After some basic treatment, the situation was under control. As for the Water Bat No. 6 poison, Shukudō already had plenty of antibodies in his system, so the antidote serum worked quickly.
However, once the paralysis wore off, the pain from his injured rear end shot straight to his brain, making Shukudō glare at him with eyes full of resentment—like a widower mourning his dead wife. It was downright eerie.
"Heh." Umino Yoru smirked knowingly. The little brat had been acting all high and mighty earlier, sticking his butt up like he owned the place. Now that it was bruised and battered, maybe he'd think twice before challenging his captain's sacred, inviolable authority.
"Alright, kids! Today's a good day—extra rations!"
"Woo-hoo!"
The three youngsters cheered instantly. The moment he heard "extra rations," Shukudō forgot all about the pain in his backside. He immediately grabbed a large wooden bucket and rushed downstream.
Meanwhile, Inuzuka Rō and Koshō got busy setting up the cooking pot and preparing the meal. Even the ninja dog, Kyūtamaru, wagged its tail excitedly, helping by carrying firewood in its mouth.
As for Umino Yoru? He stepped onto the river's surface and activated his Subsonic Radar Technique, delivering precise sonic strikes to the golden gong fish beneath.
The shockwaves instantly ruptured the fishes' brains and stopped their hearts, leaving them floating lifelessly on the water's surface—just in time for Shukudō to scoop them up downstream.
Clearly, after all this training, the offensive power of his Subsonic Radar Technique had improved. It still wasn't overwhelmingly strong, but it was now more than enough to deal with small animals that lacked chakra.
"Looks like today's our lucky day."
Yoru's eyes gleamed as he stared into the river, as if he'd spotted some hidden treasure.
The Land of Rivers was abundant in natural resources. Aside from the prized golden gong fish, there were plenty of other aquatic delicacies—chief among them being the yellow-margined turtle, a highly nutritious delicacy beloved by nobles.
Thanks to the penetrating power of his Subsonic Radar Technique, he detected one such turtle—about the size of a millstone—buried in the riverbed's silt.
"Vibrate!"
A silent subsonic pulse shot straight toward the turtle's head.
"Huh?" Yoru blinked in surprise. The turtle was only dazed, not killed.
It took three more sonic strikes before the creature finally passed out.
After hauling it out, Yoru quickly realized why it had been so resilient—this turtle had already begun developing chakra, making it practically a low-level summoning creature.
No wonder it could withstand subsonic attacks. Its flesh and blood had already absorbed traces of chakra.
Still, a summoning beast this weak was practically useless in combat. Letting it go was out of the question—this one was destined for the dinner pot.
Without hesitation, Yoru lopped off the turtle's head to drain its blood. Then, since he was a shinobi, he skipped the tedious step of scalding it with boiling water. Instead, he drew his fish-cleaning knife and got to work.
Only the turtle's liver and stomach were kept; the rest of the innards were tossed back into the river.
With the precision of a master butcher, he dismantled the turtle in no time—even removing all eight sections of its shell. As for the golden gong fish? Those were even easier, taking less than two minutes to prepare.
Next, he unsealed the storage scroll he'd swindled from Shukudō, revealing a wooden crate filled with jars of spices.
Thanks to the turtle, lunch took a bit longer than usual, but the result was a feast fit for nobility.
"Captain, can we eat now?"
Shukudō rubbed his hands together eagerly, practically drooling. His eyes looked ready to pop straight into the pot.
Especially that stewed yellow-margined turtle—a delicacy usually reserved for nobles. Combined with Yoru's god-tier cooking skills, even the Daimyō of the Land of Fire wouldn't get a meal this good.
Just as Yoru was about to give the go-ahead, his expression suddenly changed.
"Shukudō! Seal everything up in the scroll—NOW!"
He barked the order, and Shukudō immediately obeyed, knowing better than to question his captain. Thankfully, the scroll was big enough to hide all the evidence—otherwise, this culinary masterpiece would've gone to waste.
The moment they finished packing up, Shukudō tensed. "Captain… Sand ninja?"
Yoru shook his head. "Patrol duty."
Shukudō: "…???"
Patrol? Since when? Hadn't they skipped it for almost a week?
What the hell was going on? Why was the captain suddenly remembering protocol at a time like this?
Yoru moved fast, quickly distancing himself from the "crime scene."
Within minutes, rustling came from the trees behind them.
Shukudō and the others immediately drew their kunai, on high alert.
Then, a voice called out before its owner even appeared:
"Yoru… you've been hard to find."
"Chief Torifune?! What brings you here?"
Yoru put on an exaggerated look of flattered surprise, rushing over to Akimichi Torifune's side like an eager subordinate.
"Yoru… is there something you'd like to tell me?" Torifune asked meaningfully.
"Whatever you need, Chief! Just say the word, and I'll make it happen!" Yoru thumped his chest, the picture of loyalty.
"Yoru… good food shouldn't be kept from your captain, you know."
Torifune sniffed the air, then added with a knowing smirk, "I could smell it from five miles away."
"Uh…?" Yoru remained poker-faced, refusing to admit anything. (Damn, is this guy part Inuzuka? That nose is too sharp! Typical Akimichi glutton…)
Seeing that Yoru wasn't biting, Torifune dropped the act and got straight to the point:
"Yoru… Maruboshi Kōsuke keeps making fish stew. I'm sick of it. I need a change of taste. What do you suggest?"
"Oh? Chief, you'd really break battlefield regulations just for a meal?"
"You—!"*
Torifune's face darkened, but before he could explode, Yoru quickly backpedaled:
"Ah! So the Chief is a fellow gourmet! In that case, no need to hide anything."
He waved grandly. "Shukudō—serve the food!"
"Yes, sir!"
Shukudō was thrilled. This was a golden opportunity to bond with a superior! Breaking rules together on the battlefield was like brothers-in-arms—nothing forged bonds faster.
With a poof, he unsealed the storage scroll, laying out the entire lavish lunch spread.