I am mentally tired from everything these days…
But after three years… welcome back to Le Fox Den.
Special thanks to Lucius Walker for co-writing and NorthSouthGorem for the beta.
Merry Christmas everyone.
[Le Fox Den]
Naruto enjoyed the art of fuinjutsu. While he was satisfied with the skills that he had, one of the first things Kushina did once she was resurrected was to hammer every aspect of the Fuinjutsu arts into his skull. Naruto barely made time for it until Kushina applied the practice with cooking, renewing the blond's interest. Once applied in a way relevant to his interests, it was much easier to pick it up, and soon, Naruto had been convinced that fuinjutsu was useful in all situations. As such, he had placed a seal near his table that prevented any negative emotions from leaking out to the other patrons who were enraptured with the Shokugeki.
As for Naruto right now, he was grinning at the aura of nervousness coming from his guest, Edwin Black, followed by concern from his Dark Knight Ingrid and confusion from his subordinate Oboro. It was due to the beautifully dressed Ootsutsuki Kaguya joining their table, all business as she stared down Black.
"U-Um," their server, Igawa Sakura, slowly shuffled in from the side, looking baffled by the new developments. "Do you need anything, Ootsutsuki-san?"
"I told you all, it's Kaguya," Kaguya replied sternly. "And yes, one large slice of carrot cake, on the double."
"Right away!" Sakura squeaked before zooming away.
Those who worked at Le Fox Den knew of Kaguya, who took on the role of Kushina's grandmother, much to the latter's chagrin. She didn't exactly have an official role in the restaurant, but she just started going from table to table, looking for interesting people to converse with. It was mostly out of boredom, but she aimed to learn about how the world had changed in the eyes of humans outside of watching television.
That and watching the international news constantly increases her urges to go to a random hostile country and put a hole in it, Master-Servant Contract Seal be damned. Lucky, interesting anime series such as Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere and Beyond the Boundary captured her curiosity. Of course, Naruto had to make sure she drew the line lest she became a NEET, weeb, otaku, or whatever the kids call it these days.
As for Black, he cleared his throat and straightened himself up. "Well, Lady Kaguya, it has been quite…some time. It seems rumors of your demise have been greatly exaggerated, so I'm glad to see you in good health."
Kaguya smiled sweetly. "Well, aren't you the gentleman, caring about my well-being when you were clearly interested in my other assets?" she drawled, folding her arms and causing her bust to bounce. "No matter."
"Black-sama, who is this woman?" Ingrid inquired, gazing nervously at the Ootsutsuki woman.
"Ootsutsuki Kaguya, a woman I wanted as my wife many years ago. But as you can see, it never came to be. It is a shame, because I would've helped you in your plan to subjugate the entire world and prevent you from being sealed away," Black said in a backhanded way.
"I never wanted your help anyway, and if what I'm hearing about you is true, you haven't changed one bit," Kaguya noted with narrowed eyes. "But yes, this child, Uzumaki Naruto, is my descendant, and as much as I hate to admit it, I'm proud of him for standing his ground against the likes of you."
"Love you too, Baachan," Naruto replied brightly, making her gain a tick mark of annoyance.
"It would seem that I underestimated you, Uzumaki-shonen. Here I thought you were some two-bit shinobi out of his depth, but you're more than that. But I must ask," Black slightly leaned forward. "How did you bring such a powerful woman back?"
Naruto shook his head. "I didn't. It just sort of happened, and-"
"And that's all you're getting." Kaguya finished for him, just as Sakura came back with her carrot cake. "Ah, thank you. Now run along before I have to turn this woman into a bloody smear on the walls for her lack of conduct."
Kaguya glared at Oboro, who was noisily eating her leg of lamb while staring at Sakura with manic eyes. As Sakura curried away, all four table occupants glared at Oboro, who shrank in fright under her gazes.
"Ya know what? Let's defuse and watch the Shokugeki. They're almost done. Then we can finish our conversation." Naruto deadpanned before turning his attention back to the cooking battle.
Chapter 05 - The Line in the Sand
[Shokugeki Battle Fantasy]
"Hah, hah, hah…"
"Heh, heh, heh…"
Gamsei and Asahi were huffing and panting as they were hunched over, sweat pouring from their brows. But while Gamsei had a neutral expression on his face, Asahi bore a look of frustration. He had thrown every single tool at him, including a literal kitchen sink, yet Gamsei persisted with that plain old kitchen knife and his steel wirings controlled by his fingers.
"Ah, that luck of yours, is gonna end sooner or later. Not that it matters," Asahi grunted and stood up, brushing himself up. "This battle is almost over, and soon I shall be declared the victor."
"My father always said to never count your chickens before they hatch, along with the usual non-personal insults and whatnot," Gamsei scoffed, his hands on his knees.
"Keep up that false hope. I look forward to seeing Gordon Ramsey's face warped with disappointment when you lose. How you ended up on his doorstep I'll never know." Asahi noted before turning away to the castle. "Now you stay here and bleed. I have judges to serve with my perfect dish."
Gamsei shook his head as Asahi entered the castle. "And that is why you'll fail…" He straightened himself up as he eyed the many tools that Azami used. "You abandoned them when they had no more use for you, all for this moment."
He eyed one in particular and smirked.
[The Shokugeki]
"As expected, Asahi finished his dish first, and Gamsei's still putting the finishing touches on his." Senzaemon mumbled as the pale chef pulled his dish from the table and made his way toward the panel of judges.
Asahi's dish consisted of BBQ Drumsticks with Edamame Succotash, sweet succulent shrimp with zesty Creole spices, and bacon and cheese cornbread salad.
"But I can see it. Asahi's weakness is there, yet no one capitalized on it in the previous games. Can Gamsei pull off the imposs- wait…"
Gamsei was looking at the back of Asahi with a winning smirk while holding a kitchen knife that was actually a BF CHAINSAW.
"Can it be? Did Gamsei purposely let Asahi go first?" Senzaemon muttered to himself. "It can be a risk, but…"
"You might as well stop cooking, Warden Gamsei. It's your last chance to save yourself the embarrassment." Asahi called over to him, but the taunt went ignored as Gamsei revved the chainsaw and went to work. "Fine, then. Your funeral. That knife won't help you by the way." He set his plate in front of the judge. "Enjoy, my esteemed judges."
(Outside)
Meanwhile, Asagi frowned as she glared at Edwin, completely ignoring the Shokugeki in progress.
As usual, the King of Demons was digging his fingers into where it didn't belong, trying to get his hands on what he wanted and polluting the rest of the garden in doing so.
In other words, he was trying to figure out whether or not Naruto would be on his side. While she wasn't worried about him taking his side (at least not willingly, judging by his character), she grew worried at what lengths he'd go to try to get him under his thumb. Her concern grew even higher when that strange woman walked in, but was surprised and amused when she actually managed to make Black pale.
Great. Another mystery for her to solve.
Still, even if he feared/respected Naruto and the woman, she knew that he had plenty of others he was close to or was connected to that he could definitely target should the blond chef displease him.
This was bad. Really bad. Worst case scenario, Naruto bowed to him, and judging by how strong he was, he could easily become a formidable enemy for them. Best best-case scenario (and probably the least realistic), Edwin would leave them alone, and he could go back to fighting her and her group alone.
["Asagi! Heads up!"]
Her eyes widened, and she spun around.
*PLINK! PLINK! PLINK!*
In one swift move, Asagi unsheathed her sword and deflected hails of bullets that nearly struck her back. Growling, she spotted an orc with a machine gun.
She ducked and moved to cover as more bullets flew by in relative silence.
Asagi gritted her teeth as she took a deep breath. Silenced or not, she was beyond firearms. This was just a warmup. With a grin, she leaped out of cover.
[Security Room]
But the suppressed shots did not go unnoticed.
"Bingo! Figured that they would try something like this! Kin, Tayuya, Karin, you got action in the parking structure!" Anko called over the comm. "Since they're the ones causing the disturbance, help that Taimanin and kill those orcs!"
["Roger that!"]
(With Naruto)
["Naruto, that Asagi chick is being attacked by orcs in the upper floors of the parking lot."] Anko called him through the communication seal under his ear. ["Seems that Black didn't come alone after all. I've sent the Sound girls to intercept."]
Naruto scowled at that as he watched the judges judge Azami's dish. "So what was your plan here, Black-san? If I told you to piss off, would you have your orcs storm my restaurant?"
Black frowned. "What are you accusing me of? I assure you that Ingrid and Oboro are the only ones I've brought with me."
His tone sounded perfectly confused, but Naruto was unconvinced. "I think my security team outside is saying otherwise. Right now, they're defending Asagi-san, who's been spying on me for a while. I don't mind unexpected guests, honestly, so long as they play nice in my abode."
"Impossible. It should be just us. Even my own subordinates know not to disobey me-" Black started to say, but paused when a thought crossed his mind. He looked at Ingrid, who was looking equally confused and concerned. He then looked at Oboro, who was interested in the Shokugeki all of a sudden while sloppily drinking some water. "Hmm…"
"...I suppose that answers that question," Naruto sighed and tilted his head, looking at him with one eye closed. "Alright, I'll overlook it just this once, since I can see this isn't technically your fault. But please do try to keep a tighter leash on her. It's bad for business to have blood spilled on our front door."
Oboro's hand was shaking badly now as she hurryingly downed her glass.
"Is that normal?" Ingrid suddenly spoke up, nodding her head to the judge. "They seem to be in a state of extreme euphoria from just one bite of that dish."
"Of course, my dear. It's not just from using the best ingredients, but it also comes from the passion of the chef. Like any other physical battle, a Shokugeki is a battle between the souls of the chefs. We fight with our knowledge, experience, and ingenuity. In other words, it's just another Tuesday," Naruto explained with a smirk, but it slightly fell when the judges clearly loved what Asahi served.
He outright ignored the male judges as the women had an obvious orgasm. Whether literally or figuratively, he didn't know, nor did he want to dive into it at the moment.
"...Those sorts of expressions aren't something I see when food is involved," Black observed.
"..." Naruto didn't say anything, but his face grimaced as he understood the implications of that innocent phrase.
"I had no idea that simple things such as food could give rise such...primal feelings," Black continued. "I thought that only certain actions could do so."
"If we're referring to animals, then that statement is understandable. However, humans have evolved, grown after eating the forbidden fruit, and have experienced and learned life beyond the primal needs." Naruto said and sweatdropped at his own words. "Or so I've heard."
"Perhaps, but no matter how evolved humans are, they are still animals deep down."
"...Maybe," Naruto slowly agreed. "But they are still people in the end, who desire more than the simplest things in life."
"The boy there is acting as if he already won," Kaguya noted, before gazing at Gamsei. "And your partner has only now finished his dish."
"I have complete faith in him. Would you believe it that we started out as rivals who elevated each other?" Naruto said reassuringly. "Not because he was trained by Gordon Ramsey, but he has the makings of a great Chef-nin like myself."
"Interesting. It's a shame that you had to be a shinobi, close to being a Taimanin," Ingrid commented, a look of pity on her face. "If not for that little mishap, perhaps you would be free to run your restaurant without incident."
"Maybe, but this timeline is proving to be quite an interesting one," Naruto retorted with a smile. "Besides, it's not all bad. You and Black so far have been quite pleasant company."
"Oh you haven't seen the half of it," Kaguya chuckled with her fork in her mouth.
Black scowled at the two taking the piss out of him at his expense. "I advise you to inform your descendant that it is unwise to cross me."
"Cross you?" Naruto looked at Black. "I'm simply complimenting your and Ingrid's manners. All things considered, it's actually quite a miracle we haven't gone to war, considering the… incidents that have been going on."
His hand waved carelessly at the entrance of his establishment, where the orcs had rudely barged in in pursuit of their prey the other night.
"I mean, sure, we're both surrounded by friends and foes, but if we're being honest here, it's more of a Cold War scenario that, if we're being honest, none of us asked for," Naruto shrugged. "Our actions might've summoned them here, but ultimately, we're just here to have a friendly conversation, have a nice meal, and enjoy a show."
"Speaking of, looks like your friend is up–" Ingrid started to say before shivering when the scent from Gamsei's dish hit her nose. "Hm? What is this?! I can practically taste that dish with my nose! How?!"
"It's quite amazing just what the five senses can offer," Naruto replied as if he were a school teacher. "You'll be quite surprised to know that scent actually has a huge factor in enjoying the taste of food. In this case, the nose can detect the perfect mixture of food, spices, and effort long before the tongue can."
"Fascinating," Edwin hummed. "While the knowledge isn't new to me, to see it in action is quite something else."
"It shows that Gamsei isn't holding back. Also…" Naruto smirked as he eyed a chainsaw near Gamsei's station. "That fool should really watch where he throws away his tools. It's free real estate otherwise…"
[Garage]
Asagi ran sideways, jumping and weaving over the hail of bullets. Those that came close to landing were deflected by her katana. When the bullet storm ended, she charged forward, sword in hand. She was in range when they finished reloading and promptly slashed their guns into scrap. The orcs growled at that and reached out to grab her, but she evaded by twisting her body before unleashing a split kick that snapped both their necks.
As she landed, she saw a third orc calling for reinforcements, and quickly silenced him with a shuriken to the throat, making him choke on his own blood.
"Dammit…" she muttered, pulling up her mask just as more orcs started storming around the corners.
Upon seeing the sexy Anti-Demon Ninja, the orcs whooped and hollered, making no effort to hide their growing boners as they charged at her.
Asagi readied herself before clashing, whipping her blade out, and cutting down the orcs before her. She didn't stop as she slipped through their grasps and countered with one-or-two slashes, felling them quickly. Her eyes took in every detail and movement from the orcs before taking action, as she did not want to be caught slipping. One screw-up would mean capture, followed by rape and more body modifications that she was still recovering from to this day.
Which was why she was starting to struggle.
After her months-long incarceration at the hands of Oboro (who was supposed to be dead), Asagi was constantly sore in her pelvis area and her hand-to-eye coordination was severely compromised, among other things. She was only able to operate at 85% capacity and fight for 15 minutes. Anymore, and she'll start experiencing some unpleasant…side-effects.
'Why are there so many of these fucking orcs?!' she wondered as she continued to dodge and counter while quickly ducking under gunfire. 'I can't keep this up for long!' she thought as the bullets started to graze her, spattering blood on the ground.
One orc went for an overhead blow from behind with his mace, but Asagi managed to lift her sword up and block the blow. However, it left her open as an orc leap forward and swung his club at her, blasting her to the stomach. Asagi gasped as she coughed up blood, breaking her guard as the mace smashed her shoulder. She then cried out as she was riddled with a few bullets, which mainly targeted her shoulder, side and thighs, making her crumple to the ground in a heap.
"Man, waiting around for Mistress Oboro was so boring until you were spotted!" the head orc chuckled as he and his fellow orcs loomed over her. "We got time for some appetizers until the main course in that restaurant, eh?!"
Asagi cried out as the orcs started clawing away at her suits with whoops and jeers. Just as Asagi closed her eyes to accept her fate, a melody started playing throughout the area, causing them to pause. The orcs looked at each other in confusion and turned to see a trio of young women walking towards them.
The first of the trio was Uzumaki Tayuya, whose pinkish-red hair flickered like fire in the wind. A black bandana around her head, her brown eyes and her fair skin seemed to glow in the moonlight alongside her hair. Wearing casually, she sported a white and silver Metallica t-shirt, a black collared blazer with red lining, torn blue jeans, and black ninja shoes – all which did nothing to conceal her modest bust and her plump ass. Her slender, delicate fingers moved up and down a long flute, answering their silent question.
The second young woman was Tsuchi Kin, whose long, beautiful black hair flowed in the wind. It reached down to her knees and was tied with a violet ribbon at the end. She had dark, black eyes, fair skin with a slender figure, and had a slightly bigger bust size than her redheaded friend. She wore a sleeveless gray camo top with a deep V-cut that revealed her cleavage, completed by green camo pants with a miniskirt and black ninja shoes. She was casually twirling a senbon in her hand, its razor-sharp tip nearly grazing her own hand.
And finally there was Uzumaki Karin, whose bright red hair glowed like fire in the moonlight, with the left side of her head shaved. Her eyes matched her hair, and her fair skin and body matching the other girls'. She wore a black bra top with a hoodie jacket over it, black slacks with an oversized red belt, and black ninja shoes. Her hand glowed as chakra enveloped them as she cracked her knuckles.
"Whoo, who are these tarts?" the lead orc asked as his boys licked their lips, their discharge staining their bottomwear. "I didn't know they served seconds!"
The music stopped as Tayuya gave him the stink-eye. "Thanks, now we won't feel bad about killing you fuckers. Time to do our thing, you two," she said dryly before beginning to build up chakra.
"Right," Kin nodded and produced some more senbons between her fingers. "We'll leave the Taimanin to you, Karin."
Karin adjusted her glasses. "Way ahead of you."
"Looks like my men won't be bored while I ravish…the…huh?" the leader groaned as his vision became blurry and swirly. He wasn't the only one, as his men suddenly became unbalanced and unable to stand properly. "What the- How are you-?"
Karin suddenly charged forward, her chakra-coated hands sliding along the ground. When she skidded to a halt next to the downed Asagi, she spun on her heel, delivering deep slices to the orcs' bodies and knocking them back. Several orcs collapsed, while the survivors held their wounds, glaring at her.
"Kin, if you would?" Karin requested while tending to Asagi.
The orcs suddenly felt a series of little pricks on their bodies. Looking down, they caught sight of a bunch of senbon with wires that were jabbed into their muscular bodies, with Kin on the other end and some bells in the middle. With a grin, Kin flicked her wrists, tugging the strings to make the bells ring. The sounds further deteriorated the orcs' hearing and vision, rendering them immobile, their weapons slipping from their hands to clatter to the ground.
But just as all hope seemed lost for the orcs, another group of their kind charged in, hiding from another floor. The two revived Sound girls looked at each other for a moment before they nodded. Tayuya licked her lips and flipped a hidden knife out of her flute, while Kin charged towards the other orcs surrounding them.
"Die, cocksuckers!" Tayuya screamed maniacally as she readied her weapon.
The newly arrived orcs were unable to get a shot off as Tayuya zipped into their blindspots and lashed out at them. She twirled about, her knife spinning in her hand before slashing a throat out. She leaned back to avoid a clubbing blow from a hammer, flipped her knife into a reverse grip, and stabbed the offending orc in the throat, twisting the blade for good measure. Next, she yanked it out, spun on her heel to avoid gunfire that riddled another orc with bullets, and jammed her blade into the brain of the assailant. Finally, she made some quick hand seals with one hand as the rest of them tried to bumrush her, and yanked her knife out to put the flute to her lips.
"Wind Style: Storming Melody!" she quickly chanted, before blowing into her flute.
The holes of the flute shot out wind chakra that formed a dome of interlocking razor blades around her. The orcs didn't stop their advance, believing that their tough bodies could withstand the technique and allow them to get their dicks into the wannabe Taimanin. But when they slammed into the jutsu, the blades sliced through their bodies like hot knives through butter, turning them into shredded, bloody chunks. The remaining orcs around her gaped in shock as Tayuya flashed through several more hand seals.
"Fire Style: Hellfire Jutsu!" she yelled before vomiting a stream of white-hot fire that melted the orcs around her and finished off the rest. "Now you freaks can get fucked by the devils in Hell!" she spat as she reset her knife into her flute.
Meanwhile, Kin was gleefully putting her new skills into the test, grinning widely at the fresh subject to experiment her new taijutsu on.
While she was revived with Tayuya and calmed down by Karin, she was set to work as one of the servers and hostess of Le Fox Den. In her downtime, she was bored with nothing to do but train and try to advance her meager skillset. It was when she was flipping through channels that she happened upon a movie called Alita: Battle Angel. Boredom turned to fascination as she took in the movie and the fighting style the title character incorporated. After the movie, she looked to borrow money from Naruto to buy all of the sources pertaining to the Battle Angel Alita series to study its fictional fighting style, Panzer Kunst, only to find that it was part of his manga collection, which he let her borrow.
After an all-night binge fest during a weekend, Kin set to work to make Panzer Kunst into a reality using gravity seals, all while combining it into her skill kit. It took a lot of trial and error and lots of days off. While she succeeded in her goal, she had no outlet to put her new skills into use.
Until now.
With her new fighting style Panzer Kunst augmented by her senbon and Sound Jutsu, she struck at the orcs with extreme precision with hard blows, leaving behind a senbon attached with wires with each strike. While she lashed out with a few occasional kick strikes, they didn't leave behind any senbon and wire, but served in keeping the orcs back from Karin as the latter used Healing Jutsu on Asagi. The orcs managed to recover from her initial assault, only to keel over when Kin flicked her bells, the sound growing stronger due to the direct contact with the needles.
"Take this!" she yelled, her chakra spinning widely around her. "Panzer Kunst-ryu: Hertz Haeon!"She punched and kicked the afflicted orcs in the weak points that her senbon had created, creating a chain reaction of exploding flesh that left the orcs without limbs or their hearts. "Yes, success!" she cheered as she witnessed her handiwork. "But…there's more work to be done with this," she noted as she ducked under an orc that tried to grab her in a bear hug, and jammed some wireless senbon beneath her attacker's chin. With a hand sign that channeled her chakra to manipulate sound vibrations, the orc's head exploded.
"And that was the last one…" she murmured and dusted her hands.
"Nice job, Kin. And here Tayuya thought you were wasting your time with that anime," Karin giggled as she continued patching a stunned Asagi up.
"And because of that, I won a bet," Kin said cheekily as Tayuya grumbled at that.
"Laugh it up, you little bitch," Tayuya mumbled under her breath, with Kin blowing a wet raspberry at her.
Asagi was shell-shocked. There she was on the ropes and was about to relieve the nightmares again when all of a sudden these girls came out of nowhere and handled the orcs with the greatest of ease. And they weren't even frightened; it was just a walk in the park for them.
"Stay still, Taimanin Asagi. You're seriously hurt and I need to get these bullets out." Karin chided her and put a gag on her mouth. "Bite."
Asagi took the gag in her mouth before screaming through it as Karin pulled out the bullets. The redhead quickly used her Healing Jutsu to patch up her bullet holes. Asagi released the gag and panted, looking at Karin in wonder. Before she could say anything, she heard a loud squelching sound and saw Kin and Tayuya beheading the corpses of the orcs.
"Wha-What are they doing?"
Karin smirked. "Sending a message."
(With Azami and Gordon Ramsey)
"It would seem that your copycat doesn't amount to anything, Ramsey-san." Azami gloated and sipped some wine. "With his defeat, the path to bring Uzumaki Naruto to heel is clear."
"A cook-off isn't over until the last dish is tasted," Gordon replied and scowled at the pale chef. "I've heard about your ambitions and how you aim to spread it throughout the culinary world. I may not be the first to tell you this, but I'm going to say it anyway: It won't work. You'll be laughed out of many restaurants trying to enforce your ways. Being the headmaster of Totsuki Academy will only get you so far."
"Oh, is that right? You underestimate the influence of Totsuki," Azami said with a smirk.
"And you underestimate the pride of a chef, which makes me think your graduation was a fluke," Gordon countered, bringing a scowl to his opponent's face. "And lest you forget, Totsuki isn't the only culinary school with major influence in the world - not that it has a leg to stand on these days. Tell me…why was it that when you became headmaster, the school's condition started going downhill?" Gordon inquired, being careful not to do this usual cursing in front of his family. "Back when I was there for Warden's graduation, it looked spectacular."
"A minor setback on the road to true gourmet that I envisioned. The ones who left weren't up to snuff." Azami shrugged as they watched the judges taste Warden's dish. "Just you watch, Gordon Ramsey. Soon we chefs won't have to risk our lives in pursuit of innovation."
Gordon looked utterly baffled at that. "You can't be serious. From the beginning of time, all food and cuisine came from innovation. It's how new dishes are created every day. No wonder students are leaving in droves. What you're trying to do isn't possible- no self-respecting chef would allow it to happen."
"They will have no choice."
"And how will you enforce your ways? The world isn't Japan. You'll be laughed out of Europe, and don't get me started on America."
"I have my ways."
"Sounds like naivete to me."
Before Azami could respond, the judges suddenly yelled out as an explosion of flavor wafted around the restaurant.
"What? This is…" Azami muttered with a frown.
"Nakiri Azami, your idea of true gourmet will always be trumped by innovation that comes with the changing times…"
[Shokugeki Battle Fantasy]
"Wha- What is this?!" Asahi exclaimed as he used a shield to protect himself from Gamsei's powerful aura. "This shouldn't be possible! My victory was assured! How?"
"It's quite simple really. While you were playing checkers, I was playing chess," Gamsei replied while moving his fingers, his wires dancing around the area. 'Plus, you were too prideful for your own good, too arrogant. And like any good Shokugeki master, I took advantage,' he admitted to himself before retracting his wires, one dragging a large chainsaw with it, which landed in his hand. 'You're good, but I'm better. Not to mention, Naruto would easily beat you, just like I have.'
"I don't understand! You're just a kid that Gordon Ramsey adopted and taught!"
"And yeah, and you're just a brat with no originality who looked past me," Gamsei growled as his aura grew and enveloped the castle. "You may be the one to conquer the God-Tongue, but Naruto and I are way ahead of you. And you can believe that."
"Warden Gamsei!" Asahi roared in fury as Gamsei's energy shattered his shield and sent him flying out of the castle.
[The Shokugeki]
"No…" Asahi fell onto his knees as the outcome was decided.
"The winner is...Warden Gamsei!"
The audience and the patrons all clapped in unison as the son of Gordon Ramsey held his head up high, letting out a small breath and brushing his hair back with his hand. He nodded his head in satisfaction towards the judges who were still coming off their foodgasm high and smirked at Asahi.
"He who barks loudly usually shows lots of weaknesses. You're good, but damn you talk too much, mate," Gamsei mused as Asahi looked up at him. "Just let your dish do all of your talking. It's what I do all the time. You should try it sometimes."
"But that doesn't matter; how I could lose!? Me, the man that will tame the God Tongue! I have the experience of countless chefs! You, just one!"
"How is it that you don't realize it yet? That's why you fail," Gamsei said dryly. "All your skills and you wanted to serve two customers. Me? I was trained by one chef and used the skills I continue to grow to satisfy millions of people."
"Satisfy the God Tongue?"
Everyone looked up to see Nakiri Mana's palanquin on the top of the stairs, her form obscured by its curtains. Erina ran out from her position in the kitchen (with permission from Hinata, who was making desserts) and joined the podium with her grandfather, who was looking concerned.
"That's a tall claim, boy. If there's any more of your dish, I'd like to sample it. Yours as well, Warden Gamsei," she declared, making Gamsei raise an eyebrow. "The outcome has been decided and I shall honor it. Just think of it as sating my curiosity."
"...Sure." Gamsei shrugged and went to his stove. "There's plenty to go around-"
"I'll go first!"
Gamsei sweatdropped as Asahi zoomed up the steps with a plate of his BBQ Drumsticks with Edamame Succotash, sweet succulent shrimp with zesty Creole spices, and bacon and cheese cornbread salad. Mana's greenette assistant Anne stopped him, grabbing his dishes and personally handing them to Mana behind the curtain.
"Please enjoy, milady," Asahi said with a bow. "The theme of Southern BBQ is horrid, but I'm sure my dish will have your God Tongue dance with delight."
Gamsei heard what his opponent just said and blanched. "Cringe…" he grumbled before seeing Naruto and Edwin Black leaving the restaurant.
[Outside the Restaurant]
"It was quite a lovely meal," Edwin Black nodded, handing his host the written check. "I do look forward to returning here."
"Thank you for your patronage," Naruto simply bowed. "We're glad that you've enjoyed your meals."
"The cook-off was quite an experience as well," Ingrid added, smirking slightly at the memory of Asahi's defeated demeanor. "If it means anything, I'm quite glad that you and your team won this battle. Such delicious meals like this should be passed down, not locked away out of arrogance."
"The heart of a true chef is one of passion and love," Naruto smiled. "The best food one could eat is the one that can taste the chef's love."
"..." Oboro said nothing, but her glances back at the restaurant said enough.
"Please, be well."
"You too."
Edwin stopped to watch the chef's crew clean up the messes of his subordinates. He watched as a group of women dressed in black dragged away bunch of large body bags. After a moment of silence, he let out a small chuckle, before he continued towards his ride.
The demonic trio left, and Naruto finally allowed himself to breathe.
"Well, that went well."
"I'll say."
"Igawa-san."
Igawa Asagi stepped into view, looking a little banged up, but otherwise fine thanks to Karin.
"On behalf of the Taimanin-"
"No need to apologize," Naruto smiled, raising his hand. "Good deeds often go punished, but we just happened to be capable enough of holding back the rod."
"...Are you sure you don't want to join us?" Asagi's voice became uncharacteristically low and meek.
"...I've already had my fair share of battles, miss," Naruto said solemnly. "But...if you really need me, you know where to find me. Only if it's really urgent."
The leader of the Taimanins gave him a smile and a nod, before she left, her sister jogging not far behind. Sakura then stopped and bowed quickly to her boss, before continuing to depart with Asagi.
"Are you sure rejecting their partnership was a good idea, honey?" Kushina asked as she walked up to him from behind.
"Not really, to be honest," Naruto admitted to his mother. "Sure, they're quite powerful, but by directly aligning myself with them, I'll put my customers and you guys in danger every time they butt heads with the demons or something."
"I think you of all people should know that war doesn't care about bystanders."
"...I know…" Naruto stared into the city that they now called home. It suddenly looked a lot less appetizing than now. A part of him wondered if leaving the Elemental Nations was a mistake, considering how at least there they had just finished a war.
"By the way, that Mana woman just had a foodgasm from Asahi's dish. At this rate, she might refuse Warden-san's dish."
Naruto grimaced and snorted. "Well, we can't have that, can't be, -ttebayo?"
He turned around and reentered the restaurant, seeing Asahi looking as if he won the Shokugeki, with Gamsei walking up the stairs with his dish. Naruto smirked as he joined Erina and her grandmother on the stage. "What did I miss?"
"My daughter Mana has called out Asahi in his desire to tame the God Tongue. While it won't change the outcome of the Shokugeki, Mana's words might carry weight." Senzaemon said grimly.
"I'm worried," Erina mumbled as she bit her thumbnail. "Mother…she clearly had a reaction to Asahi's dish, and it was a big one. Maybe, he could be the one to conquer the God Tongue…"
Naruto shook his head. "Don't count Gamsei out, or me. Gamsei won the Shokugeki, and Nakiri Mana is about to find out why," he said bluntly. "And I promised you the taste of normal foods. If I can do that for you, I can do that for your mother. Just have faith."
Erina swallowed and nodded as Gamsei finally got to Mana, only for Anna to block his way.
"Nakiri Mana, I present to you my dish from this Shokugeki's theme: My version of St. Louis-Style Baby-Back Ribs with freshly made Tequila BBQ Sauce. Complementing it are the Cajun Shrimp Mac and Cheese, Black Eyed Peas with Smoky Collards and Cheesy Grits, and some Honey Cornbread Muffins," Gamsei said, his eyes on the curtain where Nakiri Mana is. "Please, enjoy."
"You may have somehow duped the judges with your dishes and defeated me, but this is Erina's mother you're trying to woo. She's already enraptured by my cooking, so what chance do you have, eh?" Asahi scoffed as Anna slipped Gamsei's dish to the Bookmaster.
Gamsei rolled his eyes as he folded his arms. "Let's find out together, shall we?"
Mana Nakiri gingerly picked up her fork and knife. Cutting into the sauce-covered meat, it released a large puff of steam as she sliced through its tender flesh. The smell quickly traveled up her nose, making her pause.
She licked her lips.
Asahi suddenly felt a feeling of dread as she successfully and gracefully cut off a piece of meat. Lifting the fork up to her mouth, after seemingly considering whether it was food or an insect, she put it in her mouth.
A pause. Nothing.
"...Heh." A small chuckle escaped the apprentice's lips. "See. Inferior to my art as alwa-"
"MNGGGGK!"
Everyone nearly leapt out of their seats as a muffled cry escaped the Bookmaster's closed lips. At first they thought perhaps she was choking. No, was the food was too hot, or, worse, it was revolting–
–Until she swallowed, and then quickly dug in for seconds. Eventually, she abandoned all forms of grace and regality and used her hands to devour the meat.
Everyone looked at her podium, stunned, as they heard a once prim and proper food critic devour the ribs like Tantalus after being freed from his curse from behind the bamboo screens.
Erina herself couldn't believe it. Sure, her own tongue was living proof that it can be tamed, but to think that even her mother's tongue was conquered was unbelievable.
If not for the fact that her mother, for the first time in years, now sounded like she was sprouting tears as she ate, she would have wondered if she had simply lost her mind.
"See? Nothing to worry about," Naruto said, patting Erina's back before heading up to where Gamsei was, passing by Asahi, who was now looking as ghostly as his father.
"If that's her reaction to my cooking, then you have this in the bag. Softened her up nice and good for ya, Chief." Gamsei said before catching the fainting Anna. "Oops."
"Then that means that she'll be getting the best-tasting ramen on his side of Japan," Naruto said with a smirk. "But first…"
Naruto looked to Azami, who was at a loss for words at the sounds of his ex-wife actually eating. The former smirked, as he now had the pretender to the throne of Totsuki cornered.
"Nakiri Azami! Your son has failed. You have no one left to cover for you." the blond called out to the pale man. "So I shall tell you again. I, Uzumaki Naruto, challenge you to a Shokugeki. Do you accept, or do you yield?"
Naruto produced a fox-like grin with sharp teeth, as if daring Azami to decline in front of everyone.
Meanwhile, Mizuki Shiranui, who was enjoying her meal while also keeping one hand close to the blade, couldn't help but grin a little at the rather lewd reactions the women were sprouting from the food. While it was utterly ridiculous, truth be told she herself was on the edge of foodgasm with every bite.
Speaking of foodgasms, the female Bookmaster of the Shokugeki was arguably the most amusing – and tragic. While to most it seemed as if the woman had suddenly lost her manners and mind, to her, she knew better – it was the act of a woman who finally found her happiness. The starving finally finding food. The thirsty finally drinking water.
Shiranui's thoughts were interrupted as she suddenly whipped her head around.
There was nothing. Or, so it seemed.
Perhaps it was years of practice leering at women, but Muneichi Yazaki was definitely the one who gazed at her. He did a good job concealing his tracks by devouring his stuffed oysters, but she knew from the small twitches of his muscles aimed at her that, for one reason or another, he had his eyes on her for a while.
Either way, it gave her a foreboding feeling that almost spoiled her appetite.
Almost.
"You and me, a Shokugeki?" Azami asked, frowning as he recovered from his shock.
Despite the sounds of his ex-wife finishing up her plate, he managed to regain his composure and pride.
"Yes, exactly that, Nakiri- Nakamura Azami. A Shokugeki to end this mess you made of the culinary world." Naruto said and walked up to him. "I'll make it easy for you. When I win, you give up Totsuki and your campaign against the culinary world. If you win…my restaurant is yours."
As if Nakiri Mana eating wasn't shocking enough, Naruto betting Le Fox Den against Azami nearly took everyone out. It was crazy, but if Gamsei could overcome Asahi, then maybe…
"Uzumaki…you…" he murmured and looked around.
He was now caught between a rock and a hard place. Naruto had openly challenged him in front of so many guests and influential figures that declining would be disastrous for his public image and campaign. He bit his lip, trying to weigh the pros and cons, only to come up with the only, deceptively simple solution: Le Fox Den had the strongest resistance to his world of culinary gourmet cuisine, and if he were to back down now…
"Come on, my former husband. Don't tell me you're hesitating," Mana quipped out to from behind her screen. "Most of Japan has fallen to your influence, all except for here, Le Fox Den. Has Asahi-san's defeat shaken you that badly? Or perhaps you've gotten rusty?"
"If it's that, I'll give you time to prepare. It'll be no fun taking you on if you can't Shokugeki properly with all your might," Naruto said with a shrug. "Hell, I'll give you a year to prepare if that's what you need-"
"Three months."
"Hmm?"
"In three months, I shall be more than prepared to end your resistance by myself once and for all, Uzumaki," Azami declared with a stern look.
"So is that a yes?"
"Yes. I accept your challenge and terms, Uzumaki Naruto."
"Then we do this at the place where it started for all of us, Totsuki Academy," Naruto said and tilted his head. "I hope you regain your A-Game, or I'll be highly disappointed, Azami."
"Don't worry about that, Naruto. For in three months, you'll be regretting this bold challenge."
"We'll see about that."
The two shook hands, the Shokugeki set in the eyes of everyone in Le Fox Den; for the future of the culinary world would be decided in three months.
[Tokyo Kingdom - NOMAD HQ]
*SMACK!*
Oboro's head jerked to the side, her face reddening from her master's slap.
"Don't…ever do that again…" his already narrowed eyes thinned even more as they glowed in power.
"I-I'm sorry–" Oboro whimpered, holding her stinging and bleeding cheek.
"I will tolerate many things from both friend and foe, but your impulsive actions that I did not approve of are not among them. The next time I want you to do something, you will make sure I approve firsthand. Do I make myself clear?"
His shadow warped for a moment, his true form manifesting for a millisecond. Ingrid swallowed hard from the background, not used to seeing her master truly irritated.
"Y-Yes, my Master." she said, her eyes cast downward.
"Good…" With that business taken care of, he sat back down onto his leather chair, feeling exhausted. While the meal was admittedly good – fantastic, even – he found his appetite to not be completely satiated.
Not only had Asagi (and even her sister) escaped his grasp, but she had yet to reach her full potential. Furthermore, it seems that his old rival and potential mate was not only back, but had spawned more wonderful specimens.
Ootsutsuki Kaguya. Uzumaki Kushina. Uzumaki Hinata.
While he didn't consider himself like those disgusting filth that served underneath him, desiring bountiful men or women for their unlimited carnal desires, he began to wonder if they had a point. New players. Powerful players. Alluring players. These unexpected pieces had entered the arena, and, for the first time since Asagi first cut him, found himself excited.
[Le Fox Den]
"That was a good night, ladies and gentlemen," Naruto congratulated his crew. They raised their glasses of juice, wine, whiskey to this. "You've all certainly earned not just your pay, but some quality rest. However, don't rest too easy, for the battle still continues. All of you need to sharpen your knives and your minds, and so do I, if we were to guarantee our victory. And on that note–" Naruto raised his glass to Gamsei. "Congratulations to Gamsei for a successful Shokugeki."
"That was an amazing match too!" Soma cheered. "I wanna challenge you after all that! Let's do it!"
"Easy there, Red. I just got off of one," Gamsei said sternly before smiling. "If you don't trigger the fire alarms every bloody week, then yes, we'll do it."
"Hell yeah!"
Naruto smiled as everyone mingled and talked about what had gone down. Most of them crowded around Gamsei, who bonked them all on the heads for bombarding him with questions. He was about to take a sip from his drink when Kushina came over.
"Sochi, Mana-san is in your office. She wishes to speak to you." Kushina informed him.
"Understood," Naruto said and gestured to the others. "Make sure everyone doesn't party too hard."
"Hai, hai," Kushina nodded as Naruto went upstairs. She turned towards the others to see Gamsei walking over to a table where Noir member Sarge was cleaning her chainsaw 'knife'. "Hmm?"
"Any reason why you're still here? You said you'd be finished by the time we're closed," Gamsei asked, setting his glass on the table.
"No one other than Asahi and myself could wield my knife, so how were you able to?" Sarge questioned him.
"I never thought about it. I just did it. Besides, it was your leader who discarded it so easily, so it was open season," Gamsei answered coolly.
Sarge bit her lip as she looked at her instrument and back to him.
"Now if you're done with the twenty questions, it's time for you to head on out." Gamsei said and shooed her away.
Sarge took her knife and stared at Gamsei, who cocked an eyebrow at the blush on her cheeks. She then bowed and departed, closing the door behind her.
"Well, that was weird." Gamsei mused as his father came up to him.
"Not really. It would seem that the military gal's interested in you." Gordon Ramsey said with a hand on Gamsei's shoulder.
"She has an odd way of showing it," Gamsei shrugged, taking up his glass. "She's pretty cute, but I'm busy here. I know Naruto would allow it, but I've never been one for romance."
"And you can make time. Cooking is your passion, just like mine. But there's more to life than just that." Gordon said, smiling and patting his foster son's back. "Lunch tomorrow with the girls?"
Gamsei grinned. "I'd like that, Father."
"Forget something, Miss Nakiri?" Naruto inquired as he entered his office, finding the infamous Bookmaster sitting on the sofa with her aide Anne by her side. "Your little bamboo screen podium is waiting outside for you."
While Mana Nakiri looked as regal as ever, she also looked more visibly relaxed. Color was restored to her cheeks and she held an aura of…content.
"In all my years, I never thought it would be possible for one to conquer the God Tongue, the curse that befalls myself and my daughter, Erina. Until now, I had nothing but IV solutions, filled with everything I could ever need. Glucose, vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes… Or so I thought."
She licked her lips, not to moisturize them, but instead, to try to recapture the taste of her dinner.
"What are you getting at, Nakiri-san? If this is about poaching Gamsei, I'll have to ask you to refrain because I'm sure he would decline," Naruto said as he sat across from her.
"That isn't it. For it would seem that he's not the only one who seeks to conquer the God Tongue like he did tonight," Mana said with a knowing look.
"That's right. I do seek to conquer the God Tongue, not for selfish glory, but to help Erina-chan, as well as you. I've seen firsthand that it's caused you both nothing but misery. For now, Erina-chan can use it to help improve food, but I don't want her to suffer the fate of your IV drips." Naruto said seriously. "I promise that you both will taste normally again. You have my word."
"Big words indeed, Naruto-san. Which brings me to what I truly want to know," Mana said and leaned forward. "What is your relationship with my dear Erina?"
Naruto smiled. "She is a precious student and employee of mine, Nakiri-san. Thanks to your ex-husband's crusade of course."
"Of that, I have no doubt. But you're going awfully far for a student and employee." Mana noted in amusement. "So tell me, am I looking at my future son-in-law?"
Naruto folded his arms. "That's a rather unprofessional question, ma'am."
"And up until now, I've never eaten so unprofessionally before. Never. So there's a first time for everything," Mana countered, "Come, I promise that nothing will leave this room as long as it's the truth."
Naruto clicked his tongue. "Fine then. Yukihira Soma wasn't the only one who was falsely accused of serving so-called disgusting food. Back at Totsuki, we didn't get along thanks to her antagonizing me and trying to get me thrown out. She wasn't even a student at the time. But it seems that her new friends mellowed her out, and I got a half-assed confession out of it. It's nice getting to know the true Erina-chan, and we're taking it slow. Once I save her from the God Tongue, then yes, you might be looking at your new son-in-law, Okaasan."
"Hmm," Mana looked impressed. "Then allow me to commend you on telling me the truth. As the Bookmaster, I condemn your relationship in the strongest possible terms, of course. But as a mother," she gave a sly smile. "Defeat Azami and you'll have my blessing."
"Just another reason to win I suppose." Naruto gave a small smile, one that she returned.
"May the best chef win," Mana Nikiri toasted before raising her finger. "And one more thing, and I know you're closed now…"
Naruto looked bemused. "Let me guess, takeout?"
Mana clasped her hands. "For the next few months, perhaps? I don't think I can go back to that IV drip after tonight!" she whined uncharacteristically as Anna laughed nervously.
Naruto stroked his chin in thought. "Sure, why not? Besides, I could use the practice…"
END OF CHAPTER 05
Next time… Chapter 06: The Food War to End It All
It's finally come down to Naruto vs. Azami in a Shokugeki, the battle for the soul of culinary arts.
Soul: All I can say is that I've stalled on the 'feed Mana' section for years…
My apologies. And there was supposed to be a batch of updates, but I'm just tired from everything. I hope you enjoyed this update. Thank you both NSG and Lucius Walker for helping with this update.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all, good night.
Imma go take a nap now.
Released: Monday, December 25, 2023
