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

Chapter 621 108 Ways to Eat Barbecue

"Pie in the sky?"

Hozuki Shio, who was idly picking at her fingers, suddenly felt a surge of anger ignite in her beautiful purple eyes the moment she heard the word.

This anger came so suddenly, so purely, that it was a hundred times more intense than when he was insulted at the dock.

For her, you can question her brother's political ideals, you can laugh at her for being a brainless war maniac, but you absolutely, absolutely cannot question the authenticity of the future meals!

This crossed her bottom line as a top-tier freeloader!

"You bone-gnawing idiot, do you even know what good food is?"

Hozuki Shio raised her eyebrows, put her hands on her hips, and stood out aggressively, completely ignoring Hozuki Kaigetsu's attempt to grab her hand.

Kaguya Honebami was taken aback by this sudden question.

Yagura and Mei Terumi also looked surprised.

Only Hiruzen Sarutobi's gentle smile held a hint of knowing amusement.

"Open your eyes and look at me clearly!"

Hozuki Shio, puffing out her cheeks, began rummaging through her Konoha vest, which was clearly a size too big and which she used as a snack warehouse.

Amidst the bewildered, wary, and even expectant gazes of the Kirigakure high-ranking officials, who feared she was about to pull out some deadly ninja tool, she slammed a small, square package carefully wrapped in oil paper onto the heavy negotiating table.

The sound was crisp yet abrupt.

"What is this?"

Kaguya Honebami asked instinctively.

Hozuki Shio snorted and carefully peeled off the oil paper, revealing a small, vacuum-sealed transparent bag inside.

Inside the bag lay a dark brown meatball with some fleshy texture on its surface...?

"Watch closely!"

Hozuki Shio, as if displaying some priceless treasure, pinched the small bag between two fingers and loudly announced to Kaguya Honebami, word by word:

"Konoha's latest product! Soldier Rations Plus! Beef Flavor! High Calcium Version!"

Soldier's rations?

The Hidden Mist ninja present, with the exception of a few, all wore expressions of indifference.

Who hasn't eaten military uniform rations?

That dry, tasteless stuff, purely for filling your stomach.

Kaguya Honebami's mockery deepened: "Ha! I thought it was something extraordinary, but it's just a slightly higher-grade piece of dried rations? Hozuki Shio, are you insulting my intelligence? Giving me something like this..."

Before he could finish speaking, Hozuki Shio impatiently ripped the packaging bag open with a ripping sound.

A rich, domineering, and pure meaty aroma exploded like an invisible bomb in the dull and oppressive Shuiying office!

That's not the fishy saltiness of sea fish, nor the staleness of dried food, but a rich, meaty aroma belonging to the land's overlord—beef—that has been carefully cooked and perfectly locked in using a special process!

"Gurgle..."

A faint sound of swallowing saliva rang out in the quiet office, sounding exceptionally clear.

Immediately afterwards, a series of gurgling sounds, like firecrackers being lit, filled the stomachs of Kaguya Honebami's followers.

The Hidden Mist ninja present lived on the island year-round, and their meals consisted mostly of fish, with perhaps a little dried seaweed at most.

When had they ever smelled such a direct and unrestrained aroma of meat?

Several people even closed their eyes uncontrollably, their faces showing an almost intoxicated expression, as if just smelling this aroma had already transported their souls to the vast, lush grasslands.

Even the usually mature and composed Yagura Karatachi couldn't help but let his Adam's apple bob up and down involuntarily.

Mei Terumi instinctively covered her mouth with her hand, her emerald green eyes filled with shock.

This taste... it's just too much!

Kaguya Honebami's expression instantly turned extremely ugly.

He could use his bone veins to block thousands of troops, but he couldn't stop the fragrance that pierced his nostrils and struck his soul.

He can make his men fight to the death for him, but he can't control their unruly stomachs and salivary glands.

Hozuki Shio proudly raised her chin, pinched the incredibly delicious-looking soldier's ration pill, and began her impromptu speech as a seasoned foodie.

"See this? Just one pill will keep you energized all day! And that's not all!"

Her voice rose, carrying a missionary-like fervor.

"It's not like those tasteless, broken dumplings from your village! It's chewy! When you bite into it, you can even feel the locked-in meat juices inside! Most importantly, it comes in various flavors!"

Hozuki Shio counted them off on her fingers as if they were her most treasured possessions.

"Barbecue flavor! Soy sauce flavor! Spicy flavor! There's even a wasabi flavor specially approved by the Hokage and produced in Orochimaru's laboratory! It's invigorating and will keep you sharp before going into battle, guaranteeing you'll be more energetic than anyone else!"

"Following the Hokage! Even your battle rations are more lavish than the meals others eat normally! Do you still think this is just empty promises?!"

Kaguya Honebami's face had turned from white to green, and then from green to black.

He wanted to refute, but found that he couldn't find any words at all.

Because the people behind him, who were once loyal and regarded him as a god, now look at him differently.

It was a look that mixed longing, confusion, and a hint of disdain.

It was as if they were silently questioning: Boss, if we follow you, will we be able to eat this every day from now on?

Before everyone could recover from the olfactory shock of the soldier's rations, Hozuki Shio's performance continued.

As if she felt the fire wasn't burning bright enough, she groped around in the huge gourd behind her, which had originally been used to hold water but was now stuffed full, and pulled out a... book?

A small booklet with slightly curled edges and suspicious oil stains on the cover.

"Bang!"

She slammed the booklet heavily onto the table, right next to the magnificent "Three-Year Revitalization and Development Plan for Misty Village" drawing.

On the cover, several large, flowing characters written with a brush exude a lively, down-to-earth atmosphere that seems out of place in an office setting.

108 Ways to Eat Barbecue (Akimichi Clan Exclusive Edition)!

With one hand on her hip and the other hand's fingers slamming into the barbecue bible, Hozuki Shio delivered her final declaration of loyalty to Kaguya Honebami, who was already petrified.

"See this! This is life in Konoha! This is the daily life in the new world my brother drew for you!"

"Following the Hokage, we get to eat meat every meal, and a different dish every day! Besides barbecue, there's hot pot, sukiyaki, tempura, fried chicken, and pork cutlet rice!"

"What good are you bunch of idiots who only know how to fight and kill, whose brains are nothing but bones and blood?"

Hozuki Shio suddenly waved her hand, pointing to the gray, salty sea outside the window.

"We're stuck eating the same old, tough, fishy dried fish every day! Even if we wanted a change, we had to rely on the weather!"

"Now!"

She took a deep breath, looked around the room, and her purple eyes shone with an unprecedented light.

"You choose for yourselves!"