Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

Just then—

"Shh-!"

The paper door to the private room was pulled open forcefully from the outside.

A blond, blue-eyed boy with a bright smile appeared at the door. His smile, as radiant as the rising sun, attracted everyone's attention, causing them to overlook the two companions standing behind him.

"Oh! Everyone's here! Sorry we're late."

"Naruto! It's been a long time!"

Choji Akimichi, who was feeling extremely hungry while waiting, waved enthusiastically in greeting.

He was genuinely happy because Naruto and the others had arrived, which meant he wouldn't just be drinking beverages anymore; he could enjoy a delicious barbecue feast. Just thinking about the sizzling, fragrant barbecue made his mouth water uncontrollably.

"Naruto, you're really slow!"

Kiba Inuzuka snorted, asserting his presence.

"Yo, Naruto, Sasuke."

Nara Shikamaru nodded weakly in acknowledgment.

"Naruto, hurry up and go in, don't block the way."

Sasuke impatiently reached out and poked Naruto in the back.

"oh oh!"

Naruto agreed and hurriedly went inside. Sasuke, with a cool expression, and Sakura, with a beaming smile, followed him in. The three of them sat down in the empty seats, completely unaware that Shino Aburame, who was sitting in the corner, had also greeted them.

Not only Naruto and his friends, but even Kiba Inuzuka, a teammate sitting next to Shino Aburame, didn't notice.

The young man from the Aburame clan has such a weak presence that he has reached an incredibly high level. If he could maximize this weak presence on the battlefield, he would become a first-rate assassin in the ninja world.

We've gone a little off track.

Let's get back to the main topic.

With the arrival of Naruto and his friends, the room immediately became very lively. After all, Naruto has a cheerful personality, Sakura is also a very outgoing girl, and with the addition of Fujika, Ino, Kiba, and others, it would be hard not to be lively!

[Chapter 407. Edo Tensei Orochimaru?]

"Naruto, where have you been lately? I've looked for you several times but haven't been able to find you." Kiba Inuzuka put his arm around Naruto's shoulder and asked.

"Bad luck."

Naruto let out a sigh.

"what happened?"

Ya immediately perked up.

"...Kiba, don't gloat! Sasuke and I are really in deep trouble this time." Naruto gave Kiba a good-natured elbow, making the latter grimace, but that exaggerated expression was completely fake!

This wasn't the first time they'd played around like this; Naruto was a pro at controlling his strength.

"What exactly happened? Stop keeping me in suspense and tell me!"

Teeth urged impatiently.

"Naruto, can you tell me?"

Sakura, who was arguing with Ino, looked over.

Before,

She dared not tell anyone about their experience in the Land of Waves. Although the Hokage had not explicitly told her not to talk about it, she was afraid that leaking information would hinder Naruto and the others from being rescued. So she kept her mouth shut all this time, and she had not even shared it with Fujika and the others.

"It's alright. I specifically asked Brother Zhishui before I came, and he said it's fine as long as you don't stand on the street and shout loudly."

Naruto reassured Sakura.

By now, the Akatsuki organization is no longer top secret. Konoha has officially issued arrest warrants for the remnants of the Akatsuki and removed Obito Uchiha's name from the Konoha Memorial Monument. To be honest, there are no secrets left at this point.

Even the information that Sogen possessed the Rinnegan gradually spread throughout the ninja world.

After all,

With Obito Uchiha and the others still alive, there was no point in keeping it a secret. Of course, Sogen never publicly admitted to possessing the Rinnegan... But I digress. In short, there was no need to keep Naruto and Sasuke's experiences a secret.

"Hey, hey, it sounds like you guys are up to something big."

Ya was now incredibly eager to get aroused.

"Hurry up and tell me, stop dawdling, what exactly have you been up to?"

Not just teeth,

Because of the conversation between Naruto and Sakura, the others realized that Naruto and Sasuke's disappearance for some time was not as simple as carrying out an overly difficult mission. Smart people like Shikamaru, connecting the time Naruto and the others were away from the village with the recent rumors, had vaguely grasped the truth.

The languid look on his face faded, replaced by a solemn expression.

beside,

After finishing off the cooked grilled meat in one go, Choji Akimichi also temporarily stopped eating.

"Hey, stop staring at me!" "...Sasuke, why don't you explain?" Naruto scratched his head, realizing that explaining this meeting would be a huge undertaking, and it wouldn't be something that could be done in a short time.

"We're all waiting for you to say it! Don't come looking for me."

Sasuke didn't respond.

He'd rather not do something so troublesome!

"Sigh! Where should I begin... Before, we received a C-rank mission, and the location was in the Land of Waves..." Naruto began to recount their experience to his companions.

From the moment they escorted Tazuna to the Land of Waves, to their encounter with Orochimaru, an S-rank rogue ninja from the village, where they were defeated and injured, Naruto and Sasuke were captured and imprisoned in Amegakure for an unknown period of time, until the Hokage led a rescue team that stormed Amegakure and rescued them from their peril.

correct,

After being rescued,

They were not sent directly back to Konoha.

Instead, they were sent to the more secluded Turtle Island. Naruto and Sasuke stayed on Turtle Island for the past few days, with Jiraiya, Itachi Uchiha, and others taking care of them. While protecting the boys' safety, they also further trained the two exceptionally talented individuals until today, when they finally returned to the village.

The young men and women listened to the dramatic and eventful story with varying expressions.

Surprise, admiration, envy, heartache... the emotions of the crowd were varied. Hinata Hyuga secretly looked at Naruto with eyes full of heartache, while Fujika was unwilling to accept it. She glared at Naruto, wishing she could take his place.

I didn't even know about such a fun thing from beginning to end.

This is absolutely outrageous!

Why didn't I experience something so interesting myself?!

"Damn it!!!"

Fujika angrily poked at the grilled meat on the plate with her chopsticks, tearing it to shreds. Still not satisfied, she suddenly had a flash of inspiration, looked up at Naruto, and asked, "Naruto, are you participating in the Chunin Exams?"

"I will participate."

He certainly knew about the Chunin Exams.

Precisely,

The reason I returned to the village at this time is to prepare for the Chunin Exams.

It should be noted that the Chunin Exams are taken in teams. Although there will be individual battles later on, team assessments are still an essential part of the exams. As a team, it is obvious that individual battles will not yield high scores. Therefore, the two of them were sent back so that the three of them could get to know each other while they still have time.

after all,

After a period of absence, not only have Naruto and Sasuke received intensive training from Jiraiya and Itachi Uchiha on Turtle Island, but Sakura has also not stood still. If she doesn't work out properly before the Chunin Exams, things might not go well when the exams begin... If the Chunin Exams are held as planned this time, there will definitely be no shortage of monsters.

"Very well, let's have a good competition then!"

The wisteria flower issued a challenge.

Naruto paused for a second, then frowned in distress. If it were Fujika and Hotaru... then there was nothing to be afraid of. But the problem was Yakumo. Among their graduating class, Yakumo was undoubtedly the best. His subtle and pervasive genjutsu was truly terrifying.

Head-to-head ring duel

No one in their graduating class could defeat Yakumo.

“…If there’s a chance.” Naruto did not refuse the challenge.

Indeed, Yakumo's strength is terrifying, the kind that leaves one wondering how to resist him. But isn't it precisely this kind of opponent that makes the challenge all the more worthwhile? After fighting an enemy like Orochimaru, and witnessing the fiercest battles of the ninja world on the battlefield of Amegakure, the boy's perspective has broadened considerably.

This is not,

Sasuke, who had been listless, suddenly perked up, his gaze fixed intently on Yakumo, who was sitting diagonally opposite him drinking a beverage. Clearly, after everything that had happened, Sasuke was... well, the Uchiha boy had always had high aspirations, and he had been trying to challenge Yakumo all along, though he hadn't won a single time so far.

"Give me back my true self! How can you leave me out of this kind of thing?"

As expected, the tooth popped out.

Regardless of his skill level, this spirited young man, who knows nothing of retreat, certainly deserves praise for his courage.

While the boys and girls of Konoha were enthusiastically discussing the Chunin Exams, far away in the northern part of the Land of Earth, in a desolate mountainous region, a hidden base had been built by hollowing out the thick mountainside.

The mastermind behind this base was none other than Orochimaru, the mastermind behind the 'hundred dens of cunning snakes'.

This is just one of Orochimaru's many bases.

"Dong dong."

The red-haired girl stood at the door and knocked.

"Is that Karin? Come in!"

A slightly hoarse voice came from inside the room. Karin gently pushed open the door and saw Shiro hunched over the table, engrossed in his studies. The candle on the table was about to burn out, and in the flickering candlelight, Shiro's slender figure was projected onto the wall behind him.

"Bai, everything is ready."

Karin said softly.

At the same time, he tiptoed forward and lit a new candle for Bai.

"Are you ready? Then... I'll be right there." Bai raised his head, rubbed his sore eyes, and the fatigue on his face was visible to the naked eye. The deep dark circles under his eyes and the bloodshot eyes all showed how hard he had been working lately.

Xianglin looked around.

The room was filled with all sorts of books and scrolls, which they had collected and moved from Otogakure and several large bases. It could be said that ninety percent of Orochimaru's research data accumulated over the decades had been gathered together.

Bai has been studying these materials day and night these past few days.