Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

When you set foot on this land, a throbbing sensation from the depths of your blood quietly washes over you, your steps pause almost imperceptibly for a moment, and fragmented, blurry images flash rapidly through your mind.

Ancient trees, a burning campfire, blurry figures, and... a pair of blood-red eyes filled with complex emotions.

These fragmented images, seemingly disconnected, possess a chilling sense of familiarity, as if you had truly lived here and breathed this air.

But this feeling was fleeting, too quick to grasp any substantial content, leaving only a lingering emptiness and a deeper fog in the heart.

"Free time, don't run far, be careful!" The teacher's voice rang out, and the children cheered and scattered, like a flock of birds released from their cages, chasing and playing, enjoying their rare outdoor time.

Ignoring the noise around you, you silently leave the crowd and walk alone to a relatively quiet place downstream.

There was a black rock there, smoothed by the water, half submerged in the water and half exposed on the shore.

You lightly leaped onto the boulder, chose a spot with your back to the sun, sat down, curled up your legs, and hugged your knees with your arms.

Leaning slightly forward, you gaze at the crystal-clear waters of the Namga River below. The rushing water reflects the azure sky, the billowing white clouds, the swaying green trees on both banks, and... your own pale and blurred face, distorted by the water's ripples.

Kakashi crossed his arms and leaned against the shade of an old tree not far from the boulder.

His posture appears lazy and relaxed, like a cat taking a nap in the afternoon, but his gaze behind the mask never truly leaves your figure.

He watched you sitting alone by the water, looking at your blurry and distant reflection in the water. His doubts about whether you were "pretending" seemed to waver for a moment, and were replaced by a more complex emotion.

It looked...too lonely, as if there was an invisible barrier separating it from the whole world.

Just then, a figure appeared silently on the boulder like a gentle breeze, landing beside you.

It was Uchiha Shisui. He even took off his slightly ferocious animal mask, revealing a handsome face with a warm smile underneath.

In his hand, a string of steaming hot, honey-drizzled tricolor dumplings appeared out of nowhere. The soft, glutinous white dumplings were interspersed with bright green and pink, emitting an enticing sweet aroma that blended strangely with the fresh, natural atmosphere around them.

"Here." Shisui handed the dumpling to you, her voice gentle, with a hint of barely perceptible expectation. "Try it? I heard that eating sweets can make you feel much better."

He carefully observed your expression, afraid that his slightly abrupt action might offend you. "You always look worried; maybe it really will work?"

Chapter 228 - Opponent

Your gaze slowly shifts from the string of steaming, sweet-smelling dumplings to Shisui's face, which is adorned with a sincere smile.

His expression remained unchanged, but a very subtle moment of surprise flashed across his dark eyes at this unexpected gift.

After a few seconds of silence, just as Shisui thought he would be rejected and his heart was slightly pounding, a pale, slender hand reached out from the wide sleeve of the cloak and gently took the string of three-colored dumplings.

His movements were somewhat hesitant, even carrying a hint of helplessness he himself was unaware of, as if he didn't know how to deal with this 'kindness' that had no ulterior motive.

The warm touch from your fingertips contrasts sharply with your perpetually cold body temperature.

Shisui secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and her smile became even brighter, like sunlight piercing through the clouds.

You lower your head, looking at the string of softly colored food in your hand. You hesitate for a moment, then slightly lift the collar of the cloak that covers the lower half of your face, open your mouth, and carefully bite off the pink dumpling at the very top.

Instantly, the intensely sweet taste exploded on the tip of the tongue, then slid down the throat, as if the sweetness had reached the deepest part of the heart.

It was a taste I had never experienced before, too straightforward and even a bit domineering, completely different from the slightly bitter military rations you usually eat, or the bland food in the orphanage.

I can't quite describe the feeling, but... it's peculiar, and I don't dislike it.

Chew slowly, feeling the soft, chewy texture and sweetness of the glutinous rice ball continue to ferment in your mouth.

"How is it?" Zhishui asked nervously, staring intently at you.

You swallowed the food, seemingly savoring the unfamiliar taste, before raising your eyes to look at Shizuku, "...Delicious."

The two simple words made Zhishui's heart skip a beat, followed by a surge of immense, indescribable joy and a sense of accomplishment.

He looked at you in surprise, his eyes full of laughter. "Really? I'm glad you like it! I almost thought... you wouldn't like sweets."

He was prepared to be coldly rejected, but he didn't expect to receive a positive response.

Perhaps what Shisui said makes some sense. You did feel a strange sense of pleasure after that intense sweetness. It was fleeting, but it was real.

You stopped talking and silently finished the remaining two dumplings, your movements still refined, even carrying an ancient elegance, which seemed somewhat out of place with these childlike snacks, yet strangely harmonious.

Zhi Shui watched quietly from the side, silently noting in her heart that you like sweets, and at least you don't dislike tricolor dumplings.

Next time, maybe we can try other desserts? Red bean soup? Yokan? He almost couldn't wait to start planning how to make you feel a little better, even if only for a moment.

Kakashi, standing under a tree not far away, witnessed the entire scene.

He watched Shisui remove his mask and smile, watched you take the dumpling, watched you slightly lift your cloak to eat, watched Shisui's eyes light up instantly at the simple word "delicious" from you...

Beneath the mask, Kakashi frowned slightly, a strange unease creeping into his heart like tiny thorns.

He couldn't quite describe the feeling; it was a little dazzling, a little...suffocating. He subconsciously straightened up, and that lazy, feigned posture vanished.

Almost as if by magic, he also stepped forward, silently leaped onto the boulder, and came to your other side.

His sudden approach surprised Shisui, who looked at him with slight astonishment.

Kakashi didn't look at Shisui. His gaze, through the holes in his mask, fell directly on Shisui's dark eyes. He took out a small white porcelain bottle from his ninja tool bag. The bottle was icy cold.

"I have some hawthorn-flavored soldier rations here," Kakashi's voice came through his mask, lower than usual, "Would you like some?"

He himself felt a little awkward and strange when he asked the question. Who would want to eat sour military rations right after eating sweet and greasy dumplings?

But he did ask, and his gaze was fixed on your eyes, as if trying to see something from the depths of an abyss.

You turn to look at him, and he doesn't seem to show any impatience or resistance to the continuous feeding.

He simply glanced calmly at the white porcelain bottle in Kakashi's hand, then at his masked face, and finally nodded very slightly.

Kakashi's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason. He reached out and gently placed the small white porcelain bottle on your outstretched palm.

As his fingertips inevitably brush against the skin of your palm, a faint, electric-like sensation instantly surges through his fingertips, reaching his heart and bringing an incredibly clear feeling of accelerated heartbeat.

The icy body temperature contrasted sharply with the temperature of his fingertips.

Kakashi seemed to be burned by the excessively cold temperature, and quickly withdrew his hand, his fingertips even curling up almost imperceptibly.

He subconsciously turned his body slightly to the side, afraid that his sudden loss of composure would be noticed by the two people opposite him, especially by those cold, dark eyes.

You gripped the white porcelain bottle, still warm from Kakashi's body, tightly in your palm, the coolness of the bottle seeping into your skin.

Looking down at the small bottle, your long eyelashes cast a small fan-shaped shadow under your eyes, and no one can see the emotions in your eyes at this moment.

After a brief rest on the banks of the Namka River, the main group from the orphanage set off again.

The next destination is a friendly buffer zone on the border of the Land of Iron. As a country dominated by samurai and strictly adhering to neutrality, the area surrounding the Land of Iron is relatively peaceful and tranquil, rarely affected by war. This is also a consideration in choosing this place as the end point of the spring outing.

The children, laughing and joking, boarded the spacious carriage one after another, their noise filling the afternoon sunlight.

You and your two 'guards' ride alone in another, simpler but sturdier carriage. The interior is not spacious, and the atmosphere is completely out of place with the cheerful atmosphere outside.

You lean quietly against the slightly bumpy car window, closing your eyes to rest.

The scenery flowing outside the window doesn't attract you in the slightest; you seem to be immersed in your own world, or rather, resisting certain fragments that are constantly trying to invade your consciousness.

The sudden scene did not completely disappear; instead, it intensified amidst the turbulence and silence. The stench of blood seemed to penetrate time and space, burning your nasal cavity.

The ear-piercing clang of chakra clashing during ninja battles; the unfamiliar canyon filled with jagged rocks; and many... many children's terrified and desperate faces, like frightened young animals locked in a cage...

These images are chaotic and jarring, carrying an ominous premonition.

You suddenly open your eyes!

Deep within his pure black eyes, a non-human golden light flashed by incredibly fast, so fast it seemed like an illusion, but Shisui was certain he saw it.

“You…” Shisui instinctively wanted to ask.

But Kakashi, who was sitting next to him, quickly and subtly nudged him with his elbow to stop him.

Kakashi's gaze, sharp as an eagle's, was also drawn to that unusual golden light. But he chose to remain silent. Years of experience in the Anbu had taught him that some secrets were more dangerous to expose.

You naturally noticed the sudden emotional fluctuations between the two and Kakashi's subtle actions, guessing that they must have seen your unusual behavior, but you had no intention of explaining, not even a hint of panic.

In situations like these, extreme composure is essential. You simply readjust your posture and gaze at the receding scenery outside the window, as if nothing had ever happened.

But the inner peace is far from what it appears to be. Why does this foreseeable scene appear at this moment? From childhood to adulthood, these inexplicably flashing fragments of the future have repeatedly allowed you to change the course of your destiny that was about to go astray.

What kind of crisis does this foreshadow? Those ninja dressed as Cloud Village ninjas, those children...

The silence inside the carriage grew even heavier, like the deathly stillness before a storm. Shisui and Kakashi both became more alert, sensing any movement around them.

Just when they all thought the journey would continue in this tense silence—

"Whoa—!"

With a sharp shout from the driver and a painful neighing from the horses, the carriage jolted violently before coming to a screeching halt! The immense inertia caused the carriage to lurch forward!

"Enemy attack!" The urgent alarm and the sharp clang of kunai clashing rang out from outside as the escorting ninjas marched in!

Kakashi and Shisui instantly sprang back like taut bowstrings, lifting the carriage curtain to look outside.

Suddenly, a group of ninjas dressed in a style distinctly different from Konoha appeared at the front of the convoy. They came in aggressively, seemingly searching each carriage roughly, as if looking for some specific target.

Kakashi quickly glanced at the situation outside, then abruptly turned back to look at the carriage. You remained in the same position by the window, even calmer than before.

But this excessive calm only heightened Kakashi's alarm bells. These people were very likely after you!

"Shisui!" Kakashi's voice, coming through the mask, carried an undeniable command. "You protect her! I'm going out to check the situation!"

"Understood!" Shisui replied immediately, turning his body slightly towards you. Although his Sharingan was not activated, all the muscles in his body were already in a state of combat readiness.

Just then, you, who had been silent all along, suddenly looked up at Zhishui and clearly uttered two words, "Four."

Zhi Shui was taken aback, not yet fully understanding the meaning of those two words.

A violent lightning-style ninjutsu, like a ferocious blue python, slammed into the carriage they were on from the side! The wooden carriage instantly exploded!

In the nick of time, thanks to your superhuman reaction speed and your vague hints, Shisui almost instinctively pulled you tightly into his arms by the window.

He suddenly threw several shuriken to distract you, and at the same time, his chakra exploded beneath his feet, carrying you as he crashed through the other side of the car wall, avoiding the fatal blow!

Wood chips were flying and smoke and dust were everywhere.

Shisui landed lightly with you in his arms, quickly shielding you behind him. He looked around and saw four ninjas dressed in the uniforms of Jonin from Kumogakure, exuding a fierce aura, who had surrounded him from four different directions, blocking all escape routes.

As expected, they were from Kumogakure! Shisui's heart sank. How did they know the news, and why did they find him so precisely?

You stand behind Shisui, quietly watching him instantly engage in fierce combat with four Jonin.

From an angle unnoticed by everyone, your dark eyes subtly changed, replaced by two black tomoe slowly rotating within your blood-red pupils.

You are not participating in the battle, but rather replicating Shisui's valuable practical experience, which is invaluable nourishment for someone like you who desperately lacks systematic guidance.

The next second, a strong sense of crisis pierced your back like an ice pick!

You abruptly deactivated your Sharingan, the crimson faded, and your eyes returned to their unfathomable blackness. The entire process was so fast that no one noticed.

A giant hand covered in lightning chakra almost grazed the edge of your cloak!

The Cloud Village Jonin with a hideous scar on his face had somehow broken through the battle circle created by Shisui and appeared behind you. He looked at you, his eyes gleaming with the greed and excitement of a hunter discovering a precious prey.

"Found you, Konoha's taboo." He licked his lips, his voice hoarse and full of pressure. "Come with me obediently, and you'll suffer less."

Your brain is racing, calculating the possibilities and routes for escape.

Just as the Cloud Village Jonin reached out again, his five fingers, wreathed in lightning, were about to touch your neck—

A deafening, sharp sound, like the chorus of a thousand birds, ripped through the air! A dazzling blue lightning bolt struck first, hitting the Cloud Village Jonin with pinpoint accuracy!

The ninja's expression changed, and he had no choice but to abandon the capture and retreat rapidly to avoid it.

"Their target is you!" Kakashi said to you rapidly without turning around, shoving a specially made kunai into your hand. "Leave this to us! Go to the northern forest and wait for me! Head in this direction, and don't look back!"

His voice, coming through the mask, carried an undeniable urgency.

You glanced down at the cold, distinctive kunai in your hand, then quickly scanned the increasingly chaotic battle and the other Cloud Village ninjas closing in.

Without the slightest hesitation, you gripped your kunai, turned around, and sped off toward the northern forest that Kakashi had indicated. Your movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Kakashi glanced at you out of the corner of his eye to confirm your safe escape, and only then did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

But this was followed by a deeper fury: Kumogakure... how did they know you existed? And with such a clear purpose!

Considering the Hidden Cloud Village's long-standing covetousness of bloodline limits and its unsavory practices, Kakashi almost instantly guessed their dirty intentions.

They simply want to kidnap you and use you as a breeding tool to replicate the Uchiha bloodline...

The thought that the other party wouldn't even spare such a young child made Kakashi's eyes, hidden behind his mask, turn icy cold, and his killing intent spread like a tangible force.

He gripped the kunai in his hand and looked at the Cloud Village Jonin in front of him, whose face was grim.

"Your opponent is me."