Chapter 166: The Rage of the Golden Hawk

"Fugaku's face... that was something to see."

An Uchiha shinobi sitting near the counter shook his head as he spoke.

Toyama glanced at him, then back toward the Hokage Building.

By now, the small ramen shop had become much more crowded. Several members of the Hawk faction had gathered there after hearing about the election. Suki, Kageno, Uzuku, and Kohaku were among them, along with Raizen and several other elite Jonin.

They had all heard what happened.

And none of them was happy about it.

Raizen's face was especially dark.

"That idiot."

His fist tightened.

"He made the Uchiha look pathetic."

A few of the others remained silent.

The clan might have been divided, but hearing that Fugaku had received almost no support outside the Uchiha still left a bitter feeling in everyone's chest.

Even Toyama was irritated.

He had expected Fugaku to lose.

That wasn't surprising.

But after everything the Uchiha had done during the war, Toyama had at least expected some of the village to stand behind him.

They had fought on the front lines. They had bled for Konoha. They had earned their reputation.

Yet when the time came to raise a hand for an Uchiha candidate, almost nobody had done it.

Toyama clicked his tongue.

"Is that bastard even worthy of calling himself an Uchiha?"

Kazuto let out a tired sigh.

"I actually felt sorry for him earlier."

He looked toward the Hokage Building.

"Now I'm starting to think it would have been better if he'd stayed on the clan grounds."

His fist suddenly struck the wooden pillar beside him.

Bang!

The shop owner flinched.

He slowly looked at the damaged pillar.

Please don't break my shop, he prayed silently.

He had been happy when so many customers came in.

Now he was beginning to wonder if that had been a mistake.

Kohaku folded his arms, his expression heavy.

"This wasn't just an election."

Everyone looked at him.

"It was a trap. Those bastards have been looking for a chance to humiliate the Uchiha, and Fugaku walked straight into it."

The mood in the shop grew darker.

Nobody argued with him.

They had all felt the same thing while watching the voting.

Then an Uchiha shinobi suddenly hurried into the shop.

"They're coming out."

Everyone immediately turned toward him.

The group began getting up from their seats.

As they started walking toward the entrance, the shop owner suddenly remembered something.

"Wait, you haven't—"

A golden ripple appeared above the counter.

A gold bar dropped onto the table with a heavy clink.

"—paid."

The owner stared at it.

He slowly picked it up.

His eyes widened.

Such kind customers.

His previous worries disappeared instantly.

Outside, the group stepped onto the street.

At the same time, the doors of the Hokage Building opened.

Shinobi began pouring out into the street, gathering in small groups as they talked about the election.

Many of them wore smiles.

The mood among them was noticeably lighter.

For most of Konoha, the election had gone exactly as they had hoped.

For the Uchiha standing among the crowd, however, it was a very different story.

Minato stepped out of the Hokage Building with several of Konoha's clan heads around him.

"Congratulations, Minato-jonin. No, no... I suppose I should call you Hokage-sama now."

Shikaku smiled as he looked at him.

Minato laughed.

"I'll still need all of your support in the future."

"Of course. Just don't forget to look after us as well," the Yamanaka clan head said with a smile.

A few of the others laughed.

A short distance away, Fugaku watched them.

Hiruzen stood beside him.

"Fugaku... I didn't expect them to show that kind of attitude. I should have dealt with the elders more harshly after everything that happened."

There was clear discomfort in Hiruzen's voice.

"And Danzo... well, you know how he is."

Hiruzen's expression turned grim.

Fugaku let out a slow sigh.

"I knew Minato had a much better chance of becoming Hokage."

His eyes remained on the group surrounding Minato.

"But I still thought some people would support me."

Hiruzen remained silent.

"Let it be."

Fugaku turned and walked away without even looking back.

Hiruzen and the other elders watched him as he made his way toward Minato.

When Fugaku reached him, he stopped.

"Congratulations, Minato."

The smile on his face was bitter.

Minato immediately noticed the disappointment underneath it.

"Thank you, Fugaku-senpai."

If the candidates had been allowed to vote, Minato would have cast his own vote for Fugaku. But after seeing how little support Fugaku had received, even Minato could understand how disappointed he must have been.

He felt a little sorry for him.

"I'll need the Uchiha clan's support in the future, Senpai."

Minato gave him a warm smile, trying to offer him at least something positive after such a humiliating result.

Before Fugaku could answer, a loud, mocking voice came from behind them.

"Well, well, well."

Everyone turned.

"Look who we have here."

Toyama walked toward them, with Kazuto and the others behind him.

His eyes immediately landed on Fugaku.

"Fugaku Uchiha."

Toyama grinned.

"Hokage of Konoha."

He paused for a moment.

"So... when are you taking office?"

Fugaku said nothing.

His Sharingan slowly rotated as he stared at Toyama.

The anger he had been holding back since the election was already beginning to rise again.

Kazuto noticed it.

"Let it go, Toyama."

His voice was tired.

"The Uchiha have had enough humiliation for today."

Toyama looked at him.

"Why should I, Elder?"

He pointed toward Fugaku.

"When I told this bastard this morning not to go to the Hokage election and save the clan some face, he told me I'd regret it."

His voice was already growing louder.

"And look at him now."

Toyama gave a short, bitter laugh.

"He didn't even get enough support to make it look respectable."

Fugaku's expression tightened.

Toyama's smile disappeared.

"He dragged the Uchiha name through the mud once again."

He took another step forward.

"Even after I warned him!"

Kazuto frowned.

"Toyama—"

"How am I supposed to just sit there and ignore that?!"

His voice echoed across the area.

Several Jonin nearby turned toward him.

Toyama pointed directly at Fugaku.

"That Sarutobi inbred needs a damn lesson! Otherwise, he'll never stop."

The clan heads and Jonin nearby froze.

Even Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu looked genuinely shocked.

It was the first time Toyama had insulted Fugaku so openly.

Danzo's expression barely changed, but his eyes narrowed.

I've underestimated this kid.

Jiraiya and Tsunade stared at Toyama with wide eyes.

"Bastard!"

Fugaku clenched his fist and threw a punch after hearing such a humiliating insult in public.

Toyama didn't flinch.

He used Blink, and natural energy surged through his arm.

In the next instant—

Bang!

His fist slammed into Fugaku's face.

The force sent Fugaku crashing to the ground.

Blood immediately gushed from his nose.

"Fugaku-senpai!"

Minato moved instantly and caught him before he could fall completely.

Toyama looked down at Fugaku.

"Who the hell are you showing that impotent rage to, you bastard?"

Hiruzen stepped forward hurriedly.

"Toyama Uchiha!"

His voice was firm. He didn't want the situation to get any further out of hand.

"You are attacking a Konoha clan head?"

Jiraiya and Tsunade also moved closer.

Toyama turned toward Hiruzen.

"This is my clan matter."

His voice was cold now.

"You don't have any right to interfere in it."

He looked back at Fugaku.

"And this bastard has to understand his own incompetence."

Toyama's eyes narrowed.

"He needs an unforgettable lesson for that."

Fugaku pushed himself upright with Minato's help.

His nose was still bleeding.

"You want to fight me, then?"

He stared at Toyama with a determined look.

Toyama stared back at him.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then a disgusted smile appeared on his face.

"Really?"

He looked Fugaku up and down.

"You actually think you're worthy of fighting me?"

Toyama stepped closer.

"I have to say..."

"When it comes to showing attitude toward the Uchiha, you're very good at it."

His eyes shifted toward Hiruzen.

"But when you actually have to stand for the Uchiha, you suddenly transform into a dog."

Fugaku's fist tightened as he gritted his teeth. Pain shot through his jaw, and he suspected that one of his teeth might have been broken.

Toyama laughed.

"Tell me... do you really like licking that old man's ass that much?"

Fugaku's face twitched.

Toyama continued before he could answer.

"Oh, right. What was that?"

He raised his voice and mocked Fugaku's earlier confidence.

"'The Hokage supports me. The elders support me. The other clans will respect the Uchiha because of it.'"

Toyama spread his hands.

"So... what happened?"

Fugaku's face became rigid.

Hearing his own words thrown back at him like that only made the humiliation worse.

Even Hiruzen's expression became uncomfortable. He understood how much Fugaku must have believed in his support.

Toyama's eyes narrowed.

"Don't talk to me about respect from them."

His voice dropped.

"Even the Senju only became respected after they were all gone."

Several people nearby became serious.

Toyama's expression hardened as he looked directly at Fugaku.

"And you expect people like them to respect a weak, sniveling coward like you?"

"Don't drag my clan into this, brat."

Tsunade stepped forward, her fist clenched tightly.

Toyama slowly turned toward her.

"Why not?"

His eyes met hers.

"Your clan is already dead and respected now, isn't that true?"

Tsunade froze.

The mood around them changed instantly.

Jiraiya's expression became serious.

Even the people who had been watching Toyama with amusement a moment ago fell silent.

Hiruzen's face darkened.

Toyama looked back toward Fugaku.

"This isn't about them."

Hiruzen stepped forward again.

"Toyama Uchiha, your clan and Fugaku's clan are divided now."

His voice was firm.

"Whatever your personal problems are, what you've done today is still considered an attack on a Konoha clan head."

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Author note:

The Hokage election is over, but for the Uchiha, the result has left behind a bitter taste.

Fugaku wanted to prove that the Uchiha could still stand at the centre of Konoha's politics. Instead, he found out just how little support the clan has outside its own walls.

And Toyama... well, he was never the kind of person to let something like that go quietly.

What began as an election result is now turning into another confrontation between the Toyoma and Fugaku.

What will happen when personal pride collides with the clan's name?

Enjoy the chapter, and I'll see you in the next one!

Right now, P@treon chapters are available up to.

Uchiha: When the Hawks Strike [Chapter Five: The Consequences]

P@treon - Hear_tteeth [18 +]

Thank you for the support and patience.