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Rong Lin was slightly surprised. Although the rift between the Uchiha and the village wasn't that large at this time, daring to use someone from the Uchiha clan as the chief examiner was enough proof of the Third Hokage's boldness.
It should be known that members of the Uchiha clan were notorious for not following rules; if they wanted to, they dared to do things you'd find unbelievable.
Uchiha Senzai's icy gaze swept over all the candidates, finally settling on Rong Lin. A pair of captivating, mysterious, and bewitching three-tomoe Sharingan eyes made many candidates quickly lower their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.
Among the crowd, only Rong Lin was an exception. Sensing the other's gaze, Rong Lin also activated his Sharingan, the same three tomoe, meeting the other's stare. Since Tsunade had given her guarantee, was there still a need to hide?
There's a time and place for hiding one's strength.
The intel was correct!
Seeing Rong Lin dare to openly activate his Sharingan and meet his gaze, a slight smirk appeared on Uchiha Senzai's lips. He retracted his gaze, staring at the crowd, continuously releasing an icy aura that made those too close to him feel very uncomfortable, forcing them to take a few steps back.
What's this old guy trying to do?
Watching Uchiha Senzai, who had immediately put on a show of force upon arriving, Rong Lin deactivated his Sharingan. But in that brief instant, quite a few people still noticed, and they were instantly shocked.
This brat is actually an Uchiha, and with a three-tomoe Sharingan! Heavens, how old is he!? Could this be the Uchiha clan's secret genius?
Some foreign ninja unfamiliar with Rong Lin's background couldn't help but speculate, while many from Konoha itself showed expressions of disdain, though naturally, there was also jealousy and envy.
Not everyone could possess a three-tomoe Sharingan at the age of eight. Despite being abandoned by the Uchiha and Hyuga, and even somewhat targeted, did that matter? With Tsunade as his backer and his own talent as the foundation, Rong Lin would soar sooner or later.
"Now, everyone listen up! I don't want to repeat this nonsense!!"
Scanning everyone, Uchiha Senzai felt quite satisfied. Except for Rong Lin, everyone else had lowered their heads. Beyond fearing him, it was mostly awe. He didn't care about Rong Lin; geniuses possess their own pride and wouldn't easily bow their heads to anyone.
Uchiha Senzai carried a heavy killing aura (Sha Qi). His originally handsome face was now full of worldly weariness; though only in his thirties, he looked like he was forty. However, the contours of his face revealed he had been very handsome in his youth. But a long scar stretched from his left ear to his right, passing beneath his nose, ruining his features. His appearance gave off a ferocious and terrifying illusion, instilling fear in one's heart.
"I am the chief examiner for your second exam phase. What I want to tell you is, I'm different from other teachers! This is your exam content!!!"
With a wave of his hand, someone brought out a small box. Uchiha Senzai reached in and grabbed a handful of circular tokens that looked very similar to casino chips, except these were made of metal and imprinted with the numbers 100, 50, 20, and 10.
"They have numbers printed on them. Enter the Forest of Death behind me, find these items, and finally gather in the exact center of this area. The ten teams with the highest scores pass the assessment."
Murmurs swept through the crowd. What kind of joke is this? With so many people here, how many does that mean will be eliminated? This exam is way too strict, isn't it?
"Quiet!!!"
A loud shout silenced all the gasps and discussions. Uchiha Senzai continued, "This is me. I'm the chief examiner, and what I say goes! Now, I'll state a few rules. While competing for the tokens, taking human life is forbidden. Of course, you can do it, provided you don't let me find out. Otherwise... heheh."
His cold chuckle gave everyone goosebumps, and no one dared to voice any objections.
'Bunch of cowards!!' Cursing inwardly, Uchiha Senzai then said: "Second, those entering are forbidden from carrying any food. You must rely on yourselves to find sustenance. Those who cannot endure can come to the surrounding fence; crossing the fence counts as elimination."
"Third, the time limit is one week. Everyone, prepare yourselves mentally, because you might die!!!"
"'These Uchiha clan members are truly arrogant.' 'This is too reckless.'"
For a moment, many people watching through monitors couldn't help but comment. Even the good-natured Jiraiya and Tsunade felt uncomfortable, subconsciously looking towards the Third Hokage. Unfortunately, he continued puffing on his pipe, his expression unchanged. He had appointed the examiner; no one could interfere.
The only one who could still smile and find it interesting was Orochimaru.
....
"I know you have many questions. Starting now, I can answer three of your questions. Begin. Once the chance passes, it's gone. More than three won't be answered."
Holding up three fingers, Uchiha Senzai announced loudly.
"...."
The crowd seemed stunned by the previous rules, not expecting it to be like this, so different from usual. They were momentarily dazed; even those who were originally full of confidence looked grim.
"First, when it's all over, if a team is missing members, how will the points be calculated?"
"Second, if a candidate crosses the fence, does it matter if it's voluntary or forced?"
"Third, for this exam, is there a limit on the number who can ultimately pass?"
A voice, dissonant with the atmosphere, came from within the crowd. Everyone paused, turning to look. Rong Lin, sitting off to the side, asked calmly. And just like that, all three questions were asked by him in one breath. This caused the surrounding candidates who had snapped back to reality to glare at him, one after another, with looks that could almost kill.