Teuchi was completely lost in his emotions, eating the ramen one mouthful at a time while tears streamed down his face.
"Hey, old man." Naruto scooted up beside Takuya, eyes sparkling with hope. "Do you have any more of that ramen?"
It wasn't just Teuchi—Naruto was a certified ramen addict. Instant noodles, cup noodles, you name it.
"That ramen was made by a former customer of mine and gifted to me," Takuya replied with a smile. "Preserved with a special method."
"That must've been an amazing chef," Teuchi said reverently, having licked his bowl so clean it looked like it had been scrubbed.
Takuya gave him a meaningful look and slowly shook his head. "You don't actually think that bowl of ramen is the peak of the culinary world, do you?"
"What…?" Teuchi's eyes widened.
That bowl, with its unique flavor and overwhelming richness, even triggered memories of maternal comfort. For Teuchi, it felt like a revelation, an entirely new universe of taste. And now Takuya was saying there's more?
"There's a reason I only showed you that level of ramen," Takuya said, the corners of his mouth curling into a mysterious smile. "It's because that's all your body can handle. Your taste nerves simply aren't strong enough yet to withstand true cuisine. Do you know what kind of people chase after the peak of food?"
Gulp.
Teuchi instinctively swallowed.
Even Tsunade, Sasuke, and Naruto were now paying rapt attention.
"Powerful!"
Takuya clenched his hand into a fist. The pressure release from his strength cracked the air around it.
"Unimaginably powerful! These chefs walk a path where the more they eat and the more delicious the food they create, the stronger they become. With that power, they venture into forests, oceans, caves—dangerous lands in pursuit of the rarest ingredients."
"To them, the world is divided into two categories: what's delicious, and what's not! They call themselves—"
"—Gourmet Hunters!"
Yes. He was describing the world of Toriko.
A universe where the pursuit of food defied logic and entered the realm of battle shonen insanity. Even Takuya's system issued warnings for most of its ingredients.
Too dangerous for the weak!
"Gourmet Hunters…" Teuchi repeated, awe flickering in his eyes.
"Old man," Naruto muttered skeptically, "if they're so amazing, why haven't we ever heard of 'em?"
"Yeah, yeah," Sakura echoed. "They're not even in the textbooks."
"Hmph." Sasuke snorted, arms crossed. "Sounds like nonsense to trick kids. Eating more makes you stronger? If getting powerful was that easy…"
His tone was dismissive, but the flicker of longing in his eyes betrayed him. Deep down, he wanted that shortcut to power.
Takuya glanced at him.
Among these three, Sasuke was the most likely to become a customer. Ruthless, driven, goal-oriented, and with the means to back it all up.
"If someone else said it, I'd call it crap." Tsunade gave Takuya a side glance and sighed. "But coming from you, it's probably true. Too bad it's not something we get to see."
"...Tsunade-sama?" Teuchi looked surprised.
"This guy's not just weird—he's the real deal." She cracked her chopsticks, ready to eat.
"...If even Tsunade-sama says so." Teuchi turned to Takuya, firm resolve in his eyes. "Then I believe you. I know what it means to truly pursue cuisine."
Another benefit of having Tsunade's backing—her words carried real weight in Konoha.
"As expected." Takuya gave Teuchi a look of admiration. "You're just like the chef who made that ramen. So then… do you want to walk the path of a true chef like him?"
"What!?" Teuchi's pupils shrank.
He believed in what Takuya said, sure—but he never thought he'd actually get a shot at it.
But from the way Takuya was talking…
"Normally, acquiring that kind of strength would be impossible," Takuya said as he stood, spreading his arms with flair. "But I'm a merchant who deals in destiny. Dreams, power, desire—anything can be achieved here for the right price. So, dear customer, how about a set of Gourmet Series Jars?"
Right as he finished speaking—
A set of jars appeared out of nowhere on the counter.
"Cough—" Tsunade nearly choked on her noodles. "You've got food-themed jars now?"
"I said it before—my jars are chances to change destiny," Takuya said coolly. "Power, hope, dreams—whatever you want, all through these jars. All it takes is a little price and a bit of luck."
His eyes flicked toward Sasuke.
Just as expected.
The young Uchiha was staring dead at him, fists clenched. Takuya had hyped "strength" for a reason.
Looks like he had a shot at two new customers today.
"You..." Tsunade frowned, then relaxed and sighed. "Teuchi, I need to warn you—these jars are beyond anything you've imagined. You'd better be ready to kiss your normal life goodbye."
She understood now.
The ramen was just bait to sell jars.
But hey, she had no right to judge—she fell for the same trap trying to bring back Nawaki. Everyone had their dreams.
"These just look like regular jars." Naruto, who'd been itching for a while, reached out to touch one.
Snap.
Takuya snapped his fingers. Naruto's hand passed straight through the jar like a ghost.
"Fifty thousand each," Takuya said with a smile. "Pay up—or trade something of equal value—if you want to open one."
"Fifty thousand!?" Naruto shouted.
His little frog wallet didn't even have half that. That was his entire monthly living budget!
Teuchi stared at the jars, face wavering slightly.
"Honestly, if you want the path of a true chef, one set won't be enough." Takuya sat back down, voice casual. "So don't worry too much about ruining your life yet. Just buy one set—see how it feels."
And whether you could resist the jars' pull afterward?
Well… that's on you. Heh.