At night, in the forest outside the Fire Capital, the crackling sound of burning flames filled the air.
Above the burning charcoal, a rotating grill held roasted fish, emitting a rich aroma.
Naruto's eyes were fixed on the fish skin of the roasted fish, carefully controlling the heat.
From his many years of outdoor cooking experience, there were two types of food that were the hardest to grill: chicken wings and fish.
Both were the kind of difficult-to-grill ingredients that, no matter how low the heat, would burn if you weren't careful for even a moment, requiring frequent flipping.
So, unless he had no other choice or suddenly craved them, Naruto rarely considered making them.
"So delicious…"
Kazehana Koyuki held a lamb rib, her mouth covered in lamb grease. "I've never eaten roasted meat this delicious!"
"Then eat more."
Naruto flipped the roasted fish, pinching a small amount of chili powder and sprinkling it on top.
"It's delicious, but you also worked very hard to grill it."
Kazehana Koyuki watched Naruto's seasoning technique with curiosity. "Is there some special secret recipe?"
The secret recipe was to travel through the northern regions of China once…
He learned lamb skewers in the Northwest, whole lamb and whole beef in the grasslands, and various other things in the Northeast, which was also where he spent the most money and time.
Because there were three different styles in the three provinces, what left the deepest impression was a kind of barbecue marinade from Qishi in Heilongjiang Province, and a method of eating spicy raw beef skewers from Yanzhou in Jilin Province.
Such exclusive or minority secret recipes were rarely passed on; money was useless, so in the end, he didn't learn them…
Perhaps for the thousands of years of culinary heritage, Naruto's skills were merely superficial, but in the Ninja World, they were mink!
Although still superficial, the value was completely different.
"Come, ah~~~"
A torn piece of lamb was brought to Naruto's mouth. Naruto slightly tilted his head and gently bit the lamb offered by Kazehana Koyuki.
The taste was a bit gamey, which was an issue with the meat itself, and there was nothing to be done.
The geographical environment of the Land of Fire was not suitable for raising sheep; the Land of Grass was alright, but not necessarily.
To remove the gamey taste, sheep had to be fed sand onion, wormwood, and other gamey-removing grasses from a young age, which meant the marination started at the very beginning…
Additionally, there were certain requirements for the climate, which an old shepherd who taught him how to roast a whole lamb had told him.
But it didn't matter; as long as the taste wasn't too strong, Naruto wasn't particularly averse to it.
And judging by Kazehana Koyuki's expression, it didn't seem to bother her either.
The girl beside him looked expectant: "Is it delicious?"
Naruto rolled his Byakugan: "What do you think? I grilled it!"
"I fed it to you!"
"Delicious."
Having received the desired answer, Kazehana Koyuki finally let out a giggle.
This guy, he really is a very good boy, and he will definitely become a very excellent man in the future, right?
Thinking of this, she suddenly remembered that Naruto would be living in her home later, spending every day with her.
Imagining the scene of the two living together in the future, the girl's face gradually turned crimson, though it wasn't obvious due to the firelight.
"Naruto…"
"Hmm?"
"Can I often eat the roasted meat you make in the future?"
Kazehana Koyuki rested her chin on her hand, gazing absently at the charcoal fire, her heart pounding like a drum.
"No."
Hearing that calm voice, the girl's eyes dimmed.
"Oh, I see…"
Kazehana Koyuki lowered her head slightly. Naruto's blunt refusal kicked her out of her beautiful fantasy. She suddenly remembered her identity as an exiled princess and instantly began to feel somewhat melancholic.
Naruto sneered, "I'll teach you the secret recipe, and you can grill it for me… I'm too lazy to do it myself, and you expect me to grill it for you?"
Upon hearing this, Kazehana Koyuki's eyes lit up again, as if she had grasped a lifeline from the darkness. She grabbed Naruto's arm: "Then it's settled!"
Naruto nodded heavily: "It's a deal. I will never argue with you!"
"Then teach me now! I'll help you!"
"Here, remember to flip the fish frequently, control the heat well, and never let one side exceed thirty seconds…"
In the forest, two small figures leaned against each other, a rich aroma wafting everywhere, and above them, a sky full of stars.
The beautiful scene felt like a dream to Kazehana Koyuki even after she woke up the next morning.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw the ceiling of the inn.
Kazehana Koyuki groggily rubbed her eyes, then seemed to remember something, suddenly widening her eyes and rushing out of the room barefoot, pushing open the door to Naruto's room.
Inside the room, a small blond head was curled up under the covers, and in the corner, bottles and jars of seasonings, a grill, and a baking pan were piled up.
"You better have a good reason…"
Naruto, with drooping eyelids, looked at the flustered figure at the door.
Seeing this, Kazehana Koyuki guiltily averted her gaze.
She remembered now; she had fallen asleep while eating last night and must have been brought back by Naruto…
Thinking of this, she glanced around the corridor, then closed the door and entered the room, diving headfirst into Naruto's covers. Her decisive demeanor left Naruto stunned.
"Just for a moment, I need to lie down—hey! Why aren't you wearing clothes when you sleep?!"
As soon as she lay down, Kazehana Koyuki sat up as if she had been electrocuted, her face flushed as she looked at Naruto.
Naruto was instantly amused by this counter-accusation: "I'm sleeping in my own bed, why should I wear clothes? Besides, aren't I wearing underwear?"
"Then put them on quickly!"
"No."
Kazehana Koyuki puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms: "No, put them on quickly! You're being too offensive!"
"Who exactly is being offensive…"
Naruto yawned, his eyes still heavy with sleep.
"Of course it's you!"
The girl snorted lightly, lifting her chin with an arrogant expression: "Let me reintroduce myself. Kazehana Koyuki, Princess of Snow Country! Fuji Kazehana Koyuki is just my alias."
Upon hearing this, Naruto lifted his eyelids: "So what does that have to do with you getting into my bed?"
"I…"
Kazehana Koyuki's face flushed again: "Let's not talk about that for now. I… I want to learn Ninjutsu from you."
Naruto sighed wistfully: "First, cover me with the blanket."
Kazehana Koyuki looked sheepish, silently lay down, and pulled the blanket over them.
Then she turned over in the covers, her beautiful big eyes staring unblinkingly at Naruto.
"Actually… I'm an exiled princess."
"And then?"
"I want to become stronger!"
"And then?"
"And then…"
Kazehana Koyuki fell into thought. The atmosphere last night had been so good that the moment she woke up, she was still immersed in infinite anticipation for the future.
So, in a rush of emotion, she revealed her identity and even thought about learning Ninjutsu, hoping to one day return and kill Kazehana Dotou!
However, impulsiveness was, after all, just impulsiveness. As that surge of emotion subsided, the shadow of Kazehana Dotou once again crept into her heart.
The terrifying images of being hunted and fleeing in the past kept replaying in her mind.
The atmosphere quieted. The girl slowly lowered her head, her face grim, and her body involuntarily trembled with fear.
Suddenly, a hand gently rested on her head.
Kazehana Koyuki slowly raised her head, her gaze meeting a pair of pure blue eyes.
"And then, blood for blood, and a tooth for a tooth."
"Mm…"
The girl pursed her lips, tears streaming down, but the trembling in her body, stemming from fear, gradually subsided.
Finally, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, she hugged the Naruto-brand pillow tightly and fell into a deep sleep…