As Ryozan pensively walked through the streets, he couldn't help but overhear a bit of an interesting conversation, seeing as everything was eerily quiet. A woman was warning a boy to stay inside, but the way she spoke... she knew something. What's more, Ryozan knew that woman, or at least he knew of her. She was Furenji Matsuka, a well-known Jounin called the "beastmaster." He hadn't had the opportunity to work with her just yet, but he figured that since he was now a Jounin, he would be meeting her eventually. Now would be as good a time as any to introduce himself, and perhaps manage to get a little hint as to what was apparently about to happen. He tucked the Imperial scroll into one of his pockets, though the seal was still visible to anyone with astute eyes; perhaps this was a subconscious way of asking for advice, since an open discussion about joining the Empire wasn't exactly the safest thing to talk about.

 Ryozan took a seat at the ramen stand, leaving an empty chair between Matsuka and himself, and ordered a small bowl. He wasn't very hungry, but it would look ridiculous if he sat down at a stand without ordering anything. He doubted that Matsuka would recognize a new Jounin like himself, so he figured it would be up to him to break the ice. "This has been some strange weather, hasn't it senpai?" he said in a calm, even voice. He looked over at the woman to see her reaction, unsure if he ought to offer her a handshake or not. Introductions were always rather awkward for him.