Chapter 217 Final Round!

"Naruto-kun, I…"

Kisame stepped forward and wanted to explain clearly.

But before he could speak, Naruto waved his hand and said, "Alright, I don't care about the rest. Since this lady is here willingly, you didn't break the rules. Your conditions are met. Step aside and wait."

"Yes!"

Kisame pulled Nana's hand and stepped to the side.

Then, Naruto turned to Itachi and said, "It's your turn. Did you use any Genjutsu?"

"No." Itachi replied calmly.

"I'll give you one more chance… did you?" Naruto asked again with a frown.

His Observation Haki had clearly revealed that the white-haired woman beside Itachi wasn't in a normal state. She seemed dazed, almost broken, as though her mind had suffered severe trauma.

He didn't want Itachi to lie to him.

"No." Itachi answered firmly.

Naruto frowned and said, "You are my subordinate and even more so my servant, so I'm willing to trust you no matter the situation. But you need to explain this woman's condition. Why is she in such a state?"

"She…"

Before Itachi could respond, a towering man, nearly two meters tall and built like a bear, stepped out from the shadows. He explained in a deep voice, "I am Yukihime-sama's bodyguard. Yukihime-sama was already under the effects of a Genjutsu prior to this. Upon learning that the Sharingan could potentially cure her, I allowed her to follow Itachi-kun. There was no coercion involved."

The man's attitude toward Naruto was polite and respectful. To him, Naruto's ability to discern Yukihime's condition at a glance demonstrated his impressive mastery over spiritual matters. Furthermore, for someone like Itachi to willingly follow Naruto, it was clear that Naruto's strength was formidable.

"I see."

After listening to the bear-like man's explanation, Naruto showed enlightened expression, then waved his hand and said, "Alright, you're qualified. Step aside and wait."

"Yes!"

Itachi nodded and led Yukihime to stand beside Kisame. As for the bear-like man, he sensibly returned to the shadows, knowing better than to linger and draw attention.

"Now, it's your turn. Tell me about your situation."

Naruto turned his head and looked at Kakuzu.

Having seen the previous two cases, Naruto was starting to believe that none of his subordinates had coerced anyone. However, this only made him more curious about Kakuzu's case.

'How had this man, with a stitched-up face that was anything but appealing, managed to win over a woman who could be considered a goddess?'

'Could it be that this beautiful woman has a special fetish and only likes ugly guys?'

'Or is it that Kakuzu has lived for a long time and has a unique set of skills to seduce girls?'

If it is the latter, Naruto was certainly eager to learn.

Amid Naruto's growing curiosity, Kakuzu finally explained, "Naruto-kun, I organized a beauty pageant and offered a cash prize. This lady, Aoko, is the winner of that contest."

"Step aside."

Naruto waved his hand, completely speechless. He didn't even want to hear another word from Kakuzu.

'Damn… So he's is the power of money!'

Though Naruto hadn't experienced this himself, his previous life had exposed him to countless examples of this phenomenon.

Kakuzu's actions had proven a universal truth: It's all just a rich man's game.

'Indeed, the joys of the wealthy were beyond my imagination.'

Finally, Naruto stepped up to Hidan, giving him a long sniff before his expression turned cold, "You are disqualified."

"Why?"

Hidan protested, somewhat confused.

Naruto snorted, "Your body reeks of blood… ten or more distinct scents. What explanation could you possibly have?"

To Naruto, Hidan was a hopeless case, a dog that couldn't change its nature. He believed that Hidan had resorted to killing and likely intimidated an innocent woman into submission.

Hidan quickly recounted the entire incident in full detail.

"Ah, this…"

After hearing Hidan's explanation, Naruto was stunned.

Through his Observation Haki, Naruto could clearly sense Hidan's grievance, and not a single word he said was a lie.

'But, how could Hidan actually end up in this situation? It was like a soap opera gone wild.'

'First, he was tricked in a scam, forced to fight back and kill the villains, and then accidentally won the twisted affection of Hana, the mastermind behind it all. What kind of ridiculous drama was this? Not even TV shows would dare write such a script.'

"Whether in life or death, I belong to Hidan-sama. I willingly follow him. Please, don't make things difficult for him."

Hana pleaded.

"Fine, fine. Your team passes as well."

Naruto waved his hands helplessly.

Looking at the four teams in front of him, Naruto was filled with mixed emotions. He couldn't help but regret his decision.

Kisame represented justice, Itachi healed people, Kakuzu used money to make things happen, and Hidan turned the tables on evil with an unexpected twist.

Had he known things would turn out this entertaining, Naruto wouldn't have bothered with the autograph session.

After all, being able to witness the entire process of what these four people experienced with his own eyes is even more interesting than the game itself.

Compared to their impressive performances, Naruto's own approach, using cringy pickup lines and Transformation Technique to trick girls, was downright embarrassing.

Luckily, all four of them were his subordinates and hadn't asked about how he'd met the girls. Otherwise, it would've been mortifying.

Not that Naruto wanted to explain, but even if he did, the four didn't care to know. After all, from start to finish, their focus had been on a single goal. To them, women were fleeting distractions, and the only thing that mattered was winning the game.

Winning meant earning more favor in Naruto's eyes, which was the most important thing.

"Kakuzu, step forward." Naruto said.

Kakuzu stepped forward and asked in confusion: "What's the matter? Did I win?"

"Keep dreaming."

Naruto sighed in exasperation, "I've thought about it carefully. If we vote among ourselves, it wouldn't be fair. So I came up with a more equitable solution. Take us to the shop you rented, gather a hundred people, and have them vote. Whoever gets the most votes will be the winner. Think of it as the final round of a beauty pageant."

"That sounds fair."

Kakuzu agreed.

Before long, the group arrived at the shop Kakuzu had rented.

Thanks to Kakuzu's financial clout, the shop owner quickly organized a crowd of a hundred people for the beauty pageant's grand finale.

However, as the preparations were underway, an idea suddenly struck Naruto.

He called Kakuzu over and asked, "Kakuzu, I organized this game, but it ended up costing you a lot of money. Doesn't that bother you?"

"Not at all! It's an honor to work for you, Naruto-kun." Kakuzu quickly expressed his loyalty.

Naruto nodded in satisfaction and said, "Still, I can't let you lose out. I've thought of a way for you to not only recover your expenses but also make a huge profit."

"Oh? What's the plan?"

Kakuzu's interest was instantly piqued. Spending so much money had definitely stung, so he was eager for a chance to recoup it.