Became the Eldest Son!

After living like a savage for half a year, I had forgotten that I possessed such a fine appearance.

"My apologies, there's no time for a bath."

Uchiha Xun stood behind me, helping me strip off my filthy, tattered linen clothes. She then helped me pull on a black mesh undershirt, and finally, a standard Uchiha high-collared shirt.

"Take off your pants! Do you need me to help you with that?" Under the moonlight, she teased me from the side.

I struggled for a moment before finally taking them off, then, with the greatest speed I could muster in this lifetime, I pulled on my black shorts and leg bandages, finishing by stepping into my ninja boots.

The mirror reflected a young boy with a remarkably spirited look.

His hair had grown long and fell naturally, revealing a smooth, fair forehead. His eyes, like black jade, held no extraneous expression—at times icy, at others, innocent. Beneath a small, delicate nose was a pair of pale, water-colored lips, looking quite beautiful and endearing.

"You look just like your mother," Uchiha Xun said, crouching down to arrange my hair while using ninjutsu to meticulously mend the scars on my legs and arms.

"You child, you look so quiet and obedient, yet why are you always so reckless when you do things!" She sighed, muttering to herself while her hands worked tirelessly. "You've gotten so many injuries again; aren't you afraid of the pain?"

"It hurts, but I forget it once the pain passes."

I smiled foolishly, lowering my head to cooperate obediently, though my heart remained indifferent.

What kind of pain was this? Chronic illness was what truly tortured a person!

After tidying me up, Uchiha Xun brought me back to the Uchiha compound, but not to my own home. Instead, we arrived at the clan head's mansion—the residence of Uchiha Fugaku.

I began to have a bad premonition again.

Standing at the main gate, I quietly observed this magnificent sight.

This was the place where everything originated, the place of accumulated grievances interwoven with love and hate, the place where the rise and fall of this clan... all developed and unfolded.

My gaze drifted over the tall mansion, the meticulously carved bridges, the perfectly manicured lawn, and the gravel path identical to the one at my mother's house. I frowned slightly.

Everything was clearly exposed to the sunlight, yet it seemed to carry a heavy scent of blood that made one shudder.

Instinctively, I did not like this place.

The person who came out to greet me was a gentle woman. She had been dozing on a lounge chair in the courtyard but woke up upon hearing the noise.

As she stood up and walked toward me, I noticed her rounded belly at a glance—she was pregnant.

My heart began to pound. I turned back to look for Uchiha Xun, but she was already gone.

"Hello, I am Uchiha Mikoto, Fugaku's wife." The black-haired woman before me had curved eyebrows and smiling eyes. When she spoke Japanese, it sounded like the soft, gentle dialect of Suzhou, making one involuntarily slow their breathing.

It really was her! The mother of Itachi and Sasuke!

The flower of the Uchiha clan, the beautiful Mikoto!

However, I always seemed unable to handle gentle people. I stiffened, forced a smile, and stood perfectly still, biting the bullet as I said, "I, I am—"

"Uchiha Yue, right?" She led me inside, teasing me as she walked. "I heard from Fugaku that you are very talented."

I shook my head, stealing a quick glance at her belly.

You should know, the one you are carrying is the true genius.

Mikoto was an observant woman; she noticed my gaze, took my hand, and sat down, pulling back her outer robe.

"He's been very lively since you arrived," she said, playfully patting her stomach. "Would you like to listen?"

I swallowed hard, unable to contain my excitement.

This... this was Itachi!

I leaned in cautiously, gently pressing my ear against her abdomen. Immediately, a continuous, warm sensation traveled through her to me.

I closed my eyes and listened quietly.

First, there was the sound of water. The sounds intertwined, forming something like the roar of the ocean. Listening through the layer of skin, it was all misty, like the sound of waves.

Then, there was the irregular sound of water currents and shifting gases. The sounds moved from deep within to the surface; I held my breath and leaned in closer.

I could be certain that inside, a life was gestating, waiting for tears and laughter, waiting for light and rebirth.

Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Itachi. I chewed on his name in my heart, feeling an absurd urge to laugh.

Who could have imagined that the future S-rank missing-nin who would annihilate the entire Uchiha clan and join the Akatsuki at thirteen—that existence who was treated like a god in my past life—was, right now, just an unborn infant?

He had no thoughts, could not move, and could only drift in the amniotic fluid, drawing nutrients through an umbilical cord. He was fragile... and still needed the protection of the mother's body.

At that moment, my face was gently kicked.

"He felt you," Mikoto's eyes curved into crescents. She rubbed the top of my head, closed her eyes, and said, "He likes you very much."

I smiled foolishly and blurted out, "I like him very much, too."

Stemming from my past life, I truly liked Uchiha Itachi. There was admiration and respect in that, but even more, there was heartache and pity.

After all, Itachi's life was far too bitter.

Uchiha Fugaku stepped through the door at twilight, by which time I had already finished Uchiha Mikoto's tea and eaten all her snacks, and was racking my brain for a reason to leave that wouldn't be awkward.

After entering, Fugaku slid the door shut behind him. My heart sank; I knew there was no getting away now.

He straightened his collar, pointed to the cushion in front of him, and said, "Come, sit down."

I sat down obediently.

"I called you here today because there is something I must tell you, something I will announce to the entire clan afterward."

The sense of unease in my heart grew heavier; despite being panicked to the point of trembling, I didn't dare move a muscle.

"I wish to adopt you as my son—" Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto sat side by side, their postures upright and expressions solemn, dropping a bombshell.

"That is to say, the eldest son of me, Uchiha Fugaku, head of the Uchiha clan."

What??

"Y-you, what did you say?" I heard my own voice, distorted and grating—

I was so terrified my voice cracked!!

"You possess great talent, you are diligent and hardworking, and you are loyal to the clan. Once you become my child, I expect you to devote yourself heart and soul to the service of the entire Uchiha clan." Uchiha Fugaku's tone was like a command.

I was left blank-minded by his words, feeling as though I were dreaming, yet both of them wore expressions so grave that it was clearly no joke.

Seeing that I remained silent for a long time, Fugaku frowned: "Do you have any objections to serving the clan?"

Because his tone was so severe, I instinctively bowed my head and stammered: "I... I have none..."

But if I become your child, what about my own mother?

Thinking of my mother, I asked instinctively: "But my mother, she..."

"Your mother will have no objections; I will speak with her," Fugaku said, scrutinizing me all the while. He was clearly unsatisfied with my attitude and was waiting for what I would say next.

"So, what is your answer?"

It was only then that I realized the implication of serving the clan.

If I refused, it would be an act of betrayal against the clan!

I hurriedly prostrated myself on the floor, appearing fearful and trembling: "If Mother has no objections, then I have none either—"

They still didn't react, so I gritted my teeth and, with great effort, squeezed the words from my throat:

"Thank you... Father, Mother, for trusting me and giving me this opportunity..."

"I will strive to set a good example—"

With these two titles and my guarantee, they finally seemed satisfied.

"Good. From today on, you are my child. You must change your name; add the character 'Akatsuki' before 'Yue'. You shall be called Uchiha Akatsuki." Fugaku stood up leisurely and helped me to my feet.

"Akatsuki?" I asked, stunned and uncomprehending. "Why call me Akatsuki?"

"The character 'Aka' represents those who guard the clan in the darkness. It is a very important character. Akatsuki, you must remember its meaning: never betray the clan, and always cherish your family. Do you understand?"

The two of them flanked me, one on each side, pinning me between them in a gesture that felt as much like an embrace as it did a threat.

"Akatsuki, you must set a good example for the little baby." Mikoto gazed into my eyes: "The due date is in three months. I hope that when the time comes, you will witness his birth with your own eyes."

Itachi... is he about to be born?

In a state of infinite shock, my heart hammered wildly, and I replied with a stutter—

"Yes."