Hokage, no one knows better than me how to cultivate talent.

Taking the opportunity, Qiu Shui said, "Now you know how important it is to learn theoretical knowledge, right? It can save you from taking so many detours. If you don't understand these things, you will waste a lot of time practicing ninjutsu that is not suitable for you, your progress will be slow, and your strength will always improve slower than others."

Naruto nodded, realizing for the first time that reading might actually be somewhat useful.

Qiu Shui knew that he could have told Naruto all this from the beginning, but Naruto wouldn't have remembered it well and would probably forget it after a good night's sleep. Only by letting him experience failure firsthand and then explaining the principles could he truly remember the lesson.

Qiu Shui felt the sunlight getting hotter, raised his wrist, looked at his watch, which showed 11:05. He took out the teaching materials he had prepared beforehand, which contained the key points he had marked that were likely to be on the exam, and said to Naruto, "Practice here now and don't wander around. I'll go back and cook and bring it to you later."

Naruto was already starving, but the joy of learning a new ninjutsu that morning overwhelmed his hunger, and he immediately nodded.

This was the first time someone had cooked for him, and he was very excited.

Akisui was worried that Naruto might actually be foolish enough to stand in the sun all day, and given his personality, he might actually do it. So he told Naruto to move the table and chairs to the shade of a tree and said, "Naruto, create three more clones to study together."

Naruto immediately created three clones; he had to share his happy moments.

When the three clones appeared, they thought it was going to be something fun, but when they found out it was studying, they all had long faces because, like Naruto, they were all academic failures.

Naruto was quite happy, even though these clones were all of himself, at least he had someone to keep him company.

Shusui created two clones to supervise Naruto's studies, which was a good opportunity to test whether clones could use the Talent Aura skill.

After leaving that place, he first went to a fresh food supermarket, wandered around the various stalls, and bought beef tenderloin, millet peppers, cilantro, eggs, tomatoes... soy sauce, cooking wine, sugar, salt, black pepper, and a whole bunch of seasonings of all sizes.

Even if he acquires the culinary skills of MasterChef, the dishes he makes won't taste very good if he doesn't have enough seasonings.

Since it's not wartime and supplies are plentiful, these items only cost 1,300 taels in total. If it were wartime, the cost would have doubled.

Qiu Shui carried the bag and walked back.

He walked into the apartment, went upstairs, and opened the door. He had cleaned the apartment before, and it was fully equipped with a refrigerator, washing machine, and television.

Qiu Shui walked straight into the kitchen, put down her things, tied on an apron, and prepared to try out the cooking skills described in "MasterChef Ninja" to see if they were as exaggerated as described.

He first cooked rice for five people. He had a large appetite, and Naruto's should have too. Then he put ten eggs into a pot of cold water, turned on the heat, and started cooking. Then he began to prepare the stir-fried dishes.

The first dish Qiu Shui made was stir-fried beef with yellow peppers. This dish is extremely appetizing and its essence lies in the perfect combination of four flavors: aroma, spiciness, freshness, and tenderness. If any one of these flavors is missing, the taste of the whole dish will be greatly affected.

He took out the beef tenderloin he had bought, which was the most tender part of the whole cow and was perfect for making this dish.

Based on her memory, Qiu Shui washed the meat, dried it, and placed it on the cutting board to carefully observe the grain. She had to cut against the grain to make thin slices about two or three millimeters thick. The thinner the slices, the faster they would heat up and the easier they would cook through.

Add light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, and cooking wine to the sliced ​​beef. Mix well by hand until the meat slices have fully absorbed the seasonings and feel slightly sticky. Then add starch and a pinch of baking soda and mix well. Finally, drizzle in a spoonful of cooking oil and mix gently to seal in the moisture. Let it marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok until it reaches about 60% of its maximum temperature, when it starts to smoke slightly and small bubbles quickly form around chopsticks when inserted. Then, pour the marinated beef into the wok.

Quickly break up the pieces with a spatula and stir-fry over high heat. Once the beef changes color and is about 80% cooked, immediately remove it from the pan and set aside. This step must be quick to prevent the meat from becoming tough.

Leave some oil in the wok, turn the heat to high, add minced ginger, garlic, pickled wild peppers, and small red chilies, stir-fry until they release a rich aroma and spiciness. Then add the previously cooked beef and chilies, pour the prepared sauce along the edge of the wok, and stir-fry quickly and evenly over high heat. Finally, sprinkle in chopped cilantro, turn off the heat, and stir-fry a couple of times with the residual heat of the wok until the cilantro is just cooked through. It's ready to serve.

Qiu Shui put the vegetables into a thermal container, took off her apron, and turned to leave.

-

The Hyuga clan's territory is located in the heart of Konoha Village. It is a vast area with well-arranged houses. The bluestone paths are lined with meticulously trimmed shrubs, with every leaf growing in the same direction, just like the rules passed down through generations of this clan: neat, strict, and inviolable.

Inside the training grounds of the Hyuga clan head's residence, two small figures are facing off.

Hinata Hyuga's fingers, hanging at her sides, curled slightly. She remembered her father's teachings: when you can't use the Byakugan skillfully, you must learn to predict the opponent's next move from their stance.

Standing opposite Hinata, Hinata Hanabi was only six years old, just up to her older sister's shoulder. She stood straight and did not choose to make the first move. She just quietly watched Hinata, knowing that there was a certain gap between her strength and her older sister Hinata's.

Hinata bit her lower lip and struck first, using the basic Gentle Fist technique, palm facing forward, to push towards Hanabi. Afraid of hurting her sister, she only used half her strength. Hanabi's body turned lightly to the side, and the palm brushed past her chest, creating a gentle breeze.

Right now, Hanabi seized the opportunity and stretched out her little hand with lightning speed. Her hand was too small to grasp her sister's wrist, so she precisely wedged it between her fingers, right at the joint gap, at an angle so tricky it seemed she had calculated it beforehand.

Before Hinata could pull her hand away, she was pulled forward by the force. Fortunately, Hanabi wasn't very strong, and she only staggered a step before regaining her balance.

Beside the pillar, Hyuga Hiashi stood with his hands behind his back, his brows furrowing slightly as he watched his eldest daughter's behavior.

Standing beside him was the former clan chief, his father, Hyuga Tennin, the old man with a calm expression.

After regaining her balance, Hinata immediately crossed her two small hands in front of her, assuming the standard Gentle Fist stance.

Hanabi also struck a pose, her movements even more upright and precise than her older sister, who was four years her senior.

This time, Hanabi didn't choose to defend; she could sense that her sister's strength hadn't been very great.

She stepped forward, thrusting out with her right palm and guarding her chest with her left. These were basic moves that had been taught countless times, yet she executed them with a smooth and effortless grace. Hinata took a half step back and met her attack with her right palm in return.

The two palms collided, producing a dull thud.