Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

She blinked her curious eyes and handed over the notebook and pen. "Could you ask around for me and do some market research? This is related to the future core catering industry layout of our Misty Village!"

Yagura suddenly opened his eyes and glared at her fiercely.

He had just engaged in a ten-minute, friendly exchange with Isofuri on two questions: "Is kelp considered a vegetable?" and "Sashimi should be dipped in soy sauce or salt?", a discussion that was a matter of mutual respect and dignity!

"you……"

One of the older brothers was about to scold Hozuki Shio for her nonsense.

"The pork must be layered with fat and lean meat, grilled over charcoal until the edges are slightly charred and sizzling with oil. Dip it in the secret sauce, wrap it in lettuce, and eat it with one bite..."

A leisurely voice came from the bow of the ship.

It's Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He turned around at some point and was looking at them with a smile, describing a mouthwatering scene in a highly seductive tone.

Yagura's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

In his mind, Isobu made a sound similar to swallowing saliva, even though it didn't have any saliva.

Hozuki Shio's eyes instantly lit up like light bulbs, and saliva dripped from the corner of her mouth.

"And beef,"

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "Use top-quality beef with evenly distributed marbling, slice it thinly, dip it in the boiling broth for seven seconds until it turns pink, then immediately take it out and dip it in beaten raw egg..."

"Gulp."

This time, it was Hozuki Kaigetsu's voice.

He felt that his authority as the new Mizukage was undergoing an unprecedented and severe test.

In a strange atmosphere that blended culinary fantasies with mental torture, the assault boat finally approached Konoha's flagship.

On the horizon, the light of dawn pierced through the clouds, gilding the sea with a brilliant gold.

The moment they stepped onto the flagship's deck, an intense, almost overpowering aroma, a blend of the smoky scent of charcoal and the rich, oily aroma of meat, hit them like a tangible shockwave.

On the deck, several huge ovens were lined up in a row, and the Akimichi family's chefs were sweating profusely.

Large chunks of pork belly were grilled until golden brown and crispy, with the fat dripping onto the charcoal fire, making a sizzling sound and sparking clusters of flames.

Plates of top-quality Wagyu beef, sliced ​​as thin as cicada wings, are piled high.

In the huge iron pot next to it, a milky white broth was bubbling, with various fresh vegetables and mushrooms floating in it.

This was the order that Hiruzen Sarutobi gave to the flagship before setting off.

—Prepare a grand welcome ceremony for our new partner.

Yagura's steps froze completely the moment he stepped onto the deck.

Om-!

A pure, unadulterated, primal craving for food erupted like a volcanic eruption in his mind.

That was the appetite accumulated over a thousand years by the Three-Tailed Isobu...

The mental shock was so intense that Yagura's body swayed uncontrollably, and his face turned deathly pale instantly.

He stood there, stunned, watching the bustling scene before him, listening to the sizzling sound of roasting meat, and smelling the intoxicating aroma in the air.

Behind him, Hiruzen Sarutobi walked slowly, a gentle smile on his face that seemed to know everything.

He gently patted Yagura on the shoulder, like a kind elder speaking to his most proud junior, and said something that Yagura would never forget.

"See, I told you."

"There's no problem; it's something a barbecue can't solve."

"If there is..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked past him and at the boiling hot pot.

"Then let's add another hot pot meal."

Yagura's brain went blank.

In the literal sense.

He, Yagura Karatachi, the former head of the Anbu of Kirigakure, the youngest elder, and a strong successor to the future Mizukage, stood frozen in place like an inland child seeing the sea for the first time, his senses completely deprived, with only his sense of smell and hearing amplified infinitely.

The aroma of the Akimichi clan's secret sauce, brushed onto the pork belly and roasted over charcoal, filled the air like the most domineering illusion, unreasonably invading his nostrils.

The sizzling sound of the marbled beef slices hitting the scalding grill made his heart race more than the roar of any exploding tag.

In his mental world, it was no longer a frenzied beating, but a tsunami.

What is that? What does it taste like? What is that red, sizzling, oily cube?!

The thoughts of the Three-Tailed Isobu were no longer the whispers of a thousand years of solitude, but rather pure, undisguised, childlike curiosity and roars.

The mental shock was so intense that Yagura's body swayed uncontrollably, and his face turned deathly pale instantly.

"Hey! What are you standing there for?!"

A cheerful figure swept past him, leaving behind a fragrant breeze. It was Hozuki Shio.

Like a squirrel that has discovered a treasure, she shrieked and pounced on the nearest oven, a pair of bowls and chopsticks now in her hands.

Without even using a plate, he picked up a piece of freshly baked, golden-brown pork belly with chopsticks, its edges slightly charred, and stuffed it into his mouth, completely ignoring the fact that it was too hot, then squinted his eyes in bliss.

"Hmm...this is the taste..."

This scene became the final straw that broke Yagura's psychological defenses.

The string called dignity and restraint snapped with a crack.

He felt a small hand gently pushing him.

"Lord Yagura, are you...are you alright?"

It is Mei Terumi.

Her face showed some worry, but deep in her emerald green eyes, she suppressed a smile that almost spilled out.

She saw it, she saw it clearly: the Adam's apple of the man known for his maturity beyond his years and his ability to keep his emotions hidden was bobbing wildly at an extremely undignified frequency.

I want to eat it! That piece of meat! The piece of meat that woman is eating! Right now! Immediately!