Seeing the three Iwa ninjas dead, the caravan leader's legs had long since turned to jelly from fright. He quickly pulled out a bag of gold coins and handed it to Guren.
"My lady, this is my protection fee. Please be lenient and let us pass."
Guren took the gold coins, weighing them in her fingertips. The crisp clinking of metal made a hint of satisfaction flash in her eyes.
She waved her hand, her expression arrogant and cold. "Consider yourself sensible. Next time, pay proactively, to save me the trouble of acting."
Seeing this, the other caravan leaders no longer dared to hesitate. They all took out their gold coins, vying to hand them to Guren's subordinates.
For a time, the trade route was filled with the fawning voices of merchants.
Meanwhile, Guren's subordinates were busy counting the money, their faces beaming with petty triumph.
"Big sister, there are still six people over there. They don't look like a caravan. Should we go collect a fee?"
Nurari sidled up to Guren, pointing to Itachi and Shisui, among others, not far away, greed shining in his eyes.
He was about to step forward, but Guren sharply called out, "Nurari, come back. They are not weak, don't cause trouble."
Nurari paused, and though somewhat unwilling, he sullenly retreated.
Itachi saw all of this, and his eyes grew brighter.
Not only did Guren possess the rare Crystal Release Kekkei Genkai, but her appearance was vibrant, and her demeanor was cold, alluring, and strong. His father, Shun, would definitely like her.
He suppressed the excitement in his heart and whispered, "Shisui, did you see that? That woman can use Crystal Release. Her demeanor is proud, and she's beautiful. This is exactly the person I'm looking for."
His voice couldn't hide his excitement, and his gaze was fixed on Guren.
Guren seemed to sense this burning gaze. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she instinctively looked towards the trees.
Shisui's eyes were filled with approval as he said, "She is indeed a rare talent. Her Crystal Release is powerful, and her appearance and demeanor are worthy of Shun-sama. It's just that she engages in highway robbery. I wonder about her character."
Itachi pointed to the caravan, his fingers touching the Kunai at his waist and said, "She didn't kill innocent people, did she? Her character can't be too bad. Moreover, her strength is formidable, yet she only collects protection fees here. She must have difficulties. As long as we show her our power and offer her benefits, she'll surely come with us."
After speaking, he activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and swiftly rushed forward, his black trench coat billowing in the wind.
With the explosive popularity of the movie "The Legend of Madara and Hashirama," the Uchiha's Sharingan had long become a well-known symbol throughout the Ninja World.
Seeing Itachi charging towards her, Guren assumed a defensive stance and asked, "Uchiha, why are you pursuing me?"
Itachi stood at a distance and drew eight Kunais. "I want to spar with you and test your strength. If you lose, then please come with us. I will present you to my father, Shun."
"Shun?"
Guren's heart trembled. She had long heard rumors about the Daimyo of the Land of Water.
Rumor had it that he was the strongest in the Ninja World, having single-handedly challenged the three great Ninja Villages of Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure.
He had nine consorts by his side and was entangled with several female secretaries, his reputation for lechery widespread. Furthermore, before becoming the Daimyo, he was one of the top wealthiest individuals in the Ninja World.
However, having grown up in a chaotic world, she never thought of relying on others.
"Then go ahead and try."
Itachi quickly retreated backward, creating distance, and with a flick of his wrist, eight Kunai flew towards Guren.
The Kunai collided in mid-air, changing direction with the force, instantly transforming into eight streaks of cold light that shot towards Guren from eight different angles, sealing off all her escape routes.
Crystal Release: Crimson Fruit!
Guren quickly formed hand seals, and a pale red Chakra erupted around her.
In an instant, crystals surged from beneath her feet, rapidly solidifying into a giant rhomboid crystal that firmly enveloped her.
Clang... Clang... Clang...
The Kunai struck the crystal, making crisp sounds, but failed to leave even a single scratch.
"As expected, you have some skill." A hint of admiration flashed in Itachi's eyes, but he did not stop.
Guren emerged from the crystal, her eyes filled with solemnity.
She knew that the Uchiha's Sharingan excelled at observation, and she absolutely could not give her opponent a chance to find a weakness.
Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Mirror!
Jade Crystal Clone Jutsu!
A flash of light appeared in the crystal mirror, and six clones identical to Guren emerged from it, surrounding Itachi.
The surrounding merchants and Guren's subordinates, seeing this, all retreated backward, fearing to be caught in the battle.
Nurari and the others watched the scene nervously, their hands tightly gripping their weapons, ready to provide support at any moment.
Guren's clones coordinated perfectly. Six clones attacked simultaneously, their crystal short blades cutting through the air with sharp whooshes, stabbing at Itachi from different directions.
Itachi, however, remained completely unfazed. His Sharingan spun rapidly, taking in the movements of all the clones.
He lightly tapped his feet, leaping into the air, then threw six shuriken, destroying the six clones.
A fierce glint flashed in Guren's eyes, and she formed hand seals.
Crystal: Hexagonal Shuriken: Wild Dance!
Countless hexagonal crystal shuriken materialized in the air, raining down on Itachi like a storm.
Crow Clone Jutsu!
A red light flashed in Itachi's eyes, and his body instantly transformed into more than a dozen black crows, scattering and flying away.
The cries of the crows echoed in the air.
"Caw... Caw... Caw..."
The crystal shuriken missed, embedding themselves in the ground and kicking up a shower of gravel.
Immediately after, Itachi's voice sounded from the flock of crows. "Clone Great Explosion!"
The more than a dozen crows suddenly changed direction, rushing towards Guren and her Clones.
Boom... Boom... Boom...
Violent explosions rang out one after another, and smoke and dust filled the entire trade route, enveloping Guren's figure.
"You think you can defeat me like that?"
In the smoke and dust, Guren was surrounded by a large amount of red crystal, so she didn't suffer any damage.
She quickly formed hand seals, her Chakra erupting to its maximum.
Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Labyrinth Jutsu!
Pale green crystals surged from the ground, rapidly spreading upwards, and in the blink of an eye, formed a giant red crystal labyrinth that encompassed the entire trade route.
The labyrinth walls were smooth and hard, without a single crack, clearly intended to trap Itachi completely inside.
Guren gasped for breath, her heart filled with vigilance.
But the next second, Itachi's voice sounded from a distance. "That's enough. You've already lost."
Guren spun around abruptly, only to see Itachi standing in place, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan still glowing in his eyes.
"How is this possible?" Guren's face was filled with disbelief.
Itachi put away his Kunai, his expression calm. "When I pursued you, I secretly used my Sharingan to place you under genjutsu. The battle just now was merely your illusion."
"I don't believe it." Guren gritted her teeth, about to form hand seals again.