Obito actually listened to the advice. While Taiichi was answering Rin's questions about medical ninjutsu, Obito was training quietly on the side.
The reality check earlier had hit him hard. It wasn't just the massive power gap between him and Taiichi; it was the sickening feeling of helplessness when he saw Rin get knocked down and he couldn't do a thing about it.
Taiichi was right. If something like that happened in a real battle, would he just stand there and rage uselessly? The thought alone made his blood boil.
Focusing on training made the time fly. Before they knew it, it was noon. After saying goodbye to Obito and Rin, Taiichi headed to the market. His fridge was empty, and he needed to restock.
While picking out vegetables, Taiichi spotted two familiar figures nearby and blinked in surprise.
A man with spiky yellow hair was practically begging another man with long white hair.
It was Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze. But the dynamic was weird—Minato seemed to be pleading, while Jiraiya looked like a man being dragged to his execution.
As Taiichi got closer, he heard Minato saying, "Sensei, you really can't bail this time. This is the third time Kushina has invited you for dinner. You can't say no three times in a row, Sensei!"
Hearing this, Jiraiya's face crumpled in despair, as if his soul had just left his body.
"Jiraiya-sensei! Minato-senpai! Fancy seeing you here," Taiichi called out, interrupting them.
Jiraiya's face lit up instantly. "Haha! Taiichi! Perfect timing! You should come to Minato's place for dinner with us!"
"Uh... that might be inappropriate, Sensei," Taiichi said, taken aback. He glanced at Minato.
Even though he really wanted to get to know the future Fourth Hokage, crashing a private dinner like this felt rude.
"Nonsense! You're basically my half-disciple anyway! What's wrong with grabbing a meal at Minato's?" Jiraiya said with totally unearned confidence. He turned to Minato. "Right, Minato?"
Minato smiled warmly. "He's right, Taiichi. The more the merrier! Please join us."
Taiichi wanted to facepalm. Minato, oh Minato. He doesn't want me there to eat; he wants me there to cook! Kushina is going to be furious.
Taiichi tried to decline again, but he couldn't withstand the combined pressure of Minato's genuine kindness and Jiraiya's desperate "threats." He eventually agreed.
As the three walked toward Minato's house, Jiraiya leaned in and whispered to Taiichi, "Taiichi, when Kushina starts cooking, make sure you 'help' her. Show Minato your skills. Save us."
Taiichi glanced at Minato, who was looking at them curiously. He felt awkward. Sensei, you're not even trying to be subtle.
Minato, however, was sharp. He quickly realized what Jiraiya was doing but didn't call him out. Instead, he smiled at Taiichi. "Is your cooking good, Taiichi? Looks like I'm in for a treat today."
As expected of the "Yellow Flash." So gentle with his allies.
When they arrived, Kushina was already waiting eagerly at the door. As soon as she saw them, she rushed forward and took the grocery bags from Minato's hands.
"What took you so long? I thought Sensei ran away again!" Kushina complained, then noticed Taiichi. "And who is this?"
"This is Taiichi Matsushita. Tsunade-sama's disciple, and technically Sensei's student for a bit too," Minato introduced him. "We ran into him and invited him along."
"Hello, Sister-in-law! I'm Taiichi Matsushita. Pleased to meet you!" Taiichi stepped forward, his mouth sweet as honey.
The phrase "Sister-in-law" turned Kushina's face as red as her hair. "Haha! What 'Sister-in-law'? Don't talk nonsense!" She laughed, clearly delighted.
Despite her denial, she happily took the bags from Taiichi's hands too and pulled him inside.
Jiraiya and Minato stood there, exchanging looks. Does this kid have a charm jutsu or something?
Inside, Kushina seated everyone and instructed Minato, "You entertain the guests. I'm going to start cooking."
Jiraiya, sitting with his back to Kushina, started winking frantically at Taiichi.
Taiichi sighed internally and stood up. "Sister-in-law, I actually know a bit about cooking. Let me help you! It'll be faster with two people, and it's getting late. Jiraiya-sensei is starving."
Kushina looked at Jiraiya suspiciously. "Really? That hungry?"
"Yes! Yes! Kushina, let Taiichi help you. My stomach is eating itself!" Jiraiya played along enthusiastically.
Kushina was confused but relented under the pressure. She led Taiichi into the kitchen.
Watching them disappear, Jiraiya wiped nonexistent sweat from his forehead and gave Minato a look of deep sympathy.
"Sensei, you're exaggerating. Kushina's food isn't that bad," Minato whispered, resigned.
Jiraiya didn't buy it for a second. Men in love had broken taste buds; everyone knew that. He had been tricked by Minato once before; never again.
They chatted idly while the sounds of rapid chopping and culinary discussion drifted from the kitchen.
Thirty minutes later, dishes started arriving at the table. Even Minato was stunned by the aroma and presentation. Did Kushina really make this?
"Alright, that's everything! Sister-in-law was the MVP today; I just followed orders," Taiichi said, placing the last dish on the table.
Kushina blushed. "Haha, don't listen to him! Come on, everyone, dig in! But really, Taiichi was the hero today." She sat down and urged everyone to eat.
Steam rose from the table, carrying a mouth-watering scent straight into Jiraiya's nose. He swallowed hard. With trembling chopsticks, he picked up a golden, crispy piece of shrimp tempura. Flakes of batter fell like gold dust, and dried seaweed danced in the heat.
CRUNCH.
The sound shattered the silence. Jiraiya's eyes flew open. The crispiness exploded between his teeth, followed by the snap of the shrimp and a burst of sweet, savory juice. He froze, stunned.
"What's wrong, Sensei?" Kushina asked nervously.
"This... is incredibly delicious!" Jiraiya shouted.
"Sister-in-law fried that one. I just mixed the dipping sauce. I tasted one earlier—she nailed the temperature control perfectly," Taiichi praised from the side.
"Haha! Come on, try the other dishes!" Kushina beamed, feeling vindicated. Since she had actually fried the shrimp, she accepted the compliment with a clear conscience.
As they tasted more dishes, even Minato began to doubt reality. Is this really Kushina's cooking? While some dishes weren't "masterchef" level, compared to her usual biological warfare, this was heaven.
Kushina was glowing from the praise. "Haha, it's all thanks to Taiichi!" She humbly pointed out the best dishes, admitting Taiichi had made those entirely.
Jiraiya and Minato laughed. With this much improvement, who cared about the details?
The meal was a huge success. Kushina was so taken with Taiichi that Minato started getting a little jealous.
After dinner, they sat around chatting. The topic naturally turned to Taiichi's training. When Minato heard Taiichi was learning one-handed seals, he immediately offered his help.
"I've actually been researching one-handed seals recently and have some insights. If you have time, Taiichi, we can discuss it together."