Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

Page 172

Your back is pressed tightly against the scorpion's chest, and you can clearly feel every inch of his muscles trembling.

The puppeteer's bloodstained fingers pried open your lips, and his rusty fingertips slowly stirred inside your mouth.

“Answer him…” Scorpion whispered in your ear, his other hand already slipping under the hem of your robe, “Say you’re great…say you’re enjoying it…”

Your breath trembled slightly in Scorpion's embrace, his icy fingertips pressed against your thigh, dangerous yet tender like a venomous snake's tongue.

"...I'm fine." You tried to keep your voice steady, but the last syllable was shattered by the scorpion's sudden bite on your earlobe.

Outside the door, Yahiko's suppressed anger made each word seem to be squeezed out from between his teeth. "Open the door, let me see if you're alright."

Upon hearing this, Scorpion deliberately increased the force of his blow, and just as you couldn't help but gasp, the door suddenly trembled violently from the impact.

"It's a scorpion, isn't it?!"

“Yes, Chief.” Scorpion whispered close to your earlobe, but his voice was loud enough for those outside the door to hear clearly. “I just have some…private business to attend to with Tanuki.”

The door panel began to tremble violently, the latch groaned under the strain, but Scorpion chuckled and took your lips into his mouth, turning the kiss into a blatant provocation.

"He seems to be in a hurry~" Scorpion whispered against your lips, his eyes swirling with a morbid pleasure. The puppet strings wrapped around you with just the right amount of force, enough to neither hurt you nor prevent you from escaping this sweet confinement.

"Yahiko, you should leave first." You tried to remain calm, but Sasori's sudden touch on your waist made your voice tremble.

A sudden, deathly silence fell outside the door. The next second, a kick infused with chakra shattered the door into pieces.

Amidst the flying sawdust, the scorpion spun around and dodged you at the last second. You felt dizzy as your back sank into the soft bed.

Scorpion's kiss landed on your brow, as light as a feather. "Rest well..." He licked away the beads of blood seeping from your collarbone. "I'll be back in a bit."

The two figures leaped off the balcony at the same time and disappeared into the night.

You stare at the shattered door, the bite wound on your shoulder still throbbing. You pull your bathrobe tighter and stand up, a few silver puppet strings still tangled in your black hair.

Lin, who was in the next room, was awakened by the noise. When she opened the door, she saw you standing barefoot in the mess on the floor.

The moonlight outlined your disheveled black hair and the traces of blood on your lips, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

"Would you like to stay the night?" Lin asked softly.

You ran your hand over the red marks left by the puppet strings around your neck, a hint of interest flashing in your dark eyes. "This is troublesome."

The metal clasp of the medical kit made a soft "click" sound. Lin was adjusting the gauze with her back to you. Her fingertips lingered on the iodine bottle for so long that her slightly distorted reflection was reflected on the surface of the liquid.

The image reflected there was a pale face and a pair of eyes that gleamed with an eerie light.

"It might hurt a little." She turned around and her gentle smile returned as she gently dabbed disinfectant on Nagi's collarbone with a cotton swab.

The scorpion's teeth marks were deep, with an unnatural bluish-purple tinge at the edges. That madman must have applied some kind of puppeteer's special potion to his teeth.

You frowned slightly, but did not cry out in pain. Moonlight shone through the gauze curtain onto your half-naked shoulder, coating the bleeding wound with an eerie silver light.

"I think I just heard the leader shouting in the corridor..." Lin began casually, but her fingers subtly tightened their grip. "Did something happen?"

The sudden sting of iodine seeping into the wound made you gasp for breath, and your dark eyes flickered slightly in the dim light. "It's just a personal feud between him and Scorpion."

Lin chuckled inwardly. She had already seen everything through the crack in the door: she saw Scorpion biting your shoulder like a beast in heat, she saw the veins bulging as Yahiko crushed the kunai in the dark, and she even saw the faint smile on your lips as you indulged all of this.

"Okay." She suddenly leaned down, her lips almost touching the wound. "This way... there won't be a scar."

Warm breath brushed against bare skin, carrying a dangerous intimacy.

You seemed to sense something, but before you could react, Lin had already quickly retreated. As she turned around, her skirt brushed against the incense burner by the bedside, and a wisp of smoke quietly rose.

(Go to sleep...)

Lin was tidying up the first-aid kit with her back to you, but her ears caught the gradually lengthening breaths behind her.

The scent of the incense is very unique, like rotting lilies of the valley after the rain, sweet with a chilling, fishy smell.

This is her specially made formula; even medical ninjas couldn't detect anything abnormal about it.

"Lord Tanuki?" she called softly, her fingertips stroking your loose black hair.

There was no response, only the moonlight casting dappled shadows on your eyelashes, trembling gently with your breath, like a dying butterfly.

Lin's smile finally blossomed. She took off her coat and slipped into bed. Her cool fingers traced along your waistline and finally held tightly to that slender waist.

My nose is pressed against the back of your neck, greedily inhaling the scent of your body mixed with the smell of blood.

“Those men…so vulgar,” she whispered in your ear, her voice as soft as a viper’s hiss, “They only hurt you…”

"Only I..." Lin's lips pressed against the back of your neck, opening and closing silently, "will always be your shadow."

Morning light filters through the sheer curtains as you slowly open your eyes. A faint, alluring fragrance lingers in the air. Turning your head to look at the gilded incense burner by the bedside, the wisps of smoke have long since dissipated, yet you can still detect a sweet, calming scent.

It really is Lin.

You smiled slightly, a knowing glint in your eyes. You had sensed something was amiss the moment you stepped into Lin's room last night.

The incense burning in the censer is a kind of fragrance that can induce a deep sleep.

You lazily prop yourself up, your black hair cascading down your shoulders like a waterfall. The door is gently pushed open, and Lin walks in carrying breakfast. Her light brown hair is tucked behind her ears, and her smile is so gentle it seems to melt ice and snow.

"Are you awake? I made your favorite pancakes." She placed the plate on the bedside table, her fingertips seemingly unintentionally brushing against the back of your hand, the touch slightly cool.

"Lin is so good. With you around, I have no worries at all." You looked up, the corners of your lips slightly raised, your tone gentle as if it were a genuine compliment.

Lin's fingertips paused slightly, then her smile became even sweeter, but a dark glint flashed in her eyes. Of course, she knew that you had already noticed the aphrodisiac last night, but you did not refuse, and were even cooperating with her performance at this moment.

Is this tacit approval, or indulgence?

"It is my honor to take care of Lord Tanuki." Lin's voice was soft, but her fingers subtly traced the back of your neck, as if silently declaring a kind of possession.

Before they even stepped down the stairs, the sound of a heated argument could already be heard.

"If you, you broken puppet, dare to take another step near her, I'll blow you to pieces! Hmm!" Deidara's golden hair stood on end, and he clutched a lump of clay in his hand, ready to throw it at any moment.

Scorpion gave him a cold look, the puppet strings of Fei Liu Hu swirling around his fingertips, flashing with a cold light. "With your little bit of explosive art? You can't even touch the hem of her clothes."

Yahiko stood between the two, his eyes beneath his orange hair were terrifyingly gloomy, and his chakra was subtly surging. "She knows perfectly well who sneaked into her room last night."

"What happened?" Lin covered her mouth in feigned surprise, her dark brown eyes filled with worry, but she tightened her grip on your arm.

Deidara immediately complained loudly, "You have no idea! These two guys actually sneaked into that wicked woman's room, and they were trying to do something naughty! Hmm!"

Hidan, carrying the blood-stained three-month scythe, sneered, "What a blasphemous act against the Jashin-sama..."

Nagato coldly surveyed the two who were restrained, his Rinnegan flashing a warning.

Lin let out a soft "Ah," and as if feeling sorry for you, she took your arm, her voice gentle, "I'm really worried about Lord Tanuki's safety..."

However, Yahiko and Sasori clearly saw that beneath her lowered eyelashes, her eyes, which should have been gentle and tender, were now gleaming with a morbid satisfaction and provocation.

Sasori's eyes were terrifyingly gloomy, the puppet strings were restless in his sleeves, and Yahiko was staring intently at Rin's hand on your waist, his eyes under his orange hair almost spitting fire.

You watched this scene with a half-smile, and gently tapped Lin's hand with your fingertip. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Lin nodded obediently, but from an angle you couldn't see, she gave the two of them a victorious smile.

Xiao Nan walked slowly towards you, the wide sleeves of her robe drooping down to reveal a slender wrist. "In that case, Tanuki, please stay in my room tonight."

Her voice was cold and clear, but her eyes were fixed on Lin, like a silent blade.

Lin's fingertips dug sharply into her palm, but a gentle smile remained on her face. "I'm fine. As long as Lord Tanuki doesn't mind, you can stay as long as you like..."

Xiao Nan's lips curled slightly, and the paper flower trembled gently in her hair. "We're all companions, how can I let you shoulder this responsibility alone?"

The implication is that Lin's "care" had ulterior motives.

“Xiao Nan is right.” You paused, and as her eyes suddenly lit up, you changed the subject, “But I’ll stay in my usual room tonight.”

Xiao Nan's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly, while Lin's smile froze on her face.

You seemed oblivious to the strange behavior between the two, instead curling your lips into a smirk, your tone laced with a hint of mischief, "Kakuzu must be having a huge argument with the hotel manager right now."

After all, Yahiko and Sasori not only destroyed a guest room last night, but also tore down half of the decorations in the corridor.

At this moment, at the hotel front desk.

Kakuzu's green eyes were so dark they were almost dripping with water, and the ledger in his hand creaked as he gripped it tightly.

“This antique mirror—” he pointed to the item on the list priced at five million taels, his voice like that of a demon crawling out of hell, “is a complete fake!”

The hotel manager broke out in a cold sweat. "But...but this is from the Land of Wind..."

"Shut up!" Kakuzu grabbed his collar. "Either pay the actual price, or—"

Several black threads suddenly emerged from his cuffs, startling the manager who nodded repeatedly, "Three million taels is fine too!"

As you left, the hotel lobby instantly transformed into a battlefield, with Xiao Nan's paper flowers and Lin's scalpel colliding in mid-air and sparks flying.

Sasori's puppet strings wrapped around Yahiko's ankle, but were suddenly blown off by Deidara's clay spider.

But around the corner, out of everyone's sight, you are being pinned against the wall by Itachi Uchiha, who suddenly appears.

His long, slender fingers traced the scar on your collarbone, the tomoe in his Sharingan spinning wildly. "You're having fun?"

You laugh and tilt your head back, letting his black hair fall onto your face. "This is nothing..." Your fingertips trace Itachi's throat. "...My Mr. Three-Colored Dumpling."

Chapter 160 - Candied

Kakuzu's eerie green eyes glared down from above the ledger, every wrinkle etched with the pain of losing money. Hidan slumped on the opposite sofa, the cold gleam of his scythe reflecting his gloating smile.

"I'll deduct another thirty years' worth of your salary." Kakuzu's accounting pen slashed fiercely across the paper.

Hidan's laughter stopped abruptly. "Huh?! You old geezer—!"

Just then, Tsunade swaggered in, walking right past the dangerous gazes of the crowd, and sat down next to you.

"Why do you all look like you're keeping vigil?" She casually put her arm around your shoulder, her fingertips tracing the white neck with a hint of nonchalance.

"I don't know." You gently shook your head, letting Tsunade get close to you. This answer made the eyes of everyone present even more inscrutable.

My gaze passed through Tsunade's dazzling blonde hair, and in a daze, I saw that cave again. The moonlight that night was colder than the lamplight now, and Madara's bones were digging into my cheeks.

In my memory, Ban sat on a stone chair, and you dozed off with your head on his lap. His fingers ran through your black hair, the movement incredibly gentle.

"There are too many regrets in reality." His voice was shrouded in shadow. "I can no longer calm down and change this world."

You're feeling drowsy. "So what's your biggest regret?"

The hand stroking your hair suddenly froze. After a long while, a sigh melted away amidst the crackling of sparks, "...the death of someone important."

"An important person? Is it Izuna?" you blurted out, then realized with a start—this wasn't the Madara you knew.

The expected rage did not materialize. Madara's gaze fell on your face with a tangible force, his Sharingan glowing crimson in the darkness.

"So you've known me for a long time after all." His voice was eerily calm. "But why do I have no recollection of you? Uchiha Nagi, who exactly are you?"

You look up at him, and the infatuation in his eyes suddenly fades, leaving only a deep-sea indifference.

Ban's heart clenched with pain. He should have loathed this persistent girl, but when she looked at him with those eyes, rage surged through his nerves before any disgust could be felt.

"Never look at me like that again." He pulled you forcefully into his arms, and in that moment he couldn't tell if he wanted to snap your neck or confirm that this warmth belonged to him...

Jiraiya's voice pulls you back to reality. He and Orochimaru, covered in experimental drugs, stand at the door, followed by a timid gray-haired boy.

All eyes instantly focused on this unfamiliar face, and even Tsunade loosened her grip on your arm.

“This is…” Scorpion suddenly stood up, the puppet strings snapping straight.

"My new assistant." Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils swept over everyone, finally settling on Tsunade. He licked his lips, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. "Isn't she cute? Just like back in the day..."

"Shut up." The crystal chandelier suddenly began to shake violently. Your voice wasn't loud, but it was like a kunai precisely piercing everyone's eardrums.

Orochimaru's words were abruptly cut off, his golden vertical pupils narrowed dangerously to thin slits, and Tsunade's fingers on your shoulder tightened slightly, the edges of her nails turning an unnatural pale.

Dou stood in the shadows, pushed up his round-framed glasses, the reflection from the lenses obscuring his gleaming eyes.

The woman known as "Tanuki" had just unleashed a burst of power that reminded him of the Third Hokage's gaze.

That kind of all-knowing yet compassionate gaze, like that of a god.

(Does she...know me?)

Your gaze remains fixed on Kabuto, the pale boy who manipulated the Impure World Reincarnation during the Fourth Shinobi World War, now wearing an oversized white coat with herbal stains on the collar.

"It seems you approve of the child I brought back~" Orochimaru suddenly took a step forward, using his tall, thin body to block your eye contact. His tongue slowly licked his lips, and his vertical pupils contracted into thin slits with excitement.

"Approval?" You finally looked away, a meaningful smile curving your lips. "Indeed...an interesting child."

You deliberately emphasized the last two words with a lingering tone, watching as Kabuto's face instantly flushed red and the chakra storm that suddenly erupted around him.

"On this last day, everyone should think carefully about how to spend it!"

As the last rays of the setting sun shone through the dilapidated eaves of the lonely temple, you lay on your back on the cold floor, your long black hair flowing like water.