For the first time in his life, Handa felt more fired up than ever.
He had a clear goal now—
Make even better ramen, earn even more money, and buy even more jars!
Takuya placed down the jars Handa had purchased and watched as he nervously yet eagerly opened each one. At the same time, he mulled over the earlier conflict.
Those ANBU weren't very strong.
Probably just chunin level.
The squad leader, likely a former Root member, had elite chunin strength at best.
To intimidate that level, 100,000 transaction points' worth of Dragon's Might was more than enough. But if he faced jonin—or worse, kage-level opponents...
That would fall short.
Dragon's Might created an overwhelming aura, but people with strong wills, those determined to defy overwhelming power, could still fight under its pressure. In fact, that desperation might even push them beyond their limits.
At that point, handling them as "cheaply" as he had wouldn't work.
Takuya estimated:
To flatten the Third Hokage with style—no poisoning, curses, or sneaky kills—he'd need to burn through about 3 million transaction points in a single fight. And that was just disposable resources.
If he wanted permanent abilities...
Well, he had enough now to buy something like Professor X's mutant ability. The catch was, that only gave the potential. Reaching the peak would take at least a decade of development—unless he spent even more points to speed it up.
But if he did that, he might not have enough left to guarantee victory over Hiruzen plus all the elite jonin in the village.
"The invincible image must be preserved," Takuya decided. "The more obsessed the customers get, the more temptation I become. Only by maintaining the appearance of being invincible and mysterious can I avoid endless fights. Until my own strength truly grows, battle is just burning money."
So he set his minimum safety margin:
20 million transaction points.
That would be enough to fight even someone like Madara to a standstill, at least temporarily.
Points above that could go toward building real power.
Sigh...
"When will I have spare cash to buy an Ikaros..."
Takuya felt a little melancholy.
Then he turned to look at Sasuke.
Sasuke flinched.
That fear from earlier welled back up, heart pounding, limbs frozen.
"This young customer," Takuya said with a warm smile, "could it be… you're also interested in purchasing jars?"
He hadn't forgotten this main character with massive potential.
"..."
Sasuke swallowed hard.
But then he nodded firmly, fists clenched, voice low and serious:
"I want to become strong. I have someone I must kill."
The only reason he'd managed to stay here despite that overwhelming fear—
Was this desire.
Forget a bit of money—he'd give up anything.
"Wanting power, huh." Takuya sighed lightly. "That's the most common wish I've ever heard. A lot of people think strength can solve everything."
"Can you do it?" Sasuke pressed, staring desperately at this mysterious, powerful merchant.
Begging, mentally, for him not to say "no."
"Of course." Takuya looked amused. "Most of the time, I don't care why a customer wants to buy something. As long as they can pay the price, anyone can change their fate through me. So… how much are you willing to give up?"
It wasn't likely Sasuke had inherited all of the Uchiha clan's wealth.
But even just his parents' assets should be plenty.
And there could be more valuable things—ninjutsu, bloodline, maybe something else.
"I don't know the exact amount—I've never counted it. But it's a lot!" Sasuke exhaled in relief, speaking excitedly but still keeping his voice low. "It's at my house. Can you come with me? Besides money, I'm sure there are other things I can trade too!"
His parents had left behind a good amount.
He'd never really cared about it.
Honestly, he didn't even want to look at it—too many memories.
But now...
If he could use it to gain the power to avenge them, surely… they'd be glad.
"No problem at all." Takuya smiled at Sasuke's enthusiasm—he was curious now.
Maybe this last Uchiha really would surprise him.
Meanwhile...
Handa had started opening the Level 2 jars.
The second one? More edamame.
Just like before.
"Everything in Level 1 jars can also appear in Level 2." Takuya explained with a grin. "Just ten times the quantity, and sometimes better quality. But once you become a member, you can't buy Level 1 jars anymore. Those are just for initial exposure."
Every item inside the jars was carefully selected by Takuya based on value.
Sure, it just took a thought.
But Level 1 jars were basically peanuts. Mass production was a pain.
Handa didn't mind—in fact, he was relieved.
There were still tons of amazing, delicious ingredients in the Level 1 jars. It'd be a shame if they became unavailable.
"Here's your membership badge." Takuya handed it over. "Next time you want to buy jars, just use this to contact me. If I can't reply immediately, I'll get back to you as soon as I'm free."
"Thank you!" Handa clutched the badge tightly, eyes filled with gratitude. "Really… thank you. For giving me this chance."
If he hadn't met Takuya—
He might've spent his whole life never seeing the next level of culinary mastery.
For someone like Handa, whose belief in ramen bordered on religious, this was the greatest gift.
"Hope to see you again soon," Takuya replied cheerfully, pocketing the heartfelt thanks.
Sure, he made about four times his cost in profit.
But hey—if the customer feels happy and fulfilled, what's the harm?
You're happy, I'm happy.
That's real happiness.
After Handa left, Takuya stood under the dim streetlight and glanced at Sasuke beside him, a small smile tugging at his lips.
And in Sasuke's eyes—
That smile was pure, dangerous temptation.
Even though they hadn't started yet…
There was already a fanatical yearning burning in the depths of his gaze.