Renye's Cooking

The next morning.

Renye lay on the bed looking exhausted. He had dreamed of something last night.

In the dream, he found himself in a laboratory, lying on a cold dissection table. The surrounding shelves were filled with all kinds of biological specimens, bottles, and jars.

He had tried to get up from the table, but his body could not move at all, leaving him only able to watch in silence.

"What exactly was that dream?" Renye muttered. "Could it be the golden finger of a transmigrator?"

Thinking of that, excitement appeared on his face.

If it really was a golden finger, that would be amazing!

As a transmigrator, having no golden finger at all would be rather shabby.

Renye quickly calmed down. A single dream did not prove anything.

What if it was not? Wouldn't he just be getting excited for nothing?

He decided to observe for a while first and see whether he could have the same dream again. If he could, it would not be too late to start researching it then.

With that in mind, he rolled out of bed and left the room.

After taking a lap around the courtyard without finding Tobirama Senju, he guessed that Tobirama had gone to the Hokage Office to help Hashirama Senju deal with paperwork.

So, he headed to the Shuriken Throwing Ground in the corner of the courtyard.

The ground was a regular circle, roughly twenty meters in diameter.

At its center stood a row of carefully crafted wooden targets.

Each target stood about as tall as a person and was made of thick planks. Their surfaces were painted with eye-catching concentric circles: a red dot in the center, surrounded in turn by rings of orange, yellow, blue, and other colors.

A simple wooden shed had been built on one side of the ground.

Inside were a wooden table and several chairs. Various types of shuriken were neatly arranged on the table, including triangular and cross-shaped ones.

Protective gear hung from a rack against the wall, including gloves, wrist guards, and chest protectors.

"As expected of Tobirama Senju. He really is loaded!" Renye remarked.

With his previous living expenses, he could barely afford food and drink. He had no spare money to buy shuriken, much less train in Shuriken Throwing.

Looking at the shuriken on the table, Renye's eyes burned with envy.

Although he really wanted to begin shuriken training right away, those things were not his. He absolutely could not use them without permission and still needed Tobirama Senju's approval.

After looking for a while, Renye decisively pulled his gaze away and began physical training.

His body was still young, so he did not train too intensely. He only did some simple bodyweight exercises, such as push-ups, squats, and pull-ups, to build strength in his chest, legs, and arms.

This kind of strength training was crucial for a ninja's stability and explosive power while carrying out missions.

By the time Renye finished training, it was nearly noon.

He lay on the ground and rested for a while before dragging his tired body to the kitchen to prepare lunch.

Renye did not know whether Tobirama Senju would come back for lunch, but he still planned to make enough for two people.

Worth mentioning was that Renye's own portion was especially large—twice what he had eaten the previous night.

Whenever he did physical training, Renye became especially hungry.

He was rather pleased about that. Eating more meant he had burned more before, which showed that the training was effective!

Besides, sufficient food intake would help him build muscle, improve his endurance, and strengthen his body's recovery ability.

Since there were not many ingredients at home, Renye made something simple: Mapo tofu and Kung Pao Chicken. Both dishes were still insanely spicy.

"Hehe, just one small bowl of rice as usual!"

Renye brought over a basin of rice, scooped out a bowl and placed it across from him, then began eating heartily straight from the basin.

As for that small bowl of rice, it was naturally for Tobirama Senju.

As a Chinese person in his previous life, Renye was not used to Japanese food culture. Compared to it, he preferred Chinese cuisine.

After all, Chinese food went wonderfully with rice—numbing, spicy, and fragrant.

Just then, Tobirama Senju returned.

The moment he entered the courtyard, he caught a rich aroma.

He looked toward the house in surprise and muttered, "It smells so good... What did that brat make?"

Only then did Tobirama Senju realize that Renye had not been boasting. He really could cook.

He subconsciously swallowed and hurried into the house.

"White-haired uncle, you're back." Renye greeted him, continuing to eat like a whirlwind.

Without wasting words, Tobirama Senju sat properly at the low table. Before him were two enticing dishes—mapo tofu and Kung Pao Chicken.

Soft white tofu soaked in glistening red chili oil, dotted with peppercorns and bright green scallions. Its rich, numbing, spicy fragrance drilled straight into his nose.

The Kung Pao Chicken was the same. Golden-orange diced chicken, vivid red chilies, and tender green scallion segments were artfully combined, giving off an irresistible sweet and spicy aroma.

He first picked up a mouthful of mapo tofu. The instant it entered his mouth, its scalding heat and powerful numbing spice exploded across his tongue.

"Hiss, hiss!"

Tobirama Senju was not good with spicy food, yet he was still conquered by the mapo tofu.

Next, he tasted the Kung Pao Chicken. The tenderness of the chicken, the crisp fragrance of the peanuts, and the fiery heat of the chilies blended perfectly together. The rich texture gave him an unprecedented taste experience.

If Renye had not been there, he would have happily cried out.

It could not be helped. It was simply too delicious!

"White-haired uncle, don't just eat the dishes. Mix them with rice—that's when they taste best!" Renye reminded him.

Hearing that, Tobirama Senju casually picked up his bowl of rice, imitating Renye as he scooped up a spoonful of mapo tofu. Red oil dripped down the spoon and coated the rice.

As he chewed, the tofu's numbing spice combined with the rice's sweetness, making every bite intoxicating.

He ate mouthful after mouthful, immersed in the satisfaction the food brought him. Even as the spice made him sweat profusely, he did not care in the slightest.

Tobirama Senju closed his eyes in enjoyment, seemingly savoring the flavors of the two dishes.

Even for him, it was his first time eating something so delicious.

This brat's cooking really was beyond reproach!

Perhaps adopting him was not so hard to accept after all.

"Hey, Uncle, don't just sit there like an idiot. Once you're done eating, go wash the dishes!" Renye burped contentedly and urged him.

Tobirama Senju came back to his senses and obediently carried the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen.

Renye was somewhat surprised. He had not expected the old man to be so easy to talk to.

He did not know that Renye had already successfully conquered Tobirama's stomach.

The fact that Tobirama Senju, who had never eaten spicy food, finished both of those insanely spicy dishes was enough to show Renye's cooking skill.

Not long after, Tobirama Senju emerged from the kitchen. His gaze fell on Renye, but he quickly looked away.

Renye seemed to see approval in Tobirama Senju's eyes...

He shook his head and threw the thought out of his mind.

Tobirama Senju praising him? What a joke.

Renye remembered the training ground and cautiously asked, "White-haired uncle, can I use the training ground in the courtyard?"

"Use it if you want." Tobirama Senju did not react much.

Renye was a little delighted. This old man is pretty easy to talk to...

"I have things to do." With that, Tobirama Senju turned and left.

Just as he reached the door, he seemed to remember something. He stopped, turned his head, and looked at Renye.

"Brat, remember to cook more rice tonight."

Renye: "???"

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