Seeing Aoko with tears glistening in her eyes was enough to melt the male audience's hearts.
Not only that, there were also women who had just participated in the contest among the audience members. Although they were unwilling to accept their loss to Aoko, they also hoped that Aoko would win again.
After all, if Aoko could win against all these top-tier women, it would be easier for them to accept their defeat.
"As the champion of the first beauty pageant, I have great confidence in Aoko. I ask everyone to cast your votes for her."
Kakuzu said, stepping forward.
The crowd glanced at him, puzzled. They knew Kakuzu had financed the contest, but what difference could his endorsement make?
After all, his intimidating appearance and grim demeanor hardly inspired support.
If it weren't for the money, who would care about this ugly uncle?
Swish, swish, swish!
At this moment, without warning, Kakuzu flung a bundle of money into the air. The paper bills cascaded like flower petals into the audience.
"Please, cast your votes for Aoko. Consider this a small token of appreciation." He declared, his tone matter-of-fact.
The once-silent crowd erupted immediately into cheers.
Money talks, and for ordinary folk, it shouted loudest of all.
Aoko is extremely beautiful to begin with, and with Kakuzu's extravagant bribe, she immediately attracted a lot of enthusiastic support from the audience, and they all decided to vote for Aoko.
Following this, Aoko sang a delicate tune, further enchanting the crowd. Satisfied, Kakuzu descended the stage.
As always, for him, money was important, but securing victory was even more important.
As soon as he got off the stage, Kisame stormed toward him, "Kakuzu, how could you bribe the audience? That's unfair!"
"Oh? Feeling nervous?"
Kakuzu retorted coldly, "If I recall, you were the first to cheat using Water Release Ninjutsu, and didn't Hidan's contestant promise free drinks at the tavern? I'm merely following your example."
…
"Naruto-kun, what do you think?"
Itachi's question broke the momentary silence.
He was secretly relieved he hadn't gone first. The first three contestants had all bent the rules in some way.
Right now, if Naruto disqualified them outright, Itachi could win without even competing.
Naruto pondered for a moment before replying, "Helping your partner is commendable. Besides, the rules didn't explicitly prohibit aiding them. Ultimately, it's the audience's vote that decides the most beautiful, and they'll make their true choice after considering everything. Let's keep the game going."
After saying that, Naruto stepped aside.
On the surface, he appeared calm, but inwardly, he was in turmoil.
Not because he disapproved of their tactics, but because he hadn't anticipated everyone to be so cunning.
After all, the law does not punish everyone, so he couldn't just deny everyone. Moreover, it wasn't a major issue, as it was just a friendly contest and the main goal was for everyone to have fun.
But now, he needed a strategy of his own. After all, if he didn't come up with something eye-catching, he'd risk losing by a wide margin, which would be humiliating.
Recalling reality show competitions from his past life, Naruto began brainstorming ideas.
Meanwhile, Aoko's performance ended, and her song left the audience mesmerized.
Seeing that the audience was in a good mood after receiving the money, the plump shop owner finally dared step back onto the stage and announce, "Thank you, Aoko, for that heavenly melody! Let's give her another round of applause, and let's not forget to thank our generous patron!"
"Woohoo!"
"Thank you, boss!"
"You're amazing!"
Since the audience got the money, they naturally wouldn't be stingy with their applause.
"Alright! Now, let's welcome contestant number four!"
After said that, the plump shop owner stepped down from the main stage, leaving the spotlight empty.
"Huh? Why isn't anyone coming up?"
"Where is the contestant?"
As the audience grew restless, snowflakes began drifting down from the sky.
"Snow? Is this… snow?"
The audience marveled at the delicate flakes landing on their faces.
Snow might be common elsewhere, but in the Land of Hot Water, which is known for its perpetual springtime, it was a rare sight… especially in the middle of summer.
This sudden surprise filled the crowd with delight.
"Tsk, that Itachi…!"
Kakuzu snorted.
From his perspective, there was no snow… Clearly, Itachi had used Genjutsu to manipulate the audience's senses.
Tap, tap, tap!
The rhythmic sound of wooden clogs echoed.
The audience turned to see a woman in a white kimono with long, flowing white hair step onto the snow-covered stage.
Her grayish-blue eyes didn't meet the crowd. Instead, she gazed softly upward at the falling snow, her breath forming visible clouds in the chilly air.
From the daughter of the sea to the daughter of snow… Kisame and Itachi proved to be a perfectly synchronized duo.
But the audience cared little for the backstage arrangements. All they could focus on was Yukihime's delicate face, reddened by the cold, and her trembling frame.
"Put on more clothes! Don't catch a cold."
The softer-hearted women in the audience and the protective instincts of the men were stirred, making them momentarily forget that they were also standing in the snow. The reason for their lack of discomfort escaped their notice.
Yukihime, however, did not falter. She began a graceful dance on the snowy stage. The fluttering snowflakes and her movements painted a mesmerizing tableau.
When the performance ended, she froze in a final pose, her outstretched hand still in mid-air.
Her complexion had turned deathly pale from the simulated cold, her body resembling a nearly frozen sculpture.
"No!"
Some audience members couldn't help but rush forward to rescue her.
Just then, the sky erupted with a loud crack.
The snowflakes ceased falling, replaced by tiny sparks of flame that coalesced into fiery butterflies.
The butterflies flitted down to Yukihime, melting the frost from her skin and the snow from the stage.
Gradually, her pallor gave way to a healthy glow. The fiery butterflies even flitted through the audience, gently brushing away any lingering snowflakes before vanishing into the air.
Yukihime returned her outstretched hand to her stomach and bowed deeply, marking the end of her performance.
It was not until Yukihime had left the stage for a while that the audience came to their senses and an eruption of applause filled the hall.
It was perfect… an awe-inspiring interplay of ice and fire.
The breathtaking experience of fire and ice captivated the audience, leaving them profoundly moved. It was an indescribable sensation, one they felt they would treasure for the rest of their lives.
Everything felt surreal, almost like a dream.
And indeed, it was, after all, it was all Itachi's Genjutsu.
But that didn't matter.
For the average person, such a once-in-a-lifetime experience, etched into their memories, was more than enough.
From the surprising snowfall to the mesmerizing dance, the frozen Yukihime, and the fiery butterflies' dramatic rescue… everything was flawlessly executed, leaving the audience utterly satisfied.