Akuma glanced at Karin's rosy cheeks as she fidgeted, adjusting her glasses again and again in a desperate attempt to steady herself. Her rapid heartbeat was almost visible on her face, and her lovestruck eyes betrayed every thought she tried to hide.
Akuma wondered if every girl in this world was the same. Did all the women of the shinobi world fall for anyone handsome—or anyone who had saved them—even if that person treated them like dirt? Looking at Karin now, the answer felt obvious.
They were idiots, he thought.
Still, he didn't mind. Karin's feelings made her easier to control, and he enjoyed that. After all, she had forgiven Sasuke for stabbing her simply because he had muttered an apology. If she could forgive that, forgiving him would be easy.
Perfect.
"Loot everything they have. If you want, kill them too," Akuma told Karin.
Karin's face darkened as she looked at the fallen bandits. Tears and blood stained the ground; disgust and anger twisted her features. "Those filthy bandits… they don't deserve to live," she muttered, kneeling beside the bodies. Her hands moved quickly and methodically through their belongings. "There's so much useful stuff," she said. After a moment, she added, "I found 553,040 Ryo and all these items." Pride showed on her face as she waited for Akuma's reaction.
"Good. Take only the money. It'll be hard to carry everything else," Akuma said, watching her. Karin's face lit up, and she nodded.
Hesitantly, she asked, "Akuma-sama… do you want me to kill them all?" Her voice trembled as she gripped a knife, ready to act if he gave the order.
Akuma shook his head. "No. Just follow me."
Karin tucked the coins into her pocket and fell into step beside him, a slight smirk playing at her lips.
It had been almost two weeks since our search for Tsunade began, yet there were still no clues about her whereabouts. We'd visited countless gambling dens and banks, but every lead turned to nothing. Now, we were heading toward the next town.
Karin had grown much more comfortable around me—too comfortable, perhaps. She'd started talking endlessly, asking me all sorts of questions that quickly became annoying.
"Akuma-kun, what's your favorite food? I love mochi and dango—they remind me of home. What about you?"
"Whatever I can find," I replied flatly.
Karin's eyes sparkled, her steps quickening as she smiled. "Then I'll eat whatever you find for me, Akuma-kun! Just being with you makes me happy… even without food."
She looked up at me, her expression soft and expectant, waiting for a response.
I sighed. "That's your fifth question today. I've answered enough—no more."
A few weeks ago, her constant curiosity had driven me insane. She would keep talking even when I ignored her, desperate to learn everything about me. Eventually, I made a deal: five questions a day, no more. After that, she had to stay quiet. To my surprise, she agreed.
Karin immediately fell silent, her expression serious as she bowed her head slightly. "I'm sorry, Akuma-sama. I'll stay quiet now."
She walked beside me in complete silence, but I could tell her mind was already racing with ideas for tomorrow's questions.
We passed a small shop by the roadside. "Let's go in," I said.
Karin nodded eagerly and followed me inside. I approached the elderly shopkeeper and asked if she knew anything about Tsunade. By some luck, she did. As thanks, I handed her some money.
Meanwhile, Karin's attention had drifted toward a shelf filled with candies. I knew those were her favorite. The way she stared at them—eyes wide, almost hungry—made me sigh. I bought a few and handed them to her.
Karin's eyes widened even more, her hands trembling slightly as she accepted them. "Thank you… thank you so much, Akuma-kun. I've never been given such a thoughtful gift before."
"It's just candy," I said flatly, ignoring the joy on her face.
"Even if it's just candy… it means everything to me because you gave it to me. I'll cherish this moment forever," she said softly, clutching the sweets as if they were priceless.
I watched her in silence. The way she reacted—it wasn't normal. Each day, she seemed more and more obsessed. It was starting to worry me. If this continued, it could become a real problem. I barely even spoke to her, and yet she clung to me as if I were her entire world.
At some point, I would have to break her heart and leave her behind. The thought made me feel a small pang of guilt—but it had to be done.
As I was lost in thought, I noticed Karin looking at me again, her red eyes filled with longing. "It's getting dark," she said hesitantly. "Can you… help me build the shelter like last time?"
A few days ago, I had tried to teach her how to build one herself. But instead of learning, she kept asking pointless questions and staring at me. In the end, I had to do all the work again.
Knowing she still had no intention of learning, I said simply, "No. I'll do it."
Karin pouted but smiled faintly. "I just wanted to learn how to make the best shelter—for us. So you'll be proud of me someday."
She looked at me with those hopeful eyes. I turned away. "Just walk," I muttered.
Karin's pout deepened, and she trudged after me with slow, heavy steps.