"That works too." Uchiha Makoto smiled. "This way, the younger members of the clan won't have to spend all day cooped up in the Konoha Military Police Force fighting petty thieves. They can take on higher-level missions and see the wider world."
"That is precisely what we hope for." Fugaku nodded, then changed the subject, his gaze settling on his son beside him. "Makoto, there is another reason I came today."
Uchiha Makoto's heart skipped a beat. He had a bad feeling about this.
"It's about Itachi." Fugaku patted Itachi's shoulder. "You've seen his talent and temperament. He graduated early and became a Genin, but I hope he can receive more systematic instruction of the highest caliber, rather than merely studying at the Ninja Academy or going on missions with an ordinary Jonin."
Here it comes!
Alarm bells blared in Uchiha Makoto's mind.
"Clan head, you mean..." Uchiha Makoto tried to play dumb.
"I hope you will take Itachi as your disciple." Fugaku stated his purpose outright, his tone solemn. "You are an acknowledged genius of the Uchiha Clan, with unfathomable strength, a meticulous mind, and exceptional insight. You are the best choice to teach Itachi."
"???"
This time, Uchiha Makoto really was a little stunned.
This isn't how the script goes!
He'd clearly nudged the timeline back on track before, so why had it started going off the rails again lately?
Fugaku wasn't playing by the rules!
In the original story, he hadn't been this open-minded about letting his son study under a genius from their own clan, had he?
As for this kid Itachi... honestly, he had absolutely no interest in him!
Too much on his mind, too smart for his own good, hard to fool, and a potential clan-slaughtering monster to boot.
By comparison, he was much