Shen Mo had indeed seen memories of ninjutsu that Hiruzen Sarutobi himself had never mastered, including fragments of the Flying Thunder God Technique and the terrifying Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence. Even unused knowledge was tradable. Since this was the first mass sale of high-level secrets, the sheer knowledge, combined with the embedded memories, was immensely valuable.
"Old man, you managed to trade for so much!" Tsunade exclaimed, utterly astonished by the staggering total of 33 million points—an equivalent cash value exceeding half a billion Ryo.
"I earned the title 'Professor of Ninjutsu' in my youth for a reason, Tsunade," Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled, flicking ash from his pipe with a renewed vigor. "There are countless jutsus I know in theory but have never mastered, and many more I can no longer utilize in my current, aging state. If they are to simply fade from my memory, I might as well exchange them for greater power."
He had been strategic, of course. He hadn't sold his entire library. He had carefully selected the memories of jutsus created by the Nidaime and Shodaime Hokage that he had long struggled to fully integrate, ensuring the sale would not fundamentally diminish the ninjutsu he could execute at his peak.
"The rules stipulate that one must acquire two hundred Tier One Jars to become a proper member, correct?" Shen Mo asked, a slight impatience creeping into his tone. He wanted the formality concluded.
"Indeed. We must abide by the Merchant Guild's standards," Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed, nodding impatiently. "Very well. Let us begin with two hundred Tier One Talent Series Jars."
"Then the transaction is complete."
Shen Mo, with a flourish, summoned the two hundred Jars, which materialized instantly, shimmering softly before the stunned onlookers. This time, the prize pool consisted of the highly customized Talent Jars, ensuring the rewards were compatible with the Scholar's path.
Since Shen Mo had automated the prize pool, he had not personally reviewed the rewards list, leaving the outcome to the randomized fate he had engineered.
"Tier One Jars are typically of limited use to shinobi of our caliber," Hiruzen Sarutobi explained to the core Konoha Jonin, waving a dismissive hand. "However, Lord Shen Mo has explained that one must purchase two hundred of these to attain membership status, which qualifies us to acquire the more potent Tier Two Jars..."
Shen Mo nodded quietly, appreciating the Hokage's help in establishing the mandatory 'grind' required to access higher-tier loot.
Hiruzen Sarutobi reached for the first Jar. He opened it carefully.
Inside, once again, was a single piece of paper, but this one was noticeably different from the rough Talent Scroll: it was thinner, more refined, and crisp.
"This is an Assessment Exam Paper," Shen Mo explained. "It's a frequent reward in the Skill Jar series. Unlike the consumable Scroll you previously used, the skill contained within this paper will be transferred to your body based on the competency of your written response. Since you have yet to acquire a permanent Job Change item for the Scholar's path, this will be a one-time consumable skill boost."
The Naruto world lacked the conceptual framework of "Talent," but this mechanic was necessary to establish the foundation of the Scholar's power. It also served to prevent an unbalancing, overwhelmingly powerful, one-time boost.
"It still involves writing?" Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed quite confident.
He took the brush and wrote the character for 火 (Fire) once more.
This time, the paper did not ignite. It dissolved into a warm beam of light that flowed directly into Sarutobi's body, bringing with it a strange, fleeting sense of conceptual understanding—an emotion he immediately recognized as controlled warmth.
"Fire," Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed, and a flame, significantly smaller than the previous one, flickered into existence before him. It dropped onto the grass and quickly faded into a wispy, contained heat source.
The surrounding Jonin exchanged awkward glances. A Tier One reward is this weak?
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, looking at Shen Mo.
"Is that the full extent of the acquired skill?" Shen Mo shook his head, looking faintly disappointed. "You have absorbed less than half of the conceptual skill contained in that assessment, and that was only a Tier One paper."
"Less than half?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's jaw dropped.
"First, this assessment is not limited to a single character," Shen Mo elaborated. "You may write as much as you deem necessary. If the paper has no specific questions, your Will and calligraphy are being assessed. If it contains questions, the quality of your answer determines the skill absorption. The questions typically draw from Sages' Knowledge from other worlds; acquiring enough Jars will eventually provide the necessary answers."
Sarutobi and the others listened with rapt attention.
"The Talent Jar differs fundamentally from other Jars," Shen Mo concluded. "It revolves around the concept of 'talent.' Therefore, those with inherent genius will gain exponentially greater rewards from the same item. If you lack the innate talent, you must strive to become talented."
"I see," Sarutobi murmured, comprehending the difference between this and the simple, direct power boosts gained by Tsunade and Sasuke. "This is indeed a much more demanding path."
"While it presents greater difficulty, the potential rewards for intellectual and spiritual cultivation are vast," Shen Mo countered with an encouraging smile. "The ultimate success rests entirely upon your efforts."
The answer he extracted from Sarutobi's mind was clear: "It's about intellectual effort."
"This series is absolutely perfect for me," Hiruzen Sarutobi declared with a confident smile, his eyes sparkling with the joy of a scholar facing an impossible problem.
He continued to open the Jars. The second Jar also contained an Assessment Exam Paper, but this one included a question:
A great Sage once spoke: Great virtue knows no bounds; great talent matures late.Question: What is the meaning of the final two sentences in this complete maxim? How should they be interpreted in the context of enduring power?
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused, his face blank with confusion. "(｀?д?′)"
"Hahahaha!" Shen Mo couldn't help but laugh at the Hokage's surprised expression. "That is a line from the Tao Te Ching, a work by the Sage Lao Tzu. The two sentences that conclude the full maxim are: 'The greatest sound is silent; the greatest form is formless.' The Sage used this to advocate for the aesthetics of natural law. I recommend you try writing that interpretation."
"You know this Sage's knowledge?" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Shen Mo with renewed awe.
"I merely possess minor background knowledge," Shen Mo claimed, avoiding the admission that he simply accessed the answer key.
Sarutobi sighed, then meticulously transcribed the Merchant's suggested answer onto the exam paper.
A beam of light, ten times brighter than the first, flooded into his body.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face instantly glowed with exhilaration. The absorbed power was ten times more potent, and he could feel this invigorating energy nurturing his aging body, pushing back the physical decay that had plagued him for years.