Deciding to Train in the Transformation Pool

"Alright, I've given you the answer. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it right now; you'll get it when you're a bit older. If you really can't figure it out, you can just ask Kakashi."

"Oh, speaking of Kakashi, he should be waking up soon. You lot can take him and go; your mission is considered complete."

Shirozumi glanced at Kakashi, who was lying on the ground in the distance.

Unlike the original story where Kakashi fell into a long coma after being hit by the Tsukuyomi Space, this time, Itachi had held back at Shirozumi's urging.

He hadn't forced Kakashi to endure seventy-two hours of agony within the Tsukuyomi Space.

He had merely let Kakashi relive the fond memory of the Chidori piercing Rin.

This wasn't a difficult task for Itachi.

It was just like how he would help Sasuke relive the Night of the Clan Massacre.

The only challenge was that Itachi hadn't personally experienced that battle himself.

Fortunately, the helpful Shirozumi had prepared a script and images in advance, providing a template so that Itachi only needed to follow along.

The three-man squad searched for their carriage for a long time, only to find it had been hacked to pieces by Zabuza during the fight.

In the end, they had no choice but to have Naruto carry Kakashi on his back, and the three of them hurried away.

On the road back to Konoha.

"Drink a glass of milk? What does that mean? To supplement nutrition?"

Sasuke was completely baffled by Shirozumi's answer.

He thought about how Shirozumi had just said he had already awakened the Sharingan, but couldn't master it yet due to insufficient physical foundation, so he assumed it was related to that.

But then he thought, how could that be?

This was supposed to be the method for the ultimate evolution of the Sharingan!

And what did "drink Naruto's milk" even mean?

"Hey, dead last, is there something special about the milk at your place?"

While Sasuke was lost in doubt, he turned his head to look at Naruto and asked.

"Nothing special? It just tastes a bit sour sometimes. I used to throw it away, but then Choji told me that's called yogurt, so I stopped throwing it out. Why?"

Naruto rubbed his chin, recalling.

"Idiot, that's expired!"

Sasuke was speechless for a moment.

Drinking expired, sour milk as yogurt—how had he survived until now, and how was his physical condition still so good?

"What's expired?"

Kakashi, on Naruto's back, opened his eyes groggily.

Since this Genjutsu had been specifically tailored for Sasuke this time, Kakashi naturally didn't need to be unconscious for ten days or half a month, and he woke up quickly.

Once awake, Kakashi soon regained his ability to move and climbed down from Naruto's back.

"Hmm?"

Kakashi tugged at his mask, feeling something uncomfortable inside, as if something had been stuffed in there.

Plop.

A folded piece of paper fell out.

Kakashi hesitated for a moment before opening it to read.

He was already certain who had placed this paper there.

However, the content of the note only left Kakashi more confused.

Because Sasuke needed to seek an explanation from Kakashi, he recounted what had just happened, along with part of the story Shirozumi had told him.

The phrase "the Shinobi World will face an invasion by a powerful enemy in the future, and we need to gather great strength" served as a reason that could temporarily convince Kakashi.

After all, the enemy hadn't just easily let go of three Genin and a Jonin who had lost his ability to fight; he had also given him and Sasuke various pointers on their training.

This could no longer be explained away as "having no hostility."

"So, Kakashi, what exactly is the milk? He said I'd naturally understand when I'm older, or I could ask you if I didn't. You definitely know, right!"

Sasuke stared at Kakashi, pressing him for an answer.

"Milk..."

As someone who had been reading the "Make-Out Series" since his youth, Kakashi, a closet pervert, immediately understood the implication once he connected the context.

He even deduced the "first method" Shirozumi had mentioned—the method used by Madara Uchiha.

After all, Kakashi had lived through the incident of Orochimaru's defection and had a good friend named Yamato.

The way to obtain another person's Chakra was through cell transplantation.

Carving a piece of flesh from a living person was the simplest method.

However, the second method, the so-called "milk," also seemed truly feasible.

It was just a bit...

Perverted.

It felt even more stimulating than the Make-Out Series he read.

Kakashi suddenly wished that Shirozumi were also a novelist, so he could read the stories he wrote.

On Sasuke's side, seeing Kakashi's expressions shift through various changes, he couldn't help but speak up: "Kakashi, you know, don't you? Tell me quickly!"

"Sasuke, since he already said that you'll understand when you grow up, why are you in such a hurry?

Besides, you're still a long way from that stage.

And this matter is truly a bit... once it becomes known, it's very easy to be looked at with strange eyes by ordinary people."

Kakashi tried to persuade him with earnest words.

"Huh? He said that too, saying something about potentially suffering the strange gazes of secular people... Kakashi, as a ninja, can I not even endure these things? Then how am I supposed to take my revenge... and kill that man!"

Hearing Kakashi say something similar to Shirozumi, Sasuke was now even more certain that Kakashi knew, and he even voiced his determination.

"I don't mean to stop you, it's just that this matter is truly not suitable for you to know right now, and you really need to prepare yourself mentally."

Kakashi felt very helpless.

If, as that person said, Sasuke's Sharingan needed this to advance to the end, then in order not to hurt Naruto, Kakashi could only support Sasuke in choosing the second method.

Of course, there was also a choice that could satisfy both sides.

That was for Sasuke not to need to obtain any "ultimate power."

If he, as a teacher, could be strong enough to protect his subordinates and students, then perhaps he wouldn't have to face such difficult choices.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan surfaced in Kakashi's mind.

In fact, Shirozumi having Itachi attack Kakashi and leaving the note was all to "speed up the progress."

Kakashi's situation was similar to Sasuke's.

Sasuke awakened his Sharingan on the Night of the Clan Massacre and couldn't use it normally until the Land of Waves.

Kakashi awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan on the Night of Rin's Death, and it wasn't until after the Chunin Exams, when he was hit by Itachi's Tsukuyomi, that he discovered it and slowly began to develop Kamui.

Now, Shirozumi was simply making Kakashi start developing Kamui ahead of schedule.

The content on the paper was also very simple.

It told Kakashi that when training, he should use it on Konoha's septic tank as much as possible.

Kakashi didn't understand what Shirozumi meant by this, and he had no chance to ask.

However, so far, Shirozumi hadn't shown any malice; on the contrary, he had given them a lot of help.

This matter looked a bit nauseating, but it wasn't entirely unacceptable.

Kakashi decided that once he researched and developed the Mangekyō Sharingan's ability, he would practice according to Shirozumi's method.

At this moment, the Masked Man, who was thousands of miles away, had just ordered a serving of Curry Rice, entered the Kamui Space, and taken off his mask to start eating, when he suddenly sneezed.