Seeing the unmistakable disdain on Orochimaru's face, the Third Hokage sighed inwardly.
To be fair, Orochimaru had been very active in the battle against Kumogakure and had performed exceptionally well.
In terms of personal strength, he had displayed Tailed Beast-like dominance over the shinobi army. In a one-on-one fight, he had even beaten the Raikage and left him gravely wounded.
As for strategy, at the cost of temporarily blinding a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan, he had not only prevented the Konoha Military Police Force from suffering heavy casualties, but also eased the rift between the Uchiha and the village.
Although things hadn't gone entirely according to the plan they had agreed on beforehand, the current situation was undeniably far less bloody, making it easier for the village and the Uchiha to mend their relationship.
Unlike Danzo and the two Council Elders, the Third Hokage wasn't so sensitive about the Uchiha. He was glad to see the current situation.
Orochimaru truly was his most prized student.
And yet, even so, he still had to suppress Orochimaru's standing and influence in the village.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze narrowed as he looked at Orochimaru, wariness and caution in his eyes.
The battle against Kumogakure had finally made one thing clear to the Third Hokage: Orochimaru wasn't on the same side as him—or Konoha.
"Once they're dead, once enough of them have died that you start to feel the loss, enough that the shinobi in the village realize the Nine-Tails Incident couldn't possibly have been a Uchiha conspiracy, then..."
It had been in the Hokage's office, with the same three people present. When he had first heard this plan, Hiruzen Sarutobi had only seen its viciousness.
Now, temporarily losing sight in a Mangekyō Sharingan in place of the Uchiha's sacrifice seemed extraordinarily merciful.
Hiruzen had