"The match begins!"
After Pakura made the announcement, she retreated outside the arena instead of standing at its edge as before.
This was also the decision of the three Kage.
No interference in the finals.
In other words, the chief examiners had been stripped of the authority to intervene.
Life and death would be left to fate.
This proposal had been made by Ōnoki.
Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally disagreed, but he ultimately accepted after Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu persuaded him.
Of course, Ōnoki had also offered some benefits. Otherwise, did he really think the two higher-ups had water in their brains?
As for this being unfavorable to Uchiha Tang Ping?
Please, before saying that, shouldn't they look at his surname first?
Uchiha!
That surname alone was an original sin in the eyes of the two elders.
They had not suppressed him before only out of consideration for the 'Will of Fire.' Now that it benefited the village, making such a decision was perfectly normal.
"Gang Tu!"
"Uchiha Tang Ping!"
The two stepped into the arena and met each other's eyes, understanding that this was their final opponent.
Because this time, they would decide both victory and death.
There was not a single chief examiner present. This was no longer a hint—it was an open declaration.
"I never expected my opponent in the finals to be you, but that makes it more interesting!"
Gang Tu looked as though he had spotted prey. None of his previous simple honesty and steadiness remained.
Something was wrong!
Tang Ping frowned.
His keen instincts made his entire body tense, like an unarmed ordinary person encountering a wild beast in the wilderness.
"What happened to you...?"
He asked instinctively.
The feeling the other man gave him was completely different from before, as if he were an