At this moment, a composed-looking chamberlain quietly approached the judges' table and gave a slight bow.
"Honorable judges, His Highness the Daimyō has tasted the dishes you presented. His Highness has especially instructed this humble servant to pass on a message: he is very fond of that bowl of Whale-Wave Condensed Jade. His Highness said that its freshness of flavor and novelty of conception possess a beauty that breaks convention."
The judges' table instantly fell silent, and the expressions of the judges became rather colorful.
They exchanged glances. After only two or three seconds of silence, the president of the Culinary Association—also the chairman of this judging panel—cleared his throat. A look of sudden understanding and agreement quickly spread across his face as he smiled.
"His Highness the Daimyō truly has discerning eyes and extraordinary taste! To be frank, as we were carefully tasting earlier, we too deeply felt that this dish, Whale-Wave Condensed Jade, shows remarkable ingenuity and stands far above the rest! Moreover, within the traditional savoriness, it injects an indescribable vitality and spirit. One could call it the dual pinnacle of flavor and artistic conception!"
"After our in-depth discussion just now, we have come to the conclusion that awarding this dish the championship is fully deserved. It best reflects the Land of Fire's culinary spirit—embracing all influences and constantly innovating!"
His speech flowed smoothly and naturally, his expression unchanged, as if the earlier dispute had never existed. The other judges around him immediately caught on and nodded in agreement.
"The chairman speaks truly!"
"His Highness's insight coincides perfectly with ours!"
"This dish deserves the championship without question!"
The change in direction was so swift that it drew attention. Very quickly, the judging panel unanimously passed the decision.
When the competition host finally announced in a loud voice: "The winner of this year's Land of Fire Grand Gourmet Competition is—Konohagakure's Higashino Shinichi! With the dish Whale-Wave Condensed Jade!"
After a brief moment of astonishment, the entire venue erupted into warm applause and noisy excitement.
No way… kid, you really took first place?
In the audience, Tsunade stared at her student who had just been announced the winner, her eyes widening again.
Beside her, Shizune and Kurenai also parted their lips slightly in surprise.
Kurenai was the first to recover from the shock. A smile appeared on her face as she said: "Shinichi… he really is a genius. Even in cooking, he can reach this level."
Tsunade came back to her senses and snorted.
"That brat, hiding his abilities so well… From now on I'll make him cook more often and properly show some filial respect to his sensei."
"Yes, yes!" Shizune immediately nodded in agreement.
Inside the arena, Shinichi's expression remained calm.
His own foundation in cooking was already solid. Combined with the "Big Eater" Entry, which granted him extremely detailed perception and almost instinctive intuition regarding food flavor, texture, and heat control, he was able to produce dishes far beyond ordinary standards.
However, the fact that these judges—who were clearly inclined toward tradition and insider rules—ultimately set aside their prejudice and awarded the championship to him, a ninja, still came as a surprise to him.
Originally, he had expected that the quality of his cooking would be enough to enter the top three and gain sufficient recognition and attention.
The championship, however, was an unexpected delight.
At that moment, the host's resonant voice rang out once more: "Next, let us respectfully invite His Highness the Daimyō to present the awards to this year's champion and all of the prize winners!"
Amid the attention and crowding of the people around him, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire slowly walked to the front of the stage. Wearing a warm smile, he personally presented medals and certificates to each of the winners one by one.
When it was Shinichi's turn, the Daimyō personally handed him the splendid certificate symbolizing the title of "Land of Fire Special-Class Chef." His gaze lingered on Shinichi's face for a moment, and his smile deepened as he said gently: "Young man, your cooking is truly outstanding and deeply impressive." He paused, his tone turning regretful. "What a pity. Hokage-sama values you so highly. Otherwise, even if you are a ninja of Konoha, I might not have been able to resist asking Hokage-sama to part with you and inviting you to become my personal chef."
Shinichi accepted the certificate with both hands and gave a slight bow.
"Thank you for Your Highness's favor. A ninja, too, serves to protect the Land of Fire, and serves His Highness the Daimyō and the countless people of the nation. No matter where one is, or in what way one contributes one's strength, that is simply one's duty."
That was what he said, but when he looked at this highest ruler of the Land of Fire, the first thought that arose in his mind was—
Once I become Hokage, the first thing I'll do is take command of all military forces under heaven!
He would bring places like the Fire Temple and the Tsuchigumo clan, those local powers and regional ninja clans, and even the guards of the various regions, all under his own control, becoming the supreme military commander in the absolute sense.
Hearing this, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire—unaware of the boy's ambition—merely smiled, said nothing more on the matter, patted him on the shoulder, and turned to the next award recipient.
The award ceremony ended amid a lively atmosphere. The Daimyō, along with a group of high officials and nobles, left first, and the competition venue gradually shifted from the formal proceedings into a freer stage of interaction and celebration.
"Shinichi-kun! Please wait!"
The host enthusiastically called out to Shinichi, who had just been about to withdraw briefly with the flow of the crowd, and guided him back to the center of the venue.
Bringing the microphone closer, the host asked with a beaming smile: "Shinichi-kun, now everyone knows that, besides possessing such astonishing culinary skill, you are also a highly regarded genius ninja of Konohagakure in our Land of Fire. We are all very curious—how did you manage to combine these two things, which seem completely different? And what was it that prompted you, beyond your ninja training, to choose such a path and ultimately stand here today?"
All eyes focused on Shinichi.
Shinichi took the microphone, pondered slightly, and then began to speak: "Thank you to the host for the question. As for ninja and chef—in my view, perhaps they are not so completely different."
"Becoming an outstanding cook is also a dream deep within my heart. Food is not merely energy for sustaining life; it also carries memory, warmth, culture, and hope. A carefully prepared meal can soothe a weary body and mind, can bring together the feelings of family and companions, and can even allow a person, in their most difficult moments, to once again feel the beauty of life and the reason it is worth striving for."
"As a ninja of Konohagakure, my duty is to protect the village and safeguard the peace and tranquility of the Land of Fire. But that protection is not limited to repelling enemies or completing missions. I hope the protection I offer can be more concrete—something closer to everyone's daily lives."
"With these hands, I can fight and protect everyone from danger. At the same time, I also hope that with these hands I can create more delicious dishes, so that the children of the Land of Fire can grow up healthy, and so that every family, when gathered around the dining table, can share more happy smiles."
"This may be another form of protection that I, as a ninja of Konoha and a citizen of the Land of Fire, can provide."
"Whether wielding a blade as a ninja or holding a knife as a chef, the ultimate purpose is the same—to make the land where we live become better, and to allow the people living here to feel greater happiness and peace of mind."
"That is my answer, and also the direction in which I will continue striving in the future."
When his words fell, the venue became quiet for a moment. Then applause broke out—warmer than before, even tinged with emotion.
His speech was simple and unadorned, yet it cleverly connected personal aspiration with a ninja's duty and devotion to the nation, making it appear especially sincere and moving.
In particular, the ninja chef before them naturally radiated a comfortable and convincing presence, one that made people unconsciously feel goodwill toward him.
The way many audience members looked at Shinichi had already changed—from simple admiration for the champion to something that also carried recognition and respect.
In the audience seats, Tsunade clicked her tongue lightly and said to the two girls beside her, "Listen to that kid's pretty speech. He's getting better and better at talking."
Shizune and Kurenai, meanwhile, looked at their companion standing in the arena, bathed in applause and attention yet still calm and composed. In their eyes flickered a light of admiration.
Meanwhile, in the arena, after finishing that emotional speech and returning the microphone to the host, Shinichi maintained a modest and appropriate smile on the surface, nodding in acknowledgment to those around him.
But deep within his consciousness, a surge far more real than the cheers of the arena was taking place.
The text representing the "Big Eater (Green)" Entry trembled as if on the verge of collapse, and in the next moment it shattered with a sudden crash.
A pure and profound azure light suddenly burst forth, like the wings of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.
[Gourmet (Blue): Your understanding of food no longer remains at the level of the tongue's pleasure or the replenishment of energy. Instead, it has reached the microscopic realm of interaction between matter and life. You can almost instinctively perceive the subtle biochemical reactions produced by the molecular combinations of different ingredients, foresee the evolution of their layers of flavor, and precisely grasp how they nourish and influence muscles, Chakra Pathways, internal organs, spirit, and even chakra after entering the human body.]
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I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
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