"Lady Tsunade…" Shizune, mortified by such blatant talk of swindling the Hokage, hung her head in shame.
"Keep opening, there's four more," Tsunade said, utterly unbothered.
At the height of her gambling addiction, she'd done far less principled things.
Open wondrous items, trade them to Konoha for money, then keep opening.
Until those old fogies grasped the value of these cans.
With the village's collective strength, they'd surely open something for resurrection.
That was Tsunade's current plan.
She had to resurrect Nawaki.
Shen Mo could faintly sense Tsunade's determination, which, for him, was naturally a good thing.
So… let's toss in a few nice items.
Shizune opened the remaining four cans.
A vial of body-tempering elixir, a cluster of surgical experience aura, a medicinal herb from a xianxia world, and… a small vial of luck-enhancing potion.
The last one was the key.
"A luck-enhancing potion?" Tsunade eyed the tiny vial of potion.
"Miss Shizune, you might be blessed by the Omni-Potent Chamber of Commerce," Shen Mo said with an awed tone. "Five tier-two cans, all decent items, especially this one—Felix Felicis Special Edition. Drink it, and for the next hour, the user's luck will be enhanced!"
This wasn't the Felix Felicis from the Harry Potter world.
It was Shen Mo's custom creation.
Its value was still pegged at the minimum six thousand Trade Points.
But its wondrous effect could yield far greater results, unlike the original's luck, which was merely an illusion of heightened confidence.
"It can even control luck?"
Tsunade stared at the tiny vial of clear potion, almost incredulous.
Luck, such an intangible thing…
It seemed even more miraculous than the Cross of Courage.
A thought struck her, and she asked, "Can it be used for opening cans?"
Opening cans was gambling in itself—maybe a luck potion could…
"No, it's ineffective for cans," Shen Mo said, shattering her fantasy with a mysterious smile. "Only cans are special. No being, no method, can influence their outcome. So, Miss Tsunade, don't worry about your gambling luck. It's best to open them yourself, because it represents… a change in the opener's destiny."
Can outcomes couldn't be influenced.
After all, Shen Mo decided what went inside.
But he couldn't say that outright.
So, a bit of bluffing would do.
"A change in destiny?" Tsunade murmured, repeating the phrase.
"Exactly," Shen Mo nodded, spinning his tale leisurely. "The items in cans don't belong to this world. They're not meant to cross your destiny. The moment they appear, the gears of destiny shift. So, Miss Tsunade, your peculiar luck won't work here."
Tsunade's luck only turned from bad to good when she lost someone dear.
It was true when the Third died.
And when Jiraiya died.
"Sounds like mystic nonsense…" Tsunade shook her head after a pause, crossing her arms and eyeing Shen Mo. "Anyway, I'm broke."
"I can tell," Shen Mo said, rather helplessly.
In his mind, Tsunade was a big fat sheep—so how was she this poor?
Couldn't she find a way to scrounge up some cash?
Gurgle—
Suddenly, a loud rumbling broke the silence.
Shen Mo's eyes widened slightly, staring at Tsunade in surprise.
The sound came from her stomach.
Even with Tsunade's thick skin, her face flushed, though she forced a calm demeanor.
Then…
Gurgle—
Another rumble, this time from Shizune's side.
"You two…" Shen Mo's expression turned odd. "Don't tell me… you haven't eaten?"
"Because Lady Tsunade scraped together every last yen," Shizune said, clutching her pet pig, head bowed, holding her stomach, looking utterly pitiful.
"I'm grateful you're so eager for my business, but…" Shen Mo rubbed his forehead, exasperated, then sighed. "Fine, seeing how passionate you are about cans, I'll treat you to dinner tonight. We'll find a place in Konoha."
It wasn't an act of charity.
Building a rapport with Tsunade, to some extent, would naturally earn him favor with certain Konoha folks.
It'd make doing business easier.
Besides, no matter how the plot shifted, Tsunade was practically the only candidate for Fifth Hokage. When that happened, she'd control plenty of resources.
While making money, Shen Mo didn't mind getting along well with some clients.
"Yo, how embarrassing," Tsunade said, her eyes gleaming as she slapped Shen Mo's shoulder, then rattled off, "I know a great barbecue place—"
"We're eating ramen," Shen Mo cut her off. "A client once mentioned Ichiraku Ramen. It's supposed to be famous, right? Let's go there."
Having come to Konoha, how could he skip Ichiraku Ramen?
And…
Maybe he could swing a deal while he was at it.
"Tch, stingy," Tsunade grumbled, less thrilled.
Her eyelids drooped, her cheeks puffed out petulantly.
Shen Mo's eye twitched.
You're well past your youth! Even if you look young, have a pretty face, and a… generous figure, you can't just act like a cutesy girl!
"Ichiraku it is. Shizune, let's go—eat back every yen we spent!"
"Lady Tsunade, there's no way we can eat that much."
"Quit yapping, just eat your fill!"
"…"
Shen Mo followed the two in silence, stepping outside.
Before him unfolded a bustling town.
Two- and three-story buildings, wide streets, neat stone tiles, and crowds bustling about—it was far more prosperous than he'd imagined for a "village." It was practically a sizable town, with streets on either side adorned in this world's unique style.
It felt like stepping into a flawless live-action movie.
This was Konoha…
Shen Mo surveyed his surroundings with curious eyes.
Along the way, people bowed respectfully to Tsunade, her popularity evident, though she rarely acknowledged them, glancing sidelong at Shen Mo.
"A merchant like you must've seen far grander cities," she said, almost offhandedly.
"Grander?" Shen Mo shook his head. "If we're talking grandeur, this place is like a rundown backwater compared to cities I've visited. But I'm not here for splendor or scale—it's the people that matter."
"Oh?" Tsunade's interest piqued, and she turned to look at him. "What's different about the people?"
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