Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

Page 155

"Teacher?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, then suddenly realized, "Ah, I forgot you are his disciples." A smile curved her lips. "Don't worry, I have a way."

Her hand rested on the doorknob, and as she turned, her gaze swept over all the other members present. "For example, tell him that the Akatsuki has a stunning beauty he could write about in 'Make-Out Paradise'?"

"You dare!" Several voices rang out simultaneously.

Tsunade laughed loudly and slammed the door shut as she left, leaving behind a tense atmosphere. Orochimaru watched with interest as Sasori's face turned ashen, Deidara bristled, and the Uchiha brothers silently activated their Sharingan. He licked his lips with his snake-like tongue, "It seems..."

His gaze fell on you, and you were sighing and rubbing your forehead in exasperation. "This is going to get interesting."

After the meeting ended and everyone left, Xiao Nan stopped you in the hallway. "Do you really trust her? A complete stranger who just joined?"

You gently brush away the paper flowers that have fallen on Xiao Nan's shoulder. "She is like you, someone who has been hurt by the war."

“It’s different!” Xiao Nan suddenly became excited. “I’ve been in the organization for so many years, and she… the way she looks at you…” Before she could finish speaking, she bit her lip hard.

You paused for a moment, then gave a gentle smile. "Xiao Nan, are you jealous?"

Xiao Nan's face flushed instantly, and paper flowers fluttered wildly around her. "What nonsense are you talking about! I'm just worried about the organization's safety!" After saying that, she turned around and walked away quickly, her heart pounding like a drum.

You gazed at her departing figure, lost in thought.

Night mist shrouds the hot springs behind the mountain, moonlight filters through the rising steam, and you lean against the rocks as the warm water gently caresses your bare shoulders and neck. The day's fatigue seems to melt away with this tender touch.

"Crash——"

The moment you hear the soft sound of water, your Sharingan has already silently activated. After seeing who it is, your scarlet eyes return to their deep black.

"So wary?" Tsunade's long golden hair cascaded down like a waterfall, with glistening water droplets still clinging to the ends. Her movements as she untied her towel showed no shyness, as if she were already used to being watched.

Your gaze politely lingers above the other person's neck. "This is a public hot spring, Lady Tsunade."

"Are you shy?"

Tsunade stepped into the water, the warm spring water washing over her fair skin and creating delicate ripples. She sat down opposite you, her long legs appearing and disappearing in the water, water droplets sliding down her collarbone and eventually merging into the pool.

"It's not work time now, just call me Tsunade." She leaned lazily against the stone wall, her red lips slightly upturned. "Or... would you prefer me to call you 'Little Tanuki'?"

You lower your head and stir the water, trying to hide your unease.

"Speaking of which, your relationship with the other members of Akatsuki is quite unusual," Tsunade said, narrowing her eyes with a playful tone.

Your finger paused slightly, and a ripple spread across the water. "They are all my important companions."

"Just a companion?" Tsunade chuckled, her fingertips lightly tracing the surface of the water. "A woman's intuition is usually very accurate."

Instead of answering, you asked, "Why did you suddenly decide to join us?"

The steam from the hot spring swirled between the two. Tsunade remained silent for a moment, then looked up at the starry sky. Moonlight shone on her face, revealing a fleeting vulnerability in her eyes. "Perhaps it's because of your eyes."

"My eyes?" you asked, puzzled.

"Hmm." Tsunade's voice softened. "It reminds me of Nawaki... so determined, so full of hope. I haven't seen that kind of light in anyone's eyes for a long time."

You were startled, never expecting that you would remind Tsunade of her deceased brother. An unprecedented sense of responsibility rose within you, and you whispered a promise, "I won't let you down."

Tsunade looked at you quietly, then suddenly reached out and gently touched your cheek with her fingertips. "I know." Her voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable trust.

The surface of the hot spring rippled gently, Tsunade's fingertips still lingered on your chest, and the rising steam cast a hazy, ambiguous shadow over your figures.

“You know what?” Tsunade’s voice was slightly hoarse from being tipsy, “Sometimes I feel like you’re a mystery.”

Her fingers gently traced your collarbone, finally stopping at your heart. The warm touch traveled through your skin, and you could clearly feel the lines of her fingertips.

"Powerful yet fragile, gentle yet dangerous..."

Tsunade's blonde hair fell over your shoulder. You raised your eyes slightly and met her eyes, which were so close to yours. There were complex emotions in them, like nostalgia, or like a kind of restrained longing.

Breaths mingled, the steam from the hot spring carrying the aroma of sake and mint, just as the temperature was about to rise—

A pure white paper flower floated lightly onto the water between the two of them. "Tanuki, Yahiko is looking for you."

Xiao Nan's voice came from the paper flower, calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.

You and Tsunade stepped back at the same time. Tsunade casually tossed her wet hair and said, "It seems your 'comrade' cares about you quite a bit." A slight smile appeared on her lips.

You sighed helplessly and got up to leave the hot spring.

A cool night breeze blew, and you had just put on your morning robe when Xiao Nan emerged from the shadows. Her purple eyes gleamed with an unusual emotion in the moonlight, and the paper flower in her hand was crumpled and deformed. "What are you doing?"

You stop in your tracks. "It was just a chance encounter; we chatted for a bit."

Xiao Nan bit her lower lip, the paper butterfly shattering between her fingers. "I saw it..." her voice trembled slightly, "She was so close to you..."

Years of restraint cracked at this moment, and the emotions suppressed by reason burst forth like a flood, overturning her usual composure.

"Tanuki, you know how I feel, right? For so many years, I've always..."

You reach out and press down on her shoulder, but Xiao Nan grabs your wrist with her other hand. Paper slips spill out from her sleeve and wrap around your fingers, like a silent declaration of possession.

"Xiao Nan, now is not the time to talk about this."

"When will that be?" Xiao Nan suddenly raised her voice, her paper wings appearing and disappearing behind her. "When everyone has completely captured your heart?"

Under the moonlight, you see the tears glistening in her eyes. The girl who always appeared as an angel is now as fragile as a kite in the rain.

Xiao Nan suddenly grabbed your collar and pulled you closer. The moment your noses touched, you smelled a faint scent of ink on her body, the scent left from years of handling intelligence documents.

“She carries your chakra aura.” Konan’s voice trembled with tears. “And there’s a strand of her hair on your collar.” Her slender fingers picked up a golden hair, which gleamed in the moonlight like a triumphant trophy.

You are speechless. The ambiguity of that moment in the hot spring did cross the line, but your feelings for Xiaonan are equally real. The long nights you spent together, the secrets you shared, and the tacit understanding of entrusting each other with life and death countless times.

"sorry."

This pale apology caused the paper wings to suddenly unfurl. Xiao Nan released her grip and took a step back. Tears finally streamed down her face, but before they hit the ground, they turned into pieces of paper and vanished.

"I don't want your apology..." Her figure began to disintegrate into a shower of paper flowers, "I want your heart."

The last piece of paper flower brushed against your lips, carrying the salty taste of tears. The night wind swirled up the remaining paper, leaving you alone standing in the moonlight.

—And in the shadows of the trees in the distance, Sasori's puppet strings tightened silently, Deidara's clay bird exploded into powder, and Yahiko's kunai was driven deep into the tree trunk.

The moment the door was pushed open, two completely different items came into view: on the left was a bottle of high-grade sake labeled "Konoha Special Brew," the amber liquid shimmering with a honey-like luster in the morning light, with a note with wildly written words pressed underneath.

On the right is an exquisite paper lotus flower, its white petals still glistening with morning dew, revealing neat handwriting when unfolded.

Your fingers simultaneously touch the cool wine bottle and the soft paper flower; the two contrasting textures send a shiver down your spine.

He picked up Tsunade's note first; the flowing, flamboyant handwriting seemed to carry her hearty voice: "See you at the tavern tonight at eight. Don't keep me waiting. —Tsunade"

The handwriting on the paper lotus was much more subtle: "Training ground, sunset, something important to discuss. — Xiao Nan"

Your thumb unconsciously rubbed the two slips of paper, and your brow furrowed involuntarily.

Choosing either side means harming the other.

"It seems our Tanuki-sama has run into trouble." A hoarse voice came from the shadows of the corridor. Kisame Hoshigaki leaned against the wall, his shark-like eyes gleaming with a mischievous light.

He strode over, the Samehada sword making a slight clicking sound behind him, and before you could react, he snatched the note from your hand.

"Tsk tsk," Kisame grinned, revealing sharp teeth, "On one side are the legendary Sannin, and on the other is the angel I spend every day with. What a happy dilemma."

He held the note up, pretending to examine it carefully. "Want my advice? Only children make choices. Adults, of course, make choices—!"

"Shut up." You tiptoed to snatch the note back, your fingers accidentally brushing against Kisame's cold wrist. You rubbed your temples, where the veins were throbbing uneasily. "Things aren't as simple as you think."

Kisame spread out his large, scaly hands in a gesture of surrender. "Feelings are never simple." He suddenly lowered his voice, his expression unusually serious. "But... be careful, a woman going berserk is far more terrifying than a tailed beast, especially..."

He glanced meaningfully at the paper lotus flower, "Those seemingly gentle types."

You didn't answer, but carefully tucked the two notes into your sleeve. Kisame's words were like a thorn, quietly piercing your heart.

Chapter 141 The Answer

Time slipped by in your indecision, and as the clock struck sunset, you finally made your decision: go see Konan first, then rush to keep your appointment with Tsunade.

Although time is tight, this is the best solution you can think of.

The twilight in Amegakure is always tinged with a damp melancholy, as raindrops patter down, splashing tiny droplets on the stone path of the training ground.

You stand in the rain, watching Xiaonan's back. Today she is not wearing a morning robe, but a plain white kimono. The bellflowers on the hem are soaked by the rain, their color deepening, like ink stains blurred by tears.

—She cried.

Your heart tightened slightly, and your fingers unconsciously rubbed the note Tsunade had written in your pocket.

"You've come." Xiao Nan's voice was very soft, almost drowned out by the sound of the rain.

You walked to her side, raindrops sliding down her black hair and dripping onto the ground between you. "You said you had something to discuss?"

Xiao Nan finally turned around. Her eyes were slightly red, but her expression was unusually calm, even resolute.

“I thought about it all night.” Her voice was soft, but every word was clear. “About you, about me, about...the other people in the organization.”

Xiao Nan raised her hand, and a piece of white paper slowly unfolded in her palm, transforming into a blooming paper lotus.

With a gentle breath, the paper lotus floats towards you, and as it touches your fingertips, it suddenly transforms into countless tiny paper butterflies, fluttering around the two of you.

"I always thought I could wait," Xiao Nan's voice trembled slightly, "wait for you to notice me, wait for you... to choose me."

The paper butterfly fluttered its wings in the rain, but gradually became heavy due to the moisture, and finally fell helplessly to the ground.

"But now, I find myself unable to wait any longer."

You were about to say something, but Xiao Nan stopped you by raising her hand.

"No need to explain." She gently shook her head. "I know Tsunade invited you tonight."

Your pupils contracted slightly. How could she have known?

Xiao Nan's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Paper is everywhere."

The rain intensified, soaking your clothes. Konan's pure white kimono clung to her body, outlining her slender figure. Her light blue-purple hair clung to her cheeks, making her skin appear even paler.

"So, I want to ask you a question." She looked directly into your eyes, her voice soft yet firm, "If tonight... you could only choose one person, who would it be?"

It felt like an invisible hand was squeezing your chest. You opened your mouth, but found your voice stuck in your throat.

Xiao Nan watched you quietly, her eyes gradually dimming.

“I understand.” She took a step back, her paper wings slowly unfurling behind her. “Go, don’t keep Tsunade waiting too long.”

You ultimately failed to provide an answer.

"You're half an hour late. Looks like something got in the way?" Tsunade's voice was languid with the smell of alcohol. She rested her chin on one hand and twirled a half-empty sake bottle in the other.

Her golden hair was loosely tied at the back of her head, with a few stray strands falling beside her flushed cheeks.

Your fingers unconsciously rubbed against the cuff of your clothes, where a few almost invisible scraps of paper remained. "Sorry, I have some things to take care of."

Avoiding Tsunade's gaze, you sit down opposite her, the wooden chair creaking slightly.

"Is that so?" Tsunade chuckled softly, her eyes slightly upturned. She picked up a new wine glass, the amber liquid tracing a graceful arc as it filled the bottom. "Then why do you smell like paper flowers?"

With a crisp sound as the glass hit the table, your hand trembled suddenly, and a few drops of wine splashed onto the wood grain, much like the never-ending tears of the Rain Village.

"Tsunade, things aren't what you think..."

"Shh." Tsunade suddenly leaned forward, her fingers, which smelled of sake, gently pressed against his lips.

“Tonight we won’t talk about anyone else.” Her voice lowered, with a rough, sandpaper-like quality. “We’ll only talk about you… and me.”

Tsunade's thumb brushed lightly against your lower lip, its heat burning you. You could smell the complex scent of sake mixed with some kind of herb on her body, and see the dangerous glint in her brown eyes.

Just as you were about to speak, the tavern door was suddenly blown open by a strong gust of wind.

It wasn't ordinary wind; it was a vortex formed by chakra, carrying a familiar aura.

Countless pieces of paper were swept into the room like a blizzard, swirling and coalescing in the air, making a rustling sound.

"Sorry to bother you." Konan's voice was as cold as ice. She was wearing a black robe with red clouds from the Akatsuki organization, and her blue-purple hair moved without wind.

A white paper rose bloomed on her shoulder, then instantly shattered into sharp, blade-like fragments. "But some things must be made clear now."

Tsunade slowly withdrew her fingers and drank the remaining wine in her cup in one gulp.

As she set down her wine glass, a tiny crack appeared on the wooden table. “Perfect,” she said, a slight smile playing on her lips, though her eyes held no mirth. “I also want to have a good talk with you.”

The air inside the tavern seemed to freeze. The proprietress had already tactfully retreated to the kitchen, leaving the three of them facing off in the dim light.

The entire tavern trembled as their chakra clashed. The glass was the first to emit a crisp, mournful sound, and cracks spread across its surface like a spider web before finally turning to dust with a piercing shattering sound.

"Wait!" You suddenly stood up, your long black hair flying in the chakra turbulence.

"Shut up!" Tsunade and Konan shouted at the same time, turning their heads.

The few remaining customers in the tavern had already scrambled out the door, while the owner behind the counter curled up under the liquor cabinet, only his terrified eyes showing.