Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 254 Braised Sand Scorpions

"Oh My God……"

"What...what is this smell...?"

The scorpion legs in Inuzuka Tsubasa's hands were also roasted, golden and crispy, with oil dripping onto the charcoal fire, emitting an equally tempting aroma.

But this smell was like a firefly vying for the moon's brilliance in front of the domineering aroma from the Shuo Mao pot; it was instantly crushed without a trace.

Inuzuka Tsubasa took a deep breath of the aroma wafting from Sakumo's direction, then smelled the roasted scorpion leg in his hand, and suddenly found it tasteless.

He angrily threw the roasted scorpion leg into Mu You's mouth, then rushed to Shuo Mao's pot and stared intently at it.

In the pot, each piece of scorpion meat was evenly coated with a layer of bright red and viscous sauce, bubbling and releasing an aroma that made one's soul tremble.

"Sakumo...you...you bastard..."

Ignoring the surprised Inuzuka Tsubasa, Sakumo picked up a plate and carefully scooped out the braised sand scorpions from the pot.

Plating.

He even plated it!

Pieces of bright red scorpion meat were neatly stacked. Finally, Shuo Mao took out a small box from his pocket, took out two emerald green, unidentified leaves, and decorated them on the side.

A dish of braised sand scorpions, perfect in color, aroma, and taste, comparable to the dishes prepared by the royal chef of the daimyo of the Land of Fire, is now complete.

"..."

The silent Shirin Aburame had somehow drifted to the plate.

Around him, countless parasitic worms formed a giant, high-speed spinning arrow, frantically pointing at the braised sand scorpion on the plate.

Below the arrow, there are two large characters made of insects, shimmering with a longing light.

"It's osmium!"

Inuzuka Tsubasa raised an eyebrow, immediately picked up a piece of scorpion meat, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and then his eyes widened instantly, as if he had tasted some heavenly delicacy. He excitedly shouted, "This... what kind of divine taste is this?!"

Sakumo calmly picked up his chopsticks and said lightly, "It's just basic seasoning. It would be even better with Akimichi's secret sauce when we get back to the village."

At that moment, next to Inuzuka Tsubasa's barbecue grill, his ninja dog, Mokuyu, was happily eating the grilled scorpion leg that he had just thrown away.

But the moment she smelled the braised sand scorpion, Mu You stopped what she was doing.

"puff--"

It slowly spat out the roasted scorpion leg from its mouth, then glanced at the scorpion leg that it had just treasured with a mixture of disdain and disgust.

Finally, Muyou walked gracefully to Shuo Mao's feet.

It sat down, tilted its head back, and its dark eyes were filled with a thirst for knowledge and a longing for high-end ingredients.

"..."

Inuzuka Tsubasa felt betrayed by the ninja dogs.

He glared at his ninja dog, then turned his attention back to the plate of braised sand scorpions.

No, I can't just give up like this.

He's the head of the Inuzuka clan, a ninja who reveres boldness and wildness! How could he be conquered by a meticulously crafted dish?

Clinging to his last bit of stubbornness, Inuzuka Tsubasa picked up the decorative green leaf with his chopsticks, trying to find fault with it.

"Sakumo, what are these leaves...? Are they edible?"

Sakumo glanced at it and answered in a tone that explained the experimental procedures.

"Sure. This is a herb I picked from the oasis of the Land of Wind. It has the effect of removing fishy smells and enhancing freshness. It works remarkably well when dealing with ingredients like scorpions, which have an earthy taste. I've tested it, and after the leaves come into contact with the sauce for three minutes, the juice inside reacts gently with the sauce, making the aftertaste even more refreshing."

"..."

Tsubasa Inuzuka was completely speechless.

He felt like he wasn't having dinner with a ninja, but rather attending an academic seminar with Orochimaru, that research fanatic.

He gave up struggling, picked up the second piece of scorpion meat, and stuffed it into his mouth.

This time, I savored it carefully.

The scorpion meat's sweetness explodes on the tongue, unlike any fish or animal meat; it's a pure and domineering umami. The sauce is rich but not greasy, salty with a hint of sweetness, and also carries a touch of spice.

As he chewed, the meat was firm and chewy, and with each bite it felt as if the juices burst in his mouth.

What shocked him most was that, despite being a heavily flavored braised dish, it left a faint, refreshing taste in his throat after eating it, completely eliminating any greasiness.

"tasty……"

Inuzuka Tsubasa murmured unconsciously.

This time, his voice was no longer boisterous; it was filled only with the purest, heartfelt exclamation of being struck by the delicious food.

Shirin Aburame, standing to the side, moved with refined manners, but her speed was by no means slow.

Several parasites flew out silently, precisely snatched up a piece of scorpion meat, and then quickly brought it back to their mouths.

The entire process was fluid and graceful, full of the eerie beauty unique to the Aburame clan.

Shuo Mao ate only a few pieces before putting down his chopsticks.

Instead of participating in the fierce battle, he took out his notebook and began to write something down.

"Ingredients: Adult male golden-tailed sand scorpion."

Cooking method: braising. Heat an iron pot with binchotan charcoal, add oil to 70% of its maximum temperature, first fry then braise.

Seasoning: salt, special sauce...garnished with herbs.

"Diner feedback: Clan Chief Inuzuka was very excited and described the food as divine, indicating high approval. Clan Chief Aburame did not provide direct verbal feedback, but ate extremely quickly, expressing positive emotions through her parasitic insect form. Ninja Inuki Yuu abandoned her original food, showing a strong desire to eat."

"Conclusion: This recipe has high feasibility and promotional value. Disadvantages: It requires extremely high levels of knife skills and temperature control from the chef, making it unsuitable for large-scale production. Areas for improvement: Simplify the process or develop standardized sauce packets for testing by the Akimichi clan."

Inuzuka Tsubasa looked at Sakumo, and this time, his attitude had completely changed.

"Sakumo... my good brother!"

Inuzuka Tsubasa grabbed Sakumo's shoulder with such force that he almost shoved Sakumo into the sand. "You bastard, you've been hiding your skills for too long! Why didn't you show them off sooner?"

Shuo Mao subtly moved his arm away, straightened his vest, and responded calmly.

"These are just necessary skills outside of missions. In the wild, ensuring adequate nutrition is fundamental to maintaining combat effectiveness."

"What a load of rubbish about basics!"

Inuzuka Tsubasa didn't believe it at all. "I'm out in the wild every day, how come all I know how to do is grill meat?"

"With your skill level, why don't you come work as a chef at my house?"