The discussion began to tilt once more—
away from the Uchiha—when the topic of the Second Hokage's past experiments was raised.
Unease spread through the clans and villagers.
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt it immediately.
The worried gazes of the clan heads pressed down on him, heavier than any accusation spoken aloud.
Even Koharu and Homura stiffened, sensing the situation slipping beyond simple control.
Grand Elder Setsuna remained silent for a moment.
Then Toyoma's words echoed in his mind—a warning about the future, about repeating history.
His expression darkened.
Slowly, he turned toward Hiruzen.
"Third Hokage," Setsuna said coldly, "this is not speculation. It happened in the past. You know your teacher's history better than anyone."
His eyes sharpened.
"Tell me—are you following Senju Tobirama's footsteps?"
"Are you experimenting with bloodline clans?"
The room fell silent.
The question was no longer theoretical.
Hiruzen was being forced to answer.
Before he could speak, Danzo stepped forward, his tone firm.
"The village is not foolish enough to do something that would destroy the trust between clans and villagers," Danzo said,
his gaze locking onto Setsuna. "Such actions would only weaken Konoha."
Setsuna did not look away.
Instead, his voice hardened.
"Then explain this," he said.
"Why did your Root shinobi enter Uchiha clan territory?"
Hiruzen finally spoke.
His voice was calm—too calm.
"Root exists to protect the village from threats that cannot be addressed openly," he said. "It operates under my authority."
A ripple went through the crowd.
"I will not deny that mistakes may have occurred," Hiruzen continued. "But no action taken was meant to target a single clan. Everything done—past or present—was for the sake of Konoha."
Setsuna's eyes narrowed.
"Then you admit," he said slowly, "that Root acts without oversight… and yet under your name."
Hiruzen hesitated—just for a moment.
"That is the burden of leadership," he answered. "Sometimes sacrifices must be made so the village may endure."
The silence that followed was deadly.
A Uchiha clan head stepped forward, fury barely restrained.
"Sacrifices?"
"Children are sacrifices now?"
Another voice followed.
"Was that also your teacher's excuse?"
Hiruzen's hands tightened around his staff.
"I will not allow this gathering to turn into sedition," he said, authority hardening his tone. "If tensions continue, I will be forced to act—for the stability of the village."
That was it.
The words that shattered restraint.
Chakra flared.
Sharingan ignited across the crowd.
ANBU shifted into formation.
And then—
"Whoa, whoa—this looks ugly."
The unfamiliar voice cut through the tension like a blade through fog.
Jiraiya landed atop a nearby roof, white hair flowing wildly.
Minato appeared beside him in a flash, eyes already scanning the battlefield.
Before anyone could speak, Jiraiya took in the scene:
Uchiha shinobi gathered in formation.
Clan heads present.
Villagers watch in fear.
ANBU and Root, hands near their weapons.
"Tch," he muttered. "This isn't a council. This is a powder keg."
Minato leaned in quietly. "On the way here," he said, "I was informed a Uchiha child was attacked."
Jiraiya's expression darkened.
"And the attacker?" he asked.
"Root," Minato answered. "Operating through a Yamanaka unit."
The air exploded with whispers.
Jiraiya exhaled slowly, then stepped forward, raising one hand.
"Listen up!" he boomed. "All of you!"
His voice carried—loud, commanding, unmistakably that of a war veteran.
"I've fought in two great wars," Jiraiya said.
"I've buried students, comrades, and enemies alike."
He pointed toward the village.
"That place behind you? It didn't survive because we trusted each other blindly. It survived because we endured hardship together."
He turned toward the Uchiha.
"I won't defend anyone hurting a child.
Not Root.
Not the Hokage.
Not the village."
That earned him attention.
"But understand this," he continued, voice firm.
"Konoha is standing on a battlefield that never ends.
Enemies don't wear headbands.
They don't announce themselves."
"Every decision made in that office is made under the shadow of war."
He spread his arms wide.
"This village is built on the Will of Fire—the belief that we protect the next generation, even if it costs us everything!"
Then his tone softened—just slightly.
"I'm asking you—no, begging you—don't let fear and anger turn brothers into enemies."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Then a Uchiha voice rang out from the crowd.
"Easy for you to say," someone snapped.
"Your students weren't dragged into interrogation rooms."
Another added—
"The Will of Fire always burns us first."
Jiraiya froze.
For the first time, he had no answer ready.
Minato lowered his gaze.
And in that silence, everyone understood one thing clearly:
Jiraiya's words had not calmed the storm.
They had only revealed how deep the wound truly was.
Toyoma had listened quietly until now.
Then he laughed.
Not loudly.Just enough to be heard.
He looked directly at Jiraiya.
"So… the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya," Toyoma said lightly. "I presume the hardship you're preaching about—the endurance you admire so much—was also what drove one of your teammates to abandon the village in disgust."
The words left his mouth like a thrown blade.
They struck.
Jiraiya's smile faded instantly.
His eyes locked onto the boy.
"Uchiha kid," Jiraiya said, voice firm but restrained, "you're not old enough to understand the difficulties that adults face. And no teammate of mine ever thought ill of the village. If you believe otherwise, then your understanding is flawed."
Toyoma tilted his head.
"Oh? Really?"
He tapped his chin, feigning thought.
"Yes… I suppose I forgot," he said slowly.
"Why would she leave the village?"
His eyes gleamed.
"It's not like she didn't have anyone to rely on here—no brother, no sister, no grandmother, no clan."
He smiled suddenly, wide and innocent.
"They're all still inside the village, aren't they?"
"Dancing beneath the ground."
Toyoma paused.
"Oh—sorry," he added, as if struck by realisation."I think my understanding really is at fault here, Jiraiya-sennin."
Silence crashed down.
Jiraiya felt it then.
The mocking tone.
The indirect insult.
The way the words cut not only at him, but at the Senju name itself.
And Tsunade.
His jaw tightened.
For the first time since arriving, his mood darkened completely.
Around them—
The clan heads and villagers stared at Toyoma with a single shared thought:
This boy has a poisonous mouth.
Among the Uchiha, reactions were complicated.
Some felt a grim satisfaction.
Others felt unease.
They sensed Toyoma was attacking something far larger than a single man—but they couldn't yet tell who.
Grand Elder Setsuna heard the words… and laughed softly.
Just once.
Then he controlled himself.
But the faces of the village's higher-ups—
Koharu.
Homura.
Danzo.
And especially the Third Hokage—
Had gone completely black.
Not with rage.
With something worse.
Because they all understood it clearly:
Toyoma had just said aloud what no one else dared to name.
And Jiraiya had no clean way to answer it.
Jiraiya's eyes burned as he stared at Toyoma.
"Uchiha kid," he snapped, anger bleeding into his voice, "are you mocking the sacrifice of the Senju clan? Do you think making light of their sacrifice makes your clan look great?"
Before Toyoma could reply, Hiruzen spoke.
His face was calm.
Too calm.
"Toyoma Uchiha," the Third Hokage said evenly, "you have crossed the line again and again. Who are you to mock the sacrifice of my sensei's clan here?"
Toyoma did not even look at him.
His gaze remained fixed on Jiraiya.
Then—
His tone changed completely.
Polite.Respectful.Almost reverent.
"Sannin Jiraiya," Toyoma said softly, "you misunderstand me."
"I am not mocking the Senju clan at all."
Jiraiya frowned.
Toyoma continued, voice gentle.
"What I truly want," he said, "is for every Legendary Sannin to live within the village and take care of it."
He inclined his head slightly.
"You are the pillars of Konoha."
Then—without warning—Toyoma turned toward the Uchiha ranks.
"Grandpa Setsuna," he asked calmly, "tell me—if all the Sannin lived in Konoha, and one of them became Hokage… would the Uchiha clan complain?"
Setsuna blinked.
Then he smiled faintly.
"We would be more than happy if that were to happen," he answered.
Toyoma nodded, as if confirming something obvious.
He turned next—not to the Hokage—but to the crowd.
"Is there any clan here," he asked clearly, "or any villager… who would be unhappy if all the Legendary Sannin lived in the village like in the past, and one of them became Hokage?"
Confusion rippled through the gathering.
They didn't understand what the boy was doing.
But the question itself was harmless.
Comforting.
Hopeful.
One by one—
Heads nodded.
Voices murmured agreement.
"Yes."
"That would be good."
"Of course not."
The answer was unanimous.
Because in their minds—
It was a good thing.
Jiraiya stared at Toyoma, unease crawling up his spine.
"What are you doing, boy?" he demanded."Why are you asking this?"
Toyoma looked back at him.
Still polite.
Still calm.
Toyoma looked at Jiraiya thoughtfully.
As if genuinely considering his words.
"Jiraiya-sennin," he said slowly, "I've been thinking of a way… a way to let all the Sannin live in the village again."
He paused.
Then his eyes lit up.
"Oh," he said softly."I got an idea."
The shift was instantaneous.
Toyoma turned his head—finally—toward the Hokage.
"Hey, Sarutobi Hiruzen," he said casually, almost cheerfully,"Why don't you marry Senju Tsunade?"
For a heartbeat—
The world stopped.
Every face froze.
Jiraiya's jaw dropped.
Minato stiffened in disbelief.
Koharu inhaled sharply.
Homura looked like he'd been struck by lightning.
Even Danzo's single visible eye widened.
The villagers stared, unsure if they had heard correctly.
The clan heads went silent.
Hiruzen's pipe slipped slightly in his fingers.
Grand Elder Setsuna slowly raised a hand to cover his mouth—his shoulders trembling as he barely suppressed laughter.
And Toyoma—
Toyoma stood there, completely serious.
As if he had just suggested the most reasonable solution in the world.
The silence that followed was no longer tense.
It was catastrophic.