Chapter 22: Chapter 22: The Gathering of the Konoha Sannin

As April arrived in Konoha Village, the temperature rose considerably.

On a sunny Saturday, the izakaya jointly opened by Natsuki and Mayu officially launched.

Although it was technically a partnership, Mayu handled all the day-to-day operations.

Natsuki’s situation was unique. He still had classes and training to attend to.

Fortunately, barring any surprises, the premium tier he’d designed would become the izakaya’s main pillar.

Countless marketing cases from his previous life had proven one thing: as long as your reputation was strong enough, the money would flow endlessly.

And his culinary skills were the real deal.

[Congratulations, Host. You have unlocked Zeff Template Ability 2: Head Chef Drop Kick.]

Natsuki glanced at the notification—then heard Nawaki’s voice.

He immediately dismissed the system panel and looked toward the entrance.

His eyebrows rose slightly.

He had expected Nawaki to arrive with Tsunade. But the person standing beside him wasn’t Tsunade at all.

It was a young man.

Shoulder-length dark hair. Pale skin. Purple markings around golden, slit-pupiled eyes. A cold, sinister aura.

With all those features combined, even though this was Natsuki’s first time seeing him in person, he immediately knew who it was.

Orochimaru.

Student of Sarutobi Hiruzen. Teammate of Tsunade and Jiraiya. One of the future Legendary Sannin.

In the original timeline, Nawaki’s death had driven him to pursue immortality—setting him on the path of a mad scientist.

Eventually, Sarutobi Hiruzen had discovered his experiments. Orochimaru became a missing-nin, and later collaborated with Sunagakure to orchestrate the Konoha Crush.

But right now, he hadn’t turned evil yet.

He looked gloomy, yes—but he was still a normal ninja.

"Natsuki!"

Nawaki said excitedly. "Let me introduce you. This is my teacher, Orochimaru."

Teacher?

Natsuki was mildly surprised, but it made sense.

After all, Orochimaru and Tsunade were teammates who had grown up together.

Even if Orochimaru wasn’t officially Nawaki’s instructor, he would naturally guide him like a student.

"Lord Orochimaru."

Natsuki greeted him respectfully.

Orochimaru nodded expressionlessly, saying nothing.

"Please, come in."

Natsuki gestured for them to follow.

Orochimaru and Nawaki entered the izakaya.

"Nawaki-senpai, where’s your sister?"

Natsuki led them toward the luxurious private room he’d prepared in advance.

"She asked me to let Orochimaru-sensei know. She’s with Kushina—they’ll be here shortly."

Nawaki explained.

"I see."

Natsuki nodded and pushed open the door.

Yakushi Nonou instinctively stood up.

"Nonou, good evening."

Nawaki greeted her with a smile.

"You all can chat. I’ll go wait for Lady Tsunade at the entrance."

Natsuki said, then headed back toward the front of the izakaya.

He didn’t have to wait long before he spotted Tsunade.

But she wasn’t alone with Uzumaki Kushina.

Namikaze Minato and Jiraiya were with them as well.

A gathering of the future Legendary Sannin?

This was Natsuki’s first time seeing Jiraiya in person.

His features were even more distinctive than Orochimaru’s: a mane of wild white hair and a forehead protector engraved with the kanji for "oil."

"Lady Tsunade."

Natsuki stepped forward to greet them. "Lord Jiraiya."

"You know me?"

Jiraiya asked, mildly puzzled.

"I’ve heard many tales of Lord Jiraiya’s exploits."

Natsuki replied.

"I want tender chicken tonight."

Tsunade smiled. "Natsuki, you’d better not disappoint me."

"You’re really the one cooking?"

Jiraiya’s interest sharpened. "Then you’d better give it 120%. As a veteran foodie, I’ve eaten my way across the entire ninja world."

At this point in his life, he had already become a contractor of Mount Myoboku.

For the Great Toad Sage’s prophecy, he had traveled the ninja world while completing missions. Saying he’d eaten his way across the continent wasn’t an exaggeration.

"Natsuki will definitely satisfy you!"

Uzumaki Kushina declared with absolute confidence.

"Wait for me in the private room. The food will be out soon."

Natsuki said as he led them inside.

They soon entered the private room.

After a round of pleasantries, Natsuki headed to the kitchen.

Namikaze Minato and Yakushi Nonou exchanged nervous glances.

Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru—all present in one room.

To them, these were legendary figures.

"Minato."

Jiraiya spoke first. "Do you know why I brought you along?"

Minato shook his head.

He had been about to eat dinner when Jiraiya had suddenly appeared in front of him.

Then he’d been dragged to this izakaya without explanation.

He’d met Tsunade and Kushina on the way.

"Teacher says your talent is exceptional. You could become my student."

Jiraiya didn’t mince words.

Minato’s eyes went wide. Shock flooded his face.

Become Jiraiya’s student? What had he done to deserve that?

But shock quickly gave way to excitement.

If he became Jiraiya’s disciple, his future would be limitless.

Tsunade already knew, so she wasn’t surprised.

Orochimaru remained calm as well. He had vaguely guessed the reason the moment he saw Minato.

"But whether you actually become my student depends on your performance."

Jiraiya smiled. "I’ll train you for a while. If you don’t meet the standard, don’t blame me."

"I understand!"

Minato responded immediately.

For a commoner genius like him, this was a life-changing opportunity.

Whether he could seize it remained to be seen.

But he would give it everything he had.

"Nonou, the same applies to you."

Tsunade spoke up suddenly. "Starting tomorrow, I’ll be teaching you personally."

Yakushi Nonou froze.

"Then what about Natsuki?"

Nawaki asked instinctively.

"Whose student do you want Natsuki to be?"

Tsunade asked teasingly.

"Me?"

Nawaki scratched his head. "I hope he becomes my teammate."

"What a pity."

Tsunade shook her head, her tone regretful.

"It’s fine if he isn’t..."

Nawaki felt a twinge of disappointment but didn’t push further.

"Your sister is messing with you."

Jiraiya exposed her immediately. "Natsuki excels in kenjutsu. The most suitable teacher for him is Orochimaru."

Nawaki’s gaze snapped to Tsunade.

"Don’t you know? The more beautiful a woman is, the more she lies."

Tsunade blinked innocently, grinning.

"Damn it!"

Nawaki gritted his teeth.

"Nawaki, you should learn from your teacher—before you get played as an adult."

Jiraiya laughed loudly and clapped him on the shoulder.

Orochimaru chuckled as well—though not as openly as Jiraiya and Tsunade.

The private room filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

The group chatted while they waited.

After some time, the door opened. Mayu walked in carrying dishes.

She set down the first plate. "This is the appetizer: Chirashizushi."

Natsuki had obtained the Emiya Shirou template.

In his previous life, there had been an anime called Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family.

He planned to recreate several dishes from it.

Time passed steadily.

The dining table soon overflowed with food.

Assorted hot pot. Bamboo shoot gratin. Crispy fried chicken. Salmon baked in foil with butter.

And of course—Tsunade’s favorite tender chicken.

"Smells incredible."

Jiraiya inhaled deeply, anticipation written across his face.

Tsunade, meanwhile, wasted no time. She grabbed her chopsticks and snatched a piece of chicken.

She popped it into her mouth, chewed a few times—and her eyes widened.

"This is the most delicious chicken I’ve ever had."

Tsunade looked at Natsuki appraisingly.

Orochimaru glanced around the table, then took a bite of the fried egg.

His eyebrow rose. Satisfaction flickered in his expression.

Natsuki’s culinary skills were indeed better than expected.

From that perspective alone, taking him as a student wouldn’t be a loss.

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