The shift in atmosphere was too sudden.
Both Uchiha Yoru and Uchiha Shisui didn't react in time.
"…Huh?"
Yoru was taller. The moment he caught the scent lingering in the air—
He immediately understood what had happened.
With an apologetic smile, he raised his hands.
"Uncle Shou, I'm sorry. Really, I'm sorry."
"I didn't make much, but there's at least enough broth to share. Everyone will get a portion."
The furious-looking Uchiha Shou's expression changed instantly.
"As long as there's soup, it's fine."
"You brat… how can you cook something that smells this good?"
"Smelling good is one thing—but couldn't you just shut your doors and windows and eat it quietly?"
"You had to let the smell spread across the entire street? How are we supposed to live like this?"
"Look at my kid—crying and screaming for your meat. Won't even touch what I made."
"Same here! My house is in chaos. The kid's father even broke a broomstick trying to discipline him—and it still didn't work!"
Yoru immediately lowered himself further.
"Sorry, sorry!"
Shisui: "..."
Almost all the neighbors followed Yoru to his house.
The door wasn't locked.
When they pushed it open—
They saw tightly shut windows and doors.
Especially the kitchen.
Aside from the faint smoke curling from the chimney, everything was sealed completely.
Uchiha Shou blinked.
"Yoru… you made that… what was it… Jumping Wall thing?"
"…Buddha Jumps Over the Wall."
"Yeah, that."
"…Yeah."
"…We're doomed."
As the realization spread, the neighbors let out a collective wail.
"How are we supposed to eat anything after this?"
"Exactly! For the next month, nothing will taste right."
"Yoru, next time you make something like this, tell us in advance. Let us prepare mentally."
What could Yoru even say?
He could only laugh awkwardly and step forward, pushing open his own door.
In the next instant—
A wave of fragrance burst out.
It rushed into the air—
Overwhelming.
In truth, properly prepared Buddha Jumps Over the Wall should barely release any aroma during cooking.
But in this world—
The scent couldn't be contained.
It seeped through walls.
Spread through the streets.
Yet one thing remained the same—
Only when the seal was broken—
Would the true aroma erupt.
What they were smelling now—
Was merely a prelude.
Even so—
It was already unbearable.
Everyone stretched their necks, inhaling deeply, trying to capture as much of that scent as possible.
It was a smell that awakened hunger—
Violently.
Uncontrollably.
Shisui, the shortest among them, finally understood.
Children had even less resistance to delicious food.
His mouth filled with saliva instantly.
All he could do—
Was swallow.
"Meow, everyone's here?"
Miwa Masayo stepped out from the kitchen, her movements elegant.
"It seems the aroma has spread."
"We're just here for some soup."
"Yeah, just the soup is enough. We wouldn't dare eat the meat. Last time, my kid didn't know his limits—ate some meat and had nosebleeds all night."
"Same for me, and I'm an adult. Let alone children."
"Just a bowl of soup is enough."
"Heh… newlyweds can take two pieces of meat…"
Yoru had prepared for this.
This wasn't his first time making the dish.
The extra stock.
The oversized pot.
All of it—
For this moment.
He walked into the kitchen.
Confirmed that Miwa Masayo had extinguished the fire—
Then lifted the seal.
White steam surged upward.
The aroma of alcohol struck first—
Sharp.
Dominant.
Charging straight into their noses.
But that was only the vanguard.
Behind it—
Came everything else.
The essence of the sea.
The wind.
The land.
Creatures of air and earth—
All converging.
Like a perfectly organized army—
Crashing directly into the senses.
In an instant—
The room fell silent.
No one spoke.
No one could.
Their souls felt like they were drifting away.
Yoru picked up a large ladle, scooped out the thick, rich, dark broth, and shouted—
"Uncle Shou, snap out of it! I'm serving the soup!"
Uchiha Shou jolted awake.
"Oh—!"
He hurriedly extended his bowl.
The others followed.
Forming a line without needing to be told.
Waiting.
One by one.
For their share.
Some said—
That after boiling the stock, the hen used in Buddha Jumps Over the Wall couldn't be eaten anymore.
That all its flavor and nutrition had dissolved into the soup.
That was nonsense.
Pretentious nonsense.
Meat was meat.
Even shredded and softened—
Mixed with the broth—
It was still delicious.
So each person received—
A bowl of soup.
And a small portion of shredded chicken.
Those who received it would first inhale deeply—
Losing themselves in the aroma—
Before carefully carrying their bowls home in small, cautious steps.
Within minutes—
The crowd dispersed.
Leaving behind gifts.
Flatbread from Shou's family.
Fresh vegetables.
Rice.
Flour.
Cooking oil.
Even a small outfit prepared for Miwa Masayo.
Which the tabby immediately rejected.
"This stitching is too rough. The edges aren't even."
"And this color—why blue?"
"My fur is blue-black tabby. It doesn't match at all."
She muttered with a look of disdain.
But her tail—
Swayed like a wave.
Among the Uchiha, many raised crows.
But at their core—
They were all cat lovers.
Shisui could tell at a glance.
This so-called Cat Sage—
Was just pretending.
She was happy to the point of bursting.
In the end—
She didn't throw the clothes away.
Instead, she carefully folded them and placed them into her cabinet—
At the very bottom.
Yoru didn't pay attention to the gifts.
He was hungry.
Very hungry.
Fire-aspected natural energy flowed into his hands.
He lifted the massive clay pot and carried it to the dining table.
Then, at the fastest speed possible—
Prepared bowls.
Chopsticks.
Rice.
Side dishes.
Everything ready.
"Shisui, try it. Don't hold back."
"Big Brother Yoru… is it really okay for me to eat this?"
"Relax. You've already trained enough and can extract chakra. This is exactly when you need nutrition."
"Eat. There won't be any problems."
Shisui hesitated for only a moment.
Then—
He picked up a piece of abalone.
And bit down.
The aroma—
Exploded.
Wine.
Sea.
Meat.
Everything—
Colliding against his taste buds.
The abalone was tender, almost melting.
It dissolved with the slightest pressure of the tongue.
Soft—
Yet not rotten.
Rich—
Yet endlessly layered.
For a moment—
He couldn't even tell whether he had swallowed the abalone—
Or his own tongue.
Too delicious.
"Don't just eat the meat. Pick up your bowl. Drink the soup."
"The soup is the true essence."
Shisui obeyed immediately.
He picked up the bowl—almost larger than his head—
Blew on it lightly—
And took a sip.
The thick, gelatin-rich broth entered his mouth—
And in that instant—
His consciousness lifted.
As if ascending into the clouds.
His body—
No longer under his control.
By the time he regained awareness—
Everything was gone.
All the food—
Finished.
A pile of bones lay before him.
And his stomach—
Round.
Tight.
Almost painful—
Yet filled with overwhelming satisfaction.
…When did my belt come undone?
There was only one thought left in his mind—
This—
Had to be the most delicious food in the entire shinobi world.
Without question.
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> patreon.com/SorenSwiftTL