"All right, I've given you the answer. It's fine if you don't understand it now. You'll get it when you're a little older. If all else fails, you can just ask Kakashi."
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"Oh, speaking of Kakashi, he should be waking up soon. Take him with you. You can consider your mission complete."
Shirozumi glanced at Kakashi, lying on the ground in the distance.
Unlike in the original story, where Kakashi remained unconscious for a long time after Tsukuyomi, Itachi had held back this time after Shirozumi talked him into it.
He hadn't made Kakashi suffer through seventy-two hours of torment in the Tsukuyomi Space.
He'd only made Kakashi relive the fond memory of the Chidori piercing Rin.
That hadn't been difficult for Itachi.
It was just like how he helped Sasuke remember the Night of the Clan Massacre.
The only tricky part was that Itachi hadn't experienced that battle himself.
Luckily, helpful Shirozumi had prepared a script and pictures in advance, giving Itachi a model to follow.
The three-man team spent a long time looking for their carriage, only to discover Zabuza had chopped it to pieces during the fight.
In the end, Naruto had to 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 get more nutrients?"
Sasuke couldn't make heads or tails of Shirozumi's answer.
Thinking back to how Shirozumi had said he'd already awakened his Sharingan, but couldn't use it proficiently because his physical abilities weren't good enough, Sasuke figured it must have something to do with that.
But then he reconsidered. How could that be it?
This was the ultimate way to evolve the Sharingan!
And what did he mean by drinking Naruto's milk?
"Hey, dead last, is there anything special about your milk?"
Confused, Sasuke turned to Naruto and asked.
"Nothing special. It's just kind of sour. At first, I threw it away, but then Choji told me it was yogurt, so I stopped. Why?"
Naruto rubbed his chin, trying to remember.
"Idiot, it was spoiled!"
Sasuke was speechless.
How had Naruto survived this long, drinking sour, expired milk as yogurt, and still ended up with such a strong body?
"What's expired?"
Kakashi, on Naruto's back, opened his eyes groggily.
Since this Genjutsu had originally been meant for Sasuke alone, Kakashi didn't need to stay unconscious for ten days or half a month. He'd woken up quickly.
Once he was awake, Kakashi soon regained the ability to move and climbed down from Naruto's back.
"Hmm?"
Kakashi tugged at his mask. It felt uncomfortable inside, as if something had been stuffed in there.
Smack.
A neatly folded piece of paper fell out.
Kakashi hesitated, then unfolded it and read it through.
He'd already figured out who had put the paper there.
But its contents left him even more confused.
Sasuke needed to ask Kakashi for an explanation, so he recounted what had just happened and the parts of the story Shirozumi had told him.
The line about "powerful enemies invading the Shinobi World in the future, requiring the gathering of great strength" gave Kakashi a temporary explanation he could accept.
They hadn't just let three Genin and a Jonin who'd lost his ability to fight go with ease—they'd also given him and Sasuke all kinds of advice on training.
It was hard to explain that as simply "not being hostile."
"So, Kakashi, what exactly is this milk? He said I'd understand when I was a little older, and that I could ask you if I didn't. You know, right?"
Sasuke stared at Kakashi, pressing him for an answer.
"Milk..."
Kakashi had been a closet pervert who'd read the Make-Out Series since he was young. It took only a little thought about the context for him to understand what it meant.
He also deduced what Shirozumi had meant by "the first method"—the method Madara Uchiha had used.
After all, Kakashi had lived through Orochimaru's defection, and he had a good buddy named Yamato.
If you wanted to obtain another person's Chakra, the method was cell transplantation.
Cutting a piece of flesh from a living person was the simplest way.
But the second method—the "milk"—did seem possible too.
It was just a little...
perverted.
It seemed even more stimulating than the Make-Out Series he read.
Kakashi suddenly wished Shirozumi were a novelist too, so he could read his books.
Seeing Kakashi's expression shift through all sorts of changes, Sasuke couldn't help asking, "Kakashi, you know, don't you? Tell me!"
"Sasuke, since he said you'd understand when you're a little older, why are you in such a hurry?
"You're still a long way from that stage.
"And this really is a little... If people found out, ordinary folks would look at you strangely."
Kakashi tried to talk him down, speaking earnestly.
"Huh? He said something like that too—that people might look at me strangely, or something... Kakashi, I'm a ninja. Are you saying I can't even endure that? How am I supposed to get revenge... to kill that man?"
Hearing Kakashi say nearly the same thing as Shirozumi had, Sasuke was even more certain Kakashi knew the answer. He declared his resolve.
"I'm not trying to stop you. It's just that this really isn't something you should know about right now, and you need to be mentally prepared."
Kakashi was at a loss.
If what that man had said was true, and Sasuke needed this to evolve his Sharingan to its final stage, then Kakashi could only support Sasuke in choosing the second method to avoid hurting Naruto.
Of course, there was another option that would satisfy both sides.
Sasuke didn't have to gain any "ultimate power" at all.
If Kakashi, as his teacher, could become strong enough to protect his subordinates and students, perhaps Sasuke wouldn't have to face such a difficult choice.
At that thought, Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan appeared in Kakashi's mind.
In fact, Shirozumi had sent Itachi after Kakashi and left him the note to "speed things up."
Kakashi's situation was similar to Sasuke's.
Sasuke had awakened his Sharingan on the Night of the Clan Massacre, but couldn't use it properly until the Land of Waves.
Kakashi had awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan on the Night of Rin's Death, but it wasn't until after the Chunin Ninja Exams, when Itachi hit him with Tsukuyomi, that he discovered and slowly began developing Kamui.
Now Shirozumi was getting Kakashi to start developing Kamui early.
The note's instructions were simple.
It told Kakashi to use his Mangekyō Sharingan against Konoha's sewage pool as much as possible while training.
Kakashi didn't understand what Shirozumi meant, and he had no chance to ask.
But so far, Shirozumi hadn't shown any ill intent. On the contrary, he'd helped them a great deal.
It was a little nauseating to think about, but not impossible to accept.
Kakashi decided that once he'd researched and developed his Mangekyō Sharingan ability, he'd train according to Shirozumi's instructions.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, the Masked Man had just ordered a plate of curry rice. He entered Kamui Space, took off his mask, and began eating. Suddenly, he sneezed.
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