It all starts when master Sorin decides to crash at the Hideout with Naoe and Tomiko in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Young Junjiro, ever the emotional overachiever, immediately hatches a plan to whip up a soup so meaningful it would make a poet weep. Not any old broth, mind you—this one must capture the poetic duality of “a dirt path” and “the changing tides.” If that sounds like a riddle a zen monk would throw at you, well, get ready to channel your inner grocery-getting shinobi.

Before anyone can start mincing philosophical kombu, the quest needs unlocking. Players must first complete Yasuke’s earlier Junjiro mission, “A Different Kind of Samurai.” Once that’s done, a fresh quest marker labelled Soup for Sorin winks to life way down in Kii province. It’s tucked into the southern coastline like a hidden ingredient itself, daring you to ignore the level gap. The region is a beefy level 35 zone, patrolled by enemies who would love nothing more than to turn an under-levelled Naoe into a pincushion. Savvy assassins will hold off until at least level 30—unless, of course, they enjoy the authentic “one-hit-and-you’re-past-tense” experience. 😅

Once properly levelled and stocked up on rations, mount up and ride to Yuasa, a sleepy village perched on the Sazae Oni Shores. The journey is scenic—crashing waves, glowing moonlight, the occasional samurai patrol trying to rearrange your organs. Amid this coastal calm stands Junjiro, practically vibrating with culinary ambition. He’s already gathered most of the soup’s components, but one elusive ingredient remains. Cue the dramatic description: it’s brown, like a dirt path. Naoe, ever the practical one, chimes in that it should also come from the sea to symbolize shifting tides. Junjiro nods sagely. Players might squint at the screen and mutter, “Alright, chef-boy, you lost me at dirt-flavoured seaweed.”

🔍 The Great Merchant Mystery

The quest log updates with a straightforward order: buy the ingredients from a merchant in Yuasa. Simple, right? Naoe pops her Eagle Vision and scans the village like a hawk with a shopping list. And… nothing. No golden merchant icon, no helpful NPC yelling about fresh produce. Just crickets and confused shinobi. If frustration starts bubbling, take a deep breath—this is where Yuasa’s layout trolls you just a little.

To track down the elusive seller, head toward the northwest corner of the village. There, far from the main cluster of buildings, you’ll bump into an ornament vendor who apparently moonlights as a dried-goods supplier. Because why not? The guy sells trinkets, sure, but he also has exactly what you need: one Shoyu and one Konbu. The soy sauce brings that earthy brown hue, and the seaweed—well, it literally comes from the sea, so Junjiro’s poetry finally clicks into place. Purchase both and let out a tiny sigh of relief that the grocery scavenger hunt is behind you.

🍜 Delivering the Meaningful Broth

Hightail it back to Junjiro and hand over the Shoyu and Konbu with the flair of a ninja who just completed a fetch quest on expert difficulty. He’ll accept them with heartfelt gratitude and probably start philosophizing about umami and the impermanence of flavor. The Soup for Sorin quest completes, and the reward panel lights up: the Hay Supply outdoor cosmetic for your Hideout. It’s a rustic bale of hay that adds a dash of bucolic charm to your shinobi headquarters. Not exactly a legendary blade, but hey—Sorin gets his soup, and your Hideout gets a tiny farm aesthetic. Everyone wins.

🎭 What’s Really in the Bowl?

For those keeping score at home, Shoyu and Konbu are literally the backbone of Japanese dashi stock. Junjiro basically had Naoe fetch him the soul of miso soup while waxing lyrical about dirt and tides. In the end, Sorin gets a bowl of the most profound broth this side of feudal Japan, and you walk away with hay. If that isn’t peak Assassin’s Creed side-quest energy, nothing is. Still, the mission’s charm lies in its quirky narrative and the mildly maddening merchant hide-and-seek—a reminder that even deadly shinobi have to shop for dinner occasionally. So next time you’re in Yuasa, tip your hat to the ornament-selling fishmonger; he’s doing solid work for the poetry of soup.