Under the oppressive weight of Dragon Might, time seemed to slow, but in truth, it was their minds that froze.
For those before him, no moment had ever felt so endless.
Fear threatened to swallow them whole.
Shen Mo stood with hands behind his back, Haimaru curled uncomfortably on his shoulder.
Then…
As if sensing something, he looked up toward a certain direction.
In an instant—
Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi shot to his feet, utterly horrified, muscles taut, as if the entire world had narrowed to the eyes in his crystal ball.
He finally understood why the Anbu had collapsed.
Stronger than the Nine-Tails… no!
More terrifying than the First Hokage at full aura!
Crack, crack—
The crystal ball, used for the Telescope Technique, seemed unable to bear such immense pressure, splintering bit by bit.
Only when those eyes vanished did the soul-piercing pressure fade, but it left a scar.
Hiruzen knew he might never forget this.
What was that?
A dojutsu?
No, it was sheer power—unimaginably vast!
Breathing heavily, Hiruzen, no stranger to the mighty, had never felt such mental strain. He realized that letting Danzo act tonight might have been a grave mistake.
This merchant…
Hiruzen looked toward the distance with deep caution and worry, hesitating before saying softly:
"Summon Danzo."
"Yes!"
A figure vanished into the night.
Back to the scene…
Shen Mo, sensing the spying cease, slowly withdrew his gaze.
He hadn't expected this Dragon Might, costing nearly 100,000 Trade Points per minute, to have such an effect.
The one watching was surely the Third Hokage.
Looking at the Anbu ninjas and Sasuke before him, Shen Mo figured it was enough. He dialed down Dragon Might's intensity to a tenth—10,000 Trade Points per minute.
Even so…
Those imprinted with fear remained kneeling, unable to move.
Dragon Might, in its brutal way, declared what stood before them, searing that terror into their minds.
Escape? Impossible.
They couldn't move, their wills stripped—how could they flee?
At that moment, fear of Shen Mo overrode all else.
Only Sasuke, merely caught in the fallout, managed to crawl up slowly, humbly, with effort.
Looking at this man's silhouette, his eyes held indescribable fear… and a trace of fanaticism.
This existence, this power!
It could surely defeat that man!
It had to!
He screamed in his heart.
But Shen Mo…
Paid them no mind. He suddenly looked into the distance, a gentle smile returning. With a wave of his hand, like brushing away dust, the Anbu ninjas flew uncontrollably, crashing heavily into a nearby alley.
Teuchi was back.
With his entire fortune.
"Mr. Shen Mo," Teuchi said, looking at Shen Mo outside the shop, seeming embarrassed.
"No trouble," Shen Mo said, chuckling and shaking his head. "In business, a little waiting is nothing."
"Mr. Shen Mo is so kind," Teuchi said, touched.
Making someone wait in the dead of night…
Only Sasuke's mouth twitched.
Kind?
Having felt that pressure, he knew exactly what kind of monster stood before him.
He wasn't even sure if "human" applied anymore.
If not for his hatred driving him…
Just standing near this man made Sasuke tremble with uncontrollable fear.
"A small matter," Shen Mo said, ushering Teuchi back into the shop to sit. "So, client, how many sets of cans would you like?"
Coming to Konoha today, counting the battle, was a heavy loss.
Though expected…
He hoped to recoup something.
"Mr. Shen Mo, this is all my savings from decades," Teuchi said, handing over a small box without hesitation, then looking at Shen Mo eagerly. "Twelve million yen total. Besides the remaining twelve sets of tier-one cans, I'd like one set of tier-two cans."
Twelve million?
Shen Mo was pleasantly surprised.
Not bad—over 600,000 Trade Points.
The battle seemed long, but Dragon Might's burst lasted just two or three minutes. By this math, he hadn't lost money today—he'd even turned a small profit.
"That's plenty," Shen Mo said, looking at Teuchi, deciding to offer a small tip. "Mr. Teuchi, do you know how my previous chef client became a Gourmet Hunter? His initial trades didn't even match your funds."
"I'd guess expanding his food business," Teuchi said, laughing. "For a chef, there's no other way to make money."
Or rather, even if there were, he wouldn't bother.
A true chef wouldn't waste time on non-culinary pursuits.
"That's part of it, but not all," Shen Mo said with a mysterious smile. "Here, you can even trade with food directly."
Teuchi's eyes lit up, surprised.
He'd poured out his entire fortune, but it was far from enough!
Even without Shen Mo saying, he knew tier-two cans held more wondrous ingredients, greater recipes, and perhaps even higher-tier cans later.
Having glimpsed the path to gourmet glory, he was itching unbearably.
If only he had more money.
"Anything of value can be traded here," Shen Mo explained, smiling. "For a chef, the most valuable thing is the food you create. As your skills improve, whether crafting exquisite dishes or inventing valuable recipes, all can be exchanged for cans. Fair prices, no deception—our reputation is flawless."
The System's trades assessed value.
Money's value wasn't fixed.
If the government printed cash wildly, causing inflation, the exchange rate for money to Trade Points would widen.
So Shen Mo didn't fixate on cash.
Wealthy merchants and nobles weren't going anywhere, but those who could create value—if nurtured early, whether through gourmet dishes, new ninjutsu, or hard-earned cash—would, via cans, become Trade Points in Shen Mo's hands.
A virtuous cycle.
In other words…
The world's elites, working for him?
Shen Mo snickered inwardly, his face betraying nothing
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