Uchiha Itachi's face froze in shock.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end he could only remain silent.
Yes… on what grounds?
For the sake of so-called peace, did that mean the Land of Fire should just give up its territory?
As he asked himself honestly, even he wasn't willing.
"But… is it worth it?" Itachi couldn't hold back from asking. "Just for a bit of land and resources—is it really worth everyone fighting like this?"
"So many wars, so many lives lost…"
He still couldn't understand.
Through Kai's words, he had come to realize that in war, hatred only accounted for a small part. The real driving force behind most wars was resources and territory.
Even so—
From his perspective, it wasn't something unsolvable. People could still sit down and talk, find another way.
But Uchiha Kai's expression remained calm.
"It's worth it. Very worth it."
"Fighting for resources and land, even hatred—these are only small parts of why wars break out."
"Just as the village seeks to suppress the Uchiha, do you think the other hidden villages have no problems of their own?"
"Remember this—war is the continuation of politics. It is the final method when everything else fails."
"Take the Third Shinobi War as an example. The disappearance of the Third Kazekage was the spark."
"But was it really Konoha who did it?"
"Any sensible person would know that's impossible."
"What benefit would capturing or killing the Third Kazekage bring to Konoha?"
"None!"
"Especially with White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, dead, the Legendary Sannin gone from the village—Konoha is at its weakest point."
"Do you think the leadership of the Sand Village are idiots, that they can't see this?"
"Of course not! Fools don't become high-ranking leaders."
"Then why did they still start a war with Konoha?"
"The reason is simple—diverting internal conflict."
"With the Third Kazekage gone, the election of the Fourth Kazekage was imminent. But the Sand Village was mired in internal strife. If they held an election then, it might have led to civil war first."
"On top of that, the Wind Daimyo had cut their military funding. The Sand Village didn't even have enough to train its own shinobi. The Kazekage himself had to mine gold in the desert with his Magnet Style to keep the village running."
"In such dire circumstances, their solution was simple—attack Konoha."
"If people were bound to die in infighting anyway, better to 'make use of the waste' and have them die killing Konoha shinobi."
"Whether the war succeeded or failed didn't matter—as long as the real objective was achieved."
"Their main goal was to stop the civil war and determine the next Kazekage."
"If they won, Konoha would be forced to pay heavy reparations, solving their financial problems."
"If they lost, it didn't matter. Once Konoha shinobi invaded the Land of Wind, the one most terrified wouldn't be the Sand Village, but the Wind Daimyo himself."
"And once the Daimyo was scared, he would have no choice but to provide the Sand Village with more funding."
"Beyond all that, the Sand also wanted to test Konoha's current strength."
"Ever since Hatake Sakumo's death, everyone knew Konoha was in decline. But how far had it fallen? The other villages didn't really know."
"The disappearance of the Kazekage provided the perfect excuse. With so many potential benefits, whether they won or lost, the Sand Village couldn't lose."
"And once the Sand struck, could the Cloud—who bore grudges against Konoha—sit still?"
"If the Cloud moved, could the Stone hold back? Would the Mist try to fish in troubled waters?"
"If all four Great Villages acted together—even if they couldn't defeat Konoha, even if they lost—would there really be any downside?"
"And so, war broke out."
"This is just one example I've given you. In truth, wars erupt for many reasons."
"But you're still young, your mind can only hold so much. Telling you this much is enough for you to chew on for a while."
"As for the clan and the village, the same logic applies."
"Remember this—there are no eternal friends or enemies, only eternal interests."
"When you think about anything, never stop at the surface."
"When faced with a problem, always ask yourself why."
"Don't just listen to what people say—watch what they do."
"If you believe everything people tell you, you'll only ever be a pawn in their hands."
"Alright."
"That's enough for today. Go back and rest."
"Until you've fully understood tonight's lesson, I won't teach you more on this topic."
"Tomorrow, we start your training."
"At all times, strength is the foundation. Without it, you don't even have the qualifications to discuss anything else."
Uchiha Kai's tone was quiet and grave.
Having said his piece, he didn't bother with more.
Itachi was still young. This much was more than enough for him to digest.
Even without further lessons, just understanding this would make it impossible for Sarutobi Hiruzen to mislead him in the future.
And so—
With his teaching complete, Kai let himself relax. He even directly shooed the boy away.
Itachi frowned slightly.
His mind was in chaos, his very worldview shaken.
Yes…
He had to admit it. He had been too naïve.
Just the matter of war alone contained so many hidden layers.
His previous understanding had been far too shallow.
Resources, territory, hatred, internal conflict…
It was all too complicated. Even a genius like him could only feel overwhelmed.
He knew he needed time to think it through.
Taking a deep breath, Itachi looked solemnly at Uchiha Kai.
"Thank you, teacher. I understand."
"I won't disturb you further. Please rest early."
Uchiha Kai nodded.
After casually reminding him to stay safe and head straight home, he watched the boy's small figure disappear into the distance. Only then did he yawn and head back to his room to sleep.
He really was tired after such a long talk.
Meanwhile—
Walking the main street of the clan compound, Itachi's eyes seemed vacant. His mind was spinning wildly.
The sheer strain of such intense thought drained him greatly.
Sweat beaded densely on his forehead.
But Itachi himself didn't even notice.
About twenty minutes later, relying purely on muscle memory, he wandered home.
He walked past his parents sitting at the table without even noticing them, heading straight toward his own room.
"Itachi?"
"What's wrong with you? Don't scare me!"
Uchiha Mikoto called him several times. When she saw him remain unresponsive, she grew frantic.
He was her child—how could she not be distressed?
Rushing to him, she pulled him into her arms, her face full of worry.
In truth, even Fugaku, sitting nearby, wore a frown of concern.
But as clan head, sternness was second nature.
Even with worry in his heart, he forced himself to remain composed.
To read 200+ Advance chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554