Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

"Yahiko?!" You only had time to call out his name before you were swallowed up by the surging snow and disappeared into the vast white expanse.

Sasori's breath hitched, his heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly. He almost instinctively rushed in the direction you disappeared, but Hidan grabbed him!

"Let me go!" Scorpion roared, his voice hoarse and unlike his own. He struggled frantically, the puppet strings leaving messy marks on the snow. "Get away from me!"

"Are you crazy?!" Hidan clung tightly to his waist, his silver hair whipping wildly in the wind. "The Jashin-sama has a leader with him, he'll be fine! Rushing in now is suicide!"

"Shut up!" Sasori shoved Hidan away with such force that Hidan almost stumbled and fell. The red-haired boy charged forward without regard for anything else. Snow waves crashed against him, chilling him to the bone, but all he could see was the direction where you disappeared.

Hidan gritted his teeth and finally gave chase.

The wind and snow finally stopped, leaving only a deathly white silence in the world.

Scorpion knelt before the snowdrift, mechanically repeating the digging motion. His fingers had long since lost all feeling, and the cracked nails had frozen into red ice crystals in the low temperature. Each time he dug into the snow, he brought out new bloodstains.

"Raccoon slave..."

The name escaped from his chapped lips, turning into a wisp of white mist that dissipated into the cold air. Ice crystals formed on his red hair, making a soft, crisp sound with each movement.

His mind kept flashing back to the moment before the avalanche, to the smile you gave him when you turned your head, your long black hair shimmering with a deep blue light in the snow, just like the Yuki-onna described in the ancient texts of Sunagakure.

"If only..."

Sasori's puppet strings suddenly shot out from his sleeves and plunged deep into the snowdrift. The glow of chakra was particularly dazzling against the pure white. A morbid obsession appeared on his pale face, and his amber pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints.

Darkness, suffocating darkness.

You feel yourself being propelled and tumbled by a tremendous force, the whole world spinning around you, with Yahiko's body tightly enveloping you and bearing all the impact.

After an unknown amount of time, everything finally came to a standstill.

"Cough...cough cough..." You gasped for breath, your lungs feeling like they were being squeezed together. You tried to move your body but found you couldn't. You and Yahiko were buried several meters deep under the snow, in such a cramped space that even breathing was difficult.

"Yahiko?" You could feel the weight pressing down on you. Yahiko's back was bearing the weight of the entire snow layer, but his arms were still stubbornly wrapped around you, supporting this small space for survival.

Your heart suddenly races, and you struggle to raise your hand, groping for Yahiko's face. Your fingertips touch cold, damp sweat and burning skin.

"Yahiko! Wake up!" Your voice was filled with unprecedented panic.

In the darkness, you can only rely on touch to judge Yahiko's condition. Your hand slides over his back, feeling his muscles taut to the extreme and his body trembling slightly.

A soft groan eased your anxiety slightly, and Yahiko's slight movement triggered a violent cough.

"Don't move!" you hurriedly stopped him, "The snow layer will collapse."

Yahiko indeed stopped moving, but his breathing became noticeably more rapid.

You could feel the rise and fall of his chest with each breath, and the burning heat emanating from his clothes.

"Tanuki...are you alright?" Yahiko's voice was so weak it was almost inaudible, yet it still carried his usual gentleness.

Chapter 104 - Worth It

"I'm fine, but you—" Your hand touched his forehead again, the burning heat making your heart tighten, "You have a fever!"

“It’s just a minor injury…it’s nothing serious…” Yahiko tried to smile, but you could feel his body gradually losing strength.

His arms, which were supporting him on either side, began to tremble slightly, a sign that his muscles had reached their limit.

"Stop talking, save your energy." You groped in the dark, adjusting your posture to try and share some of the weight.

Your movement brought the two of you even closer, to the point where you could almost hear each other's heartbeats.

Yahiko's body stiffened visibly for a moment, then he forced himself to relax, only then realizing how ambiguous his actions had been.

Your face was almost pressed against Yahiko's neck, and with each breath you could smell his unique scent mixed with the stench of blood.

It was a warm scent, like sunshine on grass, that inexplicably brought a sense of peace, even in this life-or-death moment.

"Why... did you save me?" Your voice held a softness you yourself didn't even realize; no one would go to such lengths for their companion.

Yahiko was silent for a moment, then his voice was low and hoarse, "Because..."

Time passed slowly in the darkness, and Yahiko's condition worsened. His breathing became shallow and rapid, and his body temperature rose alarmingly.

You kept speaking softly to him, afraid that once he fell asleep, he would never wake up again.

"Yahiko, hang in there."

"Hmm..." Yahiko's reply had turned into an unconscious murmur.

His arms finally gave way, and he fell forward, landing heavily on top of you.

"Yahiko!" You panicked and caught his sliding body, struggling to adjust your position in the cramped space so that his head could rest on your shoulder.

Your fingers run through his wet, orange hair and touch a sticky wound on the back of his head. No wonder he was unconscious; he was injured during the avalanche.

Hidan's lungs felt like they were being burned, but he dared not stop. The gale-force winds, carrying snow and ice fragments, cut his skin like thousands of sharp blades, and blood seeped from the tiny wounds, which then quickly congealed in the low temperature.

He had never hated this damn blizzard so much.

"Hold on...you must hold on..." Hidan gritted his teeth and struggled forward through the knee-deep snow.

Behind him were two deep footprints, which were quickly covered by the new snow. His black robe was already soaked through and clung heavily to his body, making each step feel like dragging a thousand-pound weight.

In the distance, a wisp of smoke stood out against the gray sky.

Hoping to surge through Hidan's body like an electric current, he took a deep breath and forced his already exhausted body to accelerate once more.

The boots sank into the snow and were pulled out, making a teeth-grinding crunching sound. "Help! Someone's been buried by an avalanche!"

The moment Hidan rushed into the village, his legs finally gave way, and he knelt heavily on the icy road. The excruciating pain in his knees made his vision go black, but he didn't care about that and roared with his last bit of strength.

Startled by the sudden shouts, the villagers peeked out of their houses.

Hidan's blood-covered and disheveled appearance frightened the timid children, who hid behind their mother.

"Please... help me..." Hidan's voice was hoarse. He struggled to stand up, but fell down again.

Ice shards mixed with blood slid from the corner of his cracked mouth. "My companion... is buried under the snow... in the valley to the north..."

Among the crowd, a silver-haired man wearing a mist-concealed headband frowned slightly, and the handsome young man beside him immediately noticed the change in his emotions.

"Zabuza-san?" Haku asked softly.

Zabuza did not answer, but squinted at Hidan, who was lying on the ground. The black robe with red clouds belonged to the Akatsuki organization of the Land of Rain.

Hidan's blurry vision caught sight of the two people. Although he was no longer fully conscious, he recognized their ninja attire.

His survival instinct made him lunge forward, grabbing Shiro's ankle with one hand and Zabuza's trouser leg with the other.

"Please...save them..." Hidan's voice was already choked with sobs, his usually fanatical eyes now filled only with desperate pleading, "They...will die..."

Haku crouched down and gently brushed away the bangs on Hidan's forehead that were stuck together with blood and sweat. When he saw the tears in Hidan's eyes, a soft spot in his heart was touched.

"Zabuza-san, we..."

"Shut up." Zabuza interrupted him coldly, but had already drawn the guillotine from his back. "Follow me."

Hidan didn't even have time to thank Haku before he was helped up, and the three of them rushed to the avalanche site at the fastest speed a ninja could muster.

His legs had lost all feeling and he could only move forward with the support of his white skin. His lips had turned purple from hypothermia, yet he kept repeating his companion's name.

"Evil God... Leader... Hold on..."

When they arrived at the scene, the sight before them made Bai gasp in shock.

Scorpion was kneeling in the snow, mechanically digging with his hands. His ten fingers were already a bloody mess, broken nails were scattered around, and blood drew shocking patterns on the snow.

Even more shockingly, two clear tear tracks hung on the scorpion's face, frozen into ice in the extreme cold.

"Sasori!" Hidan broke free from Haku's support and stumbled to his side. "I brought reinforcements!"

Scorpion slowly raised his head, his usually calm and sharp amber eyes now terrifyingly empty.

His gaze lingered on Hidan's face for a second, then shifted to Haku and Zabuza. He didn't react at all, but continued to dig into the snow with his fingers, which had already exposed bone.

"Save them first..." Scorpion's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, yet it carried an undeniable resolve.

Haku and Zabuza exchanged a glance. Without a word, the two immediately got to work. Haku formed hand seals and skillfully used Ice Release to loosen the snow layer and make it easier to dig.

Zabuza used his guillotine as a shovel to quickly clear the snow.

Hidan knelt beside Sasori and began digging frantically. His fingers quickly bled, but he felt no pain, only repeatedly calling out, "Jashin-sama! Boss! Answer us if you hear us!"

The sound echoed through the empty snowfield, but received no response.

"found it!"

Bai's voice pierced through the howling wind and snow, like a lightning bolt splitting the gloom.

Scorpion's body acted before his mind could react. He struggled to his feet, his knees dragging deep gashes in the snow. The blood-soaked bandages came undone, revealing the mangled flesh and bones beneath.

His fingers were connected to his heart, but at this moment he felt no pain; only an almost frantic urgency drove him to crawl forward.

"Raccoon slave...Raccoon slave..."

His voice was hoarse beyond recognition, yet he stubbornly repeated the name.

Haku and Zabuza were already quickly clearing the surrounding snow, but Sasori couldn't wait any longer. He pounced on the black hem of clothing, inserted his mutilated fingers into the cold snow, and dug downwards with all his might.

Finally, the snow was completely dug away, and your curled-up figure appeared before everyone's eyes, your arms tightly wrapped around the unconscious Yahiko, your hair and eyelashes covered with frost.

When the light shines in, you reflexively squint, "Scorpion...?"

Your voice was so weak it was almost inaudible, but your gaze immediately locked onto the scorpion's hands. His nails were turned outwards, his skin was mangled, and in some places you could even see the bare bones.

But he just trembled and hid his hands behind his back, only to have you grab his wrists tightly the next second.

"Idiot!" Your Sharingan gleamed a blinding crimson in the twilight. "Do you even know what these hands—"

The next moment, you are pulled into a near-suffocating embrace.

The scorpion's arms tightened like iron hoops, with such force that your bones seemed to crack in protest.

His chest heaved violently, his heart pounding like a drum, incredibly fast. "I'm so glad you're alright... I'm so glad you're alright..."

Scorpion's voice was low and trembling as he repeated those simple words, his warm breath spraying against your neck.

The embrace lasted much longer than required by etiquette, long enough that you could clearly feel every muscle in Scorpion's body trembling, long enough that you couldn't help but wonder if this was still the genius puppeteer who always kept his distance from people.

You froze for a moment before slowly raising your arms and gently hugging Scorpion's back. Through the fabric, you could feel Scorpion's protruding spine and taut muscle lines.

"Hey, stop being so lovey-dovey!" Hidan's voice suddenly broke in. He crouched down to check on Yahiko's condition. "The boss is about to die!"

The silver-haired boy had already roughly thrown Yahiko onto his back, the scythe leaving a long trail in the snow, and his purplish-red eyes kept glancing this way.

You gently broke free from Scorpion's embrace, but as you stood up, he grabbed your wrist. Scorpion lowered his head, his voice muffled by the blood-stained collar, "...I'll carry you."

"You can't even walk steadily on your own." You sighed helplessly, but took the initiative to support his swaying body.

The scorpion's body temperature seeped through the fabric, making him as cold as a real puppet, with only the areas touched feeling an abnormal heat.

Bai stood not far away, his icy eyes reflecting this strange scene: the silver-haired madman carried the orange-haired boy ahead, the black-haired girl supported the red-haired puppeteer behind, and the shadows of the four intertwined on the snow like an unbreakable knot.

He turned to Zabuza, and after receiving tacit approval, stepped forward. "We have spare rooms over there, if you don't mind..."

You look at Bai gratefully, noticing the boy staring at you. "Thank you for your help."

Haku and Zabuza led the way, their figures appearing and disappearing in the snow.

You glanced at Yahiko on Hidan's back from time to time, your eyes filled with worry. Sasori followed silently beside you, the pain in his hands only now beginning to creep in, but he gritted his teeth and didn't utter a single groan.

"Is it worth it?" You'll regret the question as soon as it leaves your mouth.

Scorpion stopped and turned to look directly into your eyes. His amber eyes shone brightly in the snow, filled with a burning passion you had never seen before.

“For you,” his voice was as soft as falling snow, “it’s all worth it.”

Your breath hitches. Sasori's bluntness leaves you bewildered. Your heart races so fast it feels like it's about to burst out of your chest. You instinctively look at Hidan in front of you, only to find that he's also looking back at you with a complex and unreadable expression.

The biting cold wind was kept out by the thick wooden door, while the fire inside flickered, casting a warm glow into every corner.

You stand at the doorway, the ice crystals on your eyelashes melting rapidly in the steam, sliding down your cheeks like silent tears.

"Please make yourself at home." Bai's voice was as gentle as the first snow. He quickly took out clean gauze and herbs from the cabinet and handed them to you. "These should be enough to treat your external injuries."

As you receive the herbs, your fingertips briefly touch the white fabric. Those hands are stronger than you imagined, yet they possess the gentleness unique to a healer.

You couldn't help but glance at Bai again. This pure, snow-white boy was smiling at you, the slight drooping of his eyes giving you a strange sense of peace.

"Thank you," you whispered, your gaze unconsciously drifting towards the scorpion in the corner.

He sat against the wall, his blood-soaked bandages hanging to the ground, forming a small, shocking patch of red.

Even in this disheveled moment, Scorpion maintained a certain arrogant restraint, with only his slightly whitened knuckles revealing his pain.