Chapter 1 – Bloodline and the Hatake Clan
Deep within the heart of Konoha's information and gossip center—otherwise known as the women's bathhouse—the air buzzed with chatter.
A group of middle-aged women soaked in warm water, gently splashing one another as they indulged in cheerful conversation. The topic today? None other than the juicy new scandal shaking the Hidden Leaf Village.
"Hey, Mrs. Sakurai, did you hear the news? About the Hatake family…"
Before the plump woman could finish, a petite lady excitedly cut her off.
"Oh, I know! You're talking about the Hatake family's new baby, right? I heard he's a monster! My older sister was the midwife that day, and she told me everything!"
Leaning in dramatically, her eyes gleamed with anticipation. "You're probably imagining a scary demon baby, right? Wrong! She said the boy was... incredibly handsome!"
The plump woman scoffed in disagreement, clearly unimpressed.
"Hah! You talk like you saw him with your own eyes. Have you ever even stepped inside the Hatake household? Everyone's saying the kid looks like some kind of freak!"
Flushed with embarrassment but refusing to back down, the petite woman straightened her posture and replied with conviction.
"Even if he is a monster, he's a handsome one! My sister would never lie about something like that. But… she also said something else…"
Her voice trailed off. Despite being village gossipmongers, they knew better than to recklessly spread rumors about Konoha's ninja families.
Sensing her hesitation, the others leaned closer, teasing in hushed tones.
"Come on, Waseda~ It's just us here! We've all known each other forever. Who are we gonna tell?"
Looking around to make sure no outsiders were nearby, the petite woman—now revealed to be Mrs. Waseda—lowered her voice and whispered what she claimed was a huge secret straight from her sister, her expression full of mystery.
"My sister thinks... that baby isn't actually Hatake Fūka's biological child. She's convinced Suzune Yamanaka cheated on him!"
Gasps rippled through the bathhouse.
"I mean, just look at their first son, Hatake Sakumo," Waseda continued. "He's practically a copy-paste of his dad—looks exactly like him and grew up totally normal. But this new baby? Sure, he's cute, but his face doesn't match the Hatake family at all!"
"Not to mention those bright blue eyes—no one in their bloodline ever had eyes like that! And the weird birthmark on his forehead…"
"I'm telling you, that boy isn't Hatake Fūka's son."
Proudly, Mrs. Waseda stood like she'd just declared divine truth.
Then, a young woman with a soft face timidly raised her hand.
"Um… does the baby have white hair too? I thought everyone in the Hatake family did."
Silence fell like a kunai.
All eyes turned to Waseda, awaiting her answer.
"Eh… how should I know!?" she barked, suddenly flustered. Grabbing a towel, she began getting dressed in a huff. "Even if he does have white hair, so what? Tons of people in this village have it too! You're all just a bunch of clueless hens!"
With that parting shot, she stormed out, leaving behind a whirl of amused and confused expressions.
— — —
But the rumors didn't stop at the bathhouse.
The talk of a "monster baby" born into the Hatake family spread like wildfire throughout Konoha—eventually reaching the ears of none other than the Third Hokage himself, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Concerned, Hiruzen personally visited the Hatake residence, accompanied by several medical-nin, to examine the newborn boy in detail.
Of course, it wasn't because he was interested in idle gossip. And certainly not because he had, ahem... used certain observation techniques to listen in on conversations at the women's bathhouse…
No. As the Hokage, he would never stoop to such a thing.
And if he did pay special attention to the bathhouse...
It was purely for the sake of the village's safety. Really.
— — —
Still, Hiruzen's intense reaction wasn't entirely unjustified.
In the world of shinobi, babies born with abnormal features often hinted at something important—something powerful.
Especially when born into a ninja family, such anomalies could be a sign of one thing:
Kekkei Genkai—Bloodline Limits.
What exactly is a Kekkei Genkai?
Put simply, it's a unique ability passed down genetically through a family's bloodline. Even something as powerful as the Sharingan couldn't copy some of these techniques.
No one knows how many Kekkei Genkai exist or where they all originated, but one thing is clear—most of them represent terrifying potential.
And this child from the Hatake family... showed signs no one had ever documented before. If he truly possessed a new, unique Kekkei Genkai—
Then Hiruzen could only conclude one thing:
If the boy lived, grew up, had children, and passed on his abilities… then the Hidden Leaf might one day welcome a brand-new clan, wielding a Kekkei Genkai unlike any seen before.
— — —
As he waited for the medical reports, Hiruzen let out a weary sigh.
The Hatake clan's... reproductive performance was honestly a little sad.
Even counting the newborn, their entire bloodline now consisted of just three people.
— — —
Yes, the Hatake clan was... peculiar.
In terms of numbers, they were laughably small.
But in terms of strength?
They were legendary.
People referred to them as the "Hatake Clan," but in truth, that was more of a courtesy than a proper clan designation. They were a family, really—a tiny one.
Even compared to the Uchiha, who would one day be massacred by Itachi Uchiha, the Hatake line had even fewer living members.
As of today, the Hatake bloodline included only:
Hatake Fūka, the father, an elite Jōnin
Hatake Sakumo, his 13-year-old son, already a Chūnin
And now… a newborn baby boy.
This was the current state of the Hatake household—on the verge of extinction.
And yet, every generation without fail… gave birth to shinobi of incredible power.
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