Uchiha Kai's voice was cold.
Yes—
He might be a homebody who hated trouble and preferred to lie flat, but since he could no longer refuse responsibility, he had to ensure absolute authority.
Want him to lead, yet not follow orders?
Heh.
Anyone who dared try that… would pay the price.
He had already laid out the harsh words in advance—giving himself the justification to act decisively in the future.
"Mm, I agree." Fugaku nodded, his tone grave.
"I'll be the first to declare it—I trust Kai completely."
"And Kai's reasoning is sound. We Uchiha are watched very closely by the village."
"If we insist on explaining every detail to everyone, it means the village will know as well."
"So remember this—"
"From now on, regarding the Police Force, Kai's orders must be obeyed, whether you understand them or not."
"If anyone refuses—then I, Fugaku, will not forgive them!"
The Uchiha in the shrine frowned.
Yes, they were resistant.
After all, Kai had all but said outright that he didn't trust them—
An insult to their pride.
But they couldn't deny it either.
Especially when it came to the Police Force, which directly faced both the village and the villagers.
Caution was justified.
"I accept."
"I have no problem with this. Kai is right."
"It should have been this way long ago."
"Our clan's management has been too lax."
"Isn't it true? Whatever we discuss in a clan meeting, the Hokage knows by that same night."
"…"
One after another, voices of agreement followed.
The demand from Kai and Fugaku was grudgingly accepted.
Afterward, the discussion turned to Uchiha business matters.
Half an hour later, the clan meeting finally came to an end.
The next morning, at seven.
Kai had woken up early, washed, and prepared for the day.
Why? Because he had Itachi as a student.
He'd already made the boy wait yesterday—today he had to at least show some responsibility.
But when he opened the courtyard gate and saw Itachi already training, his mouth twitched.
Good grief.
This kid was too diligent.
Rubbing his brow, Kai spoke with helplessness.
"Itachi, you're still just a child."
"For a child, the most important thing is proper sleep."
"You're in your growing years. Only in deep sleep can your body detoxify and properly convert your meals into nourishment."
"You must've noticed—when you sleep enough, you wake refreshed. When you don't, you wake tired and dizzy."
"I don't care what others do. But since you're my student, I have to take responsibility for you."
"Don't mistake this for diligence. In my eyes, you're simply draining your future potential."
"Sure, it feels like you're improving now. But once you're grown, you'll hit a wall—and then you'll find you can't move forward at all."
"If you want a long future, you must understand—your task now isn't training."
"It's building up your body and spirit."
"Only with a solid foundation can you go further later."
"Pulling sprouts to force them taller—that is the folly of fools!"
Kai's tone was sharp.
He truly disapproved of Itachi's approach.
In the original tale, Itachi seemed strong, but he was frail—his Mangekyo abilities were mighty, yet his chakra reserves collapsed quickly.
The root cause lay here.
The shinobi world, unlike the normal world, had been warped by the sudden arrival of chakra through the Ōtsutsuki.
They learned to run before they learned to walk.
They never learned what a foundation was—only how to exploit and overdraw.
Especially cases like Might Duy and Guy.
Powerful, yes—but like a flash in the pan, burning themselves out.
Kai couldn't be bothered about others.
But as someone raised with the belief that "a teacher is like a father," he took his role seriously.
He had accepted Itachi as his disciple. That meant responsibility.
Itachi frowned slightly.
To be honest—
He didn't really agree.
But Kai was his teacher, so he gave a polite nod.
"Yes, sensei. I'll be more careful."
Of course, he didn't intend to actually stop.
At most—he would just train in secret, without letting his teacher know.
Kai wasn't stupid.
Itachi was still a child, and his thoughts were written all over his face.
After a moment of silence, Kai spoke again.
"You're not being honest." Kai's voice was low.
"Don't think I'm trying to trick you."
"Take me as an example. You've seen how I behave."
"Among the Uchiha, I'm the laziest. At the academy, I couldn't even make it into the elite class."
"In the regular class, I was always at the very bottom."
"But now?"
"Most of my classmates are still genin. The rare few who reached Chunin are considered prodigies."
"Yet I've awakened the Mangekyo, and I'm already an elder and Police Chief."
"Even Kakashi, hailed as a genius, doesn't have the right to stand before me."
"And even compared to Shisui, the prodigy of our clan a year above me—he still isn't my match."
"So, do you understand?"
"Child prodigies are cheap. What matters is long-term growth."
"Before the age of ten, you must focus on your foundation."
"The stronger your base, the greater your power will be when you finally explode as an adult."
"So don't worry about being called weak now. When you come of age and finally unleash your strength—"
"You'll stun everyone."
Kai's tone was serious.
Even though his own rise had been aided by a "cheat," what he said was absolutely true.
Itachi was a genius—if he avoided burning himself out young, his future would shine far brighter.
As his teacher, Kai would not let him go astray.
Itachi, who had dismissed Kai's earlier words, now found himself listening closely.
Because what Kai said… actually made sense.
He thought of his teacher—once called a failure, mocked as the Uchiha's shame.
Even in the academy, he had been at the very bottom.
And yet?
Graduating by the skin of his teeth, Kai had erupted on the battlefield—awakening the Mangekyo and slaughtering the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
"…I understand now." Itachi finally said, voice steady.
"I promise, I'll follow your guidance, sensei."
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