Ugh, damn it! I waited a whole week just for these ten minutes of the show, and right when I was getting into it, you had to interrupt with an ad! Is this heartless company trying to drive people crazy?
In a dim room, all kinds of household trash lay scattered everywhere: cigarette butts, instant-noodle packets, bread wrappers, and water bottles. A strange smell hung in the air. The only light in the dark room came from the faint glow of a computer screen on the desk. A popular Japanese anime was playing on it: Naruto.
A young man sitting in front of the computer was cursing at the ad interrupting the show. He looked to be in his twenties, was rather short and skinny, and sat bare-chested, his skin somewhat pale. His short black hair was as dry and stiff as autumn reeds, and his pale face wore an angry expression.
The young man was named Ye Chen. He had once been a good student with a happy family, but an unexpected disaster had destroyed it all. A car accident had taken both his parents, leaving him an orphan. Fortunately, the driver responsible had a conscience and paid him a large sum in compensation.
After that, Ye Chen had given up on himself and stopped speaking to people. His grades plummeted, and eventually he quit school altogether. He stayed home, surfing the internet, playing games, and watching anime to fill the emptiness inside him. His parents had left him some money, and with the driver's compensation, he had enough to support himself without working. Naruto, now playing on his computer, was one of his favorite anime series.
"Whoa, Night Guy is ridiculously awesome! Even Madara at the Six Paths level can't fight back against him! But Night Guy can't stay in that state for long, right? After all, that power comes from burning through his life. What a huge price to pay. Madara's still incredible, though—he's practically unbeatable." Ye Chen stared at the screen and muttered to himself. "Do you want to become stronger? Do you want to obtain power that makes people fear you? Do you want to rule over everything?" Suddenly, those words rang in Ye Chen's ears.
"Obviously! Who the hell wouldn't want that?" Ye Chen shouted without thinking. "Heh. As you wish!"
"Who? Who's speaking?" Ye Chen suddenly came to his senses. He was clearly the only person in the room, so who had just spoken? Had he gone crazy or something? A cold sweat broke out over him, and he began to tremble. "W-who is it? C-come out!" The moment Ye Chen finished speaking, his vision suddenly went black, and then he knew nothing more.
A few days later, the news reported that a man had been found dead at home by a neighbor after several days. Experts determined that he had died suddenly after spending too long on the internet, and urged parents not to let their children use computers for extended periods.
The Uchiha Clan was renowned for its Sharingan, one of the three great dojutsu. It had fought a long war against the Senju Clan, until the ancestors of both clans, Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, joined forces to found Konoha. Afterward, the Uchiha Clan became one of the most powerful clans in the village. Its founder was Madara Uchiha, hailed as the strongest ninja and one of Konoha's founders. Most clan members excelled at Fire Release Ninjutsu, such as the basic Great Fireball Technique and Phoenix Sage Fire Technique. Some members possessed the Kekkei Genkai known as the Sharingan, which granted them powerful insight in battle, allowing them to copy their enemies' ninjutsu, as well as use special ocular techniques. It was said that one of the Uchiha Clan's ancestors had founded the Konoha Military Police Force, where many clan members served.
At that moment, the residence of the head of Konoha's most prestigious clan, the Uchiha, was unusually lively. Why? Because the wife of the Uchiha Clan Head, Mikoto Uchiha, was about to give birth after ten months of pregnancy. This was the Uchiha Clan Head's child, so naturally the Uchiha took it very seriously.
"Clan Head Fugaku, there's no need to worry too much. Lady Mikoto will be fine," an elderly man said to the middle-aged man beside him. The man was none other than Fugaku Uchiha, the current head of Konoha's most prestigious clan, the Uchiha. "Mm, I know," Fugaku said, forcing himself to stay calm. But his tightly clenched fists showed that he was far from relaxed.
"Father!" A child who looked to be only a few years old came running in from the gate. The Uchiha gathered there automatically made way for him. "Itachi, you're back from school?"
When Fugaku saw the child, his tense face softened into a faint smile, his eyes full of affection. It was his first child, Uchiha Itachi. Though only five years old, he was widely recognized as a prodigy.
"Yes, Father. How is Mother?" Itachi's young face was filled with worry, too. "Don't worry. She'll be fine." Fugaku patted Itachi on the shoulder. "Heh, Itachi, you're about to become a big brother." "A big brother? I'm going to be a big brother?" The worry on Itachi's face gave way to anticipation.
Suddenly, a loud cry rang out from the closed room. Everyone outside perked up, and smiles spread across their faces. "The baby's here! The baby's here! Clan Head, Lady Mikoto has given birth!"
Just then, a female medical ninja came out of the room and spoke to the crowd outside. "Congratulations, Clan Head!" the Uchiha said to Fugaku one after another. "Mm." Fugaku had no mind to entertain them. He merely nodded, then headed straight for the medical ninja, with Itachi following close behind.
"How are Mikoto and the baby?" Fugaku asked the medical ninja. "Clan Head, rest assured. Lady Mikoto and both young masters are safe and sound. Lady Mikoto is just a little weak, but there's nothing seriously wrong."
"That's good, that's good. Wait, both young masters? Did Mikoto have two boys?" Fugaku was puzzled. He had only heard one baby crying. "Yes, Clan Head. Lady Mikoto gave birth to twin boys." "Oh, thank you for all your hard work." "There's no need to thank us, Clan Head. It's our duty." Itachi, who had been standing nearby, could wait no longer. "Father, I want to go in and see my little brothers."
"Can I go in?" Fugaku asked the medical ninja instead of answering Itachi. "It's fine, but try not to disturb Lady Mikoto for too long. She's still very weak." "Mm!" Fugaku nodded, then turned to Itachi, who was already eager to go in. "Itachi, go ahead." "Yes, Father." He hurried into the room.
Inside the room, a medical ninja held a baby in each hand and spoke to the weak-looking woman lying on the bed. "Lady Mikoto, they're both boys—twins! Look, aren't these two young masters adorable?" The woman was the mother of the babies, and the wife of Fugaku Uchiha, the head of the Uchiha Clan: Mikoto Uchiha.
"Quick, put them both down so I can get a good look at them." "Yes, Lady Mikoto." The medical ninja answered as she carefully placed the two babies beside Mikoto on the bed. Mikoto gazed at the two identical-looking babies beside her, her face lit with a blissful smile. Tears of joy rolled down her cheeks.
Though the two babies looked identical, their temperaments were different. One was crying without a care in the world, while the other lay quietly, letting out only a faint whimper. "My babies, Mommy loves you." As Mikoto spoke, she reached out to touch their heads. The one she wanted to touch was the baby lying quietly without crying.
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