The next morning, at the crack of dawn—
Uchiha Itachi, sporting a pair of dark panda eyes, was already standing at Kai's front door.
Yes.
He really hadn't slept at all last night. And it wasn't his fault.
Anyone who had struggled with a question for so long, then suddenly found the answer, would feel too excited to rest.
Missing one night of sleep didn't matter to Itachi.
Knock, knock, knock!
Taking a deep breath, he rapped on the door.
But unfortunately…
There was no response.
Itachi stood there stunned, little head full of question marks.
Don't tell me… Teacher went out?
Suspicion in his eyes, he knocked again.
Uh… still nothing.
After several more tries with no reply, Itachi finally went to find the Uchiha patrol.
Yes.
As the most powerful clan in Konoha, the Uchiha patrol might not be as flashy as the Hyuga, but they were definitely not to be underestimated.
"Iteka-niisan," Itachi asked, "is it your shift today?"
Uchiha Tekka blinked in surprise, then smiled down at him.
"Itachi? Yeah, what's up?"
"Did you see Uchiha Kai go out today?"
…Uchiha Kai?
At that name, Tekka's expression turned complicated—admiration and respect mixed with disdain and annoyance, like a paintbox spilled over his face.
That's right.
He was from the Uchiha's radical faction, and back then, Kai had been one of the people he disliked the most.
Unlike Uchiha Inabi and his brothers, Tekka had his own pride. He never stooped to bullying or humiliating Kai.
But still—when the man he despised most awakened the clan's first Mangekyo, he was utterly sour.
He felt the heavens were unfair.
Why did that failure get the Mangekyo, while those who had trained so hard were stuck at three tomoe?
So now, hearing Kai's name, he naturally felt uneasy.
"Itachi, why are you looking for Kai-kun?" Tekka asked.
Calm-faced, Itachi replied:
"Kai-kun is my teacher. But today, I couldn't get him to answer the door."
He wasn't stupid.
Even though Tekka hadn't said much, that complicated look gave away plenty.
But Itachi didn't care.
Such trivial matters weren't worth his time.
As long as he knew how remarkable his teacher was, that was enough. What others thought didn't matter.
"Teacher?!" Tekka was stunned. He almost blurted, Does Kai even deserve… but swallowed the words.
"Never mind. Clan Head must have his reasons. If you want to see Kai-kun, you'd best come back around noon. At this time of day, he's probably still asleep."
Yes.
Tekka had his pride, but he wasn't one to gossip behind someone's back.
Even if he wanted to warn Itachi, he shut his mouth.
The Clan Head had already decided, so it wasn't for him to interfere.
And besides, he knew Kai's habits well enough. As a patrolman, he kept track of the people in his sector.
Kai? Unless he had a mission, he never got up before 11:30.
"…."
Itachi's forehead is filled with black lines.
So that was it.
His lips twitched hard, not knowing what to say.
But in the end, he simply thanked Tekka and returned to wait at Kai's door.
Instead of knocking again, he silently began training.
Seeing this, Tekka could only sigh.
He even felt this genius, Itachi, might very well be ruined by Kai.
But there was nothing he could do.
As he'd said—he was just an ordinary Jounin in the clan. He had no right to meddle.
Sigh.
With another helpless breath, he turned and left.
Time slowly passed.
By 11:30, Kai finally emerged, yawning after washing up, ready to head over to his parents' place—since they had promised to celebrate for him.
But when he opened his door and saw Itachi training outside, the corner of his mouth twitched violently.
Ah.
He had completely forgotten he had a disciple.
With an awkward cough, Kai scratched his head.
"Ah, Itachi! Sorry, I overslept. What time did you get here?"
Calm as ever, Itachi replied:
"It's fine, Teacher. I arrived around six-thirty. I was able to train here anyway."
Hiss—!
Kai drew in a sharp breath.
As expected of Itachi!
For the first time, he truly felt impressed with his disciple.
No wonder this kid would grow into a powerhouse who stirred up the shinobi world.
Born a genius, and still this disciplined.
If he didn't become strong, it would defy reason!
Looking at the dark circles under Itachi's eyes, Kai didn't need to ask—he definitely hadn't slept well last night.
He wanted to say something to comfort him.
But knowing Itachi's personality, he gave up on lecturing.
Instead, he shook his head and said seriously:
"Being too diligent isn't a good thing. Since you didn't rest last night, there's no training today."
"Your body has limits. Building a solid foundation is everything. If you push too hard, it'll collapse."
"Don't compare yourself to others. Since you chose me as your teacher, then in training you must listen to me."
"Now—come eat with me. Then go home and sleep. Wake up around five in the afternoon, move around a bit, and at the latest be back in bed by eleven."
"Tomorrow morning, come back for training."
Kai's tone was firm.
In the shinobi world, because of chakra, few cared about foundational health.
But having lived two lives, Kai knew exactly how crucial it was.
Truth be told, he'd always disliked Itachi in the original story.
But after meeting him in person, he found the child far too sensible—it made his heart ache.
This was the son of the Uchiha clan head, the heir to one of the strongest families in the world.
In his previous life, that would have made him a spoiled rich kid.
But instead of being arrogant, he was diligent and considerate—flawless, really.
So since he'd already accepted him as a disciple, Kai would never treat it lightly.
"…"
Itachi wanted to protest.
But looking at Kai's serious face, he swallowed his words.
Even if he didn't fully understand, he accepted it.
He could tell—Kai was only thinking of his well-being.
After yesterday's talk, he truly admired his teacher.
If the Teacher said so, then he would obey.
"…Alright. I'll listen to you. I'll go home and sleep later."
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