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"You mean everything in the manga is real?" Tsunade's gaze drifted back to the manuscript, landing on the plate of Mapo Tofu glistening with vibrant red oil. She could practically smell the aroma rising off the page. She licked her lips. "Mapo Tofu? No wonder the name sounded so strange—I've never heard of it. So you actually created this dish yourself?"
"Yes, Tsunade-sensei." Shinichi smiled faintly. "Mapo Tofu is a new recipe I developed after experimenting with different flavor philosophies."
How devastatingly effective was Mapo Tofu against the people of the Island Nation in his previous life?
Put it this way: this Sichuan classic had reached phenomenon-level popularity. It had practically become synonymous with " cuisine" itself. Its status in the Island Nation was unshakable, and its fanbase was enormous.
Countless TV variety shows, food columns, and street interviews featured people openly admitting their obsession.
One show host once confessed on air, "I eat Mapo Tofu at least four times a week. When I'm not eating it, I'm thinking about when I can have it next." The entire studio and audience immediately erupted in strong agreement.
Its numbing-spicy-fresh-hot, tender-crisp-vibrant mouthfeel perfectly matched the nation's craving for bold, rice-devouring, addictive flavors with real impact.
And now, in this ninja world with its Japanese-style cultural foundation, the soil for this dish was just as fertile. Shinichi could already predict the storm it would unleash once it debuted through his manga and real-life promotions.
The timing was perfect too. He had just won the national cooking championship in front of the entire country and received the Master Chef certification personally awarded by the Daimyo. His culinary reputation and talent had received the highest official endorsement. Striking while the iron was hot was only natural.
Releasing Restaurant—a manga starring a protagonist with his own name and equally monstrous talent—and featuring Mapo Tofu right in the opening chapter as a guaranteed blockbuster dish would push both attention to the extreme.
And this was only the beginning. Shinichi's blueprint went far beyond one dish.
After Mapo Tofu came crowd-pleasers like Mala Hot Pot, which had exploded across the Island Nation's streets in his previous life.
There were also Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Twice-Cooked Pork, Peking Duck, Xiaolongbao, and countless other iconic dishes with their own unique charms.
Although he wasn't a professional chef in his previous life and his tastes leaned toward the numbing-spicy-sour profile popular in the southwest region, short videos had been everywhere back then. His small hobby had been watching cooking channels and food vlogs. With his current skills plus the [Gastronome] trait's boost, recreating them shouldn't be difficult.
All these dishes—crystallizations of generations of wisdom from another world—would be transported to this ninja world through the serialization of Restaurant, presented as creations by "Shinichi, heir of the Grand Cathay."
When these flavors conquered the taste buds of the Five Great Nations and the entire shinobi world, one dish after another, the recognition he would accumulate wouldn't be limited to culinary fame. It would be a massive, deeply ingrained influence that reached into everyday life and culture.
By then, he would be the undisputed culinary legend, the grandmaster who founded an entirely new school of cuisine, the taste magician who left countless people spellbound.
Even calling him "the greatest chef in history" would feel inadequate. Perhaps only the title "Food God" could properly describe the ultimate throne at the pinnacle of gastronomy.
And the vast, profound recognition brought by the name "Food God"... just how powerful would the feedback and elevation be for his [Gastronome] trait?
More importantly, this widespread, deeply rooted goodwill and fame would act like a lighthouse, continuously drawing the world's attention to his other achievements—swordsmanship, Fire Release, physical strength, intellect... creating a virtuous cycle of recognition that would nourish and upgrade all his other traits.
This was a cross-dimensional exercise in perception management. A foundational play in soft power, using culture and taste as the vehicle. Cooking would become his second solid, unique pillar in this world, standing alongside his ninja power. It might even directly reshape the culinary culture of the entire shinobi world.
If successful, the breadth and depth of recognition it could generate would be beyond imagination.
"Brat, then hurry up and make the real Mapo Tofu so your teacher can taste it!" Tsunade had no idea about Shinichi's far-reaching calculations. She was completely hooked by the manga's exaggerated, mouth-watering depiction of the dish and the judges' near-mad expressions of bliss.
Once she confirmed that this was a new recipe the boy in front of her had actually created, her curiosity and impatience instantly overrode everything else.
On the side, Shizune and Kurenai's gazes also locked onto him. They didn't speak, but their eyes were filled with the same hunger and anticipation.
Shinichi spread his hands helplessly and smiled. "Tsunade-sensei, even if I wanted to make it right now, we're in the middle of nowhere. We don't have tofu, the specific sauces, fresh minced meat, or garlic sprouts. We're missing everything."
"Then we'll buy them in the next town!" Tsunade waved her hand as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "I want to personally taste this Mapo Tofu you drew like it's some kind of divine dish and see if it's really that good!"
.....
One day later.
Tsunade sat down first, not standing on ceremony as she picked up a spoon and scooped a generous portion. The tofu trembled on the spoon, glistening with bright red oil and speckled with minced meat and Sichuan peppercorns.
She blew on it gently and took a bite.
The next second—
"Mmm!"
Tsunade's eyes flew wide open as if struck by lightning. Her movements froze for a split second, then her chewing sped up noticeably.
"Ah!" A moment later, Tsunade let out a long breath carrying the numbing-spicy aroma. Her face flushed red from the heat, but her eyes were sparkling. "You little brat! This flavor is incredible!"
Without another word, she scooped another big spoonful, this time mixing it thoroughly with the perfectly steamed white rice beside it. The red-and-white combination was fragrant and harmonious. She ate with unrestrained delight, completely abandoning any sense of decorum.
Seeing this, Shizune and Kurenai couldn't hold back any longer and dove in as well.
"Ah! So spicy! But... it's too delicious! I can't stop!"
Shizune was fanning her mouth from the heat, tears forming in her eyes, but her spoon kept moving toward the magnetic red tofu as if it had a mind of its own.
Kurenai ate more elegantly, but her beautiful red eyes were wide, each bite taken with careful appreciation and growing delight.
For a while, the small courtyard was filled only with the soft clinking of spoons against bowls and the occasional satisfied sighs or sharp intakes of breath from the spice. The large basin of Mapo Tofu was disappearing at a visible rate.
Watching the scene, Shinichi felt a quiet sense of satisfaction.
The magic of Mapo Tofu had once again proven its undisputed dominance in this world, where the cultural soil was so similar.
However, serializing a manga was ultimately a laborious task.
Plotting the story, designing panels, repeatedly revising drafts, and maintaining a consistent update schedule... it demanded an enormous amount of time and energy.
For his main body, who needed to focus on ninja training, developing Fire Release Nintaijutsu, and preparing for an increasingly tense situation, this was undoubtedly a significant burden.
Shinichi sighed softly in his heart.
Ah, well.
Time to make the Shadow Clones suffer.
I'll take the blame.
---