Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 578 Sugar-Coated Bullets

Onoki looked at the noodles in front of him, showing no intention of touching them.

He stared intently at the few floating scallion petals, his mind a jumbled mess.

Has Konoha gone mad? Or is there some deadly poison hidden in this bowl of noodles? Or is it some new kind of illusion medium?

wrong.

If all they wanted to do was kill them, they could have just had the Raikage or Hanzo outside do it; there was no need to bring out a bowl of ramen.

Hiruzen Sarutobi swallowed the food in his mouth, raised his head, and pointed to Onoki's bowl with utter nonchalance.

"Eat it while it's hot. It'll be a waste if it clumps up, since the meat was transported from the farm early this morning."

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused in mid-air, holding his chopsticks. "Or is there something you two are dissatisfied with about this meal?"

Chiyo's withered hand remained suspended in mid-air.

Onoki stood frozen in place, his gaze passing over the steaming bowl of ramen and landing squarely on Hiruzen Sarutobi's undisguised smile.

A fine layer of white sweat suddenly seeped out from Tu Ying's back.

He waved his hands repeatedly, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace onto his withered face: "No, no complaints at all, thank you for your hospitality, Hokage-sama."

Chiyo nodded in agreement, her movements stiff as a marionette.

"That's good."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction, then, as if remembering something, looked at Fugaku Uchiha, who was standing respectfully with his hands at his sides, and said, "Fugaku, please sit down."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Without the slightest hesitation, Fugaku Uchiha took off his coarse apron, sat down in the empty seat next to him, picked up a bowl of noodles, and moved with elegant but extremely fast movements.

Onoki and Chiyo exchanged a glance, and both saw two words in each other's eyes: "Start eating."

To remain still is to disrespect the Hokage.

Disrespecting the Hokage is disrespecting Konoha.

With two Kage-level shinobi guarding the gate, disrespecting Konoha might lead to unpleasant consequences.

"Cough...cough cough..."

Chiyo broke the silence with a violent cough from her parched throat.

She picked up her chopsticks and, with an almost reverent gesture, picked up a small handful of noodles and carefully put them into her mouth.

chew.

Swallow.

"His Hokage's hospitality... was very attentive, I am very satisfied."

Onoki's jaw muscles twitched violently.

He slowly, inch by inch, shifted his gaze from Hiruzen Sarutobi's face back to the steaming bowl of tonkotsu ramen in front of him.

The scallions are vibrant green, the broth is rich and flavorful, and the slices of char siu pork, with its alternating layers of fat and lean meat, gleam with an enticing sheen.

This is not a bowl of noodles.

This is clearly a surrender document from a defeated nation.

He took a deep breath, his chest filled with humiliation and resentment, but he could only pick up his chopsticks.

"...Thank you for your trouble."

He practically spat out those words through his teeth, then picked up a large mouthful of noodles and stuffed it into his mouth as if to vent his frustration.

However, the moment the noodles touched his mouth, Onoki froze completely.

It's just a simple bite.

The broth is rich yet not greasy, with the unique mellowness of pork bones, mixed with the savory aroma of a secret sauce. As it slides down the throat and into the stomach, it feels as if a warm current instantly spreads to every part of the body.

The noodles are chewy, smooth, and springy, with each strand evenly coated in broth.

And that piece of char siu, with its perfect balance of lean and fatty meat, melts in your mouth, the aroma of the meat and the savory flavor of the broth exploding in your mouth.

Onoki's brain went blank for 0.3 seconds.

good to eat……

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he forcibly suppressed it.

This is a sugar-coated bullet!

However, the body's instincts are honest.

After finishing one bite, he uncontrollably picked up a second one.

In this eerie silence, broken only by the sound of slurping noodles, the tent flap was lifted once again.

Uchiha Shisui led a group of equally sharp-eyed Uchiha clansmen in single file.

Instead of carrying trays, they escorted a huge food cart covered with a silver lid, one on each side, as it filed in.

The food cart was pushed to the center of the long table.

Gudong.

Onoki swallowed nervously, as if the noodles he had just eaten were suddenly stuck in his esophagus.

coming.

The main course is here.

What's hidden under this thing? Is it poisoned wine for a last meal before execution, or a map symbolizing the division of the world?

He held his body tightly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed oblivious to the tense atmosphere. He put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Open the lid."

"yes!"

The two Uchiha clansmen moved in perfect unison as the silver cover was lifted.

"boom--!"

An indescribable, domineering fragrance, like an invisible bomb, instantly exploded throughout the entire tent.

It's not a single fragrance.

It's the sizzling aroma of meat sizzling as the fat drips onto the charcoal fire after being grilled at high temperatures; it's the sweet fragrance of the secret sauce perfectly broken down under high temperatures and blending with the aroma of the meat; it's the rich and unique aroma of dozens of spices mixed together, making your mouth water at the first whiff.

"This is……"

Onoki's Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty.

He finally saw what was on the food cart.

A whole piece, at least half a meter long, roasted to a perfect golden brown... roast meat.

The surface of the roasted meat was still sizzling with oil, and the aroma was coming from it.

Next to the meat, there were sliced ​​cucumbers, bright red tomatoes, and even a few bunches of crystal-clear fruit that looked like grapes, all arranged on an exquisite plate.

Chiyo's first reaction was: It's poisonous!

There must be a nerve-numbing toxin in this aroma!

However, the anticipated assassination and illusion did not occur.

The curtain was lifted.

The Fourth Raikage, A, and Hanzo the Salamander, the leader of Amegakure, entered.

They didn't even glance at Onoki and Chiyo; their eyes met those of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Then Ai unceremoniously tore off a large piece of roast meat from the food cart and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it heartily.

"Mmm...delicious!"

Ai mumbled a praise, chewing as he said to Hijiri, the strategist of Kumogakure, "This tastes amazing! Hijiri, you should try it, it's way better than the barbecue places in our village!"

Although Hanzo didn't lose his composure like Ai, he still walked to the table, picked up a piece of grilled meat, and put it in his mouth to savor it.

That slight nod said it all.

This scene struck Onoki and Chiyo hard in the heart.

Their allies... no, their former allies, are now enjoying the roast meat served to them by their enemies, eating with relish and taking it all for granted!

Onoki's pupils suddenly contracted.

He then noticed that along with the grilled meat were plates of exquisitely presented side dishes.

Fresh, juicy cucumber slices, plump, red cherry tomatoes, and... after he finished his bowl of ramen, Fugaku Uchiha served him a bowl of rice.

The rice was plump and glistening, emitting a unique and delicate fragrance; it was of extremely high quality.

And this rice... the best rice in Iwagakure, compared to this, it's practically pig feed chaff!

A terrible thought, like lightning, cleaved through Onoki's chaotic thoughts.

This is not a meal.

This is a blatant display of Konoha's national power!

They possess a mature and systematic ecological aquaculture industry chain.

This exceptionally high-quality rice means that their agricultural technology is far ahead of the entire ninja world by countless eras!