Chapter 13: Deciding to Train at the Transformation Pool
"Alright, I've given you the answer. It's fine if you don't understand it now, you'll understand when you're older. And if you really can't figure it out, you can just ask Kakashi."
"Oh, speaking of Kakashi, he should wake up soon. You can take him with you; your mission is already complete."
Shiromo glanced toward Kakashi, who was lying on the ground in the distance.
Unlike in the original story, where Kakashi remained unconscious for a long time after being subjected to Tsukuyomi, Itachi held back this time at Shiromo's urging.
He didn't let Kakashi suffer through the agonizing seventy-two hours of torment inside the Tsukuyomi space.
Instead, he merely allowed Kakashi to relive one "beautiful" memory: Chidori piercing through Rin.
This wasn't difficult for Itachi.
It was similar to how he had helped Sasuke recall the night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre.
The only difficulty was that Itachi hadn't personally experienced that battle himself.
Fortunately, the ever-prepared Shiromo had arranged a script and reference images in advance, providing a template that allowed Itachi to follow along smoothly.
The trio searched for a carriage for a long time, only to discover that all of them had already been killed by Zabuza during the battle.
In the end, Naruto had no choice but to carry Kakashi on his back as the three of them hurriedly departed.
---
On the way back to Konoha.
"Drink a glass of milk? What does that mean? To replenish nutrition?"
Sasuke was completely baffled by Shiromo's answer.
Recalling Shiromo's earlier statement, that he had already awakened the Sharingan but couldn't master it due to insufficient foundational ability, Sasuke initially assumed the advice was related to that.
But then he reconsidered.
How could that be?
This was supposed to be the method for the Ultimate Evolution of the Sharingan!
And what exactly did "drink Naruto's milk" mean?
"Hey, you loser," Sasuke said, puzzled as he turned to Naruto. "Is there anything special about your milk?"
"Nothing special," Naruto replied. "Just a little sour. I used to throw it away, but then Chōji told me it was called yogurt, so I stopped throwing it away. What's wrong?"
Naruto stroked his chin as he tried to remember.
"Idiot," Sakura said flatly. "That's expired."
Sasuke was left speechless.
Drinking spoiled, sour milk and calling it yogurt, how had Naruto survived this long and still ended up so healthy?
"What's expired?"
Kakashi, who was still on Naruto's back, groggily opened his eyes.
Since the genjutsu had originally been a special "treatment" meant for Sasuke, Kakashi didn't need to remain unconscious for ten days or half a month. He recovered quickly.
After waking up, he soon regained his mobility and climbed down from Naruto's back.
"Hm?"
Kakashi tugged at his mask, feeling an odd discomfort inside, as though something had been stuffed there.
Thud.
A neatly folded piece of paper fell to the ground.
Kakashi paused for a moment before picking it up and unfolding it.
He was certain who had put it there.
However, the contents only left him more confused.
Wanting an explanation, Sasuke recounted what had just happened and relayed part of what Shiromo had told him.
The phrase "The future ninja world will face a powerful invasion, requiring the gathering of great strength" gave Kakashi a reason he could temporarily accept.
After all, not only had they effortlessly incapacitated him, a jōnin, along with three genin, but they had also allowed them to leave unharmed, and even provided training guidance for both him and Sasuke.
This could no longer be explained by mere "lack of hostility."
"So, Kakashi," Sasuke said, staring straight at him, "what exactly is 'milk'? He said I'd understand when I'm older, and if I don't, I can ask you. You definitely know, right?"
"Milk…"
Kakashi, a reserved man who had been reading the 'Icha Icha Series' since his teenage years, immediately understood the implication after piecing together the context.
He even deduced the "first method" Shiromo had mentioned, the one Uchiha Madara had used.
After all, Kakashi had witnessed Orochimaru's defection and had a close acquaintance named Yamato.
To obtain another person's chakra, the most direct method was cell transplantation.
Taking a piece of flesh from a living person was the simplest approach.
As for the second method..."milk", it also seemed theoretically feasible.
It was just…
A bit perverted.
In fact, it felt even more stimulating than the 'Icha Icha Series' he usually read. Kakashi suddenly wished Shiromo was a novelist so he could read his works.
Seeing Kakashi's constantly shifting expression, Sasuke pressed him again.
"Kakashi, you know, don't you? Tell me!"
"Sasuke," Kakashi said seriously, "since he already told you that you'll understand when you're older, why are you in such a hurry?"
"You're still far from that stage. Besides, this is really something that, if people found out, would make ordinary folks look at you very strangely."
Kakashi spoke earnestly.
"Huh? He said that too, that it might make people look at me strangely," Sasuke replied. "But Kakashi, as a ninja, can't I even endure that much? How else can I take revenge… how can I kill that man?"
Hearing Kakashi echo Shiromo's words only convinced Sasuke further that Kakashi truly understood.
"I'm not trying to stop you," Kakashi said helplessly. "But this really isn't something you should know right now. And when the time comes, you'll need to be mentally prepared."
If what Shiromo said was true, and Sasuke truly needed this method to advance his Sharingan to its final stage, then to avoid harming Naruto, Kakashi could only support Sasuke choosing the second option.
Of course, there was still a perfect alternative.
That Sasuke wouldn't need to pursue any so-called "ultimate power" at all.
If, as a sensei, Kakashi was strong enough to protect his students and comrades, perhaps Sasuke would never have to face such a choice.
As this thought crossed his mind, Kakashi recalled Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan.
In truth, Shiromo had deliberately arranged for Itachi to attack Kakashi and leave behind the note precisely to "accelerate the process."
Kakashi's situation closely mirrored Sasuke's.
Sasuke awakened his Sharingan on the night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre, but he couldn't use it properly until the Land of Waves mission. Kakashi awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan on the day Rin died, yet it wasn't until after the Chūnin Exams, when Itachi used Tsukuyomi on him, that he became aware of it and slowly began developing Kamui.
Now, Shiromo was pushing Kakashi to begin developing Kamui ahead of schedule.
The contents of the note were simple.
It instructed Kakashi to use it on Konoha's septic tanks whenever possible during training.
Kakashi didn't understand what Shiromo meant, nor did he have any opportunity to ask.
However, up to this point, Shiromo hadn't shown any hostility. On the contrary, he had offered them considerable help.
The method was somewhat disgusting, but not entirely unacceptable.
Kakashi decided that once he had researched and developed his Mangekyō Sharingan's abilities, he would attempt to practice according to Shiromo's instructions.
Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, a masked man had just ordered a plate of curry rice. After entering the Kamui dimension and removing his mask, he had only just begun to eat when he suddenly sneezed.
(End of this chapter)