Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

Page 182

"Hey, kid!"

The harsh roar made his eardrums vibrate. Naruto suddenly opened his eyes and found himself standing in front of a huge iron cage. The Nine-Tails' scarlet vertical pupils were close at hand, and its hot breath smelled of blood.

"You stinky fox, what are you doing!" Naruto instinctively took a half step back, his back hitting the cold water. "You suddenly called me... are you trying to steal my body?"

The nine-tailed fox's claws gripped the railing, the chains rattling. "That woman—" its nostrils flared, as if sniffing out lingering scents, "Where did she come from?"

"Sister Tanuki is not 'that woman'!" Naruto suddenly stood up, his blue eyes blazing with rare anger.

His small figure looked like an ant before Kurama, yet he stubbornly raised his head, "She said in front of everyone today that I'm Akatsuki's mascot! Those guys who bullied me will now call me 'Lord Naruto'!"

Nine-Tailed Fox's ears snapped back, revealing its gleaming white fangs. "Foolish! You think she'd even look at a loser like you?" Its tail slapped the water irritably. "What she wants is an old—"

Chapter 170: The Curse

"No way!" Naruto interrupted Kurama, poking his finger at the giant beast's wet nose.

"Sister Tanuki taught me how to control chakra and even paid for my Ichiraku Ramen bills for the next ten years in advance!" His voice suddenly lowered. "No one...no one has ever treated me like this before..."

Kurama's pupils contracted slightly. It saw the tears welling up in Naruto's eyes, a look of grievance it had never shown even when the villagers threw stones at him.

This realization made its ears twitch involuntarily, and its tail slowed its wagging.

"Listen, brat." Kurama leaned down, his voice unusually patient. "When the Sage of Six Paths created us Tailed Beasts, he said to be wary of three types of people—"

Its claws rose one by one, "capable of manipulating space and time, capable of harnessing natural energy, and..." The third claw slowly extended, "capable of making tailed beasts willingly submit."

Naruto blinked blankly, "Sister Tanuki doesn't know space-time ninjutsu..."

"Fool!" The Nine-Tails' roar shook the sealing talismans, causing them to rattle loudly. "Didn't you notice? When that woman walked by, even my chakra froze!"

A flicker of fear, a sense of recollection, crossed its eyes. "The last time I felt this way was with Hashirama Senju's Wood Release and Madara Uchiha's Sharingan..."

Naruto's clenched fist trembled slightly, but he stubbornly raised his head, "So what! Even... even if she really wants you..."

The water surface suddenly trembled violently, and the reflection at Naruto's feet distorted and deformed, gradually revealing the outline of you wearing a tanuki mask.

Nine-Tailed Fox's fur bristled instantly, and it involuntarily took a half-step back.

"Kurama," you whispered in the reflection, your voice piercing the seal and entering the tailed beast's mind, "Are you so afraid of me?"

In the real world, Naruto, who was dozing off, suddenly woke up.

He looked around blankly and found that everyone in the council chamber was staring at him, or more precisely, staring at you, who had somehow appeared behind him.

"Did you sleep well?" Your fingers gently combed his frizzy blond hair, your dark eyes sweeping over the pale-faced Konoha officials. "The mascot is tired. Let's end today's negotiations here."

As you led Naruto out of the council chamber, Kurama's warning still echoed in his mind: "Be careful, brat. That woman... has an aura more dangerous than Madara Uchiha's."

Naruto followed behind you, his golden hair sticking up messily in the evening breeze, his azure eyes flashing with unease and hesitation.

He stared at your retreating figure, finally unable to hold back any longer, and said, "Everyone says I'm a nine-tailed fox spirit, a born monster... Aren't you afraid of me?"

His voice carried a hint of stubbornness, yet also a touch of cautious probing.

You paused slightly, turned your head, and your face appeared particularly cold in the twilight. Your dark eyes were as deep as the night, yet they shone with a faint warmth under the setting sun.

You gently curved the corners of your lips into a smile, your voice as calm as a deep pool of water, "What's there to be afraid of?"

Naruto pursed his lips, put his hands in his pockets, and kicked a pebble at his feet. "Our experiences are different; you wouldn't understand."

You suddenly stopped and turned around, your long black hair fluttering in the wind, the ends brushing against Naruto's cheek, carrying a faint scent of mint.

Naruto paused for a moment, looked up and met your eyes. In that instant, he seemed to see the undercurrents surging deep within your eyes.

"I understand." Your voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable strength.

Before Naruto could react, the surrounding scenery suddenly blurred, and the wind howled past.

The next second, you were already standing at the highest point of the Hokage Rock. A fierce wind rushed in from all directions, causing Naruto to stagger and almost fall, but you gently caught him.

The fingers were cool and slender, yet the moment Naruto touched them, he felt a strange sense of peace.

"You...how did you do that?" Naruto stared wide-eyed, looking around in disbelief.

The entire Hidden Leaf Village was laid out before them, its lights twinkling like stars, its streets crisscrossing like a tapestry, and they stood at the highest point, seemingly isolated from the world.

You didn't answer, but slowly sat down, your legs dangling in the air, your black robes hanging down against the rock wall. You patted the spot next to you, gesturing for Naruto to sit down.

Naruto hesitated for a moment, then finally sat down next to you. There was only a fist's distance between them, but it felt like an entire world was between them.

“I have a friend,” you say, gazing at the distant horizon, your voice calm to the point of indifference, “who has been considered a family curse since birth.”

Naruto turned his head to secretly examine your profile. The setting sun outlined a soft line, but your eyes were as cold as ice.

“She was forcibly confined in the forbidden area from a young age, without food or friends, and nearly starved to death countless times,” you continued, speaking casually. “To survive, she ate grass and swallowed dirt… Finally, one day, she escaped the forbidden area alive.”

The wind suddenly became fierce, blowing your long hair into disarray. A few strands clung to your cheeks, making your skin appear even paler.

Naruto involuntarily held his breath, his heart feeling as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.

"And then?" he couldn't help but ask, his voice trembling slightly.

After a moment of silence, your gaze drifted into the distance, as if piercing through time and space to see a distant scene: "She thought that going out would please her parents, offset the so-called cursed title, and fill her stomach."

A sarcastic smile appeared on your lips. "In fact, the beatings and verbal abuse from her parents, the shame of being cursed, and the constant hunger... completely crushed all her illusions about a better life."

The last sentence was so light it almost vanished in the wind, yet it struck Naruto's heart with tremendous force.

He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, but he felt no pain. He thought he was already unfortunate enough, but the "she" you mentioned seemed to have struggled in the abyss for much, much longer.

"Then...what happened to her after that?" Naruto asked in a low voice, his voice filled with undisguised concern.

"She fabricated evidence of her parents' betrayal and placed it on the Grand Elder's desk." A slight smile played on your lips, as if you were telling an absurd joke. "The elders quickly executed them."

Naruto's breath hitched. Your gaze drifted into the distance, your dark eyes reflecting the myriad lights of Konoha, yet it seemed as if nothing caught your eye. "And she was hiding on the roof beam, peeking, feeling no sadness, only exhilaration."

Naruto clenched his fists, his throat tightening.

He suddenly realized that the 'she' you mentioned might not be a friend at all.

“Even after becoming a wild child,” you continued, your fingertips gently tracing the dark patterns on your cuff, “she knew that only strength could change her fate.”

Naruto seemed to see that small, thin figure—

During the day, she was used as a punching bag on the training field, being kicked, beaten, and verbally abused; at noon, she would sneak into the canteen and scavenge for leftovers like a wild cat; at night, she would hide in the shadows of the clan school and eavesdrop on the knowledge that should have belonged to her.

“Such times are short,” your eyelashes droop slightly, casting a shadow on your eyelids, “but they are her freest and happiest memories.”

Naruto opened his mouth, as if to say something, but his throat felt like it was blocked by something.

He never imagined that someone could live a life even more difficult than his, yet still speak of it in such a calm tone.

“Until…she met the stars.” Your voice finally showed a slight fluctuation, like a crack appearing on a frozen lake. “That girl gave her all her kindness.”

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Then she'll probably stay happy like this forever!"

Your fingertips curled up slightly.

“No.” Your voice turned cold. “Because of the curse, the girl’s father does not allow her to exist.”

The night wind suddenly turned fierce, and your long hair obscured your expression. "They sent wave after wave of assassins, just to kill her."

Naruto's pupils suddenly contracted.

A cold smile curved your lips. "And she grew stronger with each life-or-death experience, so strong that she caught the eye of the Grand Elder."

“She knew it was a trap, but her hungry stomach told her it was the only way, and she became the Grand Elder’s adopted daughter.” Your eyes were deep.

"What did she get after becoming an adopted daughter?" Naruto asked, swinging his leg, his blue eyes shining like a clear autumn sky.

"A drafty room, three meals a day on time, and..."

"Every day at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), I have to memorize the properties of three hundred kinds of poisons before I can eat breakfast; before lunch, I have to perfectly replicate every hand seal I see, and if I make a mistake, I get whipped ten times; dinner is the most interesting, either I poison the test subject in the cage, or... I become the test subject."

"What about...that girl?" Naruto asked in a low voice.

"Dead." These two simple words caused the Nine-Tails to let out an uneasy growl within the seal, "Dead in a corner of political turmoil, with a poisoned kunai stuck in its heart."

Naruto gripped the hem of his clothes tightly. "She'll be so lonely like this."

"Naruto." You suddenly reached out and pinched the boy's chin, the force making him frown slightly. "When you eat instant noodles every day, do you ever think about whether the seasoning packet is lonely?"

"I..." Naruto touched his burning chin, then suddenly grabbed your sleeve, "I don't want to become like that! I want to become Hokage, and have everyone truly acknowledge me!"

You chuckled softly, a sound carrying the vibrations of chakra that startled the night birds perched beneath the rock face. "Alright... let me see how far you can go."

The Nine-Tails let out a muffled roar in the sealed space, but Naruto suddenly threw himself into your arms and buried his face in the minty Akatsuki robe.

He felt your body stiffen for a moment, but you didn't push him away in the end.

"That friend..." Naruto's muffled voice came through, "...is it you?"

"Who knows? Maybe I'm even worse than her in the story."

These words struck Naruto's mind like a muffled thunderclap.

“Listen, Naruto.” Your thumb brushed across the lines of his beard. “The Nine-Tails isn’t a monster, it’s a gift, just like that girl finally understood—that curses are nothing more than excuses for the weak to use for fear.”

Suddenly, a flock of birds in the distant woods took flight. When Naruto turned his head, he saw Sasuke standing on a treetop, his Sharingan fixed on the finger that Naruto touched.

In the shadows closer by, Kakashi's "Make-Out Paradise" had already closed, while below the Hokage Rock, Hiashi Hyuga was rushing over with the main branch of the Hyuga clan.

"It's time to go back." You stood up, the hem of your Akatsuki robe brushing against Naruto's head. "Your Hokage probably thinks I'm trying to kidnap his Jinchuriki."

Naruto suddenly grabbed your sleeve, "Is she... happy now?"

The wind swept across the rock face, ruffling your loose black hair. Your silhouette against the light reminded Naruto of the statues enshrined in the shrine, both compassionate and distant.

"She died too." Your voice was as soft as a sigh, "on the night the star died amidst the political turmoil."

"But don't worry~" you suddenly ruffled Naruto's blond hair, "You're the Akatsuki's mascot now. If anyone dares to bully you, I'll turn Konoha into the second Kazamatsuri Castle."

These words froze the ANBU members lurking in the shadows. As you teleported away, the Nine-Tails' roar echoed through the sealed space: "Did you hear that, brat?! She just admitted she's going to destroy Konoha!"

The cherry blossoms at the Konoha gate are blooming out of season, their pink and white petals drifting down onto your black tanuki mask.

Hidan stood a few steps away, his scythe tapping impatiently on his shoulder, his purplish-red eyes fixed on Tsunade's hand wrapped around your waist.

"Really not going to stay a few more days?" Jiraiya leaned against the doorpost, his Akatsuki earring peeking out from under his white hair. "The old man's been so scared lately he can barely hold his pipe."

You shook your head, your black robe with red clouds billowing slightly in the wind. "The time is not right. As for the Nine-Tailed Fox... we'll talk about it when you have a stronger voice."

Tsunade's golden hair brushed against your neck, and the powerful arm of one of the Legendary Sannin was trembling slightly as she hugged you tighter. "Come and see me more often."

She whispered in your ear, her breath hot, "Now, in the entire Hidden Leaf Village... no one dares to stop you."

Hidan's scythe suddenly plunged deep into the ground. Just as he was about to lash out, he saw you slowly turn around and remove your mask.

Sunlight shone on Tsunade's porcelain-white face, and the patterns in the Eternal Kaleidoscope flowed like a galaxy. You reached out and stroked Tsunade's cheek, and then, amidst the fluttering cherry blossoms, you kissed her.

The kiss was light, yet it seemed to freeze time. Jiraiya's scroll fell to the ground with a thud, Hidan's Jashin Necklace suddenly snapped, and the frantic flapping of crows came from the distant treetops.

"I hope we can meet again..." You took a half step back, and as you put your mask back on, your voice had returned to its usual coldness, "I can call you Fifth Generation Lord."

A faint blush crept onto Tsunade's cheeks. She finally understood that true love could indeed disregard everything, even gender and political stance.

Jiraiya's eyes darkened, and he stepped forward, his tone carrying a hint of danger, "Tanuki, you certainly know how to provoke people."

You glance at him sideways, a slight smile playing on your lips. "Lord Jiraiya, are you jealous?"

Jiraiya chuckled softly, then suddenly reached out and grabbed your wrist with a force that was neither too strong nor too weak, but strong enough to prevent you from easily breaking free. "Since you've chosen to provoke me, don't expect to get away so easily."

Hidan finally lost his temper and rushed over, but the moment he touched the hem of your clothes, he was pinned to the spot by the pressure of the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan.

"I'm leaving." You turned around, your robes fluttering, and never looked back.

Chapter 171 Out of Control

You walk barefoot on the bluestone path, the cool stone surface sending a chill through your feet. You have just returned from Konoha, and the black tanuki mask hangs at your waist, swaying gently with each step and making a soft clattering sound.

Just as your fingertips touched the surface of the hot spring water, a figure came into view. The person was sitting in the pool with their back to you, their black hair wet and clinging to the back of their neck. The water barely covered their waistline, revealing a lean but scarred back.

Your breath hitched, and almost instinctively you took a half step back, your heel striking the bamboo tube behind you with a crisp sound.

"How long are you going to hide, Lord Tanuki?"

The sound of still water is hotter than a hot spring, carrying a sense of oppression you've never heard before.

You almost instinctively want to turn and leave, but reason stops the impulse.

Quickly adjust your breathing and force yourself to relax.

In the mist, I could feel Shi Shui's gaze falling on my back as if it were real, sticky and lingering like spider silk.