Ever since that "life-saving grace," the thread between Kushina and Ryo had become tangled in a way neither could cut loose.
To Kushina, Ryo was no longer fierce, but a peculiar guy whose words never matched his heart.
He let her steal food off his plate, tolerated her endless questions after class, and didn't even chase her away when she dragged along her unreasonable older sister, Tsunade.
And perhaps out of guilt for the chaos she had caused the previous night, Tsunade secretly dropped off bags of rice and bundles of ingredients at Ryo's place, hiding it from Kushina. Whether they truly came from her, or if Mito supplied them and she merely passed them along, no one could say for sure.
Thus, the "Senju Clan Meal Group" officially opened in his rundown little yard. The unspoken arrangement was simple: Tsunade supplied the food, easing the strain on his meager budget, while Ryo handled the cooking.
The golden glow of the setting sun spilled lazily across the yard. Tsunade sprawled on the only somewhat intact bench, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Hey! Ryo! What's for dinner tonight? Roast meat's getting boring. Let's have something else!"
Ryo was busy.
In front of him wasn't just a grill, but the full spread of his "manly kitchen" setup: a newly added stone mortar pounding spices, a wicker basket of smoked meat sending up blue smoke, and a large stew pot bubbling with fragrance.
Kushina sat beside Tsunade, her face flushed, eyes sparkling as they darted between the dishes.
"Ryo! I brought some mushrooms I found in the forest. Can they go in the soup?"
Ryo didn't look up. "Put them there. I'll use what's worth using."
He swiftly flipped a huge wild boar leg, rotating it over the makeshift grill.
The pig leg, pre-marinated with his special spicy sauce, sizzled as flames licked its skin. Fat dripped onto the charcoal with loud cracks, and the smoky aroma mixed with rich meat scent, dominating the entire yard.
On the stone slab nearby, several slices of tenderloin, thin as cicada wings, sprinkled with coarse salt and wild scallions, baked slowly in the residual heat.
"So fragrant!" Tsunade sniffed deeply, her appetite overriding her complaints.
Kushina, like a little gluttonous cat, sniffed the air vigorously, her face glowing.
Ryo deftly lifted the lid of the large iron pot. The boiling milky-white soup, filled with chunks of meat, shiitake mushrooms, and wild vegetables, bubbled. The aroma of scallions and ginger burst out with the steam, joining the olfactory feast.
This was the rich broth he had simmered since the afternoon using bones and scraps, now at its peak.
The yard was filled with the overwhelming scent of home cooking, so fragrant it made one's stomach churn.
Tsunade's appetite was bottomless, her consumption nothing short of outrageous.
But since she was basically sponsoring the food now, Ryo held his tongue. Besides, he still had his own backup stock: dried meat strips, carefully marinated and air-dried, wild spices, dried vegetables, and fungi gathered from the Forest of Death—emergency rations in case her supply ever ran dry.
…
The next evening after school, Ryo, dragging his exhausted body back home, froze at the sight before him.
A small wooden cart was parked at the gate, piled high like a small mountain.
Two whole racks of fresh jungle deer ribs, wrapped in banana leaves, sat exposed.
Beside them was a basket of wild vegetables and mushrooms, fresh enough to drip water.
Several heavy pottery jars were stacked neatly, filled with soy sauce, vinegar, and soybean oil.
And from the cart handle dangled a string of fat, squawking wild chickens.
Kushina strained with all her strength, her face red as she pushed the overloaded cart through the gate. The wheels dug deep grooves into the muddy ground.
"What are you doing?" Ryo strode over and grabbed the cart.
Kushina's eyes lit up as she wiped sweat from her brow. "Ingredients! I bought them! Quick, push it inside. Fresh fish will be delivered soon too. They'll spoil if left outside!" Her tone carried pride.
As Ryo pushed the cart in, he eyed Kushina. Her simple clothes and ordinary look clashed with the pile of expensive ingredients.
"Where did you get the money to buy all this?" he asked, frowning.
"I have money!" Kushina puffed her chest. "Grandma Mito gave me my family's rent from dozens of shops on an entire street…"
An entire street? Ryo raised an eyebrow.
So this red-haired brat trailing him every day was actually a hidden rich girl.
"While I appreciate this, don't do it again." Ryo started moving the ingredients down.
He said this, but his eyes couldn't help sweeping over the deer ribs, their texture gleaming in the sunset. Dozens of cooking methods instantly flashed through his mind.
"But Tsunade-neesan said if we eat your food, we have to pay for it!" Kushina said firmly.
Speak of the devil, Tsunade arrived.
The moment she saw the mountain of ingredients, her eyes shone like stars.
"Oh! A big feast tonight? Kushina, your eye for shopping is amazing! These deer ribs… tsk, roasted they'll burst with juice. Braised with honey oil… hurry up, Ryo, please get started!"
"Kushina, let's pick the ribs with moderate fat, cut them into chunks, rub with salt and honey, roast them to eighty percent! Leave the tender piece, coat it with spicy sauce and pan-fry it slowly!" Tsunade said confidently, clapping Kushina on the shoulder.
(To be continued.)
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