Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

After a moment's hesitation, you finally reached out your hand, your cool fingertips gently placed in Sasuke's warm palm.

The moment their fingertips touched, Sasuke could almost feel a faint electric current coursing through his spine.

He tried to suppress the surging joy and excitement in his heart, held your hand tightly and carefully, turned around and led you quickly towards the outskirts of Konoha Village.

"Where to?" Your voice remained flat.

"You'll see when we get there." Sasuke didn't turn around, but his ears turned slightly red.

He pulled you along, no longer walking on the street, but turning into a dense, secluded forest on the edge of the village.

The forest was dimly lit, the air fresh and moist, with only the rustling of footsteps on fallen leaves and the soft sound of each other's breathing.

You followed silently, watching Sasuke's tall but slightly thin back. You still had doubts in your heart, but seeing that he had a clear goal and it didn't seem like a joke, you temporarily put aside your thoughts and decided to follow and see.

After walking through the forest for a while, the view suddenly opened up before us.

In a clearing in the woods, there appeared a shop that looked quite old and had a peculiar style. The shop was not large, and a sign that looked like a lucky cat hung in front of the door, but strangely, there was no bell hanging on it. It was unusually quiet.

“This is it.” Sasuke stopped and pushed open the old wooden door first.

The door hinges made a soft "creaking" sound.

The lighting inside the store was dimmer than outside, and the air was filled with a peculiar smell of catnip, old paper, and metal polish.

The sound of the door opening startled a group of ninja cats who were resting in various parts of the store.

They were all different colors and sizes, and at this moment they lazily raised their heads, their glassy cat eyes gleaming with curiosity and vigilance in the dim light, sizing up the uninvited guests who had entered.

"Grandma Cat!" Sasuke called out into the shop, his voice sounding much more familiar than usual.

After a series of light footsteps, an elderly woman with a kind face, dressed in a simple dark kimono and wearing gray cat ear accessories, came out from the inner room.

She adjusted her glasses, and upon seeing Sasuke, a genuine smile spread across her face. "Oh, it's little Sasuke!"

Her gaze then fell on you behind Sasuke, her kind smile paused slightly, and a barely perceptible glint flashed in her weathered eyes.

Grandma Cat immediately sensed an extremely strange and powerful sealing aura emanating from you, like heavy shackles imprisoning something unsettling.

"Who is this...?" Granny Cat asked curiously, her gaze never leaving you.

Sasuke turned to the side, as if instinctively wanting to bring you into his protective sphere, and answered for you, "It's Nagi, she wants to order a batch of ninja tools."

As he spoke, he looked at you, only to find your gaze fixed on the hand he had just held.

Sasuke looked away abruptly as if he had been burned, a faint blush flashing across his face as he awkwardly turned his head slightly away.

Grandma Cat took in the whole scene, a hint of knowing surprise flashing in her eyes.

Sasuke is usually proud and awkward, he doesn't seem like the type to show this kind of attitude towards any girl.

She smiled and took a few steps closer, finally seeing your face more clearly.

The beauty was typical of the Uchiha clan, with the arrogance and coldness unique to that clan, but it also seemed more...empty, like a delicate but soulless doll.

No wonder young Sasuke...

“Nagi,” Granny Cat’s voice softened, “what kind of ninja tool do you want? Just tell me, Granny can make anything.”

Sasuke seemed worried that you might not understand the rules here or be too embarrassed to speak up, so he quickly took a thick stack of blueprints from the table next to him and handed them to you.

"Look, there are many kinds here, and we can also improve them according to your requirements."

You took the blueprints and silently began to peruse them.

The paper was covered with detailed drawings of various ninja tools: kunai, shuriken, senbon needles, special knives, and even some unusual weapons...

The label also details the materials, properties, and numerous imaginative improvement plans, its ingenuity and creativity far exceeding the level of Konoha's regular ninja tool shops.

Grandma Cat didn't urge her. She sat down on the rocking chair to the side, squinted her eyes, and seemed to fall asleep again. Only the occasional twitching of her cat ears showed that she was still paying attention.

Sasuke stands beside you, seemingly looking at the blueprints, but his mind is elsewhere.

He quietly took a small step closer to you, and seeing that you were focused on the blueprints and didn't react, he was secretly pleased, and then cautiously took another step closer.

The distance between them gradually shortened, until he could almost smell your cold breath.

The ninja tools on the blueprints are indeed unique and exquisite, but after you finish looking through them, you realize that none of them are what you really want.

What you need is something that better suits your own characteristics, can maximize your strength, and even... can carry some special meaning.

Just as she put down the blueprints and was about to speak, her raised fingertips inadvertently touched Sasuke's forearm, which was close to hers.

The moment their skin touched, both of them stiffened slightly.

You instantly realized you were too close, and immediately and discreetly took a few steps back to create a safe distance.

Sasuke watched your movements as you tried to avoid him, and his initial excitement at getting close instantly plummeted, replaced by a palpable sense of disappointment.

He pursed his lips, stood silently in place, and no longer tried to get closer.

Grandma Cat watched all of this and sighed with a smile from her rocking chair.

The young Uchiha are always so clumsy and proud, making even getting close to them seem so difficult.

The dim light inside the shop seemed to freeze, and several ninja cats paced silently on the roof beams, their glassy eyes curiously watching the humans below.

A vague fragment of memory quietly surfaced when I stumbled upon a dusty book titled "The Evolution of Ninja Tools" in a Konoha bookstore.

The illustrations above, with their more archaic designs, sharper lines, and weapons born solely for killing, seem to resonate with something deep within the soul.

You spoke, your voice clear and cold, breaking the silence, "I want... the style of ninja tools from the Warring States period."

You unconsciously traced a very subtle cutting motion in the air with your fingertips, "The better, even sharper."

The old lady cat, who had been comfortably dozing in the rocking chair, suddenly stopped moving.

She slowly opened her eyes, her usually squinting, kind eyes now fully open, flashing with a sharp, hawk-like light as she looked at the black-haired girl before her once more.

"The Warring States period?" Granny Cat's voice lost its previous languidness, taking on an unusual seriousness. "Girl, have you thought this through?"

The ninja tools of the Warring States period were not backward; on the contrary, they were truly forged in blood and fire, discarding all that was flashy and impractical, existing solely for the efficient taking of lives.

Their designs are full of ferocity and the most primal aesthetics of killing, which is completely different from the balanced and multifunctional ninja tools pursued in today's relatively peaceful era.

It's been a very long time since anyone has actively requested this style of equipment.

This was the first time Grandma Cat had encountered a guest like this.

Sasuke stood to the side, his brows slightly furrowed.

He doesn't understand why you'd be interested in those ancient ninja tools that sound so bloody.

But seeing Grandma Cat's unusually serious expression, he immediately realized that your request was anything but ordinary.

"I've made up my mind." Your answer came without any hesitation.

Although the hazy memories are fragmented, they clearly tell you that you have an almost instinctive familiarity and affinity for that style of weapon.

This might be a clue pointing to your shrouded past, to some possible connection with the war-torn Warring States period.

Grandma Cat stares at you, as if trying to see through your calm and placid exterior to the hidden depths of your soul.

After a long silence, Granny Cat slowly spoke and made a condition: "I can make the things for you, and I might even do it for free."

Sasuke looked at Granny Cat in shock. Everyone knew that although she was fair in her business dealings, she would never do a losing business; she was very shrewd.

He looked at you again, his mind filled with doubt.

Grandma Cat continued, her eyes piercing, "But you must demonstrate to me... the strength to match that Warring States period weapon."

What she needs is not a child's whimsical idea, but proof that she can wield that power.

Upon hearing this, you nodded slightly, showing no stage fright. Your gaze swept across the shop's walls, where several samurai swords were displayed.

He casually drew a blade, and the moment it left its sheath, it produced a clear, resonant hum.

The moment your fingertips grip the cold hilt of the knife, the ever-present chilling and gloomy aura around you suddenly becomes sharp and intense.

Like a sleeping beast suddenly awakening, the invisible killing intent mixed with the deep-seated fighting spirit made the temperature inside the store seem to drop several degrees.

Sasuke's pupils contracted slightly, and he subconsciously held his breath. He had never felt such a tangible and sharp aura before.

You didn't deliberately adopt any starting stance; you simply followed the vague, ingrained memory in your body, flipped your wrist, and naturally began to swing.

A sudden whooshing sound filled the air!

The shadows of blades flickered, their sharp chill piercing the skin of the onlookers.

Sasuke was deeply shocked, and his eyes involuntarily revealed astonishment and... intense longing.

This powerful, sharp, and forceful swordsmanship is exactly what he's been pursuing, and his desire to learn from you has become stronger than ever before.

Grandma Cat, sitting in the rocking chair, gradually deepened her sharp gaze. She narrowed her eyes slightly, and an incredulous look of surprise appeared on her aged face.

This swordsmanship...

This posture...

Although there's still some rustiness, and the application of power is slightly hesitant in some places, the spirit, the core power generation techniques and footwork...

This is a long-lost ancient sword technique that truly originated from a specific school of swordsmanship during the Warring States period.

How could an Uchiha girl who grew up in a peaceful era possibly master such a combat skill that had long been buried by the dust of history?

Chapter 260 Ninja

The samurai's longsword traced a final, chilling arc in the air before precisely returning to its sheath with a crisp, harmonious ringing.

All the fierce aura vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.

You transformed back into that somewhat gloomy and quiet girl, breathing slightly, fine beads of sweat appearing on your forehead. Holding your knife, you bowed slightly towards Granny Cat, performing an extremely ancient and simple gesture of respect.

The shop was eerily silent.

After a long while, Grandma Cat finally let out a long breath, as if she wanted to expel all the shock from her chest.

She closed her eyes again, leaned back in the rocking chair, and her voice returned to its previous languid tone, but with an indescribable undertone.

"...Alright, I happen to have a set of excellent ninja tools that have been passed down from the Warring States period. Come and pick them up in three days."

This is already a very high level of recognition.

You nodded gently, "Thank you, Grandma."

Sasuke was still immersed in the amazing swordsmanship he had just witnessed, his heart pounding with excitement. As he and you walked out of the shop one after the other, bathed once again in the slightly chilly evening light of the forest, he couldn't help but speak, his voice a little dry from nervousness and anticipation.

"Um...I..." He took a deep breath and mustered his courage, "I want to learn the swordsmanship you just demonstrated!" After saying that, he looked at you somewhat nervously, waiting for your response, and even prepared himself for a cold rejection.

You stopped and glanced back at him. Sasuke bringing you here today had indeed saved you a lot of trouble and had even slightly changed your opinion of him, which had previously been filled with inexplicable hostility.

You paused for a few seconds, seemingly weighing your options, before finally speaking, "Downstream from the Naga River, there is a secluded riverbank. I will train there every evening from now on."

This is almost tantamount to tacitly acknowledging his following.

Sasuke never expected you would actually agree. The huge surprise overwhelmed him, and his heart was so excited that it almost jumped out of his chest.

In his extreme excitement, he almost didn't think twice and followed his instincts, taking a step forward and opening his arms to hug you.

An embrace filled with pure joy and impulse, brief yet intense.

"!" Your body stiffened instantly.

Sasuke immediately realized what he had done, and as if he had been electrocuted, he suddenly let go of his hand, his cheeks turning bright red in an instant, and even his ears burning.

He stood there, bewildered, his eyes darting nervously elsewhere, stammering, "I...I didn't mean to! I was just...so happy..."

Aside from the initial moment of stiffness when he hugged you, you didn't show much emotion.

She simply turned her face away calmly, looking at the twilight in the distant woods, as if the sudden embrace had never happened, or... it was simply not enough to stir any ripples in her heart.

"I'm leaving." You withdrew your gaze, no longer looking at him, and simply left those two words before turning and walking towards Konoha Village.

Sasuke paused for a moment, watching your retreating figure. He quickly suppressed the complex emotions churning within him and hurried after you, trying to hide his embarrassment. His voice even rose slightly.

"Hey! Wait for me! We...we're going the same way!"

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two people on the forest path, one in front of the other, silent, yet as if something subtle had quietly changed without them noticing.

The villa's silhouette appeared warm and serene in the fading light of dawn. Your figure appeared at the end of the street, and before you even got close, you saw a pink figure eagerly waiting at the door.

The moment Sakura saw you, her face lit up with a bright smile, and she waved enthusiastically, "Nagi! You're back!"

She jogged up to me, her voice beaming, "Mom said we're going out for barbecue today! To celebrate!"

What are you celebrating? Sakura didn't say for sure, but perhaps it's just celebrating an ordinary day, celebrating the life you can have together.