Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

Page 315

But Naruto strangely gleaned a crucial message from it: you weren't mocking him, but rather telling him that this was normal and could be changed!

"I understand the道理 (principles/reasoning)..." Naruto wiped his face forcefully, but his voice was still choked with sobs, "But... what everyone said was so awful... I... I really don't know what to do..."

He tilted his head back and looked at you with the wet, puppy-like eyes.

You looked at him like that, remained silent for a few seconds, and then reached out and ruffled Naruto's soft blond hair.

“You are the protagonist of your own life,” you said, looking at him, your dark eyes reflecting his disheveled yet still bright blue.

"Why hand over the pen to write the script to those insignificant bystanders?"

You paused, seemingly considering your words, and finally chose an adjective that you thought was appropriate: "In my eyes, no matter what you look like, you're quite... cute."

"So cute!!!"

The word struck him like a thunderbolt; his eyes widened in shock, his cheeks, ears, and neck flushed bright red at a visible speed, and it even seemed as if steam was rising from the top of his head.

The sadness and grievance that had just filled my body vanished instantly upon hearing that "cute," replaced by immense shyness and ecstasy.

Nagi-chan said he's cute!

She said she's cute no matter what!

Yes! Why does he care so much about what others think? Those who laugh at him don't understand him at all! Whether he's a loser or whatever.

Nagi's gaze towards him has never changed. She still talks to him, helps him chase away Akamaru, comes to him when he's sad, and even... pats his head and says he's cute!

This proves that Naruto Uzumaki isn't bad at all! At least, not in Nagi-chan's eyes!

A powerful, warm current instantly surged through his body. Naruto jumped up and wiped away the remaining tears and snot from his face, his face once again displaying that bright, sun-like smile.

"Thank you, Nagi-chan! You're such a kind person!" His voice regained its usual loudness, full of energy and gratitude.

Seeing his mood instantly brighten, even more radiant than before, the subtle discomfort you felt from meddling in other people's business dissipated.

That's good, at least she's stopped crying.

Just as Naruto was basking in the happiness of being recognized by you, you seemed to suddenly remember something and added a sentence.

"I think I just heard Iruka-sensei read out the list of sparring partners, and your opponent was Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto's bright smile froze instantly, as if he had been doused with ice water.

"S-Sasuke——?!"

He was completely petrified. Although he had always disliked Sasuke's arrogant attitude and had fantasized countless times about defeating Sasuke to prove himself, he remained unmoved.

But given his current shuriken skills and taijutsu level... it's obvious to anyone that if he faced Uchiha Sasuke, he would only be instantly killed and utterly humiliated!

Naruto's newly recovered mood plummeted to rock bottom, his face contorted in misery, etched with utter despair.

But just a few seconds later, as if he had thought of something, he clenched his fists, his eyes burning with a fierce fighting spirit, and roared in a determined tone, word by word.

"I know! Sooner or later, I will surpass him! I definitely will!"

You watched as he inexplicably regained his enthusiasm, not understanding what kind of logical consistency he had achieved in his mind, but you breathed a sigh of relief seeing that he seemed unlikely to fall into a slump again.

It's finally resolved.

You don't want to face a crying, tearful classmate every day.

Just imagining that scene is... too bizarre.

Teacher Iruka looked at the students sitting scattered around the sand and habitually began to count the number of students, preparing to move on to the next item.

After scanning the area several times, his brows furrowed in frustration again; two more were missing.

Nagi Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki.

Iruka sighed silently to himself.

As for Uchiha Nagi, this student who had been personally greeted by the Hokage, had a special status, and seemed to be registered in the Anbu, he was indeed given a certain degree of discretionary authority.

As long as it doesn't disrupt classroom order or cause danger, he can usually turn a blind eye to some harmless little actions, such as daydreaming or occasionally straying from the group.

But... isn't this level of relaxation a bit too high? Starting to habitually disappear on the second day of school?

Iruka seemed to have already foreseen that this unique black-haired girl would become a persistent and thorny problem in his future career as a ninja academy teacher.

Chapter 298 - Staged Accident

"Nagi Uchiha! Naruto Uzumaki! Return to the team immediately!" Iruka raised his voice and shouted towards the edge of the training ground, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority.

"Hey—! Coming!" Naruto responded loudly. The renewed energy he felt after being comforted by you made him instantly forget his anxiety about facing Sasuke.

He reached out and grabbed your wrist with complete ease, then skipped and hopped back to the sandy side.

This scene was clearly seen by Uchiha Sasuke, who was standing in the middle of the sand and had been waiting for a long time.

In an instant, Sasuke felt as if something was blocking his chest. A nameless fire mixed with bitter jealousy rushed to his head, causing his hands, hanging at his sides, to clench into fists involuntarily, his knuckles turning white.

First, there was that troublesome Nara Shikamaru, whispering to you under the tree!

Now it's that loser Naruto again, daring to grab your hand directly!

What makes them so capable of approaching you and attracting your attention so easily?

He shares the same bloodline as you, and is one of only two remaining members of the Uchiha clan, yet he seems to be isolated from the world, unable to even receive a glance from you?

He can't continue to be so passive!

He has to do something, he has to make you see him, he has to make you focus your attention on him.

Just as Naruto stood confidently opposite Sasuke, striking a clumsy starting stance, Sasuke didn't even glance at him, turning directly to Iruka-sensei.

“He is not worthy to be my opponent.” Sasuke’s gaze passed over Naruto and shot straight at you, who had just stood still. “I want Uchiha Nagi to be my sparring partner.”

This statement caused an uproar throughout the room!

"What?!"

"Sasuke-kun is going to challenge Uchiha Nagi?"

"Aren't they of the same race?"

"A duel between geniuses? This is going to be interesting!"

Naruto instantly jumped up, pointing at Sasuke and roaring, "Hey! What do you mean by that, you arrogant brat?! Are you looking down on me?! If you've got the guts, beat me first!"

Sasuke completely ignored his taunts; his gaze was fixed on you, awaiting your response.

The other students were surprised, but considering Sasuke's equally outstanding temperament and the reputation of the Uchiha clan, they felt it was somewhat understandable.

It is only natural for the strong to challenge the strong.

Iruka-sensei was also somewhat surprised. He looked at Sasuke, whose eyes were stubborn, and then at you, who seemed indifferent to the matter. After a moment's thought, he respected his student's wishes and turned to you to ask.

"Uchiha Nagi, Sasuke has asked to spar with you. What's your opinion?"

You don't quite understand Sasuke's purpose in suddenly making this request.

Was it to avenge the night he was exterminated? Or was it simply to prove something? Or perhaps... some other reason you haven't yet grasped?

However, it doesn't matter to you who you spar with; since he asked, you have no reason to refuse.

So you nodded to Teacher Iruka.

Seeing that you agreed, a glint of triumph flashed in Sasuke's eyes, along with an even more fervent fighting spirit.

You calmly walk to the center of the sand and stand facing Sasuke, having already quickly formulated a battle plan in your mind.

By appropriately easing the pressure and controlling the force and speed, the duel can appear evenly matched, ultimately ending in a draw or with a slight advantage.

This way, I won't stand out too much and attract unnecessary attention, nor will I embarrass my sensitive and proud fellow clansman.

You believe you have considered everything very thoroughly.

Once the sparring session began, Sasuke's actions completely exceeded expectations, leaving you somewhat... bewildered for the first time.

At Iruka-sensei's command, Sasuke did not launch a swift attack to demonstrate his speed and power.

On the contrary, his posture was exceptionally standard, even showing signs of deliberate performance, with every movement striving for perfection.

His attacks were fierce, but they weren't aimed at vital points. Instead, they seemed to be deliberately showcasing his fluid martial arts and parrying skills.

Sasuke is waiting for you to make a move, waiting for you to demonstrate your strength, waiting for you to... take him seriously.

You simply followed the original plan, using just the right amount of force to block and dodge, occasionally retaliating with harmless attacks, always keeping the pace at the level of an average excellent student.

Sasuke's brows furrowed more and more, and the emotion in his eyes was gradually replaced by impatience.

Your reaction was too bland! So bland...it sounded like you were just giving me a perfunctory answer!

"Is this all you've got?!" After parrying your weak side kick, Sasuke couldn't help but shout, his voice filled with suppressed anger and disappointment.

You dodged his follow-up straight punch, your eyes remaining calm, not quite understanding why he suddenly got angry.

Hadn't I already cooperated with him and put on a seemingly exciting practice match? Did he think I hadn't obviously held back enough?

Just as your thoughts were racing, Sasuke Uchiha across from you was completely thrown into disarray by your obviously unfocused black eyes.

You're daydreaming again!

When he's putting in so much effort, even acting a bit deliberately, just to get your attention, you're... spacing out again?!

Your gaze pierced through him, as if all his efforts and existence were nothing but air!

Sasuke's originally smooth and calculated movements froze fatally. The slightly forceful step he took to coordinate with a graceful turn landed right on the edge of an inconspicuous sand pit left from their previous sparring session.

A very faint, yet terrifying sound, came from Sasuke's ankle.

"!!" Sasuke's expression changed drastically, and he instantly lost his balance. With an unstoppable momentum, he lunged straight at you, who seemed to still be lost in thought!

Even though you're daydreaming, your body's instincts and sense of danger are still there.

In the instant Sasuke lunges at you, you actually have ample time and ability to easily dodge.

But in a flash, a thought crossed his mind: Could this be his new tactic? Pretending to lose his balance, luring you forward, and then launching a counterattack?

Based on this assessment, and wanting to avoid complicating the sparring session, you not only didn't dodge, but subconsciously adjusted your center of gravity slightly, preparing to meet the subsequent attacks.

And so, to everyone's astonishment, Sasuke crashed squarely into you.

The impact caused you both to lose your balance and fall heavily onto the soft sand, kicking up a cloud of dust.

In the instant you fell to the ground, by a coincidence of angle and a cruel twist of fate, your slightly raised head and the thin lips that always uttered cold words brushed against Sasuke's chin, which was slightly raised in surprise.

That touch, cool and soft... what was that just now? Was it a kiss? Your lips... touched his chin!

After the initial shock, an almost ecstatic excitement surged through me like an electric current. Although it was just an accident, and it was just a touch on the chin... it was undoubtedly the most intimate contact he had ever had with you.

This unexpected gain left Sasuke's mind blank. He even forgot the stinging pain in his ankle. He was frozen in place, as if under a spell, and didn't get up immediately.

You, pinned beneath him, don't have as many complex thoughts as he does.

I only felt a heavy pressure, and the strong smell of sweat and sunshine that belonged to a teenager.

You frowned, your tone clearly impatient and tinged with a hint of offended coldness, "How much longer are you going to get up?"

The cool voice instantly snapped Sasuke out of his ecstasy. He snapped back to reality, realizing he was still on top of you. His cheeks flushed red, and he frantically tried to sit up.

As soon as Sasuke moved, a sharp pain shot through his ankle, causing him to gasp and fall back down as soon as he managed to lift himself up.

Sasuke's forehead was beaded with sweat from the pain. He looked up and met your dark eyes, which were filled with doubt and displeasure. A little embarrassed, yet with a hint of grievance, he whispered, "I think... I twisted my ankle..."

Your brows furrowed even more, your dark eyes fixed on him coldly, as if trying to see right through him. "Are you kidding me?"

Your voice was full of distrust. How could he possibly sprain his ankle when he was so obviously letting the opponent win? The probability of that is even lower than Akamaru suddenly falling in love with a cat.

I strongly suspect that this was Sasuke staging an accident for some purpose...

Sasuke felt a little guilty under your all-knowing gaze, but the real pain in his ankle made him feel incredibly wronged. "Really... I'm not kidding..."

You stared at him for a few seconds, making sure his pained expression wasn't fake, and then felt the subtle trembling of his body caused by the pain, before you finally managed to accept this absurd fact.

But the way you looked at Sasuke became even more subtle.

What on earth is this guy trying to do? First, he inexplicably insisted on sparring with me, then he acted strangely during the sparring, and now he's even twisted his ankle...

Sasuke's actions all exude an incomprehensible strangeness.

Left with no other choice, you could only reach out and support Sasuke's arm, helping him struggle to his feet from the sand.

It wasn't until then that the surrounding classmates and Iruka-sensei realized what had happened.

"Sasuke sprained his ankle?"