A Food-Oriented World

Uzumaki Naruko, age 18, currently the world's strongest kunoichi who wasn't Tsunade...

Found herself in a weird world whose language is thankfully like hers, but what a weird world she found herself into.

She took to studying cooking if only to fend for herself as one, she's not a real citizen of this world that all her accomplishments here would be worth nothing without a Gourmet ID and she has no clue how to get one.

Being in Sage Mode enables her to study all known ingredients and how to prepare them for cooking, as the rules here are so different.

If food is easy to prepare back home, here is not.

The price was worth the pain. Because you get to eat Really Delicious Food.

From Capture Level 1 to Capture Level 50, she did it all.

But one day, she met someone who helped her out when she was 21.

A young chef who she met while traveling to a city.

'Hey, that looks pretty good!' he was way smaller than her, and while he would have been cute, his flat nose ruined it. 'Are you a Chef?'

'No. I'm just cooking my dinner.' said Naruko. 'You can say I don't belong anywhere.'

'I guess you're from a non-IGO country...'

'I don't even belong there kid.' said Naruko. 'I'm someone who was born where nobody knows it. I'm not born in any country so how can I get citizenship anyway? I can't get a legal job without a Gourmet ID so I just work for myself.'

'That's pretty sad...I'll help you out!' the young man offered. He was sincere and for a living lie detector like her, that means a lot...

xxx

Years later...

Naruko was in newspapers as a specialist Bishokuya.

Specializing in Seafood and Ice Species.

If it is said that Toriko discovered over thousands on land, its she on water. She was the supplier of the world's Fish and Shellfish of the seas after earning enough money hunting on land to have her own boat and equipment.

She supplies Great Legs(Lv6), Growlrus(Lv13), Freezer Bisons(Lv11), Silver Grizzlies(Lv22), Ecleals(Lv1), Sealt and Peppers(Lv1), Hot Mushrooms and Icicallions from Ice Hell...the only Bishokuya to supply those food items so to those wanting differently from a change, she was an in-demand hunter, especially as those were high-class goods. She also sells Solid Gold Whales(Lv46) and Milk Whale milk(Lv21). She sells Freezer Bison hide to tailors for a huge sum of money as luxury clothing. But she does this only in Winter Time when they're at most active and finished breeding while usually selling only whales round the clock...as well as known seafood species and liquors.

The other critters she captured are still in study so its not yet printed in a book and published. But she was credited for their discovery and preparation knowledge so its also known that she's a Chef. But she'd rather hunt as she can't bear to stay in one place for long.

Of course, before her quarry gets to Gourmet Wholesale, her first friend in this world gets the perks to buy from her, giving him a month's supply of her Ice Hell catches.

The man who helped her who's now the Head Chef of Hotel Gourmet, Komatsu.

'Naruko-san, welcome!' Hotel Manager Smith greeted her. 'My customers are waiting for the Milk Whale Milk!'

'Its very popular huh?' Naruko mused, scratching her head.

'Not just as food but also as a seasonal beauty treatment in our spas.' said Manager Smith, rubbing his hands gleefully. 'And high-profile people also await your liquor!'

'Yare yare...well, I'll need help lugging it all in since I own twenty full Gourmet Rucksacks! That's about 200000 gallons of milk and liquors! Go get Komatsu's bum down here so he can fill his kitchen before we can fill the spas!'

'Of course!'

She earns a lot of money from Hotel Gourmet alone as the manager had his staff carry stuff to the kitchens and earned nearly half a billion for her stock.

She could have a mansion as she wanted, but she merely has a small house built just for herself. She's its only occupant anyway.

But at age 25 possessing a new power from Gourmet Cells, she noticed changes in herself, considering she ate her catches.

She was taught that the cells have extreme regenerative and strength-enhancing qualities, can empower evolution, but most importantly greatly enhance flavor of any organism they are part of. Only Bishokuya who had injected themselves with it know of this. She had hers through Injection and she safely adapted to it.

She may have lost her whisker cheek marks, but she sported line-like veins on her face for months until she recovered.

But eating seafood after a year of land-based products, her body became very shapely but not in a muscular way like most. She lost all her body fat, making her a well-sculpted, shapely-slender beauty she looks like a model whose body is the envy of all. Slender she may be but her femininity is pronounced, such as full, shapely breasts and a round, firm derriere. Appearance aside, she is also very flexible she may as well be human rubber she could bend in ways impossible...but it did wonders for her swimming ability combined with a diving suit!

Not to mention by having Gourmet Cells, her physical prowess went superhuman with no need for perfect chakra control. She also regenerates quickly and she doesn't have Kurama anymore...and the only criteria needed is that she is only to eat to maintain her strength by stocking up on calories. Her cells, after experimentation on various food respond best to alcohol that greatly made Mansam happy. Well, she has great tolerance...the tests were for the sake of when she's not around food to heal, she has a back-up first-aid treatment.

Lucky she still retains her ninjutsu and ability to go Sage. But as a precaution, she used her ability on the lowliest ingredient to the high-class known one and wrote her own cookbook in how to prepare it. Some matched known methods...some did not. Discoveries of her own. Then she studied recipes so she can put her cookbook to use, becoming a capable chef.

Once the book about her Seafood Discoveries are printed, she was called when she was age 24 to prepare and cook the ingredients...and with a panel of judges, she went from a nobody to a famous celebrity. She rose to Rank 16th in IGO Chef Ranking despite her preference, but she would cook for hi-profile parties...and that was it if they want seafood. As a Rank 16 chef, a night alone, is worth 50 million. So she has to pack her schedule and created her own website regarding her schedule alone.

She was given the title 'Maiden of the Deep' due to her beauty and her seafood came from there.

She had taken to having herself pampered after developing such a beauty as its now her pride.

But still, if not for text messages from her only friend, she would have been completely lonely as she still feels she doesn't belong and homesick. Komatsu's busy as a Chef, he wouldn't have time for her much.

As a child, she was lonely because everyone hated her. It took ten years from toddlerhood to Academy Graduation and her first year as a ninja before she finally had friends...only to lose all the bonds she made in six years, causing her depression and cries at night.

She had no idea what to do.

She took to having a rather quiet, lonely existence. She took to being afraid of forming bonds only to lose it again, becoming a solemn, soft-spoken person.

She became a far cry from who she used to be and became a loner, putting up a cheerful front to customers to hide what a mess she was, and mostly goes to LIFE to recover from Deep Sea Hunting after selling all her wares.

One day...she looked at her phone for its Internet.

On the Gourmet Website, there was news about Season Time for Puffer Whales at Cavern Lagoon.

'Humm...one thing I haven't had yet...why not?'

So she went and caught a whole school, sealing it into scrolls to prepare them all at home and eat some herself as according to books, its organs are all dang useful...except for the Poison Sac unless you're a hitman.

But put a Media Advertisement advertising her selling Puffer Whale parts and meat she filleted. She also sold the sacs only to ONE person who she told to personally come to her house for it. The poor guy she sold it all to in Gourmet Wholesale got mobbed by loads of buyers while dumping some in Hotel Gourmet.

One day, she got a call from Komatsu.

/Naruko-san, are you free?/

'Yes, I'm at home resting. Why?'

/I got permission from Chief Mansam to get you to come along! Were going to get a real treat, the Jewel Meat! We'll get to eat it!/

'Heee...I haven't tasted that yet...I'm coming.' Naruko licked her lips in anticipation. 'My schedule for the week is also free but after that, I have a party to go to. I already stocked up on party goods, all I need is a call.'

/Don't worry, this is only done in a day, it'll be OK! Somebody will pick you up in Hotel Gourmet! Toriko-san already took me to IGO!/

And so...

IGO HQ...

"I can't believe I'm back here again..." Naruko thought as she was in front of a huge banquet good for Bishokuya like herself.

But as Chief Mansam is a known drunkard...heck, he's one of her customers...

Its a given that his banquet is fit for drunks.

Heh.

She never got drunk but that was back when Kurama was within her.

What about now?

She'll try it out.

'This is incredible Naruko-san...' Komatsu choked out as he stared, wide-eyed. 'The Full-Course of a high-ranking IGO Employee...we get to eat it for free!'

'Ahahaha...he's the ONLY ONE who buys alcoholic stuff from me.' Naruko sweatdropped. 'He buys the Bacchus Shark and Whale from me and my alcoholic collections. And why is Toriko wounded?'

'Uhm, there was a bit of trouble earlier...' said Komatsu sheepishly. 'With some wild beasts on the way.'

'Heee...well, our lifestyle is hazardous for a reason...'

'Why not settle down like I did?'

'Not the type to which is why I'm a Caterer Chef.'

'Let's eat, don't be shy now!' said Chief Mansam cheerfully.

'Er...isn't that the Bacchus Dragon, a super-high-class ingredient?' Komatsu shuddered at the roasted dragon on the table. 'This is the first time I've seen it for real.'

'The Sake Paradise's Bacchus Island's master Bacchus Dragon...its alcoholic.' said Toriko. 'That meat gives the taste of a mellow brandy for which its famous...it's why its Chief Mansam's Main Dish.'

'Bahahaha! Being able to drink is being able to live, youngsters!' Mansam cackled, already getting drunk on beer.

'Yup, he bought that one from me too.' Naruko quipped. 'I strictly hunt only deep sea ingredients but I make exceptions if I happen to be alcohol-hunting.' she said. 'Besides, nobody but the wealthy elite can afford it so I can only sell them to rich clientele willing to pay for it like he does.'

'Ahahaha! I owe you for that one Naruko!' Mansam boomed jovially. 'Your alcohol on stock is the best!'

'Geh, no wonder we have so many...but I'm not complaining, this is all good!' Toriko chimed happily.

'What alcohol do you usually sell for the rich?' Komatsu sweatdropped in his asking.

'Sou ne...Emerald Dragon Wine, 5.2 million a bottle because its that good and its my best in-demand stock.' Naruko smiled. 'Want some? You get to taste it for free you know.' she said, reaching for a bottle containing a beautiful emerald-colored liquid.

'Really?!'

'Yup.'

'Thanks! Thank you as well for giving me a lot of Puffer Whale Ingredients too! I was so surprised when Manager Smith told me when I got back!' Komatsu exclaimed. 'I had a hard time with Puffer Whales too we only scored one good whale...how'd you do it?'

'Well, its a technique unique only to me.' said Naruko. 'I can detect Sakki, even from an ingredient.'

'Sakki(killing intent)?' Toriko and Mansam looked at her seriously at that.

'Yes...I'm sensitive to anything that declares its a threat.' Naruko explained. 'That's why its easy for me to find those nasty poison sacs. Poison Chef bought them all off me by the way.' she said.

'Poison Chef Tylan huh? He's the only poison specialist we have in the world, he's an invaluable guy.' Mansam nodded thoughtfully.

'That, and Puffer Whales are also Deep Sea creatures its on my list...but if not in that Cavern in breeding season, they're a lot bigger, uglier, and the meat is also tougher compared to that delicate texture I had...but the taste remains the same at least.' said Naruko. 'If I sold it like that, nobody'd believe me its a Puffer Whale so I just gave it to alley cats and crows.'

'Lucky cats and crows.' the men in the room deadpanned.

'Yeah, the cats in Jidal Kingdom enjoyed themselves.' said Naruko with a chuckle. 'I smelled like fish, they all followed me!'

'So what's your Full Course? Surely you'd have one by now Naruko-san.' said Komatsu.

'Yeah...'

Hors D'oeuvre-Stuffed Chikuwa Tubeworms with creamed Kuriuni(Lv 66)
Soup-Shining Gourami Broth(Lv80)
Fish Dish-Shirakojira Fillet(Lv78)
Meat Dish-Behemoth Squid Ikameshi(Lv80)
Main Dish-Titan Spider Crab(Lv90)
Salad-Silk Crimson Carpet Kelp(Lv40)
Dessert-Pureed Beansefish(Lv50)
Drink-Emerald Dragon Wine(Lv78)

'Wow, talk about all high class...' Toriko squawked.

'If it made your life hell to get them for taste, you'd make them your Full Course too.' Naruko snorted.

After quite the banquet, they talked about the main topic...

The Jewel Meat.

'Chief! We brought in the Seafood!' Rin called out. 'But uhhh we have to take them apart piece by piece!'

'Trouble?!' Toriko squawked. 'Just what kind did you catch, Naruko?!'

'Well, you'll see...' said Naruko airily as a giant crab leg about eight feet wide and twenty feet long. 'Ah, that's a baby Titan Crab.'

'BABY?!' Toriko and Komatsu yelled, eyes popping out of their sockets.

'Yep, a baby.' said Mansam. 'The adult one is too big to bring home.' he said. 'The adult is the size of a small island so this one is a freshly-hatched caught baby. Easy to catch so its a soft-shelled fella you can eat it whole, but the unimaginable depths you have to go for to catch them...you need the right abilities and latest diving equipment which explains its capture level. Naruko's abilities fit the bills.' he said before looking serious. 'The adult? When we looked, its the size of IGO HQ for a male, but double the size if female you can only really bring home baby crabs and they're in season only in springtime.' he shook his head. 'The Capture Level of an Adult Titan Crab and her other beasties would be beyond 200 the President and Knocking Master Jiro went to give it a shot not long ago...but how they'll bring it back, is the billion-dollar question.' he said. 'Its not like we have the technology for that...'

'In order to sell it to Gourmet Wholesale, it has to be processed in this lab first and videos shown in the internet as proof.' said Naruko. 'But in parties, I have to make a flashy live-show cooking so parties are in really ridiculously-huge rooms.'

'Heeee...'

'But since she ain't around when we cooked the crabs, we had to use machines.' said Rin. 'They're so big you can feed about ten schools with just one leg alone but for Bishokuya, that ain't enough, right?' she said. 'Again, what we're bringin' in are babies.'

The next were gigantic stuffed Tubeworms, reasonably-sized fillets, gigantic ikameshi...

'Only the tubeworms are fully-matured in this bunch.' said Mansam. 'The rest are mere babies. The adults are impossible to bring back, but at least they're discovered species.'

More kooky-looking seafood are brought in.

'At least there's something I can eat, I can't eat alcoholic food.' Rin grumbled as they ate all the food.

"These deep sea creatures are a plus as well for Gourmet Cell Growth." Mansam thought. "Its a little preparation for the future. But..." he mused with a glance at Naruko. "Komatsu found her wandering around. She has no records ANYWHERE when even Non-IGO citizens have files on them. She's basically a non-entity she even told him she doesn't belong anywhere yet she's strong. Who is she, and where did she come from?"

That was one thing Naruko didn't say.

But at least they know one thing.

She is not a citizen of Gourmet World as the President would know one by sight and smell alone.