The third elder of the Uchiha clan was known as Uchiha Sagijima, and unfortunately, his son was sacrificed during a mission, leaving him desperate for his successor.
Fortunately, he also had a grandson. Despite having mediocre aptitude, he managed to become a Chunin at the young age of thirteen.
To unlock the power of the Second-Tome Sharingan, Uchiha Sagijima made great sacrifices. He sought help from several skilled illusion ninjas within the clan, even spending a fortune on secret medicines. Finally, he succeeded in opening the Second-Tome Sharingan.
However, the strain of forcibly unlocking the power made him worried about the instability of his foundation. In the ninja world, only high-ranking ninjas could protect themselves, and Chunin were often considered expendable. With such vulnerabilities, they would become prime targets for enemies.
But at this critical moment, Orochimaru appeared. As long as Orochimaru was controlled and used to unlock their eyes occasionally, every Uchiha clan member would possess the power of the Third-Tome Sharingan. Who else in the ninja world could be compared to them?
The Uchiha clan was bound to rise with their newfound strength and compete for true political power in the village. They could break through the suppressions and blockades of the Second Hokage, turn the tables, and perhaps even claim the coveted Hokage position.
Uchiha Sagijima could already envision the entire ninja world floating on the ocean, with the Uchiha clan at its peak, just like the symbol of the fan adorned with leaves.
He vowed to watch Orochimaru carefully and inform the clan leader to keep him under control. He wanted Orochimaru in a small dark room, working for the Uchiha clan for the rest of his life.
When Orochimaru arrived, Uchiha Sagijima's eyes gleamed with desire, his breath shortening in anticipation.
"I should get going if there's nothing else," Orochimaru felt uncomfortable, noticing the increasingly perverse gaze of the third elder.
"No hurry, Orochimaru. We still have many things to discuss!" Uchiha Sagijima forced a kind smile, but Orochimaru found his wrinkled face quite repulsive.
"I have some other matters to attend to. Farewell," Orochimaru stated firmly.
Uchiha Sagijima's smile didn't waver, but a cold glint appeared in his eyes. He poured a small glass of sake for Orochimaru and said, "Just to express my gratitude, please be sure to drink this."
Unbeknownst to Orochimaru, the wine was poisoned! The situation seemed unfavorable, but in reality, it played into his plans.
Orochimaru steadied himself and suddenly shouted, "Old man! I know exactly what you're scheming! You want to keep me here and use me to unlock the Sharingan for you every so often, controlling me with illusions so that I'm none the wiser. Then, one day during a mission, I'd mysteriously disappear, while in truth, you'd have locked me up to be your eye-unlocking tool!"
"What! How did you...?" Uchiha Sagijima was shocked; had his plan been exposed?
In fact, anyone could see through his intentions when witnessing his behavior and understanding Orochimaru's role in this matter.
Furious, Uchiha Sagijima retorted, "Boy, helping the Uchiha rise to power is the greatest honor in your life!"
"Hah! What Uchiha's rise to power? To me, they're just Konoha's lapdogs!"Orochimaru taunted the third elder without restraint, saying whatever came to mind.
"How dare you?!" Uchiha Sagijima's face flushed with anger, but he couldn't bear to hear the glory of the Uchiha insulted.
"What do you think you are? Merely possessing strong spiritual power! The Uchiha are like soaring hawks in the sky, while you're just a ground-dwelling reptile attempting to fly!" Uchiha Sagijima ridiculed, firmly believing the Uchiha were superior.
