Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

"Hey, he's awake?"

Naruto's Servant Contract had a built-in alert system, so it notified him the moment Orochimaru regained consciousness.

He was just about to go look for Sasuke, but was pleasantly surprised by Orochimaru's timely recovery.

Naruto had been a bit troubled earlier. After all, if Sasuke stormed off in despair and Orochimaru couldn't be found, things would spiral into chaos.

Naruto even considered using a shadow clone combined with Transformation Technique to disguise himself as Orochimaru, so that he can stall Sasuke until the real Orochimaru woke up.

Now that Orochimaru has woken up, it couldn't be better.

Without hesitation, Naruto dashed straight to the inn where Orochimaru was staying.

Knock, knock, knock!

Naruto knocked on the door.

Before long, the door opened, and Orochimaru invited him in.

"Naruto-kun, come in, have a seat. I'll make us some tea." Orochimaru said with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.

No wonder he was in a good mood. After all, obtaining the body of an Otsutsuki had largely resolved his body-swapping issues.

"Enough with the formalities, just sit down. I have something to discuss with you." Naruto said, waving him off.

"What instructions do you have for me, Naruto-kun?" Orochimaru asked with a curious gleam in his eyes.

Orochimaru's eyes had already reverted to their slitted pupils. While Naruto couldn't be sure what methods Orochimaru had used, those eyes gave him an unsettling feeling, as though he was being seen through.

The combination of the Byakugan and the Rinnegan was indeed extraordinary.

Compared to the old Orochimaru, this new version exuded a mysterious aura.

Naruto flipped open the Servant Contract Book, and Orochimaru's updated stats revealed several new abilities, all of them tied to the unique powers of the Byakugan and Rinnegan.

Each of these powers was something any Shinobi would kill for.

But the most overpowered ability was undoubtedly the Kekkei Mora!

The Kekkei Mora was a power that transcended both Kekkei Genkai and Kekkei Tota, fusing the seven nature transformations: Fire, Wind, Earth, Water, Lightning, Yin, and Yang.

Seeing Orochimaru's maxed-out attribute panel, Naruto couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

Better physical attributes mean more room for improvement and more potential.

But the envy was fleeting, and Naruto quickly regained his composure.

No matter how strong Orochimaru became, he was still a servant. The stronger Orochimaru grew, the better it was for Naruto.

Besides, Naruto has the system, which means he has unlimited potential in the true sense, so there is no need for him to envy Orochimaru.

After organizing his thoughts, Naruto spoke again, "Here's the thing: the time is right. Staying in Konoha serves no purpose for you now. You should return to your base and continue your research."

"And what about you?" Orochimaru asked. "Are you planning to leave Konoha too? Your identity makes it tricky to leave, unless you're planning to become a Missing-nin as well?"

Naruto waved his hand and said, "I have my own arrangements. Don't worry about me. Focus on your research and let me know your results. Oh, and you don't need to pack up just yet. Sasuke will come here shortly. Take him with you when you leave."

"Very well. I wish you the best of luck, Naruto-kun." Orochimaru said without asking further.

On second thought, Orochimaru realized that it wouldn't be difficult for Naruto to leave Konoha. After all, Sandaime was also one of Naruto's servants, so a fabricated mission could easily justify Naruto's departure.

After saying goodbye to Orochimaru, Naruto headed to third training grounds.

As expected, Sasuke was still there, rigorously honing his skills.

"Yo! What wind blows you my way today?"

Catching Naruto out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke flickered away from the lake and appeared beside him.

Naruto shook his head in exasperation. Sasuke was getting cheekier by the day, behaving nothing like the vengeful avenger he was supposed to be.

At first, Naruto had felt a twinge of guilt about deceiving Sasuke with his elaborate 'performance'. But now, that guilt was entirely gone.

'Sasuke needed to experience hardship. Only through tragedy could he grow stronger faster.'

"Stop training for a bit; I discovered a secret. Come with me." Naruto whispered mysteriously into Sasuke's ear.

"Huh?"

Sasuke's interest was instantly piqued. Since Naruto considered it a secret, he felt that it was bound to be something significant.

He turned toward Neji, who is still training in the lake, and waved, "You should keep at it. Naruto and I are stepping out for a bit. We'll be back soon."

After saying that, he gave Naruto an 'ok' gesture, indicating that there was no problem and they could set off.

'Will be back soon?'

Naruto couldn't help but chuckled in his heart.

'I'm afraid this soon could be as short as a year or as long as countless years!'

As they left the training grounds, Sasuke asked curiously, "Naruto, what's this secret about?"

"Here's the thing: my Sharingan has evolved into the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan."

Naruto barely began explaining when Sasuke interrupted in shock, "What? Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan? How is that possible?!"

'It hadn't been that long, and Naruto's Sharingan had already evolved again? It's too terrifying.'

Sasuke was completely dumbfounded.

After all, despite his grueling daily training, he was still at the two-tomoe. And advancing to the three-tomoe Sharingan felt like an insurmountable task.

'Comparing yourself to others is really frustrating!'

"Don't interrupt me. Let me finish."

Naruto continued, "With the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, I hit a bottleneck. Progress feels impossible. So, I figured there might be records within the Uchiha Clan about further evolution and decided to investigate."

"Did you find any records?" Sasuke asked, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"Of course not. If such records existed, every Uchiha would be running around with Mangekyo Sharingan. At that time, conquering the Shinobi World would've been a piece of cake." Naruto replied with a shrug.

"That makes sense... So, what's the secret you found?" Sasuke asked, his enthusiasm dimmed a little.

Naruto explained, "I didn't find anything in the Uchiha Clan's compound, but I learned that the Uchiha used to hold secret gatherings at the Naka Shrine. I thought there might be something hidden there, so I went to investigate. At the shrine, I discovered a concealed underground chamber that only a Sharingan user can access. It's nearly impossible to break into otherwise."

"An underground chamber? There's such a place?" Sasuke was very surprised.

Naruto nodded slightly, "When I entered that place, I found a stone tablet inscribed with records."

"For it to be hidden so well... It must be the true secret of the Uchiha. What does it say?" Sasuke's curiosity was completely aroused.

Naruto shrugged and said helplessly, "I couldn't understand most of it, but it's undoubtedly a record. At the very beginning, I saw the words 'Sharingan' written in plain text. It seems to be a special encoding method used by the Uchiha. That's why I came to find you. I hope you can decipher it. If we crack this secret, it might lead to a groundbreaking transformation for us both."

"The clan indeed has a history of using special codes for vital information, especially for Sharingan-related secrets. There's no time to waste… let's pick up the pace!"

Sasuke urged excitedly.

For Sasuke, uncovering the clan's hidden knowledge wasn't just a step toward personal growth… it was also essential for the revival of the Uchiha Clan. The depth of a clan's history was crucial to its identity.

Moreover, if the tablet truly held secrets about the Sharingan, it might pave the way for his own advancement.

The more Sasuke thought about it, the more excited he became. His steps quickened with renewed vigor.

Naruto, who was trailing behind Sasuke, couldn't help but flash a mischievous smile.

Even though it was just an elaborate act, Naruto was determined to perform flawlessly. The key to a successful deception was leaving no room for doubt, even in hindsight.

That's what it truly meant to be an actor extraordinaire.