Let's Cook!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Food Wars nor do I profit from this in any way, shape or form.
I saw Food Wars a few days ago along with High School DxD and have to admit it was marvelous. I am a fan of cooking, so it came as a great surprise when I saw an anime that was based solely on cooking different dishes. The High School DxD anime was good as well, except for the unnecessary scenes of nudity.
As always, a few things you should know before you start,
Like several of my stories, this one will feature the same Naruto as in Dark Avenger along with his powers, characteristics and eccentricities. In fact, you can even consider it a Prequel to that story.
Important Note: The question arises, why would you need an OP Naruto in an anime that is entirely based on cooking? The answer is because I want to and because I have plans to make the power more comical rather than intimidating. You will rarely see him use his power.
His powers will be merely used to install a semblance of humor into the story. In other words, it will only be used to troll the staff as well as the students.
So please don't comment on it! I know your hands will be itching to comment on this aspect, but kindly ignore it. Like I said, this is a prequel to another story, thus they have the same Naruto except their hairstyle is different. If still someone remarked about it, he/she will be ignored and presumed a blind moron.
Trust me, he will not be using his power like a child and outright explaining the nature of his abilities to anyone who asks, not that anyone will ever see him use any techniques. That's downright idiotic and unrealistic.
Even still, you will read the reason why an immortal Balance Keeper wants to enter an academy made for cooking. Without further ado, let's begin. Hope you enjoy it!
His appearance is simple, except his hairstyle will be similar to Jin Kazama from Tekken.
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Totsuki Culinary Academy
The noodles are so neat
The broth is so sweet
Ramen noodle
Black haired poodle
Funny sunny
Smartass honey
The painstakingly dressed and somewhat overly prepared students of the infamous culinary academy gave the singing blond strange looks as he strolled along the front yard of the academy. Unlike the rest of the student body, the 16 or 17 years old blond wasn't dressed in the proper uniform; instead he wore a simple blood red T shirt, black leather pants and brown cowboy boots.
The one word that could describe the blond teen was … intimidating!
Thin blond bangs hovered over his piercingly sharp and narrow blue eyes. Pronounced cheek bones, small nose and narrow eyebrows dominated the entirety of his face.
The most noticeable features of his overall appearance were his muscular body stature and height. Compact muscles littered his exposed arms, twitching with every movement. His chiseled chest and toned abs clearly showed themselves even hidden beneath the red shirt.
He wasn't all that tall, but taking into account the average height of the citizens of Japan, he was clearly taller by a long margin, standing at a respectable height of 6ft.
Naruto walked through the paved path of the front yard towards the main building where his so called exam was supposed to be held, his bag slung over his shoulder and a nonchalant expression on his face.
When he had first heard about the academy, he had to admit he hadn't been expecting it to be a city! I mean come on! Who the hell needed all this land? It was freaking huge!
The academy itself covered an entire mountainous area, starting from the bottom up to the top where a traditional Japanese castle was visible amidst the clouds. Large structures were littered here and there, for what reason, he had no idea whatsoever.
If he had to simply describe its environment just from observing the students, he would say it was an academy built for the sole purpose of inflating the already gigantic egos of rich individuals into heights inconceivable.
He would prefer the humble Ichiraku Ramen Stand over this place any second of the day! Sadly, there were nothing but memories of that stand and its glorious dish.
Looking around the yard, he could see smug faces of rich brats standing along with their bodyguards, scared faces of middle class students ready to bolt for the gate in case of any danger and …. perverted faces taking in the glorious scenery of the short skirts and tight blouses!
He would have to introduce himself to those Heroes later. There were no purer individuals than those who were pursuing the ways of the pervert!
He was severely tempted to overlook the entrance exam and introduce himself to his heroes and followers, but sadly he had used far too many Genjutsus and hypnotic maneuvers to forge fake documents and get into the academy. Going through all that trouble would be such a drag!
However simply because he couldn't introduce himself now didn't mean that he would be overlooking them after the exam. Naruto Uzumaki, the Ultra Pervert, simply did not ignore his followers no matter the time, place or consequences.
Even cooking academies weren't short of his followers and he would be damned if he ignored them! It goes to show just how mighty his teachings were!
Coming back to the topic at hand, he just hoped this Academy would disengage his boredom or he might just go on a mindless rampage!
There were no idiots trying to conquer the world anymore, no morons trying to play kami and no idiots trying to subjugate the world! I mean come on! Was asking for a man to try and conquer the world too much to ask?!
Where was their sense of ambition? Couldn't a guy just lose his mind and declare that he would rule the world so that he, the balance Keeper of the world, could kick his ass and take names? Was that too much to ask for?
Ever since the Second World War had ended, the world had descended into a state of discernable stability. Sure the various countries were still sabotaging the efforts of their neighbors in any ways they could, but he was itching for a man to declare that he was going to rule the world, dammit!
He couldn't just grab a passing by champ; accuse him of trying to conquer the world, kick his denying ass and take names, now could he? Of course not! Sure he was dying for some entertainment and fun, but he was not that desperate … not yet anyway.
With no ways to get rid of his boredom, he had delved into learning any and all forms of arts known to the world. Every art except … dancing, of course. Naruto Uzumaki simply did not dance, end of story!
He was proud to say that he had learned pretty much every art there was to know in this world, except cooking. He had started to take an interest in the art of cooking a few years ago and thus had started his travels around the world to know about every kind of culinary technique there was.
At the end of his journey, he had heard of a prestigious academy dedicated solely to the pursuit of culinary knowledge.
A subtle use of Genjutsu here and there guaranteed the preparation of required documents to enter the academy. According to the forged files, he was an orphan who was the proud owner of a small Ramen Stand in an isolated region of Japan. No living relatives and unknown deceased parents.
Just to prove the validity of those fabricated documents, he had opened up a humble stand in the aforementioned region and served the people for 2 years. He had to say, the ride had been a somewhat pleasurable experience.
Thus his current dilemma.
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Transfer Examination Hall
The blond former Shinobi blinked in surprise as he entered the large hall where the exam was supposed to be held. He had to admit, whoever owned this Academy sure knew how to decorate. The hall was outlandishly large and spacious, though considering the number of students standing in said hall, it was surprisingly sufficient.
Judging from the large number of students standing in the hall, chatting away without a care in the world, he realized he was not the only transfer student. Although, he couldn't exactly call himself a student; he was more along the lines of a cooking enthusiast, for the lack of a better term.
Nonchalantly singing the lyrics of the heavenly Ramen and overlooking the wary looks of the students, the blond man walked through the bustling center of the hall and made his way to the front to get a better view of their so called test.
Hey, just because he was not wearing the standard uniform doesn't mean that he was an outsider and that the students were free to stare at him like he had grown a second head. Although from the way their eyes were moving up and down his body, he had a feeling they were more afraid of his height and muscular body than anything else.
The nonstop chatter of the students came to a screeching halt; a dreadful silence blanketed the hall as the soft taps of shoes hitting the marble floor reverberated through the room. Raising an eyebrow at the sudden turn of events, Naruto turned his gaze towards the source of the sounds and whistled with a leering grin.
Now it was getting interesting!
Walking up to the front of the hall were two young women, somewhere along the age of 15 to 16. The first of the two was a beautiful blonde girl of average height and blessed with a curvy body even for someone of her young age.
She was dressed in the standard Academy uniform which, he had to admit, did little to hide her voluptuous figure. If this was the kind of uniforms that were issued to the students of the modern world, he would gladly restart the disgraceful cycle of his school life!
She carried herself with a grace befitting of royalty. Head held high, sharp eyes focused and unflinching. He would love to tease that attitude out of her!
The second girl was an equally beautiful girl with light pink hair and dressed in the standard uniform. If he had to guess solely on her appearance alone, he would say she was the attendant of the blonde girl.
Gracefully striding to the front of the hall, she moved her piercing gaze over the nervous students and smirked "Welcome transfer applicants, I, Erina Nakiri, have been assigned to judge today's transfer entrance exam"
"Oh you can judge me anytime, babe"
Naruto grinned when a perversely giggling boy whispered to his equally drooling companion. Okay, so his followers were more than he had expected! That was good news!
Erina crossed her arms over her chest and turned to her assistant with a bored expression. Guess she was being forced to conduct this exam "Hisako, any words from exam division?"
Becoming the center of attention, Hisako jumped slightly and fumbled with the papers clutched in her hands "Yes ma'am! Examinees will first go through interviews in groups of ten based on their applications and then undergo a practicum where they will prepare two or so dishes and then …"
The blond girl raised her hand in a stopping gesture, displeasure clearly visible on her visage.
"That's pointless" Her displeased frown turned to a smirk so evil that the gathered hopeful applicants took a few cautious steps back just to ensure their safety and … to get near to the door should something happen "Bring the Kitchen table here!"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Aww come on, sweet cheeks! Get it over with already!"
A mildly blushing Erina snapped her piercing gaze towards the nervous and stupefied crowd when an indignant shout reverberated through the hall. Skimming her displeased gaze over the mass, she scowled when no one stood out as a suspect.
No one was moving or even remotely giving the impression that they had done the rude act, though some of the students were gawking at a tall and surprisingly muscular boy who was innocently whistling. Whoever the culprit was, the Nakiri heiress had to give them credit for being bold.
The sweet cheeks comment would have surely riled her up had an already enrolled student called her that, but she was going to ignore it for now since these losers would be gone in a few minutes anyway.
Amidst the silent crowd, a sheepishly grinning Naruto whistled innocently and looked around the hall without a care in the world, delightfully ignoring the gawking looks from the students. Hey, you can't blame him. The hall was too tense and emo for his liking. The shout was just to lighten things up and … annoy the cutie!
The pink haired attendant pushed a large wheeled table, filled to the brim with vegetables and other necessary ingredient, into the room and stood to the side. The Nakiri heiress smirked triumphantly and walked up to the table, gliding her gaze over the available ingredients.
Picking up an egg, Erina turned to the nervous student crowd and raised the sloshing sphere into the air "Make me one dish with egg as the main ingredient. Only those who satisfy my palate will be successfully allowed to transfer into the academy"
"Oh come on!"
"We are screwed!"
Naruto raised an eyebrow when a selective groan of misery went through the crowd. What was so special about an egg dish? He could make a thousand dishes with the main ingredient being an egg.
Hearing their miserable groans, Erina smirked evilly "To give you a sporting chance, those who wish to withdraw and try next year can do so in … one minute only"
What happened next left Naruto gaping like a fish out of water. As if a war horned had been played, every student ran for the hills in a mad sprint, knocking, pushing and tripping their fellow examinees in their haste to get out of the door.
Maybe he had entered to the wrong academy. Maybe this was a racing academy or maybe an academy made for …
Seeing their hurried reaction, Naruto severely misunderstood the situation and ran to the other side of the hall with a determined visage.
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At the Same Time
A gaping Soma Yukihira stood unmoving in the middle of the hall as every student sprinted from the room as if chased by a horde of demons wanting to devour their souls. Huh? What the hell was going on? Weren't they supposed to be cooking the assigned dish?
Curiosity got the better of him as he grabbed a running student and _ as luck would have it _ it was the same guy who had rudely kicked him off from the chair after he had explained his humble origins. He would have loved to trash talk the loser but currently he needed the guy to tell him about this mad sprinting contest.
"Hey, why are you all running!?"
The petrified student jumped slightly and turned to Soma with his eyes widened in fear "Y-you mean you don't k-know who she is!?"
"Nope"
Soma's eyebrow twitched in announce when his one-time attacker gave him a look that clearly said 'are you an idiot?' So what if he didn't know who Erina Nakiri was? I mean it's not like it meant the end of the world!
"Erina Nakiri is known to have the finest palate known to mankind, a divine Tongue!"
"Huh?"
"Normal human babies begin to talk around the age of one or two, but her first words at three months old were 'Not enough depth of flavor'! Given the small glimpse of her genius already present at birth, she has been asked to be the taste tester of nation-wide famous restaurants since a very young age"
"All the heavyweights in the culinary world are her clients! Her evaluations spread far and wide in the industry! Should she brand you as an imbecile with no cooking talent…" Soma took a cautious step back when the terrified student shivered like a fragile leave "Your cooking career is gone forever!"
"Okaaaay"
Still not sure what the big deal was, the young Yukihira let go of the now desperately struggling teen and turned towards the examiner, taking sick pleasure from the fact that the sprinting teen tripped midway and got acquainted with the humble floor.
That should teach the rich brat not to mess with him!
His eyes widened to impossible proportion when he turned around and saw a scene so ridiculous, so preposterous that it left him devoid of the ability to think.
Standing near the gate of the hall was a tall and muscular blond dressed in a blood red T shirt, black leather pants and brown cowboy shoes. However, that's not what boggled him. It was the fact that the teenager was wearing red chest armor over his shirt and a few metal plates over his lower body parts.
What was even more ridiculous was the fact that he was carrying a long Japanese sword, eyes blazing as if ready to cleave the whole hall in half!
"Alright, where is my opponent? I am gonna pound his ass to dust!" Naruto exclaimed passionately before he spotted Soma looking at him with dropped jaws "You, cherry head, are you my miserable opponent?"
Soma snapped out of his stupor and scratched the back of his head "Opponent? What opponent?"
"My opponent for ass kicking obviously!" Naruto retorted indignantly. Was this guy an idiot? Didn't he know that this was an academy for Sword Fighting "Where is your armor and sword?"
Soma didn't know whether this guy was being serious or just plain joking, but he knew one thing. The long sword was real and freaking sharp! "Hey look, this is a cooking academy, not Samurai-like sword fighting academy, ok"
"Seriously?" the blond asked in disappointment before narrowing his eyes in suspicion "You are not pulling my leg, are you? Cause if you are, know that I've got a long sword and am not afraid to use it"
Eyebrows twitching at the threat, Soma composed himself and nodded quickly, realizing it was not wise to pick a fight with a sword carrying and armor-clad man "I am not joking!"
Naruto sighed in disappointment. So he was in the right Academy after all. That certainly explained why the running students hadn't returned yet. He thought the running was merely a drill to keep the students alert and to signal the start of the fighting matches!
After seeing them run off, he had sprinted after them, thinking they were securing the best armor and thus had found one in the hallways. Oddly enough, the armor was innocently placed along with other decorative vases and objects.
He would never figure out why they would place a metal armor in a hallway of all places. These people really had no concept of proper respect when it came to weapons.
He guessed the man _ who had shouted at him for taking a decorative piece from the hallways _was also part of the drill. At least that's what he thought until the guy shouted for the guards and he had to knock him out with a slap to the neck.
The nerve of the guy to stop him from taking the armor!
Soma raised an eyebrow when the blond teen slumped to the ground and drew circles with the tip of the sword, a raincloud of depression hovering above his form "Hey … umm… are you okay?"
What was with this guy? If someone was to judge him by his appearance alone, they would call him an intimidating brute but his current antics were anything but that. The way he was sitting on the marble floor, he looked like he didn't have a mean bone in his body.
"I am fine but my fragile ego is shattered to a million pieces!" Naruto retorted, anime tears streaming down his face like a river "Why can't I ever find a place where I can kick asses and take names like a normal teenager!? Life is so unfair!"
His followers abandoned him! His devoted and righteously perverted followers discarded his virtuous teachings and ran for the hills at the first sign of trouble! That alone was a severe blow to his pride.
A sweat drop trailed down Soma's head as he listened to the blond sobbingly relate his misfortunes and curse his luck for not blessing him with an opportunity to 'kick ass', as he put it. Something was seriously wrong with this guy!
"Well nothing I can do about it now" Naruto declared cheerfully and turned to his fellow student "The fact that you are not running with your tail between your legs, I can only assume that you are not afraid to face what sweet cheeks over can dish out at you, am I right"
Soma scratched the back of his head and laughed sheepishly "What's the harm in simply testing my cooking skills? I mean it's only a single dish, I have faced worst!"
"That's the attitude, cherry head, but I gotta ask you an important question" Naruto grinned and draped his muscular arm over the confident boy "You wouldn't happen to be a follower of the Righteous Ones, would you?"
This kid was confident and not afraid to speak his mind, exactly the kind of people Naruto liked. Now if he was a member of his group, then it would be an early Christmas.
Soma blinked repeatedly "The Righteous Ones? I haven't even heard about them"
The blond former Shinobi sighed in disappointment. So much for his expectations. This guy didn't even realize what he was missing out on! "A pity"
Not letting the disappointment consume his being, Naruto turned to his voluptuous examiners, only to let out a perverted giggle upon seeing the scene. Erina and Hisako were engaged in an intimate conversation and dangerously close to each other, exotic flowers and plants singing songs of love around them as they descended into their own utopia.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"
Soma face-palmed when he heard the blond continuously giggle like an Elementary school girl and rub his hands together like a mad scientist ready to dissect his miserable victim as he gazed at the two examiners.
This guy is something else!
Judging from the way the two examiners were now glaring at Naruto with their faces resembling fresh tomatoes, they had heard the mantra as well.
Feeling two piercing gazes drilling into his soul, Naruto unnoticeably pocketed his trusty notepad _Soma wondered why he hadn't seen that in the first place _ and cheerfully waved at the two girls.
"Don't mind us, cuties, you can go at it right there!" Naruto began with a broad perverted grin "Forget we are even here, right cherry head!?"
Research material in the middle of a cooking academy, it was like a dream come true! He wouldn't mind studying here for a few years!
"Don't get me involved in your perverted antics!" Soma retorted with a scowl, a subtle blush on his face "and stop calling me Cherry head! My name is Soma Yukihira"
Feeling her face almost ready to burn from the heat, Erina clenched her fists and tried to compose herself. Standing behind her with her ears releasing steam like a steam engine, Hisako wasn't doing any better. In fact she seemed ready to collapse from embarrassment.
'What are these two doing here? Don't they realize who I am?'
Now that she thought about it, the first one was the same redhead who had picked a fight with a student just a few hours ago for insulting his origins. She had received a report along with a complaint regarding the redhead.
That smug and irresponsible attitude was not welcomed in Totsuki Academy. She would see to it that he fails and be expelled from the academy!
'The second one …'
Erina felt her face burn and her eyebrows twitch when she saw his smug visage, eyebrows wiggling up and down in a suggestive manner as he wrote something in his small notepad and giggled lewdly.
The tall blond gave the impression of a certified ruffian from his appearance alone, what with his skin tight T shirt, black leather pants, brown cowboy boots and all, but his antics suggested an entirely different scenario.
If she remembered correctly, then he was also the one who had shouted the 'sweet cheeks' comment during the start of the test. With that alone, she had a bone to pick with him.
"So are you gonna do the nasty or not?" Naruto asked hopefully. He could feel it already. Millions upon millions of cash streaming into his account from releasing his Icha Icha: Romance in Cooking Academy, Special Edition!
"NO!" Erina snapped, her face practically resembling a ripened tomato.
"Ok ok, sheesh!" Naruto raised his hands in surrender "It's not like I was the looking as though I was ready to get down and dirty in the middle of the freaking hall!"
Man, what a letdown! Guess Icha Icha: Romance in Cooking Academy and unlimited cash streaming into his account would have to wait.
"Enough about that!" the Nakiri heiress muttered through gritted teeth "What are you two doing here?"
"Me?" Naruto pointed at himself "I am here to promote world peace and teach the way of the Righteous Ones"
The two girls and one boy blinked in surprise "Huh? What did you say?"
"I said I am here to take the exams, duh!" the blond retorted with a wide grin "The fact that you didn't hear my words properly could only mean that you are still thinking about going at it, aren't you?"
Not able to take it any longer, Hisako stepped forward and stood between a furiously blushing Erina and a wildly grinning Naruto "Step away, do you even realize who you are talking to?"
"Your friend with benefits?" the blond Shinobi answered as he scratched the back of his head. That was the only tittle he could give them. I mean, they would have started going at it had he not interrupted them.
Whatever Hisako was trying to say, she instantly forgot about them when she heard his lewd accusation. What the hell was wrong with this guy? Everything with him was turned towards perverseness!
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Testing Kitchen, an Hour Later
"Disgusting!" Erina shouted loudly, her face practically glowing like a red light.
Sitting on a stool off to the side of the Kitchen table, a widely grinning Naruto shook his head "Nope, not buying it!"
"That's my judgment… the final judgment on the matter! You fail!" she retorted with a scowl and huffed, crossing her hands under her considerable chest.
"Well then Miss Judgment, where is the omelet that you found disgusting?" the blond Shinobi asked with a smirk, causing Erina to stiffen and go red in the face.
Damn him and his dish!
She had escorted the two daring chef-wannabes to the testing Kitchen to test their mettle and ordered them to prepare a dish worthy of her unique palate. Since there were two of them, she had assigned Hisako to oversee the redhead's examination while she watched the cheeky blond.
She had expected the blond to be a mere novice in the cooking department but the damn teen had poured cold water over her expectations and blurred through the Kitchen like a destructive wind.
He had chopped the different vegetables like a madman but one with skills, scrambled the eggs to perfection! And last but not the least, the divin… disgusting taste! She refused to acknowledge it as divine! The only thing divine was her tongue, end of story!
In spite of her exterior denial, she couldn't inwardly refute that it was one of the best she had ever tasted and she only ate the best! To think that a simple omelet could taste so good! It defied logic.
She had observed him like a hawk, watching and scrutinizing his every insignificant movement. Nothing beside his surprising skills and speed had stood out from the norm. Everything he had added to the omelet was common ingredient any person even vaguely familiar with cooking would know.
Yet … the taste was unlike anything she had ever tasted!
It had felt as though she had been lounging upon a bed of smooth, squashy and jiggling fried omelet, being caressed, cuddled and massaged by the lifeless surface of the egg bed! Even now, she could still vividly remember the addictive sensation of that one bite!
The blond was correct, despite how much she hated to admit it, that she eaten the omelet before even realizing it, lost in her own world of culinary euphoria. When she had exited from her utopia, the first thing she had seen was the smug, grinning face of the blond, the gaping expression of her aid and the absence of a familiar redhead.
It had turned out that she had been so lost in her world that Soma had finished his dish, presented it to Hisako and apparently passed her exam. She had thought of revoking her decision but decided against it since it would have lowered her aid's faith in her judgment and self-confidence.
In the end, seeing the blond's smug face and perverted grin, she had announced her decision and apparently the insolent teen was not listening to her! Her decision was final! Who cared if his dish was tasty or not, she was the judge here and she decided that it was disgusting!
However all that paled in comparison to what he had said or rather what he had suggested in his thinly veiled lewd innuendos.
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Flashback
Hisako and Soma stood at the far end of the Kitchen near a working table, a virtual silence hovering above them. Soma was too engrossed in his cooking to say anything while Hisako didn't know what to say.
Naruto was calmly leaning on one of the tables and expertly examining some of the cutting tools, while sporting a wide grin on his sharp visage. Standing in front of him with her arms crossed under chest was Erina Nakiri who eyebrows were twitching madly as she impatiently tapped her foot.
"Alright, let's get down and dirty!" Feeling her piercing and obviously glaring gaze upon his face, Naruto chuckled sheepishly "I mean let's start with the cooking!"
"Finally" she muttered under breathe. He has been observing the damn knives for 15 minutes now and suggestively moving it and down, back and fro, all the while intently pinning her down with his damn blue-eyed gaze.
"I am gonna need some milk" Naruto announced in a slow whisper, leaning towards a confused Nakiri heiress "You wouldn't happen to have some fresh, nutritious and … creamy milk on you, would you?"
Erina subconsciously covered her chest with her hands and leaned back, her face resembling a tomato. Even though he asked for a normal ingredient, she couldn't help but think that he meant something else by those words. The blond was damn pervert after all!
"W-what do you need milk for?"
"To make a creamy milkshake with eggs" Naruto retorted cheerfully "So where can I find some fresh milk?"
Taking a wary step back, Erina tightened the blazer around herself and scowled "There is none!"
"Aww man, I can't make a milkshake without milk!" the blond teen whined childishly before his blue eyes lit up in perverted delight, at least that's what Erina thought "If there is no milk, then can you please show me the place where I can find some mouthwateringly delicious, heaving and juicy piece of meat?"
Even Hisako stopped whatever she was doing and gaped at the daring blond in shock. She had been too busy watching Soma prepare his dish to notice the dilemma Erina was facing. But now that she was paying some attention, she realized that the blond was even more forward than she had expected.
Visible puffs of steam escaped out of Erina's scorching ears as she took a deep breath "JUST START YOUR DAMN COOKING!"
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End of Flashback
Finding no answer to the accusing question, Erina coughed into her hand to control her blushing face and turned to her assistant "Hisako, inform them that all the applicants failed!"
"B-but ma'am…"
"Do it!"
"Now that is just cruel, sweet cheeks…" the blond Balance Keeper stated with a childish pout.
"Don't call me that!"
"As I was saying…" Ignoring her outburst, Naruto continued with his sentence "That is just cruel. I mean sure I interrupted your raunchy session of girl on girl action, but come on, my glorious omelet at least deserves a passing grade"
"Stop saying that and get out!" the Nakiri heiress retorted, her face ready to burst into flames. Damn him and his one track mind!
"You are cruel, baby cakes" Naruto declared with a pout "That pink haired cutie passed her boyfriend, the least you can do is pass me as well"
"HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND/ YOU ARE NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" the two examiners shouted in unison.
"Stop shouting, jeez!" the blond groaned and turned to the side of the Kitchen "Hey old man, don't ya think these cuties are being mean to me?"
Erina and Hisako blinked in surprise, momentarily forgetting their embarrassment as they turned towards the direction Naruto was looking at. Their eyes widened when Senzaemon Nakiri, the esteemed Director of Totsuki Academy stepped out from the shadows and stared at Naruto with a somewhat neutral look on his face.
"D-director/ Grandfather!"
Senzaemon pinned down the blond enigma with his red gaze, searching for anything that may reveal a bit about his real character, not the façade he was showcasing. He may be the director of a Culinary Academy, but he was also an old man who had seen much in his long life.
He had watched the entire ordeal from the adjoined room and heard every spoken word. He had to admit the redheaded boy had made an impression on him with his confidence and skills. There were very few who exceeded far and wide at such a young age and apparently, young Soma was among those very few.
While he hadn't tasted the young man's dish, he was perfectly pleased with Hisako Arato's decision of passing him. He would have even passed him on his confidence alone had he been assigned to judge the young man.
But this blond teen was something entirely different.
The skills, unmatched precision, speed and the confidence this boy showcased in the Kitchen was something extraordinary. He had seen a lot of chefs come and go through the doors of the Academy, some successful and some failures, yet none, with the exception of a few, matched the speed and skills this boy had.
"Old man, you still there?" Naruto asked in confusion, waving his hand in front of the old Director's face, all the while blissfully ignoring Hisako's whispering warnings.
The blonde Nakiri heiress couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. No one and she meant... no one had ever called Senzaemon Nakiri, the Demon of Food an 'old man'! Either he was bizarrely brave or incredibly stupid.
Seeing as the daring blond was ignoring her warnings, Hisako Arato excused herself and bolted out of the door. If the Director had any thoughts of bringing his wrath upon the insolent blond, she could at least be safe from it!
The silvered haired Head of the Nakiri household smiled uncharacteristically and walked around the table to stand in front of the sitting blond "Well young man, where is the dish so that I may judge the validity of my granddaughters remark?"
Erina blushed profusely when Naruto gave her a sideway glance and grinned "Cutie over there ate it like a pro"
Damn him! What was with him calling her cutie, sweet cheeks and baby cakes all the time!? She hated those nicknames!
"Is that so?" the Demon of Food asked with a raised eyebrow "I can't exactly revoke her decision without tasting your prepared dish now, can I?"
Of course he knew that Erina had eaten the omelet but still he may be able to kill two birds with one stone. Since there was no omelet left, Naruto will be compelled to make another one right in front of his piercing eyes.
He would see for himself what kind of skills the boy possessed. It was one thing watching from a door crack and but watching him directly may present an entirely different picture.
"Do I have to?" Naruto whined, sighing deeply when Senzaemon nodded sharply "You could have at least left something for the old man, sweet cheeks, now I have to make it all over again!"
The blond blissfully ignored the examiner's glares and growls and focused his attention on the ingredients. That girl was just so cute!
The old Director of the esteemed academy watched with something akin to amazement and acknowledgement as Naruto blurred through the Kitchen, precisely chopping down the ingredients, scrambling the eggs and then frying it with perfection.
In a matter of moments, the dish was done and placed before the still and unmoving Demon of Food. Naruto took his previous position on the stool and dropped his head on the table with a sigh, as the old Director reached for the prepared omelet and took a dignified bite.
"What the hell!?" he yelled in surprise, almost falling from the stool as the previously unmoving and neutral looking Food Demon suddenly jumped in delight and shredded his kimono shirt in an impressive show of strength, showcasing a ripped body underneath.
"This is MAGNIFICENT!" Senzaemon declared in a boisterous laugh "The flavor is so rich, the lower surface is fried to perfection while the upper portion still retains its soft and smooth texture!"
Naruto beamed joyfully and turned to a groaning Erina "See cutie, I am the Man!"
Recovering from his Foodgasm, Senzaemon couldn't help but observe the prepared dish. Just like his beloved granddaughter, he observed nothing out of the ordinary, yet the taste was out of this world. While he had to admit, he had eaten better than this, it was still a pleasant surprise to see a mere student cook a dish of this caliber.
Naruto stood up from his stool and strode up to the still contemplating silver haired man, picking up the plate as he did so. Even the old director blinked in surprise when the blond teen took the plate and walked away.
He sure was daring, he would give him that!
No one had the guts to even look him in the eye, yet this teen was being as nonchalant as possible. So bold and causal in fact that it almost reached the borders of rudeness.
Erina Nakiri, who had been face-palming this whole time, couldn't help but take a few cautious steps back as the blond chef-wannabe walked up to her with a wide … hopeful grin.
What was with him now? Couldn't he just leave her alone?
"Here sweet cheeks" Naruto whispered slowly and raised the plate up to her hands "Take a bite"
"I already told you, it's disgusting!" she retorted with a scowl.
"Aww come on, please take a bite"
The blonde heiress noticed something odd about his request. Call her paranoid but there was something else he was hoping for. If her guess was right, then it was obviously something …
"Why?" she asked with narrowed eyes.
"Well, it caused the old man to shred his clothes" Naruto grinned sheepishly "I thought maybe … it would do the same and make you go commando!"
Yup, she guessed it right! It was definitely perverted!
"GET OUT!"
"Hey hey! No need to get all hormonal on me, sweet cheeks. A guy can dream, can't he?"
"I SAID GET OUT!"
A softly chuckling Senzaemon slipped out through the door and into the evening chilly air, knowing that Totsuki Academy would never be the same again. Not with Naruto around!
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Opening Ceremony
"And now, we will have our ceremonial address" Urara Kawashima announced and pointed to the other side of the podium "Master Senzaemon Nakiri"
Senzaemon gracefully walked up to the podium and skimmed his gaze over the visibly nervous students. He could see a variety of emotions on the faces of the students, fear being the dominant one. He wasn't that scary, was he? Of course not!
"I welcome you. You have reached the High School Division, congratulations!"
His eyebrows twitched in annoyance when the students gave him surprised looks as if he had said that they all passed the upcoming exams without any effort at all. It's not like he didn't congratulated his students when they passed. It wasn't his fault that his face was scary!
"For three years, you have learned the basics of food preparation while attending our middle school division. You have furthered your knowledge of ingredients, you have undertaken numerous drills in which you had to prepare dishes, you have heard a wide variety of lectures such as cooking theory, nutrition, public health and cultivation. But now as you stand at the precipice of the rest of your cooking lives, you will be facing challenges, not only just techniques or knowledge but your resolve to see if you can live as a professional chef"
Visibly narrowing his eyes, the old Director raised his index finger and moved it over the nervous crowd "And that my young children, means that 99% of you will sacrifice yourselves to unveil those who will move on…"
Standing amidst the anxious crowd, was a bored Naruto who was doing something productive instead of listening to an old man go on and on above sacrifices and what not. That productive activity was … flirting with a girl.
Said girl was blushing so furiously that the blond teen could see steam coming out of her ears like a steam engine. He had to admit she was a beautiful one. Purple hair cascaded down her back like a purple waterfall, beautiful violet gem-like eyes shined in her eye sockets and a gentle expression on her face.
Even though she was probably around the tender age of 15 to 16, she had a body that could rival the Kunoichi of his time. Curves in all the right places and exceptionally busty for her age. Ryoko Sakaki was her name, if he heard right.
Apparently she was staying in the same dormitory he was assigned to as well. Polar Star Dorm, a dormitory dedicated to those students whose homes were far away from the academy.
"C-can you please stop doing that, everyone is watching!" Ryoko stuttered, her cheeks burning from embarrassment as she tried to remove Naruto's muscular hand from around her shoulders and ignore the glaring looks from the rest of the girls.
She was not going to deny it; the teen was quite handsome and charismatic. She would have loved to get to know him better. He was surprisingly well muscled and tall, the traits she liked in a man. He was gentle, straightforward and above all strikingly charming.
But at the moment, his arm nonchalantly draped over her shoulders, the murderous stares from some of the girls, jealous glares from the male students and her friend Yoshino Yuki's gaping expression was too much to bear.
A simple arm slung over her shoulder wouldn't have been much of a problem, but he was holding her tight to his muscular chest and tenderly rubbing her arm, all the while smiling a heartwarming smile! It was too much!
"You don't like it?" Naruto asked with a cute pout.
The purple haired beauty shook her, her cheeks tinged red from embarrassment as she lowered her head "N-no, that's not it…"
The blond Balance Keeper grinned at the cute girl and gave her a sideway hug, earning a surprised yelp from the first year student "Aww you are so cute!"
Despite her embarrassment at Naruto's insistence to continuously call her cute, she couldn't help but sweat drop when she felt the murderous glares intensify ten folds. Sure, the handsome blond was showering her with his undivided attention and all but it's not like she was forcing him to do so!
The glares from the female students were so murderous that they were literally drilling a hole through her head. They looked like she was trying to steal their husband!
Lightly reducing the force of his hug, Naruto turned his attention to the stage just in time to see Soma walk up the podium and stand in front of the microphone. Guess his fellow transfer student was about to commence with his introduction.
"So… umm… my name is Soma Yukihira and to be honest, it's an honor to attend this school as a stepping stone in my career. Let me put it simply…" Soma declared with a nonchalant smile "I don't plan on losing to a bunch of chef-wannabes who have never stood in front of a customer before"
"That's my boy!" Naruto shouted loudly, gaining the attention of the crowd, as he pumped his fist into the air and give Soma a 'thumbs up' for good measures. Feeling the stares of his fellow students, Naruto turned around and flipped them the bird, prompting some of the more …sensitive students to glare even harder.
Ryoko on the other hand, being a socially withdrawn and slightly timid girl, tried to hide behind Naruto's muscular arm as said blond's shout gained the attention of the already enraged crowd. He was handsome and all, but the guy really needed to work on his people skills!
Gaining some semblance of courage from his fellow transfer student's outburst, Soma grinned in appreciation and dropped the last bomb "Anyway, since I am here and all, I might as well take the first place!"
"HUH!?"
"OH YEAH!?"
"YOU THINK SO, PUNK!?"
Walking from the stage, Soma ignored the enraged shouts and death threats, nonchalantly sidestepping a few thrown bottles as he walked off to his previous spot, not the least bit phased by the glares.
"He just had to ruin it, didn't he?" Naruto announced with face-palm.
"Now, we have another transfer student, Naruto Uzumaki"
Ryoko could feel her head boiling up from embarrassment as she felt a pair of wet lips on her left cheek as Naruto leaned in to her ear, hot specks of air tickling her delicate flesh "See ya later, my cute purple princess"
The blond teen walked up to the podium with a wide grin, leaving a furiously blushing Ryoko to deal with her gaping friend who was shaking her like a madwoman and demanding answers. Walking through the crowd of students, Naruto smirked triumphantly when they parted away to make a route for him up to the stage.
His tall height and muscular body mass always came in handy!
Reaching the stage, the blond Balance Keeper tapped the small microphone a few times and took a deep breath "IS THIS DAMN THING WORKING PROPERLY?"
The gathered crowd grabbed their ears in pain as the loud yell reverberated through the school yard, causing an instant and obviously enraged response from the student body.
A confused Ryoko looked around the crowd, wondering why everyone was clutching their ears in pain and cursing Naruto. It was a simple question and the voice wasn't loud. It was uttered normally.
Surprisingly, even her friend, Yoshino was also wondering the same thing.
A sheepishly grinning Naruto scratched the back of his head. He had purposely prevented Ryoko and her friend from hearing the loud shout "Sorry guys and gals, you were looking at me like a bunch of morons ready to collapse from lack of sleep. I had to wake you up somehow"
"JUST GET ON WITH IT!" the crowd, except Ryoko and Yoshino, shouted in unison.
Pleased with their reaction, Naruto dramatically coughed into hand and looked around the students, playfully winking at a blushing Ryoko in the process "As you morons may have heard, my name is Naruto Uzumaki, but you can call me daddy!"
"WHAT!?"
"Just kidding, sheesh!" Naruto muttered as he rubbed his aching ears "Anyway, just like cherry head over there so arrogantly proclaimed his intentions, I am gonna do the same, except not so politely. A special shout out to cherry head, if you are aiming for the top spot, what do you think I am gonna be doing, selling tacos?"
"STOP CALLING ME CHERRY HEAD!"
"Ignoring certain hormonal teenagers with no sense of humor…" Naruto stated with a wide grin and blissfully ignored said teenager's glares "I will be taking the top spot and waving at you from there while scratching my balls"
Some of the more shy students could feel their cheeks burning from hearing his crude word while the others resorted to glaring daggers at the disrespectful blond.
"You have some weird tastes in men, Ryoko" Yoshino deadpanned while said purple haired girl face-palmed.
"Anyway, if anyone has a problem with that announcement, feel free to meet me face to face but do remember to bring a cup of ramen with you, otherwise your complaints will be gleefully ignored"
With his introduction done, Naruto sent one last playful wink at Ryoko and walked away with an extra spring to his steps, cheerfully disregarding the curse, profanities and threats of death thrown at him.
Man that felt good! He really should do that again!
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I hope you enjoyed it! I put considerable effort into writing this chapter and making it as entertaining as possible. Kindly leave me some feedback and express your thoughts! Even if you don't have an account, simply leave a guest review!