After Tsunade's warning, Jiraiya realized he might have underestimated this man.
His probing was too hasty.
He should've gathered more from Tsunade before acting.
As Jiraiya prepared to laugh it off, Shen Mo turned to Naruto. "Given your situation, Jiraiya's perfect as your teacher."
"Huh?" Naruto's face screamed disbelief. "But you're way stronger, Uncle!"
"That's why," Shen Mo said naturally. "If I wanted, I could make you stronger than your Hokage overnight. But that's pointless—it'd waste your potential and be unfair to Gaara."
Stronger than the Hokage overnight?
Jiraiya glanced at Tsunade.
Her serious expression showed no hint of jest.
Jiraiya…
Slipped his hands behind his back, secretly forming a genjutsu-release seal. Predictably, nothing changed.
What was up with these two? A joke about a genin surpassing the Hokage overnight, and they weren't fazed?
"No way…" Naruto looked crushed.
"Sasuke's training his Sharingan, right?" Shen Mo continued.
"Yeah," Naruto nodded.
Only Kakashi in the village could teach Sharingan techniques, so no one else could guide Sasuke.
"You've gained new powers, but don't neglect your ninja skills," Shen Mo said, pointing at Jiraiya. "Combining both maximizes strength. And this guy? He trained the Fourth Hokage. He can boost your ninja abilities fast."
"What?"
Naruto's jaw dropped, genuinely shocked.
The Fourth Hokage's… teacher?
This guy trained a Hokage?
"Hmph!" Jiraiya crossed his arms smugly. "Now you see how great I am."
Despite his pose, Jiraiya felt no pride.
His eyes stayed on Shen Mo.
And Shen Mo's companion.
Speaking of which, he hadn't noticed earlier—this woman's looks, figure, proportions… an unparalleled beauty, even surpassing Tsunade. She didn't seem human…
Shen Mo's mood soured. This pervert was ogling Ikaros.
Hm?
Shen Mo suddenly turned to the side.
"Snooping's not a good habit."
His eyes flashed golden, an overwhelming pressure surging. The air seemed to freeze under his aura. Before Jiraiya could react, Shen Mo waved a hand, and a nearby tree disintegrated into dust.
Amid the dust stood a figure in a black-and-red-clouded cloak, head wrapped in a giant venus flytrap.
Held midair by an invisible force.
Unable to move.
"That outfit…" Jiraiya gasped, stepping forward, hands ready to form seals. "Akatsuki's infiltrated the village?"
Indeed, Shen Mo had caught Black Zetsu.
The mastermind behind Naruto's shadows.
Always lurking, spying.
Shen Mo had just noticed him sneaking closer, hiding in a tree to observe.
"Who… are you?" Black Zetsu, trapped by Shen Mo's telekinesis, was horrified.
He'd come to investigate the mysterious figure from the Hidden Sand Village.
But… how was he this powerful?
He didn't resemble Kaguya's clan.
"Your will is strong," Shen Mo observed, peering into Black Zetsu's mind. Surprisingly, his soul was pure and intense.
Reviving his mother.
That was his core, his sole purpose, his entire existence.
Shen Mo considered, then shook his head. "Strong, but dull. You're just someone's shadow, a remnant of will."
Black Zetsu had little strength, relying on deception to achieve his goals.
No money, no value created.
He was merely Kaguya's final act before sealing, born from her lingering will.
Nothing else mattered to him but reviving her.
"What do you know? No, you're invading my mind—get out!" Black Zetsu writhed in pain, fear peaking. Not for his safety, but for his plan, his mother's revival.
Shen Mo hesitated.
How to handle him?
Tempting him with cans to save his mother would lead to him plundering global wealth, disrupting world order—a predatory deal. Reviving Kaguya now would also upset the balance, derailing Shen Mo's entrepreneurial plans.
Letting him go? He'd learn about the cans eventually.
Killing him seemed unwise.
But at this point…
Hadn't he already done most of his scheming?
Manipulating Madara, Obito…
"Hm."
Shen Mo made a decision.
With a twist of his raised hand…
A black hole seemed to form at Black Zetsu's core. His bones and flesh compressed instantly. He wailed, struggling futilely, until, with a final resentful cry, he became a black-and-white orb, like a taiji symbol, floating in Shen Mo's palm.
The eerie scene stunned everyone.
"What just happened, Uncle? You… killed him?" Naruto swallowed hard.
It was his first time seeing Shen Mo attack someone.
Tsunade, too, was witnessing it for the first time.
She and Hiruzen Sarutobi had speculated the Chamber might restrict merchants from acting freely.
But Shen Mo's move shattered that theory.
And that person… who was he to prompt Shen Mo's direct action?
"No, I sealed him," Shen Mo said, pocketing the orb. He glanced at Naruto. "This guy kept pestering me, so I figured a few centuries sealed away would teach him a lesson. If I remember him later, I'll let him out."
Gulp. Naruto swallowed again.
The can-selling uncle… was terrifying.
No more pestering him. Better train with the white-haired sage.