"Nostalgia Over Noodles"

Masajiro woke up on the floor, his soda spilled all over the couch. He freaked and went into the shower room to grab a towel. Ami screamed when she saw him come in.

"Sorry! I'm sorry," he said, as he grabbed two towels and went to clean up the mess.

Ami stepped out of the bathroom dressed, her hair in a towel.

"I'm done now. You can go in if you need to," she said, nervous.

"I'm sorry- about- that," he said, halfway blushing.

"It's ok," she said, putting an arm on his shoulder, then walked away, her towel dripping on the floor as she walked into the kitchen.

So Masa decided to hit the shower too. As he got in, he noticed the shower gel had tops that had the likeness of Menchi the Seal and another had Tidus on the label.

"You can't be serious," Masa commented, almost tired of this so called womans affinity with everything connected to little kids.

He got out and wrapped himself in a towel. He opened the cabinets and reached up for a cup of noodles. Ami turned away from him and blushed.

"Masajiro- you really should put on some clothes."

"What? It's not like I'm nude or anything," Masa sneered, turning to her.

She blushed, turning away from him. She couldn't help noticing how built he was; she ignored this, however, and went on with her business as Masa went about his.

He moved into the living room with this bowl of steaming noodles. He mixed in the flavoring with his chopsticks as the doorbell rang. He grunted in annoyance and answered it.

"Taro?"

Sure enough, Taro stood outside, shivering in his nothing of clothes.

"Since when do you live here?"

"Since last night."

"Listen- I kind of need a place to-lay low."

"I'm not sure Ami would want-"

"Please man! Let me in," Taro pleaded.

"Masa- who's at the door?"

"Uh- mailman," Masajiro lied nervously.

"Oh- he must have a package," Ami said, rushing to the door.

"TARO!" Ami said, outraged.

"Shh," Taro pleaded, looking around himself.

"Please let me in for a few minutes at least."

"I'll let you in alright," Ami said, pulling him in by his ear. Masa shut the door behind him.

"What- did you- think- you-were doing- when-you-fought-the law," Ami said, between hits.

"I'm sorry lady."

"LADY?" she yelled, outraged.

"Ma'am. But please- I need somewhere to stay a couple days. Please forgive me."

"Why should I?"

"I know you're in need of some money and I can help."

"Who told you that?"

"I have my ways." he answered, matter of factly.

"Fine. You can stay."

"Yes," Taro said, immediatly sitting down in front of the telivision. He flipped to the same channels Masa had.

"Hey-what gives? Don't you have any good channels?"

"That's the same thing I said."

"So- what are you doing here, living with her?"

"Long story."

"I've got time."

Masa grunted in his lazyness, and the fact that he could never get a moment to just eat his food. He gave up, sitting his chopsticks down.

"Basically, I got evicted. Went to one of those hotels and Ami showed. She told me that to impress her friends, she told them and her brother that she lived with me. Her brother and I got into a fight- that is how we come here."

"Oh. Are you gonna eat those noodles?"

"Yes!" Masa answered, with the chopsticks to his lips. Masa slurped the few he'd grabbed.

"So- what happened with you in the bar that day?"

"Oh boy. Long story."

"I've got time," Masa answered, then proceeded to take another slurp of his noodles.

"I- I worked for the cops. I was a sort of bounty hunter. I was to do what they told me, nothing else. Well, I had a head for this yakuza, wanted alive. I went to capture him but was followed by the yakuza. They found out that I worked for the government, but I pleaded for peace. This yakuza hooker 'talked' them into letting my case go. When this girls boyfriend was killed and she wanted revenge she 'talked' me into joining the yakuza and attempting to find the culprit that killed him- so I did. They considered me a rogue and now, they want me for murder."

"You killed the dude who killed- the dude?" Masa asked, noodles hanging out of his mouth.

"No- I didn't KILL anyone. It just makes a better case to try and capture me."

"Oh. You want some noodles?"

"Sure."

As soon as Masa stepped out of the room Taro gobbled down Masa's. Masa stepped back in and Taro smiled with noodles all through it. Masa grunted as a stress vien appeared on his forehead.

"Why don't you just have those- I'll make more for myself."

Ami walked back in the living room where Taro was.

"I just want to let you know-" she started, fuming.

"That was a very dramatic story."

"It's true, nonetheless. The yakuza are after me too ya know."

"You're pushing it now."

"Oh- sorry."

Masa walked back in the room with another batch of noodles.

"What's your backstory, Masa?" Ami asked, her arm around Taro, who snuggled into her chest.

" I don't even want to know it," Masajiro said, sadly.

"That bad?"

"Yeah."

"Then that means it's good! Tell it!" Ami said, retreating to an interested fan stance, laying on her knees.

"Tell me, NOW!" Ami demanded.

"Alright," Masajiro answered, in a defeated tone.

"You guys- you know you're lucky to have your parents."

"Not that lucky."

"Believe me, you are."

"What- you lost yours or something?" Taro asked, intrusively.

Masajiro held his head down.

"Oh my God you did," Ami said. "How dare you ask that so insensitively! How dare you!" She said, hitting Taro.

"It's alright. They've been gone a while."

"Really?" Ami asked, sad, while Taro tended to the bruises that the violent female ninja known as Ami inflicted on him.

"Yeah. My father was murdered. He worked for- a crew of assassins. They were known as shinoke- the orchestra of four, as well as the orchestra of death. Three men, one woman. For some reason or another, the other three decided to betray and kill him. All he left me was a scroll of his words on martial arts- that's why I fight like I do- it was a style my father created. He died when I was fifteen. I've been alone ever since."

"What about your mother?" Ami asked.

"Never met her. As far as I know, my mother was some random pregnant hooker. I don't know who she is, or where she is. I have a good feeling she wouldn't care if she did meet me- didn't care all this time."

"You know what I think you should do?" Taro interjected. "I think you should find where these three people are. I think when you do- you should just kill them all!"

"Taro- what the hell?" Ami asked, shocked, under her breath.

"Not so easy when you have no clues," Masa added, eating his noodles.