Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

"Tobirama and I just finished our clan duties and were about to take a shortcut back," Hashirama said, calling out behind him, "Tobirama! Come quick, it's Madara!"

A white-haired, red-eyed boy emerged from the shadows of the trees, his cold face filled with displeasure. "Big brother, don't shout like that."

Tobirama Senju's gaze swept over Madara, finally settling on you, sharp as a knife.

"How did you get here?" Madara narrowed his eyes, his chakra flowing silently.

Although relations between the two groups have eased, one should not be careless if they meet again late at night.

Hashirama strode over, his straw sandals making a crisp sound as they stepped on the fallen leaves. "Here to buy medicinal herbs? The pharmacy here has special offers!"

His gaze suddenly fell on you behind Madara, his eyes lighting up. "You must be the powerful Elder Nagi that Madara mentioned! I am Hashirama!"

As he spoke, he extended his broad palm, as enthusiastically as a child meeting an idol.

Before you could react, Madara had already taken a step to the side, using half of his body to block Hashirama. "Don't make any moves." His voice was so cold it could freeze you to death.

Hashirama's hand hung awkwardly in mid-air. Even someone as oblivious as him could feel the palpable killing intent in his best friend's eyes, which clearly said, "If you dare touch her, I'll chop your hand off."

"Ahaha, sorry." Hashirama chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, but still stubbornly tilting his head to scrutinize you. "Madara often mentions you, saying your swordsmanship is even better than his—"

"Shut up, Hashirama." A vein bulged on Madara's forehead.

Tobirama, who had been observing coldly, suddenly snorted. He had long suspected that you had appeared less and less on the battlefield in the past two years.

By the moonlight, he keenly noticed your eyes, their luster dimmed as if veiled.

"Eye power waning?" Tobirama muttered to himself, his research ninja instincts quickly triggering an analysis of possible causes: overuse? Relapse of old injuries? Or...?

Your body stiffened instantly, Madara's chakra suddenly erupted, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

“Tobirama Senju,” he said, each syllable dripping with murderous intent, “watch your eyes.”

Hashirama finally sensed something was wrong and looked at his younger brother in confusion, "Tobirama, what are you talking about?"

Tobirama didn't answer his brother, but continued to stare at you, "Your eyes are much dimmer than they were two years ago."

He calmly analyzed, "The Uchiha clan's eye power is directly related to the luster of their eyes. It seems I guessed right."

You clenched your fists, your nails digging deep into your palms. You never expected Tobirama to be so perceptive, and you never expected to be exposed in this situation.

Ban's rage almost materialized, and the surrounding temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

"Enough." Madara blocked your way, completely shutting out Tobirama's view.

"You two know each other?" Hashirama looked left and right, his face full of confusion.

"do not know."

Tobirama and you spoke at the same time, and at the same time frowned and looked at each other.

Hashirama's mouth gaped open. "Huh? Do we know each other or not?!"

You pursed your lips and stopped speaking, but Madara's face darkened even more. Of course, he knew that you and Tobirama had exchanged missions, but such a straightforward denial of "knowing" each other seemed suspicious.

Tobirama crossed his arms, his white eyebrows raised high.

He didn't expect you to deny it so directly. Although you can't really be called "acquainted", you've at least had a few... interesting exchanges. This realization made him inexplicably unhappy.

"So you know each other but aren't close?" Hashirama tried to smooth things over, but only made the atmosphere more awkward.

The night wind blew through the woods, lifting the corners of the four people's clothes.

Madara's hand was already on the kunai at his waist, while Tobirama quietly formed a defensive hand seal.

Looking at these two men who seemed to be facing a formidable enemy, you suddenly felt absurd and exhausted.

"Let's go, Madara." You gently tugged at Madara's sleeve, your voice so soft that only he could hear it, "I'm tired."

Madara's tense shoulders relaxed slightly. He gave Tobirama one last warning glare, then turned and put his arm around your shoulder, preparing to leave.

"Wait!" Hashirama suddenly called out, "There are fireflies upstream on the Naka River next week, want to come see them together? If the four of us come together, the clansmen won't say anything, right?"

The suggestion was so abrupt that even Tobirama wore an incredulous expression. "Big brother, you—"

"Okay." To everyone's surprise, you actually agreed.

You turn to look at the Senju brothers, a faint smile appearing on your pale face in the moonlight, "If Madara agrees."

Three pairs of eyes turned to Madara simultaneously: Hashirama looked expectant, Tobirama looked disgusted, while you calmly looked into his eyes.

Ban saw a long-lost, faint light in those gradually dimming eyes, like the last flicker of a candle flame about to burn out.

"...Whatever makes you happy." Ban finally relented, his fingers subtly tightening their grip on your shoulder.

On the way back, Madara remained silent until he saw the gates of the Uchiha clan compound, at which point he suddenly spoke, "You and that white-haired guy..."

“Just opponents on the battlefield.” You interrupted him, your tone calm. “I agreed to go because…” You paused, your voice lowering, “I wanted to see fireflies.”

Ban knows you're lying; you've never been someone who'd be moved by romance or fleeting pleasures.

But he just gave a soft "hmm" and hugged you even tighter.

He'll accompany you no matter what your plans are, even if it's to see that annoying Thousand-Handed White Hair.

The hooting of an owl echoes in the distance. You lean against Ban's shoulder and close your eyes.

You do have reasons to go see Tobirama Senju: the old woman's nursery rhyme, the increasingly unstable chakra within you, and... a possible way to revive life.

But tonight, let me let you indulge in this warm embrace for a while.

Darkness surged in like a tide, then slowly receded, and you found yourself standing in a void of gray space.

There was no sky, no earth, only endless gray fog flowing around you, and you immediately realized that this was a dream.

"Hehehe..."

A familiar laugh came from behind you, making your back straighten instantly. You turned around and saw that annoying figure standing not far away.

Showa Uchiha.

Her long, snow-white hair cascaded over her shoulders, standing out starkly in the dim space. Her green eyes gleamed with an eerie light, as if they could see into the deepest recesses of people's hearts.

"It's truly a pity that a ninja who was once hailed as a genius ended up blind." Showa tilted his head, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

Her voice was piercing, like needles stabbing into your eardrums.

You didn't speak, but secretly mobilized your chakra.

In reality, your eyesight has deteriorated to the point where you can no longer use the Sharingan freely, but this is a dream, your domain.

"What? You're not even willing to talk to me anymore?" Showa took a step forward, a hint of malice flashing in his green eyes. "Or have you already resigned yourself to your fate? Accepted the fact that you're about to become a cripple?"

Golden chains suddenly appeared from the void, coiling around Showa's body like serpents, binding her tightly. The chains tightened, emitting a harsh metallic scraping sound.

Showa groaned, a flicker of pain crossing his face, but it was quickly replaced by a twisted smile. "Gold Release? Even in his dreams, he doesn't forget to prepare for battle. What a pathetic habit."

"What do you want to say?" You looked at the bound Showa with a blank expression, your voice frighteningly calm.

The chains continued to tighten, making it difficult for Showa to breathe, but the madness in her eyes became more and more obvious. "As a fellow reincarnation of Hannya, are you really willing to be mediocre?!" She almost roared these words.

The legendary demon Hannya is said to be an evil entity sealed away by the ancient ancestors of the Uchiha clan, while "reincarnated individuals" are individuals who appear in the Uchiha bloodline every few generations, carrying a portion of Hannya's power.

A sinister smile spread across Showa's face. "Don't forget who has your brother Uchiha Soku's eyes! The blood of a close relative with the Mangekyou Sharingan can avert the tragedy of blindness. Aren't you tempted?"

Her voice rose and fell, like the flicking of a venomous snake, "As long as you gouge out his eyes, you can regain your sight, and even obtain the eternal kaleidoscope..."

To regain one's sight by taking the eyes of one's own brother is a forbidden method passed down within the Uchiha clan.

The golden lock tightened suddenly, and Showa's ribs creaked under the strain. Your eyes gleamed crimson in the darkness. "I won't do that, even if it means going blind forever."

This statement is both a declaration and a promise; it is an answer to Showa and a warning to oneself.

Showa's laughter abruptly stopped, a flicker of disbelief flashing in his green eyes. "Are you insane? Giving up power for that ridiculous morality?"

Her voice suddenly turned shrill, "Look at yourself now! You can barely see your Sharingan anymore, can you? A ninja without power is less than trash!"

"I am not you," you said softly, "and never will be."

The darkness began to distort, and the images of the Showa era rippled like muddied water. "You'll regret this sooner or later!"

Her voice faded into the distance, leaving only the final curse echoing in the darkness: "Only power is truly eternal!"

"Hahahaha!" Showa's maniacal laughter collapsed along with the dream. "Then take your nobility to hell, Uchiha Nagi!"

You suddenly open your eyes.

The familiar ceiling, my own bedroom, and the sound of birdsong coming from outside the window in the early morning.

A faint warmth still lingered beside the bed; it hadn't been long since Ban left.

You look around with blurred vision. Even in the morning light, the world seems shrouded in mist, its colors dim and its outlines indistinct.

The medical ninja said that if things continue to deteriorate at this rate, you will go completely blind in less than six months.

Showa's words echoed in your mind, and you knew clearly that you were heading towards destruction.

It wasn't because of declining eyesight, but because of the ancient power within her that shared the same origin as the Sharingan. Every time she used the Mangekyou Sharingan, it not only consumed her eyesight but also awakened the dormant evil within her.

Even so, you must change the fate of the reincarnated.

She groped her way to the dressing table, pulled open the bottom drawer, and inside was an exquisite lacquer box. Inside the box were all the scrolls and notes she had collected over the years about the legend of "Prajna Reincarnation".

At the top is a faded photograph, showing a young Su hugging your neck, both of them smiling brightly.

As your fingers gently trace the photograph, you will not follow the path of the Showa era, nor will you sacrifice others for power.

But you will not sit idly by and wait to die. If the legend is true, then there must be another way to preserve your eyesight without harming others.

Standing by the window, even though there are only blurry lights and shadows in front of you, you can feel the warm sunlight shining on your face.

"We'll find a way," you murmured to yourself. "For Madara, for Suku, and for all the cursed Uchiha."

The air in the sealed room seemed to freeze. Uchiha Madara stood in front of the long table, the scroll under his hand already deformed from being squeezed.

The candlelight cast a flickering shadow behind him, magnifying his silhouette across the entire wall, making him look like a beast poised to pounce.

“This is the third batch.” Ban’s voice was terrifyingly low, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth. “Three batches of elites, all of them never returned.”

The several Uchiha Jonin kneeling below pressed their foreheads to the ground, not daring to raise their heads.

They had never seen the young clan leader so out of control; it wasn't the cold-blooded killing intent he displayed on the battlefield, but rather a near-desperate rage.

"Young clan leader, the place where that batch of antidote was hijacked is near the border of the Land of Thunder, and it's very likely..."

"The Land of Lightning?" Madara looked up abruptly, his Mangekyou Sharingan glowing red in the dimly lit room. "You think I didn't think of that? I sent spies to infiltrate the Land of Lightning before the first group even set off. Their medical ninjas don't even know what cold poison is!"

He smashed the teacup on the table with a single blow, shards of porcelain piercing his palm, blood dripping down the edge of the table. But he seemed oblivious to the pain; compared to the torment Nagi was enduring, what was this injury?

"Young Clan Chief!" An older ninja finally couldn't help but look up. "Elder Nagi's fate is sealed, why are you so angry? There are many clan affairs to attend to, and the elders are all waiting for you..."

A terrifying burst of chakra erupted instantly, extinguishing all the candles in the secret room only to reignite them abruptly, turning an eerie, ghostly blue.

Madara's Mangekyou Sharingan spun rapidly, releasing an oppressive aura that made it difficult for everyone present to breathe.

"Ha, a bunch of trash." Ban rested his chin on his hand, blood sliding from his palm down his chin and dripping onto the table. "You have no right to tell me what to do."

The ninja who spoke was deathly pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Under Madara's oppressive eye power, he couldn't even move a finger. This was the power of a strong member of the Uchiha clan; a single glance could make someone feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

"Get out." Ban withdrew his gaze, his voice returning to calm, but that calmness was more chilling than a roar. "Keep searching, turn every inch of the five great nations upside down, and bring back the antidote."

The ninjas, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, hurriedly bowed and withdrew. The last one to leave carefully closed the door to the secret room, leaving Madara alone in that oppressive darkness.

Chapter 33 Curiosity

The candlelight returned to its normal orange-yellow color. Ban loosened his clenched fist and watched the wound on his palm, cut by the porcelain shard, slowly heal.

With his ninjutsu skills, this minor injury could have been healed instantly, but he deliberately left it there as punishment for his incompetence.

Nagi's time is running out.

Madara slammed his fist against the wall, feeling the pain of his knuckles cracking. He didn't care; compared to the pain Nagi was enduring, this little pain was nothing.

"What should I do..." Ban muttered to himself, a rare hint of confusion in his voice.

As the young patriarch of the Uchiha clan, he was used to being in control of everything.

On the battlefield, enemies would tremble at the mere mention of the name "Uchiha Madara"; within the clan, even the elders dared not disobey his will.

But now, facing Nagi's gradually dimming eyes, he felt powerless for the first time.

He recalled Nagi's ramblings from last night, the name "Showa" still haunting her dreams. If he couldn't even dispel this psychological shadow, what right did he have to claim he could protect her?

Suddenly, there were light footsteps outside the door.