People like Hyuga Hiashi and the Ino-Shika-Cho clan heads already had their family legacies.
They prioritized their clans' future generations.
But these cans only empowered individuals.
Tsunade seemed to realize this issue.
She'd focused on trustworthy jōnin buying cans, overlooking Shen Mo's emphasis on the desire to change fate. If these people's resolve wasn't enough for class items, escalating battles would only get tougher.
Clearly, nurturing promising younger ninja couldn't be ignored.
Still…
"Your combat strength must come first," Tsunade said, frowning again. "But if there's a better candidate, we should train them too… Shen Mo, I've been meaning to ask—can items from cans be sold back to you for trading?"
If possible, they could boost these jōnin's strength until better candidates matured.
If not…
"Of course," Shen Mo replied.
Tsunade's face lit up.
But before she could celebrate, Shen Mo added, "To prevent customers from exploiting grand prizes, the Chamber's rule is that items from cans sold back are worth only one-fifth their original value."
The system allowed such trades.
Sold items belonged to the buyer.
But Shen Mo's profit was embedded—items' true value was typically one-fifth the can's cost, a fact customers couldn't know.
Fortunately, "full-price" buybacks were impossible; that'd cause chaos. Selling unwanted or low-value items to keep opening cans for grand prizes would break the system.
This justified the low buyback price.
If customers were broke but wanted grand prizes, they could sell unused items for a few cans—a common game tactic.
And Shen Mo could profit again.
"One-fifth…" Tsunade had expected it wouldn't match selling personal assets, but one-fifth still disappointed her.
She said nothing more, accepting it as the Chamber's unchangeable rule, even for Shen Mo.
Hiruzen fell into thought.
One-fifth was a loss, but if he was locked into the Yin-Yang School path, could he sell items from other schools?
Then, Shen Mo's mind stirred.
A contact from another member.
"Other customers are reaching out," Shen Mo told the group. "If you've decided, contact me directly."
Tsunade opened her mouth but stayed silent, nodding.
Shen Mo's figure vanished like a phantom.
His departure was as abrupt as his arrival.
The atmosphere lingered in silence before slowly easing.
Everyone felt as if in a dream.
The lingering traces around them constantly reminded them to face reality. Their worldview had shifted too much, too fast—even they needed time to process.
"Lady Tsunade," Kurenai Yuhi couldn't help but ask, "how much do we really know about him?"
Kurenai voiced everyone's thoughts.
Compared to the cans' wonders, Shen Mo, their seller, inspired both awe and fear.
"Very little," Tsunade said, staring where Shen Mo vanished, her golden eyes complex. "At first, I thought he was a savior bringing hope. But later, I realized his kindness and approachability weren't just for us… and what he's shown grows more astonishing."
The same attitude from people of different status and power carried vastly different weight.
The Shen Mo now, compared to when he first appeared, was leagues apart in displayed strength and status.
It unsettled even Tsunade.
The others couldn't fully grasp her feelings but, recalling Shen Mo's actions, felt a creeping dread.
His origins, purpose, power.
Despite showing so much, he remained an enigma, like a colossal beast revealing only a glimpse, its true scale hidden in the deep sea.
"Thinking too much about him is pointless," Tsunade said, her gaze sharpening as she waved a hand with authority. "Our only task now is to buy cans and grow stronger before our enemies react."
"Yes!" Hyuga Hiashi responded first.
Asuma Sarutobi and the Ino-Shika-Cho heads glanced at the smiling Hiruzen, unsure of his thoughts, but nodded.
They sensed…
Konoha was on the brink of great change.
Meanwhile, Shen Mo found a secluded spot.
He answered the member's call.
"It's you, Yuki Kitahara."
Indeed, contacting him now was Yuki Kitahara, who'd provided Shen Mo's first massive profit.
The small-town clan.
"Honored Lord," Yuki's voice trembled with suppressed tension. "I wish to buy more cans."
Shen Mo's image was already unfathomable to him.
After watching the Fate Stage footage, he was even more on edge, hyper-tense facing Shen Mo.
This might be a world-destroying entity.
The thought alone rendered composure useless.
"Of course," Shen Mo said, his voice as warm as ever. "The Samurai Series again?"
Back then, Shen Mo hadn't formalized series.
But considering Yuki's samurai status, he'd included samurai-related items.
Now, it aligned perfectly.
"Yes," Yuki replied, not daring to ask more.
"How many?" Shen Mo asked.
"I've prepared assets worth about 100 million ryō, all for cans," Yuki said respectfully.
100 million?
Shen Mo was surprised. It hadn't been long since Yuki's clan pooled 200 million total. In just days, they'd gathered another 100 million?
Then he realized…
Likely tied to items from those earlier cans.
"No problem," Shen Mo said.
He checked Yuki's trading assets via the system, bought cans, and, after a moment's thought, added a Gale Samurai class item to the Level 3 cans, ensuring it appeared in the first ten as a custom service.
Then he teleported the cans.
Transaction complete.
Simple and efficient.
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