Chapter 3: Ability — God's Tongue
Shiraishi's gaze immediately changed as he looked at Ayame.
An affection value of 85 was actually higher than Uchiha Shisui's initial 82.
That meant that with just a little more effort, it could easily reach 90.
Noticing Shiraishi's stare, Ayame turned her head and looked back at him.
"Shiraishi, is something wrong?"
"It's nothing," Shiraishi said with a faint smile.
"I was just feeling a bit emotional. Uncle Teuchi's ramen is as good as ever—consistently excellent. No matter how many times I come here, I'm never disappointed. That's something other shops simply can't manage."
Teuchi chuckled proudly when he heard that.
"Of course. If I couldn't even guarantee that much, I'd have no business making ramen."
"And Big Sister Ayame's tonkotsu broth is incredibly fragrant too," Shiraishi added.
"Th-thank you," Ayame replied, her voice softening slightly.
"By the way, Uncle Teuchi," Shiraishi continued casually,
"Have you ever thought about opening a branch shop?"
"A branch shop?" Teuchi asked, surprised.
"Yes. Back when I was still attending the Ninja Academy, I could stop by easily. But now that I've graduated and taken over the ninja tool shop, it's not as convenient anymore. I was only able to come today because things were slow at noon."
Shiraishi smiled warmly.
"I've been looking forward to this bowl of ramen for days. If Big Sister Ayame opened a branch near the Uchiha district, I could eat ramen every day. That would make me truly happy."
When it came to increasing affection, one had to understand what the other party desired.
Shisui worried about the Uchiha clan and the threat of civil war.
That was why Shiraishi's new perspective had dramatically raised Shisui's affection.
As for Teuchi and Ayame, what they needed most was recognition of their cooking.
And for girls especially—being praised never hurt.
"Delicious ramen and a beautiful Ayame," Shiraishi said lightly.
"That's the perfect combination."
Ayame's cheeks flushed faintly.
Teuchi burst into laughter.
"To receive such praise for our ramen is enough to satisfy me. All those years I spent researching flavors weren't wasted—and neither were Ayame's early mornings preparing the broth."
He shook his head gently.
"But opening a branch shop isn't that easy. Ayame's skills still need some polishing."
Teuchi politely declined the suggestion.
A trace of disappointment appeared on Shiraishi's face.
"Is that so? That's a shame. Uncle Teuchi, your standards are just too high. In my opinion, Big Sister Ayame's cooking is already excellent—second only to yours."
Unknowingly, Shiraishi had already finished the entire bowl of ramen.
He set down his chopsticks, then lifted the bowl and drank every last drop of the soup.
"Delicious!"
"That was incredibly satisfying."
Once again, Shiraishi glanced at the numbers above their heads.
Teuchi's affection rose to 78.
But Shiraishi's attention was fixed on Ayame.
90.
Shiraishi's eyes lit up slightly.
---
[Affection level detected: Ayame has reached 90. Begin collection?]
"Yes."
Shiraishi answered without hesitation.
---
[Collection successful. Proceed with request?]
"Not yet."
Collection required the target to be within his line of sight, but making a request did not. Shiraishi planned to wait until he returned to the ninja tool shop—after all, once the request was completed, he could immediately select a ninja cat.
Shiraishi stood up.
"Uncle Teuchi, Big Sister Ayame, I still have things to take care of at the shop this afternoon. I'll be heading off now."
"Take care."
"See you later, Shiraishi."
---
When Shiraishi returned to the ninja tool shop, it still wasn't business hours.
The shop's location wasn't central—it was tucked away within the Uchiha district, chosen personally by Granny Cat. The nearest buildings were dozens of meters away. A narrow road lay in front, while a forest and a stream stretched behind it.
"Meow?"
As soon as Shiraishi entered, the ninja cats all looked over.
But when they noticed his empty hands, disappointment quickly spread across their faces.
To the cats, Shiraishi going out meant hunting. Coming back empty-handed clearly meant he'd failed.
One ninja cat rubbed against his leg as if comforting him.
Another dragged over a bone from the corner and placed it in front of him.
Shiraishi chuckled, crouching down to rub the cat's head.
Immature ninja cats weren't much smarter than normal house cats. Their strange logic was understandable—and strangely touching.
"I'm not hungry. You eat it."
He then took a seat.
"Proceed with the request."
Shiraishi felt the same anticipation as before.
After all, the previous request had brought him tremendous gains.
What would this one bring?
---
[You have sent a request across the myriad worlds. Countless gazes have turned toward you. A being known as Alice Nakiri has responded.]
[You have obtained a C-rank response.]
A white sphere of light appeared in Shiraishi's hand.
"A C-rank response…"
"Alice Nakiri…"
Shiraishi recalled her background.
She came from the world of Food Wars. A world centered around chefs.
Alice herself was a prodigy—born into the prestigious Nakiri family. Her father was the legitimate heir, her grandfather a leader in the culinary world, and her cousin Erina possessed the legendary God's Tongue.
Alice's own talent was exceptional, especially in molecular gastronomy and experimental cooking.
"So because Ayame is a cook, the responder is Alice."
"Two ranks lower than Shisui's response—but that's expected."
After all, Shisui and Ayame were on completely different levels.
Shisui was a once-in-a-generation Uchiha prodigy, someone capable of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Ayame was simply a ramen chef.
"The responder is Alice, not Erina… probably because Alice has a good relationship with her father, just like Ayame and Uncle Teuchi."
"What kind of ability will the chosen ninja cat gain?"
Shiraishi tossed the white sphere forward.
Just like before, most ninja cats couldn't see it.
Only a small white cat noticed the sphere, lifting its paw and gently batting at it.
The next instant, the sphere entered the cat's body.
Brilliant white light erupted, enveloping the cat and forming a cocoon.
Moments later—
Crack.
A figure emerged.
The small white cat had completely transformed.
It now walked upright, wearing a white chef's uniform and a matching chef's hat. Its eyes were crimson, and its presence carried the lively, refined aura of a noble young lady.
"Alice greets you, my lord."
---
[Name: Alice Nakiri (Cat)]
[Gender: Female]
[Strength: Genin (Upgradeable)]
[Weapon: None]
[Ability: Cooking]
"A lifestyle-type ninja cat."
Shiraishi studied Alice calmly.
He wasn't disappointed.
After all, the affection target was Ayame—so a cooking-oriented ninja cat made perfect sense.
And it was still valuable.
At the very least, the long-abandoned kitchen in the ninja tool shop could finally be used again.
Granny Cat had left it unused for years, and Shiraishi himself had no talent for cooking.
Shiraishi nodded.
"And my reward?"
---
[You have successfully cultivated a ninja cat. Claim reward?]
"Yes."
---
[You have obtained the ability: God's Tongue.]
Shiraishi's gaze flickered.
"God's Tongue…"
The God's Tongue, inherited within the Nakiri family and traditionally passed only to women, was a terrifyingly powerful ability for cooking.
With just a single bite, one could analyze every flaw in a dish and immediately determine how to improve it.
However, its side effects were severe—overuse often led to anorexia.
"Fortunately," Shiraishi muttered,
"my God's Tongue isn't exactly the same as Erina's."
"This one is an active ability."
"I can choose when to use it—and when not to."
"That should prevent the worst side effects."
"I'm not a chef, but this ability isn't useless to me."
God's Tongue could analyze ingredients—meaning it could be used elsewhere.
"For example… tasting a small amount to determine whether food has been poisoned."
A very practical application.
Shiraishi looked at Alice again.
"Alice, come with me."
"Yes, my lord."
---
They entered the kitchen.
It was spacious, but clearly abandoned for years—dust, cobwebs, and clutter everywhere.
"This kitchen hasn't been used in a long time," Shiraishi said.
"This afternoon, the three of us will clean it together."
"I can do it myself, my lord," Alice offered.
"Let's do it together. It'll be faster. Besides—I want to taste your cooking tonight."
Hearing that, Alice nodded without further objection.
"Alright."
Hirako Shinji also joined in.
Shiraishi—chūnin level.
Hirako Shinji—elite jōnin.
Alice—genin.
Even so, their efficiency far surpassed that of ordinary people.
The other ninja cats gathered curiously, only to be chased away by clouds of dust.
"Achoo!"
One tabby cat cursed and scurried off.
Shiraishi and Alice exchanged glances and laughed.
---
As they worked, Shiraishi pondered his next target.
Most people in Konoha didn't have particularly high affection toward him.
And while Alice wasn't bad, what Shiraishi truly needed now was powerful ninja cats.
Stronger cats meant better rewards.
Which significantly narrowed his choices.
His family was gone.
Former classmates were scattered.
Only Shisui remained close.
"The person in Konoha with the highest affection toward me is Uncle Teuchi… but collecting him wouldn't mean much."
"In the Uchiha clan, it's Itachi."
"But raising Itachi's affection would be extremely difficult."
Then—an idea struck him.
"If Itachi is too independent-minded…"
"What about Sasuke?"
Relationships formed a network—friends of friends.
"Shisui is my friend."
"From Shisui comes Itachi."
"And from Itachi…"
"Sasuke. Izumi."
"Especially Sasuke."
Shiraishi was fairly certain now that the responder's level correlated with the target's talent.
And Sasuke Uchiha's potential was unquestionably the highest.
After all—he was Indra's reincarnation.
---
By two in the afternoon, the kitchen was spotless.
However, they still lacked utensils and ingredients.
"Alice, Shinji—let's go shopping."
"Yes, my lord."
Under Alice's guidance, they quickly bought everything they needed.
So much, in fact, that Shiraishi had to borrow a cart.
Shiraishi pulled from the front.
Shinji pushed from behind.
Alice sat atop the cart, watching over the supplies.
Two figures nearby noticed them.
One stared in wide-eyed curiosity.
Another suddenly appeared beside him.
"Sasuke, what are you looking at?"
Sasuke pointed in Shiraishi's direction.
Itachi followed his gaze.
"Shiraishi-senpai."
"You know him?" Sasuke asked.
"Yes. He's Shisui-senpai's friend. He inherited Granny Cat's ninja tool shop. When we have time, I'll take you there—most of the Uchiha buy their tools from that shop."
"…Okay."