At Uchiha Kai's side, the young Itachi stood respectfully.
His strict upbringing meant that even before family, he could not show the liveliness a boy his age ought to have.
After a long silence, watching Kai remain deep in thought, Itachi couldn't help but speak.
"Teacher, I still don't understand."
"Since you know the Hokage is scheming against you, why would you still agree to his request?"
"Are those two forbidden techniques really that valuable?"
Itachi's face was filled with puzzlement.
He simply couldn't comprehend his teacher's decision.
In his view, his teacher was already strong enough.
With the Uchiha clan's Mangekyo Sharingan, he could deal with any trouble.
Under such circumstances, two forbidden techniques seemed trivial.
Was there really any need?
On the other side, Kai, who had been pondering, grew serious at the boy's words.
As for Itachi's ninjutsu training, Kai rarely interfered beyond guiding him in general directions—because he knew just how self-disciplined Itachi was.
But when it came to matters of the mind, Kai was stricter than anyone.
Having read the original timeline, Kai knew all too well how brilliant his disciple was, and how deeply he tended to think through problems.
If not guided properly, who knew if some minor doubt might lead him into a dead end?
Thinking this, Kai paused to organize his words, then spoke calmly.
"Itachi, you've misunderstood."
"In a clash with the Hokage, the benefits you gain aren't what matters."
"Those two forbidden techniques? They're just incidental."
"Whether I actually get them or not—I don't care."
"What matters is that I must agree."
"Always remember this: when two sides clash, the most important thing is to hide yourself, while forcing your enemy into the open."
"Take this situation. Yes, I could refuse."
"But would refusing really keep me safe from schemes?"
"No—it would not!"
"Even if I hid forever within the clan compound, the Hokage would still find ways, at all costs, to ensnare me."
"But by agreeing, the roles are reversed."
"I can roughly guess how the Hokage will try to trap me. Knowing that, I can move forward carefully and cautiously, and in the ensuing struggle, I'll hold the advantage."
"That way, my chances of winning rise far higher!"
"Whereas if I just hide inside the clan, I'd never know when or how the enemy will strike next."
"Then we'd be standing in the open, while Hiruzen Sarutobi lurks in the shadows."
"That would mean living under constant guard against every possible ambush."
"Remember this: the best defense is offense."
"Drag the enemy onto your battlefield, seize the initiative to the greatest extent—never allow yourself to fall into passivity."
"That is why I agreed to Hiruzen. That is the essence of it."
"And since I'm agreeing anyway, it's only natural to pick up a little extra benefit along the way."
"Itachi, do you understand?"
Uchiha Kai's tone was low and heavy.
Yes.
This was his true thinking.
Sarutobi Hiruzen would never let him go—he would always find a way to destroy him.
That much was fixed.
But how would Hiruzen scheme? From what angle? When would he strike?
All of that was unknown.
Purely passive defense was the most foolish path. In such a situation, the only smart choice was to step onto the board by his own will.
Besides, from Hiruzen's words, Kai had already deduced the kind of tactic the Hokage's faction would use.
Nothing more than setting a trap, then leaking his whereabouts to an enemy village—so they could combine forces to eliminate him.
Knowing Danzo's nature from the "original story," such ploys were practically routine.
Most people fall victim to schemes only because they were unprepared.
But with prior preparation, half the trap is already undone.
And if he could conveniently get two forbidden techniques out of it—that was just an unexpected bonus.
To be honest, what he most wanted were techniques like the Impure World Reincarnation or the Reaper Death Seal, the great sealing arrays.
But of course, Hiruzen would never allow access to forbidden arts of that level.
Still, that was fine.
Such things didn't require bargaining with the village.
He was confident he could one day obtain them from Orochimaru.
So being able to secure Spirit Transformation and the Eight Inner Gates Formation already left Uchiha Kai quite satisfied.
Especially Spirit Transformation!
That was one of the rare jutsu involving the soul itself.
"I see—that's the reason."
Itachi frowned slightly, sinking into thought.
After a while, he asked:
"Then when it comes to your other enemy, Elder Setsuna… do you view him the same way?"
"I always thought you spared him out of magnanimity."
Yes.
Regarding Uchiha Setsuna, Itachi had long wondered.
He once believed this only proved his teacher's tolerance.
Although there had been grudges, since they were both Uchiha, his teacher couldn't be bothered to lower himself.
After all, with his teacher's strength, there were countless ways to make Setsuna disappear.
But now… perhaps that wasn't the case.
Uchiha… Setsuna?
Hearing this, Uchiha Kai was briefly stunned.
Then he smiled, shaking his head, and said with deep meaning:
"Itachi, you're mistaken."
"Your teacher is not a magnanimous man. Let me teach you a principle of life."
"Repaying hatred with virtue—then how will you repay virtue?
Repay hatred with justice, repay virtue with virtue!"
"I distinguish clearly between gratitude and grudges. I will deal with Uchiha Setsuna one day—but definitely not now."
"Killing him isn't hard."
"But then what?"
"Right now, the Uchiha's greatest enemy is the village leadership."
"Hiruzen commands the Sarutobi clan, the Anbu, and the Hokage Guard.
Danzo controls the Shimura clan and Root.
Then there are the elder advisors Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, with their backing clans."
"On top of that, Hiruzen's disciples—the so-called Legendary Sannin: Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru."
"Tsunade, of the Senju line—though the clan is gone, her influence in the village remains great.
Though she bears resentment toward Hiruzen for the Senju downfall, if forced to choose between him and the Uchiha, she'd still side with him."
"Jiraiya rarely stays in the village, but he is firmly in Hiruzen's camp. A Kage-level shinobi, and with the toads' aid, he can even enter Sage Mode temporarily."
"Orochimaru—need I say more?
He was once a top contender for Fourth Hokage, a Kage-level force with many followers."
"And the most terrifying thing about the Sannin is not themselves—but what stands behind them."
"Tsunade has the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest, Jiraiya the Toad Sages of Mount Myoboku, Orochimaru the White Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave."
"And beyond them, there's the 'Yellow Flash' Namikaze Minato's faction.
As well as the Ino–Shika–Cho clans…"
"Even ignoring the neutral clans, just Hiruzen's backing alone is overwhelming."
"With what does the Uchiha fight that?"
"The Uchiha are already at a severe disadvantage.
Uchiha Setsuna may be a bastard, but he too opposes the village's high council."
"From that perspective, he is an ally."
"One day I may kill him—but absolutely not now."
"If I killed him now, not only would that weaken our side, it would delight the village leadership."
"And one more thing."
"Are you sure that if I killed Setsuna now, the higher-ups wouldn't seize on it?"
"If I can attack the village through 'amending laws,' why couldn't they, on the basis of 'investigating Setsuna's death,' turn that into a pretext to target the Uchiha as a whole?"
"In life, you cannot act on reckless courage alone. You must act with strategy and method—understand?"
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