In the heart of the Uchiha Clan Compound stood a dignified old building. Inside, an elderly man sat cross-legged on a fine tatami mat, eyes closed in meditation. He seemed to have just put the clan's busy affairs behind him and was enjoying a rare moment of peace.
It was still wartime. The clan head had taken many clan members to the battlefield, where they were fighting for the glory of the Uchiha Clan.
As the Uchiha Clan's Grand Elder, he had remained behind, shouldering the responsibility of overseeing all the clan's affairs.
But the peace did not last long.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps broke the silence. A moment later, the paper door was flung open with a deafening rustle.
The Grand Elder furrowed his brow slightly, then slowly opened his eyes. A hint of displeasure and reproach showed in his gaze.
"Shota? What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic that you've forgotten even your basic manners? How many times have I told you to stay calm and composed when something happens?" The Grand Elder's voice carried an air of authority. The man who had rushed in was Uchiha Shota, Hayato's father.
Shota felt a little apologetic at his words. He had indeed been too hasty. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself before speaking respectfully.
"Sorry, Father. This matter really is unusual, and I couldn't stay calm."
Before he could finish, the Grand Elder interrupted him.
"I've told you: when we're working, address me by my title."
The Grand Elder's expression was stern and solemn. Shota could only close his mouth with a resigned nod.
"Yes, Grand Elder. It's like this: just now, my son Hayato was born."
Shota finally got to the point, but the Grand Elder tensed and asked anxiously, "Hayato? Why are you bringing him up? Has something happened to him?"
The Grand Elder himself had given Hayato his name, so his first thought was that something had gone wrong with his grandson.
"He's fine. Hayato was born healthy, and he's doing well," Shota quickly explained.
Hearing that his grandson was safe, the Grand Elder's furrowed brow relaxed.
But Shota had not finished. He took a deep breath and continued, "Although Hayato is healthy and well, I hope you won't interrupt me again. What I have to tell you is very important."
Seeing his son suddenly turn serious, the Grand Elder nodded slightly for him to continue.
"Go ahead. I'm listening, and I won't interrupt."
"All right. It's like this. Not long after Hayato was born, we discovered several miracles about him. For example, he was able to stand up by himself right after he was born."
The Grand Elder's eyes flashed with surprise, but he quickly regained his composure.
He thought that standing right after birth was rare, but not impossible. However, Shota's next words left him utterly stunned.
"Besides that, we discovered that Hayato had awakened the Sharingan!"
Shota's words crashed through the Grand Elder's mind like a thunderclap.
He sprang to his feet, eyes wide, and stared at Shota in disbelief.
"What did you say? Hayato awakened the Sharingan? Are you sure you saw correctly?"
The Grand Elder's voice trembled with excitement.
Shota nodded firmly, confirming that he had seen correctly. With that confirmation, the Grand Elder could hardly contain his excitement.
He could no longer hold back his feelings. Hurrying toward the exit, he wanted to see his grandson with his own eyes.
Shota had no choice but to hurry after him.
The two of them soon reached the doorway to Hayato's room.
The Grand Elder thrust the paper door open, only to see Misaki gently fanning Hayato. When she saw him burst in, she quickly raised a finger to her lips.
Only then did the Grand Elder realize that he had disturbed his grandson's rest. Embarrassed, he turned toward Shota.
His look said, My precious grandson is resting. Why didn't you tell me beforehand?
Shota could only look helpless. You rushed over before I could finish. How can you blame me?
But by then, the Grand Elder had no thought of reproaching him. His gaze was completely fixed on his grandson lying on the soft cushion.
Meanwhile, the noise of the paper door had startled Hayato. His little body twitched, and the tiny bubble he had been blowing popped.
Hayato slowly opened his eyes and saw someone new in the room.
The middle-aged man looked a little like his father. Hayato guessed this had to be his grandfather, the Grand Elder of the Uchiha Clan.
The Grand Elder walked over to Hayato with a kindly expression and said softly, "Hayato, I'm your grandpa."
He gently lifted Hayato, as if he were a rare treasure. Shota and Misaki gathered around them, the three of them protecting their precious little one.
The Grand Elder rocked Hayato gently, trying to lull him back to sleep. At the same time, he asked Misaki about Hayato.
"Misaki, Shota told me that Hayato could stand right after he was born and that he awakened the Sharingan. Is that true?"
Misaki nodded slightly and replied with certainty, "It's true, Father. We both saw it with our own eyes."
The Grand Elder's lips curled into a smile. Proud of his grandson, he exclaimed, "He really is my grandson!"
Though he hadn't seen it himself, he believed his son and daughter-in-law wouldn't lie to him, especially about something so important.
Hayato had awakened the Sharingan right after he was born.
After all, the Sharingan wasn't as common as the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan. Not everyone could awaken it so easily.
Quite a few clan members had never awakened the Sharingan.
There was a world of difference between Uchiha who had awakened the Sharingan and those who had not.
The timing of awakening the Sharingan mattered, too. The earlier someone awakened it, the greater their potential.
The Grand Elder gazed proudly at his grandson, as if he could see the future hope of the Uchiha Clan in him.
Meanwhile, Hayato, enjoying his rocking, gazed at his grandfather.
He figured the man must have heard that he had just awakened the Sharingan.
That was why he had hurried over to see him.
It made sense. Awakening the Sharingan right after birth was truly astonishing.
But Hayato couldn't reassure them.
It's fine. This is just the basics.
Suddenly, he remembered that just before he had fallen unconscious, a new window had popped up on the system panel.
He had only glanced at it before passing out.
Now, he could finally take a good look. The mental energy he had lost from awakening the Sharingan was gradually recovering, too.
With a thought, Hayato opened the pop-up, and another blue screen filled with text appeared before his eyes...
Before you continue