"Boy, do you really think you're that close to the Daimyo?"
Koharu's voice cut through the silence.
There was no attempt to hide the ridicule in her tone.
Her sharp eyes remained fixed on Toyoma.
"Do you really think the Daimyo will overlook your recklessness after everything you've said today?"
The crowd remained unusually quiet.
Some were still trying to process what had just happened.
Others simply wanted to see how far this confrontation would go.
Koharu's expression darkened.
"You speak as if the Daimyo will stand behind you, heh."
A cold laugh escaped her lips.
"You overestimate your own importance,brat."
Several people nodded unconsciously.
After all, the accusation Toyoma had thrown at Hiruzen was not a small matter.
Assassinating the Daimyo.
The thought itself felt absurd.
Throughout the history of the shinobi world, very few had ever dared to even consider such a possibility.
Not because it was impossible.
But because there was rarely any reason to.
The Daimyo and the shinobi existed in a delicate balance.
A balance maintained for generations.
Even during the Warring States Era, when clans slaughtered one another without end, the Daimyo had remained largely untouched.
Their influence stretched far beyond military strength.
Money.
Trade.
Resources.
Legitimacy.
A single order from a Daimyo could make life difficult for an entire clan.
A second could cripple it.
And a third could erase its influence from a nation altogether.
Only a handful of clans in history had ever possessed enough power to negotiate with a Daimyo as equals.
The Senju.
The Uchiha.
And even then, it had only been possible because they had produced monsters capable of shaking the entire shinobi world.
Men whose names still echoed through history.
For everyone else—
The Daimyo stood above them.
Which was exactly why Koharu found Toyoma's confidence so ridiculous.
And yet...
As she looked into his eyes—
Toyoma didn't appear worried in the slightest.
The crowd heard Koharu's words.
For a moment, silence lingered.
Then discussions erupted throughout the square.
"Why would the Daimyo involve himself in this?"
"What interest does the Daimyo even have in a conflict inside Konoha?"
People exchanged uncertain glances.
Some frowned as they thought about it.
Others immediately began sharing their opinions.
"I heard several nobles have been backing Uchiha businesses over the past few years."
"That's true. The Uchiha have become quite influential in the capital."
"And the Daimyo seems to think highly of them."
A few merchants who frequently travelled between Konoha and the capital joined the discussion as well.
"Even so, the Uchiha have gone too far this time."
"Nobody likes hearing accusations like that."
"There is no way the Daimyo openly supports them after today's incident."
Different people.
Different opinions.
The square quickly became noisy.
Fugaku listened to the discussions with a dark expression.
The more he heard, the uglier his mood became.
He turned toward Toyoma.
Anger flashed across his face.
"Toyoma."
"You have truly crossed every limit today."
The surrounding Uchiha immediately fell silent.
"Do you understand what happens if the Daimyo hears about this?"
Fugaku took a step forward.
"What kind of trouble could this bring upon the entire clan?"
For the first time since the confrontation began, genuine concern appeared in his eyes.
Standing against,
The village was one matter.
The Daimyo was another entirely.
Beside Toyoma, Setsuna's brows furrowed.
Even he appeared troubled.
"Toyoma..."
His voice lacked its usual confidence.
"You allowed yourself to be carried away by the moment."
He sighed.
"Support from the Daimyo and the nobles is already more than enough for us."
His gaze briefly drifted toward the distant horizon.
"We are still not powerful enough to challenge the authority of a Daimyo."
Several Uchiha quietly nodded.
Many shared the same concern.
Setsuna narrowed his eyes.
'If this reaches the capital, we may need Kohaku to smooth things over.'
His gaze briefly swept over Koharu and Homura.
'Otherwise, they won't let this opportunity pass.'
Nearby, Uzuku finally spoke.
His expression was unusually serious.
"Toyoma."
"The authority of a Daimyo isn't something to be taken lightly."
A memory surfaced in his mind.
A story his father had told him years ago.
"The Chinoike Clan."
Several older shinobi immediately stiffened.
"In the past, a single accusation was enough to destroy them."
Uzuku continued.
"A woman of the Chinoike Clan had married the Lightning Daimyo."
His voice echoed across the square.
"After the Daimyo's death, his first wife accused the women and her clan of being responsible for the daimyo's death."
Many people frowned.
The story was old.
Yet few had forgotten it.
"Whether the accusation was true or false no longer mattered."
Uzuku's expression darkened.
"The moment the accusation was made, their fate was already decided."
A chill spread through the crowd.
"The entire Chinoike Clan was exiled to the Valley of Hell."
"And it was the Uchiha who were hired to escort them there."
When a Daimyo decided someone was guilty—
Truth often stopped mattering.
And history had proven just how devastating that could be.
Toyoma looked at Uzuku.
Then at Setsuna.
A sigh escaped his lips.
"It was my mistake."
The moment those words left his mouth—
Many people blinked.
Several members of the crowd exchanged glances.
Even the atmosphere seemed to relax slightly.
So he understood.
That was the first thought that entered most people's minds.
Besides the Hokage, Koharu and Homura exchanged subtle looks.
A trace of satisfaction appeared in their eyes.
'Now you understand what kind of mistake you've made.'
Hiruzen remained silent.
But his gaze never left Toyoma.
The anger boiling inside him had yet to fade.
The humiliation he suffered today would not be forgotten so easily.
'You won't get away with this.'
His eyes narrowed slightly.
If word of today's events reached the capital, he would make certain the Uchiha paid the price.
Their merchant's title.
Their businesses.
The influence they had spent years building.
He would make them understand the consequences of publicly humiliating the Hokage.
Then, to everyone's surprise, Hiruzen smiled.
A gentle smile.
The kind that had earned him the trust of countless villagers.
"I can understand it."
His voice was calm.
"Your clan has suffered a great loss in this war, Toyoma."
The crowd immediately turned toward him.
Hiruzen continued.
"Grief makes people say things they normally wouldn't."
His eyes softened.
"And no one can blame you for that."
Several people nodded unconsciously.
After all, Toyoma had not only challenged the Daimyo's authority.
He had publicly accused the Hokage as well.
"It was your grief speaking."
Hiruzen shook his head lightly.
"I understand."
Then he turned toward the crowd.
"I sincerely ask everyone present not to misunderstand today's events."
His voice carried across the square.
"Toyoma is still a child burdened by loss."
A few villagers lowered their heads.
Others quietly listened.
"We all have experienced moments where pain and anger overwhelm us."
He smiled.
"Please don't allow today's words to create unnecessary distance between Konoha and the Daimyo."
The crowd murmured among themselves.
Several clan heads nodded.
"Hokage-sama is right."
The Nara Clan Head was the first to speak.
Many others soon voiced their agreement.
The atmosphere gradually eased.
Even Fugaku felt some of the tension leave his shoulders.
The worst outcome had been avoided.
At least for now.
He looked toward Hiruzen.
Gratitude flickered in his eyes.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
Shisui bowed his head slightly.
Fugaku nodded as well.
For once, neither side appeared eager to continue the confrontation.
Many of the smaller clan heads and civilian shinobi found themselves looking at Hiruzen differently.
Even after suffering such a public insult, the Hokage had shown no anger.
No retaliation.
No attempt to use his authority to suppress Toyoma.
Instead, he had simply treated the outburst as the grief of a child who had lost too much in too little time.
A few villagers lowered their heads in shame, doubting him.
Compared to Toyoma's sharp accusations, Hiruzen's response appeared remarkably generous.
Just as expected of Hokage-sama.
Even several of the larger clan heads looked at him with newfound admiration.
In the face of humiliation, he had chosen restraint.
In the face of provocation, he had chosen understanding.
And even now, rather than thinking about himself, he seemed concerned only with what was best for the village.
Many couldn't help but feel that this was how a Hokage should be.
Nearby, Jiraiya's expression softened slightly.
Even Tsunade found herself silently impressed.
Whether they agreed with everything Hiruzen had done or not, the old man had just demonstrated why he had remained Hokage for so many years.
The atmosphere throughout the square gradually relaxed.
The sympathy that had drifted toward Toyoma was beginning to return to Hiruzen.
Beside him, Koharu and Homura exchanged faint smiles.
The situation had finally returned to their control.
Or so they thought.
Toyoma scratched the back of his head.
Almost sheepishly.
"I forgot to mention something."
A strange feeling suddenly appeared in Hiruzen's chest.
The smile on Koharu's face froze.
Toyoma looked around at the stunned crowd.
Then, as if remembering something trivial, he scratched the back of his head.
"Oh, right."
"I forgot to mention something."
A bad feeling suddenly rose in Hiruzen's chest.
Toyoma continued.
"We recently discovered several Root shinobi inside the Daimyo's residence."
The square instantly fell silent.
"They were disguised as servants."
Before anyone could react, he added:
"We also found some of them operating within the households of several nobles."
The expressions of the clan heads immediately changed.
Even the civilians could sense that something was wrong.
Toyoma glanced toward Hiruzen.
"The Daimyo will probably be asking Konoha for an explanation soon."
His tone remained calm.
Almost careless.
"As for us..."
He shrugged.
"We initially assumed it was an assassination attempt against the Daimyo."
The silence deepened.
Several people felt their scalps go numb.
An assassination attempt?
Inside the Daimyo's own residence?
Toyoma folded his arms.
"At least, that's what Uncle Koji believed at the time."
He paused.
Then added:
"And honestly, considering the circumstances, it sounded reasonable to me as well."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
It felt as if the entire world had stopped breathing.
The expressions on Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura's faces froze instantly.
Unable to process what they had just heard.
And then—
The square exploded.
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P@treon - Hear_tteeth [18 +]
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