Chapter 19: Gourmet Food Leads the Way, Base Renovation
Rather than a base, this place was more like a temporary camp built with rough logs and earthen walls.
The air was filled with a lingering sense of tension, mixed with the smells of sweat, mud, and medicinal herbs.
Ninjas came and went in a hurry, their faces etched with wariness and exhaustion.
The team leader, Shirakumo Hayama, led them to the headquarters to report.
Haruko followed at the back of the group, looking around with boredom.
The so-called barracks were just rows of low earth houses. The ground was muddy, and the smell wafting from the kitchen area was enough to kill anyone's appetite.
'Even though I never had high hopes for Konoha's logistics, this is just too much..."
Just as Haruko was pondering how to make life in this hellhole more comfortable, a familiar figure caught his eye from the corner of his vision.
Slightly curly black hair, black eyes, and a signature bulbous nose. He was standing on the watchtower, gazing solemnly into the distance.
" Uchiha Shisui? Shouldn't he be at the Uchiha compound?"
Before Haruko could figure it out, Shirakumo Hayama, who had gone to report, returned with a burly, full-bearded man following behind him.
The man's eyes were sharp as he scanned the new arrivals, finally settling on Haruko and Inuzuka Hana, his brow furrowing instantly.
"Hayama, these are the reinforcements you mentioned? Why are there two brats?"
His voice was booming, carrying an unquestionable authority.
Judging by his aura, Haruko figured this must be the base commander, Yui Iwashiro.
He had heard that Iwashiro's family died at the hands of the Hidden Mist a few years ago, and he had personally applied to come to this post.
"The girl is Inuzuka Hana. As you can see, she's from the Inuzuka clan and excels at reconnaissance and tracking," Shirakumo Hayama explained with a serious expression. "The boy is Haruko. Although he's young, his performance on the road..."
He briefly recounted how Haruko used lifestyle Ninjutsu to improve the team's traveling conditions, placing special emphasis on his incredible Chakra control.
"Lifestyle Ninjutsu?" Yui Iwashiro's frown deepened, his face practically screaming 'Are you kidding me?". "This is the front line, not a camping trip!"
'A superior questioning my abilities—classic. Is the face-slapping "it's actually good" moment next?"
Haruko felt no ripple in his heart; he even felt like laughing a little.
Just then, a gentle voice came from the side.
"Senior Iwasho." Shisui had come down from the watchtower at some point and walked over to the group.
His gaze fell on Haruko with a hint of curiosity and scrutiny. "Why not let him help out in the logistics department first? He might play an unexpected role."
Iwasho waved his hand impatiently. "He doesn't look like he's fit for patrols anyway... Kid, go report to logistics! Don't cause any trouble for me!"
"Yes, sir!" Haruko immediately stood at attention and saluted, his voice loud and his attitude perfectly upright.
Inside, he was already blooming with joy.
Not letting me go to the front lines? That's great! These are the commander-in-chief's golden words. I can slack off legitimately now—it's practically a blessing from heaven!
...
When Haruko excitedly ran to report to logistics, he realized he had celebrated too early.
The environment here was even worse than he had imagined.
The so-called kitchen was just an open-air earthen stove. A large pot was boiling stew, which looked like ingredients had simply been chopped up and thrown in together.
The living conditions were also miserable; wind leaked in from everywhere, and the floor was covered in trash.
The Ninja in charge of meals looked numb, clearly having lost his temper with these conditions long ago.
'Can people even live like this? Even a saint would lose their cool!"
He wasn't doing it for others; he simply couldn't stand this kind of suffering himself.
"Um... Big brother, I'm new here. My name is Haruko." Haruko approached him proactively.
The middle-aged logistics Ninja looked up listlessly. "Oh, a newcomer. There are potatoes over there; go peel them."
Haruko didn't move, but pointed at the large pot instead. "Big brother, does our base eat this every day?"
"What else? Eat this or just gnaw on dry rations?" The middle-aged Ninja sighed.
Haruko curled his lip and formed hand seals.
As he spoke, under the other man's bewildered gaze, Haruko finished the seals.
"Earth Release: Rock Tool!"
Modeled after an automatic potato washer and peeler from his previous life, a stone trough with rough rock rods on the sides rose from the ground.
The Chunin raised an eyebrow, stopping his work to watch Haruko's performance with interest.
"Heave-ho!" Haruko dumped a basket of potatoes directly into it.
"Water Release: Shower!"
Water fell continuously like raindrops, while the peeling machine also began to operate.
Buzz, buzz, buzz—
In just five minutes, a basket of potatoes was peeled and washed clean.
The middle-aged Ninja was completely dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open without a word.
This basket held dozens of pounds of potatoes; it would have taken him an hour with a peeling knife.
But this kid just clapped his hands, used some Ninjutsu, and finished it in minutes.
Haruko clapped his hands, looking at his masterpiece with satisfaction, then turned around with a kind smile.
"Big brother, can you let me take over the kitchen?"
...
That evening, an aroma that had never appeared in the base before wafted out from the kitchen.
The Ninjas returning from patrol stopped in their tracks simultaneously and sniffed hard.
"Holy crap, what are we eating tonight? It smells so good!"
"It seems like... the scent of meat? And stir-fry?"
Everyone quickened their pace and rushed into the canteen. Then, they saw a scene they would never forget.
In the canteen, there were no longer the eternal stews and dry rations.
In their place were three large basins of steaming dishes—stewed meat with potatoes, stir-fried wild vegetables, and mushroom soup!
Although the ingredients were simple, they were processed with Haruko's exquisite cooking skills aided by lifestyle Ninjutsu, making them perfect in color, aroma, and taste.
Many Ninjas even pinched themselves hard, wondering if they had fallen under a Genjutsu.
"You... you're joking, right? Our base can actually eat this?"
"Did that uncle who only knows how to make stew undergo a personality change?"
"How is that possible? It must be the newcomer who arrived today. I think his name is Haruko?"
For a moment, everyone's eyes were focused on the boy in the kitchen wearing an apron and keeping busy.
This single meal directly conquered the stomachs of all the Ninjas in the base.
However, this was only the beginning.
In the days that followed, Haruko completely turned the base into his personal showground.
The barracks were renovated with Earth Release, and the ground was swept clean every day with Wind and Water Release.
Haruko even had the leisure to use Earth Release to craft a storage locker for everyone.
Besides that...
"The bathhouse is finished! From now on, hot water will be available every night from 7 PM to 9 PM!"
When the Ninjas returning from patrol took their first steaming hot bath, tears of emotion almost fell from their eyes.
God knows what a luxury a hot bath was in this damp borderland!
With the improvement of the living environment, the tense and murderous atmosphere of the entire base was forcibly shifted by him alone into a relaxed vacation vibe.
Iwasho stood on the watchtower, his mouth twitching as he looked at the harmonious scene below.
"This kid... just messing around with useless things." His gaze swept over his subordinates, who looked much more spirited after eating hot meals and bathing. "...But, morale is unusually high."
Shisui smiled from the side. "Perhaps this is the kind of strength needed more in war. Being able to make comrades feel a sliver of warmth and hope in such a cruel environment."
Haruko was also very satisfied. Since he didn't have to go on patrol, he would lie on a rocking chair he made with Earth Release after finishing his work, leisurely soaking up the sun.
This was the slacker life he wanted.
'It would be great if I could just stay safe and sound until the shift change. But..."
Haruko looked up slightly at Shisui on the watchtower.
"We'll probably face the Hidden Mist led by Ao soon... I hope nothing unexpected happens."