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

It just lay there quietly, watching the old man fish.

The sunlight shone on the turtle's shell, warm and comforting, making it drowsy.

It didn't understand the fun of fishing, nor the meaning of waiting; it just felt safe and secure staying by the old man's side.

After an unknown amount of time, Yu Yi's fishing rod suddenly sank.

He skillfully reeled in the line, and a lively, wriggling fish was cast ashore.

Then, Yu Yi used whatever materials were available to build a simple stove with a few stones, and somehow produced a small pot. He didn't use any earth-shattering ninjutsu; he simply used his palm to conjure a small flame and light the firewood, just like an ordinary person.

The seawater was filtered and purified before being poured into a pot. The large fish that had just been caught was cleaned and put in along with some seaweed and mushrooms that Isobu didn't recognize.

"Glug glug—"

Soon, strange noises started coming from the pot.

A savory aroma, remarkably similar to that of Terumi Mei's hot pot, yet purer and more primal, wafted through the air.

"It smells so good..." Isobu's one eye lit up.

Yu Yi filled a large wooden bowl with milky white fish soup and held it to Isobu's lips.

"Here, have a taste. Be careful, it's hot."

Isō carefully stuck out his tongue and licked it.

An indescribable warmth and deliciousness instantly enveloped its entire soul.

That was the first time in its long life that it tasted the flavor of "cooking".

It's not just food, it's a taste of care and companionship.

Delicious!

"Haha, if it's delicious, drink more."

Seeing how happy Isoboe was, Hagoromo smiled like a child himself. He sat beside it, drinking soup and chatting casually with it.

"Isobu, this world is vast, and there are many delicious things to eat. In the future, you will encounter all sorts of people and all sorts of things."

Some people may be afraid of you, and some may want to take advantage of you. But don't hate the world because of that.

"Remember, your power is not for destruction. Look, like this pot of soup, it brings warmth and energy to life."

"From now on, I may not be able to stay with you all the time. The nine of you will have to learn to live in this world on your own. Go find a place you love and live a peaceful life..."

The old man's voice gradually faded in the distant sea breeze.

Isobu stared at his retreating figure, remaining motionless for a long time.

It remembered that taste.

I also remembered that man.

That was the only time in its long life that it had ever felt the pure tenderness from its creator.

The lingering warmth of that bowl of soup seemed to remain deep within Isoo's soul, sustaining him through the long and lonely period that followed, marked by misunderstanding, imprisonment, and being treated as a weapon.

……

"Elder Yagura?"

Mei Terumi's voice roused Yagura from his deep memories.

He came to his senses and realized that he was still holding the bowl of soup, while everyone around him was looking at him with strange eyes.

Yagura lowered his head and looked at the clear soup in the bowl.

The soup was the same old soup.

But the taste is different now.

He took another sip.

This time, he tasted not only the deliciousness of the ingredients, but also a warm sense of nostalgia that transcended a thousand years.

So this is the taste you've always couldn't forget, Isobu.

Yagura felt an unprecedented calm within him.

In the realm of the mind, even the tyrannical giant tortoise was unusually quiet.

【……Um.】

"...That kid's sashimi is fit for gods. But this girl's soup tastes like home cooking..."

It simply curled up quietly in the depths of the black ocean, like a child who had finally found a safe haven, feeling the warmth of something lost and then regained.

Yagura felt that the invisible barrier between himself and Isobu, the barrier between a prisoner and a prison, had completely melted away at that moment.

He is no longer just a Jinchūriki, and Isobu is no longer just a Tailed Beast.

They became a whole.

They share the same memories, the same emotions, and... the same craving for delicious food.

Yagura raised his head, his gaze passing over everyone else and landing on the face of the girl who was smiling confidently.

My eyes feel a little hot.

He suddenly understood.

The dignity of the shadows, the political games, the future of the village... all became less important at this moment.

All he wanted was for his partner to experience the taste of home again.

My thoughts are perfectly clear at this moment.

"Elder Yagura, it's your turn... to give your score."

Hozuki Shio whispered a reminder from the side, she couldn't wait to announce the results and then finish off the rest of the soup.

All eyes were once again focused on Yagura.

This time, he did not hesitate at all.

She simply raised her head, met Mei Terumi's gaze, and revealed a genuine smile that no one had ever seen before.

Then, in a clear and firm voice, he uttered two words.

"very."

The entire venue was deathly silent.

Immediately following was a thunderous uproar.

"Ten out of ten? Elder Yagura gave it ten out of ten?"

"Isn't he always the strictest?"

"This... while this soup is indeed delicious, can it really compare to that work of art of sashimi?"

The ninjas of Kirigakure were also dumbfounded.

They were equally surprised that Elder Yagura, known for his strictness and maturity, would give a perfect score so bluntly. This... this is simply unlike him.

"elder brother,"

Hozuki Shio leaned close to Hozuki Kaigetsu's ear and asked, "Did Elder Yagura lose his mind because that soup was so delicious?"

Hozuki Kaigetsu didn't answer; he just gave Yagura a deep look.

He gleaned something from Yagura's unprecedentedly relaxed smile.

Meanwhile, on the judges' panel, Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up the soup in front of him and slowly took a sip.

Warm and mellow.

He put down his bowl, glanced at Yagura who had caused the commotion, and a knowing smile flashed in his eyes.

It turned out to be the case.

This portion is not for the food.

It's for that taste of home that has spanned a thousand years.

Yagura ignored the noise around him.

He simply asked the question calmly within his own mental world.

Are you happy now?

A long silence followed.

Then, Isobu's deep, muffled voice, no longer violent but instead carrying a hint of satisfaction and languor, rang out.

【Um. 】

enough.

Yagura's lips curved upwards even more.

I'll be impulsive for once today.

For my partner, for this silly turtle that has been lonely for thousands of years, and for that delicious soup!

"I hereby declare!"

Seeing that no one objected, Hozuki Shio seized the opportunity, suddenly stood up, raised her hands high, and shouted with all her might, "This cooking duel is a draw!!"

"So we can eat whatever we want from both sides, right?"

Before anyone could react, she instantly rushed to the Akimichi clan's large grill, grabbed a sizzling octopus leg, and began to devour it. Her swift movements caught the attention of Akimichi Torifu, who was standing nearby.

Obito was still complaining about how unfair it was, but Kakashi shut him up with a single sentence.

"So, you want the people of Kirigakure to eat all the octopus sashimi?"

Obito was taken aback. He turned around and saw that many curious Kirigakure ninjas had gathered around Kakashi's cooking station, pointing at the plate of ice crystal lotus flowers, eager to try it.

"My flesh!"

Obito let out a strange cry and rushed over as well.

The stalemate was completely broken.

The ninjas from the two villages, who had previously been clearly separated and wary of each other, now seemed to have been freed from some kind of seal.

The Konoha ninjas curiously gathered around Mei Terumi's soup pot, and Mei Terumi generously allowed everyone to taste it.

Led by Hozuki Shio, the Kirigakure ninjas launched an attack on the Akimichi clan's barbecue.

A "thank you" lip gesture and a thumbs-up are the best forms of communication.

The Uchiha ninja was surrounded by several female ninjas from Kirigakure. Blushing, he explained that besides fighting, the Great Fireball Technique could actually be used to grill meat, and it could even be made crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

The Inuzuka clan ninjas were sparring with several Kirigakure boys, boasting that their ninja dogs could not only track but also help guard the grilled meat to prevent it from being stolen.

In a joyful and peaceful atmosphere, Yagura, carrying his unfinished bowl of soup, walked to Kakashi's kitchen counter.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, he picked up a slice of octopus sashimi as thin as a cicada's wing and placed it into his soup bowl.