The council hall had fallen into complete disorder.
For the jōnin and clan heads present, this was the first time in their entire lives that a meeting had derailed so utterly. Even the Hokage's former disciples had never shown such boldness—never crossed this line.
For a fleeting moment, some even thought of Tsunade. She was famous for her bluntness, her fearless tongue.
Yet compared to Toyoma, her presence felt… negligible.
What the boy had asked was something every clan head in the hall had wondered at some point in their lives.
But none of them had ever voiced it.
Some were afraid. Some were ashamed. Others believed they lacked the authority to question the Hokage—the very leader of the village.
It was an unspoken rule.
No one challenged the one who asked everyone else to sacrifice.
And yet, Toyoma had done exactly that.
He had asked what the village leaders themselves had sacrificed—after demanding everything from others.
Nara Shikaku watched the scene carefully.
Toyoma's mouth was covered, restrained by his own clan elders, but that alone told Shikaku everything he needed to know.
This boy was respected.
Not merely tolerated—respected.
That meant one thing: the Hokage could not touch him.
If the village tried to forcefully silence him, this boy would tear apart the reputation of the higher-ups without hesitation. And if they detained him…
At the very least, the Uchiha Hawk faction would respond.
There was no legitimate reason to restrain him.
After all, he had done nothing but ask a question.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the boy.
Even Tsunade had never disrespected him this openly. Never spoken without restraint. Never looked at him as though his authority meant nothing.
And yet, Toyoma's eyes showed no fear.
No hesitation.
If Hiruzen spoke once, the boy would answer ten times.
Worse still—Hiruzen could feel it.
The respect in the eyes of the jōnin present was beginning to fracture.
He couldn't detain the boy. He couldn't silence him.
Accusing him of lowering morale during wartime would only expose weakness.
And the most dangerous part-
Toyoma had openly implied that the Hokage's faction was acting like spies of the Cloud.
A thought Hiruzen had never imagined someone would dare voice.
He turned slightly toward Homura.
Understanding his gaze, Hiruzen spoke calmly, though steel edged his words.
"Does the Uchiha Clan no longer respect the Hokage?" he asked."Is this how council meetings are conducted now?"
Koharu followed immediately.
"Yes," she said coldly. "If we spend this meeting blaming one another instead of discussing the war, we are wasting time. If questions must be asked, they should be done respectfully—not like this."
The Uchiha heard every word.
Elder Setsuna exhaled slowly before speaking.
"Yes, Toyoma," he said evenly. "There is no need to get worked up. Whatever you wish to discuss, you may do so properly."
He glanced at Kohaku.
Toyoma removed Elder Kohaku's hand from his mouth.
His voice was calm.
"I wasn't the one who started this," he said."They did."
His gaze swept across the hall.
"They just thought no one would dare say anything back."
Homura and Koharu restrained themselves as Toyoma's gaze lingered on them.
Koharu spoke first, her tone calm and measured.
"Very well," she said. "The statement made earlier by Elder Danzo—that the increase in war supply prices was solely the responsibility of the Uchiha—was incorrect."
She paused briefly.
"For that misunderstanding, the council offers its apology."
Homura nodded in agreement.
"There are multiple factors behind the sudden rise in prices," he added."As Clan Head Fugaku mentioned, the cost of raw materials has increased. Additionally, merchants from the Iron Country raised their prices during wartime."
He glanced across the hall.
"To place the blame entirely on the Uchiha would be inaccurate."
A ripple moved through the council chamber.
Eyes turned toward the village elders.
Their change in stance was obvious.
Then—toward the Uchiha.
Some of the clan members sat straighter. Others looked quietly vindicated.
Toyoma said nothing.
Elder Kohaku stepped forward.
"That is precisely what we have been trying to explain," he said."The merchants of the Iron Country have targeted Konoha due to losses suffered in previous wars."
His voice hardened slightly.
"The Cat Clan sold supplies to the village at extremely low prices during the early stages of this conflict. Because of that, they were targeted repeatedly."
He continued evenly.
"This war has strained resources. The merchants know this. That is why they raised prices to unreasonable levels."
A pause.
"If the village had allowed us to sell at the increased price earlier, the Cat Clan would have had enough capital to secure raw materials. The situation would not have escalated to this point."
Silence followed.
The jōnin and clan heads finally understood the core of the issue.
Hiruzen's expression darkened slightly.
Now he saw it clearly.
The village had intended to pressure the Uchiha—
But the Uchiha had already been pushed to the brink.
Their shops were nearly bankrupt.
And the village's actions had only worsened the situation.
Hiruzen straightened.
He looked at the gathered jōnin, then at the Uchiha.
"Clan Head Fugaku," he said solemnly."We were unaware of the full extent of this situation."
He bowed his head slightly.
"The village believed the Uchiha would endure the hardship for the sake of the war. We did not realise the difficulty your clan was facing."
"For that," he continued, "Konoha offers its apology."
Fugaku exhaled quietly.
Gratitude flickered across his face—not for himself, but for Toyoma and the elders who had spoken clearly.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Fugaku said respectfully."We tried our best to support the village. But there was only so much we could do."
Hiruzen nodded.
Koharu then spoke again.
"Clan Head Fugaku," she said, "if the village provides the Uchiha with financial assistance, would your clan be able to resume supplying the front lines?"
Fugaku opened his mouth.
"Yes, Eld—"
"Elder Koharu," Kohaku interrupted calmly, "that will be difficult."
Fugaku turned sharply, anger flashing in his eyes.
For a moment, it felt as though he was clan head in name only.
Kohaku, however, did not notice his gaze.
Nara Shikaku frowned slightly.
"Uchiha Elder," he said carefully, "if there are additional difficulties, you should state them. If funding is insufficient, the council can attempt to allocate more."
Kohaku hesitated.
How could he explain that the Cat Clan had already transferred their shops to the Fire Capital?
Before he could answer, Hiruzen spoke.
"Is the issue raw materials?" he asked."The village is aware that the Cat Clan has been targeted by Iron Country merchants."
He paused.
"If that is the case, Konoha can assist in acquiring the necessary materials. You need not worry about that."
Shikaku understood immediately.
So did Koharu and Homura.
Only Danzo remained silent—his presence diminished, his authority quietly eroded.
"Yes," Koharu said at last."The village still has a reserve of raw materials. The Uchiha may use them for now."
The Uchiha elders looked far more troubled now.
Elder Setsuna finally spoke, his voice calm but heavy as he assessed both the situation and the unease spreading through the hall.
"It is difficult," he said slowly. "Because the Cat Clan and Uchiha-affiliated merchants have halted all business within Konoha and redirected their operations to the Fire Capital."
The moment his words settled, the chamber erupted into stunned silence.
Shock rippled through the gathered clan heads and elders alike.
They had been prepared to negotiate prices.They had been ready to compromise.
But now—
The manufacturers were gone.
Who would produce the supplies?
Where would the funds be sent?
How would raw materials even reach the village?
In an instant, the issue had escalated.
This was no longer about rising prices.It had become a question of supply itself.
And that was when the true crisis began.
Danzo leaned forward sharply, his expression darkening.
"How can you not—"
He stopped.
Multiple killing glares locked onto him at once.
Clan heads, elders, even neutral parties stared him down with naked hostility. The message was unmistakable.
Say another word, and you will regret it.
Danzo fell silent.
Koharu broke the tension, her voice sharp with restrained anger.
"Grand Elder," she said, "why was the village not informed of this decision? From your words, it appears that Uchiha personnel have left the village. You are aware that such actions could be interpreted as desertion."
Hiruzen turned his gaze toward Setsuna as well, his eyes filled with quiet scrutiny.
Before Setsuna could respond, Toyoma stepped forward.
"Elder Koharu," he said evenly, "there is no rule in Konoha that requires a clan to report its private economic decisions to the village."
His eyes sharpened.
"And those who left are not shinobi. They are merchants. Civilians. Konoha does not—and cannot—control where merchants choose to conduct business."
The hall grew tense.
Hiruzen looked directly at Toyoma.
"That may be true," the Hokage said calmly, "but it does not change the fact that your actions have harmed the village. Previously, responsibility lay with Konoha. But now—anyone can see who continues to worsen the situation."
Toyoma met his gaze without flinching.
His voice remained calm.
"Before accusing the Uchiha of mistakes," he said, "you should first examine your own."
A ripple of unease passed through the room.
"You left us with no path forward. You closed every door. And now, when the consequences arrive, you ask we should care about the village's hardship."
He paused.
"Why should we?"
The elders stiffened.
Hiruzen and the council stared at him.
"And what mistake," one of the elders demanded, "have we made?"
Toyoma looked at them—
And smiled.