’t smoke that in here.”

The man’s voice sounded flat, but almost friendly, calling out from behind the counter with practiced indignation almost before Shinako had cleared the curtain at the entrance. The woman’s face twitched visibly in slight annoyance as her eyes adjusted to the light. She took a long drag and leaned back through the hanging barrier, billowing a white cloud into the air and flicking the butt of the cigarette far into the middle of the street. Both gestures drew a stern look from a passing peace officer, who shook her head and continued on. Sweeping a stray strand of hair behind her hair and back into the tangle of her messy bun, Shinako made her way to the counter, taking a seat just two stools to the left of a stunning white-haired man.

Once seated, she plucked the sunglasses from her face and unabashedly appraised the stranger. He wore the symbol of Kirigakure visibly around his neck. That was exciting. A smile that bordered more on genuine than polite touched the edges of Shinako’s mouth as she took in that detail. She dropped her wallet on the table, as was the custom in the Hidden Leaf.

“The Hakodate with the works, please. A warm Sake, medium.”

The host eyed her skeptically, only the find her gaze still drawn to the stranger. With a shrug, he went about his business. Shinako clipped her sunglasses to the front of her jacket by the arm, and crossed her legs to perch more comfortably on the old barstool.

“Is the weather out in the Hidden Mist nice this time of year?”

630/630

No sooner than Issei finished speaking with the man did a woman enter the establishment, wearing sunglasses and a uniform jacket, looking cooler than most of the people Issei had seen in Konoha thus far. She had her brown hair tied carelessly into a bun, and she had a stern expression, similar to Issei's own. The guy Issei had been talking to explained that she wasn't allowed to smoke in the restaurant, so she tossed her cigarette butt and took a seat, removing her sunglasses and crossing her legs while she was at it. Issei watched all of this unfold in his peripheral vision, but he kept his direct gaze focused on the ramen shop employee, in case their conversation continued. After a few seconds, the possibility of that seemed slim, as the employee was now distracted and paying more attention to preparing their meals; the woman had ordered a Hakodate and a Sake. Issei took note of the smoking and the daydrinking...perhaps she was under a lot of stress lately? Or maybe just stuck in habits, as everyone was at one point or another. Regardless, it added to her overall tough appearance, to say the least. Issei was interested, because she seemed to have personality. He finally turned to face her as she asked how the weather was in Kirigakure during that time of year.

The shinobi wondered whether she had overheard his conversation with the host or she had just noticed the Kirigakure headband around his neck, but either way, he answered with a polite smile. "It's nothing all that special. Usually cloudy, but every once in a while a sunny day graces our pale faces. The weather here is much nicer." He brushed his hair back behind his left ear to keep it out of his eyes before continuing. "I'm Issei, by the way. Issei Momochi. And I assume that you're from here?" He was still largely unfamiliar with the village, having mostly visited locations outside of its borders and out in the wilderness, for no reason other than the fact that the nature of Hi no Kuni was breathtakingly gorgeous, and certainly worth crossing a river or hiking through the woods to experience. Issei had turned his body to face her, so that she had his full and complete attention, as he rested an elbow on the bar counter and placed his hand in it nonchalantly.

[Leaving this thread and turning in the words.]

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