Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

Leaving aside Hyuga Hinata's Gentle Fist, Orochimaru was covered in snakes in Hyuga Hinata's vision, making it impossible for him to strike pressure points in close combat. He could only use the "Eight Trigrams Empty Palm," a technique that consumes a great deal of chakra, to fight.

after all,

Orochimaru was completely at their mercy.

Facing Orochimaru, they dared not hold back at all, fighting with all their might at all times, their chakra being consumed violently, and they had already eaten several soldier pills!

"Are the reinforcements arriving soon?"

Orochimaru suddenly spoke, and the question he asked was so strange?

"Silence... Do you think I'm plotting against you? Hmph! Don't worry, I've wasted so much time with you, I won't kill you. If I wanted to, I would have done it already." As he spoke, Orochimaru stopped chasing Aburame Shiki and the others.

Because he has finally reached the goal he was waiting for.

In the wind and snow,

A bright red figure sped towards them.

"You've finally arrived! But... I didn't expect you to come in person! Uchiha clan head, or should I still call you Hokage's assistant?" Orochimaru stood in the snow, unhurried, with a calm smile on his face.

"Is everything alright?"

Zongxian stopped in front of Aburame Shimi and the others.

He glanced at Aburame Shiki and the others; they were all fine, just suffering from excessive chakra depletion. It wasn't a big problem; excessive chakra depletion was a common issue for ninjas. Except for a few clans that inherited the bloodline of the Sage of Six Paths, almost all ninjas always carried a sufficient amount of chakra pills.

You should know that these soldier pills are even more in demand than the explosive tags produced by the Uchiha clan. Chakra is the foundation of ninjas; without chakra, they can't even do things like running on a rooftop.

“We’re fine, Hokage. Please be careful, Orochimaru’s target doesn’t seem to be us. We might be being used as bait.” Shiki Aburame quickly relayed the information he had observed and summarized.

“I know what I'm doing. You all go back! Leave this to me.”

Zongxian waved his hand knowingly.

Aburame Shiki said no more, bowed to Sogen, turned around and led Yamanaka Santen, Hyuga Himon and Inuzuka Shiba to retreat quickly, heading in the direction Sogen had come from, where the Konoha army was located. The group moved swiftly and decisively.

Given their current state, staying behind wouldn't just be a waste of their time; they might even become a hindrance.

Therefore,

It's better to just leave.

Anyway, given Zongxian's abilities, even Orochimaru would have a hard time gaining any advantage, right?

Without looking at the departing Shiki and the others, Sogen turned his gaze to Orochimaru, who, with a smile, met his gaze directly.

"Shadow clone?"

Zongxian spoke with a questioning tone, but in his heart he was already certain that the Orochimaru in front of him was not his true form, and he immediately gave up his plan to attack.

"That's right, it's a shadow clone."

Orochimaru readily admitted it.

"I have already experienced the power of the Sharingan firsthand in the Land of Water, and I do not plan to try it a second time anytime soon."

"As expected of the Sannin, even a single shadow clone was enough to make the Aburame clan chief and the others unable to match him." Zongxian exclaimed in admiration, and then asked, "So, Orochimaru, is there something you want to do by waiting for me here?" He was a little curious, wondering what Orochimaru was up to.

They were sneaking around on the edge of the battlefield between Konoha and Kumogakure. When Aburame Shiki and the others discovered their whereabouts, instead of retreating, they used Aburame Shiki and the others as bait to lure them in.

"Shall we get straight to the point, Uchiha clan head? This should be our first meeting, shouldn't it?"

"I've seen you from afar a few times before, but back then I was just an insignificant Chunin, not even worthy of Orochimaru's attention."

"Haha! A fifteen or sixteen-year-old Hokage as an assistant... is indeed much more powerful than an old guy like me who has lived a wasted life. The Uchiha clan is full of talented people, which is truly enviable!" Orochimaru stuck out his long tongue and licked his lips, his golden vertical pupils revealing undisguised desire.

That look made Zongxian raise an eyebrow.

Could it be that Orochimaru has set his sights on the Uchiha clan again? That brat Itachi is still serving in the army and hasn't met Orochimaru yet. So... it's because of Shisui? It seems Shisui left a deep impression on Orochimaru during the last battle in the Land of Water!

"Just say what you want to say! I have no interest in wasting time chatting with a shadow clone. Of course, if your real Orochimaru is willing to come forward, I can spend more time talking to you." Zongxian's gaze shifted, looking at the vast mountains and forests covered in white snow, but he quickly looked away.

Previously, Shiki Aburame, Hinata Hidetoshi, and Yamanaka Santen had not noticed anything wrong, so it was unlikely that they could find Orochimaru's true form on their own. There was no need to waste their energy on such a meaningless thing.

"You're quite impatient! Well then, I'll get straight to the point. Uchiha clan leader, one of my disciples was taken away by Shisui-kun. I wonder if he could return him to me?" Orochimaru asked with a smile.

"You mean Kimimaro?"

"That's right!"

"Is that all?"

"It's not that this is the only thing, but some things are destined to be impossible, so there's no need to say them and hurt feelings!" The words were very cryptic, but Zongxian was certain that Orochimaru was destined to set his sights on the Uchiha again.

"Orochimaru, if you dare to lay a hand on my clan, I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth and kill you."

"Oh!"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "Clan head of the Uchiha clan, it seems you've already learned quite a bit from Kimimaro?"

"Are you referring to your research on the art of immortality? Kimimaro is the vessel you've prepared, isn't he? Let me make this clear to you: if you dare use my clansmen as vessels, no matter how troublesome it may be, I guarantee I will kill you completely. Don't doubt that I can do it; I know many things you don't." Sogen pulled out the Flame Fan from his back and pointed it at Orochimaru with murderous intent.

As the clan leader

Protecting his people is his responsibility.

There's nothing wrong with the clansmen dying for the village and the clan. Since other people in the village can sacrifice themselves, there's no reason why only one Uchiha can't die. If you want to become stronger and have honor, then it's only natural to risk your life.

but,

Being targeted by Orochimaru, having his body taken over, and even his soul completely annihilated—in Sōgen's view, this was unreasonable and something that he, as the clan leader, had to stop. This was Sōgen's 'reason'!

"...How terrifying! Uchiha clan leader!"

Orochimaru's smile was still there, but compared to before, it was now so cold it sent a chill down one's spine.

“I never said I was going to do anything to your clan. I’m just here to ask for my disciple back.”

"Nothing is the best."

Zongxian calmly put away his flame fan.

"However, I'm sorry, Kimimaro will not hand it over to you. It is Shisui's spoils of war, just like the Kusanagi sword. They now belong to Shisui. In the thousand-year history of the ninja world, there is no rule about returning spoils of war!"

"Even an exchange isn't acceptable? Using the ninja tools left behind by the Sage of Six Paths?"

Orochimaru asked.

This time, it was Zongxian's turn to fall into a brief silence.

"How did you find out I was looking for the Six Paths Tools? Was it Shisui?" After a two-second silence, Sogen shook the snowflakes off his shoulders and asked in a cold voice.

"That's right. Although Shisui-kun did a good job of hiding, as the saying goes, geese leave their calls as they fly by, and water leaves its mark on the ground. Shisui-kun has been to so many places, he will always leave some traces. According to my observation, his route of movement matches a survey report left by Sarutobi-sensei in the past. I also happened to have read that report, and I found the burial place of the Gold and Silver Brothers one step ahead of Shisui-kun."

"So, how about exchanging my disciple for the Six Paths Ninja Tools?"

Orochimaru asked again.

"Your proposal is very tempting."

"But Uchiha clan leader, you still want to refuse? This is really a headache! Kimimaro has absolutely no relation to your Uchiha clan, right? Strictly speaking, he's not even a Konoha ninja. Handing him over to me shouldn't be a loss for you, right?"

Orochimaru seemed genuinely confused.

“I already said, those are Shisui’s spoils of war, it’s not my place to decide for him.” Zongxian shook his head expressionlessly, and just as Orochimaru was about to speak, he added, “However, I can use something else to make this deal with you.”

"Other things?"

Orochimaru swallowed the words he was about to say and looked at Sogen with some interest. "Clan head Uchiha, let me make this clear: I wouldn't make this deal if it weren't something I'm interested in. After all, to be honest, the Sage of Six Paths' ninja tools are very precious treasures in my collection."

"Don't worry, these kinds of transactions are all about mutual consent, aren't they? If you were really here, I wouldn't mind just grabbing you, interrogating you, and searching you. But since it's just a shadow clone here... what a pity!" Zong Xian sighed, his regret evident in his words!

Orochimaru's face twitched involuntarily upon hearing this.

Good guy,

This young Uchiha clan leader is truly remarkable. His shamelessness alone far surpasses that of Fugaku Uchiha, that saw-mouthed gourd. No wonder he was able to bring down Sarutobi-sensei and that old schemer Danzo. Indeed, there is no such thing as luck in the game when it comes to the victors.

"Then I'm all ears. Uchiha clan head, what do you intend to offer in exchange for the ninja tools left behind by the Sage of Six Paths?"

Orochimaru stared intently at Sogen with expectant eyes.

[Chapter 195. Getting something for nothing]

The more he gained from the [Flame Fan], the greater his interest in the Six Paths Ninja Tools, each possessing extraordinary abilities. Most of these items were used for fighting and killing by others, and even Orochimaru didn't seem to have gained anything different from the Six Paths Ninja Tools.

otherwise,

They would never so easily use the Six Paths Ninja Tools as bait.

However, Zongxian is different. He has a cheat code called "Knights Never Die Barehanded". These ninja tools can not only be used to kill people, but if you spend time studying them, you can also understand the secrets hidden in these six ninja tools. If you are lucky, you will gain a lot.

The Flame Fan allowed Sogen to truly see the source of the Sharingan's power and comprehend the secrets to perfecting the Mangekyou Sharingan. He used the complete information about the Divine Tree contained within the Flame Fan to make up for the Sharingan's shortcomings. Although it will take time to see results, he is not short of time.

"I have a secret."

Zongxian spoke slowly.

"secret?"

Orochimaru's face revealed a leisurely smile.

From the moment Uchiha Sogen took the initiative to ask him for a deal, Orochimaru seized the initiative. The 'pricing power' of what price to pay in exchange for the Six Paths Ninja Tools was entirely in Orochimaru's hands.

"…Our clan's ancestor, Uchiha Madara, might still be alive." Zongxian pondered for a moment, then began to blatantly lie. "Are you interested in this?"

"Uchiha Madara?"

Orochimaru stared at Uchiha Sōgen for several seconds, and seeing that he wasn't joking, his smile vanished. "Are you trying to fool me? How could Uchiha Madara still be alive? Everyone knows that in the battle at the Valley of the End, the First Hokage defeated and killed Uchiha Madara. How could he still be alive? You can't possibly be saying that the First Hokage is talking nonsense, can you?"

"It's not that you're talking nonsense, but it's possible that you've been deceived."

Zongxian said frankly.

"Scammed? That was the First Hokage!"

"So what? Even the First Hokage couldn't know the secrets of my Uchiha clan. Let me tell you directly! My clan has a method to avoid death. Unless it's a catastrophe of world destruction level, we can use this method to avoid death once."

Orochimaru's eyes widened instantly upon hearing this, his golden vertical pupils almost burning with flames. However, perhaps because of Sogen's previous warning, he quickly suppressed his desire to investigate and simply exclaimed, "As expected of the Uchiha, they actually have such abilities."

"Besides this, there was also a man who claimed to be Uchiha Madara during the last battle with the Mist Ninja. That man controlled the Fourth Mizukage with his Sharingan. The great war between Konoha and the Mist Ninja was entirely started by that man. I also took back this Flame Fan that had been lost for many years from his hands."

The flame fan is also one piece of evidence.

It is common knowledge that the Uchiha clan lost this item for many years! However, the reason for its loss is a matter of much debate. Logically, after Madara Uchiha's defeat and death at the Valley of the End, Madara's body, along with the Flame Fan, was taken back to the village by the First Hokage. However, the Flame Fan was ultimately declared missing.