Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

Even the monstrous Kakuzu couldn't withstand the potent poison developed by Sasori—a poison that wasn't quick to kill but only rendered the victim powerless and unconscious. Throughout the capture, Kakuzu showed no violent chakra fluctuations, causing Orochimaru to stumble and be exposed to Sasori, startling him.

that's it,

The two, who had parted ways, reunited.

They both chose the same lookout point, which was suitable for observing the distant battlefield. Of course, more importantly, neither of them trusted the other. After realizing that the other also possessed the same method of concealing chakra, they were both afraid of being ambushed by the other if they separated again. But it wouldn't suit them to just stay together like this.

then,

The two of them temporarily stayed together, keeping an eye on each other.

One of them relied on a multi-functional telescope temporarily worn on his right eye to observe the battle between Payne and Sogen, while the other had mechanically modified eyes that were equipped with functions such as telescope, magnification, and photography.

While Konoha was being exploited by Sogen, Sasori was actually learning and absorbing new knowledge in the science and technology fields of Konoha.

This body,

It is the pinnacle of his work, combining all the technologies he currently possesses.

It is also one of the strongest trump cards he rebuilt after losing the Third Kazekage puppet.

“First come, first served. This is my prey. If you dare to make a move, I don’t care if we fight here.” Sasori sneered. “Anyway, this harvest is enough for me to have made joining this organization worthwhile. Orochimaru, your desires and ambitions seem to have gone too far. If we fight here, I think your ambitions can be declared aborted in advance.”

What mischief is this venomous snake up to?

The scorpion had no idea how to answer the riddle.

However, this doesn't stop him from making some bold speculations.

There are many valuable things in the current chaotic Amegakure, such as Kakuzu, whom he captured. It can be said that whether it is a member of Akatsuki or a ninja from Konoha, they are all worth a fortune. Even capturing one or two would be a profit. Orochimaru's target should be among them.

maybe,

Orochimaru was eyeing the most valuable pair of treasures!

Given that he and Orochimaru had been partners for so long, and considering the current situation... it's not hard to make this deduction, but Sasori had no intention of following suit.

Scorpion was very satisfied with capturing Kakuzu as his prey.

It was worth it for him to accept Obito Uchiha's invitation to join the Akatsuki.

Although a large part of the reason was that he had just escaped from Konoha and did not have enough confidence to fight against Obito Uchiha, so he had to compromise, he also relied on the organization's power to collect materials. In fact, the organization itself seemed to be a good source of raw materials.

So many S-rank rogue ninja,

These are all top-tier puppet materials!

Hmm, I'm getting a bit carried away... Sasori put aside his distractions and looked at Orochimaru with confidence. He wasn't worried at all that Orochimaru would take advantage of his distraction to launch a sneak attack. The two, who had fought many times before, knew very well how tenacious the other's vitality was. Even if they killed the target in front of them, it would be difficult to confirm whether the other was really dead.

Unless it is,

Use methods that can damage the other person's soul.

Unfortunately, Orochimaru did not master such a forbidden technique. His Reanimation Jutsu was based on the forbidden technique Spirit Transformation, but he did not master this forbidden technique that allows the soul to leave the body and attack the enemy. Although the Reanimation Jutsu gave him a long life, it was far from perfect.

Having to change bodies every three years is a major flaw, and being unable to master forbidden techniques like spiritification is also one of his many hidden flaws. Even if he had thoroughly mastered the knowledge of these forbidden techniques, he simply couldn't use them because he lacked the conditions to do so. Even if he had mastered the knowledge, he could only use it for research and couldn't apply it to actual combat.

Anyway,

Orochimaru noticed Sasori's momentary lapse in concentration, but did not act hastily.

As Scorpion said,

If we were to fight Scorpion here...

It would be really hard to determine a winner in a short time, which would seriously hinder him from achieving his goal... Orochimaru secretly made up his mind that if Sasori was still alive after this incident, he would definitely help finish him off.

However, for now, we must choose peaceful coexistence. As for Kakuzu, our prey... we can only temporarily entrust him to Sasori for safekeeping.

"If you don't want to broaden my horizons, fine, but why say such frightening things?"

Orochimaru's smile remained unchanged. "Since you're unwilling to talk about it, then... um?"

Speaking of which,

I can't continue.

His attention was completely drawn to the changes on the distant battlefield. He adjusted the binoculars in his right eye to the maximum viewing distance and clearly saw that Uchiha Sogen seemed to have destroyed one of Pain's clones or something. Then he took out a white mask with the character "天" (heaven) engraved on the forehead and put it on his face.

These are all minor details.

What truly shocked Orochimaru were those light purple, wavy eyes.

This, this...

"How is this possible?"

Orochimaru blurted it out.

Unable to conceal the shock in his heart, his joy, anger, sorrow and happiness were rarely fully expressed on his face, although at this moment all that could be seen was deep shock and confusion.

"What? You're covering up..." Sasori suspected Orochimaru was faking it, but the next second, he also saw the light purple eyes of Sogen's Deva Path clone, who was fighting Pain. "What the hell? Another pair of Rinnegan?"

"Are you kidding me?"

The scorpion was also startled.

What the hell are they doing?

Pain is finished so quickly? Even his eyes were gouged out by Uchiha Sogen. But that doesn't make sense! Uchiha Sogen was still fighting Pain, and Pain's Rinnegan was still safely in its socket, not forcibly taken.

In a flash,

Two people who were absolutely top-notch in the ninja world were both completely baffled.

It's not that they're unsophisticated.

The current situation is far beyond their imagination.

Orochimaru suspected that Uchiha Sogen's attack on Konoha might not have been solely aimed at rescuing Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, but rather at Pain's Rinnegan... which was, of course, the effect he desired.

He brought the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to Amegakure with the intention of profiting from the conflict between the two powerful rivals. Only when these two were severely weakened could he possibly gain an advantage. Of course, this was also very risky; if not handled properly, it could turn into playing with fire and getting burned.

but,

But!

He really didn't expect a second pair of Rinnegan to appear. Uchiha Sogen also had Rinnegan. This... this was like a fatal blow to him. All his previous deductions and calculations were based on the assumption that Uchiha Sogen had designs on the Rinnegan.

This foundation has now been ruthlessly destroyed.

All the scenarios that were previously calculated seem to be inconsistent with reality, and all the plans made in a targeted manner have become inapplicable.

to be frank,

Even Orochimaru, after trying twice, could no longer maintain his composed smile of confidence. His brain cells began to die systematically as he painstakingly calculated how he should continue to play the role of the fisherman now that Uchiha Munegen had the Rinnegan, and what the probability of him profiting from the situation was.

As for questions like "Why does Uchiha Mugen possess the Rinnegan?", he was too preoccupied to even consider them now.

"Uchiha Sogen... Rinnegan?"

Scorpion had enough time to think about how the two could be equated, but... to be honest, he had too little information and too little time, so he couldn't figure it out at all.

Fortunately,

"It's none of my business anyway!"

Scorpion thought to himself.

Unlike Orochimaru, he wasn't as ambitious or had such high aspirations. He had already made a profit with Kakuzu, and he was still here hoping to find another bargain. He wasn't expecting to catch any big fish; even small fry like Kakuzu would be fine!

But then again,

Uchiha Munen is truly terrifying!

Over the past five years, he had contacted Uchiha Mugen many times, but he had not found any clues... He really didn't know if he had been keeping a low profile all along, or if he had recently encountered something good. In the end, what exactly is the principle behind the appearance of the Rinnegan?

It's hard to see what Pain and Uchiha Mugen have in common.

Silently pondering the possibilities, Sasori subconsciously tugged at his white cloak, minimizing his presence to the extreme. He only wanted to pick up the scraps and had no intention of provoking Uchiha Sogen or Pain. Let monsters fight monsters!

[Chapter 380. White, makes her entrance!]

The abandoned drainage pipes are intricate and intertwined, like a spider web, forming a huge underground labyrinth. Although Amegakure's history is less than sixty years old, it was already one of the most bustling and prosperous towns in the Land of Rain before its establishment. The oldest drainage pipes are even two hundred years old.

Unlike the pipes that are in service and you can hear the rushing water, these abandoned drainage pipes are cold and dry inside. Except for some severely aged pipes that may have water inside, most of the pipes are actually quite clean inside.

However, it's not entirely incomprehensible.

The quality of the drainage system is related to the safety of everyone in Amegakure. No one dares to embezzle or engage in corruption in the construction and maintenance of the drainage system. To be honest, most of these abandoned drainage pipes could actually be used for another ten or more years without any major problems. However, the Amegakure ninja strictly follow the standard service life limit to build new drainage systems to replace them.

Of course, not all retired drainage systems will be abandoned.

The rain ninjas selected the best and best-located drainage pipes and modified them to create a shelter that could be put into use immediately.

now,

These shelters have been put into use.

Those residents who had not been evacuated from the village beforehand, as well as the low-ranking ninjas who lacked combat strength, were all in the shelter at this moment.

"Is this another shelter? It doesn't look like one!"

In the shelter, which had been converted from a pipe that could accommodate more than ten people walking side by side, no one noticed that a blurry, dim figure appeared in the shadows in the corner for a few seconds, muttered a sentence to himself, and then disappeared. The Rain Ninja, who was diligently on duty nearby, did not notice anything unusual from beginning to end.

Having left the Rain Ninja's sanctuary,

Zongxian, draped in a white cloak, continued walking in the shadows.

Fortunately, the drainage system built by the Rain Ninja was mainly made of bricks and stones, and they were not so crazy as to use steel underground. Otherwise, Zongxian would not have been able to use Earth Release techniques to sneak through this maze-like underground world so easily.

"The Human Path, huh? You've got some skills! Nagato, you actually think you can settle things with one blow."

Suddenly,

Zongxian stopped in his tracks.

He looked up at the dark ceiling, his purple eyes as deep and mysterious as stars hanging in the night sky. His sharp gaze seemed to be able to see through everything and see the changes on the ground. In fact, he could see them. What the Heavenly Dao clone saw, he could also see. What he saw, the Heavenly Dao clone could also see.

The will of the Heavenly Dao clone is itself his will.

Rather than saying that the Deva Path clone made the decision to reveal the power of the Rinnegan, it would be more accurate to say that when the Deva Path clone was ambushed by Nagato's Human Path clone, Sogen realized that it was time to show his trump card. So the Deva Path clone used Shinra Tensei to shatter Nagato's Human Path clone.

In this state,

It can be described as multitasking, similar to drawing a circle with the left hand while drawing a square with the right. In essence, it is still a single consciousness, and there are no two or more consciousnesses.