Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

Page 178

In the last moment before losing consciousness, he seemed to see Nagi standing on the ruins of the Forbidden Pavilion, looking down at him with eyes full of sorrow.

"Even if I fall into hell..." Madara murmured to his illusion, "I will... find you..."

The purple light of the Rinnegan ripped a crack in the darkness, and Madara Uchiha stepped into the realm of the dead.

The air of the Pure Land was decaying and viscous, like despair that had settled for thousands of years. There was no light, no wind, only an endless gray mist churning at your feet, occasionally revealing stark white bones.

Time is frozen here; even death itself becomes eternal.

Madara's footsteps echoed in the void as his Sharingan scanned the desolate landscape. There was no trace of Nagi, not even a trace of chakra.

"Why have you come to the Pure Land?"

An aged voice came from the mist, and the figure of the Sage of Six Paths slowly emerged.

He hovered in mid-air, the Truth-Seeking Jewel spinning silently behind him, his eyes reflecting a thousand years of vicissitudes.

Ban stared directly at the legendary creator god, his eyes showing no reverence, only cold, unwavering determination.

"I am looking for my wife, Uchiha Nagi."

The Sage of Six Paths remained silent for a moment, his gaze falling on Madara's Rinnegan, proof of Indra's reincarnation, yet more obsessive than any other reincarnated being.

"She's not here."

The gray mist twisted and contorted as he spoke, forming countless tiny vortexes.

Madara's pupils suddenly contracted, his chakra surged uncontrollably, and the surrounding ghosts let out shrill screams. "What does this mean?"

The Sage of Six Paths sighed, and with a flick of his sleeve, countless fragmented images appeared in the gray mist: Nagi's figure standing before the rift in spacetime, the light dust she turned into as she dissipated, and... a blurry figure from a parallel world.

"She forcibly altered the cause and effect of the ninja world, and was rejected by the source. Her soul could not return to the Pure Land, and may have drifted to another time and space."

Ban stared intently at the images, his fingers unconsciously tightening.

He should have realized it sooner—Nagimoto is special; her very existence challenges the rules of the world.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked coldly.

The Sage of Six Paths' gaze became slightly unfocused, as if he could see his eldest son from a thousand years ago through the freckles.

Indra also looked at him with that same gaze, filled with resentment, anger, and deep-seated obsession.

"Because I owe Indra an answer."

He didn't explain further. With a flick of his withered finger in the air, a pitch-black spatial rift suddenly tore open, and a piercing buzzing sound came from within the rift, as if countless worlds were wailing within it.

"If you cannot bear the pain of being torn apart by spacetime, give up as soon as possible." The Sage of Six Paths' voice became ethereal. "Once you step in, there is no turning back."

A cold smile curled at the corner of Ban's mouth.

Turn back? He had long since reached the point of no return.

From their first encounter in the Hawk's Secret Chamber to their farewell at the Valley of the End, his life, like those two eyes of reincarnation, was destined to be a cycle of obsession.

Without hesitation, and without even glancing at the Sage of Six Paths again, Madara stepped into the crevice.

In an instant, excruciating pain swept through his entire body. His skin began to crack, his flesh felt as if it were being slowly sliced ​​apart by countless blades, and even his bones groaned under the unbearable strain.

The turbulent flow of time and space tore at his soul, as if trying to annihilate him completely.

But he didn't care.

As the Sage of Six Paths gazed at the gradually closing crack, he sighed deeply. A thousand years ago, he failed to stop Indra's obsession, and a thousand years later, he was equally unable to stop Madara's pursuit.

Perhaps this is the fate of the Uchiha clan.

For love, he was utterly doomed.

Chapter 166: Youthful Inexperience

At dawn, the Akatsuki base was shrouded in a pale blue mist. Uchiha Shisui stood silently outside your door, his back against the cold stone wall.

His figure was tall and slender, the hem of his black robe with red clouds was slightly damp with morning dew, and his scarlet Sharingan eyes were faintly visible in the shadows.

—He's waiting for you.

Ever since the mysterious man who called himself "Afei" appeared, Shisui's intuition had been warning him that beneath the man's seemingly insane words and actions lay a disturbing aura of danger.

"We must warn the cat to be careful of him..."

Shisui's fingers unconsciously traced the edge of the kunai, but his thoughts were interrupted by the sudden opening of the door—

"Squeak—!"

Instead of the familiar black-haired girl peeking out from the crack in the door, there was an orange swirling mask.

The air solidified instantly.

Shisui's pupils suddenly contracted, and his blood seemed to freeze in that instant.

He saw Ah Fei leaning lazily against the door frame, his mask askew, revealing half of his chin, and several ambiguous red marks on his neck.

"Oh dear~ Isn't this Shisui-senpai?" Tobi waved exaggeratedly, his voice so sweet it was nauseating. "What a coincidence, Tanuki-senpai hasn't gotten up yet~"

Zhi Shui's breathing paused for a moment.

"You..." Shisui's voice was terrifyingly low and hoarse, the kunai in his hand deeply embedded in his palm, blood dripping from between his fingers to the ground, "Last night..."

Afei suddenly leaned closer, his mask almost touching Shisui's nose. "Just as you thought, Senpai~" he whispered, a victor's smugness in his voice. "Senior Tanuki's waist... is even more flexible than I imagined..."

—The string of reason has snapped.

Shisui's fist slammed into Afei's mask with such force that it cracked the door frame.

Ah Fei's figure flew backward, but disappeared in mid-air, and then mysteriously reappeared at the other end of the corridor the next second.

"Oh dear~ Are you angry, senpai?" He tilted his head, his tone still flippant, but the Sharingan he revealed had turned into a kaleidoscope pattern.

Shisui did not answer. His figure instantly transformed into countless crows, scattering and then reforming behind Afei. The kunai aimed straight for his throat.

Afei parried with a backhand, the sparks from the metal clashing were particularly dazzling in the dim corridor. The two moved at high speed in the narrow space, the cold light of kunai and shuriken intertwining into a net, and deep scratches continued to appear on the walls.

"What are you doing?" A cold voice suddenly rang out.

The two stopped simultaneously and turned to look at the source of the sound—

You stood at the doorway, wearing a loose black robe, your long hair disheveled over your shoulders, and several obvious bite marks on your collarbone.

Afei immediately reverted to his usual carefree grin, "Senior Tanuki~ Senior Shisui suddenly hit me!"

Shisui's chest heaved violently, and the kaleidoscope in his eyes spun wildly. "Tanuki, he did it last night..."

"Hmm." You interrupted him softly, your fingertips lightly tracing the marks on the side of his neck. "I know what I'm doing."

These words were like a knife, stabbing deeply into Zhi Shui's heart.

He stared intently into your eyes, trying to find any trace of reluctance or coercion, but all he saw was a bottomless calm.

—You did it voluntarily.

This realization sent Shisui's world spinning. He restrained himself from crossing that line, only to be confronted by a stranger...

"Why...it was him..." Shisui's voice was hoarse and barely audible.

You tilted your head slightly, your black hair slipping down your shoulder. "Do I need a reason?"

Afei smugly wrapped his arm around your waist, his Sharingan beneath the mask giving Shisui a defiant look. "Senpai~ You can't force feelings like that~"

Morning light streamed through the gaps in the corridor, casting long shadows of the three of them. Zhi Shui stood there, watching you lean indulgently against A Fei's chest, and suddenly chuckled softly.

The laughter made Ah Fei's expression stiffen slightly beneath his mask.

“You’re right…” Shisui’s kaleidoscope suddenly changed into an unprecedented pattern. “Feelings…can’t be forced.”

His gaze swept over the red mark on your neck one last time, and as he turned to leave, the shuriken in his sleeve had already cut his palm.

(Since gentleness can't win you over...)

(Then let's try a different approach...)

At the end of the corridor, a crimson light flashed in Shisui's Sharingan.

The specially made glass container reflected a cold light in the center of the Akatsuki's hall. Black Zetsu, like a trapped beast, frantically pounded against the walls inside the container, making dull "thump-thump" sounds.

Hidan, bored, tapped the surface of the container with the tip of his Bloodstained Scythe, causing Black Zetsu to writhe in even more fury.

"What the hell is this dark thing?" Hidan tilted his head, his silver hair swaying behind him. "It looks really unpleasant. Want me to taste what it's like?"

Orochimaru's golden, vertical pupils flashed with a dangerous light. His slender fingers pressed against the glass, sensing the flow of chakra within the container. "Interesting...very interesting...this life form..."

The pharmacist adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light, as he rapidly recorded data in his notebook.

When your figure appeared in the hall, Black Zetsu's struggle suddenly became so violent that it twisted and deformed.

"It really was you!!" Its shrill voice pierced the air. "From that cave onwards... I should have killed you!!"

You stopped in front of the container, your fingertips lightly touching the crystal surface, a dangerous glint in your eyes. "What is your connection with Kaguya?"

Black Zetsu's struggle suddenly froze, and even Orochimaru's pen stopped on the paper, leaving ink stains.

It stared at you in disbelief, feeling genuine fear for the first time in a thousand years. How could this woman know Mother's name? How much more do you really know?

You chuckled softly and turned to leave, infusing a few strands of chakra into Black Zetsu, temporarily numbing his consciousness. Your voice faded with your footsteps, "It's okay if you don't want to say... I'll find out sooner or later."

Inside the meeting room, everyone watched as you walked straight to the head seat, while Yahiko naturally stepped down to the second seat. They all raised their eyebrows in unison, but no one raised any objections.

Your slender fingers flipped open the file on the table, your dark eyes quickly scanning the contents. "Konoha intelligence... The Third Hokage is seriously ill."

He looked up at Tsunade and Jiraiya, "You should go back."

"What?!" Tsunade jumped to her feet, the necklace on her chest swaying with the movement. "The old man...?"

Jiraiya's expression turned unusually serious, and his eyes beneath his white hair flickered with complex emotions.

"Can I go and heal him before coming back?" Tsunade suddenly asked, looking directly at you.

This request clearly startled you for a moment, then you chuckled softly, "Of course." You tapped the table lightly with your fingertips, "Konoha is the core of the Five Great Nations, it can't be messed up."

Then you turn to the next page, "Negotiation terms with Sunagakure... I need to personally intervene at Kazeto Castle."

The atmosphere in the conference room changed abruptly as soon as he finished speaking.

Deidara's blond hair practically exploded. "I'm going! Yeah!"

Scorpion's Scarlet Amber made a "click-click" sound. "My puppet is more suitable for diplomatic occasions."

Mei Terumi parted her red lips slightly, "Tanuki~ I have the most extensive diplomatic experience with the Land of Water~"

Shisui's Sharingan twitched slightly, Tobi's mask tilted at an exaggerated angle, and even the usually silent Itachi raised his head. Everyone's gaze was focused on you with fiery intensity.

You closed the file without changing your expression, and slowly spoke under the expectant gazes of everyone, "Hidan."

"Huh?" Hidan, who was idly playing with his scythe, almost fell off his chair upon hearing this. "Me? Long live Lord Jashin!"

A wave of discontent erupted instantly.

"Why him?! Huh!" Deidara almost jumped onto the table.

“This kind of task should be handled by someone more composed,” Scorpion said coldly.

"Tanuki~ Have you forgotten who your best partner is?" Mei Terumi's fingers were already restlessly reaching for your hair.

Your Eternal Kaleidoscope suddenly lit up, and a terrifying pressure of chakra swept through the entire conference room like a tsunami.

The documents on the table moved on their own without any wind, the candlelight flickered violently, and everyone held their breath.

“I said…” your voice was soft, yet it silenced all dissenting voices, “It’s Hidan.”

His unquestionable tone, coupled with those Sharingan eyes that seemed capable of devouring souls, forced everyone to swallow their discontent. Suppressing it with power was always the most effective way.

As the meeting ended, you stood up, looked at Yahiko, and a haughty smile curved your lips. "Wait for me to come back..."

"I will officially take over as the leader of Akatsuki."

This statement is not a request, nor a discussion, but a declaration.

At that moment, you stood at the intersection of light and shadow, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression and charm.

No one can look away—obsessed, yearning, and submissive gazes flood you like a tide.

The arrogance in those words made Yahiko chuckle. He walked up to you, took your hand under the intense gazes of the crowd, and kissed your fingertips. "Yes, my lord."

Nagato's Rinnegan glowed faintly in the shadows, and Konan's paper flowers bloomed silently in your hair.

As you and Hidan disappeared through the gate, Black Zetsu inside the container suddenly let out a shrill laugh, "You have no idea what she's plotting!"