"Uh, I'm fine."
"I'm sorry, Father, Mother, I didn't notice you."
"It's just that my teacher taught me a lot today, and I was thinking about what he said."
Uchiha Itachi quickly explained.
Especially when he saw his mother's worried expression, the corners of his lips curved into a gentle smile.
Hearing this, Uchiha Mikoto couldn't help but press her forehead with a relieved smile:
"Itachi, you scared me to death. As long as you're fine, that's all that matters!"
"Mm, I'm really fine," Itachi replied softly. "Sorry, Mother, it won't happen again."
The mother and son chatted warmly for a while. From beginning to end, Itachi was calm and gentle.
As a mother, Mikoto didn't care about anything else, nor did she press further.
As long as her son was safe, she was content.
But Fugaku was different.
After the mother and son finished their conversation, he rose to his feet with a serious expression.
"Itachi, come with me to study."
"Yes, Father!"
At his father's summons, Itachi's tone instantly became solemn.
The two walked one behind the other into the study. Mikoto knew the father and son were about to talk about serious matters, so after brewing a pot of tea, she tactfully left them alone.
The study was very quiet.
Fugaku wasted no time and went straight to the point.
"I'm very curious. Kai may be a strong clansman, and he has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan… But in just half a day, how much could he possibly teach you? Enough to make you so absorbed that you ignore everything around you? To be honest, I'm really curious. Would you mind telling me, Itachi?"
Uchiha Fugaku looked genuinely puzzled.
Yes.
He truly didn't understand.
Itachi was his son, trained by the clan's finest instructors. To appoint Uchiha Kai as his son's teacher, Fugaku never really expected Kai to actually teach him much.
The reason was simple.
Uchiha Kai was indeed formidable—but that was only because of his Mangekyo.
And awakening the Mangekyo ultimately came down to luck. Fugaku didn't believe Kai had any real method to teach.
Aside from his Mangekyo, what else did Kai have?
He lost his parents when he was a child, and he was a bottom-ranked student at the Academy. What could he possibly teach his son?
In truth, making Itachi acknowledge Kai as his teacher was merely a political move—to strengthen ties and foster a bond between the two.
With Kai as his mentor, Itachi's future path might be smoother.
But beyond that—nothing.
Fugaku didn't even believe Kai could truly help his son.
After all, the Mangekyo came at the cost of eyesight. Every use consumed ocular power, which could never be replenished.
Once gone, it was gone.
That meant Kai's Mangekyo could only be used sparingly, like a nuclear weapon in the previous world—purely strategic.
So when he saw his son so utterly engrossed that he hadn't even noticed him and Mikoto, his curiosity naturally spiked.
What on earth had Kai taught him that even the clan's best education could not?
On the other hand, Itachi had no idea what was going through his father's mind.
He thought for a moment.
What Kai had said to him was really just some basic truths—nothing that needed hiding. Any reasonable adult should understand them.
So without hesitation, he repeated his entire conversation with Kai in detail, then sighed helplessly.
"That's basically it. In less than half a day, of course my teacher didn't have time to train me. But I saw how he could communicate so naturally with others in the village, and how no one rejected him just because he was an Uchiha. I couldn't help but ask him the questions that had always troubled me on the battlefield."
"At first, I didn't think he could really answer… But I was too naïve. The things he told me were perspectives I had never considered before."
"The world of adults is far more complicated than I thought. There are so many factors to consider."
"I used to think you were too soft, Father. But now I realize it was I who was childish."
"The clans have their own factions, and every individual has their own ideas. For you to hold the clan together on major matters is no small feat."
"So I want to apologize to you. It was I who was naïve before. From now on, I will work harder to improve myself, so that I can truly help you."
Itachi spoke with deep emotion.
As he reflected on today's lessons, he couldn't help but sigh at his own immaturity.
Uchiha Fugaku: "…"
His mind was filled with question marks. His brain went completely blank.
He was stunned!
Those theories from Kai—he had never heard of them!
Was that really what war was about?
Why didn't I know this?!
The things Kai and Itachi were discussing… Fugaku had never thought about them in his entire life.
The Uchiha way of thinking was simple: if someone wanted to fight, they fought. Nothing more.
War was just war. That was it.
But after hearing Itachi's explanation, Fugaku mulled it over carefully… and it did make sense.
Especially regarding the Sand Village affair.
Listening to Kai's analysis, it really did seem like—whether they won or lost—the Sand had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Damn!
Is that still war?
Population, land, resources, diverting internal conflicts…
So many things he'd never been able to make sense of suddenly seemed clear after being explained this way.
Even the rift between the Uchiha and the village—he used to think it was simply because the Uchiha were too proud and rebellious.
But through Kai's lens, he now felt he understood a bit more.
And yet…
When he tried to articulate it himself, it was like a fog clouded his mind—he couldn't quite see through.
But one thing was certain: Kai definitely understood!
Although Itachi's praise made him feel a little embarrassed, Fugaku still couldn't help but speak up:
"Itachi, your teacher is right. In the future, make sure you study hard with him. And when you have the chance, ask him what he thinks about the relationship between our Uchiha clan and the village. Then come back and tell me, alright?"
Yes.
If he couldn't figure it out himself, he'd just ask someone who could.
After all, Kai was still Uchiha—one of their own.
For the first time, Fugaku felt truly grateful for his foresight in making Itachi take such a good teacher.
As for ninjutsu, whether Kai taught Itachi or not didn't matter.
What they truly lacked was wisdom.
So having Itachi study under Kai—and even asking about the clan's relationship with the village—was the best course.
That way, when it came to dealing with the village, they would have Kai's perspective as reference.
Oh, and there was one more thing.
Didn't Kai still hold the position of Chief of the Police Department?
That role was directly tied to the village. Before, Fugaku thought it was fine for Kai to just hold the title without doing the work.
But now, he realized it might be best to hand the position fully to him—see how he managed relations between the Uchiha and the village.
Yes, that sounded good.
Tomorrow, he'd talk to Kai about it. After all, as Chief of Police, it wouldn't look good if he never actually showed up for work.
To read 250+ Advance chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554