Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

A flush of drunkenness instantly returned to his cheeks, even more pronounced than before! It was the blush of shame!

"I...!" He sat bolt upright, feeling slightly dizzy from the sudden movement. He grabbed the table for support, his voice stammering, "I-I'm so sorry! It was my mistake! I'm so sorry!"

He was utterly ashamed. It was his first time leading a mission as a senior member, and it was right in front of you, yet he made such a basic and embarrassing mistake!

A glass of fruit wine knocked out Konoha's "Shisui of the Body Flicker"? If word got out...

He didn't even dare to look at your expression right now, afraid of seeing a hint of mockery or disappointment in those dark eyes.

Seeing how he wished he could disappear into the ground, you remained silent for a few seconds. You really didn't expect Zhi Shui's alcohol tolerance to be this bad, but that's all.

This unexpected setback is far less frustrating to you than the lack of progress on the mission.

"...It's nothing." Your voice still betrayed no emotion. "Let's find a place to rest first; we have important things to do tomorrow."

He stood up and pulled his hat brim down even lower, as if that brief closeness and eye contact had never happened.

Your nonchalant attitude, as if the delay was merely due to trivial matters, only made Shisui feel more ashamed.

If you criticize him or show your dissatisfaction, he might feel better.

But this reaction of being completely ignored, or even being thought to be insignificant as his embarrassing moment, made Shisui's feelings extremely complicated.

The feeling wasn't exactly bad... and he even felt a little relieved that you hadn't looked down on him because of it? But more than anything, he was overwhelmed by shame, which burned his cheeks and ears.

Especially... when facing a girl like you.

He hurriedly stood up, head down, barely daring to walk beside you, following behind like a child who had done something wrong, as they walked out of the area filled with the atmosphere of alcohol and decadence.

The night breeze from Canglan City, carrying the slight saltiness of the sea, gently dispelled some of the heat on my face.

Looking at the slender, upright figure in front of her, Shisui secretly vowed that in this lifetime, she would never, ever touch anything containing alcohol in front of him again!

This mission must be completed perfectly to salvage our image!

Chapter 265 - Heartfelt Concern (1)

You and Shisui sit facing each other in the small boat, gently rocking with the waves.

Based on the first unreliable clue, you are looking for the so-called "old turtle spirit living in deep-sea bubbles".

This mission sounds utterly absurd, but upholding the professional ethics of the Dark Division, even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, we must verify it thoroughly.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, ruffled the stray hairs on your forehead. You squinted slightly, gazing at the distant horizon where the sea met the sky.

Shisui was in charge of steering the small boat while vigilantly sensing the chakra fluctuations around him, although he had little hope of finding the "Turtle Spirit".

During the long, silent voyage, the only sounds were the waves and the cries of seabirds.

Suddenly you look up and your gaze falls on Zhishui's face across from you.

The sea breeze seemed to dispel some of the coldness around you, giving your voice a subtle, almost imperceptible calmness.

"Zhishui," you suddenly called his name.

He looked up at the sound, and a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes, which always held a gentle smile.

"For you," your voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear, drifting into Shimizu's ears on the sea breeze, "what is most important?"

You showed unusual focus, as if you really wanted to peer into his eyes and find the answer in his heart, perhaps because of the vast sea, or perhaps because of the relaxing sea breeze.

Zhi Shui was taken aback by this sudden philosophical question; he hadn't expected you to ask that.

But soon, the surprise on his face faded, replaced by an unusually firm and clear expression. He did not hesitate at all, as if the answer had already been engraved in his soul.

“Peace is the most important thing,” he replied, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable power. “Whether it’s Konoha or the entire ninja world, I hope... to do everything in my power to protect this hard-won peace and reduce war and tragedy.”

He said, then smiled somewhat sheepishly, "Perhaps... you'll think my ideas are naive."

Listen quietly; you've actually guessed the answer.

Whether it's his inheritance of his father's "Will of Fire" or his daily words and actions, everything points in this direction.

But hearing him say it in such a sincere and frank tone still gives you a different kind of impact.

His ideals were grand and bright, even a little too pure, which created a strange contrast with his identity as an elite member of the Dark Guard and his Mangekyou Sharingan.

You never imagined that such a pure belief could be maintained in a place as dark as the shadows.

“It is a bit…” You tilted your head slightly, as if thinking about it seriously, then chuckled softly, “…naive.”

The laughter was soft, like a feather brushing against the heart.

You look at still water, and in your unfathomable black eyes, a faint glimmer seems to appear, as if touched by the dialogue between the sea and the sky. "But it suits a pacifist like you perfectly."

When you're with someone as pure as Shisui, you subconsciously let down your guard a little.

Shisui was completely stunned.

He saw...your faint smile.

Although it was extremely brief and so faint as to be almost imperceptible, it was indeed a smile.

The momentary brilliance dimmed the surrounding sea and sky.

His heart pounded violently, as if struck by something.

His cheeks burned uncontrollably, and he almost immediately turned his face away, not daring to look at you again. His gaze frantically drifted to the shimmering sea, and his voice was somewhat unsteady.

"You... actually have a very beautiful smile." These words almost slipped out, and Shisui immediately regretted them, feeling that she had been too abrupt. Her ears instantly turned bright red, as if dyed by the sunset.

"..."

When you hear his words, you feel your heart skip a beat. Looking up, you see Zhishui with his face turned to the side, his bright red ears standing out in the sunlight, carrying the unique awkwardness and naivety of a young man.

A silent ambiguity quietly spread across the small, lonely boat, mingling with the salty sea breeze and the warmth of the sun.

You both fell silent, with only the splashing of the small boat cutting through the waves and the sound of your heartbeats, which seemed to be getting out of control.

After a long while, Shisui seemed to have mustered up his courage and tentatively spoke, his voice still carrying a hint of unnatural nervousness.

"So what do you think is most important?" he threw the question back at him, with genuine curiosity.

You turned your gaze to him again, remaining silent for a moment, as if carefully choosing your words.

“Everything is important.” You gave a vague answer first, then looked steadily at Shisui with your dark eyes and added, your voice soft but carrying a heavy weight, “But cherishing the people in front of you... is the most important thing right now.”

Your words were loaded with meaning, a subtle hint and warning based on a dream, about the tragic fate that was about to befall Zhishui.

It was a piece of advice, almost pity, born from the fact that his overly pure light was about to fade away.

These words, however, took on a completely different meaning when they reached Shisui's ears, who was still deeply moved at that moment.

Cherish the people in front of you?

Isn't that him right in front of me?

Are you expressing your affection for him in a subtle way?

This thought burned through Zhishui's body like wildfire, causing his face, which had just cooled down, to flush red again, and his blood rushed to his head, bringing waves of dizziness.

He didn't know what he was thinking; he just felt that his heartbeat had been out of control ever since he first saw you.

If this feeling of wanting to be close to you, protect you, and feel the whole world light up when I see you smile... can be considered liking someone.

He suddenly lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his clothes, his whole body practically steaming, not daring to look at you again.

You look down at the compass in your hand, which Shisui obtained from Granny Cat and can sense special chakra fluctuations. At this moment, the pointer is spinning wildly as if it were crazy, and finally points tremblingly to the deep sea directly below, where it stops moving.

"It should be here," you announced calmly. Whether it's an old turtle spirit or something else down there, this unusual energy fluctuation indicates that something is definitely amiss underwater.

Shisui stopped using his chakra to control the small boat, and his expression became serious.

You stand side by side on the side of the ship, looking down at the deep blue sea below. Sunlight can only penetrate the shallow water, and deeper in is a chilling darkness.

"Are you ready?" Shisui looked at you, took a deep breath, and after receiving an affirmative look, he took the lead in forming hand seals, and a gentle water-attribute chakra began to swirl around him.

He extends his hand to you, palm up, "The underwater situation is unclear. It will be safer for me to take you with me and use water-repelling magic to go down together."

Looking at the hand with its distinct knuckles reaching towards him, he hesitated for a few seconds.

You're not used to this kind of physical contact and dependence, but reason tells you that in the unknown deep sea, it's definitely the best choice for the two of you to act together.

Finally, she reached out and gently placed her cool fingertips on Zhishui's warm palm.

A subtle electric current surged through his skin again, but he immediately focused his mind on forming hand seals.

"Ninja Art: Whirlpool Water Repelling Technique!"

As chakra surged, a transparent bubble appeared out of thin air, enveloping you within it.

The bubble walls shimmered with a soft blue light, steadily isolating the seawater from the outside, while the inside was filled with breathable air.

Shisui manipulated the bubbles, slowly sinking them into the sea.

Upon entering the underwater world, the light instantly becomes hazy and dreamlike.

The sunlight, filtered by the seawater, is transformed into soft beams of light, illuminating the tiny planktonic organisms dancing in the water. The colorful coral reefs resemble an underwater forest, displaying a variety of shapes and forms.

Strange fish shimmer with a metallic or pearly luster as they dart and frolic among them.

Zhishui holds your hand tightly, claiming it's to stabilize the bubble, while his other hand controls the bubble to slowly descend.

His Sharingan vigilantly surveyed his surroundings, searching for any signs that might indicate a "priest" or danger.

The search was not going well; according to the map and compass, the target seemed to be in deeper waters where light could not reach.

During the descent, you keenly noticed the other side of the still water.

This usually gentle and reliable, yet fierce and decisive elite of the dark forces, was surprisingly as curious and amazed as a child when faced with this magnificent and fantastical underwater landscape.

He would always gently squeeze your hand to get your attention, and then point you somewhere with his eyes or a subtle gesture.

Look over there, a group of glowing jellyfish drifting slowly by like ghostly blue stardust;

Look over there, among a cluster of red corals burning like flames, hide several shy little fish with fluorescent stripes;

Look! A dolphin, entirely a dreamy pink, curiously swam around your bubbles, emitting a clear call, before swishing its tail and disappearing into the deep blue...

You fell into a mental silence.

In terms of both physical age and psychological maturity, you are the one who is closer to a child.

Why does it seem like the roles have completely reversed at this moment? Shisui is now like a child on a first-time aquarium field trip, while you are the guardian forced to accompany him?

Just as Shisui was once again attracted by a strange seaweed that emitted a faint singing sound with the flow of water, and even wanted to stop and study it carefully.

Finally, you couldn't take it anymore. You suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him down into the water without saying a word, showing him with your actions: "The important thing is to get down to business, stop looking."

Shisui was engrossed in watching when the sudden tug caught him off guard, and he almost lost control of his water-repelling bubble.

He turned to look at you in confusion, only to be met with a clear warning in his eyes, which said, "If you dawdle any longer, I'll throw you out to feed the fish."

Zhi Shui immediately became obedient. He awkwardly touched his nose, suppressed all his extra curiosity, and focused on controlling the bubbles to accelerate the descent. However, he couldn't help but secretly raise a slight smile at the corner of his mouth.

He never expected that this seemingly absurd task would allow him to see such a vivid side of you.

She might feel helpless, impatient, or even give him a warning look that says, "You're so disappointing."

Shedding that unapproachable aura that always surrounds you, you now, with a touch of temper and forcefully dragging him along, finally exude a vibrancy and liveliness befitting your age.

Zhi Shui felt that even if they couldn't find the mysterious priest in the end, this underwater journey would still be worth the price of admission.

He obediently let you pull him along, yet his heart was filled with a strange brightness and tenderness.

As the water-repellent bubble continued to sink, the surrounding light grew dimmer and dimmer until only the faint glow emitted by the bubble itself illuminated the small area.

The water pressure gradually increased, but fortunately the water-repelling technique was stable enough.

Following the compass's final directions, you came to a stop in front of an unusually flat sandy area on the seabed.

In the middle of the sand sat an old tortoise... unusually large in size, its shell covered with ancient and mysterious patterns.

It really does stay in a transparent bubble maintained by chakra, just like the legendary deep-sea bubble.

At this moment, the 'turtle spirit' was solemnly waving its small flippers, earnestly trying to persuade the two colorful fish in front of it, who seemed to be arguing fiercely.

"...So, Miss Abalone, Mr. Barracuda, you see, reproduction is a biological instinct. How can you refuse it just because you're afraid of pain? This is detrimental to family harmony and the prosperity of marine species..."

The two fish seemed completely oblivious, continuing to angrily blow bubbles at each other.

You picked up the compass again in disbelief and looked at it; the needle was fixed on the old tortoise, not moving an inch.

That's it, that's it.

Under your and Zhishui's silent, speechless gaze, the two fish seemed to have finally broken up, angrily flicking their tails and going their separate ways due to "incompatible reproductive philosophies".