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

Chapter 98 An Argument Sparked by a Plate of Stir-fried Pork with Chili Peppers

"Red," I said, "I want to take a shower first. I feel sticky and uncomfortable from traveling all day." Shizune hadn't felt anything before, but she realized it now that they had stopped.

"Qiu Shui will probably need an hour or two to buy groceries and cook," Yuhi Hong thought for a moment, then stood up and said, "Why don't you go to the bathroom in my house to shower? I need to shower too, I'll take you with me."

She turned to Tsunade on the sofa and asked, "Lady Tsunade, would you like to come along?"

Tsunade was lounging lazily against the back of the sofa, one leg casually crossed over the other. Her long legs, encased in trousers, were intertwined, the plumpness of her thighs slightly deformed under the pressure, outlining a soft, fleshy texture. She said, "Mmm."

Since there were four people eating today, and the weakest among them was a Jonin, Shusui bought more groceries than usual, filling two large shopping bags.

When Qiu Shui finished buying groceries and returned home, he opened the door to his room and was met with a scene that left him speechless.

After taking a bath, Tsunade, Kurenai, and Shizune arrived at Akisui's house feeling refreshed.

"Hong, the dish Qiu Shui cooked earlier might get cold if left out for too long. It won't taste good when it's cold. Why don't we eat it first?" Jingyin felt very hungry after taking a shower. Remembering the aroma when she first entered the house, she couldn't help but suggest it.

"Okay, I'll go get it for you." Kurenai smiled as she walked towards the kitchen, brought the dish over, and placed it on the dining table.

"What kind of dish is this?" Shizune asked curiously, looking at the dish in front of her with chili peppers and slices of meat mixed together.

"This is a dish that Qiushui developed herself, called stir-fried pork with chili peppers," Yuhi Hong introduced.

"Then I'll try a bite and see how it tastes." Although Shizune had never seen this way of cooking before, the dish looked delicious. She picked up her chopsticks and eagerly stuffed a piece of meat into her mouth.

The moment the sliced ​​meat enters your mouth, the salty and slightly spicy flavors explode on your tongue, and the umami of the sauce, combined with the spiciness of the chili, spreads layer by layer throughout your mouth.

"Wow, this is so delicious!" Shizune's eyes narrowed into slits as she couldn't resist picking up another bite with her chopsticks.

"This dish tastes even better when you eat it with the chili peppers on the side." Kurenai raised her head slightly and puffed out her chest, her tone carrying a hint of pride, as if she were imparting some secret recipe. She continued seriously, "It's even better to add a bowl of white rice and mix it in. That's the ultimate way to eat it."

"Qiu Shui hasn't returned yet... Wouldn't that be inappropriate?" Jingyin was tempted, but still asked politely.

"It's okay, anyway, the rice he cooks won't be enough for the four of us, so he'll cook more later," said Kurenai Yuhi.

Upon hearing this, Jingyin was completely relieved. She turned around, filled a bowl with white rice, and sat down at the table.

She shoveled a mouthful of rice into her mouth, then picked up a piece of stir-fried pork with chili peppers and stuffed it into her mouth. After chewing a couple of times, she suddenly stopped and looked at Yuhi Kurenai with a dazed expression.

"Red, after eating this dish, I felt like I turned into a pig and was flying on the clouds. Did you use an illusion on me?" Shizune said.

"No, it's just that Qiushui's cooking is so delicious that I feel that way," said Yuhi Kurenai.

"I'll try it too." Tsunade, who was standing to the side, was intrigued by the conversation between the two and thought that Shizune was exaggerating. How could the dish have such an effect?

She picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of meat, and put it in her mouth. Her eyes lit up instantly.

The moment Shizune saw Tsunade's eyes light up, alarm bells went off in her head. She immediately lowered her head and shoveled down several mouthfuls of rice, then quickly grabbed a piece of vegetables and stuffed it into her mouth.

Tsunade was equally impressive, her chopsticks moving quickly and accurately, picking up food with a frequency even more intense than a silent person.

Kurenai Yuhi had originally just been standing by watching the fun, but seeing the two of them fighting over the food, she was also tempted to eat. She quietly picked up a pair of chopsticks, sat down at the table, and joined in.

The three of them sat around a plate of stir-fried pork with chili peppers, eating with great enthusiasm.

"Shizune, I'm your master, let me have this food." Tsunade's mouth was stuffed full, and her words were a little muffled.

"Lady Tsunade, Master should give in to his disciple." This time, Shizune did not compromise as usual. Her mouth was also full of food, and she mumbled a reply without stopping her hands.

Seeing that Shizune couldn't eat it, Tsunade immediately turned her attention to Kurenai: "Kurenai, you're a junior, and you've eaten this often before. Consider this a tribute to your senior, and don't eat it yet."

Kurenai didn't even lift her eyelids; her chopsticks were incredibly steady.

The glorious image of Tsunade in her heart had already been shattered when she borrowed money to gamble.

What kind of legendary Sannin are they? What kind of Konoha hero are they? When they owe money and don't pay it back, they're no different from ordinary people.

I don't care about this or that.

Kurenai silently transforms into a heartless rice-cooking machine.

Shizune and Yuhi Hong simultaneously heard the door open and instinctively turned their heads to look. Qiu Shui was standing in the doorway with shopping bags in her hands, looking at the three of them.

A hint of embarrassment appeared on both of their faces at the same time. Their chopsticks froze in mid-air, and they still had food in their mouths.

After all, the food was cooked by someone else, and the person hadn't even returned yet, so it was a bit unreasonable for the three of them to start eating first.

But who is Tsunade? She's a seasoned veteran.

In the brief moment that Shizune and Kurenai were stunned, she swiftly picked up the plate, carefully poured the last bit of broth over her white rice, and then took a large, satisfying shovelful of soup down her throat. Her movements were fluid and seamless.

"Um... I'll go cook."

Shusui never expected that Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha, along with two powerful Jonin from the village, would almost come to blows over a dish.

"Qiushui, do you need any help?" Jingyin walked to the kitchen doorway and peeked in to ask.

"No need, you are guests, how can I let you do anything on our first visit?" Qiu Shuitou waved his hand and said.

"Can you manage all this cooking by yourself?" Shizune leaned against the doorframe. "I often take care of Lady Tsunade, so I have some experience in cooking."

Before she finished speaking, Qiu Shui formed several hand seals.

With two soft sounds, two shadow clones appeared out of thin air in the kitchen.

One person picked up the vegetables and went to the sink to wash them, while the other picked up a knife from the cutting board and began to chop them. Their movements were swift and efficient, and their teamwork was excellent.

"It's alright, I can manage on my own." Qiu Shui then turned around to heat up the pot.

Seeing this, Jingyin didn't press the matter further, but simply stood at the door and glanced at it a few more times.

Qiu Shui's profile, focused on cooking, was clearly defined under the warm yellow light of the kitchen. His shadow clones each performed their duties while maintaining his face and expression, making it seem as if there were three identical handsome men busy in the kitchen, a rather pleasing sight.

She turned and went back to the living room, but couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Having wandered with Tsunade for so many years, she has seen all sorts of people, but she has never met a man like Qiushui. He is good-looking, can cook, and is considerate and thoughtful in his dealings with others. The key is that he does so much without seeming to be deliberate at all.

A man like that, if placed in any village, would probably have been targeted by other women long ago.

I really don't know what Kurenai Yuhi was thinking. She didn't make a move on such a good man.

Although Qiu Shui prepared a lot of dishes tonight, with the multi-tasking of Shadow Clone, frying, stir-frying, cooking and deep-frying were carried out simultaneously. In just about two hours, more than a dozen dishes were cooked one after another and served on the table.

During those long two hours, Tsunade, Shizune, and Kurenai, sitting in the living room, were repeatedly tormented by the aromas that wafted from the kitchen.

"This is too lavish!" Shizune exclaimed, looking at the table full of dishes.

Braised pork belly, sweet and sour pork ribs, stir-fried beef with yellow peppers, steamed sea bass, Mapo tofu, hot and sour shredded potatoes, corn and pork rib soup... More than a dozen dishes were laid out, colorful and steaming hot.

She hadn't seen most of these dishes before, but the stir-fried pork with chili peppers she had just made had completely won over her taste buds. At this moment, she had complete trust in every dish Qiu Shui made.

Tsunade is more direct than Shizune.

She didn't even bother with polite words; her chopsticks were already outstretched, precisely picking up a piece of braised pork and putting it in her mouth.

The meat chunks are soft, sweet, and succulent, not greasy at all. The lean meat is tender and the fat melts in your mouth. The rich sauce flavor, along with a hint of sweetness, slowly spreads on your tongue and melts in your mouth with almost no chewing required.

The scene before Tsunade's eyes suddenly changed, and she found herself transformed into a chubby little pig, soaring freely through the sky.

She paused slightly after the scene disappeared.

Over the years, Tsunade has eaten countless delicious dishes, but this is the first time she has ever encountered one that tastes so good and can also give her a feeling of euphoria.

She was about to ask Qiu Shui what the underlying principle was.

Kurenai interrupted her.

"Come, let's toast Qiushui before we eat." Yuhi Kurenai raised her glass, looked around, and said with a smile, "Thank you for taking the time and effort to cook so many delicious dishes for us."

"Not bad." Tsunade put down her chopsticks, and as she stood up, her chest swayed. She picked up her wine glass and said seriously, "6..."

"I've been away from home for so many years and eaten countless delicious meals, but this meal you made undoubtedly deserves to be ranked number one."

"Thank you, Qiushui." Jingyin quickly picked up her wine glass and gave a slight bow.

"Haha, thank you everyone for the compliments." Qiu Shui laughed heartily twice, raised her glass, and said, "I'll drink to that first."

Seeing Shusui's cheerful demeanor, Tsunade smiled, picked up her cup, tilted her head back, and downed it in one gulp.

Kurenai Yuhi was used to drinking strong liquor, so this level of alcohol content was nothing to her. She downed it in one gulp, quick and decisive.

Jingyin's alcohol tolerance was far inferior to the other three, but seeing them all drinking so heartily, it would be too embarrassing for her to hesitate and only take a small sip.

So she gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and downed the entire glass of wine.

The pungent liquor made her eyes red, but she held back and didn't cough.