The Great Scroll Heist [Forbidden Fruit Quest]

“I do not know the Transformation technique but if you want me to get into the hospital.” Reo reached out to try to grab Fuu’s shoulder as he talked. He wanted her to stop skipping and listen to him seriously. “Then shoot me with whatever you’ve got. I’m a tough person. I can take it. Also, if it helps you be mad enough to hit me with fire, I cannot see you as a Medical Ninja. I am imagining you just burning wounds close. Searing….I don’t know. There’s a word for it.”

Reo braced himself for the impact. This was going to hurt


[post 5: 104 words]

Ryo was trying to insult her, and he was assuming that she wasn’t serious, okay it worked to make her angry. She sharpened her face and glared at him, ”Not what I meant Ryo~. I just meant if you had it I wouldn't need to sneak you in, and I’m not going to turn your arm into a useless husk just cause I’m made. My poker face is happy, you can make yours serious but learn to read in. Her face brightened back up considerably. ”Besides, Fuu is going to volunteer and get some free training out of it before the sun sets.~” her voice was back to being bright and happy, but there was an edge to it now as she walked farther into the city.

(127)

“If you say so. Hey, so are we even sure the scrolls will be found under the hospital. That seems really strange and...well, insecure.” Reo said as he thought about the place his clan stored scrolls. It wasn’t exactly the most secure. And….actually, he had the Ryu Caller scroll on him still. That wasn’t the most secure place for a scroll…”Okay, actually, who am I to critique them. Still, we are foreign shinobi in this land. Perhaps there is some kind of liaison office where we could begin to gather information?”

Reo pondered thought. Could he go to the liaison office and try to get a meeting with the Kage? Surely the Kage would have the scrolls nearby. He could just sneak off before meeting him once he was let in the main doors and then search throughout that area while they just assumed he didn’t show up for the meeting.


[post 6:154 words]

Fuu sighed as she got closer to the ramen shop she had subtly lead them too and turned around to him before they went in side. ”You’re right I am sort of making an assumption but I was kind of thinking that we would be like, snooping around later at night. I can’t really say one way or the other, it’s really gonna be difficult but it’s all one building see. It’s a big network but you’re probably right about the scroll, if it goes to the Kage’s office it’s probably inside the Kage’s office or somewhere next to it. How bout this, we go in seperate ways and meet back up inside. For now though, before it gets to night time let’s eat, no need to be hungry doing stuff right?” She entered the store that she had subtly lead him to, Ichiraku Ramen. Maybe she thought it was funny but on the other hand, maybe Fuu hadn’t been bluffing to that guy at the gate.

(167)

Agreed about the food - though only because it would be better to move about a little later. It is near dinner time, regardless so I am sure you are hungry…” Reo trailed off as they entered the shop. He had just enough time to glance the name at the top of the shop. Ichiraku Ramen. “You….I thought you were kidding...I’ve told you I’ve never eaten ramen before, yes? My body is a temple and I shall not defile it with this….this…. I don’t even know what this is but I shall not eat it! How am I supposed to attain the level of physical skills I need to defend the world from spiritual menaces..”

Reo lowered his voice at that point, not wanting to be overheard by the casual observer. “Like the dragons mentioned in the scroll…. If I eat ramen”

[post 7: 146 words]

Fuu just looked at Reo flatly and rolled her eyes. ”I think that food that’s good enough to feed one of the previous Hokage will be fine besides you haven’t even seen it yet!” She slid into a seat at a booth and raised her hand. ”Excuse me! Can I get two bowls of pork ramen with Narutomaki cakes. One with extra pork and green onions.” The shop owner nodded at her and moved over to his pot to prepare the ramen for them. ”comin right up little lady.” It only took around five minutes for the bowls to be delivered. The bowl was packed high with noodles, pork slices, green onion’s celery and a narutomaki cake right on top as advertised. It was beautiful. ”Well what are you waiting for! Dig in!”

(133)

Reo reluctantly followed Fuu into the booth - sitting opposite her. She ordered for both of them - which only showed that she ignored his protests that he would not eat ramen. After five minutes of extremely uncomfortable silence wherein Reo contemplated running from the shop in search of real food, the ramen showed up. It was a bowl of some sort of noodle - which was something Reo often avoided in his dishes. He found noodles to be empty carbs and wasn’t needed unless one was planning a particularly arduous training exercise the following day. It did have pork - which was meat and full of protein. That was good, though it was topped with whatever that Narutomaki cake that Fuu had mentioned was. It was something Reo had never eaten before so he contented himself with poking it in order to see if it was alive.

“Na-narutomaki cake? I have no idea what this is - though I can identify what else is in it which is good.” Reo said, doing his best to sound optimistic though knowing that he likely failed miserably


[post 8: 180 words]

Fuu laughed, as Reo poked at the ramen and especially the fish cake while she started eating the noodles. ”Reo it’s just fish, and the ramen has lots of protein in it, and veggies, when it’s good ramen anyhow it can be the full meal that you really need. The stock is boiled nutrients out of pig bone and it’s delicious. Besides, If you try it and don’t like it, I’ll pay for barbecue next time we go out, the whole meal plus anyone else you wanna bring.” Sure bribing him was sort of a low move here, but she couldn’t believe he was gonna be so snooty as to turn down ramen as junk food. She pulled the cake out of her bowl and ate it, the fishy flavor was a nice refresher from the heavy pork flavor. She smiled at him from across the table and blew on another set of noodles that she slurped up. ”And if you don’t eat fast, the noodles get soggy and it’ll be ruined.”

(172)

“This seems like a bad meal, but I think it would be considered disrespectful if I did not eat it?” Reo said, mostly to himself. Sure she said the broth was made from pig and so should be filled with protein, but he wasn’t so naive as to think that was accurate. Most likely it was mainly salt. Hmm, could he get them to just bring him pork and veggies? No, that wouldn’t do. That was probably disrespectful, as well. “I think I will have to eat it - though I do not need the bribe. Bribery isn’t good.”

Reo didn’t mean it in an admonishing way; he felt as if he was just stating facts. Still, it may have come off as such. Hopefully Fuu knew Reo well enough by now to know that it wasn’t intended if it did come off that way.

Reo carefully began to eat the food. He started with the noodles, then moved on and tried some of the pork, veggies, and finally the cake roll fish thing. Truth be told, the food was rather good. He still didn’t think one should eat it often lest they lose progress gained physically, but it was hard to turn down a meal that was sitting in front of him and tasted as good as this one did


[post 9: 220 words]

Fuu giggled at least he looked like he was enjoying the ramen and that was enough for today. She finished her own bowl and drank the broth. It was going to be hard from here on, getting inside was the easy part they were going to need to be able to get out. Fuu lifted herself out of her seat and hopped up. ”Welp I’m gonna go get started, it’s not that late so they shouldn’t be too surprised to see me.” She skipped out of the shop and down the street towards the main building of the town. This would be the easiest way to get in, she was staring down the huge building and it was going to be just another few steps to get inside.

(128)

Reo finished his noodles around the same time as Fuu - though he neglected the action of drinking the broth. That was simply too much. The broth would have collected much of the flavor but little of what made it good for him - though, the noodles were most definitely not healthy. Still, it was a good dinner.

As Fuu took off, Reo got up and sauntered out of


the shop - plan in his head. He would approach the liaison first. The liaison would be reluctant to grant an audience tonight, so Reo would say that he was supposed to present himself to the Hokage immediately upon arriving. That should give his words more weight.


[post 10: 110 words]