"Jealous?" Shen Mo tilted his head, his obsidian eyes glinting as they fixed on Tsunade.
"What's there to be jealous of?" Tsunade crossed her arms, her words betraying the pang in her chest.
Deep down, she was envious. She had no one left to share such intimate, trusting moments with. Even with a Revival Token in hand, the looming war made resurrecting Nawaki too risky.
Wait.
Tsunade's mind flickered to Shizune. At least she wasn't entirely alone.
"…"
Shen Mo stifled a chuckle, sensing her thoughts drift to Shizune. He said nothing, turning his gaze back to Konoha's vibrant nightscape, aglow with neon and bustling prosperity.
"You saw that streak of light just now, didn't you?" Tsunade said, remembering her purpose for climbing up here. She brushed back hair tousled by the evening breeze, eyeing Shen Mo. "I was wondering why you suddenly perched up here to admire the view. You know what happened, don't you?"
"Indeed, something quite intriguing unfolded," Shen Mo replied, not denying it.
"Intriguing…" Tsunade's expression darkened. "Sasuke said the one who slaughtered his clan is back—with an Akatsuki accomplice."
She'd rushed up after receiving an urgent report, hoping for answers. But Shen Mo's cryptic demeanor told her she'd get none.
After a moment's silence, she glanced at the moon. "I'm off to join the search. That man's no match for ordinary ninja, and the Akatsuki are Konoha's next war target."
"Go," Shen Mo said, his eyes still on the horizon. "This is your path to growth."
"…"
Tsunade shot him a long look, then leaped away, vanishing into the night with a trail of ninja at her heels.
Tonight, Konoha would know no peace.
Shen Mo's gaze shifted to Sasuke, swarmed by questioners below. A soft laugh escaped him as a thought struck.
He hadn't expected this.
Sasuke, mistaking Itachi for a disciple of the Heartless Sword, believing himself the final "beloved" to be slain for Itachi's ascension to unfeeling perfection. From Sasuke's perspective, it almost made sense.
The irony tickled Shen Mo, tempting him to approach Itachi with a can deal.
But not yet.
It wasn't quite time.
Suppressing his eagerness, Shen Mo surveyed the increasingly lively Konoha.
The next two days saw Konoha locked in high alert.
When Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, arrived as an invited guest, the fortress-like defenses startled him. He wondered if his secret plans had been exposed, this show of force meant for him.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi, greeting him with a grave expression, explained, "Two days ago, Konoha was infiltrated by malicious ninja."
"What kind of foe could breach Konoha's walls?" Rasa asked, his face hidden behind white cloth, his shadowed eyes betraying shock and caution.
His Membership Badge pulsed with a warning.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was a can buyer—a fellow Jar Opener.
Jar Openers defied conventional strength, as Rasa knew firsthand. He'd also seen the Fate-Witnessing Stage details in his badge's messages. Non-members could be barred by powerful barriers, making Jar Openers the future of warfare.
Hiruzen, too, sensed it.
Rasa, as expected, was a Jar Opener.
The situation grew more tangled.
Yet both men, with unspoken accord, avoided mentioning the cans.
Hiruzen's tone carried weight. "A formidable enemy. I planned to discuss this with you after the Chūnin Exams, but they've already slipped into Konoha."
"Such a force exists?" Rasa's mind jumped to other Jar Openers.
The mysterious merchant's presence was twisting the world's balance.
But both Rasa and Hiruzen had to face this new, intricate reality.
Their eyes met, mirroring the same resolve.
"Let's discuss details later," Hiruzen said with a warm smile, gesturing invitingly. "Please, Lord Kazekage."
"Please," Rasa echoed, matching Hiruzen's decorum.
They walked side by side, projecting the image of steadfast allies for all to see.
The Chūnin Exams' final round loomed tomorrow.
Shen Mo, however, was no longer in Konoha.
Alone in a forest, without even Hiju, he stood before a towering tree. Beneath it lay a buried coffin.
Orochimaru.
His gaze pierced earth and wood, locking onto the pale figure within. Orochimaru's false skin had rotted away, revealing a feminine face marred by corpse-like blotches, as if long dead. Yet, eerily, his ravaged body had mostly healed.
A lich—an undead being, not a mere spirit.
They retained their physical form, wielding their living strength and intellect. But their body was a disposable vessel; their true essence resided in a phylactery.
Shen Mo's eyes settled on the box at Orochimaru's chest.
"Another day or two, huh?" He rubbed his head, a touch exasperated.
When he'd granted Orochimaru's lich transformation, he'd timed it for this moment. A Chūnin Exam without Orochimaru's chaos lacked soul. With Druid Rasa, the Akatsuki, and now this, the stage was set for a spectacle to boost his can trade.
Why not… speed things up?
A playful smile curled Shen Mo's lips. He snapped his fingers with a crisp crack.
Time around the coffin accelerated, minutes compressing days.
In moments, two days passed within.
Shen Mo nodded, satisfied, and vanished in a flicker.
He reappeared in his room's bathroom.
Yes, he'd snuck out.
And, as expected, Ikaros greeted him with news of a client.
—Orochimaru.