Chapter 3: The Hidden Truth Unveiled

The sound of burning wood crackled in the silence of the room as Hayato calmly began to recount his past. "Your mother is not from the Uchiha clan, and this is where everything happened," he said lightly.

"Huh? Could it be that my mother's heritage is special?" Miao asked with some doubt.

"It's a little special, because your mother is from the Uzumaki clan," Hayato said slowly, his tone tinged with sadness.

"The Uzumaki Clan?" Miao's face suddenly showed surprise. He recalled the name from the protagonist of the well-known story, Naruto Uzumaki. There seemed to be a connection.

Hayato continued, "The roots of this matter can be traced back to the Sengoku period before the establishment of Konoha. The Uchiha clan and the Senju clan were originally the two most powerful clans during that era, but they were also natural rivals. Their hostility and conflict have persisted through the ages, accumulating countless grudges."

"The patriarch of the Uchiha clan at that time, who was also the strongest ninja of the Uchiha clan, and the original Hokage Senju Hashirama, known as the God of Shinobi, unexpectedly reached an agreement. These two feuding clans joined forces to put an end to the chaos and established the Konoha Ninja Village, which was the original Konoha Village," Hayato explained.

"So, that's the origin of Konoha," Miao said with surprise. It turned out that the Uchiha clan and the so-called Senju clan had such a history.

"But how does this relate to my mother?" Miao asked curiously.

"The Uzumaki clan is also a powerful clan, known for their sealing techniques and possessing immense chakra. They were distant relatives of the Senju clan, and their relationship was especially close during the Sengoku period before the establishment of Konoha. Inter-marriages were also frequent," Hayato explained. "Especially during that time, when the Senju clan needed the Whirlpool clan's support to suppress the Uchiha clan, the Uzumaki clan played a significant role. Hence, the Uchiha clan has always been hostile towards the Whirlpool clan, seeing them as distant relatives of the Senju clan."

Miao nodded in understanding. The pieces of the puzzle were gradually coming together, and he could see the intricate connections between the clans.

"And I am an elite ninja of the Uchiha clan. I participated in the Third Ninja World War for Konoha and saved your mother during the conflict. At that time, I had no knowledge of her being an orphan from the Uzumaki clan. Over time, we developed feelings for each other and even violated the Uchiha clan's family rules to be together. Eventually, you were born, and the fact that your mother belonged to the Uzumaki clan only came to light after returning to Konoha Village," Hayato revealed, his eyes showing rare emotion.

"That's why the Uchiha clan targeted my mother," Miao sighed deeply. He had begun to piece together the reasons behind the events.

"Yes, but there are two main reasons why the Uchiha clan disapproved of your mother. Firstly, her Uzumaki heritage raised concerns. Secondly, the Uchiha clan took great pride in their Blood Succession Limit, the Sharingan. Among the Uchiha clan members, only a select few can successfully awaken the Sharingan. The pure-blooded Uchiha already have a low success rate, and they are adamant against any dilution of their bloodline. They believe that mixing their bloodline with other clans will reduce the chances of awakening the Sharingan in the offspring," Hayato explained. "This rule is not exclusive to the Uchiha clan but is followed by most other Blood Succession Limit clans as well, though not as extreme."

"When your mother became pregnant, they even demanded that I attack you while you were in her belly, but I refused. To protect your mother, I confronted the entire Uchiha clan, and we eventually broke ties. As the wife of the first Hokage, who was a member of the Uzumaki clan, your mother's lineage has a close connection to Konoha Village. So, the Uchiha clan didn't dare to go too far," Hayato added.

"Even though I chose to protect your mother and you by moving away from the Uchiha clan settlement and settling in an ordinary area of Konoha, there was another unexpected turn of events," Hayato continued.

"Hmm?" Miao looked at his father inquisitively.

"Konoha's high-ranking officials intervened. They observed our stalemate with the Uchiha clan, and their target was your mother—or rather, you inside your mother's belly," Hayato said, his tone growing cold.

"What? Why would they target me?!" Miao's face showed shock, unable to comprehend the reason.

"It all goes back to the strained relationship between the Uchiha clan and Konoha. Since the founding of Konoha Village, there has been a deep-seated enmity between the Uchiha clan and the village's high-ranking officials. The Second Hokage's handling of the Uchiha clan, especially after Uchiha Madara's rebellion, caused deep mistrust. The Uchiha clan's position was downgraded, and they were pushed to the outskirts of the village," Hayato said, his voice tinged with bitterness.

"After the death of the Second Hokage, the high-ranking officials were almost all Senju clan members. The Third Hokage and Konoha's advisors were disciples of the Second Hokage, inheriting his beliefs and distrust of the Uchiha clan. The situation only intensified as the war ended," Hayato continued.

"The animosity spread from the Uchiha clan to the other clans and villagers, leading to exclusion and distrust. The Uchiha clan may have been known as the first noble clan in the ninja world due to the decline of the Senju clan, but life in Konoha was challenging for them as well," Hayato said mockingly.

"Konoha may boast about being the most peaceful and prosperous village, preaching the 'Will of Fire' to the outside world. However, beneath the surface lies constant infighting. The entire village, including the Uchiha clan, has become rotten. With the war over, I fear that the internal conflicts in Konoha have only intensified."

Miao contemplated his father's words. His eyes turned cold as he asked, "So, the reason Konoha targeted my mother and me was..."

"That's right. Because your surname is Uchiha and you might inherit the bloodlines of both the Uchiha and Uzumaki clans. The Uzumaki bloodline is known for its vitality, immense chakra, and unique ability to suppress Tailed Beasts," Hayato explained.

"As a member of the Uchiha clan who could inherit both bloodlines, you should understand what this means for the Konoha high-ranking officials who resent the Uchiha clan."

Hayato's eyes brimmed with a fierce determination as he continued,

"Being a mixed-blood, you could potentially inherit two powerful bloodlines simultaneously. However, at the same time, it is also possible that both bloodlines may not awaken due to their impurity