Only Hidan and Kakuzu had sampled Kai's cooking.
The others looked skeptical. Was it really that good that it warranted such a loss of dignity?
"Let me see… what to cook today," Kai said, touching his nose. Various dishes flashed through his mind before he settled on one.
In Earth, no feast is complete without chicken! With everyone gathered, chicken would make a fine main course.
"Boss, have you decided? My stomach's practically glued to my spine," the Three-Tails urged impatiently.
Kai rolled his eyes. "Go catch some wild chickens. If you want to eat your fill, the more the better."
"Wild chickens?" The Three-Tails paused, its memory of chickens rather vague. Quickly recovering, it and Hidan dashed into the forest.
Kai could already envision the ensuing chaos, anticipating needing to hire monks to perform prayers for the forest's traumatized chickens.
"Tch, I thought it would be something special. Humans only know roast chicken. I'll find some bananas," the Four-Tails said, also sprinting into the forest.
"Boss, should we follow it?" Kisame asked, glancing at the Four-Tails' retreating form.
Kai smiled and shook his head. "No need. It won't dare challenge us again. Our group performance wasn't a joke."
Kisame's nose twitched at Kai's calm demeanor and words. "I'll take some energy pills to recover."
Kisame approached Zabuza. As a former Anbu member, he understood the group's diverse personalities: the crazed explosives expert, the immortal miser, the death-obsessed cultist, the eternal puppet artist, and their enigmatic, monster-recruiting leader.
Of the group, the seemingly most normal was Zabuza, ironically also a veteran of the Blood Mist.
"Want some energy pills? They restore stamina, chakra, and fill you up," Kisame said, sitting against a tree, tossing some to Zabuza before popping several into his own mouth.
Zabuza was surprised. "I never thought Kisame Hoshigaki, the cold-hearted Mist Hidden Monster, would be so friendly. The people back in Kirigakure wouldn't believe it."
Kisame, the top Anbu in Kirigakure, was infamous as the Mist Hidden Monster. Only Fuguki's betrayal had driven him to become a rogue ninja.
"Don't misunderstand. I just don't want a valuable ally to be eliminated," Kisame said, grinning.
"You've seen them—monsters. The death cult, the miser, even that eight-year-old clay explosives expert—all incredibly powerful.
In a few years, they'll be hunting Kage. Imagine a group of Kage-level monsters attacking. The Five Great Nations wouldn't ignore it."
Zabuza's expression changed. Unlike Kisame, he was a special guard for the Mizukage and lacked Kisame's analytical skills. He now understood the gravity of the situation.
"So, no matter the Boss's ultimate goal, a clash with the Five Great Nations is inevitable?" Zabuza asked.
Kisame grinned. "Scared?"
"Scared? No, excited! I want to see how far I can go. Thanks for the pills."
"Hey, save some! Samehada needs chakra, and I didn't give you all of mine!"
After several minutes, the Four-Tails reappeared, its tail laden with hundreds of pounds of bananas.
Glancing at Kai, it said, "Don't touch my bananas. They're the best in the forest. Find your own. Or call me 'Monkey King,' and I'll give you one."
Kai ignored it, turning towards the forest as the sound of rustling grew louder. He produced a sealing scroll and opened it.
Bang!
A full set of cooking equipment materialized, surprising Kisame and the others. This was quite the elaborate picnic.
Given Kai's position, they didn't dare question it, merely watching with full stomachs from their energy pills.
They expected a powerful shinobi, especially a prodigious young genius, to focus on jutsu. Even masterful cooking was just about filling your stomach.
"Boss, the chickens are here!" The Three-Tails shouted, releasing dozens of water-bound chickens.
The sky filled with chickens.
Kai exhaled, his nine-tomoe Sharingan spinning.
Chidori Current!
Lightning surged from his body, enveloping the flying chickens.
The chickens tensed, their wet feathers instantly singed clean by Kai's precise lightning jutsu.
He then produced the long needle from the Seven Ninja Swords. Moving with blinding speed, he expertly plucked the chickens.
Kisame and Zabuza's faces twitched. One of the Seven Ninja Swords was being used to pluck chickens!
They almost spat blood. But they were also amazed by Kai's seamless blend of jutsu, the Sharingan, and cooking skills.
"Pot!" Kai called out. The Three-Tails, already prepared, brought a pot with its tails. The perfectly cooked chickens, their juices sealed by the lightning, were placed inside, emitting a delicious aroma.
The Four-Tails, still enjoying its bananas, watched with interest.
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