You'd Better Pick the Right Food!

It was almost noon when Amamiya Maki, Minato, and Nonō practically burst out of the house and jogged toward Commercial Street.

Minato ran in front, his blond hair gleaming in the midday sun.

Nonō followed in the middle, still clutching a small packet of tissues she had grabbed from the table before leaving.

Amamiya Maki brought up the rear, calculating the shortest route from Minato's house to the Barbecue Restaurant as he ran.

When they arrived, the scene outside confirmed their fears.

Even from a distance, they could see a crowd of Akimichi clansmen already digging in.

Several hastily erected long tables stood in the open space outside the restaurant, covered with platters of grilled meat, sauce dishes, and mountains of vegetables.

The rich, charred aroma of grilled meat filled all of Commercial Street.

One burly man turned skewers with one hand and brushed on sauce with the other, his movements as practiced as throwing shuriken.

Fat dripped onto the charcoal, sending up a small burst of flame with a sizzle.

Without batting an eye, the man flicked his wrist and turned the skewers over, never spilling a drop of sauce onto the tablecloth.

Amamiya Maki's steps briefly faltered as he reached the entrance.

Several people in Anbu uniforms stood on either side of the doorway, masks covering most of their faces.

Their stances were casual, though. They looked less like they were on a mission than waiting for a table.

He glanced inside and immediately understood.

A middle-aged man wearing a Hokage hat sat by the window: Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He was chatting warmly with an ordinary Akimichi clansman, who kept turning his skewers without even noticing the flecks of oil splashing onto the Hokage's sleeve.

"Wonderful. Business is already booming on your first day," the Third said with a beaming smile.

A plate of freshly grilled beef sat before him, untouched by his chopsticks. Clearly, he had only just sat down.

"It's all thanks to you! Without you, we wouldn't have such a good environment for business."

"Just look at this meat, this marbling, this charcoal-if you hadn't ended the wars and restored trade back then, how would shopkeepers like us dare stock beef this good?"

The grill master kept turning skewers and talking, every word landing exactly where the Third wanted to hear it.

Amamiya Maki silently nodded to himself.

The Third might enjoy this sort of praise, but Konoha's steady commercial growth really did depend on a stable internal environment.

Only without war or unrest would ordinary people dare open shops to make a living.

The Akimichi Clan's willingness to bring out its exclusive grill master and open a restaurant to the public was itself the strongest endorsement of Konoha's current security.

"Not at all. This is wealth the people of Konoha have created with their own hands. I've merely done my duty."

"It's all thanks to your coordination and the peace you've secured on every front!"

The two played off each other, crediting every good thing to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The grill master spoke with heartfelt sincerity, and the Third listened in perfect contentment.

For a moment, Amamiya Maki felt dazed. The scene was far too familiar.

It was identical to those classic local news segments from his previous life, where senior officials visited small businesses. He almost wondered whether he had really transmigrated at all.

The surrounding Akimichi clansmen stared nervously at the grill master, their eyes practically spelling out, "Watch your words."

One clansman holding a bowl of sauce gripped it so tightly that fine cracks formed along the rim, without noticing a thing.

The Anbu ninja in the corner kept their fingers resting on their kunai handles, ready to act at any moment.

Yet no one looked particularly tense.

The Third seemed to be genuinely enjoying this barbecue, rather than going through the motions of a political inspection.

Inside the restaurant, Hokage and villagers mingled harmoniously in a scene brimming with life.

When their conversation ended, the Third stood and offered his hand for a handshake.

The grill master immediately hesitated.

His hands were covered in spices and grease. He rubbed them against his apron twice, but the oil did not come off at all.

Each wipe added another stain to the apron, while his fingertips still shone with grease.

He looked down at his oily palms, then up at the Third's outstretched hand, caught in a dilemma.

Hiruzen Sarutobi instantly understood his concern.

He was about to reassure the man that he was just another diner and did not mind the grease, but before he could speak, Amamiya Maki had already hurried forward.

"Grandpa Hokage runs the village and works hard for everyone in Konoha."

"Uncle Akimichi puts his heart into grilling meat, and he feeds the people of Konoha too."

"What you do is fundamentally the same. You're both serving Konoha."

He first bowed respectfully to Hiruzen Sarutobi, then turned toward the grill master, his tone calm, as though stating a simple, obvious fact.

The grill master froze for half a second, then clasped the Third's offered hand in both of his.

His rough palms, smeared with spices and grease, pressed against the cuff of the Hokage's ceremonial robe, leaving a small, dark oil stain.

The grill master's eyes suddenly reddened. A few hot tears rolled down and fell onto their joined hands.

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused in surprise, then burst into hearty laughter.

His booming laugh made the barbecue tongs on the neighboring table tremble slightly.

"Well said! As Hokage, I work for the people, and you serve the villagers by putting your heart into your shop. We're both servants of Konoha!"

The more Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Amamiya Maki, the more pleased he became.

This boy had the breadth of vision needed to oversee the bigger picture. The Will of Fire he spoke of was no empty exam platitude, but a clear understanding that came from the heart.

He kept Amamiya Maki beside him for a little more conversation.

He asked how the boy was settling into school and whether he was comfortable living with Minato and Nonō. He even brought up the essay from the last monthly exam and asked whether he had gained any new insights.

Amamiya Maki answered each question, respectful without being deliberately fawning, striking just the right balance between being likable and avoiding overt flattery.

Only when the Ino-Shika-Cho trio poked their heads around the entrance did Hiruzen Sarutobi realize that Amamiya Maki and his companions had come specifically to eat together.

He quickly waved them on.

"Go on, take your seats and eat. Enjoy yourselves!"

Amamiya Maki smiled and waved goodbye, while inwardly complaining furiously.

He had been starving, and thankfully the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had rescued him in time.

If they had kept talking, the Third might have started asking for new essay material. He could hardly admit that his greatest talent was writing formulaic praise.

After they said goodbye to the Third and his entourage, Choza Akimichi led everyone to the reserved table by the entrance.

It was airy and open, with a view of everyday life bustling along the whole of Commercial Street.

The midday sunlight slanted through the entrance, spreading patches of warm yellow light across the tabletop.

Choza said he had earned this table by hauling supplies that morning.

He had arrived at six and helped unload two whole cartloads of beef.

His uncle had clapped him on the shoulder and joked that his hefty body had finally come in handy.

As he spoke, he patted his round belly, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

After a brief rest, everyone split up to get food.

Nonō headed straight for the refrigerated dessert section.

Minato was lured away by the rich aroma of fried rice from the street.

Shikaku and Inoichi headed for the seafood ice display in unspoken agreement.

Amamiya Maki ran into Choza Akimichi at the freshly sliced beef station. They exchanged a glance and immediately formed a temporary meat-snatching alliance.

The restaurant was packed today. As soon as freshly sliced marbled beef hit the counter, it was snapped up.

An elderly retired kunoichi carried a plate in one hand and tongs in the other, weaving nimbly through the crowd and grabbing meat as quickly as any young ninja.

Choza used his size to clear a path up front while Amamiya Maki circled around the flank. Their teamwork was seamless, like veteran partners who had spent years carrying out missions together.

On the way back, both carried stacks of plates piled with beef, wishing they could balance another two on their heads.

But when Amamiya Maki returned to the table with his spoils, he froze on the spot, nearly choking on his frustration.

Minato Namikaze was holding a bowl of egg fried rice and eating with relish.

Every grain was distinct, the egg golden and fluffy, and the finely chopped scallions evenly coated the rice.

An exquisite little cake sat before Yakushi Nonō, topped with a bright red strawberry, its smooth cream glistening in the sunlight.

The table in front of Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka was covered with premium seafood.

Lobster, scallops, and snow crab legs were arranged as elegantly as a kaiseki meal.

The lobster shell had been neatly opened to reveal firm, snowy-white flesh. Crab legs, each as thick as a finger, lay in orderly rows on a platter of ice.

The difference was painfully obvious. The beef he had just fought through the crowd to grab suddenly seemed insignificant.

"For crying out loud! You'd better pick the right food!" Amamiya Maki slammed the beef plates onto the table, making the crab legs on Inoichi's ice platter bounce.

"You're ignoring prime barbecue and leaving expensive seafood untouched, while one of you hugs a bowl of egg fried rice and the other buries her face in cake?"

Hearing the commotion inside, the Akimichi clansman calling out to customers outside raised his voice even louder.

"Unlimited all-you-can-eat barbecue! Three hundred and fifty-eight ryo per person! Run directly by the Akimichi Clan, with guaranteed meat quality!"

[Detected that the host has caused mental stress to "Minato Namikaze." Stress points +8]

[Detected that the host has caused mental stress to "Yakushi Nonō." Stress points +6]

Still holding his egg fried rice, Minato wore an unusually guilty smile.

"The fried rice smelled so good. I just wanted to taste it."

"The cook looked really cool tossing the wok. The rice flipped twice in the air and landed right back inside without a single grain spilling. I wanted to learn how to do that."

Nonō silently shifted her cake half an inch behind the lobster shell, trying to hide it.

But the bright red strawberry stood out like a red signal flare. There was no hiding it.

Choza Akimichi stepped forward to smooth things over.

He grabbed the whole cake and stuffed it straight into his mouth, then picked up Minato's bowl of egg fried rice and polished it off in a few bites.

Devoured in an instant!

"Stop arguing. As long as everyone's enjoying the food, that's what matters!" Choza wiped his mouth, looking as satisfied as if he had just completed an S-Rank Mission.

Amamiya Maki gave him a thumbs-up.

Choza raised a hand and answered with an OK sign.

By the end of the barbecue, everyone had a full belly and a blissful expression.

The Akimichi Clan's reputation for quality barbecue was well deserved.

Every slice of beef was evenly cut, grilled over charcoal until lightly charred outside while retaining a pale pink center. Each bite sent juices bursting through their mouths.

The various skewers each had their own distinctive flavor.

The chicken thigh meat was marinated in a secret sauce, with crisp, charred skin and tender flesh inside.

The beef tongue was cut to just the right thickness, pleasantly springy and refreshing with a little squeeze of lemon juice.

The pork belly wrapped around enoki mushrooms melted its fat over the charcoal, soaking every strand of vegetable fiber.

Minato completely abandoned the egg fried rice and focused on demolishing the beef on the table, his cheeks flushed from eating.

After finishing her second cake, Nonō picked up a crab leg to conceal the embarrassing fact that she could not eat another bite of meat.

Shikaku and Inoichi remained elegant as they slowly shared the last scallop, their leisurely movements more suited to savoring tea than eating barbecue.

On the other side of the table, Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka began a psychological battle exclusive to Ino-Shika-Cho.

Inoichi Yamanaka noticed an uneaten lobster and surreptitiously covered it with a grilled lobster shell.

"Shikaku, you picked this lobster yourself. You ought to finish it."

Shikaku Nara leaned lazily against his chair, one hand covering his bloated stomach and the other waving off the suggestion, looking utterly unconcerned.

"What rule says whoever picks up the ingredients has to finish them?"

He looked around as though asking everyone present to judge.

"Is there a rule like that?"

Everyone, happy to fan the flames for entertainment, answered in unison.

"No!"

Shikaku Nara looked victorious and folded his hands over his stomach again.

"If you ask me, Inoichi, you're the one who grilled this lobster. Really, it should go to you."

"Besides, the shell's so red that it's obviously overcooked. I warned you earlier not to put lobster in the middle of the grill. You're supposed to cook it slowly with the residual heat around the edges, but you wouldn't listen."

A faint smile appeared in Inoichi Yamanaka's eyes as he lifted the lobster shell covering it.

Once the shell was fully lifted, it revealed a lobster that had not been grilled at all.

"I haven't even grilled it yet. How can it be overcooked?"

"It's still old. I won't eat one unless it's fresh out of the water!"

Everyone finally burst out laughing.

Amamiya Maki let out a satisfied burp and thought, He's really dug his heels in this time.