Exiting the underground palace of the Great Toad Sage, Sakura followed Fukasaku to their home.
Having just been through a fight and using the Mystical Palm Technique to heal her injuries, Sakura's stomach growled, just happened to be heard by Fukasaku beside her.
"Are you hungry, Sakura-chan? Perfect timing, let's go to my house for a meal. Wifey should have already prepared a sumptuous feast waiting for us."
Fukasaku raised his arms, drawing a large circle in front of Sakura.
Sakura suddenly remembered that the toads of Mount Myoboku apparently ate... insects!
But given her Giant Royalty's physique, eating a few insects shouldn't be a problem, right?
After all, when drifting at sea with Captain Roger and facing food shortages, she'd even gnawed on raw sea beasts...
Treading on the path lined with toad stone statues, the surrounding giant leaves rustled in the gentle breeze, making Sakura feel a bit dazed under the shadows.
By the time the two climbed the slope and arrived in front of a small house built into a hollowed-out rock cave, Shima, carrying a large bundle on her back, was also just returning from outside.
"Hey, Wifey, is the food ready? Sakura-chan is already hungry!"
Fukasaku made a few frog leaps, landing in front of the just-returned Shima, helping to support the bundle on her back.
"Oh, we'll have to wait a bit longer!"
Shima raised a hand, waving at the two.
"The food at home is all gone. Plus, those two were just injured, so I went to catch some ingredients that can restore vitality!"
"To celebrate Sakura-chan's arrival tonight, we're having a feast!"
Shima hefted the constantly wriggling bundle on her back, patting its side with her front palm.
Even without her detailed explanation, anyone with eyes could see what was inside.
Sakura's eyebrows twitched, a stiff smile stretching across her face.
"That... that's really, thank you, Shima-san."
Everyone entered the house. Jiraiya, bundled up into a cross shape, saw Sakura's arrival and immediately called for help.
"Sakura, I'm all better now, quick, let me go!"
"No way. If I let you go, and you go scratching your wound again, what then?"
Sakura mercilessly rejected Jiraiya's request, helping him lean against the stone wall.
"I am better, really, really!"
Sweat dripped from Jiraiya's forehead, the corners of his mouth pulled up into a not-so-sincere smile for Sakura.
Sakura looked at him suspiciously, raised a finger, and pointed at herself, "Look me in the eye and say it: Konoha's people don't lie to Konoha's people."
"Konoha's people don't..."
Before Jiraiya could finish, Sakura's Observation Haki had already read the emotions in his heart.
Especially when an opponent's emotions were fluctuating violently, Sakura's Observation could even hear their thoughts to some extent.
Like right now with Jiraiya, his mind was full of a looped broadcast of 'so itchy, so itchy'.
"Alright, that's a lie."
"A lie? How did you know?"
Jiraiya twisted, his movements making the cross-shaped binding unstable. Tilting over, he fell straight to the ground with a thud.
Ignoring the howls from Jiraiya behind her, she even told Fukasaku to keep an eye on this pervert who needed rest.
Sakura stood up and walked towards the kitchen, wanting to see what dinner Shima was preparing.
"Oh, Sakura-chan's here. Any dishes you particularly want to eat? Just tell me."
Shima, sensing Sakura's arrival, greeted her.
"I'll eat whatever the host serves."
Sakura looked at the fresh proteins placed on the cutting board, somewhat unsure how to answer.
Shima just assumed Sakura was shy and brought a stool out from the cabinet.
She hopped onto the stool, stood on her tiptoes, and began processing the ingredients.
Sakura could barely distinguish grasshoppers and aphids among them, and there were also some densely packed small white worms whose names she didn't know.
After asking Shima, she learned that those worms were called taro worms...
"Taro worms are chakra creatures. They live inside tree trunks year-round, have few natural predators, and each grows very plump and delicious."
Shima explained to Sakura while using Fire Release to spit flames, boiling a pot of water in front of her.
She took the taro worms from the bundle, peeled off their shells, used a knife to cut off the heads and tails, split open the worm's abdomen to remove the innards, and finally tossed them into the pot for a slow simmer over low heat.
"But since they mainly suck tree sap, their texture is very refreshing, they have high sugar content, and carry a slight alcoholic taste. They are a staple food loved by many young toads in Mount Myoboku."
"Eh, is that so!"
Sakura, who was handing utensils and assisting Shima on the side, felt like she was being filled with a lot of strange but interesting knowledge.
"Since you two were just injured, let's pick something lighter for the main dish tonight."
Shima was about to take out the caught grasshoppers, but when she turned around, she found that Sakura had already removed all their shells.
The muscle from the grasshopper legs had also been completely scooped out and cut into neat slices of meat.
"Ara, can you cook too, Sakura-chan? Looks like your knife skills are pretty good."
Shima showed a pleased expression, taking the insect slices Sakura had prepared. She used Fire Release to heat the oil in the wok.
With a sizzle, the insect slices went into the wok. After adding a seasoning Sakura didn't recognize, an enticing aroma wafted from the oil.
"Well, I've learned a little, I guess."
Following Shima's instructions, Sakura stir-fried the taro worms, drained them, added clear water to the pot, and steamed these worms over the water.
After handling these, Shima also made earthworm ramen, cold tossed aphids, and sipunculid worm jelly, and instructed Sakura on making a worm oden.
After drizzling with sauce, a delicious full insect feast was ready.
"Oh, what a feast!"
Fukasaku, seeing the table full of dishes, wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth.
His gaze fell on a tenacious aphid crawling outside a plate. He shot out his tongue, bringing the stubborn insect back into his mouth.
"So delicious~"
"I said, Hubby, stop sneaking bites!"
Scolding her husband, Shima walked to the wall, helped Jiraiya up, and untied his bindings.
"Thanks, Big Sis, but you're too late!"
The extremely uncomfortable Jiraiya dashed out of the room in a flash to deal with the unspeakable troubles of a middle-aged man.
"Ai, this Jiraiya-chan!"
Sighing, Shima prepared a basin of clear water and placed it by the door.
A moment later, the four of them sat around the small dining table.
Jiraiya skillfully picked up a taro worm and stuffed it into his mouth, also deliberately filling a large bowl with ramen and slurping it down loudly in front of Sakura, all while secretly watching Sakura with a teasing look.
[Childish]
'System?'
Hearing the voice, Sakura showed a surprised expression, 'I hadn't expected even the usually lurking system to bubble up.'
[Notice: It is not a preference for lurking. Please do not slander this unit.]
[Additionally, achievement [Pain Misses You to Death] has been unlocked. Reward: 40 Achievement Points.]
[Current balance: 80]
'Misses me to death? More like wants me dead!'
Sakura sighed helplessly, scooped some oden ingredients from the pot, and brought the bowl to herself.
Under Jiraiya's extremely expectant gaze, she used her chopsticks to pick up a caterpillar, put it in her mouth, and bit down.
Crunch!
Sakura's eyes narrowed. A milky fragrance spread through her mouth.
The caterpillars, which fed on Mount Myoboku's crispy leaves year-round, would generate large amounts of fatty acids due to the reaction with natural energy. After high-temperature steaming and seasoning, this milky, fragrant aroma was produced.
The delicate taste blooms on her taste buds. The insect meat remains chewy even after steaming, and even after steaming, and when chewed, it burst forth with refreshingly fragrant juices.
"Mmm, it really does taste quite good."
Hearing Sakura's words, Shima was overjoyed and quickly picked up a few more for her bowl, also piling on a bunch of other insect dishes.
"Try these too. See if I made them well."
Sakura accepted them all, tasting each insect dish one by one.
"The cold tossed aphids are quite fragrant. The ramen worms are plenty chewy. But the caterpillars are a bit sweet and still a little sticky on the teeth."
Sakura ate heartily, even having the spare energy to comment on the dishes, leaving Jiraiya watching with dumbfounded expression.
"Huh? Why?"
The Mount Myoboku's Toad Sage was utterly perplexed.
They were both human. The first time coming to Mount Myoboku and facing such dark cuisine, Sakura was completely fine, while he had vomited his guts out back in the day.
"Hmph, because Jiraiya-sensei is an idiot!"
Sakura swallowed a taro worm and stuck her tongue out at him.
She didn't even need Observation Haki to see what Jiraiya was hoping for from his face. Naturally, she couldn't let him have his way.
…
The dinner was enjoyed by both guests and hosts alike, except for Jiraiya, whose feeling was wounded.
As the night grew deeper, Fukasaku brought out bedding for Sakura and Jiraiya to rest at their house.
Late at night, Sakura quietly lifted the covers and walked out of the house.
The outdoor wind was cool and refreshing. The sound of frog croaks echoed throughout Mount Myoboku, giving a sense of peace.
Sakura sat on a giant leaf, overlooking the beautiful scenery of Mount Myoboku.
The Great Toad Sage's prophecy and the battle in Amegakure resurfaced in her heart. The ensuing twists and turns made her feel a bit of anxious.
"Ultimately, it's still not enough power. I really want to grow up quickly~"
[Notice, if power is insufficient, this system recommends the host save Achievement Points to exchange for Wood Release!]
'Hey, you shady merchant, waiting for me here, right?!'
Sakura laughed in exasperation. The system's interruption, however, pushed her previous worries to the back of her mind.
A Giant's growth was destined to be extremely long. If she eagerly pursued strength and overdrafted her potential, it would undoubtedly be a very foolish approach.
So the best way was to proceed step by step, traveling between the Ninja World and the sea, using the time difference to accelerate her growth!
"It's time to return to the sea!"
Lying on the leaf with her hands behind her head, Sakura looked at the boundless starry sky, her thoughts beginning to drift.
[Notice: The current time is the end of the Year 59 of Konoha Calendar, the middle of the Year 1500 of the Sea Calendar.]
'So thoughtful, my partner.'
[Hmph.]
'Well then, pal, you know what!'
[Notice, 10 Achievement Points have been deducted!]
A cold wind blew from afar, and a soft glow covered Sakura's body.
A long-lost fatigue crept into Sakura's heart, and she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Her dreams were filled with flames and violence.
The scenery of the sea once again appeared before her eyes.