Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

So...so handsome...

Ino's heart began to pound uncontrollably, and a surge of heat rushed to her cheeks. At that moment, she suddenly realized clearly that gender might really just be a feeling.

Once you've confirmed that Ino is unharmed, you immediately want to help her up, while your eyes anxiously turn to the ground, searching for the missing mask.

In those few short seconds, the Blue Demon Mask had already been kicked to some unknown corner by the surging crowd.

Without the mask to conceal you, your full face is completely exposed to everyone's view.

People who were initially attracted by your charisma and dance moves became exponentially obsessed and fanatical the moment they saw your true face, and many more who were initially just observing flocked to you.

"High Priest! Look at me!"

"Amulet! Please give me amulet!"

"You're so beautiful!"

You stand in the middle of the crowd, the sachet in your arms almost too heavy to hold, looking at the burning gazes around you that seem to want to devour you.

For the first time, I clearly felt how troublesome it was to lose the protection of a mask and be in such naked frenzy.

A hand wearing black gloves grabbed you, even somewhat roughly.

You were suddenly pulled and stumbled, the sachet in your arms scattering all over the ground.

Turning around in surprise, I came into view of a familiar orange mask.

Obito Uchiha's voice came through the mask, carrying a suppressed, low tone, "What a troublesome and boring parade... I can't stand it anymore, I'll take you away from this awful place..."

Before he could finish speaking, and before you could respond, Obito pulled you away from the center of the frantically surging crowd.

The moment you disappeared, a pale hand silently picked up the blue demon mask that had been left on the ground.

Obito himself didn't know why he suddenly impulsively stepped forward.

When he was hiding in the shadows and saw that Deidara dared to brazenly remove your mask and even kiss your cheek, an inexplicable anger surged up and almost shattered his reason.

Don't you know how to move away?! Or are you actually... not bothered at all?

This possibility made Obito even more agitated. He acted faster than he thought, and by the time he realized what was happening, he had already grabbed your hand and led you away from that suffocating noise.

He led you to a secluded alleyway, separated from the hustle and bustle of the main road by only a wall, yet it felt like two different worlds.

The surroundings finally quieted down, with only the faint sound of drums and music in the distance reminding us of the festival's existence.

Obito then released his grip, his chest rising and falling slightly, as if he were calming down.

You rubbed your slightly reddened wrists and looked at him with some surprise. "Why are you here?"

Your tone was one of pure doubt, as if you genuinely hadn't expected him to be here.

Obito was taken aback by your matter-of-fact question, and snorted irritably, "Didn't you send me a message asking me to come and offer my support?!"

He now strongly suspects that the secret letter was a prank you played out of boredom.

Upon hearing this, you raised an eyebrow slightly, your tone tinged with innocence, "Oh, that... I was just joking, I didn't expect you to actually come."

When you wrote that letter, you were indeed somewhat mischievous, wanting to see how Obito would react.

Faced with your unconventional answer, Obito found himself starting to get used to it, even feeling powerless to be angry. He took a deep breath, trying to regain control, "You really enjoy this kind of boring activity?"

He simply couldn't understand how you could willingly stand in the sunlight, being watched by so many people like an object of interest, and even...being harassed?

You shook your head, then nodded, giving an ambiguous answer, "I wouldn't say I like it, but... it's very interesting, don't you think?"

You look at Obito, and it seems you're genuinely seeking his opinion.

"Childish." Obito snorted and turned his head away. He felt that something was off about him today, and his emotions were easily swayed by you.

Looking at Obito's awkward expression, I don't understand why he suddenly appeared and brought you here.

The festival wasn't over yet, and the interactive activities were still ongoing, so you still needed to gather more popularity... Thinking of this, you turned around and prepared to walk back.

"Hey! You're going back?!" Obito suddenly turned around, his voice filled with incredulous anger, and grabbed your arm again.

You stop in your tracks. "Hmm, the festival isn't over yet."

Seeing that you were completely oblivious to the danger, and even planning to return to the pack of wolves, Obito felt a surge of anger rise to his head. He practically forced out two words through clenched teeth, "No!"

Now you were genuinely confused, and looked directly at Obito, asking, "Why?"

You don't understand why he's stopping you.

“Because…” Obito was stunned by your question. His brain raced, and he forced out a lame excuse, speaking stiffly.

"Because the organization doesn't allow members to have overly close contact with others! What you just did... was inappropriate!"

Hearing this reason, you couldn't help but feel that Obito was deliberately picking a fight. You took a step forward, almost touching Obito, looked up at his swirling mask, and asked with a hint of amusement, "What do you mean by 'intimate contact'?"

Your sudden approach made Obito's breath catch in his throat, and he instinctively stepped back, only to find his back pressed against the cold wall, leaving him nowhere to retreat.

You reached out and pressed him against the wall, creating a subtle, restraining posture.

"Hey! You...you can't do this!" Obito's heart suddenly raced out of control, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of panic, and even a trace of his own secret expectation.

His cheeks began to burn beneath the mask; he could almost hear the rush of his blood.

You didn't do what he expected; you just leaned closer, carefully examined his mask, and then said earnestly.

“Obito, if you really can’t stand watching the festival parade, you can just skip it. There’s no need to force yourself to stay here and get angry.”

Imagine if he really did avoid you, you might be surrounded and touched by even more people in the noise, and a strong sense of resentment and possessiveness welled up in Obito's heart.

He turned the tables and grabbed your wrist, which was pressed against his chest. With a clever twist, he instantly reversed the situation and switched your positions! Now, he was the one trapping you between himself and the wall.

“Uchiha Nagi,” Obito’s voice was low and hoarse as he stared intently into your eyes, asking the question that had been lingering in his mind for so long, “What…do you take me for?”

You were taken aback by his sudden outburst and question, and then you finally realized the true emotions behind Obito's awkward attitude all along.

You said in a calm, factual tone, "You like me."

It's not a question, it's a definite judgment.

Obito's face beneath the mask instantly turned bright red, and he reflexively retorted loudly, "How could that be! Don't flatter yourself!"

You seemed unconcerned by Obito's vehement denial and had no interest in pressing him further. You moved your wrist, trying to break free from his grip and end this pointless conversation.

Your indifferent reaction completely enraged Obito. Feeling wronged and angry, he not only did not let go, but gripped it even tighter.

He seemed to have finally given up all struggle and pretense, his voice carrying a sense of resignation, yet stubbornly seeking an answer.

"Yes... I admit, I... do have some other feelings for you." He didn't miss a single change in your emotions. "And you, Uchiha Nagi, what... do you feel for me?"

You looked at him as if his confession was just a passing breeze, shrugged indifferently, and gave an answer that made Obito feel as if he had instantly fallen into an ice cave: "Just ordinary friends."

Obito felt a surge of blood rush to his head, and his rationality snapped completely.

Driven by extreme anger and a desperate impulse, he abruptly removed the vortex mask.

In the instant you were slightly stunned by his action, Obito leaned down and bit your lip.

"I surrender..." In the brief pause between their lips, Obito uttered these three words in a muffled and hoarse voice that was barely audible to anyone else.

It was as if he were surrendering, or as if he were submitting to the uncontrollable emotions within him.

The stinging and unfamiliar sensation on your lips snaps you back to reality. The anger of being offended ignites your eye power, and the pattern of the Mangekyou Sharingan is about to appear.

Just before you activated your eye technique, Obito, like a startled bird, swiftly retreated and merged into the distorted spatial vortex, leaving behind only a hurried and unfinished sentence that dissipated into the air.

"...See you next time, Nagi."

The alleyway fell silent again, leaving you standing alone, your fingertips lightly brushing against the lip bitten by Obito.

You temporarily suppress your anger and complicated emotions, rejoin the bustling crowd of the festival, and head towards the next scheduled performance location in the parade.

Upon arriving at the designated location, they discovered that the parade had already departed, leaving behind only confetti scattered on the ground and people still excitedly discussing the event.

According to the planned route, the team should have already moved to the next performance area.

Just as I was about to turn around, my keen eyes spotted two figures in the middle of the intersection ahead, seemingly deliberately standing out from the surrounding crowd.

One of them was tall with indigo skin, carrying a strange broadsword wrapped in bandages on his back, and wearing a demon mask commonly seen in festivals.

And the other person...

Even if the other person is wearing a plain white fox mask, their familiar figure and inherent temperament make them instantly recognizable.

"Itachi?" you called softly.

The moment the voice fell, the figure wearing the white fox mask turned around impatiently and quickly came to you.

His movements were so swift that they even carried an urgency that was inconsistent with his usual calmness.

Itachi Uchiha's gaze pierced through the holes in the mask and landed on your face immediately.

When his gaze fell upon your lips bearing the bite mark, his previously calm aura instantly turned somewhat cold.

Kisame Hoshigaki, who was following behind him, stroked his chin with great interest.

This was the first time he had ever seen Mr. Itachi treat someone so vividly.

He discreetly observed the girl before him. Was this the reason why Mr. Itachi was willing to spend such a large sum of money?

Yes, her looks and demeanor are indeed top-notch. Standing next to Mr. Itachi, they have a strange sense of being a perfect match.

Seeing that Itachi was just staring intently at his lips, silent, but the air around him was getting lower and lower, you inexplicably felt that he was angry.

The next second, Itachi Uchiha suddenly reached out and pulled you into his arms without saying a word. "I...missed you."

His straightforward expression of emotion was completely different from the rational and almost cold-blooded Uchiha Itachi he usually was.

You felt uncomfortable from his sudden hug and instinctively tried to push him away, but found that Itachi's arms showed no sign of loosening.

Seeing this, Kisame Hoshigaki, standing nearby, quickly cleared his throat tactically and made a loud "cough cough" sound, trying to remind his partner to be mindful of the occasion and his manners.

The sound snapped Itachi back to his senses. He loosened his grip on her arm slightly, then slowly released her and took a half-step back.

The white fox mask concealed his expression, and only his voice, now back to its usual calm tone, could be heard, tinged with a barely perceptible hint of embarrassment: "I'm sorry, I lost my composure."

You straightened your clothes, which he had wrinkled, and glanced up at him.

His outburst just now wasn't entirely sincere, but you didn't expose it, nor did you respond to his longing; you simply remained silent.

"Looks like you two are old acquaintances, haha!" Kisame skillfully smoothed things over, his rough voice laced with teasing.

"Then you all have a good chat. I'm just a rough guy and won't bother you. Go and have a look around!" After saying that, he winked at Itachi, then carried the disguised Samehada and strode into the crowd.

There was a moment of stillness after Kisame left.

You didn't want to linger, so you turned around and wanted to leave to continue chasing the parade.

Uchiha Itachi, however, took a step without making a sound, and happened to block your way.

"Want to...have a meal together?" he invited, his voice coming through the mask, revealing little emotion.

You looked at him, then at the thriving wonton shop not far away, and finally nodded, "Okay."

They sat face to face in front of the simple stall of the wonton shop.

The wooden table was a bit old, but it was very clean.

The owner quickly served two bowls of steaming hot wontons, with scallions and dried shrimp floating in the clear white broth, and the aroma was irresistible.

You pick up the porcelain spoon, scoop up a plump wonton, and are about to put it in your mouth when Uchiha Itachi across from you suddenly makes a move.

He reached out and placed his warm palm on the back of your hand that was holding the spoon, stopping you from moving.

You looked up at him, puzzled.

Under your gaze, the weasel, using your hand, leaned slightly forward and lowered its head, calmly and naturally taking the wonton from your spoon into its mouth.

His chewing movements were elegant, but his gaze never left your eyes, as if he were savoring some exquisite delicacy, or performing some kind of silent ritual.

Looking at his empty spoon, and then at the nonchalant Itachi Uchiha across from him, he remained silent for two seconds.

You weren't angry; you simply asked calmly, "Is it delicious?"

Itachi may have anticipated your surprise or annoyance, but he didn't expect such a direct question.

The white fox mask concealed his expression, but his exposed earlobes turned red rapidly, and even his neck was tinged with a thin layer of pink.

He turned his head slightly, seemingly unable to look you in the eye, and his voice was even lower than before, carrying a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment, "...Delicious."

What was supposed to be a question turned into such an... innocent reaction, which caught you a little off guard.

Seeing Itachi's bright red ears, you gently pushed the bowl of wontons in front of you, which had barely been touched, towards him. "Eat more if you like it."

Uchiha Itachi: "..."