A good bowl of ramen was doing wonders for his nerves, and in spite of how much traveling he had done since the early morning Takeo was feeling refreshed through consumption. Ichiraku Ramen was one of the finer establishments in Konoha and rarely did Teuchi and his daughter receive complaints. The family took pride in their service and dedicated themselves to pleasing their customers as much as possible, and because of that dedication Ichiraku has secured itself as one of the most successful businesses in the Land of Fire. Quietly savoring every set of noodles he drew into his mouth, Takeo had soon realized he’d need to move on quickly. Matsuka had come out to join him and had done a very poor job in the only role she had to fill in until today; be casual, and keep your head down. That boy in there may have been seventeen, but odds are he wasn’t dumb enough to miss how painfully obvious Matsuka was making her association with a group behind the scenes.

The kid wasn’t the primary issue; he was young and for that Takeo didn’t think much of him, and if he wanted him dead he’d be dead. The problem was that a subordinate in the rebellion, Matsuka, was failing at a simple job of blending in. She was too cautious, too eager to speak with him even if the guise was under a ‘good friend’ and it was growing harder and harder to carry the weight of this immaturity. Any top associate of the Empire would’ve been able to pick up on this and determined who they are, but from what Teuchi had managed to whisper to him it seemed she had found struggle in remaining a simple ninja getting some lunch before heading out again. Instead the subtle hint of hovering a hand around her scroll would’ve been hint enough that she was overly cautious. Few men in the Empire were foolish enough to go against the will of the Empress, Nikuya’s occupation made certain that rules weren’t to be broken, only necks. He could ask himself why such a genin-level job was so hard for this girl, or he could try to recover even if she had likely destroyed any cover he might’ve given for her.

Swallowing another set of noodles, Takeo let out a sigh of enthusiasm and looked to the girl beside him. She wasn’t capable of a very simple task, and the rebellion didn’t get this far by holding onto people like this. At the very least she could have spoken to the owner of this fine establishment, or expressed how long it had been since she had a cigarette and excused herself, but when he stepped out she followed without hesitation. How in the hell did this woman reach Jounin?

[b]“You know that’s bad for you, the smoking I mean. You won’t be practicing your kendo for very long if you’re too busy gasping for air. Better get some gum.”[/b] Takeo had a lot of enjoyment with casual drinking, but he didn’t do it in abundance, and it didn’t pose a long-term health risk like smoking did. At the very least this served to make them what they were meant to be; people in an everyday situation, having coincidentally met at Ichiraku. Ninja knew each other in the same village, which was nothing new. For her sake, he ignored her a second time when it came to ‘what was happening’ even if she kept her voice low. Too eager, and showing inexperience and foolishness with every action she had taken. Having a verbal exchange of intense words with a hand near her weapon of choice, all with a boy half her age? Maybe she wasn’t cut out for this. Bringing his head through the decorative curtains, involving that kid in the conversation kept things reasonable, and no hushed talk would be suspected.

[b]“What do you think young man? Shouldn’t she find a new means of killing time? Like …I don’t know …that kendo training?”[/b]

Takeo honestly didn’t care about how much the boy would’ve figured out, because any probable profit would probably be met with laughter. Nikuya was a savage one, but it wouldn’t have been hard for her to process probable rebels, the issue was proving it, and if she would even bother to. A lot of desperate people across the nations had tried to sell false information to the Empire in order to make a profit, and for that when they were discovered, the punishment was agonizing and made to last. Without considerable proof, there was minimal chance any Imperial higher-up would take information seriously. But it wouldn't really matter in a few more hours, the occupation was coming to an end.

[i]‘Better learn fast, girl …you’re slipping…’[/i]