Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

Outside the window, the incessant rain in Amegakure beat against the glass like countless tiny fingers scratching.

"This is getting more and more troublesome..." You pulled open your collar, and the curse mark on your collarbone had returned to calm, but there was still a strange warmth on your skin, as if someone had just lingered there with their lips.

In the bathroom, cold water pours down from the showerhead, and you tilt your head back to let the water hit your face directly.

You need this icy, stinging sensation to confirm the boundary between reality and dreams. The chill of the tiled wall seeps through your back, creating an eerie contrast with the lingering heat on your chest.

"I am me, she is her, nothing will happen." You muttered to yourself, your voice echoing slightly in the enclosed bathroom.

You mutter to yourself in front of the mirror, as if trying to convince yourself.

But deep down, that uneasy premonition grew stronger and stronger.

—What exactly does the freckles in that world want to do?

—And why would your other self... save you?

Your fist slammed into the mirror, and in the instant the surface cracked like a spiderweb, countless fragments of memories pierced your mind:

Madara grabbed your neck and pressed you against the Uchiha clan monument, his tongue burning as he licked your tear-streaked cheeks.

Another version of yourself, formed from the Golden Escape technique, stands under the blood moon, reaching out your hand while stepping on a mountain of corpses;

In my deepest memory, the freckles of that world caressed your bloodstained lips with their bandaged fingers, saying, "Even death will become our pact."

The water in the bathtub suddenly boiled, revealing countless afterimages of parallel worlds: you locked to the Divine Tree, you kneeling in the Uchiha Shrine, and you standing atop a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, with Madara's arm around your waist...

You stumble backward, knocking over bottles and jars on the sink. When you look up again, the mirror is back to normal.

Standing in front of Scorpion's door, you hold an exquisite metal box in your hands, inside which lies the mechanical heart that took three sleepless nights to create.

Just as I raised my hand, the door slid open silently.

Scorpion stood there, his puppet shell removed to the side, revealing his true face.

On his youthful, handsome face, his amber eyes flickered slightly, and a barely perceptible pang of heartache flashed across them the moment he saw you.

"You don't look well." His voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable concern.

You subconsciously touched your cheek, a forced smile appearing on your lips. "Really? Maybe I'm not sleeping well."

Scorpion didn't expose your clumsy lie; he knew that this seemingly carefree girl harbored many secrets.

He simply stepped aside to make way, saying, "I was just looking for you anyway. The puppet is finished."

"Mechanical hearts too!"

Your eyes lit up instantly, like stars being ignited, the gloom from before vanished. You eagerly raised the metal box in your hand, but the next second, Scorpion grabbed your wrist and dragged you into the room.

His palms were cool, like the temperature of metal that you touch all the time, yet they were faintly warm where your skin touched his.

In the center of the room stood a puppet that was very similar to the scorpion's body, only with softer lines and delicate golden patterns inlaid at the joints.

You circled around it once, then looked back at Sasori's Hiruko, and suddenly laughed, "It looks so similar to yours!"

“This is…the style.” Scorpion’s voice was a little stiff. He didn’t say “this is a couple’s style,” but something seemed to be slightly warming in the chest cavity where his heart, which had long since stopped beating, was.

You seemed oblivious to his odd behavior, and enthusiastically reached out to touch the puppet's joints, attempting to inject chakra.

But machines and puppets are ultimately two different realms. As soon as your chakra circuits were connected, the puppet swayed stiffly and almost fell over.

"Pfft." Scorpion couldn't help but chuckle softly, walking behind you amidst your annoyed gaze.

His chest was almost pressed against your back, his long, slender fingers covered the back of your hand, guiding you to slowly adjust the flow of chakra. "This is how it works, you see..."

His breath brushed against your ear, his voice low and deep like the rubbing of sand. Your ear tips felt slightly hot, yet you could clearly feel every bit of pressure from his fingertips, like a silent understanding, or a secret test.

at this time--

There was a sudden knock on the door.

Before you could respond, the door was pushed open, and Yahiko and Nagato stood in the doorway, their eyes fixed on your clasped hands.

The air solidified instantly.

"It seems Sasori is quite good at teaching people; even Tanuki came to visit him personally." Nagato leaned against the door frame, a dark light swirling in his Rinnegan.

His tone was relaxed, but his gaze lingered on Scorpion's face for a moment, as cold as a blade.

Standing beside him, Yahiko didn't speak, but a hint of jealousy flashed in his eyes. His gaze shifted from your reddened ear tips to Sasori's tightly gripping hand, and his lips tightened into a straight line.

You jumped away from Scorpion's arms as if electrocuted, nearly dropping the metal box. "I'm here to test the puppet! What do you want with Scorpion?"

The panic in your voice made Scorpion's eyes darken, but he quickly regained his indifferent demeanor. However, Hiruko's tail unconsciously wrapped around the hem of your clothes, like some kind of silent declaration.

Nagato entered the room, his Rinnegan sweeping over the puppet that was remarkably similar to Sasori. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. "Regarding the power of Akatsuki, Yahiko and I have a new idea."

He paused deliberately, "My Rinnegan needs a medium to function, which I call the Six Paths of Pain."

"Rokudo?" You tilted your head and took a step to the side, only to bump into Yahiko, who had approached you without you noticing.

The other person firmly held your shoulder, their fingers lightly brushing against your collarbone, making you tremble involuntarily.

Nagato continued, his gaze fixed on Sasori, "I found the five ninja corpses that Jiraiya had encountered before, and transformed them into the Human Path, Asura Path, Preta Path, Animal Path, and Hell Path. Now I'm only missing the Deva Path."

"You wouldn't be planning to use the Heavenly Dao against us, would you?" You stared wide-eyed, your fingers instinctively reaching for the scythe at your waist.

This action made Yahiko chuckle softly. He covered your hand with his warm palm and gently pressed it down.

Nagato's expression softened slightly. "I only asked Sasori to create a puppet based on Yahiko's appearance. This puppet is the Pain we need."

"Oh, I thought you were going to turn people into corpses to create the Heavenly Path!" You breathed a sigh of relief and jokingly nudged Nagato's ribs with your elbow.

This affectionate gesture seemed to raise the temperature in the room slightly.

A moment later, on the other side of the room, the atmosphere turned icy. Sasori stood expressionless in front of Yahiko, holding a measuring ruler, his voice as cold as poison, "Raise your hand."

His movements were so rough they were almost deliberate; he clearly used more force when he tightened the measuring tape across Yahiko's waistline.

Yahiko responded with a cold laugh, but as Sasori turned to record the data, his gaze fell on you, who was chatting and laughing with Nagato not far away.

"Don't even think about her," Sasori suddenly whispered, only Yahiko could hear. "She's mine."

Yahiko withdrew his gaze, a provocative smile curving his lips. "Yours? Does Tanuki know what you're thinking? Besides, let's see who can win her heart first."

Their gazes clashed in the air, as if invisible chakra were colliding, while in the center of the room, you were unknowingly demonstrating puppet manipulation techniques to Nagato.

Sasori followed Yahiko's gaze, a cold smile playing on his lips. "I'm not like you. When your brothers fall in love with the people they like, what's the point of talking about trust?"

Yahiko's pupils suddenly contracted, and he retorted almost reflexively, "Impossible, Nagato isn't that kind of person."

But the next second, reality slapped him hard in the face.

Nagato's slender fingers gently brushed your cheek, tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear. His movements were so tender they were almost suggestive. The Rinnegan no longer held its usual calm and composure, but instead surged with a naked possessiveness.

That's the look a man gives when he looks at the woman he loves.

Yahiko's heart sank suddenly, as if it had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

—When did it start?

Was it that all-night gaming session, or something even earlier, when Nagato first saw you summon the golden Susanoo on the training field, and the moment of amazement flashed in his eyes?

Nagato noticed Yahiko's gaze, tilted his head slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, and a hint of provocation in his eyes.

"Go outside and fight if you want," Scorpion said quietly, arms crossed, his tone tinged with schadenfreude.

You stopped what you were doing, blinked blankly, and asked, "What happened to them?"

Scorpion didn't answer, but simply took your hand again, his fingertips gently stroking your wrist bones. "They need to settle their personal scores. We'll continue operating the puppet."

Before he finished speaking, Yahiko and Nagato had already left the room at the same time.

The loud impact woke up the entire Akatsuki base.

Hidan rubbed his eyes and poked his head out of the room, half a biscuit still dangling from his mouth. "What's going on? Aren't Yahiko and Nagato usually good friends? Why are they suddenly fighting!"

Kakuzu paused in counting his money, his green eyes sweeping over the two wrestling figures in the corridor, then glancing at the bewildered Hidan. He sighed helplessly, "Your brain..."

—What a waste of my years.

"Go Nagato! Give that bastard Yahiko a good beating!" Deidara had somehow gotten up on the railing and was cheering him on, his golden ponytail swaying with his excited movements.

He's disliked Yahiko for a long time. Every time he tries to get close to you, this bastard will take you away under the guise of "mission partners".

In the center of the arena, Yahiko grabbed Nagato by the collar, his voice laced with suppressed anger, "When did you fall for her?"

Nagato's lips still bore traces of blood, yet his smile was ironic. "I didn't want this either... but she's just so irresistible." His gaze swept over the Akatsuki members who were gradually gathering around him. "Isn't this how you all succumbed?"

"You promised you wouldn't fall for her."

Yahiko threw a punch, but Nagato dodged it by turning his head and then delivered a backhand elbow strike.

The two fought fiercely in full view of everyone, their chakra surging so violently that cracks appeared in the walls.

Hearing the commotion outside, you finally couldn't resist anymore. You broke free from Scorpion's grasp and ran outside, shouting, "I'm going to see what's happening outside! I'll come back later!"

"Wait! You guys—!"

You finally burst out of Sasori's room, and golden chakra wrapped around the two locked in combat like silk, forcefully separating them.

Standing among them, you're filled with confusion, wondering, "What's going on?"

The two men, who had been at each other's throats just moments before, fell silent instantly. Yahiko turned his face away and remained silent, while Nagato silently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, the ripples in his Rinnegan slowly calming down.

Hidan looked around at this person and then that person, suddenly nudging Sasori who had just come out, "Hey, what's going on with those two?"

Scorpion leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, saying, "It's just a grudge between brothers who both fall for the same woman."

"W-What?!" Deidara was the first to jump up, his golden ponytail standing on end. "Even Nagato, that stoic guy, is trying to steal the evil girl?!"

The scene fell into dead silence for a moment.

All eyes were on you, and you blinked blankly, then belatedly pointed at yourself, "...Me?"

At that moment, the air at the Akatsuki base seemed to freeze.

Sasori's fingertips unconsciously rubbed against the kunai, Yahiko clenched his fist again, Nagato's Rinnegan flickered slightly, Deidara had already pulled out a clay bomb, and even Kakuzu stopped counting his money...

"Oh dear... this is going to be interesting." You suddenly realize that you seem to be in big trouble.

Chapter 137 - Tent

Since that day, you have completely buried yourself in Orochimaru's laboratory, trying to escape the increasingly eerie atmosphere within the organization by assembling mechanical parts and adjusting chakra circuits.

"Everyone's been working really hard lately, how about we suggest the group go on a picnic to relax?" Xiao Nan suggested with a smile, her fingertips gently pinching a paper butterfly, her eyes glancing at you almost imperceptibly.

Lin's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea!"

Both of them looked at you at the same time, their gazes gentle yet brooking no refusal. You chuckled twice and finally nodded, leaving no room for refusal.

This news was like a bombshell, instantly creating a huge uproar within the organization.

"Great! We can finally go out and play!" Hidan danced with joy, his scythe drawing a dangerous arc in the air, almost slicing through Kakuzu's abacus.

Kakuzu, unusually, didn't hold a grudge. He simply tucked the abacus into his robes and smiled almost imperceptibly. "I must relax properly this time."

Of course, his "relaxation" refers to counting money, not watching this group of people fight over a woman.

Along the way, the group set off into the forest in a grand procession. Deidara and Hidan, like two overly excited children, clung tightly to your side, chattering incessantly.

Deidara waved his hands, excitedly describing his grand plan for his next explosive artwork, "You wicked woman! Next time I'm going to blast a giant cherry blossom with C3, hmm! Just for you to see!"

Hidan, not to be outdone, gestured with his recently researched "improved version of the curse ritual," saying, "Jashin-sama, listen to me! I've discovered that if I use your hair as a medium, the curse effect is even stronger! Want to give it a try?"

"……no thanks."

Yahiko and Sasori followed behind, their eyes seeming to shoot out daggers. If looks could kill, Deidara and Hidan would probably be riddled with holes by now.

Scorpion's fingers silently rubbed the puppet strings, while Hiruko's tail swayed dangerously, as if contemplating whether to "accidentally" trip over some noisy golden retriever.

Yahiko crossed his arms, veins throbbing on his forehead, "...I really want to throw them into the river."

Your head was throbbing from the noise of the two of them, and the atmosphere around you felt eerily suffocating. Helpless, you quickly walked to Bai's side, seeking a moment of peace.

Bai looked at you with a gentle smile on his face, "Lord Tanuki is still as beloved as ever."

You sighed helplessly, thinking to yourself that this wasn't liking someone at all; you were clearly being used as a mobile noise receiver.

After a while, you finally arrived at your destination: a wide-open meadow surrounded by lush trees, with a clear stream flowing by, like a paradise on earth.

Everyone took off their backpacks and dumped the food they had prepared onto the grass.

"You wicked woman, try my specially made soldier's rations!" Deidara presented a colorful ration like a treasure, his eyes sparkling.

Hidan slapped his hand away. "Can you even eat that?! Lord Jashin, try my sandwich!"