Left Vice Minister Tofu

With the alliance negotiations between Konoha and the Hidden Sand Village put on hold, Kui Lian and his group had been staying at Konoha's inn for the past few days.

During the first two days, Kui Lian was still preoccupied with the alliance between the Hidden Sand Village and Konoha and wanted to find another chance to speak with Nara Shikato. But Konoha never gave them a definite answer, only saying that they were "discussing it" and telling them to wait patiently and not rush.

On the third day, seeing that there was still no news from Konoha, Kui Lian took the two accompanying shinobi out for a look around. But that little outing led to trouble.

Konoha's commercial district was far too prosperous.

Shops lined both sides of the street. Standing at the intersection, Kui Lian and the other two looked like three country bumpkins fresh out of the sticks.

The three wore traditional Hidden Sand Village clothing, its fabric coarse and its colors dull, making them stand out badly on Konoha's streets.

The three arrived at Konoha's Food Street, one of the liveliest places in the village. Restaurants and shops filled both sides of the road, with signs for ramen, sushi, tempura, grilled skewers, oden, hot pot, barbecue... all kinds of food lined up in a dazzling row.

Kui Lian and the others fell in love with the place at first sight.

That day, Kui Lian once again brought the accompanying shinobi to Blazing Fire Residence for hot pot.

"Boss, give us a specialty hot pot, two plates of lamb—make them generous, don't short us. And a plate of frozen tofu, pickled vegetables, assorted vegetables, fried tofu salad, half a jin of Sakura White, and finally, throw a jin of hand-rolled noodles into the pot."

For the past several days, Kui Lian had come to Blazing Fire Residence for hot pot every day. The Land of Wind's environment was harsh, and its food, clothing, housing, and travel simply could not compare to Konoha's. In just a few days, Kui Lian and the others had rapidly fallen into decadence, spending every last bit of the funds Kazekage Reto had given them.

Once all the side dishes were served, Kui Lian swished lamb in the broth and drank Konoha's authentic Sakura White. He could not help muttering, "Lord Kazekage is pitiful. What can he even eat? Nothing but sand dumplings, chestnuts, wheat cakes, and things like that."

"Lord Kui Lian is right." Lie Ju picked up a piece of tofu with his chopsticks, dipped it in the pickled vegetable broth, and sang, "Eat pickled vegetables with boiled tofu, and even the Kazekage himself cannot compare to me."

He then put the piece into his mouth. "Satisfying. So damn satisfying."

Over the past few days, Fan Shuo had witnessed Konoha's prosperity and become determined to shed every trace of the Land of Wind from himself. In food, clothing, lodging, and daily life, he imitated Konoha in everything.

Imitating the way Konoha's seasoned diners ate, he picked up a piece of fried tofu, put it into his mouth, and savored it carefully.

"The flavor's wrong today."

"Boss, th-this doesn't have any shrimp brine oil? Can you even eat this stuff without it? I'm telling you, when we're done, I'm not paying!"

Fan Shuo had grown up in the desert. In all his life, he had never even seen a shrimp. Only after coming to Konoha had he tasted this shrimp brine oil for the first time.

Senju Momoka rarely had time off today. As Konoha's Dragonfly Captain, he held himself to strict standards—the code of conduct Lord Hokage had written for the Guard Department was something he could recite backward.

Today, he had come to Blazing Fire Residence for hot pot. Hearing someone actually planning to eat without paying, he immediately became enraged. This was a slap in his face. As Konoha's Minister of Justice and head of the Guard Department, how could anyone dare eat without paying in Konoha?

He immediately jumped out and shouted:

"First, never act on impulse!

Second, never overlook a single wrongdoing!

Third, administer justice fairly and beautifully!"

The surrounding diners heard Senju Momoka shout the department motto and chimed in. "Yo, Dragonfly Captain! Who's causing trouble this time? Dragonfly Captain is iron-faced and impartial—he never bends the law for personal favor."

Kui Lian and the other two also felt guilty when Senju Momoka stepped forward. Combined with the reactions of the people around them, they quickly figured out who he was, and their voices immediately dropped. "I was just joking. Who would eat without paying? Brother, don't take it seriously, don't take it seriously. We were only joking."

"Who's your brother?" Senju Momoka frowned. This man was actually trying to claim familiarity with him while he was enforcing the law. He shouted angrily, "Address me by my title while I'm on duty."

"Yes, yes, by your title. Minister—no, no, Lord Secretary."

After learning the full story, Senju Momoka forgave Kui Lian and the other two. They were country bumpkins from the Land of Wind—what good food had they ever eaten? Just this tofu mixed with shrimp brine oil was enough for them to reminisce about for the rest of their lives.

Before long, under Kui Lian's deliberate attempts to ingratiate himself, Senju Momoka sat down to eat with the three of them. They were foreign guests, after all. He had to give them some face.

"This pickled vegetable tofu in Konoha is so good. I've never eaten anything this delicious in the Land of Wind." Lie Ju had become particularly fond of the pickled vegetable tofu.

"I think this fried tofu mixed with shrimp brine oil tastes better," Fan Shuo retorted.

"Heh, you haven't seen anything yet." Senju Momoka said. "Speaking of tofu, it's no simple matter. Do you know how many ways there are to prepare tofu?"

"We don't," Kui Lian and the other two said humbly.

Senju Momoka set down his chopsticks, raised his wine cup for a sip, and said unhurriedly, "When it comes to preparing tofu, Konoha has a famous dish called 'Left Vice Minister Tofu.' It uses the Uchiha Clan's recipe. Remove the skin from both sides of the tofu, cut each piece into eight small chunks, and let them dry. Scald them in hot lard and sprinkle lightly with salt. After turning them over, add a large cup of medicinal wine. Take eighteen large dried shrimp, boil them once in a small cup of dark soy sauce, add a pinch of sugar and boil again, then cut scallions half an inch long into one hundred and twenty segments before slowly taking it off the heat."

"Just one small dish takes so many steps. Not a single one can be skipped. That is what it means to know how to eat."

Hearing that even a single tofu dish was so complicated, Kui Lian and the other two suddenly found their swished lamb less appetizing. "Konoha truly deserves to be the strongest shinobi village. There are even so many ways to prepare tofu."

Lie Ju could not help exclaiming, "Oh, my Buddha! It takes eighteen shrimp to go with it. It must taste incredible."

"Of course it does," Senju Momoka said. "It's the signature dish of Uchiha Yui, the Left Vice Minister of Revenue. Even Lord Tobirama, the Chief Secretary, could not stop praising it after eating it."

"Food truly belongs in Konoha," Kui Lian sighed. "Lord Secretary, don't let the fact that I'm from the Land of Wind fool you—I won't defend my own people blindly. The Land of Wind's food is low-class and unfit for the table. Among the ninja world's cuisines, only Konoha is worth mentioning."

At that moment, Kui Lian wished more than anything that he were a Konoha native. Then he would not have to return to the Hidden Sand Village and live such a hard life. He raised his cup and took another swig, his eyes full of envy.

Lie Ju and Fan Shuo also fell silent. Kui Lian's words had voiced exactly what they were thinking.

Seeing their low spirits, Senju Momoka called for the owner to bring two more plates of lamb.

"Eat. Don't stand on ceremony. It isn't easy to make a trip to Konoha."

"Lord Secretary, to tell you the truth, before coming to Konoha, I thought that since the Hidden Sand Village was one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, the gap between us could not be that large. But after arriving in Konoha, I finally understood what it meant for there to always be someone greater."

"Just look at Konoha's commercial streets. Tsk, tsk, tsk. The Hidden Sand Village doesn't even have a proper road."

Senju Momoka waved a hand. "That's because the Land of Wind is poor. You can't blame anyone else for that. But then again, now that you've come to Konoha, you are Konoha people."

"Lord Secretary, what do you mean, Konoha people?" Senju Momoka's words instantly caught Kui Lian and the others' attention.

"Today, we talk only about food, not politics. As for how to become Konoha people, that depends on your performance."