Gourmet Hunters in Pursuit of Fine Food!

Teuchi was completely immersed in his emotions, eating the ramen bite by bite as tears streamed down his face.

"Uncle." Naruto suddenly leaned closer to Shen Mo and asked expectantly, "Do you have any more ramen like this?"

Teuchi was not the only one who loved ramen. Naruto was also a devoted ramen enthusiast.

That included, but was not limited to, all kinds of instant noodles.

"This ramen was made by one of my former customers and given to me. I preserved it with a special Secret Art," Shen Mo said with a smile, without answering directly.

"Then they must have been a truly great chef." Teuchi had cleaned the ramen in front of him so thoroughly that it was cleaner than if it had been washed. His expression was filled with lingering reminiscence and yearning.

"Mr. Teuchi." Shen Mo looked at him meaningfully and slowly shook his head. "Surely you do not think this bowl of ramen is the limit of the culinary path?"

"How could it be..." Teuchi's mouth fell open.

With its unique texture and the ultimate collision of rich, fragrant flavors, this bowl of ramen had stirred the emotions one felt when facing one's mother.

To Teuchi, it was already like opening the door to a New World—an unimaginable peak of deliciousness.

There was actually food even more powerful than this?

"The reason I only brought out ramen of this level is because this is all you are capable of enjoying." A mysterious smile curved Shen Mo's lips. "Your body is too weak, and your taste nerves are far from capable of enduring true gourmet food. I have once seen chefs who genuinely pursued the ultimate in cuisine. Do you know what kind of bearing they had?"

Gulp.

Teuchi swallowed involuntarily.

Even everyone else—Tsunade, Sasuke, and Naruto—was drawn in by Shen Mo's words.

"Powerful!"

Shen Mo clenched his hand into a fist. Under the customization effect of Trading Points, it even produced a faint burst of compressed air.

"Incomparably powerful! Those chefs carved out a path of strengthening themselves through ultimate gourmet food. The more they ate, the more delicious the food they made became, and the stronger they grew. Then, with that immense power, they ventured into mountains, deep seas, hidden caves, and all kinds of dangerous places in pursuit of the ultimate ingredients."

"In their eyes, everything in the world fell into only two categories: delicious, and not delicious! And they called themselves—"

"—Gourmet Hunters!"

That was right. What Shen Mo spoke of were Gourmet Hunters from Toriko World.

The food in that world had already completely surpassed imagination.

Even the system's descriptions of most of its food included warnings.

The weak could not eat it!

"Gourmet Hunters..." Teuchi murmured those words, and an unusual longing seemed to rise within him.

"Uncle." Naruto still looked somewhat doubtful. "If they are that amazing, why have we never heard of them?"

"Yeah, yeah." Sakura nodded unconsciously. There had never been anything about them in books, either.

"Hmph." Sasuke gave a cool snort. "That kind of story can only fool children. You get stronger by eating more? Getting stronger is not that easy."

Although he instinctively believed it was fake, the faint disappointment on Sasuke's face showed that somewhere deep in his heart, he might still have hoped for such a thing.

A way to grow stronger quickly.

Shen Mo glanced at him.

Of the three protagonists, Sasuke was the most likely to become his customer.

He would pursue power at any cost. His goal was firm, and he had both the means and the ability.

"If someone else said that, I definitely would not believe it." Tsunade glanced at Shen Mo and shook her head with apparent regret. "But if you are the one saying it, then it should be true. What a pity it is not so easy to witness."

"Lady Tsunade?" Teuchi looked at Tsunade in surprise.

"This guy is very mysterious. No, I should say he is formidable." Tsunade separated her chopsticks, seemingly preparing to eat.

"If even Lady Tsunade says so..." Teuchi looked at Shen Mo resolutely. "I believe it. I also understand what true chefs truly pursue in gourmet food."

This was also one of the benefits of building a good relationship with Tsunade.

Tsunade was still highly trusted in Konoha.

"Just as I thought." Shen Mo looked at Teuchi approvingly. "You and the chef who made this ramen are the same kind of people. So, do you want to follow his path and walk the road of a true chef?"

"What!?" Teuchi's pupils contracted.

He believed it, but he had also thought it would not be so easy to witness.

Yet from what Shen Mo had said...

"Under normal circumstances, gaining that kind of power would be nearly impossible." Shen Mo's lips curled slightly as he rose to his feet and spread his arms. "But I am a merchant who grants customers a turning point in fate. Everything people seek—whether power or wishes—can be realized here. So—customer, would you like a set of Gourmet Series Chests?"

Almost the instant his words fell.

A set of small Jars appeared before them.

"Cough, cough." Tsunade nearly choked on her noodles and turned her head. "You have Gourmet Series Chests too?"

"I told you, did I not? My Jars are opportunities to change fate." Shen Mo spoke unhurriedly. "Great power, hope in desperate situations, dreams worth pursuing—everything can be achieved through these Jars, with only a small price and a little luck."

The corner of his eye swept slightly toward Sasuke.

As expected.

The young Sasuke was staring at him intently, even clenching his fists without realizing it.

Shen Mo had not emphasized great power several times for nothing.

It seemed there might be hope of gaining two customers today.

"You..." Tsunade's brows furrowed slightly, but soon relaxed as if she had sighed. "Teuchi, I must remind you that this man's Jars can exceed your imagination. You had better be prepared to lose your ordinary life."

She had already figured it out.

Ever since Shen Mo had taken out that bowl of ramen.

He had been planning to sell Jars.

However, everyone had their own convictions and dreams. She, who had become deeply entangled in her quest to Resurrect Nawaki, had no right to stop others.

"Aren't these just ordinary Jars?" Naruto, who had been staring at them for a long time, could not help reaching out to touch one.

Smack.

Shen Mo snapped his fingers crisply, and Naruto's palm passed through the Jar like an illusion.

"Fifty thousand each." Shen Mo smiled faintly. "You must pay first, with money or an item of equivalent value, before you can touch and open one."

"Fifty thousand!" Naruto cried out.

He had his own Frog Wallet, but he did not have that much money.

Fifty thousand! That was enough for him to live on for a month!

Teuchi stared at the Jars, his expression carrying a trace of hesitation.

"Actually, if you want to open the true path of gourmet food, this small number of Jars is far from enough." Shen Mo sat down and spoke as if casually. "So you do not need to worry too much about your life being changed. You can buy a set and try it first."

As for whether he could still let go after trying them, and resist the allure of the Jars.

That would depend on himself. (laugh)