Itachi did not understand his father.
But he could sense that everyone around him had changed their attitude toward Gua.
Clansmen who had once scoffed at Gua now greeted him warmly.
Clansmen who had once been indifferent to Gua now broke into radiant smiles whenever they saw him.
Those who had always been friendly toward Gua were even friendlier now...
Why?
Was it simply because Gua had entered the Hokage Building?
But he was only going there to study.
Apparently, Gua had earned some merit earlier, and this was something the Third Generation had promised him long ago.
Itachi did not dwell on it. His father had told him to pay attention, so he would pay a little more attention. He spent most of his school day with Gua anyway.
Even without deliberately observing him, he pretty much knew what Gua did all day.
He even noticed how many times Gua went to the bathroom, how many sips of water he drank, how often he idled, frowned, or smiled... All of it fell under his watchful eye.
Fugaku also made time every day to ask Itachi about Gua in private.
Itachi went from being puzzled at first to taking it for granted.
He had become Fugaku's surveillance camera at Gua's side. All that was missing was calculating how much Gua peed on each bathroom trip.
Fugaku learned a great deal about Gua from Itachi.
"Gua is an even-tempered boy."
"Gua is a quiet boy."
"Gua is a steady boy."
"Gua isn't arrogant."
"Gua has very healthy kidneys."
"..."
He had plenty of strengths, while he possessed almost none of the flaws common among the Uchiha.
Fugaku looked contemplative.
"Does the Third Generation value him so highly because he wants to find a way forward for us Uchiha?"
Who did not