Chapter 369 — It's Time to Act
Uchiha Itachi took his father's tactful refusal—his suggestion that Itachi should not leave the Academy early—very seriously.
In Itachi's mind, this was a test.
A test of everything he had learned during this period of time.
He had even decided that once he found his answer, he would go and verify it with Kei himself.
What he didn't expect, however, was that before he could arrive at any conclusion, Kei would personally come to his home to visit his father.
What shocked him even more was that his father, after giving him an entire night to think, apparently decided that since Itachi still hadn't produced an answer, there was no point in waiting any longer.
So Fugaku called him over—and explained the matter directly to Kei, right in front of him.
Itachi felt deeply uncomfortable.
Yet he didn't dare say a single word.
Because he couldn't blame his father.
And because the moment Kei heard the matter, he immediately gave his answer.
To be honest, Kei was genuinely surprised.
Especially when he heard why Itachi wanted to graduate early—it almost made him laugh.
He hadn't expected that Itachi was influenced by him.
But Kei never believed that early graduation was a good thing.
If nothing else, he himself was proof of that.
Back then, Kei hadn't wanted to graduate early at all.
But no one protected him.
He had been forced to graduate and thrown onto the battlefield.
Shaking his head, Kei looked at Fugaku with some confusion.
"Fugaku-san, haven't you been trying to broaden his perspective all these years? Then why—"
"He's only seven years old," Fugaku replied helplessly. "And this kind of education is continuous. I don't believe that you could understand all of this when you were his age either."
Kei tilted his head and glanced at Itachi.
"So you want me to answer this question for him?"
"Yes," Fugaku nodded, his expression serious.
"You are his teacher. Even if you haven't acknowledged him yet, I believe he will earn your approval in the future. I have high expectations for him."
Kei fell silent.
He was surprised that Fugaku once again brought up the word teacher.
That topic had come up once before—but after Kei revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan, both of them had tacitly avoided it.
Kei harbored a subtle bias toward Itachi, mixed with discomfort.
Fugaku, on the other hand, feared something else entirely.
He feared that if his son were placed in Kei's hands, the boy might become a weapon used against him.
What if Kei used genjutsu to reshape Itachi?
If a conflict ever arose, Itachi would become the most dangerous blade aimed at his own father.
The darkness Kei once carried had left a deep impression on Fugaku.
Even now, though things were better, that cold, shadowy feeling still lingered in his memory.
Which made this renewed proposal all the more significant.
And the stakes were high.
From Fugaku's words, Kei could sense his intent clearly—
He wanted to groom Itachi as the next clan head.
That was no small chip.
With such an identity in place, both Fugaku's and Kei's positions within the Uchiha would become even more stable—and far more equal.
But what had driven Fugaku to make this decision?
Kei found it curious.
Still, the question itself was easy to answer.
Whether or not he would accept Itachi as a disciple was another matter entirely—one he hadn't seriously considered yet.
If anything, Kei believed Kakashi would be a better teacher for the boy.
As for clan status?
Did he really need to be the future clan head's teacher to command authority?
"Earning my approval isn't easy," Kei said calmly. "Very few people ever have. I believe you understand that, Fugaku-san."
"I do," Fugaku nodded. "And I believe Itachi will work hard."
"Then I'll give you the answer you're looking for."
Kei turned his gaze to Itachi.
Under the boy's nervous stare, he spoke.
"Graduating early lets you access missions sooner—but those missions are basic. They exist to help you integrate what you've learned in school, and to allow your jonin instructor to judge whether you have real potential.
"Do you think you need that process?"
"I…" Itachi hesitated, then answered confidently, "My father has already taught me these things. Even though he focuses on other matters now, I've already mastered the basics."
Kei wasn't surprised.
Itachi was the eldest son of the Uchiha clan head.
Even if Fugaku had shifted his teaching toward broader perspectives, Itachi had followed him onto the battlefield at three or four years old—and had once personally killed a severely wounded Iwagakure shinobi.
This boy had seen blood.
His foundation was solid.
And Kei didn't believe that Itachi lacked private instruction—or that he hadn't trained secretly with Shisui.
"Then what do you think you'll be doing after graduation?" Kei asked, tapping the table rhythmically.
"This isn't my era. Graduating now won't send you to war. You'll go through long evaluations. And at your age, the Mission Department won't assign you anything dangerous.
"You're a seedling meant to be cultivated—not something to be thrown away."
"I… I can protect myself…" Itachi's voice dropped. "But if I stay in school, what am I supposed to do?"
Kei sighed.
"I'm starting to doubt whether you've been paying attention to what Fugaku-san has been teaching you—though I don't even know exactly what that is."
He glanced at Fugaku, then continued coolly.
"Let me ask you something. Which clans in Konoha hold real influence?"
"Many," Itachi replied instantly. "Hyūga, Uchiha, Aburame, Inuzuka, Nara–Yamanaka–Akimichi, and—"
Halfway through listing them, Itachi froze.
Because he suddenly realized something.
His entire class was made up of heirs and elites from every major clan.
Even minor clans. Even families that had once been great but were now declining.
And even the so-called civilians—none of them were simple.
"Noticed?" Kei asked, shaking his head.
"I may not pay close attention to you, but I know enough. Your class is practically a miniature version of Konoha's future core."
He shifted posture slightly.
"And yet, from what I hear, you think being there is pointless."
Itachi lowered his head.
"Training with Shisui is important, yes. Strength matters. But are you weak? Are you short on time?"
"Sen—" Itachi started.
"Don't call me that," Kei cut him off. "I never acknowledged you. I'm saying this in front of your father as well."
He continued coldly.
"At your age, growth matters—but your mission isn't just personal strength. Tell me—are any of your classmates weak?"
"They… they're all strong," Itachi murmured.
"Then do they skip class like you do?"
"No."
"Then what right do you have to do so?"
Kei's tone sharpened.
"A perfect environment for forming bonds. A place where long-term cooperation and trust are built for the future. And you treat it like something disposable?"
"I…"
Itachi had nothing to say.
Kei believed that Itachi had never truly regarded his classmates as equals.
In his eyes, only abstract questions like 'the meaning of life' and training with Shisui mattered.
From Kei's memories, Itachi had been using shadow clones to skip class since childhood.
He had no real bonds with his peers.
Not even decent ones.
That was why he had stones thrown at him during the police force incidents.
Fugaku watched quietly, satisfaction flickering in his eyes.
He had tried teaching Itachi these things—but some lessons were hard for a father to explain clearly.
Kei, however, grasped the core issue instantly—and tore it open without hesitation.
The contrast was devastating.
And necessary.
Kei took a sip of tea, then glanced meaningfully at Fugaku.
Clearly, he had been used as a tool.
To say what a father couldn't.
To act as the teacher Fugaku needed him to be.
Kei didn't mind.
He had used Fugaku far more in the past.
"I've said everything that needs to be said," Kei concluded. "What you do next is up to you."
Then he turned to Fugaku.
"Your combat instincts are somewhat lacking, but your understanding and application of techniques are extraordinary. Still—you need to prepare further."
"Prepare?" Fugaku's expression hardened. "You mean… that unavoidable matter?"
Kei nodded.
Fugaku knew exactly what he meant.
Cloud Village.
The signs were already there.
And it was time to act.
Especially when Fugaku noticed the confusion in Itachi's eyes—it gave him a headache almost immediately.
"It seems the shinobi world won't be peaceful," Fugaku sighed. "Does Minato have a plan?"
"Captain Minato's stance was already made clear at that meeting," Kei replied calmly. "I spoke on his behalf, and he hasn't changed his mind since."
"This conflict will be kept within a reasonable scope. We don't know how long it will last, but ideally… we'll stretch it as long as possible."
"A long time?" Fugaku frowned, then suddenly realized something.
"…Is the timing right?"
"Yes," Kei nodded. "This is a rare opportunity. We've been preparing for more than a year—nearly two. Now is the moment."
Fugaku fell silent.
He understood immediately.
When Minato first assumed office, his authority had been hollowed out. Back then, they had already begun planning how to help him reclaim his rightful power—and how to dismantle Konoha's entrenched system.
Kei's insight had been almost monstrous.
He had identified the true nature of Konoha under the Third Hokage—and devised a way to tear open that iron curtain.
The reforms among genin and chunin were already underway, and they were progressing smoothly.
That left only one obstacle.
Jōnin reform.
If genin and chunin received a resource shift of "one," then jōnin would receive "ten."
Not just money or jutsu—though those alone were enough to intoxicate people—but voice.
Authority.
Once you became a jōnin, you gained real political weight. Even if you couldn't rival department heads, you could stand shoulder to shoulder with clan leaders.
It was nothing short of a transformation of destiny.
And that was exactly why it was dangerous.
Such reform required a massive distraction.
Now Fugaku finally understood what Kei meant by "controlling the conflict within a reasonable range."
He had deliberately said conflict, not war.
This was not meant to destabilize Konoha internally.
But to turn war into a controlled conflict required someone powerful enough to enforce that boundary.
Kei's purpose in coming to him was obvious.
Fugaku would have to act—when the time came.
But not too hard.
If he struck too fiercely, two outcomes were possible:
First—the enemy would be terrified and retreat immediately, ending everything far too quickly. That would destroy the goal of a prolonged conflict.
Second—hatred would escalate. And hatred itself was meaningless; what mattered was opportunity. Cloud Village would never abandon such a chance. Misjudging Konoha's ceiling as Fugaku himself, they might instead expand the war to a much larger scale.
That would completely derail their plans.
Of course, acting too softly was just as dangerous. That would make Cloud Village believe Konoha was weak—and embolden them to demand more.
Fugaku knew how difficult this task was.
But he also knew that only he could do it.
Minato was Hokage—he had to embody Konoha's stability.
Kei couldn't act openly; the trouble he caused in Kirigakure still hadn't settled.
Though… with the right manipulation, that might not be absolute.
Despite the difficulty, Fugaku felt anticipation.
Not just because Kei had reignited his desire to fight—but because of the reform itself.
He had prepared extensively.
After this reform, the clan with the most jōnin would undoubtedly be the Uchiha.
A legitimate exploitation of the rules.
Yet Fugaku wanted more.
Not power confined to the clan.
He wanted transcendence.
He wanted to become the Head of the Jōnin Corps—a representative of all jōnin interests.
Not merely the Uchiha clan head.
Externally, the Uchiha were represented by Kei—not him.
Within the clan, Fugaku would govern. Outside it, he would not.
This was a leap beyond imagination.
And he hadn't told Kei any of this.
He wanted to prove his own value.
To break free from clan identity.
To become a Konoha shinobi—not a Konoha Uchiha.
If Kei knew, he'd probably give only one verdict:
"Convert's fanaticism."
And nothing more.
"I understand, Kei," Fugaku said solemnly. "Leave it to me. I'll prepare."
"That's enough," Kei nodded, standing. "Also—if possible, discreetly leak some information about Susanoo. Especially the idea that its color may not be unique."
"Oh?" Fugaku's eyes lit up. "Do you intend to act during this 'conflict'?"
"Just a contingency," Kei smiled faintly, glancing at the bewildered Itachi.
"And maybe… I won't be the one acting at all."
---
While the two discussed their plans—
Far outside Konoha, Atsubi arrived alone.
This mission required only him.
He wasn't a negotiator.
Nor a politician.
But he was a warrior.
His objective was simple:
Meet the Third Hokage.
"We originally planned to show goodwill," he muttered. "But tiptoeing around won't work."
"I know the original terms he offered the Tsuchikage. If that's the case…"
He exhaled and formed a hand seal.
The Raikage had given it to him personally.
They weren't allies—but Atsubi didn't believe the Raikage would deceive him in a matter like this.
He waited quietly, even taking time to observe Konoha's perimeter.
Before he could look closer—
Several black-clad shinobi appeared silently beside him.
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