Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

Just as Konoha Village was shrouded in a layer of white snow, the Chunin Exams, an unprecedented event in which representatives from all ninja villages across the entire ninja world had come to participate, finally sounded the starting horn. Nearly six hundred genin from all ninja villages across the entire ninja world, including the five great ninja villages, arrived at the gate of Training Ground No. 15, located in the southwest corner of Konoha Village, before nine o'clock, following the route on their admission tickets.

Through that ring of barbed wire,

You can see the specific features of this No. 15 exercise field.

"Stone forest terrain?"

Kurama Yakumo stood on tiptoe, straining to see the dense forest of stone pillars within the barbed wire fence.

Although she was a native of Konoha, the village was really huge, and the girls' activity range was actually very limited. They usually trained in open training grounds, and she had never been to a closed training ground like this one, which was only open when needed.

and so,

These local bullies don't actually have any advantage in terms of terrain.

"It doesn't seem very big?"

Uchiha Fujika activated her Sharingan, which was still only at the single-tomoe level, to see. Although it couldn't see as far as the Hyuga clan's Byakugan, it still saw much farther than the naked eye. "There seems to be something colorful in there. It looks a bit like colorful pennants? Speaking of which... is the first round of exams being held in such a small training ground? How are these five or six hundred people supposed to move around?"

As he spoke,

The wisteria flower withdrew its gaze from the distance and looked around.

Good guy,

Looking around, there were people everywhere, from all over the country, wearing headbands with different symbols and dressed in a dazzling array of clothes. The genin were gathered like sardines at the entrance of Training Ground No. 15. Fortunately, the open space at the entrance was big enough, otherwise it would not have been able to accommodate five or six hundred people.

"Colorful flags? Perhaps our exam content is related to the colorful flags you saw, Fujika." Yakumo said thoughtfully, already having some guesses about the exam he was about to face. Just as Fujika said, this No. 15 training ground is only so big, and there don't seem to be many ways to quickly screen these five or six hundred people.

"Capture the flag?"

"Itsuki Hotaru asked in a low voice."

"That's probably it."

Yakumo nodded. "I just don't know what the specific rules are like."

Capture the flag.

It sounds pretty simple.

However, there are quite a few tricks involved, and we'll have to wait until the examiners show up to see how this exam will unfold.

At this moment—

"Hey, long time no see, Yakumo." A rather flippant greeting came from the side.

A white-haired, purple-eyed boy with a frivolous smile on his face violently pushed through the crowd. When the Kusagakure genin noticed the Mist Ninja headband on the boy's forehead, they wisely chose to swallow their anger and step aside.

"...Water Moon?"

Yakumo blinked, momentarily stunned, but quickly regained her composure. It was only natural that her friend, with whom she had once played, would participate in the Chunin Exams, because she knew Suigetsu's abilities.

She smiled and nodded in response:

"You're here too!"

How could I possibly miss out on such a lively event?

Hozuki Suigetsu smiled arrogantly, revealing sharp teeth that resembled those of a shark.

"The Chunin Exams are being held by all five major ninja villages. If I missed such a lively event, I would definitely regret it to the point of gritting my teeth... And Fujika and Hotaru, it's been a long time since I've seen you two!" As she spoke, she waved and greeted the two girls standing next to Yakumo.

"Hello."

Ying responded politely and then said no more.

Unlike Yakumo and Fujika, who had met Suigetsu when they visited Kirigakure with Sogen as children, Hotaru first met Hozuki Suigetsu five years ago in Daimyofu. They weren't strangers, but they were clearly not as familiar as Yakumo and Fujika.

"Water Moon!"

Fujika also realized what was happening. Her already cheerful mood was further enhanced by meeting an old friend. She excitedly ran forward and patted Suigetsu's shoulder hard, "When did you come to Konoha?! You didn't even tell me! Let's go eat barbecue together!"

For Teng Hua, Shui Yue was a rare and like-minded good friend.

Both of them love to have fun and join in the fun; they're the kind of people who can watch someone swearing with great interest from beginning to end.

"There's nothing I can do! This isn't a trip to Konoha for fun. I sneaked out to talk to my older brother, but that old geezer Ao lectured me for an hour. My head was about to explode. I'll wait until the Chunin Exams are over! Then I should have time to properly explore Konoha. It feels like it's been years since I've been here, and a lot has changed!"

Shuiyue spread her hands helplessly and said.

"Sure! I'll be your tour guide then."

Teng Hua patted Shui Yue's shoulder hard again, causing the latter to grimace.

"Shuiyue, are these two your teammates?"

Yakumo spoke up at the opportune moment, his gaze fixed on the two boys and girls wearing Mist Ninja headbands who had walked over with Suigetsu. The two were staring at Hozuki Suigetsu, who was arm in arm with a Konoha ninja, with extremely sharp eyes, and the faint killing intent they exuded was quite frightening.

"Oh! I almost forgot." Mizuki chuckled dryly, clearly noticing the burning gazes of her teammates that seemed to pierce her back. She quickly reached out to introduce them to Yakumo and the others, "Shimizu Mikan and Karatachi Rokuro are my teammates."

Then he turned around,

Then he introduced Yakumo and the others to his teammates.

“Mikan, Rokuro, these are Kurama Yakumo, Uchiha Touka, and Tsuchigumo Hotaru. They are friends I used to know.”

"Rokuro Gojibana, please take care of me."

The boy who spoke was a bit short, with green hair and purple eyes. He looked quite handsome, but what was most striking about him was not his appearance or height, but the ninja tool that looked like an enlarged sewing needle that he carried on his back.

It looks like,

It looks a bit like one of the Six Ninja Swords of Kirigakure.

Ever since Samehada was taken by Sogen, the Kirigakure have tried to get it back over the years, both openly and secretly, but unfortunately, it was destined to be impossible. Sogen never gave up on Samehada, even though it could no longer provide him with the same benefits.

But I can't use it myself.

This does not mean that the family does not need it.

Let Samehada, such a useful chakra power bank, become a family heirloom along with the Flame Fan!

After Kirigakure gave up, the so-called Seven Ninja Swordsmen gradually disappeared and became the Six Ninja Swordsmen. At least among the young people of Yakumo's generation, very few people had heard of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

"I'm Shimizu Mikan, hello everyone!"

The sweet-smiling girl greeted everyone. This tall girl... didn't carry any strange-looking ninja tools, but the surname Shimizu alone was enough to show that the girl was extraordinary. The Shimizu clan's status in Kirigakure was no less than that of the Hyuga clan in Konoha, and to be precise, even better.

At least,

Kirigakure is currently comprised of several powerful clans, unlike Konoha where the Uchiha clan stands alone at the top, overshadowing all other clans.

"I am Yakumo Kurama, it's a pleasure to meet you both."

"I can't help but say that," Yakumo said politely.

Then Fujika and Hotaru also gave brief introductions of themselves.

Then--

"Kurama? I've heard of him! If I remember correctly, your clan is said to have a bloodline limit on par with the Sharingan of the Uchiha? Is that true?" The moment Fujika finished speaking, the girl named Shimizu Mikan opened her eyes wide, her face innocent, as if she was just asking out of curiosity.

"Whether it is or not, you can try it for yourself."

Yakumo replied with a smile.

In that instant, it was as if they were facing off, and everyone noticed the change in atmosphere.

"what!!!"

Shuiyue slapped her forehead and let out a helpless sigh.

However, before he could speak to ease the unpleasant atmosphere, the time came to nine o'clock, which was the time marked on their admission tickets. Suddenly, white smoke billowed from the barbed wire surrounding Exercise Field No. 15.

Once the smoke dissipates,

A group of Konoha ninjas wearing headbands with leaf symbols and green vests appeared in everyone's sight. A genin skilled in intelligence gathering quickly calculated that there were as many as seventy-two Konoha ninjas who had suddenly appeared.

"Alright, you guys, shut up."

Standing at the very front of a group of Konoha ninjas was a man wearing a black ninja hat, with hideous scars on his face, and dressed in a distinctive black trench coat. He was speaking into a microphone, and his cold, knife-like gaze intimidated the buzzing genin below.

"Listen up, all of you. I am Ibiki Morino, the chief examiner for the first round of the Chunin Selection Exams."

His voice came clearly from the loudspeakers everywhere, ensuring that all the nearly six hundred genin present could hear him accurately.

"Enough with the small talk, I'll now announce the rules of the exam. Don't worry too much, this exam isn't complicated. I believe you've already noticed the 15th training ground behind me. This is your exam room, and the exam content is to snatch fifty colorful flags that we've placed in the exam room beforehand."

"All you have to do is rush into the center of the training ground, take a colorful flag, and bring it out of the training ground within an hour of the start of the exam. That will be considered passing the exam."

"This No. 15 training ground has two hundred gates, each numbered sequentially. The one I'm standing on is gate number one. You just need to find the corresponding gate according to the number on your admission ticket, and then... wait until 9:30, when the bell rings, you can rush in and grab the colorful flags."

"Let me remind you a few more things, and you all remember them: there are only fifty flags. Each team only needs to bring out one flag. You are not allowed to maliciously damage flags that are not yet owned, nor are you allowed to take two or three extra flags. Each team only needs one flag. Whether you bring more or less, it will be considered a failure."

rule,

The explanation was very clear.

Intelligent people have already realized the cruelty of this seemingly simple exam.

"Fifty colorful flags... does that mean only a maximum of fifty teams can pass this round of testing?" In the bustling crowd, Sakura, standing with Naruto and Sasuke, instantly understood the cruelty of this test.

If we were a step too late,

No matter how capable you are, you can't pass the exam.

"Naruto, I'll grab the flag. You and Sakura cover me," Sasuke suggested.

"no problem."

Naruto patted his chest.

"Ah."

Sakura nodded as well.

······

"...It's not allowed to maliciously damage unclaimed flags, which means it's okay to damage flags that have been picked up by someone? Hey, if that's the case, there probably won't be even fifty squads that can pass the test." Kankuro also understood the malice contained in this almost explicit rule.

simply,

It's as if they're deliberately implying that they can fight and attack each other, steal flags from others, or maliciously damage flags to reduce the number of teams that ultimately pass the exam.

"Gaara?"

beside,