"Let me see what kind of meal Asuka's precious son made for her."
The female forewoman opened the lunchbox, and a delightful aroma of eggs instantly wafted out.
"It smells amazing! The steamed eggs are so tender, and there's even imitation crab meat in it! I've never seen this dish before. Does it have a name? Does anyone here know how to make it?" The forewoman praised while asking around.
She didn't actually taste the dish, since it was made by someone's son for his mother. She could only look, not eat.
This new dish smelled wonderful and looked very appetizing, which was why she was so curious.
"I don't know... Why don't you ask Asuka directly..." the other female workers chimed in.
"I... I don't know either... Maybe Ryun learned it from somewhere!"
Faced with their questions, Asuka blushed and shook her head.
"Look at this other dish, it seems like a snack! The taro is fried, and the outside is evenly coated with a thin layer of sugar glaze! How did he do that..."
The forewoman picked up a piece of taro.
"Asuka, let me try a piece..." Unable to resist her curiosity, the forewoman asked for a bite.
"Alright, you can all have some..."
Asuka willingly shared the sugar-glazed taro.
"Me too, give me a piece to try as well..."
There were only ten pieces of taro, but many women wanted a taste, so each person only got half a piece.
The moment the taro entered their mouths, a sweet flavor spread. The crispy exterior gave way to a soft, glutinous center, and the fried taro released an incredibly rich aroma. The combination of textures and flavors made them clap their hands in delight.
"Crispy on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside—this tastes absolutely amazing!"
The female workers had never eaten such a unique snack before, and their faces couldn't hide their amazement.
The plain-looking taro turned out to be unexpectedly delicious!
"Th-This... Did my son really make this?" Asuka widened her eyes in disbelief.
How could an ordinary wild taro taste so sweet and delicious?
Asuka couldn't understand how her son had done it and decided to ask him properly after work.
Savoring the lingering sweetness in her mouth, Asuka regretted giving away all the sugar-glazed taro...
If she had known it would taste this good, she wouldn't have shared it so generously.
Thinking this, she quickly closed the lunchbox, as there was still another dish inside.
"Hey hey... Asuka, let me try a bite of the steamed eggs too, just a small one..."
The forewoman spoke urgently, and the other women also started clamoring, eager to taste the different dish.
"Next time, I haven't eaten yet. If I give it to you, I'll go hungry!"
Asuka hugged the lunchbox tightly, refusing to let go.
"But you have your own lunch, don't you?"
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry about going hungry. I'll trade you some sushi for it..."
"If not, I have shrimp in my lunchbox too. You can have it. We're just curious and want to try a little..."
The women kept chattering, all wanting Asuka to share the new dish. Some even offered their own lunches, while others took out forks and chopsticks.
"No, this was made by my son for me. I don't want to trade..." Asuka refused outright.
"Just one tiny bite, don't be so stingy. We won't take much..."
"No! If you want some, get your own sons to make it for you!"
Unable to endure their pestering and unable to eat in peace, Asuka finally lost her temper!
"What if we don't have sons?"
"Then go have one! Stop bothering me while I eat..."
"Asuka, how can you be like this? So selfish..."
"Cheapskate!"
Watching her envious and jealous coworkers and hearing their praise for Ryun, Asuka felt incredibly proud.
Her son had made her look great today!
As she ate the food, the steamed eggs with crab meat tasted unbelievably tender and flavorful. In just a few bites, she finished the entire dish...
After parting ways with Asuka, Ryun didn't head home immediately. Instead, he went to a secluded area near a small river in the wilderness.
This place was rarely visited, with water and trees, making it perfect for discreet training.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Ryun created two shadow clones and began the next stage of chakra control training—"water walking"!
He focused chakra on the soles of his feet and stepped lightly onto the surface of the stream.
With a plop, he immediately sank into the water.
The two shadow clones ignored their original self and instead picked up kunai and shuriken from the ground, practicing the Uchiha clan's unique throwing techniques.
"Refreshing!"
The original Ryun wasn't discouraged by his failure. Instead, he felt invigorated by the cool river water.
After staying underwater for a while, he slowly climbed back onto the shore.
Step onto the water, fall in, learn from the experience, try again.
Ryun kept improving, gradually grasping the key to water walking.
His powerful mental energy gave him extraordinary comprehension, allowing him to learn at a terrifying speed.
On the shore, the kunai and shuriken seemed to collide randomly in midair, yet they miraculously hit their targets in the end.
The shadow clones helped Ryun gain training experience, and their accuracy with the weapons improved rapidly.
The river water was cool, and the breeze under the trees was pleasant. On this scorching afternoon, Ryun immersed himself in the joy of training.
Meanwhile, in the Senju compound...
Kushina sat in a pavilion with Mito Uzumaki, studying the complex sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan.
She had focused all morning, but by the afternoon, her mind began to wander.
"Child, let's stop here for today. Go and play..."
Mito smiled kindly. She didn't force Kushina to continue, as mastering intricate sealing techniques required both talent and the right mindset.
Kushina wasn't in the right state to absorb more knowledge.
"Ah... No, no, Grandma Mito, I can keep going..."
Kushina laughed awkwardly. She couldn't slack off—how else could she become a "little teacher" and teach him sealing techniques later?
"Go on, I'm a little tired." Mito patted her vibrant red hair.
"Alright then!"
Only then did Kushina feel at ease leaving the pavilion and running out of the Senju compound.
"Ryun... I wonder what he's doing right now..."
The lovestruck girl wanted to see him, but her pride held her back.
Standing at a crossroads, she paced back and forth, unable to make up her mind...
"Oh right, we didn't get to fight yesterday like I wanted..."
Now that she had a reason to find him, Kushina grinned and strode confidently toward Ryun's home.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📖 Like the story? Read 120 chapters ahead!
🔗 patreon.com/atomelectron
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━