"How is that possible!?"
"That boy actually defeated Fugaku!?"
When news reached the Hokage's Office that Uchiha Chiya had bested Uchiha Fugaku, Sarutobi Hiruzen and his two advisors, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, immediately set off toward the Uchiha district.
Hiruzen couldn't comprehend it.
How could a young jonin like Chiya defeat Fugaku Uchiha, head of the clan and a shinobi whose strength rivaled that of a Kage?
Even if Fugaku had underestimated his opponent, he was still a veteran of the Third Great Ninja War, a man feared for his mastery of the Sharingan.
There was no way he could have been defeated easily.
Within moments, the three elders reached the Uchiha Compound on the outskirts of Konoha.
At that moment, the air was filled with shouts and celebration the clansmen were openly rejoicing.
Word had already spread that Chiya had been declared the new Patriarch of the Uchiha Clan.
When Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly appeared at the entrance, the mood changed instantly.
The laughter quieted. The celebration halted.
Faces stiffened, expressions darkened, and the crowd's collective hostility filled the air.
Many of them glared openly at the Hokage, their resentment clear.
After all, the Uchiha had been under constant surveillance and restriction ever since the Nine-Tails' attack years ago and Hiruzen's administration was at the center of that oppression.
Yet Hiruzen, with his trademark composure, smiled gently as though nothing were amiss.
Even the cold, distrustful stares of the Uchiha couldn't pierce his seasoned façade.
He stepped forward calmly, addressing the wounded Fugaku.
"Patriarch Fugaku," Hiruzen began pleasantly, "I heard a rumor that a younger member of your clan challenged you today. Tell me, what was the outcome?"
Fugaku, still clutching the bandaged wound on his abdomen, gave a slow, measured reply.
"I lost," he admitted. "It seems I was inferior this time."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly behind his pipe. For a split second, his polite smile faltered.
Then he turned toward Chiya, who stood silently beside Fugaku.
"So, you're Uchiha Chiya," he said, tone deceptively kind. "A remarkable talent indeed. But if I recall correctly you're still a jonin, aren't you?"
His words carried a faint edge of accusation.
The implication was clear: a mere subordinate defeating the clan head was highly suspicious.
Hiruzen's mind worked quickly.
If the duel had been unfair, if Chiya had used forbidden jutsu or deception then as Hokage, he would have every reason to invalidate the challenge's result.
That would restore Fugaku's authority… and quietly remove an unpredictable element from the already fragile balance between the village and the Uchiha.
Faced with Sarutobi Hiruzen's probing question, Chiya scratched the back of his head awkwardly and said with a sheepish grin, "I didn't expect Lord Hokage himself to take notice of a small jonin like me I'm honored, truly. To be honest, yes, I set quite a few traps beforehand to deal with Uncle Fugaku. Luckily, effort pays off and somehow, it worked."
Hiruzen: "…"
He had expected excuses.
He had expected this young Uchiha to deny, to feign humility, or to twist words.
But to admit it so openly and without shame!?
What stunned him even more was the reaction of the Uchiha around them.
Not one of them objected.
Not one spoke up to discredit the outcome.
It was like punching into cotton infuriatingly pointless.
At that moment, Homura Mitokado stepped forward, his voice cold.
"Changing the head of an entire clan without consulting the Hokage's Office or the Council don't you think that's rather presumptuous? Are we simply to be ignored?"
Fugaku's expression darkened.
He realized instantly that this was a dangerous opening the village elders could exploit.
Chiya's brows knitted together.
He thought grimly, Can't they see the Hokage and the former Patriarch are already speaking? Why is this old fossil interrupting?
So he asked bluntly, "Lord Advisor, may I ask does the Uchiha Clan still count as part of Konoha?"
Homura lifted his chin and answered stiffly, "Of course. It's precisely because the Uchiha are part of the village that such major changes must be discussed with us in advance."
No matter how strained relations were, both sides had to keep up appearances of harmony.
Fugaku glanced at Chiya in alarm, thinking, Is he trying to dig a hole for himself?
But then, Chiya's voice cut sharply through the tense air.
"In that case, why was the Hokage's succession never discussed with us?"
He continued, his tone unwavering.
"When the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, was chosen, our clan was completely left out. No one sought our opinion then, did they?"
"I—"
Homura froze.
He couldn't even form a rebuttal.
Even for routine councils, the Uchiha had not been invited in years. To have this thrown back at him publicly was a direct humiliation.
Even Hiruzen's expression darkened slightly, the calm smile fading from his face.
The Uchiha gathered around could hardly contain their satisfaction.
Their hearts swelled with pride, Our new Patriarch has guts!
With a few sentences, he had silenced the Hokage's advisors and made every Uchiha hold their head high again.
But the words were also dangerously sharp borderline defiant.
If no one eased the tension soon, the village elders would retaliate.
The air thickened.
A faint killing intent spread through the courtyard.
Even the ANBU hidden in the shadows shifted subtly into combat stance, hands drifting toward their weapons.
One wrong word, and blood could be spilled.
At that critical moment, Uchiha Tekka known among the guard as Iron Fire rolled his eyes and acted fast. He shouted, "Enough talk! Let's celebrate properly!"
With the help of several clansmen, he suddenly lifted Chiya up onto their shoulders, tossing him into the air amid cheers.
"Welcome, new Patriarch!"
"Welcome, new Patriarch!"
"Long live the Uchiha Clan!"
The courtyard erupted in loud cries, drowning out the tension.
The Hokage and his advisors exchanged heavy glances ignored entirely by the clan.
Realizing the situation was unsalvageable, the three elders withdrew in frustration.
Hiruzen clenched his jaw, forcing a composed smile as he turned away.
…
Once the Konoha delegation left, a few Uchiha elders exhaled in relief.
"That was close! Another minute and we might've been fighting ANBU!"
Chiya smiled faintly. "Don't worry. As long as we never declare open rebellion, the Third Hokage won't act rashly. He'll always choose to endure… until the very end."
—