Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

Page 267

"Nagi..." Sakura's voice unconsciously softened, carrying a seriousness beyond her years, "You...have you never been afraid of being alone?"

After asking the question, Sakura held her breath and waited, expecting you to respond with silence or a shake of your head, just like before.

After a long, oppressive silence, just when Sakura was about to give up waiting, you suddenly spoke.

The voice was very soft, as if it were just an unconscious whisper, yet it carried a kind of all-knowing clarity: "Some loneliness is destined."

These words struck Sakura's heart like an icicle.

There were no complaints, no sadness, just a calm statement, yet it conveyed a chilling desolation and...power.

Sakura suddenly raised her head and looked at your still expressionless profile. The warm yellow light cast soft shadows on your delicate features, and your dark eyes stared into the void, unfathomable.

At that moment, all of Sakura's frustration and embarrassment vanished, replaced by an indescribable shock and...admiration!

Wow...so cool!

This attitude of facing loneliness head-on, and even seemingly coexisting with it, perfectly matches her image of a 'strong person'!

"Wow!" Sakura couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation, her eyes shining brightly.

In her excitement, she instinctively reached out and hugged your neck, nuzzling against your neck like a spoiled kitten.

"You're so cool, Nagi! You'll definitely become the strongest and coolest ninja in Konoha! You have to take me with you! I want to become strong too!"

This sudden contact makes your whole body stiffen! Almost no one has ever treated you like this before, without fear, without calculation, without scrutiny... just a pure, passionate embrace and closeness.

You subconsciously clenched your fists at your sides, your nails digging deep into the flesh of your palms, bringing a slight stinging sensation, barely suppressing the almost instinctive repulsion and a trace of... panic that surged up in an instant.

“Sakura…” Your voice carried an extremely subtle, unusual hoarseness that you yourself were unaware of.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Sakura looked up, blinked her big green eyes, tilted her head to look at you, and had an excited blush on her face.

"...Too close." You uttered these three words instinctively.

You don't understand why just one hug makes your heart beat so erratically, so...fast. It's a feeling that's strange and bewildering.

Sakura was taken aback when she saw you looking so uncomfortable yet trying to remain calm and expressionless as you said "too close," and then she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

“Nagi, when you say these things with a straight face, it’s really…” Sakura’s eyes crinkled into crescents as she smiled, “It’s so kawaii!”

Ka...kawaii?

Your dark eyes widened for a rare moment, a clear look of disbelief flashing within them.

This adjective... and you? They're like two completely different lines.

"Ah~" Sakura said, unable to hold back a big yawn, tears welling up in her eyes. "No, no, I can't talk anymore, or I definitely won't be able to get up tomorrow morning, and Mom will scold me again!"

As she spoke, she finally let go of your arms, jumped off your bed, ran back to her own bed, and darted under the covers, leaving only her bright eyes showing as she waved in your direction.

Goodnight, Nagi! Sweet dreams!

After she finished speaking, a few minutes later, the sound of Sakura's even and soft breathing came from the small bed next to her; she had already fallen into a deep sleep.

And you remained sitting motionless on your bed, like a statue.

The crescent-shaped marks on my palm from being pinched by my fingernails still throbbed with pain, and the unusually rapid beating of my heart seemed not to have completely subsided.

Only Sakura's steady breathing and the occasional chirping of insects outside the window remained in the room.

You can't sleep at all.

This unfamiliar, warm feeling, which is forcibly intruded into your safe distance, stirs up layers of subtle yet undeniable ripples in your heart, which has long been accustomed to coldness and loneliness.

Slowly raising her hand, she pressed it against her left chest, where her heart was still beating abnormally, and felt that everything... was too strange.

After a long while, you slowly turned your head and your gaze fell on the small bed opposite you.

The pink-haired girl was sleeping soundly, her cheeks rosy and a sweet smile on her lips, as if she were having a wonderful dream.

You gaze silently at Sakura's unguarded sleeping face, uttering two barely audible words, "Goodnight..."

In the Uchiha clan's territory, the atmosphere at night is always more somber than elsewhere. News seems to travel slower here, and by the time it reaches the Uchiha, it has already become somewhat delayed and distorted.

"Adopted by...a little girl from an ordinary family?" Fugaku Uchiha sat behind his desk, his fingers unconsciously tapping the surface, making a dull thud.

His usually rigid and serious face now showed a rare, clear crack, filled with disbelief and deep doubt.

Even if the Third Hokage went to great lengths to prevent the Uchiha clan from reclaiming their lost bloodline and to prevent the Uchiha's power from increasing further... how could he so casually entrust that child with the forbidden name to a little girl whose parents were just ordinary Chunin with no background?

This is no longer about obstruction or checks and balances.

This is a blatant insult and contempt for the Uchiha clan! It is a declaration to the entire Hidden Leaf Village that the Uchiha bloodline is not even worthy of being cared for by a respectable clan, and can only fall into the hands of commoners!

Fugaku's brow furrowed tightly, alarm bells ringing in his mind.

He couldn't help but wonder if this was yet another, deeper conspiracy by Konoha's higher-ups targeting the Uchiha clan.

Is this an extreme way to test the Uchiha's limits, or is it an attempt to further escalate the conflict between the Uchiha and the village?

Regardless, this move was too bizarre, too...

This is illogical. What exactly is that old fox, Hiruzen Sarutobi, plotting?

Meanwhile, in the master bedroom.

Unlike her husband, Mikoto Uchiha didn't think too much about the political maneuvering. She simply sat alone by the window, holding a slightly yellowed old photograph in her hand.

As her fingertips gently brushed against her friend's frozen smile, Mikoto let out a long, heavy sigh, her eyes filled with regret, heartache, and a sense of helplessness.

How could she not want to bring her friend's only remaining bloodline back to the Uchiha clan, giving her the identity and protection she deserved, allowing her to grow up under the care of her people? That was Rikka's child...

But now, Konoha is in a state of turmoil, and the Uchiha clan itself is walking on the edge of a cliff, surrounded by layers of restrictions and suspicions, and is prone to making mistakes at every turn.

They had already exhausted all their efforts to protect themselves, so where would they find the extra strength or confidence to forcibly snatch that child back from the adoption relationship arranged by the Hokage?

When Itachi Uchiha heard the news, a clear look of astonishment and confusion flashed across his eyes. He had just finished a mission with the Anbu.

Adopted by a commoner? Sakura Haruno?

He attempted to use his wisdom beyond his years to decipher the deeper meaning behind the higher-ups' move: was it to lull the Uchiha into a false sense of security, or simply to annoy Danzo Shimura, preferring to hand over pawns to harmless civilians rather than Root?

Or perhaps... there's a deeper reason, one that even he can't fathom?

After pondering for a long time, he realized that he could not understand the logic of this move at all. It was more like a random move without any rules, or even... a farce.

However, as the captain of the secret service, he quickly found out the exact address of the Haruno family.

At least... ordinary families mean relatively less surveillance, and they won't completely lose their freedom like those in the Roots or certain large families.

For you, this might be a stroke of luck amidst misfortune?

At this moment, the one most shocked and least able to accept this fact is none other than Uchiha Sasuke.

On the training field, Sasuke fiercely shot the shuriken in his hand toward the bullseye. He bit his lower lip tightly, his eyes burning with resentment, grievance, and a kind of anger at being betrayed.

Why would he rather be adopted by a commoner girl than return to the Uchiha clan?

What's wrong with the Uchiha clan? They possess the most powerful bloodline limit and are one of Konoha's oldest and most glorious clans! What's wrong with Uchiha Sasuke? He's your true clansman!

Do you loathe the Uchiha clan that much? So much that you hate him as well? You'd rather choose a complete stranger than even glance at him?

Sasuke felt increasingly heartbroken as he thought about it. A mix of frustration and intense possessiveness churned within him. He had to get to the bottom of this!

Having just returned to the village after a long overseas mission, Uchiha Shisui was stunned by this outrageous news before he could even catch his breath.

"Wait... what did you say? Nagi was adopted? By whom? Hyuga?" Shisui grabbed a familiar clansman, eagerly confirming.

“It’s not Hyuga, it’s Shisui-nii.” The clansman’s expression was also very strange. “It’s…it’s an ordinary Chunin family in the village, surnamed Haruno. They adopted her because of their five-year-old daughter…”

Shisui: “…”

His smile froze completely, his brain seemed to crash, repeatedly processing this utterly illogical information.

Did the Konoha leadership just tacitly approve it? Did Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi just give it his approval? Didn't Danzo Shimura cause a huge uproar?

Has the world suddenly become magical?!

Shisui felt a splitting headache, more exhausting than when he had carried out an S-class mission for three days and three nights straight. He rubbed his throbbing temples and decided to temporarily give up thinking about the possible complex conspiracy behind it.

"Never mind..." he sighed and muttered to himself, "I should just go find Kakashi-senpai... he should know the details."

At the very least, we need to find out exactly where you live now.

Regardless, he needs to visit you firsthand to assess your situation. Being suddenly thrust into a completely unfamiliar, ordinary environment... will you be able to adapt?

Chapter 246 The Female Ghost

In the small dining room of the Haruno family home, the air is filled with the faint aroma of toasted bread and milk. You and Sakura eat breakfast in silence.

Your movements remained refined, as if eating was merely a way to replenish your energy. Sakura, on the other hand, would occasionally steal glances at you, trying to find something to talk about, but she always succumbed to the invisible, icy barrier between you.

Just then, a clear but slightly disordered sound of footsteps approached from afar and stopped outside the Haruno family's door.

The footsteps were steady and powerful, with a well-trained rhythm, clearly not those of an ordinary neighbor.

Sakura instinctively put down her milk glass and got up to open the door—who could it be at this hour?

But her wrist was firmly gripped by an icy hand.

Sakura turned her head in confusion, looking at you who had suddenly stopped her.

I saw that you had already put down the cutlery in your hand, and slightly raised your dark eyes to look towards the door, with a very faint sense of vigilance in your eyes.

With superhuman perception, they clearly detected the chakra outside the door, bearing distinct bloodline limit characteristics. It belonged to the Hyuga clan, and their intentions were clearly hostile.

Before Sakura could react, you had already stood up and silently walked towards the entrance.

The door was pulled open from the inside.

Outside the door stood eight ninjas dressed in the traditional attire of the Hyuga clan! Their expressions were solemn, and their pure white eyes appeared somewhat indifferent in the sunlight, instantly exuding an invisible pressure.

Leading the group was none other than Hyuga Hiashi, the head of the Hyuga clan. His expression was solemn, exuding an imposing aura. Standing slightly behind him was the timid Hyuga Hinata.

Hinata's pure white eyes lit up slightly when she saw that it was you who opened the door, but she quickly lowered her head again because of the tense atmosphere, her small hands nervously clutching the hem of her clothes.

When Hiashi saw that it was you who opened the door, his brows furrowed instinctively, and the imposing aura of the main family naturally emanated from him. His voice carried a condescending question, "What, it's you? Where is the girl who adopted you?"

The powerful aura made Sakura, who was peeking out from behind you, tremble with fear, and her face turned pale instantly.

She moved out from behind you almost instinctively, her voice barely audible and trembling, "It's...it's me..."

Hiashi's icy gaze immediately fell on Sakura, scrutinizing her from head to toe.

Sharp as a knife, it seemed to dissect her from the inside out, to see what made this ordinary little girl so capable of intercepting the Hyuga clan's target.

Sakura felt like she was suffocating under that gaze; her legs went weak, her eyes quickly reddened, and she almost cried.

You took a half step forward, subtly shielding Sakura behind you once again, using your body to block Hiashi's oppressive gaze.

She raised her head, calmly meeting Hiashi's gaze, her voice cold and emotionless, "Is there something you need?"

These three simple words carried a silent defiance, as if to say: This is not the Hyuga main family hall, and it is not your place to act like the clan leader.

Hiashi clearly hadn't expected this Uchiha orphan to respond to him so directly, even with a hint of provocation.

He narrowed his pure white eyes slightly, and the atmosphere around him became even more oppressive. He deliberately ignored Nagi's question and instead spoke to you in an almost provocative tone, but actually to Sakura behind him.

"You should have been adopted by our Hyuga clan, possessing the blood of the Uchiha, yet you ended up in a commoner's family... It was she who caused you to miss the opportunity to enter a prestigious clan, to obtain better resources and a brighter future. Don't you... resent her?"

These words struck precisely at the most sensitive and guilty corner of Sakura's heart.

Sakura's face turned even paler instantly, tears welled up in her eyes, and an overwhelming sense of guilt almost overwhelmed her.

Yes, if it weren't for her...

Your reaction surprised everyone once again. You didn't even look back at Sakura, but stared straight at Hiashi's calculating eyes. "Instead of wasting time here spreading rumors and provoking trouble, Hyuga clan leader, you should think about how to explain to the Third Hokage... the application form that was accidentally lost after being stamped with the Hokage's seal."

Upon hearing this, the room fell into an eerie silence!

Hiashi's facial muscles twitched almost imperceptibly, and a flash of shock, anger, and embarrassment crossed his pure white eyes!

He hadn't expected that this young girl would have such a sharp and insightful mind, instantly grasping the crux of the problem and throwing the most acute contradiction back at him!

Hinata, standing behind Hiashi, had even more complicated and indescribable feelings.

She watched your upright figure, watched you unhesitatingly shield the pink-haired girl behind you, watched you respond to your authoritative father with such calm, even sharp, words...

Once upon a time, in the dark dungeons of Cloud Village, she was also shielded behind you like this...

So you protect everyone like this?

The tiny expectation that Hinata had just felt—that she might be special—vanished instantly like a burst bubble, leaving only a faint sense of loss and bitterness.

Riji was rendered speechless by your words, his face turning pale and then red.