Uchiha Kai didn't hesitate.
The moment he heard Itachi's suggestion, he cut him off flatly without even stopping to think.
What a joke!
You're still a kid—if you don't stay in school, where else do you belong?
Yes.
When it came to educating Uchiha Itachi, Kai followed the standards of his past life.
Because Itachi's strength was his intelligence—
But that was also his greatest weakness.
Too smart for his own good, too likely to take things to extremes.
So with Itachi, all Kai needed to teach him was one word: stability.
As long as he took every step steadily, building his own values along the way, his future accomplishments would never fall short.
So—
Looking at the frowning boy in front of him, Kai thought for a long moment before speaking again.
"Itachi, don't be upset.
I really am doing this for your sake.
Since you're a bright kid, I'll explain it properly.
Tell me—don't you often think you're the smartest among your peers?
That all the other children seem unbearably foolish to you?"
Itachi immediately straightened up.
This was why he liked this teacher—
Unlike his father, who only issued commands, Kai always took the time to explain things patiently whenever he didn't understand.
He nodded solemnly, then admitted with a touch of helplessness:
"Yes.
My classmates are too childish.
I can't connect with them.
Life at the Academy… feels like hell."
Kai nodded slightly.
Looking at the boy's serious little face, he fell silent for a while before continuing.
"And doesn't that make you proud?
Deep down, don't you feel like an upper being looking down at the lower?
Don't deny it—I know you do."
Itachi nodded again.
With this teacher, he never put up a front.
Kai, however, let out a sigh.
He turned his gaze on the young boy, his eyes full of helplessness—and pity.
Yes.
Pity.
Perhaps Itachi really was more gifted than his peers.
But to Kai, that wasn't something to be happy about.
After some thought, he spoke softly:
"You might think this makes you strong.
But to me, this is the most dangerous thing about you.
Your strength is that you're smart.
But your weakness is that you're too smart.
Remember this saying: 'Too much cleverness backfires, and can cost you your life.'
That's what worries me most.
You seem wise—but you lack a child's innocence.
It's as if a whole part of your life is missing.
That's wrong.
When you build a house, the foundation matters most.
But your cleverness has made you skip that stage—you've gone straight ahead without laying the base.
Maybe that flaw doesn't show now.
But as you grow, it will only get worse.
It'll push you to extremes.
It'll make you shortsighted—unable to see life in its full scope.
That's why—even if it makes you miserable—I insist you stay in the Academy.
Because what you lack most is precisely what you must make up for.
Learn innocence from the other children.
Play their silly games.
Even if you get in trouble, it doesn't matter.
Believe me, Itachi—someday, these will become your most valuable treasures.
Your father probably compares you to Kakashi, right?
But perhaps you don't know—Kakashi is both pitiful and fortunate.
In some ways, he's very much like you.
Precocious beyond his years.
Looking down on his peers.
That's why he graduated from the Academy in just one year.
But after his father's suicide, his personality twisted to extremes.
He joined many teams—but was rejected every time.
Nobody acknowledged him.
In fact, most people hated him.
Without the foundation of a proper childhood, his character became unstable—
To the point he was nearly as despised as we Uchiha.
His life, really, was a tragedy.
And yet—he was also lucky.
His father Sakumo may have died, but left behind a network of comrades.
Even if Kakashi fell into disgrace, Hiruzen couldn't let him collapse completely.
If Kakashi were ever destroyed, Sakumo's old comrades would never forgive him.
So despite being hated, Kakashi still got placed into Minato's team—the Hokage's direct line.
And he was luckier still—he had friends who never abandoned him.
Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, Sarutobi Asuma, Kurenai…
Even though everyone else despised Kakashi, they stayed by his side.
They helped him through one hardship after another.
…
"And you, Itachi?
You share the same problem as Kakashi.
But unlike him, you don't have a father's legacy to shield you.
And you don't have true friends at your side.
Yes, you're gentle in nature.
You hide your arrogance well.
But once you're in a real shinobi squad, no one will be fooled.
Adults aren't stupid.
No one wants to work with someone who's coldly superior inside.
The only friends you might ever have—are the silly kids you look down on now.
If you laugh with them, play with them, cause trouble with them—
Then, when they grow up, they'll stay by your side for life.
They may never match your depth of thought.
But they'll be there.
And with them around, you'll never spiral into dead ends.
So do you understand now, Itachi?
Your strength and intellect are not lacking.
But you do have one flaw.
Ordinary geniuses can skip ahead, graduate early.
But you—cannot.
These six years at the Academy are your only chance to make up for what you lack.
Your only chance to make real friends.
So don't give up.
Stay the full six years.
Unless the higher-ups forcibly order your graduation—
you must never think of leaving early.
No matter how unbearable it feels."
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