Ascending Dragon Dumplings

"Eiji, what are we eating today?!"

Nawaki's eyes lit up when he saw Eiji bring out such high-quality ingredients for a change.

Wow. His cooking is already incredible with ordinary ingredients. What's he going to make with these?

"Dumplings this time."

"Dumplings? With lobster?"

Nawaki thought it sounded a little strange, but since it was Eiji's idea, he didn't dwell on it.

Eiji got to work at top speed. He rolled out the wrappers, diced the lobster meat, then mixed it with cooking wine, white pepper, and other seasonings to marinate for ten minutes. He planned to recreate the Ascending Dragon Dumplings from the original Cooking Master Boy, though his ingredients were far superior to the shrimp Liu Mao Xing had used.

Eiji carried a tray to the table and lifted the lid before Mito, Tsunade, and the others.

Golden light flashed. Steam billowed out, and a lifelike red dragon rose high from the tray. Everyone's jaws nearly hit the floor.

"Ascending Dragon Dumplings. I hope you enjoy them!"

Eiji clasped his hands like Soma Yukihira. He savored their stunned expressions. All that effort had been worth it.

If I'm going to live in a mansion, I need something special up my sleeve. Otherwise, I'll never feel at ease here.

"Wow... Is that a dragon?"

Kushina's eyes sparkled. My partner is amazing!

She began imagining her future: standing out from all the other wives as the most envied wife in the entire Shinobi World, enjoying food like this every day. What incredible taste I have!

Even Kushina wondered whether the Sage of Six Paths had possessed her back then and made her pay such special attention to Eiji.

No. Those love letters this morning were dangerous. I have to keep a closer eye on him!

Too many people want to steal my place as the happiest wife in the Shinobi World!

Tsunade stared at the lifelike red dragon dumplings, then turned to Eiji's unruffled face.

Could this kid really be the reincarnation of some Cooking Sage?

How else could anyone explain that golden light and those astonishing ideas?

Even served at the Daimyo's Palace, right in front of the Daimyo, this dish would stun everyone there.

If the Daimyo thought it made him look good in front of the nobles, he might even reward Eiji with a fortune in gold and silver.

At first, Tsunade had only wanted to keep Eiji close and look after him because he had awakened a special bloodline ability. She hadn't thought much beyond that.

But now he's turning out to be good at everything?

Honestly, if not for the age gap, she might have made a move herself.

After all, who wouldn't want to eat food like this every day? That little Kushina really knows how to pick them. I thought she'd chosen Eiji just because he was handsome. Turns out she saw his potential all along?

Give this kid a few more years, and who knows which of them will be marrying above their station!

The thought made her envy Kushina. She's getting the best of everything!

He's the best-looking man in Konoha and the best cook in the entire Shinobi World. Where did someone like him suddenly come from?

Then Tsunade thought about her own options and fell speechless. Kushina had a wonderful man at her side. What did Tsunade have?

Jiraiya? A shameless pervert. Not an option.

Orochimaru? Even worse. Definitely not an option.

The rest either coveted her status and had ulterior motives, or were simply lechers. She could tell at a glance they weren't worth considering.

She glanced at Eiji as he wiped the corner of Kushina's mouth with a napkin.

If only I were ten years younger. Sigh.

The more Mito Uzumaki saw of Eiji, the more she liked him. Back then, Hashirama Senju had been hailed as the God of Shinobi, and she and Hashirama had married for political reasons.

Of course, they had grown deeply devoted to each other, and she had often cooked for him herself.

But now that she thought about it, Hashirama had never cooked her a single meal. She couldn't help feeling a little regret. Kushina would surely be happy with Eiji.

"Hey, Nawaki! Save some for me!"

"Mmph! It's so good I could cry!"

Tsunade watched Nawaki wolf down the food, a vein bulging on her forehead. She had barely had a few bites!

After the meal, Eiji looked at everyone's satisfied faces and decided it was time to tell Tsunade about his plans.

"Tsunade, I heard they dropped the Three-Body Technique from this year's Ninja Academy graduation exam and replaced it with ranked matches between students. Konoha must be planning something big."

"That's right. Maybe you've already figured it out. The Shinobi World has been restless lately, especially that old man in Amegakure they call the Demigod. He actually wants to establish a nation on equal footing with the Five Great Nations. The major powers are planning to use that as a pretext to go to war in Amegakure."

Since Eiji had asked, Tsunade saw no point in hiding it. The news would be made public soon enough.

The Konoha High Command had nearly argued themselves hoarse over the war. It all came down to which clans would be sent and how many people each would contribute—questions of competing interests.

Tsunade had no interest in getting involved in that mess. All she cared about was the safety of those close to her.

Now that Ryuuzaki Eiji was coming into his own, even her last lingering worry had faded. She could go to the Shinobi World War with peace of mind.

It was better to be frank with him now. Eiji was smart, not an ordinary child.

"I want to sign up. I'd like to test my strength."

Seeing his serious expression, Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"Are you serious? The Land of Fire's Daimyo is coming to watch this exam. They're holding it specifically to reassure him. Why do you want to get mixed up in it?"

"Why shouldn't I? I'm confident I can win."

"That's not the point. Why do you suddenly want to do this?"

Is he really that eager to show off? He's never seemed like it.

Tsunade was puzzled. Eiji seemed impatient about something. What is he trying to do?

"Uh, I'm still a little shaky with my new Ninjutsu. I want to use the matches to sharpen my skills. Winning doesn't matter; I mainly want the experience."

Of course Eiji wanted to fight. His Fusion Rate with Satoru Gojo had barely budged lately. At this rate, when would he ever master Reverse Cursed Technique?

Without Reverse Cursed Technique, so many possibilities would remain mere speculation: Eight Gates with Infinite Duration, Sage Mode with Infinite Duration. None of it would be possible.

And his personality was nothing like Satoru Gojo's freewheeling one, so he couldn't easily raise his Fusion Rate through similarities in temperament. That left only one answer: fight, earn Experience Points, and complete the fusion.

"Eiji, you're entering? Then I want to enter too!"

Kushina raised her hand high. She couldn't let her partner leave her behind.

"Not yet. You haven't learned Rasengan, Kushina. You need to master it before you can protect yourself."

Eiji raised a hand to stop her. He didn't want this to get Kushina hurt.