"Finally here..."
Gazing at the figure appearing in the room, Nara Shikamaru's expression eased slightly. This man was a powerhouse capable of contending with Otsutsuki Isshiki; dealing with Code, who had yet to unlock his limiter, should not be a problem.
"Huh?!" He suddenly noticed a claw mark appearing beside Code.
"Don't let him escape!" Nara Shikamaru hastily manipulated his Shadow Paralysis Jutsu, raising his right hand to pull Code's limbs out of the claw mark.
However, a slender, fair hand unexpectedly emerged from the claw mark, intertwining its fingers with Code's.
Seeing this hand, Naruto paused his actions. He was very curious about what the woman lurking in Kara's base, advising Code, was up to.
Just like that, Eida slowly walked out from Code's claw mark.
"Eida!!" Amado's voice trembled as he cried out her name in terror.
"Your reaction is truly dull." Eida pouted slightly.
Amado leaned against the wall, his legs trembling uncontrollably, as if he were about to collapse to the ground at any second.
Nara Shikamaru was utterly astonished seeing Amado's state. To be able to scare this man, who usually has such a strong heart, into this condition...
Shwoop!
Thinking this, a shadow shot out.
"My dear Mr. Shikamaru, why must you be so rude to a beautiful lady?" The moment Eida's voice fell, the Shadow Paralysis Jutsu halted in mid-path.
What's going on? Why can't I move?! Shikamaru felt a burning sensation spread through his brain.
Clack, clack, clack~
The crisp sound of high heels clicking on the floor echoed in the room.
Naruto stepped forward, blocking Eida's path. "Your ability is very interesting... manipulating people's hearts. If it weren't for my somewhat decent proficiency in Yin Release, perhaps I too would have been controlled by you." No wonder this woman hadn't been afraid of him when they last met; she clearly had absolute confidence in her abilities.
"I'm establishing a connection with you through the Mind Body Switch Technique. Just repeat what you want to say in your mind; don't speak it out loud. Who is that woman? What jutsu are we under? How do we deal with it?"
Seeing that the situation was amiss, Nara Shikamaru immediately requested Ino to establish a communication channel between himself and Amado.
"Her name is Eida. Her ability is 'Charm'. Theoretically speaking, we have all become her captives. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it's the truth," Amado hastily relayed the information he knew. "You and I are gradually becoming her puppets."
"What the hell?"
"Do you feel a headache, fever, dizziness, impaired judgment, extreme nervousness, muscle stiffness? These are all signs that you are beginning to be charmed," Amado's mental voice gradually became unclear.
"How do we solve it?" Shikamaru quickly asked, his own condition also deteriorating.
"I have no way. Even she herself cannot control this ability. This ability will accompany her for life, until she dies."
"Then why is he alright?" Nara Shikamaru looked at Naruto, who was conversing with Eida, a question in his mind.
"Her ability cannot capture the hearts of two types of people: one is the Otsutsuki clan, and the other is her own blood relatives." Amado swallowed hard, looking at the grayish-white figure.
So that's how it is... Naruto "intercepted" their encrypted conversation.
"I can give you more of what you want in exchange for Amado. How about it?" Eida, seeing her ability had no effect on the man before her, her eyes flickered as she negotiated.
Naruto glanced at Code, who had broken free from the Shadow Paralysis Jutsu, and said indifferently, "Alright."
"I'm more curious, do you have a grudge against Konoha?"
"No."
"Do you want to obtain the Chakra Fruit?" Naruto looked at Code and asked curiously.
"Not really. The Chakra Fruit and whatnot, that's just his personal desire," Eida said, twirling a strand of hair in front of her chest.
"Then I'm curious, why would you cooperate with him?" Naruto asked.
Eida fiddled with her fingertips, adopting the posture of a young girl in love, and said coyly, "Because I like Kawaki." As she spoke, she even shyly covered her face.
"This..." Naruto's mouth twitched slightly. It wasn't that he hadn't harbored suspicions, but for someone with this kind of power, any random reason would be better than this one. Moreover, according to Amado, her ability worked on both men and women. In other words, this woman, in all likelihood, wasn't joking. She was serious...
"Code will help me with this matter. In return, I will help him regain his power," Eida stated the reason for her cooperation with Code.
Code walked up to Amado, his claws plunging into Amado's shoulder.
"Ahh!!" Amado let out a bloodcurdling scream.
"This is where the nerves are most concentrated. It should be very painful, right?" Code inquired. "Help me remove the limiter, and you won't have to suffer such pain."
"Um... I also count as Kawaki's teacher. How about this: I support you in pursuing a relationship with him, and you come to Konoha?" Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose. This was the first time he had encountered such an absurd battle.
"Eh? Is that really alright?" Eida was somewhat astonished. "But I'm a remnant of Kara. Will Konoha welcome me?"
"Although I'm not from Konoha, I think I can still make this decision," Naruto said, looking towards Shikamaru.
"If you are willing, the Seventh Hokage will definitely welcome you. In a sense, he is Kawaki's 'father'," Shikamaru's mind raced. "No father-in-law would refuse a daughter-in-law."
"This..." Eida fell into deep thought. Clearly, she was tempted. After all, forcing Kawaki to be in a relationship with her versus Kawaki willingly being in a relationship with her—it was obvious which option was better.
"Hey! Eida! Making decisions without consulting me, is that really alright?" Code, listening to their conversation, said, dissatisfied.
BOOM!!
His figure instantly crashed through several layers of walls, disappearing into a pile of rubble.
"Let's continue our previous topic." Naruto offered what he considered a friendly smile to the young woman before him. Once a teacher, always a father. From this perspective, the young woman before him had the potential to become his daughter-in-law.
"Imagine, in the early morning, you snuggle against Kawaki's shoulder, admiring the rising sun; at noon, you stroll hand-in-hand through the bustling streets, enjoying the blessings of others; in the evening, you sit in the kitchen, watching the latest TV drama, while he prepares dinner for you in the kitchen..." Naruto didn't know why he was so good at persuasion. But every time he thought about Boruto and Kawaki's bromance that was about to transcend friendship, he felt his persuasion was worthwhile.
"You can try it out first. If you're not satisfied, I can send you away."
Perhaps it was due to the beautiful future he painted, or something else, Eida hesitated for a moment, then lightly nodded her head.
"Bastard!!" Code's furious roar came from the distance, drawing nearer.