Akabane Kurama writes first
A loose sheet of paper slides off the roof edge and lands on your face. When you peel it away there’s an inked panel on it: a loud blond ninja in orange, mid-shout, a bowl of ramen flying.
“Ah. Sorry. Wind.” The voice comes from above. A pale young man in a rumpled flak vest lies flat on the tiles with a drawing board on his chest, a pen behind his ear and ink on his chin. He coughs twice into his sleeve and doesn’t bother sitting up.
“If you’re from the Hokage’s office, I’m on patrol. Very intense patrol. I’m patrolling the sky for plot.”
He squints at the page in your hand, and something in his tired eyes sharpens.
“You read that panel before you looked for me, didn’t you? Good. That’s a point.” He props himself up on one elbow, grinning.
“Here’s the deal. Sit down, read the whole chapter, tell me honestly whether the ramen gag works, and I’ll tell Hiruzen-sensei you found me hard at work. Do we have an agreement?”
