Natsuko liked Jinn. While the Jonin was clearly a lot more well-versed in the world than Natsuko herself, she had a sense of humor to her that didn’t say “I’m-a-broody-teen-don’t-mess-with-me” like the aura around “Zay” did. But, sadly, she’d have to make do with the mysterious white-haired boy that didn’t seem to be from any major or minor family in Konoha. No, Natsuko was pretty sure he was either from some ambiguous family that had lived in the village fringes or simply from another village altogether — the second of which was more interesting.

[color=indianred]“No problem. Maybe we could just walk around and grab an early lunch,”[/color] she suggested to Jinn with a grin. [color=indianred]“Worst comes to worst, we can just meet up here and head elsewhere every day.”[/color]

Beside her, Kazuhiko snorted lightly, but Natsuko paid him no mind. Instead, she skipped ahead to keep in pace with “Zay.” [color=indianred]“So, Zay,”[/color] she said, a mischievous grin on her face as she looked him up and down, [color=indianred]“where are you from? Who are your friends? How old are you?”[/color] Ignoring the second light snort from beside her — Kazuhiko, the stiff — Natsuko grinned at the boy she’d been hurling questions at. [color=indianred]“All I know is that you’re not from around here — I know all the boys in the neighborhood, and none of them have a head of hair that’s half as pale as yours.”[/color]

[color=indianred]“Oh, there’s a great ramen place just down the street to the left,”[/color] Natsuko said as the quintent neared the end of the street. [color=indianred]“Not that Kazuhiko-san has ever been there — or bothered to try — but it’s pretty good.”[/color] After a brief discussion — slight protest on Kazuhiko’s end — there seemed to be no better ideas, so to the ramen shop they went. 

“Natsuko! I see you’ve made new friends,” the wrinkled noodle maker said, lines accentuating his delight in some customers — new customers, to boot. “How can I help you four today?”

[color=indianred]“The usual for me, Gakuro,”[/color] Natsuko said, a grin on her face as she hopped on to one of the barside stools. Kazuhiko followed hesitantly, eyes flicking between the shopkeeper and his menu hanging on the back wall. 

[color=lightsteelblue]“I’ll get the udon with chicken broth,”[/color] he said at last, fiddling with the chopsticks in front of him.

[color=indianred]“Mother would approve,”[/color] Natsuko sniped as the others placed their orders, thanking Gakuro as he passed her a ceramic cup of steaming tea.

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