Shisui's words spread through the crowd.
Many people fell silent.
Some villagers nodded unconsciously.
Others looked at him with approval.
Even several shinobi who had recently returned from the border became thoughtful.
After all—
What Shisui said wasn't entirely wrong.
If more medicine existed—
More shinobi would survive.
More families would keep their sons and daughters.
Hiruzen looked at Shisui.
For a moment—
A complicated emotion appeared in his eyes.
'This boy truly inherited Kagami's will.'
Then he remembered what had happened only moments ago.
How easily he had pushed all responsibility onto Shisui.
His fingers tightened slightly.
'Forgive me, Shisui.'
A trace of guilt appeared in his heart.
But only for a moment.
His gaze shifted toward Toyoma and Setsuna.
His expression hardened once again.
'The village needs stability more than anything.'
No matter what happened—
He could not allow this situation to continue escalating.
Meanwhile—
The atmosphere among the Hawk members was completely different.
Many of them were looking at Shisui with ugly expressions.
Not because they hated him.
But because his words reminded them of things they had never forgotten.
The years of hunger.
The years of humiliation.
The years when nobody cared whether the Uchiha lived or died.
One Hawk shinobi suddenly stepped forward.
His eyes were slightly red.
Not from Sharingan.
But from emotion.
"Save them?"
His voice carried disbelief.
"Why should we care about these ungrateful people?"
The crowd immediately became restless.
Many villagers glared at him.
The Hawk shinobi laughed.
A bitter laugh.
"What does their life and death have to do with us?"
His gaze locked onto Shisui.
"Who has ever thought about us?"
The words made many people freeze.
The Hawk shinobi pointed toward the villagers.
"When my mother was taking her last breath from hunger—"
His voice trembled slightly.
"Where were they?"
Silence.
The crowd became noticeably quieter.
The man's eyes swept across the villagers.
"When this village leadership blocked our livelihood—"
"When these same villagers sold daily necessities to Uchiha families for double or triple the price—"
"Where was their conscience then?"
Many civilians instinctively looked away.
Some older villagers lowered their heads.
Others frowned.
Unable to answer.
The Hawk shinobi didn't stop.
His emotions had already burst out.
"Did they care whether we ate?"
"Did they care whether our children slept hungry?"
"Did they care whether we survived tomorrow?"
His voice rose with every sentence.
"NO!"
The shout echoed through the square.
Several villagers flinched.
The Hawk shinobi looked toward the other Uchiha.
"Have you all forgotten already?"
"Forgotten how they treated us?"
"Forgotten how they took advantage of us when we were at our worst?"
Several Hawk members clenched their fists.
Some lowered their heads.
Others looked at the villagers with cold eyes.
The memories were still there.
None of them had forgotten.
The Hawk shinobi then turned toward Hiruzen.
His eyes were filled with years of resentment.
"Where was this village leadership then?"
"Where was their justice?"
The words struck heavily.
Hiruzen's expression darkened.
His fist slowly clenched.
Yet he remained silent.
The Hawk shinobi looked back at Shisui.
This time—
There was something else in his eyes.
Not just anger.
Disappointment.
Deep disappointment.
"Who are you to decide how we should live with them?"
His voice echoed across the square.
"Who are you to forgive them on our behalf?"
"Huh?"
The question struck harder than all his previous words.
Shisui froze.
The determination on his face faltered for the first time.
At this moment, he suddenly realised something.
The people standing before him—
Had experienced a completely different Konoha than he had.
A Konoha where hunger was real.
A Konoha where humiliation was normal.
A Konoha he had never truly seen.
And for the first time since stepping forward—
Shisui had no answer.
The Hawk shinobi's words started a chain reaction.
Many Uchiha who had felt a trace of guilt after hearing Shisui's sincere speech now found those feelings fading. The more they thought about the years of hunger, discrimination, and humiliation their families had endured, the more convinced they became that what they were doing now was not wrong.
One Uchiha stepped forward and spoke in a low voice.
"He's right."
Another nodded.
"What exactly have we done wrong?"
A third spoke soon after.
"Why should we hand over our things for free?"
The voices slowly began spreading through the Uchiha ranks.
"Do they truly deserve it?"
"What did they ever do for us?"
"Who helped us when we were suffering?"
The questions came one after another. No one had organised it. No one had planned it. Yet that only made it more alarming.
The atmosphere around the Uchiha began to change. The hesitation and uncertainty that had existed moments ago were disappearing, replaced by determination. Many of them had spent years enduring in silence—years convincing themselves that things would improve if they remained patient.
Now, those old grievances were being dragged into the light for everyone to see.
Jiraiya's expression gradually became more serious.
Hiruzen's face darkened.
Even several clan heads exchanged uneasy glances.
Until now, they had treated this as a conflict caused by Toyoma.
But the voices rising from the Uchiha made them realise something unsettling.
The resentment wasn't limited to a single person.
It had already spread throughout the clan.
Fugaku stood silently as he listened.
Every word struck him harder than he expected.
As Clan Head, he knew these things had happened.
He had heard the complaints.
He had seen families struggling.
He had watched clansmen sell properties, businesses, and heirlooms to survive.
Yet every time anger threatened to boil over, he had chosen restraint. He had believed that conflict would only make things worse. That justice could be achieved through patience and negotiation.
Now, hearing those same grievances spoken openly before the entire village, a trace of guilt appeared in his eyes.
'I only wanted to avoid conflict.'
His fists slowly tightened.
'I only wanted to protect the clan.'
Yet for the first time, he found himself questioning whether he had truly protected anyone at all.
Toyoma observed everything silently.
The expressions.
The reactions.
The guilt.
Then he took a step forward.
Minato, who was standing nearby, immediately became alert. His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Toyoma approach.
Toyoma stopped in front of Fugaku and looked directly at him.
A faint mocking smile appeared on his face.
"So."
His voice echoed through the square.
"What answer do you have for them, Sarutobi Fugaku?"
The title alone caused several people to stiffen.
Fugaku's face darkened.
Toyoma continued without giving him a chance to respond.
"What explanation did you give them all these years?"
"What grand plan did you have in mind?"
His voice remained calm, but every word felt sharper than a blade.
"When they were losing their homes."
"When they were selling their properties."
"When they were being pushed further and further into a corner."
"Did you ever demand an explanation from them?"
Toyoma's gaze slowly shifted toward Hiruzen and Homura before returning to Fugaku.
"Or did you simply tell them to endure?"
Silence spread through the square.
Because for the first time since the confrontation began, the target of the questioning was no longer the village leadership.
It was Fugaku himself.
And unlike Hiruzen or Homura, there was no political argument he could hide behind.
Only the choices he had made.
Fugaku didn't say a word.
He simply remained silent.
The entire square waited for him to answer. Many Uchiha looked at their Clan Head with expectation in their eyes, hoping he would finally say something. Anything.
But the silence continued.
As the seconds passed, many expressions gradually changed. Some Uchiha lowered their heads. Others clenched their fists. A few looked away entirely.
Fugaku could feel every gaze on him.
As Clan Head, he knew these things had happened. He had heard the complaints. He had seen businesses fail and families struggle. He had watched clansmen sell properties and rent out stores simply to survive.
Yet every time anger threatened to boil over, he had chosen patience.
He had chosen negotiation.
He had believed justice could be achieved peacefully.
Now, hearing those same grievances spoken openly before the entire village, a trace of guilt appeared in his heart.
I was only trying to achieve everything peacefully.
His fists tightened.
For the first time in years, he found himself questioning whether he had truly protected the clan at all.
Toyoma watched him for a few moments before slowly looking away.
Disappointment flashed through his eyes.
Not anger.
Not hatred.
Disappointment.
He turned toward Setsuna.
"Grandfather."
His calm voice immediately drew everyone's attention.
Toyoma's gaze swept across the village leadership before stopping on Fugaku once more.
"We have our answer."
The atmosphere grew heavier.
"We can't expect anything from them anymore."
"Not from the village leadership."
"And not even from this Clan Head."
Several expressions changed.
Fugaku's face stiffened slightly, but he remained silent.
Toyoma continued.
"They all wear masks."
"Masks of justice."
"Masks of righteousness."
"Masks of sacrifice."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"They speak of duty."
"They speak of responsibility."
"They speak of the Will of Fire."
The smile slowly disappeared.
"But there is one truth they never tell."
The square became completely quiet.
"The sacrifices they praise so much..."
Toyoma paused as his gaze moved from Hiruzen to Fugaku.
"...are always sacrifices made by someone else."
Many people visibly stiffened.
Even Jiraiya frowned.
Nobody stepped forward to deny it,
Toyoma took another step forward.
"So now it's enough."
Toyoma slowly looked across the Uchiha gathered behind him. The elders. The Hawk members. The ordinary shinobi. The civilians.
Then he spoke.
"It's time."
Setsuna frowned.
For the first time, genuine curiosity appeared on his face.
Toyoma looked at him.
Then at the clan.
His expression remained calm.
"It's time to do something big."
"For the survival of the Uchiha."
The moment those words left his mouth, several people's expressions changed.
Even Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
Setsuna stared directly at him.
"What exactly are you suggesting?"
The entire square seemed to hold its breath.
Waiting.
Watching.
Toyoma's lips slowly curved upward.
Then he answered.
"Division of the Uchiha Clan."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Fugaku's eyes widened.
Setsuna froze.
Jiraiya's expression changed.
Even Hiruzen's face stiffened for a brief moment.
No one had expected those words.
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