Looking at the gleeful Tsunade, what could Shen Mo say?
The grandiose image he'd crafted, he'd have to bear.
But he ran a wealth check on her.
She had 43 million transaction points!
How much money did Shizune win back?
"Let's end the small talk," Shen Mo said, curious. "How many cans are you buying?"
With that many points spent on Level 3 cans, an ordinary person could become a Kage-level ninja.
The weakest Kage, perhaps.
But combined with Tsunade's own strength, it'd be formidable.
Though… compared to Orochimaru's wealth—founder of a ninja village with multiple bases—this wasn't much.
"Thirty Level 3 Paladin cans, to demonstrate for these elders," Tsunade said.
She didn't spend all her money at once, cautiously opting for 9 million points' worth.
Her experience talking.
Start small. If luck seemed off, stop. Don't get carried away.
Or risk losing everything.
"No problem," Shen Mo agreed.
Her money would be his eventually.
With a wave…
Thirty pristine white Level 3 cans appeared.
"They're different…" Hyuga Hiashi murmured.
These differed from Hiruzen Sarutobi's cans.
"These are limited series cans," Tsunade explained, itching to start but mindful of her goal. "Draw a destiny-altering item and successfully class-change, and you qualify to buy limited series cans. So, the opener's potential is critical."
Without potential, failing to class-change…
Was just squandered resources.
The Hyuga elders nodded gravely.
Shen Mo glanced at them.
None were ambitious. Their ambition was the Hyuga main branch's enduring legacy and strength, even at the branch family's expense.
Stubborn and cold, but pure.
"When opening, be sincere," Tsunade continued earnestly. "Wash your hands, and keep chanting your desires in your mind…"
As she spoke, she did just that.
Adjusted her clothes.
Washed her hands.
Mentally repeated, "Grand Prize, Grand Prize…"
Shen Mo's gaze turned odd.
She was improvising. He'd never said to do this.
Yet the elders, including Hiashi, looked deadly serious, nodding as if memorizing it.
Fine…
Shen Mo let it slide.
Metaphysical can-opening rituals were common. Let the players have fun.
Tsunade prepared thoroughly but approached the first can nervously.
This one…
Was worth 5 million!
Gulp…
Someone swallowed hard. Even the elders tensed, eyes unblinking.
Tsunade took a deep breath.
She opened the first!
Inside… a light orb.
"A skill orb?" Tsunade's face lit up.
"Just a basic agility orb," Shen Mo said, exasperated. "Not your first Paladin can. Can't you tell the difference?"
"Damn it!" Tsunade deflated.
But she absorbed the orb.
Feeling it briefly, she turned to the others. "That orb could give an ordinary person near-genin-level speed."
A Level 3 can item, even a fifth of it, was worth 60,000 points.
"Just that orb?" an elder asked, astonished.
Genin speed was trivial to them, but for an ordinary person, a lifetime of training might not achieve it.
"That's the simplest thing in Level 3 cans," Tsunade said, their surprise lifting her mood.
Rubbing her hands, she said excitedly, "I've got a feeling. The next one's a purple epic Grand Prize! No… a blue rare, at least a rare Grand Prize!"
Hiashi quietly explained "rare" and "epic" to the elders.
Tsunade kept opening.
Second can, third can…
Her smile faded.
After nine, all utterly ordinary.
No Grand Prizes, not even a decent skill.
"How can this be…"
Each can deepened Tsunade's disappointment.
By the tenth, her fists were clenched.
She was on the verge of erupting.
Shen Mo was at a loss.
Tsunade's luck shouldn't affect his curated prize pool.
The tenth can was finally different.
A holy light orb.
"It's a skill orb this time," Shen Mo said, relieved.
He'd worried Tsunade could somehow disrupt the system's pool—that'd be terrifying.
"Hahaha!" Tsunade laughed heartily, almost tearfully relieved. "I knew it! Sincerity works. Level 3 can skills are powerful."
"But…" an elder hesitated, then asked, "Don't Grand Prizes come with special effects?"
Tsunade's smile froze.
Ahem, Hiashi coughed, whispering, "It's not a Grand Prize, but it's still good. Skill orbs are much stronger than those basic items."
"I see," the elder said, embarrassed, realizing his gaffe, and fell silent.
Shen Mo recognized the awkwardness. He'd seen it before with unlucky bosses drawing cards.
"Tsunade, check the skill," he prompted.
"Oh…" Tsunade, still down, absorbed the skill orb.
Skill: Spear of Victory
Description: Condenses Holy Light into a spear, inflicting light-based burning damage on piercing, binding the enemy, and exploding after a delay.
A Holy Light attack skill.
Ranged, decent power.
With a binding control effect.
"Not bad," Tsunade perked up, envisioning its uses.
But she felt regret.
If she'd had this skill during her morning fight with Orochimaru…
He wouldn't have escaped.