Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

Then you slowly raised your head, released your teeth, and saw the blood-tinged teeth marks on her fair neck.

Your thin lips were stained with that crimson, instantly adding a strange and alluring beauty to your pale face.

Looking at Sakura, who was trembling slightly in his arms due to pain and fright but still did not push him away, his eyes swirled with a darkness that seemed to want to devour her.

“Sakura,” your fingertips gently traced the fresh teeth mark, “don’t break your promise.”

"This is the promise you made to me..."

At this moment, Sakura finally realized, belatedly and truly, what kind of person you really are.

Beneath the gloom lies an almost insane stubbornness; beneath the calm lies a hysterical obsession and a destructive desire.

Just as the name 'taboo' suggests, it is a fascinating darkness that walks amidst danger.

But so what?

As long as you are safe and sound, as long as those eyes can occasionally reveal emotions other than coldness for her, Sakura is not afraid of anything.

Even if you were a demon crawling out of hell, she would still be willing to offer her own blood and soul to accompany you into the abyss forever.

Sakura, enduring the stinging pain in her neck, hugged you tightly again, burying her face in your shoulder. Her voice was muffled, yet exceptionally clear, "Yes, I won't break my promise."

Having received a response, you slowly tightened your arms.

The last rays of the setting sun disappeared completely outside the window, and darkness descended, engulfing you both as you embraced, as if you had become one.

When you reappeared in the Hokage's office, a hint of triumphant joy flashed uncontrollably in Hiruzen Sarutobi's cloudy eyes.

"You really are a smart kid." He exhaled a smoke ring, his voice gentle like an elder's, but it couldn't hide the satisfaction and desire for control beneath.

You have chosen the path that is most advantageous to him and easiest to control.

You gave no response, like the perfect listener, yet it was as if you hadn't taken his comments to heart at all.

“However,” Hiruzen changed the subject, his tone carrying the authority and warning of a Hokage, “Uchiha Nagi, your joining the Anbu must be kept absolutely secret. Other forces in the village, especially… certain clans, must not find out the slightest thing.”

He was speaking with a pointed tone, scrutinizing you sharply, trying to find a change in your expression, but he failed.

“You can go to the Ninja Academy as usual; it won’t interfere with your studies. As for the Anbu missions and special training,” he paused, “I will have Kakashi liaise with you alone.”

You nodded slightly, having no objection to the arrangement. Silently, you stepped forward and accepted a sealed scroll handed to you. Inside were neatly folded underworld uniforms and a... pale mask with animal prints.

The scroll felt cold to the touch. You didn't examine it immediately; instead, you put it away, gave a slight bow once more, and then turned and left the office, which reeked of tobacco and the scent of power.

Walking on the streets of Konoha as the lights come on, your figure stands out like a shadow cutting through the light amidst the bustling crowd.

The scroll he carried was inconspicuous, yet it seemed to weigh a ton, marking a path of no return.

After walking through several streets and alleys, we passed a small park on the side of the street.

The park, which should have been filled with children's laughter, was instead filled with a discordant clamor.

A group of children were gathered around a familiar swing set, shouting malicious words.

"Get out of my way, you fox demon!"

"You're not worthy to play on the swing!"

"Stay away from us! Monster!"

Naruto stood alone in the middle, his golden hair drooping, his azure eyes filled with tears of grievance, and his face bearing fresh bruises.

The children picked up pebbles from the ground and threw them at him, making malicious laughs.

You suddenly remembered the first time you met Kabuto Yakushi; you were both surrounded, helpless, and bullied.

That cold, bystander's memory overlaps with your current state of mind, but instead of evoking sympathy, it triggers a more direct, almost instinctive aversion and violence.

Annoyance with noise.

Aversion to the ugly, dog-eat-dog mentality.

Just as the child who laughed the loudest and threw the most stones raised his hand again—

A small but angular pebble flew through the air and slammed into the back of his knee.

With a "thud," the child, caught off guard, screamed and fell to his knees.

All the children were stunned by the sudden turn of events. Their laughter stopped abruptly, and they turned around abruptly, looking in horror in the direction from which the stones had come.

In the shadows of the park entrance stood a girl wearing a black cloak and with her hair in a high ponytail.

She was slender, yet exuded a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine.

The light outlined your expressionless profile, and in your dark eyes as you looked at them, there seemed to be a palpable killing intent.

"Who...who are you?!" a child asked, mustering his courage, but his voice trembled violently.

You simply lowered your eyes slightly, your gaze sweeping across the ground, and then, bending down again, you picked up a few more pebbles with remarkable ease.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The pebbles seemed to have eyes, hitting each child who had just participated in the bullying fairly!

The force wasn't great, but it was enough to make them cry out in pain, leaving bruises and marks. There was no favoritism, no omissions, just like the most ruthless judge executing punishment.

What are you doing!

The children scattered in chaos, trying to dodge, but found they couldn't escape at all.

The girl's eyes were terrifying. The way she looked at them wasn't like she was looking at living people, but more like she was looking at a group of... trash that needed to be cleaned up.

"Do you believe I'll go tell my mom and dad!" a child who had been hit on the forehead cried out, threatening to use the adults to intimidate the terrible monster.

You paused for a moment, and under the horrified gaze of all the children, you picked up a slightly larger pebble.

She raised her eyes, her face expressionless, looking at the child who had spoken threateningly. Her eyes clearly said: Go ahead, look at me, do you care?

A silent threat is more powerful than any roar.

"Whoa—!"

I don't know which child broke down crying first, but fear spread like a plague in an instant.

All the children, no longer caring about Naruto or the pain, fled the terrifying little park as if they had seen a ghost.

In the blink of an eye, only Naruto, standing there blankly watching everything, and you, still expressionless in the shadows, remained in the park.

Naruto had forgotten to wipe away the tears still clinging to his cheeks.

All of this was observed by Kakashi Hatake, who was secretly monitoring Naruto from a large tree not far away.

His body, which had been leaning lazily against the tree trunk, had somehow straightened up, and his exposed eye was slightly wide open, filled with surprise and... emotion.

He has seen your indifference, your aloofness, and your eerie calm that seems to separate you from the world by an icy wall.

But he has never seen this side of you... cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

The extremely forceful maintenance method, like a glimmer of light, unexpectedly shone into his somewhat gloomy heart.

But then, his gaze suddenly fixed on the scroll you were holding!

The scroll's design, the glimpse of clothing material and mask outline... he was all too familiar with it.

Those are... the uniforms and masks of the Anbu!

You joined the Dark Side?!

This realization struck Kakashi like a thunderbolt.

He knew better than anyone how dangerous the Dark Side was—a bottomless abyss that devoured light, buried emotions, and could shatter you to pieces at any moment! Do you know what you're doing? Why...?

His thoughts suddenly stopped.

In his line of sight, the black figure paused for an extremely brief moment as it passed by Naruto, who was still in a daze.

You didn't look at Naruto, nor did you speak. But the hand that wasn't holding the scroll moved extremely quickly and slightly, as if you were stuffing something into Naruto's dirty coat pocket.

Then he turned and continued forward without looking back, disappearing into the deepening shadows.

Naruto belatedly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, clean, unopened packet of sterilized medical cotton pads and a band-aid.

Kakashi clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms.

He looked in the direction you left, then looked at Naruto, whose eyes were reddening again as he clutched a cotton pad.

Suddenly, it seemed like he understood.

Why did you join the Dark Side?

It's not for power, not for recognition, and probably not even for the so-called support the Hokage has.

Perhaps, it's simply to gain power, the power to break certain abhorrent rules according to one's own will.

This is your choice.

You've never been someone who fears darkness and danger; those things are perhaps inherently part of you.

At that moment, Kakashi seemed to see the reckless passion of the departed Obito, the gentle resilience of Rin, and even the unwavering belief of his teacher, Minato Namikaze... all these images intertwined and overlapped.

Chapter 259 Swordsmanship

Boom, boom, boom...

Kakashi suddenly raised his hand and tightly covered his wildly beating heart, which was beating so violently and so unfamiliarly, with a burning, almost bursting palpitation.

He wanted to slap himself.

She's still a child... How could he... have such vile and outrageous thoughts?

He abruptly turned around, no longer looking at the empty park and the bewildered Naruto, pressing his burning forehead against the cool tree trunk, trying to suppress the surging, earth-shattering heat within him with physical coldness.

It must be because I saw the shadow of an old friend.

It must be because I haven't had enough rest in a long time.

He desperately tried to convince himself, attempting to completely deny the shock and excitement brought about by that fleeting glimpse.

But the pounding of his heart, like the beating of a drum, echoed clearly in his own ears, stubbornly proclaiming a fact that was no longer the same.

Dusk completely engulfed Konoha.

It also swallowed up the silver-haired Jonin in the tree, whose mind was in turmoil.

You walk along a quiet street, carrying that iconic scroll in your hand. Your thoughts may still be lingering on Naruto's tearful blue eyes, or they may have already drifted to a more distant and darker future.

Just then, a figure emerged from around the corner and blocked your way.

It's Sasuke Uchiha.

His eyes were fixed on you, a complex mix of emotions swirling within them: surprise, inquiry, and a hint of...frustration? He had clearly witnessed everything that had happened in the park.

This is completely different from the cold, aloof, and indifferent person he knew.

You didn't want to get entangled with him, so you didn't stop walking and planned to walk around him directly.

But Sasuke's voice rang out, with his characteristic feigned composure, "Hey."

You acted as if you hadn't heard.

Sasuke's gaze swept over the slightly unusual scroll in your hand. Considering his brother Itachi's recent unusual behavior and occasional signs of fatigue, a guess instantly struck him.

He blurted out, with a hint of probing, "Do you need ninja tools?" He tried to start a conversation with a seemingly ordinary excuse.

You finally paused for a moment, without turning around, and simply gave a realistic, almost cruel, answer: "I have no money."

"..." Sasuke was clearly taken aback by your blunt and even self-righteous statement, and was momentarily speechless.

The stark contrast made him find it somewhat amusing, and the slight displeasure he felt from being ignored dissipated somewhat.

Sasuke cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound more natural. "You can pay me back now, put it on my tab." This was almost the clumsiest way he could think of to show goodwill.

Finally turning around, your calm black eyes fell on Sasuke, scrutinizing him with undisguised intensity, tilting your head slightly as if assessing the value and potential risks of an object.

You don't believe Sasuke would be so kind? The pride of the Uchiha clan is ingrained in their bones. Giving alms for no reason? That's not in their style.

Sasuke felt somewhat uncomfortable under your gaze, and at the same time, he felt a sense of powerlessness.

He knew that if they continued to have these dry conversations, their relationship would never progress; something had to be done.

As if he had made up his mind, he suddenly stepped forward and extended his hand towards you. "I won't let you take advantage of me for nothing." His tone carried an awkward firmness. "Come with me!"

You looked at the hand extended in front of you, and then at Sasuke's eyes, which, though feigning composure, held a hidden expectation.

You definitely need ninja tools, especially after joining the Anbu; basic equipment is essential.