Author's Notes: Welcome. And yes, I'll be using the "Lilithverse", and have Lucius to help me with it.

Special thanks to Lucius Walker for co-writing and NSG for beta-reading.

-Changes:

Right, so one of the reviews mentioned the age gap between Hinata and Hanabi, which I forgot and is a huge yikes. So now Hanabi is one year younger than Hinata instead of the canon 5 years apart.

I've also done away with the long two year timeskip, now going with a few to several months at a time.

Chapter 02: "Growing Fame"

[ (Sumiredōri Shopping District, One Month before the Grand Opening) ]

A bus pulled up to the side of the street, before coming to a complete stop at a corner. The bus doors opened with its ear-piercing hiss, and a British/Japanese man with short, blond hair with blue eyes stepped out. His white chef's top fluttered in the slight wind, and he had to keep his hand on his fedora to stop the wind from claiming it.

Warden Gamsei pocketed a sheet of paper, before making his way down a narrow street. His fast pacing slowed into a deliberate walk as he admired the peaceful nature of the neighborhood, his eyes having much less to focus on for once, before coming to a stop at his designation.

"Yukihira Diner." He muttered, noting that the place was closed for the season. "What a quaint little place. Hard to believe a graduate of Tōtsuki settled for a little diner."

He walked up to the door and gave it a few loud raps. There was no response, but he did hear some movement and some muffled whispering. He sighed loudly, and knocked louder.

"Come on out, you pannini heads! Let's not wait for the fucking grass to grow!" He shouted. "Either you come out or I leave, proving your former Headmaster for being an utter numpty!"

Gamsei heard some fast movements coming towards the door, before it finally opened.

"Sorry, sir." A young woman with long, honey-blonde hair and purple-pinkish eyes said sheepishly. "We didn't know what the man my grandfather sent looked like."

"Yet I was one of the only ones who knew where you lot were. You should really learn to trust your old man more. After all, he was the one that gave you this chance." Gamsei said gruffly. "The old graybeard vouched for you all, and my new boss's looking forward to seeing you all in action."

"Does that mean a Shokugeki?" A young girl with long red hair and yellow eyes asked with excitement.

"Absolutely not." Gamsei replied flatly. "Now let's run along, all of you."

Gamsey led the former students of Tōtsuki to the bus he came on. His foot tapping, he waited until all twenty hopped inside, before getting in himself. The bus took off, its destination being the Le Fox Den, the new restaurant that was being built almost outside of the city.

"So, what do we call you?" One of the many aspiring chefs asked.

"Gamsei. Warden Gamsei. 85th-generation Tōtsuki graduate, sous-chef to the Head Chef who's several years my junior, who's also the owner of the soon-to-be-opened Le Fox Den. I knew the owner since he started his culinary journey at Tōtsuki. You'll find, like I did, that he's quite the interesting individual." The man handed out a series of booklets while introducing himself. "Here's the menu and overview of his vision for the place. Something to prepare yourselves for your interviews."

He gave the group a quick once-over, and found seventeen 92nd generation students, two 91st generation students, and one 90th generation student. They might not look like much, but each of them were members of the Resistance, and thus, they all had something to bring to the table. Since they were all skilled enough to bring the fight to Azami's administration, he and Naruto expected a lot out of them.

The single Resistance member of the 90th generation was Megishima Tōsuke, an interesting individual who was actually Naruto's rival when it comes to the art of making ramen. He hated doing Shokugekis, and had never had one with his fellow ramen chef, but this influence caused Naruto to get better, and to improve his own skills.

The two Resistance members of the 91st Generation were Isshiki Satoshi and Kuga Terunori, two former members of the Elite Ten who both voted against the Azami takeover. The first was skilled in a unique, innovative style of Japanese cuisine, while the latter was skilled in the art of the Chinese cuisine. The most notable thing is that both had strong ties to the 92nd Generation, with that strong bond being crucial to getting them to fight for the Resistance.

Speaking of the 92th generation, Senzaemon spoke highly of them (and no, not because it included his granddaughter, mind you.)

Most of the Resistance, even the Polar Star "common grunts," had their specialties. For instance, Sakaki Ryōko was a level-headed chef who specialized in Kōji (fermented Japanese rice.) Yoshino Yūki specialized in Wild Game Meat, much like her senpai Kobayashi Rindō, who specialized in exotic ingredients. Marui Zenji was an intelligent chef, whose cooking revolved around the application of learning from literature about gourmet food. Ibusaki Shun, the quietest one of them all, specializes in Smoke Cooking, the art of using the special properties of smoke to cook and flavor dishes. As for Aoki Daigo and Satō Shōji, both had no particular cooking styles, but they were nonetheless competent enough to stay in Tōtsuki, making up for the lack of talent with their hard work.

Then there was Mimasaka Subaru, an interesting chef with no speciality and cooking spirit. However, he makes up for it with his Perfect Trance, a unique personal skill that allows him to mimic other chefs, down to their cooking style and personal habits. He may be stalkerish, but he was still a force to be reckoned with in a Shokugeki.

Moving on from the skilless, Hayama Akira was a former member of the student-run central after Azami's takeover, who defected after losing a Shokugeki. A master of spices, he held a very sharp sense of smell, which was crucial to his Aromatic cooking style.

Kurokiba Ryō was the seafood chef, who brought ferocity and intensity to his cooking. Calm and collected at first glance, the minute he donned his special bandana, he became a fierce cook, whose dishes would overwhelm the consumer. His instincts helped him pick out the best ingredients for his dishes.

Nakiri Alice, one of Senzaemon's granddaughters, specialized in molecular gastronomy; using science and chemistry to focus on the artistic, social, and technical aspects of cooking. While not as famous as her cousin Erina, she could more than hold her own. It helped that she had a more friendly and cheery demeanor than her cousin.

Takumi and Isami, or also known as "The Aldini Brothers," were a terrifying duo to go up against. Born to a Japanese-Italian family, they learned to cook in Italy. They were as strong together as they were individually, both with their own strengths and weaknesses. Both specialized in Italian Cuisine, though between them, Takumi was superior over Isami.

Mito Ikumi, who stood out from the crowd due to being a gyaru, specialized in meat, butchering, and donduri. Her knowledge of meat came from her being the princess of the Mito family empire, who sold and distributed meat across Japan. She once primarily used A5 meat, but discarded the habit after two Shokugeki losses, one of them being against her senpai Naruto at the time.

Arato Hisako, while still a chef, is also the secretary to Senzaemon's granddaughter Erina. Specializing in the art of medicinal cooking, she infuses traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients into her food excelling in its and its respective field of studies. More loyal to her "Empress," she tended to use her skills to assist Erina more often than to feed the customers.

Tadokoro Megumi was the meek and timid chef of the group, who specialized in hospitality, cooking with the customer in mind. She was personally trained by Shinomiya Kojirō for a time, helping to improve her cooking skill and confidence. She might be the "weak link" of the group, but her various accomplishments revealed untapped potential.

Nakiri Erina was one of the granddaughters of Senzaemon, and is famous for her "God's Tongue." Having no particular cooking or cuisine speciality, she was capable of turning a regular dish into a pro dish, and used high quality ingredients and creativity to bring out the food's full potential for maximum taste. She was considered a national treasure with the perfect palette, making many restaurants green with envy when they heard about where she had decided to work.

At last, there was Yukihira Sōma, the red-headed ace of the 92nd generation Tōtsuki Academy student. She is a skilled, energetic chef that everyone underestimates due to her background in working at her father's diner. But her father just so happens to be the legendary graduate of Tōtsuki, Yukihira Jōichiro. As a master of the Yukihira Style, Sōma is able to overcome most obstacles, learning from defeat and even victories; continuing to evolve in order to be a great chef.

The trip took around an hour since they were going from one town to another. It was more than enough time for the group to read over the materials. The sous-chef also observed them as they interacted with each other, getting a feel for their personalities and quirks.

'With all these different skills and quirks, Azami's son must be a force to be reckoned with.' Gamsei noted, turning a page to read up on the Shokugekis that everyone was involved in. 'This is gonna be a fun interview, that's for sure.'

He then clapped his hands. "All right, chums. Ears open and listen up!" With all eyes on him, he continued. "We are almost at our destination, and when we arrive, your interview will begin."

"May I ask what you mean by that?" Akira asked, voicing everyone's confusion.

"Simple, spice kid. Le Fox Den is pretty much completed, and ready to work in. And what better way to stress test it by letting you lot run wild." Gamsei said, tapping his clipboard. "Right now, the boss is out on business for about an hour and a half. That gives you lot 30 minutes to prep your assigned stations, and an hour to cook a dish to impress the boss when he gets back."

"That's it?" Erina asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't say anything else after that, didn't I?" Gamsei snorted. "Ya know what, just to make it interesting, think of it as a Shokugeki, only that you're not competing against each other, but to impress your senpai. Are we clear?"

"Hell yeah!" Sōma cheered, pumping her fist in the air.

"Well, she's definitely getting the job..." Kuga mumbled sheepishly.

Gamsei snapped his head towards him. "Ya say something, fortune cookie?!" He barked menacingly.

"Nothing!"

"Thought so." Gamsei snorted, and looked outside, "And here we are. Look alive, people."

The remnants of the Tōtsuki resistance followed his gaze outside the bus windows. They stared in awe at the new restaurant that awaited them. What was once a three-story warehouse was remodeled into a high-end looking restaurant with elaborate, oriential designs. Near the doors were two nine-tailed fox statues, with one being bright orange and the other dark orange.

"Very interesting. It reminds me of my old friend." Tōsuke mused, missing his dear friend and rival.

"Awawawa~" Megumi whined, shaking like a leaf.

"And with that," the bus came to a halt at the entrance. "Your time begins now. Clock's ticking."

"Wait, what?!" Nikumi and the others rounded on the sous-chef, who just clicked on a stopwatch.

"You heard me. When we arrive, your interview begins." Gamsei said smoothly, and gestured to the entrance. "Now stop staring like a bunch of fucking goldfish, and cook me your signature dishes! Chop chop!"

The former students of Tōtsuki looked at each other in shock, realizing what Gamsei meant. A second later, they quickly filed out of the bus, and made a mad dash towards the opening doors. Gamsei stepped off the bus himself and smirked. He looked up at the third floor window, and gave a two-fingered salute.

On the other side of the window, Naruto gave a curt nod and returned the salute. He headed over to the entertainment center where Hinata and Hanabi are and sat down with them. He grabbed his bowl of ramen and relaxed as they watched the newcomers rush into the restaurant and into the kitchen.

"Now then, let us see what Tōtsuki has taught them before it went to shit…"

[ Tōtsuki Academy, Headmaster's Office (6 months later) ]

In the days of old, the sun shined bright above the mountainside school that was Tōtsuki Culinary Teahouse Academy. It represented a shining future for those that overcame the cutthroat style of the school curriculum, and rose to become the best of the best.

Nowadays, the skies above were nothing but doom and gloom. Rain fell here and there, with the occasional thunderstorm further adding to the grim atmosphere. The school had undergone some new, unpleasant changes, which the spirit of the school seemed to disagree with. Sure, under the new curriculum, everyone would get an equal education, but at the cost of creation and innovation.

Currently, there was a new problem presenting the ruling administration, which is now being addressed in a meeting between Azami and his enforcers, Central.

"100 students voluntarily left in the last week, which adds to the other 400 that we lost. In comparison to the thousand plus students we had at the beginning of this administration, we now have less than 500 students left in the academy." Kinokuni Nene, a member of Central, reported to the headmaster.

The bleach-skinned, black suited Nakiri Azami sighed as he looked over the reports. "I've given them all the tools to succeed and they still choose to fail. Such a shame that the students here cannot grasp the simple concepts of gourmet."

"Give them time, boss. They'll come around," another member of Central, Kusunoki Rentarōassured the headmaster, "On the bright side, it's getting easier to manage those underclassmen."

"Even so, the number of individuals a place has also represents its strength," Sōmei Saitō murmured, "The fact we lost so many is a sign of weakness. Soon, sharks will come for blood. After all, Tōtsuki always had enemies in the shadows, looking for ways to cause us to fall."

"Regardless, with my influence, your strengths, and my son's skills, no one will dare oppose us." Azami said in a dismissive tone. "I now run the culinary world and its operations. There will never be a rebel group like those upstarts from before."

"There have been a few dregs and embers of resistance within the school, but they're been put down." Eizan Etsuya reported, adjusting his glasses. "As Rentarō said, it'll be easier to manage the school population."

"At what cost? We're been steadily losing students, and that's not our only problem," Nene continued in annoyance. "They haven't been receiving many applications. At this rate, we won't have enough students to populate three out of our seven Shokugeki arenas. We need a solution before this becomes a major problem we can no longer afford to ignore."

"Simple. We buy out the other cooking schools around the world, both minor and major." A smirking Eizen replied.

"That would make us a monopoly, which is a double-edged sword." Saitō pointed out. "More potential students will come, but it might do more harm than good. You might invite unsavory individuals and those who refuse to bow down to your will."

"I don't care…" The little pastry chef Akanegakubo Momo whispered, squeezing her plush toy.

"I say bring them all on!" The redheaded wild-girl Kobayashi Rindō said cheerfully. "We'll find the ones that tick!"

"That's not a bad idea. I'll consider it, Eizen-kun." Azami said, and walked to the window. "All great empires start out rough, but rest assured, things will turn around for this school and the culinary world as a whole. I guarantee it."

"The paperwork is gonna get rough again, I know it." Whined the #1 seat, Tsukasa Eishi. "And here I was enjoying it getting easier…"

"Says the person who wants to handle that monster all to themselves." Rindō countered, clapping her best friend on his back.

"There's also been a development as well. There's a new restaurant in a riverside town in Tokyo called Le Fox Den, or Le Renardière, if we're to get technical." Nene reported, flipping her notes. "It's popular with everyone from the poor to the rich, and the reservations are currently backed by three months thanks to word of mouth."

"I see. How interesting." Azami murmured, still staring at the window at the school grounds below. "Do they follow true gourmet as I envisioned?"

Nene shook her head. "No. The restaurant is being praised for its innovative dishes in Japanese cuisine. And it's not just Japanese cuisine, but they also offer cuisine from different countries as well. From what I'm hearing, they're not following your doctrine at all. Furthermore…"

Eizan frowned as his fellow Central member paused. "What is it?"

"Not only is the owner rumored to be a Tōtsuki graduate, but those of the Resistance are now working there as well." Nene said, with all eyes now turned to her.

"Are you serious?! Do they have a death wish?!" Rentarō asked incredulously. "Even now, they're still defying us!"

"Heh, they all have balls, I'll give them that!" Rindō laughed, and gave a fierce grin. "Let's go visit, eh? I'd love to visit the others and meet the owner."

"Indeed." Azami agreed, turning around with a serious expression on his face. "I want to meet this owner who dares defy my authority. We'll make our way to the Fox Den in a few days time. Dismissed…"

"Yessir!"

[ Le Fox Den (a few days later) ]

"Hey! This place isn't so bad!" Rindō skipped around, squealing as she admired the sights. "It's so eye catching! I can't wait to see the inside!"

"Seems that they're full to capacity," Sōmei noted, seeing patrons seated outside with servers helping them. "Impressive that there's no line right now."

"What the hell is that?! They do delivery? Ha!" Rentarō laughed, pointing at the delivery stands with bicycles and cars. "That ain't luxury! This is a restaurant masquerading as a fast food joint!"

"I don't know. The food looks too good to be a cheap carbon copy." Tsukasa said, admiring the various dishes being served.

"Heh, this owner's thought of everything. Maybe we can do business." Eizen said, menacingly adjusting his glasses. "For their benefit, that is."

"We shall see once we inspect the premises." Azami said, smirking.

The group walked past the nine-tailed fox statues, and entered the interior of the restaurant. They were greeted by a huge dining room with two floors. Servers were scurrying about, taking orders and delivering patrons' orders. Near the back was the kitchen, the patrons were treated to seeing the chefs cooking their food, with the sous chefs checking the food that comes out, and the line chefs leading the charge in keeping the chefs focused.

"It can't be." Momo suddenly piped up as a dessert dish passed her. "How can they make such cute creations? It's not fair."

"Impressive…but…" Azami scowled at the dishes floating around. "They can do so much better. The fact that there's not embracing true gourmet is a taint upon this beautiful palace. They will ruin themselves in the future."

"It's them." Nene suddenly said, nodding towards the kitchen area.

Eizen smirked. "Well well, I spy a bunch of rebel scum."

Azami followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow. "Well well, it seems that the rumors were true, Nene-kun."

[ Le Fox Den (6 months ago) ]

"Five, four, three, two, one, and stop!" Gamsei snapped his fingers. "Done. Everyone step away now!"

The remnants of the Resistance jumped back at the authoritative crack of Gamsei's voice.

"Line up over there. Go go go!" He commanded. "Let's not wait for the bloody paint to dry!"

When the group lined up in the designated area, Hinata and Hanabi quickly descended the staircase. They took the dishes the prospects cooked and set them on a round table. Hanabi suddenly spun the table, baffling the Resistance.

"Right. Now," Gamsei took a look at the dishes and nodded in approval. "They all look good. I was impressed by some of your unique skills and styles of cooking. But, are they all flash and show? We shall see."

"Indeed. So you're the ones Old Man Senzaemon recommended to me, eh?"

Everyone's attention was turned to the man of the hour, Uzumaki Naruto. Dressed in a black chef's coat top, black stacks, and an apron around his waist, he slid down the banister, and hopped off with a surprising amount of grace, landing with both feet on the ground like a cat.

"Eh?!" Ikumi yelped, looking shocked. "Naruto-senpai?!"

Kuga's jaw fell into a gape as well. "No way! Naruchi-senpai?"

"Yep, it's me Kuga, Nikumi-chan!" He said with a bow. "Glad to see most of you remember me. Isn't that right, Tōsuke-san, my old friend?"

"Heh." Tōsuke sighed, before he let out a smirk. "I should've known with those nine-tailed fox statues out in the front. To think you would be responsible for all of this. You truly are unpredictable, Naruto-san."

"Uzumaki Naruto, Tōtsuki's Number One Troublemaker?" Hisako whispered, looking shocked before looking at Erina, who was shivering. "Erina-sama?"

"Oh no…" She muttered, shaking like a leaf. "Grandpa, why?"

At the most, the cocky redheaded Sōma was all she could stand, but Naruto? In her world, he was a literal nightmare incarnate for his antics. From his pranking streaks to defying the authority of his upperclassmen and his so-called betters, Naruto was an absolute terror for someone as dignified as her. Akin to Sōma's cooking, his signature ramen dish blew her away, but she refused to acknowledge it, no matter how much she wanted to. While not a student yet, she orchestrated events behind the scenes to try and throw Naruto out of Tōtsuki, but somehow failed every time.

And when he finally caught onto her, well, let's just say she had many bad days, with the worst one involving a goat and a petting zoo, which, to this day, she still refuses to talk about. The day when Naruto graduated was the day that she was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, and even cried the moment he walked out of the cooking school.

But now he was back in her life, with him now being her future boss. And while she was a changed person, she never forgot his pranks, and, if she had to be honest, Naruto still fucking scared her.

"Oh my. Don't tell me you tried to dominate Naruto-san. Naughty Erina~" Alice grinned as she poked Erica's cheek. "So what did he do to you? I want details!"

"Over my dead body!" Erina snapped at her cousin.

Alice pouted. "Boooo! You're no fun~"

"You were in the Polar Star dorms, weren't you?" Shun spoke up. "I saw your picture there."

"Yep. Had a room there and everything. Gamsei included during his time." Naruto confirmed as the said chef handed him a file. "Granny Fumio sends her regards by the way. She's still holding down the fort at Tōtsuki."

"Yup. That sounds like Fumio." Isshiki agreed. "But I believe you had something to do with it, right, Naruto-san?"

Naruto shrugged. "That's our little secret, my friend. Now then," He clapped his hands. "Let us get to the formalities, shall we dattebayo? My name is Uzumaki Naruto, 90th-Gen early Tōtsuki graduate, and the owner of this fine establishment you stand in, Le Fox Den."

"This place is amazing!" The crowd began to speak up.

"Yeah! How you managed to get such a place-"

"Oi, Daigo, Shōji. Pipe down, ya donuts!" Gamsei barked at them. "We'll return with the pleasantries later. Right now, it's business."

"Thank you, Gamsei. Anyways, since you guys are practically expelled from Tōtsuki, with no way to hone your craft outside your homes, Old Man Senzaemon requested me to help you guys out, and I was in the process of hiring employees, so it all works out." Naruto said, and raised his hand to halt the incoming questions. "Do note that you working for me counts as credit for your schooling. The old man, along with Jōichirō-sensei and Gin-san, is still figuring out a way to hold a graduation ceremony for those who pass and whatnot."

"Wait a minute, my dad taught you?" Sōma asked, looking quite surprised.

"For a time. While you were still in high school, I helped out at your family diner. You should all know why, seeing as how you all did something similar in different restaurants to gain the work experience. Gamsei here was the one who watched my progress. He's my sou-chef, and will be my Line Chef here, which means that you'll all be reporting directly to him. That is…" Naruto spun the table with the signature dishes on it. "Assuming you're hired."

Gamsei nodded in agreement. "You all have done well in making it as far as you did in your rebellion against Azami and his Central goons. Even after getting taken down by Azami's son, you fought to the bitter end. But when one door closes, another one opens. But are you worthy enough to step through the new door?"

"I think that I speak for all of us when I say that we wouldn't be here if we weren't worthy." Hayama said boldy, with the others nodding in agreement.

"What he said!" Ryō exclaimed, throwing his bandana on. "Now go on and taste our dishes so that you'll find out first hand that you have the cream of the crop that'll make your restaurant a success!"

"I'll…do my best! But what about the Azami Administration?" Megumi questioned nervously.

Gamsei scoffed. "Le Fox Den will never recognize his authority. Your teacher, Shinomiya Kojirō-senpai, said the same for his Shino's restaurant."

"The same goes for our family restaurant." Takumi spoke up, with Isami nodding in agreement. "Azami won't be spreading his influence that easily. Also, we can hold down the fort."

"Well, let's dig in." Naruto said, as the table finished spinning.

[Le Fox Den (present day)]

"Excuse me. Do you all have a reservation?"

Azami and the members of the Central turned, and gazed in amazement as a redheaded woman walked towards them. She was wearing a stunning, sexy Chinese dress, with the kitsune design sewn onto it, making it seem like the fox's tail was coiling around her body. There was a slit on the lower part of her dress, which teasingly revealed a lot of her smooth, flawless legs. The upper part of her dress was no less alluring, with a cleavage window that revealed some of her bountiful cleavage.

"Apologies, ma'am, we do not. I just thought that my students and I could tour this fine establishment." Azami was the first to recover, speaking smoothly as the woman stopped in front of them.

"Oh! Then you're a few days early then, sir. We don't have another tour going on until this Saturday." The woman said brightly, but raising an eyebrow.

"I see." Azami said and looked his attention back to the kitchen area. "What can you tell me about those young chefs?"

The woman frowned. "Why do you want to know about my employees? Are you trying to poach them or something?"

"Maybe." Azami said, smirking. "Considering that they lost fair and square, and now defying my authority."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry, but that sounded awfully hostile. Who are you again?"

"Ah, my apologies, miss-?" Azami trailed off for an answer.

"Uzumaki Kushina, General Manager of Le Fox Den." Kushina introduced herself, noting the students behind the man flinching.

'Uzumaki? She has the same surname as-' The members of Central thought with a sudden feeling of dread.

"Uzumaki-san. Pleased to meet you." Azami smiled courteously. "My name is Nakiri Azami, headmaster of Tōtsuki Academy."

Kushina's eyes widened at the name, and further narrowed her eyes. "I see. So you're him." She murmured, all courteousness and friendliness none from her voice.

When Kushina came up to them, she was curious about the paled-skin man and the group of kids with him. But when he started talking with his false smile, it put the redhead on edge, as almost everything about him reminded her of Orochimaru. And when he introduced himself, the Orochimaru comparisons became more pronounced.

Now Kushina was giving him a non-so-subtle glare, her eyes threatening to turn into slits. She was there when Old Man Senzaemon had once again visited Naruto, who was investigating Azami's grip on the culinary world. He told them everything about Azami…

How he was once Nakamura Azami, and a former student at ō Academy.

Now he was once best friends with fellow student Saiba Jōichirō (Sōma's dad) and Dōjima Gin.

How he married into the family through Senzaemon's daughter Nakiri Mana, taking the Nakiri name, before siring Erina.

How Azami, upon learning that Erina inherited her mother's God Tongue, cut her off from the outside world and subjected her to a brutal training regimen; the severity of it forcing Senzaemon to expel him from the family and Tōtsuki Academy.

The last part was confirmed by Erina herself (under the threat of a worse version of a 'petting zoo prank' from Kushina), with Erina telling her tale of being forced to compare dishes and throw away the ones that were inferior. If she resisted, her father would use physical force to ingrain his doctrine and ideals of food into her.

Cue Nakiri Azami being on everyone's shit list.

"The General Manager, eh? So you own Le Fox Den I take it?" Azami asked, ignoring the sudden chill he was feeling from the woman.

"No, that would be Uzumaki Naruto; 90th-generation early graduate of Tōtsuki Academy, personally scouted by your predecessor." Kushina replied, with a bit of venom dripping in her voice.

"Senzaemon-sama, is that right?" Azami asked and turned to his students. "Tell me, does the name sound…familiar…?"

He frowned when he noticed the members of Central frozen on the spot. Tsukasa looked terrified, Rindō was gaping like a fish, Momo was shivering, Sōmei took a slight step back, and Nene started sweating.

Rentarō, meanwhile, was already gone from the restaurant, leaving behind a small trail of dust as he ran out of there. Strangely enough, the dust formed into the word 'NOPE'.

"Uzumaki…Naruto…runs…this restaurant?" Eizen asked, stupefied and shaking like a maraca.

"Correct." Kushina said before turning her attention back to Azami. "And Azami-san, if you're here to preach your 'true gourmet' bullshit to us, then you and Central might as well turn around and leave. Le Fox Den will NEVER acknowledge your authority or ideals. It's a place of growth and innovation for our chefs, and making the customers happy. That is how it will always be."

"Charming lady you are, Kushina-san. But I think I would rather speak to your husband before we go any further-"

"Husband?!" Kushina snarled, her hair slowly waving apart like a kitsune's tails. "He's my son!"

"Your son?!" Rindō squeaked with wide eyes. 'Such a beautiful woman is Naru-kun's mother?!'

"Erina! What are you doing?!" A voice boomed from the kitchen. "Hello?!"

Everyone turned to see Erina, who was staring at her father in utter terror. But she wasn't given time to dwell as Gamsei came up behind her.

"Earth to Erina!" Gamsei shouted, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

"Ah, sorry Gamsei-senpai!" Erina yelped, looking flustered.

"What the fuck is going on? You're on a perfect streak here! Why are you pausing in the middle of service?" he asked her.

"Well, it's just…" Erina stammered, looking from Azami to Gamsei. "My father's-"

"Fuck him, he's not important! Now get it together before the food gets cold." Gamsei commanded. "Hop to it!"

"Yes Chef!" Erina nodded, and got back to her task.

As she had no signature dishes or cooking style, she was regulated to being a sous-chef, where she was to check and taste the food to make sure it was worthy for human consumption. Thanks to her God Tongue, it was the perfect job for her.

"Send up the next plate!" She called over her shoulder.

"Got it right here, Erina!" Alice said, handing her cousin her dish, before spotting Azami. "Holy-!"

"Never mind him!" Erina snapped at her. "Get back to work, now!"

"If you say so." Alice nodded solemnly, before letting out a grin. "My my, the next few minutes should be quite entertaining." She giggled, before she got back to her station.

"Whatever." Erina just shook her head, before getting back to work. She tasted the appetizer that consisted of a risotto and scallops with sushi. Nodding her head, she pushed it towards Gamsei. "Here, Chef."

"Excellent. Looks good. " Gamsei took the dish and handed it to a server. "Send it away."

The server took the dishes, and was about to go on his way to the customer, when he was suddenly intercepted.

"Hey!" Kushina yelled in indignation as Azami swiped the dish.

"Is this what passes for food these days? How disappointing." Azami mused as he examined the dish for himself.

"Oh for fuck sakes. It's just a bloody appetizer!" Gamsei growled, and grabbed a walkie-talkie. "Boss, get down here. We have an issue."

"I see it. On my way."

"Roger that." Gamsei said and headed around to the other side of the kitchen. "Erina, you're in charge until I get back."

"Yes sir." Erina said and grabbed an order to relay to the others. "On order-"

"Kushina-san, I'll handle this." Gamsei said as he exited the kitchen.

"Heh, he's all yours." Kushina nodded, taking a step back.

"Hey, Wonder Bread!" Gamsei snarling, stomping towards Azami. "I'll appreciate it if you didn't get in the way of serving our patrons!"

"Ah, you must be Warden Gamsei." Azami said cooly as Gamsei snatched the dish back from him. "I've heard much about you. You, much like Uzumaki, were also scouted by Senzaemon-sama. A juggernaut during your time, much like the other blond in this kitchen, you were quite a formidable foe during your academy days. Of course, not much of a surprise, coming from a Gordon Ramsey wannabe."

"If you're going to summarize my biography, get it right, Nakamura." Gamsei growled dangerously, handing the dish back to the server, who quickly scurried away. "I might not be his blood, but he passed on his legacy and his teachings onto me. Besides, what's wrong with wanting to be like your father?"

"I've always wondered the same thing." Azami's eyes narrowed as they followed his daughter. Gamsei snorted at this.

"My father might've been a tyrant in the kitchen, but he was a fair ruler, and knew when to turn down the heat." Gamsei retorted, folding his arms. "You, however, insisted on beating your daughter into submission to use for your own twisted culinary fantasies. You taught her nothing but pain and hatred. If you can't see that, then get a new pair of glasses, you pale-faced donkey."

Azami glared at the young chef, and swiveled his eyes towards the server, who had just served the appetizers to his customers.

"Sorry for the delay, Igawa-san." The server bowed meekly to the customer and her guest.

"No worries." The young lady waved off. "For an appetizer, this does look good! Right, Kyousuke?"

"It sure does, Asagi-chan." Kyousuke, Asagi's boyfriend and fiance, chuckled nervously. "Oh boy, I kinda feel bad for you treating me, since it should be the other way around. I mean, this all kind of looks expensive. Ah, what am I saying? Let's just dig in!"

The couple chuckled at each other's dynamics, before they helped themselves to the appetizer.

While the customers were enjoying their meals, the members of the Central were paralyzed from the tension in the kitchen, rooted to the spot from the exchange. Maybe they were seeing things, but they could've sworn that there was a large tiger growling behind Gamsei, with a venomous snake hissing behind Azami.

"It would seem that we are out of our league." Sōmei noted, sweating from the tension in the air.

"You always were the smart one, Saitō." A new voice chimed in from above. "Next to Isshiki, of course."

"Oh no…" Tsukasa whined, recognizing the voice and hiding behind Rindō.

Momo increased the grip on her plush. "Naruto-san…"

Uzumaki Naruto walked down the stairs, eying the crowd. He was wearing his black chefs outfit, with his restaurant's logo emblazoned on his back. So many familiar faces from Central, with only one he didn't recognize. He narrowed his eyes at the paled-skin, black suited man, who reminded him too much of Orochimaru.

'So, that's Nakiri…no- Nakamura Azami.' Naruto thought, staring a hole at him. 'Never judge people by their appearance, but this guy literally looks the part of a villain. And the negative emotions are radiating off him like a furnace. Fucking hell…'

"Uzumaki Naruto…" Eizen uttered with fear. "It really is you-"

"Behave yourself, Eizen-teme." Naruto growled at him. "One false move and I'll throw you out myself, so keep your mouth shut unless spoken to."

"Sorry that you had to come down to deal with this, sochi." Kushina said sorrowfully.

"It's fine, mom. I would had to deal with them anyway." Naruto shrugged. "I honestly expected him sooner…"

"Heya, Naru-kun!" Rindō called to him cheerfully. "Long time, no see! How have ya been?"

"Hello, Kobayashi." Naruto responded curtly, strolling past her.

"Eh? You're kidding, right?" Rindō looked baffled at the response. "But…it's me! Your Rindō-chan! Or Neko-chan… You know, your best friend?"

Naruto spared for a glance. "I think that remains to be seen, Kobayashi-san."

Rindō looked utterly deflated at the responses she's been getting. She and Naruto were close during their time at Tōtsuki, and she would always find some kind of excitement from his various antics. Which is why the cold shoulder both unnerved her and broke her heart.

"Tsukasa, stop acting like a wimp and pull yourself. You're embarrassing yourself." Naruto added before turning his attention to Azami.

Tsukasa whined some more. "It's impossible with you…"

"So, you're the infamous Uzumaki Naruto. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Azami said, and stuck his hand out for him to shake.

Naruto stared at the pale man's hand as if it had a cockroach on it, before reluctantly shaking it. While pretty much everyone at the Tōtsuki Academy knew the terrible truth about Azami, the rest of the world didn't, so anything he said or did (or didn't) do in any way, shape or form would, unfortunately, reflect badly on Naruto's part.

"Pleasure's all mine." Naruto said with a surprising amount of neutrality. Naruto's face twitched in mild surprise as he felt Azami's iron grip. For someone who looked quite frail, he had a surprisingly strong grip. "You'll have to excuse any...hostilities my employees might have shown against you. We've heard all the stories about you. The good, the bad...and the ugly."

Azami's eyes narrowed even further as an empty smile stretched across his face. "I see that Senzaemon-sama has told you about me. Please do not be so hasty as to believe in slander."

"Quite understandable." Naruto nodded stiffly, letting go of the fiend's hand. "In the world of fame and fortune, rumors are quite inevitable, especially if one's closet has been seen by those who weren't meant to peek into it."

"The rumors greatly exaggerate." Azami asserted. "Yes, I'll admit that I've been rather strict on my daughter, but I've done nothing immoral. Besides, everything I've done for her was for her own good."

"Very interesting choice of words, Azami-san." Naruto snorted. "From what I've heard from your own daughter, strict is too kind of a word to use to even begin to describe your methods." Naruto let out a small scoff, and for a moment, Azami thought that his eyes turned fiery red. A trickle of sweat rolled down his face as for a moment, he thought that he had seen a giant, nine-tailed fox behind him, its razor sharp teeth glistening as it roared at him, challenging the snake to strike.

Naruto then blinked, and his eyes were blue again. The fox was gone, and so was the suffocating tension in the air.

"Now then," Naruto clapped his hands, the face of a killer gone, replaced by an enthusiastic restaurant owner. "I'm sure that we're not here to discuss our biographies, be it true or not. So, what can I do for you all today?"

"It's quite simple, Uzumaki-san." Azami cleared his throat, lightly rolling his neck to ease its tension. "Conform to my culinary standards, and your restaurant will continue to strive-" Azami's words were cut off as Rindō stepped in front of him. "What are you doing, Rindō-kun?"

"Headmaster, as much as I love to see things getting shaken up a lot, I'm going to have to ask that you let this one go." Rindō told him seriously. "Naru-kun is not someone you can handle. Just ask Eizan."

Azami raised an eyebrow and turned to Eizan, whose color was drained out of him since Naruto's arrival.

"Yeah, Eizan-chan! You should tell him about the time that you decided to harass and sabotage me!" Naruto said with a wide smile. "Man, we had some good times back at the academy, huh? And no, I'm not talking about our Shokugeki."

Gamsei snorted. "If I recall correctly, I think it had something to do with putting snakes in his-"

"OKAY, OKAY, I get it!" Eizan cried out. "Please don't remind me of that humiliation!"

"You sure? Because there was more than that one." Naruto said, grinning a toothy grin.

"What is that?" Momo asked, pointing at a plate of desserts that just went past her. "It's so cute!"

"Ah, so that's where Hinata-chan went." Naruto mused, seeing his wife now making her delicious cinnamon rolls.

"Enough." Azami frowned, snapping his fingers to get everyone's attention. "So will you join the true way of the culinary arts or not? The consequences shall be…dire if you refuse."

"Interesting proposition, Nakamura-san. Allow me to deliver a professional rebuttal." Naruto said and leaned forward. "No. Kindly go away."

"Wait, Naruto." Tsukasa said, suddenly getting all serious. "Surely we can work something out?"

Naruto turned to the 'White Knight' with a raised eyebrow. "No, we can't."

"Chef!" Erina leaned over the kitchen table. "We might have a ramen order behind schedule. Can you help out?"

"Go on. You've wasted enough time here." Kushina advised her son.

"Good point, thanks kaa-san. I'll be right over." Naruto said, and headed to the kitchen. "Come on, Gamsei."

Gamsei nodded and followed. "Right behind you."

"Naru-kun, wait!" Rindō followed behind him before he entered the kitchen. "I know you're mad at me for siding with Azami. I just thought that things would be interesting if he was in charge. But I never thought it would escalate like this."

Naruto stopped and turned to give her a deadpan stare. "I always told you that one of your whims will come back to bite you, Kobayashi-san. Nevertheless, I'm sure we'll have a chat soon, when you have time to decide who's in the right and who's in the wrong."

Naruto then entered the kitchen, leaving Rindō at the kitchen entrance.

"Things are going to be much different for you all in the next few weeks." Azami said curtly.

"Do your worst, Nakamura-san. That is, if you can." Kushina challenged him.

Azami frowned at her before turning around. "We're leaving."

Kushina smirked as he and his students headed towards the door. Looking over, she noticed Rindō still standing at the entrance to the kitchen, staring at Naruto who began making batches of ramen with his employees. She then turned around and walked away, tears in her eyes.

'She really likes my son, that one.' Kushina thought and sighed. 'But she'll need to understand that she can't be with Naruto while working under Azami. She has a choice to make. And if what Naruto-kun told me about her is true, I hope she makes the right decision.'

Things quickly returned to normal after that little show. Kushina returned to fielding customer inquiries, and Gamsei continued manning the kitchen. As for Naruto…

"Ne, Naruto-san. That was really gutsy!" Sōma said as she put the finishing touches on her Apple Risotto. "Now I really want another Shokugeki with you!"

"That'll be the seventh one." Naruto grumbled as he took the ramen dishes he made, one miso ramen, and one with extra various meats. "You really ought to quit it."

"But it helps me improve. And this time, I know I can get you next time." Sōma retorted before taking up her dish.

"You say that all the time too." Naruto drawled, before turning to Gamsei. "Where's this one going?"

"Table 13, where that young lady is with her boyfriend." Gamsei said, pointing at said table. "Igawa-san, I believe."

"Gotcha, dattebayo!" Naruto nodded, and went to deliver the food.

"Naruto, why didn't you punch that man to kingdom come?" a voice asked in his head. "Even for a human being, he's a piece of slime."

"This isn't the Elemental Countries, Kaguya." Naruto responded. "Trust me, I wanted to blast him away, but then I'll have to explain myself to my guests. They would be turned off at the display of power I used, and it's a can of worms I don't want to clean up after..."

"My garden has grown soft." Kaguya growled. "Powers like ours should be commonplace. Seems that the Elemental Countries is the only slice of Heaven…"

"Have you forgotten Kaguya? I'm a ninja." Naruto replied cheekily.

Kaguya scoffed. "After everything you did in the previous war? And especially after what you did to the yakuza around Japan? Keep telling yourself that, my child."

"You must be Uzumaki-san." Asagi said as Naruto arrived.

"That's me, Igawa-san. A thousand pardons for the slight delay. I hope you didn't have to wait too long." Naruto apologized. "One miso ramen for you, and a three-meat ramen bowl with extra meat for the boyfriend." Naruto said, setting the bowls in front of them. "Made by yours truly. Please enjoy while it's hot!"

"Oh man, this looks so good!" Kyousuke exclaimed, pulling apart his chopsticks. "Thank you!"

"These condiments look so cute!" Asagi added, holding up a narutomaki one with her chopstick. "Let's dig in!"

"Itadakimasu!"

Naruto stepped back as Asagi and Kyousuke slurp their noodles, and smiled at their reaction.

"Hmmm! It's so good!" Asagi squealed, putting a hand to her cheek.

"The meat really melts in your mouth, and it compliments the noodles well." Kyousuke agreed, and looked at Naruto. "This is amazing!"

"I aim to please." Naruto said with a bow. "Let me or the other servers know if you need anything else."

"We will! Thanks, Uzumaki-san!" Kyousuke said as Naruto walked away.

"Hmm, there's something about that guy…" Asagi murmured, before shaking her head. 'Nah, I must be imagining it.'

"Gonna go make some calls." Naruto said as he passed his mother.

"All right. I'll continue holding down the fort here." Kushina said, before grasping Naruto's arm. "Naruto, did you manage to…you know…"

Naruto shook his head. "Sorry kaa-chan. I tried again, but the Shinigami wouldn't let me revive tou-chan, even if I offered him some more tainted souls. He'll make exceptions with you or anyone else I might bring back, but he won't let me bring back tou-chan, since he did offer his soul to him to seal Kurama in me. He even told me in person to stop trying to bring him back, otherwise he'll take you and any others in the future back."

"I see…" Kushina mumbled, looking downtrodden. "At this rate, Minato-kun will pass onto the next life…"

Naruto nodded grimly. "I think tou-chan knew this, because he told me to take care of you in his place after the war. But the Shinigami did let me revive an Uzumaki and her friend. They worked for Orochimaru so I have them detained for now. I just need to contact Karin to help me with them."

"Gotcha." Kushina confirmed, with Naruto heading upstairs, and sighed.

"Excuse me, ma'am? Table for Vajra?"

Kushina jumped and turned to see a beautiful woman with long black hair, yellow eyes, and a business suit around her busty frame. With her was a girl with light green hair and in a maid outfit, and a redhead in a schoolgirl outfit.

"Ah, sorry. Let's see…" Kushina peered down the list. "Vajra…Annerose Vajra, I presume?"

"That is me," Annerose confirmed with a nod.

"Table for 3 on the second floor at 5pm. You're right on time." Kushina said with a nod. "Right this way…"

[ Tōtsuki Academy (a few weeks later) ]

Rindō leaned against the wall, looking out the window. She and the rest of Central were in the headmaster's office, with the original intent of the meeting about the current state of Tōtsuki. But when she and the others arrived, they saw Azami in a foul mood, resting his chin on the back of his hands.

"I don't understand. How is he doing this?" He growled to himself as he slammed the phone down.

"Is everything all right, Azami-sama?" Nene asked with a frown.

"For the past few weeks, I've been trying to get Le Fox Den to heel. I called their suppliers, and they actually refused to cut business with them. Apparently, Uzumaki's got some kind of hold on them, threatening to make a possible cutting of ties messy if there are those like me trying to get to them." Azami replied gruffly. "So I called some…specific people to deal with Le Fox Den in their own way. But when they found out I was going after Le Fox Den, they flat out refused."

Yes, Azami was looking to sabotage Le Fox Den, and was calling everyone from food suppliers and "Eizen's contacts" to do the deed. But when Azami revealed that he wanted to disrupt Naruto and Le Fox Den however…

"Oh hell no!"

"Le Fox Den, are you serious? No!"

"You'll have to pick another target, sir."

"Not happening, sir, no matter what your retaliation will be towards us."

"We never had this conversation."

"I will not. So many of my clients dine there, and I'm here with my family."

"When it comes to Uzumaki Naruto, you're on your own."

"I don't understand. How did Uzumaki get to them? It was like he was anticipating this…" Azami muttered.

"That's Naru-kun for you. He shows no mercy to those that meddle with his affairs." Rindō mumbled, continuing to stare through the window.

"There's also the fact that various VIPs from all over the globe have taken a liking to that restaurant." Eizen sighed. "If we continue our assault, people will start questioning our credibility, amongst other things."

Momo tugged at her plushie nervously. "Naruto-senpai will know it was us…"

Azami slammed his fist on the table. "Irrelevant. I need suggestions on how we're going to deal with Uzumaki. You all know him, so surely he has some kind of weakness."

"None." Tsukasa said with surprising firmness. "None that we know of. And I think it should stay that way. We all experienced the depths and lengths Naruto will go to get payback against those that wronged him and those he cares about. And this was when he was still attending this academy. Why do you think Rentarō hasn't returned to us? Imagine the resources and skills he has now."

Nene nodded. "And that was him being nice to us. Imagine when he's actually pissed at us, and has a reason to utterly destroy us, in one way or another. If I need to be honest here, he's the last person I want to tick off due to his unpredictable nature, since in the Shokugekis, he's basically Yukihira, but on steroids. And let's not even talk about his vicious pranks."

"Well, I will not give up on this until he is brought to heel. No one is above my authority in Japan's culinary scene." Azami said and growled. "It would seem…that I will have to employ my son's services again."

"Don't be surprised if things won't go your way again." Rindō drawled as she walked towards the door.

"And where are you going?" Azami narrowed his eyes at her.

"Fresh air." Rindō bit back. "Don't wait up on me."

Rindō slammed the door behind her, with Sōmei following after her, but wisely keeping his distance.

"You plan on leaving." He said once they were outside.

"Was it that obvious?" Rindō snorted, increasing her pace. "It's no fun here anymore. And I'm not going to stay on a sinking ship that's bound and determined to destroy itself."

Rindō had voted to kick out Senzaemon on a whim, just to shake things up. That and her friend Tsukasa suggested the vote, which she found odd. But overtime, the consequences of the vote slowly manifested itself, transforming the school into a shadow of its former glory. It was no longer lively, and the Shokugekis were rare. The younger generation looked at the older students in fear, especially the Elite "Ten" in Central. The redhead used to get a kick out of sampling everyone's dishes and potential, but now it was all bland. Nothing interesting was pouring out of the school, and everyone was afraid to show their true potential in order to conform to Azami's ideals of "True Gourmet."

"You may have everyone fooled, but I know you're been visiting Le Fox Den since that day." Sōmei said as they slowed their pace.

"...He still won't look at me." Rindō mumbled. "Or give me the time of day."

During the crucial vote, a small voice in the back of her head told her not to do it, but she ignored it, figuring that whatever chaos it ensued, she would enjoy. And now she and the rest of the school, or whatever was left of it by now, was paying the penalty.

No more interesting dishes from the younger students.

The academy was all doom and gloom that didn't match her vibe.

Everything and everyone was boring.

And worse, the boy she has feelings for, Naruto, has turned his back on her for her actions.

"Then don't stay here. Go to him." Sōmei advised her. "Naruto is not that cruel to toss you aside, even though he's married. All I can say is follow your heart."

Rindō sniffed and snorted. "Is this one of Budda's teachings?"

Sōmei laughed. "No. Just encouragement from a friend. I'm sure Tsukasa would want you to do the same."

Rindō looked back and smiled. "Thanks, Saitō."

With that, Rindō ran to her dorm, just as Tsukasa walked up to Sōmei.

"At least one of us is able to escape." Tsukasa noted.

"Yeah. Shame we have to stay behind to hold down the fort." Sōmei smiled sadly. "I take it Azami-sama's still going after Naruto?"

"Yeah. I'm telling you, this won't be pretty." Tsukasa groaned, just as he felt some raindrops on his head. "I really bet on the wrong horse here, letting Azami get in my head when I was abroad. And now Tōtsuki's getting torn apart in the crossfire."

"Then let us save and protect those that we can." Sōmei said with finality.

Tsukasa can only nod with a grim look on his face. Sighing, he looked up at the pouring sky - a testament to the school's situation. "I guess I can see why some people hate the rain."

[ Meanwhile, in another universe, somewhere in Seoul, South Korea ]

"Achoo!" Naruko sneezed, and shivered. "I'm soaked! Fucking hell!"

Locking her apartment door, she zoomed over to her computer setup, and put her headset on.

"Naruto, you there?"

"It's raining cats and dogs out here! What is it?!" He responded over the sound of the rain.

"Got some possible successful sports bets for ya that I'm sending over now."

"Thanks," Naruto sighed as the sound of rain suddenly disappeared. "I'm at Blue Hills now. I'll look them over when I get into the apartment. Can you check ahead?"

"Got it!" Naruko said, and looked through some cameras. "Gunner and his cronies are in there fucking about. No Mia or Miss Song."

"Good. I can focus without all the sex coming from the bedroom…"

"Just a heads up, though. Kaa-chan and tou-chan want us back in Japan for some mission. Something about Alaska and the science experiments that need investigating, so you'll need to break off from Gunner somehow."

"Guh, all right. I might flub the rest of the bets and hope for the best."

"Don't worry, I always have my eye on you. After all… We have a Kingdom to burn!"

"Yeah, for our nee-chan!"

[ Le Fox Den (a few days later) ]

Today was another successful day. Customers new and old came in hungry, and left with their bellies full, satisfied from their meals.

The day was turning into night, which meant that the restaurant was beginning to close up. The sign on the door flipped from "Open" to "Close", the staff was either cleaning up the mess, or was practicing their skills, sharpening their blade or trying to invent something new. They gently reminded the lingering customers that they will have to leave soon, much to both party's reluctance.

That was what was going on in the first and second floor. The third floor, however…

"Why?" A new woman stood in the middle of Naruto's bedroom. Despite her beautiful white hair and perfect, pale skin, the woman had a nasty scowl on her face as she growled menacingly.

"Why what?" Naruto asked her innocently, tilting his head.

"Why am I wearing this?!" Ōtsutsuki Kaguya shrieked through sharp teeth, pointing at herself.

While experimenting with seals as his hobby, Naruto managed a way to unseal Kaguya while she was still tied to him via Uzumaki-style Master-Servant Contract; with Naruto as the Master and Kaguya as his Servant.

No, not that kind of Servant.

As for Kaguya's complaints, Naruto had her dressed as a playboy bunny; a black corset with fishnet stockings, complete with the bunny ears and tail. This outfit showed off her shapely body that her robes selfishly hid.

"I'm going to have you be one of the late-night servers." Naruto said with a smile.

"Over my dead- KYA!" Kaguya yelped as Hanabi groped her from behind. "What are you doing, my descendant? Cease thy antics at once!"

"C'mon Aunty. You need to loosen up." Hanabi giggled, giving her ancestor's boobs a squeeze. "God, you're huge! You shouldn't hide a figure like this! Live a little!"

"Eek! Why you-" Kaguya growled, failing to fight off Hanabi. "Kya!" she yelped when she grabbed her rear. "Not there!"

"I think I made a terrible mistake…" Naruto sighed at Hanabi's antics and chuckled. "Meh, maybe not."

"Naruto. She's back." Hinata cut in, pointing at the screens for the security cameras. "And she's got…a suitcase?"

Naruto went up to the screens, and saw Rindō at the front door. As Hinata said, she had a suitcase and was staring up to where Naruto's office was.

"Why don't you let Gamsei handle her?" Hanabi asked while still groping Kaguya.

"No. It seems that she's finally made a decision," Naruto replied with a smile. "I will deal with her myself. Don't tease Kaguya too much now."

"Oh, she'll be just fine." Hinata assured him, and gave him a kiss. "Go get her."

Naruto nodded, and made his way downstairs.

"Seriously, how many women must that boy have before he's satisfied?" Kaguya moaned out. "I mean, he already has those two Sounds girls he revived a week ago. Then there's that Samui girl he hired as a server last week, and that Anko girl is making her way here!"

"To answer your question, as many as he wants! After all, he's technically the last of his clan, not counting Kushina-san, so he qualified for the CRA." Hanabi responded before smirking. "Why? Do you want in?"

"Absolutely not!" Kaguya shrieked, blushing a deep red. "Not after seeing what he does with you both in here!"

"Aww, were you actually peeking during our fun?" Hanabi giggled. "Sounds like someone is jealous."

"No I'm not!" Kaguya snapped and looked away.

'Good thing Naruto-kun has a seal on her powers. Who knows what she would do…' Hinata thought, sweatdropping as Hanabi continued to fondle and tease the goddess.

…

Naruto exhaled, before he opened his office doors. Letting it swing shut on its own, he walked/jogged downstairs to meet Rindō.

"Naru-kun." Rindō greeted as Naruto made it to the first floor in front of her. "Where do I sign up?"

Naruto snorted. "I'm surprised you weren't here sooner, Rindō. Did it take you that long to weigh your options?"

"What can I say? It takes a long time for a girl to recover from a broken heart." Rindō laughed nervously. "But yeah, I should've joined you sooner instead of just taking up space here."

"I hope it's not because things went to shit at Tōtsuki. I snuck into the school grounds last weekend, and it's a shadow of its former self." Naruto said as he folded his arms. "Furthermore, how can I be sure you're not a spy to get back at me rejecting you?"

"I already betrayed your trust when I sided with Azami. I may be too late, but I want to get back to the way things used to be, and regain your trust, Naru-kun." Rindō said, before she stepped in real close. "And if you're going to stick it to that food nazi when he comes around, then count me in! Besides, you could use my specialties to add to your menu, ne?" She added with a wink.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, before chuckling. "You know, you're right. The only thing I ask is that you don't make me regret this, dattebayo."

"My Naru-kun, aside from my previous bunder, since when have I disappointed?" She countered, licking her lips.

Naruto stared at her for a moment, before grabbing his walkie-talkie. "Gamsei, get the thing. Rindō-chan's going into the kitchen to cook us her signature dish for her interview."

"Roger that, mate."

"Rindō-chan, I'm glad you're with us now. We got some exotic ingredients for you in anticipation for your arrival." Naruto said, gesturing to the kitchen. "Have fun!"

"Just you wait, Naru-kun! I'll whip up something that'll make me your number one chef!" Rindō cheered, before speeding into the kitchen.

"Gah, it's Rindō-senpai!" Megumi wailed in terror.

"Spying on us again?!" Takumi accused, pointing at her.

"Nope. I am 100 percent on your side, guys!" Rindō said and squealed at what was waiting for her. "Oh, so many exotic critters!"

"Nice to see some of that fire back, Rindō-chan." Naruto murmured, before his cell rang, and answered with his wireless headset. "Go ahead."

"Uzumaki-san. It seems that Azami is continuing his crusade against your restaurant, and is continuing to try to cut off your supplies, regardless of the consequences on his end. What will you do?"

"He's persistent, I'll give him that. I'm not worried, since I covered my tracks. Besides, the companies and suppliers would find a lot of eggs on their faces if I decided to go to their international competitors should they listen to the ramblings of a tyrant." Naruto said, before making his way to the kitchen. "Losing my restaurant would not be in their best interest, considering the fallout."

"What about the yakuza? Word is that you made quite the impact on them."

"After what I did to every single one of their organizations?" Naruto shrugged as he began making ramen batches. "Once again. I'm not worried."

There was an incident in which a member of the yakuza went after his "ex"-girlfriend who was a server at Le Fox Den. He caused such a ruckus that Naruto got involved and promptly kicked the man and his coonies out. The man arrived the next day with an army to invade the restaurant, but he and his mens got their collective asses kicked by Naruto, Hinata, Hanabi, and even Gamsei, who knew a surprising amount of martial arts, and was especially very deadily with his knife. When the yakuza higher-ups refused to punish the man for his transgressions, Naruto took matters into his own hands.

Targeting all the yakuza organizations in Japan in a coordinated attack with Shadow Clones, Naruto invaded their strongholds and beat everyone within an inch of their lives until they surrendered. The only ones who were safe were those of his previous customers. That day, the yakuza learned not to cause problems within Le Fox Den no matter what, and that place along with its owner are to be treated with respect.

Broken bones and bullets sliced in half tends to leave quite the impression.

"I'll take your word for it. Ironically enough, the other restaurants around Japan are feeling less of the pressure now that Azami has his eyes on you."

"I'll deal with him in due time, Gin-san." Naruto said, finishing up kneading the dough and slicing it into noodles. "Something tells me it might be soon…"

"I'll keep you posted. And Senzaemon-sensei sends his greetings."

"Heh, right back at him-"

"Oi, Naruto. Look who's here." Gamsei suddenly said, jabbing his thumb towards the front doors that just flew open.

It was Azami, and despite the shadow hiding the upper half of his face, it was obvious that he was not happy.

"Speak of the devil and he'll come crawling up your ass." Naruto sighed, and set his batch to the side. "Gin-san, I'll catch you later."

"So what's the plan, boss?" Gamsei asked as Azami approached the kitchen. "I'll all for throwing him out since he's not looking civilized."

"I'll handle that once I make him an offer." Naruto grinned, before exiting the kitchen.

"Will senpai be alright?" Nikumi wondered from her meat-slicing station. "I hope he doesn't do anything drastic."

Gamsei scowled. "Ikumi, I hope that's not A5-grade meat you're slicing there."

"Ah, of course not, Chef! It's B4 meat needed for Takumi's dish!" Nikumi squeaked, trying to avoid Gamsei glower.

"...I'll take your word for it." Gamsei snorted, turning to another station and groaned. "Sōma, you redheaded donut! What the hell are you making now?!"

"We're closing up soon! Let me have some fun!"

Back with Naruto, Naruto met Azami in the middle of the lobby. Naruto was all smiles while Azami glared at him.

"Welcome back to Le Fox Den! What can I do for you, Nakamura-san?" Naruto asked with a hint of snide in his voice.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I don't know what tricks you're pulling, but your journey in defying me and my rule ends today. As of today, you and your restaurant are to conform to my standards of True Gourmet. Failure to comply will result in my wrath." Azami stated coldly, leveling a deathly glare at the blonde.

Naruto smiled widely with a fanged grin. "You want me gone that badly? Then let's settle this with a Shokugeki. That's how shit always gets settled, right?"

"Fine with me. I'll go get my son Asahi-"

"Uh, no. No no no. I'll deal with him later. I want you in a Shokugeki, Nakamura Azami. You and me, one-on-one where we take equal risk." Naruto declared, pointing at Azami. "If you win, I'll close my restaurant and you can continue your reign without interference. But when I win, you leave my restaurant alone, and you walk away from the culinary world, forever."

Azami frowned as he weighed his options. When he won, he would've secured his footstep on the culinary world. But if he lost, then everything he worked for will go up in smoke.

"Tempting, but by Shokugeki days for long behind me-"

"That's my offer, Azami." Naruto roughly cut across him. "Take it or leave it."

"Are you that afraid of my son?" Azami asked with a sneer.

"No. I'm more focused on cutting off the head of the snake. And that's you. The offer is always open." Naruto countered with a scoff. "However, if your Shokugeki days are over, then how are you even in control of the culinary world if you can't prove your dominance? Why are you even here?"

"I will not be disrespected by a young upstart such as yourself." Azami snarled.

"The fact that you followed up with that response proves how pathetic you are." Naruto snarled back, not backing down. "Fight me in a Shokugeki, or get the hell out of my restaurant."

"...No deal. There will be no Shokugeki between you and I. I will bring you to heel one way or another, Uzumaki."

"KILL HIM." Kurama suggested in his mind, the giant, nine-tailed fox growing rather sick of the Orochimaru knock-off's behavior. Naruto had to stop himself from agreeing to that suggestion.

"Right, good luck with that." Naruto nodded and gave a dry laugh. "Now please leave. Final warning."

"How disappointing." Azami said before noticing a certain someone. "Such a shame that a lovely woman such as Kushina-san sired such a foolish son-"

WHAM

In the blink of an eye, Azami felt Naruto's fist slam into his face. His feet left the ground and he was sent flying out of the open front doors.

"Well hot damn!" Kushina said as she and Gamsei ran up to Naruto." I was wondering when you were going to do that! Nice!"

Naruto huffed as he brushed off his jacket. "He had it coming dattebayo…"

"Should've done that when he first got here if you ask me." Gamsei added, slapping Naruto on the back of his head. "Nice of him to finally piss off, though."

"Man." Naruto sighed and dragged his hand across his face. He blinked as he finally realized what he just did. "...Ah, shit."

Meanwhile in the kitchen, almost everyone was in various degrees of shock and awe.

"That. Was. AWESOME!" Alice cheered from the kitchen.

"Oh no, we are in so much trouble~" Erina whimpered, looking horrified.

"That's Naruto for you. After watching Kushina-san in action, I can see where he gets his temper from." Tōsuke noted with a chuckle.

"Oh, things are already getting exciting! I love it!" Rindō cheered after butchering and stripping an alligator.

"You think he'll press charges?" Gamsei wondered, looking sideways at Naruto.

Naruto's shoulders shrank as the potential weight of his actions was really beginning to sink in. "Probably. But I may have a solution for that."

Gamsei smirked at that. "Your ninja shit, I take it?"

"Well…" Naruto said, looking away as his eyes switched from his Rinne-Sharingan and back. "Something like that…" he replied with an uneasy grin.

"Boy the next few years are gonna be fun~"

…

Azami was in a heap on the ground, a good few meters away from the restaurant. Every part of his face hurt as he let out a small whine.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

END OF CHAPTER 02

Next time: Naruto continues operating his restaurant, while keeping an eye out for any of Azami's antics. But a new problem makes it way to the restaurant in the form of a three way feud between the Taimanin, the Demons, and the USF. What's a ninja with enough power to turn Mt. Fuji into a crater to do?

[Character Info]

Name: Warden Gamsei

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Birthday: June 17

Height: 5'8" ft

Weight: 185 lbs

Food Forte: High-class cuisine

Cuisine Style: British, French, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cuisine

Bio: The adopted child of Gordon Ramsey. Looking up to the British chef, he became determined to carry on his legacy, going as far as to imitate his behaviorisms, his cooking style, and even his looks. Some mock him for trying to be his clone, but he dismisses them, as he feels that this is his way of showing his love and gratitude towards his father.

[Info]

When it comes to Warden Gamsei, a Gordon Ramsey-seque character was pitched to me. Fun fact, he is originally going to be called Rordon Gamsey.

Soma's been rule'd 63 thanks to a suggestion from one of the reviewers. I was mixed about it at first, but since this is kinda a crackish story, I figured what the hell, let's do this.

Gamsei having the Rebels make their signature dishes is pretty much how Gordon Ramsey starts Hell's Kitchen by having his aspiring chefs make their own signature dishes.

The part where the calls rejected Azami trying to go after Naruto is inspired from a part in one of VFSNAKE's Naruto x Sekirei stories.

The alternate world scene is a teaser to an upcoming Naruto x ero-manhwa story that takes place within the world of Lim Dall-young works and superheroes. Have fun guessing exactly which ero-manhwa I recently read, as Naruto with the help of Naruko will tearing down a Kingdom and burning it to the ground.

The Master-Servant Contract is from Shinmai Maou no Testament/Testament of Sister New Devil.

I wonder what class of Servant Kaguya could be in the Fate series?

Yang from RWBY would be proud of the way Naruto punched Azami out of his restaurant.

Azami plays the role of Hulk-smashed Loki after getting decked out of the restaurant.

Released: Thursday, March 12, 2020

Edited and corrections: Friday, March 13, 2020

Asagi panted as she raced through the night. The cars, the trees, the buildings; just a few of the many blurs as she ran like the wind, trying to lose her pursuers.

"Fuck!" She winced as she grabbed her waist. Her wound was much more severe than she thought. The wound, which was inflicted by an orc, courtesy of their cheap shotguns, was growing worse. At first she thought it was due to all the running and jumping around, but when she took a good look at it, she realized that she was poisoned.

Thankfully it was nothing deadly, and it would eventually wear itself out, but It would only be a matter of time before she blacked out and taken back to Black's lair. No doubt that these guys wanted her alive, and for their own sick desires. That, or they were hired by someone to get her.

Either way, she needed to get out of there, and hide. But where?

The nearest safehouse was too far away, and Gosha Academy was even further away.

The construction site?

...No. Still too risky. They're right behind her tail on their motorcycles and cars, and besides, it was still too dangerous, especially for a woman like her.

Asagi froze for a moment as the poison coursed through her veins again.

'Shit,' She thought. 'It's getting harder to stay awake.'

Shaking her head, she continued to run, her speed growing noticeably slower. She turned a few corners, and to her relief, she seemed to have lost them for now.

'Oh no.' Asagi thought, staring at her hand. It was growing blurry, seeing double as she tried to stay awake. 'It's only a manner of time-'

Her eyes widened, and suddenly, she got an idea. It was a stupid idea, and if things went wrong, then innocent people would get in the crossfire.

But it seemed to be the only idea left. All the other buildings are either too dangerous, or are currently locked, and she lost too much strength to try to break in or something.

Gritting her teeth, she sped off, leaving behind a cloud of dust, despite her losing strength.

Panting, her legs began to slow into a halt as her strength began to die down. But she made it.

Looking up, Asagi stared at the restaurant that she knew all too well, and hoped that they would be able to help her.

The Le Fox Den.