Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

When you arrived at the training ground at a leisurely pace, Sakura Haruno, who had already arrived and been pulled by Ino Yamanaka to the girls' gathering area, immediately spotted that familiar figure.

She immediately stood on tiptoe, waving her arms vigorously, a bright smile on her face, and called out in a clear voice, "Nagi! Over here! Come quick!"

Naruto instinctively wanted to follow you, but just as he took a step, an arm suddenly blocked his way.

Naruto looked up in dissatisfaction and met a pair of dark and indifferent eyes.

"Why are you stopping me?!" Naruto yelled irritably.

Sasuke, hands in his pockets, chin slightly raised, glanced at Naruto with an expression as if he were an idiot, his tone laced with undisguised mockery, "Idiot, look carefully, that's the girls' area."

He gestured with his chin toward Sakura and Ino.

Naruto looked in the direction he pointed and saw that the group there was mostly girls from his class, while the boys were mostly on the other side.

He then realized he had almost barged in, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face. He scratched his dazzling blond hair sheepishly, his tone softening, "I'm sorry, I misunderstood you."

Sasuke did not accept his apology and let out a cold sneer.

His gaze swept past Naruto and landed on your back as you walked towards the girls' area, and that inexplicable feeling of irritation rose in his heart again.

He truly didn't understand why you would treat Naruto, this loud and simple-minded guy, differently? Why would you even allow him to follow you around like a tail?

Naruto keenly sensed the mockery in Sasuke's laughter. The gratitude and embarrassment he had just felt vanished instantly, replaced by anger at being looked down upon. "Hey! You arrogant brat, don't get cocky! So what if you saw it a little earlier than me?!"

Sasuke ignored him and turned to walk towards the boys' area, leaving Naruto with a cold and aloof back view.

Naruto made a face at his back and angrily walked towards the boy.

On the other side, as soon as you walked into the area where the girls were gathered, Yamanaka Ino couldn't help but secretly peek at you with curious eyes, thinking she was being discreet.

Your calm demeanor, so different from your surroundings, and those dark eyes that seemed to absorb all light, filled Ino with a sense of mystery and attraction.

Her scrutiny lasted less than two seconds before you stared straight at her.

"What are you looking at?" Your voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached Ino's ears. It was devoid of any emotion, yet it carried an invisible pressure.

Ino, like a child caught doing something wrong, felt a sudden panic, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she awkwardly explained, "I...I was just curious..."

Quick-witted, she started a conversation: "We'll be having sparring later, I wonder who you'll be paired with?"

Ino was indeed a little curious, since no one in the class seemed like someone who could spar with her.

You were a little puzzled by Ino's sudden leap in thought, and tilted your head slightly, "Do you want to spar with me?"

"No, no, no! Absolutely not!" Ino exclaimed in fright, waving her hands and shaking her head like a rattle.

What a joke! Even Akamaru was scared off by your glare. Wouldn't she be asking for trouble if she sparred with you? She has no masochistic tendencies.

She should stick to practicing with her female classmates in a more stable way.

During this brief pause in the conversation, Hinata Hyuga, clutching the dark handkerchief that had been washed, dried, and neatly folded, mustered her courage and was about to take this opportunity to approach you, return the handkerchief, and thank you again.

She had barely taken a small step forward, her lips parted slightly, before she could utter a sound—

"Ring ring—!"

The crisp and loud school bell suddenly echoed across the training ground, instantly shattering all the whispers and private thoughts.

Teacher Iruka's loud voice rang out, "Everyone! Line up immediately in order of height!"

Hinata stopped immediately, like a startled rabbit, and swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

She glanced at your aloof profile with a hint of disappointment, then looked down at the handkerchief clutched tightly in her hand. In the end, she could only silently and carefully put the handkerchief away again, and with a trace of regret, quickly returned to where she was supposed to stand.

The line quickly formed neat rows according to height, and you naturally stood at the end of the girls' line. Teacher Iruka stood at the front of the line, explaining the arrangements and precautions for today's practical lesson in a loud voice, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and basic physical skills.

Your gaze is unfocused, and you show absolutely no interest in the upcoming so-called real combat training.

As the bright or shy faces of Sakura, Ino, Hinata, and other female classmates flashed through your mind, you shook your head slightly.

You wouldn't do something like bullying a girl.

It's not out of pity or contempt, but a kind of boredom stemming from an absolute disparity in strength.

Just as humans don't feel a sense of accomplishment from easily crushing an ant.

Before the sparring officially begins, according to the course schedule, a basic shuriken throwing test must be conducted first. This is undoubtedly the best opportunity to showcase one's basic skills and even talent.

The first one Iruka called out to go up was Uchiha Sasuke.

He walked out of the line expressionlessly and steadily to the throwing line.

In the sunlight, his handsome profile appeared particularly aloof, attracting the attention of most of the class, especially the girls, whose eyes practically sparkled with admiration.

Sasuke made no unnecessary movements, picked up the wooden shuriken, and with a slight flick of his wrist, the sound of air being cut rang out one after another, swift and precise.

Without exception, all the shuriken were deeply embedded in the center of the target in the distance, and the bullseye was quickly filled with a dense barrage of shuriken.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Sasuke moved his left and right hands simultaneously, his fingers filled with shuriken, and with a slight turn of his body, his arm left a trail of afterimages.

Chapter 297 Fate

Several shurikens flew out simultaneously, not randomly, but each aimed at a different target and hit its mark with equal precision.

"Wow--!"

"Amazing!"

"As expected of Sasuke-kun!"

"To be able to throw at the same time and be so accurate!"

The entire audience erupted in enthusiastic gasps and uncontrollable adoration. Even Iruka-sensei showed an approving look. The Uchiha clan's shuriken techniques were indeed as renowned as they were.

Sasuke slowly withdrew his hand, his face still bearing that aloof expression, as if he had just accomplished nothing of importance.

His gaze, tinged with a hint of expectation, quickly swept towards the back of the girls' line; he wanted to see your reaction.

Was it surprise? Approval? Or... at least, shouldn't there be some attention?

The spot in his line of sight was empty.

Sasuke was slightly taken aback, and his eyes immediately searched the training ground. Soon, he spotted the figure under a large tree at the very edge of the training ground.

You had somehow broken away from the group and were now leisurely leaning against a thick tree trunk.

And right next to you, Nara Shikamaru somehow slipped up here and is lying on his back on the grass without any regard for his image, his hands behind his head, staring blankly at the sky.

What... are you talking about?

Sasuke couldn't hear clearly, but he could clearly see that you didn't seem to care at all about his performance just now.

It's even possible that... they didn't even glance at the throwing area.

His best efforts to present himself failed to stir even the slightest ripple of anticipation, while the troublesome Nara Shikamaru and that boring cloud seemed to attract your attention more.

Sasuke pursed his lips tightly, withdrew his gaze, suppressed all his emotions under the cold mask, turned and walked back to the group, leaving everyone with an even more lonely and hardened back view.

Under the large tree, seemingly oblivious to the complex gaze fixed on you in the distance, you looked at Shikamaru and asked calmly, "...So, you believe 'governing by doing nothing' is suitable for the ninja world?"

Shikamaru gazed at the sky and sighed, "Ah...theoretically feasible, but practically a nightmare. After all, wherever there are people, there will be conflict..."

“Like now, they could be lying down and watching the clouds, but they insist on having this meaningless competition…” He glanced meaningfully at the noisy center of the training ground.

As most people had finished the test and Iruka was preparing to move on to the next item, he finally caught a glimpse of the 'escaped fish' under the big tree at the edge of the training field.

"You two over there! Nara Shikamaru, Uchiha Nagi! It's your turn!" Iruka called out in a raised voice, with a hint of helplessness in his tone.

Upon hearing this, Shikamaru looked up at the sky and let out a long sigh, as if even the simple act of getting up had exhausted him.

"Ugh...troublesome..." He slowly sat up, brushed off the bits of grass stuck to his clothes, his movements as languid as a sloth.

You remained expressionless, following behind Shikamaru towards the throwing area.

You all stood in front of the throwing line. Shikamaru yawned first, then picked up the shuriken and casually flicked his wrist.

His movements seemed casual, even a bit perfunctory, but several shurikens hit the target. Although not all of them hit the bullseye, they were firmly planted in the inner ring, which was quite a good result.

You glanced at him with some surprise. This guy, who spends all his time sleeping and complaining about troubles, actually has a pretty solid foundation in shuriken fighting.

It's your turn. All eyes are on you, wondering if you'll amaze everyone like Sasuke Uchiha.

You had no intention of showing off your skills; picking up the shuriken was devoid of any unnecessary frills.

The landing point distribution... was exactly the same as Shikamaru's target next to him, both in the inner ring, both slightly off the bullseye, and the scores were exactly the same!

"The same?"

"Their scores are exactly the same!"

What a coincidence!

A collective gasp of surprise rippled through the room; such a coincidence was rare in testing.

As they walked off the field together, Shikamaru spoke slowly, his voice tinged with inquiry, "Why is it the same as mine?" He didn't think it was some kind of damned fate.

Looking straight ahead, you gave a reply that almost made Shikamaru choke: "Just something interesting."

"..." He hadn't expected to receive such a perfunctory and capricious reason.

Interesting? What kind of reason is that? He shook his head helplessly. Sure enough, dealing with someone whose way of thinking is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people is troublesome in itself.

As soon as you stepped off the field, Sakura and Ino immediately surrounded you.

"Nagi! You're amazing!" Sakura's eyes lit up as she proudly hugged your arm. "You're number one among all the girls!"

In her opinion, being able to achieve the same grades as Nara Shikamaru is already incredibly impressive!

Ino nodded vigorously, her face filled with admiration and encouragement. "That's right! You have to keep it up! Maybe you can even surpass Sasuke-kun someday!"

As she spoke, she glanced subconsciously at Sasuke standing alone in the distance, a blush rising to her cheeks, but she quickly looked at you resolutely, "Although Sasuke-kun is very handsome... I still hope that we female ninjas can stand up for ourselves!"

You're used to their overly enthusiastic reactions, so you just nod slightly, accepting their compliments.

Surpassing Sasuke? You have no interest in that.

Next up is the focus of this outdoor lesson: sparring.

Coach Iruka had everyone sit in a circle around the sand in the center of the training field, and then began to randomly draw names to assign each person a sparring partner.

For a moment, the atmosphere became tense.

Many people are starting to feel a mix of anticipation and fear.

I look forward to sparring with equally matched opponents, but I'm also afraid of encountering obviously strong opponents like Uchiha Sasuke or Inuzuka Kiba, or unfathomable opponents like you. It would be too embarrassing to be defeated by them.

You sit on the edge of the crowd, feeling a deep sense of boredom once again.

While Teacher Iruka was calling out names, you quietly slipped away from the crowd again, intending to find a quieter corner to pass the time.

As my gaze swept across the bushes at the edge of the training field, I unexpectedly caught sight of a familiar figure.

Unlike his classmates who sat around the edge of the sand, Naruto was alone, hugging his knees and curling up in the shade of a large tree, burying his face in his arms.

His silhouette conveyed a sense of despondency and loneliness that was completely different from his usual boisterous demeanor.

You silently approach Naruto, who is huddled in the shade of a tree, and look down at his golden head. "What are you doing here?"

Naruto, who was immersed in grief, trembled when he heard that familiar voice and immediately raised his head.

Only then did you see clearly that Naruto's bright blue eyes were swollen and red like two walnuts, and the tip of his nose was also red. He was still inhaling heavily, looking disheveled and pitiful.

A look of confusion crossed your eyes, and you asked directly, "Why are you crying?"

For someone to lose such emotional control, it must at least be a matter of life and death.

Upon seeing it was you, Naruto stammered, "...I...my shuriken...I just can't hit the target...and I almost accidentally hurt Iruka-sensei...Everyone laughs at me...they laugh at me for being a loser! For never being able to catch up with others..."

As he spoke, large tears rolled down his cheeks, mixed with snot, making him look utterly miserable.

You listened quietly, completely unmoved, and even felt that it was... making a mountain out of a molehill.

Just because of this? Compared to the countless life-or-death crises and dark schemes you've experienced, being ridiculed for being less skilled is as insignificant as dust.

But seeing Naruto's heartbroken expression, as if the sky had fallen, and his usually vibrant blue eyes now dulled by tears, you remained silent for a moment.

Because you were classmates, you still chose to comfort him in your own way.

“What’s there to be sad about?” Your voice was calm as if stating a fact. “In any team or organization, there will be a first place and there will naturally be a last place. It’s an unavoidable probability problem that follows a normal distribution.”

You tried to calm him down with rational analysis, saying, "Besides, throwing ability is not a matter of innate talent; it can be significantly improved through repeated practice."

"What you should do is face your shortcomings and make a plan to overcome them, instead of hiding here and being a coward who avoids reality."

Such calm, almost cold, words of comfort would likely have made others even more disheartened.