Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

Page 118

You watched his figure disappear at the end of the corridor, then lowered your head to stroke the knot on the wooden carving, a smile unconsciously curving your lips.

In the shadows not far away, two pairs of eyes were silently watching all of this.

Uchiha Shisui leaned against the wall at the corner, his arms crossed, his Sharingan beneath his black hair glowing faintly red in the darkness. His expression was calm, but his knuckles unconsciously clenched his arms.

On the other side, Yahiko crouched on the eaves, his orange hair swaying slightly in the night wind. He squinted, looking in the direction Sasori had left, then glanced at your door, and finally let out a soft sneer before his figure silently disappeared into the night.

The morning sunlight streamed into the room through the window, and Yahiko and Shisui were still sound asleep when they were startled awake by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

"Who is it?" Yahiko asked sleepily, scratching his hair. His voice was hoarse as he dragged his feet to open the door.

The door had barely opened a crack when you rushed in like a gust of wind, your black hair flying, your eyes sparkling with barely concealed excitement and nervousness.

"I've signed up for the sacrifice selection for the evil god's ritual!"

In an instant, Yahiko and Shisui were completely awake.

"What did you say?!" Shisui sat up abruptly, his voice almost cracking, and even his usually composed expression broke down.

Yahiko froze on the spot, his mouth slightly open, as if he had been struck by lightning.

"Shh—!" You rush forward, covering their mouths with both hands, and whisper, "Can you please stop making such a fuss!"

Just then, a chuckled voice came from behind, "So Tanuki is also interested in evil gods."

You froze, slowly turning your head to meet Scorpion's eyes, which held a playful smile.

He leaned lazily against the doorframe, his red hair hanging down, clearly having been standing there listening for quite some time.

"No way! I was just curious!" you quickly waved your hand to explain, but the three of them looked at you like you were lying, and you knew you couldn't explain yourself at all.

Shisui finally broke free from your hand, took a deep breath, and tried to make his voice sound less clenched, "Lord Tanuki, this is no joke."

You sighed helplessly, hands on your hips, "I heard that this evil god's ritual will attract a lot of important people. Maybe we can get some useful information from it."

"And—" your eyes sparkled, as if you'd discovered some interesting game, "I also want to see if I can stand out in the selection process and experience a different kind of life!"

Yahiko frowned, his orange hair darkening slightly with worry. "But it's too dangerous. What if someone discovers your identity, or something happens to you..."

"Don't worry!" you patted his shoulder confidently. "I'm sure I won't be exposed, and—" you smiled slyly, "I'm very strong."

Scorpion chuckled softly and slowly entered the room, his slender fingers gently brushing aside the black hair that fell over your shoulders. "The selection of sacrifices is no child's play, Tanuki. Do you know what those chosen will go through?"

His fingertips brushed lightly across your neck, carrying a hint of coolness that made your skin tremble slightly.

Shisui's eyes instantly turned cold, his mechanical prosthetic eye slightly shifting as it locked onto Scorpion's hand. "Stay away from her."

Scorpion raised an eyebrow, but instead of withdrawing his hand, he leaned closer to your ear and said, "If you really want to play this game... how about I help you? I know a lot about evil god priests."

You quickly regained your composure, turning your head to avoid the scorpion's approach. "Oh? So how do you plan to help me?"

With a flick of his finger, Sasori silently coiled a thread of chakra around your wrist. "For example... teaching you how to become a perfect sacrifice."

Seeing this, Yahiko immediately stepped forward, standing between you and Sasori, his eyes wary. "No need, we will protect her."

Sasori gave Yahiko a half-smile, then glanced at Shisui, "Just the two of you?"

Shisui's Sharingan slowly rotated, his voice icy, "You can try."

The atmosphere in the room instantly became tense, as if the air had frozen.

You blinked, then suddenly burst out laughing. "Why are you three acting like you're about to fight over me?"

Suddenly pulling your hair back, you turn and walk to the other side of the room, your tone light, "Okay, I need to find some suitable clothes to dress myself up like a real sacrifice~"

The day before the evil god's ritual, the sunlight lazily streamed into the hotel room, illuminating the mountain of cosmetics piled on the table—rouge, eyebrow pencil, lip rouge, gold powder… and several well-worn makeup tutorial books.

Yahiko, Shisui, and Sasori sat around the side, the three usually decisive ninjas looking helpless and confused.

"So...where exactly is this powder applied?" Yahiko picked up a box of blush, frowning as he examined it. His orange hair made his confused expression even more obvious.

Shisui sighed, his mechanical eye slightly rotating as he tried to analyze the cosmetic's ingredients. "Theoretically, it should be used to modify facial contours."

Sasori leaned against the window, his red hair hanging down, playing with a thin eyeliner pencil between his fingers, a half-smile on his face, "I never thought that the leader of the Uchiha and Akatsuki would be defeated by a few boxes of cosmetics."

You take a deep breath, pick up the tutorial book in front of the mirror, and begin your first makeup attempt.

"Step one...apply foundation." You carefully dab on some foundation and apply it to your face.

The room was so quiet that only the soft sound of the cosmetic box opening and closing could be heard.

Shisui glanced up casually, then froze. His Sharingan widened slightly, and his lips parted involuntarily, as if he had seen something incredible.

Yahiko noticed his odd behavior and followed his gaze—"Pfft!"

He suddenly covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking violently, his face turning red from trying to suppress his laughter.

Your face is covered in foundation like a wall paint job, your left cheek is bright white, while your right cheek still retains its original skin tone, and your two blushes look like stamps that have been forcibly slapped on, so bright they are blinding.

"What's wrong?" You turned your head in confusion, your makeup looking even worse in the sunlight. "Did I do something wrong?"

Scorpion finally couldn't help but chuckle softly, his red hair swaying gently with the trembling of his shoulders. "Tanuki, are you trying to scare away the evil god with this appearance?"

Shisui swallowed hard, trying to remain calm. "Lord Tanuki, perhaps...we can try a different strategy?"

"What strategy?" You blinked, your eyelashes still covered in gold dust that had somehow gotten on them.

Yahiko finally couldn't hold back any longer and slammed his fist on the table, laughing loudly, "This isn't a sacrifice, it's practically an exorcism!"

Chapter 101 Hidan

Enraged, you grabbed a box of loose powder and threw it at Yahiko's face, yelling, "What are you laughing at! Come at me if you dare!"

Yahiko was caught off guard and had his face covered in white powder, which made him cough. His orange hair was instantly covered with a layer of white powder, making him look like a fox with its fur standing on end.

You examine yourself closely in the bronze mirror, the heavy white powder making you look like you're wearing a thick mask.

"How is it? Isn't it beautiful?" You confidently put down the mirror and turned to look at the three people.

Scorpion turned his head at the sound, and when he saw your face clearly, his pupils contracted sharply, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

The puppeteer's usually impeccable composure nearly crumbled; he quickly lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes concealing the turmoil within.

"Yahiko, you tell me!" Shisui suddenly slapped the orange-haired boy on the shoulder, his Sharingan eyes filled with distress signals.

His usually calm and composed voice trembled slightly, as if he had witnessed some terrifying forbidden technique.

Yahiko's Adam's apple bobbed, his smile frozen as if by an Earth Release: Freeze Technique. "W-How about Sasori?" he stammered, looking pleadingly at the red-haired boy. "My eloquence is really..."

Scorpion took a deep breath, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the puppet mechanism in his sleeve.

When he looked up again, his expression had returned to its indifferent state. "Very distinctive."

He deliberately emphasized the last two words, speaking in a voice as soft as if he were commenting on a less-than-successful puppet work.

"Right!" You clapped your hands happily, the glitter on your eyelashes fluttering off with the movement. "I followed steps three through seven exactly as described in '100 Best Festival Makeup Looks'..."

Just as they were about to pick up the eyeliner pencil to continue working on it, the three of them jumped up at the same time.

Shisui instantly moved in front of the makeup box, his ear tips under his black bangs slightly red. "Actually, Tanuki-sama is very beautiful even without makeup." His voice was eight octaves higher than usual, and his Sharingan even transformed into a kaleidoscope due to nervousness.

Taking advantage of the moment, Yahiko snatched the rouge from your hand, saying, "Really! Your eyes are much prettier than these paints."

He gestured awkwardly, his fingertips accidentally brushing against your cheek, leaving a red mark.

Scorpion sighed softly, took a damp towel, and gently lifted your chin with his long, slender fingers. "It doesn't necessarily have to be according to the standards of a sacrificial offering."

His voice remained calm, but his wiping movements were incredibly gentle. The warm towel brushed across your eyebrows and eyes, gradually restoring your original appearance.

You quietly let him do as he pleased, and when the last trace of color was wiped away, you suddenly chuckled softly.

"I understand, thank you!" You got up and ran out, leaving the three boys looking at each other in bewilderment.

Sasori rubbed the towel covered in face powder in his hand, when he suddenly noticed that Shisui and Yahiko were staring intently at him. Their gazes met in the air, sparking invisible flames.

The sound of you humming a festival song drifts from outside the window, growing fainter and fainter.

"Follow them?" Yahiko scratched his head.

"Of course." Shisui had already fastened his headband.

Scorpion silently folded the towel and tucked it into her sleeve, a slight smile playing on her lips beneath her red hair. "If she dares to touch cosmetics again..."

The three of them rushed towards the door in perfect unison, only to get stuck in the door frame at the same time.

Scorpion stood alone on the second-floor terrace, his red hair fluttering slightly in the night breeze, his amber eyes gazing into the distant darkness, as if searching for an answer that even he himself could not explain.

Light footsteps came from the end of the street.

Scorpion's gaze shifted slightly, locking onto that familiar figure.

You return shrouded in night, your long black hair tossed by the wind, gleaming softly silver in the moonlight.

"Scorpion?" You looked up and met his gaze. You were slightly taken aback, then smiled.

The boy's originally cold and stern face softened as if melting snow the moment he saw you.

He smiled slightly, his voice as soft as if afraid to disturb the night, "Li Nu is back so late?"

"I was a little late for tomorrow's ceremony." You climbed the stairs and came to his side.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath of the night breeze, and felt the coolness seep into my lungs.

The scorpion gazes silently at your profile, the moonlight outlining its delicate contours, its eyelashes casting dappled shadows beneath your eyes.

He suddenly spoke, his voice a few decibels lower than usual, "Does the raccoon like puppets?"

You open your eyes and turn to meet his gaze. There is a rare hint of expectation in Scorpion's eyes, as if this answer is of great significance to him.

"I didn't like them at first." The night breeze brushed through your hair. "But Scorpion is a puppeteer, so I've come to like puppets."

Scorpion's breath hitched slightly. In the moonlight, a barely perceptible blush rose on his cheeks. He quickly coughed twice and turned his face away. "...It's a great honor."

The night breeze flows between you, carrying a cool stillness.

After a long silence, Scorpion spoke again, his voice so low it almost blended into the night, "What does Tanuki think... the meaning of existence is?"

The scorpion seems to be asking you a question, or perhaps it's questioning itself.

You gaze at the flickering lights in the distance, ponder for a moment, and think, "For me, the meaning is..."

Turning to look at Scorpion, your eyes reflect the shimmering starlight, "I've met people and things that made me feel 'it's so good to be alive'."

Scorpion's pupils contracted slightly. He had never expected to receive such an answer, so simple, yet so heartwarming.

"For example?" he couldn't help but ask.

You suddenly leaned closer, looked up and stared directly into his eyes, "Like tonight's moon, like tomorrow's festival, like—"

"A red-haired puppeteer who is actually very gentle but always has a stern face."

Scorpion was stunned. The night wind whipped up their hair, which briefly intertwined in the air before separating again.

He suddenly reached out, his fingertips gently brushing your cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, his movements so gentle that they didn't seem like those of a ninja known for his killing prowess.

“The raccoon is really…” his voice was low and hoarse, “too cunning.”

"The true meaning of my existence..." your voice suddenly brightened, "is to realize the ideal of peace, to become the savior in the name of Akatsuki!"

The night breeze tousled the stray hairs at your temples. "Doesn't that sound amazing?"

Scorpion's fingertips suddenly dug into the puppet strings in his palm. Those hair-thin chakra threads cut deep into his flesh, but it was nothing compared to the sudden stabbing pain in his chest.

His amber pupils narrowed slightly, reflecting the girl's longing profile.

"Is this what you think..." His murmur almost vanished in the wind.

The faint, intermittent sound of a shamisen drifted from afar, and Sasori's thoughts suddenly plunged into the abyss of memories: Granny Chiyo's wrinkled hands, his parents' eyes that would never open again, and those long nights spent alone in the Sunagakure basement assembling puppets.

The moonlight suddenly turned very cold, as cold as the endless sandstorms of Sunagakure.

"Scorpion?" You turned your head and found the red-haired boy's face horribly pale. You reached out to touch his sleeve. "You..."

"It's getting late." Scorpion suddenly took half a step back. "There's a sacrificial ceremony tomorrow."

Your hand froze in mid-air as you watched Scorpion's figure disappear at the end of the corridor. The moonlight stretched his shadow long, almost touching your toes.

The night breeze remains the same, the moonlight remains the same.

Only the sound of a red-haired boy's heartbeat was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

The clamor of the ritual surged in like a tide, and colorful ribbons and paper lanterns swayed in the wind. Shisui, Yahiko, and Sasori stood in the best viewing positions, yet an eerie silence permeated the three of them.

Suddenly, the crowd parted to make way for you, dressed in a crimson kimono and walking in wooden clogs. Your high ponytail swayed gently with each step, the ends brushing against the back of your bare neck. A black sash accentuated your slender waist, and the gold-embroidered birds on your sleeves were lifelike.

"Hey! I'm here!" You stand on tiptoe and wave.