Seeing Hongle turn pale, his face ashen, Naruto seized the opportunity and said calmly, "Relax. If you're obedient enough... not only will this stay between us, I'll even teach you more advanced cooking techniques, including the true essence of ramen."
When Naruto first learned that Hongle was competing with Aunt Ichiraku for the title of Konoha's Number One Flavor Enhancer, he had considered simply bringing out his seasonings to help her crush him.
However, after learning about Hongle's recent travels and the alkali stone in his possession, he immediately changed his mind.
If he made good use of this man, Hongle could perfectly cover up all the incriminating details of Naruto's plans to rake in heaps of silver taels from Konoha behind the scenes.
Sure enough, after Naruto deliberately played up the risks of alkali stone, Hongle immediately became frightened.
Of course, crushing this unrefined alkali stone and boiling it in water for consumption was genuinely dangerous. The effects simply wouldn't show up right away.
After all, the chemical processing techniques available to ordinary people in this world couldn't produce food-grade alkali noodles.
Industrial-grade alkali noodles, on the other hand... caused immense harm when consumed. Industrial caustic soda in particular was barely any less corrosive than sulfuric acid.
With something harboring such grave dangers, even a slight mistake by an apprentice could cause irreversible damage.
So Hongle hadn't exaggerated at all when he called the refined alkali noodles poison.
Of course, Naruto was only seven now. Directly threatening a fanatical chef with this matter would have been extremely unwise. Making a mortal enemy of someone whose passion bordered on obsession would cause him plenty of unnecessary trouble later.
It would be like forbidding Orochimaru from conducting experiments. The consequences would be severe.
Hongle was a cook, so he probably wouldn't go as far as assassination, but Naruto might still have to expose his abilities. That was the last thing he wanted.
That was why he had told Hongle, "As long as you're obedient enough, I can even teach you the true essence of cooking."
At Naruto's words, a hungry gleam immediately flared in Hongle's eyes.
If a seven-year-old had dared speak to him like that before, he would certainly have slapped the child.
But after learning about the poison in alkali stone, he believed him. Completely.
Neither he nor the master who had long lived deep in the mountains had managed to understand alkali stone's many uses, yet this seven-year-old understood it better than either of them.
"The true essence of cooking and ramen..." Kneeling on the floor, Hongle looked up at Naruto.
"That's right." Naruto smiled confidently. "I'll use this alkali stone and my secret seasoning mix to make peerless ramen!"
[Ding! Received 30 shock points from a Konoha Villagers!]
Hongle exclaimed in alarm, "Isn't this stuff poisonous? How can you use it to make ramen?"
Naruto smiled. "Naturally, it can't be used directly. I'll need to put it through several complicated processes to refine it further and remove every dangerous component. Then it can be used in cooking."
[Ding! Received 30 shock points from Hongle!]
Hongle stared up at Naruto, dumbfounded. "Can that really be done?"
"Hmph. When have I ever lied to you?"
"Master! Please accept me as your apprentice!"
He had noticed this boy from the very beginning. That confident smile had always been on his face, never wavering.
Naruto made a show of shaking his head. "An apprentice? Are you... qualified to be my apprentice?"
Hongle's expression changed.
He's right. I'm almost forty, yet my cooking falls short of Ichiraku's, and even a seven-year-old's. What right do I have to ask him to teach me?
"Of course, nothing is absolute..." Naruto coaxed him along. "If you're obedient enough, perhaps I could try training you."
Hongle had nearly given up. Who could have imagined there would still be a chance? He immediately knocked his forehead against the floor again. "Master, I'll obey you! I'll do whatever you ask!"
First drive them to despair, then offer hope. That was how to recruit a follower. Accepting him straight away would make Hongle feel Naruto lacked authority, preventing him from establishing a commanding hierarchy.
"All right. Your first task is..."
Naruto laid out the meticulous plan he had just devised. Hongle alternated between delight and worry, then thumped his chest with assurances.
The two talked privately in the Ichiraku Ramen Shop for a full ten minutes before coming out together.
When he emerged, Hongle looked refreshed, and his eyes were filled with reverence whenever he looked at Naruto.
Naruto, meanwhile, was just as he had always been and put his ANBU mask back on.
Everyone waiting outside the shop watched the two anxiously.
Hongle's three followers were brimming with confidence, while Aunt Ichiraku and Ayame looked terribly nervous.
Only Sasuke watched the pair with a frown.
"Master, how did it go?"
"Yeah, did this brat give you a satisfactory answer?"
The three burly followers rolled up their sleeves and advanced on Naruto with hostile expressions.
"How dare you!"
Hongle was horrified. This Blond-Haired Boy was now his benefactor and future Little Master. His dream of astounding the world with his culinary skills depended entirely on his Little Master. How could he let his own apprentices provoke someone like that?
With an angry roar, Hongle gave all three apprentices a thorough beating.
The three apprentices shrieked and hurriedly begged for mercy.
Only after finishing the beating and seeing that Naruto had said nothing did Hongle breathe a sigh of relief.
"Hongle, I may have lost the preliminary round, but I'll still give it everything I have to defend my title as Konoha's Number One Flavor Enhancer."
Aunt Ichiraku finally summoned her courage to speak.
Hongle gave a knowing smile and swept his hand through the air. "Excellent! Since you lost the preliminary round, I'll set the time, challenge, and rules for the finals."
Aunt Ichiraku and Ayame both nodded.
Recalling Naruto's instructions, Hongle carefully chose his words. "The finals will be held tomorrow evening, beside the Ringing Water River. I'll invite all of Konoha's ramen chefs to attend."
Aunt Ichiraku's expression visibly soured, but having lost the preliminary round, she could only nod.
"What's the challenge, and what are the rules?" Aunt Ichiraku pressed.
"Hmph. It's simple: resting time."
Hongle smiled confidently. "Tomorrow, we'll each make ramen using our secret recipes. Once it's ready, we'll leave it to sit for five minutes before the judges taste it. Whoever has the springiest noodles and the most flavorful broth wins."
Hearing the challenge and its rules, Aunt Ichiraku felt as though she had plunged into an icy pit.
Hongle must have been confident to propose a challenge like this. As for her own ramen, if it sat for five minutes... she couldn't even guarantee how it would taste.
In the end, Aunt Ichiraku gritted her teeth and nodded. "I accept!"
"Hahaha... excellent! Let's go!"
After hearing her agreement, Hongle shot Naruto a discreet glance, then left with his three apprentices.
Once the four had left, gloom settled over the entrance to the Ichiraku Ramen Shop.
"It's over. It looks like I won't be able to keep the title of Konoha's Number One Flavor Enhancer," Aunt Ichiraku said dejectedly.
"Mother... I know you can beat Hongle," Ayame hurriedly reassured her.
Aunt Ichiraku shook her head and waved a hand. "He left Konoha with his apprentices years ago and traveled far and wide. He must have obtained some closely guarded recipe."
Seeing their ashen faces, Naruto took off his mask and smiled. "Auntie, I believe you can beat Uncle Hongle too, and keep your title as Konoha's Number One Flavor Enhancer."
Aunt Ichiraku could only nod with a bitter smile. Then, apparently remembering something, she looked at Naruto. "Little Naruto, we'll have to serve so many judges in tomorrow's finals. With just Ayame and me, Ichiraku won't have enough hands..."
"No problem, Auntie. You're always helping me out. I'll bring him along after school tomorrow to lend you a hand," Naruto said, grabbing Sasuke.
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