Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

He arrived at the South Gate a full hour before the agreed time, a habit he had developed over many years on the battlefield—always being one step ahead of the enemy.

But at this moment, his sharp red eyes narrowed slightly: the caravan of the Wind Kingdom was already lined up at the city gate, its deep blue banners appearing and disappearing in the mist, the desert rose emblem embroidered in gold thread on the banners stinging his eyes.

"Senju-sama."

The head guard, dressed in crimson armor, gave a slight salute, the emblem of the Wind Kingdom on his shoulder deliberately polished to a shine.

Tobirama noticed that the angle at which he knelt was just right so that the archers behind him could not see him. He appeared respectful, but in reality, he was wary.

He had seen this kind of trick many times with the diplomatic missions of the Land of Thunder.

"Lead the way." Tobirama's voice was colder than the morning mist. He deliberately released his chakra, startling the guards into exchanging glances.

After passing through three vermilion gates concealed by hidden sealing spells, the guard leading the way suddenly turned into a secluded corridor.

At the end of the corridor was a seemingly ordinary Japanese-style house, but Tobirama's sensory ninjutsu had already detected the chakra flowing underground, indicating that at least twenty ninjas were lurking in the shadows.

The paper door slid open silently, and a rich aroma of sandalwood wafted out.

The interior furnishings were extremely luxurious, with imported celadon vases containing desert roses rarely seen in the Land of Fire, and landscape paintings hanging on the walls painted with lightning-patterned silk, a specialty of the Land of Lightning.

But the most eye-catching figure was the boy kneeling beside the low table. He looked to be only fourteen or fifteen years old. His fair skin was almost transparent against his pale white robe. He was slowly stirring the teacup with a gold spoon.

"The Senju truly deserves to be called one of the most powerful ninja clans." The young man looked up and smiled, the beauty mark at the corner of his eye resembling a drop of ink that hadn't dried in the morning light. "Ninjas also arrive early for ordinary mercenary missions."

Tobirama didn't move. His gaze swept over the inconspicuous jade pendant at the boy's waist, the white jade bearing the personal seal of the daimyo of the Land of Wind.

This detail made him reassess the situation in his mind: either it was a fake, or the person in front of him was indeed of extraordinary status.

"Excuse my bluntness," Tobirama said, his hand resting lightly on his ninja tool pouch, "who are you? And why have you come to the Land of Fire?"

The boy pushed the teacup toward the seat opposite him, and strange swirling patterns appeared on the surface of the tea. "Please sit down."

After a three-second silence, Tobirama sat down, but his back remained ramrod straight.

"Lord Tobirama, there's no need to be so wary." The boy picked up his cup of tea. "The assignment of this mercenary mission was decided by the higher-ups; I wasn't involved."

"Should I believe you?" Tobirama crossed his arms and sneered. His perception barrier silently unfolded. Very well, there were no illusionary fluctuations.

The boy suddenly took out a bamboo scroll from his sleeve and pushed it over. When Tobirama saw the special knot at the seal, his pupils suddenly contracted. This was the "Nine-Layer Cherry Blossom" knot, which was only used in the private documents of the Daimyo of the Land of Wind.

“You should have heard of my name,” the boy said, watching Tobirama examine the bamboo slips for authenticity. “Rin Shikaga.”

The teacup trembled slightly between his fingers. Of course he knew the name: the legendary orphan from the Kingdom of Wind, who had been adopted by the powerful Prime Minister Tanuki five years ago.

Intelligence indicates that although this person is not related by blood, he is Tanuki's most trusted successor, and the daimyo of various countries are betting on when he will officially become the next Kazekage's assistant.

"I don't believe that Lord Tanuki wouldn't be unaware of this mercenary mission." Tobirama placed the bamboo scroll back on the table, his voice still calm, but the chakra sensing network had expanded to the perimeter of the mansion. The absence of an ambush only made it more suspicious.

Lu Helin's bitter smile made the beauty mark at the corner of his eye tremble slightly. "To be honest, my adoptive father left the Kingdom of Wind half a year ago."

The morning mist outside the window was suddenly pierced by the sunlight, and a golden light illuminated Lu Helin's left little finger, where he wore a bone ring.

Tobirama suddenly recalled a long-forgotten record: when the ancient nobles of the Land of Wind executed traitors, they would take the finger bones of the deceased and make rings from them...

"Six months ago?" Tobirama leaned forward. This was impossible. The Senju clan's intelligence network in the Land of Wind reported weekly, but never mentioned such a major event as the departure of the Prime Minister.

Unless—someone systematically tampered with all intelligence channels.

“Yes.” Lu Helin turned the bone ring. “I came to the Land of Fire this time to find him.”

The tea had gone cold, and the water reflected their blurry images.

Tobirama's mind raced, assigning the Senju and Uchiha clans to carry out the escort mission. The mysterious disappearance of the Minister of the Land of Wind—what secret lies behind it?

"The mission details," Tobirama suddenly spoke up, "I need the real version."

Lu Helin clapped his hands lightly, and the maid silently entered, removing the tea set and replacing it with a wine vessel.

As the sake bottle tilted, Tobima smelled a familiar scent—snake gall grass, a specialty of the upper reaches of the Naka River.

"On the surface, you're escorting me back to the Land of Wind," Shikaga Rin said elegantly as she poured the wine. "Actually, I want to hire ninjas to investigate my adoptive father's whereabouts."

Things have become more complicated than expected. "Do you know what it means to designate the Senju and Uchiha to carry out the mission at the same time?" Tobirama Senju frowned.

Lu Helin smiled and raised his glass, "Some people in the Land of Wind hope that your two races will perish together during the mission."

The sunlight finally dispelled the last trace of fog, and a commotion suddenly arose outside the mansion; the Uchiha had arrived.

The wind chimes under the eaves rang when the paper door was pulled open. Your steps into the inner room paused almost imperceptibly. Your Sharingan turned into a kaleidoscope in the shadows, then quickly returned to normal.

"You..." The wine glass in Lu Helin's hand suddenly fell, the sound of the celadon shattering on the floor like a short scream.

The wine splashed onto the hem of his moon-white robe, leaving a dark stain.

The boy's slender fingers hovered in mid-air, trembling slightly, as if they had just been pulled by invisible threads.

Tobirama Senju's crimson eyes quickly scanned between the two. He noticed that Rin Shikaga's pupils were dilated to an abnormal size, while Nagi Uchiha, the Uchiha assassin, although expressionless, was unconsciously rubbing the buckle of her ninja tool pouch with her left thumb.

This is a common little gesture used by ninjas to conceal their nervousness.

"Sorry, it was my fault." Lu Helin hurriedly looked away and clapped his hands to summon a maid to clean up the mess.

When he looked up again, a perfect smile was back on his face, only the beauty mark at the corner of his eye was more noticeable than usual.

You walked straight to the tea table and knelt down, your black cloak contrasting sharply with the two men's fine clothes.

"It's getting late, let's begin the mission briefing." Your voice was as calm as the deepest pool in the Namka River.

Tobirama sat down opposite you, deliberately choosing an angle from which he could observe both of you at the same time.

When the maid served tea again, Rin Shikaga drew a peculiar symbol on the rim of the cup with his fingertip.

Tobirama noticed your eyelashes tremble almost imperceptibly for a moment. This wasn't a Uchiha clan signal; it seemed more like...

"My mission is to protect me during these negotiations with the Land of Fire from Sakura Valley Castle," Shikaga Rin's voice pulled Tobirama back to reality. "One thing to be careful about is..."

The boy's explanation was professional and detailed, but Tobirama's attention was entirely focused on his subtle pauses.

Whenever key terrain is mentioned, Rin Kaga's gaze would always drift towards you, as if to confirm whether you understand some hidden information.

The most interesting part is that Rin Kaga mentioned, "There will be a full moon tonight, so we must make preparations in advance."

Tobirama keenly noticed the subtle changes in your breathing rhythm.

He recalled his elder brother Hashirama mentioning that the Uchiha clan's chakra is exceptionally active during a full moon. Was this a coincidence or...?

"Why must it be a full moon?" Tobirama suddenly asked, while secretly forming hand seals to activate the perception talisman hidden in his sleeve.

“Tonight’s tide will flood most of the shallows.” His explanation made sense, but Tobirama’s sensory jutsu detected an unusual chakra fluctuation.

From Uchiha Nagi's direction, when the word "full moon" was uttered, the flow of chakra within her body became disordered.

"Does Lord Uchiha have anything to add?" Tobirama deliberately threw the question at you, looking directly into your eyes.

Those eyes were breathtakingly beautiful, with crimson magatama floating on a jet-black background, but deep within them seemed to lie something else... some kind of golden pattern?

You picked up your teacup and took a sip. "No."

The sound remained steady, but when the teacup was put down, the sound of the bottom of the cup hitting the tray was three times softer than usual.

This demonstrates the extreme control a high-level ninja exerts over their muscles; such caution is typically reserved for situations of extreme tension.

Lu Helin suddenly leaned forward, "Regarding the time, I suggest..."

His sleeve brushed across the table, and a chess piece slipped out of his sleeve, landing right next to your hand.

Tobirama pretended not to see it, but he memorized the pattern of the chess piece in his mind: a circle with a nine-pointed star inside.

"Let's go with this plan." You suddenly stood up, the chess pieces had disappeared without you noticing, and turned to walk towards the door, the hem of your black cloak drawing a sharp arc.

Rin Kaga's gaze followed your retreating figure, his eyes no longer able to conceal their emotions—a complex expression mixing shock, joy, and some deeper feeling.

"Does Lord Tobirama have any further questions?" When Shikaga Rin turned to Tobirama Senju, the turmoil in his eyes had subsided, and he had returned to being the impeccable nobleman he always was.

Tobirama slowly shook his head, deliberately knocking over a teacup as he stood up. Under the guise of wiping the table, he quickly checked the teacup that Uchiha Nagi had used.

"There's only one question." Tobirama stopped at the doorway, his back to Shikaga Rin, and asked, "How long have you known Uchiha Nagi?"

The room was so quiet that the sound of falling leaves outside the window could be heard. After a long while, Shikaga Rin finally spoke, "Lord Tobirama is joking. I do not know this Lord Uchiha."

Moonlight shrouded the corridor like a veil. Tobirama Senju stood outside the door, his fingers hovering in mid-air, hesitant to knock.

He shouldn't have come. He's leaving for a mission tomorrow, and the wisest choice right now would be to conserve his energy.

But some impulse deeper than reason drove him here, as if some unseen thread was pulling at his heart.

"Bang!" A dull thud came from inside the house as something heavy fell to the ground.

Tobirama's pupils contracted sharply, and as he kicked open the door, the kunai at his waist slid into his palm.

There were no assassins, no bloodstains, only you curled up in the brightest moonlight.

He pressed his hand tightly to his chest, his black cloak soaked with cold sweat and clinging to his violently heaving back. Among his loose long hair, his left eye was gleaming with an abnormal golden light, its pupil shrunken to the size of a pinhead.

The moonlight illuminated the cold sweat covering your pale face and the contours of your body, distorted by pain yet still breathtakingly beautiful.

"What happened!" Tobirama quickly scanned the room. The tea set was neat, the ninja tool bag was still hanging untouched by the bedside, the window bolts were intact, and there were no signs of intrusion.

He took half a step forward, crushing a piece of ice crystal that had fallen to the ground sometime earlier under his foot.

"Stay away from me!" You suddenly looked up, struggling to sit up, your right hand already gripping a kunai, the trembling tip aimed at Tobirama's throat.

Tobirama stood still, recalling the teacup that Shikaga Rin had accidentally broken that morning, and the nine-pointed star family crest on the back of the chess piece. "Should I call you Uchiha Nagi?"

His crimson eyes locked onto every subtle change in your expression. "Should I still call you Lord Tanuki?"

Your slight trembling stopped abruptly, and you slowly raised your head, the pain in your eyes replaced by a cold sharpness.

Even in this state, I am still as sharp and piercing as a drawn sword.

"I don't understand what you're saying." Your voice became steady again, as if the weakness just now was an illusion.

He stood up using the wall for support, his left hand still pressed against his chest, a faint chill seeping through his fingers.

Chapter 28: Warmth

Tobirama sneered, "As expected of the Uchiha, who are born evil, they can lie without batting an eye."

He deliberately used the most derogatory terms used by the Uchiha clan, while secretly forming hand seals to sense the flow of chakra within your body. It was as chaotic as the sea in a storm, yet he still maintained astonishing control.

"Are you finished?" Your eyes were dim and unclear in the shadows.

The kunai was still held up, but the trembling of the blade tip had stopped, replaced by a steady, poised-to-strike posture.

The angle of the shifting moonlight made Tobirama notice the frost gradually spreading around your feet.

He suddenly remembered a record from an intelligence report: the Uchiha assassins' loyalty stemmed from the fact that they were sealed with a chilling poison that caused excruciating pain.

Tobirama understood your subtext. He should have been angry, but he inexplicably recalled that rainy night when she let him go, with the same indifferent expression.

He turned to leave, but stopped at the corner of the corridor. He leaned against the cold wall and listened to the dull thud of something heavy falling to the ground again from inside the room.

One, two... then silence.

Footsteps? No, it's the sound of a heartbeat.

Before you fall into darkness, you vaguely think, barely opening your eyes, and see the moonlight cut off by a tall figure, whose red eyes look like two drops of blood in the darkness...

"The Uchiha are really something..." Tobirama returned to the house, knelt down on one knee to check on your condition.

His body temperature was alarmingly low, and the golden lines on his neck had spread down to his jawline.

The strangest thing was that when he touched those patterns, his chakra resonated and trembled.

The sound of a night watchman's drum came from afar. Tobirama quickly picked you up and laid you flat on the tatami mat. He took out a special Yang Release talisman from his medical kit and affixed it to your chest.

In exchange, he secretly took a scroll that was peeking out from under her pillow, which bore the wax seal of the Kingdom of Wind.

"This time, I'm paying you back." He whispered to you as you remained unconscious, then vanished into the shadows of the corridor.

Unbeknownst to him, the ice crystals he carried were eerily melting into a pale blue liquid, flowing along the cracks in the floor towards a blurry, dark figure outside the window...

The river water shimmered with a cold light, reflecting the flickering torches on both banks and the Uchiha clan members dressed in dark clan clothing.

On the sacrificial altar, the Uchiha clan's fan-shaped crest was embroidered on a long, black robe, the red and white colors standing out vividly in the moonlight.

"Young clan leader, the time has come." Huo He's low voice came from behind.

Ban nodded slightly and raised his hand to signal the start of the ceremony.

Twelve Uchiha boys dressed in white sacrificial robes, each holding a fan, slowly descended the stone steps. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, like puppets manipulated by the same thread.

The deep, resonant sound of drums, accompanied by ancient incantations, echoed through the night sky.

Madara's gaze swept across the crowd, lingering for a moment on the empty seat among the elders. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the ninja tool pouch at his waist.