Chapter 221: Break Time
In the original series, Team Seven barely passed the second exam on the very last day—practically in the final seconds before the deadline. The moment that test ended, the three of them had to rush straight to the preliminary matches without any rest. Back then, Sasuke had been bearing the curse mark, forcing him to compete in terrible condition.
But the current situation was completely different. Team Seven had unexpectedly gained an entire five days of free time.
After a tense morning written exam followed by navigating through the dangerous Forest of Death, it was now well past noon, heading into the afternoon hours.
Which meant the most pressing matter at hand was simple: lunch.
Naruto calmly retrieved a small scroll from his equipment pouch. With practiced hand seals, he released the sealing formula, and after a puff of smoke, several carefully prepared bento boxes appeared before everyone—lunch he'd specifically made early that morning.
This skillful use of storage scrolls made Sakura blink in surprise. Preservation-type portable sealing scrolls like these were expensive on the market, weren't they?
Then she realized—Naruto had probably made it himself.
After years of dedicated study, Naruto's mastery of sealing techniques had reached an impressive level. Just with his skill at crafting practical storage scrolls, if he wanted to sell them, he could've already achieved financial independence.
However, since Naruto had never bothered to research market prices or attempt to sell anything, he didn't realize that as Konoha's only remaining Uzumaki clan member, his sealing technique expertise was already among the village's finest.
If you didn't count the Third Hokage's mutual-destruction Dead Demon Consuming Seal, Naruto's abilities could be considered Konoha's best.
Of course, with Gato's massive fortune now in his possession, even having to support the entire Ember organization's operations, Naruto had long since stopped worrying about money. Especially with Kakuzu and Hizashi diligently managing his finances.
The bento he'd prepared was made following recipes from cookbooks he'd bought at the bookstore. The ninja world's cuisine leaned toward Japanese-style cooking, though there were also many modified Chinese dishes. He'd specifically chosen something called "Prosperity Rice."
Satsuki and Sakura opened their bento boxes with anticipation, greeted by food still emanating warm steam. Below was fluffy, pearl-white steamed rice, topped with a carefully prepared pork liver dish, rich sauce slowly seeping into the rice grains beneath.
The three found a quiet rest room to sit down. When Sakura and Satsuki took their first bites, despite having high expectations for Naruto's cooking, the exquisite flavors dancing on their tongues made their eyes widen involuntarily.
The rice was steamed to perfect softness, having fully absorbed the specially seasoned sauce, creating a smooth texture that slid down easily.
Paired with crisp cabbage prepared using a thickening technique, and tender pork liver processed without any gamey taste and just the right amount of chewiness—every ingredient's flavor blended perfectly, creating a harmonious symphony in their mouths.
The sublime taste left Satsuki and Sakura momentarily speechless. Without exchanging a word, they simultaneously increased their eating pace, taking one large bite after another, letting this abundant deliciousness soothe their bodies and minds, which had grown weary from the morning's tense examination.
Though with Naruto's top-tier culinary skills, anything he made would be delicious, he'd still poured genuine effort into the bentos for his teammates. Each one could be considered a masterpiece.
During Team Seven's missions, whenever time wasn't especially tight, Naruto would typically cook for Kakashi, Satsuki, and Sakura himself. It had practically become an unspoken rule of their squad.
I'm so lucky!
Sakura celebrated internally while savoring the delicious Prosperity Rice. After all, when ninja were out on missions, most of the time they could only fill their stomachs with bland, monotonous food pills.
Even on the rare occasions there was time to cook over a fire, ninja who devoted most of their energy to combat training typically had unremarkable cooking skills.
Yet here on a mission, she could taste dishes even better than high-end restaurant fare. Sakura deeply felt that being assigned to a team like this was incredible fortune!
However, alongside this happiness, a trace of worry quietly surfaced. What would she do if someday she couldn't eat food this good anymore?
Unlike Sakura with her somewhat anxious thoughts, Satsuki had no such concerns. She'd long since decided to stick by Naruto's side for life—no matter where, no matter when, regardless of how their identities changed, wherever Naruto was, she would definitely follow.
Once, Kakashi had asked Satsuki a question, half curious and half testing: "You're so dependent on Naruto now—what if someday, for some unavoidable reason, you had to separate from him? What would you do?"
However, Satsuki had countered with her own question. "Unavoidable? What specific reason do you mean?"
So Kakashi had offered several possible examples—mission assignments, long-term transfers, and so on—only for Satsuki to refute each one with various "reasonable" solutions. Her core philosophy was singular: under no circumstances would she separate.
Of course, Kakashi couldn't fabricate extreme situations beyond a genin's understanding. He'd originally wanted to add half-jokingly:
"The way you are... what would you do if Naruto unfortunately died in battle someday?"
It was just a joke, naturally. Kakashi would stake his life before letting such a situation occur.
He'd simply felt somewhat helpless about Satsuki's lifestyle that revolved entirely around Naruto.
However, when he saw those jet-black eyes of hers, he ultimately swallowed those joking words. Just imagining in his mind what answer Satsuki might give, he'd wisely chosen silence.
Watching his two teammates' satisfied expressions as they enjoyed their meal, Naruto's face unconsciously broke into a pleased smile. He now understood why Teuchi from Ichiraku Ramen always smiled so happily when customers praised his noodles.
In this warm atmosphere, the rest room door suddenly flew open with a loud clatter.
So fast?
That thought flashed simultaneously through the minds of both those inside and outside the room. Inside, Naruto, Satsuki, and Sakura looked up in surprise. Outside, the newly arrived Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari also stopped in their tracks. Six pairs of eyes met in midair.