Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

As Lin watched them eat with their heads down, seeing Obito's bright smile in the sunlight and Kakashi's occasional, barely perceptible satisfaction, her heart was filled with a bittersweet happiness.

That's it... an ordinary yet heartwarming daily life...

How she wished time could stand still at this moment.

Just then, a blurry figure flashed briefly through the depths of her mind.

It was a figure with long black hair, seemingly shrouded in a faint golden light. Her face was obscured, yet she felt a strange sense of peace and... profound sadness.

Her hand holding the chopsticks paused slightly, and her eyes momentarily lost focus and seemed dazed.

Once again...

How many times has this happened today? This inexplicable distraction and that blurry phantom...

"Rin?" Kakashi's cool voice snapped her out of her reverie.

Lin snapped back to reality and met Kakashi's probing gaze. She quickly smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just suddenly realized... the ingredients seem to be running out."

Obito remained oblivious, still engrossed in the food, but Kakashi's exposed eyes narrowed slightly.

He's not that thick-skinned idiot like Obito; Rin's condition today is very strange.

That occasional, seemingly world-weary look in his eyes, that inexplicable "long time no see," and that moment of absentmindedness...

As the sun set and training ended, the three walked back together.

At the familiar crossroads leading to Obito's house, Obito's grandmother was already waiting there, a kind yet helpless smile on her face.

"Obito! You're up so late again! Come home and eat!"

"Grandma! I'm here!" Obito responded cheerfully, then looked at Rin and Kakashi with reluctance, "Well... Rin, Kakashi, see you tomorrow!"

He waved vigorously as he ran towards his grandmother, not forgetting to turn back and shout, "Lin! I've ordered my bento for tomorrow too!"

Lin smiled and waved to him until he and his grandmother disappeared at the end of the street.

In an instant, the noise subsided, leaving only Rin and Kakashi.

The setting sun cast long shadows of them, and the only sound was the rustling of the wind through the leaves.

Kakashi walked casually with his hands in his pockets. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke. His voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable seriousness.

"Are you...worried about something today?"

"Huh? Why do you ask that?" Lin's heart tightened slightly, but she still maintained a gentle smile on her face.

"Long time no see." Kakashi repeated what she had said during the day, turning his gaze to her face. "And during meals, you spaced out three times. During training, you were a beat late in forming hand seals twice, which is unlike you."

Rin's heart skipped a beat. Kakashi... he's still as perceptive as ever.

She opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know how to explain.

Should we tell him that this seemingly perfect world might just be a dream? Should we tell him that they might already be...?

She couldn't say it.

Seeing Rin's hesitant and complicated expression, Kakashi's gaze softened slightly. He didn't press her for details, but simply said softly, "If you have any worries, you can tell me... and that idiot Obito. Although he may not be reliable, we're all here for you."

These words were like a gentle key; she stopped, looked up, and stared at Kakashi.

The golden rays of the setting sun shone on his silver hair and fell into his eyes, which always seemed nonchalant but were now filled with earnest concern.

In this world that is both false and incredibly real, this care is so precious.

A faint glimmer of tears welled up in Lin's eyes. She took a deep breath and revealed a smile that was more heartbreaking than tears.

"Kakashi..."

"If... I mean if..." Her voice was soft, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, "If one day you discover that everything you have now, all the beauty in your life, is just a fragile dream... what would you do?"

Kakashi was stunned. He seemed not to have expected Rin to ask such a heavy and philosophical question. He was silent for a few seconds, looking at the deep sadness and unease in Rin's eyes, and then slowly said.

"A dream...?" He looked up at the sky ablaze with the glow of sunset, his voice becoming somewhat unsteady. "Even if it's a dream... as long as the important people are still by my side, as long as the feelings I have right now are real... then I'll do my best to protect it until the moment I wake up."

He withdrew his gaze and looked at Rin again, his eyes firm yet gentle. "Moreover, I believe that whether it's a dream or reality, some bonds will never change, just like that loser who, no matter where he is, will always be clamoring to become Hokage, and will always... protect you."

Lin stared at him blankly, tears finally streaming down her face, but she laughed through her tears.

"Yes...you're right."

Some bonds will never change.

Whether it's the illusion of Tsukuyomi or the harsh reality.

As long as the warmth and protection she feels at this moment truly exist in her heart, she doesn't need to ask for anything more.

Tsunade's Tsukuyomi World—

The surroundings were noisy and dizzying.

The clatter of dice rattling wildly in the dice cup, the excited roars or desperate groans of gamblers, the crisp clinking of chips, and the heavy stench of smoke, alcohol, and sweat in the air...

Tsunade rubbed her temples, feeling a bit of a headache, and looked around in confusion.

A long wooden table, green velvet cloth, and mountains of chips... This is the gambling den she frequents most often on Tanabata Street.

Shouldn't she be in the cold, dark tower of the Land of Rain, having a meeting with Tanuki that would determine the fate of the ninja world? How could this be...?

Her hand instinctively reached for her neck, her fingertips touching a cold, hard object—the necklace worn by the First Hokage!

The emerald green gemstone refracted a faint light in the dim light of the gambling den, like a cold, mocking eye.

My heart felt as if it had been stabbed by those cold eyes, a sharp, piercing pain shooting through it.

This necklace, imbued with countless hopes, yet also bearing the deepest curse!

Not long after his younger brother, Rope Tree, put it on, he died on the battlefield. His body was blown to pieces, and not even a complete set of remains could be found.

After her lover, Kato Dan, put it on, he also collapsed in front of her. Even with her most prized medical ninjutsu, life still slipped away mercilessly.

Hope? Ha... This is clearly a curse of despair! The love and security it symbolizes are like a mirage, something she longed for her whole life but never truly touched. Every time she got close, it ended in heartbreaking loss.

So she ran away, to a casino, using alcohol and the thrill of winning and losing to numb herself, as if only in this way could she temporarily forget the excruciating pain.

Just as she was almost suffocating under the weight of these heavy memories—

The dilapidated wooden door of the gambling den was kicked open from the outside, the loud noise instantly drowning out all the other noise and drawing everyone's attention.

The blinding sunlight streamed in through the doorway, outlining the silhouette of a tall, slender figure.

Tsunade subconsciously squinted and looked over.

When she saw the person's face clearly, her breath hitched, her heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by something, and then it started pounding wildly again!

Her long, black hair was tied back in a slightly messy manner, with a few strands falling down her cheeks. She wore a fox mask that covered the upper half of her face, revealing only her beautifully shaped jawline and a pair of black eyes that were now sparkling with a cunning and lively light!

It's her! It really is her!

But... how did she end up here? In her... Tsukuyomi world?

"Hey! Boss! Where's the biggest bet? Take me there!" The fox's voice was clear and bright, with a hint of lazy roguishness. It was somewhat different from the mysterious image in her memory, yet strangely blended together.

Tsunade almost uncontrollably stood up, waving excitedly at her, "Hey! Over here! Over here!"

Tanuki turned its head at the sound, its gaze from behind its mask falling on Tsunade. Its black pupils seemed to curve slightly, as if it had seen something interesting.

She strolled leisurely through the crowd and naturally sat down opposite Tsunade.

"Oh? It seems a beauty is waiting for me?" Tanuki rested her chin on one hand, her tone flippant, yet inexplicably making Tsunade feel a sense of security and familiarity.

"Stop talking nonsense, are you in or not?" Tsunade suppressed her excitement and doubt, trying her best to fit into the atmosphere of this dream.

She had a vague feeling that this fox spirit didn't seem to have all the memories of reality, or rather, she was playing a different role in this dream.

“Play, of course I’ll play.” Tanuki chuckled. “However, I think your luck today… seems a bit off?” She glanced meaningfully at the few remaining chips in front of Tsunade.

Tsunade retorted, her neck stiff, "None of your business!"

What followed unfolded unexpectedly smoothly. As if by some unspoken understanding, Tsunade was in charge of placing the bets, while Tanuki always managed to accurately bet on the opposite side.

Tsunade was well aware of her terrible constitution, which meant she would always lose at gambling, and Tanuki seemed to know this well as well as well.

"Then I'll buy the smaller one."

"Open! One, two, three, small!"

"Tsk, another loss."

"Haha, you flatter me, your luck with money is really... well, unique."

"This time it's on me!"

"Then I'll buy a pair."

"Open! Four, five, six, even!"

"..."

"All in! Three of a Kind!"

"Then I'll reluctantly place a bet on a triple."

"Open! Three ones! It's a leopard!!"

"...It's a ghost!"

Using this bizarre method, the chips in front of them piled up at an astonishing speed, soon becoming as eye-catching as a small mountain.

The surrounding gamblers stared in disbelief and began to whisper amongst themselves.

Tsunade looked at the mountain of banknotes and chips and couldn't stop smiling. The gloom of the past few days seemed to have been dispelled by this sudden stroke of good luck.

She hadn't experienced this simple joy of winning money in a long time.

In particular, she has this raccoon dog by her side that makes her feel inexplicably at ease and amused.

Perhaps... this dream isn't so bad?

The atmosphere reached its peak in the final round.

Almost all the gamblers gathered around, eager to see how this bizarre collaboration would end.

Tsunade took a deep breath, symbolically shook the dice cup, and then slammed it down on the table. She looked at the tanuki opposite her. The two exchanged a knowing glance.

"The usual?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

“Of course.” Tanuki shrugged and casually pushed all the chips in front of her to the largest position.

Tsunade smiled, confidently lifting the dice cup. As usual, whatever she bet on, she lost, while Tanuki bet on the other side to win.

So this time, Tanuki bet big, so the result will definitely be...

"Four, five, six... fifteen points...big?!"

Tsunade's smile froze instantly! Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the three dice that clearly displayed "four, five, six," her mind going completely blank!

"Won...won?" she murmured to herself, her voice filled with absurdity and confusion.

She actually... won?! With her and the raccoon's teamwork, she actually won?! How is that possible?!

The expected look of frustration from the cat after losing its chips did not appear.

The clamor of the surrounding gamblers also mysteriously disappeared.

The entire gambling den fell into a deathly silence.

Tsunade suddenly raised her head and looked at the tanuki opposite her.

The surrounding scenery began to violently fluctuate and distort!

The gambling table, the chips, the excited gamblers... everything became blurred like a reflection in water! Only the figure opposite remained clear!

But no longer the cunning fox that worked seamlessly with her.

Her fox mask was half shattered, revealing a pale, blood-stained jaw. Her long black hair was disheveled, stained with dark red blood and dust. The familiar Xiao robe she wore was torn and tattered, revealing a hideous wound underneath, deep enough to expose the bone.

The fox stood there, swaying precariously, exuding a heavy stench of blood and... a chilling stillness. Through the shattered mask, its black eyes revealed emptiness, endless weariness, and... despair.

Like...like a puppet whose soul has been taken away.

Reality... Amegakure... Valley of the End... Kaguya... Infinite Tsukuyomi... The image of Tanuki collapsing covered in blood...

The memory instantly shattered the beautiful illusion woven by Tsukuyomi, crashing into Tsunade's mind.

"No--!!!"

Tsunade let out a heart-wrenching scream, abruptly standing up from beside the gambling table, knocking over the mountain of chips with a crashing sound like the lament of a shattered dream!