As time passed, Jiraiya gradually caught the aroma drifting over from the kitchen.
"Seems like fried fish?" Jiraiya guessed at what Mu Yue was cooking based on the smell.
"At least it smells great. I just don't know how it tastes." Jiraiya rubbed his stomach. Without realizing it, he had started to feel a little hungry.
Fortunately, Mu Yue and Minato did not keep him waiting for long. Just as Jiraiya was pondering what to write in his novel, Mu Yue and Minato brought all the finished dishes to the table.
Jiraiya's gaze was instantly drawn to the uniquely shaped, appetizingly colored Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish. He had encountered plenty of distinctive foods while traveling across the ninja world, but this was the first time he had seen fish prepared like this.
"What's this dish called? You must have put a lot of effort into its presentation," Jiraiya asked curiously as he looked at the Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish.
"This dish is called Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish. Its presentation really is one of its defining features," Mu Yue introduced with a smile.
"Jiraiya-sensei, it might not look all that complicated, but it's actually quite difficult to make. Kushina and I studied it for a while, yet we still couldn't make it as well as Mu Yue could. The taste was even worlds apart."
Minato spoke about the hardships he and Kushina had endured while learning to make Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish. When he mentioned how Kushina had handed the step of cutting the decorative pattern over to him halfway through learning it, a helpless smile appeared on his face.
"Haha, that does sound like something Kushina would do," Jiraiya said with a grin.
"Let's eat first. These dishes are best while they're hot," Mu Yue reminded them.
Some dishes tasted completely different once they