Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

In the shadows, Lu Helin silently watched all of this, his hand gripping the fan tightly.

My footsteps stopped in front of my own yard. When my fingers lightly touched the door, I noticed something was wrong. The position of the door was exactly the same as I remembered when I left, but it was missing the dust that should have been there.

Pushing open the door, familiar furnishings come into view: scrolls are neatly stacked on the low table, tea sets are spotless, and not a speck of dust can be seen even in the gaps between the tatami mats.

Your fingertips glide across the tabletop, finding no expected dust, but rather a slight dampness, indicating it had been wiped clean not long ago.

You paused as you untied your ninja tool pouch, your ears twitched, and you heard a breath behind you that almost blended into the night breeze. Your muscles tensed instantly, but relaxed just before you turned to counterattack.

"Madara..." The name had barely left your lips when a pair of strong arms wrapped around your waist from behind.

Madara Uchiha's chin rested on your shoulder, his warm breath brushing against your neck, carrying a faint scent of sandalwood.

She instinctively tried to struggle, but found that Ban's arm was like cast iron, and he tightened his grip even more.

His heartbeat traveled through his back, fast and heavy, gradually synchronizing with his own.

In the end, you gave up resisting and let yourself lean into that embrace.

"You're back." Ban's voice was low and hoarse, not a question, but a statement, as if he were simply confirming a fact, a fact he had been waiting for.

Feeling Ban's lips almost touching your earlobe, the heat made you unconsciously shrink back. "The mission ended earlier than expected."

Ban chuckled softly, his trembling chest pressed against your back, and it was an unknown amount of time before he finally released his arms.

You turn to face him; his face, half-lit and half-shadowed by the moonlight, reveals unfathomable emotions in his eyes.

"...You." You opened your mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Ask him why he's here? Ask him who cleaned the room? Or ask him what this hug means?

Ban seemed to see through your confusion. "I'll be spending the night here," he announced calmly, as if discussing tomorrow's weather.

Your expression froze. You blinked, and after confirming that you hadn't misheard, a crack appeared in your usually composed mask.

Ban simply crossed his arms, appearing unmoved.

His matter-of-fact attitude left you speechless for a moment, and you could only watch helplessly as he walked into the inner room with practiced ease, took out spare bedding from the closet and laid it out. He even knew where the bedding was kept at home.

You stand there watching Ban's series of actions, your mind completely blank.

Only when Ban cast a questioning look did you mechanically walk to the bathroom and splash cold water on your burning cheeks.

The woman in the mirror had disheveled black hair and her eyes were filled with panic; she looked nothing like a suicide soldier.

When you finally made it back to the bedroom, Ban had already changed into a dark blue nightgown and was sitting on the headboard reading the book "The Tale of the Birds" that you had placed next to your pillow.

When he saw you come in, he closed the book, patted the spot next to him, and you don't know how you ended up lying down.

He lay stiffly on his back, his hands folded over his abdomen, like a dead person waiting to be buried.

Ban, on the other hand, was quite natural. After turning off the lights, he lay down, and the two of them were separated by a just-right distance, so that they would not touch each other but could still feel each other's body temperature.

In the silence, you can hear your own heartbeat, which is frighteningly loud.

He carefully turned to the side, his back to Ban.

The wooden floorboards creaked softly, sounding particularly jarring in the quiet night.

As he turned over for the third time, Madara suddenly spoke, "Are you always so restless in your sleep?"

You froze. "...It's just a little strange."

The sound of fabric rustling came from the darkness. The next second, Ban's warm hand grasped your wrist and pulled you toward him.

"It's good to get used to it in advance." His voice was close at hand, his breath brushing against the back of your neck.

"Adapt to what in advance?" Your voice trembled slightly.

Ban didn't answer, but simply released your wrist and gently placed his hand on your waist.

This action makes your blood rush to your head. Preparing for what? Is it what you're thinking? Cohabitation? Marriage? Or something even further...?

Your mind is a jumbled mess, but you dare not move. Ban's breathing gradually becomes even and long, as if he has fallen asleep.

You count your heartbeats, and after what seems like an eternity, you are finally dragged into sleep by exhaustion.

Once he confirmed that the person in his arms was breathing evenly, Ban opened his eyes and gently turned you around.

In your sleep, you unconsciously snuggled closer to him, your forehead resting against his chest.

Ban tightened his arms, pulling you completely into his embrace.

His fingers ran through your loose black hair, as gently as if handling a fragile treasure. He lowered his head to inhale the faint herbal scent in your hair, and Ban sighed contentedly.

He murmured softly, his lips gently touching the top of your head, "Of course, it's about getting used to spending the rest of your life with me."

Outside, a nightingale sang half a song on a cherry blossom tree before fluttering away.

The moonlight shifted, illuminating the book "The Tale of the Birds" on the low table—open to the page describing the vows made by the male and female protagonists under the moon.

As dawn broke, Uchiha Kawarashi hummed a tune as he walked along the stone path of the clan's territory, carrying a basket of freshly picked wild berries.

Her colleagues on patrol told her that Elder Nagi had returned last night.

After turning the last corner, the courtyard came into view. Chuan Lan was about to call out a greeting, but when she saw the scene in front of the courtyard gate, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, and Ye Mei almost slipped from her grasp.

Uchiha Nagi and the young clan leader Madara walked out of the house side by side.

That's not the point. The point is—they came out of the same house! In the early morning! And Elder Nagi was still wearing casual clothes, while the young clan leader, though neatly dressed, clearly hadn't combed his always-striking black hair!

Chuan Lan's mouth formed a perfect circle, her mind instantly filled with all sorts of speculations.

The young clan leader and Elder Nagi are living together? When did this happen? Does the clan know? My god, this is definitely the most explosive news in the Uchiha clan this year!

Your voice pulled Chuan Lan back to reality from her shock, and she realized that the two of them had noticed her, who was standing there dumbfounded.

"Young Clan Leader! Elder Nagi!" Chuan Lan hurriedly bowed, her voice rising eight octaves with nervousness. She stared intently at the ground, not daring to look up at the expressions of the two.

Madara frowned slightly. "What are you doing here?"

The deep voice sent chills down Chuan Lan's spine. She swallowed hard and stammered, "I...I just came to see Elder Nagi." Then, realizing the explanation was too weak, she quickly held up the basket of wild berries, "I...I brought some wild berries..."

A suffocating silence filled the air. Chuan Lan could feel the young clan leader's scrutinizing gaze sweeping over her, as if he could see through all her thoughts. Her knees began to weaken, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

"Ahem." You cleared your throat, breaking the almost frozen atmosphere.

Chuan Lan secretly glanced up and saw you gesturing to the young clan leader with your eyes.

Ban withdrew his gaze, his expression softening slightly. "I still have clan affairs to attend to." His tone was noticeably gentler than before.

He glanced at Chuan Lan one last time before turning around, a look that made the girl straighten her back again.

Only after Ban's figure completely disappeared at the end of the road did Chuanlan let out a long sigh of relief, collapsing like a deflated balloon.

"The young clan leader is getting more and more frightening," she muttered to herself, patting her chest.

You took the basket of wild berries, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, and said, "Is it really that exaggerated?"

"Of course!" Chuan Lan's eyes widened. "Didn't you see the way the young clan leader looked at me just now? It was like he was looking at an enemy spy!"

She gestured exaggeratedly, "It's said in the clan now that being glared at by the young clan leader can shorten your lifespan by three years."

You turn and walk into the house. "Come in, I have a task for you."

Chuan Lan followed eagerly, her curiosity finally overcoming her fear. "Um... Elder Nagi, you and the young clan leader... uh..." she stammered, unsure how to begin.

"We were just discussing clan affairs until late, so I stayed overnight," you replied without turning your head, your voice calm and undisturbed.

Chuan Lan rolled her eyes inwardly. Discussing clan affairs required getting out of the bedroom early in the morning? Nobody believed that! But she wisely didn't press the matter further and instead started talking about the latest happenings in the clan.

Inside the room, you poured a cup of tea for Chuan Lan. The girl took the teacup and suddenly noticed two used teacups on the low table. One of them still had a faint lip print on the rim. Chuan Lan's eyes lit up again.

"The barrier around Nanga Shrine needs to be strengthened." You took out a scroll, interrupting Chuanlan's reverie. "Take the third squad to check it out."

"Yes!" Chuanlan responded reflexively, then suddenly remembered something, "By the way, Elder Nagi, have you heard? The Senju clan has been very active on the border lately, and it's said that Hashirama is personally leading the expedition..."

You paused almost imperceptibly. "Is the information reliable?"

"The patrol brought back intelligence yesterday," Chuanlan nodded, "and someone even said they saw Tobirama Senju..."

You gaze thoughtfully out the window, in the direction where Ban left.

Chuan Lan keenly noticed that your eyes had become complicated, as if they were hiding many emotions that she couldn't understand.

"Elder Nagi?" Chuanlan asked cautiously, "Did you and the young clan leader already...?"

You suddenly interrupted her, your voice unusually carrying a hint of warning, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."

Chuan Lan immediately shut her mouth, but she was secretly overjoyed. Wasn't this reaction tantamount to an admission?

She's already starting to figure out how to subtly reveal this big news to her best friends.

“And,” you added slowly, as if reading her mind, “if I hear any strange rumors in the tribe…”

"It absolutely wasn't me who spread it!" Chuan Lan raised his hand to swear, but silently added "Yeah, right" in his mind.

You shook your head helplessly, at a loss for what to do with this overly lively clansman. You got up to see him off, but Chuan Lan suddenly hugged you at the door.

"Welcome back, Elder Nagi." The girl's voice was muffled by her clothes. "Everyone likes you very much."

You paused for a moment, then gently patted Chuanlan's back. This simple gesture brought tears to the girl's eyes. To outsiders, Elder Nagi was cold and ruthless, but in reality, she was gentler than anyone else.

After Kawarashi left, you recalled the embarrassing moment when you woke up this morning to find yourself curled up in Madara's arms...

"This is getting more and more outrageous."

Two years have passed like the waters of the Naka River.

Inside the council chamber of the Uchiha clan, a loud bang shook the windowpanes.

"Absurd! To coexist peacefully with the Senju? Uchiha Nagi, have you forgotten how much Senju blood is on your hands?" The Third Elder slammed his fist on the table, his aged face contorted with rage.

You sit upright in the main seat, with a faint bluish shadow under your eyes. Over the past two years, the cold poison in your body has been flaring up more and more frequently, and your pupil power is gradually fading.

At this moment, you endured the throbbing pain in your temples, your voice eerily calm, "It is precisely because I have killed enough people that I have the right to say this."

You slowly raise your eyes. The once powerful kaleidoscope is now dim in color, yet it still makes the Third Elder unconsciously take a half step back.

"Elder, have you forgotten," your voice was as light as a feather, yet carried an undeniable sharpness, "that the famine last winter was caused by the Thousand Hands secretly opening the border trade routes."

"That's a conspiracy!" another elder interjected excitedly.

"Enough." Your fingers tapped lightly on the table, the sound not loud, but it instantly silenced the entire council chamber.

He stood up, his figure, draped in a black cloak, appearing even more frail. "The young clan leader's decision is not to be questioned. If there are any further objections..."

You slightly curled the corners of your lips. "I wouldn't mind asking the elders to go to the dungeon for a few days to calm down."

Chapter 31 - The Bell

The council chamber was completely silent. The elders looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, after several elders stormed off, the rest of the people also dispersed.

You are left alone in the empty hall, and finally let yourself bend over, your forehead resting on the cold table.

A sudden stinging pain shot through your eyes. You covered them, and blood seeped through your fingers.

This is not fatigue, but something deeper that is consuming life.

The Uchiha clan compound was much livelier than usual at dusk. Young ninjas returning from the training grounds walked in twos and threes, and some even shouted to the Senju clan members in the opposite camp, agreeing to exchange sake that night.

Two years of coordinated operations have gradually made these sworn enemies see through the tricks of the nobles in manipulating the war.

"Hey, Senju clan! Don't forget to bring the herbs we agreed on last time!"

"Enough with the chit-chat! We, the Thousand Hands, mean what we say!"

"Hey, Uchiha clan, here you go." A Senju ninja tossed over a bag of mochi balls. "My sister made these, I brought too many."

Uchiha Kako frantically caught it, his expression like he'd just swallowed a kunai. Looking at the merrily harmonious scene before him, he couldn't help but twitch his lips. "Is this really a good thing?"

"It's better than a dead man." Uchiha Reige, who was passing by, coldly tossed out a sentence and walked away without looking back.

Madara Uchiha stood on a boulder by the river, his long black hair fluttering in the morning breeze, his gaze fixed on the familiar figure on the opposite bank.

"Late again, Madara!" Hashirama Senju laughed and waved, his voice echoing through the valley.

With a slight smile, Ban nimbly leaped over a few stones to reunite with his friend.

Such scenes are not uncommon. On the surface, the two clans are still at war, but in reality, the young ninjas have already reached a tacit understanding.

The battles became like a performance, with casual sparring replacing life-or-death struggles.

"I heard that another elder in your clan is so angry that he's bedridden?" Hashirama teased Madara's arm.

“Nagi suppressed three stubborn old men yesterday.” A smile flashed in his eyes as he recalled that scene.