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

Chapter 252 Sand People's Culinary Records - Scorpion Chapter

Inuzuka Tsubasa almost jumped up, waving his large, fan-like hand in the air and letting out a loud cheer.

"oh!"

His ninja dog, Mokuyu, barked excitedly, its tail wagging like a rapidly spinning propeller.

Sakumo Hatake simply looked at him calmly, as if he had not just agreed to a major matter concerning his appetite, but merely approved an ordinary mission report.

"Cough cough."

Sakumo Hatake's voice remained as calm and even as ever, without any ripples.

"We are not doing this to satisfy our appetites."

Inuzuka Tsubasa's smile froze on his face, and he quickly nodded.

"Ah, yes, yes, that's right!"

Quality control.

Sakumo Hatake explained seriously, "Product quality control. We have a responsibility and an obligation to test the taste, flavor, and optimal cooking method of this batch of ingredients for Konoha's dining table. This is a rigorous scientific research task."

His words were almost identical to the reasons Inuzuka Tsubasa had just made up to persuade him, but when spoken by Hatake Sakumo, they carried an undeniable solemnity.

Inuzuka Tsubasa opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Good grief, he just wanted an excuse to have a nice meal, but Sakumo actually took it to the level of scientific research.

Shirin Aburame, standing nearby, silently used parasites to spell out a few words in the sand.

"He's always been like this."

Inuzuka Tsubasa sighed and patted his forehead.

Okay, let's do research then.

As long as there's food, that's fine.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get started!"

Inuzuka Tsubasa was itching to get started and was already walking towards the iron cages filled with sand scorpions, ready to pick out a few of the fattest ones.

"etc."

Sakumo Hatake called him back again.

Under Inuzuka Tsubasa's questioning gaze, this Konoha White Fang, the legendary assassin and current manager of the Konoha Ecological Farm, calmly took something out of his ninja tool pouch.

It's not a kunai, not a shuriken, and not an explosive tag.

That was a scroll.

A wrinkled scroll, its edges worn and curled from being opened so often.

Inuzuka Tsubasa was stunned.

What's going on here? Do we need to sign some kind of spiritual contract to eat a scorpion?

Sakumo Hatake carefully untied the rope from the scroll and slowly unrolled it on the scorching sand.

Inuzuka Tsubasa curiously leaned closer.

Aburame Shirin also floated over silently.

The scroll contained no sealing techniques or profound ninjutsu diagrams, but rather dense text and some rough, simple line drawings.

"The Sand Dwellings' Culinary Records: Scorpion Edition?"

Inuzuka Tsubasa read out the title at the beginning of the scroll word by word, completely dumbfounded.

He rubbed his eyes, thinking he was hallucinating from being in the desert for too long.

"Sakumo...you...you carry a cookbook with you?"

This is even more outrageous than seeing Sakumo use a white dagger to help a sow give birth!

"Intelligence gathering."

Sakumo Hatake's answer was concise. He pointed to a spot on the scroll with his finger, his expression as focused as if he were analyzing a map of an enemy country's defenses.

"These are local cultural materials I collected while on a mission on the border of the Land of Wind. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory. Understanding the food culture of a region helps us to better understand the local people's way of thinking and habits."

Inuzuka Tsubasa listened, completely stunned.

So, you went on a mission and incidentally copied someone else's recipe back with you?

What's this called?

Shirin Aburame's insects began working again, rapidly changing shape on the sand.

"major."

"admire."

"I want to learn."

Inuzuka Tsubasa was utterly speechless. He now seriously suspected that when the Hokage sent Sakumo to be the farm manager, he had foreseen this scene.

"Cough cough."

Inuzuka Tsubasa cleared his throat, steer the conversation back on track, "So... what delicious food is listed here?"

He moved his head even closer.

"Um……"

Sakumo Hatake's fingers moved slowly across the scroll. "There are many ways to cook it. Depending on the texture of the meat in different parts of the scorpion, there are different processing methods."

"For example, this charcoal-grilled scorpion leg is simple and straightforward, and it brings out the caramelized aroma of the scorpion leg meat to the maximum extent."

"This is good! This is good!"

Inuzuka Tsubasa got excited as soon as he heard this. This was exactly the kind of barbecue he wanted! Simple! Raw! Satisfying!

"And this, deep-fried scorpion. The juices are instantly locked in with hot oil, resulting in a crispy exterior and tender interior. It's a very popular cooking method."

Inuzuka Tsubasa's mouth was practically watering; he could almost picture the crunchy texture of the golden, crispy scorpion in his mouth.

"There's also braised sand scorpions, scorpion soup with vegetables..."

Sakumo Hatake, like a conscientious researcher, introduced each point one by one.

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Inuzuka Tsubasa quickly interrupted him, "Stop reading it, stop reading it! It's that one, charcoal grilling! Let's make charcoal grilling!"

"No way." Sakumo Hatake rejected the idea without even thinking.

"Why?!"

"It's too rough."

Sakumo Hatake shook his head, a hint of regret on his face for the ingredients not being valued. "The temperature of charcoal fire is difficult to control precisely, which can easily damage the delicate fibrous structure inside the scorpion meat, resulting in a loss of flavor."

He paused, then uttered a sentence in an almost reverent tone that left Inuzuka Tsubasa bewildered.

"High-end ingredients often require only the simplest cooking methods."

Inuzuka Tsubasa was completely stunned.

He seemed to have seen this phrase on the promotional flyer for the high-class restaurant that the Hokage had just opened.

Is it really okay for an assassin ninja to be thinking about this all the time?

"Then tell me how to do it?" Inuzuka Tsubasa asked irritably.

Sakumo Hatake's finger touched the simplest dish picture on the scroll.

"Braised in soy sauce".

"ha?!"

Inuzuka Tsubasa's voice rose another eight octaves, "Braised? This thing can be braised? How can it taste good?!"

You're wrong.

Sakumo Hatake patiently explained, "Braising is the best way to bring out the original flavor of the ingredients. This batch of sand scorpions is of extremely high quality, with sweet and tender meat. We only need a little seasoning to bring out its natural umami flavor, and that will be enough."

As Inuzuka Tsubasa listened to this theory, he felt his head buzzing.

Just as the two were arguing, Shirin Aburame, who had been silent all along, once again expressed his opinion using his parasitic insect.

This time, the swarm of insects formed three large characters on the sand in a magnificent display.

"I want them all!"

Inuzuka Tsubasa and Hatake Sakumo both fell silent.

The two exchanged a glance.

Shirin Aburame's words were like a thunderclap, cleaving through the fog in their minds.