The Power of Good Food

The two walked along the forest path one after the other. Naruto went ahead, turning back from time to time to make sure Tsuki was keeping up. It couldn't be helped. Though Naruto was only three, the memories inside him combined with these three years meant he had lived for over twenty years. Looking after children was something he did instinctively.

After passing through the last patch of bushes, their view suddenly opened up.

A tranquil lake lay before them, its surface reflecting the fading colors of dusk. Reeds along the shore swayed gently in the wind, rustling softly. In the distance, Konoha Village had already lit up with scattered points of light, like fireflies strewn across the night.

The two sat side by side on the wooden dock by the lake. Naruto took a light brown bento box from his backpack.

Eating cup noodles every day wasn't good for the body. Although Uncle Ichiraku never discriminated against Naruto, even the most delicious ramen would become tiresome after several months in a row. As for the other restaurants... under the Third Hokage's orders, their owners were now willing to sell him food, but their looks still made Naruto feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.

Ever since little Naruto had started cooking for himself, he had specifically asked the old Third Hokage to send him fresh ingredients from time to time.

The instant the bento box opened, an enticing aroma drifted out. Tsuki unconsciously sat up straighter, her obsidian-like eyes stealing glances in that direction.

"Don't let how I look fool you," Naruto said, noticing her little movements. "I'm actually pretty confident in my cooking."

Several simple dishes were arranged neatly inside the bento box: golden fried shrimp, bright green blanched vegetables, and rice balls shaped like frogs and foxes.

But the most eye-catching dish was the red-and-yellow one that occupied more than half the bento compartment—Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes.

Bright red chunks of tomato were coated in golden egg, while the sauce glowed an appetizing orange-red. A few chopped scallions dotted the dish, gleaming with oil beneath the afterglow of the setting sun.

Tsuki's pupils instantly widened.

Tomatoes...!

As the daughter of the Uchiha Clan Head, she had grown up eating Japanese cuisine carefully prepared by her mother. It was nutritionally balanced and exquisitely plated, but this was the first time she had seen a dish that combined tomatoes and eggs in such a simple, direct way. More importantly, tomatoes were her favorite food.

It looks so delicious! I really want to try it!

Her little hand unconsciously clenched the corner of her clothes, and her throat bobbed softly. But Uchiha pride immediately sounded the alarm in her mind.

No! How can I casually eat food someone else made? That would be so rude!

But... it smells so good...

The battle raging inside her made Tsuki's cheeks flush faintly. She stared fixedly at the dish, even unconsciously softening her breathing.

Even if she was a tsundere, a child's desires were ultimately straightforward. Tsuki turned her face away as though she did not care, but her gaze kept drifting back against her will, and her pink lips unconsciously pressed together. Naruto naturally saw every one of these little movements.

"This kind of dish isn't common in Konoha Village, is it?" Naruto lightly poked the red-and-yellow dish with his chopsticks. "Stir-frying tomatoes and eggs together may use simple ingredients, but the taste is anything but ordinary."

Tsuki swallowed, her body leaning forward slightly, though she forced herself not to move too close.

Seeing her reaction, Naruto recalled the food videos he had watched in his previous life. He cleared his throat and continued in an explanatory tone.

"First, you need tomatoes like these—bright red and fully ripe. Score a cross in the top, blanch them in hot water, then peel them."

"Why do you peel them?"

The question slipped out before she could stop it. Curiosity and appetite had overcome her tsundere nature. It seemed Tsuki had temporarily forgotten to maintain Uchiha pride.

"That's a little trick~" Peeled tomatoes release their juices better when stir-fried, and the texture becomes smoother too.

The night breeze swept across the lake, making the reeds rustle. Naruto spoke as he gestured inside the bento box with his chopsticks.

"Once the tomatoes and chopped scallions are ready, you can beat the eggs. Add a little salt to the egg mixture... and just a bit of white vinegar. That removes the eggy smell and makes the eggs softer and more fragrant when cooked."

Tsuki's eyes grew wider and wider. She had never imagined cooking involved so much attention to detail. Her mother's meals had always been so refined and perfect that she had assumed cooking was simply a matter of course. But as she listened to Naruto's endless explanation, those ordinary ingredients suddenly seemed to come alive.

So this is how food... comes into being.

"Stir-fry the eggs first. Once the egg mixture turns golden and fluffy, take it out and set it aside. Then stir-fry the tomatoes separately, until the flesh starts releasing its juices..."

"For seasoning, all you need is the simplest soy sauce and salt, plus a little sugar to balance the tomatoes' sourness. Finally, pour the eggs back in and wait for the two flavors to fully blend—"

Grrr.

A faint sound came from Tsuki's direction. She hurriedly covered her stomach, but it was too late. That had clearly been the sound of her stomach protesting. Her fair little face turned bright red, and even the tips of her ears became colored like the evening clouds.

Oh, oh no...

As the young lady of the Uchiha Clan, even though she was still a child, she had already been taught to remain elegant and strong at all times, to uphold Uchiha pride. Yet now, not only had she been staring endlessly at someone else's bento, she had even made such an embarrassing sound!

This was not merely a physical reaction caused by hunger. When people saw or heard about ingredients being carefully cooked and gradually transformed into delicious food, their brains unconsciously began imagining the taste. Especially when the dish used their favorite ingredients, that anticipation was like seeing their favorite toy right within reach but not yet being able to hold it. It made their hearts itch unbearably.

Suppressing a smile, Naruto nudged the bento toward her. "So, do you want to try some?"

"Ah! Um..."

Tsuki's fingers twisted the corner of her clothes again. This was not her usual affected haughtiness, but genuine embarrassment.

Reason told her she should not accept. She had come only because she said she would keep Naruto company, yet now she was going to share the bento he had carefully prepared. That was far too shameless.

But when the scent of eggs mixed with the sweet-and-sour aroma of tomatoes drifted into her nose, all her concerns gradually crumbled away. She secretly looked up at Naruto and found not a trace of mockery in his blue eyes—only sincere anticipation.

"Just try some. I made a lot, so it's fine."

Ugh... he's putting it that way...

The scales in her heart began to tip. Since he had invited her himself, then... then it should be okay to eat a little, right? How about this—if he insists on making me eat it... I'll treat him to a meal next time.

"No... it would be too much trouble for you..."

She said it without the slightest conviction. Tsuki's gaze remained glued to the bento, impossible to pull away. She clearly craved it badly, yet still tried to act composed. Naruto felt his heart melt at the adorable sight.

I really hope I'll have a daughter this cute someday...

He held back the urge to rub her black hair. His earlier desire to tease her also vanished. He understood the Uchiha Clan's pride all too well. If he truly accepted her refusal, this little girl would probably stubbornly go home hungry.

"Have some," Naruto said, softening his voice. "No one usually eats with me. If someone could show appreciation for my cooking... I'd be really happy."

Those words gently unlocked the final lock in Tsuki's heart.

"...Is that so!" Her eyes immediately lit up, and she even forgot her signature tsundere remarks. "Then, then I'll have a little!"

Almost unable to wait, Tsuki took the spoon Naruto handed her. The moment the first bite of Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes entered her mouth, the sweet-and-sour juices burst across her tongue. Her eyes narrowed unconsciously, and her little legs swung gently over the edge of the dock.

It's so delicious!

At that moment, Uchiha pride and a young lady's restraint were both cast beyond the clouds. The power of good food truly was great.