Chapter 21- Ramen Quest
The Crusaders were strolling down the marketplace, looking for something to inspire them on their next crusade for their cutie marks, for now without much success.
“I’m officially out of ideas, guys,” Apple Bloom sighed. “We helped Zecora out with cleaning her house and also collected herbs for her.”
“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle said. “We tried swimming in the lake, diving in the lake, floating on the lake…”
“We tried counting clouds, counting birds, catching birds…” Scootaloo continued.
“But are you all even interested in those?” Naruto asked. “Some of them seemed really boring to me, really…”
“Well, what are you suggesting? Didn’t you have any other hobbies back at that ‘Village Hidden in the Leaves’?” Scootaloo asked. “Except, you know, being a ninja and all that?”
“Hobbies…” Naruto repeated aloud, thinking about it.
“Or maybe something you really, really liked to do?” Sweetie Belle suggested.
“Hmm…” Naruto said, closing his eyes and deep in thought. “Well… I really, really, really liked eating Ramen.”
Naruto then froze, and suddenly started crying a river. “Oh, Ramen… My sweet, tasty Ramen! I have no idea how I lived so long without you…”
“Naruto?” Apple Bloom asked, a bit worried.
“The inviting smell, the slippery, soft noodles melting in your mouth… The delicious ingredients and their amazing flavor when they mixed together… Oh… How I miss you… How I miss all of you…”
“Uh… Naruto?!” Apple Bloom asked again, very worried.
“I can feel the end growing near… Oh, what’s the use…” he muttered, completely depressed, as he slumped on the ground, succumbing to Ramen deprivation. Several ponies stopped around the street to look at the crying adult pony.
“NARUTO!” the three fillies shouted together, snapping him back to reality.
“We ain’t got a clue what that Ramen is…” Apple Bloom said, smiling at Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.
“But we’re gonna help you make some!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
“And earn our…” Sweetie Belle began.
“RAMEN CHEFS CUTIE MARKS! BELIEVE IT!” the three shouted enthusiastically.
Naruto looked up at them in utter shock. “Are you… Serious?!”
“Yeah! Of course!” Sweetie Belle said happily.
“Anything for a fellow Crusader!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.
“Alright then…” Naruto said, rising back to his hooves, and wiping the Ramen-yearning tears from his eyes. “Let’s go and make some Ramen!” he called while raising his hoof up, completely rejuvenated.
“Yeah!” the rest of the Crusaders exclaimed.
“So… How do we make it?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Oh, right…” Naruto chuckled sheepishly, and gave it some thought. “Okay! First we’ll need to buy stuff to make the noodles!”
“We need… Umm…” Naruto mumbled, as he was thinking back to the time Teuchi, Ichiraku Ramen’s chef, showed him how to make it. “Right! Lots of flour, eggs and some salt!”
“I’ll get the salt!” Sweetie Belle called.
“I’ll grab some eggs from the farm!” Apple Bloom volunteered.
“And I’ll look for some flour, Naruto,” Scootaloo said and ran off.
“Whatcha doin’, Naruto?” a familiar voice suddenly asked from just behind him. Naruto jumped up, then quickly turned around, hastily reaching his hoof into his weapon bag, his instincts taking over for a moment. His muscles only relaxed when a pink flash entered his line of sight.
“Hey, Pinkie. What are you doing here?” he smiled, barely masking the feeling of his heart nearly popping out of his chest.
“Hey, I asked you first!” she objected.
“Oh, right. Sorry,” Naruto chuckled. “I was just trying to ma—”
“Just visiting an old friend. He’s a traveling merchant,” the pink pony explained, cutting Naruto off. “His name is Momo! Have you seen him?”
“Momo? Is he a pony? How does he look like?” Naruto asked in surprise. “That sounds like a name you’d give a pet monkey or something….”
“Yep-a-rooney! His real name is just really, really difficult! Even your crazy hard name is a piece of pie with ice cream compared to it! I can’t even remember it! So I just call him ‘Momo’!” she explained cheerfully. “He’s an old, blue Unicorn with a really long beard. Have you seen him?”
Naruto looked around, and sure enough, he could see one such pony on the other side of the street. He raised his hoof to show her. “He’s ov—”
“Ah, there he is! Thanks anyway, Naruto!” Pinkie said as she darted off, somehow leaving behind a cloud of dirt exactly her shape, which dissipated soon afterwards.
“Well… I’ll need some way to carry all the ingredients…” Naruto said, completely brushing off the last few minutes.
*****
Naruto had purchased from one of the vendors a simple, large, black saddlebag to carry the goods, and waited for the fillies to return.
“Alright! We have everything!” Sweetie Belle announced, coming back. Naruto grinned at his fellow Crusaders, as a sack of flour, a small bag of salt and a basket of eggs were unloaded into it. “Wait… How did the last one fit in?!” Naruto pondered.
“But, that just seems like we’re making pasta. Is Ramen some kind of pasta?” Apple Bloom asked, cutting his line of thought.
Naruto stared at her, bewildered, his eyes almost poking out of their sockets due to shock. “No! Of course not! Ramen is… Ramen is… Perfect noodles in a perfect, tasty liquid brew…”
“Alright, alright,” Scootaloo cut him off before he goes on and on about it. “So, what’s next?”
“Okay, now we need to make the broth… Hmm… The old man didn’t exactly show how to make it… But he always put some green rings in it…”
“Ah! We grow some at the farm!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “Those are green onions! I’mma go get some!” she said before running off.
“Thanks!” Naruto called after her.
“Okay, what else?” Scootaloo asked.
“Hmm…” Naruto muttered, the lines hidden under his forehead protector furrowing in thought. “Ah, right!” he finally exclaimed. “It also has a bit of a stinging taste… So maybe… Garlic!”
“On it!” Scootaloo saluted and ran off to find somepony selling the white veggies.
“And also… Soy sauce!”
Sweetie Belle arched a brow. “Soy sauce? Are you sure, Naruto? This starts to sound kinda weird,” she said skeptically.
“Don’t worry! Just count on me!” Naruto grinned from ear to ear.
“Well… Okay then!” she smiled, unable to deny the optimism in Naruto’s voice, which made it seem like a sure-work plan.
“Okay,” Naruto said to himself. “Now what else—”
“Hi again!” a voice practically shouted into his left ear.
Naruto had barely managed to contain the urge to either jump in fear or pull out a kunai, and settled for grabbing his chest, which its left side felt like it was gonna pop out, like before. He turned back to see exactly who he expected it to be, especially on account of what transpired earlier.
“Hey again, Pinkie,” he answered. “Are you done meeting Momo?”
“No, you silly filly! I came over to bring you to him! He said he wants to meet you!”
“Huh?” Naruto tilted his head in confusion.
*****
A few moments later, Naruto had nearly arrived with Pinkie to the shop at the farthest end of the marketplace. A huge, colorfully garish sign read ‘Momo the Merchant’s Otherworldly Goods’.” Each letter was painted on the sign in a different color, and below it was a drawing of a blue pony. It looked more like a birthday party sign rather than a business one.
“Guess who made that sign! I’ll give you three—no, five guesses!” Pinkie said very quickly, jumping once to Naruto’s left, and once to his right.
“Umm… You?” Naruto ventured.
Pinkie’s jaw dropped. “Woah, you’re good, Naruto! That other time he came to town his sign was all dirty and old, so I just had to make him a new one!” she explained. “Oh right, I forgot to ask you—can you mind read? Do you have a mind reading jutsu?!”
“No, but be quiet. I don’t want him to know I’m a ninja,” he whispered, as the two finally stood in front of the large, yet plain wooden cart to which bottom of the sign was attached. It was packed to the brim with all sorts of strange goods of all different categories, but it was a complete chaos. Weird plants, tools, and small pieces of furniture lay inside in a mess.
Behind the cart stood an aged-looking Unicorn with a royal blue coat. He had a lengthy, light gray mane, which fell over to the left side of his back, and a very, very long and relatively thin beard which nearly reached the ground. He had a yin-yang sign for a cutie mark, and his eyes were closed, but he immediately turned his head to where Naruto and Pinkie had arrived from, smiling calmly.
“Ah, there you are, Pinkie Pie. And that must be Naruto, I presume?” he spoke in a tone so soft and calm you could nearly drift asleep upon.
“Hiya again, Momo! Yup-indeedily! This bucko’s Naruto, and as he says, ‘Believe it!’” Pinkie laughed, her voice nearly completely contrasting his.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Naruto,” he smiled, bowing to him.
“Oh! Uhh… Nice to meet you too,” Naruto replied, slightly taken aback by him for some reason, and gave him a small bow as well.
Momo then walked to the front of the wagon and stood just in front of Naruto, surprising him. He then started circling him, causing him to tense up a bit.
“Umm… What are you looking for?” Naruto asked, slightly puzzled.
“Psst, Naruto!” Pinkie hissed, causing him to lean his ear in. “He’s blind!” she ‘whispered’ loud enough to be heard across the street. “He can’t look for anything!”
“That I am,” Momo said as he stopped circling Naruto, and stood next to Pinkie. “That is why I was more along the line of hearing and smelling.”
“You seem to be collecting some ingredients. I can smell fresh eggs, salt and flour. Oh, and a fox, for some strange reason. Are you making fox pie?” he smiled.
Pinkie burst into a laugh, and literally started rolling on the ground. “Hahahaha! Fox pie, he said! Isn’t he a cracker, Naruto?!”
“Hahahaha….” Naruto made a very forced laugh. “Yeah… Fox pie…”
“So, seriously now. What are you making? Perhaps I could be of help,” Momo said.
“I’m making Ramen. Not that you would know what that is…” Naruto replied, giving up on anypony in this universe knowing what it is.
“Hmm… No, I can’t say that I do…” he said, passing his front right hoof on his very long beard. “Are you looking for some ingredients? Maybe I will have something that will help you.”
“Hey, Naruto!” Scootaloo called. Naruto looked to the right to see the rest of the Crusaders arriving from down the street. “We’ve been looking for you. We got everything!” she said happily.
“Great job, Crusaders!” Naruto grinned, and bent down to allow the three fillies to unload everything into the saddlebag.
“So, who’s he?” Apple Bloom asked.
“A pleasure to meet you, little ones. You may call me ‘Momo’,” he introduced himself, smiling gently.
“Even he is calling himself like that?!” Naruto thought, stunned.
“Hi, Momo!” the Crusaders replied heartily.
“So, did you find everything for the Ramen, Naruto?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Not really. I still need a few things,” Naruto said, trying to remember what they could possibly be.
“What do you need? What do you need?” Pinkie asked enthusiastically, jumping in a circle around Naruto. “Is it… Uhh… Bubble gum! Right?”
“No, it’s definitely not gum…” Naruto said, still thinking.
“Ooh! Ooh! I know! It’s daisies, right?” Pinkie guessed again. “No, wait! Apples!”
“WHAT KIND OF INSANE PONY WOULD PUT APPLES IN RAMEN?!” Naruto shouted, horrified by the very idea. “I’m not sure, really…” he continued, deep in thought. “It needs to… You know… Pack some kind of punch?” Naruto tried to explain to the best of his capabilities.
Except for Momo, who kept his calm smile, everypony looked utterly confused by the vague description. “I believe I could offer you something…” the aged Unicorn said, as his horn lighted up in blue aura. Out from the mess of assorted item floated an oddly shaped piece of plant, encompassed by the same aura, and came to a stop in front of Naruto. It was brown, and had inconsistent bumps all over it.
The orange Earth pony’s eye widened to the size of saucers, as he suddenly clearly recalled seeing the Ramen chef in Konoha chop that thing into tiny pieces and add it to the broth. “Yes! Yes! This is it!” he announced ecstatically, to the shock of everypony around. “So… What is it?”
“It is called ‘ginger’. It’s very rare around here, and thus not many ponies use it for cooking. It’s quite peculiar you should desire it,” Momo smiled, and levitated it into Naruto’s saddlebag.
“So, are we all done?” Apple Bloom asked, looking at Naruto.
“Not yet! We still need to find the most important ingredient!” Naruto grinned, his mouth nearly starting to drool. “I need some p—”
“Naruto!” the old pony suddenly shouted, startling everypony. “A word, if you please?” he asked, and motioned him to come over behind the cart.
Naruto did as he asked. “Ponies don’t eat meat, you know. Neither pork, nor any other kind,” Momo whispered with a strict expression.
Naruto gazed at him in surprise. “Oh. I see…” he muttered, quite disappointed. “Well… I guess it is weird for ponies to eat meat…”
“Grr… That was incredibly suspicious,” the Kyubi spoke.
“It was?” Naruto asked back mentally. “Why do you even care?”
“Stop hearing my thoughts! Mind your own damn business!” the fox snapped at him.
“Hey! I can’t help it, you know!”
“Naruto,” Scootaloo called. “What’s going on back there?”
“Yeah!” Pinkie called, jumping back and forth between Naruto and Momo. “What’s going on? What’s going on?” she asked cheerfully.
The blue Unicorn stared at Naruto intently, a curious expression on his muzzle. “Oh, it was nothing, Pinkie,” he finally smiled at her. “Just a culinary tip.”
“Oh! Oh! Was it ‘don’t leave your milk out’? Or maybe ‘don’t scramble your eggs before you count them’?” Pinkie guessed. “Or was it ‘do scramble your eggs before counting them’?”
“Returning to the Ramen topic…” Momo said, as he led the other two back to the front. “How are you going to hold the noodles? With your hooves?”
“Ah!” Naruto called. “I… I completely forgot about that! Well, it’s no problem for me, but I do want everypony else to enjoy it too…”
Momo smiled from ear to ear. “I think I have the perfect solution for you, Naruto,” he said as his horn lighted up. A metallic noise rose from inside the wagon, and out floated a strange-looking, gray, metallic tool. It looked like a small cup, and attached to its base were a couple of metal rods, about five inches in length. The rods grew gradually thinner from their base to their tip.
“I may not look like it, but I have a hobby of inventing useful things. Well… These haven’t been selling really well, so I guess they weren’t that useful. I hope you’ll think differently, though, Naruto,” he explained, and then turned to the Crusaders. “Anypony wants to volunteer for a demonstration?”
“Pick me! Pick me!” Pinkie and the three fillies called in excitement.
“Haha, I like your enthusiasm!” Momo laughed. “You can all get a turn if you wish,” and floated the strange tool towards them. “Now, raise up a hoof,” he instructed.
The open end of the cup floated towards Sweetie Belle’s front hoof, covering it. “Now, try moving the sticks,” Momo smiled.
“How? With my other hoof?” Sweetie Belle asked, baffled. Then, suddenly, the two rods clasped together in a strong, metallic noise.
“Woah, cool!” she exclaimed. The others stared at her and the device in utter shock. “I just thought about it, and the sticks moved!” Sweetie Belle explained, ecstatic. Soon afterwards, the rods moved away to open and back together to close a few more times, at Sweetie Belle’s control.
“You should try it too, girls!” she said happily. Momo then floated it to Apple Bloom’s hoof.
“I invented this for ponies who didn’t want to use their mouths or magic to hold things. Besides, it was really fun,” Momo said cheerfully as the sticks were passed around. “I have some more, if you want to have them, Naruto.”
Naruto simply gazed at the contraptions in awe. “Those are…”
“AMAZING!” Pinkie finished, moving the sticks around in incredible speed. “No, they’re not just amazing. They’re super-ultra-MEGA AMAZING!”
Momo laughed heartily. “I’m glad that at least somepony took a liking to them. So, what will it be, Naruto?”
“Yes! I’ll take them! Believe it!” he called ecstatically.
“Alright then,” Momo smiled again, and his horn lighted up once more. A loud metallic rustle arose from the wagon, as nine more of the same metallic instruments came out, deflating the pile of items in the vehicle a bit. The cups came in a few different sizes, so that anypony could find one fitting for him.
“I planned on making some more, but I never got to it,” he added. Naruto looked up to see two pairs of simple, metal rods. “Would you like them too, free of charge?”
“I could probably use them like regular chopsticks…” Naruto figured. “Alright! Thank you very much! Err… Momo,” he struggled to say that last part. “Seriously, that name is really weird…”
“So, how much would everything be?” Naruto grinned.
“Nine thousand bits,” Momo answered, smiling as calmly as usual.
Naruto reached for his pocket with the bits, his savings from what Applejack had paid him for his work at the farm. “No problem, nine thousa… WHAT?! NINE THOUSAND?! THERE’S NO WAY THAT CAN BE RIGHT!” Naruto yelled in shock. That was about thirty times what he earned up until now, even without the expenses.
Momo started laughing. “I jest, of course. It is a hundred and twenty bits.”
Naruto let out a sigh of relief. “You really got me there…” he muttered, and paid him the sum. Momo unloaded the apparatuses into Naruto’s black saddlebag.
“It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Naruto. And you’ve made an old pony really happy, using my invention like that,” Momo said as he levitated the sign and placed it horizontally on the wagon, covering the merchandise.
“Huh? Are you leaving?” Naruto asked in surprise, seeing him tying the wagon’s reins around himself.
“Well, he is a traveling merchant,” Pinkie smiled.
“Yeah, but do you have to leave like, right now?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Yes, my little filly. The road calls me,” he said as the wagon started rolling. “Besides, I feel like I’ve done plenty good here already,” he smiled at Naruto once more.
The others walked along him as the wagon slowly picked up the pace. “Oh, Naruto?” he asked.
“When I return to Ponyville, I expect to have some tasty Ramen, alright?” he laughed.
Naruto was surprised by this, but then smiled. “You got it! Believe it!”
*****
As they reached the road leading out of Ponyville, Momo waved goodbye to the group. “I will see you around, my little ponies. Until then…”
“Bye, Momo!” the group called back, waving and watching him walking away into the setting sun.
“And good luck with your cutie marks, you four!” he shouted back to them, just as the road curled to the left and he disappeared behind some trees.
“Thanks!” the four Crusaders replied.
“Alright! Now let’s make some Ramen!” Naruto called happily.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS RAMEN CHEFS! YAY!” the other Crusaders said happily.