At this moment, a composed butler quietly approached the judges' stand and bowed slightly: "Distinguished judges, his Highness has tasted all the excellent dishes you have presented. His Highness specifically instructed me to convey a message: he greatly admires the Whale Wave Jade. His Highness said that its flavor is fresh and its concept is novel, possessing a beauty that breaks new ground."
The judges' stand fell silent instantly, their expressions becoming incredibly varied.
They exchanged glances, remained silent for only two or three seconds, and then the president of the Culinary Association, who was also the president of the judging panel, cleared his throat and quickly put on a smile of realization and agreement: "Your Highness truly has discerning eyes and exceptional taste! To be honest, we have just carefully tasted and appreciated this Whale Wave Jade, and we are deeply impressed by its ingenuity and uniqueness! It infuses traditional umami with an indescribable vitality, making it a pinnacle of both taste and artistic conception!"
"After our in-depth discussion, we believe that this dish truly deserves its title and best embodies the inclusive and innovative spirit of our Land of Fire's cuisine!"
He spoke fluently and naturally, without changing his expression, as if the previous controversy had never existed. The other judges around him immediately realized what was going on and nodded in agreement.
"The president is absolutely right!"
"Your Highness's insight is brilliant; it coincides with our own!"
"This dish truly deserves the title of champion!"
The change in the wind was so swift that it drew attention, and soon the jury unanimously passed the resolution.
When the host finally announced loudly, "The winner of this year's Land of Fire First Culinary Tournament is Shinichi Higashino of Konoha! His dish: Whale Wave Jade!"
The entire venue, after a brief moment of astonishment, erupted into enthusiastic applause and noise.
No way… kid, you actually won the championship?
In the audience, Tsunade's eyes widened again as she watched Shinichi announced as the winner.
Shizune and Kurenai, who were standing to the side, also opened their mouths slightly in surprise.
Kurenai was the first to recover from her surprise, a smile spreading across her face as she said, "Shinichi... is truly a genius. Even in cooking, he can reach such a high level."
Tsunade snapped out of her daze and snorted, "That brat, he actually hid it so well... I'll have to make him cook more often in the future, so he can properly show his respect to his teacher."
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Shizune immediately nodded in agreement.
Inside the arena, Shinichi's expression remained calm.
His culinary skills were already solid, and the Big Eater talent gave him a keen sense of the nuances of food's taste, texture, cooking time, and other aspects, along with an instinctive intuition that allowed him to create dishes that far exceeded the ordinary.
However, it was still beyond his expectations that these judges, who were clearly biased towards tradition and industry rules, would ultimately break their prejudices and award the championship to him, a ninja.
His original expectation was to break into the top three based on the quality of his cooking and gain enough recognition and attention.
Winning the championship was an unexpected surprise.
At this moment, the host's booming voice rang out again: "Now, please welcome His Highness the Daimyo to present awards to the winners and all the award recipients of this competition!"
Under the gaze and accompaniment of the crowd, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire slowly walked to the front of the stage with a gentle smile, personally presenting medals and certificates to each winner one by one.
When it was Shinichi's turn, the Daimyo personally handed him the magnificent certificate symbolizing the status of Master Chef on the Land of Fire. His gaze lingered on Shinichi's face for a moment, his smile deepened, and he said gently, "Young man, your culinary skills are excellent and impressive."
He paused, then said with a regretful tone, "It's a pity that the Hokage values you so much. Otherwise, even if you are a ninja from Konoha, I might have asked the Hokage to let you become my personal chef."
Shinichi accepted the certificate with both hands and bowed slightly: "Thank you for your kindness, your Highness. Ninjas serve to protect the Land of Fire and to serve the Daimyo and the people. It is my duty to contribute my strength wherever I am or in whatever way."
That's what he said, but when he saw the supreme ruler of the Land of Fire, his first thought was, when he becomes Hokage, the first thing he will do is to control all the troops in the Land of Fire!
He would bring local forces such as the Fire Temple and the Tsuchigumo clan, as well as local ninja clans and even the guards of various regions under his control, becoming the supreme military commander in the absolute sense.
Upon hearing this, the Daimyo, unaware of the young man's ambition, smiled and said no more.
He patted the young man on the shoulder and then turned to the next winner.
The awards ceremony concluded in a lively atmosphere, with the magistrate and a host of high-ranking officials leaving first, and the competition venue gradually transitioning from the formal competition schedule to a more relaxed exchange and celebration session.
"Shinichi-kun! Please wait!"
The host warmly called out to Shinichi, who was about to leave with the crowd, and led him back to the center of the open-air plaza.
The host brought the microphone closer, smiling broadly, and asked, "Shinichi-kun, as we all know, besides possessing amazing culinary skills, you are also a highly regarded genius ninja of Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire. We are very curious about how you combined these two seemingly disparate things and what prompted you to choose this path outside of ninja training, and ultimately stand here?"
All eyes were on Shinichi.
Shinichi took the microphone, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke: "Thank you for the question. As for being both a ninja and a chef, I don't think they are as completely different as they might seem."
"Becoming an excellent chef is also my deepest dream. Food is not just energy to sustain life; it also carries memories, warmth, culture, and hope. A heartfelt meal can soothe a tired body and mind, bringing families and companions closer together, and even allowing people to rediscover the beauty of life and the reasons worth striving for during their most difficult moments."
"As a ninja from Konoha, my duty is to protect the village and the peace and tranquility of the Land of Fire. This protection is not just about repelling enemies and completing missions. I hope that my protection can be more specific and closer to everyone's lives."
"With these hands, I can fight and protect everyone from threats. Similarly, I hope that with these hands, I can create more delicious dishes so that the children of the Land of Fire can grow up healthily and that every family can have more happy smiles when they sit around the table."
"This is perhaps another form of protection that I, as a ninja from Konoha and a citizen of the Land of Fire, can do."
"Whether I'm wielding a knife as a ninja or holding a knife as a chef, the ultimate goal is to make the land we live in a better place, so that the people living there can feel more happiness and peace of mind."
"This is my answer, and it's the direction I will continue to strive for in the future."