"Hundreds of years have passed, and it's still as delicious as ever," Fukasaku Sage praised with a smile after eating the bug dish.
He wasn't praising it just because Shima was his wife, but genuinely found it quite tasty.
After all, it was a competition. Though Fukasaku Sage wasn't fond of the bizarre foods humans made, he picked up a wild vegetable and tried it.
With just one bite, Fukasaku Sage was astonished. In that moment, it felt as if he wasn't just a toad, but a blade of green grass flourishing in nature.
"Dear, that one's cooking isn't as good as mine, right?" Shima Sage asked.
Fukasaku Sage savored the experience, then shook his head and said:
"While your cooking is delicious, young Mokgetsu's dish embodies the essence of nature. The difference between you two is like that between ordinary ninjutsu and immortal technique."
In that instant of tasting, Fukasaku Sage was truly shocked. In his over 800 years of life, he had never eaten such food. The feeling was so vivid that he seemed to sense a pulsation of natural ability.
"Is it really that amazing?" Shima Sage was a bit unconvinced hearing her husband praise an outsider so highly.
Thus, she also picked up the wild vegetable that Fukasaku Sage had just eaten.
After eating it, all her dissatisfaction instantly vanished, and the displeasure on her face turned to shock.
"When did human cuisine become so delicious?" Shima Sage said with a look of amazement.
"And that feeling just now was so genuine, how is that done?" After marveling, Shima Sage was filled with intense curiosity.
However, she soon couldn't bother with her astonishment anymore; she needed to eat quickly, or it would all be gone before others finished.
Soon, Mokgetsu's dish was devoured, and Shima's bug feast was also eaten quickly, despite everyone wearing expressions of facing death.
"Little Mokgetsu, what do you think of my cooking?" Shima Sage asked about Mokgetsu's impression after eating her dish.
"For a housewife, it's excellent in all aspects, but not suitable for most humans," Mokgetsu adjusted his expression and smiled, giving his assessment.
"Indeed, it doesn't compare to little Mokgetsu's cooking," Shima Sage was quite satisfied with Mokgetsu's evaluation.
"Little Jiraiya, what do you think of little Mokgetsu?" Fukasaku Sage suddenly asked Jiraiya.
"Very impressive, whether in ability or other aspects," Jiraiya thought for a moment before answering.
Although he hadn't interacted much with Mokgetsu, the impression that Mokgetsu left on Jiraiya was very good.
In the past, Jiraiya might have taken Mokgetsu as a disciple. After all, having two disciples who were both similar and outstanding in every way was truly great.
However, now Jiraiya's mind was preoccupied with finding the child of prophecy. Once the war ended, he planned to continue his journey, leaving no time to mentor Mokgetsu.
"Then, when you have time, you should bring little Mokgetsu to Mount Myoboku as a guest. I'm looking forward to seeing him prepare a feast with ingredients from Mount Myoboku," Fukasaku Sage said with a smile.
Jiraiya kind of understood Fukasaku Sage's intention, laughed heartily, and nodded, saying, "We'll definitely visit when we have time."
Hearing the conversation between the two, Mokgetsu had some guesses in his heart. Maybe the two sages found him quite agreeable and thought he might become a contractor for Mount Myoboku, but since they weren't familiar with him, they let Jiraiya assist in observing first. If he was qualified, they could take him to Mount Myoboku.
Of course, it's also possible that Fukasaku Sage was genuinely craving his cooking and simply wanted him to visit Mount Myoboku as a guest.
For Mokgetsu, it was a win-win either way. After all, cooking a few dishes was no big deal for him; it was just the lift of a hand.
To prevent Hidden Rock from pulling any stunts, Mokgetsu stayed in the war camp for a few days. Once nothing happened, he bid farewell to Minato and Jiraiya.
"Minato, do you have a message for Kushina? I can go back and tell her for you," Mokgetsu asked with a smile.
Minato thought for a moment. He indeed had a lot to say to Kushina. He wanted to ask if having a monster inside her was tiring, and whether she felt lonely cultivating by herself. But if he asked Mokgetsu to relay all of this, it would be like writing a ten-thousand-word thesis. Minato condensed all his words into one sentence.
"Tell her I'm doing well, and she should take care of herself, not stay up late, and eat on time."
"I'll pass on your words exactly," Mokgetsu memorized every word, then nodded and said.
"Mokgetsu, I've already passed on the credit for your achievements on the battlefield. You might have a surprise waiting for you once you return," Jiraiya laughed as he bid farewell to Mokgetsu.
On the first day the battle ended, he had sent back news of the victory, and Jiraiya had specially written a separate letter to Sarutobi Hiruzen detailing Mokgetsu's performance in the war and suggesting they nurture Mokgetsu more.
"Thank you for the effort, Jiraiya-sama," Mokgetsu said with a gentle smile, expressing his gratitude as he heard Jiraiya speak on his behalf.
"If you want to thank me, prepare a grand feast when I return. By the way, your three disciples are quite remarkable; continue to cultivate them well," Jiraiya said.
Obito and his group had gotten used to accompanying Mokgetsu in their cultivation, practicing wherever they went. During these days at the camp, they maintained their cultivation, and Jiraiya noticed that the three were exceptionally excellent, among the best of their peers.
"If they continue like this, they might have a chance to become the next-generation Sannin, though being two males and one female feels a bit odd," Jiraiya thought to himself.
"Farewell, Minato-senpai, Toad-uncle," Obito waved goodbye to Minato and Jiraiya.
Minato was as modest and outstanding as Mokgetsu. After spending a few days with Minato, Obito had a very good impression of him. As for Jiraiya, although he could be infuriating at times, Obito felt he was fundamentally a good person.
"Senior Dekai, let's have another youthful battle when there's a chance in the future," Might Guy gave a thumbs-up to Dekai.
After discovering Dekai as a master of Lighting Release Nin-Taijutsu, Guy attempted to challenge him once. Although he faced a huge defeat, the two got along well.
"Haha, as long as you pick a good time, it's no problem," Dekai readily laughed and agreed.
"Goodbye, Jiraiya-sama, Minato-senpai," Kakashi politely bid farewell to each one.
After the farewells, Mokgetsu led his disciples and the grain transport team back to Konoha.
On the way, Obito fiddled with his camera, looking at the photos he had taken.
"I never knew there were so many kinds of plants. If you don't look carefully, you'd never notice," Obito realized that the green trees, which all seemed similar to him, were actually of different types, with distinct leaves.
When he flipped to the smiling picture of Minato taken by Jiraiya, Obito couldn't help but laugh and said:
"Teacher Mokgetsu, are we really going to show this to Minato-senpai's girlfriend?"
Obito felt that if he showed this kind of photo to Nohara Rin, he might not dare show his face in front of her for two days.
"This is the most precious one; she should like it," Mokgetsu answered with a smile.