Nonsense

Still, the shopkeeper had a business to run, and Takizawa Dan understood that.

Besides, he was buying the man's goods, not picking a fight with him. At the end of the day, what mattered most was that the merchandise was good.

And although the shopkeeper was a bit of a smooth talker, he did have a point: provided the scrolls were made to the proper standards, letting them sit for a few years would make their effects more stable.

It was like cigars or wine. They needed time to age after being made; using them right away would make them taste sharp or feel harsh on the throat.

Thinking it over, Takizawa Dan quietly swallowed his complaints and began examining the scrolls on the table.

Just as the shopkeeper had said, there were four scrolls, each of a different type.

Takizawa Dan glanced over them and was immediately surprised.

One of them really was an A-rank scroll: "Wind Style: Great Tornado"!

Just as its name suggested, "Wind Style: Great Tornado" could create a massive tornado in the air. It was incredibly powerful, capable of destroying houses in its path or uprooting trees!

If it hit a person, there was only one possible outcome: they would be blown to pieces on the spot, with no chance of survival.

To compare it to another technique, it was similar in type to "Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique," except it was even more destructive and much faster to unleash. After all, air was everywhere, and all it took was making it move quickly to create wind. Waterfalls, on the other hand, weren't found just anywhere.

Looking at the scroll, Takizawa Dan smiled with satisfaction. He had already decided to add it to his collection.

He inspected the other three scrolls as well. One could make its user invisible for thirty minutes, which was pretty good and could come in handy at a critical moment.

The remaining two were rather ordinary. In fact, they were duplicates of some of the six scrolls he already owned.

It seemed the process for making these scrolls was much the same, and perhaps the same few people made them all.

Still, more was better. Since Takizawa Dan planned to stock up on scrolls, he might as well get a few more.

Besides, there was plenty of room in his ninja pouch to store them.

Takizawa Dan nodded to Tsunade. "Sister Tsunade, I've checked them. They're fine. I'll take them all."

"Mm." Tsunade smiled and nodded, then turned to the shopkeeper. "You heard him. We'll take them all. Wrap them up and work out the price."

"Certainly! I'll calculate it right away."

The shopkeeper was overjoyed. He quickly motioned for his wife to wrap the scrolls, then started calculating their price.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime deal. If he landed it, he wouldn't have to worry about making ends meet for a while.

A moment later, the shopkeeper showed the price he'd calculated to Tsunade and Takizawa Dan.

"Please, take a look. That'll be 3,200 sen in total!"

The shopkeeper said with a beaming smile.

"What! 3,200 sen? You've got to be joking!"

Takizawa Dan blurted out.

He wasn't trying to haggle or get out of paying. The price the shopkeeper had quoted really was outrageous!

In Konoha, a Chunin earned only about 1,000 sen a month!

And 1,000 sen was enough for a Chunin to support a family, with some left over to live comfortably!

Money went a long way in the ninja world!

Those 3,200 sen were probably more than an elite Jonin earned in a month. Only Tsunade's salary could likely compare.

"All right, I understand. I'll have someone bring the money in a couple of days."

Tsunade nodded and started to take the goods from the shopkeeper's wife.

"Um... Lord Hokage, please wait a moment. It's not that I doubt your word, but you see... our shop is very small, and we've never allowed customers to buy on credit..."

The shopkeeper's face changed, and he hurriedly stopped her.

"I'm the Hokage. Can't you make an exception just this once?"

Tsunade's expression immediately soured, and she spoke with displeasure.

What a nerve this ninja had, refusing her to her face after she'd come all this way with her student to buy something!

"Ahem... It's mainly because everyone in the village knows your usual habits, Lady Tsunade." The shopkeeper scratched his head, looking awkward. "To be honest, your name is on the blacklist of every small shop in Konoha. You can pay on the spot, of course, but we can't let you buy on credit..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Tsunade understood why.

In short, her reputation as a gambler was so infamous that the higher-ups had started paying her wages daily to keep her spending under control and make sure she didn't starve to death.

Even so, she still went to the casino to gamble twice a day. Given all that, how could she possibly pay off a debt?

In fact, she really was out of money today. Otherwise, why would she have asked to buy on credit?

"Sister Tsunade, never mind. Let's go back and ask the higher-ups for an advance, then come back with cash. Besides, if we leave the scrolls here, no one's going to take them."

Takizawa Dan noticed the atmosphere growing tense and hurriedly leaned close to Tsunade's ear to persuade her.

Honestly, he hadn't expected this to turn into such a hassle.

And the shopkeeper was incredibly short-sighted. He'd offended Tsunade just to hold on to this little bit of money. A man like that wouldn't stay in business for long.

With Takizawa Dan stepping in to smooth things over, Tsunade's expression finally softened a little.

She looked the shopkeeper in the eye, then turned and left.

Takizawa Dan shook his head and followed Tsunade out, with the shopkeeper and his wife watching awkwardly.

Outside the shop.

"That shopkeeper was completely out of line. If I ever find something I can use against him, I'll make him regret it!"

Tsunade planted her hands on her hips, clearly furious.

After all, countless people called her a princess and showered her with praise. When had she ever been treated so rudely in some run-down little shop?

"All right, Lady Tsunade. He was out of line, but he didn't actually do anything wrong. Not letting people buy on credit is his principle, so let's respect that."

Takizawa Dan hurried to placate her.

"Ah, forget it. The more I think about it, the angrier I get!" Tsunade shook her head. "Come on, Takizawa Dan. Let's go ask the higher-ups for an advance on my salary!"