Seeing no one at the gate, the quintet let themselves in and entered the village proper. What struck them first about the village was how portly many of its inhabitants were. The fact that this village was famous for its food certainly showed. All around them they saw markets, restaurants, buffets, and people indulging in one of the most basic and carnal desires of mankind: eating. However, they still saw no sign of a representative or a dignitary to greet them.
“Hmm, the instructions were to meet our contact at the front of the village,” Temari said. “I suppose we should just wait for them to arrive.”
“Oh come on. We could at least take a look around the village,” Tenten said in a not-so-entirely innocent jab at her authority.
“Well…alright, but don’t wander too far,” Temari relented.
And so the girls, except for Temari, all went off in separate directions, taking in the local activity. As Tenten explored the unfamiliar town, she happened upon a vendor selling various types of weapons. Just what she had been looking for.
"Well, hello little miss. How may I help you?" said the vendor.
"Well, I was wondering if, uh..." Tenten started as she gazed at the weaponry.
She saw many of the usual suspects. Your standard kunai, shuriken, daggers, knives, swords, all in various shapes and sizes. But then she noticed many strange tools that, honestly, she wasn't even sure were weapons. She saw multiple metal objects molded in strange contorted, jagged, and oblong shapes. If given to her, she wouldn't even be able to begin to guess how to use them.
"If, uh...you could tell me...what these...are...?" Tenten finished.
The vendor eyed her somewhat disparagingly. Tenten blushed in mild embarrassment.
"New to the Food Village, huh?" said a voice.
Slightly startled, Tenten looked to her right and saw a large man standing right next to her. He was rather heavyset, like many people in the village, but was adorned with all manner of weaponry. Or, again, what Tenten assumed was weaponry.
"Ah! Wasabi!" said the vendor. "Here for your order?"
"Naturally," said the large man, apparently named Wasabi.
"Hang on, it's in the back. I'll get it," said the vendor, and then proceeded to do so.
"Oh, you're a...shinobi?" said Tenten.
Wasabi chuckled. "Some say I may not look the part," he said as he laid a hand on his paunchy stomach. "But I am a proud member of the Food Village shinobi corp." He looked at Tenten who still eyed him somewhat quizzically. He saw the Leaf Village headband on her head, confirming his suspicions. "Oh, and don't worry about the weapons. Most outsiders are confused when they first see them."
Tenten looked back at the weapons on display in the shop. "Yes, well, many of them to seem rather...surreal," she said.
Wasabi laughed. "Well, that's the beauty of it," he said. "Like most things in this village, our weaponry is based on the digestive system."
"Digestive?" Tenten repeated.
Wasabi smiled and nodded. "As far as this village is concerned, to eat is to live, and when you disrupt the way your opponent eats, well...let's just say they're not gonna have a good time. And most of the weapons we use in this village are based around that principle."
Tenten considered his words. It still seemed a bit strange, but she supposed that the idea did have its own sort of bizarre sense of logic.
"Well, don't worry too much about it," said Wasabi. "As I said, you would need to become familiar with these weapons before you can use them. Maybe I can show you the ropes someday."
"Um...sure," Tenten said.
"Alright, Wasabi!" cried the vendor emerging from the back. "Here it is."
The vendor came bearing a large object wrapped up in some sort of fabric. He handed it to Wasabi who happily accepted it.
"Much obliged," said Wasabi as he paid the vendor. He then turned to Tenten. "The newest model. Gonna need it to help protect the village from..." Suddenly, Wasabi's cheerfulness faded and his tone became somber. "Well...I guess you know."
Tenten's face became somber in return. She nodded.
"...You're part of the team that's been hired to find her," Wasabi continued.
Tenten nodded again.
Wasabi placed a hand on her shoulder. "Be careful, alright," he said. "She's dangerous."
Tenten simply stared back at Wasabi with as much determination as she could muster, but she still a tint of fear in her gaze.
Wasabi removed his hand. "Well, happy trails," he said with as much of his previous bravado as he could, trying to lighten the mood. He turned and then went on his away.
Tenten looked at Wasabi as he walked away. She had barely even spoken with him, but she still felt she had grown something of a connection. She hoped dearly that she would see him again.
Then, suddenly, she felt something at the side of her feet. She looked down and saw a strange metal instrument. She picked it up to examine it, but had no idea what it was. It appeared to be similar to a metal claw that one might grip with one's fist, fitting the claw between two fingers, but the claw itself was thick and oblong and rounded at the end. She quickly deduced that it must be a weapon and must have belonged to Wasabi. She looked up and saw Wasabi had already gotten a fair distance from her.
"Mr. Wasa-!"
“TENTEN!”
Tenten turned and saw it was Temari who had called her. Temari had been rejoined by Ino, Hinata, and Sakura and was now in the company of a woman in a blue kimono; presumably their escort.
Tenten looked back and saw that Wasabi was practically out of sight. Though she wished to return the tool to him, she knew she couldn't hold up Temari and the others. Thus, she pocketed the tool with the intent of returning it to him at a later time. It was probably wasn't anything he would miss anyway. As well-armed as he was, he probably had a dozen of them. Her mind at ease, Tenten promptly rejoined her team.
