Gourmet Chest Series

Food Jar Series

Just as he had said to Tsunade, Shen Mo's guests were, at the very least, people who had pursuits and goals of their own.

That pursuit did not have to be strength. It could be something else.

Teuchi began bustling about behind the counter, his expression exceedingly serious. Clearly, Shen Mo's words, along with his apparently close relationship with Tsunade, had stirred his competitive spirit.

As a chef obsessed with ramen, his goal was to make his customers like his ramen.

Utterly pure.

But unwavering.

"Please, have a taste."

A steaming bowl of ramen was soon brought before Shen Mo.

Teuchi wore a confident smile.

Whether it was the ingredients or the timing, this bowl of ramen was perfect. It was absolutely the best he could produce.

"Meow." Hikari, lying on Shen Mo's shoulder, stretched her neck slightly. Her adorable little nose twitched, and she wore an expression of disdain.

Yes, it was an expression of disdain.

Despite being a fluffy cat face, it was remarkably humanlike, especially those jewel-like violet-blue eyes. She looked just like a picky little girl confronted with vegetables she did not like.

Teuchi's mood became somewhat complicated.

Did cats like human food?

But some ninja did bring their ninja hounds to eat ramen. At the very least, surely they would like the smell of meat.

Shen Mo paid no attention to Teuchi's mood. Nor did he follow local customs and say anything like "Let's eat." He simply followed the proper way to taste ramen, using a spoon to scoop up some broth and put it into his mouth, savoring it carefully.

The moment it entered his mouth,

his brows furrowed.

Teuchi's heart tightened again at the sight.

"If you can't give a reason and just want to say it doesn't taste good, that won't do." Tsunade propped her chin up with one hand and leaned lazily against the counter, her eyes filled with unmistakable amusement. "I think Teuchi's skills are even better than before."

Shen Mo smiled and shook his head, setting down the spoon.

"It isn't bad. It's just that compared to the ramen I've eaten before, it can only be considered average."

That was the truth. This flavor could definitely be called delicious, but it lacked the ultimate enjoyment of the Food Wars! World's cuisine, the kind that could even make one's soul tremble.

"Hey, old man." Naruto sprang to his feet and said angrily, "Lady Tsunade just said that none of the ramen outside the village could compare to Teuchi's. You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

"Naruto!" Sakura hurriedly pushed him back down.

This person had come with Lady Tsunade. Although she did not know who he was, his exquisite formal clothes alone made it clear that his status was certainly not low.

"That can't count as a reason either." Tsunade shook her head as well. "Unless you can prove what you're saying."

Actually, Tsunade was probably the only person here who believed Shen Mo was telling the truth.

After all, he came from the New World.

But believing him did not mean she had to speak on his behalf.

This mysterious man always carried himself with such unruffled detachment, as if he did not belong in this world at all. It would be rather amusing to see him get flustered for once.

"Exactly! Where's your proof?"

Even with Sakura holding him back, Naruto continued shouting indignantly.

Teuchi was, apart from Iruka, the person in the village closest to Naruto.

"If you want proof, how about tasting it for yourselves?" Shen Mo said slowly.

"Are you going to cook it yourself?" Tsunade asked, somewhat surprised.

"No." Shen Mo shook his head and looked toward Teuchi. "As an ordinary chef, you have indeed reached the limits of an ordinary chef's path in the pursuit of cuisine. But beyond that lies an incomparably vast realm. Have you gained the resolve to witness the true world of cuisine?"

At that moment, Shen Mo's bearing had already changed.

Solemn and dignified.

And mysterious.

Even Naruto fell silent amid the inexplicable atmosphere. His fists clenched tightly, and he felt inexplicably nervous.

After a long while,

Teuchi slowly let out a breath.

"The true world of cuisine?" He grew serious as well, even straightening his chef's uniform. Then he looked at Shen Mo with considerable respect. "If it exists, then naturally I must witness it."

"Even if it causes you to lose faith in cuisine?" Shen Mo asked again.

"A chef who is unwilling to face challenges will never improve." Teuchi declared that he had nothing to fear.

"Then—"

Shen Mo raised his palm and gave it a gentle wave.

In an instant,

a covered bowl of ramen suddenly appeared on the table.

Th-this is!?

Teuchi's eyes widened slightly, and everyone else was startled as well.

"What is this? A magic trick?" Naruto looked at the large bowl, then at Shen Mo, as if trying to figure out where he had hidden the ramen.

Sasuke was equally incredulous.

There had been no sealing scroll.

Nor had there been the smoke produced by using a scroll. He had not seen anything at all.

"Please, have a taste." Shen Mo gestured toward it.

Made personally by Senzaemon Nakiri, known as the "Demon of Cuisine," this bowl of ramen came from the Food Wars! World. It represented the pinnacle of that world's cuisine.

Teuchi felt his heart begin to pound uncontrollably.

He carefully reached out and touched the side of the bowl.

The temperature was perfect!

It was just like it had come straight out of the pot.

He glanced at Shen Mo, gritted his teeth, and abruptly opened the lid.

A fragrance instantly spread through the air.

Everyone present, including Sasuke, could not help taking a deep breath. Their mouths began watering involuntarily.

Gulp.

Everyone moved in perfect unison and swallowed.

"What is this aroma?"

Naruto's drool flowed uncontrollably, and he could no longer take his eyes off the bowl of ramen.

As for Teuchi,

his entire body was trembling. He was both incredulous and intensely excited as he savored the fragrance.

"What an exquisite base broth." He gazed at the ramen before him as though it were a priceless treasure and murmured, "Not the slightest trace of cloudiness, yet it retains a color that whets the appetite. And the shape of these noodles, the way the meat slices are arranged—hiss, what kind of meat is this?"

Teuchi was a man who loved ramen to the core.

For more than thirty years,

he had devoted nearly his entire life to ramen.

And now, he suddenly felt the same as when he had tasted ramen for the first time.

"There is a time limit for enjoying ramen at its best." Shen Mo reminded him.

"Right!" Teuchi seemed to come to his senses only then.

He carefully and slowly scooped up some of the base broth with a spoon, then slowly brought it to his mouth.

Naruto and the others all stared at him intently.

Then—

his eyes filled with tears.

"This feeling... this feeling of being held in a mother's embrace." Teuchi, a man of some age, trembled as he wept uncontrollably like a child, yet wore an utterly intoxicated and blissful smile. "So wonderful, so delicious. I see. This is what true ramen is..."

Perfect. Shen Mo smiled inwardly with satisfaction.

It seemed the newly launched Gourmet Chest Series had found a buyer. He just did not know how much of his fortune Teuchi could bring out.