Toriko: Namu's Buffet
Chapter 20
"Salad Decided"
Namu awoke to see Tsubaki leaning over him.
"Wh- where am I?" Namu asked, confused.
"We're at my parents' house." Tsubaki stated in a sad, weak voice.
"Who're your parents again?"
"WE ARE!" a deep, booming voice shouted, almost bursting Namu's eardrums. Namu jumped out of the sofa he was lying on to get a better glimpse of who the voice belonged to.
Namu saw a large, muscular man, with tan skin, and scars all over his body. Next to the man was a tall, curvy woman, with long, golden blonde hair.
"Don't tell me you forgot us too!" The man said, with a large grin.
"Dad! Mom!" Tsubaki cried with joy. If there were any two people to restore Namu's memory, it would be her parents.
"Don't worry sweetie," The tall woman said, in a comforting, motherly voice. "I've got just the thing to fix him. Come with me, Tsu."
Tsubkai followed her mother, Hana, to the kitchen. The kitchen was massive, with ornate Perfect Beauty Marble pillars acting as support beams. The walls we covered floor to ceiling with various barrels and crates, no doubt filled with high-quality Ingedients.
"I just wish I knew what to do." Tsubaki lamented, tears beginning to roll down her rosy cheeks.
"Didn't I tell you not to worry?" Hana asked, her confident smile brightening the entire kitchen. "All we need is a good meal."
"How's that gonna help?" Tsubaki asked in a slightly agitated manner.
"Now, now. All problems in life can be solved by eating something delicious. Do you still have the Inferno Peppers?
"Yeah, they're in my bag." Tsubaki replied.
"Go get them." Hana instructed.
As Tsubaki walked back to the living room, she saw a horrible sight. A large, white tiger like beast, with muscular arms, three glowing, red eyes, and five massive, sharp teeth with three teeth on the top of the tiger's mouth, and two on the bottom. And poor Namu on the ground, in pure terror.
"DAD!" Tsubaki yelled.
"Wha-?" Tora looked to the left to see his daughter staring daggers at him.
"What in Acacia's name do you think you're doing?!" Tsubaki demanded.
"Sorry, princess," Tora apologized with a nervous smile. "I thought I'd be able to scare his memory back."
"Does it look like it's working?!"
Tora looked at a petrified Namu on the floor, and then back to Tsubaki.
"I'm gonna go with no."
"Exactly." Just then, Tsubaki noticed her bag on the sofa. "Can you pass me my bag?" Tsbaki asked.
"I'll get it." Namu stated, getting up from the floor, much to Tora's surprise.
"Impressive. Even after seeing my Intimadation, and without his memory, he still offers to help my baby girl." Tora thought to himself. "Maybe I was wrong about this kid."
Back in the kitchen, Tsubaki opened her bag and pulled out the Inferno Peppers.
"I still don't see how this is gonna work."
"It's gonna work because you're gonna make it work." Hana replied.
"Me?!" Tsubaki asked.
"You're gonna prepare these peppers." Hana said, getting cooking utensils from the cabinets. "And you're gonna use this." Hana retrieved a small container.
"What is it?" Tsubaki asked.
"This, my dear is the brain of the rare Eidetic Elephant."
"I've never heard of that beast."
"It's a very rare beast from Gourmet World. Only the brain is edible. It's said that the brain of the Eidetic Elephant improves one's memory."
"Oh, I get it." Tsubaki finally realized her mother's plan. "We're gonna make stuffed peppers!"
"Exactly!" Hana replied.
Namu nervously sat at the elegant dinner table in the massive dining room of Tora and Hana's house. Tsubaki's hulking monster of a father didn't help.
"Okay!" Tsubaki shouted a little louder than intended. "The Stuffed Inferno Peppers are ready."
Tsubaki placed a brilliant, silver platter on the table in front of Namu. As soon as Tsubaki lifted the lid, the delectible smell of roasted peppers made its way to Namu's nose.
Suddenly, Namu remembered his childhood. All the times he went hunting with his grandfather. How his cousin, Teppei, always beat him in every contest they had. His grandmother's lessons on the importance of respecting food.
Namu took the knife and fork next to him, cut a piece of the beautiful looking pepper, and brought it up to his mouth.
"Itadakimasu." He stated before eating.
Again, Namu was filled with memories. This time, of Tsubaki. How they met trying to catch the Puffer whale. Fighting Hito's GT Robo while hunting for the Jewel Meat. Meeting Jujube on the Wul Continent. And Tsubaki kicking him in the head.
"I remember everything." Namu said, with thanks.
Tsubaki's eyes overflowed with tears of joy.
"I'm zo habby!" Tsubaki's tears began to slur her speech as she wrapped her arms around Namu.
"Tsubaki," Namu said. "We've been together a while. Do you want be in a Combo with me?"
"I'd love to!" Tsubaki squeezed Namu even harder, but he didn't mind. Her smile meant more than anything to Namu.
"Thanks for the help!" Namu and Tsubaki said in unison as they left her parents' house.
"Anytime, sweetie!" Hana replied with a wave.
"So," Tora interjected. "The frick is an 'Eidetic Elephant'?"
"The 'Eidetic Elephant' was just ground Garara Crocodile meat."
"You're an evil genius." Tora smiled as he wrapped his arm around his beloved wife's shoulders.
"I know." Hana replied, simply.
"Hey Tsubaki?" Namu asked.
"What is it?" she repiled.
"Do you mind if I add the Stuffed Inferno Pepper as the Salad in my Full Course?"
"Only if you don't mind if I do the same." Tsubaki smiled.
End of Chapter
Author's Note: That was a lot longer than I thought it'd be. I hope you guys don't mind, but I'm gonna be retconning the designs of Namu's, Tsubaki's, Hito's, and Tora's Appetite Demons. Tora's is pretty much the same, just changed the purple fur to white. Namu's is gonna be a silvery grey color. Tsubaki's Demon's fur is now gold. And Hito's is now more of a zombie than a skeleton. It still has the two fused heads. Thanks for reading.
Until next time. JA NE!