No one expected this Uchiha clan member to suddenly take action.
One moment, he was all smiles, and the next, he burst into laughter. His mood swings faster than a book turning on a page!
"You Uchiha have crossed the line!"
The leading Jonin from Iwagakure, seated in the stands, looked grim, with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You don't have the authority to teach our village's ninjas a lesson!"
Ginko and Pakura exchanged a glance before Ginko spoke up: "Yes, as the examiner, you've broken the rules by attacking the candidates. We will report your misconduct to the Hokage of Konoha and let him know exactly what you did."
"Oh, go ahead," Uchiha Sogetsu said, releasing the Iwa ninja from his grip.
He looked calmly at the stands and continued, "But I am the examiner for this exam. If Iwagakure provokes the examiner and makes disrespectful remarks, then everyone from Sunagakure ends up dead, and they fail the exam. Do you have any objections to that?"
"What?"
"Everyone in Sunagakure is dead!" The leading Jonin from Iwagakure looked even more somber after hearing this.
The hot-headed Iwa Ninja Murakami Toshito had a fierce glare. He clenched his teeth and snapped angrily, "What did you say? Did you just disqualify Iwagakure?"
Pakura glared at the genin in the audience and asked sternly, "What happened? How come none of you survived?"
Shimizu lowered her head in shame, avoiding eye contact.
"Hmph! Jonin Pakura, no need to ask Shimizu!" Daigo, who recalled what had happened during the genjutsu, seethed with anger. His teeth ground as his eyes flared red.
"This girl abandoned her companions and ran away, and she ended up dead. What a... complete... coward!"
Shimizu bowed her head in embarrassment, unable to refute the accusation. Pakura stood by, observing the scene with a mixture of frustration and disbelief.
"Uchiha Sogetsu, this exam is a joint effort by the three major ninja villages; it's not some Konoha's personal affairs for you to impose Konoha's will," Higashi Shibito, a representative from Iwagakure, said with a cold edge in his voice.
"You don't have the authority to disqualify our ninjas or use force against them. You owe us an explanation!"
Uchiha Sogetsu tilted his head slightly, his eyes half-lidded. "What kind of explanation are you seeking?"
"An apology!" Higashi Shibito retorted, his arrogance evident. "And we demand you disclose all the details about the illusions used in this exam. We need to ensure there's no foul play!"
Ginko, another observer, caught on quickly to what Iwagakure was after. The large-scale illusions Uchiha Sogetsu used could create an environment where many participants could interact.
If this technique were employed for training genin, it would be an invaluable resource for developing elite ninja.
She immediately chimed in, supporting Iwagakure's request. "I agree! You must disclose all the information about your illusions, including the exact ninjutsu used. Otherwise, we can't guarantee the fairness of this exam!"
"Reveal everything about the illusion technique?" Uchiha Sogetsu smirked, a hint of sarcasm playing across his lips. "I see. After all this talk, what you really want is my technique, isn't it?"
"Watch your words, Uchiha," Higashi Shibito replied, crossing his arms. "No one's interested in stealing your genjutsu. We're simply making reasonable demands."
Pakura added to the pressure, her eyes cold and challenging.
"I agree with Higashi Shibito. Uchiha Sogetsu, you've made a serious miscalculation. Even if the Hokage wants to protect you, this isn't going to be an easy mess to clean up, is it?"
"Uchiha Sogetsu, you'd better understand the gravity of the situation."
Ginko's voice was calm, almost teasing, but her words carried an underlying threat.
"It's going to be hard to explain this to the Kazekage and Tsuchikage, don't you think?"
Bringing up the Kazekage and Tsuchikage was undoubtedly a move to exert more pressure. It was clear from Uchiha Sogetsu's use of this genjutsu that this jutsu had immense strategic value.
Ginko and Higashi Shibito were on the same page—they'd use whatever pressure was needed.
They knew that their actions might provoke Konoha's ire, but the worth of the jutsu justified the risk. If they backed down, it would just give the Hokage the opportunity to negotiate, and that would complicate things.
Better to be aggressive now; worst case, they'd just compensate Konoha later.
The Konoha chunin present began to sweat under the combined pressure from the two major ninja villages. Scarface gulped nervously, turning to the side, his voice shaky. "Jōnin Sogetsu, should we report this to the Hokage?"
"You guys are being a little excessive, aren't you?" Sogetsu stepped forward, trying to ease the tension. "Shouldn't we leave this matter to the Hokage to decide?"
But Higashi Shibito was quick to shut him down, giving him a chilling stare. "This isn't the place for you to be speaking. Get lost. I don't care if you're a Jōnin or whatever; you don't have a say here."
"Hey, you're crossing the line!" Might Guy, usually cheerful but never one to tolerate bullying, stepped forward to confront them. He might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he knew when things were out of hand.
Pakura sneered, her lips curling with disdain. "Did you not hear what he said? There's no place for a genin to speak here."
Kosuke, another Konoha ninja, sensed that things were escalating. He glanced at Sogetsu, signaling if he should intervene.
Even if he was older and not at his peak, he could still stall these guys if needed. Even if he couldn't take them down, he could buy time until backup arrived.
Considering they still had Might Guy on their side, holding back a Jonin shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Three against three—odds like that don't leave much room for error.
Kosuke quickly analyzed the situation and discreetly took half a step back, adopting a guarded stance. It was clear he was getting ready for a fight.
"What's this? Are you planning to make a move?"
Higashi Shibito and Pakura noticed Kosuke's subtle shift in stance almost immediately. It was clear that they were keeping a close eye on everyone.
"Perfect," Pakura said with a smirk, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "I've been wanting to see the Uchiha clan's Sharingan in action!"
The tension in the air thickened as everyone prepared for the impending showdown. Everyone was on edge, beads of cold sweat forming on their foreheads.
This was especially true for the Genin, who found it uncomfortable to be caught between the intense presences of several Jonin.
"It's not impossible for us to hand over the ninjutsu," Uchiha Sogetsu suddenly said, his expression unruffled.
"Sogetsu-san?" Kosuke and Might Guy shared a confused glance, unsure where this was heading.
"Good," Higashi Shibito replied, a smug grin spreading across his face as if he had just solved a complex puzzle. "That's more like it. Everything should be done in the name of 'fairness'."
"If you really want the technique," Uchiha Sogetsu said, pointing at them, "then step forward. If you win, the ninjutsu is yours. But if you lose, you'll kneel and apologize."
"Wow, that's quite bold," someone muttered in awe.
"Is this what the Uchiha clan is like?" another whispered, both fascinated and wary.
At this moment, Uchiha Sogetsu's bold declaration lit up the Konoha genin community. His words stirred a fire in the hearts of even the more seasoned ninjas.
"I might be old, but I'll never stand by while other ninja villages cause trouble," Kosuke said, his voice filled with conviction. "Count me in!"
"And me!" Might Guy, equally fired up, couldn't contain his excitement.
In the stands, the expression of Higashi Shibito grew dark. He slowly uncrossed his arms from in front of his chest.
"You have no idea how high the sky is," he muttered. "You're just an Uchiha brat, and I've already killed three Jonin from your clan on the battlefield."
"What an arrogant Uchiha!" Pakura exclaimed, her teeth grinding in frustration. "Do you really think only you're a Jonin?"
"Sorry, I'm a bit pressed for time," Uchiha Sogetsu said, adjusting his glasses calmly. "I've got plenty of things to deal with, so can you just come at me all at once?"
As soon as he said this, both Higashi Shibito and Pakura leapt to their feet, chakra flaring wildly around them, causing waves of turbulent air to surge through the stadium.
"Kid, you're looking for trouble!"
"Arrogant punk!"
The two were seething with rage, their chakra radiating out in forceful bursts.
"Jonin Sogetsu, let us help!" Kosuke and Might Guy moved forward, positioning themselves beside Sogetsu, their gazes locked on the furious Higashi Shibito and Pakura.
"My apologies if my words caused any misunderstandings," Uchiha Sogetsu said with a smirk. "I don't mean to disrespect you; what I meant was everyone here is weak."
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