Chapter 167: When the Hawk Roars.

Hearing Hiruzen's words, the Uchiha behind Toyama immediately closed ranks.

Raizen, Suki, Uzuku, Kohaku, and the others stepped forward, their expressions hardening. None of them drew their weapons, but their hands moved closer to them, ready for whatever happened next.

The atmosphere changed in an instant.

On Fugaku's side, Shisui and the Jonin standing with him moved forward just as quickly.

"Toyama. You're getting out of hand now."

"How dare you attack our clan head like that?"

Shisui's eyes were filled with fury.

His fists tightened at his sides. The moment he had seen Fugaku take that punch to the face, his blood had boiled.

Toyama didn't even give him a glance.

His eyes remained fixed on Hiruzen.

"Hey, old coot."

"Aren't you feeling happy inside?"

He jerked his thumb toward Fugaku.

"By playing this dumb*as, right?"

Fugaku's jaw tightened.

His anger was simmering as well, but with the Sannin and Minato standing beside him and Hiruzen and others openly supporting him, he didn't want to make the situation any worse.

But there was something else he couldn't ignore.

Even the Jonin from his own side, standing right beside him, weren't nearly as furious as Shisui.

They were angry at Toyama, yes.

But there was something else in their eyes.

Disappointment toward him.

Fugaku noticed it.

His fingers slowly curled into a fist.

How could he not notice it?

"I'm not playing anyone. I genuinely—"

Hiruzen stopped for a moment.

His fist clenched unconsciously.

Being called an "old coot" in front of the clan heads, the Sannin, and so many other shinobi had already tested his patience enough.

Yet he forced himself to keep his expression composed.

"Really?"

Toyama's tone dripped with sarcasm.

"Sorry our clan became so fat to apologise for."

He spread his hands mockingly.

"So we punish some old men whose one leg is already on the coffin just to give the village an answer."

Several people shifted uncomfortably.

Toyama was throwing Hiruzen's own words back at him, twisting every one of them into an insult.

"Now your clan just shut your trap and don't ever bring this up again."

He deliberately copied Hiruzen's tone.

"For the peace of the village."

"Yes, for the peace of the village."

Silence.

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.

He understood exactly what Toyama was doing.

Toyama smiled.

"You really can play every clan head in this village like a monkey, can't you?"

His gaze slowly shifted toward Shikaku Nara.

Shikaku's eyebrows twitched.

"Nara clan head."

Toyama pointed toward Hiruzen.

"I think you should throw away that title of genius."

Shikaku's expression became even more awkward.

"Look at him. He single-handedly turned some weak, nobody clans into an entity capable of rivalling the Uchiha and Senju of the Warring States era."

Toyama paused.

"Quite an achievement, don't you think?"

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

The sound of his slow applause echoed through the tense silence.

Toyama kept his eyes on Hiruzen.

"Come on. Give the man an applause for his achievement."

He looked toward Elder Kazuto and the others.

"Don't be shy."

Nobody moved.

Kazuto's mouth twitched slightly, but he quickly suppressed whatever reaction had almost escaped him.

Hiruzen's face slowly turned red.

Shikaku looked away for a moment, clearly wishing he had never been dragged into the conversation.

"What do you want, brat?"

Jiraiya stepped forward.

His expression had hardened, and the atmosphere around him felt noticeably heavier.

Toyama looked at him.

"I just want to tell everyone something."

He paused.

The atmosphere became quiet again.

"A dog, even if it wears the skin of a wolf, will always be a dog."

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed.

Toyama tilted his head slightly.

"Sorry..."

A faint smirk appeared on his face.

"Correction."

He looked directly at Hiruzen.

"Even dogs are loyal to their masters. They don't bite them back."

The moment those words left his mouth, several people froze.

Jiraiya's expression changed.

"You—"

He stepped forward.

Toyama didn't move.

Jiraiya now stood directly in front of him, towering over the younger Uchiha. Toyama had to tilt his head upward to meet his eyes.

The height difference was obvious.

Yet Toyama's expression didn't change.

Neither of them looked away.

For a few seconds, neither spoke.

Then Toyama broke the silence.

"Listen here, Sanninnnn."

His voice had lost its playful edge.

"If you—or any nameless swine in this village—think you can drag the Uchiha name through the mud to humiliate them..."

His eyes sharpened.

"...the name that my ancestors built with a thousand years of blood behind it..."

He spoke each word slowly.

Deliberately.

"...then we'll break that hand and shove it straight up whoever's ass it belongs to."

His eyes shifted toward Homura and Koharu.

"Even if it means bringing this whole village down with it."

A heavy silence followed.

Danzo's visible eye narrowed.

Then his voice suddenly cut through the tension.

"Look at this! They're practically admitting to rebell—"

"Oi."

Toyama cut him off.

His head turned slowly toward Danzo.

"One-eyed creature."

Danzo's face twitched.

"You four have already done something that could be considered more than rebellion in its own right."

Toyama pointed toward the elders.

"You used wartime authority to protect your own people while putting everyone else's lives at risk."

His finger remained pointed at them.

"And here you are, standing around like you've made some great sacrifice."

Homura's expression darkened.

Koharu's lips pressed into a thin line.

Danzo said nothing.

Toyama suddenly reached out and placed one hand on Jiraiya's shoulder.

Then he shoved him slightly.

"Back off."

His voice was completely flat now.

"Always walking around with that huge-ass face like you're some big shot."

Jiraiya felt the shove.

But he didn't move an inch.

He simply stared down at Toyama.

Toyama scratched the side of his head, visibly irritated.

For a moment, nobody knew what to say.

Minato and Fugaku stood frozen, watching the entire exchange.

Minato's eyes moved from Toyama to Jiraiya, then toward Hiruzen.

Even he seemed unsure whether stepping in would make things better or worse.

Uzuku finally stepped forward.

He placed a hand on Toyama's shoulder.

"Let's go, Toyama."

His voice was calm.

"They've been warned enough already."

Toyama remained still.

His eyes stayed on Fugaku.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then...

"Listen carefully."

Fugaku's expression hardened.

"We've divided the clan."

Toyama's voice was quieter now.

"That doesn't mean we're going to stand by and watch you drag the Uchiha name through the dirt because of your incompetence."

Fugaku's fist tightened.

"If we hear about another humiliation like this..."

Toyama's eyes narrowed.

"...forget about seeing the next morning."

"Tch."

Toyama spat onto the ground.

"Clan head, my foot."

He finally turned around and started walking away.

But then he stopped.

He looked back toward Kazuto.

"What the hell were you old guys even thinking when you made a guy like this clan head?"

Kazuto's expression stiffened.

Toyama didn't care.

"He's not even qualified to be a janitor."

His words carried across the entire hall.

Every person there heard them.

Fugaku's fist clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

His face remained still, but the humiliation burning behind his eyes was impossible to hide.

Hiruzen, Homura, Koharu, and Danzo watched Toyama walk away.

Hatred burned openly in their eyes.

The other clan heads, however, slowly turned toward Fugaku.

There was no respect in their expressions.

Only pity.

And somehow, that pity felt worse.

Fugaku had wanted to prove that the Uchiha could stand at the centre of Konoha's politics.

Instead, he had lost the election...

and then been publicly humiliated by another Uchiha in front of almost every important shinobi in the village.

There was no clean way to walk away from something like that.

Not today.

Not tomorrow.

Perhaps not ever.

Today would become a day many people who were there would remember for the rest of their lives—

Whatever celebration the Hokage selection was supposed to bring had ended in a way nobody in that hall could have imagined.

The Uchiha standing beside Fugaku looked toward their clan head.

There wasn't a trace of anger left on their faces.

Something else had replaced it: relief.

Quiet resignation.

Fugaku stood there without saying a word, his fists still clenched at his sides.

For once, he had nothing to say, as all was his fault from the beginning.

Minato had no idea what to do with any of this.

Neither did the elders; judging by the expressions on their faces, they were all lost.

Tsunade, who had remained quiet throughout the entire confrontation, kept her eyes on Hiruzen.

You wanted to play your little game here, old man.

A faint, satisfied curve appeared at the corner of her lips.

How does it feel now that it has backfired on you?

She said nothing aloud.

There was no need to.

The damage had already been done.

One by one, everyone began leaving for their respective residences.

Nobody seemed to know how to handle a moment like this.

There wasn't a script for it.

The excitement that had filled the place only moments ago was gone, replaced by an uncomfortable silence.

All that remained now was the Hokage inauguration ceremony.

Tomorrow, Konoha would celebrate its new Hokage.

But tonight...

No one knew what to do with what had just happened.

********************************************************************************

Author Note

The Hokage election was supposed to mark a new beginning for Konoha.

Instead, it ended with old wounds being opened once again.

Fugaku wanted to prove that the Uchiha could stand at the center of Konoha's politics. Toyama, however, had something very different to say about that.

Sometimes, the hardest humiliation doesn't come from an enemy...

It comes from your own people.

And when the Golden Hawk finally roars, even the strongest people in the village have to listen.

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 Seven: The Night of the Nine-Tails]

P@treon - Hear_tteeth [18 +]

Thank you for the support and patience.