"It wasn't that exaggerated. Hashirama's chakra reserves were roughly two hundred times Tobirama's. The reason he could use True Several Thousand Hands was partly due to Sage Mode, and partly because he overloaded his body and squeezed out its life force, refining chakra beyond his own limits."
Shaking her head slightly, Uzumaki Mito sounded somewhat sorrowful when speaking of this. Although Senju Hashirama had ultimately won the battle at the Valley of the End, he had paid a terrible price.
After hearing that explanation, Shimura Kentei understood. He could roughly guess why the First Hokage had died only a few years after the war.
The use of ninja chakra was strictly regulated. Refining too much chakra damaged the body, and in severe cases, could even cause sudden death.
Even a top-tier powerhouse like the First Hokage could not avoid that rule.
The First Hokage's cause of death was probably depleted life force. Combined with his frequent use of Seal-less Healing during battle, which exhausted his cells' division limit and severely overtaxed his body, even Senju Hashirama's Body could not withstand it.
"Madara really deserved to be called the man who drained the God of Shinobi dry!"
Kentei sighed inwardly. He did not even know what to say about the bond between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama. This was probably the legendary love-hate relationship!
"Miss, it's time to eat. How about coming with me for a meal?
"I specially summoned a chef from home. His cooking is excellent, and I guarantee you've never eaten anything like it."
Glancing at the sky outside, Shimura Kentei decisively extended the invitation.
He had to hold on tight to this golden thigh!
"I am a little hungry!"
Uzumaki Mito had intended to refuse, but Kentei's words piqued her interest. Rubbing her little stomach, she really wanted to see the delicacies he had mentioned.
After receiving Miss Mido's response, Kentei led her straight to Tsunade's mansion. As soon as they entered, they saw someone busy working in the courtyard.
"Uncle Lu, is it your turn to cook these next few days?"
As he led Uzumaki Mito into the mansion, Kentei called out to the busy figure in the courtyard.
"My turn has come, Young Master. You'll have to give me some proper guidance!"
Shimura Lu spoke with a chuckle. His gaze swept over Kentei before he saw Uzumaki Mito following behind him. His heart jumped as he recognized her identity.
"Lu, we meet again!"
Uzumaki Mito greeted him with a smile, clearly having recognized Shimura Lu as well.
"My respects, my lady!"
Shimura Lu hurriedly bowed. He was both shocked and deeply moved, never having expected his young master to bring out someone like her.
"Uncle Lu, you know Mido?"
Kentei looked in astonishment at the young woman beside him, then at the middle-aged man before him. He had not expected the two to know each other.
"Mido? Oh! Yes, I once had the honor of serving on Lady Mido's protection detail."
Shimura Lu paused slightly. Though he did not understand why she was not using her real name, he tactfully played along.
Matters involving someone of her standing were not something he could interfere with. It was best not to meddle.
"So that's how it is!"
Kentei nodded in realization, gaining a deeper understanding of the young woman beside him.
Uncle Lu might be cooking for him now, but he was originally an Elite Jonin. Only after both his legs had been broken by enemies during a mission had he been forced into retirement.
And anyone who required an Elite Jonin as a bodyguard was obviously someone of extremely high status.
"Are you the one cooking, Lu? Why have I never heard that you had this skill?"
Led by Kentei, Uzumaki Mito took a seat at a large round table and asked curiously.
She knew a little about Shimura Lu. He was quite capable, and his Wind Release ninjutsu was exceptionally sharp, but she had never heard that he could cook.
"I learned after retiring. With the Young Master's guidance, I developed quite a few new dishes. You must give them a proper taste this time, my lady."
Shimura Lu spoke with confidence and pride, thoroughly satisfied with his current accomplishments.
He had indeed been depressed for a time after retiring due to his disability. But after that young master found him, he regained his confidence and found a new goal to strive toward.
"Then I really must have a taste!"
Seeing Shimura Lu's confidence and pride, Uzumaki Mito became even more interested.
Once Kentei and Uzumaki Mito had taken their seats, Shimura Lu created Shadow Clones to bring over two basins of clean water. Kentei washed his hands in one, then dried them with a towel.
Uzumaki Mito washed her hands as well. Then Shimura Lu brought over dish after dish that had just completed their final preparation. The exquisite food dazzled her eyes.
"Miss Mido, come, try this sweet-and-sour fish first!"
Kentei picked up a pair of serving chopsticks, placed a piece of sweet-and-sour fish onto the small plate before Uzumaki Mito, and urged her to try it.
As a foodie from Earth Village, he found the food of the Hokage world terribly hard to get used to. Unfortunately, in his previous life, he only knew how to eat, not cook.
Fortunately, as the young master of the Shimura Clan, he only needed to give an order and plenty of people would work for him.
A few years ago, he had people gather more than half of the food recipes throughout the ninja world. Using those as a foundation and drawing on the Chinese dishes he had eaten in his previous life, he directed the chefs to recreate some of the eight great Chinese cuisines.
Uncle Shimura Lu specialized in Shandong cuisine, and this sweet-and-sour fish was one of its signature dishes.
Unfortunately, this world had no carp. Otherwise, it would have been even more classic.
Already tempted by the aroma, Uzumaki Mito picked up that small piece of sweet-and-sour fish and gently bit into it. A faint crunch sounded out. It was crispy on the outside and tender within, followed by a perfectly balanced sweet-and-sour flavor that made her happily narrow her beautiful eyes.
That adorable little expression satisfied Kentei greatly. His plan to latch onto a powerful backer had taken a crucial first step.
When dealing with creatures like young women, food was the greatest weapon. Back when he had been the Yellow and Blue Knight in his previous life, most female clients had ordered all kinds of delicious food.
As the saying went, men built connections over drinks, while women were won over at the dinner table.
"Come, try this braised pork knuckle!"
Seeing that she had finished the piece of sweet-and-sour carp, Kentei picked up another piece from the braised pork knuckle.
"Is this pork leg meat?"
Looking at the fatty-looking piece of pork on her plate, Uzumaki Mito furrowed her delicate brows. As a beautiful woman, she instinctively disliked greasy things like this.
"It is pork leg, but don't let its appearance fool you. It's rich without being greasy. Give it a try!"
Kentei nodded and picked up a piece of braised pork knuckle for himself. The familiar flavor filled him with nostalgia. It was already seventy percent similar to the braised pork knuckle he had tasted in his previous life.
After hesitating for a moment, Uzumaki Mito picked up the piece and took a small bite. At first, her brows remained slightly furrowed, but soon her beautiful eyes lit up. She stuffed the entire piece from her chopsticks into her mouth, and her eyes narrowed blissfully once more.
"Uncle Lu, didn't you say we would wait until I got back before eating?"
At that moment, a teenage boy rushed in like a whirlwind. He quickly sat down at the table while complaining to Shimura Lu.
They had clearly agreed on it earlier, yet this uncle had started without him.
The moment Senju Nawaki sat down, he noticed there was an extra person present today, and one he knew incredibly well. His entire body froze.
Just as he was about to speak, she tossed a piece of sweet-and-sour fish into his mouth, followed by an icy remark.
"Don't talk while eating!"
Nawaki obediently lowered his head and chewed up the piece of sweet-and-sour carp before swallowing it. Watching this, Kentei gained an even deeper understanding of the young woman's status within the Senju Clan.
At the very least, she was no less formidable than that violent woman Tsunade!
"Come, Miss Mido, try this pan-fried tofu!"
"And these scallion-pepper fish strips. This black fish egg soup is good too..."
Kentei enthusiastically served dishes to the young woman beside him. Nawaki, sitting across from them, gradually developed an increasingly strange expression, along with a growing hostility toward Kentei.
What was this bastard trying to do?
Ignoring Senju Nawaki's increasingly foul mood, Kentei and Uzumaki Mito ate to their hearts' content. What Kentei had not expected, however, was that this young woman was such a big eater.
More than half the dishes on the enormous table ended up in her stomach. That appetite rivaled several burly men.
"You Shimura Family really know how to enjoy yourselves!"
After clearing the dishes from the table, Uzumaki Mito stroked her slightly swollen belly, filled with emotion.
Given her status, she had naturally eaten many delicacies. Yet only today did she realize how ignorant she had been, and what true cuisine really meant.
"Young Master, my lady, try this soup!"
After having his Shadow Clones clear away the empty plates, Shimura Lu brought over a small basin of soup.
"Whoa! Uncle Lu, you even secretly learned this?"
Looking at the soup in the basin, Kentei was rather surprised. This was not part of Shandong cuisine.
"I happened to see it by accident!"
Shimura Lu smiled modestly, though he could not hide his pride.
"Miss Mido, come, try this!"
Kentei stood and served himself and the young woman a bowl of soup each, inviting her to taste it. He then took a satisfied sip himself. As for Senju Nawaki, he naturally had to serve himself.
However, Uzumaki Mito stared at the soup in the small bowl before her without making a move. Her brows gradually furrowed.
"Can hair be used to make food?"
Turning her head, Uzumaki Mito truly could not bring herself to eat the soup.
"That isn't hair. It's shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, carrots, tofu, seaweed, and other ingredients cut into fine threads. They only look like hair because they're so thin."
Kentei grinned and explained.
After all, this was a world with a cultivation civilization, and certain aspects surpassed his previous life. For instance, their knife skills were far better than those of the greatest chefs from his former world.
Uncle Lu never used a knife when cooking. He used Wind-nature chakra to slice everything from start to finish, and could cut ingredients as thinly as he wanted.
"Tofu can be cut into threads this thin?"
Uzumaki Mito's beautiful eyes widened in shock.
The other ingredients were one thing, but tofu was so soft. How could it possibly be cut into such fine threads?
Could food actually be made like this?
"With enough practice, anyone can do it!"
Shimura Lu smiled modestly again, indicating that practice made perfect.
Of course, he made it sound easy. In truth, he had put in tremendous effort over the past few years to develop such knife skills.
Fortunately, he was already skilled in Wind Release ninjutsu and had a solid foundation. Otherwise, it would have been truly difficult to reach this level.
"Young Master, tell me what still needs improvement this time!"
Shimura Lu took out a small notebook, held a fountain pen in his right hand, and invited Kentei to offer some guidance.
These were all new dishes. Other people only knew that they tasted good and could not point out any flaws. Only this young master had the most discerning palate and could provide them with valuable advice.
Only by receiving that advice and learning the dishes' shortcomings could they start improving them and make them better and better.
Over the past few years, they had reached this level entirely with the young master's help.
"Can something this delicious still have flaws?"
As Uzumaki Mito tasted the Wensi Tofu Soup, her beautiful eyes widened. She found the Shimura Family's way of thinking somewhat incomprehensible.
It was already this delicious, yet they still claimed it had flaws. Were they trying to reach the heavens?
Senju Nawaki, on the other hand, ignored all that and merely slurped down his soup.
He had witnessed similar scenes every morning, noon, and night for nearly a month. At first, he had been just as surprised, but after several days, he had gradually become numb to it.
They and the Shimura Family simply were not from the same world. He could not understand their way of thinking at all.
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