Ino found this "Uncle Akimichi" to be unexpectedly reliable: tall and sturdy, fair-skinned and plump, and though he didn't speak much, he was kind. Especially since he could use Water Release—even if it was at a "useless" level for fighting Ninjas, he still "knew" it—and "knowing" it was an advantage—especially when cleaning large intestines and internal organs, the advantage was particularly prominent.
"I, well, I can do more than just Water Release. I also know some Fire Release, Earth Release, Lightning Release, and Wind Release... it's just that I lack the corresponding Chakra natures, so their power is limited..."
Ninjutsu—most of them were shared by the Yamanaka Clan. The "Ino-Shika-Cho" clans were closely linked, so any such "unexpected gains" obtained along the way were naturally shared. In all of Konoha, besides the Hokage himself, Kakashi and the Ino–Shika–Chō families had the most Ninjutsu... although, for Secret Technique families, these Ninjutsu were unused in most cases—without the corresponding Chakra nature, they couldn't exert any power. And Ninjutsu without power... were not as good as the family's Secret Techniques.
However, they could still broaden the horizons of the family's younger generation, making them "well-informed" so they wouldn't fall for these Ninjutsu.
Better safe than sorry.
"Sigh, in my hands, it's only good for washing meat and vegetables or starting a fire..."
Speaking of this, Akimichi Choza felt a bit embarrassed.
"That's also very impressive—our Water Release might not kill people, but it can destroy terrain... First, wash it with Water Release, then flip it over with Earth Release, and it'll surely become Mud Release. It guarantees that even if enemies find traces, they won't find the actual trail..." As soon as Ino spoke, she showed Akimichi Choza what unconventional logic was—it sounded ridiculous, but upon closer thought, it seemed quite right.
Akimichi Choza said, "Hmm, it seems that could really work. If enemy Ninjas find our Ninjutsu traces, and then they see our Ninjutsu traces..."
Ino added, "They'll go crazy."
"Exactly!"
The cleaned heart, liver, lungs, large and small intestines, and stomach were all thrown into the basin. The Water Release had washed them exceptionally clean, without even a hint of a smell.
"These techniques can also mask scents... making the enemy's scent-tracking methods ineffective... Speaking of which, if a person..."
While washing her hands, Ino muttered to herself, thinking of another very interesting "Ninjutsu"—if the vibration frequency and intensity of one's own Chakra meridians were kept consistent with the general frequency of the natural world outside, then would they... disappear from any sensory Ninjutsu or Bloodline Limit based on Chakra?
"Time to head back, Ino." Akimichi Choza carried a basin in each hand and balanced one on his head, not letting Ino lift a finger.
After returning to the campsite, he eagerly learned how to cook the offal from Ino. Choji and Mrs. Akimichi also gathered around; the two large men and two smaller figures surrounded the soup pot so tightly that not even a breeze could get through. Six eyes stared wide and round, watching Ino's every move without blinking... "Adding the aromatics, did you note down this step? Yes, add ginger slices to remove the fishy smell, and also... add some spice, yes, yes..."
"Oh, so we just boil it like this?"
... "I can already smell the aroma... a deliciousness like never before. Heavens, how much have I missed out on before? I used to throw all the offal away..."
"It's simply unforgivable—my past self was too wasteful. This is a crime against food!"
"Exactly!"
Inoichi Yamanaka, Mrs. Yamanaka, and Mrs. Nara exchanged glances and then silently moved aside.
Inoichi Yamanaka was grilling fish, while Mrs. Yamanaka and Mrs. Nara looked after the Snake Soup and handled the wild boar—
The wild boar meat had to be processed separately, especially the lean parts, which were particularly tough. They could only be skewered with some fatty, tender parts and cooked using a barbecue method to make the meat more tender. If it were boiled... it basically wouldn't soften: the pot would break before the meat would. Wild animals, not just wild boars, have a lot of exercise due to survival needs, so their muscle fibers are naturally much coarser than domestic ones.
In a short while, the two of them had made many large skewers. With the Akimichi Choza family around, there was no need to worry about whether a single wild boar could be finished.
Just as things were in full swing, Nara Shikaku and Nara Shikamaru, the father-son pair, finally arrived late. They had no prey, but they had picked a lot of mushrooms.
"Ah, ah... Sorry, we're back a bit late. We went a little further and picked a lot of mushrooms..."
Ino looked at Shikamaru suspiciously, then at Shikaku... She seriously doubted that this father and son had spent half the day lounging somewhere and only picked up some mushrooms when they estimated the time was about right.
That kid Shikamaru still had a blade of grass and a bit of humus stuck to his ponytail; he had clearly been lying down.
Inoichi Yamanaka gave a "haha" and said, "Then you've returned just in time. Any later and we would have started eating."
Shikaku rubbed his nose, thinking to himself, "Didn't I come back because I smelled the food..." This was why Shikaku was called "professional"—
Coming back early meant having to work, which was too much trouble; coming back late meant risking missing out on a hot meal... With an old friend like Chōza around, Chōza definitely wouldn't leave any for him.
"Ino, what's this? It smells so good..."
Shikamaru approached.
"Shikamaru, trust me, you definitely don't want to know what this is... Anyway, just eat it later, and we'll talk after you're done..."
With heavy curiosity, Shikamaru took a bowl. The savory flavor of the offal combined with the spicy texture made it irresistible.
Inoichi Yamanaka and Nara Shikaku also took a bowl each, but Mrs. Yamanaka and Mrs. Nara refused—they firmly would not eat offal, something that had dealt with pig feces. Inoichi Yamanaka and Nara Shikaku, however, became addicted and had another bowl.
While eating the offal, Ino didn't forget to share the love, eating some of the fish, Snake Soup, and grilled wild boar meat as well.
As for the mushrooms picked by the Nara Shikaku and Shikamaru father-son duo, they hadn't been cooked yet. Ino just muttered under her breath:
"Actually, these mushrooms would be delicious stewed with rabbit, preferably made spicy. Rabbit meat tastes similar enough to chicken... it's just rabbit stewed with mushrooms..."
...Rabbit... Of course, the rabbits were in the arms of Mrs. Yamanaka and Mrs. Nara, and neither of the ladies would be easy to take them from.
Ino felt very wistful... If only they were in Mrs. Akimichi's hands! If Aunt Akimichi heard her muttering, she would definitely snap the rabbit's neck and help her stuff it into the soup pot.
"Bunnies are so cute, why would you want to eat bunnies?" Choji, his mouth covered in oil and the corners stained red with chili, looked up and asked Ino with a serious face.
Ino:...
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