This world had no concept of magic.
But items from the system seemed to carry universal traits.
"Your ninjutsu can be seen as contracts between chakra and rules," Shen Mo explained. "This dagger can nullify any ninjutsu, no matter how powerful the forbidden technique, restoring it to before it was cast. As a replica, it can only be used five times."
"Any ninjutsu?" Kakashi's pupils narrowed.
"In your world's power system, nearly all," Shen Mo nodded.
"…" Kakashi fell into stunned silence.
As the one most versed in ninjutsu among them, he instantly grasped the dagger's terror.
Forget the rest—if Haku used it to break Naruto's Nine-Tails seal, the beast could be unleashed instantly. A nightmare.
And other ninjutsu…
Used well, this dagger could destroy a ninja village!
"Only five uses," Haku said, visibly disappointed.
If it could be used endlessly, it'd be a divine artifact. But five times? It didn't seem to help his current strength much.
Shen Mo could only shrug.
That was the nature of random cans—all about chance.
Haku stored the dagger in his Storage Ring.
Then, he faced the last Level 4 can.
Just one left.
Sweat beaded on his pale forehead. Since Zabuza's death, he'd felt crushing pressure.
"If you can truly sense my will," Haku said, hand on the can, "please give me something to boost my combat power!"
He yanked it open!
Instantly…
Wisps of purple mist gathered above the can.
They formed a coiling purple dragon.
Buzz—
A dragon's roar, heavy with ancient weight, echoed in their minds, as if crossing endless ages.
This was—
"Epic!" Shen Mo's face showed genuine surprise.
He was truly shocked.
Of the ten items in the prize pool, he'd included two Epic-level ones.
The question was…
What were the odds of drawing one Epic item from ten, without replacement, in two picks?
Not high.
"This is a Purple Epic item?" Sasuke's mouth hung open, savoring the dragon's aura.
"So cool! That's Epic!?" Naruto, in contrast, was all awe. "It's gotta be super strong!"
"Of course," Shen Mo said, pleased with Naruto's reaction, his expression unusually serious. "Strictly speaking, Epic-level items mark the true start of a can's power. Compared to them, what you've gotten before is just child's play."
"…"
Everyone's expressions froze.
Even Naruto.
They'd all opened cans and fought can-openers, knowing their terror.
But now…
Shen Mo said their prior gains were mere trifles?
What were Epic items?
Haku's body trembled, his face flushed with excitement, tension, anticipation—a flood of emotions.
Finally…
He reached out, shakily retrieving the item.
It looked like a rough, ugly fruit.
Shen Mo narrowed his eyes.
The moment the can opened, he knew which of the two Epic items it was.
A Devil Fruit.
And not just any—the rarest Natural-type.
"It's called the Snow-Snow Fruit," Shen Mo said, almost wistful. "This is truly fate's gift. A Devil Fruit, once eaten, completely transforms one's lifeform, granting a powerful, highly growable ability. Besides not unlocking restricted can series, it's even stronger than some job-change items."
Its value spoke for itself.
The others were speechless.
Transforming lifeforms?
Powerful and growable?
They didn't know the specifics, but those words screamed power.
Like a complete rebirth.
Sasuke clenched his fists, breathing heavily, eyes burning with desire.
He wanted this too!
Did he need to win senior membership on the Fate-Witnessing Stage to buy higher-level cans?
Gulp.
Haku swallowed hard, feeling the heated stares around him.
He knew…
If he didn't use this fruit, keeping it would only bring trouble.
"I'm sorry, Zabuza-sama," Haku thought, his gaze firming. "I must eat this fruit."
No more hesitation.
He raised the fruit, under everyone's envious eyes.
And bit down.
"Urgh—"
Haku clapped a hand over his mouth, barely stopping himself from spitting it out.
What was this taste?
Like someone shoved every spice into his mouth. He'd eaten rotten food from trash heaps, but that was nothing compared to this.
"Tastes awful, doesn't it?" Shen Mo said, as if expecting it. "It's a warning—changing your lifeform isn't simple. But for you, this should be nothing."
Haku forced it down.
He even managed a smile.
"Let alone changing my life, even losing it means nothing…"
He took a deep breath, swallowing the whole fruit, clamping his mouth shut to keep it down.
His stomach churned.
After a while, it settled, though his face remained pale as he gasped.
Shen Mo watched him finish.
He considered mentioning only one bite was needed but held back.
Maybe someone else would open a Devil Fruit later.
"Any effects?" Naruto asked eagerly.
Sasuke watched too.
Shen Mo hyped it as life-changing, but nothing seemed different.
No demon transformation.
"I feel…" Haku looked at his hands, sensing something.