If Tsunade possessed an aura that suggested effortless competence and a chaotic inner life, Shimura Danzo was her absolute opposite.
To an ordinary person, Danzo was simply a strange, highly-placed elder. But to Shen Mo, armed with his newly acquired telepathy and psychic sight, Danzo was an open book. The old man, with his one visible, narrowed eye and his rigid, militant posture, seemed to scrutinize the world with the greatest malice, a club leader of rebellion lurking in the shadows.
How unfortunate for him, Shen Mo thought. The man who thrived on calculated ruthlessness was now being read like a pamphlet.
Shen Mo hadn't expected Danzo to seek him out this quickly.
"Sir, you are the merchant of these 'jars.' I require a moment of your time," Danzo stated, his voice a low, gravelly command.
Danzo was visibly unsettled by Shen Mo's sudden appearance. The root of his discomfort lay in the unknown: Danzo Shimura despised anything beyond his control. He felt safe only when every piece, no matter how small, moved according to his will. Shen Mo defied this fundamental need.
Reading Danzo's internal turmoil—his need to control everything, including this meeting—Shen Mo couldn't help but let out a burst of genuine laughter.
"Haha! As I suspected, every world possesses a figure like you! I wondered when the power-obsessed ruler of this land would seek my presence, but I didn't expect such immediacy!"
"Power-obsessed?" Tsunade looked between Danzo and Shen Mo, a clear question in her eyes.
"It refers to individuals whose desire for control is exceptionally high," Shen Mo explained, his expression calm but amused. "Such guests often seek to govern everything, even the destinies of others. This inherently conflicts with the nature of my wares. Yet, because their impulse to control their own fate is stronger than the average person's, they make for excellent, dedicated clientele."
This assessment perfectly mirrored Shen Mo's analysis of Danzo. He yearned for absolute silence and control, and this same desire would drive him to the jars.
"Is that truly it?" Tsunade watched Danzo with renewed scrutiny and nodded slowly in agreement.
She had only just returned, but her status and the network of the Senju clan had quickly provided her with a summary of the past years, including the gruesome details of the Uchiha Clan annihilation and Danzo's subsequent removal from the advisory council.
The man stood for everything she loathed. His subtle hand in genocide, driven by a cynical 'greater good,' was anathema to her Paladin ethos. Disgust flickered across her face.
Meanwhile, Danzo's one visible eye narrowed further. He felt the weight of judgment in Shen Mo's gaze, as if he were being viewed as a performing monkey.
"Things that are out of control are invariably dangerous," Danzo observed, his voice cold. "Sir, you are only two or three days into Konoha, yet you speak with startling familiarity. I am curious where you obtained such intimate knowledge of my character."
Danzo had initially dismissed Shen Mo as a charlatan. But the reports from his Root operatives regarding the resurrected Rin Nohara had changed everything. A person who could master true resurrection—not the twisted Edo Tensei—was a threat that demanded immediate, personal confrontation.
Shen Mo, seeing every calculation flashing through Danzo's mind, sighed inwardly at the sheer convenience of his new power. He smiled down at Danzo.
"Because your vantage point is limited," Shen Mo replied, his tone slow and deliberate. "You aspire to reach the peak of your small mountain, but I have been wandering the endless clouds high above. Therefore, every ambition and calculation you possess is perfectly visible to me."
The statement was delivered with such flat, simple confidence that it carried an incomprehensible persuasive force. Tsunade, who had herself witnessed phenomena that defied all natural law, absorbed the meaning fully.
Danzo, however, merely sneered. "Hmph. You cloak yourself in affected mystery. If you are truly so arrogant, why stoop to selling mere jars? What is your actual goal here?"
This was the typical thinking of the power-hungry: everyone had an angle, and the unknown angle was the most dangerous.
Tsunade's face darkened at Danzo's relentless suspicion. "Danzo," she warned, emphasizing his name, "do not project your sinister thoughts onto Konoha's guests." Shen Mo had provided her with the ultimate hope; her loyalty was firmly established.
"Tsunade," Danzo retorted, his expression turning sharp. "Remember your duty. I am concerned you have been misled by a man with ulterior motives. After all, you abandoned Konoha for over a decade. How can you be certain he is truly a friend to the village?"
The last sentence was a calculated strike, hitting the core of Tsunade's recent spiritual shame—her ten years of flight and weakness. She glared at him, fists clenching.
Danzo ignored her reaction, his focus returning to Shen Mo. He had only intended to initiate a cautious, friendly probe, but the merchant's unsettling clairvoyance had instantly revealed his thoughts, damaged his standing with Tsunade, and created discord. Such insidious evil! Danzo thought, utterly failing to see that the evil was his own reflection.
Shen Mo's mirth finally faded. He realized that this man would not be a simple customer. Danzo would attempt to control, obstruct, or steal every step of the way.
Shen Mo placed his hands behind his back and sighed, his gaze on Danzo losing its previous warmth.
"I have no more patience for the slow machinations of a man consumed by power," Shen Mo said softly, his voice resonating with an unshakeable confidence. "Let me grant you a vision of our difference. I see your desires, I see your sins, and I see your destiny."
He knew that without a powerful warning, Danzo would never negotiate honestly. He would attempt to sabotage the jar business until he lost everything.
Danzo's mouth twisted into a wry smile. More empty theatrics. He believed Shen Mo's words were nothing but the predictable bluff of a carnival barker.