stjorthotic Chapter 253 High-end ingredients require simple cooking methods.
Chapter 253 High-end ingredients require simple cooking methods.
Yup!
Why make a choice?
They are adults, elite ninjas of Konoha!
That makes sense.
Inuzuka Tsubasa nodded first, a smile returning to his face. "We need to savor both the hearty flavor of charcoal grilling and the delicate experience of steaming—that's true quality control!"
Sakumo Hatake pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"Sure. It's a good opportunity to compare the effects of different cooking methods on the flavor of the meat, record the data in detail, and bring it back to the village."
Thus, a culinary debate that should have been full of tension was harmoniously resolved under the guidance of Shirin Aburame's great philosophy of "I want it all".
At the temporary camp in western Konoha, a unique S-class scientific research mission officially began.
Clear division of labor.
Inuzuka Tsubasa was in charge of the charcoal grilling part that he had been eagerly anticipating. He excitedly went to collect rare, dry shrubs from the desert and set up a makeshift barbecue grill.
"call----"
The flames suddenly shot up, illuminating his fleshy face, which glowed with anticipation for the upcoming feast.
He hummed an off-key tune as he carefully pulled out a few of the most lively sand scorpions from the iron cage, knocking them unconscious with kunai—a rough but effective action.
"Hehe, grilled scorpion legs, here I come!"
Inuzuka Tsubasa's laughter was particularly loud in the desert camp.
However, his pure joy did not last long.
An unusual field of focused energy emanated from his side.
Inuzuka Tsubasa turned his head and saw that Hatake Sakumo had somehow become standing next to another iron cage.
Unlike Inuzuka Tsubasa's roughness, Sakumo did not make a move immediately.
He simply stood there quietly, his entire being blending into the surrounding sand; if you didn't see him with your own eyes, you would hardly be able to perceive his presence.
He just stared at the sand scorpion in the cage as if he weren't looking at food, but rather assessing a mission objective that needed to be perfectly resolved.
A few seconds later, Sakumo moved.
He didn't reach for it with his hands; instead, with a flick of his wrist, the White Fang short sword, which had left countless legends in the ninja world and struck fear into the hearts of the Sand Village, appeared silently in his hand.
The Konoha ninjas on guard around the camp tensed up instinctively the moment they saw the sword.
That was a symbol of slaughter, the sharpest fangs of Konoha.
But what happened next almost made their jaws drop into the sand.
Shuo Mao used two fingers to precisely pinch the tail of a sand scorpion and lift it out of the cage.
The sand scorpion was still waving its huge pincers in vain, appearing exceptionally ferocious.
Inuzuka Tsubasa raised an eyebrow and warned, "Sakumo, be careful, this guy's pincers are surprisingly strong!"
Shuo Mao did not answer.
He held the scorpion in his left hand, and moved the white fang dagger in his right.
A silver line, moving at incredible speed, flashed gently in the afterglow of the sun.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Several faint, almost inaudible cutting sounds rang out.
The sand scorpion, which was still struggling, suddenly froze.
Its pair of enormous pincers, which it was so proud of, and its eight legs all detached from its body at the same time and fell to the ground, the cuts as smooth as a mirror.
The scorpion's body, having lost all its limbs, was steadily lifted into the air by Sakumo.
Although Inuzuka Tsubasa had seen it more than once, he still couldn't help but sigh.
What kind of swordsmanship is this?
He didn't even see the trajectory of the knife!
Shuo Mao's performance was not over yet.
He placed the processed scorpion body on a cleaned stone slab.
The White Fang Dagger once again transformed into a dazzling array of silver afterimages.
Remove the shell, remove the venom glands on the back, and clean out the internal organs...
Every step was quick, accurate, and ruthless, with no unnecessary movements.
That focused expression, that precise control, didn't seem like he was handling food at all; it was more like he was dismantling one of the world's most sophisticated detonation tag traps.
Finally, the tip of the white dagger gently grazed the tender pink scorpion meat.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."
With a series of soft sounds, a whole piece of scorpion meat was instantly sliced into dozens of thin slices of uniform thickness.
Each piece is crystal clear, shimmering with an alluring luster under the light.
The entire process, from the scorpion being released from its cage to the slicing being completed, takes less than ten seconds.
As Sakumo sheathed the White Fang short sword, Inuzuka Tsubame stood there with his mouth agape, holding a string of freshly strung scorpion legs.
He looked down at the scorpion legs of varying sizes strung crookedly in his hand, then at the thin slices of scorpion meat on the stone slab that looked like works of art, and his old face turned bright red.
How can the differences between people be so great?
Scientific research requires rigor.
Sakumo Hatake seemed to have done something insignificant, calmly picking up a piece of scorpion meat, examining it against the light, as if checking the integrity of its fibrous structure.
Tsubasa Inuzuka felt that his worldview had been severely impacted.
He just wanted to have some barbecue, how did it escalate to this point?
"Gurgle..."
A loud sound broke the silence.
It wasn't Inuzuka Tsubasa, but the ninja dog Mokuyu at his feet.
The loyal ninja dog was looking up, staring intently at the thin slices of scorpion meat on the stone slab, drooling all over the ground and soaking a large patch of sand.
Sakumo ignored the farce unfolding here.
He took out another scroll from his ninja tool bag.
"boom--"
With a soft sound, the white smoke dissipated, revealing a rather exquisite-looking iron pot, a bag of salt, and several small bottles containing unidentified powder and liquid on the sand.
"..." Inuzuka Tsubasa was completely speechless.
Goodness, just how many kitchen utensils did this guy bring on his mission?
Sakumo set up an iron pot and skillfully lit a small amount of pre-prepared binchotan charcoal with a stable flame.
Instead of adding oil, he stretched out his hand, hovered it above the pot, closed his eyes, and seemed to be using the skin of his palm to sense every subtle change in the temperature inside the pot.
That focus, that sense of ritual, made the surrounding ninjas involuntarily hold their breath.
"The oil temperature is 70%, that's enough."
Shuo Mao opened his eyes and poured a small bottle of clear oil into the pot.
The oil sizzled in the pan, producing a pleasant sound.
Next, he gracefully and precisely slid the thinly sliced scorpion meat into the pot, one slice at a time.
"Sizzle—!"
An indescribably rich aroma suddenly burst forth.
It wasn't the smoky aroma of charcoal grilling, but a purer, more assertive freshness.
The moment the scorpion meat hits the pot, its edges curl up slightly, and its color quickly changes from crystal clear to an enticing milky white.
With a flick of his wrist, Shuo Mao sent the iron pot tracing a graceful arc through the air, perfectly flipping over all the scorpion meat slices at the same time.
He then poured the special sauce from the small bottle into the pot.
"boom!"
The aroma exploded throughout the camp like ignited dynamite.
The savory aroma of the sauce, the sweetness of the scorpion meat, and the richness of the oil combine to create an unruly pungent aroma storm capable of destroying anyone's willpower.