Chapter 132: Itachi's Hopes

"If I am to work with Karoso, then there is no problem."

Hearing this, Shisui showed a hint of joy. Li's strength was formidable; with his assistance, the mission would certainly be no issue.

Uchiha Li nodded upon seeing this and said, "Go, hurry and carry out the mission."

"I obey your will!" Shisui replied with his customary respect.

Uchiha Li nodded once more, then flicked his hands gently, activating the teleportation formation of Terra. Shisui stepped into the array, and his figure vanished.

Seeing Shisui depart, Uchiha Li quickly removed the mask from his face and the cloak from his shoulders, leaving Terra as well. To buy himself some time, he had intentionally slowed the teleportation speed on Shisui's end, so Shisui would likely have to wait a while in the transit channel. It was unavoidable; after all, he was stretched thin and had to play two roles at once.

"If only I could create a shadow clone within Terra, that would be ideal." The thought crossed Uchiha Li's mind, but he did not dwell on it.

Back in reality, Uchiha Li stepped out of the abandoned shack and found a shady spot to wait. After a while, a portal appeared beside him, and Shisui stepped out.

As soon as Shisui emerged, he was drenched in sweat, his complexion looking quite ghastly. Evidently, the prolonged time spent in the space-time channel had caused the dizziness to accumulate.

"Why did that transport take so long? Is it because the distance between the Leader and Li is too great?" Shisui fought the urge to vomit, feeling puzzled.

However, he quickly noticed Uchiha Li standing nearby, regained his composure, and said, "Li, the Leader has given us a mission to complete."

Uchiha Li suppressed a laugh and replied with a straight face, "I see. I have received the notification as well. Let’s head out shortly."

He paused for a moment before adding, "But before we do, we must go and tell Itachi." Although the boy was his student of convenience, since he was leaving the village for a mission, he felt it necessary to inform him.

Shisui was slightly taken aback, then chuckled. "I almost forgot, you are Itachi's teacher now." He added thoughtfully, "Itachi is truly lucky to have a teacher like you!"

Having become the person who knew most of Uchiha Li's secrets, he naturally understood just how powerful Li was. While his good friend Itachi was a genius within the clan, with talent no weaker than his own, he still paled in comparison to Uchiha Li. In his view, with Li's guidance, Itachi would surely grow rapidly.

"Perhaps," Uchiha Li replied calmly to Shisui's comment. Whether Itachi was lucky or not, he couldn't say, but he knew the boy was certainly going through a grueling time.

Without further ado, Uchiha Li led Shisui toward the waterfall. Along the way, he asked how Shisui had encountered the "Moon Lake." At this point in time, the Moon Lake shouldn't have appeared. Toneri was the same age as Naruto and Hinata—only about three years old. At that age, surely Toneri couldn't have already developed an obsession with Hinata?

"Wait, I recall that in the movie, Toneri mentioned he had seen Hinata in a special way when they were young."

"At the time, it seemed Toneri thought Hinata looked cute, and that fixation sprouted as he grew..."

Thinking of this, a strange expression crossed Uchiha Li's face. Could Toneri's secret visit to see Hinata be happening right now? That would explain why the Moon Lake opened, and why Shisui had stumbled upon it while on a mission. Shisui, not knowing the circumstances, had become trapped in the space-time rift of the Moon Lake.

Noticing the change in Uchiha Li's expression, Shisui feared his description had been unclear. "Li, did I not explain it clearly?"

Uchiha Li shook his head. "No, it's just that I suddenly remembered something." If his guess was correct, should one call Toneri high-standard, or simply "precocious"? Three years old—Uchiha Li remembered clearly that he had almost no memories from before the age of three in his previous life.

"Oh, as long as there is no problem," Shisui said, not pressing for details.

Soon, the two arrived at the waterfall where Itachi was training. Even in their absence, Itachi had not slacked off and was training diligently. Though he was soaked through and his face looked exhausted, he did not give up.

"Li, is this how you usually train Itachi?" Shisui swallowed hard. "Isn't it a bit too harsh?" Seeing Itachi so worn out, Shisui felt a pang of sympathy. But he chose not to intervene, even as Itachi's friend. Uchiha Li was the teacher, and it was not his place to interfere with the training.

Uchiha Li patted Shisui's shoulder. "Don't worry, I know my limits. While this physical training is grueling, for Itachi, who has already awakened his Sharingan, it is not actually a problem."

Shisui stroked his chin. "That is true." As a member of the Uchiha clan who had also awakened the Sharingan, he understood what Li meant.

Uchiha Li turned to the boy. "Itachi, take a break. I have something to tell you. Also, Shisui is here."

Hearing this, Itachi, who had been in the middle of training, felt a jolt of energy, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. Ignoring the water dripping from him, he jogged over. "Shisui-san, you're here."

Shisui smiled warmly at him. "Yes, I have a mission to complete with Li, so I thought I'd stop by to see you."

Itachi looked to Uchiha Li.

"Shisui and I are leaving the village for a mission, so you will have to train on your own these next few days," Uchiha Li said flatly. He paused before adding, "Remember, even if I am not here, you are not to slack off."

A flash of frustration crossed Itachi's heart. But then, seeing Shisui nearby, he suddenly had an idea. Gritting his teeth, Itachi looked at Uchiha Li with wide eyes, his usual composure replaced by a look of longing that Uchiha Li had never seen before: "Teacher, Shisui-san, I don't know what kind of mission you are going on, but could you take me with you?"

He didn't want to continue this training alone, and since Shisui was going out, he wanted to join them. Even if it meant wearing an expression of shameful desperation he had never dared to show before.

Seeing this, Shisui instinctively looked at Uchiha Li. As for Uchiha Li, he was completely stunned by this sudden shift in Itachi's demeanor. He had never imagined that this boy could ever wear such an expression.