The cultivation of the new jutsu came to a temporary halt as the rhythmic clink-clink-clink of a ladle hitting a pot pulled Ren Uchiha's consciousness back to reality.
The three students and their teacher were now huddled in a circle around a pot salvaged from the abandoned village. Curiously, the person manning the ladle wasn't the gentle and seemingly domestic Rin Nohara, but...
Obito Uchiha!
Obito grinned, clutching a rusty serving spoon and tapping the rim of the pot. He pushed up his goggles and looked at the slightly surprised Ren with an air of triumph.
"Ren, you might have become a Jōnin, but in this arena, you're definitely no match for me!"
"While out on missions with Kakashi, I've been honing my culinary skills to perfection!"
As he spoke, Obito skillfully tossed washed wild greens into the pot. He flipped the vegetables with a smooth, one-handed motion, keeping his other hand behind his back. His movements were so fluid and practiced that he actually looked like a master chef!
Ren's breath hitched. He was genuinely horrified.
Obito... why did teaming up with Kakashi lead to you leveling up your cooking skills? What exactly was your role in that squad?!
Minato and Rin were equally shocked, turning their bewildered gazes toward Kakashi. Kakashi simply covered his forehead with his hand and lapsed into a pained silence.
How was he supposed to explain that because he finished all the missions way ahead of schedule, Obito had nothing to do but pick wild greens and have existential battles with a frying pan every day?
Obito completely misread the "shock" in their eyes, assuming they were awestruck by his technique. He decided to show off even more.
"Watch closely! Even without seasonings, I can create a dish that perfectly brings out the raw, natural essence of the ingredients!"
A moment later, a plate of sautéed wild greens was served. Kakashi, having survived this several times already, was the first to pick up his chopsticks. Minato and Rin hesitated for a beat before trying a bite.
"Oh! Obito, this is actually pretty good!~" Rin exclaimed in surprise.
Minato nodded in agreement. "Better than a food pill!"
Ren leaned in and tasted a piece. His brow immediately furrowed into a tight knot. How should he put it? Compared to a flavorless food pill, this was... slightly better. But in terms of nutrition and satiety, this was more like a side dish meant to help swallow a dry pill.
As Ren was tasting, the other four were already reaching for their food pills, ready to wash them down with the greens.
"Stop!"
Ren shouted, reaching out to interrupt them. He shook his head at Obito with a look of profound disappointment.
"Obito... you don't understand the first thing about cooking!"
Ren pointed at the pot of greens with a look of disdain. "The stalks are too stringy—Failure!"
"The heat was uneven—Failure!"
"The broth tastes like dirt because you didn't even wash the roots properly—Failure!"
"Let your 'Big Brother' teach you how to make a truly exquisite wild green soup!"
Ignoring Obito's murderous glare and look of utter betrayal, Ren dumped the entire pot of sautéed greens. He formed the 'Snake' seal, used Water Style to fill the pot, and began to boil it.
Then, he sourced his ingredients: specific wild herbs, bark, and a quick trip into the forest to find colorful mushrooms, wild berries, and rosemary. Standing by the pot, he recalled a skill he had acquired back in the Land of Hot Springs:
[Delicious Cooking Methods for Wild Green Soup and Bark (Proficiency)!]
Following the recipe precisely, he added the "ingredients" with unpretentious technique and covered the pot. Finally, he used a burst of Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique to rapidly reduce the soup with intense heat!
The moment he lifted the lid... it was as if a golden light ascended from the pot!
A hallucinatory aroma surged out violently! Minato, Kakashi, and Rin's eyes lit up simultaneously.
Obito stared at the feast—which looked, smelled, and tasted heavenly—and then looked up at Ren. His mouth hung open, his face a mask of "why am I even alive" realization.
Ren Uchiha, you bastard... it's not enough that you're a genius ninja? You have to be a 'try-hard' at cooking too?! Are you even human?!
Ren took a sip of the soup, maintaining a calm expression that subtly screamed 'I'm better than you.'
"Indeed. I am the true God of Cookery."
Obito looked like he'd been struck by lightning. Dejected, he decided to turn his grief into an appetite, grabbing a bowl and eating like a hungry piglet.
After two days of travel, the team finally arrived at the gates of Konoha.
Though called a "village," Konoha was massive—essentially a city-state. By some estimates, its radius alone was nearly 40 kilometers. For a normal person, it would take nearly an hour just to run from the Hokage building to the front gate. Only a city this size could support the 855 D-Rank missions Ren had once "grinded" through.
At the gate, after checking in with the guards (who weren't the famous "Gatekeepers" Izumo and Kotetsu just yet), Team Minato parted ways with Ren. They had to report to the Hokage building.
"You can find me at Training Ground 3 if you need anything, Ren," Minato said before leaving.
Ren stood at the gate, momentarily unsure of where to go. In the past month, he had gone from a simple clan ninja to holding four different roles: Konoha Ninja, ANBU, Root, and Uchiha.
Who was he supposed to report to? Torune Aburame had reminded him that Danzo wanted to see him. Orochimaru was waiting for him as "experimental material." But neither had given him a specific time or place. It felt like they were both waiting for him to initiate contact.
Ren shook his head. Forget them. I'm going home first.
Just then, a middle-aged man with short brown hair, unique markings around his eyes, and a navy blue kimono bearing the Uchiha fan crest stood up from a stone bench near the gate. He walked toward Ren.
Ren recognized him immediately: Yashiro Uchiha, a high-ranking member of the clan's "Hawks."
Yashiro approached, his brow furrowing as he looked at Ren's ragged, travel-worn clothes. "Are you Ren Uchiha?"
Ren nodded. "Yeah, that's me. Can I help you?"
He looked at the stern-faced Uchiha, wondering if this was another arrangement by the Great Elder, Setsuna Uchiha.
Yashiro continued to scowl. Despite the letters he'd received praising this boy, Ren didn't look like much at first glance. He was tall and handsome—certainly fitting the Uchiha aesthetic—but he looked exactly like what he was: a twelve-year-old kid. He looked "cool," but he didn't look "strong."
Yet, this kid had received relentless praise from Fugaku, Shisui, Shinichi, and even Seiichiro.
Remembering the orders from Setsuna Uchiha, Yashiro sighed and shook his head.
"Follow me. We're going to the Naka Shrine."
"The Great Elder gave strict instructions."
"The moment you return, you are to learn a Forbidden Jutsu!"
Ren was caught off guard. "A Forbidden Jutsu? Which one?"
Yashiro snapped his eyes open, revealing a spinning three-tomoed Sharingan. He spoke with cold indifference:
"The Forbidden Jutsu—"
"Izanagi!"
Note: Support me and get early access to chapters on Pat reon.com/XareonMTL