The crowd was enveloped by a sea of leaves, a spectacle rare even for ninja.
"Is this… a genjutsu?" Kurenai Yuhi couldn't help but reach out, as if to touch it.
"Don't!" Hiruzen Sarutobi, startled, quickly stopped her.
He drew several kunai from his pouch.
And threw them.
To everyone's horror, the specially forged kunai were sliced apart by the endless leaves.
Shredded, cut, pulverized.
In mere seconds, the refined iron kunai turned to dust, vanishing into the breathtaking scene.
A chill ran through everyone.
Hiruzen's kunai were meticulously crafted, rarely damaged in combat, yet now fragile as rotten wood.
Beneath this dreamlike beauty lurked a terrifying killing intent.
"Those eyes mark the Yin-Yang School's heart-control level," Hiruzen said, staring at Shen Mo's black-and-white eyes radiating an indescribable aura. "Per the inherited knowledge, at this stage, one can manifest all things, shaped by the heart, wielding any war poem with unique effects."
He was astounded.
How terrifying.
Not just at the Yin-Yang School's power, but at Shen Mo's existence.
This man seemed all-powerful, mastering any force, unfathomably deep.
Just when you thought you'd glimpsed a fraction of him, he'd show it was far less than that.
Hiruzen began to believe…
Shen Mo's strength far surpassed even high-level members.
Now…
Shen Mo stood in the stunning leaf sea, smiling. "The Yin-Yang School shares similarities with your ninjutsu, capable of myriad transformations, but even conservatively, it lacks Bloodline Limit or attribute restrictions, freely manifesting. This alone brings you great benefits."
Indeed.
Everyone watched the leaf sea whirl like a cutting storm.
Ninjutsu couldn't achieve this—creating leaves required the Wood Style Bloodline Limit.
The Yin-Yang School sounded…
Like an all-purpose jutsu?
This alone set their hearts ablaze, given the recognized power of Bloodline Limits.
Shen Mo waved his brush again.
Everything vanished, and the crowd shivered at the sight.
The grove they stood in looked erased from a painting.
A vast void remained.
Trees, grass—all gone, except where they stood, as if meticulously leveled.
"Like the Tsuchikage's Dust Release," Hiruzen murmured, his eyes growing brighter.
The aged cloudiness was gone.
Not just from Scholar energy, but from a shift in his heart.
"Just a small display," Shen Mo said, retracting his brush. "A great scholar mastering yin-yang transformations can create a small world, ruling as its god. Even your Sage of the Six Paths couldn't compare."
The Scholar Series world varied in strength, with true cosmic-level powerhouses.
Even yin-yang forming stars—so Shen Mo wasn't exaggerating, though such heights were rare.
Then…
The mystic Taiji pattern above, finding no one to bond with, sank back into the can, revealing a small, handheld Eight Trigrams disk.
Hiruzen carefully took it, treating it with utmost importance.
This was his only hope for a class change.
If he failed…
The entire Scholar Series might be unsuitable.
Pressure surged.
"Among the schools, the Yin-Yang School's class change is among the hardest, demanding vast knowledge," Shen Mo said to Hiruzen. "But don't worry too much. Simply put, Scholar Series class changes test knowledge. If you've amassed enough Yin-Yang School knowledge, passing is easy."
Just open more cans.
The more you open, the better your chances.
But you only get one attempt.
Hiruzen knew this well.
Gritting his teeth, he said, "Mr. Shen Mo, sell all the ninjutsu I prepared. Buy Level 3 cans!"
He'd come this far, even getting the class item.
He had to succeed!
Even if it meant selling more ninjutsu than planned.
Because—
He had no money to switch series.
Shen Mo nodded with a smile, placing forty-eight Level 3 cans before him.
Level 3 cans cost 300,000 points each.
With Hiruzen's remaining funds, this was all he could afford.
These forty-plus cans were critical.
Hiruzen, no longer maintaining his Hokage composure, showed visible tension. Each Level 3 can was 300,000 points—5 million ryō!
Great items were truly powerful.
Far more thrilling than Level 1 or 2 cans.
As everyone watched Hiruzen open cans, Tsunade approached Shen Mo, whispering, "How many Level 3 cans to buy Level 4?"
Perhaps due to her first impression or Shen Mo's usual kindness, Tsunade felt more gratitude than fear toward him.
The Holy Light seed helped her through her darkest despair.
Not to mention, these cans gave her hope to revive Nawaki.
Shen Mo glanced at her, shaking his head. "At Level 3, there's no set number. You saw my assistant's badge email, right? To access Level 4 cans, there are two ways: one, earn a high-level member's favor in a Fate Stage battle; two, I'll tell you when your strength suffices."
"No longer about can count, but strength?" Tsunade blinked.
"You could say that," Shen Mo nodded.