Uchiha Kohaku slowly swept his gaze across the chamber.
Every village elder present felt it.
One by one, those whose eyes he passed over subtly looked away—some lowering their heads, others pretending to examine the floor. No one met his gaze directly.
The Third Hokage noticed immediately.
The flow of the discussion had slipped from his control.
And the reason was standing quietly to his side.
Hiruzen turned his head slightly, his eyes hardening as they settled on Danzo.
You've made this difficult, his look clearly said.
Danzo, however, paid him no attention.
His gaze remained fixed on Elder Kohaku—cold, sharp, carrying both silence and restrained anger.
"So what?" Danzo said at last, his voice stern and unyielding."If you didn't want others to take advantage of the situation, then the Uchiha should have fought for Konoha without asking questions."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Is there a problem with me questioning Uchiha loyalty?"
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Elder Kohaku exhaled slowly.
A sigh—heavy, disappointed.
When he looked back at Danzo, there was no fury in his eyes.
Only contempt.
"I see," Kohaku said calmly. "Now I finally understand why Fugaku returns from every meeting with bad news."
He turned his head slightly, glancing toward the clan head.
"How could anyone win an argument against people without shame?"
His voice wasn't loud.
But every word was heard.
For a moment, the entire hall froze.
Then—
Danzo slammed his hand against the table.
"Who are you calling shameless?!" he barked."As a village elder, it is my duty to think about Konoha's future!"
Kohaku met his gaze without hesitation.
"And who do you think you are," he asked quietly, "to question the loyalty of the clan that helped found this village?"
His eyes sharpened.
"Your name is Shimura Danzo—not Senju Danzo."
A murmur rippled through the elders.
Kohaku continued, his tone steady but cutting.
"Or do the village's higher-ups believe they own Konoha? That they can do as they please while everyone else exists only as pawns—sacrificed at will?"
The tension exploded.
Hiruzen, who had initially allowed Danzo to speak—planning to intervene in favour of the Uchiha later—realised too late that the situation had spiralled beyond control.
Fugaku stared at Elder Kohaku in shock.
"Enough!" Hiruzen snapped, slamming his staff against the floor."Shut up, Danzo."
He turned quickly to Kohaku, softening his tone.
"Elder Kohaku, Danzo does not intend to disrespect the Uchiha. He is only concerned for the village. Please don't take his words to heart."
"This is everyone's village," Hiruzen continued, "not any single person's—"
"But judging by the attitude of the village's higher-ups," Kohaku interrupted, his voice firm, "It feels as though this village belongs only to them."
The room fell silent.
"And the rest of us," he finished calmly,"Are merely pieces on their board, Third Hokage."
The Third Hokage looked at the two Uchiha elders before him.
Today's meeting was nothing like the previous one.
It was heavier.
More dangerous.
After a brief pause, he turned toward Fugaku and spoke in a firm, measured tone.
"Clan Head Fugaku, no one here will question Uchiha loyalty any further."
Fugaku met his gaze.
Seeing the sincerity on the Hokage's face, some of the tension in his chest eased.
"I understand, Hokage-sama," Fugaku replied respectfully.
Then he turned toward Elder Kohaku.
"Elder, let it go," he said quietly. "The village is facing difficult times. The elders are only worried about the war."
Kohaku studied the scene in silence.
He could see it clearly now — how effortlessly the Third Hokage had diverted the discussion, how neatly the sharp edges had been wrapped in calm words.
After a moment, he sighed and nodded.
Hiruzen noticed the shift immediately.
The atmosphere had eased.
Relaxing slightly, he continued, his tone more open than before.
"Clan Head Fugaku, the village's resources are currently under severe strain. The Hidden Mist's sudden entry into the war was unexpected, and because of that, I have not yet been able to request additional funds from the daimyo."
He paused before adding,
"I am working to secure those funds as quickly as possible."
Then, looking directly at Fugaku, his expression softened into one of genuine appeal.
"For now, could the Uchiha wait a little longer? Join the war first. Once the funds arrive, I will personally ensure that supplies are delivered to the Mist battlefield without delay."
"There is no need to worry."
Hearing this, Fugaku felt a flicker of unease.
"Hokage-sama… if even some resources could be allotted at the start—"
Hiruzen saw the hesitation on Fugaku's face and understood that he was still unconvinced.
"Don't worry, Clan Head Fugaku," he said reassuringly."I promise this will be my first priority. Just trust me a little longer."
If the village could deliver resources within a few days, the clan could still enter the war without fearing shortages.
At the very least, the uncertainty hanging over them would be eased.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Fugaku said earnestly.
"I will inform the clan. This will put many minds at ease."
He bowed his head slightly, gratitude evident on his face.
Hiruzen observed him for a moment.
With the situation seemingly under control, he felt it was finally safe to raise the real issue.
"Clan Head Fugaku," he said carefully, "I called you here today because the prices of kunai and detonating talismans have risen more than tenfold."
He folded his hands together.
"And during a time of war… such changes can have serious consequences for the village."
Hearing this, Fugaku felt his unease deepen.
He had known from the beginning that the Hawk faction's price increase would eventually draw the village's attention. Still, hearing that the cost had risen tenfold caught him off guard.
"Hokage-sama," Fugaku said, frowning slightly,"Ten times? The Uchiha Grand Elders only raised prices fivefold."
He shook his head.
"They did so because of a shortage of raw materials and a lack of manufacturing funds. Without proper payment, even the Cat Clan has warned that they may be unable to continue production."
Hiruzen studied Fugaku's expression before responding.
"Clan Head Fugaku," he said calmly,"Last week, the Uchiha raised prices fivefold. Other merchants followed that example."
He folded his hands.
"In just one week, the overall cost has effectively increased tenfold."
The implication was clear.
"Can the Uchiha reduce the prices?" the Third Hokage asked."During a time of war, access to these resources is critical."
Fugaku hesitated.
"Hokage-sama, when I first learned of the price increase last week, I spoke with the Grand Elders immediately," he said carefully.
"They reminded me that in the last two wars, the clan suffered heavy losses."
His voice lowered slightly.
"If prices are not raised, the Cat Clan may withdraw from weapon manufacturing altogether. Their faction has already warned that detonating talisman production could be halted."
The room fell quiet once more.
Danzo, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke.
His expression was openly disdainful.
"And you claim you're not taking advantage of the situation," he said coldly."If the Uchiha hadn't raised their prices in the first place, the other merchants wouldn't have followed."
"Danzo—" Hiruzen began, as if trying to stop him.
But Danzo ignored him.
"If the Uchiha truly have no such intentions," he continued sharply,"then reduce the prices back to normal."
He looked directly at Fugaku.
Fugaku's expression darkened, but he said nothing.
"Elder Danzo," Fugaku finally spoke, his voice controlled,"doing so would cause severe damage to Uchiha businesses."
Danzo's eyes narrowed.
"Fugaku Uchiha," he shouted,"Have you forgotten the Will of Fire? If you truly respect it, then bear some loss for the village. Sacrifice a little—for Konoha."
Silence fell over the chamber.
Elder Kohaku, who had been watching the exchange without a word, slowly lifted his gaze toward Danzo.
His expression was dark.
Very dark.
"…Fine," Kohaku said at last.
All eyes snapped toward him.
"The Uchiha will accept this," he continued calmly."We will reduce the prices."
Fugaku turned toward him in shock.
"Elder—?"
Danzo froze for a fraction of a second before a smug smile crept onto his face.
He glanced toward Hiruzen, his expression clearly saying: I won.
Hiruzen, however, felt unsettled.
The agreement had come too easily.
He didn't understand why—but with the matter seemingly resolved, he forced a smile and turned to Fugaku.
"Thank you, Clan Head Uchiha," he said warmly.
"The village is grateful for the Uchiha's understanding and sacrifice."
Fugaku clenched his fist briefly.
Though he had not agreed to it himself, the decision had already been made.
"Think nothing of it, Hokage-sama," he replied stiffly.
"We can endure this… for the village."
The meeting soon came to an end.
As the Uchiha departed, Elder Kohaku paused for just a moment at the doorway.
He looked back at the village's higher-ups one last time.
Hiruzen caught that look—
And for the first time that day, he felt a quiet, unshakable unease.
Then Kohaku turned away and left.
Who had truly won… only time would decide.