Had Hinata really never had a full meal all these years?
She was the young lady of the Hyuga Clan's Main Family. How could she possibly have gone hungry?
Qiushui found it hard to believe.
But he didn't dwell on it. It only meant making a little more food—at worst, he'd just buy more groceries.
He said to the two of them, "All right, take a break. I'm heading back to cook."
Naruto's eyes lit up at once. He asked excitedly, "What delicious food are you making today, Teacher Qiushui?"
He'd dreamed about yesterday's meal even after going home.
Hinata lifted her head too, her eyes shining with anticipation. But soon she lowered her lashes shyly and said softly, "Th-then, sorry for the trouble, Teacher Qiushui."
Qiushui waved a hand and turned to leave.
He'd already used up all the main ingredients from yesterday, so today he had to go shopping at the fresh-food supermarket again.
He looked at the line in the mission prompt—[Make sure Hyuga Hinata has a full meal]—and wondered what counted as a full meal. I'll just make plenty.
He bought groceries in bulk.
When Qiushui returned with the groceries, he pushed open the door and set the heavy shopping bags on the kitchen counter.
Five pounds of beef tenderloin, two pounds of tomatoes, a large tray of eggs, fresh garlic shoots and herbs.
He tied on his apron, wrapped the straps around his waist twice, and knotted them. The first dish was still stir-fried beef, only several times larger than yesterday's portion. The second was tomato and egg stir-fry. Even before he'd received the system's cooking skills, this dish had been one of Qiushui's specialties.
He took out ten eggs and cracked them one-handed. The shells split with a crisp snap, and the egg slid into a bowl. His movements were neat and practiced. He whisked for a minute, until the whites and yolks were fully blended, then diced the tomatoes, sliced the garlic, and cut the garlic shoots into sections.
Heat the wok—add oil.
He poured in the eggs and stir-fried them until golden, then set them aside. He added a little more oil to the wok, tossed in the garlic, and stir-fried it until fragrant. Then he added the tomatoes and let them simmer until they released their vivid juices. He returned the eggs to the wok and stir-fried everything for a minute, then sprinkled in the garlic shoots and added a little seasoning.
Just as Qiushui was about to take the dish off the heat,
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked at the door.
Qiushui's hands paused. Who would come by at this time?
He turned off the heat, set the wok aside, took off his apron, and left the kitchen.
That morning, Yuhi Kurenai had gone to the Kurama Clan to tutor Kurama Yakumo. Afterward, she'd picked up some food in the village to bring home for lunch, planning to eat and then take a short nap. But as she reached the entrance to Qiushui's house, an enticing aroma wafted through the air.
She stopped and sniffed carefully.
It was coming from Qiushui's house.
Though Yuhi Kurenai couldn't cook, she was certain she'd never smelled food this delicious in her life. The aroma was rich without being greasy, layered with the charred fragrance of meat, the deep savoriness of sauce, and a hint of sweet and sour.
She'd intended to go straight home, but the scent seemed to have some kind of magic. It held her firmly in place.
Yuhi Kurenai stood at the door, hesitating for a few seconds.
Then, as if in a trance, she stepped forward and knocked.
"Qiushui, are you cooking?" As soon as he opened the door, the aroma grew even stronger, washing over her. Yuhi Kurenai couldn't help leaning forward a little, glancing toward the kitchen.
"Yeah. I'm training some students, and I wanted to make sure they had enough energy for the intensity of their training, so I came back to cook for them." Qiushui smiled warmly.
"Qiushui, you're so kind! You even cook for your students!" Yuhi Kurenai exclaimed. As she spoke, her eyes kept drifting toward the inside of the house.
When she'd been a student, she'd never had a teacher cook for her. Even her father was often away on missions, and they'd usually just grabbed something from a restaurant. Heat it up, make do with a meal, and as long as it filled your stomach, that was enough.
Who went out of their way to cook for their students?
And made it smell this good?
"It's nothing, really." Qiushui answered modestly. Seeing Yuhi Kurenai's gaze keep wandering inside, he couldn't help smiling and asked, "Would you like to try some?"
Yuhi Kurenai froze.
She glanced down at the takeaway in her hand. The meal that had looked perfectly decent before now seemed utterly unappealing.
Yuhi Kurenai hesitated, an embarrassed look appearing on her face. She demurred, "That would be too much trouble... You made this for your students. If I eat it, what will they have?"
That was what she said, but she made no move to leave.
Qiushui waved a hand. "It's fine. I made extra today, so one more person won't make a difference."
"Then... I'll take you up on it." Yuhi Kurenai agreed and stepped inside.
She entered the foyer and changed her shoes, her gaze inevitably turning toward the kitchen.
"Go sit at the table for a bit. I'll bring the food over," Qiushui said.
Then he went into the kitchen, took out two plates and two bowls, and portioned out enough food for two. He carried everything into the living room and set it on the dining table.
Qiushui planned to eat at home before taking the rest to the students. After all, there was no harm in taking an extra ten or twenty minutes.
Yuhi Kurenai looked at the stir-fried beef in front of her. She'd never seen a dish like it before, but just the smell told her it had to be delicious. The other plate, with its contrasting red and yellow tomatoes and eggs, made her swallow even before she tasted it.
She picked up a piece of egg and put it in her mouth.
The next moment,
Yuhi Kurenai found the scene before her eyes abruptly changing.
She had been in Qiushui's house, with steaming hot food laid out in front of her. Now she was in an endless expanse of deep blue. Soft clouds stretched beneath her feet, while the sky above was even more profound. A sea of white clouds surrounded her in every direction, stretching beyond sight.
She instinctively tried to raise her hand.
Wait.
Where was her hand?
Yuhi Kurenai looked down, her pupils contracting sharply.
Those weren't hands.
They were wings.
Wings covered in golden feathers, glimmering softly in the sunlight. She tried moving them, and they spread in response to her thoughts. Their tips brushed the clouds, stirring up a small wisp of white mist.
Where were her legs?
In their place was a pair of golden claws. Their shape was more than familiar to her: she'd seen poultry on countless missions and bought braised food at the market more times than she could remember.
Chicken feet?
Yuhi Kurenai's mind went blank.
Had she turned into a chicken?
No, that couldn't be right. She could still think, still see, still—She tried opening her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a clear, "Cluck?"
The sound startled her.
Her wings flapped twice on instinct, kicking up a gust of wind. Some of the clouds scattered, revealing an even more boundless sky. She looked down at her body: round, covered in golden feathers, with a few dark tail feathers sticking up at the back.
Yuhi Kurenai's mind raced. What was going on?
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