Tsunade now completely believed that Takuya came from another world.
There was no other explanation for all these unbelievable items.
So, she was curious—what kind of view would someone who had seen other worlds have of Konoha?
"I said before that jars represent a change in fate," Takuya said, pulling his gaze back from the surroundings to look at Tsunade.
"You did," Tsunade nodded.
"But not every world or every city is filled with people eager to change their destiny," Takuya said, his tone subtly amused. "Human emotion spreads like wildfire—contentment, numbness, giving up on oneself, or stubborn beliefs that are impossible to shake. All of these can smother the desire to change."
Tsunade seemed thoughtful.
War reveals human nature. As someone who had lived through war and wandered the world, she understood what he meant.
Even she had spent years numbing herself.
"So what do you do with those kinds of people?" she asked.
"Nothing." Takuya shrugged. "We're merchants, not saviors. We don't do forced sales. Whether someone wants to change their fate, whether they can pay the price, whether they even get the chance—that's all up to them. If they're satisfied with their lives, they just stop buying. After a while, the badge and membership get revoked."
Of course, he was only saying this for effect, to sound cool.
You couldn't do business with a salted fish mindset.
Guiding and tempting customers—if it worked, it was worth it.
Just like with Tsunade.
If he hadn't dangled resurrection, she wouldn't be this motivated.
"...How much do I need to buy in how much time?" Tsunade asked, sounding a little nervous.
That's how people are. The more you leave them alone, the more seriously they take it.
Beg them to buy something, and they'll just turn up their noses.
"For junior members, it's ten sets of Level Two jars in six months," Takuya replied with a reasonable figure.
Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief. Not too bad.
The three of them walked in silence for a bit.
Then Tsunade spoke again. "You were saying something about the desire to change fate. What's your view of Konoha?"
"My view?" Takuya smiled. "This place is overflowing with business opportunities. So many people with dreams and needs. Whether or not they can reach them, they still don't give up on change. Even those who are content still hope for something better."
Tsunade didn't respond this time.
She knew Konoha well. Her grandfather, her great-uncle, Nawaki, Dan, even Hiruzen, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya—all of them carried deep convictions.
If they knew about these mystical jars...
They'd probably be as hooked as she was.
This mysterious man...
Tsunade glanced sideways at Takuya, who stood beside her smiling warmly and politely.
If he really had the power to back this all up, he might just bring about a sweeping change to all of Konoha.
"Is this the place?" Takuya stopped.
They stood in front of a small, simple shop—just a single-story building with a white banner that read "Ichiraku Ramen." But even from outside, the delicious smell of noodles wafted through the air.
Takuya's gaze suddenly sharpened.
He saw a few familiar figures inside.
That outfit...
It was the main trio: Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke—three kids around twelve or thirteen years old.
Now that was unexpected.
Takuya had wanted to check out the legendary Ichiraku Ramen, but he hadn't planned on running into them. After all, they were still just rookie genin.
"Iruka," Tsunade called as she walked in and spotted the ramen shop's owner.
"You've gotten a lot older."
"Tsunade-sama?" Teuchi looked up from the counter, surprised. "I heard rumors, but you're really back!"
"Tsunade-sama?"
Sakura turned her head, her breathing suddenly quickened.
That's... Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin? The top medical ninja?
And she looked so young!
As a war hero, Tsunade had been in the textbooks at the Academy. So even Sasuke looked at her seriously—only Naruto, the class dunce, was clueless.
Word had already spread around Konoha that Tsunade had returned, and even Sasuke had caught wind of it.
A legendary Konoha powerhouse...
How did she stack up against that man?
"Five big bowls of ramen," Tsunade said, ignoring the kids' stares and sitting down. "It's not every day someone else pays, so go ahead and bring out your best."
"Tsunade-san, really..." Takuya followed her in with a helpless expression.
Ichiraku was known for cheap and delicious ramen—what "expensive" options could it even have?
"Don't call me san, just use my name," Tsunade replied casually. She sniffed the air and sighed, "I've been to a lot of places over the years, but when it comes to ramen, this place is still the best."
Teuchi had poured his heart into these noodles. Even in his younger days, he was already famous.
Even Tsunade had a lot of memories here.
"I'm looking forward to it." Takuya sat beside her and looked meaningfully at Teuchi. "But I'm a very picky customer."
He'd only been in this world a few days, but after tasting the flavor explosions from the Food Wars world, Takuya wasn't so sure this ramen could wow him.
Once you've had luxury, it's hard to go back.
But Teuchi was confident.
"In that case, I recommend the 'Best Flavor,'" he said, pointing to the menu's boldest item. "It's my masterpiece."
"That's right, old man!" Naruto shouted from nearby. "It's the best ramen ever!"
"Old man?" Takuya looked at Naruto, then around.
"Don't look around. He's talking about you." Tsunade smirked with satisfaction.
Visually, she definitely looked younger than Takuya.
"..." Takuya twitched and narrowed his eyes at Naruto. "Then let me teach you a lesson, kid. Never throw around the word best so lightly. No matter what field you're in."
"Just try it and you'll know, old man!" Naruto grinned, still full of energy.
Takuya didn't reply.
But the grin on his face only deepened.
Teuchi probably had a decent amount of savings, too.