I, a cultivator, ended up in the Naruto world.

Chapter 129 A dish that risks one's life

Yan leaned closer to take a look, and his face turned even paler.

"Ayaka, this says to slice the meat into strips—did you slice it?"

"Cut it!" Ayaka pointed to the cutting board next to her.

Yan and Youdou looked over at the same time.

On the cutting board lay a piece of meat, haphazardly slashed in several places, its shape a gruesome sight. Some parts were cut too deep, almost breaking in two, while others remained joined together, making it look as if a dog had gnawed on it.

"—Is this shredded?" Yan's voice trembled.

"That's right!" Ayaka asserted confidently, "If you cut it into strips, isn't that just shreds?"

Yuto took a deep breath and decided to change the subject: "What about the side dishes? Cucumbers, wood ear mushrooms, and eggs, are they all ready?"

"Ready!" Ayaka took out the items one by one.

The cucumber was smashed whole, the wood ear mushrooms were still dried and hadn't been soaked, and the eggs—they weren't even cracked open, just placed whole in the bowl.

Yan and Yudou exchanged a glance, and at the same time saw despair in each other's eyes.

"Caihua," Yan tried to keep her voice calm, "the eggs need to be broken before you put them in."

"I know!" Ayaka nodded, "but I want to prepare first and then play last. That way it'll be more organized."

"Organized—" Yuto murmured.

"And I've also prepared a secret weapon!" Ayaka excitedly pulled a small bottle from her bosom.

"What is that?"

"Jiraiya-nii gave it to me! He said it's a special seasoning that makes everything taste better!"

Yan and Youdou's faces went from pale to ashen.

Jiraiya's special seasoning—isn't that just powder made from dried insects he brought back from Mount Myoboku?!

"Ayakashi! You can't put that out!"

Why?

"Because—because it was Jiraiya's prank!"

"No way!" Ayaka shook her head. "Jiraiya-nii is a very nice person, why would he lie to me?"

"That's just the kind of person he is!"

"I'm getting angry if you talk like that about Jiraiya-nii!"

Yan and Youdou were utterly desperate.

On the mountainside, Yang Xiang suddenly sneezed again.

"Danzo again?" Nawaki asked.

Yang Xiang shook his head and looked down at the colorful flowers below the mountain, his expression subtle.

"I think it's something even more terrifying."

Jiraiya stood to the side, his face pale.

"Yang Xiang," he said softly, "how about we go out to eat? It's on me."

"What kind of guests are you inviting to Katsuragi Mountain? Are you going to eat dirt?"

"Then—should I go and get the recipe back?"

"It's too late." Yang Xiang sighed. "Prepare yourself mentally."

Rope Tree gloated from the side: "Anyway, I can run fast. At worst, I can just use Flying Thunder God to get away."

Kouichi glared at him: "Are you even human?"

"Yes, that's me. That's why I need to run even faster."

Yang Xiang ignored them and turned to walk down the mountain.

"Where to?" Rope Tree called out.

"Let's see how it goes." Yang Xiang said without turning his head. "We can't let her burn the kitchen down."

Rope Tree and Hikari exchanged a glance and quickly followed.

Jiraiya hesitated for a moment, then followed, leaning on his cane.

The four of them had just reached the halfway point of the mountain when they smelled a burnt odor.

"It's over." Koichi covered his face.

"It's not over," Rope Tree's nose twitched, "it's burnt."

They quickened their pace and rushed to the stove.

Ayaka stood amidst the chaos, her face patched with black and white, a tuft of hair singed from the fire, and her clothes stained with oil. The contents of the pot—it was unrecognizable. A black, murky mass, emitting a strange, burnt smell.

"Boss Yang Xiang!" Caihua's eyes lit up when she saw Yang Xiang. "You're here! The food will be ready soon!"

Yang Xiang glanced at the contents of the pot, then at Caihua's expectant eyes.

"You've worked hard," he said.

Ayaka smiled, her smile standing out brightly against her dark face.

"It wasn't hard work! The pot just caught fire for a moment, but I've already put it out!"

"That's wonderful," Yang Xiang said without changing his expression.

Nawaki was trembling from trying to suppress his laughter, and only stopped when Kouichi kicked him.

Jiraiya stood at the very back, shrinking his neck guiltily.

"Caihua," Yang Xiang suddenly said, "would you like to learn to cook?"

Ayaka paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously: "Yes!"

"Alright," Yang Xiang said. "I'll teach you when we get back to Konoha."

"Really?!" Ayaka's eyes shone like stars.

"real."

Nawaki and Koichi both widened their eyes at the same time.

Can Yang Xiang cook?

How come they didn't know?

Jiraiya was also surprised.

Yang Xiang didn't explain. He just walked to the stove, poured out the dark, murky stuff in the pot, and washed the pot again.

"Watch closely," he said.

He picked up the knife and carefully trimmed the horribly chopped piece of meat on the cutting board, slicing it into even, thin strips. His movements were clean and efficient, his knife skills as practiced as if he had honed them for ten years.

Rope Tree's mouth opened into an "O" shape.

Koichi's jaw almost dropped to the ground.

Jiraiya's cane was bent out of shape.

Then Yang Xiang heats oil in a wok, adds shredded pork, eggs, cucumber, and wood ear mushrooms in that order, stir-fries them evenly, seasons them, and removes them from the wok.

The whole process was smooth and seamless.

Ayaka stared at the dish, her eyes wide.

"Yang Xiang, when did you learn to cook?"

"I learned it when I was at home." Yang Xiang put down the pot. "When Grandma was busy, I would cook for myself."

Rope Tree leaned closer and stared at the plate of shredded pork with wood ear mushrooms for a long time.

"Yang Xiang," his voice trembled slightly, "is there anything you can't do?"

Yang Xiang thought about it.

"I will not become Hokage."

Rope Tree choked.

Koichi chuckled beside him.

At dinner, Yang Xiang cooked four dishes, and the group sat together, enjoying their meal. Caihua asked questions as she ate, and Yang Xiang patiently answered, occasionally offering a few pointers.

Nawaki ate three bowls of rice, Koichi ate two and a half bowls, and Jiraiya, although still injured, ate one and a half bowls. Even Yan and Yuto got a free meal, their mouths greasy with food.

After they finished eating, Ayaka volunteered to wash the dishes, while Yan and Yuto helped clean up.

Yang Xiang sat by the campfire, gazing at the distant mountains.

Rope Tree came over and sat down next to him.

Yang Xiang.

"Um."

"If you don't want to be Hokage, what do you want to be?"

Yang Xiang thought about it.

"I don't know," he said. "Just stay alive. Staying alive is the most important thing."

Rope Tree was silent for a while, then suddenly smiled.

"That's true. Staying alive is the most important thing."

He added a piece of firewood to the fire, and the sparks floated upwards and disappeared into the night sky.

"From now on, whatever you do, I'll do the same," Rope Tree said. "If you live, I'll live. If you don't die, I won't die either."