"Obito, you can eat here every day if you want. But there's no such thing as a free lunch. How about this? Come help out at the restaurant three days a week. Serve food, wash dishes, clean up-whatever needs doing. Your hours will cover your meals. Fair enough?"
The smile froze on Obito's face. "Huh? H-help out three days a week? Cheng, I still have training and missions..."
"Suit yourself. Your VIP privileges are canceled," Cheng said breezily.
"I'll do it! I'll do it, okay?" Obito immediately surrendered, looking utterly miserable.
"But could you take off a day? Make it two? Come on, Cheng, let's negotiate..."
"Not negotiable."
Watching the exchange, Shisui's smile deepened, his eyes curving into little crescents.
"Of course, those conditions are perfectly reasonable. Don't worry, Cheng. I'll handle all the miscellaneous work. I won't let any of it interfere with your real business."
He paused and looked out the window at the peaceful streets of the Uchiha Clan Compound, a hint of longing in his voice.
"This restaurant... might really become a starting point. A starting point for letting the village see another side of the Uchiha."
And that settled it.
Over the following week, Uchiha Makoto found time to compile ten basic Chinese Cuisine recipes that were relatively simple and used ingredients readily available in the ninja world.
They included shredded pork in garlic sauce (simplified version), mapo tofu (mildly spicy version), Kung Pao Chicken, and stir-fried tomatoes and eggs (an absolute must!), all adapted by him into localized "ninja-world specials."
Shisui moved quickly, too. Thanks to his popularity within the clan and his knack for getting things done, he soon recruited five nimble-handed women and youths eager to learn from Uchiha families of civilian backgrounds or limited means. They began Cheng's "special culinary training."