In Purple Hair We Trust [Private - Hiroko]

[Tanuki Rinko]

Kirei Zoro & FuwaFuwa-sama​

For probably the thousandth time since he came into the world, Zoro made his way down the streets of Dawnbringer Plaza. This was where most of the kids his age hung out...that and the forest. But forests were dirty, so the blonde stuck with the clean location to spend time. FuwaFuwa-sama strode beside Zoro, looking around for their next adventure. "Ugh. There's nothing to dooooooo here anymore." *bark* "No, I'm not going to enter the wet t-shirt competition. Even I know that it's for women. Oh, do you think Osu would be in it? He could totally pass for a girl." *brar* "It's not mean if it's true!" Still a little unsure of where to go or what to do, the pair decided to stop at the fountain for a moment to think. They already ate lunch, so eating again was out. It was common to buy tea and drink it at the fountain, but the youth was in tea overload thanks to it being his best friend Osuteno's favorite beverage. Putting a finger to his chin, Zoro thought aloud. "Well, whenever we walk around here, something always seems to happen when we meet purple-haired people. So let's look for purple hair!" *bwoo* "Hey! My plan is great! I don't hear you coming up with anything." Shifting his hand to his forehead, Zoro began to scan the crowd in search of purple locks. If they didn't come to him, they could bet their sweet patootie that he'd go to them.

[Topic Started with NPC]

 

[Mizushima Hiroko]

Hiroko was walking around by the fountain are just after purchasing a small cup of nice hot green tea. She smiled to herself while taking a sip of the hot beverage. She then went over and sat on the ground close to the fountain observing the people around her. There were a lot of people around but she knew that if she went home and tried to take her tea inside, Granny Yuuka would get mad at her so she just sat down and tried to ignore the others. Hiroko noticed a blonde headed guy talking a dog looking around seeming to try to find something he was after. Or more like someone. She didn't bother asking. Anyway she pulled out a single card and started to twirl it in her hand as she leaned her head back against the fountain wall and closed her eyes trying to get some serenity.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

There is was, the purple hair he'd been searching for. Zoro looked over the girl, who had to be about his age. She was flipping a card in her fingers, which drew the boy's attention the most. Not needing to muster up courage, as he found conversing an easy matter, Zoro approached the girl and crouched in front of her. "I like cards too, they are neat, clean fun. That's the best kind of fun. I'm Kirei Zoro by the way." *bark* "And this is FuwaFuwa-sama. You have purple hair, so we're going to hang out with you until something interesting happens." Certainly an odd way to end an introduction, Zoro stood from his crouch and looked at the fountain's edge. Remembering how dirty it could get randomly, the boy did a few hand seals and rinsed off the place he was going to sit. Swatting the spare water into the fountain, Zoro plopped his rump down beside the girl, though not on the ground like her.

Noticing the tea, Zoro pointed it. "Sheesh, do all purple-haired people like tea? I mean, every time I meet people with purple hair, they are drinking tea." Zoro kicked his legs nonchalantly. "Me? I prefer water. Good, clean, pristine water. It'll quench ya!" FuwaFuwa-sama took a seat beside Hiroko, though he was looking at her, or more specifically, her card. *bar-bark* "Oh just drop it. No one would purposely buy a canine deck except you." *brrrrrrar* "Okay, okay. He wants to see what's on your card. He insists that one day he'll get to see a dog deck. I think he's just being silly." Zoro shrugged, but couldn't hide that he too was curious what kind of card she had. His gaze focused on the card as he waited to see what she'd say.

 

[Mizushima Hiroko]

Mizushima's quietness and serenity ended as quickly as it started. "I like cards too, they are neat, clean fun." That's what made her jump slightly and open her eyes and when she looked up she saw the blonde boy with the dog looking at her. I wonder why he cleaned off that spot. Does it really get that dirty here? She wondered. Hiroko was just about to talk about the tea when Zoro's dog, FuwaFuwa-sama, sat down next to her. "He wants to see what's on your card." Man this kid is a talker but he seems nice.

"He-hello Kirei Zoro. M-my name is Mizushima Hiroko. I-I like your dog." Hiroko was never a good talker. She looked down to try to hide her embarrassment. "Th-this is just a plain deck. One you'd normally s-see. It's not very special. She lifted the card to show it to FuwaFuwa-sama and Zoro. "I do have m-more cards though. I'm a collector. Have been ever since I was little. I a-also do believe I have a dog deck somewhere back at my house." Hiroko lifted her hand towards FuwaFuwa-sama and turned to look at Zoro. "Is it okay if I pet you dog? I love dogs." He seems nice. Maybe we could be friends... She though as she waited patiently for him to reply.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Zoro tilted his head as the girl stuttered out her response. "You're one of those shy girls, huh? That's fine, better than ones that laugh at me." The blonde recalled another purple-haired girl making fun of him in this exact same location. Bringing his focus back to Hiroko, Zoro blinked in surprise as she claimed she did in fact have a dog deck. FuwaFuwa-sama wagged his tail joyfully before giving his comrade a huff. "So she does have one, sue me." Zoro closed his eyes and shrugged, trying to play off his incorrect assumption as not a big deal. Opening one eye, the boy noticed the girl hover her hand close to FuwaFuwa-sama before asking Zoro permission to pet him. The blonde pulled his hands behind his head. "Don't ask me. Ask him. He's the one you want to pet." The canine lifted his head slightly and gave a wag, signaling his consent for her to give him a pat. "Just be careful not to ruffle him too much. He mats easily, and I'm the one that has to brush him."

Once the petting was over, Zoro looked around the area, expecting something to happen. Something ALWAYS happened when purple-haired kids were around. His wish was granted as a mysterious barrel came rolling through the streets. The citizens dodged out of its way, not wanting to be hit by it. An odd sound could be heard from the barrel, something like an 'uki' sound. As if destiny was urging the cask onward, it smashed into a wall. What followed was quite a sight. Ten little monkeys burst forth from the barrel, screeching as they ran off down the street. Of course someone called out. "That was as fun as a barrel of monkeys!" Most of the crowd groaned in response. Watching the monkeys pause, Zoro could see as they soon began to bounce on what looked like a bed. It seemed that someone had been attempting to move the thing, but it was confiscated by the monkeys. So ten little monkeys were jumping on the bed, but one fell off and bumped his head. A mednin in the crowd yelled at the primate. "No more monkey's jumpin' on the bed!" But the darn things refused to listen. The poor monkey that fell off the bed recovered quickly and stole someone's gum. It blew a bubble and miraculously floated a bit off the ground. A rotund woman came waddling up to Zoro and Hiroko, a giant name tag labeling her as 'Mamma' was pinned to her bosom. "Please, could you help me collect my monkeys dear children? They are much too quick for me to grab." Zoro crossed his arms. "Okay, next time I have to specify that I want something FUN to happen, not just anything." He looked to Hiroko to see if she would agree to help.

 

[Mizushima Hiroko]

Hiroko noticed the way Zoro tilted his head when she responded. My stuttering... He probably thinks I'm some sort of freak. I stutter and have a dog deck for that fact. Even though he'd probably never want to talk to her again after this, she decided to stay and see what would happen. Even if she did get up to leave he'd probably follow her. After all, he was sticking with her until something interesting happened. Hiroko was happy she got to pet the dog. "Just be careful not to ruffle him too much. He mats easily, and I'm the one that has to brush him." She listened to Zoro and did just that. Not wanting to make him mad. FuwaFuwa-sama started to lift his head and wag his tail, obvious showing he was okay with her petting him. Hiroko just finished petting FuwaFuwa-sama when something completely strange happened. The next thing she knew there was a barrel full of monkeys smashing into a wall. Ten monkeys got loose and then proceeded to jump on a bed. Hiroko laughed to herself at the thought. A larger woman, who Hiroko guessed her name was Mamma from the name tag on her chest, then walked up to Zoro and Hiroko. "Please, could you help me collect my monkeys dear children? They are much to quick for me to grab." It was obvious to Hiroko that Zoro looked a little uninterested in helping the woman. "Ye-Yes, I'll h-help you. *sigh* Th-though I'm n-not quite s-sure about him." She looked at Zoro. "M-might I suggest you help. You did say you were gonna s-stick with me until something happened. W-What if there's more? Hiroko looked at Zoro for his answer.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Zoro's lip pouted as he took in Hiroko's words. "Yeah, I guess something more fun coooould happen next." He gave the girl a cocky smile. "And besides, the whole 'damsel in distress' thing can't be ignored. It's the duty of any real man!" It would be unsurprising if Hiroko laughed at Zoro's claim of being a man. He was still far from it. Looking towards where the monkeys had been, the scene had changed. They had taken too long, and the monkeys decided to split up. Three monkeys turned down the left alley, three down the right, and four followed the main road. *bark* "Oh, yeah, I guess you can do that, can't you..." Turning towards the woman, Zoro motioned to FuwaFuwa-sama. "Do you have something that smells like the monkeys? That way we can track them better." Mamma nodded and handed over a red scarf. The blonde cocked an eyebrow, but took it nonetheless.

He crouched down and put it in front of his canine's nose. FuwaFuwa-sama huffed at the stale aroma from the item, but gave a yip when he memorized the scent. Zoro rose and handed the accessory back to the woman. "Just don't shove your face in the dirt like those other tracker dogs. That's gross." The dog nodded before trotting to where the monkeys had split. They would need to pick a direction before they could proceed. The blonde looked to Hiroko. "Well, you're the one who wanted to help, what way do we go first?"

 

[Mizushima Hiroko]

Hiroko stiffed a small laugh at Zoro's claim of being a man, but she kept most of it contained with only a slight smile on her face. When the monkeys split up, three going down one road, three down another, and four down the main road, Hiroko thought it's be best if they get going. Zoro looked at her, saying it was her choice on where to go since it was her idea to help. "Hmm. L-Lets go down the main road. We can catch more that way.

As they were headed down the main road it was clear where some of the monkeys had been. Overturned barrels of bananas were everywhere. Some torn banners from where the monkeys had obviously tried to swing from them. But one of the most obvious signs was that there was a monkey hanging from a window. "Is there any way we can get him down from there?" Before Zoro could reply, they heard some poor soul yelling! They left the clinging monkey to see what was happening. As they got closer to the scene, they saw a woman running around like a chicken with its head cut off with a monkey attached to her back trying too comb through the lady's hair! "SOMEONE GET THIS MONKEY OFF OF ME!!" The lady was yelling at everyone around her trying to get someone to help. Most people were just laughing too hard to help the poor woman. Then another bystander found another monkey. "Hey! I found another! It... It's floating!! By bubble gum!" Apparently the one floating with the bubble gum had drifted down the main road and wound up here. While the bystander that found the floating monkey was examining him, another monkey swung from a nearby broken banner landing on his back and was now picking at that guys hair! "Well. We found all four monkeys. The real question is.. How do we catch them?" The first monkey they had found earlier clinging to the window had abandoned his spot and apparently wondered into a bar, coming back out with a bottle of sake in his little hands, obviously drunker than a skunk. "Zoro.. What do we do?" She turned to the blonde awaiting his answer.

(Edit: MFT WC:373)

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Hiroko suggested the main road, and Zoro nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. I was totally going to suggest that." He wasn't. They jogged along, and it looked like FuwaFuwa-sama didn't even need to use his sniffer. The monkeys had left quite a trail, bananas and property damage as far as the eye could see. The blonde was just thankful that there weren't any feces flung about. Looking up, they noticed a monkey staring into a window. Zoro never knew monkeys were prone to peeping. "I guess humans and monkeys are supposed to be close...I don't see it though." *bark* "Hey!" An argument was about to break out between canine and friend if Hiroko hadn't piped up, asking how they would go about capturing the peeping monkey. Zoro scratched his head in response. "I have no idea." A yell caught their attention, and they jogged off to find the commotion.

They found a rather unruly scene playing out as a monkey decided to cling onto an innocent pedestrians. Meanwhile, the bubble-gum monkey from earlier was still floating in the air, though he had risen a bit and now was out of reach of the children. Another monkey swung onto the head of a man and began picking at his hair. The earlier monkey had wandered into a bar, and was now drunker than that crazy uncle Zoro once had. Hiroko seemed concerned and unsure how to capture the monkeys. There was only one option left for them. "Monkey balls."

Coincidentally, or perhaps there is no such thing as coincidence, four plastic balls rolled down the street and stopped at the children's feet. Picking up one of the balls, Zoro was able to pop it open. Holding a piece in each hand, he approached the drunk monkey with the sake bottle. Kicking the bottle out of the monkey's hand, Zoro slammed the plastic pieces together around the monkey, like a cymbol. A clicking sound signaled that the ball was sealed. Zoro hoped for the monkey's sake, as well as Mamma's, that the drunkard monkey wouldn't get sick within his plastic prison. That would be a mighty disgusting mess to clean up.

Zoro returned to Hiroko and grabbed another capsule. "You get the monkey on the lady. I'll get the one on the guy. FuwaFuwa-sama, make sure to keep the monkeys together once we get them." Zoro approached the man and did hand seals. Holding his palm out, he attempted to shoot the monkey off the man's head with his Water Gun jutsu. Unfortunately, Zoro wasn't the best shot, and he either missed or hit the man in the face. Luckily, Zoro also wasn't all that strong yet, and there was no way the jutsu could harm anyone. Finally the blonde hit his target, causing the shocked monkey to fall onto the ground. Zoro quickly slapped the ball around the monkey. Kicking the now imprisoned monkey over to FuwaFuwa-sama, Zoro convened with Hiroko once she was done with her monkey.

The boy looked between the remaining ball and the floating monkey. Even if Zoro strained on his tiptoes, he still wouldn't be able to reach the bubble monkey. He looked at Hiroko and blushed lightly. "Well, I guess the only way we're going to get it...is if you get on my shoulders." The thought was rather embarrassing, considering he liked his clean, personal space. However, there was no way she'd be able to lift him up, and FuwaFuwa-sama didn't have the body structure necessary to close the monkey into the ball. Zoro waited for Hiroko to pick up the capsule before swiftly crouching down and shoving his head between her legs. It was a quick motion, and he just as quickly rose so her thighs rested on his shoulders. He held onto her legs to help her stay balanced. Not being used to such physical labor, Zoro wobbled a bit as she attempted to move them closer to the monkey. It probably would have been smarter to position themselves beside the monkey first, but considering how surprisingly intelligent these beasts seemed to be, he was worried that the monkey would float away. Not one for tact, Zoro ground his teeth as he spoke. "Let me know when you get him, 'cause you're really heavy."

 

[Mizushima Hiroko]

Hiroko wasn't quite sure what to think when Zoro said they'd use "Monkey balls." When Hiroko went over to help the poor lady with the monkey still clinging to her back, she was a little unsure about how to use the ball. She finally figured out how to use it and went over to the flailing woman. "I-If you hold s-still I will get that monkey off of your back for you." The lady had to take a moment and register what she had said but finally calmed down enough for Hiroko to stretch her small limbs far enough to capture the monkey in the ball.

When she was done with her monkey she went over to Zoro who was standing by the, still floating, monkey. Sadly the monkey had floated up even higher than before and was out of the range for the children to reach on their own. Hiroko had blushed slightly when Zoro suggested that she get on his shoulders to capture the monkey. He then bent down and she got on his shoulders, hoping he wouldn't drop her. They wobbled forward slightly but got the hang of it. Hiroko was slightly offended when Zoro called her heavy. "Well it was your idea to do this. We could have found a stick or something to pop the bubble." She had leaned forward slightly to capture the monkey in the ball. It had worked but with a slight downfall. Apparently she was too heavy for Zoro because after she caught the monkey the bubble had popped causing her to catch the monkey throwing all of their weight forward and making Zoro go off balance and, well, fall. They both had tumbled onto the dirty street. She had figured out earlier that Zoro didn't like dirt much so she attempted to brighten the mood. "Well look on the bright side... At least we caught all four monkeys and something interesting happened.." She looked away hoping she didn't make the situation even worse for Zoro.

[MFT: WC: 335]

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Zoro huffed at Hiroko's comment. "Well maybe you should be faster in suggesting stuff." They reached the monkey and successfully snapped him into the ball. However, with the added weight of the monkey, the children tumbled forward into the dirty street. As Hiroko spoke, Zoro lifted himself onto all fours, still facing the ground he had face planted into. His head shot up, and his eyes held a fury that one would never expect from the boy. His mouth pulled into a snarl, showing his enlarged fangs. His nails grew out, though only slightly. Behind Zoro, FuwaFuwa-sama could be seen, his fur standing a little on end.

Zoro fully stood up and shouted to the sky. "Those monkeys are going to DIE!" The enraged boy grabbed Hiroko by the hand and yanked her to her feet. He took off at a sprint, dragging the poor girl behind him. He didn't even attempt to weave through the crowd, and a few pedestrians were not lucky enough to avoid the boy's shoulders. From time to time, he would sniff the air, as if he had gained the ability to track the monkeys like his canine companion. Trailing behind the children was FuwaFuwa-sama, who was herding the balled monkeys after Zoro.

They finally reached another group of monkeys, which seemed a bit more tame than the previous four. They had little fez hats and vests, which they most certainly stole from somewhere, and were performing a dance routine together. They were standing on their hands, doing flips, doing the monkey. Zoro might have been rather impressed if he wasn't in berserker mode. Releasing Hiroko's hand, the boy lunged at the closest monkey, his teeth snapping shut as he attempted to capture one in his jaws. The monkeys screeched before flipping around Zoro, dodging his fangs. It almost seemed like a performance all its own, though some of the citizens would question why a child would be trying to bite a monkey. What little brains Zoro had before were gone as he twisted and turned, blindly lashing out at the primates with no strategy in mind. Eventually, one of the monkeys had enough, and entered a nearby building. When it returned, it held a saber in its hands, ready to strike at Zoro. It would be up to Hiroko to think of something.

 

[Mizushima Hiroko]

Hiroko knew her little plan to try to cheer Zoro up didn't work when he started to change. Even FuwaFuwa-sama's fur was standing up. Zoro yelled that the monkeys were going to die, and grabbed Hiroko by the hand dragging her through the crowded streets. Hiroko could tell he was hunting for the monkeys by the way he was sniffing the air, trying to track him. She was actually a little unnerved at the fact that he got like this and was wondering what would happen if she was in his little path of destruction. Slightly scared, Hiroko tried to think of something to do to calm him down a little, but she figured she was the one that set him off and speaking might just make the situation worse.

When they reached the next group of monkeys, Hiroko could tell that this might be easier than the last, but was curious as to why they were wearing fez hats and vests. Then she realized that they were doing a dance routine, which had slightly impressed her. Zoro was obviously not amused at all and then lunged at the closest monkey. When a monkey had went into a building and came back out with a saber held in its hands Hiroko knew she had to step in before something bad happened. Then an idea struck her. She turned around and got one of the extra monkey balls, and made a silent prayer in her head. Hiroko turned around to face Zoro who was still trying to capture the monkeys. "I apologize for doing this now Zoro..." Hiroko then rushed to Zoro who had his back to her and clamped him shut in the monkey ball. "I'm sorry Zoro, but I need you out of the way. Take some time to calm down or something. Please?" Hiroko honestly felt terrible for trapping Zoro in a monkey ball but she had no other option. She then turned to the other monkeys who had started to holler when she put Zoro in the ball. After their cheering was over they went back to their dance routine. Hiroko looked at FuwaFuwa-sama, "Will you please look after those monkeys and Zoro for a moment?" She gestured to the monkeys and the poor kid still trapped in the ball. She quickly left over into a pet shop and asked to borrow three small pet ropes for the monkeys. Thankfully the man said yes but to return them when they were done. Hiroko walked back over to the monkeys and got down to their height, which wasn't far for her. The monkeys immediately went up to Hiroko still happy that she trapped Zoro in the bubble. She started to pet the monkeys, then slowly one by one, she got the leashes around their necks. She then walked over to Zoro and opened the ball for him to get out. "Please don't be mad at me Zoro..." Hiroko looked away from the boy in question fear obviously written across her face, waiting for his reply.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

"Aroo?" A canine-esque sound of questioning came from Zoro as Hiroko snapped him into a ball. He filled most of the ball, and lightly rolled into a nearby wall. Beginning to realize what had happened, Zoro snarled as he shifted in the ball. He dug at the plastic prison, trying to tear his claws through it. However, it was just as Inuzuka-proof as it was monkey-proof. All his efforts to escape were foiled by the surprising strength of the ball. As Hiroko left, the monkeys began to dance again. Now someone was playing an upbeat, yet soft melody to accompany the primates, and Zoro's eyes began to droop.

By the time Hiroko had captured the monkeys, the boy was fully asleep, curled up in the lower have of the ball. The girl unsnapped the upper half, and her words drifted into Zoro's ears. He slowly opened his eyes and yawned, stretching as he did so. He turned to Hiroko, and cocked an eyebrow. "Why would I be mad?" Zoro remembered what happened, and stepped out of the ball. "You're not the one who made me mad." He gave a sharp glance to the monkeys before lightly blushing, averting his gaze from Hiroko. "You...uh...didn't see a very good side to me. Sorry." It was this blind, feral rage that had pushed Zoro to split from his family. His parents and siblings would often purposely get him dirty, just to watch him go berserk. They claimed they liked him when he was angry.

His blush faded away as he turned. "Well, we've got one more batch of stupid monkeys. I guess we should finish our job." Zoro looked to FuwaFuwa-Sama, as the blonde had lost the ability to track the monkeys with his rage subsided. The shih tzu gave a nod and led the way to the last three monkeys. Zoro kicked the balled monkeys along, leaving the leashed monkeys to Hiroko. It didn't take long before they reached their targets. The three monkeys each had a paintbrush, one red, one blue, one green. They were painting the village, as if they were having some kind of competition, like a turf war. Not only were the streets and buildings coated, so too were the civilians. Zoro's eyes twitched as he watched one monkey paint the roses red. Not blue, not green, not aquamarine. He turned to Hiroko. "Uh...I'm going to let you decide on this one." Though paint wouldn't send Zoro into a rage, he still preferred to keep his clothes pristine.

 

[Mizushima Hiroko]

Hiroko was shocked to see that Zoro was asleep in the ball. When she let him out he announced wasn't mad at her at all for trapping him in a ball but what shocked her more was the fact that he apologized for his outburst. "It's okay Zoro don't apologize." Hiroko saw some emotion flash through Zoro's face but it didn't stay there long enough for her to recognize it. Instead of asking him about it, they went ahead to go find the next set of monkeys.

When they got to a part of the town with paint all around it Hiroko knew they hit the spot. She saw three more monkeys each holding a paintbrush with different colored paint on each. The first had red, second blue, and last green. What threw her off though was the fact that they were painting the roses red. " Uh...I'm going to let you decide on this one." Hiroko figured this would happen due to the fact that Zoro liked his cleanliness and paint... well it didn't help.

Hiroko noticed how small the monkeys were, and the fact that there were empty paint cans nearby. An idea instantly hit her, and since cleaning the monkeys wasn't part of the deal with Mamma, she wouldn't feel as bad. "Okay Zoro. Will you go and get those three empty paint cans for me while I distract these monkeys. Poke some holes in the lids so they can breathe though. They are small so they should fit. Let's hope. As Hiroko walked closer to the monkeys she was instantly glad that she gave Zoro the task of retrieving the paint cans, because the monkeys had apparently thought that she was joining on their turf war so they started throwing handfuls of paint at her. She was dodging the best she could but she couldn't avoid it all. Hiroko heard Zoro calling for her and saw paint cans rolling her way. She acted as quickly as her little legs could carry her and snatched the green paint-throwing monkey in the blue container. Setting that one off to the side she picked up the next can and headed towards the green paint-throwing monkey. This little monkey was slightly harder to catch then the last because he kept throwing paint at her face. Eventually she got to the monkey and trapped him in the red container. Finally she only had one monkey left to deal with, and, of course, it was the worst. Throwing red paint at her while trying to escape, the monkey started to run down the streets. Turning to Zoro she asked for him to stay with the other two while she went off for the last one. As she finished asking she got hit with a large amount of red paint, ruining one of her cards. "You stupid monkey!!!" Hiroko took off throwing whatever she could at the monkey. Leaving Zoro wuth the others, left with only his thoughts.

[MFT: WC: 495]

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Zoro scratched his head as he stared at the empty paint cans. He had left his weapon at home, and had no idea how he was going to puncture holes into the lids. He contemplated simply 'forgetting' to, and letting the little monkeys go a few minutes without air. However, he decided against it, as that was definitely bordering on animal cruelty. So Zoro glanced around for something that could get the job done, and his eyes turned to the leashed monkeys. One of them still had the saber, and Zoro approached it with the lids. He spoke, giving a nervous smile. "Uh...hey monkey. Do you...wanna puncture this lid for me?" The saber monkey turned its back to Zoro, causing the boy to growl in his throat. "Fine! That's fine! I bet you couldn't have done it anyway you stupid monk-" Zoro's words were cut short as a stab from the sword aimed for his stomach. The blonde blocked with the lid, treating it like a shield as the now furious monkey assaulted Zoro.

It didn't take long for the lids to be covered with tiny holes, and Zoro rolled the cans to Hiroko. "Here they come!" Though the job was done, the monkey's rage did not subside, and Zoro spent a few more minutes dodging the saber. Luckily, FuwaFuwa-sama approached the monkey from behind and gave it a chomp on the neck. The monkey instantly crippled to the ground unconscious. The boy picked up the saber as he stared at his companion. "What in Raiden's name was that?" *bark* "How long have you had that hidden away?" *brar* "And you never thought to use it before?" *bwoo bark* "What do you mean as far as I know? We're always together and I've never seen you do that...waaaaaait..." Zoro's face scrunched as his mind slowly made the connection.

However, before he could reach his epiphany, Zoro's attention turned to Hiroko, who had successfully captured two of the monkeys in paint cans and had asked him to stay with them while she finished with last one. Luckily, the boy had missed that she hadn't properly color coded them, or he might have re-released them just so he could put them in the right cans. He watched Hiroko take a giant glob of red paint to the body, coating her quite a bit. Even Zoro, from a distance away, could hear her yell at the monkey before officially running after it, whipping whatever she could get her hands at her target. The boy tilted his head, and pondered aloud. "Wow, she hates getting messy too? I guess people with purple hair really are my kindred spirits. Is that the proper phrase?" *bark* "Yeah, then yeah." Zoro smiled a bit, happy to find another person like him, not knowing that it was specifically due to her destroyed card that Hiroko had flown into a rage.

Returning his attention to the monkeys in his care, Zoro approached the first can cautiously, in case the monkey got the bright idea to fling paint or something else from within the small metal prison. He picked it up, pointing the top diagonally away from himself. He reached the other canned monkey and placed the two together. The four monkeys in balls came rolling up, having been herded there my FuwaFuwa-sama. The shih tzu also had the vest monkeys, holding the three leashes in his mouth and dragging the unconscious one behind him. A random passerby paused, doing a double take. He shook his head as he commented. "A dog walking monkeys. Only in Kumogakure." He left before anything could get weirder.

A couple of minutes passed and Zoro got a little worried. Hiroko wasn't facing off against a saber monkey like he had, but that didn't mean the paint monkey couldn't find a weapon along the way. He was going to head off in search of his purple partner when who should show up but Mamma. She clapped her hands with glee. "Oh my darling little ones! I am so glad to see you are not jumping on beds or wreaking havoc in the streets." Obviously the woman had not seen the damage around the village on her way to meet her chimpanzee catchers. She glanced over the assortment of cages for the monkeys. "You certainly got creative, now didn't you?" Zoro frowned. "This better be worth it lady." She nodded. "Oh, it will be child, it will be. But it appears we are down a monkey and an adorable little pigtailed girl." Zoro looked down the street where Hiroko was last seen. "Yeah, hopefully that monkey won't paint the town red."

 

[Mizushima Hiroko]

Hiroko was mad. Mad beyond belief. This last monkey had gotten paint onto her card. As she was chasing the monkey down the street she withdrew a couple of her cards, and got them ready to throw. Just as the monkey was traveling under a banner, Hiroko threw the cards at the ropes the banner was held up their with. The banner came tumbling down trapping the monkey underneath. She went up to the banner and grabbed the ends, making sure the monkey was still in there, and tied them together. She then set down the new make-shift sack and went to retrieve her cards. Once she had done that she started to walk back to Zoro and the other monkeys. Lugging the monkey behind her was harder than she thought, but finally she made it back to Zoro, covered in paint and pretty mad. She was going to tell Zoro about these stupid monkeys until she noticed Mamma inspecting the others. Setting the monkey over by the others she pulled out her all the way out and tried to remove the paint, but to no avail. "Monkeys....Ruining my cards.. Not cool.." Hiroko was unconsciously mumbling about the monkey that had ruined her card. "Little red-loving demon..." If Mamma was to inspect the banner/sack she would notice how the ends of the rope were cut perfectly. "Thanks for looking after those monkeys for me Zoro. And nice job making the monkey mad so he'd poke holes in the lid. Very... creative. So Mamma that's the last monkey." She turned to Zoro. "What now?"


[MFT: WC: 265]

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Zoro sighed in relief as he saw Hiroko lugging the monkey down the street. Mamma nodded her head. "Marvelous! All my little monkeys together again. I'll have to get another barrel. Probably a steel one this time." She looked back and forth before spotting a nearby shop. "Ah, wait right here dears, I'll get your rewards." She trotted into the store she'd spotted, and Zoro looked over Hiroko. "Here." Lightly, Zoro used his Rinse Off jutsu to try and clean up Hiroko. He made sure not to drench her, as it was cold in Kumo, and he didn't want to make her sick. Successfully getting off a little more of the paint, he gave her a smile. "Thanks by the way. I really didn't want to get my clothes dirty."

Mamma returned, carrying two butterfly nets in her arms. She handed one each to the children, and they were surprisingly larger than the kids. They seemed fit more for adults, though Zoro and Hiroko could still use them without too much difficulty. They also appeared to be meant for catching things far larger than butterflies. Zoro cocked an eyebrow as the woman began to collect her monkeys. Taking the leashes from FuwaFuwa-sama, and lugging the sacked monkey over her shoulder, Mamma turned back to the children."I figured you could use those, just in case there is another ape escape. Thank you very much children. I'll be sure to put in a good word at the school for you. Ta-ta!" She looked down at her monkeys. "Come darlings, let's go home." Zoro watched as the lady departed with four monkey balls and two paint cans rolling behind her.

Zoro again looked to the net before giving a shrug. "I guess this could come in handy someday." Turning his gaze to Hiroko, he smiled. "Well, that was eventful. At first it felt like a chore...but near the end it was kinda fun." Zoro held up a finger. "Wait here." He jogged to a nearby food stand and held out a hand. The stall owner looked to Hiroko before handing Zoro something. The boy came back, and the girl could now see that he held two napkins in his hand. Zoro pulled out a pen from his pocket and knelt down beside FuwaFuwa-sama, using the dog as a mini writing board, and wrote, 'Mizushima Hiroko, best friend.' The blonde signed underneath Hiroko's name, then shifted the napkin to FuwaFuwa-sama. Zoro wet the dog's paw and he stamped the napkin. Zoro repeated this process and handed his friend one of them. "There, now it's official. We're best friends now." The boy waved his napkin in the open air for a moment to let it dry before pocketing it. Looking to the sky, Zoro frowned. "Well, we should probably head off now. See you around Hiroko!" The boy walked away, turning his upper body back so he could give his new super best friend a wave before disappearing into the crowd.

[Topic Left]

You don't have to, but here was the plan if you wanted to turn the net into an official weapon:

Monkey Mesh

This net was specially crafted for use in capturing pesky monkeys who have an incessant need to wreak havoc on the world. However, it actually has a built in battery, and when pushed, can send pulses through the netting, giving it a stun gun effect that inflicts pain. With a twist of the handle, the netting can be tightened and hardened, giving it a hammer-esque quality. Though the damage of this weapon is minimal, its large size makes it easy to use and accurate.

Damage Type: Bludgeoning (Suppression)
Damage: -10%
Accuracy: +2
Augments: None

*Note: If you do want this as a weapon, please post it in your dojo for official approval. You can switch/remove weapons from your slots by requesting it in your dojo, so don't feel like you'd be stuck with it forever if you made it a weapon now.

Code for net image:

[img]http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/sarugetchu/images/a/a3/Net.png/revision/latest?cb=20130209074426[/img]

 

[Mizushima Hiroko]

As Hiroko was setting her bagged monkey down next to the others, Mamma told them to saty so she could fetch their rewards. 'Ohh! Maybe it'll be a Monkey deck of cards! Neat!!' As this happy thought was running through her head, she suddenly felt wet and cold. Looking over to where the source of water was coming from she saw Zoro trying to and succeeding to clean some red paint off her. "Don't mention it. I knew you wouldn't want to get dirty."

Mamma handed her and Zoro each a very large butterfly net. They were even bigger than her and Zoro! She smiled at Mamma's thanks and the fact that she would compliment them to the school. Hiroko watched down the street as Mamma and her little monkeys rolled/hopped/walked off down the road.

As Zoro jogged over to a nearby food vendor she was wondering what on earth the kid was doing. Then she saw him return with two napkins. Curious about what the boy was doing, she stayed quiet and observed. He pulled out a pen and wrote 'Mizushima Hiroko, best friend.' He and FuwaFuwa-sama both signed it. He duplicated the writing on the second napkin and gave it to Hiroko. Hiroko looked at the gesture with awe and smiled at his comment. "Thank you Zoro. I hope we can meet again. I will keep this forever. You are the first real friend I've made here in Kumo. I will never forget you or this day." She looked over at FuwaFuwa-sama. "Or you!" She kneeled down and pet the dog on the head. She watched as her new best friend disappeared into the crowd but not before he turned around and gave a wave. She picked up her new net and walked off towards her house to show Granny Yuuka her new best friend token and her new net.

[MFT: WC: 314]
[Topic Left]