Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

After leaving the wonton shop, you walk alone on your way to the next performance location, but your mind keeps replaying the strange dining experience with Itachi... and the earlier, tense confrontation with Obito.

You frowned. Why did it feel like Itachi Uchiha and Obito Uchiha, two S-rank rogue ninjas who seemed dangerous and powerful to outsiders, were acting strangely in your presence?

One forcibly kissed and bit the other, and the other stole his food and turned bright red in the ears.

Are the Akatsuki members really normal?

Chapter 341 Summer Festival Dance (15)

As you follow the sound of drums and music to the next performance point of the parade, the scene before you makes you frown.

The crowd that should have been cheering enthusiastically around the performance area seemed to completely ignore his presence.

They continued watching the performance, talking, and laughing, but when their gaze swept over where you stood, it didn't focus on you at all, as if you were just a wisp of transparent air.

This strange indifference is definitely not normal.

An extremely dangerous sense of oppression surged from the side, instantly seizing all your senses, far exceeding that of anyone you had ever encountered before, including Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Obito.

I turned my head and looked in the direction I sensed.

In the relatively quiet shadows of the street corner, a figure stood.

He had a head of flamboyant orange short hair, and most strangely, his eyes were made up of countless purple circles, coldly gazing at all things in the world without a trace of human emotion.

It can't even be called 'human'. You can keenly sense that the body lacks the warmth of life and the fluctuation of the soul. It's more like a walking corpse driven by a powerful will.

Facing those eyes, your heart involuntarily tightens slightly, unsure of your chances of winning if you were to confront them head-on.

This intuition, stemming from the absolute power disparity, instantly puts you into a state of maximum alert.

"You... are the spy that Afei planted in Konoha?" the figure spoke, his voice hoarse and cold, like rusty metal rubbing together.

"Afei?" You immediately realize he's referring to Obito.

"Who are you?" You didn't answer, but instead asked in return, with an unnoticed tension.

"I am Pain, the leader of Akatsuki." The other party gave the answer, his tone calm yet carrying an unquestionable authority.

“Payne?” You repeated the name, meeting those eyes without flinching, your tone carrying a chilling insight. “Although, I don’t believe that’s your true identity.”

No sooner had you said that than a sharp, rustling sound like paper being sliced ​​by a knife rang out behind you. Before you could turn around, your body instinctively slid to the side and dodged.

Several pieces of paper, their edges gleaming with the cold light of chakra, grazed the hem of your yukata like shuriken, embedding themselves deeply into the ground where you had just stood.

Once you regain your balance, you can finally see the attacker clearly: a blue-haired woman with paper flowers pinned to her hair.

Just as Konan's fingers twitched, preparing to launch a second attack, Payne's voice rang out again, stopping her, "Konan."

These two simple words carry an absolute sense of command.

Xiao Nan's fierce aura vanished instantly. She silently retrieved the piece of paper and quietly retreated to Payne's side.

Looking up at the two figures towering above you, you showed no fear despite the attack. Instead, your tone was laced with sarcasm: "Is this how the organization treats potential members?"

Two other powerful chakra auras rapidly approached from afar; these were Hidan and Kakuzu, who had sensed Konan's chakra fluctuations.

Kakuzu's green eyes glared at you fiercely through the mask.

He saw it clearly: that spendthrift Deidara had given all the expensive sachets he sold to this High Priest of the Deer Dance! That was all money!

"Oh? Is this the organization's newest member?" Hidan looked on with great interest. He carried the Bloodstained Three-Moon Scythe and approached you, looking you up and down without any restraint, a fanatical smile on his face.

"Looks like a good vessel! Interested in learning about the great evil god's doctrines? Want to experience the beauty of pain and sacrifice?"

Hidan's incessant chatter and unrestrained gaze annoyed you, and his dark eyes instantly transformed into a kaleidoscope pattern.

The moment Hidan met your eyes, all words came to an abrupt halt. The fanatical smile on his face froze, and he subconsciously took a half-step back, becoming temporarily obedient.

Seeing Hidan intimidated by a single glance, a hint of surprise flashed in Konan's cold eyes. She then spoke again, her voice still clear and cold, but seemingly with a touch more formality, "Congratulations, Uchiha Nagi, you have passed the organization's test."

A test? You know it in your heart.

The so-called attack, and Payne's undisguised intimidation, were all tests of his strength and reaction.

I never imagined that the internal structure of the Akatsuki organization and its methods of accepting new members would be more complex and direct than I had thought.

“In that case,” you withdrew your kaleidoscope and turned your gaze back to Payne, who had been silently observing you, “Shouldn’t the leader remove the ‘restriction’ on me?”

Deep within the tower of Amegakure, Nagato, who was observing all of this through Pain's perspective, couldn't help but frown.

He is another being like Itachi Uchiha, powerful, unpredictable, and clearly unwilling to be completely controlled.

This Uchiha Nagi is probably much more troublesome than the one described in Tobi's report.

A silent contest filled the air. Pain's Rinnegan continued to coldly watch you, as if weighing his options, while you returned his gaze without backing down.

“Of course,” Payne’s voice echoed in the somewhat deserted street corner, “but…”

"...In order to ensure your absolute loyalty to the organization, I need to implement some...special restrictions on you."

Two hands reached out from both sides at the same time and grabbed your arms. The sudden change stunned everyone.

You turn your head in surprise. To your left is Uchiha Itachi, who has returned. He is wearing a white fox mask, but the coldness emanating from him is tangible.

On the right is Obito Uchiha, who is gripping your arm tightly, indicating that he has not truly left.

You thought the two had already left, but little did you know they had been lurking nearby, watching your every move.

“Leader,” Obito’s voice came through the mask, unusually devoid of his usual comical and nonchalant manner, carrying a cold seriousness.

“Uchiha Nagi is someone I personally recruited and placed in Konoha. What you’re doing... is probably not very appropriate, is it?” His protective intent was obvious in his words.

When Itachi heard Obito's almost possessive declaration of "my person," his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly beneath his mask, and a strong sense of displeasure welled up within him.

He didn't say anything, but suddenly exerted force in his arm, pulling you out of Obito's grasp and holding you tightly in his arms.

Obito glanced at Itachi, his expression beneath the mask not looking too good, but the pressure from Pain was greater at the moment, so he temporarily suppressed his thoughts of arguing with Itachi.

Holding Itachi tightly in your arms, you feel the warmth and strength emanating from his chest, and the hand seals you were quietly forming in your sleeves quietly stop.

With them in front of us, perhaps... we don't need to take action ourselves for the time being.

"Hey! What are you two doing?!" Deidara's loud voice broke the strange balance. He stared wide-eyed at Itachi and Obito, who were occupying you on either side, and immediately started to complain.

Fearing that this clueless art kid would make things even more chaotic, Kisame Hoshigaki swiftly grabbed Deidara by the back of his collar and dragged him backward like a chick, while warning him in a low voice.

"You brat! Behave yourself! Can't you see the atmosphere's off?!"

"Let me go! Kisame! Ugh!" Deidara's face turned red with anger as he struggled with his hands and feet, but he couldn't break free from Kisame's grip.

Pain's Rinnegan swept over Itachi, Obito, and Deidara, who was being dragged by Kisame. Even he was speechless at this moment.

He hadn't expected that this undercover agent lurking in Konoha would be so charismatic that he could get some of the most difficult guys in the organization to come forward to protect him, even at the cost of subtly defying his will.

"...What's going on here?" Payne's hoarse voice was filled with helplessness.

Perhaps realizing that his actions were too inappropriate in front of the leader, Uchiha Itachi remained silent for a moment before slowly releasing the arms that were restraining you, but still stood by your side in a protective posture.

The moment Itachi released his grip, Konan, who had been standing quietly by the sidelines, vanished like a piece of paper.

Itachi and Obito's pupils contracted simultaneously, their instincts kicking in to intervene—

"Universal Guidance!"

Payne's indifferent voice rang out, and a powerful gravitational field suddenly erupted from him, not as an attack, but as pure suppression!

Itachi and Obito felt their bodies sink, as if they were being crushed by an invisible boulder, and their movements instantly slowed down!

Countless white paper scraps, as if they possessed life, quickly enveloped you, who had just gained your freedom, forming an airtight paper cocoon.

Suddenly everything went black, and you felt a pair of cool hands gently cover your eyes, blocking your vision.

Xiao Nan's cool voice rang in my ears, carrying a soothing power, "Don't be afraid, the leader won't do anything to you."

The fresh scent of paper lingered around your nose, along with the faint, cool fragrance emanating from Xiao Nan. Your tense body relaxed slightly, and you finally just softly replied, "...Okay."

You didn't struggle, letting the paper wrap around you and carry you away from where you were in an instant.

When the paper wrapping you unfurls and your vision returns, you find yourself standing right in front of Payne, inches away.

Payne seemed impatient; he reached out and pulled you into his arms, a move that startled everyone present.

Your body stiffened instantly. You remembered Xiao Nan's words, suppressed your instinct to resist, and chose to believe him this once. Your dark eyes looked back at him, waiting for his next move.

Payne didn't actually intend to do anything; he simply wanted to get a closer look at this girl who could cause several core members of the organization to behave abnormally, and see what was so special about her.

Yes, I see it clearly now.

Her skin was very fair, her features so delicate they seemed unreal, and she had a pair of...very special eyes. For some reason, when I was near her, I felt a strange urge to get closer...

This emotion was both foreign and strange to Nagato, who had long since abandoned worldly feelings.

Payne held you like that, staring intently at your face for a long time, until the atmosphere became subtle again.

"Ahem!" Xiao Nan couldn't stand it any longer and quickly cleared her throat to remind him.

Chapter 342 Summer Festival Dance (16)

Payne snapped back to reality, as if only now realizing that his behavior had been somewhat inappropriate. He looked away and resumed his usual indifferent demeanor, though his slightly stiff limbs betrayed a hint of his unease.

"Don't take advantage of being the leader to give Nagi that perverted look! Huh!" Deidara, who had finally broken free from Kisame's restraints, saw what had just happened and immediately pointed at Pain angrily and shouted.

Before he could finish speaking, several almost invisible chakra threads suddenly wrapped around him, firmly fixing him in place. Even his mouth was sealed by an invisible force, leaving him only able to make "woo-woo" sounds.

Before you can even fully process the feeling of being scrutinized by Payne at close range, a figure appears before you.

Scorpion is holding the blue demon mask in his hand, putting it back on you and carefully adjusting its position.

After doing all this, Scorpion's flat voice slowly rang out, "Your performance... was very artistic."

After uttering this seemingly absurd yet profoundly complimentary remark, Sasori silently retreated to Deidara's side, who was still bound, and remained silent.

Hidan shook his head, finally fully waking up from the lingering effects of your Mangekyou Sharingan illusion.

He shook his still somewhat dizzy head, and his eyes immediately locked onto you wearing the Green Demon Mask. He was instantly enraged and pointed at you, shouting insults.

"Hey! You bastard! How incredibly unfriendly! How dare you use such a dangerous illusion on me! Don't think I won't hurt you just because you're pretty! The Evil God will unleash divine punishment!"

He brandished his blood-stained crescent scythe, looking ready to charge forward and argue at any moment.

As the conversation veered from dangerous confrontations and bizarre obsessions into inexplicable arguments, Payne, as the leader, finally felt a headache coming on.

Payne's gaze swept over the crowd before finally settling back on you. His eyes pierced through the Blue Demon mask and fell upon the pink-haired girl and blond boy anxiously looking around on the main road in the distance.

He forcefully steered the conversation back on track, saying, "Our primary purpose in coming here is to respond to your request and help you with your popularity campaign."

Payne's tone returned to its usual businesslike indifference, "Although I still don't understand the point of your participation in this kind of activity, since it was your choice, and you've already demonstrated your initial value..."

He paused slightly, a purple light swirling in his Samsara Eyes, carrying a warning.

"...Then, don't forget the trust the organization has placed in you, and the mission you are entrusted with. The intelligence of Konoha is of utmost importance."

You nodded silently, having already made a decision in your heart: you would probably have to find an opportunity to withdraw from the Akatsuki organization.

You are absolutely certain that there isn't a single normal person in this organization, from top to bottom!

What legitimate rogue ninja organization ever has members who first launch a sneak attack to test each other upon meeting, then the leader sits there embracing a subordinate in a daze, members nearly fight amongst themselves over who gets to join them, and the puppeteer suddenly praises the performance as artistic?

This is basically a mental hospital concentration camp! Rather than dealing with things here, you'd rather go back to Konoha and face those troublesome but at least relatively predictable teenagers.

Payne had no idea that you were internally ranting and planning to quit.

Seeing you nod, he assumed you had heeded his advice and was already planning how to better utilize organizational resources to complete the task.

"It's getting late, the festival isn't over yet, we shouldn't linger here." Pain gave you one last, deep look. "Good luck, Uchiha Nagi."

The moment the words fell, without any visible hand seals or obvious movements, everyone vanished from their original spot without leaving a trace.

You stand alone in the same spot, the antler headdress unharmed, the blue demon mask concealing all your expressions.

You breathed a slight sigh of relief, just as you were about to gather your thoughts and rejoin the festival parade, when you heard Sakura's sobbing voice coming from not far away.

"Where did you go?! Nagi—!"

Compared to that bunch of lunatics in Akatsuki, this place... well, at least the goals are clear.

You started walking in the direction from which the call came.

Seeing that familiar figure finally appear, Sakura's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

She no longer cared about the crowd around her. Like a fledgling bird returning to its nest after being frightened, she rushed forward and threw herself into your arms, hugging your waist tightly.

"You scared me to death, Nagi! Where did you go? I've been looking for you for so long!" Sakura's voice was still filled with fear as she buried her face in the cool fabric of your yukata, absorbing its reassuring scent.