Chapter 62: Teaching Itachi
For the Uchiha clan, Kagami's death back then was a massive loss.
As the Second Hokage's disciple, even if Kagami could not become the next Hokage, he still could have entered the next Hokage's inner circle and risen to a high position without any issue.
Just like Danzo, Homura, Koharu, and the others now.
If someone like that existed in the upper ranks, it would be enough. He could act as a representative and a bridge for the Uchiha within Konoha, fighting for the clan's interests from the inside.
In that case, the Uchiha's situation would not be as awkward as it was now.
This had originally been part of Tobirama's intent.
He wanted Kagami to become a link between the Uchiha and the village, letting the clan integrate more smoothly instead of remaining locked in an invisible confrontation with the Hokage faction and wasting Konoha's strength in internal friction.
But Kagami had died.
His death did not just erase that link. It also meant the clan's effort and investment were wasted, and the result was the grim situation they faced today.
Now, Itachi, the child Fugaku had placed at Yuu's side, was playing a similar role, just like Kagami once had.
However, after learning from Kagami's lesson, Setsuna felt that relying on Itachi alone was not enough.
They needed more insurance.
"Send more manpower?" Fugaku thought for a moment, then had to admit it made sense.
If the connection between both sides depended entirely on Itachi, it was far too fragile.
A shinobi's career was full of accidents. What if one day Itachi died out there, just like Kagami?
As much as Fugaku hated to acknowledge it, it was possible.
In every sense, they needed another layer of security.
"Let's send one more person," an elder said. "He has already accepted Itachi as a disciple. If we keep sending people as students, it will look improper."
"Then we send them as a guard and attendant."
"Who do we send?"
That question plunged the room into silence.
Even if someone was sent as a guard, they still had to meet conditions.
The person assigned to protect Yuu needed enough strength, and they could not be too old.
Without ability and talent, they could not serve as a true link, and they would never hold an important position beside Minato and Yuu in the future.
If they were too old, it would also be difficult to build trust and friendship over time.
Someone who met all those requirements was not easy to find within the current Uchiha.
Yet after a brief pause, they found a candidate who fit.
Kagami's grandson, Shisui.
As Kagami's descendant, his identity was clean. Compared to other Uchiha, he would be more easily accepted by the Hokage faction.
And unlike the four year old Itachi, who had not yet revealed his talent, the seven year old Shisui had already shown superb promise as a shinobi.
If nothing went wrong, he would surely become an excellent shinobi in the future.
Once Shisui's name was spoken, everyone present agreed he was a good choice.
They prepared to arrange it, and to find an opportunity to inform Yuu.
While the Uchiha were deliberating, Yuu had already returned to Minato's home.
His luck was not bad. When he arrived, Kushina happened to be out.
At the very least, he avoided a round of torment.
"Looking at you," Minato said with a smile, "it seems things went smoothly?"
"It went quite smoothly." Yuu nodded.
In front of Minato, he recounted everything that happened in Uchiha territory, step by step, hiding nothing.
When Minato finished listening, genuine appreciation appeared in his eyes.
"As expected of you," he said. "I knew you could do it, but you did far better than I imagined."
Originally, Minato had only hoped Yuu could use the Hokage election as leverage to persuade the Uchiha to stop pursuing the matter of Kakashi.
He had not expected Yuu to go beyond that.
Not only did the Uchiha drop the issue, they even chose to stand on Minato's side.
With Uchiha support, Minato's chances in the Hokage election rose sharply.
Even with confidence in himself, Minato had to admit Orochimaru was a formidable opponent.
The difference in time and momentum between them was too great.
When Orochimaru and Jiraiya became famous together as the Sannin, Minato had still been an ordinary academy student.
Orochimaru had been cultivating influence in Konoha for many years. The prestige and support he accumulated were far from weak.
On top of that, Orochimaru's abilities were outstanding, and his leadership was strong enough to carry the Hokage title.
Competing against someone like that, it was impossible for Minato not to feel pressure.
"It's good that the Uchiha are supporting you, Sensei," Yuu said, offering a reminder, "but if it's handled poorly, it could easily turn into a bad thing."
"There are people in Konoha who do not want to see the Uchiha integrate into the village at all."
"If the Uchiha support you, it might cause those people to become hostile toward you as well."
He was not talking about anyone else.
He meant Danzo and the people around him.
If the Uchiha stood behind Minato, Hiruzen and the rest might not say much, and they might even be pleased to see it.
But Danzo's side would very likely turn its hostility toward Minato because of it.
If that was mishandled, it could become trouble instead of support.
"Yes, I understand," Minato replied with a calm smile. "But no matter what, the Uchiha are part of the village."
"The fact that they can support me means more people in the village recognize me."
"So what do I have to fear?"
Unlike ordinary people, Minato's view was broader.
He looked at things from the standpoint of Konoha as a whole.
The Uchiha had not yet reached the breaking point that would one day lead to a coup, but even now they were being subtly pushed aside by various forces.
If that continued, internal conflict would eventually erupt.
In that situation, the Uchiha's willingness to support Minato was proof they were willing to take the first step, to try integrating into the village as a collective.
As someone who truly loved Konoha, Minato was genuinely happy to see such a beginning.
"I see." Yuu was surprised at first, then quickly understood.
This was the mindset of someone who truly loved Konoha.
Whether he became Hokage or not, that heart would not change.
A person like Minato, even without the title, would still fight for Konoha until the end without hesitation.
So how could he not feel joy at the Uchiha's change?
Yuu did not fully share Minato's sentiment, but he could understand it.
"Either way, the matter with Kakashi is resolved," Minato said, standing with a smile. "From here on, the rest depends on us."
"Alright." Yuu nodded and rose as well.
In the days that followed, everything returned to calm.
But after that day, Yuu gained an additional task.
Teaching Itachi.
A disciple was a disciple. No matter what Yuu thought, since Itachi was now under him, he had to take responsibility.
At the very least, he could not let Itachi become the same kind of problem child who slaughtered his own clan at a young age.
Naruto had a tradition of killing one's teacher, after all.
Yuu had no interest in living comfortably only for his own apprentice to come for his life one day.
Even if he was not afraid, it would be annoying.
And if that ever happened, it would mean his teaching had failed in a serious way.
In the original story, Fugaku's way of raising Itachi had been deeply flawed.
Taking him to the battlefield while he was still a child, forcing him into the role of a double agent, crushing him under constant pressure.
A young child having to kill, having to deal with the clan, the Hokage, Root, and countless other forces, all while completing shinobi missions every day.
It would be stranger if he did not break.
Now that Itachi was Yuu's disciple, the method had to change.
For the first few days, Yuu did not do much training at all. He simply took Itachi around Konoha, visiting different places.
Itachi was far calmer than most children his age, but he was still very young. Eventually, he revealed preferences.
Yuu discovered that the Itachi of this moment was actually quite normal.
Aside from being overly polite, and quiet from living within Uchiha territory for so long, he was not that different from an ordinary child.
He had foods and snacks he liked. He had things that interested him.
It was just that his mind was too mature for his age, so he could not truly play with children his own age, and he was cautious about expressing what he really felt.
Once Yuu understood Itachi's temperament, he began teaching in earnest.
"Your body is still too small," Yuu said, looking at him. "You haven't developed fully yet. If you do too much high intensity training now, it will affect your future."
"Instead of forcing that kind of training, it's better to start by training other areas."
"In terms of techniques?" Itachi asked.
"No," Yuu replied with a smile. "Other aspects."
"I've designed some courses specifically for you."
.....
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