Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

I already guessed what Ya would say, and whether I responded or not, it wouldn't change anything.

Since that's the case, let these unfinished words dissipate in the sound of fireworks, like sparks of light that bloom and then fall, at least preserving a semblance of tranquility.

That's fine.

The dazzling fireworks display lasted for about half an hour. During this time, Ya didn't say anything more, but just stood quietly beside you, looking up at the night sky that was forcibly illuminated, feeling a mix of emotions.

As the last streak of light faded into the horizon, leaving only the lingering smell of gunpowder and the ringing in our ears, the crowd began to disperse in a restless murmur.

You and Ya turned around in unison, preparing to leave the platform.

As soon as I turned around, I came across two familiar figures not far away.

Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji were standing there, seemingly having been waiting for some time.

Choji, with a slightly embarrassed smile, waved vigorously at you and greeted you loudly, "What a coincidence! Haha! You guys came to see the fireworks too!"

His smile clearly contained a hint of sympathy for you.

Heaven knows how long Shikamaru dragged him here without saying a word, staring at your and Kiba's backs as they watched the fireworks side by side with that freezing gaze!

Choji seriously suspected that if he hadn't still had his rationality, Shikamaru's gaze alone would have been enough to torture Kiba Inuzuka countless times.

"It's quite a coincidence," you replied casually, acknowledging Choji and preventing him from falling silent.

His gaze swept past Choji and landed on Shikamaru, who stood beside him with an inscrutable expression.

Kiba immediately guessed Shikamaru's mood. Seeing that the other was obviously unhappy but pretending to be calm, he not only did not restrain himself, but a childish desire to show off surged up.

He deliberately raised his chin. "Yeah, the fireworks were beautiful! Dazzling and unforgettable—" He glanced at Shikamaru and added the crucial sentence, "It would have been even better if that annoying, spoilsport guy hadn't been around!"

Upon hearing this, Choji nearly crushed the snacks he hadn't finished eating.

For the first time, he felt that all his friends were fearless warriors! He watched helplessly as Shikamaru's face visibly darkened; he couldn't stay any longer!

Without hesitation, Choji stepped forward and, without a word, draped his thick arm heavily over Kiba's shoulder, using all his strength to half-drag and half-pull him to the side.

"Hey! I have something to tell you... um... I found a new dumpling shop over there that looks really good! Come on, let's go check it out!"

While spouting flimsy excuses, Choji used his overwhelming strength to forcibly drag Kiba, who was still struggling and uttering threats, away from the dangerous area.

"Hey! Choji! What are you doing! Let go of me!"

"Stop talking nonsense! Let's go!"

The noise gradually faded away.

On the high platform, the noise subsided, leaving only you and Nara Shikamaru, standing a few steps apart, silently facing each other.

Nara Shikamaru took an unusually proactive step forward, shortening the distance between you.

His voice wasn't loud, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the suddenly quiet environment, "Do you like it?"

This seemingly random question initially caught you off guard, but you quickly realized, "Hmm, the fireworks tonight were great."

You are downplaying the important issues.

Upon hearing this, Shikamaru did not brush off the trouble as usual, but instead took it a step further.

He stares directly at you, his usually half-closed eyes unusually clear at this moment.

"Don't play dumb. I'm not talking about the fireworks, but rather—the person who watches the fireworks with you."

You fell silent and did not answer.

Shikamaru had no intention of letting you off the hook. He seemed to have finally made up his mind to break through that unspoken understanding completely.

"Ya confessed to you, right?" he asked, posing his first question. "Or, to put it another way, which one is he today...?"

"Is your deskmate also interested in these trivial things?" You try to steer the conversation away with your usual aloofness and rhetorical question.

"Unwilling to answer?" Shikamaru chuckled softly, a hint of self-mockery in his laughter. "That's alright, I'll analyze it for you."

His hands were in his pockets, his posture seemingly relaxed, but his slightly forward-leaning body and focused gaze betrayed his intense concentration and...a kind of suppressed emotion.

"Naruto was the first one in the daytime parade, making no attempt to hide it; everyone knows it." He began his reasoning, his tone as calm as if he were analyzing a game of chess.

"And that blond boy with a high ponytail, his identity is unknown, but you should know him, right?" His gaze was fixed on you.

"As for the hot springs at night, Rock Lee goes without saying, as do Shino Aburame and Sasuke Uchiha," he said, his tone pausing slightly when he mentioned those two names.

"They've taken the initiative, which isn't surprising. Back in the Ninja Academy, their subtle reactions and attention to you were enough to give you away."

“I just didn’t expect,” a hint of undisguised bitterness finally crept into his voice, “that there seems to be an unusual connection between you and Kakashi-senpai. I’m not sure if he also expressed his feelings for you tonight.”

“But judging from the ridiculously high number of votes you received on the popularity chart, and the way he looked at you…” he continued.

"Aside from the people I know, there are at least a few others with the codename 'Zhu' who had contact with you today, and perhaps... even expressed some kind of interest, am I right?"

The more he spoke, the clearer his thoughts became, and at the same time, he felt a growing sense of jealousy.

Nara Shikamaru, one day, actually acted like a fool, counting how many people coveted the same person, and feeling restless and uneasy about that number.

Faced with Shikamaru's unusually long analysis, you nodded slightly.

He guessed everything correctly.

Seeing your frank admission yet indifferent demeanor, Shikamaru felt an even more intense mix of anger and bitterness welling up inside him.

He approached you step by step, his footsteps landing softly on the empty platform.

"So, you tell me—" his voice rose slightly at the end, "which number will I be?"

“Shikamaru,” you looked up, your dark eyes, illuminated by the remaining lamplight, seemed to have already seen through all his unspoken words, “You guessed my answer.”

Today's series of confessions and transgressions may have initially brought a sense of confusion, but at this moment, you quickly adjust and accept the fact that you have become the center of everyone's obsession with an indifferent attitude.

Rejection became the only and unanimous response.

Shikamaru's expression froze for a moment, then he twitched the corner of his mouth and shrugged as if to make it look easy.

Just when you thought he would, like all smart people, tactfully let the awkward moment pass and maintain a tacit, respectable distance, he suddenly made a move.

Caught off guard, you stumble backward half a step, your back pressed against the cold, hard stone railing, with nowhere left to retreat.

Before he could even rebuke her, Shikamaru's face loomed large before his eyes.

It was less of a kiss and more of a touch imbued with warmth and determination.

There was no lingering affection, no tenderness, only their breaths suddenly becoming disordered.

This is even more surprising than Sasuke Uchiha's aggressive confinement.

Sasuke's loss of control was tinged with paranoia, while Shikamaru's loss of control seemed even more abrupt and dangerous.

Shikamaru quickly stepped back and released his grip on you; his previous transgression had exhausted all his courage.

He looked away, unable to meet your eyes any longer. "I can wait for your answer, even if there's no result."

Shikamaru's actions weren't actually very forceful. Even in the moment when he was most out of control, he subconsciously didn't want to hurt you or make you feel truly troubled or in pain.

This cautious force, while seemingly gentle, presents a contradictory yet genuine reflection of his intense emotions at that moment.

You lean against the railing, the cold touch coming from behind you quickly cooling your chaotic thoughts caused by the unexpected event.

Looking at Shikamaru, who is facing away from you, you warn him, "...There won't be a next time."

Shikamaru cast his gaze down at the streets below, which were gradually becoming deserted after the festival ended. "Who knows... what will happen in the future?" he asked softly, his tone elusive, as if he were asking you, or perhaps asking himself.

He took no further action, nor did he press the matter further.

You stood side by side on the open platform, at just the right distance.

Chapter 348 Summer Festival Ball (22)

As I returned to the villa under the moonlight, the moment I opened the door, a figure rushed over eagerly, carrying the fresh scent of soap after a bath.

"Nagi..." Sakura buried her face in the front of your slightly cool yukata, her voice muffled, carrying a sense of dependence as if she had found something she had lost.

You were jolted back half a step by her overly forceful hug, and looking down at the pink head in your arms with some surprise, you softly called out, "Sakura...?"

My gaze passed over Sakura's shoulder, and in the dim light, I could vaguely see a set of beautifully packaged books neatly stacked on the coffee table in the living room.

The unique cover design is the prize for the most popular item at the summer festival—a limited edition autographed romance comic.

I didn't expect the organizers to be so efficient; it was delivered so quickly.

Sakura noticed your gaze, but instead of letting go, she hugged you even tighter.

"Why...why are you so good to me..." she asked, as if she were questioning you, or perhaps herself. "So good that I'm hopelessly infatuated."

This unique attention and protection was like the sweetest poison, which had already eroded her defenses without her even realizing it.

She craved this warmth and this special feeling, yet she also felt uneasy and lost because of it.

"Because is you."

The simple four words made Sakura pause for a moment, and her arms, which were wrapped around you, stiffened instantly.

Because it's you...

Is it simply because it's her, Sakura Haruno?

She has always attributed her feelings for you to a familial dependence and protectiveness.

It was your loneliness when you first arrived that made her heart ache, and it was your occasional vulnerability that made her want to protect you. She thought it was just a deeper kind of kinship than friendship.

But it wasn't until today, at the hot spring inn, that she witnessed Uchiha Sasuke's loss of control over you, that she suddenly saw the truth about her own feelings.

It's not about protecting family members; it's about jealousy, possessiveness, and the fear of losing them.

She couldn't stand Sasuke touching you like that, and she couldn't imagine your gaze being completely stolen by someone else.

She wants you to stay by her side forever, she wants your gaze to linger, she wants to be the only special person in your world...

Even if this special bond is maintained only in the name of family.

Inside the Nara residence, afternoon sunlight streamed through the window lattice, but Nara Shikamaru sat somewhat absentmindedly at his desk. On the scroll laid out before him, the date July 18th was heavily circled in red ink, the ink seeming to carry a hint of anxiety.

His gaze fell on the red circle, but his thoughts had already drifted far away, his mind uncontrollably replaying the brief touch on the high platform last night, and your warning words.

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice when his father, Nara Shikaku, and mother, Nara Yoshino, quietly appeared behind him.

"Ahem." Shikaku cleared his throat, his deep voice abruptly pulling Shikamaru back to reality from his chaotic thoughts.

Shikamaru quickly suppressed his outward emotions and returned to his usual lazy demeanor, but the lingering melancholy between his brows did not escape his parents' notice.

"Why do you look so sullen since you came back from yesterday's fireworks festival?" Shikaku asked, feigning concern, but his eyes, sharp as ever, swept over Shikamaru's face.

Shikamaru pursed his lips, looked away, and did not answer.

He has never been one to voice his inner troubles, especially these kinds of emotions that even he himself feels are somewhat out of control.

Seeing her son's expression, Yoshino understood. She casually brought up the topic, her gentle tone hitting the nail on the head, "I remember your dance partner was supposed to be Uchiha Nagi, wasn't she?"

Sure enough, upon hearing this name, Shikamaru's expression darkened even further, and he couldn't even maintain his feigned laziness.

Shikaku and Yoshino exchanged a knowing glance, immediately grasping the crux of the problem.

"Is she unwilling to be your dance partner?" Yoshino frowned slightly, her tone tinged with doubt.

Based on her limited understanding of the Uchiha girl, although the child was aloof, she was not unreasonable. Since she had agreed, she should not go back on her word.

Shikamaru shook his head, his voice muffled, "It's not because of that..."

Seeing this, Shikaku reached out and patted Shikamaru's slightly thin shoulder with his thick, warm hand, his tone becoming earnest and earnest.

"If you have any worries, it's better to talk about them. The whole family can work together to find a solution. It's better than you keeping it bottled up inside." His eyes were full of encouragement and support, shedding his usual dignified demeanor as the clan leader. At this moment, he was just an ordinary father who cared about his son.

His father's words were like a warm current, quietly melting the icy shell in Shikamaru's heart.

He hesitated for a long time, his fingers unconsciously curling and relaxing, before finally speaking in a low voice.

“She…is very popular.” He seemed to think this was too understated, so he added, “Very…popular. I don’t seem to have any qualities that would make her notice me…”

His voice grew softer and softer, carrying a rare sense of self-doubt and confusion.

"And seeing so many people surrounding her, paying attention to her, I..." Shikamaru couldn't find the right words to describe the tightness in his chest, "I'm not sure if this feeling... is still within the normal range..."

Upon hearing this, Yoshino's face showed a hint of surprise, which quickly turned into a knowing gentleness.

She sighed softly, "I never thought that Shikamaru, who hates trouble the most in our family, would one day be troubled by love."

Lu Jiu pondered for a moment, his gaze deep, and then slowly said, "Many times, things will deviate from our initial expectations, and the human heart is even more so, complex and unpredictable."

He looked at his son with a firm gaze, "But since you've chosen to get close to her, don't let external factors easily influence you and shake your resolve."