At the first rooster's crow, Konoha, the bustling heart of the Shinobi World, awoke from its slumber.
By early morning, the streets were already teeming with people. The village was alive with laughter and chatter.
Yuuta strode down the tidy roads, drawing curious glances from passersby due to his dirtied appearance. But when villagers recognized who it was, those glances turned to friendly smiles and greetings.
Some even came up to ask if he was alright.
One particularly kind old granny thought he'd been mugged and hurried out of her house holding a clean set of clothes for him.
"Granny, really, I'm fine! You don't need to bring me anything," Yuuta said, overwhelmed.
"Ah, little Yuuta, just take them. Don't be shy now," the granny insisted with a stubborn warmth.
Despite her age, when Granny got passionate, she had the determination of ten bulls. There was no saying no to her.
A nearby uncle teased,
"Yuuta, just take the clothes. It's not like she's marrying you off to her granddaughter."
That drew laughter from everyone nearby.
After all, the granny's granddaughter was… formidable. Famously hefty. The kind of girl who could frighten a pig just by sitting near it.
Granny's eyes narrowed at the teasing uncle.
"Hey Old man, why don't I marry my darling granddaughter off to your son instead, hmm?"
"Uh!" The uncle's grin froze. He scratched his head awkwardly.
"No no, of course not, I didn't say anything! You heard wrong!"
The other villagers burst into even louder laughter. The uncle had clearly forgotten, this granny used to be the most infamous firebrand in the village. Her temper? Legendary.
Yuuta, meanwhile, was suddenly very aware of the strange way Granny was looking at him…
That glint in her eyes, it wasn't maternal. It was appraising. Like a woman window-shopping for a dress.
A chill ran down his spine.
No way… she's not seriously thinking of marrying me into her family, is she?!
Absolutely not. No matter how desperate he ever got, Yuuta swore he'd never go for someone who could match Chōji in sheer mass alone.
"Yuuta, are you cold? Come rest at my house for a bit," Granny offered sweetly.
"No thank you!" Yuuta shook his head furiously. "I've got to open shop soon, so I can't trouble you!"
Without waiting for a response, he bolted down the street.
When he finally returned to his store, he saw the usual crowd gathered across the street, Ichiraku Ramen was booming as always. A long line had already formed.
That reminded him of his very first system mission:
Defeat Ichiraku Ramen and become the most renowned restaurant in Konoha.
(Mission hint: As the future Supreme Culinary God of the Shinobi World, how could you level up without some rival monsters to fight?)
Final rewards depend on your restaurant's results.
Yuuta stared across the street, fire blazing in his eyes.
"Looks like I've still got a long way to go…"
But he refused to believe that with a system on his side, he'd lose to anyone, not even the famous Ichiraku.
Back in the kitchen, Yuuta called out,
"System, give me the rundown on this ice cream recipe you gave me."
"Affirmative. Ice cream is a frozen dairy dessert of exquisite allure and boundless creativity," the system replied in its usual overly serious tone.
"It originated from the Land of Snow and was historically beloved by its ruling class."
Yuuta twitched.
"You're telling me something that's sold on every street corner back home is a royal delicacy here?"
The system continued, unbothered:
"Ice cream contains high-quality proteins, sugars, fats, amino acids, and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chlorine, sulfur, and iron. It assists in regulating physiological functions, maintaining osmotic pressure, and acid-base balance."
Yuuta's face went blank.
He was a liberal arts guy. Chemistry wasn't his thing. All he got from that explanation was: Ice cream is awesome.
"To summarize," the system concluded, "in the scorching summer, a cup of ice cream is the ultimate delight."
Yuuta's mouth was already watering.
Back in his previous life, he loved nothing more than buying a tub of ice cream after dinner, then lying back on the couch while binging anime.
Pure bliss.
He looked over the system-provided recipe.
To his surprise, unlike beef ramen which had a fixed method, the ice cream recipe was modular.
The system had given him the base formula, vanilla cream. But if Yuuta preferred other flavors, he could innovate using his own ingredients.
Want honeydew ice cream? Just add melon essence.
That's why the system described it as a dessert full of imagination.
Of course, to make good ice cream, proper tools were a must.
Inside the kitchen, Yuuta quickly spotted a set of sparkling equipment from the system:
• A small milk pot
• An ice cream scoop
• A manual egg beater
• A rubber spatula
• A plastic container
The milk pot instantly drew his attention. It was nothing like a wok. It looked more like a delicate teacup next to a container.
Yuuta frowned.
"System, what's with this tiny thing?"
"That is the Iron Country Masterwork Milk Pot," the system answered gravely.
"Forged with dual-layer composite base, hand-hammered by master blacksmiths over several days. The design enables rapid and even heat distribution, preventing any scorching."
Yuuta narrowed his eyes.
"Yeah yeah. How much did it cost?"
"The production cost of that pot," the system answered solemnly, "is equivalent to the annual fiscal revenue of the Land of Snow."
Yuuta nearly choke by surprise.
You spend a whole country's worth of money… to make an ice cream pot?!
Clenching his teeth, he asked,
"System, I'm broke right now. Can I… sell this thing?"
"Negative. Once removed from the store, system-provided items are subject to immediate recall."
Yuuta was speechless.
You damn money-burner of a system…
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters
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