Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

As dusk deepened, the still water's shadow stretched across the grass, eerily branching out from its true form. One of the shadows quietly wrapped around your ankle, only to quickly retreat before you could look down.

"As expected of Shisui." You turn to look at the rising crescent moon. "Always like this..."

"Kind-hearted?" Shisui replied, an unnatural smile curving his lips.

His kaleidoscope slowly rotated in the shadows, etching your profile into the deepest part of his eye technique. "After all, we are companions."

The moment he uttered those words, he crushed a leaf with his hand behind his back.

But he knew that this was just self-deception.

His concern for you has long exceeded the scope of a companion; it is a deep, unrequited love that has taken deep root in his heart from the first moment he saw you, like an ineradicable vine that entwines every inch of his thoughts.

He once thought that it would be enough to just watch you from afar.

But recently, something more dangerous has begun to grow in his heart: possessiveness.

Whenever he sees you laughing and joking with Deidara and Hidan, a pang of sour pain rises in his chest.

Zhi Shui wants your gaze to be fixed solely on him, wants your smile to be shown only to him, wants your world to consist of only him.

"Shisui?" Your voice pulled him back to reality. "What are you thinking about?"

He snapped out of his reverie, a gentle smile playing on his lips, but a dark glint flashed in his eyes.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking... how wonderful it would be if illusion magic could keep people forever immersed in beautiful dreams."

—(If only I could be the only one in your world.)

“Illusions can indeed bring beautiful dreams, but the concept of eternity…” You suddenly thought of Madara’s obsession with the Infinite Tsukuyomi and lowered your eyes.

"Tanuki... Master?" Shisui's voice was a few decibels lower than usual.

"I'm here!" You turned your head, your black hair brushing against Shisui's neck, sending a slight shiver down your spine.

Shisui took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. "It's just... what do you like?" He regretted asking the question as soon as he did. It was too direct and too easy to reveal his thoughts.

"I like you," you replied without hesitation.

The world stood still at that moment. Shisui heard the roar of blood. His Sharingan appeared uncontrollably, the three tomoe spinning wildly, etching the expression you made when you said those words into the deepest part of his eye technique.

Until the next sentence sent him to hell.

"Of course it's true, I also like Minami, Yahiko, and Rin..."

Zhi Shui's smile froze, and his hands behind his back tightened abruptly, his nails digging deep into his palms. The pain allowed him to maintain a calm facade.

With each name you utter, the light in Shisui's eyes dims a little, his fingernails dig deep into his palms, and blood seeps out between his fingers, only to be instantly evaporated by his chakra.

The rosy glow on his face faded, replaced by a sickly pallor.

So this is what liking someone is like.

Shisui lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes casting a shadow on his face. The throbbing in his chest turned into a dull pain, as if someone was slowly stirring his heart with a kunai.

"What's wrong?" You finally noticed his unusual behavior.

"Lord Tanuki." Shisui took another step forward, so close that you could feel each other's breath. You froze, looking up at Shisui's always gentle eyes.

At this moment, it was like a bottomless whirlpool, carrying a dangerous attraction.

Long, slender fingers gently stroked your cheek, the temperature of their fingertips incredibly hot.

“There’s an ant.” Shi Shui’s voice was as gentle as if he were chanting some kind of spell.

"Ah, thank...thank you." You stammered, a rare occurrence, and took a half-step back, which made Shisui's eyes darken for a moment, but he quickly regained his harmless gentleness.

"Um, I think I have something to do, I'll be going now!" You practically fled, immediately using the Body Flicker Technique to disappear from the spot.

Zhi Shui stood still, slowly caressing the fingertips that had just touched you; the touch of your skin still lingered there, so soft it was maddening.

There were no ants at all.

He just... really wanted to touch you.

“It’s alright, Lord Tanuki,” he murmured to himself. “One day… you will only look at me.”

In the distance, Deidara was excitedly running towards the training ground, carrying a lump of newly made clay.

Without turning his head, Shisui formed hand seals, and his Mangekyou Sharingan glowed with an eerie red light in the shadows. Suddenly, the blond boy tripped and fell into the bushes, his face covered in clay.

"I'm sorry." Shisui walked over and reached out to pull him, her voice gentle and polite, but her eyes were as cold as knives. "Next time... please don't disturb her during her training, okay?"

Deidara shivered inexplicably. By the time he got up, Shisui was already far away, his back straight as a pine tree. Only the chakra traces left on the ground vaguely formed the shape of a cage.

"Lord Tanuki, you're up really early."

Lin's soft voice came from behind you. You turned around and saw her walking out of the mist. Her short brown hair was covered with tiny water droplets that glistened in the faint morning light.

Lin held three steaming rice balls in her hands, a faint smile on her face.

"I was worried you'd get hungry on the way, so I made some simple things..." Before Lin could finish speaking, you reached out and took a rice ball, your fingertips brushing against Lin's palm unintentionally.

Lin's ears immediately flushed red, and she hurriedly lowered her head, pretending to organize her ninja tool bag.

"Thank you." You took a bite of the rice ball, the sweet aroma of the rice melting in your mouth. Gazing at Lin's slightly trembling eyelashes, a faint smile appeared on your lips.

Another tall figure emerged from the mist. Xiao Nan's gaze lingered briefly between you and Lin before she casually walked to your other side.

"Chiyo's message says that the Fourth Kazekage has prepared a meeting place." Konan's voice was as clear and cold as morning mist. "But we must be careful, as the Sand Village has recently been embroiled in fierce internal factional struggles."

You nodded and naturally reached out to wipe a drop of dew from Xiao Nan's shoulder. This action made Xiao Nan's body stiffen slightly, but she did not pull away.

In the early hours of the morning, Amegakure was shrouded in thick fog. Before dawn, only a few dim streetlights cast blurry halos in the fog, outlining the figures of the group waiting at the village entrance.

Konan held the scroll Chiyo had given her, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the distinctive gold-plated sealing wax seal of Sunagakure.

She frowned slightly, looking at her companions who should have been asleep. "...You guys?"

The sound of metal clashing came from the mist. Hidan staggered over, carrying his blood-stained crescent scythe, a few unruly ahoge sticking up from the ends of his hair.

"Lord Evil God!" he wailed with a heavy nasal tone, like a large dog being forcibly dragged out of bed. "You must come back soon!" he said, trying to pounce on you, but Kakuzu, quick as a flash, grabbed him by the back of his collar.

"It's just a few days' trip, is it really necessary to make such a big deal out of it?" You shrug helplessly, look around, and naturally put your arms around Xiao Nan and Lin's shoulders.

Yahiko suddenly stepped forward, his slender fingers gently smoothing out non-existent wrinkles on your collar.

"Take care." He only said these two words, his voice so low it almost melted into the mist.

You nodded slightly, feeling a tightness in your throat. You smelled a faint herbal scent on Yahiko, the kind he used to stay awake while working on documents late into the night.

"You wicked woman! Do you need me to take you there? Hmm!" Deidara burst out of the mist with messy blond hair and dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he probably hadn't slept all night.

His voice was exceptionally loud in the quiet dawn, startling the crows perched on the treetops not far away.

Chapter 126 The King's Game (3)

The three shook their heads in perfect unison, their movements so synchronized it was as if they had rehearsed countless times.

Xiao Nan's paper wings folded unconsciously. Lin silently took half a step closer to you. Last time, Deidara said he would "escort" her to the Land of Hot Springs, but he destroyed three mission targets halfway there, causing her to spend three extra days writing a self-criticism.

"Hey, what kind of attitude is this?!" Deidara jumped up as if his hair had been blown off, only to be grabbed by the shoulder by Nagato who suddenly appeared.

"Stop messing around." Those three simple words instantly deflated Deidara, making him wilted like a cat being pinched by the scruff of its neck.

You board the carriage first, then turn around and extend your hand to them.

Without hesitation, Lin grabbed the handle and jumped onto the carriage. When it was Xiao Nan's turn, she hesitated for a moment before placing her hand in your palm. You could feel that Xiao Nan's hand was cooler than usual, and her palm was slightly sweaty.

"Watch out for the steps," you whispered a reminder.

The carriage was more spacious than I had imagined, with soft cushions on the seats. You sat by the window, watching the gates of Amegakure gradually disappear into the mist.

Xiao Nan sat opposite, checking the explosive tags she carried, while Lin sat in the middle with a medical kit on her lap, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the bandage.

The carriage fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of wheels rolling over the mud and the occasional chirping of birds in the distance.

Lin leaned on your shoulder, seemingly dozing off. Instead of pushing her away, you adjusted your position to make her more comfortable.

"You'll spoil her like this," Xiao Nan suddenly said, her voice carrying an emotion you couldn't quite decipher.

You look up at the girl opposite you and find that Xiao Nan is staring at the image of Lin leaning on her shoulder, her lips pressed into a tight line.

"She must be tired from the journey, it's fine for her to rest a bit," you replied softly, running your fingers through the stray hairs on Lin's forehead.

"You're always like this..." Xiao Nan said softly, the rest of the sentence disappearing from her lips. She turned to look at the scenery rushing past outside the window, her profile appearing exceptionally clear in the morning light.

"Xiao Nan," you suddenly called out.

She turned around and found that you had leaned towards her without her noticing. The distance between them suddenly shortened, and your dark eyes looked particularly deep in the dimly lit carriage, as if they could see right through people's hearts.

"You didn't sleep well last night." This wasn't a question; your finger gently touched the area below Xiao Nan's eyelid, where there was a faint bluish tinge. "Worried about today's mission?"

"I..." Xiao Nan was about to speak when the carriage suddenly ran over a stone and lurched violently.

"Be careful." Your voice, warm and gentle, brushed against Xiao Nan's ear, while a hand steadily supported her shoulder.

This brief contact caused Xiao Nan's heart to pound erratically. She leaned back abruptly, her back slamming against the carriage wall with a dull thud.

"Hmm..." The noise startled Lin, who was half asleep.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking at the two people opposite her in their strange positions with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, the carriage just jolted a bit." You casually sat back down in your seat. "Go back to sleep, there's still a long way to go."

Lin nodded groggily and leaned back on your shoulder.

The colorful shop signs swayed gently in the breeze, and a dazzling array of goods were displayed on the street, reflecting a mesmerizing light.

Nohara Rin flitted lightly between the stalls like a cheerful little bird, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling with childlike curiosity. Her fingertips carefully traced a string of wind chimes, and the tinkling sound made her turn around in surprise. "Tanuki-sama, listen! How melodious this sound is!"

Holding a bunch of newly bought souvenirs, you watch Lin's cheerful figure as she walks away, and a smile unconsciously creeps onto your face.

This medical ninja, who always takes care of others with gentleness, is now like a child discovering a new world, stirring a soft ripple in your heart.

"Lin, wait a moment." You gently placed the items you were carrying on the stone steps beside you. "I'll go hire a few people to help carry these things."

“Yes, Lord Tanuki…” Before Lin could finish speaking, the bundle in her arms suddenly lost its balance.

Painted ceramic dolls, silk scarves embroidered with desert flowers, and jingling silver ornaments were scattered all over the ground.

"Oh dear, really." Lin squatted down in annoyance, her chestnut hair falling down beside her cheeks.

As she frantically picked them up, a crystal ball slipped from her fingers, rolled across the stone pavement, and finally came to rest in front of a pair of black boots.

The owner of the boots was dressed in a wide gray robe and wore a swirling orange mask, his whole being shrouded in an eerie aura.

He hesitated for a moment, then slowly bent down to pick up the crystal ball, his movements deliberately stiff.

"Excuse me, this is my crystal ball." Lin stood up and patted off non-existent dust from her skirt.

She politely extended her hand, but paused slightly when she saw the other person's attire. For some reason, the stranger's silhouette gave her a strange sense of familiarity.

His pupils contracted violently beneath the mask, and Obito's fingers trembled uncontrollably, the crystal ball becoming scalding hot in his palm.

This voice, clear yet carrying a unique gentleness, was something he had repeatedly recalled in the Divine Might Space countless nights.

He slowly raised his head and, through the only hole in the mask, greedily gazed at the living girl before him.

This realization struck him like a heavy blow to the chest, and Obito felt his breath catch in his throat.

Lin's face was even more vivid than he remembered. Her eyes, which were always full of kindness, her slightly upturned nose, and her little tiger teeth that were faintly visible when she spoke... all the details were so vivid that they pierced his nerves.

Lin tilted her head in confusion. The man was eerily silent, yet he gave her a strange sense of security, as if they had sat side by side on some distant afternoon.

Just as she was about to speak, your voice suddenly came from behind her, "Lin? Have you packed everything?"

Lin subconsciously turned around to answer, but when she turned back, the alley entrance was deserted.

"What's wrong?" You walked to Lin's side, your gaze thoughtfully sweeping across the empty street corner. You clearly sensed the spatial distortion that had just occurred, and the fluctuations of divine power were all too familiar to you.

"It seems like a strange man took my crystal ball." Lin blinked, quickly regaining her composure.

She bent down to continue tidying up the scattered items, a section of her fair nape visible through her chestnut hair.

"Do you need me to help you 'get it back'?" You deliberately emphasized a certain word, as if hinting at something.

Lin shook her head, her smile as gentle as ever, "Let it go. I feel that person is very familiar. Let's just consider the crystal ball a gift from our encounter."

You suddenly chuckled softly, and as you tidied Lin's disheveled hair, your fingertips lightly brushed against her earlobe. "I bet he'll be very happy to hear your answer."

In the distance, amidst the branches of an ancient tree, space slightly distorted, and Obito leaned against the trunk, clutching a crystal ball tightly in his hand.

He gazed through his mask at the two laughing and talking figures in the distance, the patterns in his Kaleidoscope Sharingan slowly rotating.

As dusk settled, Xiao Nan emerged from the explosive tag shop, the chilling scent of gunpowder still lingering on her sleeves.