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Hiruzen had originally been quite hopeful about Midorima's response. After all, the strategy Midorima had articulated during his exchange with Pain had shown remarkable promise and had genuinely impressed Hiruzen. Still, one thing was one thing, and another was another. Even if Midorima had demonstrated great composure when facing the Deva Path, that didn't necessarily mean he could solve the problem the Uchiha clan presented. For one, the Uchiha rebellion had erupted so abruptly that it would be difficult for anyone to devise a solution in a short time. For another, the matter was indeed extremely complicated. Its uniqueness lay in the fact that "the Uchiha clan rebelled, but not completely." Among the renegades were the loved ones of shinobi who had not turned traitor. If harsh punishment were dealt to the rebels, no one could say whether it would provoke an even wider uprising.
However, Hiruzen was only half right. The Uchiha situation was indeed more convoluted than the Akatsuki problem, but that didn't necessarily mean it was harder to resolve. Originally, the Uchiha clan should have been reduced to a single, lone survivor: Sasuke. As things stood now, even the worst-case scenario would be better than what happened in the original story, wouldn't it?
"Is there truly no way to resolve this?" Hiruzen asked again.
"Uh... It's not that there's no way," Midorima said. "It's just that I'm not sure you'll be able to go through with it."
Given that the Leaf Village was a crucial fighting force in the battle against the Akatsuki, Midorima didn't want this internal issue to cripple the village. So he decided to give the matter some thought.
"Let's hear it," Hiruzen urged. Whether he could do it or not was a decision to be made after listening.
"What is the most urgent matter for the Hidden Leaf Village right now?" Midorima asked.
"Cleaning up the mess the Uchiha clan left behind," Hiruzen replied with a sigh.
Midorima rolled his eyes in exasperation. Seeing this, Mei Terumi interjected, "Lord Hokage, why don't you think about it again?"
"Hmm?" Hiruzen paused.
"Is the mess the Uchiha left behind the most urgent problem you personally need to solve, or the most urgent problem the Hidden Leaf Village needs to solve? The two are not the same," Midorima reminded him.
Hiruzen furrowed his brow. Midorima added, "As Hokage, you naturally believe that the stability of the village is the most important thing. But the village doesn't necessarily see it that way. The proof is that those renegade shinobi also took part in the fight against the Akatsuki. Right now, the entire village knows that the most pressing issue is the threat posed by the Akatsuki."
"You're right, but the Akatsuki's current whereabouts are unknown. If I don't deal with these traitors, how am I supposed to explain myself to the villagers?"
"You don't need to explain," Midorima said, rubbing his forehead.
"Don't need to?" Hiruzen asked, bewildered, wondering if he had misheard.
"That's right. Under normal circumstances, when traitors appear within your ranks, you should punish them. That's entirely correct. But you have to analyze each situation on its own terms. Yes, those shinobi caused a disturbance last night, but the responsibility doesn't lie with them. What's more, at the village's most critical hour, they helped repel outside enemies. That proves that when the village faced danger, they still considered themselves shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. If you want to punish them, then what about the Leaf shinobi who attacked them first? Shouldn't you deal with them as well? And doesn't someone need to take responsibility for Fugaku's death? If you keep going back and forth like this, you won't reach any resolution in a short time. That's why you need to approach this matter from a different angle." Midorima tapped his temple.
"A different angle?" Hiruzen perked up. Whether Midorima's words would prove effective or not remained to be seen, but at the very least they had piqued his interest.
"If you treat last night's attack as a standalone incident, then yes, you could punish the renegades right now. But if you view dismantling the Akatsuki's scheme as the overarching objective, then this matter is not yet concluded. Since it's not concluded, there's no need to deal with these traitors right now. You could very well wait until after the Akatsuki's conspiracy has been completely thwarted before bringing this issue to the table. Of course, this approach has a drawback: whether these renegades will rebel again. As long as they prove reliable, by the time the war is over, they will either already be dead, or they will have rendered meritorious service. When that time comes, their merits and crimes can offset each other, and handling things will be much simpler."
Hiruzen considered this carefully and finally nodded. "This can indeed simplify a complex problem. However, the villagers are watching this matter closely. Their sentiments must also be taken into account."
"Raise the alert level to the maximum. Keep the villagers' nerves taut. As long as the Akatsuki's threat hasn't been eliminated, they won't have the time to dwell on other matters. So, the key lies in how you pacify the village's higher-ups and persuade them to prioritize the bigger picture, as well as how you reassure these renegades so they won't rebel a second time," Midorima added.
Hiruzen contemplated the feasibility of this plan, and soon a light sparked in his eyes. After expressing his thanks to Midorima, he departed in haste.
Midorima closed the door and turned around to see Mei Terumi already sitting up. Noticing that she seemed somewhat unhappy, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"You're even thinking about these things on behalf of the Leaf?"
Midorima sighed. "Don't overthink it. After the great battle with the Akatsuki, whether any of us will even still be alive is an unknown... So, keep an open mind. Even one extra person on our side is a good thing."
"Is it really going to be that brutal?" Mei asked, her voice tinged with both doubt and unease.
"Yeah. After all, our opponent isn't just the Akatsuki—there's also the possibility of the Ten-Tails. In front of the Ten-Tails, no one knows what we can even do." Midorima smiled at Mei and placed a hand on her head. "But don't worry. You'll survive."
"And what about you?" Mei asked urgently.
"Well..." Midorima scratched his head. "I'll do my best?"
"No 'do your best'! It has to be 'for sure'!" Mei's eyes widened.
"Uh... I'll do my best to make it for sure."
"..." Mei rolled her eyes in utter exasperation.
...
"Hey, what the hell happened to the Leaf? It looks like it just went through a massive battle," Tayuya said, having infiltrated the Hidden Leaf Village alongside Kabuto. The sight of the village left her utterly astonished. Nearly a third of the village had been destroyed. Many people were injured and, after only the most cursory bandaging, had begun digging out those still trapped beneath the rubble. The Hidden Leaf was one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, yet no single village could challenge the Leaf alone. Even though three Great Ninja Wars had occurred before this, none had ever inflicted such severe damage on the village itself. A scene like this was something even lifelong residents of the Leaf had rarely witnessed.
Kabuto quickly pulled Tayuya back into a narrow alleyway. Moments later, a patrol squad of shinobi passed right in front of them.
"What's going on?" Tayuya asked, perplexed.
"Patrol squads... Today, the Leaf has far more patrols than before. I'm warning you—watch your every move. With the way things look right now, if the Leaf marks you as an accomplice of the invaders, you could very well die," Kabuto warned.
Tayuya curled her lip but said nothing more.