After obtaining Kaguya Otsutsuki's power, Chinatsu no longer needed sleep or food to survive.
However...
"Not needing" something and "wanting" it were two completely different things.
A good night's sleep was one of life's greatest pleasures.
A delicious meal could instantly brighten anyone's mood.
No matter how powerful she became, Chinatsu refused to let go of the simple joys that made her human.
---
Outside the mansion, an enormous dining table had been prepared.
It was practically a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast.
Every dish had been carefully prepared by the remaining members of the Uzumaki Clan.
The craftsmanship alone was enough to make anyone's mouth water.
At the very center of the table sat a magnificent cake.
The cake itself wasn't particularly surprising.
After all, although the Land of Whirlpools lacked industrial development, Chinatsu's overwhelming wealth meant there was never any shortage of ingredients.
What truly shocked everyone...
Was the decoration.
Standing atop the cake was a miniature figure of Chinatsu herself.
It was so exquisitely sculpted that it looked almost alive.
"Hehe..."
"Since all the construction work was taken care of by the big shots..."
"We couldn't just stand around doing nothing."
"So we spent extra time making this cake and preparing the rest of the dishes."
"We hope chinatsu-nee and everyone likes them."
The Uzumaki clansmen scratched their heads shyly.
Although they were proud of the feast, they still felt they had contributed far less than everyone else.
Chinatsu smiled helplessly.
They're overthinking it.
Just looking at this table full of food already makes me happy.
Who wouldn't be in a good mood after seeing something like this?
---
Naruto, Sasuke, and the Akatsuki members had spent the entire day building houses.
Yet...
None of them looked particularly exhausted.
After all...
Naruto and Sasuke had reached the level of fighting Otsutsuki.
The Akatsuki members were, at the very least, Kage-level shinobi.
For monsters like them...
Construction work was little more than an intense workout.
Some of them had even started enjoying it.
---
Without wasting any more time, Chinatsu picked up a knife.
The first target...
The cake.
Cake was dessert.
But in her opinion...
Dessert should always come first.
Eating cake after stuffing herself with other dishes would only dull its sweetness.
That would be disrespectful to the cake itself.
Holding the knife expectantly...
She focused her eyes.
Then—
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
The blade flashed repeatedly.
Every slice was perfectly even.
The entire cake was divided into identical portions.
Nobody questioned her knife skills.
After all...
When one's overall strength continuously increased...
Wasn't it perfectly normal for unrelated life skills to improve as well?
---
The moment Chinatsu tasted the cake...
She covered one cheek with a hand.
Her eyes sparkled.
"So delicious..."
Inside her spiritual world...
Kaguya experienced the exact same taste through their shared senses.
"...?!"
Her expression froze.
"This..."
"How can something taste... this good?"
As someone who had lived during ancient times...
Kaguya had never encountered anything remotely comparable.
Her worldview shattered.
She immediately tried convincing herself.
This is meaningless.
It's merely satisfying the senses.
It has no practical value whatsoever.
Unfortunately...
Chinatsu's offensive had only just begun.
One bite.
Another bite.
Another.
The taste continued flooding Kaguya's consciousness.
The switch controlling their shared senses belonged entirely to Chinatsu.
Kaguya had absolutely no way to turn it off.
She could only continue...
"Painfully" enjoying every bite.
---
Compared to when she had been sealed inside the moon...
Life inside Chinatsu wasn't nearly as miserable.
She could move around within the spiritual world.
She could watch everything Chinatsu saw.
Taste everything Chinatsu ate.
Even chat whenever Chinatsu visited.
For someone who had spent centuries imprisoned in darkness...
This was almost...
Comfortable.
Chinatsu smiled while eating another piece of cake.
Step one of Operation: Befriend Kaguya... successful.
---
Time passed.
Before long, most of the dishes had disappeared.
Patting her stomach, Chinatsu suddenly stood up.
"Everyone else has been working while I've just been sleeping."
"That's a little embarrassing."
"I'll cook something too."
"You all wait here."
"I'll be right back."
Filled with confidence...
She marched toward the kitchen.
---
Everyone at the table exchanged curious looks.
"...The young lady is cooking herself?!"
Hidan instantly clasped his hands together.
"I've truly lived a meaningful life!"
"I must pray three times!"
"The Evil God... no!"
"The Young Lady herself is cooking!"
He immediately entered an extremely sincere prayer pose.
---
Kakuzu folded his arms.
"Judging from her temperament..."
"She looks like someone who should be an excellent cook."
"I imagine her skills are extraordinary."
---
To everyone present...
Chinatsu embodied the image of the perfect Yamato Nadeshiko.
Graceful.
Elegant.
Gentle.
How could someone like that possibly be unable to cook?
Impossible.
---
Only Naruto and Sasuke remained completely silent.
They simply continued eating.
Not a single word escaped their mouths.
They refused to answer any questions regarding their sister's cooking ability.
Their silence...
Only made everyone even more curious.
Soon...
Everyone's expectations rose from...
"She should be decent..."
To...
"She's probably at the level of a master chef."
Naruto and Sasuke heard those discussions.
Their expressions gradually became more complicated.
"...Master chef?"
"..."
The brothers silently looked at each other.
Neither of them spoke.
---
Ten minutes later—
BOOM!!
A deafening explosion erupted from the kitchen.
Everyone except Naruto and Sasuke immediately jumped to their feet.
"What happened?!"
"An enemy attack?!"
"Did the stove explode?!"
---
Several seconds later...
Chinatsu slowly walked out of the kitchen.
She was carrying a plate.
On it rested...
A mysterious lifeform.
No.
Perhaps "food" was still technically the correct term.
It resembled several creatures from the darkest corners of chaos that had been mashed together before being drowned in an ominous black sauce.
Simply looking at it made one's soul tremble.
Even Chinatsu's expression looked slightly stiff.
...This doesn't make sense.
There wasn't anything wrong with my cooking process.
So...
How exactly did I create... whatever this thing is...?
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