Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

Chapter 229 The Chatterbox

The northern forest is deep and silent, with towering ancient trees blocking out the sun, leaving only sparse patches of sunlight scattered on the ground covered with thick fallen leaves.

The air was humid, filled with the fresh scent of humus and vegetation, yet it was also tainted by an invisible killing intent.

You moved swiftly through the forest like a silent black shadow, barely making a sound as you stepped on the soft fallen leaves. The only sound was the rustling of the enemy's undisguised crunching of dry branches and leaves in the distance behind you, like a leech, relentlessly pursuing you.

Without looking back or even slowing down, he was rapidly calculating the best escape route in his mind, avoiding possible traps and encirclements.

The pursuers were much faster than expected and were clearly skilled in encirclement tactics. Soon, you keenly sensed chakra fluctuations on your left, right, and rear sides, and you were being quietly surrounded.

Without the slightest hesitation, you suddenly turned and silently slipped into the shadow of the dense bushes, completely calming your mind and becoming one with the surrounding darkness.

The kunai in your hand is gripped tightly, its icy touch keeping you absolutely calm.

The footsteps grew closer, heavy and threatening. You held your breath, calculating the best time to counterattack or escape.

The expected enemy did not appear. Instead, a staggering figure stumbled out from behind a tree not far away and fell to the ground!

The girl, who looked even younger than you, was wearing a pale purple kimono that was clearly expensive but had been torn by tree branches and stained with mud.

Her exposed arms and knees were covered in bloody wounds. The girl tried to struggle to get up, but collapsed again due to pain and exhaustion, letting out a soft, painful whimper.

Your gaze fell sharply on the girl's face: pale skin, large eyes brimming with tears of fear and pain, and... those eyes that were exceptionally striking even in the midst of the chaos, with slightly bulging veins around them and pure white pupils.

How could the Hyuga clan be here? And why are they being chased by the Cloud Village? Recalling the children he saw in the premonition in the carriage earlier, a vague guess formed in his mind.

You are probably not the only target of the Hidden Cloud Village; they are conducting a large-scale capture of children with bloodline limits.

Just as you were pondering, the Cloud Village Jonin who had been chasing you arrived, grinning as he approached Hinata lying on the ground. "Found you, Hyuga Clan's little princess!"

Hinata looked at the approaching enemy, her large Byakugan eyes filled with desperate tears. She didn't know why she had encountered such a terrible kidnapping just by traveling with her clan. The extreme fear made it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Just a second before the Cloud Village ninja's large hand was about to grab Hinata.

A pale yet unusually steady hand suddenly reached out in front of Hinata's eyes.

Hinata looked up through teary eyes, against the light, and saw a face so pale it was almost transparent.

What's most impressive are those eyes; there's no panic in them, only a calm that gives you a strange sense of peace.

Without any hesitation, as if grasping at the only straw in the darkness, Hinata used all her strength to grab the hand that was being reached out to her.

That hand was icy cold, yet unusually strong.

You pulled Hinata up from the ground without hesitation, then turned and ran swiftly into the depths of the forest, your movements decisive and efficient, as if you had planned everything in advance.

Hinata was forced to run, and her knees and arms were throbbing with pain, but at that moment, the instinct to survive overwhelmed everything.

She looked at the figure leading her away, her heart filled with a mixture of relief at surviving a close call and profound confusion. Who are you? Why are you being hunted? Why did you save her?

Relying on your instinctive senses, you skillfully avoided one potential ambush point after another. Your route was cunning yet efficient, and you actually managed to tear a gap in the encirclement, and it looked like you were about to break out of the most dangerous area.

But...is it really that easy?

You never let your guard down, always feeling as if a pair of even colder eyes were watching everything from the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Just before you burst out of a relatively open forest clearing and plunge back into the denser jungle, your dark eyes suddenly narrowed.

Acting on instinct, you forcefully shoved Hinata aside, while simultaneously parrying upwards with the kunai you had been holding tightly in your hand at an extremely tricky angle!

"Clang—!"

A piercing clang of metal rang out, sparks flying everywhere!

A katana imbued with lightning chakra silently slashed down from the treetops above, which you barely managed to block. The immense force made your hand go numb and your entire arm tremble slightly.

Using the recoil from the block, you lightly leaped backward, landing steadily, and immediately shielded Hinata, who was struggling to get up, behind you.

At this moment, from all directions, in the shadows of the trees, one figure after another slowly emerged.

All the Cloud Village ninjas who had previously feigned pursuit gathered here, their faces displaying a mocking and cruel expression, like cats catching mice.

Their real goal was never to capture you immediately, but to lure you into this pre-set final trap.

Faced with this desperate scene, Hinata instinctively reached out and tightly grasped the hem of the cloak that was blocking her way.

The Cloud Village leader grinned maliciously, his gaze sweeping over you and Hinata as if appraising merchandise. "What an unexpected surprise! This time the harvest is quite substantial; we've actually captured the bloodlines of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans!" His laughter was particularly jarring in the silent forest.

Your thin lips were almost pressed into a cold, straight line. There was no chance of winning in a direct confrontation. While pondering all the possibilities, your keen sense of smell suddenly caught a very subtle fragrance spreading in the air.

Oh no! It's a potent sleeping potion!

You immediately held your breath, just about to turn around and remind Hinata behind you.

Hinata let out a soft whimper, her body went limp and she collapsed against you, completely losing consciousness.

A glint of lightning flashed in the depths of your eyes. You didn't try to resist. Instead, you went along with your body's reaction and inhaled the incense with remarkable 'naturalness'. Then, along with Hinata's fall, you collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.

The performance was flawless; even the breathing and heart rate were adjusted to the state appropriate for unconsciousness.

The Cloud Village ninjas waited cautiously for a while, and only after confirming that the two girls were completely unconscious and unresponsive did they carefully approach.

The Cloud Village leader inspected them and nodded in satisfaction. "Hmph, not bad. Take those two away and lock them up with that Iwagakure kid we caught earlier! Keep a close watch on them!"

He pointed to two other men, "The rest of you, come with me to continue capturing the remaining 'goods'!"

He left two ninjas to carry the unconscious you and Hinata away, and led a large group of people away quickly, disappearing into the depths of the dense forest, clearly to pursue other potentially valuable targets in the orphanage group.

And as you were carried on someone's shoulder, from an angle where no one could see you, your thick eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly.

In the darkness, your consciousness is cold yet clear. A boy from Iwagakure? Another child?

Those foreseen scenes... I see.

Deep beneath the Hidden Cloud Village lies a cold and damp dungeon.

The heavy iron door was violently flung open, the jarring sound echoing through the silent dungeon.

"Hey! You bastards! Let me out right now! I'm the Earth Shadow's apprentice! If my master finds out, he'll blow this whole village to smithereens! Huh!"

A slightly immature yet arrogant voice rang out first, breaking the deathly silence of the dungeon.

In the innermost cell, a boy with a long golden ponytail and wearing an Iwagakure headband was pounding on the cold iron bars and shouting loudly.

His face still had a touch of childishness, but his eyes were full of arrogance and restlessness.

His threat only earned him a disdainful sneer from the guarding ninja. The cell door was violently flung open, and two unconscious girls were thrown in, landing heavily on the dirty, hay-covered floor.

The iron gate slammed shut again, the sound of the lock clicking shut crisply and desperately, cutting off all light and hope, plunging the dungeon back into suffocating darkness.

"Damn it!" Deidara slammed his fist on the iron bars in frustration, making a dull thud.

He slumped to the ground, hugging his knees, his golden ponytail drooping. "I should have listened to Master and not run off like this... Getting caught in this godforsaken place! What terrible luck! Ugh!"

He eagerly raised his head, his gaze falling on the two new 'fellow inmates' in the cell.

Both girls were unconscious. One was wearing a light purple kimono with a prominent clan crest on it, suggesting she was from the Hyuga clan. The other was dressed entirely in black, almost blending into the shadows, her face mostly obscured by her loose, dark hair, making it impossible to discern her features.

Deidara's curiosity gradually overcame his fear. He carefully stood up and tiptoed closer, wanting to see more clearly.

Just as his gaze was about to fall on the girl in black's face—

Those eyes, which had been tightly closed, suddenly opened without warning!

It crashed straight into Deidara's line of sight at extremely close range, without the confusion of someone just waking up, only a chilling depth.

"Aaaaa! A ghost!!" Deidara was so frightened that he screamed and stumbled backward, his back slamming heavily against the cold stone wall. He winced in pain, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his throat.

You glanced expressionlessly at the overreacting blond boy, quickly sat up, and calmly scanned your surroundings, sensing the dungeon's structure, the guards' positions, the airflow... rapidly inputting all the information into your mind, constructing a topographical map.

Deidara, still trembling with fear, gasped for breath. In the extremely dim light, he could see those eyes clearly. They weren't a ghost, but the look in them was even more unsettling than a ghost's.

His indifference, completely beyond his years, made him feel like all his panic and fear were just ridiculous clown behavior.

Deidara pouted, looking a little aggrieved, and instinctively hugged the cold iron bars beside him, as if only in this way could he draw some sense of security.

That girl in black looks fierce! He's so scared!

Ignoring the trembling blond man in the opposite cage, you first leaned over to check on the unconscious Hinata Hyuga beside you.

Breathing is steady, pulse is normal, it's just that he was put into a deep sleep by the sedative, there's nothing seriously wrong.

You sit back down, leaning against the cold stone wall, close your eyes, and begin to think intently about how to escape.

The dungeon fell silent again, with only Hinata's even, long breaths and Deidara's still-beating heartbeat.

Deidara is a natural chatterbox who can't stand being alone. Extreme boredom and a strange urge to get closer to you quickly overcome his fear.

He cautiously and slowly made his way closer to the edge of the cage.

Just as he was about to get within a certain distance, your eyes suddenly opened, and your sharp gaze locked onto him once again.

Deidara froze, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and instantly shrank back at an even faster speed, almost creating a gust of wind.

"If they won't let me get close, then they won't let me get close! Humph! I don't care anyway! Hmm!" He stubbornly comforted himself, his voice sounding particularly loud in the empty dungeon, yet revealing a hint of guilt.

But Dee Dara, who is resilient to setbacks and doesn't know how to give up, is clearly not going to settle down so easily.

Over the next few hours, he made several attempts, each time failing under your sudden, cold gaze, and hastily retreating.

After several attempts, Deidara was surprised to find that although your eyes were intimidating, you didn't seem to really intend to harm him?

You just don't like people getting close? And you even glanced very quickly at his back as he stumbled back in fright, even though your eyes weren't warm at all.

So, in yet another attempt, Deidara mustered all the courage he had ever had, bracing himself against the oppressive gaze that almost froze him, and successfully made his way to the corner closest to you.

He swallowed hard, trying to make his voice sound calm yet arrogant, attempting to salvage some face. "Hey! You... which village are you from? What's your name? How dare... how dare you be locked up with me! Hmm!"

With the distance closing, Deidara can finally see your face more clearly.

Her pale skin seemed to glow faintly in the dim light, and her features were so exquisite they didn't look real.

Especially those eyes, so pure and black, making one want to avoid that cold gaze, yet unable to resist wanting to immerse oneself in that darkness.

You didn't even bother to lift your eyelids, completely ignoring the noisy golden retriever. Your silence and indifference were enough to deter most people.

But Deidara's shamelessness far exceeded your expectations. Seeing that you didn't answer, he not only didn't leave, but instead started talking to himself, shamelessly declaring, "Hmph, if you don't want to talk, fine! Anyway, this place is now under my control! Hmm! I'll stay here, you don't have any objections, right?"

As he spoke, he cautiously observed your reaction. Seeing that you didn't look at him with that murderous gaze again, he became even bolder and even quietly moved a little closer.

Chapter 230 Stubborn

Deidara started rambling on and on, from complaining about how strict his Tsuchikage master was, to boasting about how perfect his explosive art was, and then speculating about what those guys from Kumogakure were up to...

You kept your eyes closed, resting, and except for the occasional cold glance you cast at Deidara because his voice was too loud, which silenced him for a moment, you actually... tolerated his presence.

Even someone with a strong will will inevitably feel sleepy during long periods of darkness.

Midway through, your keen hearing caught an extremely faint footstep coming from the far end of the passage. You instantly snapped to attention and became fully alert, but the footsteps quickly disappeared, seemingly the sound of guards changing shifts.

The dungeon was restored to its original state.

Later, Deidara's voice grew softer and softer, eventually turning into unconscious muttering.

The prolonged tension, boredom, and exhaustion eventually made him succumb to sleepiness.

The small body leaned against the cold iron bars, its head nodding little by little, and finally, without realizing it, it tilted down and rested on your shoulder, which was also closed and resting.

You turn your head and look at the blond boy's unguarded sleeping face, your brows furrowing slightly.

He didn't seem to be sleeping soundly, muttering unconsciously, "Hmm... art is an explosion..."

Your instinct is to immediately push away this boundless, noisy, and troublesome boy, especially after such intimate contact.

But your movement paused just before you touched Deidara.

Looking at the boy's slightly furrowed brow even in his sleep, and recalling how he had previously tried to feign fear while feigning bravado and using noise to dispel his terror...

In the end, he withdrew his hand.

As long as it doesn't disturb your thoughts or hinder your plans, temporary tolerance is not unacceptable.

Close your eyes again, and your clear mind continues to operate in the cold silence, calculating the probability of escape and analyzing all the resources that can be used.

Including the noisy blond boy next to me, who claims to be the Tsuchikage's apprentice from Iwagakure.

Everything... can be used.

Deep within the root base of the leaf.

The air was cold and stagnant, as if even time itself was frozen by some invisible pressure.

The stark white light illuminated Shimura Danzo's face, which was so gloomy it was almost dripping with water. His single exposed eye was as sharp as a hawk's, staring intently at Kakashi and Shisui, who were kneeling on one knee in front of him.

Danzo's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a cold, bone-chilling rage.