Christmas Generosity

IGO HQ...

'...this is...A LOT!' Mansam freaked out as Naruko unsealed enough Jotei Konayuki grains to fill a large room by sacks.

'Meh, there's more where that came from! I need the IGO to make them wholewheat flour for use.' said Naruko. 'We're going to poor countries right? This will help with malnutrition if I make them thin noodles! I also took a lot of medicinal ingredients from LIFE.'

'Oho! Good idea! Let's make them into Somen and Hiyamugi noodles right away!' said Mansam eagerly. 'Though I hear the hospitals are full of patients...'

'The morons did NOT listen to warnings. At all. Serve them right!' Naruko huffed.

Jotei Konayuki.

Sure it looks like wheat. But from roots to berries, its so blindingly beautifully white. But what is strange about it is that below the berries, like the Surprise Apple, it has a growth resembling a crowned head with a face on it but a face of a sleeping beautiful regal female. Hence the Empress part. And it sleeps.

For all its difficulty to get, its shockingly, NOT a Super-Special Preparation Ingredient to cook.

What's difficult is getting it. Where the Super-Special Preparation part is.

Getting past CLVL 70-80 monsters aside, you have to be fast with your knife in stripping the stalk off of their berries cleanly without it being aware of being stripped so one canNOT touch the stalk while stripping the berries. If pulled out of the ground, the plant will instantly rot. The speed required, is 0.25 seconds. A fourth of a second. Any slower, the 'head' will wake up and become poisonous by turning sickly green! As a result, its CLVL is 99. Not many Bishokuya can do it.

But after harvest, its very easy to use. But it contains so much nutrition that overeating it beyond the human body can handle requires constant doctor watch as the body could not deal with overdosing on the good stuff.

'Yare yare, due to that, its an ingredient to be sold for a week once a year.' Mansam scratched his head.

'Aa. Overdosing is dangerous to fatal after all.'

'We had that discussed with scientists and many important people in the media and other people from the industry.' said Mansam. 'There's now a strict rule that it will only be sold to Hospitals from now on but even then supply should be limited as patients are allowed consumption for six days only. One kg alone whether grain or flour is 2.5 million yen.'

'PRICY!'

'Yes, and its sale to Bishokuya will be strictly watched over as well. You sure found one troublesome ingredient.'

'Ah, shaddap.'

And so...

'Well Naruko, your assignment is Jidar Kingdom, Nerg City.' said Mansam. 'I heard you guys got a good contact there so the needed people are gathered.'

'Got it.'

'The others won't be here yet, they're in Honey Prison for a job so you go first.' said Mansam. 'I'll have Rikky take you there with the supplies. Rikky will then rush home since I gotta go too with the others.'

'Alright.'

xxx

Hours later, Nerg City...

'Contact, Contact...' Naruko frowned as she looked around after taking her giant scrolls off of Rikky.

'Naruko-san!'

'Huh?' she turned to see one of Match's men. What's his name again?

'This way!' so she followed him. 'Hyaa, we're surprised to get a call from IGO...and its not easy looking for people who truly need food, not drugs for christmas!'

She was led to an abandoned underground area that was dimly lit, and loads and loads of poor people.

'Naruko! Welcome!' Match greeted. 'Everyone's ready!'

'Alright, time for a Christmas Medicinal Cookout!' Naruko grinned as before her, is a massive kitchen. 'You guys eat too, I have enough for millions of people!'

'OOOH?!'

'This is going to be good...' Match grinned. 'The World's Top#16 Chef and high-class medicinal dishes, all for free for everyone!' he exclaimed as this caused an excited, eager uproar. 'Seal the gates to keep this operation a secret! The smell will attract unwanted outsiders!' he ordered the whole gang.

'Yes boss!' the underlings quickly sealed the gates.

Naruko then created several clones of herself to hurry the cooking process for massive amounts of people.

She cooked three different kinds of Noodle Dishes every day to even out nutritional benefits.

The last to eat, were the Gourmet Yakuza since they were the ones distributing food while Naruko rests from cooking.

On the final day, she gave them a round, yellow thing.

'What is this?' Match asked her. Its the size of a jumbo jawbreaker

'Its a recipe of mine, designed to force the human body to speed up health development by consuming the nutrients consumed and digested. The effects will be a healed body. But after that, you all will be very hungry so I have to cook one last meal before I go home. You can eat it WHEN I'm done cooking.'

'Heee...so its a medicine for rapid healing...' Match mused, observing the perfectly-round, shiny yellow thing that is also squishy. Like hard jelly.

'Yes but when studied, the IGO forbade public sale of this.' said Naruko seriously. 'Even in hospitals, this invention of mine will be strictly regulated...because if this went public, many doctors will lose their jobs and they know who to lynch for it: me.' Naruko deadpanned as the Yakuza balked. 'Not only that, people will take to DIY treatment, going reckless on themselves causing Health Disasters if this isn't used properly.'

'I can easily see why...'

xxx

In other areas, massive medicinal cookouts are also done.

Since they have the recipe, even the Four Kings could cook it. Thus the places they've been to, recovered well in health upon consumption of Naruko's Golden Rejuvenative Pill.

It was a long Christmas that lasted several days as they have to be in every poor city that desperately needed food.

Medicinal Noodle Dishes aside, they also got desserts.

Upon having a long Cookout, they returned to their normal routines.

Because Naruko now has a lot of free time...she could train more.

She happened upon Shokurin Temple...after it was wrecked. It appeared before her as she appreciates food but...it looked like a warzone.

'Geh...what happened here...so much for staying over.' she sweatdropped.

Sighing, she came to get some Bubble Fruit and be on her way. She hasn't have one yet. She just heard of it from Komatsu.

Upon obtaining some to cook it, she felt herself evolve again, and felt a sensation...as well as somehow gaining knowledge of a technique...Food Immersion. "They're not joking!" she thought as her hair grew longer.

Not only that...

Her perpetual petite teenaged body that she works so hard to maintain by being strict on herself...developed to adulthood and her hair got thicker. As if she got more hairs on her head. Her clothes ripped apart as had her shoes at the seams, so she made temporary repairs on her clothes with ice, but nothing can be done about her boots. '...sigh...so much for staying physically young as a precaution...' she sulked. 'My body caught up to my real age now.'

She was working hard that despite being an adult, worked hard to physically STAY 18.

It was in the case she somehow found a way home and time didn't pass, she could blend in and play pretend even if she's older than her friends now.

But now...that's impossible. She's now only a couple years younger than the Jounin-senseis now...

She sharply turned to see a white-and-red GT Robo. Its the guy from before. She noticed someone incoming so she quickly turned.

'For someone who just evolved, you're not too happy about it.'

'Are you here to wreck this place?' Naruko asked, ready to fight immediately. 'I'm really upset right now.'

'Its already wrecked, what's the point? I'm here for the Bubble Fruit.'

'Good luck with that, its hard to get for someone who doesn't respect food.' Naruko snorted, her foul mood going away so she turned to leave. 'Ah~, I can't even spend the night here since its wrecked. No hotel for miles and a stupid beast destroyed my tent...I might have to sleep in the wild now...' and she blocked an attack with her hand. 'Hm? The material improved...but still black-guy...' she crushed the fist. 'I told you...fight me personally. Cheap is still cheap.'

'Yare yare...still cheap and this is material from a powerful beast...' he scratched his head.

'Yup, cheap. Maybe if you keep relying on cheap toys like this just to fight me...you're clearly not worth fighting.' said Naruko boredly as she left. 'See ya.'

She had no idea what effect it had on him.

If he pissed off Toriko...

...she pissed HIM off.

In the Bishokukai Quarters...he emitted sheer amount of anger EVERYBODY could feel it and the flying Scum Beasts took to hiding.

'...somebody's in a foul mood...' Midora commented, amused. 'Starjun, eh?'

'What on earth angered him?' his Garcon, Alfaro shuddered.

'Who knows...maybe finally, he'll take things seriously.' Midora smirked. 'Let's watch how things go.'

"I'm not worth it...?"

In an angry frenzy, he attacked her but she simply looked bored as she destroyed the robot with a punch.

Considering he has the pain settings maxed, he felt her punch.

She's strong but if she wants a personal meeting, so be it! He'll give it all he's got!

xxx

Hotel Gourmet...days later...

'Uwaaa Naruko-san, you've become more adult!' Komatsu exclaimed, eyes popping out as Naruko who looked like a teenager, now appeared her actual age. And more womanly, taller by three heads she's now a head shorter than Sani.

That, and her hair is now thicker by normal standards he swore she's channeling Sani, only, her hair is straighter.

'But what's with the hair?'

'Well, the Bubble Fruit made me go full adult, my body unable to hold back my power anymore and made my hair grow new strands I ended up having really thick hair I have to get half of it cut off or it'll look wild like Sani's.' said Naruko. 'Its such a pain no wonder he has big neck muscles...all that hair is heavy!' she shuddered. 'I'll visit a parlor after this, I don't want big neck muscles, I'm a girl...' she told him glumly as Komatsu has an imagine spot of his third friend having a big neck...he shuddered. 'I'll sulk here for now before I update my Gourmet ID.'

'Hai hai, I'll whip you a good cheer-up menu.' Komatsu promised her. 'You wanted to stay physically young for a good reason after all...but now, since you ate constantly high-class ingredients and got stronger...the Bubble Fruit is the last straw...'

'Yeah. It awakened my power a step away to full form...something tells me there's more in the human world before we can go to Gourmet World to further get stronger.' said Naruko. 'The Bubble Fruit is the second-strongest ingredient. The strongest so far is Jotei Konayuki. So, has anyone gotten stronger?'

'Yes! Toriko-san and Sani-san really amazed me back at Mors Mountain!' Komatsu cried giddily.

'Ah, conquered Death Falls?'

'Yes! We barely survived though.' Komatsu said sheepishly. 'But its worth it! Have you been there before?'

'Not yet...Death Falls was too much for me I went to train...I was gonna try my luck soon after eating the Bubble Fruit.'

'N-no way...not even you could overpower Death Falls?' Komatsu squeaked weakly.

'Yeah. I'm a better fighter but that doesn't mean I'm stronger.' Naruko snorted. 'Quality over quantity is my aim. I worked on my skills for years, I should up my strength next...by the way, they got a new brand of GT Robo. Its made of stronger material than what you guys put up with. By the way, how are your swimming skills?'

'Eh? Well, just normal, why?'

'That's no good...I'm taking you out to train on swimming for two weeks until you master this swimming technique.' Naruko face-palmed. 'I'm hearing rumors so you really need to learn how to swim. How about a bike?'

'I know how to ride a bike!'

'Good. Swimming is our only problem then...and there's a nice river near my house, you can train there. By the way, my food...'

'I almost forgot!' Komatsu ran back to the kitchen.

After being served a Full Course Meal that costs millions of yen...but for Naruko, the meals are free since she brings them high-quality ingredients every autumn to the end of winter for free, enabling Hotel Gourmet to charge more for meals in the restaurant...and for many paychecks to go up. So she has the privilege of Free Meals card.

Not even Toriko could get free meals from Hotel Gourmet. Then again, he has an unlimited Debit Card...

'Er, Naruko-sama, do I have anything to worry about?' Manager Smith asked her because his chef is going on Vacation. Again.

Naruko had to whisper things to his ears, and she clamped his mouth shut with ice before he could scream, giving it away.

He quickly consented to the Filed Leave again.

'Well, ever since he became a Combo with Toriko, this is a natural course. Komatsu grows up and matures as a chef and through Toriko, meets people and sees and experiences things that makes his skills grow as a chef...to the point that he recreated an Extinct Ingredient so he's a rare exception to individuals worth a lot of Vacation Leaves...if Komatsu never met Toriko and other hi-profiles linked to Toriko...he'd remain mediocre forever, unaware of his full potential as chef.'

That was one thing everyone was painfully aware about, Manager Smith thought.

Hotel Gourmet was originally a three-ranked star Hotel when he came. But Komatsu made it rise to five stars in just three years when he got some high quality ingredients out of luck and served it on a usual surprise check-up by G7. Then another star with the Century Soup that earned him high respect of the Gourmet Living Legend Setsuno and the Maiden of the Deep Naruko as well as that of the three of the Four Kings and the Yakuza. With his connections, Hotel Gourmet would flourish.

They had no idea how far he could go if he keeps going out and now the old manager heard something big from the blonde who wanted Komatsu to have a Training Vacation...

xxx

In just half hour, the entire meal is served.

'Heee...its this fast now since learning Food Honor eh?' Naruko chimed as she got her food in normal time...for chefs of her caliber and better than her that is!

'I'm surprised too.' said Komatsu with a beaming smile. 'But at least everyone gets their food quicker!'

'Sou ne...meet me at my house tomorrow, the earliest you can be and pack for two weeks' stay. Toriko will know where my house is.'

'OK!'