"I'm not very good with genjutsu—that's where you come in," Xia Li rolled her eyes.
"Me?" Sasuke's confusion deepened at her words.
"Yeah, wait a moment." Xia Li thought for a bit, then handed Sasuke a scroll and a mirror, gesturing for him to look.
Sasuke hesitated slightly before taking the mirror—and immediately froze. The blood-red eyes with double tomoe made him widen his eyes in shock.
"Sharingan! When will I ever have it?!"
His astonished voice reached Xia Li's ears. A moment later, he suddenly realized something and glared at Xia Li.
"That's right. It was because of what just happened that you awakened your Sharingan between life and death. You then tried to use genjutsu to save yourself, but I reflected it back into your own body," Xia Li explained after thinking for a moment.
After hearing Xia Li's explanation, Sasuke's gaze sharpened. He had already directly activated his double-tomoe Sharingan—if he tried again, could he awaken the three-tomoe form? That would make him as powerful as that person…
No, even if the first attempt failed, he could try again…
Sasuke's heart burned with determination.
"It's useless." Xia Li's next words were like a bucket of cold water, making Sasuke ask, unable to hide his frustration.
"Why?"
"Because this mirror only works the first time. If you try again, your subconscious will know that I won't kill you, and it won't work," Xia Li said, taking back the mirror and sealing it once more.
Sasuke fell silent. Indeed, if he tried again, he wouldn't need to subconsciously assume Xia Li wouldn't kill him. After a moment, he paused, thinking of something else.
After a long silence, Sasuke finally spoke again.
"I… I'm sorry."
"Huh? Why are you apologizing all of a sudden?" Xia Li asked, a little surprised.
"You clearly had my best interests at heart, but I doubted you before." Sasuke was silent for a moment, then turned his head and said coldly, "Xia Li, I won't ever doubt you again."
Xia Li paused, feeling both amused and touched. Sasuke was still that cute little kid, nothing like the cold, distant Itachi.
She couldn't help but reach out and ruffle his hair, messing up his hairstyle a little.
"Hey! I'm not a kid anymore!" Sasuke tried to stop her, but it was no use. Their strength difference was too great. He blushed and gave up resisting, unsure if he was angry—or something else.
As for Xia Li, he sensed that Sasuke's will to resist wasn't strong. In any case, the boy wasn't putting his full effort into stopping him.
"He's just a kid, isn't he?" Xia Li pressed down on Sasuke's head and compared their heights.
Sasuke got a little angry and finally turned his head to say, "You pervert, developing too fast!"
"Haha, Sasuke, put the Sharingan away. Even the Uchiha need chakra to maintain it," Xia Li said, watching Sasuke still using his Sharingan.
"Oh… okay." Sasuke nodded reluctantly. This was the power he had dreamed of. He wanted to experience it further, feeling his vision and perception subtly shift.
"Have you met your teacher yet?" Xia Li asked after Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan.
"Kakashi… do you know Xia Li?" Sasuke asked casually.
"Well, we don't know each other personally, but we're familiar with him. After all, he's someone of some renown," Xia Li said, looking at Sasuke. "And honestly, he would be a very suitable teacher for you."
"Really…" Sasuke examined Xia Li's relaxed demeanor. He was strong, but that lazy attitude seemed unbelievable.
"You'll understand soon. Also, now that you have teammates, think about them too. Don't focus solely on revenge," Xia Li said.
Sasuke fell silent, clenching his teeth. The image of that person appeared in his mind, and his recently retracted Sharingan came back to his vision involuntarily. "But… how can I let go…"
"I'm not asking you to abandon revenge. I'm just saying don't get consumed by it. Pay attention to your surroundings—many people are watching you," Xia Li sighed.
"You're already in a difficult position. If revenge becomes your whole life, it will only get harder."
Sasuke was momentarily speechless. His surroundings? Those aggressive women? Or… he looked at Xia Li.
Xia Li didn't notice his gaze. "You're teammates with Naruto, right? From what I know, he would never just stand by if you sought revenge. And your current abilities aren't enough to carry out your plan alone."
"For revenge," Sasuke muttered.
"Naruto?" Sasuke looked confused, recalling the blonde who always smiled. He was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Don't worry. He's five years older than you, which means he developed earlier. Your body is currently in a rapid growth phase, so don't rush it," Xia Li explained.
"But even in the future, he'll always be five years ahead…" Sasuke ground his teeth. By thirteen, he was a genin, while Naruto was already a jōnin. Even with the Sharingan, Sasuke might reach chunin, but nothing more.
Sasuke wasn't surprised Xia Li knew this. As a jōnin, she would have multiple sources of information.
"Yes, I know, but I believe you can catch up to him," Xia Li said.
"Why? He's thirteen and already a jōnin!" Sasuke asked, both confused and hopeful.
"Being a thirteen-year-old jōnin is rare, but I still think you can catch up because he has weaknesses," Xia Li replied.
Sasuke stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.
"That person was born during unstable times. Most children then had chakra extracted early, so his growth cycle was actually longer than you think. But early extraction has drawbacks—unless someone is exceptionally gifted, their chakra will quickly hit a ceiling and stop growing further," Xia Li said.
Sasuke didn't know if she was telling the truth, but he had only started extracting chakra at six, per his father's orders. Even in school, teachers warned against excessive chakra extraction at that age.
So… Xia Li was probably right. That person's chakra really was a weakness.
Suddenly, Sasuke asked, "You mean… Naruto's freakish physique?"
"Exactly. Naruto Uzumaki is a member of the Uzumaki clan. They all have enormous chakra reserves. Even if chakra is extracted early, most ordinary people couldn't match them—but it's more than enough for regular ninjas," Xia Li nodded.
Sasuke felt a twinge of envy. His own chakra wasn't small, but compared to Naruto's, it wasn't extraordinary.
Xia Li paused, then noticed Sasuke's envious expression and chuckled. "What are you envious of? Your Sharingan isn't inferior to that physique. If anyone should be envious, it should be me of you two."
Sasuke froze, then looked blankly at Xia Li. Right—he had forgotten. Xia Li didn't have any special bloodline. He had assumed otherwise because of Xia Li's strength and early growth.
So how had Xia Li become so powerful without a special lineage?
Sasuke was confused. Could someone reach that level purely through effort, or was Xia Li a genius?
Xia Li ruffled Sasuke's hair again.
"Don't rush. Every small step brings you closer. I believe one day, you will achieve your revenge. Working hard is natural, but also pay attention to your surroundings. Don't regret it only after revenge is complete. Life isn't just about revenge."
Xia Li spoke with warmth. This time, she had no intention of stopping him and continued after thinking for a moment.
"So when you encounter that person before reaching your potential, find a way to escape. Otherwise, you could endanger Naruto and Sakura—they would definitely help you."
"Those two…" Xia Li said, though in reality, she and the two no longer interacted. In school, they were merely rivals. And Xia Li knew Sakura's personality… aggressive, unlike Sasuke's true concern.
"So… Xia Li, will you help me too?" Sasuke asked, a hint of hope in his voice.
"Me?" Xia Li paused, then smiled oddly.
"I think it's better not to expect that person to show up for me."
Chapter 114: Meeting Naruto
"Why?"
Sasuke was confused. Xia Li hadn't refused to help, so what did she mean?
"Because if I meet him, you might not be able to take revenge with your own hands," Xia Li said confidently, smiling.
Xia Li recalled Itachi's abilities and knew he was far superior. With godlike vision, she rarely needed to open her eyes in battle, negating visual illusions and sealing genjutsu from the Sharingan.
What trump cards did he have left? Susanoo was dangerous but required massive Sharingan energy. Overuse would backfire. Even with Flying Thunder God, could one stop Susanoo?
And then there was Amaterasu. Let's test Xia Li first.
Next, jutsu would come into play. At that point, the stronger chakra and techniques would determine the battle.
Without the Sharingan, Itachi's strength would drop drastically—perhaps even below Kakashi.
Xia Li considered the advantages carefully. She only needed to engage in a war of attrition. Just like opponents can counter Orochimaru, she could exploit that property advantage. If the opponent had countered him, they probably had teammates already…
Xia Li recalled Kisame, always paired with that guy. Perhaps Kisame would be harder to face. Maybe she couldn't handle him now.
Sasuke froze hearing this, looking at Xia Li. If it were before, he would have argued—but now, he inexplicably trusted Xia Li.
Xia Li was a little surprised Sasuke didn't argue. He had been so adamant before, now he seemed to have changed his mind.
"I'll keep that in mind," Sasuke said finally, with a complex expression.
"That's good," Xia Li smiled. The original Sasuke had suffered so much. After the massacre, he had struggled to build bonds with Naruto, only for Orochimaru to destroy them. It took his brother's guidance to set him on the "right" path…
Many things couldn't be changed, but she hoped he could have a better future and perform well in the fourth match.
"Also, don't come here again. This place can't withstand your attacks," Xia Li said, glancing at the craters left by the explosions.
Sasuke looked at the scorch marks, nodding, then suddenly asked, "Xia Li, could you come to my training ground in the future?"
"Huh?" Xia Li paused, then smiled and nodded. "Sure."
"Then it's settled!" Sasuke said, leaving without looking back. But Xia Li saw a small smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Wait a moment," Xia Li called out.
"Hm?" Sasuke turned, puzzled.
"I'll give you something. Keep it safe." Xia Li tossed him a seemingly ordinary kunai.
Sasuke examined it. It looked ordinary, but it was heavier than normal and had some modifications on the handle.
"I'll keep it safe," Sasuke said, cradling the Flying Thunder God kunai carefully before leaving.
Xia Li watched his retreating figure, realizing that the lessons and gains he had today probably surpassed everything he had learned before.
With Sasuke's matters settled, it was now time to consider Naruto.
Xia Li sighed. Naruto's situation was actually more troublesome. To help him, she'd need the Third Hokage's consent. She could secretly adjust seals, but it wouldn't remain hidden.
Though she'd need approval, it wasn't difficult. The Third had seen Naruto use the Nine-Tails' power—he had been surprised but not overly worried.
Perhaps because he hadn't had time to worry…
Xia Li nodded. If she could one day restrain Kaguya Ōtsutsuki single-handedly, she wouldn't need to act this way. But she wasn't certain, and the odds seemed low. So Naruto and Sasuke… she'd need help.
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