Artimus Uchiha and the battle of the hunger.

Artimus was so dirty and tired as he walked by the stalls looking for one he would not be bothered at and perhaps had a decent cook, he himself was a very good cook and that helped him choose the stalls that had the best food. He eyes wandered over the stalls and people walking and talking about their daily lives how depressing he thought to himself. Suddenly he noticed a smell unlike the others so he wandered towards the stall and set his bottom on the stool and looked up at the menu and grinned when he saw they made cookies. Artimus smiled and softly asked for the owners attention. " Excuse me."

Editing in: http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t40342-xanadu-s-dome is where this takes place.

The center of town was bustling.  It was noon, and many of the hoshi patrons were out for lunch despite the colder weather.  The just hurried a bit faster.  Kaibo himself was kept warm by the multitude of cooking devices in his stall.  Fresh meat and vegetables fried on the grill right in front of passing customers, while a small oven below churned out batches of baked goods.

Business was doing OK.  Even though he kept his headband half tucked in his back pocket, not totally hidden but definitely not on front and center display, many of the towns patrons still knew him as a shinobi, and steered clear.  But enough didn't care or liked him enough to make the stand turn a small profit, and as long as it did, he would be here.  He loved the fresh air, the scents of the food he prepared all himself mingling with the town.

As he just turned away from the street for a moment to lift a fresh batch of cookies onto a stacked cooling rack, where they'd cool rather quickly, a small voice came from the counter.  He turned once again to see a small, dirty boy sitting on the farthest over stool.  Well, was it a boy?  His face was younger, but he was plenty tall.  Kaibo grinned at him anyway, a big small crossing the large, muscular mans face.  A customer was a customer.

"Ahhh, you've got good taste!  Welcome to Xanadu's dome, the jewel of Hoshi's square.  What can I get'cha?"  The man said, in high spirits, leaning forward to put his elbow on the counter and hand on his chin.

The kid seemed to have some trouble decided what he wanted. That was fine.

"Well, let me know when you decide" He said, turning back to his work.

Artimus was very hungry he had not eaten anything for some time. This was a problem for him his body demanded Large quantities of food to keep him going, he was not going to let hunger win. He smiled at the male ninja he knew from the reflection of some the cook ware that was hanging around the cook.

Artimus spoke a little louder than his usual tone of voice which was soft spoken. Clearing his throat he began to speak to the male Ninja with respect. He didn't know his rank so he guessed him maybe a Chunin class ninja since be was smart to hide his headband in his back pocket. "Excuse me ... Good sir may perhaps I see your cookies please?"

He smiled at the older boy honestly the cookies looked so damn good he almost cried from the smell. Reaching in his pocket he pulled a hand full of ryo, and set it on the table on silence but with a weird grin on his lips. His mouth beginning to salivate over the cookies. It was obvious he had never had one before, he asked the Cook Possibly chunin Class Ninja if he could buy them all.

The boy finally spoke. Kaibo turned his head inquisitively, keeping his hands on the food he was skewering. The kid was polite and almost offhand, but his face betrayed he was ravenous.

"Sure thing, kiddo. Just a sec." Kaibo finished the meat and vegetable skewer he was on and set it down on the wooden cutting board so he could rinse and wipe his hands dry. He proceeded to grab the now cooled cookie tray he had placed on the back counter earlier, positioning it on the counter in front the kid. He placed his weight on hands, a foot to either side of the tray, learning forward over the tray. Man, they did smell good. "12 ryo a piece, any kind. And they taste just as good as they look! Though if you dont mind me saying, you sure you dont want some real food? Got some real good stuff on the menu."

Ever since Kaibo had left the Galaxy kitchen with some hours to fill, Yuuma had found himself with the urge to seek out social contact in other ways. Granted, Kaibo wasn't gone from the kitchen for good, but sometimes it was still an empty feeling to not bounce cooking ideas off of. Truth be told, the food-focused shinobi often inspired Yuuma to be more creative with his cooking, but the home experimentation was resulting in mixed results. Some of it was...edible, and some of it would find its way into a bowl outside to be fed to the neighborhood cats. Thankfully, Yuuma had never retrieved a bowl to find a host of dead felines. This meant there was still hope for improvement, even if it would be slow going. Still, the need to seek out some manner of social acquaintance remained, and thus did Yuuma often find himself stopping off at the Xanadu's Dome for a lunch between jobs, or a dinner when he just didn't feel like cooking something for himself. Certainly not an everyday affair, but a place Yuuma did the favor of pointing people to when it was his day to direct traffic, and stopping in for meals to support one of the few friends he had managed thus far.

The curtain to the outside would sweep aside briefly, not allowing much of the kitchen heat to escape as he took his place at the bar. Yuuma didn't have a regular seat, instead usually electing to sit anywhere that would allow him to watch Kaibo cook. Sadly- or perhaps thankfully- Kaibo's frame typically blocked his actions in the almost comically small cart by comparison. Still, it was always nice to watch a master at work. "Good afternoon, Kaibo." Yuuma would greet the man with his usual polite smile. "The usual- Yakisoba and anpan, please. And throw a bit of chicken in with the noodles for me?" He asked, lifting a hand to simulate the universe sign for money. It was only after his order was taken that Yuuma would look over to the young man who had recently purchased a batch of cookies. "Friend of yours, Kaibo? The boy looks like he might clean your stall for a meal." It was a joke, but the monotoned young man was hard pressed to clearly display the difference in a joke and a statement.

WC - 395

Once again the live action version of Pig-Pen went into deep, silent thought when posed with a question. The kid sure was introspective. Kaibo found it amusing, but it wasn't his style at all. Luckily, after a second or two, Kaibos friend Yuuma from the Galaxy Cafe stopped in, taking one of the edge seats he seemed to love so much. Yes, Kaibo had noticed him leaning in to try and watch the food being cooked - cooking for another chef was like diagnosing another doctor. He didn't mind though. Another amusing traits, the younger folk here were full of em. It was endearing.

Kaibo stood full upright and dusted his hands off on each other, returning his greeting "Hey Yuuma! Sure thing,", He said with a wink and a finger gun, "I got you. coming right up." Kaibo told Artimus to take his time and let him know when he was sure, then turned back to the rear grill, which was really more of a pivot. A loose purple end of the ninja headband he had tucked in his pocket gently swayed from the motion. 'Large' Stall ,my ass, he thought. Maybe for those little old lady cooks. Still, he had gotten a good deal on it, so couldn't really complain. And he'd work his way bigger and better soon enough.

Kaibo first pulled the meat, neatly slicing it up into small thumb sized strips. Pouring a light coating vegetable oil into a pan, he tossed the meat in to cook first, while wiping down the surface then pulling out carrots, onions and bell peppers to cut up next, adding them once the meat had changed color. When water began to seep out from the vegetables, Kaibo would add a sprinkling of sprouts and some cabbage, the slide the noodles he had made earlier underneath it all, to absorb the flavor and loosen up the noodles.

He put a cover on it for a minute or two to let the noodles soften. "I haven't caught our new friend here's name yet" Kaibo said with a backwards nod toward where the kid sat in front of the cookie tray. "But he got out that stack of ryo himself, a full paying customer. And once he tries one he wont be able to stop himself from becoming a regular, right kid?" Kaibos hearty, short laugh lifted his frame and shoulders slightly.

He took the lid off the pan as the buckwheat noodles of the yakisoba began to loosen up. Grabbing an unmarked jar with a darker, home made sauce it it, Kaibo gently drizzled it over the food, then began to stir and mix the meal, while occasionally adding some light salt and pepper, until everything was evenly coated and cooked. He couldn't help but take in a deep whiff of the mixture as it finished cooking, that magical moment when it turned from separate, uncooked ingredients into one harmonious meal.

He'd pop the dish into a simple white square bowl, then turn to lay it down in front of Yuuma, with a pair of disposable chopsticks, right in front of the small iced tray on the counter that held the pickled ginger and other common toppings.

"There ya go! Tell me what you think - i've made the sauce just a tad less sweet and a little more savory." Kaibo paused for his moment to admire the plate in front of a customer. It was always good to acknowledge every little job well done to yourself. Small steps made big goals happen. Then he turned back to open a warming tray which held the mostly cooked pastries, where he removed an anpan to heat up and brown slightly in the already at temperature oven, to serve just a bit after the main meal.

Despite his propensity to want to learn how to cook, Yuuma did his best to not make it overly obvious he had been watching Kaibo cook, though truthfully he was just as forward about his observation in the kitchen. Kaibo was a skilled cook, and it showed in the way he handled the food and even managed to move about the tiny kitchen stall. A flash of memory came to mind, Yuuma expressing his desire to join Kaibo in his kitchen once he had the opportunity or inclination to hire on a chef at next to no cost. Truthfully, doing missions had given him more than enough money to sustain himself, not to mention the mountain of money he had to his name, to begin with. He could afford to only do missions, and work for Kaibo for free. An amused smile crossed Yuuma's face without him knowing as he imagined two people of their size trying to move around the tiny kitchen. It was a comical scene, to be certain. One that could be placed in one of those comics he had seen sitting among the shelves in the less rigid parts of town. Still, Yuuma would allow the chef the pleasure of cooking without the glaring gaze of a fellow chef burning a hole in his back. 

For a time, there was a silence over which only the sounds of cooking could be heard. The moment brought on reflection on the day, and the day before. Yuuma's mind wandered then to the words of the old man, Lewa. Iazowa Lewa. A strange name for a strange man. He considered the words that were offered during their meal the night before, pondering on the particular meaning of the man's words. The way he had spoken wasn't like a normal person. Most speak typically speak in half-truths or a compromise to the truth. But not him. Yuuma would find his eyes lingering back on Kaibo for a while, breaking from his thoughts as Kaibo spoke to him. "Yeah?" Yuuma asked in response, his gaze turning sideways for a moment. "Well if you do become a regular, this is my seat." He said in jest, motioning below him with a finger.

There was another small gap of silence where a thought rested on the tip of his tongue. Words churned in his mind, filtering through the tumbler that would eventually unlock a cohesive thought. Alas, it didn't seem like any words wanted to fall into place. What this meant is, Yuuma would be distracted long enough with the service plating, and Kaibo's explanation of the alterations to the dish before he would finally put forth his thoughts, jumbled as they might be. "So I met this guy." He started, not having put much thought into what track of thought that might spur. "An old man. Here in the village. I'd...say he's a nice guy, but he's not. He's drunk. A drunk, and a bother. But I've found myself endeared to him." It wasn't a complete truth or a complete lie. A display of his own folly.  "He asked me to come by his place later, he was an errand to ask of me that he cannot do himself, but it involves leaving the city." He said, letting that fact hang there for a moment.

"I know you don't care for ninja work, and technically this isn't, but it would be nice to not have to run this errand myself. Which...I don't exactly know how I am getting approved so we can get past the gate, so it might involve-" He paused, flashing a glance to the kid before lowering his voice some, "- an alternate exit from the city." He said before clearing his throat and raising his voice back up some. "Apparently the location is a day out, which means it might be two or three days worth of work. But if what the old man said can be believed, the reward for the errand might cover the cost of closed business." He said, waggling a brow at the large man behind the counter. "You don't have to answer now, as I don't even know what the job is, but think about it, huh? Bit of adventure, a bit of money, maybe get you something not so...cozy?" He asked, a roaming gaze sweeping around the cart.

Whether Kaibo had an immediate reply or not, Yuuma would dig into the food. It was all he could do to have completed the thought before finally allowing himself to enjoy something. First came a clap, a quick prayer, and a snap of the sticks. Right down the middle. A swipe across some exposed bean paste to give him a taste of the warmth of it before going into the noodles. A few modest bites of the food would see the young man groan a sigh of relief. "Damn." He said wiping his face with a napkin. "That is much better. The sweet kind of put me off a bit. Didn't have a lot growing up and while I enjoy the occasional candy here and there, it can taste awkward in other stuff." He cited, going back for more immediately after.

WC - 866
TWC - 1,261

Finishing up his meal, Yuuma would put down some coin on the table; enough for the meal and a generous tip. "Well, like I said, you don't have an answer now," Yuuma said before pushing himself up from the bar. "At any rate, gotta jet, work starts soon. But think about it!" He said, smiling to Kaibo, before looking over to the lad at the end. "You too, kid. Keep this guy busy." A thumb was jabbed towards Kaibo before Yuuma would sweep the curtain aside to take his departure.

[Exit, no claims.]

Kaibo found himself carefully considering Yuuma's proposal as he cleaned up from the food prep. Normally he would dismiss it out of hand as more ninja stuff, but his recent experience guarding the gate and his friendship with the boy made him hesitate. Should he actually do it? it probably wouldn't be that hard.

Before he came up with an answer, yuuma thanked him for the meal and left just the disheveled newcomer there, still salivating, with a few parting words. If the younger one wanted anything kaibo would sell it to him, then turn back to a busy day, the thought of real ninja work ruminating in the back of his head.

exit
1202 words
6 stats (5 chakra to 30, 1 health to 16)

338wc goes to finishing Genjutsu gormand skill (1662->2k)
remaining 864 towards B rank genjutsu Minor Command