Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

Page 105

Zhi Shui's back slammed against the rough bark of the tree, and his breath hitched slightly. He had never been approached so closely before, especially by a woman.

"So what do you want to do?" He composed himself and tried to make his voice sound steady.

You narrowed your eyes, suddenly released his collar, and took a half step back. "Do you know transformation magic?"

Shisui paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Tell me the spell." Your tone left no room for argument, as if it were a command, not a request.

Shisui was somewhat puzzled. The Transformation Technique was the most basic ninjutsu, and even the children at the Ninja Academy knew how to use it.

But he still whispered the hand seal sequence and the chakra flow method.

After you listened, you closed your eyes and remained silent for two seconds. Then, you quickly formed hand seals with such precision that it was as if you had practiced it a thousand times, completely unlike the first time you were using this technique.

A puff of white smoke dissipated, leaving only a completely black cat in the spot.

The black cat's pupils were blood red, gleaming eerily in the dim forest. You lightly leaped onto Zhishui's shoulder, your sharp claws hooking onto his collar, and your tail flicking impatiently.

"Take me inside right now!"

—Even though it's in cat form, its tone is still that of a condescending command.

Shisui: “…”

He silently reached out, supported the black cat's hind legs, and hugged it into his arms.

The black cat's fur was cool and smooth, like a fine piece of silk, yet it carried the warmth of a living creature.

Shisui's fingers unconsciously tightened for a moment, and her heart inexplicably quickened.

...Strange, it's just a transformation spell, so why does it give me the illusion of actually hugging a cat?

The black cat—no, you seemed to sense his hesitation and impatiently patted his arm with your paw.

"What are you daydreaming about? Let's go!"

Shisui took a deep breath, and in a flash, activated the Body Flicker Technique.

The ninjas guarding the gates of Konoha only felt a blur before their eyes, as if a gust of wind had swept by. They looked around in confusion, but found nothing.

"Strange...did someone just pass by?"

"Is that Shisui? That kid's Body Flicker Technique has been getting faster and faster lately."

"Tsk, geniuses are just different..."

The murmurs gradually faded away.

Meanwhile, Shisui had already carried the black cat and slipped into the Uchiha clan's territory.

The black cat leaped lightly from his arms, instantly deactivating its transformation upon landing and reverting to its original form as a girl in black robes.

You patted your sleeves and glanced at Zhishui sideways. "Not bad, not as stupid as I thought."

Shisui: “…”

He suddenly felt a subtle sense of frustration. How could he, a master of "Instantaneous Movement and Still Water," be disliked by a mere "cat"?

Ignoring his expression, you turned and looked towards the direction of the Uchiha's Forbidden Pavilion, a dangerous smile curving your lips.

"Alright, now... let's get down to business."

The sound was very soft, yet it sent a chill down Zhi Shui's spine.

He suddenly realized that he might have... let an extraordinary being into Konoha.

Uchiha Shisui's palm can clearly feel the bone structure of your shoulder.

"Who exactly are you?" His voice was low, yet sharp and undeniable.

"What is your purpose in going to the Forbidden Pavilion? I will not let you go until you explain clearly."

You tilted your head slightly, your black hair slipping down your shoulder to reveal a section of your pale neck. Your expression was initially stunned, then turned into a mocking sneer.

"Tsk, that's really troublesome."

You suddenly leaned forward, almost touching Shisui's face. The tips of your noses almost touched, and your breaths mingled. Shisui subconsciously held his breath.

"Does Shisui-kun believe that the entire village of Konoha might not be able to stop me?"

Your voice was light and airy, with a hint of mockery, yet it sent a chill down Zhi Shui's spine.

His fingers tightened unconsciously, his knuckles turning white from the force, but you didn't even flinch, as if the force that could crush bones was nothing more than a gentle breeze to you.

After a few seconds of stalemate, you suddenly chuckled, and the three-tomoe Sharingan in your eyes slowly rotated, then transformed into an intricate kaleidoscope pattern.

Zhi Shui loosened his grip. "Your eyes..." His voice was dry, as if something invisible was choking him.

You tilted your head, the kaleidoscope patterns swirling in your pupils, reflecting Shisui's shocked expression. "It seems Shisui-kun is quite surprised."

Your tone was almost cheerful, as if you were enjoying his loss of composure.

The intelligence was indeed correct; the Uchiha clan in this parallel ninja world didn't even have a single Mangekyou Sharingan.

No wonder their clan territory was relegated to the edge of Konoha; no wonder they could only serve as expendable resources in the war.

Your thoughts drifted away for a moment, to the other two 'selves' who clearly possessed the Rinnegan.

Why is it that after the fusion, you only have a kaleidoscope?

...Which part went wrong?

Zhi Shui's breathing was somewhat disordered.

He certainly knew what the Mangekyou Sharingan meant; the last person to awaken such an eye was the legendary Uchiha Madara.

The girl before him, whose origins were unknown, had displayed this power so casually that he opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

You look away, and the kaleidoscope slowly reverts to a regular three-tomoe mirror, lazily stretching as if it had just been displayed as a trivial trinket.

"All you need to know is that I have no interest in Konoha or war."

You turned and walked towards the Forbidden Pavilion, your black robes fluttering in the night wind. "I'm going to the Forbidden Pavilion to find a way to save people. Are you satisfied with that answer?"

Zhi Shui stood still, watching your figure gradually disappear into the darkness. His fingers unconsciously curled up, and the warmth of your shoulder still lingered in his palm.

It's clearly a dangerous, unknown factor, so why...?

For a fleeting moment, he actually believed you?

The moment your fingertips touched the sealing talisman on the gate of the Forbidden Pavilion, you heard hurried footsteps behind you.

"Come with me!" Zhi Shui grabbed your wrist and dragged you toward the side corridor without saying a word.

You raised an eyebrow slightly, but did not resist, letting him lead you through the dimly lit corridor.

This boy had an astonishingly deep understanding of the layout of the Uchiha Forbidden Pavilion.

He precisely avoided every patrol point, his steps as light as a cat's, even his breathing was controlled to the faintest frequency.

You follow behind him, observing his tense back with great interest, "...Do you do this often?"

Shisui's ear tips turned slightly red. "It's just... I was naughty when I was little and sneaked over a few times."

You chuckled softly and didn't press the matter further.

This level of infiltration route is not something that can be figured out by being "mischievous," but you're too lazy to expose it.

The interior of the Forbidden Pavilion was more secluded than I had imagined. Towering wooden shelves were piled high with dusty scrolls, and the air was filled with the stale smell of ink and mildew.

In the darkness, your Sharingan casually pulls out a forbidden scroll, and with a flick of your finger, the parchment unfolds with a "whoosh."

"……Rubbish."

After glancing at it twice, you disdainfully tossed the scroll behind you.

Shisui caught them hastily, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Be gentle! These are all—"

“It’s all just waste paper.” You interrupted him without turning your head, and pulled out another roll. “If the ancestors of the Uchiha clan knew that their descendants were treating this half-finished product like a treasure, they would probably be so angry that they would crawl out of their graves.”

Shisui: “…”

He silently re-tied the scrolls, put them back in their original place, and then watched helplessly as you threw three more scrolls at him.

This one-sided 'looting' lasted for nearly half an hour. Zhi Shui felt like a dutiful servant, picking up scrolls, tidying up scrolls, and putting scrolls back, repeating the cycle over and over again.

You, on the other hand, are like a picky tyrant. Occasionally, when you come across a forbidden technique that interests you, you record it with your Sharingan; if you're not interested, you simply toss it aside, not even bothering to glance at it again.

"Hmm...?" You suddenly stopped what you were doing.

Just as Zhishui was bending down to pick up the scroll you had just dropped, he looked up at the sound and met your gaze.

The two were ridiculously close, and you reached out to him without warning.

Shi Shui's breath hitched, and your fingertips almost touched his cheek.

Moonlight streamed in through the high window, outlining your pale knuckles, like a piece of cold jade.

(...Do you want to touch me?) His heart suddenly raced out of control, his ears burned, and his body stiffened like a stone. He didn't even dare to blink.

"You're blocking my way."

Your hand froze in mid-air, and you pointed expressionlessly to the shelf behind him.

Shisui: “…”

He sprang back, his back slamming into another row of bookshelves with a thud.

"Ah... okay." His voice was dry, as if he hadn't drunk any water.

You glanced at him strangely and reached out to pull out a dark red scroll from where he had been blocking the view.

"Finally found it." You murmured to yourself, completely unaware of Shizuku's flushed ear tips and shifty eyes.

The boy clutched his chest, frantically blaming himself in his mind (It must be because he's had too many tasks lately and hasn't been getting enough rest... Yes, that must be it!).

He would never admit that for a moment just now he actually felt...a little disappointed.

Your fingertips gently traced the yellowed scroll, the movement unusually tender and appreciative.

The forbidden scroll lying in the bronze box had its edges scorched yellow, yet it still emitted a chilling chakra fluctuation.

"As expected, it's Zhili's forbidden technique that's somewhat useful." Your voice was very soft, as if afraid of waking up some soul sleeping in the scroll.

Shisui saw you carefully put the scroll back in its place, your movements so gentle that you didn't resemble the crazy woman who had carelessly discarded other forbidden techniques just moments before.

(Uchiha Chisato – the creator of Izanagi.)

Shisui's three tomoe shimmered faintly in the darkness. He watched your back as your pale fingers brushed across the last scroll, then suddenly turned around.

The moonlight slanted in through the high window, turning your black hair silver-blue.

Shisui paused for a moment, "Is everything done?"

"How long do you think it will take?" You shrugged, your black robe slipping down to reveal your slender wrist. "Or do you think the forbidden techniques of the Uchiha clan can stump me?"

Shisui opened his mouth, but found his question stuck in his throat. In the end, he only asked in a low voice, "Are you leaving now?"

He regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth; the question was so stupid, it was practically...

"Otherwise what? What, you don't want me to leave?"

Shisui's ears burned instantly. He hurriedly looked away but found himself unable to utter a single negative word. "I... I was just curious," his voice trailing off, "where would you go if you weren't in Konoha?"

You suddenly smiled, a smile that reminded Zhishui of the black cat from earlier—lazy, dangerous, and with a touch of cunning.

"When will we meet next?"

As you turn and walk into the shadows of the Forbidden Pavilion, Shisui suddenly feels a strange pang in his heart, as if something important is about to slip through his fingers.

"What's your name?" he called out to your retreating figure.

You finally turned around, a mischievous smile playing on your lips, "Shisui-kun, I don't intend to tell you my real name."

The night wind whipped up the black robe, like a crow about to take flight.

"But next time—"

"It's best to remember to address him as Lord Tanuki."

Your figure vanished in the moonlight, as if it had never existed.

Zhi Shui stood still, the sensation of the black robe still lingering on his fingertips.

"Raccoon slave...sir."

He repeated the strange title in a low voice, but the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.