Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

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Shikamaru was the first to come to his senses. He chuckled and tried to change the subject by saying it was troublesome. "Ah... fortune-telling is something that you either believe in or you don't. There's no need to take it too seriously."

Sasuke simply snorted and turned his head away, using his actions to avoid the question.

Seeing the two people reacting strangely, although he felt they were hiding something, he was too lazy to investigate further.

Perhaps, as Shikamaru said, divination is nonsense. You should put aside your doubts, turn your gaze back to the window, and continue to clear your mind.

Chapter 319 Tarot Cards (4)

Naruto Uzumaki sat casually on the soft velvet chair, scratched his head, and wore his usual smile. "Big sister, I want a fortune telling!"

He asked the first question almost impatiently, his blue eyes sparkling with pure longing, "Can I become Hokage?"

Then he drew a card. On the card, the goddess was dancing in the world surrounded by a wreath of victory, and there were symbols of completeness all around. It was the upright world.

Viya's voice was gentle and ethereal, "The World card signifies fulfillment and achievement. You will gain the recognition of others, realize everything you truly want to protect in your heart, and your dreams will eventually be fulfilled."

"Nani?! The World Card! That's great! I knew it!" Naruto jumped up from his chair instantly, waving his arms and legs excitedly, his smile so bright it almost lit up the entire dim room.

"I, Naruto Uzumaki, will definitely become Hokage! Hahaha!" Overwhelmed with joy, his fondness for the seemingly magical tarot cards skyrocketed. "So accurate! Again and again!"

He was eager to verify more.

He blurted out the longing that had been buried deep in his heart and never fully understood, "Will I be with Nagi-chan forever?"

This time, the cards drawn were no longer as bright and perfect as the World Card.

The reversed Two of Cups symbolizes an imbalance and estrangement in emotional connections.

The Seven of Swords upright suggests secrecy, solitary actions, and numerous potential competitors.

And... the rightful emperor, a male figure symbolizing authority, control, and absolute dominance.

Viya looked at the cards with a slight surprise. "You see her as a unique emotional anchor, but she may have her own closed world and more important considerations."

"You face far more competition than you currently see, and the biggest challenge is... a very domineering and controlling man who will have an overwhelming advantage over you, and... he doesn't seem to allow you to be together."

"What do you mean? Competition? And a very domineering opponent?" Naruto's smile froze instantly, his brows furrowing tightly, as if he couldn't understand a foreign language.

He shook his head vigorously, his voice filled with anxiety and a hint of offended anger, "Sister, are you sure you're not mistaken? Nagi-chan is so good to me! We'll always be together! That's not true, hurry up and ask the next one for me!"

He refused to accept the answer and was eager to cover up the unsettling prophecy with the next question.

He took a deep breath and asked the most crucial question, "So, Nagi-chan...do you like me or not?"

The card was drawn again.

Upright Knight of Pentacles – Stable, loyal, and pragmatic, but lacking passion;

Reversed Lovers – Emotional alienation, wrong choices, and... a relationship living in the shadow of others.

Looking at the two cards, Viya thought it was too melodramatic. She tried to explain in a tactful tone, "She does care about you and is concerned about you, but this relationship is more like the protection and loyalty of family, lacking the excitement and passion of lovers."

"Furthermore, the reversed Lovers card suggests that she may see the shadow of someone else she truly cares about in you. To her, you are a partner worth cherishing, but... not the person she loves."

"Partner? Transference! The shadow of another person!" Naruto felt as if he had been stabbed hard by an invisible senbon needle, and his whole body suddenly froze on the spot, the color draining from his face instantly.

Those vibrant, deep blue eyes were now filled with shock and disbelief.

Images he had always avoided exploring surfaced in his mind: the occasional look in his eyes when you looked at him, a look that seemed to convey a subtle longing and sadness...

The look in his eyes that he had always used to comfort himself by saying "Nagi-chan is just a little special" was now ruthlessly exposed by the tarot cards.

"No! None of it is right!" He jumped up suddenly and slammed his fist on the table, making the crystal ball on the table shake slightly.

Naruto's voice was filled with undisguised grievance and anger, as well as a panic he himself was unaware of, "Nagi-chan is just different to me! Your fortune telling is completely inaccurate!"

He refuses to believe it! He refuses to accept that you only see him as a partner, or even... a substitute!

All those times you stood in the corner as punishment, shared ramen, and occasionally showed indulgence... were they all fake? Was it all because... he seemed like someone else?

"Damn it!" Naruto's eyes instantly reddened. He abruptly turned his head away, no longer looking at the cruel playing cards on the table that seemed to be mocking him.

"What lousy divination! I'll never believe in it again!" He shouted with all his might, as if the louder the voice, the more it could dispel the chill that was spreading in his heart.

"I, Naruto Uzumaki, keep my word! I will definitely become Hokage, and I will definitely be with Nagi-chan forever! Just you wait and see!"

After saying that, as if he could no longer stay in this house full of lies, he rushed out without looking back and slammed the door shut.

The joy brought by the prophecy of becoming Hokage has long been shattered and destroyed by the cruel answer concerning you.

At this moment, all that filled his heart was a sharp pain mixed with feelings of betrayal, loss, and intense resentment.

Viya looked in the direction he disappeared, shook her head slightly, and picked up the scattered tarot cards again.

In her view, this was just another teenager who refused to face reality and acted childishly in his relationships.

Naruto Uzumaki rushed out, and his commotion instantly attracted the attention of everyone outside.

In stark contrast to the curiosity and excitement he felt when he went in, his eyes were now red-rimmed, his face still bore traces of wet tears, and his shoulders trembled slightly.

His gaze searched anxiously through the crowd, and when it locked onto the black-haired girl who was isolated from the surrounding noise, all of Naruto's grievances and panic burst forth at that moment.

Before you could even react, Naruto suddenly hugged your waist tightly, buried his tear-streaked face in your collarbone, and burst into tears, his voice filled with helplessness and sorrow.

"Nagi-chan! Waaaaah—!"

This sudden situation stunned everyone. Sasuke and Shikamaru almost reflexively stepped forward at the same time, one on each side, to pull Naruto away.

"Idiot! Let her go!" Sasuke's face was terribly gloomy. In his eyes, Naruto was clearly taking advantage of the situation, and his eyes burned with cold anger.

He tried his best to tear Naruto off you.

Shikamaru frowned, trying to pull Naruto away. "Hey, Naruto, calm down..."

Naruto was emotionally agitated at that moment, his arms tightly wrapped around your waist, and no matter how hard the two of you tried, he refused to let go, while mumbling incoherently.

He dared not speak of the card readings he had seen. Alone, like a rootless duckweed, if even Nagi-chan, whom he cherished and trusted so much, was connected to some kind of falsehood...

The very thought filled him with an overwhelming sense of fear and sorrow.

Shikamaru tugged for a while and found that Naruto was almost completely pressed against you, and you were a little stiff from the sudden hug.

A barely perceptible emotion flashed in Shikamaru's eyes. He suddenly changed his strategy, no longer pulling hard, but instead, as if he had lost his balance, he leaned forward slightly and pretended to continue mediating the fight.

But his face was very close, his warm and steady breaths seemingly spraying onto the skin of the back of your neck.

Naruto was hugging his own waist and crying bitterly, his tears seeping through the thin fabric of his clothes. To his left, Sasuke was still relentlessly trying to separate Naruto, his icy anger almost tangible.

And the breathing emanating from Shikamaru behind him brought a chilling, unsettling sensation.

These three distinct experiences and emotions, applied to you simultaneously, left you feeling unusually disoriented.

Just as the chaos reached its peak, Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, and Tenten were about to come in and take a look.

The moment they stepped in, they were stunned by the scene before them: Naruto Uzumaki was clinging tightly to your waist and crying, while Sasuke Uchiha and Shikamaru Nara were entangled around you, the four of them practically wrestling together.

As a self-proclaimed suitor, Rock Lee was instantly overcome with passion upon seeing his three rivals surrounding the girl he admired, his thick eyebrows standing on end.

"What are you doing to Nagi! Let her go! Youth doesn't allow for this kind of entanglement!" he said, about to rush forward and join the fight.

Seeing this chaotic scene every day, Xiao Li rubbed her forehead. It was the first time she hadn't immediately stopped the impulsive Xiao Li, because she didn't know how to handle the situation.

Neji Hyuga's pure white eyes swept across the scene, his brows furrowing slightly. Although he didn't know the specific reason, seeing that you were surrounded and seemed unable to escape, he immediately stepped forward to try to help separate the entangled people.

"Hey! Stop fighting!"

"Naruto, let go first!"

"Sasuke-kun, calm down!"

"Xiao Li! Don't make things worse!"

Tian Tian anxiously stomped his feet in place, but ultimately chose to step forward and try to pull back the most impulsive Xiao Li to prevent the situation from escalating further.

The situation then spiraled completely out of control.

Rock Lee was suppressing his desire to stop Naruto, or rather, to take his place; Sasuke and Neji were holding each other back; Naruto was still crying; Shikamaru maintained that delicate, close-range attempt to mediate; and Tenten was trying her best to pull Rock Lee away...

You once thought that facing darkness and mystery alone was the biggest trouble.

But only now have I truly realized that when so-called partners or followers come together, they are far more exhausting, both physically and mentally, than any single problem.

Amidst the chaos, you finally found an opportunity to break free from Naruto's embrace and the encirclement of the crowd, quietly retreating to the shadows in the corner, trying to minimize your presence.

When Kakashi returned from outside, he saw a mess on the floor and you leaning against the wall in the corner, your face filled with despair.

He raised an eyebrow and slowly strolled over to you. "What's wrong? What new kind of trouble is it this time?"

Although the voice wasn't loud, the aura of an elite Jonin exuded authority.

Sasuke, Neji, Lee, and the others who were still entangled froze instantly upon hearing this voice. They glared at each other, then looked at Kakashi, who was expressionless, and you, who were lost in thought, in the corner.

In the end, they reluctantly let go of each other, straightened their clothes, and obediently stood aside, but the silent battle of wits continued.

"Whose turn is it to do the divination?" Kakashi's lazy voice broke the brief silence.

Nara Shikamaru originally had no interest in this kind of thing, but after seeing Kakashi appear, he guessed that Kakashi probably wouldn't be dragged along by Naruto or anyone else to do something more troublesome, he thought to himself.

He was also a little curious about what kind of divination could make Naruto burst into tears on the spot. This piqued his interest in researching it.

Kakashi's appearance was like offering you a perfect stepping stone; you moved so fast that you left only a faint afterimage.

As Naruto watched you leave, he sniffed, wiped his face haphazardly with the back of his hand, and, no longer caring about divination, lowered his head, like an abandoned puppy, whimpering as he continued his sobbing escape, filled with grievances and confusion.

Sasuke's cold gaze fell on Hyuga Neji, who stood to the side, maintaining a gentle and peaceful demeanor.

That Hyuga clan guy always puts on this hypocritical gentlemanly act; it's disgusting just looking at him!

The key point is, you seem to actually fall for this?

Sasuke's gaze grew colder, his jawline taut, and his loathing for Neji was barely concealed.

While Hyuga Neji remained outwardly calm, he keenly sensed the hostile gaze emanating from Uchiha Sasuke.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze briefly meeting Sasuke's in mid-air.

Although neither of them exchanged a word, it was as if invisible sparks were crackling in the air.

Kakashi took it all in. He could roughly guess what these kids were thinking: nothing more than the restlessness and possessiveness of adolescence.

Chapter 320 Tarot Cards (5)

You lean alone against the rough tree trunk, your head slightly tilted back, your gaze seemingly piercing through layers of leaves, looking towards the endless, distant, almost unreal blue sky.

Everyone is searching for the answer.

About the past, about the future, about loss, about gain.

But once we know the answer, is it really that important?

Those who are obsessed with finding the answer are invariably stung by the result they seek.

Just as your thoughts were drifting, you keenly sensed someone hiding in the shadows on the other side of the square.

"Sai." You didn't turn your head, but simply called out that name softly to the air.

After a brief silence, the shadows shifted, and a figure emerged.

His face was an unhealthy paleness, his expression was deathly calm, and his eyes held an undisguised emptiness and coldness.

He walked up to you, stopped, and asked in a flat voice, "Is there something you need?"

You can feel that Shin's death extinguished the last glimmer of light in Sai's heart, leaving only a shell filled with despair and obsession.

Instead of answering his question directly, you raised an eyebrow slightly and made a seemingly abrupt request, "Let me see the catalog."

Sai instinctively wanted to refuse, but a sense of shared misfortune made him hesitate for a moment. In the end, he silently took out the slightly worn sketchbook from his pocket and handed it over.

You take the picture book, your fingertips brushing over the rough cover, and slowly turn the pages. Inside, delicate brushstrokes depict the daily interactions between two boys.

Training together, sharing food, whispering under the stars... the art style is warm and the colors are bright, forming a cruel contrast with the cold and empty Sai in front of us.

Xin's death not only took away his brother, but also imprisoned him forever in a mental cage from which he could not escape.

After quietly flipping through the book, you closed it, handed it back to Sai, and asked a question that went straight to the point, "What do you want to do in the future?"

Sai seemed to be angered, or perhaps he was using anger to mask his immense sorrow. "It's none of your business!" He raised all his sharp edges, trying to repel any possible approach or spying.

You weren't intimidated by his sharpness. Looking at his disheveled appearance, you suddenly reached out, grabbed his wrist, and forcibly pulled him down, making him stumble a step, and pressed him down to sit beside you.

"It's just the two of us left. Are you sure you want to reject me like this?"

The real body temperature and touch from his wrist made Sai's tense body relax slightly. He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes concealing the turbulent emotions in his eyes, and his voice was so low that it was almost inaudible, "...No."