Rin couldn't help but shiver. Her understanding of Madara's danger had grown even clearer. Especially since she knew Madara was currently in Konoha.
So, she couldn't help but ask, "Then what about now, is Madara still controlling the Third Mizukage?"
Obito shook his head, "Genjutsu of the Sharingan can influence a person's mind without them realizing it. Especially genjutsu cast with Mangekyō powers, the strongest kind, even capable of fundamentally distorting a person's thoughts."
"Madara doesn't need to constantly monitor the Third Mizukage. He just needs to meet him at the right time to place him under control again."
Kakashi and Rin had never imagined that the Sharingan could do something like this.
To control the Kage of a village, and indirectly control a major village, even a great nation.
If, for example, the Third Hokage was also being controlled like this, how terrifying would that situation be?
Just thinking about it sent chills down their spines.
Suddenly, they even developed a trace of understanding for the Konoha higher-ups' decision to exterminate the Uchiha clan.
Rin couldn't help but ask, "Then after Madara died, didn't the next Mizukage become the Fourth?"
"Why did Zabuza still carry out a coup? Could it be that the Blood Mist policy still hadn't changed?"
Obito glanced at Rin, "Rin, after Madara died, and the Third Mizukage died, the situation in Kirigakure didn't improve. On the contrary, it got even worse."
Kakashi narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why?"
But Rin had already caught on to the implication in Obito's words.
She sighed and said, "I'm afraid the things that happened afterward... were done by you, Obito."
Kakashi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.
Right, Kirigakure had implanted the Three-Tails into Rin, which caused her death. If anyone held the greatest hatred toward Kirigakure at that time, it could only be Obito.
Having fallen into darkness, Obito likely sought revenge against Kirigakure in a crazed way. Anything was possible.
Kakashi couldn't help but sigh, "Obito, I have to say. You really know how to stir things up."
Obito grunted with annoyance, "Just take it as a compliment."
At that moment, an examiner had already walked over, "Those who passed the written test, follow me. Head to the Second Exam Site, the Forest of Death, to assemble."
And so, the many small groups who had been chatting in twos and threes gathered under the examiner's lead and arrived at the edge of the Forest of Death in Konoha, the Second Exam Site.
Obito looked at the familiar gathering point outside the Forest of Death and said, "How many years has it been now? Every session is the same, no creativity at all."
Kakashi and Rin glanced toward Obito.
Obito laughed and said, "In the years after, as long as the Chunin Exams were held in Konoha, they were always arranged inside the Forest of Death."
"And it's always the same. Snatching the Heaven and Earth Scrolls, reaching the central tower inside, then using battle format to determine the winners. So many sessions. Changing the soup without changing the medicine."
At that moment, as Obito was speaking, besides the examinees from his own testing site, other examinees who passed from different sites also began arriving one after another.
In no time, the practice field surrounding the Forest of Death was packed with people.
Rin and Kakashi listened to Obito's complaints, and were initially at a loss for words. After all, in all of Konoha, the Forest of Death was the only spacious place not afraid of destruction. If they didn't hold the Chunin Exams here, where else could they?
But now, their attention quickly shifted.
Rin pointed in a direction, over there were examinees one year younger than them.
"Obito, look, Anko actually came too. And... Sato Yuki is also here."
Obito followed Rin's finger and indeed saw Anko among them, still just as lively and energetic as ever.
She had barely stopped before excitedly announcing to the nearby examinees, "Hahaha, tremble in fear! This exam site will be slaughtered by me!"
Rin couldn't help but facepalm. While a bit embarrassed, she also felt worried.
"Anko being like this... won't she get killed? I remember that killing isn't forbidden in the Chunin Exams."
Obito smiled and said, "Don't worry. Orochimaru might be weak in other areas, but his ability to stay alive is top-tier. Even in my previous life, when I became the second Sage of Six Paths, I still wasn't confident I could completely kill Orochimaru. I don't believe he'd let Anko take the exam without preparing her with some life-saving methods."
Rin breathed a sigh of relief and gave Obito a slightly strange look, 'In all of Konoha, the only one who can call Lord Orochimaru 'a bit weak' is probably Obito. No, maybe Madara should be added to that now.'
After looking at Anko, Obito instinctively turned his gaze in another direction. There, he saw a girl exuding an aura of coldness.
He hadn't expected someone could change so much in such a short time. The once weak and tearful Sato Yuki now had such a sharp and fierce aura.
She even surpassed many of the examinees.
Sure enough, it's the broken ones who are scariest.
Obito couldn't help but think of himself, 'Have I become so strong now because I, too, was once broken?'
As the examinees took their positions, the examiner for the second round walked over, holding two scrolls.
"Everyone, I am the examiner for the second round. In a moment, each team will receive a scroll. You may get either the Heaven Scroll or the Earth Scroll."
"The rules of the second exam are very simple. Inside the Forest of Death, gather both the Heaven and Earth scrolls, and you can enter the central tower to participate in the final elimination round."
"In this exam, killing is not prohibited. You can also forfeit. If you encounter an enemy you can't face, you may immediately call out to forfeit."
"I hope all examinees will stop attacking those who forfeit. Though unexpected events are inevitable, the entire Forest of Death is under our surveillance. If someone deliberately kills with serious consequences, we will punish them by revoking their exam qualification."
"I hope you all do your best—to survive!"
As the examiner finished speaking, many of the teams couldn't help but go pale.
Especially the examinees younger than Obito's year. Some of them hadn't even experienced many C-rank or higher missions. Their hands had barely touched blood, and they still couldn't fully accept the idea of people dying.
They were already starting to feel hesitant.
The examiner clearly saw this and coldly said, "Being a ninja isn't child's play. People can die at any moment. If you want to become a Chunin, you must always be prepared to kill or be killed. You can still back out now."
"I'm giving you a chance to quit the exam."
With that statement, some teams began to waver. Some wanted to speak up and quit, but seeing their teammates, they held back.
In the end, not a single person said they were quitting.
Obito saw this and couldn't help but shake his head. Just because of a bit of shame and desire to win, they forced themselves to face danger, and in the end, might just throw their lives away in vain.
'This kind of behavior is unwise.'
Not only Obito thought this. Over in the Kirigakure section, those two unfamiliar ninja he didn't recognize had already shown looks of disdain.
Having faced death and bloodshed for years, they were already numb to it.
Before coming, they had assumed Konoha, being a superpower village, would be full of strong individuals. But now it seemed, nothing impressive.
On the other hand, Zabuza, watching this scene, showed a look of longing in his eyes.
Beside him, Kisame noticed and couldn't help but ask, "What are you thinking?"
Zabuza said, "If Kirigakure could become like this... that'd be great."
Those words made Kisame fall silent too. After a long while, he finally said, "Yeah, looking at everything around us, it almost feels fake. Can ninjas really bask in the sunlight too?"
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