"So we shared our concerns with the Daimyo."
Toyoma spoke as if he were discussing the weather.
The casualness of his tone only made the others more irritated.
For several moments, nobody spoke.
Setsuna stood frozen.
Uzuku wasn't much better.
The shock on their faces was impossible to hide.
The same was true for many of the clan heads present.
None of them had expected the situation to reverse so suddenly.
Then the implications began to sink in.
One after another, expressions changed.
Root agents.
Inside the Daimyo's residence.
The thought alone was enough to send chills down their spines.
'How is that even possible?'
'Who authorised such an operation?'
'Did the Hokage know about this?'
The questions came one after another.
And each was more dangerous than the last.
The situation had already escalated beyond a dispute between Konoha and the Uchiha.
This involved the Daimyo himself.
Nearby, several clan heads instinctively turned toward Jiraiya and Tsunade.
"Jiraiya-sama, what is happening?"
"Lady Tsunade, were you aware of this?"
"I thought the elders' actions were being monitored."
Question after question was directed at them.
Neither of them had an answer.
Because this was the first time they were hearing of it as well.
Jiraiya's expression darkened.
Tsunade's brows furrowed.
Slowly, both turned toward Hiruzen.
And what they saw made their hearts sink.
The old Hokage had gone pale.
For the first time since the confrontation began, genuine alarm appeared on his face.
Not because Root shinobi had been discovered.
But because of what he heard next.
The Uchiha had already spoken to the Daimyo.
And nobody knew exactly what had been said.
That uncertainty was far more dangerous than any accusation the boy in front of him says now.
Hiruzen's eyes remained fixed on Toyoma.
Trying to measure him.
Trying to understand how much damage had already been done by him.
Then Toyoma smiled.
A small smile.
And for some reason, Hiruzen found it deeply unsettling.
The last thread of composure snapped.
"Why?"
His voice rang across the square.
The crowd flinched.
"Why did you tell the Daimyo they were Konoha shinobi?"
His gaze sharpened.
"How do you know they were Root?"
The pressure in his voice grew heavier.
"They could have been infiltrators from another village."
"They could have been rogue shinobi."
Before anyone could react, Hiruzen closed the distance between them.
"What exactly did you tell the Daimyo?"
His voice had become noticeably harsher.
The crowd stared.
Many had never seen the Third Hokage lose control like this.
Hiruzen grabbed Toyoma by the shoulders.
"Answer me."
"What did you tell him?"
Toyoma swayed slightly from the force.
A few drops of spit landed on his cheek.
He calmly raised a hand and pushed Hiruzen's face back.
"Old man."
His voice remained completely relaxed.
"Stop spitting."
The square fell silent.
Toyoma wiped his cheek.
"Just ask properly."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I'm not running away."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Hiruzen's jaw tightened.
"Boy."
The warmth was gone from his voice.
Entirely.
"I am not in the mood for games."
His eyes locked onto Toyoma's.
"Tell me everything."
Toyoma looked at him.
The panic on Hiruzen's face was impossible to miss.
Many of the shinobi present had known the Third Hokage for years.
Some had served under him since childhood.
Yet this was the first time they had ever seen him like this.
Not calm.
Not wise.
or composed leader.
The realisation alone sent a chill through many of them.
But no one found it strange.
Not anymore.
The situation had already spiralled far beyond what anyone had imagined.
"Alright, alright."
Toyoma raised both hands slightly.
"First, take your hands off me."
His tone remained casual.
As though he wasn't standing at the centre of a storm.
"Then I'll explain everything."
Hiruzen's grip didn't loosen.
If anything, it tightened.
The old Hokage's eyes remained locked on him.
Toyoma sighed.
"Old man."
His voice became a little colder.
"Either remove your hands..."
He glanced at Hiruzen.
"...or wait for the Daimyo's message to arrive."
The threat hidden within those words was obvious.
Several clan heads exchanged uneasy looks.
Jiraiya immediately stepped forward.
"Old man."
His voice was firm.
"Let him go."
Hiruzen didn't move.
For a brief moment, nobody spoke.
Then Jiraiya repeated himself.
"Let him go."
The Third Hokage's jaw tightened.
But eventually, he released Toyoma's shoulders.
Jiraiya looked toward Toyoma.
"We don't have time for this."
His expression was serious.
"Tell us everything."
Toyoma rolled his shoulders before brushing the wrinkles from his clothes.
"See?"
A faint grin appeared on his face.
"If you had asked nicely from the start, this would've been much easier."
No one laughed.
The atmosphere remained tense.
Toyoma looked at Jiraiya.
Then, at the countless eyes fixed upon him.
Finally, he shrugged.
"Well, whatever."
His expression gradually became more serious.
"It started about a week ago."
The entire square fell silent.
Everyone listened.
Not a single person wanted to miss what came next.
One Week Earlier
Capital City, Land of Fire
"Elder Kiyomori, surely even you can see the problem."
Koji sat across from the elderly minister, his expression calm but firm.
"If the taxes on our medicines continue to rise, the price will rise with them."
He spread several documents across the table.
"And when that happens, it won't be the trade that suffers first."
His gaze met Kiyomori's.
"It will be the people of the Land of Fire."
The room fell silent.
Several officials exchanged glances.
Koji continued.
"We are already selling the most common disease medicines at barely any profit."
His voice carried a trace of frustration.
"The free medical camps by noble houses. The discounted treatments by Uchiha. The charitable distributions in the name of daimyo."
He gestured toward the reports.
"Those programs have earned the Daimyo and many noble clans' tremendous goodwill among the common people."
Then he looked directly at Kiyomori.
"Is there anything I'm lying about?"
His voice remained respectful.
Elder Kiyomori sighed.
The old minister suddenly also looked far older than his years.
The problem before him wasn't simple.
Over the past few years, the Uchiha pharmaceutical business has expanded at an astonishing rate.
Their medicines were affordable.
Their quality was reliable.
And their influence among common citizens continued to grow.
That success had attracted attention.
The wrong kind of attention.
Many other noble houses had begun pressuring the Daimyo.
They wanted access to the Uchiha formulas.
The production methods and manufacturing process.
Anything that would allow them to enter the market on their own.
The Daimyo had refused.
Such a demand would send a dangerous message throughout the Land of Fire.
If merchants believed that the nation could seize their businesses whenever it wished, confidence in their nation's markets would collapse.
So the nobles had chosen another approach.
Taxes on the sale of goods.
If they couldn't obtain the formulas, they would make the business less profitable for Uchiha.
Unfortunately, the plan had backfired.
Rather than quietly accepting the burden, the Uchiha had simply increased their prices.
Then they had done something far worse.
Every medicine box now lists the production cost, the profit margin, and the final sale price.
The public wasn't foolish.
People quickly realised where the extra money was going.
Rumours spread through the Land of Fire like wildfire.
Petitions began appearing in the daimyo's palace. Many merchant Complaints followed who were selling them to other nations.
And now even the Daimyo was being forced to deal with the consequences.
Kiyomori rubbed his forehead.
"It isn't the Daimyo who wishes to make things difficult for the Uchiha."
He paused.
"Nor was it me."
His gaze settled on Koji.
"The truth is..."
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
"Your success has attracted the attention of too many noble houses."
The room grew quiet.
Because everyone understood what those words really meant.
"So they all wanted a piece of it?"
Koji looked at Advisor Kiyomori.
There was disappointment in his eyes.
"But we have already cooperated with more than five noble houses."
He paused briefly.
"Your house is one of them."
Advisor Kiyomori met his gaze without looking away.
Outside the window, the sounds of the capital could be heard faintly.
Merchants shouting.
Carriages moving through the streets.
Servants hurrying from one building to another.
The city looked as prosperous as ever.
Yet the atmosphere inside the room was far from peaceful.
The cooperation between the Uchiha and House Kiyomori had benefited both sides greatly.
That was why Koji found this situation difficult to understand.
"We thought at least you would try to speak for us before Daimyo-sama."
A hint of grievance entered his voice.
"Or at least support us."
Advisor Kiyomori sighed heavily.
The old man suddenly looked much older.
"It's not that I didn't try."
He rubbed his forehead.
"I spoke to Daimyo-sama more than once."
A trace of frustration appeared on his face.
"Do you think I enjoy dealing with this situation?"
He shook his head.
"But things have changed."
Koji frowned.
Kiyomori continued.
"Many small and medium noble houses have started paying attention to your business."
"They have seen your profits."
"They have seen your sales."
"And now they are asking why the Daimyo seems to favor the Uchiha."
The old advisor leaned back in his chair.
"They come to me."
"They go to the Daimyo."
"They submit petitions."
A tired sigh escaped his lips.
"And every day they repeat the same thing."
The room became quiet.
Koji could feel the exhaustion in the old man's voice.
This clearly wasn't a problem that had appeared overnight.
Even so, something still felt wrong.
"Even if they found out about our profits..."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Doesn't this feel a little sudden?"
Advisor Kiyomori looked at him.
Koji continued.
"The pressure."
"The complaints."
"The taxes."
"They all appeared almost at the same time."
His fingers tapped lightly against the table.
"It doesn't feel natural."
For a brief moment, Advisor Kiyomori remained silent.
The tapping of Koji's fingers seemed unusually loud in the quiet room.
Kiyomori's fingers, which had been moving across the table moments ago, suddenly stopped.
A small detail.
Yet Koji didn't miss it.
The old advisor looked away toward the window.
His expression became complicated.
Seeing that reaction, Koji understood immediately.
A thoughtful look appeared on his face.
"So..."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Someone is behind this, aren't they?"
This time, Advisor Kiyomori didn't answer immediately.
And that silence told Koji everything he needed to know.
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