Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

Shoji accepted the three scrolls without any concern. After unfolding them, he could at least determine whether the contents of the scrolls were true or false, even though his current research level was still far behind Orochimaru's.

After a quick glance, Jiang Si nodded in satisfaction and put the scrolls into his pocket one by one.

Of course, there's no problem in judging the authenticity, but whether Orochimaru is holding back is something Jiang Si can't determine. In most cases, he probably is, but Jiang Si won't care. Just like capitalists harvesting韭菜 (a metaphor for exploiting people) in his previous life, the current Orochimaru is fresh and green in Jiang Si's eyes, and he's growing well. He can harvest a wave of韭菜 anytime, anywhere. If he's holding back, let him hold back. He can harvest him later!

This is the real reason why Shoji didn't execute Orochimaru. Shoji can clearly distinguish between a full meal and a regular meal. Even if it means taking some risks, Shoji doesn't care. Besides, Shoji doesn't think Orochimaru can turn the world upside down unless he can find a way to fill the gaps in his soul and learn the Sage Mode of Ryuchi Cave like Jiraiya. Shoji really doesn't believe that Orochimaru can handle the gaps and Sage Mode that weren't filled in the original story in this life!

Furthermore, to prepare for the worst, in the illusionary world just now, Shoji also took advantage of the gaps and loopholes deep within Orochimaru's soul, as well as the strength of his own mental power, to lay a foreshadowing.

While it's not possible to say that I can completely outmaneuver Orochimaru, I can definitely subdue him more easily than I could today.

"Very good, I knew Orochimaru-san was a reasonable person. As for the Akatsuki, hehe, there's no need to rush for now, and it's really not necessary to trouble Orochimaru-san. Besides, who knows, one day Orochimaru-san might leave the Akatsuki just like he left Konoha, right?"

Jiang Si raised an eyebrow and said with a meaningful chuckle.

These last words made Orochimaru's heart skip a beat, because during his time in the Akatsuki organization, some unpleasant things had indeed happened, especially with that leader, whose 'Rinnegan' truly gave Orochimaru a unique feeling.

There is another mysterious Uchiha.

You know what, Orochimaru was actually considering when to leave Akatsuki. When Shoji pointed it out here, Orochimaru was quite surprised.

Even at this moment, Orochimaru was already inexplicably connecting Shoji, Pain, and another mysterious Uchiha.

But on the surface, they still pretended to be nonchalant.

"Then may I leave now, Mr. Jiang Si?"

Orochimaru looked at Shoji and asked softly.

Although Shoji was indeed asking for an exorbitant amount, taking away a lot of valuable research data from him at once, especially the Reanimation Jutsu that he valued most, Orochimaru still felt a little uneasy. He felt that Shoji would not let him go so easily, and he looked tense all over.

"Ha ha!"

Jiang Si couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Well, of course, if Orochimaru-san wants to stay and catch up with me, I wouldn't mind!"

These words were spoken slowly and deliberately.

"hehe"

Orochimaru gave a dry laugh.

"So!"

Then he took a slight step back.

That seemed like a probing move.

Seeing that Shoji did not obstruct him, Orochimaru finally relaxed and headed north with Kimimaro. Orochimaru no longer intended to linger in the Land of Water. Even if he still had unfulfilled goals, he wanted to return directly to his secret base. This unexpected encounter with Shoji made Orochimaru realize for the first time the problems deep within his soul. He needed to change his plans and try his best to remedy the issues in his soul!

Otherwise, if this situation continues, not only will Shoji become his ultimate nemesis, but the Uchiha clan will likely become his ultimate enemy as well. This is something Orochimaru, who pursues immortality and peak power, would find utterly unacceptable.

He must change this, and he must also fill this loophole, before he is qualified to covet the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan, especially Shoji's Mangekyou Sharingan. Although the target has changed, the result is exactly the same!

In the original story, Orochimaru was defeated by Itachi in one move. In this life, Orochimaru was also defeated by Shoji in one move. The most primal greed that was triggered means that in the next few years, Orochimaru will shift his focus to this aspect.

'The Uchiha clan! The Mangekyou Sharingan! I must get it!'

Orochimaru, who had gone far away, had also secretly made up his mind!

The soldier who remained in place watched Orochimaru drive away. Even without referring to the original plot, he could roughly guess Orochimaru's thoughts.

However, this is really not something that Jiang Si needs to worry about too much.

Orochimaru's weaknesses are too obvious!

He is indeed one of the few truly intelligent people in this world. He originally had the opportunity to forge his own path to the top, but unfortunately, he went astray along the way. Given Shoji's current strength, unless there is an extremely exaggerated mishap, Orochimaru will really have a hard time escaping Shoji's grasp.

"Good luck, Orochimaru-san! I'm really looking forward to our next meeting!"

A handsome smile curved Jiang Si's lips. After taking one last look at the direction Orochimaru had left, he leaped up and sped off towards Kirigakure on the other side. This unexpected encounter had been very rewarding for Jiang Si, and now he was ready to truly immerse himself in his plans for this trip!

After we deal with this matter...

That was when he would truly return to Iwagakure.

Kirigakure, one of the five strongest ninja villages in the ninja world, is also the most mysterious. The reason for this is that Kirigakure is far from the mainland and isolated from the world, so the mainland knows very little about Kirigakure.

Of course, this applies to the average person.

The higher-ups of other ninja villages are more or less familiar with Kirigakure.

As one of the current high-ranking members of Iwagakure, and having previously served in Konohagakure, and having fought a bloody battle against the Kirigakure ninja on the eastern front during the Third Shinobi World War, along with the crucial reference to the original story, Shoji can be considered the person in the world who currently understands the situation in Kirigakure the most.

After all, Obito's existence is still unknown to the current high-ranking members of Kirigakure.

Starting from where he met Orochimaru, it took Shoji less than a few hours to reach a point near Kirigakure. The closer he got to Kirigakure, the thicker the surrounding fog became.

This is almost the defining characteristic of the Land of Water.

It's just that it's more noticeable here in Kirigakure.

"Yes, although it declined along with Sunagakure because of Obito, it did maintain the level of vigilance that the Five Great Shinobi Villages should have."

Concealing himself in an inconspicuous area, Shoji gazed at the outer outline of Kirigakure not far away. He could sense the number and strength of the guards distributed in different areas, as well as the not-so-obvious but still clearly visible sensory barrier covering the entire Kirigakure under Shoji's Sharingan.

Unless someone enters Kirigakure through the main gate, they will be detected as soon as they approach this barrier. The alarm will be quickly relayed to the barrier squad in the center of the village, and countless Kirigakure garrison troops will immediately rush to the scene.

This barrier alone demonstrates the strength of the five great ninja villages, something that other ninja villages absolutely cannot match. Of course, this barrier is useless to Shoji, as it quickly locks onto the weak point of the defense.

"Whoosh!"

Jiang Si lightly tiptoed with his right foot.

At the moment of approaching a certain point in the barrier.

"rise!"

Hands form hand seals at lightning speed.

With himself at the center, Jiang Si erected an oval-shaped transparent light shield, completely enveloping himself inside, a perfectly concealed posture in which not a trace of chakra escaped.

Jiang Si smiled and strode forward with ease.

"Buzz!"

In the front position.

That thin barrier was like a light touch on the surface of a calm lake, creating extremely subtle ripples.

After the figure of the general pierced through and entered.

That ripple disappeared just as quickly.

At the same time.

In the central control room of the Barrier Team at the very bottom of the Mizukage Building in Kirigakure, more than ten Kirigakure ninja sat cross-legged in front of a giant crystal ball. The faint, bright light emanating from the surface of this crystal ball was the barrier that enveloped Kirigakure. These people were almost all Jonin from Kirigakure. In theory, under their surveillance, even a Kage-level ninja would have a hard time escaping their detection.

Unfortunately, Jiang Si is not only powerful, but also skilled in sealing techniques.

Although it was indeed impossible to achieve a perfect, seamless infiltration, it only caused tiny ripples, like a dragonfly skimming the water, which the Mist Ninja could not detect.

It's not that these Mist Ninjas are too weak; it's just that Shoji's current strength can truly be considered the pinnacle of the ninja world!

All that's needed is a tiny bit of time.

Once he unleashes the full power of the Eternal Eye, Shoji could become another Madara Uchiha. It would be a miracle if these Kirigakure ninja could even find him.

"Hmph? It looks a bit different inside than it does on the outside, but the atmosphere hasn't changed at all; it's still so lifeless."

Shoji stealthily made his way through Kirigakure, observing how Kirigakure was completely different from Konoha and Iwagakure, appearing as a desolate and gloomy place with few pedestrians on the main streets. Shoji shook his head slightly and murmured to himself.

In terms of scale, among the five great ninja villages, only Konoha is slightly better. The other four ninja villages are actually about the same, with a population of around several hundred thousand. Although Shoji did not deliberately spread his senses, he could still sense that there were many ordinary people in the surrounding area, but these people obviously did not dare to go out on the streets.

This is enough to prove how tense and dangerous the atmosphere in Kirigakure has become during this period, or even in the past two or three years.

'Obito really did a great job!'

Jiang Si raised his eyebrows, looking at the towering Water Shadow Building in the distance, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

Immediately afterwards, he disappeared into the shadows again and stealthily moved in another direction. His target this time was the most senior Yuan Master Elder in the Hidden Mist Village.

Of course, he wouldn't meet that Master Yuan in such an identity. Before things are finally revealed, multiple safeguards are needed. Moreover, if he could expose Obito's identity in advance without revealing his own, that would be the best approach for the Chief. Once his own identity is exposed, it would easily lead to suspicion.

The direction it meanders and sneaks away from.

Based on some important information obtained previously.

'This should be it!'

Jiang Si first arrived at a residence located on the eastern side of Kirigakure. Living there was a middle-aged man named Sōta, over forty years old, who was one of the most senior Jonin in Kirigakure. He had served under the Third and Fourth Mizukage in both the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, killing countless enemies on the battlefield. He was a true hero of Kirigakure and currently served as the captain of the village's security force. While it couldn't be confirmed with absolute certainty, based on previously gathered intelligence, Jiang Si boldly guessed that this Jonin Sōta was a capable member of the Genji faction.

Whether it is true or not remains to be seen and will be verified in the following steps.

After confirming that no one else was around, Jiang Si easily climbed into the residence and then waited patiently inside.

late at night.

After finishing his day's work and handing over the night patrol assignments, Song Tai, exhausted, left his post and rushed back to his home.

The increasingly tense atmosphere in the village during this period also increased the workload of the garrison troops.

As the team leader, Song Tai's workload is much heavier than before, and he often has to work overtime, making it impossible for him to go home.

Today I can finally catch my breath a little.

Songtai planned to go home and rest.

"Sigh, Lord Mizukage is becoming more and more inexplicable. Could it really be that there's something wrong, as everyone else is saying? But Master Yuan hasn't given any instructions or orders either. What should we do next..."

With a worried look on his face, Songtai returned home.

It was only when they opened the front door and entered the living room that they realized what was happening.

This is the scene that came into his view.

"Yo! Good evening, Takata-san!"

Just as Yu Jiangsi finished his slightly flippant greeting.

"!?"

Songtai's expression changed immediately.

That was the figure that was about to retreat at top speed.

"hehe!"