Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

"How did the exam go?"

Kakashi smiled when he saw Naruto and the other two coming towards him.

Despite Ibiki being the proctor for the first exam, Kakashi had faith in their abilities and didn't expect any issues.

"Not going well."

Naruto waved his hand and said, "Sakura, you should explain."

Sakura nodded and recounted everything that had happened in the exam room from start to finish without adding any embellishments.

Hearing this, Kakashi was stunned.

"Ah… you three really went all out."

He sighed deeply, trying to process what they'd done, 'Not only did Naruto take the lead in asking all the candidates to leave, he also demanded that the Chunin Exams to be restarted. He'd truly stirred up a storm.'

"I understand the situation now, and I have no problem submitting your request. However, I think this will be tough to get approved." Kakashi mused.

Naruto was a little confused, "Why can't it be approved?"

"The Chunin Exams has its own unique set of rules that can't be changed at will," Kakashi explained.

"Hehe... rules?"

Naruto immediately chuckled, "If they're rules, then they're created by people. Rules are fixed, but people aren't. If people set them, they can change them!"

Kakashi shook his head and said, "This involves other villages as well. It's not something that can be explained in just a few words. I'm just letting you know to be prepared."

"I know you mean well, but trust me, it'll work out."

Naruto waved his hand, looking extremely confident.

In fact, after hearing what Kakashi said, Naruto felt a bit annoyed.

It reminded him of his previous life in school, where teachers would tell students to treat the school like their home when it came to taking care of it, yet when a student made a mistake, they'd say, 'You think this is your house?!'

From that time on, Naruto knew very well that rules are made by people.

The strong set the rules, and the weak follow them.

With enough influence, any rule could be changed!

If he could get every candidate to convince their team leader to sign the petition, even if Sandaime stood firm, he wouldn't risk angering everyone.

Before long, Naruto had Kakashi's signature.

After saying goodbye to Kakashi, Naruto told Sakura she could head home first, while he took Sasuke back to his place.

"So, what's on your mind?" Sasuke asked. He wasn't concerned about anything else, just Naruto's plans.

Naruto took out paper and pen, sketching for a while before leaning back in his chair and said, "We're constantly under surveillance here in Konoha, and you probably sense it too. I think it's time you left the village."

"Leave Konoha? And where would I go?" Sasuke asked hesitantly.

He knew about the surveillance, and he'd always held back because of it. But even so, he had never considered leaving Konoha. He was already alone, and leaving Konoha would only make his life more difficult.

Naruto took out the Servant Contract, flipped to the first page, and pointed to a photo on it and said, "This is Orochimaru, my first servant. When you leave Konoha, you'll go to him."

"What? Orochimaru!"

Sasuke was stunned.

When he was in the Academy, he'd learned about Orochimaru's history.

'Orochimaru was a major figure, hailed as one of the Legendary Sannin, possessing incredible strength and talent. But hadn't he defected from Konoha long ago? How did Naruto even meet Orochimaru, let alone make him a servant?'

"So, does that mean you're even stronger than Orochimaru?"

Sasuke asked in disbelief.

"Don't worry about it. Just tell me whether you are going or not?" Naruto demanded firmly.

Naruto felt that Sasuke is still not strong enough at the moment, so there is no need to let him know so many things. This way, he could focus solely on growing stronger.

"I'm going, of course!" Sasuke nodded heavily.

There is no doubt that he will be able to grow better by following Orochimaru.

"Alright then. Since you've decided, I'll get in touch with Orochimaru soon."

After thinking for a moment, Naruto added, "Let me give you a heads-up. Training under him will be grueling, and I don't want you to give up halfway. As a reward, once you reach the level he expects, I'll tell you how to attain higher levels of the Sharingan, and I'll tell you more about Itachi."

"Deal!"

At the mention of Itachi, Sasuke's excitement surged, filling him with renewed determination. He had made up his mind that no matter how tough the training might be, he would endure it all for the sake of revenge.

After being excited for a while, Sasuke asked, "So, Naruto, what's your next move?"

"I've got some loose ends to tie up. Once that's done, I'll be leaving Konoha, too!"

Naruto handed Sasuke the paper he'd been sketching on earlier.

"Take a look, it highlights the things you'll need to keep in mind."

Naruto advised.

For Naruto, his future plans were simple: go wherever he could to sign in and collect rewards. But for now, the information on this paper was crucial, as it covered important points about the upcoming Chunin Exams.

Before he leaves Konoha completely, he will always be under Konoha's surveillance, so Naruto knew he had to be cautious in every step he took.

He'd been careless earlier, forgetting that the Chunin Exams required teams of three. Moving forward, he couldn't afford such oversights or any more blunders in the details.

After all, he had the knowledge of the original plot. Making rookie mistakes and losing due to neglect would be a shameful outcome for a transmigrator like him.

Naruto spent a full hour explaining every detail, ensuring Sasuke fully understood. By the time they finished, it was getting dark.

"Alright, that's about it. Let's head to the gathering."

Naruto checked the time and prompted Sasuke.

During their earlier dismissal from the exam hall, they had agreed that all candidates would reconvene there at six o'clock to submit their signed petition.

By the time Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura met up and arrived at the exam venue, it was already 5:58 PM.

The exam venue at this moment is as crowded as it had been before the exam, packed with candidates.

The only difference now was the lack of hostility in people's expressions. In fact, many were already chatting casually.

Clap! Clap!

Naruto clapped his hands to get everyone's attention and spoke up, "It's getting late, so let's skip the small talk. Each village should designate a representative to compile the signatures of their candidates. Shortly, I'll lead the representatives to meet with Hokage-sama."

With so many people, the Hokage's Office would be cramped if they all went in at once. Moreover, an argument could easily break out with so many voices involved.

Sending capable representatives would make the negotiation easier.

Among the candidates, 30 were from Sunagakure, 21 from Amegakure, 15 from Kusagakure, 12 from Takigakure, 72 from Konoha, and 3 from Otogakure, totaling 153 candidates, with six representatives chosen.

Konoha had the most Shinobi, but surprisingly there was no dispute. They all agreed to let Naruto be the representative.

As a Konoha's Shinobi, no one wanted to risk offending the Hokage.

And since Naruto had been the one to initiate this rebellion, he didn't mind taking on this extra blame.

After each representative had gathered their signatures, Naruto waved his hand confidently and declared, "Let's move out… for our Chunin Exams!"

"Charge…"