They are Uchiha.

Orochimaru retorted, “Why shouldn’t we act now?”

After the Nine-Tails’ rampage, Konoha’s upper ranks suffered grievous losses. The Fourth Hokage and his wife had perished one after another. Although the village retained the Nine-Tails, it would take a decade or more for the new Jinchuriki to become a true force—effectively, two Kage-class combatants were lost. The villagers’ hearts were unsettled, and a crisis of trust with the Uchiha clan had arisen.

In truth, this was Konoha’s weakest moment since the Third Great Ninja War. Even the fact that the Hidden Cloud Village had not launched a swift, ruthless assault showed they were acting cautiously.

Hiruzen Sarutobi furrowed his brows, deep wrinkles carving canyons across his face.

He did not fear the impending war with the Hidden Cloud, nor was he anxious about another world-scale conflict—Konoha could withstand it. On paper, even if the Sand, Cloud, and Stone villages combined forces, they would not overcome Konoha.

His real challenge was deploying these forces effectively, ensuring they fought with utmost loyalty. That was the most difficult task.

Hiruzen lifted his gaze to the silent, frowning Jiraiya and the sinisterly smiling Orochimaru before him, a helpless sigh weighing heavy in his heart.

Even his cherished apprentices had their own views and could not be fully guided by his will—let alone the rest of the village.

As he grew older, Hiruzen increasingly understood: ninjas could be used as tools, but ultimately, they were not mere tools.

“Old man, it seems you’ve made up your mind,” Orochimaru said, ignoring the Third’s conflicted expression and grinning. “Then here’s the real question: in the war against the Hidden Cloud, what will you do with the Uchiha clan?”

This was a dilemma—Hiruzen’s brows knitted tighter.

As one of Konoha’s two great ocular clans, the Uchiha were indispensable to the village’s strength and would inevitably be sent to the battlefield. The Police Force’s duty was to protect Konoha; unless the battle reached their doorstep, they would not be directly conscripted. However, war missions could be assigned, drawing Uchiha elites from the Police Force.

This was no different from other clans: while they had their positions in the village, once assigned to squads, they would obey the commands of the village’s leaders during war.

The squads were indeed a means to dilute the clans’ influence, but they also fostered cooperation and greatly increased ninja survival rates.

Now, if the blame for the Nine-Tails’ disaster was laid on the Uchiha, would the Police Force elites still willingly accept war missions when the Hidden Cloud attacked?

Hiruzen pondered in silence.

If ties were severed, the Uchiha would care nothing for the village’s public opinion, and assignments would have to be forced.

If they were deliberately sent on dangerous missions, losses would mount to the point where the Uchiha could refuse further tasks, citing those casualties. The other clans would not stand idly by, for their interests aligned with the Uchiha’s in this regard.

Conversely, assigning the Uchiha to safe missions would provoke resentment from other clans and preserve the anti-Hokage faction within the Uchiha, sowing seeds of discord for Konoha’s future.

Normal deployment? There had never been such a thing. The Uchiha’s strength was obvious—like the legendary Sannin in the Second War, or Minato and Kushina in the Third. In war, the capable bore heavier burdens.

Hiruzen sighed. Regardless, Orochimaru’s plan avoided placing the village in an impossible bind. Matters were not yet settled; there was still room for negotiation regarding the Uchiha.

From a broader perspective, the village’s leaders would have to shoulder the villagers’ anger over the Nine-Tails’ incident. Yet, there might have been better ways to handle it.

Hiruzen stared at Orochimaru and demanded, “Why didn’t you reveal this information and these words sooner?”

Jiraiya also fixed his gaze on Orochimaru. The intelligence received yesterday could have been delivered earlier—there was no reason for delay except that Orochimaru had his own agenda.

Orochimaru ignored the question and instead asked, “How do you plan to resolve the suspicion surrounding the Uchiha during the Nine-Tails’ disaster? Pretend nothing happened?”

“You’re well aware—even if the Uchiha participate in war missions as before, the suspicion will not be cleared.”

Hiruzen and Jiraiya’s expressions darkened.

Unprovable and irrefutable—judgment was left to the hearts of men.

Only a minority could judge rationally, especially after losing family and friends.

After the Nine-Tails’ rampage, the village leaders could only be seen as inept. A scapegoat was needed, but only the guilty could bear that burden. Others, even if they wished, could not.

Hiruzen drew a deep breath and said solemnly, “Orochimaru, stop beating around the bush. Tell us your solution.”

“It’s simple,” Orochimaru replied, licking his lips. “Let the Uchiha Police Force be the main force to repel the Hidden Cloud’s assault.”

“That’s impossible!” The Third’s face changed abruptly; he immediately recalled the Second Hokage’s policies to restrict the Uchiha and rejected the idea outright.

The Hidden Cloud’s attack was a temporary crisis, but if the Uchiha’s shackles were removed, it would plant a dangerous seed for Konoha’s future.

The Second Hokage Tobirama’s faction, shaped by Madara’s legacy, had twisted views of the Uchiha—including Hiruzen and Danzo. None of them relaxed their vigilance, even when the village’s strength far surpassed the Uchiha before the Nine-Tails’ disaster.

Perhaps realizing his loss of composure, the Third cleared his throat.

“This cannot be done. If the Uchiha are the main force and successfully repel the Hidden Cloud, their prestige will soar. Before the suspicion is cleared, this will only intensify conflict with the villagers.”

After all, the war would end, and merits would be rewarded.

“Old man, you’re missing the point,” Orochimaru said calmly. “Making the Uchiha the main force means having the Police Force confront the Hidden Cloud at the front, with the rest of the Konoha ninja army behind them.”

The Third frowned. “You want me to watch them die?”

“Not exactly,” Orochimaru smiled strangely, revealing two rows of sharp teeth. “Once enough of them have died—enough that you feel pain, enough that the village’s ninjas believe the Nine-Tails’ disaster was not an Uchiha conspiracy—then you can stop.”

The Third fell silent; Jiraiya was dumbfounded. Both were shocked by the ruthlessness of Orochimaru’s plan.

Yet, it was undeniably to the village’s benefit: it would clear the Uchiha’s suspicion, reduce their threat, resolve the trust crisis, and integrate the Uchiha more deeply into Konoha.

But…

The Third looked up, fixing his gaze on Orochimaru. “How can you be sure the Uchiha will agree?”

“Heh, they’re the Uchiha. Why wouldn’t they?” Orochimaru seemed surprised. “I thought you understood them, old man.”

He tapped his forehead and laughed. “They’re out of their minds!”