Yuhi Kurenai, the Freeloader

Hinata hasn't had a full meal in all these years?

She is the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan's main branch; how could she possibly be going hungry?

Qiushui felt this was somewhat absurd.

But he didn't dwell on it. It was just a matter of cooking a bit more food; at worst, he would just have to buy more groceries.

He said to the two of them, "Alright, you two rest for a while. I'm going back to cook."

Naruto's eyes lit up instantly, and he asked excitedly, "What delicious food is Teacher Qiushui making today?"

That meal from yesterday had him dreaming about it even after he went home.

Hinata also looked up, her eyes filled with anticipation, but she quickly lowered her lashes in shyness and said softly, "Then... then I will trouble you, Teacher Qiushui."

Qiushui waved his hand and turned to head back.

The main ingredients from yesterday were all used up, so Qiushui had to go to the fresh market to stock up again today.

He looked at the line on his mission prompt—[Ensure Hyuga Hinata eats a full meal]—and pondered: what exactly constitutes a "full meal"? He decided he would just make plenty.

He bought in bulk.

Returning with the groceries, Qiushui pushed open his door and placed the heavy shopping bags onto the kitchen counter.

Five pounds of beef tenderloin, two pounds of tomatoes, a large carton of eggs, fresh garlic sprouts, and herbs.

He tied on his apron, wrapping the strings around his waist twice before knotting them. The first dish was Stir-fried Beef, though the portion was several times larger than yesterday's. The second dish was tomato and scrambled eggs; even without the system's cooking reward, this dish was one of Qiushui's specialties.

He took out ten eggs, cracking them open with one hand. The shells split at the sound, and the egg liquid slid into the bowl with clean, efficient movements. He whisked them for a minute until the whites and yolks were completely blended, then cut the tomatoes into small chunks, sliced the garlic, and chopped the garlic sprouts into sections.

He started the pan—added oil.

The eggs went into the pan, were stir-fried until golden yellow, and then set aside. He added a little more oil to the pan, tossed in the garlic to sauté until fragrant, added the tomatoes, and slowly simmered them until they released their vibrant juices. Then, he poured the cooked eggs back into the pan, stir-fried for a minute, and finally sprinkled in the garlic sprouts and a dash of seasoning.

Just as Qiushui's dish was about to be finished.

Knock, knock, knock.

A knocking sound echoed.

Qiushui's hand paused. At this hour, who would come by?

He turned off the heat, set the pan aside, took off his apron, and walked out of the kitchen.

Yuhi Kurenai had gone to the Kurama Clan that morning to tutor Kurama Yakumo. After finishing, she had picked up some takeout in the village, planning to eat it back home and take a short lunch break. Just as she reached the door of Qiushui's house, she smelled an alluring fragrance permeating the air.

She stopped in her tracks and sniffed carefully.

It was coming from Qiushui's house.

Although Yuhi Kurenai couldn't cook, she was certain this was the most fragrant meal she had ever smelled in her life. The aroma was rich yet not cloying, with complex layers—the charred scent of meat, the mellow depth of the sauce, and a faint, elusive hint of sweet and sour.

She had intended to go straight to her room, but the scent seemed to have some kind of magic, pinning her firmly to the spot.

Yuhi Kurenai stood at the door, hesitating for a few seconds.

Then, as if possessed, she stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"Qiushui, are you cooking?" As the door opened, the fragrance became even more intense, rushing toward her. Yuhi Kurenai couldn't help but lean forward, her gaze darting toward the kitchen.

"Oh, I'm training some students. To make sure their stamina keeps up with the training intensity, I came back to cook for them," Qiushui said with a gentle smile.

"Qiushui, you're too kind, actually cooking for your students!" Yuhi Kurenai sighed, her eyes still drifting toward the house as she spoke.

When she was a student, let alone having a teacher cook for her, even her own father was often away on missions. Every meal was just something grabbed from a shop outside, heated up, and eaten just to fill her stomach.

Who would ever cook specifically for their students?

And cook it so fragrantly?

"It's nothing, really," Qiushui replied modestly. Seeing her gaze constantly drifting inside, he couldn't help but smile and asked, "Would you like to try some?"

Yuhi Kurenai was stunned.

She subconsciously looked at the takeout in her hand—that bento box that had seemed decent enough a moment ago suddenly felt flavorless.

Yuhi Kurenai hesitated, a look of embarrassment appearing on her face as she replied tactfully, "That would be too much trouble... This is for your students; if I eat it, what will they have?"

Despite saying that, she made no move to turn and leave.

Qiushui waved his hand and said, "It's fine. I happened to make quite a lot today, so adding you won't make a difference."

"Then... excuse me for the intrusion." Yuhi Kurenai accepted and stepped into the house.

She walked into the entryway, changed her shoes, and couldn't help but glance toward the kitchen.

"Go sit at the table for a moment; I'll bring the food over," Qiushui said.

After saying this, he walked into the kitchen, took out two plates and two bowls, portioned out a serving for two, and then walked to the living room to place the food on the dining table.

Qiushui planned to eat at home before delivering the rest to them; it wouldn't hurt to be ten or twenty minutes late.

Yuhi Kurenai looked at the Stir-fried Beef in front of her. Although she had never seen such a dish before, she knew it tasted good just from the smell. The other plate of red and yellow tomato and scrambled eggs also made her swallow hard just by looking at 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 changing abruptly.

Originally, she had been at Qiushui's home, with steaming hot food laid out before her, but at this moment, she found herself in the midst of an endless azure expanse, with soft clouds beneath her feet and an even deeper sky overhead; in every direction, there was nothing but a sea of white clouds, stretching as far as the eye could see.

She instinctively tried to raise her hand.

No.

Where were her hands?

Yuhi Kurenai lowered her head, her pupils shrinking violently.

Those were not hands.

Those were a pair of wings.

Wings covered in golden feathers shimmered with a soft luster under the sunlight; she tried to move them, and the wings unfurled according to her will, the tips of the feathers brushing through the clouds and stirring up a small trail of white mist.

What about her legs?

In their place was a pair of golden claws, a shape she was all too familiar with—the poultry she had seen countless times while out on missions, the braised snacks she had bought at the market so many times.

Chicken feet?

Yuhi Kurenai's mind went blank.

Had she turned into a chicken?

No, that wasn't right; she could still think, she could still see, she could still—she tried to open her mouth to speak, but what came out was a crisp: "Cluck?"

This "cluck" startled even herself.

Her wings flapped instinctively, whipping up a gust of wind that scattered the surrounding clouds, revealing an even more vast expanse of sky; she looked down at her body, round and plump, covered in golden feathers, with a few dark tail feathers sticking up at the rear.

Yuhi Kurenai's brain raced at high speed; what on earth was going on?