Ch: 2 The First Step

"And why should I go?"

"Because I ask of you."

"You do know I was expelled without even being given a chance right? So why bother."

"It wasn't me who got you admitted."

"What?"

"I just sent you two to the academy. You enter or not were clearly up to you two."

"You didn't pull any strings?"

"No, I promise."

"Then who…"

"The director. His name is Nakiri Senzaemon."

'Nakiri?'

"He was the one who called me and told me you two had passed."

"I see."

"He said he will meet you."

"He doesn't know of me."

"*laughs* He does boy. Your face isn't something to easily forget. And since you were already mentioned many times…"

"I get it. So he is the Food Demon King I keep hearing about?"

"Yep."

"*sigh* Then I guess I will…"

At that very moment, he noticed that the bench in front of him was already occupied by someone, and then came the voice,

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"I think I'll have to call you back Jōichirō-san."

And the line was cut.

Naruto faced his customer? He wasn't about to look at anything with hostility and so he asked, "Yes?"

"My name is Nakiri Senzaemon. I have come to personally deliver this letter of acceptance to you."

Saying that, Senzaemon handed him an envelope which Naruto took with a slow and careful pace. He gazed at it for a while, nodded and then walked over the room to put the envelope in a distant table and then faced Senzaemon.

"What does the director of the elite Tōtsuki academy want with me in that he took all the trouble to come and find my shop here, just to hand me an envelope. I don't think that is it."

Senzaemon nodded, with his arms folded. "Yes, I have business with you. But first, may I have a meal?"

"AAahhh, where are my manners. Gomen Senzaemon-dono. What would you like to have?"

"Pork Ramen with a Risotto on top."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. "That is a weird combination. But don't fret. I shall see to it."

Senzaemon nodded.

'If you have inherited his ingenuity, you would make it out in no time. And her tenacity will have you make it even better. Show me Uzumaki Naruto. Prove to me that you are who you are.' He thought.

He watched the precise hand movements of Naruto in the kitchen. The elegant way he diced the cabbages, beans, carrots and onions. How he minced up the garlic and ginger and then made a paste of them. The way he moved in the kitchen made Senzaemon smile in a likeness he once felt empty and lost. Closing his eyes, he nodded and patiently waited for his order to come.

Seated in a manner befitting of a local customer, Senzaemon reveled at the feeling of being a commoner. Just another simple man and not the Food Demon King.

45 minutes later, there was a distinct aroma surrounding the small shop window. Even the guards stationed beside the cars and behind Senzaemon had the decency to drool. Senzaemon laughed at that.

Naruto emerged and presented a big bowl of Ramen with a large fillet over it. He then went inside again, brought about seven bowls more and laid them in the tables. He then proceeded to pour a type of white sauce over the fillet and ramen and then he said smiling, "Your meal is served. I made portions for all of your guards if they want to eat."

Senzaemon looked back at his drooling bodyguards and laughed boisterously, "Oh yes! Yes! They can. Hahaha! I don't think I will be able to eat this much. Come boys."

"If you insist Senzaemon-sama." All the guards chorused and sat down beside him.

"Itadakimasu!" was the chorus and everyone dug in.

As soon as the food hit the tongue of Senzaemon, his robe stripped apart in the most fearsome manner possible. Bits and pieces of clothing stayed strewn here and there but surprisingly, none of it seemed to be the missing bits of his yukata. Although this was a surprising event, none were batting an eyelash there other than one Uzumaki Naruto.

'You are your father's son Naruto. A tranquil peace is what I'm finding in this dish. Just like your Onsen Tamago, you made me smile.'

The other occupants were none the wiser, as although Senzaemon had already stripped, mind boggling one Uzumaki Naruto who starred in amazement, the guards were all smiling in a daze.

'This is the cooking that will dominate my academy.'

"So, uuuhhhh, Senzaemon-dono, uuhhh.." Naruto stammered as he watched the fit physique of one smiling food demon.

Senzaemon broke out of his induced reverie and looked at him and nodded.

"So, what business do you got with me?"

Senzaemon grinned. He put his bowl and chopsticks down in a sisal manner and clapped once and bowed, then he started grinning. He leaned in to Naruto and said with that vicious animal-like grin of his,

"Say Naruto, do you know about the Elite Ten?"

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There was a loud hustle bustle in the assembly grounds of the elite Tōtsuki Tea Ceremony and Cooking Academy.

Today was the day, after a whole month of the entrance exams held, that the entrants of the first year high school section would have their orientation.

The opening ceremony.

"We'll proceed to give the award to the best student of the year." Came the announcement. "Representative of the new first years, Nakiri Erina."

"Yes." Came the stoic but polite reply.

With her brilliant blonde hair waving behind her in tandem with the wind, Nakiri Erina walked up the dais and held her head high to be presented with the award that she was mentioned for.

"Ah, Erina-sama looks beautiful today.."

"She's beautiful and the top student… truly a perfect human being."

"It seems she was first in every subject of the internal entrance exam by far."

Were some of the gossips going around among the students standing in the assembly. As Erina walked off from the stage, more gossips emerged, some not so important, such as…

"I could die happy if I had a date with her…~"

"Idiot, if you say something that reckless you'll get erased from this academy for sure." came a rebuke in whispers quickly.

"She is the granddaughter of the Don of the Food Mafia."

Then the announcer continued,

"We shall continue on with the ceremonial address…"

And then came a presence, so vividly felt that sent shivers down the students of the academy in the assembly.

A gruff appearance, matched with slick spiky white hair, a mustache and a beard. A scar on his right eye running diagonally from the middle of his forehead down to his right cheekbone, gave him a rugged, intimidating look. He wore a yukata with a geta over it. He was….

'Scarryyyy!'

'He leads Japan's cooking industry and simultaneously runs this academy, he is gourmet food's incarnation.'

'He isn't just a mafia's don..'

'He's a Demon King!'

'The Food's Demon King!'

Nakiri Senzaemon.

'Ladies and Gentlemen.." Senzaemon began. ".. congratulations on entering the high school section.

On your three years of studying in the middle school section, you've deepened your knowledge about the basics of food preparing and its ingredients. You've had classes with cooking drills where you actually cooked and learned from all sorts of lectures about cooking theory, nutrition, sanitation, agriculture, management,

And now you're standing at the entrance to the high school section. But what will be tested now isn't your technique or your knowledge.

It's if you have the guts to live as a chef!"

Then Senzaemon pointed a finger upon the students themselves and said, "99% of you are sacrificial stones for the 1% that will remain to polish themselves of their cooking. Out of the 812 new first years from last year, the number of students that advanced to the second year was just a meagre 76.

We'll mercilessly cast away incompetent and ordinary people. By the time 1000 first years reach their second year, they will become 100. To count the number of people that will graduate, one hand is enough. You will become of those handful chefs!"

This speech sent a rush of adrenaline and determination through the students present. Smiles and grins broke out in the crowds and all of them had the tenacity right now to achieve that one goal of becoming an 'Elite' from this prestigious academy some day.

A Tōtsuki alumni.

"Devote to your studies. That's all."

With that piece said, Nakiri Senzaemon walked off the pedestal and into his seat. In all this chaos there was one student who was more than confident. And that was,…

'The source of Tōtsuki's brand power is this thorough education of a select few brought by competition.

Just saying that you "were enrolled" here increases your value as a chef. If you manage to graduate, you'll be a star in the cooking world for life.

I pity all of you who were born in the same generation as me, because you're fated to "fight for second place" from the time you were born.

The one who will reign over Tōtsuki's top and Japan's cooking world is me!'

Nakiri Erina!

"Eehh, to finish up, we will now introduce the two students who were admitted to the high school section." Came the announcement.

Erina raised an eyebrow at that news. 'I see. That is surprising. Two students were passed by an examiner.'

A visage of both Naruto and Souma appeared in her mind.

'Hmph, just remembering them is irritating. Well it's ok. I will never…..'

"Well…. Like, I'm sorry for being in this high place. Never been one for announcements so, I have to express my intentions right? I'm beat, do I really have to do this? Saying them on stage is embarrassing."

"Just say it!" came the annoyed reply from the announcer.

'….see them again.'

"Ok, then I'll keep it short and straight.."

Erina turned her head towards the dais and what she saw sent shockwaves all over her body and mostly her face that was sporting two wide eyes and one gaping mouth.

"Erhmm, I'm Yukihira Souma. Truth be told, I never expected to be admitted to this academy, but I don't plan to lose to some bunch that has never served and stood in front of clients and customers."

This sent an anger vibe towards the whole of the assembled students.

"Now that I'm here…" he continued, "…I plan to use all of you as stepping stones." Raising his right hand with his index finger out he ended his speech with,

"I'll take the top." And he walked out from the pedestal and bowed.

"Best regards for the next three years."

And then came the explosion.

"Heeey, you Bastard!"

"I'll Kill You Rookie!"

"Orrraahhh! You're dead, you hear me!"

"Kill that rookie!"

Curses, both mean and dangerous, came holstering towards the stage from the assembly grounds. Paying no heed to them Souma just walked out of the stage with a grin. The announcer staggered at the curses sent and then she announced, "Alright, next student please come to the stage."

And as the next student set foot on the pedestal, the cries stopped and dread followed. Like slow poison corroding the mind, the dread filled into the bodies of the newly admitted. The only thing running through most of the students was,

'This aura is something else.'

And then he spoke.

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"Will that be all Senzaemon-dono?"

"Of course Naruto. Do you agree then? To fill in the position?"

"No, it is not worth it. I have enough in my hands."

"But the ceremony is only four days away. You came out top on all the tests."

"As I said Senzaemon-dono, I don't have an interest in club activities or paperwork. You told me to come to this school that day with a brilliant argument and I accepted. But right now, I just want to study normally here as no one seems to know me well enough to warrant a new facial change."

"I see. So you plan to graduate normally?"

"Yes, that's right. Though I have to say…."

Naruto looked at Senzaemon with critical eyes and Senzaemon hummed. "…I get the feeling that all this that Jouichirō and you are doing. It doesn't seem to be normal. "

Senzaemon kept quite.

"In my travels, I have heard of a man. A delusional asshat that prances on about gourmet food and how he will change the food industry. Also, that this asshat seems to be related to you somehow since I have heard you being mentioned many a times."

Senzaemon still didn't say anything.

"It seems that dear granddaughter of yours was a victim too."

Senzaemon sighed. "You may have already known."

"No Senzaemon-dono. I don't know what you two are planning."

Naruto turned towards the window and looked out into the setting sun. "But whatever you two are planning might actually benefit many. I'm not saying I can see the future, but it seems to me.

That the flowers of this generation would be something else."

Senzaemon looked over to him and sighed. He spoke, "Naruto."

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to know about your parents?"

And that derailed the entire thought process of Uzumaki Naruto that day. Flashes of his recent past came hurtling through his brain like a train of flashbacks coming and going at a very fast rate. He saw a manor burning in one, he watched his hands bake a cake once, he felt a loving graze of skin to his face. All this triggered a reflex that manifested in a red-eyed Naruto, and then he turned towards Senzaemon with teary and critical eyes.

He moved towards the desk where he sat and then slammed his hands upon the base and asked,

"You know who my parents are?"

Senzaemon closed his eyes, arms crossed, he huffed and said, "It is just a speculation now Naru…!"

"More than enough!" Naruto interrupted. "Tell me now!"

Senzaemon sighed and looked underneath his drawers and brought out one photo.

Naruto laughed that day. A broken laugh.

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"…Best regards for the next three years."

And then he heard the curses that were sent towards him. Naruto couldn't help but shake his head in amusement.

'Leave it to him to have the entire student body turn against him.'

As the curses grew, the announcer asked for him to come over to the stage and so he walked up with an air of authority. Although Naruto didn't like to use this, he was compelled to due to the incessant curses being sent towards Souma.

As he walked up to the pedestal, the assembly got silent and looked at him. He could see and smell the fear from most of the students present. He felt nice at that.

And so he started,

"First of all, I would like to give a big 'Fuck You' to the director of this academy cuz he is annoying and an ass. Secondly, I don't like the curses that you brats sent to my brother over there! I'm watching you!", and he pointed the two-fingered eye contact sign at everyone present.

"Thirdly and finally, I would like to give a big 'Fuck You' to all of you cuz you ain't worth shit in my eyes from the way I'm seeing you now.

Most of you look like you've come from insanely freaking rich families. Well, let me tell ya something here. I got a big ass problem with rich-ass people like you. So you guys better make shit that tastes good or I'll fucking eat you up!"

That last bit coupled with the audacity he had to actually swear against the director, The Food Demon King himself, sent a majority of the students scuttling for their hides. It wasn't funny when they heard him speak out against the director as most of the people, even in the professional world, would rarely speak up or against him at all.

"Now, to end my goddamn intro, I don't see why I have to bunch with you lousy hoodlums in this godforsaken academy who has a bitchy tsundere as its mascot."

Now that was pure suicide.

No one.

Not even in a million years would someone ever, Ever, insult The Nakiri Erina in the face, in a mic for the matter, in front of the whole school.

No freaking way.

It was obvious to know as to who he was insulting.

There was only one person who was paraded around, secretly though, as the face of the academy itself. Nakiri Erina, granddaughter of the Food Demon King himself.

"So, get this!"

Everyone paid attention, but fearfully.

"I'm gonna fucking own this bitchy academy like the boss I am and no one, and I mean no one, gets a chance for forgiveness. So…"

He whispered, "…hit me with your best cuisine or else fuck off."

Giving off a two-fingered salute he nodded off, "Adios."

And with that Naruto walked off the stage, leaving an astounded audience of newly entrant students in his wake. Suffice to say, this orientation would be remembered for days, even years, to come.

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There comes a moment when your mind is unable to comprehend something. An event or a view so extreme, so detached and as farfetched from a specific limit of the material world or the real world as one surmises their reality, that at some point their comprehension of this reality breaks down. This leads to incessant patterns of disruptive behavior which at normal point, the person him/herself, would think off as odd, shocking or even crazy.

So when Nakiri Erina found herself looking at the two hoodlums she, herself for that matter, expelled from the examinations and also thought of as nothing more than plebian chefs, in the stage: one of them insulting all the students present and the other outright insulting and dishonoring the Food Demon King, her grandfather, and then later on insulting even her, yes she knew; well suffice to say that her perception of the world she viewed as perfect had such imperfection was downright heart stopping.

"Phew, for a moment there I thought I would accidently bite my tongue."

"Let's just rejoice in the fact that you didn't alright."

"Well, you gave them a pretty rude awakening there nii-chan."

"If they can't handle the shits that I say then they ain't worth their weight around here, besides…" he glowered at something non-existent with an aura that formed a figurine of a nine-tailed fox. "…that damn old man is going down!"

They walked in straight from the stage, uncaring of who was in the room or anyone for that matter. Then they saw her.

And then they had the gall to talk to her, well not the blonde one, just the red head.

"Oh! You're that hardcore examiner! Nakiri right?..."

He continued, "Man, I was really nervous. Ever since I was a kid, things like introductions and testimonials weren't that important. Not in the scale this grand. How was I? Did I do well? Was it weird?"

"That doesn't matter!" screamed Erina. "Why are you here Yukihira-san?! I remember perfectly having expelled you..!" pointing at him. "….and him…" pointing at Naruto. "…from the examinations!"

Rubbing his nose Souma started, "Well, you ask why but I received a notification that said I passed so I came…" he showed an envelope that had the emblem of the Tōtsuki academy attached to it, crediting its proof of ownership. ""…and I guess nii-chan back there got one too." Naruto just showed his own envelope with annoyance clear on his face.

Souma continued, "…I was really scared back then because you said "It's bad". If it's good you should just honestly say so."

'That's wrong!' Erina thought. 'That's so wrong! Even though I, myself, kicked these guys out!'

She gritted her teeth and spoke, "Let me tell you one thing here Yukihira-san! I haven't accepted it."

Naruto and Souma both raised an eyebrow at that. The former with disinterest and the latter with curiousness.

Erina flipped her hair and said, hiding a growing blush that she felt herself gain, "Not you! Or him! Not one of you guys' cooking!"

Naruto just kept on looking with lazy eyes and Souma just watched on curiously as if trying to decipher what was the reason behind her disdain of his and his brother's cooking. He wanted to know so he stayed silent too. Naruto told him once that he was very fiery and prone to emotions and that sometimes it was good but often you must try to rein them in and think before taking a course of action. And that was what he was doing right now.

"It's a mistake!" Erina continued her tirade. "You came to Tōtsuki because of a mistake! You say you'll take the top?.. pfft.. Don't make me laugh! All of the students that passed the internal entrance exam for the middle school have received gifted education in ultra-fine gastronomy and cuisine analysis. Rookies like you two! Hah! Don't even have to look at the top. You won't be able to make it or less, beat them! And Uzumaki-san! Insulting my grandfather in public is one of the greatest offences in this academy. I could expel you right now if I wanted to, you know."

"Thanks then." Naruto replied and then started walking off.

Erina blinked. Souma blinked. Then Souma ran across in front of him and hugged him. Looking up at Naruto he gave the dreaded thing he swore to god he hated Jōichirō for letting her teach him this.

The puppy dog eyes. Which felt really weird on a boy, much less on one Yukihira Souma.

And he knew what that meant, so he sighed, "Whatever." Souma let him go. Naruto turned towards Erina and said, "I heard that it was a mistake that we were sent here. And that it also was a mistake that we got admitted due to your own verdict of expelling us."

He walked towards Erina saying, "But do you know one amazing thing Nakiri Erina." He reached near her in a moment baffling her. "Nakiri Senzaemon. Director of this academy. He came to me personally to deliver my acceptance letter." He grinned.

"Now if that is something you say is impossible then you can go and ask him. Oh and one more thing Nakiri Erina. Even if you try to expel us, you don't have any sufficient dicrediting data on me or my brother for that matter that we will get expelled. Think about it. I insulted your grandfather. The Food Demon King who probably has no one around him that has the balls to insult him. Since I did it in public it should've been prudent enough for me to be expelled right then and there during my introduction. He has the power. Why didn't he?"

Erina had her eyes growing wider with each and every point slowly made by Naruto, up close and personal. She was backing away from Naruto, unnoticed by her, and Naruto kept grinning and pushing her.

"Oh and one more thing Nakiri Erina. Did you say every person here attended to the kitchen for the first time only in their time in middle school? Only three years in the kitchen?"

Pointing back at Souma with his thumb, Naruto continued, "Souma held a knife for the first time when he was three. From then on till now, twelve years, that's the time he has spent in the kitchen, as an amateurish professional. Even I wasn't that young when I first held a kitchen knife."

Erina kept looking into those intense amethyst eyes. Naruto then slowly leaned into her ears and whispered, "…also, keep your ears open for any rumors that you'd hear. Every rumor has a story to tell."

With that part said, leaving a dazed and scared Erina, Naruto stood up and walked away from her. Souma followed asking him about what he just said to which Naruto just dismissed each and every questions.

In the back, Erina slowly woke up from the daze and she heard her name being called. She looked and saw it was Yukihira Souma who was grinning. Erina flushed and angrily asked, "What?!"

Rubbing his hair Souma said, "Sorry about nii-chan, he kinda goes overboard with the scares."

"Hmph whatever! You guys won't make it through this academy. I don't care whatever you do here!"

Souma blinked and then laughed, "You're a really nice debater huh Nakiri-chan! That's pretty cool! You should stand up in something!"

"Hh?! Shut up! I didn't ask for compliments idiot!"

"Haha, alright laughing aside, that thing that you told me about stopping to dream about the top. Well I can't." Souma said slowly grinning seriously. "You sem to be an obstacle in front of my dream. My only wish is to run my diner that I run with Tou-san and occasionally nii-chan too. I want to surpass them in their cooking too. So with you saying my food is bad, I can't leave it like that. I can't get my shop's name dirty by leaving being said my food "Was Bad"."

And then Erina looked back at Souma as he stared back with a non-existent wind blowing his clothes and her hair. He continued, "…Wait for it! I'll make you clearly say "It's Good" with that mouth of yours! And for that…" he ended. "…I'll exhaust my cooking to its limits!"

"!"

And this was the scene that Senzaemon witnessed. He saw Naruto dress Erina down under and made her see black and Souma telling her that she shall enjoy his food once with such intensity. Senzaemon smiled and thought, 'I guess this year would be interesting.'

And there ended the crazy orientation day of Tōtsuki Tea Ceremony and Cooking Academy.

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"So he entered that academy?"

"Yes master."

"I see. I guess I shall wait until that festival. Make sure I have nothing to do at that point."

"As you wish master."

Xelsewherex

"Muu~ he is such a meany to have left us like this!"

"He entered that academy?"

"That's what I heard."

"Jeez, then I can't wait for that day to come quick."

There were three more chorus of agreement from behind him but one came out,

"Troublesome."

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