Naruto Immersive Replay, The Curse of the Sharingan

Liang Ying released his grip, and the Thousand-Armed ninja hurriedly took a few steps back, his eyes behind the mask filled with vigilance. "He... he suddenly asked me about Elder Tao Hua's whereabouts..."

"Momoka?" Madara raised an eyebrow at Ryoei. "A female Jonin of the Senju clan?"

Liangying's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, her knuckles turning white. "Is she... alright?"

The Thousand Hands Ninja gave him a strange look. "Wasn't Elder Momoka already infected? She's in the quarantine area on the east side."

These words pierced Liang Ying's chest like a kunai. He abruptly turned to rush eastward, but Leng Xi grabbed him, saying, "Are you crazy! The clan leader won't allow it—"

"I haven't found her yet, what right do you have to stop me?" Liang Ying grabbed Leng Xi's collar with her backhand, her Sharingan spinning wildly. Their noses were almost touching, and their breaths were filled with the smell of gunpowder.

Leng Xi did not struggle, but calmly stated the facts, "The clan leader will not allow you to do this."

These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over him. Liangying's hand slowly loosened, and the madness in his eyes faded, replaced by an unfathomable despair.

Yes... Madara would never allow his brother to be in danger.

Ban watched this scene from afar, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He walked slowly over, his black boots making a soft cracking sound as they stepped on the scorched earth.

“Liangying.” He stopped in front of his younger brother, his voice unusually gentle. “The firewall on the east side needs to be reinforced.”

This wasn't an order, but a way out. Liang Ying's shoulders trembled slightly, and she finally lowered her head. "...Yes."

As Liangying turned to leave, Ban noticed a fresh scratch mark next to the clan crest tattoo on the back of his neck, as if left by a woman's fingernail.

This discovery made Madara squint, recalling Liang Ying's frequent "patrol missions" over the past six months, and the occasional scent of hair he brought back that didn't belong to the Uchiha clan.

The flames crackled, illuminating Ban's obscure profile.

He didn't reveal the secret, but simply gave Leng Xi a wink. The young Uchiha immediately understood and silently followed Liang Ying's back.

Hashirama walked to Madara's side, hesitating to speak.

Ban knew what he wanted to ask: about Ryoei and Momoka, about the impossible relationship between two sworn enemies, but some questions have no answers, like the water of the Naka River, which can never flow backward.

"The firewall will need to be rearranged in three days," Madara abruptly changed the subject. "The Uchiha ninjas will take turns guarding it."

Uchiha Setsuna strode at the front of the group, his high-collared clan robes covering his lean body like a drawn blade.

He suddenly turned around, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "What noble qualities! You'd even abandon your fiancée for this mission!"

His words pierced the core of the Uchiha clan like poison needles. The young elder's fingers clenched so tightly they cracked, but he swallowed his rebuttal.

The image of Chuan Lan leaving flashed before his eyes: those almond-shaped eyes, always brimming with smiles, brimming with tears, her fingernails leaving deep scratches on the back of his neck, her voice trembling as she pleaded, "Please, you must come back alive..."

"Stop talking for a moment!"

Izuna quickly stepped between the two, her black hair fluttering in the wind.

He pressed down on Setsuna's shoulder, the pressure just right, somewhere between dissuasion and warning.

He clicked his tongue in an instant, his crimson Sharingan flashing eerily in the twilight. He deliberately bumped into the fire core with his shoulder and walked toward the mission location without looking back.

“Don’t mind him,” Izuna turned to the fire core, lowering his voice, “Setsuna is used to being sharp-tongued, he was just worried about you and Kawarashi.”

Firecore shook its head, its eyes fixed on the burning wall of fire in the distance. "I know."

The two walked side by side, their boots crunching over the withered grass, producing a soft, mournful sound.

Izuna suddenly squeezed Fire Core's shoulder hard, so hard it almost left a bruise. "You must take good care of yourself. I'm still waiting to go back and drink your and Kawanashi's wedding wine."

Fire Core's Adam's apple bobbed, and he forced a smile, patting Izuna's hand. "It's a deal, so don't make excuses not to drink!"

“Of course not,” Izuna withdrew his hand, a shadow unseen by the firelight flashing in his eyes, “We’ll drink until we drop!”

The two looked at each other and laughed. Their laughter sounded particularly crisp and fragile in the tense atmosphere.

That laughter held so many unspoken meanings: the fear of death, the uncertainty of the future, and the thought buried deep in their hearts that they dared not utter aloud—perhaps this was the last time they would walk side by side.

As the laughter subsided, Fire Core noticed that Izuna's gaze unconsciously drifted towards the clan's territory, where his older brother, Uchiha Madara, was now facing unknown dangers alone.

“The clan leader will be alright,” Firecore suddenly said, his tone as certain as if it were some kind of prophecy.

Izuna withdrew his gaze, the smile on his lips fading slightly. "Ah, of course." He released his grip, turned to face the mission location, and said, "It's time to set off."

Meanwhile, Uchiha Yoshihide had already made his way to the eastern side of the Senju clan's territory, following the map.

The quarantine zone was sealed off by a tall wooden wall, from which a strange green glow seeped out as the vines intertwined.

He stood in the shadows, his Sharingan frantically scanning every crack in the wall, his fingers unconsciously stroking the edge of the kunai.

The name "Taohua..." had rolled over his lips a thousand times, but now it sounded metallic. He took a few steps back, preparing to use it as leverage to leap over the wall.

A pebble struck him precisely in the back of the knee, and Liang Ying groaned as he fell to his knees. Turning his head, he saw Leng Xi standing on a treetop with a samurai sword in hand, the moonlight casting a cold, silvery glow on him.

"I knew you wouldn't behave." Leng Xi's voice was colder than a blade.

Liangying scrambled to his feet, not even bothering to brush the dust off his clothes. "Let me go find her!" His voice was extremely low, yet it couldn't hide the tremor within it. "Just one glance... to confirm if she..."

“You know perfectly well that this is impossible.” Leng Xi interrupted him, raising the tip of her knife slightly, pointing it at Liang Ying’s throat. “The clan leader will not allow it, nor will reason allow it.”

Liangying's Sharingan shone eerily in the darkness. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he just slumped down with a slump.

The moonlight shone on his clenched fist, and traces of blood seeped between his fingers; his nails had long since dug deep into his palm.

Leng Xi slowly lowered his knife, turned his back to Liang Ying, and said in a rare warmth, "After the mission is over... if she is still alive, I will help you find out information."

“...Okay.” Liangying finally lowered her head, her voice as soft as a wisp of smoke.

Leng Xi sheathed his sword and turned to walk towards the meeting point. He did not see Liang Ying slowly raise his face behind him. That face was no longer filled with despair, but with a terrifying calm, as if he had made some irreversible decision.

The night wind swept by, carrying ashes, and Liangying's clothes fluttered slightly, revealing a hairpin at her waist, a keepsake of Thousand Hands Peach Blossom, its cherry blossom pattern gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

He gently stroked the hairpin, his lips moving silently, "Wait for me."

The sound of the Nanga River sobbing seemed to be a premonition of the impending tragedy.

Madara Uchiha sat alone on a giant rock by the river, his fingertips caressing the emerald green flute, the body of which still retained the faint fragrance of your fingertips.

A night breeze stirred, ruffling his loose black hair. With his eyes closed, the image of you playing the flute floated into his mind: black hair cascading over your shoulders, eyelashes casting fan-shaped shadows in the firelight, lips lightly touching the flute holes...

The sound of footsteps interrupted his thoughts. Without opening his eyes, Madara knew who it was. The footsteps were steady yet slightly hesitant. Only Ryoei in the entire Uchiha clan could match them.

Liangying's voice was lower than usual. Ban opened his eyes and saw his younger brother neatly placing his ninja tool bag and samurai sword aside, then kneeling upright on the gravel beach.

The moonlight shone on his straight back, casting a solitary shadow.

"What are you doing?" Ban frowned, twirling the flute in his palm. Liangying was always the most sensible person and would never make such a humble gesture.

Liang Ying raised her head, the three tomoe in her eyes glowing with an eerie red light in the night. "Please allow me to go to the eastern quarantine zone."

Ban's breath hitched. The eastern quarantine zone was the deadliest area of ​​the plague, where all the infected would be sent to die.

"Are you crazy? That could kill you!"

“I know.” Liangying’s voice was choked with a sob that Ban had never heard before.

"Knowing that you still—"

Ban's angry rebuke stuck in his throat, and the moonlight shone directly on Liang Ying's face, revealing two reflective tear streaks.

This discovery struck Ban like a thunderbolt; of all his younger brothers, Ryohei was the strongest and most composed.

“Brother,” Liangying’s voice was as soft as a falling leaf, “if you were in this situation, and Elder Nagi was in the quarantine zone, what would you choose? Would you watch her die, or would you rather face death with her?”

These words struck Madara like a heavy blow to the chest. His Sharingan contracted violently, and your image instantly appeared in his mind: a pale face and a blind left eye.

The answer is obvious: he would rather go to hell with you than allow you to face death alone.

Ban suddenly fell silent. He couldn't refute Liangying because the assumption pointed directly to his deepest fear. He turned around, his back to Liangying, and his fingers unconsciously touched the flute in his arms.

"Let me go," Liang Ying's voice came from behind, already calm.

"After I die, have Lengxi return these Sharingan to Elder Nagi. These were originally Uchiha Suku's eyes, and Elder Nagi is already blind in her left eye, so she needs these eyes more than I do."

"No, Second Brother!"

Uchiha Gen's cries ripped through the silence of the night. The boy rushed out of the bushes and hugged Ryoei tightly from behind. His tears instantly soaked through his blue clan uniform. Izuna and Kiyo followed closely behind.

"There must be another way!" Izuna grabbed Ryoei's arm, his grip so tight it felt like he was about to crush the bones. "Second brother, we can't act impulsively..."

Qi Ye didn't speak, but his gloomy face was more persuasive than any words.

He drew his long sword directly, its gleaming blade blocking Liang Ying's path, his eyes sharp as knives.

Liangying slowly stood up, leaving his ninja tool bag and weapons behind. He rubbed Xuan's soft black hair, then glanced at Izuna and Qiye's young faces, and finally bowed deeply to Madara, "Big brother, I entrust my younger brothers to your care."

He turned and walked toward the blade, and Qi Ye's hands began to tremble.

"Let him go," Ban suddenly said, his voice hoarse.

"Big brother!" the three younger brothers exclaimed in unison.

Ban didn't turn his head. The moonlight illuminated half of his face, making it pale, while the other half remained hidden in shadow. His knuckles were white as he gripped the flute tightly. "This is Liangying's own choice."

Liangying chuckled softly, but tears welled up in her eyes again. "Thank you, brother."

Qi Ye's sword clattered to the ground. Liang Ying bent down to pick it up and gently helped him sheath it. "Uchiha... I'm leaving it to you."

His fingers traced the old strips of cloth wrapped around the hilt of the knife, which Qi Ye had personally wrapped when he went on his first mission.

“I’m going to find her,” Liangying said, looking towards the quarantine area. Her voice was as soft as a breeze. “I can’t let her face this alone.”

As he took his first step, Izuna suddenly hugged him from behind.

The usually calm and composed third brother buried his face between his shoulder blades, warm liquid seeping into his clothes. "Second brother... I know I can't keep you here, but... take care."

Liang Ying froze for a moment, then resolutely pried open Quan Nai's fingers. Without turning back, he walked step by step toward the quarantine zone shrouded in fluorescent light in the distance, his figure gradually swallowed by the night.

Chapter 70 Cremation

Xuan cried so hard he almost suffocated, but was held tightly in Qi Ye's arms. Izuna stood there, the touch of Liang Ying's clothes still lingering in his hands.

The owl cried in the distance, its mournful cry like a death knell. Madara suddenly remembered that rainy night many years ago, when his father taught them that "the love of the Uchiha is deeper than that of anyone else."

Liangying was still young at the time, and asked innocently, "What if you fall in love with the enemy?"

The sound of his father's laughter still echoed in my ears: "Then get ready... to die for love."

A drop of liquid fell on the flute. Ban thought it was rain, but when he raised his hand, he felt his cheek was wet. Only then did he realize that he could cry.

The wind picked up, carrying ashes and unfinished whispers towards the quarantine zone.

An Uchiha is heading towards his destiny, or rather, towards his love.

Ban looked up at the blood-red moon and suddenly felt an unprecedented weariness.

Plague, death, separation—all of this reminded him of the cursed prophecy: the Uchiha clan would ultimately perish amidst the cracks of love and hate.

“Nagi…” Madara whispered again, this time with a fear in his voice that even he himself was unaware of.

He couldn't imagine what he would become if you were faced with such a desperate situation one day.

It might be more terrifying than death, it might... destroy the entire world and take you with it.

The air in the quarantine zone was so thick it felt almost tangible, filled with a strange stench of herbs and decay. Senju Momoka huddled in a corner, her vision blurred by a high fever.

The eerie green patterns appearing on her skin were spreading, writhing like some kind of living thing; she knew her time was running out.

"Cough...cough cough..."

Another mouthful of blood gushed from her throat. Tao Hua was too lazy to wipe it away, letting it drip down her chin onto her already filthy clothes. Her vision began to blur, and the patterns on the wooden wall in the distance twisted into countless wailing faces.

She closed her eyes, thinking, "So be it, at least I can dream before I die..."

Momoka's eyelashes trembled. Was it an illusion? The quarantine zone had long been designated as a death zone, and even medical ninjas dared not approach it.

But the footsteps grew closer and closer, the crisp sound of footsteps crunching over withered branches and fallen leaves was terrifyingly real.

“Death…” she laughed hoarsely, “coming…so slowly…”

"Taohua, how are you?"

The voice was so real, even with trembling breaths. Tao Hua felt a pair of hands lift her up, the warmth of their palms almost burning her cold skin.

The man pulled her into his arms, his heart pounding like a drum, making her eardrums ache.

"Uchiha...Ryoei?"

Tao Hua's pupils suddenly contracted, and she grabbed Liang Ying's arm tightly, her nails digging deep into his flesh.

This was not an illusion. His breath sprayed on her neck, and his chakra surged like waves crashing against her senses. His clan robes still carried the scent of scorched earth from the banks of the Naka River.

"How did you get here?" Tao Hua suddenly struggled, pushing against his chest with all her might. "Go! Go!"

Her fingernails scratched bloody marks on Liangying's arm, but the man didn't budge; instead, he held her even tighter.