Danzo's breathing grew heavier.
Staring at this unfathomable man claiming to be a merchant, he felt bitter.
He'd always thought Sarutobi had grown soft, fearing a random stranger. But now he saw—he'd been the reckless one.
He hadn't even probed the man's strength before being cornered.
Ambitions, secrets, wounds—everything exposed under those eyes.
With sheer will, Danzo calmed himself.
Today's move was too brash. The cost was steep, but bearable if he didn't let it worsen.
"If you're a merchant, you won't turn away customers," Danzo said, softening, planning to placate, then strategize later.
"Naturally," Shen Mo replied, smile steady. "Anyone who pays can change their fate here. Even a failure like you gets a shot."
"Shen Mo, you're really selling him cans…?" Tsunade's brows knitted tight.
She knew Danzo wanted cans. She couldn't stop him.
Even without her, he'd find Shen Mo.
But she hated the idea of a man like Danzo growing stronger.
Shen Mo didn't answer.
As a merchant, he wouldn't miss a sale. But as the gacha's shady operator, he'd never let a control-freak like Danzo rise. Unlike other villains, Danzo chased absolute power. If strong, he'd threaten Shen Mo most—like the original Piccolo Daimao killing Shenron post-wish.
Even if he couldn't touch Shen Mo, he'd block others from gaining power through him, costing far more than Danzo's purchases.
Danzo glanced at Tsunade.
Oddly, he felt steadier.
This man wasn't fully aligned with Tsunade. His losses might be lighter.
His eye's power stayed secret. His ambition, though inconvenient, was manageable.
"Let's see if you can change my fate," Danzo said, waving.
A ninja darted in, dropped two cases, and vanished.
The cases opened.
Fresh bills—ten million.
Danzo hadn't planned to bring so much, just a reserve. Now, it was a clear move: no attack, so full-on wooing.
"Where'd you get that cash?" Tsunade's fists clenched. And that ninja—didn't Danzo lose his post?
"Heh," Danzo chuckled. "My Shimura clan's not small. A few are sharp at trade."
Money shown before Tsunade was clean, untraceable.
He watched Shen Mo closely.
But Shen Mo didn't glance at the cash.
"My cans all hold fate, but…" Shen Mo looked at Danzo, unhurried. "Fate shifts. Choices differ, fates diverge. I see your desired fate clearly, but I don't recommend it."
"Why?" Danzo asked.
"Too hard," Shen Mo said, gesturing, hands behind back. "Frankly, you aim to rule the ninja world, to be a hegemon. It's tougher for you than most. You're on a wrong, even opposite, path. King's Way cans would cost dearly."
Before Danzo spoke, Tsunade gasped. "King's Way cans? Those exist?"
"Of course," Shen Mo glanced at her. "In endless worlds, many seek kingship. King's Way cans are for them. They can lift the hopeless to a king's path—farmers, beggars, people low as dirt."
Tsunade tensed.
If Shen Mo's cans…
They might truly work that magic. But Danzo…
Danzo noted Tsunade's look.
His heart stirred.
No longer dismissing Shen Mo, he valued the cans too. Could they… make him Hokage?
"King's Way cans? Sounds perfect for me. I'll take them," Danzo said, eager to see.
"Ignorant," Shen Mo said, shaking his head, expressionless. "Your chosen fate, then. Take it."
Without a move, two hundred Level 1 cans appeared.
The cash vanished.
Danzo's pupil shrank.
No scroll, no seals—how?
This man hadn't fought, yet every act felt fathomless.
"Open them here?" Shen Mo asked casually.
"Why not," Danzo said, but didn't touch them. He clapped.
Instantly, over ten ninjas appeared in the Senju courtyard.
"Open these cans."
"Yes, sir!"
The ninjas leaped for the cans.
But in a flash…
They froze midair, immobile.
Shen Mo, hands behind back, glowed faintly green, brows furrowed.
"Cans are your fate. I suggest opening them yourself."
"…"
Danzo stayed silent, his shadowed eye staring at his men.
Some were elite jōnin!
Now, they couldn't move—not even their eyes.
What jutsu was this?
"…Fine," Danzo growled, glancing at Shen Mo. "This… saves time."
"As you wish," Shen Mo said, indifferent, saying no more.
Just a routine heads-up.
The ninjas regained freedom, gasping, eyes wide with fear, but dared no moves. They opened the cans, dumping contents aside.
Over two hundred cans.
About a hundred light orbs, plus fine crafts, plant seeds, books, and what looked like torn blueprints.
Danzo scanned them.
The crafts were treasures, small and exquisite.
But nothing seemed to boost strength.
"This is the King's Way cans' stuff?" Danzo asked, sounding disappointed.
"You dream of being Hokage, but lack the self-cultivation a Hokage needs," Shen Mo said, scoffing, flicking a finger. All items floated.
"Treasure reserves."
The crafts drifted aside.
"Governance knowledge."
Some orbs moved over.
"Military tactics, production, insight, weapon blueprints."
Each word sorted items. Two things remained.
Shen Mo turned, his gaze faintly scornful. "Need more explanation?"
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