Konoha, Uchiha Clan District, Birthing Room~
Fugaku paced anxiously outside the room, his face taut with worry. His hands clenched into fists, knuckles turning a deep, bruised blue as he listened to Mikoto's pained cries from within.
Despite the beautiful weather—a clear, ceramic-blue sky and a cool, gentle breeze—his brows remained deeply furrowed, as if the world were on the brink of ending.
"Relax, Fugaku. With Lady Tsunade overseeing things, Mikoto will be fine," Minato reassured him, draping an arm over his shoulder. "Tsunade is the strongest medical ninja in the entire shinobi world. Besides, Elder Setsuna is also here..."
"You know his dojutsu, right? Even injuries caused by Fuma were healed by him. You understand what that means, don't you?"
Fugaku abruptly lifted his head, his gaze locking onto Setsuna, who was engaged in conversation with Fuma. Without hesitation, he strode over, desperation evident in his eyes.
"Elder Setsuna… If anything happens to Mikoto, I beg you, do not hesitate to use your power."
"If using your eyes would come at a cost, I'm willing to offer mine in exchange!"
"Calm yourself, Fugaku!" Setsuna's brows knitted in irritation. "Look at you—where is the composure of the future second-in-command of the Uchiha?"
"Fuma, Tsunade, and I—three people who could shake the entire shinobi world just by stamping our feet—are all gathered here to ensure your child's safety. What could possibly go wrong? Stop spouting nonsense!"
Though his tone was severe, a trace of awkwardness flickered in Setsuna's expression. He cast a sidelong glance at Fuma, seemingly checking for his reaction.
Fuma, however, merely offered a subtle smirk.
Clearing his throat, Fuma patted Fugaku on the shoulder and said, "Take it easy, Fugaku."
"While childbirth carries its risks, with the people present here today, even if the Nine-Tails attacked right now, Mikoto would come out unscathed."
"...The Nine-Tails? Where?!"
Fugaku froze for a second before his Sharingan ignited—a pair of crimson three-tomoe spinning into existence as he scanned the surroundings with a sharp, predatory glare.
Fuma sighed.
Realizing his mistake, Fugaku smacked himself on the forehead, his face flushing with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Fuma. I was too tense… This is Mikoto's and my first child. Please forgive me."
"It's fine… Totally understandable."
Fuma nodded, inwardly marveling, 'Uchiha sure are dramatic when it comes to emotions.'
"Setsuna, if we go with your plan," Fuma muttered, lowering his voice, "given how stressed Fugaku is now, we might just end up creating an extremely powerful lunatic instead."
"It's time to abandon the mentality of the Warring States Era. We should treat every clan member as a person first—not just a tool."
"Otherwise, with the way Uchihas are wired, the psychological consequences could be… unpredictable."
Setsuna hesitated, then nodded. "Understood, clan leader. That was an oversight on my part."
Earlier, when Setsuna had learned of Mikoto's pregnancy, he had secretly approached Fuma with a rather sinister proposal :-
"Fake a difficult childbirth to force Fugaku into awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
According to Setsuna, this method had been passed down since the Warring States Era and was an extremely effective way to awaken the Mangekyō.
But there was more to his reasoning than just that.
Given the current trajectory of the Uchiha Clan, Setsuna knew he was growing old. He might not live long enough to see the clan's ultimate future.
Among the younger generation, Fugaku was clearly the most promising successor—a man positioned to be the second-in-command of the clan after Fuma.
However, there was one problem.
Fuma's only true disciple, Minato, had already far surpassed Fugaku and most other Uchihas in sheer combat ability.
In Setsuna's eyes, with his mastery of the Flying Thunder God and Uzumaki sealing techniques, Minato was beginning to resemble none other than Tobirama Senju.
This worried him.
Though Setsuna had nothing against Minato personally, he couldn't ignore the fact that Minato was, at the end of the day, an outsider. Yet somehow, he was shaping up to be Fuma's natural successor.
Yes, despite being a battle-hardened warrior from the Warring States Era, Setsuna was already thinking ahead about potential power struggles within the clan.
To him, the Uchiha's future was more important than anything. With the way things were going, he could already envision a future where Kiri and Konoha were both firmly under Uchiha control—perhaps even a scenario where the entire shinobi world was united under their rule.
But that kind of future was not something a mere three-tomoe Sharingan user could claim a stake in. Even an ordinary Mangekyō user might not be enough.
Minato, no matter how skilled, was not of Uchiha blood.
Fugaku, on the other hand, was.
Thus, with all these factors in mind, Setsuna had proposed his risky, underhanded plan.
However, after mulling it over, Fuma ultimately rejected the idea.
Sure, having an additional Mangekyō Sharingan on their side—especially if it granted something as powerful as Kamui—would be incredibly useful.
Even against someone like Kaguya Otsutsuki, a technique like Kamui would provide invaluable versatility, unlike conventional ninjutsu that could be completely nullified by the Truth-Seeking Orbs.
But the risks outweighed the benefits.
Fuma couldn't predict how Fugaku's psyche would react under such extreme emotional trauma.
Uchihas thrived when treated with respect and fairness. Right now, Fugaku trusted him wholeheartedly. To betray that trust at such a critical moment could sow the seeds of future catastrophe.
To truly lead the Uchiha Clan, one had to wield not just strength but also harsh, unwavering love.
Shaking his head, Fuma met Setsuna's gaze with a cold glint in his eyes. "Elder Setsuna, your thinking needs to evolve. Otherwise, in this rapidly changing new era, you might just find yourself discarded into the wastebin of history."
Just as the tension in the air thickened, a jubilant voice rang out from the birthing room.
"He's here! He's here! It's a strong, healthy baby boy!"
Kushina burst through the door, beaming with excitement. "Come see for yourself, Fugaku! Little Itachi looks just like you!"
"Ah!"
Fugaku answered crisply before bolting into the room. He immediately grasped Mikoto's hand, his eyes misting over.
"You worked so hard, Mikoto…"
Then, glancing at the newborn in the swaddling cloth, a flicker of irritation crossed his face.
"This little brat… giving his mother so much trouble right from the start. That's not how my son should behave!"
Mikoto sighed, shaking her head. She gently stroked Fugaku's cheek and whispered, "You mustn't say that about Itachi… He's our child, after all."
But even as she said that, her gaze locked onto Fugaku's, the two of them sharing a moment of unspoken tenderness.
It was as if Itachi no longer existed in their world.
Fuma, stepping through the doorway and witnessing this overly sentimental scene, couldn't help but chuckle.
"So this is what they mean by 'parents are the real love story, while children are just accidents…'"
He let out a dramatic sigh.
'Itachi, my boy… Uncle Fuma is already worried about your future in this household.'
"Don't worry, Mikoto. Your body is in great shape. With some rest and care, you'll recover just fine," Tsunade reassured her.
Hearing this, Fugaku nodded eagerly, his face full of concern, "Tsunade-sama, please take extra care of Mikoto. She's not as strong as she seems…"
"Alright, alright, just follow the doctor's advice and stop talking so much!" Tsunade rolled her eyes dramatically and ignored Fugaku's nervous rambling. She walked over to Fuma, casually pinching his waist before grumbling,
"Tsk, so annoying… Your body doesn't even have an ounce of soft flesh."
Then, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she turned to him and asked in an almost playful yet slightly threatening tone, "Tell me, if we ever have a child in the future, will you be as nervous as Fugaku?"
Hearing this, Kushina also turned to look at Minato with curiosity, her expression questioning.
Minato, on the other hand, acted as if he didn't notice anything, pretending to be fully focused on Fuma's answer.
"You don't have to worry about that, Tsunade," Fuma smirked, glancing at her before responding confidently. "When the time comes, I'll personally deliver our child."
"As a master of taijutsu, I have a thorough understanding of human anatomy and vital points. Delivering a baby is well within my skill set."
He even mimicked Gai's signature confident grin, though internally, he was feeling exasperated, 'Women… They always find the strangest moments to ask these kinds of questions.'
With Tsunade's physical condition, childbirth would be about as difficult for her as having a meal.
And considering she was planning to integrate Fuma's cells into herself, it might not even be a challenge at all. It could very well be as simple as patting her stomach and—done.
Tsunade huffed softly, clearly not entirely satisfied with his answer, but she didn't press further.
"You know," she mused, gazing at the newborn Itachi, "when should we have a child? Seeing this little miracle makes it seem really beautiful…"
"I know you're eager, but there's no rush." Fuma gently ran his fingers through her golden hair, pulling her into his embrace. "We both have eternal youth. I'd like to enjoy a few more years of just the two of us before we take that step."
"I'm like Fugaku in one way—my greatest love is my wife."
Tsunade seemed pleased with this answer. "That's more like it."
Meanwhile, Minato was trying to soothe Kushina, but judging by her fuming red hair and the way she was pinching his ear, it seemed he had answered incorrectly.
'Tsk… Kushina is truly a heavyweight contender,' Fuma thought with amusement as he watched the scene unfold.
In the original timeline, Kushina had already proven her incredible resilience. After all, she was the woman who had just given birth and still managed to restrain the Nine-Tails with her adamantine chains.
Fuma stretched lazily and smiled at the heartwarming scene before him.
Having spent nearly thirty years in the shinobi world, this was the first time he had personally witnessed someone close to him bringing new life into the world.
Even for someone as emotionally hardened as himself, there was a strange feeling growing in his chest—like he had become more deeply connected to this world.
He walked over to Itachi's crib, his large, calloused hand gently brushing against the newborn's soft cheek.
As he did, he secretly infused a small thread of pure chakra into the infant's body and whispered, 'In this timeline, with me here, your childhood will be different. No witnessing mountains of corpses at four years old.'
'No becoming a double agent in ANBU at eight. No need for all those foolish thoughts. You'll get to grow up like an ordinary child—safe and happy.'
'But if you're truly born rebellious… then I won't show you any mercy, Itachi.'
Fugaku approached, his expression soft as he saw Fuma paying attention to his son. He smiled warmly and said, "Fuma, if you have the time, please visit this little one often and guide him.
I… I'm not exactly sure how to be a father. Honestly, I wasn't prepared for this at all. This… was kind of an accident."
Looking down at Itachi with uncharacteristic tenderness, Fugaku ran his fingers through his son's fine hair and sighed.
"You're right about one thing," Fuma chuckled, shaking his head. "You should leave the child's education to Mikoto. Parenting is definitely not your strong suit."
"Alright, let Mikoto rest now," Fuma signaled to Fugaku and Minato, then stepped outside the room.
Outside, Setsuna was basking in the sun, completely unfazed by the commotion. As someone who had fathered at least seven or eight children himself, this was nothing new to him.
"Fugaku," Fuma spoke, his tone shifting to something more serious. "I'm giving you one month off to rest with Mikoto. After that, I have an important mission for you."
"The situation in Kirigakure needs support. It's time we send our Uchiha forces to establish a foothold there."
"And you are the perfect candidate."
Fugaku's eyes flickered with determination. "I don't need a full month. I can leave tomorrow!"
Setsuna smirked approvingly, clapping a firm hand on Fugaku's shoulder. "That's the spirit of an Uchiha man. Not like a certain lazy blonde kid who spends his time wandering around instead of working…"
His eyes flicked toward Minato with an obvious implication.
Minato merely chuckled, unbothered. His focus was entirely on his research into Kekkei Tōta, an advanced bloodline limit that combined three chakra natures.
He was aware of Setsuna's concerns, but he wasn't worried. He knew that once he mastered Kekkei Tōta, any hidden tensions within the Uchiha clan would naturally dissolve.
After all, Minato held two sacred summoning contracts—the Shikkotsu Forest and Ryūchi Cave. He had yet to decide which to choose.
To the rest of the world, the Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan was considered an overwhelming, unbeatable power.
But to Minato, it was merely… a troublesome obstacle.
'The Uchiha clan respects strength above all. I have no interest in political struggles, but I'll make sure they know exactly who they're dealing with.'
He shook his head with a grin, shooting Setsuna a playful glance, already picturing their inevitable sparring match.
_____________________
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/ShadySmuggler