The world of Naruto, a manga created by the artist Masashi Kishimoto. From a realistic perspective, it's a fictional world, a world that doesn't exist.
However, in the mysterious space of the multiverse, there is a universe where such a ninja world actually exists.
So, in that other universe, where the Naruto world truly exists, let's begin our story!
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Year 37 after the founding of Konohagakure, October 19.
Under the blue sky and white clouds, nestled between towering mountains and dense forests, sits a majestic circular city, Konohagakure.
At the edge of the city, on towering cliffs, three colossal, solemn head sculptures stand tall.
Below the sculptures, lies a sprawling complex of buildings, with neatly arranged paths, spreading outwards in a fan-like shape.
And within one of these buildings, a new life is being born.
This is a sprawling mansion, with ancient-looking houses and courtyards, stacked with terraces and eaves, arranged in neat rows.
Deep within the mansion, in a traditional Japanese courtyard, the agonizing screams of a woman are clearly audible.
This is the Uchiha clan's residence in Konoha's upper district. The woman in labor, crying out in pain, is a noble daughter of the clan, the daughter of an Uchiha elder and the granddaughter-in-law of another Uchiha elder.
In the long-standing Uchiha clan, the elders, besides the clan head, hold the highest positions and statuses within the clan.
If the position of the clan head becomes vacant, the council of elders, comprised of six elders, becomes the supreme governing body for all matters within the clan.
As fate would have it, the position of clan head in the Uchiha clan is currently vacant.
Therefore, being the daughter of one elder and the granddaughter-in-law of another, her status within the clan is self-evident.
The birth of such a noble woman naturally attracts much attention. Busy maids, female ninjas skilled in medical jutsu, experienced midwives...
Even the woman's father, her father-in-law (husband's father), and her grandfather-in-law (husband's grandfather) are all present in the courtyard outside the delivery room.
In the courtyard with its rockeries and flowing water, three men, an old man and two middle-aged men, all clad in deep blue high-collared fan-shaped robes bearing the Uchiha clan insignia, sit at a stone table, seemingly engaged in conversation.
However, their topic of conversation doesn't seem to be about the daughter (granddaughter-in-law) currently in labor.
Bang!
"My son has just been laid to rest, and they want to immediately appoint a new clan head. I disagree, I absolutely disagree!"
One of the middle-aged men, Ken-ta, slams his fist on the table, his expression filled with agitation.
"Calm down, Ken-ta!"
The old man glares at Ken-ta, then turns to the other middle-aged man, asking, "Sho-ta, you tell me? What exactly is going on?"
The middle-aged man called Sho-ta immediately replies, "Elder Hoka, Ken-ta is right. In the Elders' meeting, the other elders expressed their intention to bring Fu-ga back from the front lines immediately to assume the role of clan head. They want him to stay within the clan and no longer participate in the war. They're afraid, afraid..."
Sho-ta trails off, unable to finish his sentence.
"Afraid of something like what happened to Mi-ro and my grandson, Chin, happening again?"
Before Sho-ta could finish, Elder Hoka understood his meaning.
Uchiha Hoka, born in the year 25 before the founding of Konohagakure, is an elder of the clan, having lived through the Warring States Period. He is one of the current six Uchiha elders, and is 62 years old.
Being born in the Warring States Period, this age is considered very old.
The clan has numerous branches, as a large family that has been flourishing for nearly a thousand years. Those bloodline branches that have historically produced the Mangekyo Sharingan are called "宗脉" (lineages).
Over the millennia, due to the brutal Warring States Period, many lineages have vanished, but new ones have also emerged.
In the current Uchiha clan, there are six lineages, designated as first, second, and so on, up to sixth, based on their order of appearance.
The numbers have no special meaning, merely signifying the lineages' earlier emergence.
The heads of these six lineages are the Uchiha elders. They hold the power to nominate and elect the clan head and assist the clan head in managing clan affairs.
The lineage of Uchiha Hoka is the oldest existing lineage in the Uchiha clan, thus referred to as the First Lineage.
Uchiha Hoka is the head of the First Lineage and serves as an Uchiha elder. However, due to his age, he has mostly handed over clan responsibilities to his son, Uchiha Ken-ta. He himself has largely withdrawn from active management, spending his time enjoying the company of his grandchildren.
Uchiha Ken-ta, born 5 years before the founding of Konohagakure, is 42 years old. He is Uchiha Hoka's successor, the future designated elder, and the father-in-law of the noble woman currently giving birth in the delivery room.
The Mi-ro and Chin mentioned by Uchiha Hoka refer to Uchiha Mi-ro and Uchiha Chin.
Uchiha Mi-ro, born 5 years before the founding of Konohagakure, was the head of the Second Lineage and a student of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
Because of these two identities and his extraordinary talent, he was chosen as a potential candidate for the Uchiha clan head. He was only waiting for the First Great Ninja War to end before formally assuming the position of clan head.
However, tragically, Uchiha Mi-ro died in the First Great Ninja War at the age of 25.
Uchiha Mi-ro's son, Uchiha Sui-yue, now heads the Second Lineage.
Uchiha Chin, born in the year 18 after the founding of Konohagakure, is Uchiha Hoka's grandson and Uchiha Ken-ta's son. Due to his exceptional talent, he was selected as a candidate for the Uchiha clan head alongside the Third Lineage's Uchiha Fu-ga. They had an agreement: whoever achieved greater feats in the Second Great Ninja War would become the clan head after the war's end.
Unfortunately, another tragedy struck. In Year 37, shortly after the Second Great Ninja War began, Uchiha Chin died on the battlefield, leaving his pregnant wife, Uchiha Yue, widowed and their unborn child fatherless. He was only 19 years old.
History teaches a lesson.
No wonder the other elders in the Uchiha clan want the Third Lineage's candidate, Uchiha Fu-ga, to be immediately recalled from the front lines to become clan head.
The battlefield is dangerous. Although Uchiha ninjas are powerful, and the two candidates are already elite Jōnin in their youth, they are still at high risk on the battlefield.
Remember, in the First Great Ninja War, not only elite Jōnin died, but even four of the five Kage, representing the pinnacle of ninja strength in the ninja world, were killed.
However, while that's the logic, Uchiha Chin's body has just been returned from the front lines, and a simple funeral has been held (due to the war). At this time, the other elders in the council are using Uchiha Chin's death as a reason to argue that there is only one remaining candidate for clan head, and they want to immediately bring him back from the battlefield to assume the position.
How could Ken-ta, who has just lost his son, agree to this?
How could Sho-ta, who has lost his son-in-law, agree to this?
Uchiha Sho-ta, born 5 years before the founding of Konohagakure, is 42 years old. He is the head of the Fourth Lineage and the father of the noble woman giving birth in the delivery room - Uchiha Yue.
Yes, although they are the same age as Uchiha Ken-ta and their names are very similar, they are not brothers but rather in-laws.
The reason for their similar names is that they were born in the same year and their fathers were friends, so they were given similar names.
This connection, passed down to their children, resulted in a perfect match, a son and a daughter, leading to them becoming in-laws.
The reason why Uchiha Sho-ta is the same age as Uchiha Ken-ta but has already become the head of his lineage is also simple: his father, like Uchiha Mi-ro, died in the First Great Ninja War.