Third POV:
The delivery chamber of the Uchiha compound was quiet save for the ragged breaths of Hana Uchiha. Her hair clung to her temples, damp with sweat, as she gritted her teeth against another wave of pain. Nurses worked quickly around her, their hands steady and practiced, murmuring encouragement.
By the doorway stood several elders, their dark robes lined with the crimson-and-white fan crest of their clan. Their presence was not unusual. Whenever a child was born into the Uchiha, elders often came to observe. To them, each new life was more than cause for celebration—it was the continuation of legacy.
Satoru Uchiha, the father, lingered near Hana's side, though his posture was rigid under the watchful eyes of the old men. His hand hovered near hers, torn between the instinct to comfort his wife and the deep-rooted Uchiha restraint that warned him against showing too much weakness in front of authority.
At last, the infant's first cries split the air.
The nurses moved with trained precision, cleaning the new born and wrapping him in soft cloth before announcing with pride: "A healthy boy."
The elders exchanged firm nods, their expressions unreadable but not unkind. One stepped forward, his voice deep and authoritative. "Well done, Hana. Satoru. The clan prospers with every new life. This boy will carry our name with honour."
Another added, "Strong lungs. That bodes well. A child of vitality is a child of promise."
Hana, exhausted but radiant, extended her arms. "Let me hold him." The nurses obliged, placing the bundle in her embrace. She looked down at her son, her lips trembling into a weary smile.
The elders remained composed, speaking in declarative tones as they always did. To them, this was routine. Another child born into the clan, another piece of the vast tapestry of Uchiha history.
"It is a good day," one said.
"Yes. A new life. The line continues," another agreed.
"Raise him with discipline, and he will serve the clan well."
The atmosphere was firm, ceremonial, but not tense. The child was, to their eyes, ordinary.
Then Kaien stirred.
Hana shifted slightly as her new born wriggled in her arms. Tiny hands flexed against the air. For a moment, it was the simple restlessness of any infant. But then—
The boy's eyelids fluttered.
The elders leaned forward slightly, expectant but unconcerned. Babies opened their eyes. There was nothing unusual about it. Yet when the child's gaze lifted—
The room fell silent.
A crimson glow shimmered in the new born's eyes. One Tomoe spun lazily in each, gleaming with the unmistakable clarity of the Sharingan.
The nurses gasped. Satoru's hand clenched into a fist, his composure faltering. Hana froze, her breath catching as she looked down at her son's impossible gaze.
The elders were still for only a heartbeat. Then their voices overlapped, sharp, firm, commanding.
"Impossible."
"At birth?"
"No child awakens it so soon."
They drew closer, their forms looming like shadows, circling the mother and child. The once-ceremonial air had shifted to something electric, dangerous. Their eyes locked onto the infant's glowing Tomoe, reading the chakra within him, searching for meaning.
"This is unprecedented," declared the eldest, his voice carrying absolute authority. "Never in the clan's history has the Sharingan awakened at the moment of birth. This boy is not ordinary."
Another's tone was firm, almost reverent. "To see chakra from his first breath… such perception defies reason."
But a third's words were edged with steel. "A power this unnatural can unbalance everything. If not guided carefully, it could destroy him—or us."
Kaien gurgled softly, oblivious to the weight of their declarations. His crimson eyes tracked the faint blue auras coursing through the elders' bodies, every chakra line glowing vividly to his new born sight. The sensory overload burned against his skull, but even in pain he pushed himself to see, to understand.
The elders continued, their voices weaving into a council of command.
"This child is dangerous," one said. "Such an awakening could unhinge the balance of power. We must consider removing him from his parents' influence before sentiment spoils his path."
"No," another countered immediately. "He is too young. To isolate him would stir unrest. Better to watch, to measure, to let him grow under observation. We will decide his place when the time is right."
"Every year we wait is risk," argued a third. "But to act rashly is greater folly. The coup we prepare cannot ignore this child's existence. His growth will influence timing. Delay may be necessary."
The eldest raised his hand, silencing them. "Enough. The clan does not act on fear. Nor do we waste potential born in our blood. This boy will be watched. He will be tested. And when the time comes, he will serve. Whether as weapon, shield, or heir, his role will be decided by the clan."
The elders' dark eyes fixed on Kaien with the intensity of hawks. Their gazes were heavy, declarative, as though already shaping his destiny with sheer will.
The youngest among them stepped forward, bowing slightly. "Clan Head Fugaku must be told at once. He will convene a council to determine our course. This cannot be delayed."
The eldest gave a single nod. "Go. Tell him what you saw. Speak with precision. Do not falter. Every word matters."
The young man bowed again, then vanished swiftly down the corridor.
The remaining elders lingered, circling once more. Kaien's infant eyes followed their movements, the Tomoe spinning faintly with each shift of his gaze. Though his body was weak, his mind sharpened around the clarity of what he saw. The elders' postures. Their chakra. Their authority. Their decisions. All of it etched into his awareness.
One elder murmured, almost to himself, though his tone was still firm. "This boy will shape the clan's future. Whether salvation or ruin, that is yet to be seen."
The eldest's final words closed the matter, each syllable carrying the weight of centuries of Uchiha will. "Kaien Uchiha is no ordinary child. From this moment, his life belongs not only to his parents but to the clan. We will observe. We will guide. And we will ensure that his power serves us, not destroys us."
The room fell quiet again. Only the soft, uneven breaths of Hana and the quiet gurgles of Kaien broke the silence.
But the air had changed.
Kaien, barely minutes into his new life, had already become a fulcrum upon which the clan's future would turn.
And though no one yet knew it, the infant was already watching them all. Cataloguing. Analysing. Preparing.