Konoha: I have a clone in One Piece.

Chapter 231 The Exam That Is About to Begin

The entrance to Konoha Village.

After seeing off the people from Kirigakure, things quickly...

Ninjas from Iwagakure and Amegakure came here together.

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, accompanied by his apprentice Deidara, granddaughter Kurotsuchi, several guards, and young Iwa ninja participating in the competition, slowly landed at the entrance of Konoha Village, stepping on clods of earth floating in mid-air.

Meanwhile, Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, strangely stepped onto a floating clod of earth and landed shortly afterward.

"Huh? When did those two families get together?"

Minato Namikaze frowned almost imperceptibly.

The technique that Hanzo and his group of Salamander from Amegakure were stepping on was undoubtedly the Light-Heavy Rock Technique of the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki.

But Amegakure and Iwagakure had a fierce conflict during World War II!

As the two groups of people gradually approached, Minato Namikaze quickly suppressed his doubts and put on a friendly smile, warmly greeting them:

"Lord Tsuchikage, Senior Hanzo."

"Welcome to Konoha Village!"

"snort."

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, snorted coldly, showing no kindness towards Minato Namikaze, who had inflicted enormous losses on Iwagakure during the Third Shinobi World War.

He didn't even glance at Minato Namikaze, his gaze fixed directly on the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and he said coldly:

"What are you Konoha up to this time?"

"The Chunin Exams? I'm afraid it's not that simple. Don't tell me it's for peace and friendly exchanges in the ninja world. That kind of talk is only good for idiots."

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi first glanced at the embarrassed Minato Namikaze, exchanging a look with the Fourth Hokage. Then, he slowly turned his head to look at the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, and smiled kindly:

"Lord Tsuchikage is overthinking it."

"We in Konoha simply want to invite you to sit down and have a good talk. Only then can the ninja world have hope for peace."

"...Heh, interesting."

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, stared into Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes and discerned the unspoken meaning behind his fellow Hokage's words.

What is it that requires the Five Great Ninja Villages, or even some other forces, to confront?

Is that thing from the Land of Demons about to come out again?

Or is it the Rinnegan of the Akatsuki?

still is……

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, pondered for a moment, several possibilities popping into his mind, but he rejected them all in his heart.

Then, he gave the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, a meaningful look, and said in a deep voice:

"Alright."

"Let's sit together then."

"Haha, okay! I'll show you around Konoha first."

Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed loudly, then shouted to Minato Namikaze, who was serving Hanzo the Salamander:

"Minato, Lord Hanzo, Lord Tsuchikage and I will go in first."

"OK."

Minato Namikaze smiled and nodded, then continued chatting with Hanzo the Salamander.

Minato Namikaze, who greatly respected his seniors, and Hanzo Sanshoku, who greatly admired his outstanding juniors, were having a very enthusiastic discussion.

The two talked about everything from past wars to later treasures, then to the current situation in the ninja world, and finally to the Akatsuki organization.

Minato Namikaze unabashedly exclaimed in praise:

"Hanzo-senpai, I heard you've driven the Akatsuki to the Land of Grass? That's impressive! No wonder you're called a legendary demigod of the ninja world!"

"Hahahaha... No, no, there's no legend at all. It's just the ninjas' flattery."

Hearing the young Hokage's warm praise, Hanzo of the Salamander laughed heartily.

"No, you can even repel the Rinnegan. Without a doubt, you are the strongest ninja in the world today!"

"No, no, no... I am just an old man who is about to die. The future belongs to you young people."

"I truly admire Hanzo-senpai for his immense strength and his remarkable humility!"

"No, no, no... You can be in your twenties and already..."

"..."

The two boasted to each other for quite a while.

After recounting their respective achievements and outstanding performances, Minato Namikaze and Hanzo Salamander exchanged a smile.

Soon, they entered Konoha Village together.

……

That evening.

Konoha Village welcomed its most bustling and lively night in history.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, entertained the leaders of various factions, showing them around the beautiful scenery and delicious food of Konoha Village.

Inside the Hokage's office, however, all was quiet.

The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, along with Orochimaru and Tsunade (one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha), and two retiring high-ranking officials from Konoha, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, sat quietly around a desk, their eyes fixed on a document on the table.

a long time.

Orochimaru chuckled, breaking the silence:

"Heh, so this is the force that Jiraiya has always been wary of?"

"To think that sage could die so quietly, the Ninja World News reports... the Land of Waves... interesting."

Orochimaru, who had just learned of this astonishing news from the gate of Namikaze Minato, lowered his head slightly and narrowed his eyes after speaking, seemingly lost in thought.

"snort."

Tsunade crossed her arms and snorted coldly, then looked at Minato Namikaze with displeasure and reprimanded him mercilessly:

"Now that you know this, why haven't you called that idiot Jiraiya back yet?"

"The Great Toad Sage is dead. You should understand how dangerous the Land of Waves is right now!"

"Yes, I understand."

Minato Namikaze gave a wry smile, then slowly explained:

"It's not that I didn't inform the teacher, but as you know, Tsunade-senpai, he won't turn back until he hits a brick wall."

"Even though I repeatedly reminded him, Jiraiya-sensei still wanted to investigate the Land of Waves in advance to find out what kind of enemy we would face in the future."

"This is a good thing!"

Mitokado Homura praised Jiraiya's actions, expressing his approval:

"Isn't the Will of Fire that Hiruzen spoke of embodied in someone like Jiraiya?"

"Don't worry too much."

"We ninjas are ultimately different from the summoning beasts of Mount Myōboku. With Jiraiya's strength, even if he encounters danger, he should be fine. A few years ago in the Land of Rain, he encountered the Rinnegan, the legendary Mythical Zoan, and those two mysterious and powerful beings, yet he still returned safely, didn't he?"

"Indeed, that kid seems carefree, but he's actually very meticulous."

Koharu Utatane nodded, then looked at the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and changed the subject, saying:

"Watergate".

"The four Kage and Hanzo of the Salamander have all arrived in Konoha now. When do you plan to confront them and make things clear?"

"When...?"

Minato Namikaze lowered his eyes, pondered for a moment, then raised his head to look at everyone and said in a deep voice:

"With just a prophecy, Onoki and the others probably won't believe us."

"Let's wait until Jiraiya-sensei comes back. The Chunin Exams have been going on for so long, he should have enough time to investigate something."

……

Meanwhile, in Konoha Village, at the Root Base.

In the dark and damp underground base, only a few Root members are now guarding it.

Gone was the solemnity and silence of the past; instead, it appeared somewhat desolate.

Having failed to recruit yet again, Shimura Danzo entered the base. Upon seeing this scene, he couldn't help but sigh, shake his head, and say with a wry smile:

"Sigh... there are fewer and fewer people left in the roots."

"My so-called leader of the root is almost a dead man."

Soon, after receiving only a few respectful greetings, Shimura Danzo returned to his room.

Looking at his desk, which hadn't been replaced in who knows how long and was now damp and decaying, Shimura Danzo could no longer contain his anger and growled in a low voice:

"Damn it! Damn it!"

"It's all Minato Namikaze's fault!"

"If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have ended up in this state!"

Several years ago, Root was stripped of its training qualifications for the Anbu. Furthermore, at the instigation of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, all the ninja clans began to ostracize Danzo. Even at the orphanage, Minato Namikaze forcibly cut off Danzo's henchmen.

This is not the most critical.

If that's all there is to it, then the roots can continue to survive.

Most importantly, Minato Namikaze's disciple, the Konoha Village rogue ninja Obito Uchiha, relied on his possession of Danzo Shimura's secret to always come to Root to harass them, either by taking away experimental subjects or by assigning research tasks that Root had to complete.

In recent years, Danzo Shimura has been working himself to the bone, using all sorts of means to make money and recruit people, almost driving the Shimura clan to extinction.

However, the situation at the root has not improved much; not only are there fewer and fewer people, but there is also a severe shortage of funds.

As the leader, Shimura Danzo hasn't even changed his desk in over a year.

boom! ! !

Danzo Shimura grew angrier the more he thought about it, and suddenly smashed the table he didn't like.

Then, looking at the large pile of wood chips scattered on the ground, he couldn't help but feel heartbroken.

"Sigh... Oh well, I'll just have someone make a stone table for me later."

Danzo Shimura sighed, then remembered another worrying matter:

"I wonder if those wandering ninjas outside are any good enough..."

With that, Shimura Danzo plopped down in a chair, sighing in a defiant manner:

"Well, I've already sent Yamanaka Fu to get the exam papers. Hopefully, among those wandering ninjas, there will be a few who are barely qualified to become Root members."

……

On the other side, Suzuki's old house.

In the brightly lit kitchen, five people sat around a dining table, enjoying the delicious food carefully prepared by Kabuto Yakushi.

Suddenly, Suzuki, who was eating, stopped what he was doing, turned his head to look in the direction of the Hokage's office, then looked in the direction of the Root base, and his expression gradually became serious.

Seeing this, Kabuto thought he hadn't cooked the food well enough, and said nervously:

"Lord Suzuki, is the food not to your liking?"

Madara Uchiha, Haku, and Kimimaro also looked over.

Suzuki withdrew his gaze, glanced at the group, then looked at Kabuto Yakushi and said with a light laugh:

"No, I just suddenly saw some of Karami's schemes."

As he spoke, Suzuki picked up a slice of meat with his chopsticks and praised it:

"Your skills are quite good. As expected of a genius ninja who studied medical ninjutsu with Nono, your knife skills are extraordinary. The meat slices are cut to the perfect thickness, and the cooking time is also very good."

"Thanks!"

The pharmacist breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and bowed.

"Hehe, why don't you sit down and eat too?"

Suzuki smiled, and then, while eating, used his vast and boundless Observation Haki to sense the location of the mountain wind.

……

Time quickly passed to the next day.

Early in the morning, Kushina Uzumaki's deafening roar echoed from the home of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

"Naruto!!!"

"What time is it? Why aren't you up yet?!"

In an instant.

The wooden planks in the wall have cracked!

"Ahhhhh—"

Immediately following was Naruto Namikaze's agonizing screams of pain.

"What are you yelling about? Get up!"

Kushina Uzumaki transformed one of her arms into a beast's claw and yanked her son off the bed.

Held high in the air, Naruto covered his ears, looking at his mother with a terrified expression. His face showed a hint of unease as he sheepishly said:

"Get up, get up."

"Mommy, can you be a little gentler next time?"

"ha?"

Kushina Uzumaki's red hair fluttered, and her pupils had somehow transformed into beast-like eyes. She stared directly at Naruto, a forced smile on her face, and said:

"you mean……"

"Am I not gentle enough?"

"No!"

Naruto shook his little head rapidly, smiling ingratiatingly:

"What I mean is, Mom, you're the gentlest mom in the world!"

"snort."

Kushina Uzumaki snorted coldly, but a smile appeared on her lips. She put Naruto down and then said:

"Even if you're sweet-talking, it won't work. Get up now."

"We're heading to the exam hall soon. Gaara, the guy you just met yesterday, came to wait for you early this morning."

"Huh? Gaara's here?"

Naruto's eyes widened, then he nodded and said:

"I understand, Mom."

Done.

He quickly dressed and ran out the door, ignoring even Kushina Uzumaki's calls from behind.

"Wait...you haven't had breakfast yet..."

"I can just buy it outside~"

……

Not long after.

The examination hall for the first session of the Chunin Exams in Konoha Village.

Ninjas from all over the ninja world, representing various major forces, gathered here.

Naruto and Gaara, along with Kushina Uzumaki and Karura, the wife of the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, soon arrived outside the examination hall.

"Wow!"

Naruto pointed in surprise to the Sand Ninja who were resting and waiting on their swift ducks under the shade of a tree on the left side of the hall, and exclaimed:

"Look, Gaara!"

"That's a ninja from your Sunagakure village, right? What a cool mount!"

Unlike Konoha, where the running ducks are mostly kept as pets by children, the Sand Village does not.

This was the first time Naruto had ever seen a running duck completely covered in armor.

The metal shell gleams coldly in the sunlight, and paired with the handsome knight on the duck's back, it looks like a kingdom guard who has stepped out of a comic book.

His handsome and cool appearance made Naruto's eyes sparkle.

"yes."

Gaara smiled and nodded, then, seeing the envious looks on his friends' faces, he waved his hand and said generously:

"Once I become the Wind Shadow, I'll give you the best mount!"

Naruto's little face immediately lit up with joy, and he then suddenly hugged Gaara beside him, laughing and thanking him profusely:

"Okay, okay!"

"Thank you, Gaara."

"When I become Hokage, I'll give you... um..."

Naruto thought for a while, but couldn't think of any special products from Konoha Village, so he gritted his teeth and shouted:

"I'll treat you to Ichiraku Ramen for a year!"

"Okay, it's a deal!"

Gaara and Naruto Namikaze made a serious pinky promise.

Children often share their favorite things with their close friends.

Beside them, Kushina and Karura, the two mothers, exchanged a smile.

Then, the four of them looked at the candidates who had come to participate in the Chunin Exams.

Outside the examination hall, there were not only Sand Village ninjas riding fast ducks participating in the competition.

There were also the Cloud Ninja followed by armed baboons, the Mist Ninja lurking in a corner in a large, unapproachable mass, and the Iwa Ninja inexplicably chatting and laughing with the Rain Ninja...

Some smaller ninja villages, such as the Grass Ninja, Star Ninja, and Craftsman Ninja, also came here.

even……

"Wow!"

Naruto's exclamation rang out again.

He pointed his little finger at a group of cold-blooded swordsmen carrying longswords and shouted excitedly:

"Gaara, look! A swordsman... he's so cool!"

Upon hearing the term "swordsman," which was quite different from "ninja," Gaara, Kushina Uzumaki, and Karura couldn't help but turn their heads to look.

It was on the right side of the examination hall.

Several young swordsmen from the Land of Iron stood not far from the entrance, carrying longswords on their backs and with cold expressions.

Their imposing aura and aloof expressions created an empty circle around them, with no one daring to approach within ten meters.

"Tsk tsk..."

Kushina Uzumaki looked at the swordsmen of the Land of Iron with great interest, then sighed to Karura beside her:

"I've long heard that a different training method than chakra has appeared in the Land of Iron. It's said to be a path that specializes in swordsmanship. But that place used to be almost an impregnable fortress. Very few people went in, and very few came out."

"I didn't expect the Chunin Exams to attract them all, hahaha..."

"Yes, judging from his aura, he's no ordinary person."

Gallo nodded and also sighed.

……

Not long after.

With only about ten minutes left before the exam started.

Madara Uchiha, accompanied by Kabuto Yakushi, Haku, and Kimimaro, strolled into the examination hall as if they were on vacation.

After glancing at the crowd around him, Madara Uchiha's gaze fell on Sasuke Uchiha in the crowd.

Then he said to the others beside him, including Kabuto Yakushi:

"I'll be right there."

"If the exam starts, you don't need to wait for me, just go in by yourselves, okay?"

"Okay, I understand, Brother Ban."