Chapter 201: Dried Chili
The grilled fish tasted surprisingly good.
The skin was crispy, and the fish inside was tender and juicy. Seasoned only with salt, it perfectly preserved the inherent deliciousness of the ingredients.
For Uchiha Hikari, who had been in an abnormal state for a long time, this simple yet warm food brought not only a replenishment of energy but also a long-lost sense of 'being alive'.
She didn't suspect that something else might be mixed in, because in her current state, she couldn't resist anyway.
The warmth and satisfaction spreading from her stomach were like a faint but persistent flame, slowly melting away the stiffness in her limbs and bones caused by prolonged tension and weakness.
Naruto's feeding movements were steady and patient.
He paused slightly after she took a bite, waiting for her to adjust her breathing and spit out the fish bones before offering the next bite.
There were no unnecessary words, no attempts to shorten the distance, just a repetition of simple and necessary feeding.
One fish was finished, then a second.
When the third grilled fish was also reduced to a bare wooden skewer, Uchiha Hikari finally turned her head slightly, avoiding the food offered to her mouth again.
"That's enough."
Her voice was still a bit hoarse, but with a hint more vitality than before.
"No more."
Naruto asked, "Are you full?"
"I'm full."
After confirming that Uchiha Hikari was full, Naruto took out a pot, bowls, food, and seasonings from his ninja tool pouch and began to cook.
He boiled water and added noodles.
After preparing the garlic, shrimp, scallions, ginger, crushed peanuts, chili bean paste, chili, and sesame (note: garlic slices and minced garlic should be washed after cutting), the noodles were almost cooked.
He removed the noodles and set them aside, then poured out the water from the pot.
After the residual water in the pot had dried, he stir-fried the sesame seeds until fragrant and removed them, then poured oil into the pot.
Once the oil was at the right temperature, he added scallions, ginger, Sichuan Peppercorns, and Star Anise.
After frying, he removed the spices, leaving only the oil, then added the garlic slices to fry.
Once golden, he removed them and added minced garlic and crushed peanuts.
When the minced garlic also turned a beautiful golden color, the previously stir-fried sesame seeds and chili powder (also called chili flakes in some places) were added.
The moment the chili powder met the hot oil, a stimulating yet enticing spicy aroma burst forth, making Uchiha Hikari unconsciously twitch her nose, even though she couldn't see.
Then, a spoonful of deep red, glossy chili bean paste and the prepared minced shrimp were added to the pot.
The sauce and minced shrimp rapidly dehydrated and fused in the hot oil and residual heat, emitting a pleasant
Finally, the previously fried golden garlic slices were returned to the pot, mixed with the sauce, and then seasoned with an appropriate amount of salt for the final touch.
"Sizzle—"
With the final stir-fry, all the aromas seemed to reach their peak at this moment, then perfectly blended together, forming a complex, rich, dominant yet layered composite fragrance, like an invisible hook, fiercely tugging at one's taste buds.
It was a grand symphony of garlic, sesame, peanut, spicy, savory, seafood umami, and rich oil aromas, carefully controlled and layered in sequence, without any disorder, only a soul-stirring allure.
Even though Uchiha Hikari had just finished three grilled fish, her mouth uncontrollably salivated at this moment.
The rich, complex aroma still lingered in the air, domineering occupying every inch of space.
Uchiha Hikari could "hear" the thick and enticing sound as Naruto scooped the reddish, oily sauce, mixed with golden garlic slices, sesame, and crushed peanuts, from the pot into some container.
That sound, along with the increasingly solid aroma in the air, seemed to transform into tangible hooks, constantly teasing her now stirring appetite.
Immediately after, there was the slight clinking of bowls and chopsticks, and the rhythmic "clack-clack" sound of chopsticks rapidly stirring against the bowl.
The subtle movements of the sauce fully mixing with the noodles and broth were clearly discernible to her amplified hearing.
Then, footsteps approached, and the familiar presence, warm with the heat of food, stopped before her again.
"Want to try some?"
Naruto's voice rang out, still in that steady tone, showing little emotion, as natural as offering a glass of water.
Uchiha Hikari's throat involuntarily swallowed.
The salty aroma of grilled fish lingering in her mouth had long been washed away by that more complex, more stimulating fragrance, replaced by a new, more intense craving.
But... she had just explicitly said, "I'm full."
What would it mean to take it and eat now?
Going back on her word?
Lack of willpower?
Or... succumbing to the 'temptation'?
She strongly suspected that this guy named Uzumaki Naruto was doing it on purpose!
First, he used simple but delicious grilled fish to make her relax her guard slightly and replenish basic energy. Then, he brought out this dish, a 'killer move' with such an impactful aroma, and only invited her to taste it after she had clearly stated she was full.
This was practically a meticulously planned psychological battle targeting her will and appetite!
"Just try some."
Naruto's voice sounded again, this time with a hint of persuasion, but still not urgent or forceful.
"If it tastes good, have some more. You need to eat to replenish energy; a long-term deficit can't be made up in just a few meals."
Her rationality said: This is enemy food, there might be a trick, maintain dignity and vigilance.
Her instincts and thoroughly aroused cravings screamed: Just one bite, just one bite! See if it's really that fragrant! And he's right, you need energy! Anyway, you're eating his stuff, you won't lose anything.
The pervasive aroma, like the most cunning lobbyist, constantly eroded the defenses of her reason.
The fierce inner struggle was like two armies facing off. Her bound hands tightened slightly, and the lines of her shoulders under the draped jacket were stiff. On her bandage-covered face, her lips pressed into a pale, straight line, then loosened, then tightened again.
Time seemed to stretch in the silence, every second filled with a voiceless confrontation.
Finally, after a long standoff where she could almost hear her own heartbeat, Uchiha Hikari very slowly, with a nearly tragic determination, slightly opened her mouth.
She didn't speak, didn't nod, but with this subtle movement, she made her compromise.
Naruto scooped up a strand of noodles and fed it to her mouth.
The Uchiha Clan, whether it's Sasuke or Hikari, are really like kittens.
Oh dear, how cute!
The noodles' chewy smoothness, the sauce's savory, spicy flavor, the crispy garlic slices, the fragrant sesame and peanuts, the subtle sweetness of the minced shrimp, and the indescribable complex richness formed by the Fusion of various spices... all the flavors harmoniously intertwined, assaulting her taste buds, even stronger and more... delicious than she had imagined.
Her chewing paused for a moment, then unconsciously sped up a bit. The initial thought of just 'taking a bite' wavered under the intense feedback from her taste buds.
Naruto seemed to notice her subtle change but didn't point it out, merely offering a second bite at the right moment after she swallowed the first.
This time, Uchiha Hikari didn't struggle much, almost obediently opening her mouth.
In the darkness, under restraint, she ate this unexpectedly fragrant bowl of noodles, bite after bite, in silence.
With each bite, her body seemed to grow a degree warmer, and the lingering sense of weakness seemed to be dispelled somewhat by the rich flavor.
And the image of the blond man sitting before her, patiently feeding her, became even more complex and inscrutable in her mind.
What exactly did he want from her?
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