Think I'm all bluster?
Shen Mo's mind raced.
Business meant meeting all sorts. Some skip spending and just feud with the house.
For them, either ban and crush them… or con them with flashy but useless junk to drain their cash?
The latter's easy for the house.
Shen Mo had ideas.
He said calmly, "Your desired fate? Become Hokage, wield Konoha's greatest power. No, more—you crave uniting the ninja world, ruling supreme, and you'll pay any price to do it."
Yes, Shen Mo just blurted it.
Danzo's deepest ambition.
His face froze—stunned, incredulous.
He even wondered if he'd fallen into a genjutsu.
"Danzo, you… want endless war?" Tsunade stared at him, shocked. "Unite the ninja world? Even my grandfather, the First Hokage, never did that!"
"He could have! But because he didn't, wars followed!" Danzo clenched his fists, his gaze on Shen Mo icy with rage.
This ambition, this dream…
He'd never told a soul.
It wasn't time. Saying it now would spark distrust—even Sarutobi wouldn't back him.
But now…
This man exposed it effortlessly.
Danzo considered denying it, but every step toward his goal would betray him.
Use Kotoamatsukami?
Danzo now thought of using it to control Tsunade, then kill this man.
"What, thinking of that eye?" Shen Mo smiled faintly.
That casual smile reflected in Danzo's shrinking pupil.
He knew!!
How could he know!?
Danzo stepped back. Uchiha Shisui's eye, Kotoamatsukami—his greatest secret.
The ultimate genjutsu to control minds. If known, all would fear him.
Who knew when they'd become his puppet?
"Seems you know nothing of me," Shen Mo said, reading Danzo's thoughts, shaking his head. "I said, why dare face me? Once you do, nothing about you escapes my eyes."
Just seeing one revival, and he came running.
No wonder Danzo's the scapegoat.
All ambition, no matching vision.
Such men only sink deeper into wrong paths, lacking even a villain's charm. If not him, who takes the blame?
Now, Danzo…
Realized his mistake.
He shouldn't have come!
He'd thought he'd taken this man seriously, even overestimated him. But he'd grossly underestimated. How did he know so many secrets?
Still, Danzo wasn't so small as to panic and freeze. He stared at Shen Mo, plotting.
His men were outside.
A sudden strike?
But Tsunade was tough, and who knew what secrets or powers this man held?
"No need for that look," Shen Mo said, glancing lightly, giving Danzo the feeling his heart was bared.
Cold sweat ran down his back.
Danzo was ready to bet every card for a desperate fight!
"No need to fear me," Shen Mo said, a slight smile forming, looking down at Danzo. "I've seen too many. Power-hungry like you? Common. Tyrants ruling by fear, ruthless dictators, dark lords of life and death. Compared, you're just a pitiful, trivial fool who doesn't get power."
"I can even guess your shallow thoughts."
"You're plotting how to kill us to guard your tiny, useless secrets, right?"
Shen Mo kept piling on mental pressure.
Danzo's control obsession showed everywhere.
He couldn't tolerate the slightest deviation.
But sadly…
Everything about him was in another's grasp.
Past, fate, even his thoughts.
Facing Shen Mo, who seemed to read his mind, and a wary Tsunade, Danzo knew he'd likely lose this round.
No, not the worst yet!
"What do you want?" Danzo stared hard.
This merchant had a purpose!
For the greater good…
Danzo wouldn't mind deals with anyone.
"Not what I want," Shen Mo said, dropping his smile, voice heavy, pointing at Danzo's heart. "What do you want!"
"…"
Danzo's breath hitched, about to speak, but Shen Mo cut him off.
"You want to protect Konoha, but your actions harm it. You want to be Hokage, but lack the guts to stand in the light and tell the village. You want to rule the ninja world, but only use shady, petty tricks. Got the First's power? His heart? His charisma?" Shen Mo's face showed open scorn, adding:
"That's why the Third Hokage isn't you. You're far behind Sarutobi."
Shen Mo's gaze wasn't like he saw a clown.
He saw a clown.
His merciless words stabbed Danzo's heart, especially the last.
No matter how Danzo loathed Sarutobi…
The Second chose Sarutobi as Hokage, not him.
Danzo's face darkened.
When had anyone ripped open his wounds so brutally?
But what truly worried him…
Was this merchant's knowledge of him.
Even pains he denied, deluded himself over, were laid bare without mercy.
"Who… are you!?" Danzo spat through gritted teeth, feeling those eyes had always watched him from a higher vantage.
Past to heart…
No hiding!
"Me?" Shen Mo smiled faintly. "Just a merchant, selling cans that change fates."
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Want to read ahead? Early chapters on: patreon.com/ShadowKage