Shi Xiu gently stroked Haku's silky hair. "Haku, go help out, too. Get those vegetables ready."
"Of course, sir!" Haku nodded obediently and headed outside. Shi Xiu stayed in the house, rummaging through the cabinets.
Before long, there was a clatter, and Shi Xiu cried out excitedly, "Ha-ha, I finally found it!"
Shi Xiu pulled out a large pot of an unusual shape. A thick iron divider ran right down the middle, splitting it into two halves.
Shi Xiu gazed at the pot, beaming with delight, and murmured to himself, "Oh, it's been ages since I've had Mandarin duck hot pot. I can't wait."
Just as Shi Xiu had said, the so-called "feast" he was preparing today was Blue Star's Mandarin duck hot pot.
A blissful smile spread across Shi Xiu's face. Then he called out, "System, are you there?"
"I'm here, host." The system's familiar electronic voice sounded, though for some reason, it seemed to carry an indescribable note of exasperation.
"Heh-heh-heh!" Hearing the system respond, Shi Xiu quickly set down the pot.
Rubbing his hands together, Shi Xiu asked with a broad grin, "System, do you have any more hot pot base?"
Back when Shi Xiu had first crossed over into the Naruto world, he'd really missed the taste of hot pot from Blue Star.
But back then, he couldn't find any hot pot base. Just as Shi Xiu was fretting over it, the system had suddenly given him a whole big package.
Even now, Shi Xiu still remembered how Hashirama and Madara had run around in a panic after eating hot pot.
As usual, the system remained silent, as if it hadn't heard Shi Xiu's request at all.
But Shi Xiu had no intention of giving up so easily. No matter what, he was going to have hot pot today!
So Shi Xiu launched into round after round of wheedling and cajoling.
After Shi Xiu's tireless efforts, there was a loud bang, and a gigantic box fell from the sky, landing squarely on his expectant face.
The impact was no joke. Shi Xiu nearly stumbled and fell over.
"Shut up!" The system's icy electronic voice rang out, its anger and exasperation practically palpable.
Shi Xiu rubbed his sore cheek and grumbled to himself, This system sure has a bad temper. It's probably the most difficult system to get along with among all the transmigrators' systems.
Still, Shi Xiu didn't actually hold it against the system.
After all, they'd been together for over a hundred years. By now, they knew each other's temperaments inside out.
Besides, what could he do even if he minded? It wasn't as if they could split up. That was hardly possible!
Shi Xiu collected himself, then bent down and slowly opened the large box.
When he saw what was inside, he couldn't help exclaiming, "Wow, system, you're amazing! Not only do you have hot pot base, you've even got liquor! Heh, maybe we should have barbecue next time."
Shi Xiu carried the pot and hot pot base out into the courtyard. Minato and the others watched him bring out such a strange-looking pot, puzzled.
Just then, Nara Luling came over with Kakashi.
When Obito caught sight of Kakashi, his body trembled slightly on its own. Then, like a child caught doing something wrong, he quickly lowered his head, afraid to meet Kakashi's eyes.
Kakashi naturally noticed Obito's subtle change in demeanor.
He walked steadily over to Obito, picked up some fresh vegetables, and began sorting through them with practiced ease.
"Obito!" Kakashi didn't look up, but softly called his name. His voice was calm as water. "Are you all right now?"
At Kakashi's question, Obito hesitated briefly before quietly replying, "Mm..."
Earlier, Obito and Rin had discussed all the possible ways Kakashi might react when he saw him.
But now that the moment had come, Obito felt lost and at a loss for what to do. He had no idea how to face his old comrade.
Meanwhile, Nara Luling's gaze swept across the group and suddenly settled on Haku, who was dressed in men's clothes.
Seeing Haku dressed that way, Nara Luling grew puzzled. Her brow furrowed, and she couldn't take her eyes off him.
Then Nara Luling walked over to the food-preparation area and joined the others.
Even as she busied herself preparing the ingredients, her gaze kept drifting toward Haku.
At that moment, Minato, who had been quietly observing everything from the side, sensed that something about the atmosphere seemed faintly off.
Without drawing attention to himself, he nudged Kushina lightly with his elbow, signaling her to pay attention to the odd situation.
Kushina looked up and glanced at Minato with some displeasure. She had noticed the atmosphere, too.
"It's fine. We can talk to Obito and Kakashi after dinner," Kushina whispered to Minato. "For now, focus on picking vegetables."
Meanwhile, Shi Xiu carefully carried the Mandarin duck pot to the center of the courtyard.
He gently set the pot on the ground, then focused and quickly formed Hand Seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Platform!"
As soon as he spoke, the ground trembled slightly, and a small, neat stove made of earth and stone appeared in front of Shi Xiu.
The sudden sight caught the attention of Minato and the others, who were busy working.
They all stopped what they were doing and looked toward Shi Xiu, full of curiosity.
Shi Xiu didn't notice their gazes. He focused on setting the Mandarin duck pot securely on the stove that had just appeared.
Then he picked up a bucket of water that had been prepared earlier and poured it into the pot, stopping only when the water was almost at the brim.
Next, Shi Xiu took a fragrant packet of hot pot base from the box and tossed the whole thing into the pot without hesitation.
After doing all that, Shi Xiu seemed to remember something. He turned around and smiled at Minato and the others. "Um... does anyone here not eat spicy food?"
To Shi Xiu's surprise, Minato and the others all raised their hands.
Faced with that, Shi Xiu shook his head helplessly, but quickly regained his composure.
Fortunately, he had the Mandarin duck pot, which could satisfy everyone's different tastes at once.
So Shi Xiu quickly poured the bright red, fragrant spicy base into one side of the pot, then added the sweet-and-sour tomato base to the other side.
Next, Shi Xiu prepared to light the firewood piled beneath the stove by using another ninjutsu.
Shi Xiu took a deep breath and steadied himself. Then he formed Hand Seals and shouted, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
In an instant, a scorching flame erupted from Shi Xiu's mouth and struck the pile of firewood in the stove dead on. The wood caught fire at once.
After that, Shi Xiu used Wood Release to make several chairs and a wooden table with a hollow center.
Shi Xiu turned to Minato and the others. "How are the ingredients coming along?"
At Shi Xiu's question, Minato and the others sped up, picking, washing, and chopping the vegetables.
They soon finished preparing the vegetables and meat. Shi Xiu coated his hands with chakra and lifted the hot pot, then told Minato to place the hollow wooden table over the stove. After that, Shi Xiu set the pot back on the stove.
Minato and the others brought the prepared ingredients to the table. Looking at the strange-looking Mandarin duck pot, Minato asked curiously, "Lord Shi Xiu, what kind of pot is this?"
Shi Xiu smiled and explained, "It's a Mandarin duck pot, a kind of hot pot. Hot pot's more fun when there are lots of people."
Minato and the others looked at the large pot, seeming to understand but not quite. They'd eaten hot pot before, but they'd never seen this kind.
Shi Xiu saw that the hot pot was already bubbling. He went back into the house, brought out bowls and chopsticks, and handed them to Minato and the others one by one.
Shi Xiu picked up a piece of meat and put it in the spicy broth, counting silently to himself.
When he reached ten, he lifted the meat out. The thin slice had curled slightly and was coated in chili oil.
Shi Xiu put the meat in his mouth. The familiar taste burst across his taste buds, and he closed his eyes in delight.
Seeing this, Minato and the others swallowed, watching Shi Xiu with barely restrained anticipation.
Shi Xiu smiled and beckoned them over. "Don't just stare. Dig in. Oh, Obito, let Yagura out, too. One more pair of chopsticks won't hurt."
Obito had just been about to pick up a piece of meat. At that, he had no choice but to set down his chopsticks and step aside.
"Kamui!"
The space around Obito's eyes twisted, and a figure appeared in the clearing.