To Be a Teacher to a Kid Like Him?
Even if Uchiha Kai had a bad memory, he couldn't possibly forget how he just described Uchiha Itachi!
Although accepting Itachi as a student could draw him closer to Uchiha Fugaku, it was hard for Kai to feel much affection for the boy—especially knowing what Itachi would eventually do in the future.
As a reader of the original manga, Kai might have subconsciously overlooked Itachi's crimes, remembering only his love for Sasuke and his role as a tragic hero—someone who gave everything for the village and his brother, a so-called "Itachi God."
But now, standing in this world as an actual Uchiha, Kai couldn't just knock out Kakashi, throw a few kunai, and jump off a cliff to strangle a child like Itachi. That would be insane. He had a conscience.
Sure, the boy was still young. Maybe there was room for change. But Kai had no interest in trying. He felt the same about Uchiha Shisui—he just didn't care enough to intervene.
Unlike those overpowered transmigrators who unlock the Mangekyō Sharingan at age five and could beat Madara by twelve, Kai was nearly fourteen and well aware of his own limits. He had no reason to push himself into something he found so troublesome.
"Besides, if my plan works, I might still influence him indirectly," Kai thought. "Even if he ends up loyal to Hiruzen, that just makes him a useful piece on the board."
But beyond the political considerations, there was a more instinctive reason Kai didn't want to teach Itachi himself:
In the Naruto world, students have a nasty habit of killing their teachers.
Think about it—Orochimaru killed his teacher, the Third Hokage. Obito killed Minato. Nagato killed Jiraiya. Even Sasuke tried to kill Kakashi at one point.
With that kind of track record, Kai had no desire to become the next name on that cursed list—especially when he was known for sneak attacks himself!
So Kai outright refused Fugaku's request. No cryptic words. No political sidestepping. Just a direct no.
You could imagine Fugaku's face when he heard that. He hadn't expected Kai to give such a blunt answer, and his frown deepened.
Was someone advising Kai behind the scenes? How else could he make such a bold—and seemingly foolish—decision?
"Kai-kun, I need an answer," Fugaku said seriously. Itachi, just four years old, looked curiously at his older clanmate.
"I'm not the right person to teach the young patriarch," Kai said firmly. "First, I still need to strengthen my own foundation. The patriarch knows that my background is lacking. Second, I believe the young patriarch's teacher should have a more defined political alignment. There are many possible candidates, both within and outside the clan."
This was Kai playing the game. He wouldn't be Itachi's teacher. Not now, not ever.
Whoever ended up teaching Itachi—whether a dutiful clan loyalist or an obedient Konoha supporter—would serve as a political statement. And Kai had no desire to make one.
Even if many saw Kai as a 'neutral' or a 'dove,' both sides knew he didn't fully belong to either camp.
Fugaku knew this too. And what Kai said made sense—Itachi's teacher should be someone who clearly represented a side. Kai was intentionally vague, giving Fugaku plenty of alternatives.
"It seems Kai-kun still has reservations. I understand," Fugaku eventually said after a pause. "In that case, we'll put the matter on hold. Itachi is still young—only four, after all."
Kai let out a small breath of relief. For now, he'd dodged the Itachi problem.
But Fugaku wasn't done.
"Still," he added, "if you have time, I hope you'll at least talk with the boy. Help him learn to distinguish right from wrong."
Kai's face stiffened. He glanced at Itachi, who looked a bit uneasy. After a moment of silence, Kai nodded.
"Understood, Patriarch."
At this point, he really couldn't refuse without appearing overtly hostile. Still, he clung to one specific phrase from Fugaku—"if you have time."
Time was always negotiable. Kai could easily make himself too busy.
And if things got sticky, he could always pawn Itachi off on Kakashi. After all, Kakashi would eventually be Itachi's superior in the ANBU. No harm in introducing them early. Kakashi wouldn't refuse a prodigy from the Uchiha clan.
With that matter mostly settled, Fugaku shifted topics, casually asking about Kai's recent missions and the ninja blade on his waist.
When he learned Kai hadn't asked the clan for support, he looked displeased.
Most people would be grateful for clan resources—but Kai wasn't most people.
The meeting, which had dragged on for nearly an hour, finally came to an end when Fugaku's wife stepped out and called them inside.
Kai left with a polite smile. This time, it wasn't forced—he really was satisfied.
This meeting had gone far better than expected. Kai had secured Fugaku's deeper interest without making any real commitments. It was a step forward in his long-term plan.
"Now comes the waiting game," Kai thought. "And dropping a few more carefully chosen touchpoints…"