Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

This is no dream! This is Tsukuyomi! And the real world is facing an unprecedented crisis! Tanuki... Tanuki...

How could she forget?! How could she be so caught up in this false victory?! How could she forget... forget that bastard who was so important to her, the one she was protecting with her life!

"Wait for me!" Tsunade shouted hoarsely at the gradually blurring, blood-stained figure as she looked at the gambling den illusions around her that were beginning to collapse like shattered mirrors, even though she knew the other person probably couldn't hear her at all.

She turned and rushed out of the illusion without regard for anything else!

When her luck turns around in gambling, it means that someone important is about to leave.

She ran desperately, the wind whistling in her ears, the road ahead blurred by her tears.

She dared not think about it!

All I could do was run desperately, at the fastest speed I could ever go, fleeing towards that destined, sorrowful end.

I was afraid that if I was even a second too slow, it would really be too late.

I was terrified that on the way to finding that person, I would completely collapse due to immense fear and regret.

[Extended Reading: Redemption in Tsukuyomi] — Kakashi Hatake, Mei Terumi

【Kakashi's Tsukuyomi World——】

Six-year-old Kakashi Hatake tightly gripped a brand-new kunai in his hand.

This was a private reward from his father, Sakumo, after he received a perfect score in his most recent shuriken test.

The handle of the kunai still held the warmth of his father's hand, along with a cheerful word of encouragement: "Well done, Kakashi."

He practically skipped home, his little face beaming with the rare joy and anticipation of someone his age.

His father has finished that long mission and is coming home today! He has so much to say to his father, he wants to show him the ninjutsu he has learned, and he wants to tell him... that he also wants to become a great hero like his father, protecting his comrades!

The sun was shining warmly, and the pedestrians on the street all seemed to be smiling; everything was unbelievably beautiful.

Just a few steps from his doorstep, he saw the crowd gathered, heard suppressed sobs, and the heavy, indistinct whispers of adults.

"What a pity..."

"...How could Lord White Fang have been so foolish..."

"If the mission fails, commit suicide..."

The word "suicide" pierced Kakashi's ears.

His small body suddenly froze on the spot, and the smile on his face instantly shattered.

The kunai in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter, making a piercing sound, but it failed to attract anyone's attention.

I really don't understand.

Father...committed suicide?

Was he his heroic father, as towering, powerful, and tender as a mountain in his heart?

That father who would pat his head and tell him that "rules and comrades are both important"? That man who, even after a mission failed, remained the most remarkable person in his heart?

How could he... commit suicide?

A tremendous shock and bewilderment overwhelmed him instantly, like ice water.

All the sounds around him became distant and indistinct. Those gazes, whether filled with regret, sympathy, or a hint of accusation and incomprehension, were like countless fine needles, silently pricking him. They weren't fatal, but they caused a dense, persistent pain.

He didn't cry, he didn't shout, and he didn't even go forward to check.

He just stood there, stunned, his eyes filled with utter, incomprehensible bewilderment.

In the end what happened?

Why would his father choose to abandon him in a way that he considered almost cowardly?

No one gave him an answer, only a silent heaviness and those suffocating gazes.

After an unknown amount of time, the crowd gradually dispersed, but he remained frozen in place until someone gently nudged him, signaling that it was time for him to go inside.

He pursed his almost bloodless lips, bent down, and silently picked up the kunai that had fallen to the ground, clenching it tightly in his palm until his knuckles turned white from the force.

He suppressed all the turmoil, all the grievances and pain, all the incomprehension and anger under his prematurely mature body, without revealing a trace of it.

From that moment on, the light in his eyes, which had been a source of worship and dependence, suddenly dimmed.

A heavy, cold shackle called reality and rules silently tightened around his neck, slowly strangling the little innocence he had left.

His reputation as a genius grew louder and louder. He graduated at the age of five, became a Chunin at the age of six, and a Jonin at the age of twelve... One astonishing record after another was broken by him.

But he also became increasingly withdrawn, like a knife that had been sharpened too much—cold, efficient, but also devoid of warmth.

He covered his face with a mask, masked his inner emptiness with laziness, and made mission-first his new creed, as if this would protect him from all unnecessary trouble and possible harm again.

It wasn't until he became Minato Namikaze's student that he met Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara.

Obito is like a loud and boisterous sun, always talking about bonds and comrades, like a furnace that never goes out.

Rin is like the gentle moonlight, always able to subtly perceive his and Obito's emotions, silently bridging their differences.

The two of them carried with them the vibrant energy of normal children that he had long been forced to abandon.

Sometimes, watching them play around, Kakashi would even feel a sense of disorientation, as if he were a gray shadow who had wandered into a colorful painting.

But deep down, he longed for that warmth.

Minato's guidance, Obito's boisterous challenges, Rin's gentle and caring gaze... these little bits of warmth seeped into his cold exterior, causing subtle cracks to appear in his theory of rules above all else, cracks that even he himself might not be aware of.

He thought that perhaps things could continue like this.

During breaks in missions, I savor this hard-won, slightly noisy peace and quiet.

His father's death remains the deepest, most painful obsession in his heart, but at least now his life has a new anchor.

until that day.

During a break from a mission, the three lay on the grass, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds, and talked about their future and aspirations.

Obito, as always, was bursting with enthusiasm, waving his fist. "My dream is to become Hokage! To be recognized by everyone! And then...and then..." He glanced furtively at Rin, his face slightly flushed, "...to protect all the important people in my life!"

Lin smiled gently, "I hope... to become an excellent medical ninja, to help more people, and to help everyone return home safely."

When it was Kakashi's turn, he pulled down his mask, took a bite of a soldier's ration, and said in his usual lazy tone, "A wish? Just complete the mission, that should be enough."

Obito immediately complained, "Hey! Kakashi! You're being way too perfunctory! Be serious!"

Lin looked at him expectantly.

Kakashi sighed, as if forced to think about such a trivial question.

He gazed at the sky, trying to scavenge something from his barren imagination that matched the word "desire."

In the instant his mind went blank, an extremely clear yet terrifying image struck his mind like lightning!

A black-haired woman he had never seen before, wearing a tattered black robe with red cloud patterns, covered in dark red bloodstains and dust, her face as pale as paper, and blood constantly spilling from the corner of her mouth.

She seemed to be enduring immense pain, her body swaying precariously, but her eyes, peering through her disheveled hair... held a resolute resolve he couldn't comprehend, an apology, and a hint of... an illusionary tenderness?

She was facing him, her lips moving with difficulty, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, it only turned into more blood gushing out, and she finally collapsed helplessly...

"!" Kakashi sat up abruptly! His breathing suddenly became rapid, and he didn't even notice the soldier's ration pill falling to the ground in his hand. His forehead was instantly covered with cold sweat.

"Kakashi? What's wrong?" Rin asked worriedly.

"Hey! You stinky Kakashi! Are you alright? You look terrible!" Obito was startled as well.

The visuals are so realistic!

Who was that woman? Why had he never seen her before? Why did seeing her injured and dying cause his heart to clench with unbearable pain? An indescribable panic and immense grief instantly overwhelmed him!

His subconscious was screaming frantically, telling him that woman was incredibly important! More important than anything else!

But he... clearly doesn't know her!

This contradictory perception almost made his head explode; he suddenly clutched his head as intense pain surged through him.

Countless chaotic, fragmented, and concealed pieces of memory began to frantically assault his consciousness!

The cold body of his father when he committed suicide... the moment Obito transferred his Sharingan when half of his body was crushed by a boulder... the feeling of Rin dying under her own Lightning Blade... the funeral of the Fourth Hokage and his wife... and... and...

A woman who always wears a fox mask, with cunning eyes and a deep-seated obsession... the woman who briefly clashed with him atop the Rain Village tower, yet inexplicably held back...

Known as "Tanuki," a core member of the Akatsuki organization...

That contradictory being who always seemed to be watching them from the shadows, yet repeatedly offered their help...

...It's all an illusion.

So it turns out... Father, Obito, Rin, Minato-sensei... This seemingly peaceful yet always slightly incongruous daily life... is all of them.

Kakashi slowly raised his head, and all the confusion, pain, and struggle receded like the tide, leaving only a near-deathly calm.

He looked at Obito and Rin, who were both looking worried, and at the blue sky, white clouds, and grass behind them that were gradually peeling away like a faded oil painting.

"Kakashi? What happened? This world..." Rin looked around in horror at the changes.

Obito jumped up alertly, assuming a defensive stance. "What happened?!"

Kakashi slowly stood up, pulled up his mask, and concealed the last trace of emotion on his face.

He glanced one last time at his two most cherished companions, his voice calm and undisturbed, "Ah...it's nothing, it's just time to wake up from this dream."

He finally remembered that woman, Xiao's "Li Nu".

Uchiha... Nagi.

[Teimi Mei’s Tsukuyomi World——]

Before you lies the ultimate in romance and luxury.

Sunlight streamed through the enormous stained-glass windows, casting dappled shadows, and the entire wedding hall was enveloped in countless blooming flowers.

A gentle breeze, seemingly from nowhere, swirls up the soft petals, causing them to flutter down like a never-ending, dreamlike rain of flowers.

The room was packed with guests, all wearing bright clothes and chatting quietly, their faces beaming with blessings as they awaited the bride's arrival.

Mei Terumi stood at the end of the hall, looking down at herself with a somewhat blank expression.

A perfectly tailored white wedding dress, with layers of expensive silk and tulle, accentuated her curvaceous and flawless figure.

Delicate lace patterns extend from the chest to the hem of the skirt, while tiny diamonds are inlaid on the cuffs and veil, sparkling brilliantly in the light.

She could even feel the exquisite makeup on her face, the carefully styled hair, and the priceless jewelry she wore.

She was also holding an extremely exquisite bouquet of the rarest blue roses.

All of this was as perfect as the dream that every young woman waiting to get married longs for.

The initial confusion in Mei Terumi's beautiful emerald green eyes quickly faded, replaced by an extreme sense of absurdity and impatience.

She suddenly raised her head, her sharp gaze sweeping over the smiling guests. She vaguely recognized many of their faces—the elders and nobles from the Water Kingdom who always caused her trouble!

They were looking at her with an almost approving and ingratiating gaze!

what the hell?!

"What's going on?!" she almost growled through gritted teeth, slamming the expensive bouquet of blue roses she was holding onto the ground!

The delicate petals scattered on the ground in an instant, mercilessly crushed by her high heels.

"Shouldn't I be at the border of the Land of Rain?! How did I end up at this... this boring wedding?!"

She tugged at the overly ornate wedding dress that was restricting her, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

This flimsy fabric is nowhere near as sturdy and practical as her ninja robe.

"Damn it!" she spat, her emerald eyes blazing with fury. "I've been under an illusion again! Which blind bastard dared to plot against me?!"

She was completely unaware of the powerful illusion she was in, and just kept complaining.

After all, in her view, any illusion that disturbs her from doing her work is low-level and unforgivable!

Just then, music started playing.

The doors at the other end of the hall slowly opened, and a spotlight shone on them.

A handsome man in a white wedding suit appeared in the light.

He was tall, handsome, and had an exceptional presence. With an impeccable gentle smile on his face, he walked towards her step by step. His family background, appearance, and abilities seemed to perfectly match everything that people fantasized about in a husband.

If it were a few years ago, before she met that person, Mei Terumi might have had a little bit of daydreaming and vanity about such a scene.