After a grueling 40-minute preliminary round, Kakuzu had sifted through 500 women to select 20 candidates. Then, after careful consideration, he chose the one he deemed the best in all aspects.
"It's decided! You're the one!"
Kakuzu walked up to his chosen candidate and slapped down a stack of money...
…
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the night market.
Just when everything was going smoothly for Kakuzu, a handsome guy had found himself stuck in a frustrating loop.
It was none other than Itachi.
Itachi, who had dedicated himself to being a double agent, poured all his hopes into his younger brother, Sasuke. This singular focus had left him emotionally stunted.
Even his childhood love, Izumi, had been killed by his own hand.
As a result, he had grown reluctant to open up about himself, sealing away his true emotions deep within. To outsiders, he appeared detached and cold.
Now, tasked with finding the most beautiful woman and bringing her to Rose Street, Itachi faced what was, for him, the most challenging step of all… starting a conversation.
Upon arriving at the night market, luck seemed to smile on him. He quickly spotted a white-haired woman in a pristine white kimono. Her fair skin and delicate beauty immediately caught his attention. But what truly drew him in was her purity.
Her eyes, which are windows to the soul, were extraordinarily clear. They're untouched by the harshness of the world, brimming with an innocent vibrancy like a little white rabbit.
No amount of pretense could escape Itachi's sharp perception. Even without activating his Sharingan, his observational skills were far beyond the norm.
It's a pity that Itachi doesn't know how to strike up a conversation, so he can only follow the woman silently.
He has to first make sure he doesn't lose her, and then think of a way to strike up a conversation.
For half an hour, Itachi tailed the woman, and his admiration for her innocence only deepened. Her every expression, every movement was untainted, so pure that Itachi began to think she belonged more to the heavens than the earth.
However, in the past ten minutes, the woman had started frowning more frequently. Though they were strangers, Itachi couldn't help but want to ease her worries.
The tension came to a head when the woman abruptly stopped, turned to face him, and demanded: "Why are you following me? Are you a bad person?"
"I'm not a bad person."
Itachi didn't expect that the woman's concern was about him, so he subconsciously answered.
"But I heard that stalkers are bad people. And bad people never admit they're bad. Either way, please stop following me."
The white-haired woman spoke earnestly.
After saying that, the white-haired woman turned and left.
Hearing this, Itachi felt that the white-haired girl was too naive. After all, the girl was about eighteen years old, so how could she remain so innocent.
'What kind of sheltered life had she led to grow up like this?'
Before Itachi could figure it out, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
The newcomer stood nearly two meters tall and radiated an intimidating aura. Resembling a massive bear, he growled, "Kid, I suggest you stop while you're ahead. Whatever your reason, stop following Yukihime."
Seeing this, Itachi finally realized that someone was protecting the white-haired woman.
Observing the man's timing, it became clear to Itachi that Yukihime likely had no idea she was being guarded.
Seeing this, her obliviousness now made perfect sense to Itachi. Overprotection had turned her into a delicate flower, sheltered from the world's harsh realities.
However, this realization also solidified Itachi's resolve. Yukihime was as pure as she seemed, and he became even more convinced that taking her to Rose Street would guarantee his victory.
"Yukihime, I won't give up!"
Itachi said indifferently, sidestepping the bear-like man to pursue her once again.
"Brat, you're asking for it!" The man roared.
The bear-like man swung his massive hand, ready to flatten Itachi into a pulp.
Itachi, like everyone else, abides by the rules of the game and wouldn't actively stir up trouble. However, if someone causes trouble for him, he had no reason to hold back.
"Hmph!"
Itachi let out a cold snort, and his dark pupils instantly turned scarlet. The three tomoe quickly spun in his eyes, and the bear-like man froze in place.
"Sh- Sharingan!? Wait, don't leave… I can take you to meet Yukihime!" The bear-like man stammered, his tone shifting from hostility to surprise, and even to excitement.
"You can?"
Itachi, who had been planning to continue trailing Yukihime and strategizing his approach, paused mid-step at the man's words.
The bear-like man explained: "Yukihime became what she is now because she was affected by a Genjutsu."
"Explain clearly." Itachi frowned.
The bear-like man sighed and elaborated, "Yukihime is the daughter of a Daimyo from the Land of Snow. When she was eight, a Shinobi sent by a rival Daimyo cast a Genjutsu on her during a political conflict. Her intellect has remained frozen at that age ever since. Feeling guilty, her father searched for renowned healers but to no avail. As a result, he decided to let her travel and experience the world, hoping she could at least find some happiness in life. We, her guards, protect her in secret while continuing to search for a cure."
"But what does this have to do with the Sharingan?" Itachi asked, still puzzled.
The bear-like man explained, "Everyone knows that the Sharingan is a Kekkei Genkai which is very powerful in Genjutsu. The Daimyo once sought help from an Uchiha Clan's member, but that person only had a two-tomoe Sharingan, which wasn't powerful enough to break the Genjutsu. According to that person, at least a three-tomoe Sharingan is needed. Unfortunately, that Uchiha disappeared after leaving the Daimyo's mansion. Later, we heard about the Uchiha Clan's destruction and abandoned the lead altogether."
"To meet you today... It's like fate. From your abilities, I can guess you're Uchiha Itachi, the one said to have destroyed the Uchiha Clan. I don't care about your reputation or crimes… As long as you can help Yukihime, the Daimyo will reward you handsomely. He might not be able to clear your name, but wealth will be no issue."
"I can't guarantee I'll heal her, nor do I care for money. But if you can convince Yukihime to accompany me to a certain place, I'll try to help her." As Itachi said this, he freed the bear-like man from his immobilization.
For Itachi, completing the game was the priority. Everything else was secondary.
The bear-like man nodded and said, "Alright. I have the authority to agree to your terms. Please wait here for a moment, I'll fetch Yukihime."
In his opinion, since Itachi could easily immobilize him, Itachi's Genjutsu must be extremely amazing, so he must be able to deal with Yukihime's problem.
Moreover, Itachi was able to wipe out the Uchiha Clan, and the bear-like man believed that he was no match for Itachi. Even if he called all his companions, it would be impossible for them to protect Yukihime.
So, it would be better to agree to Itachi's request and make friends with him, so there won't be so much trouble.
Not long after, the bear-like man returned with Yukihime in tow. Yukihime grabbed the corner of the bear-like man's clothes and said timidly, "Uncle Shiro, that guy is a stalker and a bad person. I don't want to go with him."
The bear-like man gently reassured her, "Yukihime-sama, he's not a bad person or a stalker. He's a new doctor we've hired. He was only following you to observe and understand your condition. He meant no harm."
"Is that so?"
When Yukihime turned to Itachi again, her face turned red and she apologized, "I'm sorry! I didn't know you were a doctor. It was my mistake earlier… please forgive me."
"Uh… It's fine," Itachi replied, utterly at a loss for words.
In a single sentence, the bear-like man had completely flipped Yukihime's opinion. She now felt apologetic without the slightest suspicion.