Shopping Spree [Closed]

“My, my…” Her soft, ever calm expression was fixated on a small shelf on the equally small room provided by the country, as a thanks for choosing to become a ninja. She was running out of a few spices, as well as some medicine. Shinobu wasn’t exactly sick, but keeping her stock up was just a way for her to be better safe than sorry. “Okay, I’ll go ahead and do some shopping today!” Hands on her hips and what little of a chest she had çpuffed up as she proudly announced her plans to none other than herself. After checking her small fox-faced coin purse and its contents, Shinobu soon headed out of her home.

Unlike the night, the hot sun and the clapping of her sandals hitting the paved road brought a sense of joy. The sentries upholding the militaristic state were a lot more lenient, so the overrall look of the village was a lot more lively. “Ehehe, so many things… Plenty of bargaining!” Lost in several booths and street vendors, Shinobu eventually came across one that was new, at least in her eyes. Much like everything else around, it was rather simplistic in design, a booth with several medical supplies below and a sign saying medical supplies. “Uhm, excuse me, good morning!” Shinobu greeted the vendor, a tall young boy. “Do you have some general medicine? I’m looking for some anti-venoms for snakes and scorpions, and some painkillers. Maybe some medicinal herbs for tea would be great as well…”

The jet-black haired girl glanced over all the supplies available, trying to identify them on her own as she waited for his response.

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Shinobu’s calm gaze, soothing and somewhat innocent visage hid how her vision was stealthily all over the place. She wasn’t your easy to buy customer, no. The noirette knew how to choose the things she wanted to buy, and that was evident by how thoroughly she was aware of the merchandise visible in the booth by the time the boy spoke up. “My, I bet that it is excellent merchandise then.” Despite how young she appeared to be, she had a way to carry herself that was definitely unbecoming of her age.

Things seemed to take a different turn when the shopkeep decided to ask her how much she had. Shinobu’s mind raced when the final word rang in the back of her mind; this was a declaration of war. She may not exactly have a booth herself, but the majority of money she had on herself came from bargaining and sweet words when selling her pictures or drawings. Giving away the other party how much she had on her was similar to surrendering a battle for the country, to give up on her right to bargain for a better price.

Although the wheel of fate turned inside, on the surface, Shinobu still had the same graceful and gentle aura about her. “Oh, is that so…” She checked her bag, pulling out a fox-plushy coin purse. After checking it a bit she spoke up, “About 22,000 ryo.” Considering most D rank missions awarded around 5,000 ryo for being completed, that seemed like a decent amount of money for a genin like herself. Of course, she still had much more left up her sleeves. “I wonder if that is enough to buy any of them? I could do without the tea herbs, if not...” Her soft features turned subdued, and her visage quickly turned into one of disappointment. She wore a mask - all for the sake of fishing for the best prices. Although she had no ill intent, she wouldn't let herself be fooled.

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Thankfully, his reactions have been pleasing so far. This was evident by the fact that, despite having set up a rather average number of ryo for this specific situation, his demeanopr did not change. “A deal sounds like a wonderful problem solver for my limited budget.” she played her part, laughing nervously at her own statement. However, when she heard him ask about her background, she intentionally hummed for some time before answering his question.

“Well, I can answer that inquiry of yours, if you are willing to answer one of mine. I wonder, does that make this a deal inside of a deal?” She raised her index finger to her lips, pondering over her own statement. If Chomei accepted her attempt at bargaining, she’d lean over with her right hand covering one side of her mouth, “Anti-venoms and herbal teas are not the only merchandise you have for sale, yes?” she whispered before winking at the shopkeep. The noirette stopped leaning over soon after asking her question.

If she received any positive signal, she’d smile like she has been doing so the entire time. “I see. A very interesting booth you have, Mr…?” Shinobu paused, long enough for Chomei to introduce himself if he wanted to. “If you were wondering, indeed, I am a kunoichi of the stone.” She produced only the slightest bit of her headband from inside her light blue kimono, tucking it away into the pocket again. “In any case, what exactly is that long-standing deal you have mentioned?”

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Amidst their exchanges, Shinobu’s lips couldn’t hold the excitement of finding someone that could hold their ground, even though she was being a bit on the offensive if she so said herself. Fishing for lower prices and trying to get into the most secretive or better wares from the get go was something that most traders weren’t exactly happy with. Even her supposedly limited budget was not enough to change Chomei’s demeanor towards her, and by this point she was pretty much sold on the young boy’s merchandise. “Morita-san, hmmm…?”

Chomei then procceeded to explain the deal. As the words flowed out of his mouth, Shinobu nodded her head along as though those words were music to her ears. Striking a deal was always her thing, and the negotiations have been sailing smoothly so far, “I would not mind taking up your offer on this dea- oh?” When the tall boy leaned closer, she reciprocated his movements. It was just as she thought - where there were antidotes, poisons were most likely somewhere around the corner, just like light and shadow. The pride splattered on his face volumes about how much he valued his own merchandise.

“If you are okay with a humble ninja such as myself, then we have a deal. I look forward towards our future. I do not need too much anti-venom — enough for a few creepy crawlies that have a rather dangerous bite. Pain-killers are a must for my parent.” her adoptive parent, “Oh, and I’m not picky about which tea flavor to purchase…” This time around, she settled for something simple. “I am going to settle for genmaicha if you have any.”

If the boy proceeded to make her orders a reality, she would question, “Morita-san, from a ninja to a ninja, would you like to try out the effects of your poisons sometime?” Shinobu hoped that that small exchange would be enough to hint at an indirect sparring invitation.

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