Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

Is this kind of promise a blessing or a trap?

"So, what does Lord Tanuki want our Sunagakure Village to do?" Rasa asked in a deep voice, his gaze sharp as a knife, trying to discern your true intentions from beneath that black tanuki mask.

You chuckled softly, your voice low and gentle, yet carrying an undeniable sense of pressure.

"First, we declare to the ninja world that Sunagakure is now affiliated with Akatsuki."

"Secondly, the One-Tailed Jinchuriki will be a power we can borrow at any time."

Rasa's brow furrowed suddenly. Sunagakure was affiliated with Akatsuki? This meant they would completely break free from the Land of Wind's control, become Akatsuki's vassals, and hand over Gaara...

"It's fine for Sunagakure to be affiliated with Akatsuki, but borrowing the Jinchuriki of the One-Tailed Beast is probably..." Rasa's words were interrupted by you before he could finish.

“After Kazeto Castle was cleared out, this place is directly under the jurisdiction of Sunagakure, and the Akatsuki organization does not get involved.” You tilted your head slightly, your tone casual, as if you were talking about today’s weather.

"Lord Kazekage, how about this?"

The conference room erupted in an uproar.

Chapter 129 The King's Game (6)

Kazekaze Castle is the most prosperous trading hub in the Land of Wind, and has always been firmly controlled by nobles, making it impossible for Sunagakure to touch it.

And now, the Akatsuki organization is actually going to hand it over?

Luo Sha's pupils contracted slightly, and his breath almost stopped for a moment. "Deal." He agreed to the condition almost without hesitation.

Gaara sat beside you, listening to the deal, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

He didn't fully understand what you were talking about, but he knew that his father had handed him over so easily.

He looked up at you, and you remained calm and composed, the corners of your lips beneath the mask seemingly slightly upturned, as if everything was under your control.

"I will send someone to deliver the supplies at the end of this month." You flicked your wrist, your posture languid and elegant.

Luo Sha immediately stood up, bowed slightly, and said respectfully and with restraint, "Then, Lord Tanuki, it's a pleasure to cooperate with you."

“We will contact Chiyo directly to inform her of the follow-up matters,” Konan added from the side, her voice cold and distant.

The meeting ended here.

As you finished packing and prepared to leave Sunagakure, a small figure blocked the carriage.

"Take me with you." Gaara looked up, his voice stubborn and trembling. "I want to go with you."

You raised an eyebrow, your gaze beneath the mask falling on him with a half-smile.

“We don’t have time to take care of the kids,” you refused casually, your tone tinged with a hint of sarcasm. “Why don’t you wait a few more years?”

Gaara did not back down; he clenched his fists, his eyes slightly red.

"This village can't accept me! Let me stay!" His voice was filled with resentment and despair, like a drowning person desperately clinging to the last piece of driftwood.

Granny Chiyo came from behind, her aged voice calling out gently, "Gaara, come here quickly, let Granny take a look at you."

Gaara hesitated. Granny Chiyo was one of the few people who had been relatively kind to him, but...

Seeing his struggling expression, you sighed softly, "Go on, we'll meet again if fate allows."

Your tone was calm, as if you were just brushing off a willful child.

But Gaara stubbornly stood still, his eyes brimming with tears. "Then can you give me a hug?"

After a moment of silence, you finally squatted down, patted your knees, and gestured for him to take the initiative.

Gaara practically threw himself into your arms, wrapping his arms tightly around your neck, as if he wanted to remember the warmth of this moment forever.

You gently patted his back, your voice soft, "I'll wait for you."

—It's just a polite remark.

He was the first to discover that human body temperature could be so warm, so warm that it caused him chest pain. It wasn't until many years later that Gaara learned that this pain was called "reluctance to part".

The sound of the horse-drawn carriage wheels rolling over the gravel gradually faded into the distance. Chiyo wanted to lead him back, but was blocked by a suddenly rising sand wall.

"Gaara?" The old man stared in astonishment at the boy standing in the twilight, the sand lifting a small piece of fabric torn from the corner of your clothes.

The red cloud pattern swayed gently in the wind, like a flame that refused to go out.

"I will become stronger," he whispered to the vanished ruts, "strong enough that you will never be able to abandon me again."

Shukaku let out a mocking laugh from the depths of the seal, and for the first time Gaara did not refute it. He carefully pressed the piece of cloth close to his heart, where an obsession more terrifying than that of the tailed beasts was growing.

Inside the departing carriage, Lin is straightening your disheveled collar.

"The way that child looked at you..." Xiao Nan hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

You look out the window at the rolling yellow sand, thinking, "It's just a case of a fledgling's longing for love."

But what you don't know is, years later, when he finally grows up and appears before you, that lighthearted "I'll wait for you" will become a heavy burden.

As dusk settled over the sky above Amegakure, the expected commotion did not materialize when the three of you pushed open the base gate.

The corridor was so quiet you could hear the sound of water dripping from the pipes. Xiao Nan's paper butterfly trembled nervously on her shoulder.

"Where are they?" Xiao Nan asked in a low voice, her eyes gleaming in the dimly lit corridor.

Lin gripped your sleeve nervously, her chestnut hair glistening with night dew. "Could they all be out on missions?"

It was too quiet. There was no Deidara's boisterous artistic declaration, no Hidan's clamor about holding an evil god ritual, and not even the metallic clanging of Kakuzu counting money could be heard.

This unusual silence makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

"Be careful." You tiptoed down the corridor, and Lin would gently push open the door a crack to peek into each room you passed, but they were all empty, and even the bedding was neatly folded.

The double doors of the hall were tightly closed, but unusually bright light shone through the cracks.

Your hand hovered above the doorknob for three seconds, then you finally made up your mind to push it open—

"Welcome back!"

Ribbons and sequins poured down like a torrential rain. Golden sequins stuck to your mask, purple ribbons wrapped around Xiao Nan's hair, and Lin's clothes were covered with tiny specks of fluorescent powder.

The entire Akatsuki organization appeared from various corners, their faces adorned with rare smiles.

"You..." Lin blinked, a sequin sticking right onto her eyelash. "Is this a celebration?"

The hall had been completely transformed. The walls were covered with silk curtains, the long table was set with exquisite tea and snacks, and even the crystal chandelier, which had been covered in dust for years, had been polished until it shone brightly.

In the corner, Deidara's clay sculptures were arranged into flower shapes, while Hidan's bloody crescent scythe was wrapped with ridiculous ribbons.

You step in amidst the colorful ribbons scattered on the ground, your eyes widening slightly beneath the mask. "Pretty cool!" You reach out and catch a piece of gold foil that slowly drifts down. "But it's a bit like the style of a host club in the Land of Thunder."

The air solidified instantly.

Yahiko's smile froze on his face. "Tanuki, what did you say it looked like?" His voice was very soft, as if he was confirming whether he had misheard.

“A host club!” you repeated without realizing it, even casually taking off your mask and shaking off the sequins.

The words had barely left your lips when a figure pounced on you like a cannonball. Deidara was pinned down on top of you, his azure eyes burning with a dangerous flame. "You wicked woman! Why did you go to a place like that! Hmm!"

"Jashin-sama!" Hidan rushed forward, his blood-red scythe slamming onto the coffee table. "Who in our organization isn't better looking than a host! Look at these muscles!" He tried to lift his shirt, but Kakuzu grabbed him by the throat and dragged him away.

It was only when everyone frantically pulled Deidara off you that you realized the seriousness of the situation.

He pushed himself up and sat up, only to find everyone staring at him with an unprecedentedly dangerous look.

Yahiko's expression was particularly terrifying; his usually gentle face was now as cold as ice.

"Explanation." A simple word, yet it caused the temperature in the hall to plummet.

You look to Konan for help, who is intently studying the color on her nails; then you turn to Rin, the medical ninja pretending to be very interested in the decorations on the wall.

Finally, you pinned your hopes on Nagato, only to be met with a helpless look from the Rinnegan user.

"I did that on a mercenary mission a long time ago," you chuckled dryly and took a half-step back, "only that one time!"

Yahiko's brows relaxed slightly, but the coldness in his eyes remained. "What kind of mercenary mission requires going to a place like that?"

"It's just to protect the employer~" You try to get away with it, and quietly move towards the door. Suddenly, Hiruko's tail wraps around your ankle, and Scorpion's puppet has blocked your way out.

"Is Lord Tanuki walking so fast because you feel guilty?" Shisui approached with a smile. Although his tone was gentle, you could clearly sense a dangerous signal.

You swallowed hard, knowing you couldn't escape, so you resigned yourself to sitting back in the center of the sofa, surrounded by everyone.

"I was just curious at the time, I went in and took a look, just one look!" You held up one finger and emphasized it with conviction.

However, nobody bought it.

"Just one glance?" A deep, magnetic voice suddenly sounded in your ear, and warm breath brushed against your neck, making you tremble all over.

Itachi was already standing behind you, leaning close to your ear, his voice so soft that only you could hear it, "Lord Tanuki, lying is not a good thing."

You suddenly covered your ears, the tips of your ears instantly burning red. "I'm not guilty of this! Stop asking me questions!" You shrank into the sofa like a cat cornered.

What you didn't notice was that when you revealed this rare vulnerable side, everyone's gaze subtly changed.

Yahiko sighed, finally breaking the silence. "Never mind." He reached out and pulled you up, casually brushing a ribbon off your shoulder. "Don't let it happen again."

You felt as if you had been granted a pardon, but you didn't notice that when Yahiko withdrew his hand, his fingertips lingered on the back of his neck for an extra half second.

I didn't see Deidara secretly picking up a strand of your hair, nor did I notice the meaningful look in Shisui's eyes when he and Itachi exchanged glances.

In the corner, Kisame was whispering to Kakuzu, "Should we open a betting pool to see how many male escorts she's seen?"

"I bet at least three." Kakuzu had already pulled out his banknotes.

"Five!" Hidan shouted as he joined in.

"You..." Your voice was trembling, "Can't you at least respect the privacy of the person involved!"

Xiao Nan finally couldn't stand it anymore. She used paper butterflies to create a barrier, separating everyone. "Alright, shall we continue the celebration?"

Deidara leaned closer, grinning, and put his arm around your shoulder. "You wicked girl! How about I be your gigolo and keep you company today?"

You gently close the door, your back against the cold door panel, and let out a long sigh. The chaotic scene of dinner still lingers in your mind.

Deidara and Sasori almost got into a fight at the dinner table over who should sit next to them, while Hidan piled all of Deidara's favorite dishes in front of him, creating a rickety tower.

"Really... these people..." You couldn't help but shake your head, your black hair cascading down your shoulders like a waterfall.

Recalling the meaningful glance exchanged between Nagato and Yahiko, you know very well that they are definitely plotting something.

Strangely, you don't feel repulsed; instead, a secret anticipation grows quietly in your heart like a vine, "Playing games all night...?"

Meanwhile, in Deidara's room at the other end of the corridor—

"What style of pajamas do you think a bad girl would like? Hmm!" The blond boy grabbed Xiao Nan as she passed by, his voice low but unable to hide his excitement.

Xiao Nan gave him a cold look. "That childish dinosaur onesie you usually wear would definitely make her laugh out loud."

"What?! This is art! Hmm!" Deidara jumped up instantly, then hurriedly covered his mouth and looked towards the room at the end of the corridor, afraid of disturbing you.

His long golden hair swayed like waves of wheat under the light, and his azure eyes were filled with defiance.

Konan snorted and turned to leave, leaving Deidara staring at his reflection in the mirror, clutching his dazzling blond hair in frustration.

"This is too ordinary, hmm." He tossed aside a loose white pajama set with disdain, then carefully rummaged through the depths of the wardrobe and pulled out an exquisite box.

When opened, a gold silk robe gleamed softly under the light. He had bought it on a whim after an art exhibition, but had never had the courage to wear it.

Deidara stroked the silky fabric with his long, slender fingers, then looked in the mirror and tried it on. The robe made his already handsome face even more dazzling. He twirled around, the hem of the robe drawing an elegant arc.

"Art is beauty that is fleeting..." he muttered to himself, imagining your expression when you saw it, his ears turning slightly red.

The usually flamboyant and confident artist now resembles a young man on his first date, repeatedly practicing his most natural smile in front of the mirror.

"I'll wear this tonight, hmm." He finally made up his mind, but then suddenly remembered something and rummaged through his drawers to find a bottle of men's cologne that he had hardly ever used. He hesitated and sprayed a little bit on his wrist.

Scorpion's room was filled with a faint scent of machine oil and sandalwood.

The red-haired boy, known for his calm and composure, stood in front of the wardrobe, his slender fingers moving among the row of dark-colored clothes.

His room was meticulously tidy, with every item having its designated place, except for a few pajamas scattered on the bed at that moment.

“Too dull,” he frowned, rejecting a plain black bathrobe.

"Not formal enough..." Another item was discarded.

Finally, his fingers stopped on a dark red silk robe with delicate embroidery on the cuffs and collar.

He bought this on a whim after a certain mission, and at that moment, what came to mind was your bright, star-like eyes.

"Would she like this color?" Scorpion hesitated, which was unusual for him.

Known for his puppet-like precision in controlling his emotions, his heart was pounding so loudly it seemed the whole room could hear it.