In the meticulous calculus of the Omniscient Chamber of Commerce, the contents of the jar were never left to the whims of true chance. Everything was precisely placed by Shen Mo, making the term "luck" a beautiful, profitable misnomer.
Yet, Shen Mo knew the illusion of luck was infinitely more valuable than a predictable catalog. To maximize long-term profit, he couldn't simply sell desired items; he had to sell hope, and he had to demonstrate the jaw-dropping potential of his merchandise right here, right now.
"Open 'em up!" Naruto shouted, rubbing his palms together in eager anticipation. His enthusiasm was untainted by nerves; he was simply ready to witness the magic.
"Of course," Shen Mo replied, offering a wide, encouraging smile. The stage is set. Let the shock and awe commence.
Naruto, driven by a simple, artless impulse, reached out and grabbed one of the forty Level One Jars at random.
Shen Mo felt a genuine, surprising twitch of disbelief deep within his soul. Is this... is this actually happening? The first jar he randomly selected, out of forty, is the most valuable prize I planted! This defies even the concept of manufactured destiny!
Naruto, without pausing to look inside, simply lifted the jar and inverted it. A bright red, heavy-looking object tumbled out, resembling a professional boxing glove.
"Whoa! What's this, Mister?" Naruto asked, holding up the glove and peering at Shen Mo expectantly.
Before the merchant could speak, Sasuke seized the opportunity to sneer. "It's just an ordinary glove, you idiot. Level One Jars typically yield useless weapons or minor trinkets. Don't compare that junk to my Qingfeng Sword; I could slice through ten of those things with a single draw."
Sarutobi Hiruzen, observing the plain red fabric, felt a ripple of disappointment. The initial spectacular power of the merchant seemed to be yielding to mundane reality.
"Don't lose heart, boy," Tsunade encouraged, offering Naruto a surprisingly warm, beautiful smile—a rare display of affection for anyone not from her past. "A simple glove is still better than the worst prize, the ten thousand Ryo token. Getting through the first-level jars is tedious; the genuinely exciting items rarely show up until Level Two."
"Then on to the next one!" Naruto declared, his optimism completely undiminished.
Shen Mo let out a barely audible sigh, a sound of gentle, dramatic irony. He now knew his plan would work even better than expected.
"And you all truly believe that is just an ordinary boxing glove?"
The single, rhetorical question caused the entire clearing to fall into a profound, eerie silence. Tsunade narrowed her eyes, studying Shen Mo with intense suspicion. It certainly looks like one.
"Naruto," Shen Mo continued, his voice ringing with theatrical admiration. "Your sheer, cosmic luck is breathtaking. In the very first Level One Jar you opened, you have drawn a piece of Special Equipment whose value far surpasses the purchase price! In my long history of selling fate, a beginner's draw like this is incredibly rare."
Special Equipment! Tsunade's hand instinctively went to the Cross of Courage necklace resting against her collarbone. Could this glove be in the same category?
"This, my friends, is the Gauntlet of Righteous Fury!" Shen Mo announced, giving the item a more evocative name. He fixed Naruto with a meaningful, almost conspiratorial look. "The reason this equipment is 'Special' is because of its magical properties. Can you guess what it does?"
"Tell me, tell me!" Naruto pleaded, completely hooked. Though he didn't fully grasp the implications of 'Special Equipment,' Shen Mo's astonished expression was enough to tell him this was no ordinary glove.
"The physical strength bonus is negligible, of course," Shen Mo waved a hand dismissively. "Its greatest power lies in its hidden ability: it possesses a significant Critical Hit Probability against those who harbor evil intentions! The deeper the person's darkness, the higher the chance of a critical strike. You must understand, almost everyone carries a degree of 'sin,' unless they are a true, living saint."
Yes, a Critical Hit! The gloves, lifted from a specific game's loot table, were designed for maximum impact against boss-level 'evil' dungeons or 'undead.'
Value: Approximately 3,000 transaction points.
The reason it was a "Grand Prize" was because Shen Mo was taking a zero-profit loss on the item's listing price. He had even split the original 'pair' of gloves, suitable for a Level Two Jar, to plant a single one in the initial Level One batch. This was purely to generate shock and awe.
"This level of specialized equipment would be considered a decent hit, even within the much more valuable Level Two Jars," Shen Mo added, shaking his head in mock wonder. "This is truly a spectacular opening! Naruto, it seems that Fate itself has given you its blessing."
It was a blessing indeed, one he only offered because he needed to impress the two wealthy, high-purchasing-power clients present: Sarutobi Hiruzen and Kakashi. He needed them to witness proof that a jar could instantly reverse their fortunes and deliver astronomical value. He wouldn't lose anything by selling the lie that you could get rich instantly.
"So..." Tsunade's light golden eyes suddenly flared with the crimson glow of her stimulated Chakra. She seized Shen Mo's arm with surprising strength. "Is it theoretically possible, then, that an item intended for a Level Three Jar could be drawn from a Level Two Jar?"
"In theory... that is entirely possible," Shen Mo replied, a wicked little smile playing on his lips.
It worked. Even the legendary Sannin, known for her atrocious luck and notorious gambling habit, was instantly reeled in by the seductive whisper of a sudden fortune.
Sasuke's eyes were now blazing, fixed on Naruto, not with contempt, but with pure, white-hot envy. Hateful! That idiot has the kind of luck that changes destiny!
He recalled Shen Mo's previous words: the most critical factor in altering one's fate was luck. Why? Why is his fortune so much better than mine?
"I gotta try it! I gotta try it on!" Naruto cried, instantly pulling the glove onto his right hand. He felt a faint, powerful surge of energy through his limb. He looked eagerly at the people around him, his mind already envisioning a massive critical hit.
"Naruto," Shen Mo said, the amusement evident in his voice, "since you're eager to test it, perhaps you should ask the Sandaime Hokage. As the leader of the village, he surely carries no 'sin points.' It would be the safest way to gauge the gauntlet's base strength!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen instinctively flinched. Swelling (Curse the day I allowed this to happen)!
"Grandpa Hokage!" Naruto looked at him with genuine enthusiasm, ready to try the glove out.
"Now, now, Naruto, this old man… I'll just pass," Sarutobi said, a light bead of sweat forming on his brow. Though the base chance of a critical hit was small, he knew his own past actions were hardly saintly, and with Naruto's "cosmic luck" thrown into the mix...
If that thing actually delivers a critical hit on the Hokage… the diplomatic fallout would be catastrophic!
"Aw, what's the big deal, old man?" Naruto whined, genuinely disappointed. "You definitely wouldn't critically strike, anyway!"
The comment, intended to be reassuring, only exacerbated the situation. Sarutobi Hiruzen could feel the collective, curious gazes of Tsunade, Shen Mo, and even Kakashi on him, judging his hesitation. He desperately needed to cover his tracks.
He sighed dramatically. "The truth is… even this old man has made some regrettable mistakes in his youth, some sins I carry still… so, perhaps it is best not to tempt fate with a weapon designed to judge."
"Hmmph." Naruto barely listened to the convoluted excuse. He immediately shifted his focus. "Teacher Kakashi! You try it!"