As they chatted, Sarutobi Ueda walked into the classroom.
Class began, still with the same dry theory and basic exercises.
Jiraiya secretly glanced at the silver-white tiger egg in his consciousness space—the incubation progress bar was steadily advancing, needing just over another day.
Thinking of the majestic scene of him riding an Ice Winged White Tiger soaring through the sky in the future, he couldn't help but feel a sense of longing.
His thoughts drifted, and the fatigue from staying up late writing last night began to wash over him in waves, his eyelids growing heavier and heavier...
Finally, amidst the teacher's steady narration, his head bobbed, then bobbed again, and with a final "thump," it hit the desk, and he fell into a sweet sleep, a suspicious glint of drool even hanging from the corner of his mouth, blowing tiny bubbles with each breath.
"Jiraiya! Jir—ai—ya!!!"
A furious, delicate shout, like a clap of thunder, exploded in his ears!
Jiraiya jolted awake, almost springing from his seat, and wiped away some drool in a daze: "Huh?! What's wrong? Is it mealtime? Enemy attack?!"
What greeted his eyes was Tsunade, hands on her hips, her hair standing on end with fury!
Her beautiful eyebrows were furrowed, and a large, visible cross mark pulsed on her forehead.
"Idiot! Jiraiya! It's lunchtime! You promised I could try your bento!" she roared, clearly having run out of patience for her anticipated meal.
Orochimaru, who was already calmly eating from his own bento box nearby, added a cutting remark without even looking up: "Hopeless."
His tone was as flat as if stating a fact.
"Ah! Right, right, right! Lunch!" Jiraiya finally fully woke up and fumbled to open the lid of his insulated lunch box.
The moment the lid was lifted—
"Buzz..."
An indescribably rich, meaty aroma, carrying the mellow depth of soy sauce, the sweetness of sugar, and the complex fragrance of spices released after stewing, instantly swept through the back of the classroom like a tangible wave!
This scent was dominant and alluring, utterly different from the common bland rice balls, grilled fish, and miso soup found at the Ninja Academy, full of the warm and aggressive scent of home cooking.
"Wow—! It smells so good!" Tsunade instantly forgot her anger, her small nose sniffing vigorously, her gaze completely captivated by the glossy, sauce-drenched brown meat chunks in the lunch box.
"What... what is this? Is it spare ribs?" She had never seen a spare rib dish with such color and form, and with a mix of curiosity and anticipation, she carefully picked up a piece and cautiously took a small bite.
In that instant, the rich savory sauce, the tender, fall-off-the-bone texture, and the perfectly balanced sweet and salty flavors exploded on her tongue!
Tsunade's eyes widened suddenly, as if stars were twinkling within them!
"Mmm—it's... it's too delicious!" She could no longer maintain her composure, taking a huge bite, her cheeks puffed out, chewing with a look of bliss, emitting satisfied hums.
Orochimaru, who appeared to be focused on his own meal nearby, had actually kept the corner of his eye on Tsunade's reaction.
Seeing her exaggerated expression of instant conquest by the food, Orochimaru understood.
He silently extended his chopsticks, also picked up a piece of braised spare ribs, and elegantly brought it to his mouth.
The next moment, on his perpetually icy face, his golden pupils suddenly constricted, revealing a hint of undeniable astonishment!
His chewing movements clearly quickened, and his gaze was fixed intently on the braised spare ribs in the lunch box, as if conducting a subtle culinary exploration.
The deliberately maintained elegant eating rhythm was quietly broken by this unexpected delicacy.
Tsunade finally swallowed the delicious food in her mouth with reluctance, not even bothering to wipe off a bit of sauce clinging to her lips, and eagerly asked: "Jiraiya! These spare ribs are too delicious! What are they called? How did you make them? I've never eaten spare ribs like this before!"
"Indeed... very delicious." After swallowing his food, Orochimaru also, uncharacteristically, offered a comment, his voice still flat, but his approval was undeniable.
His gaze fell on Jiraiya's lunch box, carrying a hint of imperceptible inquiry.
"Hahahahaha!" Jiraiya laughed triumphantly, puffing out his chest, "These are called 'braised spare ribs'! It's my own unique secret recipe, created by this genius! How about it? Didn't I tell you? Isn't it so good you want to swallow your tongue?" He unhesitatingly attributed this to his own "talent."
"Mhm mhm mhm!" Tsunade nodded furiously like a pecking chick, her eyes sparkling, "Delicious! Super delicious! I want another piece!" Before her words even finished, her chopsticks had already darted out like lightning again, accurately targeting a piece.
Orochimaru's movements were surprisingly swift, almost synchronously extending his chopsticks, also aiming for the few remaining spare ribs in the lunch box.
"Wait! Leave some for me!" Jiraiya, seeing this, grew anxious and, forgetting his triumph, quickly joined the food-搶食 battle.
For a moment, three pairs of chopsticks darted back and forth above the small lunch box; the previously harmonious lunch sharing instantly devolved into a fierce "braised spare ribs snatching war."
Half an hour later, the three sat side by side on the edge of the teaching building's rooftop, leaning against the warm wall.
The afternoon sun was just right, lazily falling upon them, the sky was clear, and white clouds drifted by.
Tsunade contentedly rubbed her slightly bulging tummy, letting out a sigh of pleasure: "Ah... Jiraiya, those braised spare ribs you made, they were truly... amazing! Tomorrow! Can you make them again tomorrow?" She turned her head, her bright eyes filled with anticipation as she looked at Jiraiya.
Orochimaru, though silent, also subtly turned his head, his golden pupils quietly observing Jiraiya; his unspoken question was more powerful than any words.
"Uh..." Jiraiya's triumphant expression froze for a moment, then a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face, "Um... Tsunade, Orochimaru... you know my situation... my living expenses this month..." He awkwardly rubbed his fingers, his cheeks slightly flushed.
As a war orphan, his monthly stipend barely allowed him to get by with careful budgeting; sustaining such "gourmet" meals for long was indeed a stretch.
"Huh?" Tsunade was momentarily stunned.
As the princess of the Senju Clan and the granddaughter of the First Hokage, she had grown up in luxury and had never truly worried about money.
She suddenly realized, and with a grand gesture, reached into her pocket, pulled out a thick wad of bills, and without even looking, shoved them into Jiraiya's hand: "Here! This is my food money! Tell me if it's not enough!" The thickness suggested at least four or five thousand ryo, enough for an ordinary Ninja family to live on for several months.
Orochimaru said nothing, but silently took out a few bills from his neat wallet, about five or six hundred ryo—this was likely all or most of his saved pocket money—and also handed it over, simply stating: "Mine."