On the oven, a whole lamb marinated in a secret sauce that was shiny was rotating slowly. The fat dripped onto the charcoal fire below, making a "sizzling" sound and emitting a rich aroma of meat. On the small table next to it, there were also plates of cut sashimi, which were crystal clear and had distinct textures. At first glance, they were of top quality.
"I'm going to clean up the dust for you. Of course I have to show some real skills." Senju Chen picked up a brush and evenly brushed the prepared honey juice on the roasted lamb, as skillfully as an experienced chef.
"Minato, you are so lucky!" Kushina bumped into the shoulder of Minato next to her, with a proud look on her face, as if this cooking skill was her own.
Minato just smiled, his eyes always following Kushina's figure gently.
Soon, the courtyard door was pushed open again.
"Hey! Our Little Chen is getting more and more capable! I can smell the fragrance at the entrance of the village!" Jiraiya's iconic loud voice came from far away. He still looked bold and uninhibited, followed by Orochimaru who had a cold face but a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"Lord Jiraiya, teacher, you are here." Senju Chen greeted respectfully.
"Yes, this smell is indeed interesting." Orochimaru's golden snake eyes glanced at the oven and the dishes on the table, and gave a rare compliment.
"Lord Jiraiya, Lord Orochimaru." Minato Namikaze and Kushina also came forward to say hello.
Immediately afterwards, another large wave of people arrived one after another.
"Chen-kun." Shisui Uchiha still looked sunny and cheerful. When he saw Senju Chen, he immediately showed a big smile.
"Kakashi, you're here too!" Kushina waved enthusiastically to the silver-haired boy.
Kakashi was still wearing a mask, only showing a listless dead fish eye, and lazily said "hmm" as a response.
"Kakashi! Your lack of motivation is nothing! Youth is about burning! Come and compete with me!" A figure wearing green tights and thick eyebrows rushed in with a passionate declaration, it was Might Guy.
"No." Kakashi refused without hesitation.
"Chen, let's help you!" Mitaraishi Anko and Kurenai Yuhi followed behind. As soon as Anko entered the door, Jiraiya ran to the kitchen in a familiar manner, while Kurenai Yuhi greeted everyone carelessly.
Finally, an old man with gray hair but still a strong figure walked in with a leisurely pace.
"Mr. Kosuke." When Senju Chen saw him, he immediately stopped what he was doing and greeted him respectfully.
The person coming is none other than "Eternal Genin" Maruboshi Kosuke.
"Kid Chen, I heard that you are the one cooking this time. Old man, I want to come and taste it today." Maruboshi Kosuke said with a smile.
With the arrival of everyone, the whole courtyard was completely boiling.
Jiraiya sat down proudly, spitting and telling everyone how he showed off Kamui in Kikyo Mountain, beating Sunagakure until he cried for his father and mother, and even danced when he got up, causing Might Guy to look aside and shout, "This is the pride of a hero."
Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze sat aside, discussing in low voices the pattern of Shinobi World after the war, as well as the follow-up strategies for Iwagakure and Sunagakure. Their voices were not loud, but every word was filled with the light of swords.
"...Iwagakure has lost two Jinchūriki this time, and his energy is severely damaged. He will not make any more moves in the short term. But Daimyo of the Land of Earth, I'm afraid they won't give up." Minato's voice was gentle but firm.
"Hmph, Iwagakure was beaten so badly this time. It's hard to say whether the old man Ōnoki can continue to be Tsuchikage. I think what we need to be more vigilant about is Kumogakure. Over there." Orochimaru picked up the tea cup, a cold light flashed in his eyes, "This time Kumogakure snatched Iwagakure's Four-Tails Tailed Beast, from a Tailed Beast level alone, they are already far higher than other ninja villages."
"It's time to eat!"
With a shout from Senju Chen, the roasted whole lamb, charred on the outside and tender on the inside, was brought to the table, surrounded by a variety of exquisite dishes.
"Grilled Beef Tongue", "Shredded Sweet Potatoes with Sweet Potatoes", "Iced Sashimi", "Stone Roasted Pork"...
Senju Chen gave each dish a name.
"Hahaha, let me try it first!" Jiraiya was the first to use the chopsticks.
"Hmm!" When the first bite of food came into his mouth, Jiraiya's eyes widened and his mouth was filled with roast lamb. He said vaguely, "It's delicious! It's so delicious! The texture of the meat... the taste... is better than any restaurant I've been to when I was collecting ingredients!"
"This sea bream sashimi has precise cutting skills, even thickness, melts in your mouth, and the fresh and sweet taste blooms on the tip of your tongue instantly...Little Chen, your skills are much better than mine." Maruboshi Kosuke tasted a piece of sashimi carefully and gave it a very high evaluation.
This old man who has gone through two Shinobi World wars and eaten all kinds of "delicacies from mountains and seas" now also gave a very high evaluation to Senju Chen's cooking skills.
Kakashi's dead fish eyes also lit up at this moment, and he ate twice as fast as usual. Might Guy even burst into tears after eating, shouting, "This is delicious youth!"
Three girls, Kushina, Mitaraishi Anko and Kurenai Yuhi, gathered together and chatted about which dish was more delicious, and sighed with satisfaction from time to time.
Senju Chen looked at the lively and harmonious scene in front of him, with a real smile on his face.
As the banquet reached its climax, Senju Chen simply set up a barbecue grill in the yard and took out the meat skewers and vegetables that had been skewered long ago.
"Come on, come on, do it yourself, have enough food and clothing!"
The atmosphere became more lively. Everyone gathered around the grill and grilled what they wanted to eat, and the distance between each other quickly shortened. Minato Namikaze skillfully helped Kushina bake her favorite meatballs. Kakashi and Might Guy almost had a "showdown" in order to grab a bunch of chicken wings.
Even Orochimaru, who had always been cold-hearted, was encouraged by Senju Chen to pick up a bunch of grilled mushrooms and put them on the fire with a slightly stiff movement.
Senju Chen held a glass of juice and walked to Maruboshi Kosuke to sit down.
"Mr. Kosuke, do you think it is a good thing or a bad thing if one person takes too much credit?" he asked seemingly casually.
Maruboshi Kosuke glanced at him, and a glimmer of understanding flashed in his old but clear eyes. He took a sip of wine and said slowly, "There is no good or bad credit in itself. But the people behind the credit have good and evil. Some people will be suspicious of you because of your great achievements; some people will admire you and follow you because of your merits."
He pointed to the laughing figures in the yard.
"Look, aren't they the answer?"
Senju Chen smiled.
Yes, isn't this the answer?
Konoha Those senior officials thought that by bringing him back from the front line, they could contain him?
The victory of the war depends not only on the fighting on the battlefield. The Konoha after the war needs more than just a superior Hokage.
It needs fresh blood, a bond that can bring everyone back together.
And what he, Senju Chen, did today was not to show another kind of value to Konoha's senior executives.
You are looking at the present, but I am looking at the future.