Izuna emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate of freshly made pastries.
Ino stared at him in surprise.
"Is he an employee?"
Izuna nodded slightly.
"Welcome."
His tone was cool, but polite.
With his handsome face and clean-cut air, he seemed much friendlier than the cold-faced Tobirama.
Ino immediately whispered to Hinata, "The staff here are all so unusual."
Hinata nodded gently.
"Mm..."
Just then, a system notification sounded in Zhang Yu's mind.
[Ding!] [Special guests detected entering the establishment.] [New quest triggered.] [Quest name: Make the girls reluctant to leave.] [Quest requirement: Make Ino Yamanaka and Hinata Hyuga develop a strong fondness for the Undead Tavern and become willing to return as paying customers.] [Quest rewards: 2,000 gold coins and mastery of Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams.]
Zhang Yu paused briefly.
Well, well.
The system finally knew how to deliver.
Two thousand gold coins.
And mastery of Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams.
Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams was the Hyuga Clan's core Taijutsu system. Striking pressure points, close combat, Chakra control-it was all useful.
Although he already had Kage Level Chakra, there was indeed still a missing piece when it came to Taijutsu.
This quest had come at just the right time.
His gaze softened at once as he looked at Ino and Hinata.
"You two are the first underage guests the tavern has officially served today."
Ino blinked.
"The first?"
"That's right."
Zhang Yu smiled. "So your pastries are on the house today."
"And so are your drinks."
Ino's eyes widened on the spot.
"Really?"
Hinata was surprised too, and quickly waved her hands.
"Th-that's too much. We couldn't possibly."
Zhang Yu waved a hand.
"Don't worry about it."
"You helped me by bringing a hundred kinds of flowers. That was important business."
"Treating you to pastries and drinks is important business too."
Hearing that, Ino brightened immediately.
"Then I won't say no!"
She carefully placed the bouquet in her arms on the table, then took a stack of neatly arranged labels from the small bag she carried.
"I've sorted all these flowers."
"I labeled each kind separately."
"You already took seventy-three kinds last time, so I brought the rest of the ones you were missing this time."
"To make sure you don't get them mixed up, I also put together a new list."
Zhang Yu took the list and glanced at it.
The handwriting was clear.
The flower names, quantities, and sources were all written down neatly.
"Nice work, Ino."
"You're even more efficient than I thought."
Ino gave a soft huff, looking a little pleased with herself.
"My family runs a flower shop, you know."
"Of course I have to be professional about this."
Then she remembered Hinata beside her and quickly tugged her forward.
"Oh, right, we haven't formally introduced ourselves."
"I'm Ino Yamanaka."
"My family owns the Yamanaka Flower Shop."
Hinata's face turned red as Ino pulled her forward.
She lowered her head, speaking in a tiny voice.
"I-I'm Hinata Hyuga."
"It's nice to meet you."
Zhang Yu smiled and nodded.
"I'm Zhang Yu."
"I own the Undead Tavern."
Ino looked at him, unable to hide the curiosity in her eyes.
"I knew there was more to you."
"That flower compendium from last time definitely wasn't ordinary."
Zhang Yu smiled without answering.
He raised a hand and put all the flowers away.
The next second, the system notification sounded again.
[Ding!] [Hundred Flowers Brew preparation quest completed.] [One hundred different kinds of flowers collected.] [Distributing rewards.] [Congratulations, host. You have received 1,000 gold coins.] [Congratulations, host. You have received one summoning opportunity.] [Current gold coin reserves increased.] [Current number of summons: 1.]
Zhang Yu felt a rush of satisfaction.
Ino's visit had practically brought him flowers, money, and a summon all at once.
His smile grew more sincere as he looked at her.
"You've been a huge help to me this time."
Ino was pleased by the praise, though she still tried to act casual.
"It was nothing."
"I just happen to be interested in flowers."
"Besides..."
She couldn't help looking at Zhang Yu's empty hands.
"Could you let me see that flower compendium again?"
Zhang Yu smiled. "Eat first."
Ino immediately perked up.
"Then can I see it after we eat?"
Zhang Yu didn't agree. He simply turned to Izuna.
"Izuna."
"Use the finest ingredients and make the best pastries you can."
"Give these two guests special attention today."
Izuna nodded.
"Understood."
With that, he turned and went into the kitchen.
Before long, a delicious aroma wafted out.
First came the rich scent of baking butter.
Then the fresh sweetness of fruit.
Finally, the scents of powdered sugar and cream mingled, sweet without being cloying. Ino's eyes lit up at the smell.
"It smells amazing!"
Hinata quietly swallowed, too.
Zhang Yu noticed, and felt more confident.
What did girls like?
Sweet things.
Pretty things.
Delicate things.
As long as the taste was just as good, the quest was as good as done.
Soon, Izuna came out carrying the pastries.
Several small, exquisite fruit tarts sat on a white porcelain plate.
Their pastry shells had distinct layers and golden-brown edges.
Delicate cream filling lay in the middle, topped with thin slices of fruit.
Red strawberries.
Yellow peaches.
Pale green melon.
A fine dusting of powdered sugar covered the top.
The presentation alone was enough to keep Ino and Hinata's eyes fixed on them.
"They're so pretty!" Ino exclaimed.
"They look like gifts..." Hinata said softly.
Izuna set the plate down.
"Please enjoy."
Zhang Yu smiled. "Try them."
Ino picked up a small fork and carefully cut off a piece.
The pastry gave a soft crunch beneath the fork.
She put it in her mouth, and her eyes widened the next second.
The outside was crisp.
The middle was soft.
The cream was rich, the fruit fresh and sweet. The powdered sugar slowly melted, and layers of flavor spread through her mouth.
She had never eaten a pastry like this in Konoha.
It wasn't just sweet.
Every bite was just right.
"Delicious!"
The word almost burst out of Ino's mouth.
"It's really delicious!"
Hinata took a small bite as well.
She ate very quietly, but her expression visibly changed after that bite.
Much of the reserve left her face, and her eyes curved slightly.
"It's delicious..."
Her voice was still soft, but much more natural than when she had first come in.
Ino immediately cut off another piece.
"Hinata, try this one with more fruit."
"This one's sweeter."
Hinata nodded.
"Mm."
The two girls sat by the window with pastries before them, a clean wooden table and a brightly lit liquor cabinet nearby.
As Ino ate, she couldn't help looking around.
"Boss Zhang Yu, will you really welcome customers like us here from now on?"
"Of course."
Zhang Yu leaned against the bar.
"You can come in even if you don't drink alcohol."
"You can have a drink, eat snacks, chat, or relax."
"If you like it, you can come by after school or on your days off."
Ino's eyes lit up even more.
"That's great."
"There aren't many places like this in Konoha anymore."
"Ordinary restaurants are too noisy, and dessert shops don't have as many things as you do here."
Hinata nodded gently.
"It's... very comfortable here."
Something stirred in Zhang Yu's heart.
Those words carried considerable weight.