Shen Mo's words, devoid of verbose emotional appeals, carried the weight of universal, undeniable truth. He was no motivational speaker; he was the purveyor of absolute, observable reality. His status as the mysterious and powerful Jar Merchant, a witness to countless legends across limitless worlds, had been profoundly etched into the consciousness of every ninja present.
The most immediate and dramatic reaction came, predictably, from Tsunade. Her eyes, narrowed in focus, curved into a triumphant, almost ecstatic smile. The crippling weight of her past failures—the deaths of her brother Nawaki and her lover Dan—had been momentarily lifted by the certainty of a second chance.
"I told you all along!" she declared, her voice ringing with newfound conviction. She placed one hand on her slender hip and pointed a triumphant, clenched fist directly at Sarutobi Hiruzen. Her posture was erect, her skin radiating a healthy glow that belied her age. "I refuse to accept Nawaki's death as necessary sacrifice! I will resurrect him, and then I will shoulder the responsibility for him. I will never allow that fate to be repeated!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at his former student. In that instant, he didn't see the broken Sannin who had fled the village; he saw the vibrant, vigorous girl at the peak of her power, radiating fearless resolve. A wave of exhaustion washed over the Hokage. Have I truly become so desensitized to loss?
He sighed softly. In his youth, he believed he could protect everything. But the First Hokage died, the Second died, and even his own son passed away. He had come to accept the cruel calculus of necessary sacrifice. He hadn't intervened when Hatake Sakumo was slandered, nor had he stopped Nawaki from rushing to the front lines, believing these events were the inevitable cost of leadership. Shen Mo's silent presence indicted that very philosophy. He had become numb.
"Kakashi," Tsunade turned, her voice softening slightly, her expression earnest. "If you wish to revive those you lost, let us combine our resources. I have opened many jars already. If we pool our wealth, it will not take long to reach that goal."
The very idea—that the impossible could be achieved through commerce—sent a powerful jolt through Kakashi. The image of Rin Nohara, the girl he failed to protect, the comrade he accidentally killed, flashed in his mind. If I can bring her back... if I can correct that failure...
"Do not fret overly much," Shen Mo added, his voice smooth and persuasive, subtly pushing Kakashi toward the purchase decision. "If you open sufficient jars and reach the Tier Three or even Tier Four levels, you will find that the resurrection of one or two comparatively weak individuals is hardly a difficult feat. As I have stated before, my jars represent hope, they represent the ability to rewrite fate. As long as I maintain my presence in this world, there is no such thing as 'impossible'—regardless of the circumstance."
The logic was flawless: if resurrection was possible once, it was infinitely repeatable, and the weaker the person, the lower the inherent transactional cost. Shen Mo's words were the final, crucial weight that tipped the scales of Kakashi's deeply ingrained sense of duty and guilt.
Kakashi turned toward the aged leader, his singular eye filled with a determination that had been absent for years. "Hokage-sama, my resolve is set. I intend to pursue the revival of my comrades."
Sarutobi Hiruzen realized the psychological barrier was irreparably broken. Kakashi, despite his outwardly gentle demeanor, possessed the iron will of a true ninja. Once his path was chosen, he was unstoppable.
A new idea formed in the Hokage's mind, a pragmatic shift in strategy. He looked at Shen Mo and asked: "How is the value calculated when exchanging Ninjutsu? Can the same technique be exchanged repeatedly?"
Though the Hokage secretly opposed the resurrection project, his primary duty was to Konoha. If these jars truly held such power, he needed to utilize the vast knowledge base of the village's archives to generate capital.
Shen Mo, sensing the magnitude of the Hokage's inquiry, dropped his arrogant persona. The true business was about to begin.
"Ninjutsu are essentially divided into two categories: Knowledge and Power," Shen Mo patiently explained. "The assessment of Knowledge values Rarity. Specifically, the first time a unique Ninjutsu is traded, its value is maximized. Subsequent identical trades cause the value to drop sharply, and any third or further trade will reduce the value even more drastically. Unique knowledge is vastly more valuable than widely distributed knowledge."
He elaborated on the system's valuation criteria: Rarity, inherent Quality, and Labor Value. A unique, master-crafted item would be infinitely more valuable than a mass-produced one, even if the latter was cosmetically superior.
"No immediate loopholes for quick wealth, then," Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed internally. The system was frustratingly comprehensive.
Sasuke, listening intently, realized his own strategy could expand. If he managed to invent a new Sword Move or Kendo form, he could use it to generate trading points.
"We must begin training new techniques immediately," he muttered.
Naruto suddenly brightened, a mischievous idea lighting up his face. "Hey, can my Oiroke no Jutsu—my Sexy Jutsu—be traded for points?"
Shen Mo's eyes lit up with genuine delight. "Yes, absolutely. And if you continue to improve and refine that particular technique, it will be quite valuable."
The Sexy Jutsu, while outwardly comical, was one of Naruto's most unique, self-developed Ninjutsu, capable of affecting even the most powerful individuals (like Kaguya Ōtsutsuki). Its rareness made it a high-value commodity.
Sasuke stared at the merchant in genuine disbelief. "That sort of ridiculous technique can be used for trade?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen subtly coughed, his hand moving to rub his nose, a clear sign that he, too, recognized the surprising effectiveness of that particular, odd technique.
"Hahaha," Shen Mo laughed heartily, delighted by the sudden increase in potential assets. "Excellent, Naruto! Let's resume the opening! You still have quite a few jars left."
Naruto's initial good fortune seemed to dwindle. Of the remaining jars, he pulled only two additional major prizes: a couple of pills that were less flashy than the aura or the scroll but possessed genuine utility.
"These are Organ Softening Pills," Shen Mo explained, holding up a small, translucent sphere. "They refine the body's internal organs and remove impurities. They're excellent for long-term conditioning. If consumed consistently, they can allow even an ordinary person to eventually master advanced Taijutsu. A difficult find in a Tier One jar."
"Good stuff!" Naruto, fueled by his enthusiasm, simply popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it without a second thought.
Sasuke watched, a flicker of raw envy in his eyes. Naruto had, in a mere fraction of the jars Sasuke had opened, already acquired highly effective physical buffs—items Sasuke had only found in his more expensive Tier Two Jars.
"Alright, the transaction is complete," Shen Mo announced, smiling as he closed the final empty jar. "Now, I shall collect the agreed-upon price."