Toyoma arrived at Grandpa Setsuna's house with Uncle Uzuku, but before they could even step inside, the sound of a loud argument reached their ears from within.
"Grand Elder, how can you do this?"
Fugaku's voice rang out, sharp and filled with barely contained fury.
"Do you even realise how much the Uchiha name will be dragged through the mud because of this? Becoming Hokage will turn into nothing but a distant, foolish dream for us!"
His face was twisted with anger as the events of the morning replayed in his mind. Earlier this morning, a jōnin from his faction had gone to purchase detonating talismans for an upcoming mission. Instead of the usual price, he was met with a demand that was not slightly higher—but five times higher than the market rate.
Five times.
When the jōnin questioned the reason, he was told that from today onward, all war resources—kunai, weapons, detonating talismans, and other essential supplies—had increased sharply in price. The explanation was simple: the Cat Clan was no longer receiving enough raw materials and was struggling financially.
Shocked and alarmed, the jōnin rushed back to inform Fugaku.
The moment Fugaku heard the report, the colour drained from his face.
He knew better than anyone that during wartime, the Uchiha supplied more than thirty percent of the village's war resources. They were known for selling high-quality equipment at low prices—cheap, reliable, and efficient.
That reputation had earned the clan a crucial role in Konoha's war efforts. But now, this sudden change felt like a bomb exploding directly over his ambition of becoming Hokage.
"Fugaku," Setsuna replied calmly, his tone steady and calculating, "you should remember that in the last two wars, we conducted business at a loss. The Cat Clan has been facing difficulties as well."
He continued without raising his voice, yet every word carried weight. "It was good of them to support us as partners during the last two wars. But we cannot keep taking advantage of them every single time. You must think about their situation too."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Several elders exchanged glances, while Fugaku himself found it difficult to respond. Deep down, he knew that pressing further would only make his demand sound shameless.
Still, unwilling to back down completely, he sought support with his eyes, silently appealing to the other elders.
Finally, an elder from the Dove faction spoke. "Elder Setsuna, is there truly nothing we can do? You know this is a time of war. If we raise the prices of resources beyond the market rate, it will defame the Uchiha. Rumours will spread throughout the village."
He paused briefly before adding, "Please… ask the Cat Clan to help us one more time. Just for this war. For the sake of the Uchiha."
Setsuna listened quietly before replying, his expression unchanged. "Why does it sound like you're saying that in the last two wars, we suffered losses only for ourselves and not for the Uchiha?"
His gaze moved slowly across the elders. "You should remember how much loss our entire faction endured back then. At that time, the village had only just been established. We bore those losses not just for the Uchiha, but for Konoha as well."
His voice remained calm—exactly as Toyoma had advised him. "And now, after so many years, we are still expected to shoulder losses? Tell me—what has Konoha been doing all this time? It cannot even secure its own war resources, yet it still dares to call itself a 'Great Village'."
Hearing this from outside, Toyoma felt a quiet sense of satisfaction. Grandpa Setsuna had expressed the argument far better than he himself had imagined.
Fugaku and the other elders were left speechless. As Uchiha, they had assumed they could pressure Setsuna until he yielded in anger. They had not expected him to be this prepared. His calm, reasoned response left them without a single loophole to exploit.
Still unwilling to give up, Fugaku forced himself to speak again. "Elder, as villagers, we still have to sacrifice something for the village. Hokage-sama has already said that he will reimburse all the spending—"
"Enough."
Setsuna cut him off before he could finish his familiar Will of Fire preaching.
"Fugaku, we have already sacrificed more than enough in the last two wars," Setsuna said coldly. "You can tell Hiruzen Sarutobi this—does he still not understand what shame is? He cannot remain shameless forever, asking everyone else to sacrifice. Sometimes, he must sacrifice something himself."
The room fell completely silent.
Then Setsuna looked at Fugaku and the other elders once more and said firmly, "And tell him this as well—he is the Hokage, not me. He has done nothing for my people that would make me feel indebted to him. If he wants resources, he can pay for them.
Otherwise, he can leave. I do not care."
Fugaku's restraint finally snapped.
"Elder… you—you are dragging us into an abyss!" he shouted in anger. "You will regret doing this!"
With that, he stormed out of the house.
Just as Fugaku reached the door, he saw Toyoma standing there.
His anger flared instantly, but Toyoma merely looked at him calmly, his expression unreadable.
"Good morning, Sarutobi—" Toyoma paused deliberately, then corrected himself, "ah… Uchiha Clan Head."
The deliberate slip hit its mark.
The moment Fugaku heard the greeting, his eyes burned red as his three-tomoe Sharingan activated unconsciously.
The air seemed to tense—but before anything could happen, Uzuku stepped forward, placing himself firmly in front of Toyoma.
"Greetings, Clan Head," Uzuku said respectfully, his voice calm and steady.
Fugaku snorted, suppressing his rage.
His gaze lingered on Toyoma for a brief moment before he turned away, huffing angrily as he walked off without another word.
Uzuku watched him leave before turning back to Toyoma, shaking his head slightly.
"You little troublemaker,"
he said with a helpless smile.
"Don't provoke Fugaku too much. He is still the Uchiha Clan Head. At least show him some respect."
Toyoma looked at his uncle and replied calmly, "But he doesn't act like an Uchiha Clan Head. He feels more like a Hokage's attendant, maintaining the village as he wishes."
Uzuku raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
"And what if he becomes Hokage in the future?"
The moment Toyoma heard that, he burst into laughter."Hahahahaha! Uncle, you're really funny."
He took a breath and controlled himself slightly before continuing, his voice turning cold and clear. "He can't even let the Uchiha earn respect from the village. All he knows is sacrifice."
Toyoma's gaze hardened. "If he became Hokage, he would sacrifice the entire Konoha in the name of peace. One thing is certain—he will never be selected. All the clan heads know how he behaves as a family leader."
A faint smile appeared on Toyoma's lips, sharp and confident. "None of them want someone like him as Hokage in their lifetime."
When the other elders inside the room heard this exchange, they felt a trace of embarrassment. One of them finally spoke, his voice subdued.
"He is not as bad as you make him sound, boy," both elders said almost together, though without much confidence.
Toyoma looked at the two elders—one from the Dove faction and one from the Neutral faction—and spoke calmly. "Elders, just for a moment, forget that we belong to different factions. Think only as Uchiha."
He continued, his voice steady. "Tell me—if a clan head cannot even represent his clan's needs and rights in front of the village leadership, and only thinks about giving, does that person truly look like a clan head? Is there any other clan head in Konoha like him?"
"When people follow someone," Toyoma said, "they do so because that person works for their benefit, clears their basic needs, and shows them a clear path forward. That is what makes a leader."
His gaze sharpened slightly. "But our clan head's every action and attitude only show one thing—that we exist only to sacrifice, and nothing more."
The words lingered heavily in the air.
Both elders fell silent, feeling something stir within them.
Neutral faction elder Kohaku finally spoke, his tone cautious. "Not everything is as simple as you make it sound, boy. Every decision has its reasons and its consequences."
Another elder added quietly, "He is still trying to do his best."
Toyoma did not hesitate to respond.
"Elder, if he were truly doing his best,"
Toyoma said, "he would have demanded the Hokage's promise publicly in the jōnin council—that after the war, the clan's expenses would be reimbursed. He would have ensured other clans heard it too."
Instead, his tone turned colder, sharper. "He chose to make secret deals. What if after the war, the Hokage claims ignorance? What if he refuses to pay? What if he delays or lies? He didn't even ask for half the resources for the clan during the war."
Toyoma then turned toward Dove faction elder Kazuto. "Tell me, Elder—other than us, which clan fights without receiving resources from the village?"
He paused briefly before continuing. "After sacrificing in two wars, has our image changed? No. We are still seen the same way. Then why does our clan head believe that by sacrificing more from the clan, the Hokage somehow helps the Uchiha?"
All three elders stood in silence, deep in thought. Even Uzuku remained quiet now.
Toyoma's words had struck too close to the truth.
The Uchiha had sacrificed far more than anyone else, yet the village continued to demand more—without offering anything in return. And despite everything, the distrust toward the clan still remained, just as it always had.
The question was simple.
Which clan had fought for the village without receiving village resources?
There was none.
Once, the Senju might have been an answer—but now they existed in name alone.
After a long silence, both elders straightened themselves. They turned toward Toyoma and bowed slightly.
"Thank you, son," one of them said sincerely.
"You have made things clear for us today. We will not let our children fight for nothing."
The other elder nodded. "We will do what we can to ensure our people's hearts do not grow cold. Do not worry."
They then looked at Setsuna. "Grand Elder, you truly have a genius within your faction. Congratulations."
With that, both elders left the room, their expressions heavy as they walked away, clearly thinking about everything Toyoma had said.
Setsuna watched the two younger elders depart. In his heart, he felt both guilt and quiet satisfaction. At the very least, they would now think a little more about the clan and its people—and not blindly sacrifice everything for the village.
He turned toward Toyoma. "Son, thank you. Because of you, they looked at things from the clan's perspective today. Perhaps this time, they will do something for their family."
Toyoma, Uzuku, and Setsuna watched the elders' retreating backs in silence.
"…Hope so," Toyoma said softly.