(Half a chapter about cooking)
Senju Tobirama's residence.
At this moment, Renya had no idea that Hashirama had already encountered Madara.
He tied on an apron and began arranging the ingredients Mito had bought, placing them neatly by the cutting board.
He set a mackerel on the board, used the side of his knife to stun it, then swiftly scaled, gutted, and cleaned it. With practiced ease, his knife glided along the fishbones, separating two perfectly intact fillets in the blink of an eye.
The snowy-white fish fillets were placed on a plate, sprinkled with salt and julienned ginger for marination.
Next, he poured a ladleful of rapeseed oil into a heated iron wok. As soon as wisps of blue smoke rose, he coated the marinated fillets in cornstarch and slipped them into the pan.
"Sizzle—!"
The golden crust hardened almost instantly. Using his chopsticks, Renya gently flipped the pieces, ensuring each side was evenly coated in an amber sheen.
He topped the soup with chopped scallions and goji berries, letting it simmer gently over low heat.
The reason for adding goji berries was simple — Senju Tobirama was getting older, and Renya figured he should prepare something nourishing to help him maintain his health and avoid illnesses from overwork.
Renya then started washing the eggplants, cutting them into small chunks, lightly dusting them with flour, and dropping them into the same oil where the fish had been fried.
Once the eggplant turned golden and fluffy, he quickly scooped it out to drain the excess oil. In a separate pan, he sautéed scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, then added the eggplant back in, splashed it with soy sauce and aromatic vinegar, and finished it with a generous sprinkle of white sesame seeds.
Just then, Tsunade came running into the kitchen, her nose twitching from the irresistible aroma.
Her big, watery eyes locked onto Renya as she pulled out a cut of pork tenderloin she had just asked Grandma to buy.
"Renya-san, I want sweet and sour pork!"
The little girl clearly wasn't joking — she had even brought her own ingredients.
"Alright, alright." Renya smiled as he took the tenderloin and laid it on the cutting board.
Kids really do love sweets.
He angled his knife, scoring the meat shallowly at two-centimeter intervals, then flipped it over to repeat the process before slicing it into strips about two fingers wide.
He added half a spoonful of cooking wine, a pinch of white pepper, and a little fine salt, then rubbed the seasonings into the pork to enhance the flavor and remove any gaminess.
Cracking two eggs into a bowl, he whisked them together with cornstarch to make a thick batter.
Renya dipped the marinated pork strips into the golden batter, then, when the rippling surface of the rapeseed oil signaled perfect heat, slid the pieces into the pan. Fine bubbles rose immediately.
Using chopsticks, he gently stirred the strips so they wouldn't stick together, removing them once the surface set into a light golden crust.
But he wasn't done yet.
While the oil was at seventy percent heat, he returned the partially fried pork strips to the pan for a second fry.
Within seconds, their color deepened to an even more tempting golden brown.
Tsunade, sniffing the rich aroma, couldn't help but swallow hard.
Renya quickly cleaned the wok and poured in two spoons of aged vinegar, three spoons of sugar, one spoon of soy sauce, and half a bowl of water. Bringing it to a boil, he stirred in a cornstarch slurry to create a glossy, translucent sauce, finishing it off with minced garlic and sesame seeds.
The crispy pork strips, now coated in the thick, glistening glaze, were piled high on a plate like a little mountain.
The sweet-and-sour fragrance filled the kitchen, blending with the rich scent of sizzling oil, making it nearly impossible to resist.
Tsunade stared at the plate of sweet and sour pork, her restraint snapping.
Ignoring the heat, she grabbed a piece with her hand and popped it into her mouth.
The burst of sweet, tangy sauce and savory meat made her eyes narrow in bliss.
Renya-san's cooking really was the best!
Grandma's sweet and sour pork couldn't compare at all…
"You take this one out first," Renya said to the little girl who was blissfully enjoying herself.
"Mm, got it." Tsunade licked her fingers and carried the plate away.
Renya followed soon after, bringing the rest of the dishes to the table.
"Renya, are you finished cooking?" Mito asked softly.
"All done, Mito-san," Renya replied with a nod. "I'll go call Tobirama-san back for dinner."
Mito had originally planned to fetch Tobirama herself, but Renya stopped her.
Mito-san had already done enough cleaning around the house — little errands like this were better left to him.
Besides, Tobirama had no idea what was waiting for him at dinner.
Renya was quite looking forward to his reaction…
...
"Tobirama-san, stop working for now."
At the Hokage's office, Renya, as usual, pushed the door open without knocking.
There was no one else in the entire village who dared enter the Hokage's office like this, but Tobirama was already used to it.
"Mito-san and Tsunade are waiting for you to come home and eat."
"Mito and little Tsunade?" Tobirama set his paperwork aside and slowly rose from his chair.
"I see… It's true, it's been a long time since I've eaten with them."
Ever since Hashirama's passing and the outbreak of the shinobi wars, Tobirama barely even had time to eat, let alone share a meal with his sister-in-law and niece.
Renya glanced at Tobirama, a mischievous spark in his eyes.
This old man had no idea what kind of trap he was walking into.
He'd find out soon enough…
"What's with that expression, kid?" Tobirama frowned slightly, sensing something odd.
"It's nothing, Tobirama-san." Renya hid his smirk.
It wouldn't be nearly as fun if he spoiled the surprise now.
Tobirama didn't press further and left the office alongside Renya.
...
The dinner table was quiet, broken only by the soft clinking of dishes and chopsticks, until Uzumaki Mito suddenly set her chopsticks down.
Renya, mid-bite, immediately perked up — the real show was about to start.
He leaned back slightly, already preparing to enjoy the drama.
"Tobirama." Mito's smile was gentle, her tone soft and casual, as though she were asking about the weather.
"When are you planning to get married?"
"Cough—!"
The sip of bone broth Tobirama had just taken went straight down the wrong pipe. He clamped a hand over his mouth, forcing himself to swallow it back down.
But he couldn't stop the violent coughing fit, and even his usually stern face flushed red.
Renya almost burst out laughing right then and there.
He was dying to see what excuse Tobirama would come up with this time.
"M-Mito…" Tobirama finally managed to catch his breath, his voice helpless. "Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
It instantly reminded him of the time, years ago, when both Hashirama and Mito had cornered him on the same topic. He'd barely managed to dodge it back then — and now it was resurfacing again?
Mito calmly picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork and placed it in Tsunade's bowl before replying,
"You're not getting any younger. It's time you settled down."
"Your brother isn't here anymore, so as your sister-in-law, it's my duty to help arrange things for you." Her expression turned firm, leaving no room for argument. "The clan elders have started pressing the matter as well."
Tobirama set his chopsticks down, his brows furrowing deeply. His voice dropped into a low, steady tone.
"Mito-san, I have no plans to marry. As for the elders, I'll handle them myself."
He had no interest in women.
Otherwise, with his status and strength, he would have been married long ago.
Besides, the war had only just ended, and the village's affairs were stacked endlessly high.
He barely even had time to eat — how could he possibly think about romance?