Jiraiya led the way and ended up having to come back and get Naruto - who had stopped and stared as they entered.
"What is all this?" asked Naruto eventually.
"Market Quarter," said Jiraiya. "Don't buy anything, don't respond to anyone, don't even meet anyone's eyes. Just come along. This is the fastest way."
Bright, noisy, crowded, smelly - it was an assault on the senses. Naruto stared all around him. There were tents that looked ready to fall over in a stiff breeze and fitted stone buildings which looked as if they'd been around since the First Ninja War. There were smells that were mouthwatering, and others that caused a sudden twinge of nausea. And the noise! It didn't seem to matter what the attitude of the seller or what they were selling - they all had to hawk their wares at the top of the volume scale.
Some kid came running up, holding a bag. "Sir, take a look at this."
"BEAT IT!" said Jiraiya, stomping one foot down. It must have been some jutsu though because the ground shook from the impact.
"Aw man, he was just a little kid," complained Naruto as things quieted just a touch in the aftermath.
"Who was going to occupy your attention while the one coming up behind you stole your wallet," said Jiraiya.
Naruto blinked and looked behind him at where another kid was picking himself up and then scampered away. "Eh?"
"They call them 'gypsies' around here," said Jiraiya. "Kids who are stolen from their parents or orphans, raised by a handler who then collects everything they take at the end of the day.We just marked ourselves as not being pushovers, which means the next thing we'll face will be:"
(Posted Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:54)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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