Chapter 152: The Fire Times
Kohaku and Jiraiya stared at each other in silence, the seconds stretching out between them.
Pfft.
A short, muffled laugh cut through the tension, and both of them turned toward the sound.
Toyama stood a few feet away, next to Uzuku, one hand pressed over his mouth and the other braced against his stomach.
"Sorry," he managed. "I can't help it."
Uzuku looked at him, confused. So did Jiraiya. So did Kohaku.
This brat, again, Jiraiya thought, annoyance flickering across his face.
"Is this funny to you?" he asked, turning fully toward Toyama.
"We can't risk you turning this into another rumour with that whatever trick of yours." His eyes cut to Kohaku — yesterday's pamphlet stunt was still fresh in his mind. "Konoha won't tolerate anything that puts this village at risk." His tone left no room for argument, his face set and unmoving.
That was all it took.
Toyama lost it completely.
"Hahaha— stop, stop—"
"Hahaha—"
"What's so funny, brat?" Jiraiya snapped, patience gone.
"Nothing—" Toyama raised both hands, laughing through the denial. "Nothing, haha, it's nothing. It just—" He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "It's funny, coming from you."
Jiraiya's face went dark.
Toyama's laughter finally settled. He looked back at Jiraiya, still grinning.
"Hey, Mr Jiraiya, can I ask you something?" He stepped closer and gave him a light nudge with his elbow.
Jiraiya's expression darkened further.
"What," he said flatly.
"You write novels, right?"
Something in Jiraiya went still. A knot of unease tightened in his chest.
"Why don't you tell everyone here—" Toyama's grin widened. "—exactly how those books of yours are good for Konoha?"
Jiraiya heard the words land, the exact ones he'd hoped never to hear out loud.
He stared at Toyama, something close to horror creeping in.
This brat is a menace.
Hearing that, the rest of the crowd caught up fast. Every eye in the crowd swung toward Jiraiya — the men wearing the same awkward wince, the women turning faintly pink.
A few women muttered curses under their breath, calling him shameless outright.
Uzuku turned his head, biting down on his own laughter. He still respected Jiraiya, a little. But he'd read enough to know exactly what Toyama was talking about.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Toyama nudged him again with his elbow. "C'mon. Tell them. Tell them."
Shame crawled up the back of Jiraiya's neck. He kept his face composed anyway, his voice level when he finally answered.
"Those are just... research."
The crowd froze.
Toyama, Kohaku, and Uzuku all stared at him, stunned, the same thought running through every one of their heads.
Are you serious right now?
Jiraiya's eyes slid away from their stares, refusing to meet a single one.
"Still," he said, "my books don't do a fraction of the damage yours will do."
His gaze cut back to Toyama.
"That weekly rag of yours — the Fire Times — you want to use it to spread rumours against this village."
"Seinin Jiraiya." Toyama's voice stayed light, almost pleasant. "First — neither you, nor anyone else in Konoha, has any right to stop a merchant from the Land of Fire selling what he prints."
He tilted his head.
"Second — whether what's in the Fire Times is true or false, the readers can work that out for themselves. Or are you saying only you and that elder council of yours have brains, and the rest of the village is running on empty?"
Something shifted across his face — mock real, almost gleeful.
"Then again... maybe they are. Considering how often you and the Hokage's council manage to keep them in the dark."
"Don't get clever with me, kid." Jiraiya stepped forward, planting himself squarely in front of Toyama. "I won't back down. Not for this village's peace."
Behind him, the ANBU shifted, readying themselves — the air around them gone tight and dangerous all over again.
"Do you really want to do this?" Toyama looked straight at Jiraiya.
"For Konoha? Yeah, I will."
The Uchiha had hurt this village badly. Money, trust, all of it is gone.
They'd worn people's faith in the Will of Fire down to almost nothing. Whatever spark was left, Jiraiya wasn't letting them put it out.
Not today.
He looked around— at the Uchiha, and everyone watching.
"For Konoha's own good."
Toyama clapped slowly and mockingly.
"I don't know what jutsu you learned off that hypocrite," he said, "but hypocrisy? That one you nailed."
"You little bra—" Jiraiya started, furious, but Toyama kept going, eyes already sliding past him to the clan heads and clan shinobi who had arrived.
"What, can't take the truth?"
"Where were you when your teacher used a rumour to get the White Fang killed?" One step closer.
"Where were you when Danzo Shimura turned clan shinobies into his own personal slaves, all in the name of the village?" Another step.
"Where was all this backbone when people from every other clan were dying in the war, and your hypocrite teacher was just sitting pretty on the Hokage's seat?"
He was close now. Face to face.
"For Konoha, my foot."
He spat on the ground.
"Just say it. You don't want the village finding out what your own blindness and your higher-ups' greed did to this place." He pointed at the crowd.
He looked around at everyone before raising his voice slightly.
"For protecting the common people... and protecting the clans from schemes made by corrupt people."
He pointed toward The Fire Times.
"Every week, The Fire Times will print what's actually happening across the Land of Fire. The things people deserve to know."
His gaze slowly swept across the gathered crowd before returning to Jiraiya.
"You all probably don't know why he's so desperate to stop us from printing it."
"I'll tell you."
A faint smile appeared on Toyoma's face.
"The very first issue contains the population records of every clan in Konoha. And the battle records as well. Every shinobi... every casualty... all of it has been recorded by us."
Jiraiya's face gradually turned pale.
He had known something about that newspaper felt wrong.
But...
Not this.
"It also contains the records of every shinobi who died during the war. Their names. Their clans. Whether they were civilians or clan shinobi."
"Everything."
"Uchiha Toyoma."
Jiraiya's voice became much heavier.
"Who gave you the right to keep records like that?"
Something deep inside him was screaming.
Stop him.
Don't let him continue.
Toyoma only smiled.
"What?"
"You want to stop me?"
"But why?"
He paused for a moment before speaking calmly.
"Let's make one thing very clear."
"Among every clan listed in those records... there are only three clans..."
"...that don't have a single death."
Silence.
The entire street fell deathly quiet.
"The Hokage's clan..."
"And the Elders' clans."
Toyoma let those words sink in.
"Isn't it fascinating?"
"They didn't lose anyone in this war."
"So tell me..."
"What do you want us to do?"
"Bury those records?"
"Or should we simply pretend all those dead shinobi belonged to the Sarutobi Clan... so people can quietly accept where all those subsidies and compensation disappeared?"
Toyoma looked directly into Jiraiya's eyes.
Jiraiya's fists clenched.
His entire body trembled with anger.
He slowly turned toward Kohaku.
"Elder Uchiha..."
"This Fire Times of yours..."
"...will never be sold inside Konoha."
"I won't allow you to spread fake rumours and destroy the peace of this village."
"No chance."
The clan shinobi and clan representatives who had gathered nearby quietly exchanged glances.
Several members of the smaller clans couldn't help thinking,
How could an entire clan not lose a single person in the war...?
Without saying another word, several shinobi hurriedly left to report everything to their clan heads.
Kohaku looked at Jiraiya calmly.
"...Very well."
"We won't sell it inside Konoha."
He turned toward Uzuku.
"Uzuku."
"Take every printed copy of The Fire Times and sell them in every nearby town."
"Just not inside Konoha."
"It seems the village doesn't want its own people asking questions."
Jiraiya's expression immediately changed.
His heart sank.
What was the point of stopping sales inside Konoha...
If every town surrounding Konoha sold it instead?
"What do you mean by that?"
"You can't sell it any—"
"Oye, Jiraiya."
Toyoma cut him off.
He slowly looked at him.
"Now..."
"A thrown-away orphan like you..."
"...is going to tell our clan how we should run our business?"
His voice turned cold.
"You don't have a family to worry about."
"You don't have a clan to care."
"So don't assume everyone else lives like you."
The moment those words left his mouth...
The entire street froze.
Even the Uchiha standing behind Toyoma widened their eyes.
The members of the smaller clans looked at him in horror.
Jiraiya stood there motionless.
It felt as if a heavy stone had crashed into his chest.
His heart tightened.
For the first time...
He couldn't find a single word to say.
"You evil Uchiha!"
A furious roar suddenly echoed across the street.
Everyone turned toward the voice.
Tsunade was charging toward Toyoma.
Behind her...
Minato.
Kushina.
And Orochimaru.
Every one of them wore a dark expression.
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