At dusk, as soon as Nawaki returned home, he smelled an enticing aroma filling the room. He rushed into the house impatiently. In the kitchen, Minato was busy cooking while Tsunade assisted by cleaning up the kitchen waste nearby. The atmosphere between them was remarkably harmonious. For some reason, Nawaki experienced a strange sense of déjà vu, as if his parents were preparing a meal together after he had come home from a long day. He quickly shook his head, tossing the absurd thought out of his mind.
Tsunade was one thing; an elder sister is often like a mother, and over the years, she had given him all her rare tenderness and taken great care of him. But what was the deal with Minato? This guy is two years younger than me!
"Hm? Nawaki, you're back?" Noticing his return, Tsunade looked him over. "Go wash your hands quickly; dinner is almost ready."
"Oh..." Suppressing his confusion, Nawaki gave a simple response and then looked curiously at Minato. "Minato, what are you making? Why does it smell so good?"
"Stewed Chicken with Mushrooms," Minato replied without looking back, his head tilted as he watched the pot. "Unfortunately, I could not find any suitable mushrooms, so the taste might be a bit off compared to what I wanted."
"This taste is off? It clearly smells amazing..." Nawaki sniffed the air, and his stomach immediately began to growl in protest.
Minato shook his head silently. To be perfect, the dish required Hazel Mushrooms, but he had not seen any for sale in the village. This specific type of mushroom is mostly found in the Northeast Region. They appear ordinary, but their flavor is delicious and their nutritional value is high. In his mind, Minato began to formulate a plan. He could try using Wood Release to cultivate specific fungi, as well as high-quality vegetables and fruits. It was no wonder the First Hokage had recorded so many planting techniques in those scrolls. With Wood Release, he could grow whatever he desired on the spot and even experiment with breeding new varieties.
Theoretically, he could use his chakra to complete dozens or even hundreds of generations of crossbreeding in a single day. He imagined cultivating rice several meters high, pumpkins as large as washbasins, or even strawberry-flavored watermelons. He could potentially rid the entire Ninja World of famine single-handedly. Thinking of this, Minato couldn't help but chuckle softly to himself. Some instincts were clearly carved deep into his soul.
"What are you laughing at?" Tsunade asked, noticing the sudden smile on his face.
"I was just thinking that I could cultivate some high-yield crops or more delicious vegetables and fruits later on." The soup in the pot had already thickened, so Minato turned up the heat to reduce the sauce before serving.
"Cultivating crops..." Tsunade was slightly stunned, a flash of tenderness crossing her eyes. "As it turns out, everyone who masters Wood Release seems to enjoy this kind of thing. My grandfather preferred raising bonsai. Speaking of which, your personalities are quite similar—equally gentle and sunny."
Hearing this, Minato froze for two seconds. A thought crossed his mind, and he suddenly burst out laughing. Tsunade was immediately puzzled. "What is so funny?"
Minato quickly shook his head. "No, it is nothing..."
"Really?"
"Really!" Seeing Minato nodding his head like a chick pecking at rice, Tsunade instinctively felt something was wrong. She raised an eyebrow and clenched her fist, making a sharp cracking sound. "No, out with it! Tell me the truth!"
"Well..." Noticing her threatening movement, Minato's face turned slightly pale. "If I say it, you have to promise not to hit me!"
"I will try," Tsunade said with a straight face. She crossed her arms, emphasizing her impressive figure, and tapped her foot impatiently. She looked ready to deliver a blow if he didn't speak up immediately.
"Um... Tsunade-sensei." Minato swallowed hard. Thinking about the reckless act he was about to commit, he felt a strange, thrill-seeking excitement. "Do you think I look like your grandfather?"
Thump! As soon as the words left his mouth, Tsunade punched Minato on the head. Then, with a soft 'poof' sound, the Minato in front of her turned into a wooden carving. It was the Wood Substitution Technique.
"You little brat..." A vein popped on Tsunade's forehead. She turned to see Minato standing by the kitchen door, holding the freshly served chicken soup and smiling sheepishly.
"Consider yourself lucky that you're fast!" Tsunade snorted coldly, served the rice, and sat down at the table. Nawaki finished washing up and sat beside her, picking up his chopsticks to grab a piece of chicken.
"Delicious! Huff huff..."
"Eat slowly, don't burn yourself." Tsunade picked up a piece of chicken and ate it unhurriedly.
"Minato's cooking is amazing!" Nawaki praised while eating.
"It is alright," Minato smiled. He was genuinely happy to have his skills recognized. In his previous life, a head chef had told him he was naturally suited for the culinary arts due to his sensitivity to seasoning and heat. While he was interested in cooking, he only enjoyed making things he liked to eat. His tastes overlapped with the siblings, though he personally preferred spicy food.
"I am so envious... Not only is your Ninjutsu talent great, but your cooking is good, and you're even handsome." Nawaki felt a bit emotional. "My sister was right; you really are the strongest rival on my path to becoming Hokage."
Minato laughed. "Don't worry, I am actually not very interested in being Hokage."
"Eh—?" Nawaki's eyes widened in disbelief. "That is the Hokage we are talking about!"
"I know," Minato nodded. "Actually, I do not have any grand life ambitions, nor do I have a reason that I must become exceptionally strong."
In truth, he did have reasons—the threats of Obito, Madara, and the Otsutsuki Clan—but those were secrets he could never share.
"Then what is your ambition?" Tsunade asked, her curiosity piqued. In Konoha, boys who do not want to be Hokage are very rare.
"Ambition..." Minato thought for a few seconds. "Perhaps just living a peaceful and happy life, and protecting the people who are important to me?"
"Eh—" Nawaki was speechless. "How boring! Does that even count as an ambition? It is a waste for Wood Release to be with you..."
"No, you're wrong, Nawaki. When Grandfather founded the village, he hoped the children of the future could live exactly like that." Tsunade smiled and flicked Nawaki's forehead. "Ordinariness can be a kind of greatness. Perhaps Minato awakened Wood Release because he possesses a quality that ordinary people lack?"
"Quality..." Does a System cheat count? Minato complained inwardly.
"But speaking of protecting people... have you already fallen for some little girl?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow at Minato with a playful smile.
"No," Minato shook his head. "Right now, the people I am closest to are you and Nawaki. How could you not be considered important people?"
The two siblings paused, their faces flushing slightly at the same time. They glanced at each other, both unable to hide their growing smiles.
"Ah, I see... Haha, so that's how it is," Tsunade gave a hollow laugh, but inside she was squirming with delight. The child's words were embarrassing, but she absolutely loved hearing them.
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