WebNovels

Chapter 4 - Chapter 2 – Fugaku’s Hearing

I decided to release this chapter early because why not, anyways, please enjoy this chapter

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The night was still within the Uchiha compound, its silence broken only by the distant hum of cicadas. Torches burned faintly along the walkways, their flames throwing sharp shadows across the proud fan crests carved into every beam and wall.

Within one of the inner chambers, Fugaku Uchiha sat in dignified solitude. His posture was immaculate, back straight, hands folded within his lap. Scrolls and reports lay beside him, the weight of the clan's future contained within their parchment. His expression, as ever, was a mask of stern authority.

A knock broke the quiet. Sharp, hurried.

"Enter," Fugaku commanded.

The door slid open, and one of the younger elders dropped to a knee, his breath faintly ragged from haste though his posture was otherwise formal. He bowed low, forehead nearly to the floor.

"Clan Head Fugaku. Forgive the intrusion. I bring urgent news."

Fugaku's dark eyes fixed upon him, steady and unblinking. "Speak."

The elder swallowed, then lifted his head enough to meet Fugaku's gaze. His voice did not falter, but the urgency in his tone was unmistakable.

"A boy was born this night to Satoru and Hana Uchiha. The delivery was without complication. The child is healthy, strong."

Fugaku did not move. Such news was expected. Every birth in the clan was recorded, reported. It was the rhythm of legacy. "Then why do you come to me at this hour?"

The elder's breath hitched almost imperceptibly. He pressed on, each word deliberate.

"Because, Clan Head… the child's eyes opened within moments of birth. His Sharingan was active."

The silence that followed was suffocating. The crackle of the torch flame seemed deafening in its absence of speech.

Fugaku's gaze sharpened, his pupils narrowing slightly. For the first time, his posture shifted—ever so slightly forward.

"Repeat that."

The elder obeyed, voice firmer as if to affirm the impossible. "The infant awakened the Sharingan. At birth. A single Tomoe in each eye. Every elder present witnessed it."

Fugaku closed his eyes for a long moment, the weight of the revelation settling across him. When he opened them again, his expression was unreadable, but the atmosphere in the room had shifted.

"Impossible," he murmured—not in denial, but in measured calculation. "Even among the greatest of our clan, the Sharingan does not stir until years of growth and trauma."

The elder bowed his head. "And yet it is true. We saw it clearly. His perception was… unnatural. He followed our movements with clarity no new born should possess."

For a time, Fugaku said nothing. His thoughts turned inward, sifting through the implications. The Sharingan at birth. Such a thing was without precedent. What did it mean? Was it a sign of divine favour, or a curse upon the clan?

Finally, he spoke, his voice calm but weighted with command.

"And the elders?"

"They are divided, Clan Head. Some see danger, others opportunity. All agree it cannot be ignored. They await your judgment. I was sent to summon you."

Fugaku rose smoothly to his feet, the movement quiet but carrying the inevitability of command. His robes shifted like shadows as he adjusted them.

"Prepare the council chamber," he said. "Call every elder. None are to be absent. This matter will not wait until morning."

The younger elder bowed so deeply his forehead struck the wooden floor. "At once, Clan Head."

As the man hurried out, Fugaku remained still for a moment, his gaze turning toward the paper screen that separated his chamber from the night beyond.

He thought of his sons. Itachi, already touched by prodigy, burdened with gifts beyond his years. Sasuke, still small, still unshaped, but with potential smouldering in his blood. And now, another child of the clan—Kaien Uchiha—born under a shadow unlike any other.

The weight of the coup loomed ever in Fugaku's mind, a storm gathering beyond the village walls. Could this child be a weapon? Pawn? Or perhaps… a rival for my sons, one that might eclipse even Itachi?

His jaw tightened. Whatever Kaien was, he would not be left unchecked.

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The council chamber was soon filled with the low murmur of gathered elders. They sat in a semicircle, robes drawn close, faces severe. The torchlight carved lines of age and authority into their features.

When Fugaku entered, the chamber fell silent. Every elder bowed their heads.

He took his seat at the head of the hall, his presence commanding without effort. His eyes swept across the assembly once before he spoke.

"You have summoned me on account of the new born. Speak your truth."

The eldest elder inclined his head. "Clan Head. We witnessed it ourselves. The boy's Sharingan awakened from the moment he opened his eyes. Such an occurrence has never been recorded. We are… unsettled."

Another's tone was firm, declarative. "The boy is dangerous. Power awakened without guidance leads to ruin. We cannot trust what we do not understand."

A third interjected, calm but calculating. "Dangerous, yes—but also valuable. His perception may be honed into a weapon unlike any we have seen. Such an asset could not be wasted."

"And yet," countered another, "if his parents shape him with sentiment, he may turn that power against the clan. Better to claim him now, raise him under our direct authority."

Whispers rippled through the chamber. The air grew taut, every word heavy with consequence.

Fugaku raised his hand, and silence fell. His voice cut through the chamber, even and absolute.

"This boy, Kaien Uchiha, is not to be discarded. Nor is he to be taken from his parents, not yet. To act with haste invites unrest within our walls. But make no mistake." His gaze swept across each elder, pinning them in place. "He will be watched. From this night onward, every step of his growth will be under our scrutiny. He will serve the clan. In what capacity, only time will decide."

One elder bowed his head. "And if his power grows beyond control?"

Fugaku's expression did not waver. His words were firm as stone.

"Then control will be taken from him."

The silence that followed was suffused with finality. None dared contest the decree.

At last, Fugaku rose. "The matter is settled. Prepare your reports. I will visit the child myself before dawn. Until then, not a whisper of this leaves the compound. The village must not know."

The elders bowed as one, their unified motion like the folding of shadows.

Fugaku turned, his silhouette framed against the torchlight as he left the chamber. His steps were measured, his mind already calculating.

Kaien Uchiha. A child who should not exist. A boy who had already, with his first breath, forced the hand of the clan.

Fugaku's jaw tightened once more. The fate of the Uchiha was already a knife's edge. And now, the blade has grown sharper.

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Hey everyone! I just wanted everyone to know that this is my first fanfic / novel and it may not be of the best quality. However, I will put my full effort into this fanfic!

I plan on working on it for as long as I can before my exams start.

And if you have any ideas about my story, or want some things in it Comment it and let me know and ill see what I can do because any feedback is greatly appreciated and it will only help me from here on out!

So please add this to your collection because I will be adding 2 chapters every 2 - 3 days

Please gift me stones

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