Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

Kakashi nodded and added, "We've already mobilized the Anbu's intelligence network to search for Kabuto's whereabouts. Blindly rushing in would be the worst option."

Looking at Kakashi and Itachi blocking your way, and thinking of Danzo's insidious schemes, you know they are right: impulsiveness won't solve anything, it will only lead you into a trap.

Taking a deep breath, I forcibly suppressed my surging emotions and finally regained some of my rationality.

"Mmm." Your voice was low, which was a sign of your agreement to their company and assistance.

Although it was just a simple syllable, Kakashi and Itachi both breathed a sigh of relief. As long as you are willing to accept help and calm down, there is still room for things to turn around.

Without another word, you exchanged a quick glance and sped off in the direction indicated by the intelligence from the secret service.

The cold rain pattered against the leaves in the forest, making a dull and continuous sound.

Kabuto followed behind several silent Root members, stumbling along as they headed towards the supposed assassination target.

From being captured by Danzo to being forced to carry out the so-called assassination mission, an ominous premonition, like the cold rain, seeped into his very bones.

He vaguely sensed that a turning point in his fate was about to arrive.

This mission is probably not as simple as it seems.

Danzo sent this newcomer out less as a test and more as a... cleanup, or as bait to lure out a bigger fish.

And that fish could very well be you.

During the journey, during brief rest breaks, Dou repeatedly took out those letters that he hadn't yet had a chance to read from his pocket and looked at them over and over again.

The paper was soaked with rain and sweat, making it somewhat soft. It was densely covered with his thoughts, his concern for you, his clumsy attempts at comfort, and his hopes for the future.

He wasn't sure if he would be able to return to Konoha alive; the shadow of death loomed over him like a circling vulture.

Dou only hopes that if something really happens to him, his image will remain in your heart.

Even if it's just a blurry, inconspicuous corner, he's content.

The rain was getting heavier, and the road ahead was becoming increasingly muddy and difficult to travel.

A sense of resolute determination spread through Dou's heart.

If the end is truly death, then he wants to write you a final farewell letter.

He found a rocky hollow that offered some shelter from the rain, and ignoring the cold stares of the other Root members, he shakily pulled out paper and pen.

The rain blurred his vision, but he wrote very carefully and with great effort, as if he wanted to pour all his emotions into these last words.

The pen tip scratched across the rough paper, making a soft, hissing sound.

If possible, he wants to be a reliable support for you when you're walking alone.

If possible, he wants to become a strongman of Konoha with you, and protect your shared home together.

If he could... he wanted to keep looking into your eyes, those dark eyes that were always calm and still, yet occasionally stirred with subtle ripples because of him.

As I wrote, tears welled up uncontrollably, mingling with the cold rain and soaking all the letters.

He seemed to see the dark-haired girl in the orphanage, always alone with a gloomy look in her eyes.

All the moments we spent together flashed through Dou's mind.

At first, you looked at him with a hint of mockery, as if you were looking at a fool who overestimated himself.

He remembers how nervous and clumsy he was at the time.

But later, Dou could also sense your special treatment of him. You would tacitly allow him to follow you, and accept the candy he carefully offered, even though your expression remained indifferent. When others bullied him, you would stand up for him in that unique way, which might not have been your true intention.

Your unique tenderness will also fall upon him, a tenderness that is extremely subtle.

Perhaps it's just a glass of water quietly placed by his bedside when he's sick, or perhaps it's just an occasional emotionless glance cast at him when he's being ostracized by other children.

But these seemingly insignificant details were like a spring in the desert for Dou, who longed for warmth and attention.

This made Dou very convinced that as long as he worked hard enough and was sincere enough, you would eventually be moved, truly accept him, and show him a genuine smile.

Unfortunately, that was the end of it.

Danzo's shadow, the control of Root, and the hopeless mission before him shattered all his hopes for the future.

Dou wiped away her tears, which were mixed with rainwater, leaving her face a mess.

He picked up his pen, as if to condense all the regrets, all the desires, and all the love in his short life into these last words.

Finally, he finished writing.

He paused for a moment, then, with all his might, wrote down the words buried deep in his heart, words he might never have the chance to say aloud.

"I love you, and I hope Nagi-chan will always be safe and happy!"

After writing this last sentence, he seemed to have all his strength drained away. He slumped down on the cold rock, letting the rain wash over his thin body and the tear-soaked suicide note in his hand.

Chapter 282 - Locked Affection (4)

Dou carefully wrapped all the letters, along with the suicide note he had just written, in oiled paper and tucked it into his bosom, closest to his heart.

If... if he really can't go back, he hopes that at least these letters will have a chance to be seen by you.

I want you to know that in this world, there once was a fool named Kabuto Yakushi who loved you so humbly and sincerely.

"Iwagakure?" Kakashi's deep voice carried a hint of barely perceptible astonishment.

In the intelligence room, when the local name was announced, you, who had been silent all along, suddenly stood up without any warning.

The movement was so fast that it created a tiny gust of air, stirring up the still-wet ink on the intelligence scroll on the table.

Itachi Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake followed closely behind almost instinctively.

As they watched your taut back, a complex and indescribable feeling welled up inside them.

It was like finally discovering a tender sprout struggling to survive on a perpetually frozen wasteland, giving them a twisted sense of relief.

It turns out you're not entirely heartless; there are people you care about, people you care about so much that cracks appear on your eternally indifferent face.

But what followed was an even deeper and heavier sense of loss and bitterness.

Why? Why isn't it them who can stir your emotions? And what makes 'Yakushi Kabuto' so special?

The moment you stand up, an image flashes uncontrollably through your mind: a glaring crimson staining the yellowish-brown rocks, a pale-faced woman lying among them, her once smiling eyes now devoid of all light.

My heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, bringing a sharp, suffocating sensation.

The fragments of this premonition were forcibly severed, and you dared not look closely, dared not verify them.

As long as you're fast enough... as long as you get there before then... you silently chant in your heart, like a dying person grasping at the last straw.

This almost self-comforting thought sustains your emotions as you try to lose control.

For the first time, you realize that your pride in your ability to foresee parts of the future seems so pale and powerless at this moment, and has even become a torment.

You don't want to see it, you dare not think about it, your only thought is to get there.

The journey was long, from Konoha to Iwagakure, spanning most of the territory. The three pushed their speed to the limit, and the scenery along the way turned into blurry blocks of color and flew backward.

Your body is far from recovered, and you are only holding on by sheer willpower. Your breathing is becoming rapid and shallow, fine beads of cold sweat are seeping from your forehead, and your face is so pale that it is almost transparent.

Uchiha Itachi kept his eyes on you, and he clearly saw every time you breathed heavily or stumbled slightly.

As you swayed slightly from exhaustion once again, Itachi stopped without warning, turned around, and stood in front of you. "I'll carry you." His voice was soft, but resolute.

You looked at him quietly for two seconds, your eyes showing neither gratitude nor shyness, but only a kind of pure weighing of whether you could still hold on and whether accepting this proposal was the best solution at present.

Itachi bent down, his movements careful. When your weight fell on his back, he felt his heart filled with an indescribable sense of fullness, carrying all his dark and uncertain expectations.

Your arm wraps around his neck, and your slightly cool body temperature seeps through the thin fabric.

Kakashi watched from the side, his lips pressed into a straight line beneath his mask, his hands clenching silently in his sleeves, a sense of frustration gripping his heart.

Why wasn't he the first to act? Why was he always a step too late? He watched as Itachi steadily supported you, and watched you quietly rest on Itachi's back, your black hair falling down, occasionally intertwining with Itachi's dark hair, creating a striking harmony in the scene.

He forced himself to look away and gaze at the distant horizon.

The important matter is at hand; now is not the time to dwell on these things. But the jealousy, like tiny thorns pricking at the bottom of my heart, just won't go away.

On the edge of Iwagakure Village, the desolate stone forest, with its jagged rocks resembling the skeletons of giant beasts, casts distorted shadows under the pale moonlight.

The air was thick with the sweet, cloying scent of gunpowder and blood; the embers of the battle had not yet been completely extinguished.

"Dou..." Your whisper dissipated in the wind, carrying a tremor you yourself were unaware of.

Kakashi's sensory abilities came into play at this moment. He crouched down, pressed his fingers on the cold ground, and frowned.

“There are faint signs of life here…” His voice trailed off. When he pushed aside the broken rocks and saw the dying figure, he was stunned.

How could it be... Yakushi Nonou?

You noticed Kakashi's unusual behavior and instantly appeared beside him.

When you saw Nonou lying in a pool of blood, barely breathing, you were stunned.

The director who once gave warmth and shelter to the children in the orphanage is now like a candle flickering in the wind.

Nonou's unfocused gaze caught sight of you. She struggled to raise her hand and reach out towards you. Without any hesitation, you immediately bent down and carefully embraced Nonou.

The woman's body was very light, and life was rapidly slipping away from her broken shell.

"Who is it?" you ask her.

A bitter smile appeared on Nono's pale face. With her last bit of strength, she pointed her trembling finger southeast, "...Kabuto...go...save him!"

As she finished speaking, her once loving eyes lost all their light, and her arms fell limply to her sides. In the end, her only concern was for the child she had treated as her own.

Holding the gradually cooling body in your arms, you feel somewhat lost. Are you grieving for the dean's passing? Or are you terrified by the unknown situation ahead?

These two unfamiliar emotions collided within you like ice and fire, almost tearing apart your usual composure.

There was no time to lose! You gently laid down Nono's body, then stood up and ran off towards the southeast like an arrow released from a bow.

Weaving through the stone forest, so fast that only a blurry black shadow remained, with long, raven-feather-like hair flying behind him, almost blending into the night.

Kakashi and Itachi both clearly sensed the unprecedentedly intense emotional fluctuations emanating from you.

Then you saw him.

On a relatively open, gravelly ground, the gray-white hair stood out starkly, like a fallen star, stained with filthy blood.

Dou lay on the ground, feeling his life force slowly draining away from his wounds, and his vision began to blur.

He heard hurried footsteps, turned his head with all his might, and then he saw the person he thought he would never see again in his life.

Was it a hallucination? Was it a blessing before death? He wondered vaguely.

Until you rush to his side, kneel down without hesitation, and hug him tightly in your arms, making him feel pain, yet also feeling incredibly real.

He lifted his heavy eyelids and saw your usually calm and even dark eyes, now filled with a shattered sense of bewilderment and helplessness that he had never seen before.

It's not a dream...it really is you.

Your fingers gripped his blood-stained hand tightly, trying to convey a sliver of warmth, or perhaps to draw some support from him.

Dou felt the cold touch, but a strange warmth rose in his heart.

That's enough... At least, he holds a place in your heart, and this realization makes death seem less terrifying.

"Cough cough..." A violent cough interrupted his thoughts, and blood gushed uncontrollably from his mouth, staining his pale lips and his plain clothes red.

“I…I killed the headmistress…I didn’t know…I really didn’t know!” Overwhelmed by immense regret and despair, his voice was hoarse and filled with a desperate madness.

The pain of killing the most important person in your life is far more devastating than physical trauma.

"It's not your fault." Looking at the fatal wound on Dou's body, you clearly saw the life force rapidly dissipating from him, irreversibly.

An unfamiliar pain exploded from the deepest part of his heart, and warm tears, without warning, slid down from the corners of his eyes, along his pale cheeks, and rolled onto his forehead.

With difficulty, Dou raised his hand, trembling as he pulled a stack of blood-stained letters from his pocket and stuffed them into your hand.

"Nagi-chan...it's so good...I was able to see you one last time..." His voice grew weaker and weaker, carrying a sense of relief and satisfaction, as well as a deep reluctance to part.

You trembled as you took the letters. The top one clearly read "Suicide Note." You could barely hold those light yet incredibly heavy papers.

As Dou watched you take the letter, a faint smile finally appeared on his face. The last breath he had been holding on to finally dissipated, his head tilted limply to one side, and his breathing stopped completely.

“Kabuto—!” You hugged Kabuto’s still warm body, buried your face in his cold neck, and broke down in tears.

This is the first 'family member' you acknowledge, one of the few bonds connecting you to this cold world.

Now, that link is broken.

Why does my heart hurt so much? It hurts so much I can't breathe, it hurts so much I want to destroy everything.