Toyoma looked straight at the Third Hokage—and then at the jōnin gathered around the hall.
"Third Hokage," he said calmly, "the village is pressuring the Uchiha to the point where even their daily lives have become difficult."
A quiet ripple passed through the hall.
"If the Uchiha were not one of the great clans of the Warring States Period," Toyoma continued, "if we did not still possess wealth accumulated from that era… then I can say this without hesitation."
His eyes sharpened.
"The village would have sucked us dry—until we became like the Senju."
Silence.
"A clan in name only."
Hiruzen heard every word.
Outwardly, his expression remained calm.Inwardly, his blood boiled.
Why does this brat bring up the Senju?What does he mean—'sucked dry'?
His fist clenched beneath the table. He forced himself to breathe. This boy's words—no matter how blunt—sounded logical. And that made them dangerous.
"The Senju clan," Hiruzen said evenly, "has always been a great pillar of the village. Many of its members chose, of their own will, to live as civilians. You cannot say the village treated them ungratefully."
Homura stepped in, trying to support him.
"During the Second Shinobi War," Homura said, "the Senju fought as one because they cared for the village. They volunteered themselves in its darkest hour. Every villager of Konoha is grateful for that sacrifice."
At once, the jōnin reacted.
"Yes—we are grateful to the Senju!"
"They were a great clan!"
One by one, voices rose in agreement.
Toyoma watched them.
He scratched his head lightly, almost amused, then glanced at his clan elders.
There was a faint smirk on their faces.
Turning back to the Hokage, Toyoma spoke again.
"Whether that was a great sacrifice… or a great conspiracy—many clan heads already know the truth."
The hall stiffened.
"They simply choose not to speak of it," he continued, his voice turning cold, "because too many people benefited from the Senju's downfall."
Disgust flashed across his face.
"So I won't go deeper. If I do, what we'll uncover won't be heroism—but something far uglier."
Several clan heads fell silent, their expressions dark. They understood exactly what he was implying.
Hiruzen and the elders understood too.
And they knew—if this boy pushed further, it wouldn't be war they'd have to worry about.
It would be rebellion.
The Will of Fire that held the village together would crack.
For that reason, neither Hiruzen nor Homura said another word about the Senju.
Then Toyoma continued, his tone shifting.
"Third Hokage, everything I've said so far has been from a shinobi's perspective."
He raised three fingers.
"But let's talk like humans."
"A normal human has three basic needs: food, clothing, and shelter."
"All of them require money."
His gaze locked onto Hiruzen.
"Now tell me—how do the Uchiha earn that money?"
Unlike other clans, the Uchiha could not freely take missions.
"We maintain the Uchiha Guard Force—keeping public order, preventing theft and violence. In my opinion, it's one of the worst and most thankless jobs in the village."
"And second—our shops."
"That's it."
"We cannot take missions like other clans because of these responsibilities."
Toyoma tilted his head slightly.
"Am I wrong, Third Hokage?"
Toyoma turned toward the Uchiha elders.
"Elder Kohaku. Elder Kazuto. Grand Elder Setsuna," he said evenly."Tell me—am I wrong about our sources of income?"
The hall quieted.
Elder Kohaku looked at Toyoma and nodded slowly."No, Toyoma. What you said is the truth. While we can take village missions, a large portion of our people are stationed in the Uchiha Guard Force."
Grand Elder Setsuna followed calmly."Our second major source of income comes from our shops and rental properties within Konoha. That is also correct."
All eyes shifted to the Hokage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded after a brief pause."Yes. Many people in the village are aware of this."
Toyoma immediately turned back to him.
"So you knew," he said quietly."And yet, the village still interfered with our businesses. Still pressured our shops."
Koharu slammed her hand on the table.
"Boy," she snapped, her face tight with anger, "we have already apologized for that matter. Why are you going in circles? Are you wasting everyone's time?"
Several jōnin nodded in agreement. They didn't understand why Toyoma was bringing it up again.
The Hokage spoke next.
"What Elder Koharu says is correct," Hiruzen said."Why return to this issue?"
Even the Uchiha elders looked uncertain.
Toyoma exhaled slowly.
"Because, Third Hokage," he said, "that was only the first mistake."
His gaze hardened.
"Now I'll speak of the second—one that has been pressuring the Uchiha's daily lives for many years."
He turned toward Fugaku.
"Clan Head Fugaku," Toyoma said, voice firm,"answer this honestly. This concerns our people. If you remain silent, another elder will speak."
He paused.
"Was the Uchiha Guard Force created by the village as a right granted to the Uchiha by the founders?"
Fugaku Uchiha answered without hesitation.
"Yes. It was created by the Second Hokage-sama," Fugaku said."It granted the Uchiha authority to monitor village security and detain anyone who caused chaos."
Toyoma immediately looked back at the Hokage.
"Third Hokage—what our clan head said. Is it true or false?"
Hiruzen studied the boy for a long moment.
"…It is true," he said at last."Many clan heads and jōnin here know this."
Toyoma smiled.
And the moment Hiruzen saw that smile, he realized something had gone wrong.
"Then tell me this," Toyoma said calmly.
"After the Second Hokage passed away—how much funding did the village allocate to the Uchiha Guard Force?"
His eyes swept across the hall.
"Say it clearly. So everyone here can hear."
"And if you choose not to answer," he added softly,"one of the elders will."
The room stiffened.
Hiruzen's breath caught.
The elders understood immediately.
They were trapped.
Before the Hokage could speak, Homura Mitokado intervened.
"Toyoma," Homura said carefully,"this matter can be discussed privately later."
He knew the truth.
If this were revealed publicly, the village would lose all grounds to pressure the Uchiha—And many clan heads would begin to question whether the leadership had been suppressing one of Konoha's founding clans.
Silence spread through the council hall.
Toyoma waited.
When no one from the village leadership spoke, he turned toward the Uchiha clan head.
"Clan Head Fugaku," Toyoma said calmly,"tell everyone present—how much funding did the village allocate to the Uchiha Guard Force after the passing of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju?"
"Say it clearly. So every clan head here can hear."
Fugaku stiffened.
The pressure was crushing.
From the corner of his vision, he could feel the Third Hokage and the elders watching him—warning him to remain silent.
Among the jōnin, unease began to grow.
The Uchiha Guard Force was one of the largest organizations in the village, second only to ANBU.With so many personnel, such a force had to receive massive funding.
Yet…
The silence from the higher-ups suggested otherwise.
Could it be…?
The clan heads were thinking the same.
If the village had quietly reduced funding, it would explain everything—the resentment, the tension, the anger brewing within the Uchiha.
They all looked between the Hokage and Fugaku.
Two minutes passed.
No one spoke.
Finally, the Nara clan head broke the silence.
"Uchiha Clan Head," he said calmly, "if the village reduced some resources during wartime, I hope you can understand. Such decisions are common during war."
He turned toward the Hokage.
"We jōnin will ensure that whatever losses occurred are properly addressed once the war ends."
The Hyūga clan head nodded in agreement.
"Yes. Situations like this happen during war. We will help ensure all due funds are returned."
One by one, other clan heads echoed similar sentiments—trying to ease the tension.
But Fugaku remained silent.
Because he knew.
This was not what Toyoma was asking.
At last, the Third Hokage spoke.
"Clan Head Fugaku," said Hiruzen Sarutobi,"you need not worry. After the war, it will be the village's first priority to compensate the Uchiha for all losses."
Homura added hurriedly,"Yes. I guarantee it personally. All dues will be cleared. Every loss."
Toyoma watched them.
Then he laughed softly.
Not mockingly.
Not loudly.
As if he were watching people struggle inside a net they didn't even realize existed.
Slowly, he bowed toward the Hokage and the elders.
The tension in the room eased.
Hiruzen released a quiet sigh of relief.
Then Toyoma straightened.
"Thank you, Third Hokage. Thank you, elders," he said politely.
"I truly hope the village can clear twenty-eight years of unpaid funding for the Uchiha Guard Force."
His smile widened.
"Even if it means selling the village."
Homura reacted instantly.
"Yes—don't worry, all twenty-eight ye—"
He froze.
The words caught in his throat.
They all looked at Toyoma, finally realising why he had pushed the conversation this far and this wide.This—this—was the truth he wanted them to see.
The hall went dead silent.
Every face turned pale.
Twenty-eight… years?
Not months.
Not a few years of wartime strain.
Twenty-eight years.
The truth finally landed.
And there was no escaping it.