Chapter Sixty-Four: Lord of Terra (Part Two)

“What is this? Is it a change in chakra nature, or something else…” The sudden shift made Shisui’s expression darken; he couldn’t help but mutter softly under his breath.

“Have a seat.”

Uchiha Li sat down in a chair, speaking with deliberate nonchalance.

Hearing this, Shisui finally collected himself and followed suit, taking a seat as well. Yet, compared to Uchiha Li’s relaxed posture, leaning back against the chair, Shisui sat upright and rigid, almost meticulous in his demeanor.

Observing Shisui’s unease, Uchiha Li felt quite satisfied.

It meant his careful preparations had paid off, successfully intimidating Shisui. In the future, when facing other members of Terra, he could continue employing such methods to display the leader’s mystique and power.

Of course, for now, he could only achieve this effect within the Terra space.

This technique of shaping objects from mist already touched upon the realm of creation and regeneration, or in other words, the powers of Yin-Yang Release. Within Terra, his role as Karoso was that of a god of creation, so as Terra revived, he could barely wield this authority at present.

But returning to the Shinobi world, he was merely at Kage-level; however unique he might be, true abilities of creation were beyond his reach. Perhaps in the future, when he attained the level of the Sage of Six Paths and mastered the Six Paths power, he could freely perform such feats.

Watching Shisui grow more uneasy under his gaze, Uchiha Li spoke at the right moment: “Enough, you don’t need to be nervous. I simply wanted to meet you and have a task for you to complete.”

Hearing Uchiha Li’s words, Shisui became even more tense, probing cautiously, “Please, go ahead.”

Uchiha Li spoke slowly: “Karoso should have told you—joining Terra requires fulfilling certain tasks, correct?”

Shisui paused briefly, soon recovering and replying, “Yes, Li—Karoso told me about that.”

Here, Shisui hesitated, then spoke earnestly, “On the condition that nothing harms the village or the clan.”

Having just met, the leader of Terra gave him an impression of being irresistible, yet Shisui’s heart always held its boundaries.

He would never allow anything, not even Terra, to put the village or the clan at risk.

Though Uchiha Li had already promised him before, he hoped to hear it directly from the mouth of Terra’s master.

Listening to Shisui’s deliberate emphasis, Uchiha Li responded in a casual tone, “Everything Terra does is for revival; it will not interfere in your lives.”

After this, he continued, tone deepening:

“But remember, from the moment you became an Apostle, Terra became a part of you as well.”

“The Apostle will make you stronger, grant you greater abilities, but in exchange, you must contribute to Terra’s revival.”

Simple words, paired with Uchiha Li’s current imposing image, left Shisui almost breathless.

He struggled to calm himself, then spoke sincerely, “Rest assured.”

“Good,” Uchiha Li replied blandly, then continued, “Now, let’s discuss the task you need to complete.”

Shisui leaned forward slightly, listening with earnest attention.

Uchiha Li spoke slowly,

“In your world, there exists a mineral vein called the Stone of Grell. It can assist in Terra’s revival. I need you to bring it back.”

“Karoso has already completed preliminary intelligence gathering. Next, you must work with him to accomplish this.”

“The exact actions and requirements are for you to decide together—I only care about the outcome…”

As Shisui listened intently, his thoughts began to turn.

He caught a key detail in the leader’s words: it was ‘your world,’ not ‘this world.’

Such phrasing confirmed his earlier judgment when he and Uchiha Li first entered Terra space.

Terra was not the world he originally inhabited, but a completely new and unknown place.

Which explained why he had never heard of this organization or the Apostles before.

“I wonder how Li managed to connect with such mysterious forces from the outside world,” Shisui mused inwardly, then let out a quiet sigh of relief.

According to the task described by the leader, it indeed had nothing to do with the village or the clan.

Moreover, since Uchiha Li himself would participate in this mission, there should be no problems.

Ever since he began interacting with Uchiha Li, his admiration and confidence in him had only grown.

Uchiha Li could surely lead him to accomplish what neither the village nor the clan could achieve!

“All right, for the specifics, consult Karoso when the time comes. He will answer your questions.”

With Uchiha Li’s final words, his voice fell silent.

Shisui snapped back to awareness, took a deep breath, and said, “Yes, my lord, I understand.”

At this moment, Uchiha Li judged that it was about time.

Though it seemed easy—he had only created two white jade chairs from mist—behind his mask, his Mangekyo was constantly maintaining the flow of ocular power to keep them intact.

Once the power was withdrawn, the chairs would revert to mist, and his image as leader would shatter in Shisui’s eyes.

The main reason was Terra’s limited revival progress, coupled with the heavy consumption of creation authority; he could not sustain it for long.

Once he transplanted the cells of the First Hokage, he needn’t worry about the loss of ocular power, and could stop conserving it.

Of course, if Terra revived further, allowing his Mangekyo to evolve into the Eternal Mangekyo, that would be even better.

“This audience ends here,” he decided, speaking in a low tone.

Shisui pressed his lips together, nodded respectfully, “I obey your will!”

Unsure how best to take his leave, he settled for the final words of the ‘Great Will’ as a codename.

Uchiha Li nodded slightly, saying nothing, maintaining his enigmatic persona.

He then gestured remotely toward the statue of Bacal, and the entire statue lit up once more.

Shisui had no time to react; he only saw his leader tap lightly, and his figure began to blur, growing increasingly ethereal.

A second later, Terra was empty of human presence, and the two chairs shaped from white mist reverted to their original state.

The entire Terra returned to silence, with only the thirteen ancient statues towering high, as if gazing down upon all living things.

Uchiha Li felt the familiar light sensation of weightlessness, and successfully returned to his own room.

“I wonder what Shisui is feeling; it’s best to check with him tomorrow.”

Uchiha Li stroked his chin, muttering softly to himself.

The leader’s image was crucial to Terra’s future; he had to ensure nothing could go wrong.

Thinking no more, Uchiha Li removed his cloak and mask, sealed them into a scroll for safekeeping.

Having tidied up, Uchiha Li lay down on his bed, closed his eyes, and drifted into sleep.