Under the pressure of the dragon's might, time itself seemed to slow—but really, it was just their thoughts that froze.
None of the ANBU had ever felt such an agonizingly long moment.
They were about to be swallowed by fear itself.
Takuya stood calmly, hands behind his back. Hime, perched on his shoulder, curled into a ball, clearly uncomfortable.
Then suddenly—
He looked up, as if sensing something from afar.
At that very moment—
Sarutobi Hiruzen, in the Hokage's office, shot to his feet. Every muscle in his body tensed. In the crystal ball he was using for his Telescope Jutsu, there were those golden eyes—and they were the only thing left in the world.
Now he understood why the ANBU had dropped to their knees.
It was more terrifying than the Nine-Tails… no!
Even more overwhelming than Hashirama at full power!
Crack!
The crystal ball began to fracture under the spiritual pressure.
Until finally, the image vanished.
Only then did the crushing weight fade.
But its mark remained burned into Sarutobi's soul.
He knew he would never forget those eyes.
What was that?
A dōjutsu?
No, it was just raw power—power that defied comprehension.
Breathing heavily, Sarutobi realized the obvious: allowing Danzo's squad to move tonight had been a colossal mistake.
That merchant…
He stared solemnly into the distance, then gave a low command:
"Call Danzo."
"Yes, sir!"
A shadow blurred away into the night.
Back in the alley—
Only after the oppressive sensation faded did Takuya slowly lower his gaze.
So that one-minute Dragon's Might cost nearly 100,000 transaction points, huh? But unexpectedly useful.
The one watching him must've been the Third Hokage himself.
Looking over the ANBU and Sasuke, Takuya began dialing the power down—now only at one-tenth strength, about 10,000 points per minute.
Even that...
Was enough to keep the ANBU groveling, too terrified to move.
That's what Dragon's Might did. It didn't just threaten you—it branded fear into your soul.
There was no running.
You couldn't even move.
Even your will to resist was stripped away.
Right now, Takuya's presence overwhelmed everything else in their minds.
Only Sasuke, who was caught in the edge of the blast, managed to slowly, shakily rise.
His gaze locked on the man before him, equal parts terrified… and awestruck.
This kind of existence… this kind of strength!
He could defeat that man.
He would.
Sasuke screamed in his heart.
Takuya didn't even look at them anymore.
Instead, he turned and smiled warmly—looking toward a figure walking over. With a casual wave, as if brushing away dust, all the ANBU were flung aside like rag dolls into the nearby alley.
Handa had returned.
With everything he owned.
"Mr. Takuya." Handa approached sheepishly, seeing Takuya still outside the shop.
"It's fine," Takuya replied, smiling gently. "Waiting a bit is part of doing business."
"You're too kind." Handa was touched.
After all, it was the middle of the night—and this guy had been waiting just for him.
Only Sasuke's face twitched slightly.
Kind?
After feeling that oppressive aura… Sasuke now knew what kind of monster he was dealing with.
He wasn't even sure this man was human.
If not for the hatred fueling him...
Just standing next to Takuya right now was enough to make Sasuke tremble.
"It's nothing," Takuya said, waving it off. He gestured for Handa to sit back inside. "So, how many sets would you like to buy?"
Tonight's visit to Konoha—especially that fight—had cost Takuya a lot.
Though expected, he hoped to recoup some of it.
"Mr. Takuya, this is my life's savings." Handa handed over a small chest without hesitation. "Twelve million yen in total. I'd like to buy twelve more sets of Level 1 jars, and one Level 2 set."
Twelve million?
Takuya's eyes lit up.
Not bad—that came out to over 600,000 transaction points.
Despite how long the fight looked, Dragon's Might had only lasted two or three minutes. In the end, he'd turned a small profit.
"That's more than enough." Takuya gave a rare hint. "Did you know the chef who first became a Gourmet Hunter started with even less than you?"
"I'm guessing… he expanded his food business?" Handa chuckled. "For a chef, that's the only way to earn money."
Even if there were other options, a true chef would never waste time on them.
"That's part of it. But not all." Takuya gave him a mysterious smile. "With me, you can even trade food directly."
Handa's eyes lit up.
Even though he had just emptied his wallet, he knew this was just the beginning.
Level 2 jars held rarer ingredients, better recipes—maybe even more advanced jars in the future.
He'd seen the path to gourmet glory, and his heart itched for it.
But the money wasn't enough.
"Anything valuable can be traded," Takuya explained. "For a chef, that means your dishes. As long as your skills grow, as long as you can make exquisite meals or create recipes with true worth, I'll accept them in exchange for jars. And don't worry about pricing—our exchange rates are honest and fair."
The system measured value.
Money itself wasn't a fixed constant.
If inflation spiked from overprinting, the exchange rate would shift.
So Takuya never relied solely on money.
The rich merchants and nobles weren't going anywhere—but creators of value? The sooner they matured, the better. Whether it was through food, ninjutsu, or just hustling for cash, they'd all eventually convert into transaction points.
It was a feedback loop.
In other words—
The entire world's elites… would work for him.
Takuya chuckled internally.
On the surface, his face stayed perfectly calm.