The charm of cans came in many forms, but at its core, there was one thing—yearning for possession.
Power, waifu figurines, items…
The more you yearned to possess, the easier it was to get hooked.
And Sasuke's inner yearning might even surpass Tsunade's. After all, one was a mature adult, the other a kid gone astray.
So…
Shen Mo was eager to see how much profit Sasuke could bring.
Even setting aside the future, for now…
As the last heir of the Uchiha, he must have plenty of assets, right?
"Mr. Shen Mo!" Teuchi's voice rang out suddenly. Breathing heavily, he handed over another stack of cash, his tone resolute. "I want another set!"
After stowing those precious ingredients, Teuchi still felt an indescribable urge.
Those cans surely held even rarer ingredients.
He yearned to see them.
And that recipe—what was the rest of it?
"Thank you for your patronage," Shen Mo said, smiling as he took the money. Another set of cans appeared.
He wasn't surprised by Teuchi's choice.
After all, this was a chef who truly loved ramen.
By now, the sky had gone completely dark.
In an era with little nightlife, the streets gradually emptied.
Yet the tiny Ichiraku Ramen shop buzzed with lively atmosphere.
"Wow, such huge corn!"
"What is this? So gross."
"Mr. Shen Mo, why's this partial recipe for a different seasoning?"
"Teuchi, another bowl of ramen."
Teuchi cooked ramen for Tsunade while opening cans. He'd meant to stop after one more set, but then he got another piece of that partial recipe—just one-third left.
Of course, he had to keep going.
And then…
Eight sets later, it still hadn't dropped.
Instead, he got fragments of several other partial recipes.
In the end…
Teuchi was out of cash.
"Mr. Shen Mo," Teuchi said, eyes red, hands trembling as he looked at three recipes, each missing just one final piece. "Can you wait? I'll run home for more money. Just twelve more sets, and I'll get your membership badge, right?"
"Of course," Shen Mo said, stroking Haimaru's round belly in his arms, nodding with a smile. "With the badge, you're a member of our Omni-Potent Chamber of Commerce, able to contact me anytime."
"Great."
Teuchi didn't even change clothes or lock up the shop. He just gathered his treasured ingredients and hurried home.
"Tch, tch," Tsunade clicked her tongue.
She could tell Teuchi's state was just like her when she'd gambled herself broke.
Except, she'd truly lost everything.
Teuchi, though, had traded for a haul of valuable rare ingredients, even recipes.
So this wasn't losing big—it was winning big.
"Shizune," she said, wobbling to her feet, letting out an unladylike burp. "Let's go home."
"Lady Tsunade," Shizune said, quickly standing to follow, draping that green coat over her.
"Shen Mo," Tsunade said, taking two steps before turning back, a slight smile on her tipsy face. "If you've got nowhere to stay tonight, how about my place?"
"—!?" Shizune's eyes widened.
Nearby, Sakura's face flushed red.
One of the Legendary Sannin, so directly inviting a man to stay over!
Was this… the adult world?
But…
Shen Mo didn't flinch, just looked at Tsunade with a smile. "If it's not a scam for rent, I'd be delighted."
"Tch."
Tsunade's smile vanished.
As if her plan was exposed, she muttered, turned, and strode off without a goodbye.
But passing a certain alley, she hesitated slightly.
In the end, she didn't stop.
"Scam… for rent?" Sakura blinked, not quite catching up.
It sounded like a heart-pounding invitation.
How'd it turn into a scam?
"When we first met, Lady Tsunade scammed two cans out of me under the guise of 'healing,'" Shen Mo explained with a helpless expression.
"Eh? That big sister's like that?" Naruto exclaimed.
"What big sister? That's Lady Tsunade!" Sakura snapped, unable to hold back, smacking Naruto's head. "Did you even pay attention in history class? Lady Tsunade's the First Hokage's granddaughter, over fifty years old!"
She hadn't dared say it with Tsunade around.
Now, no holds barred.
Naruto was utterly shocked.
Over fifty?
She looked like a super pretty big sister! Even more refined than Sakura.
Shen Mo looked at Naruto meaningfully.
He'd seen an online post analyzing how, beneath Naruto's hot-blooded hero exterior, there was a secretly flirty heart.
After all, this guy invented the Sexy Jutsu at twelve.
He'd been chasing Sakura since his early teens.
And later, meeting the cross-dressing Haku, he'd seemed half-smitten at first sight.
Seeing him now…
Shen Mo thought there was some truth to it.
"Alright, we should head back too," Sakura said, suddenly noticing the time, hopping down in a panic. "It's so late! I've gotta go. Naruto, Sasuke, see you tomorrow."
"I'll come with," Naruto said, naturally following Sakura, then glancing back at Sasuke.
"Go ahead," Sasuke said, waving them off. "I want to look a bit longer."
At the Food Series cans?
Naruto hesitated briefly, but seeing Sakura get farther away, he hurried after her.
"Then I'll head home with Sakura."
"Your home? We're going to our own houses!"
"It's the same way, Sakura-chan."
"…"
Their voices faded into the distance, leaving just Shen Mo and Sasuke at Ichiraku Ramen.
Sasuke kept looking at Shen Mo.
But Shen Mo just looked at Haimaru in his arms, gently teasing her soft, pink paw pads.
Silence hung for a moment.
"Mr. Shen Mo!" Sasuke finally couldn't hold back, calling out.
"Shh—"
Shen Mo pressed a finger to his lips, stopping Sasuke, then turned to the shadows under the lamplight, chuckling softly. "As a merchant, I honor first-come, first-served. So, those clients who've been following me—what types of cans are you looking to buy?"
What!?
Sasuke whipped his head around.
From the shadowed corner, a figure, blending perfectly with the surroundings, stepped forward slowly.
Then a second, a third…
Seven or eight figures emerged on the now-deserted street.
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