I Practice True Several Thousand Hands

To welcome Kushina, Minato planned to prepare some hearty dishes that suited the tastes of the younger generation.

As the saying goes, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but in truth, this applies just as well to women.

On the way to buy groceries, Minato stopped to pick up some water balloons to help Nawaki train for the Rasengan.

"This is the tool you were talking about?"

Nawaki looked at the water balloon in his hand, his eyes full of disbelief. "You said you were going to buy a training aid, I thought it would be something high-end!"

Minato smiled. "There are more advanced things, but those are for the next stage."

"What are they?"

Nawaki asked hurriedly, already impatient to begin his training.

"Rubber balls."

"..."

A while later, the two returned home.

In the living room, Tsunade was chatting softly with Kushina, carefully tending to the sensitive emotions of a girl who had just arrived in a new place.

Seeing this, a hint of a smile flashed in Minato's eyes.

The Tsunade of this period was truly much gentler than the one in the original story.

"Sister, make sure to call me when dinner is ready!"

Nawaki called out before hurrying off to his room.

Tsunade looked surprised. "What's gotten into him?"

Minato carried the ingredients toward the kitchen and chuckled at the question. "He's busy with training; he plans to give you a surprise later."

On the way back, he had already taught Nawaki the first stage of the Rasengan training.

The training for the Rasengan can be roughly divided into three stages.

Stage One: Rotation!

Continuously release chakra, causing it to rotate chaotically inside the water balloon until it bursts.

Stage Two: Power!

Increase the chakra output to burst a rubber ball.

Stage Three: Maintenance!

Maintain the chakra output without letting it leak out. The standard is to be able to condense a Rasengan inside a fragile balloon without breaking it, which is the most difficult stage.

"A surprise?"

Tsunade hummed with a laugh. "Fine, then I'll wait and see~"

Seeing Minato walk into the kitchen, Kushina looked cautiously at Tsunade. "Does he usually do the cooking?"

"Yes."

Tsunade nodded, her tone carrying a hint of boastfulness. "Minato's cooking is excellent! I guarantee it's so good you'll swallow your own tongue!"

Kushina giggled. "Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"

Tsunade looked earnest. "It's true! You'll see in a moment!"

"Is that so?"

Seeing that Tsunade didn't seem to be joking, Kushina was somewhat surprised. "This is the first time I've met a boy who can cook."

"Heh, you might not believe it, but compared to Minato's strength and talent, his cooking is just the icing on the cake. That boy is perfect in every single way!"

Tsunade subconsciously boasted about her student, but then she suddenly remembered his bizarre talent for naming things and couldn't help but cough awkwardly.

"Ahem... that might have been a bit of an exaggeration, but it's true nonetheless."

"I see..."

Kushina nodded politely, not questioning Tsunade's words.

Suddenly, an enticing aroma wafted from the kitchen. Kushina sniffed with her small nose, and immediately after, her stomach let out a loud growl.

Hearing her stomach, Kushina's face turned red, and she felt quite embarrassed.

"How about that? I didn't lie to you, did I?"

Tsunade chuckled and patted Kushina's small head. "Wait just a little longer, dinner will be ready soon."

"Mm..."

Kushina nodded, her well-behaved appearance making Tsunade's heart soften.

Before this, she had been worried that Kushina might have a difficult personality.

After all, rumors in the ninja world claimed that the Uzumaki Clan all had fiery tempers, and it was said that her grandmother had been the same way in her youth.

Now it seemed that this child's personality was actually quite lovely.

Soon, various aromas wafted from the kitchen, luring even Nawaki, who had been hiding in his room to cultivate, out by the scent filling the house.

"Time to eat!"

Minato walked out of the kitchen carrying a stewed chicken: "Chicken soup is here~"

"Time to eat!"

Nawaki ran to the kitchen to help Minato bring out the dishes.

"Tonight's menu is Cola Chicken Wings, Spicy Chicken, Soft-Fried Pork Tenderloin, Charcoal-Grilled Pork Belly, Earth Pot Chicken, and a platter of salmon and tuna sashimi."

Minato pointed at the dishes on the table, introducing them one by one.

"So lavish!"

Nawaki swallowed his saliva and sat down next to Minato: "And these are all things I've never eaten before. You actually had this trick hidden up your sleeve... no, so many tricks?"

Of course, I practice True Several Thousand Hands!

Minato chuckled softly, unscrewed a bottle of juice, and poured drinks for everyone.

Kushina stared fixedly at the dishes on the table. Aside from the sashimi, she had never seen any of these dishes before, and they all looked incredibly delicious.

"Cola Chicken Wings..."

Tsunade leaned in toward the plate of Cola Chicken Wings, her tone somewhat hesitant: "Does that mean chicken wings made with cola?"

Minato nodded: "Actually, you could use sugar instead."

"It smells great, I just don't know how it tastes..."

Tsunade said, picking up her glass: "Whatever, I'll know once I eat it. But before that, let's welcome Kushina! Cheers!"

"Cheers!" x3

After clinking glasses, Tsunade, Nawaki, and Kushina couldn't wait to pick up their chopsticks, each grabbing the dish they wanted, saying in unison: "Itadakimasu!"

Kushina first picked up a piece of soft-fried pork tenderloin and took a light bite. Inside the crispy shell was a subtle meaty aroma, and her eyes lit up instantly.

"So... so delicious!" she couldn't help but exclaim.

"Didn't I tell you? Minato's cooking will never disappoint you."

Tsunade tasted a piece of the Cola Chicken Wings: "But I never imagined cola could be used for cooking, and it tastes so good."

Nawaki didn't say a word, burying his head in the spicy chicken, hissing and gasping from the heat but refusing to stop.

"I'm glad you all like it."

Minato smiled and refilled everyone's glasses with juice. Seeing that Kushina enjoyed his cooking, he felt a faint sense of pride.

It was a pity that he had made a bit too much food tonight, and most of it was either heavy on oil or spice; he was already full just from the fumes.

"Thank you..."

Seeing Minato pour her juice, Kushina said softly and shyly.

"You're welcome."

Minato's tone was gentle, and his sunny smile made Kushina's cheeks flush slightly.

This guy... I guess he doesn't really count as a sissy?

This should count as the gentle and considerate type, right?

Kushina muttered to herself, secretly glancing at Nawaki, who was tearing into chicken meat beside Minato.

That one is the vicious dog type...

During the meal, no one spoke much.

Everyone was busy stuffing their faces, yet the atmosphere wasn't stiff; everyone was immersed in their craving for the delicious food.

It wasn't until Nawaki was the first to tap out, clutching his stomach and collapsing onto the tatami mat.

Tsunade set down her chopsticks and took a deep breath, while Kushina pursed her lips, remaining silent.

After a long silence, all three were too stuffed to speak.

Until Nawaki suddenly sat bolt upright.

"Hiccup--"

The room was instantly filled with cheerful laughter.