Chapter 200: The Predestined Target of the God of War
Naruto, exposed by Sasuke, blushed furiously and shot back,
"Like you're any better! It took you forever to master that Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Sasuke sighed, clearly exasperated.
"Idiot, it's called the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique! At least remember the name if you're going to talk big."
Naruto waved him off carelessly.
"Whatever. I'm not learning that move anyway, so who cares?"
Sasuke smirked.
"My Phoenix Sage Fire Technique was taught by Mother. But the upgraded version—Ni-san taught me himself."
The moment he mentioned his brother, Sasuke's eyes brightened, and a faint grin spread across his face.
Uchiha Itachi chuckled softly.
"Father, both Naruto and Sasuke have remarkable talent—better than mine at their age. At this rate, they'll be able to graduate from the Academy early."
"Graduate early, hmm…"
Fugaku nodded thoughtfully. "That's fine. The Academy doesn't teach much of real value anyway."
"Yes," Itachi agreed. "It's better for them to start real missions and gain field experience early on."
He knew this path well—it was the one he had walked himself. Rather than waste time with theory, true growth came from the battlefield.
"Hmph. Then train them well. They'll be relying on you."
Fugaku's tone carried both trust and expectation.
"Yes, Father. I will," Itachi said earnestly. Then, after a brief pause, he asked,
"Father, what are your plans for Kisame Hoshigaki, Yakushi Nonou, and Deidara?"
Having mentioned his teammates—two long-time companions and one volatile newcomer—Itachi's tone grew more serious. Now that he would be training Naruto and Sasuke, he could no longer oversee his old team's missions. Deidara in particular worried him; without supervision, the explosive artist could easily cause chaos within the clan compound.
Fugaku leaned back, fingers steepled. "Those three, huh…"
He'd already captured two members of the Akatsuki—there weren't many left to recruit.
He briefly considered another name. Kakuzu.
That miserly bounty hunter wasn't loyal to anyone, only to money. If Konoha offered enough, would he switch sides? Fugaku smiled faintly at the thought.
After all, the village was flush with cash these days. But strength-wise, Kakuzu wasn't all that impressive—ten elite jōnin would be enough to take him down. He lacked the destructive potential of Deidara.
Finally, Fugaku said calmly,
"The village won't be expanding for a while. Let them rest for now—no missions for the time being. They can decide what to do next."
Itachi nodded. That seemed reasonable.
At that moment, Mikoto spoke up gently, "Anata, when you were away, Orochimaru and Jiraiya visited the village. During that time, Kisame stayed at our home to protect us. I think he truly wishes to serve under you. Do you think that's possible?"
Fugaku looked thoughtful, then nodded.
"Very well. He can join the Anbu. Have him report to Kakashi tomorrow morning."
"Understood," Itachi replied respectfully.
He then continued, "What about Deidara? He has immense potential, but he's unstable. The only reason he agreed to follow me was because I defeated him—it's not out of loyalty to the village. I'm worried he might cause trouble."
Itachi's brows furrowed with concern.
Fugaku sighed inwardly. Deidara… that one's a headache.
No loyalty to his own village, let alone to Konoha. A true wildcard.
Should I just kill him?
The thought flickered through his mind. Cold, simple, efficient.
But immediately, Fugaku caught himself. When did I start seeing killing as the first solution?
He closed his eyes briefly, pushing the thought aside.
No. That's not the path I should walk.
Then another idea came to him. Kotoamatsukami.
He could use it to rewrite Deidara's will—make him obedient.
But he shook his head again. No. Deidara isn't worth wasting Kotoamatsukami on.
That power would be better reserved for someone like Black Zetsu.
He couldn't destroy Zetsu yet—only seal him—but if he could plant Kotoamatsukami in Zetsu's mind, he could permanently suppress his will to revive Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
Decision made, Fugaku nodded to himself. Black Zetsu will be the one.
Out loud, he asked, "Itachi, how have you been handling Deidara so far?"
"Recently, Kisame has been keeping an eye on him," Itachi replied. "But since Kisame will join the Anbu tomorrow, Deidara will be unsupervised."
He hesitated, clearly torn. He didn't want to burden Kisame any longer—his friend deserved a proper place within the village.
"I see."
Fugaku smiled faintly. "In that case, just seal Deidara's chakra and detain him for now."
Itachi blinked, surprised.
"Then… why did we bring him back in the first place? Just to lock him up?"
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