Shinobi World's First Kitchen Romance Show

Hanma stood before the stove, carefully recalling Tsunade's food preferences. She did not like sweets, preferred tender chicken, and enjoyed drinking.

To win a woman's heart, first win her stomach!

As he recalled the vast sea of recipes and unforgettable delicacies from his previous life, Hanma found it difficult to choose. Should he make Sichuan cuisine or Cantonese cuisine? Shandong cuisine or Jiangsu cuisine?

Hanma, a hero of his time, hesitated before the cutting board.

You might not believe it, but Hanma was a die-hard believer in pure love, a keyboard warrior when it came to romance. Tsunade was his childhood friend and his closest buddy.

Turning a best buddy into a girlfriend was not easy.

Although he might have fooled around with Jiraiya for a few years before—scratch that—he was still a virgin.

First, the Uchiha bloodline could not be exposed. Once it was, he would face severe consequences.

Second, being a virgin was necessary when first practicing taijutsu, and he was not the sort of man to sleep around. After his physique improved, Hanma sadly discovered that he had developed "reproductive isolation."

Sometimes, he wanted to cross the heavens and ask some of his fellow taijutsu practitioners how they managed it.

Could someone capable of punching apart a mountain really have children with an ordinary person in the normal way?

Hanma stopped his inner grumbling and considered tonight's menu.

Tsunade did not like sweets and preferred tender chicken. Then he would start with a famous Sichuan-Chongqing dish—Chicken Tofu!

Hanma picked up two Rock Chickens and inspected them. Both were tender young roosters. He smiled in satisfaction. Good ingredients!

With a slight flick of his wrist, he removed the Rock Chickens' bones. Wind Release Chakra condensed into a blade, trimming away the excess membranes and leaving behind crystal-clear chicken meat.

Controlling his strength, he pounded the chicken at a rate of dozens of strikes per second, turning it into a fine chicken paste.

He poured in prepared sand ginger water, mist scallion water, premium Flame Wine, and Konoha Mineral Water, mixing the chicken paste and water at a five-to-four ratio before stirring thoroughly.

He added salt, egg whites, and an appropriate amount of starch, mixed everything well, carefully strained it once, then added stock and more wine.

He poured in boiling water and brought it to a boil over high heat, spinning it rapidly to slowly centrifuge the impurities from the chicken paste.

Once the chicken paste had set over high heat, he switched to low heat and slowly stirred it, drawing out the purest savory flavor within.

He then ladled out the stock, strained it into bowls, removed the cooked chicken paste, arranged it delicately on the plates, and declared the job done!

The broth was clear enough to see the bottom, yet carried a faint fragrance. The chicken paste was tender like tofu pudding, scattered throughout the bowl.

Hanma nodded in satisfaction. Tsunade would definitely love it.

He glanced at the remaining stock in the pot, added shredded winter bamboo shoots, mountain mushrooms, shark fin, and water shield, and a pot of delicious chicken soup was ready as well.

He grabbed another Rock Chicken and simmered it over low heat until it was seventy percent cooked, then turned off the heat and let the residual warmth finish it.

He removed every bone, cut the chicken into finger-width strips, and added chopped chilies, Sichuan pepper powder, ginger, salt, cooking wine, and rice vinegar.

Hanma inhaled lightly and exhaled a miniature Great Fireball Jutsu, evaporating the vinegar and wine while leaving behind their fragrance. He tossed the wok over high heat, then plated the dish.

Fragrant, tender, spicy, and smooth Dong'an Chicken appeared on the table as well.

Hanma picked up some braised venison, carefully sliced it into strips, and plated it. Another cold dish was ready.

Hanma continued breathing out tiny flames as he stir-fried some peanuts and smashed a cucumber. The drinking snacks were complete.

He then took out several bottles of fine liquor he had conveniently taken from the Land of Water daimyo's bedroom back when he was in the Anbu, fully armed himself, and waited for Tsunade to arrive.

Today would be a great battle!

The door was knocked on heavily. Tsunade swaggered in, sniffed the fragrance filling the room, and asked in confusion, "You bastard, you can actually cook?"

As she entered and saw the spread on the table, Tsunade's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Hanma.

Hanma was a little speechless too. Had this woman thought he was joking?

Then again, it made sense. Ever since childhood, he had always loved running his mouth.

Hanma steadied himself, poured two small cups of wine, and gestured for Tsunade to sit.

Tsunade picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of Chicken Tofu. Her eyes filled with blissful little bubbles.

"How can this be so delicious? It melts in the mouth, and it tastes so fresh too. How did you know I love chicken?"

Hanma chuckled. "I've known since we were kids."

Tsunade rolled her eyes at him and immersed herself in the delicious food.

She picked up a bowl of rice and dug into the Dong'an Chicken and braised venison, her chopsticks dancing nonstop.

Hanma watched with a smile. He did not touch his chopsticks much, merely clinked cups with Tsunade again and again and ate a few bites of cold dishes.

Tsunade gradually got into the mood and declared boldly, "Drinking cup by cup like this is boring. Bring out the big glasses!"

Hanma got up, fetched two beer steins, and carried in another case of liquor.

Using beer steins to drink strong liquor—perhaps only the two of them could do that, even in the Hokage's world?

Their constitutions were both far beyond ordinary. After switching to the large glasses, they downed a stein in two gulps.

Hanma and Tsunade kept raising their glasses without speaking. They simply clinked, poured, ate, and clinked again in perfect tacit understanding.

Only after all the food on the table had been eaten did they look at each other. The atmosphere sank into an unspoken ambiguity mixed with faint awkwardness.

Tsunade put down her chopsticks, raised her flushed face, and looked at Hanma through her drunken haze.

"You bastard, we've known each other for eighteen years now, right?"

"Yeah. Eighteen years."

"You've become an incredible shinobi too."

"Not really."

"You defeated me and Uchiha Setsuna, and you call that not really?"

"..."

"Actually, I know. You don't like me, and I don't like you that much either. What you said that day was just to comfort me, wasn't it?"

"That wasn't it."

"Heh. Would someone who can defeat two clan-leader-level shinobi really refuse to be with the woman he loves because he is worried about war?"

Tsunade suddenly slammed the table and shouted:

"Even Chunin and Genin wouldn't use such a cliché excuse!"

"You bastard!"

Hanma fell silent.

He had overlooked one issue. In this world, only he knew that Uchiha Madara was still plotting in the shadows, knew about Kaguya, knew about Isshiki—knew far too much.

Hanma believed that his current strength was merely sufficient, barely enough to protect himself in the early stages.

But in Tsunade's eyes, it sounded like an excuse. What shinobi would worry about something like that?

After all, because of Hanma's arrival, she had not experienced Nawaki's death or the loss of her lover. She still possessed the temperament of a young girl.

Hanma looked at Tsunade's rosy cheeks. Unexpectedly, his heart calmed. He stared at her seriously and said slowly:

"Since you put it that way, then I am asking to be with you right now."

Tsunade froze, her mouth slightly open as she stared at Hanma. Her dazed expression was incredibly cute.

"I met you when we were children. I am Uchiha, and you are Senju. Although our clans stood opposed, we still became friends."

"After I graduated, I joined the Anbu. Though we spent little time together, I always remembered you. Whenever I went to a shinobi village, I would bring you back a local specialty."

Tsunade snorted, but the clothes she wore today were the Ice Cotton Haori Hanma had brought back for her from the Land of Water.

"I cannot say how much I love you. As shinobi, we face life and death every day."

"Maybe I am strong, but even a shinobi like Tobirama Senju fell on the battlefield."

"That is what I worry about."

"If you ask me how much I love you, I do not know either. But if I miss this chance with you, I will regret it for the rest of my life."

"What I can promise is that if we are together, I will learn how to love and protect you."

"So, do you understand, Tsunade?"

Tsunade quietly listened to Hanma's words, her ears reddening. She walked to his side and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her face glowed like peach blossoms, her breath fragrant, and the love in her eyes shone brilliantly.

"Your confession sounds like a taijutsu report. How unique."

The two slowly embraced and kissed passionately.

This recipe can really be made, okay? It's a real recipe!