The immediate, intense scrutiny from Naruto, whose fist was clenched and ready for action, sent a familiar, clammy chill down Kakashi's spine.
Sin.
The word echoed the merchant's previous judgment. If the concept of 'sin' could be quantified, if it could be measured by the Gauntlet of Righteous Fury, then Kakashi's life score would be catastrophic.
He wasn't merely a veteran of war; he was the man who had failed to save those most precious to him, and who, in a moment of utter desperation, had indirectly killed his most important teammate, Rin. His soul was a landscape of scarring guilt.
"No, absolutely not," Kakashi denied instantly, waving his hands in swift negation. He could not risk that kind of judgment. He had just witnessed a display of power that made him rethink the very nature of conflict; he certainly wasn't going to risk a potentially critical blow from his own student.
"Did you really do something wrong, Sensei Kakashi?" Naruto's eyes were wide, filled with a simple, guileless confusion that was often more painful than accusation.
"Naruto…" Kakashi's voice was low and strained, tinged with a weariness that belied his age. "I was on the battlefield for many years. In a place like war, who can truly claim innocence? You either kill, or you are killed."
Naruto looked at his mentor, his mind drifting to the towering memorial stone near the Academy—the Konoha monument etched with the names of heroes. It was a place of honor, but also a monument to sacrifice and unavoidable bloodshed.
It was then that Shen Mo's voice returned, gentle but penetrating. "Naruto, I stated before that every soul, save for a genuine saint, harbors some degree of darkness. The Gauntlet's judgment of 'sin' is relative—it weighs the user's intent, the action, the willpower, and the darkness in the target's heart."
Shen Mo paused, casting a knowing glance at Kakashi. "You have drawn this equipment, Naruto. How you choose to utilize and judge its power is entirely up to you. This is, after all, the standard gear for a hero preparing to deliver a righteous, decisive blow."
Imagine that, Shen Mo thought, amused. Naruto, wielding that Gauntlet, about to deliver his signature Talk-no-Jutsu, followed by a guaranteed critical strike. A truly terrifying combination.
Naruto, however, remained contemplative, his young mind struggling to grasp the moral nuance. He had not yet endured the pain and compromises that would define his later self.
"If you wish to test your newfound strength, Naruto," Kakashi quickly interjected, seizing the opportunity to redirect the focus, "try it against something inanimate." He weaved several hand seals with practiced speed and slammed his palms against the earth. "Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
The ground shuddered, and a thick, robust wall of packed mud instantly erupted before them. Shen Mo noticed the subtle difference in the construction: the surface was looser for absorption, but the core was densely packed, clearly designed for an optimal test of force.
"Try your punch against that wall," Kakashi instructed.
"Hit a wall?" Naruto wrinkled his nose in distaste. "You can't critically strike a wall, Sensei!"
"Enough of your chatter, take off the glove and hit it with your bare fist first!" Kakashi barked, his agitation clear.
Naruto complied, getting into a standard fighting stance. He delivered a straight punch. A simple, small indentation—a dented fist print—was all that remained. Standard Genin level force.
Then, Naruto donned the Gauntlet of Righteous Fury and delivered the exact same punch, only harder.
CRACK!
The sound was shockingly loud, a solid, resounding bang that cut through the air. A deep, circular hole, nearly thirty centimeters wide, appeared cleanly in the dense mud wall.
The power has truly increased!
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. He could observe not only the enhanced force in Naruto's right hand but a subtle, yet significant, increase in the kinetic energy channeled from Naruto's core, hips, and shoulder. The gauntlet was enhancing his entire physical output.
"My power really increased!" Even Naruto was stunned by the immediate, measurable difference.
"Hmph. Still weak," Sasuke scoffed, though the naked jealousy in his eyes was impossible to hide.
This is only his first jar! Why can't I draw specialized equipment? If I had a sword that could guarantee a critical hit against my brother…
"Well done, Naruto," Shen Mo said, his smile genuine. The intrinsic power boost provided by the Gauntlet of Righteous Fury was secondary, but it perfectly fulfilled the need for an immediate, tangible result.
Now that Naruto had tasted the sweetness of instant power, he was hooked.
"Open the jar! Open the jar!" he chanted happily, humming a cheerful tune as he rushed toward the remaining thirty-nine jars.
Shen Mo's heart gave another genuine, relieved twitch. Good. He didn't pick the other extremely high-value prize.
Naruto randomly grabbed another jar. This time, when he opened it, a simple Experience Aura for physical training was revealed. It instantly dissolved into his body, giving him a mild boost in stamina and conditioning.
For Sarutobi Hiruzen and Kakashi, who were witnessing this process for the first time, it was still utterly magical.
Sasuke and Tsunade, however, subtly relaxed. They understood. Ah, this is the common trash. They were both veterans of the tedious Level One grind.
The next few jars produced a similar string of loot: incomplete scrolls detailing basic boxing stances, minor physical conditioning methods, and more small experience balls. Though each item was certainly extraordinary—suggesting that even the lowest-level loot was superior to most of Konoha's training regime—the pace was familiar.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression grew more serious with each opened jar. If these boxing techniques and conditioning methods could be collected en masse, they represented a significant, non-Chakra-based advantage for Konoha's Shinobi. The sheer potential of even these Level One Jars is staggering.
Then, on the seventh jar, Naruto's luck struck again.
He pulled out a perfectly formed, crystalline sphere of light.
"A light ball!" Naruto cheered, his face lighting up. Compared to the frustrating, incomplete secret scrolls, the light ball was immediate, tangible power. He raised the ball to absorb it, eager for the next boost.
But the light ball froze in mid-air. Shen Mo had reached out, his hand hovering over it, his eyes fixed with a laser-like intensity.
Sasuke, standing nearby, felt a sudden, familiar wave of dread. That same look…
"Mr. Shen Mo," Sasuke stammered, his voice tight. "Is that… is that light ball…?"
"Correct," Shen Mo confirmed with a crisp nod. "It is a Skill Ball."
Hss—!
Sasuke inhaled sharply, practically gagging on his own breath. A Skill Ball!
He had opened hundreds of jars yesterday, and the most precious, fate-altering prize had been the Sky Fairy's Descent Skill Ball. Naruto, the perpetually clumsy idiot, had pulled one from a Level One Jar after only six tries!
Sasuke, despite having no concept of gaming or gacha mechanics, felt an overwhelming urge to scream, "Go to hell, you European Emperor!"
No! It was supposed to be a one-in-five-hundred rarity!
"What? What's a Skill Light Ball?" Naruto asked, oblivious to the high-stakes drama surrounding him, but already grinning, sensing he had won something precious again.
"Calm yourself, Sasuke," Shen Mo said, patting the Uchiha's rigid shoulder. "While rare, the Skill Balls found in Level One Jars are generally not high-value; they cannot compare to your Sky Fairy's Descent."
Sasuke hung his head, utterly defeated. I am not afraid of bad luck, he thought bitterly. I am afraid of being compared to the idiot with all the luck.
"The Sky Fairy's Descent—that was the last move Sasuke used?" Sarutobi Hiruzen inquired, connecting the dots.
"Precisely," Shen Mo confirmed. "A Skill Ball is essentially an ability that can be utilized instantly, without practice. Sasuke's Sky Fairy's Descent was created by a master swordsman; the Skill Ball allowed him to use the technique even though his own skill level hadn't reached that point. It's instant power."
The Skill Ball in Naruto's hand was indeed low-value, costing Shen Mo a mere thousand transaction points—purely a display piece. But the concept—power without practice—was magnetic.
Naruto looked at the prize, then at the stunned faces of his rivals and mentors, and his grin grew wider. His destiny was accelerating, whether anyone liked it or not.