They are Uchiha

Orochimaru countered, "Why can't we strike at this moment?"

After the Nine-Tails Incident, the village suffered heavy losses among its mid-to-high-level ninja, and the Fourth Hokage and his wife both perished. Although the Nine-Tails was not lost, the new Jinchuriki would need over a decade to become a viable combat force. This was effectively the loss of two Kage-level powerhouses, not to mention the fact that the village's morale was wavering and there was a crisis of trust with the Uchiha.

It could be said that this was the weakest Konoha had been since the Third Shinobi World War.

The fact that Kumogakure did not act decisively to launch a sudden raid showed they were being quite cautious.

Hiruzen Sarutobi furrowed his brows, his wrinkles deepening into gullies on his face.

The Third Hokage was not worried about the impending war with Kumogakure; even if a world-scale war were to break out again, Konoha could still manage.

Looking purely at paper strength, Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure combined were no match for Konoha.

The problem he had to face was how to deploy these forces to the battlefield and ensure they would fight to the death.

This was the most difficult part.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at Jiraiya, who was frowning in silence, and Orochimaru, who wore a sinister smile, sighing helplessly in his heart.

Even his own direct disciples, whom he treated like his own children, each had their own agendas and could not be made to act entirely according to his wishes, let alone the others in the village.

The older Hiruzen Sarutobi got, the more he realized: ninjas could be used as tools, but in the end, they were not tools.

"Old man, it seems you already have an idea."

Ignoring the Third Hokage's complex expression, Orochimaru grinned and said, "Then the question arises: regarding the war with Kumogakure, what are you going to do about the Uchiha clan?"

This was a difficult problem, and the Third Hokage frowned.

As one of Konoha's two great ocular jutsu clans, the Uchiha were an indispensable combat force for the village, and they would inevitably be sent to the battlefield this time.

Although the duty of the Uchiha Police Force was to guard Konoha and they would not be directly conscripted unless the enemy reached the village gates, the village could still issue war missions to draft the elites of the Uchiha Police Force.

This was consistent with other clans; while they usually held various positions in the village, once they joined a squad, they had to accept the leadership of the village's top brass during wartime.

Squads were indeed tools used to weaken the presence of individual clans, but it could not be denied that they allowed for the exchange of strengths and weaknesses, greatly increasing a ninja's survival rate.

The problem now was, if the blame for the Nine-Tails Incident was pinned on the Uchiha clan, would the elites of the Police Force still willingly accept war missions when Kumogakure attacked?

The Third Hokage pondered in silence.

If they tore off the mask of civility, the Uchiha would no longer care about their reputation in the village, and they could only be forcibly assigned.

If they were intentionally sent on dangerous missions and suffered significant losses, the Uchiha would use that as a reason to refuse further missions, and other clans would not sit idly by; in this regard, their interests were aligned with the Uchiha.

And if the Uchiha were assigned to missions with high safety ratings, not only would it cause dissatisfaction among other clans, but it would also result in the Uchiha—who opposed the Hokage's faction—being largely preserved after the war, planting a landmine for the future of Konoha.

Normal assignments? There had never been such a thing as a "normal" assignment. The strength of the Uchiha clan was plain for all to see, just like the Sannin during the Second War or Minato and his wife during the Third. In war, those with the most ability must shoulder the most work.

Thinking of this, the Third Hokage sighed. Regardless, Orochimaru had indeed helped avoid a future dilemma for the village. The matter was not yet set in stone, and there was still room for maneuver regarding the Uchiha.

From a big-picture perspective, the village's top brass indeed had to bear the resentment of the villagers regarding the Nine-Tails Incident.

However, there could have been a better way to handle this.

The Third Hokage stared at Orochimaru and demanded, "Why didn't you bring up these words and this intelligence earlier?"

Jiraiya also looked at Orochimaru. The intelligence was obtained yesterday, so there was no issue of not having enough time to hand it over. The fact that he only brought it up now could only prove that Orochimaru had ulterior motives.

Orochimaru did not answer this question, but instead asked, "How do you intend to resolve the suspicion cast upon the Uchiha clan during the Nine-Tails Incident? By pretending nothing happened?"

"You should be aware that even if the Uchiha participate in war missions as they always have, the suspicion on them will not be washed away."

The expressions of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya darkened.

It could not be proven, nor could it be disproven; how one judged it depended entirely on the human heart.

Those capable of rational judgment were always in the minority, not to mention those who had just lost their families and friends.

In the Nine-Tails Incident, the village's top brass could only bear the image of incompetence, and the blame required a scapegoat.

As for the others, they couldn't afford to take the blame even if they wanted to.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Orochimaru, stop beating around the bush. Tell us your solution."

"This matter is very simple."

Orochimaru licked his lips. "Use the Uchiha Police Force as the main force and let them intercept the raid from Kumogakure."

"That is impossible!"

The Third Hokage's expression changed abruptly. He immediately thought of the policies the Second Hokage used to restrict the Uchiha and flatly rejected the idea.

The raid by Kumogakure was only a temporary crisis, but if the shackles on the Uchiha were removed, it would plant a massive hidden danger for the future of Konoha.

The faction of the Second Hokage, Tobirama, because of the deep impression left by Madara Uchiha, were all—to a man, including the Third Hokage and Danzo—distorted Uchiha-phobes.

Even before the Nine-Tails Incident, when the village's strength far exceeded that of the Uchiha, these distorted Uchiha-phobes had not relaxed their vigilance, let alone now.

Seeming to realize his behavior just now was too uncomposed, the Third Hokage coughed lightly.

"This is not feasible. If the Uchiha take the lead and successfully repel the attack from Kumogakure, it will only bolster their influence."

"Before the suspicion on the Uchiha is cleared, this will only intensify the conflict with the villagers."

After all, wars end, and there are rewards for merit after the war.

"Old man, you seem to have misunderstood one point."

Orochimaru said unhurriedly, "Make the Uchiha the vanguard, letting the Konoha Military Police Force meet the Cloud Shinobi on the front lines, while the remaining Konoha ninja forces set up defenses behind them."

The Third Hokage frowned, "Are you asking me to watch them march to their deaths?"

"Not exactly."

Orochimaru gave a sinister smile, revealing two rows of ghastly teeth.

"Wait until they die—until enough of them have died, until you start to feel the heartache, and until the village's ninja feel that the Nine-Tails Incident was definitely not a conspiracy by the Uchiha. That is when you can stop."

The Third Hokage fell silent, and Jiraiya was left dumbfounded; both were stunned by the viciousness of the plan Orochimaru had proposed.

But it had to be said, this was the most advantageous approach for the village. It achieved multiple goals at once: it cleared the Uchiha of suspicion, reduced the threat they posed, and resolved the trust crisis between the village and the clan. After this, the Uchiha would be more integrated into the village.

But...

The Third Hokage raised his head, staring at Orochimaru, "How can you be sure the Uchiha will agree?"

"Heh, they are the Uchiha, why wouldn't they agree?"

Orochimaru seemed somewhat surprised, "I thought you, old man, understood the Uchiha."

As he spoke, Orochimaru tapped his forehead and laughed, "They are mentally ill!"

Thanks to "Changqing1040" for the 1500 Qidian coin tip.