At this moment, an attendant with a calm temperament quietly approached the judges' bench and bowed slightly.
"Honorable judges, His Highness the Daimyo has tasted the masterpieces presented by everyone. His Highness has specifically instructed me to pass on a message: he is exceedingly fond of that bowl of whale wave condensed jade. His Highness remarked that its freshness and its innovative Concept possess a beauty that breaks all conventions."
The judges' bench fell silent instantly, and the expressions of the judges became exceptionally colorful.
They exchanged glances, and after only two or three seconds of silence, the president of the Culinary Association—who was also the chairman of this judging panel—cleared his throat, his face quickly piling up with a smile of realization and approval.
"His Highness the Daimyo truly has a Wisdom Eye as sharp as a torch and extraordinary taste! To be honest, as we were evaluating it just now, we also felt that this whale wave condensed jade was uniquely ingenious and stood out from the crowd! Furthermore, it has injected an indescribable, vivid vitality into traditional umami flavors; it can be called the double Peak of taste and Concept!"
"Our in-depth discussion just now led us to feel that this dish taking the top prize is truly well-deserved, as it best embodies the spirit of our Land of Fire's gastronomy—embracing all rivers and constantly innovating!"
He spoke these words fluently and naturally, without changing his expression, as if the previous controversy had never existed. The other surrounding judges immediately reacted and nodded in agreement one after another.
"The President is absolutely right!"
"His Highness's insight coincides perfectly with ours!"
"This dish is a well-deserved champion!"
The speed at which the wind shifted was eye-catching, and soon, the judging panel unanimously passed the resolution.
When the competition's master of ceremonies finally announced loudly: "The winner of this year's Land of Fire Number One Gourmet Competition is—Konohagakure, Higashino Shinichi! The work: whale wave condensed jade!"
After a brief moment of shock, the entire venue erupted into warm applause and clamor.
No way? Kid, you actually won the championship?
In the audience, Tsunade looked at her student who had been announced as the winner, her eyes widening once again.
Beside her, Shizune and Kurenai Yuhi also opened their mouths slightly in surprise.
Kurenai Yuhi was the first to recover from her surprise, a smile appearing on her face as she said, "Shinichi... he truly is a Genius. Even with cooking, he can reach this level."
Tsunade came back to her senses and snorted, "This brat, he actually hid it so well... from now on, I'll have to make him cook more often to properly show filial respect to his teacher."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Shizune immediately nodded in agreement.
On the field, Shinichi's expression remained calm.
His own culinary foundation was already solid, and with the [Big Eater] Entry bringing a detailed perception and instinctive intuition for food taste, texture, heat, and all other aspects, he was able to create dishes far exceeding ordinary standards.
However, it still exceeded his expectations that these judges, who clearly leaned toward tradition and industry rules, could ultimately break their prejudices and award the championship to him, a Ninja.
His original expectation was to break into the top three based on the quality of his cooking and gain enough recognition and attention.
The championship was a pleasant surprise.
At this moment, the host's sonorous voice rang out again: "Next, we invite the noble Daimyo of the Land of Fire to present the awards to the winner of this competition and all the awardees!"
Under everyone's gaze and escort, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire walked slowly to the front of the stage with a warm smile, presenting medals and certificates to the winners one by one.
When it was Shinichi's turn, the Daimyo personally handed the magnificent certificate symbolizing "Special Grade Chef of the Land of Fire" into his hands. His gaze lingered on Shinichi's face for a moment, his smile deepening as he said gently:
"Young man, your cooking is very excellent and impressive." He paused, his tone regretful. "It's a pity that Lord Hokage values you so highly; otherwise, even if you are a Konoha Ninja, I might not be able to resist asking Lord Hokage to part with you and invite you to be my Royal Chef."
Shinichi took the certificate with both hands and bowed slightly. "Thank you for Your Highness's kind regard. A Ninja also serves to protect the Land of Fire, serving Your Highness and the thousands of citizens. No matter where I am or in what way I contribute my strength, it is all my duty."
That's what he said, but when he saw this supreme ruler of the Land of Fire, the first thought in his mind was—when he becomes the Hokage, the first thing he'll do is control all the military forces in the world!
He would bring local forces like the Fire Temple and the Tsuchigumo, as well as local Ninja clans and even regional guards, under his control, becoming the supreme military commander in an absolute sense.
Hearing this, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, unaware of the youth's ambition, smiled and said no more on the matter. He patted his shoulder and turned to the next winner.
The award ceremony ended in a lively atmosphere. The Daimyo and a group of high-ranking officials and nobles were the first to leave, and the competition venue gradually transitioned from the formal schedule to a more free exchange and celebration phase.
"Shinichi-kun! Please stay for a moment!"
The host enthusiastically called out to Shinichi, who was about to exit with the crowd, and led him back to the center of the field.
The host brought the microphone close and asked with a face full of smiles: "Shinichi-kun, we all know now that besides possessing this amazing culinary skill, you are also a high-profile Genius Ninja of our Land of Fire's Konohagakure. We are very curious, how did you combine these two seemingly completely different things? And what prompted you to choose such a path outside of Ninja training and ultimately stand here?"
Everyone's eyes were focused on Shinichi.
Shinichi took the microphone, pondered for a moment, and then spoke:
"Thank you for the host's question. Regarding Ninjas and chefs, in my view, perhaps they are not so completely different."
"Becoming an excellent culinary artist is also a dream deep in my heart. Food is not just energy to sustain life; it also carries memories, warmth, culture, and hope. A meal made with heart can soothe a weary body and mind, can consolidate the feelings of family and companions, and can even make people feel the beauty of life and the reasons worth fighting for in their most difficult moments."
"As a Konoha Ninja, my duty is to protect the Village and the peace and tranquility of the Land of Fire. And this protection does not just lie in repelling foreign enemies and completing missions. I hope my protection can be more specific, closer to everyone's life."
"Through these hands, I can fight and protect everyone from threats. Similarly, I also hope that through these hands, I can create more delicious food, so that the children of the Land of Fire can grow up healthily, and so that every family can have more happy smiles when sitting around the dinner table."
"This is perhaps another form of protection I can provide as a Konoha Ninja and a citizen of the Land of Fire."
"Whether wielding a blade as a Ninja or holding a knife as a chef, the ultimate goal is to hope that this land we live in can become better, and that the people living in it can feel more happiness and peace of mind."
"This is my answer, and it is also the direction I will continue to work toward in the future."
As his voice fell, a moment of silence occurred at the scene, followed by spontaneous applause that was even more enthusiastic and even carried some emotion than before.
These words were simple and unadorned, yet they cleverly linked personal pursuit with Ninja duties and national sentiment, appearing exceptionally sincere and moving.
Especially since the Ninja chef in front of them naturally radiated a comfortable and convincing temperament, making people unconsciously feel good about him.
The gaze of many audience members toward Shinichi had shifted from simple appreciation for the champion to a bit more recognition and respect.
In the audience, Tsunade gave a soft 'tsk' and said to the two girls beside her: "Listen to that, this brat's pretty words are getting better and better."
Shizune and Kurenai Yuhi looked at their companion in the center of the field, who was bathed in applause and gazes yet remained calm and composed, their eyes also flashing with admiration.
Meanwhile, on the field, after finishing his emotional speech and returning the microphone to the host, Shinichi maintained a modest and appropriate smile on the surface, acknowledging his surroundings.
But in the depths of his consciousness, a throb far more real than the cheers of the competition was occurring.
The writing representing the [Big Eater (Green)] Entry was teetering, and in the next moment, it shattered with a bang.
A pure and profound azure light suddenly burst forth, like butterfly wings emerging from a cocoon.
[Gourmet (Blue): Your perception of food no longer stops at the pleasure of the taste buds and the replenishment of energy, but has gone deep into the microscopic realm of the interaction between matter and life. You can almost instinctively insight the subtle biochemical reactions produced by the combination of different ingredient molecules, predict the evolution of their flavor layers, and more accurately grasp the nourishment and influence they produce on muscles, meridians, organs, spirit, and even Chakra after entering the human body.]