Chapter 238: The Chu Zi Arrives

"Kid, hurry up, Lord Ban is waiting for you up ahead, meow."

Dao Ba kept urging Lian Ye all the way, fearing that arriving late would upset Lord Ban.

As a loyal Ninja Cat, he must never make his master angry.

Especially since his other master is Madara Uchiha!

"Got it, stop urging," Lian Ye said, a bit helpless.

He didn't want to be late either, but buying ingredients and cookware ate up a lot of time; after all, the two hadn't prepared anything in advance.

Moreover, he was even more anxious than Dao Ba; after cooking for them here, he had to rush back to prepare lunch for Qianshou Feijian.

He had carelessly been late once before; this time he could not be late again.

Otherwise, that old kid might become suspicious, and what if he followed the trail here?

He should remember that Qianshou Feijian had placed a Flying Thunder God Seal on him.

If that old kid couldn't find him and used Flying Thunder God Teleportation, he'd end up seeing him cooking for Senju Hashirama and Lord Ban—what then?

The scene was too wonderful for Lian Ye to imagine…

In any case, Qianshou Feijian must not learn of this.

At least not now!

Otherwise, given Qianshou Feijian's temperament, he'd definitely block Madara Uchiha; then would he be helping Madara or Qianshou Feijian?

Even if he chose to help Qianshou Feijian, the two of them together might still not be a match for Lord Ban.

If Qianshou Feijian could beat Lord Ban, he would have already sent him to reunite with Quan Nai.

Considering Qianshou Feijian's life, Lian Ye could only try to conceal the matter as much as possible.

After all, Madara Uchiha had long been displeased with Qianshou Feijian; if that old kid really dared to act, he'd surely have Lord Ban sent to be a sacrifice for Quan Nai.

"Uncle, I'm doing this for your own good," Lian Ye muttered to himself.

"Kid, what are you muttering over there, and why aren't you catching up?" Dao Ba glanced back at him and urged.

"Coming, coming."

……

"Kid, Lord Ban is inside the cave, meow."

Lian Ye carried a heavy basket of ingredients, trudging along the winding mountain path, and soon spotted a cave in the distance.

From afar he saw Madara Uchiha and Senju Hashirama standing at the cave entrance watching them, and he hurried his pace.

Impressive, hiding in such a remote place.

This place is a bit far from Konoha; getting here took some time.

Looks like they'll have to sprint back later, or they'll miss the meal time.

When he gets home, he'll still have to make another lunch for that old kid and send it over.

Hope he won't be late…

"Lord Ban, I've summoned the kid for you," Dao Ba ran to Lord Ban's feet to report.

Madara Uchiha crossed his arms, gave a slight nod, and said, "Thanks for your effort."

"Not a bother; serving you is my honor," Dao Ba said with a flattering smile, showing none of his earlier arrogance.

Lian Ye was speechless; that Fat Cat was still playing favorites.

"Ha ha, Lian Ye, you finally arrived," Senju Hashirama greeted, waving enthusiastically.

After waiting forever, the chef finally showed up.

Sneaking out with Qianshou Feijian on his back was risky; they had just been worried Lian Ye couldn't get free.

"Lord Ban, Uncle Senju Hashirama, sorry for the wait," Lian Ye quickened his steps and approached them.

Madara Uchiha gave a faint "hm," glanced at the bamboo basket behind him, and asked, "Did you bring all the ingredients?"

"Of course," Lian Ye patted the basket, "Fresh salmon, wild mushrooms just picked from the mountain, and fresh vegetables."

A barely perceptible smile lifted Lord Ban's mouth corner as he turned and walked into the cave, "Come in."

"Uncle Senju Hashirama, remember to prepare the cookware next time," Lian Ye whispered.

Which household expects the chef to bring his own pots and pans when providing service?

He only carried a Storage Scroll today, using it for desserts, leaving no extra space for anything else.

He could only stuff everything into the bamboo basket and carry it…

"Hahaha, got it," Senju Hashirama laughed heartily.

They really hadn't thought this through; they were only dreaming of the feast and forgot the cave had no cooking tools for fire.

Lian Ye followed them into the cave, whose interior was far more spacious than he imagined, with a few oil lamps hanging on the stone walls.

The dim yellow light illuminated the wooden table in the center, and three simple wooden chairs were placed nearby—

Clearly built by Senju Hashirama on the spot using Wood Release.

"What are we making today?" Senju Hashirama leaned in, curiously flipping through Lian Ye's basket, "Mushrooms! Lord Ban, look, it's matsutake!"

Madara Uchiha sat on the chair, glanced, and said lightly, "If the heat's off, it'll be bitter."

He'd tasted it at famous restaurants before; the flavor was always a bit bitter.

Lian Ye deftly tied on his apron, confident, "Lord Ban, rest assured, mine won't be bitter."

He pulled out the Knife and began preparing the salmon.

To ensure freshness, he didn't let the boss help with the prep.

First he stunned the fish, skillfully gutted it, then the back of the Knife brushed against the scales, sending the silvery flakes down like snow.

"This fish is plump," Senju Hashirama, who had squatted nearby at some point, poked the belly, "It's the perfect season for fish."

Madara Uchiha's face remained expressionless, but his Adam's apple still betrayed him.

Hashirama was right; fish prepared this way is absolutely delicious.

Especially, the one handling the pan is this kid.

Lian Ye smiled without speaking, crouched on the ground to clean out the fish gills, and then slashed three diagonal cuts on the fish's back.

The knife marks were of uniform depth, cutting the main spine cleanly without damaging the flesh.

He took old ginger from the bamboo basket, sliced it and stuffed it into the fish's cavity, then drizzled a spoonful of sake.

The scent of alcohol mingled with the fishy aroma and drifted, and Hashirama inhaled deeply.

It was his first time watching Lian Ye handle ingredients on site, and he had to admit the skill was genuine.

The firewood in the earthen stove crackled, and there was no need to worry about running out of fuel—wasn't Hashirama here?

If firewood is lacking, let him use Wood Release to create fuel on the spot.

Lian Ye lifted the iron pot onto the stand, and when the bottom turned a faint blue, he poured in a spoonful of oil. As the oil began to smoke, he grabbed the fish's tail and slipped the salmon along the pot's edge.

The hot oil instantly boiled, and the fish skin's edges curled into a beautiful golden rim.

"The heat control is good," Madara Uchiha suddenly spoke.

He had somehow appeared on the other side of the stove, his gaze fixed on the golden-fried fish in the pot, his Adam's apple rolling involuntarily.

He had eaten Lian Ye's pan-fried salmon not long ago, and that flavor was simply irresistible.

"Madara has been nagging since this morning; if you hadn't come just now, he would have gone to Konoha himself to find you," Hashirama said cheerfully.

He knew that after tasting Lian Ye's cooking, Madara would fall completely in love with it and could never eat food made by anyone else.

"Hashirama, shut up," Madara snorted coldly.

Lian Ye felt a little embarrassed at the remark, lowered his head, and continued pan-frying the salmon.

Uncle Hashirama really is something...

He wants to spill everything.

I wonder if he's still here?

This is too awkward.

I never expected the prestigious Ninja World Shura Association to go as far as personally heading to Konoha to find me just for a meal.

It makes him not dare look up now, fearing to see Madara's expression.

However, he does actually want to see Madara's expression at this moment...

Driven by curiosity, Lian Ye secretly lifted his head and met a pair of indifferent eyes.

He saw Madara staring at him expressionlessly, which frightened Lian Ye into quickly bowing his head to continue frying the fish.

He didn't see anything; he saw nothing at all.