Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

Several ANBU squads remained to patrol and inspect the area to check for any oversights, while the rest of the group retreated back to the village. Orochimaru and Jugo, the two prisoners, were also among the returning group. Shisui had already sent the injured Haku, Karin, and Mitarashi Anko, who had become very weak due to Orochimaru's resurrection, back to Konoha Hospital for observation and treatment.

The main reason for keeping Orochimaru is that this guy is really troublesome. Orochimaru has transformed himself to the point that he can no longer be considered a normal human being. He is even more bizarre than Hiruko. The conventional methods of restraint would probably have very limited effect on him.

Sending it back to the village rashly might cause unnecessary trouble.

The same applies to Jugo; this guy, who is prone to going berserk and losing control, could easily injure medical staff if placed in a hospital.

I might as well keep him by my side and keep him under guard for the time being.

The return journey was undertaken on foot, without relying on Shisui's Flying Thunder God Technique to escape. Accompanied by the two former Hokage, they walked step by step to the main gate of Konoha Village. They paused outside the gate, gazing up at the dark green gate and the tall red walls.

It was as if they had lost their soul.

He stood motionless at the doorway.

The ninjas guarding the gate had already seen the Hokage's arrival from afar, but no one came up to greet or disturb him. Sogen had sent his ANBU to control the situation in advance, saving unnecessary procedures.

"First Generation Lord, Second Generation Lord, would you like me to accompany you on the rest of the journey?"

Seeing that the two seniors remained silent for a long time, Zongxian had no choice but to break the silence. Blocking the gate for so long was not a good thing. It was already dawn, and the snow had finally stopped. There would definitely be a lot of people coming and going. The area was under the control of the Dark Guard, and no one else could be seen except for them.

Otherwise, how could they possibly stand like wooden figures at the gate, staring blankly?

“We’ll go explore on our own, no need to trouble the Sixth Hokage. I was a Hokage myself, and I know you’ll have plenty of work to handle.” Hashirama Senju snapped out of his reverie and said with a smile, “Besides, if you come along, we probably won’t see a soul on the way.”

How could that be?

Zongxian chuckled, "This is to prevent criminals from causing trouble while I'm away from the village. That's why we've arranged for the Anbu and the police department to strengthen security. If you want to check on people, there are plenty once you enter the village. These days, Konoha has the largest population in the ninja world, if nothing else."

"Is that so? Indeed... I sensed quite a few people? Hmm, wait, what's going on over there? Three chakra fluctuations just disappeared?"

Hashirama Senju looked over.

His perception was no weaker than his younger brother's; even through the barrier, he still sensed the commotion in the village.

“At Training Ground 44, the Chunin Exams are being held. It’s normal for people to die there.”

"The Chunin Exams?"

Tobirama Senju raised an eyebrow, somewhat intrigued.

The Chunin Exams system was established when he was still alive, and it's unknown how it has evolved to its current form.

"Since you two seniors do not need to accompany you, please make yourselves at home. You can ask around about the Chunin Exams at the tavern while you have drinks. Of course, if you two seniors need to find me, you can come and find me directly. My location should not be difficult to find. If you cannot find me, you can go to the Hokage Building and ask someone to contact me."

Sogen did not provide any answers for Tobirama Senju.

After saying these words, he left without a word. The ANBU escorting Orochimaru and Jugo hurriedly chased after him. Shisui paused for two seconds, said goodbye to the First and Second Hokage, and then hurriedly left. As the Hokage, Sogen was not free, so how could he, as the head of the ANBU, have time to go shopping with someone?

In the blink of an eye,

Only the Senju brothers, Hashirama and Tobirama, remained at the village entrance.

"I thought it would take some effort to get the chance to move freely!" Hashirama Senju shook his head and couldn't help but laugh. "I didn't expect them to agree so easily. It seems that Konoha is developing very well and they're not afraid of us seeing anything bad."

"Hmph, brother, it's too early to say such things. Let's see it with our own eyes first."

Tobirama Senju was rummaging through the wallet that Shisui Uchiha had given him before he left. It was full of banknotes, including large bills and a lot of small change. It was clear that he had taken into account their possible shopping needs. Even if they didn't need anything, they couldn't go to the tavern to buy drinks and chat without money.

"Let's go then! Let's see what Konoha is like now."

Hashirama Senju stepped forward, crossed the gate, and once again entered Konoha Village with his younger brother.

————

Is it okay to do this?

What do you mean?

"Let the two former Hokage move freely?"

"What's wrong? Shisui, are you worried that something unexpected might happen?"

“The village is now a mixed bag, so accidents can happen.”

Shisui emphasized the mixed nature of the situation, because the Chunin Exams were being held, and Konoha Village had ninjas from various countries and villages. The genin who were taking the exams were active in the exam hall, but the ninjas who led the teams stayed in the village.

"What's there to be afraid of? Those small fry combined can't threaten the two former Hokage."

Zongxian shrugged indifferently.

"Who said I was worried about the two former Hokage?" Shisui rubbed his forehead. "What I'm worried about is those blind fools who might provoke the two former Hokage and cause trouble that we'll have to clean up."

"Just get rid of those blind idiots, what's the point of cleaning them up?"

Zongxian, unimpressed and somewhat annoyed by Shisui's nagging, simply decided to kick him out. "Alright, Shisui, I'll handle Orochimaru." Shisui, helpless and unable to resist the Hokage's authority, could only reluctantly use the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave and return to the Anbu's hideout.

They weren't heading towards the Hokage Building.

After entering the gate, they turned a corner, leaving the densely populated central area behind, and arrived at the depths of a deserted forest. Orochimaru, a special prisoner, needed to be treated specially and could not be placed in an ordinary prison. To be honest, it would be a waste to leave someone like him in prison.

then,

Zongxian personally led a team to escort Orochimaru deep into the forest, into the secret research base located there.

"Is this the base of the Roots?"

After passing through the hidden door and entering the underground space, Orochimaru, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.

"It used to be."

Zongxian glanced at the slippery, venomous snake. "What? Have you been here before?"

"I've been to most of the bases of the roots."

Orochimaru replied.

"That's true. If I remember correctly, you used to work in Root for a while, and you even served as Danzo's deputy, didn't you? Speaking of which, didn't Danzo implant a cursed seal in you?" Sogen's voice echoed in the brightly lit corridor.

“Sarutobi-sensei will not allow him to implant a cursed seal on me.”

Orochimaru answered frankly.

"Also, his curse seal can't restrain me. Danzo and I have a cooperative relationship. In name, he is my superior, but that's only in name. Danzo can't command me to work for him."

"Is that so? But I remember you received quite a few orders from Danzo back then."

A voice with a childlike tone came from a room diagonally in front. A short figure, who looked like a child, appeared in the doorway and turned to look at Zongxian and Orochimaru who were walking towards him. Half of his face was wrapped in bandages, and only his eyes could be seen, so his identity could not be confirmed by his face.

"you are?"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.

"Don't you recognize me anymore? It seems that someone as bad as me is indeed not worthy of a genius's attention."

"The bottom of the class, Hiruko? You're still as narrow-minded as ever!" Orochimaru's face revealed a cold smile. "No wonder you've fallen to this state. After all these years, you haven't improved at all."

"Hmph, likewise. You've come to keep me company, haven't you? Let me guess, you overestimated yourself and challenged the Hokage, only to be defeated?"

Beiliuhu showed no weakness whatsoever.

Former classmates and comrades-in-arms stood at the door, exchanging sarcastic remarks. Instead of openly cursing, they subtly and quietly stabbed each other in the groin, which Zongxian found quite amusing. It seemed that Hiruko and Orochimaru had a pretty good relationship!

The verbal sparring lasted for five minutes.

The battle ultimately ended with Hiruko backing down. It wasn't that he couldn't out-argue Orochimaru, but rather that Sogen was present. Otherwise, this battle without gunpowder wouldn't have ended so easily.

"Lord Hokage, is this poisonous snake also considered a resident here?"

Once Zongxian was settled in on the single sofa, Hiruko couldn't wait to ask him a question.

"correct."

Zongxian nodded. "Starting today, Orochimaru will work with you at this base to atone for your sins. Although the sins you two committed will be difficult to atone for in a hundred or two hundred years, you have plenty of time. You can pay off your debts slowly. Of course, Orochimaru, you can also choose to refuse. You can't force a cow to drink water."

As he spoke,

His scarlet eyes were fixed on Orochimaru, who was sitting diagonally opposite him.

"Do I have the right to refuse?"

"Of course, if you don't agree, can I force you to comply? Although I can use some special methods to modify your consciousness, that's not 100% safe, especially since your soul has been modified in such a bizarre way. So, to be on the safe side, this time, I will personally send you on your way and see if you can be resurrected again."

Zongxian had a bright smile on his face.

But that killing intent

But it was like a knife held to Orochimaru's neck.

"Then forget it! Although losing my freedom is a painful thing, I think my life is more valuable than freedom. As long as I can continue my research, I don't mind contributing to my hometown."

Orochimaru decisively surrendered.

As for whether this sincerity is genuine or not, and how much of it is genuine, it's impossible to judge at this time.

"very good."

Zongxian blinked, the crimson faded, and his dark eyes were devoid of the fierce killing intent he had just displayed. "Orochimaru, let me tell you one last time. I will believe what you said earlier for now, but remember this: I only have this one chance to trust you. If you betray my trust, you'd better run to the ends of the earth and pray that I never catch you again."

"Don't worry, Lord Hokage, I cherish my life very much."

Orochimaru replied with a smile.

Beneath that frivolous smile lay a profound determination.

[Chapter 437. The village's interests supersede those of the family]

Sogen's decision to deal with Orochimaru was not based on personal feelings, but rather on his sense of public duty to the village. In the past, Orochimaru's forbidden techniques and skills would have been extremely tempting to Sogen, but now they were no longer of any use to him.

Zongxian's thoughts on his future

He already had a plan in mind.

Even if Orochimaru's techniques were to fall into my hands, they would only be icing on the cake and wouldn't be of much significance.

However, Orochimaru's research and development skills were extremely valuable to the village.

Anyway,

So Genji made the decision directly by exercising the authority of the Hokage, without consulting the advisors, elders, or department heads. However, this was not an unacceptable thing, except for the Fourth Hokage who died young and the Fifth Hokage who was plagued by illness. From the First Hokage onwards, everyone was a domineering person.

Most of the obstacles that Hiruzen Sarutobi exhibited during the later years of his rule were actually a charade performed by him and Danzo.

Only those last few meetings

Zongxian stepped forward and directly challenged Hiruzen Sarutobi's authority. Before that, no one dared to say no to Hiruzen Sarutobi. For example, the Hyuga clan, despite having the upper hand, was forced to hand over the body of their younger brother to the Cloud Ninja for disposal. Hiruzen could only endure such humiliation at the time.