"Are you saying the dishes in there are all real?" Tsunade's gaze fell back onto the manuscript, specifically on the plate of mapo tofu that looked so oily, red, and shiny she could almost smell it. Licking her lips, she asked, "mapo tofu? No wonder I thought the name was so strange; I've never heard of it. Is it a new dish you created yourself?"
"Yes, Tsunade-sensei." Shinichi gave a slight smile. "mapo tofu is indeed a 'new' dish I 'created' after trying to fuse different flavor philosophies."
Just how lethal was mapo tofu to people in his previous life?
Put it this way: as a dish originating from China, mapo tofu's popularity was phenomenal. It almost became synonymous with 'Chinese Cuisine.' Its status was rock-solid and its audience was incredibly broad.
In countless TV variety shows, food columns, and street interviews, one could see people's undisguised love for it.
A variety show personality once admitted on air, "I eat mapo tofu at least four times a week. When I'm not eating it, I'm thinking about when my next serving will be."
This immediately triggered strong resonance from the guests and the audience present.
Its complex profile—numbing, spicy, fresh, fragrant, hot, tender, crispy, and smooth—perfectly matched that nation's pursuit of a rich, rice-complementing, high-impact, and addictive taste experience.
And now, in this Ninja World which shared a similar foundation in its Japanese-style food culture, the soil was equally fertile. Shinichi could almost foresee the storm this dish would cause when it was released alongside his manga and actual promotion.
The timing was also perfect. He had just won the championship at the highly anticipated National Gourmet Competition and received a Special Grade Chef certification personally awarded by the Daimyo. With his personal reputation and culinary talent receiving the highest level of official certification, it was time to strike while the iron was hot.
Launching the manga "chuuka ichiban" under his own name, featuring a protagonist who was also gifted, and revealing the ultimate weapon that was mapo tofu in the opening chapter would undoubtedly push public attention and buzz to the extreme.
And this was only the beginning; the blueprint Shinichi had planned went far beyond this.
After mapo tofu, there were other trump cards like "Malatang," which had swept through the streets of his previous world at explosive speeds.
There were even more charming Chinese dishes like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Twice-Cooked Pork, Peking Duck, Soup Dumplings, and countless others.
Although he wasn't a professional chef in his previous life and was from the Southwest—meaning his cooking leaned toward the numbing, spicy, sour, and fragrant flavors favored there—
Short-form videos were highly developed back then, and one of his small hobbies was watching creators cook and visit restaurants. With his current culinary skills plus the bonus from the [Gourmet] Entry, recreating them shouldn't be difficult.
All these Chinese dishes would be transported to this Ninja World through the serialization of the manga "chuuka ichiban," under the name of the "Chuka Rou Successor, Shinichi."
When these delicacies—which condensed the blood, sweat, and wisdom of countless generations from another world—conquered the taste buds of this world one by one and became popular across the Five Great Nations and the entire Ninja World, what he accumulated would not just be a reputation for cooking. It would be a massive influence that crossed cultures and seeped into daily life.
By then, he would become a recognized culinary legend, a Great Grandmaster who founded a brand-new school of Gourmet food, and a flavor magician who captivated countless people.
Describing him as the "Greatest Chef in History" would seem inadequate. Perhaps only the title "God of Cookery" would be enough to summarize that ultimate position at the pinnacle of Gourmet food.
And what kind of majestic feedback and enhancement would the vast and deep recognition brought by the name "God of Cookery" produce for his [Gourmet] Entry?
More importantly, this widespread and deep goodwill and reputation would act like a lighthouse, continuously attracting the world's attention to his other achievements—swordsmanship, Fire Release, physical strength, wisdom... forming a virtuous cycle of recognition. This would allow his other talent Entries to receive a steady stream of nourishment from recognition and opportunities for upgrades.
This was a cross-dimensional management of recognition, a foundation of soft power built on culture and taste. Cooking would become another solid and unique pillar for him in this world alongside his Ninja power, potentially even directly changing the dietary culture of this world.
Once successful, the breadth and depth of recognition it could bring would be unimaginable!
"Brat, then hurry up and make that mapo tofu so your teacher can try it!" Tsunade didn't know about Shinichi's deep-seated calculations; she was simply completely enticed by the exaggeratedly tempting depiction of mapo tofu in the manga and the near-frenzied expressions of enjoyment on the judges' faces.
Once it was confirmed that this was a new recipe cooked up by this kid, her curiosity and impatience instantly overrode all other thoughts.
On the other side, Shizune and Kurenai Yuhi also turned their gazes toward him. Although they didn't speak, their eyes were filled with the same longing and expectation.
Shinichi spread his hands and gave a helpless smile. "Tsunade-sensei, even if I wanted to make it now, we're in the middle of nowhere. There are no suitable ingredients—no tofu, no specific sauces, no fresh minced meat or garlic sprouts. We have nothing."
"Then we'll buy them at the next town!" Tsunade waved her hand as if it wasn't a problem at all. "I want to taste for myself if this mapo tofu you've drawn so miraculously is actually that good!"
...One day later.
Tsunade was the first to sit down. Without standing on ceremony, she picked up a spoon and took a large scoop. The tofu trembled on the spoon, coated in shimmering red oil, fine minced meat, and Sichuan peppercorns.
She blew on it and put it into her mouth.
The next second!
"Mmm!"
Tsunade's eyes suddenly widened as if a bolt of electricity had flashed through them. Her movements froze for a moment, and then, her chewing speed noticeably accelerated.
"Hah!" A moment later, Tsunade finally let out a long breath filled with the aroma of spice. Her face was flushed with a light red from the heat, but her eyes were incredibly bright. "Good kid! This taste is incredible!"
Without another word, she took another large scoop, this time mixing it directly with the bowl of fluffy white rice prepared on the side. Red and white mingled, aromas blended, and she ate heartily, completely disregarding her image.
Seeing this, Shizune and Kurenai Yuhi also couldn't wait to start.
"Ah! So spicy! But... it's so delicious! I can't stop!"
Shizune was so spicy she was gasping for air, her small hand fanning her mouth. Tears were almost coming out, yet her spoon seemed to have a will of its own, constantly reaching for that bowl of magical red tofu.
Kurenai Yuhi ate more demurely, but her beautiful red eyes were also wide and round. Every chew was filled with careful appreciation and increasingly obvious surprise.
For a while, the only sounds in the small courtyard were the light clinking of spoons against dishes, along with the occasional satisfied sighs and sharp intakes of breath from the spiciness. The large bowl of mapo tofu was disappearing at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Shinichi watched this scene, understanding it well.
The magic of mapo tofu had shown its unquestionable dominance upon its first appearance in this Ninja World, which possessed a similar culinary soil.
However, serializing a manga was, after all, a grueling task.
Conceiving the plot, designing the panels, repeatedly revising sketches, maintaining the update frequency... this required a massive investment of time and energy.
For the original Shinichi, who needed to focus on Ninja training, Fire Release Ninja Body Technique research, and dealing with an increasingly tense situation, this was undoubtedly a significant burden.
Shinichi sighed softly in his heart.
Ah, well.
Let the Shadow Clones suffer a bit.
I'll bear the infamy.