Chapter 18: The First Culinary Love Show in the Ninja World

Hanma, a hero of his time, hesitated in front of the cutting board.

It might be hard for everyone to believe, but Hanma is a die-hard advocate of pure love and a keyboard warrior of romance. Tsunade, his childhood sweetheart and best friend, was his constant companion.

Turning a best friend into a girlfriend was a difficult task.

Although he might have fooled around with Jiraiya for a few years (crossed out), he was still a virgin.

Firstly, because the Uchiha bloodline must not be exposed. If it happened, there would be serious repercussions.

Secondly, being a virgin was an initial requirement for training in body techniques, and he wasn't a frivolous man. After his physique improved, Hanma sadly discovered that he had developed "reproductive isolation."

Sometimes, he even wanted to cross the heavens to ask some fellow body technique practitioners how they managed to do it.

Can someone who can shatter mountains with a punch and an ordinary person really have offspring in a normal way?

Hanma stopped his internal complaints and pondered tonight's menu.

Tsunade didn't like sweets and preferred tender chicken, so he decided to start with a famous Sichuan and Chongqing dish – "Chicken Tofu."

Hanma picked up two rock chickens, glanced at them, and saw they were tender, young chickens, smiling with satisfaction. Excellent ingredients!

With a slight shake of his wrist, the bones of the rock chickens were dismembered, and a wind release chakra condensed into a blade, removing the extra membranes, leaving behind the translucent chicken meat.

He controlled the force and, at a high frequency of dozens of hits per second, rapidly hammered the chicken into a fine chicken paste.

He poured in the prepared sand ginger water, mist onion water, top-grade flame wine, and Konoha mineral water. The chicken paste and water were mixed in a 5:4 ratio and thoroughly stirred.

Adding salt, egg white, and appropriate starch, he carefully sifted it through a fine sieve, added it to the broth, and added wine again.

He poured it into boiling water, brought it to a rapid boil, and rapidly stirred it, centrifuging the impurities out of the chicken paste.

The chicken paste was set by the high heat and then simmered over low heat, gently rotating to extract the purest freshness from the chicken.

He then poured the broth into a bowl through a strainer, scooped out the cooked chicken paste, arranged it delicately on a plate, and it was done!

The broth was crystal clear, emitting a faint aroma, and the chicken paste was as tender as tofu, scattered in the bowl.

Hanma nodded in satisfaction; Tsunade would surely love it.

He looked at the remaining broth in the pot and added shredded winter bamboo shoots, mountain mushrooms, shark fins, and chunsa, making a pot of delicious chicken soup.

He then picked up another rock chicken, cooked it over low heat until seventy percent done, turned off the heat, and let the residual heat cook it through.

Removing all the bones, he cut the chicken meat into finger-width strips, added chili sections, pepper powder, ginger, salt, cooking wine, and rice vinegar.

Hanma took a slight breath, exhaled a mini fireball jutsu, evaporating the vinegar and wine, leaving only their aroma, stir-frying them quickly, and plated the dish.

The fragrant, tender, spicy, and smooth Dong'an Chicken was also on the dining table.

Hanma then took the marinated venison, carefully sliced it into strips, and plated it, completing a marinated dish.

He continued to stir-fry some peanuts, smashed a cucumber, and prepared some snacks for drinking.

He took out a few bottles of good wine he had taken from the Water Country Daimyo's bedroom during his time in the Anbu, fully armed, and waited for Tsunade to arrive.

Tonight was going to be a big battle!

The door was knocked heavily, and Tsunade walked in swaggeringly, puzzled by the aroma filling the house, "You bastard, you really can cook?"

Walking into the house, looking at the dishes on the table, Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Hanma.

Hanma was a bit speechless at this moment. Did this woman think he was joking?

But it made sense. Who told him to have a sweet mouth since childhood?

Hanma steadied his mind, poured two cups of wine, and signaled Tsunade to sit down.

Tsunade picked up her chopsticks, tasted a bite of chicken tofu, and her eyes sparkled with happiness.

"Why is this so delicious? It melts in the mouth and is so flavorful. How did you know I love chicken?"

Hanma chuckled, "I've known since we were kids."

Tsunade rolled her eyes at him, immersed in the deliciousness.

She picked up a bowl of rice and began to devour the Dong'an chicken and marinated venison, her chopsticks flying.

Hanma, smiling, didn't move his chopsticks, just frequently clinking glasses with Tsunade as he nibbled on some cold dishes.

Tsunade gradually got into the mood, boldly saying, "Drinking like this cup by cup is no fun, let's switch to big glasses!"

Hanma stood up, took two beer mugs, and brought in a case of wine.

Drinking hard liquor with beer mugs? Only the two of them could do that in the shinobi world.

Hanma and Tsunade continually clinked glasses, not saying a word, just silently raising glasses, pouring wine, eating, and clinking glasses.

Until the food on the table was finished, the two of them looked at each other, the atmosphere sinking into an indescribable sense of ambiguity and slight awkwardness.

Tsunade put down her chopsticks, her face flushed with drunkenness, and looked at Hanma.

"You bastard, we've known each other for eighteen years, right?"

"Yeah, eighteen years."

"You've become an impressive ninja."

"Just okay."

"Being able to defeat me and Uchiha Shanna is just okay?"

"."

"I actually know that you don't like me, and I don't like you that much either. What you said that day was just to comfort me, right?"

"I didn't."

"Ha, would a ninja who can defeat two clan chiefs be afraid of war and avoid being with his beloved woman?"

Tsunade suddenly slapped the table and shouted:

"Even a Chunin or Genin wouldn't use such a cliché excuse!"

"You bastard!"

Hanma remained silent.

He had overlooked the fact that, in this world, only he knew that Uchiha Madara was still planning conspiracies, knew about Kaguya, knew about Isshiki, and knew too much.

Hanma believed that his current strength was just sufficient, enough to barely protect himself in the early stages.

But in Tsunade's eyes, this was just an excuse. What ninja would consider such problems?

After all, because of Hanma's existence, she hadn't experienced Nawaki's death or Dan's departure, and still had a youthful personality.

Hanma, looking at Tsunade's reddish face, felt an unexpected calm and seriously stared at her, slowly saying:

"Since you say so, I request to be with you now."

Tsunade was stunned, her mouth slightly open, looking at Hanma with an adorable, dumbfounded expression.

"I've known you since I was a child. I'm an Uchiha, you're a Senju. Even though our clans are opposed, we still became friends."

"After graduation, I went to the Anbu. Although we rarely met, I always remembered you. Whenever I visited a ninja village, I brought you a local specialty."

Tsunade snorted, but the clothes she wore today were the ice cotton haori Hanma brought back from the Land of Water.

"I can't say how much I love you. As ninjas, we face life and death every day."

"Maybe I'm strong, but even a ninja like Tobirama Senju fell on the battlefield."

"That's my concern."

"If you ask me how much I love you? I don't know. But if I miss you, I will regret it for life."

"I can promise you, if we are together, I will learn to love and protect you."

"So, do you understand, Tsunade?"

Tsunade quietly listened to Hanma's confession, her ears red, walked to Hanma's side, wrapped her arms around his neck, her face rosy, her breath like orchids, eyes bright with love.

"Your confession is like a body technique report, very unique."

The two slowly embraced and kissed passionately.