Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

He looked at you and saw you still wearing your hospital gown, standing in the moonlight, your black hair disheveled, your face pale in the moonlight, and your beautiful eyes looking at him calmly.

Itachi doesn't understand why you would come to him so late at night, and in such a way. Is it a test? Or is there another purpose?

You didn't offer any explanation, but instead used your actions to continue your ninjutsu on Itachi, rapidly forming hand seals as metal chains wrapped around him.

The weasel swiftly dodged, the chain striking the tree trunk behind it, leaving a deep mark.

You quickly became entangled, your figures rapidly intertwining in the moonlight, your fists and feet clashing with dull thuds.

Your attacks are swift and fierce, without any fancy moves. Every strike goes straight for the vital points, carrying a killing intent from an ancient battlefield—simple, efficient, and deadly.

This is completely unlike the skill level expected of a patient who has just escaped from the hospital.

But Itachi wasn't about to be outdone. With his keen observation skills, he quickly discovered the patterns and weaknesses in your attacks. Your power seemed to be restricted by something—was it the shackles around your neck?

He seized the opportunity and began to counterattack, targeting your weaknesses. You quickly distanced yourself from him and stopped attacking.

There was no hostility in Itachi's eyes, but rather a scrutinizing and assessing one.

Itachi also stopped, his breathing remaining steady. You two tacitly stopped short of a confrontation.

Itachi looked at you with suspicion, waiting for your explanation. What was the purpose of this inexplicable late-night sparring match?

You didn't keep him waiting long before suddenly speaking, your voice exceptionally clear in the silent forest, asking a question that would shake Itachi's very soul: "Konoha or Uchiha, who would you choose?"

"!!!" Itachi's gaze immediately became complicated, and his pupils contracted slightly.

Why would you ask this? How much do you actually know? Is it about family conspiracies? Pressure from higher-ups? His inner struggles?

As if sensing his doubts, you said, "My Sharingan sees everything."

I glimpsed fragments of the future and saw through the contradictions and pain he tried so hard to hide.

Itachi clenched his fists instinctively, his knuckles turning white. He lowered his eyes, avoiding the all-seeing gaze, his voice dry and strained, "I don't know..."

This is the truth. He spends every day tormented by this problem, torn between his family and relatives who raised him and the village that held his companions and ideals.

Choosing either side would mean betraying and hurting the other, a burden he could not bear.

You approach him step by step, stopping just a step away.

Under the moonlight, your figure appeared somewhat frail, yet the aura you exuded was undeniable. You stared directly into Itachi's Sharingan, "Among the clansmen you wish to kill, am I?"

These words pierced Itachi's heart. The radical faction in the clan's upper echelons was indeed plotting a rebellion, and as a double agent, he knew that if the rebellion occurred, the Uchiha would face a bloody purge.

He saw that sea of ​​blood countless times in his nightmares... but he never dared to think whether you were in that sea of ​​blood.

Regarding your question, Itachi doesn't know why he feels a sense of guilt, as if his 'betrayal,' which he hasn't yet committed, has already caused you harm.

He didn't speak, but simply pursed his lips and remained silent; sometimes, silence itself is an answer.

Looking at his reaction, you seem to have gotten the response you wanted. "I'll come back here tomorrow, and I hope you can give me a definite answer."

After saying that, you disappeared silently into the shadows of the woods, just as you had come.

At the corner near the back alley of the hospital, a figure leaning against the wall made you stop in your tracks.

Kakashi seemed to be waiting for you. He was still wearing his Anbu vest, but his mask was pushed up to his forehead, and the eye that was exposed looked somewhat dim and unclear in the moonlight.

"Where did you go?" Kakashi's voice was low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible concern and...caution. He had clearly noticed your departure.

Facing Kakashi, you don't want to hide anything. In front of this boy, too many lies would only backfire.

So you told the truth, "It's the territory of the Uchiha clan."

This answer made Kakashi frown. He sighed, his tone carrying the air of an elder's reminder, yet also revealing a hint of helplessness, "The conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha is not something you can easily interfere with."

This pool is too deep and too murky; if you're not careful, you'll be swept into the whirlpool and crushed to pieces.

You raise your head, your voice devoid of fear, instead carrying an almost cold clarity, "I know." Your gaze falls on the blurry Fire Shadow Rock in the distance, "But no one can guarantee that I won't be the next political sacrifice."

Your tone was calm, but your eyes subtly revealed a hint of sorrow for an unknown fate.

This sense of vulnerability, in stark contrast to his usual gloomy and indifferent demeanor, is all the more impactful.

Kakashi felt as if something had gently pierced his heart.

Looking at the girl in front of him, whose neck was still bound by shackles, and thinking of all that she had been through—the persecution at the root, the 'death' of her companions, the shackles on her power—a strong urge to protect her arose within him.

He bent down to look you in the eye, and his usually lazy and listless eyes were now filled with an unusual seriousness. "I promise, I won't let you be one of them."

Hearing Kakashi's words, you were clearly surprised, as if you hadn't expected Kakashi to make such a direct promise.

But you quickly regained your composure, even with a hint of inquiry and provocation.

"What guarantee does Kakashi-senpai offer?" You tilted your head and took a step forward, closing the distance between you two.

Your gaze fell on Kakashi's face, then you pointed to the mask on his face, "Is it the identity of the ANBU captain, or the Kaleidoscope from a close friend, or perhaps just laughable sympathy?"

Words are like cold knives, peeling away all the veneer of warmth to get straight to the heart. You are testing the weight of Kakashi's promises and also testing his bottom line.

Kakashi has always known that you are precocious, but when he heard your question, he felt not offended, but heartbroken.

How much disappointment and betrayal must a child experience to develop such deep wariness and distrust of kindness?

He was neither angry nor did he avoid the issue.

Under your scrutinizing and slightly mocking gaze, he made a move that surprised even him: he removed his mask.

When you first see his face clearly, you notice his distinct features: a slender jaw, a high nose bridge, and thin, tightly pressed lips.

It was a cold and sharp face, which at least matched his outward personality, but at this moment, because his eyes were filled with complex emotions, he seemed less aggressive.

"I will do my best." Kakashi looked into your eyes and promised. There were no fancy words, just these four words, yet they weighed a ton.

This means that he will use all his power, identity, and even his life to fulfill this promise.

Chapter 280 - Locked Affection (2)

You fell silent, looking at Kakashi's unmasked face, at his determined eyes filled with seriousness and complete understanding, a subtle tension filled the air.

Several seconds passed before you finally looked away from his face, your voice lowered, "...Thank you."

But then you added, with your usual clarity and detachment, "Although I can't completely trust you."

After saying that, you walked straight past Kakashi without looking back.

Kakashi turned to watch your straight back disappear into the shadows of the hospital's back door. You, already at the door, raised your left hand and waved it. Without turning around, your voice drifted on the wind, "Next time, please come to me openly and honestly."

Kakashi stood there, motionless for a long time. He realized with some helplessness that in front of you, he seemed to have lost the ability to think for himself and could only follow your words and be led by the nose.

From initial monitoring and assessment, to gradual care and maintenance, and now to making a weighty commitment.

At first, he worried that your existence would threaten Konoha, but now he fears that Konoha will harm you.

This shift in stance surprised even himself; he removed not only a mask, but also a layer of mental defense.

Your statement, "I can't completely trust you," was less a rejection and more an honest way of leaving space for each other.

He returned to the ward quietly, looking at Naruto's unguarded sleeping face without any emotion in his eyes.

Tonight's brief encounter with Kakashi and Itachi, though seemingly calm, was actually mentally taxing.

Kakashi and Itachi are both very reserved and hide their emotions very deeply, unlike Shisui who is gentle and outwardly expressive. To completely control them and incorporate them into one's plans, it may be necessary to use some special methods.

Simply feigning weakness or making deals is unlikely to touch the most vulnerable and easily exploited parts of their hearts.

Lying back on the bed and closing my eyes, I could clearly replay in my mind Itachi's reaction when he heard the question: the instant stiffness, the contraction of his pupils, and his clenched fists. You knew that the seed had been planted.

Just as expected, the words you left for Itachi, "Among the clansmen you want to kill, am I?" became Itachi's nightmare tonight, like the most vicious curse.

He dreamt that he annihilated the Uchiha clan on the night of a blood moon.

The dream was terrifyingly realistic: the cold shuriken, the splattered blood, the incredulous looks in the eyes of the clansmen before their deaths, the falling figures of the parents... it was all as if they had experienced it firsthand.

And in this bloody hell, you stand not far from him, dressed in a simple hospital gown, completely out of place with the surrounding horror.

You watched all of this, your dark eyes eerily calm, devoid of fear or anger, only a cold indifference that seemed to see through everything.

He approached you step by step, the sharp blade in his hand dripping blood.

In your dream, he is driven by some unseen force and wants to attack you.

You seemed unafraid of death, not even flinching, but simply raising your eyes to look at him, "Itachi, are you really going to attack me?"

Your gaze is too clear, as if it has pierced through the barrier between dreams and reality, revealing his cowardice and misdeeds, and his selfishness and escapism hidden under the guise of 'righteousness'.

His eyes were like a mirror, reflecting the most unbearable side of his heart.

The itch in the dream couldn't bring himself to do it.

The raised blade seemed to weigh a ton, but finally, it fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Then he pulled you into his arms in anguish, like a lost child, choking back sobs as he repeated, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

He was nearly consumed by immense guilt and despair.

Itachi woke up from his dream, sat up abruptly, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his heart pounding wildly.

His hands were still trembling, and the scenes and details of the murder in his dream seemed to be still vivid in his mind.

The fear of destroying everything with your own hands, especially the fear of potentially harming yourself, is so real, so unforgettable.

He covered his face, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his surging emotions. He had to make a decision as soon as possible, otherwise, the dream might really become reality.

Dou is sitting at the table writing you a letter of blessing. He has written many letters, but has never had the courage to send them.

An unfamiliar ninja stood outside the door and knocked on Kabuto Yakushi's door.

"Excuse me, are you Yakushi Kabuto?"

He looked up warily. "It's me!"

“Director Nonou has been busy at the orphanage lately,” the ninja outside the door said. “He hired me to take you to the hospital to visit Uchiha Nagi.”

When Dou heard that he could visit you, he was thrilled, and the worries and longing he had felt for the past few days surged into his heart.

He immediately tucked all the letters he had written to you into his pocket, and without thinking twice, said eagerly, "Let's go now!"

The ninja led the way, with Kabuto following behind, still imagining what it would be like to meet you. What would he say? Are you feeling better? Would you be willing to read the letter he wrote?

As the path became increasingly remote, the surrounding buildings thinned out, and the light dimmed, Dou realized something was wrong. His heart sank. This wasn't the way to the hospital!

"Wait! Where are you taking me?" Dou stopped in his tracks, his voice filled with fear.

Just as Kabuto was about to escape, the ninja grabbed him tightly with an astonishing force that he couldn't break free from.

"Let me go!" Dou struggled, but to no avail.

A handkerchief with a pungent smell was placed over his mouth and nose, and his consciousness quickly faded.

Dou was forcibly taken away.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a dark, damp underground space, the air thick with the smell of rust and mildew.

He saw that disgusting figure; Danzo was sitting in the chair opposite him, his right eye tightly wrapped in gauze, a cold light gleaming in his single eye.

Danzo sneered, his voice hoarse, "You're that little madman's lackey, aren't you?"

Kabuto felt a sense of foreboding. What was Danzo doing here? Shouldn't he be imprisoned? Why hasn't he been punished? Does that mean you're in even more danger?

Seeing that Kabuto did not respond and only stared at him with angry and fearful eyes, Danzo lost his patience and immediately ordered him to be tortured.

The pain of the whip lashing his body almost made Dou faint, but he gritted his teeth and tried his best not to scream. He couldn't show weakness, especially in front of the enemy who had hurt him.

Danzo had plenty of ways to subdue a child, and seeing that physical pain was ineffective, he signaled his men to try a different method.

A powerful electric current surged through the body, causing indescribable pain and spasms.

During the third electric shock, the intense pain and fear finally broke down Dou's psychological defenses, and he couldn't help but cry, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Seeing Kabuto break down, Danzo waved his hand in satisfaction, signaling his men to stop. He walked up to Kabuto, who was slumped on the ground, and said condescendingly, "Work for Root, or I'll kill that little madman."

Danzo then revealed his purpose: he had his eye on Kabuto's medical ninjutsu talent and his 'close' relationship with you, and wanted to train him to be a spy planted by your side.

Kabuto knew he was being targeted by Root, and if he fell into their hands, there was almost no chance of escape.

But he cannot resist. Danzo's threat is aimed at your life, and you absolutely cannot let anything happen to you.

Tears mingled with blood and sweat as he slid down his face. Overwhelmed by extreme pain and fear, he was forced to make a choice. Curled up on the ground, he answered in a barely audible, trembling voice.

"I...I'll do it..."

Unconsciously, your fingertips twirl the kunai in your hand. The cold metallic touch keeps you alert, but a strange sense of unease quietly creeps in.

I suddenly felt a little panicked, for no reason at all, as if something unexpected was about to happen.