After seeing Akaseki surrounded by five miniature "Rashomon" gates, Ranwu asked nervously, "Uncle Canglan, how likely do you think Akaseki is to pass the trial?"
"Not at all," Canglan said matter-of-factly.
Ranwu: ...
Seeing Ranwu's defiant expression, Canglan wearily corrected himself. "Very unlikely. I meant very unlikely... Well, everyone's chances of passing are very slim. Even my second uncle failed back then."
The second uncle Canglan mentioned was none other than Ranwu's grandfather, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju!
Akaseki had no idea that even this master of forbidden techniques had failed the "Rashomon" trial—after all, he wouldn't exactly go around advertising it...
As for Hiruzen Sarutobi's contract, Hashirama had given Tobirama's students a chance while he was still alive, but only Sarutobi had passed the trial. "However..." Canglan looked at the red gate. "If someone can't even activate the first trial, they aren't worth befriending!" "What does activating the trial have to do with that?" Ranwu asked, puzzled.
Canglan didn't answer. He couldn't.
And...
The very next moment, the red "Rashomon" opened its eyes.
"Ah! Uncle Canglan, that means it's activated, right?" Ranwu hurriedly asked.
Canglan: ...
"Yes..." Canglan nodded, then added, "That's only natural, though. He's an Uchiha who has awakened his eyes, after all." It really would be rather unfair to suspect that an Uchiha who had awakened his Sharingan had no one he shared a bond with!
But...
"It's precisely because he's an Uchiha that he won't pa—"
Before Canglan could finish, the face on the red Rashomon vanished!
Canglan: ...
"Uncle Canglan, does that... mean he succeeded?" Seeing that Akaseki hadn't emerged immediately and the other "Rashomon" gates hadn't disappeared, Ranwu hurriedly asked. It didn't look as though the trial had ended.
"Yes, he... Well... He's passed the first stage, at least," Canglan said gloomily.
Canglan