Before long, Xingzhuo's question was answered.
One part of the entrance examination was a test of chakra levels.
Using System Inspection, he learned that anyone without chakra was sent straight out of the waiting room to the training field outside for basic physical fitness tests.
Maybe the tests on the field were the normal entrance exams?
Those with some chakra, but less than a thousand, were admitted without taking the exam. They just had to fill out a form before leaving or heading to the spectator stands.
Anyone with more than a thousand chakra—more than an ordinary Genin by the standards Xingzhuo had set for himself—was sent to the Second Waiting Room to read the examination rules on the electronic screen.
"Minors with ninja abilities will be paired off in the upcoming tests. The winners will advance to the next round and wait for their next match. The losers will be eliminated and sent to the First Waiting Room to register for admission... But regardless of whether you win or lose, as long as you show your talent, you may be accepted into the Ninja Academy's first Chunin and Jonin Theory Class and receive the finest instruction."
Yuto read the rules on the electronic screen, then turned to Xingzhuo and asked:
"Do you know what that Chunin and Jonin Theory Class is?"
Before Xingzhuo could answer, the girl sitting in front of them turned around and said:
"It's what they call the Genius Class. Lord Hokage's younger brother, Senju Tobirama, leads it, and the elite of each ninja clan take turns teaching. Didn't your families tell you about it?"
The girl looked about ten years old. She had lustrous black hair, fair skin, and delicate, lovely features that marked her as a beauty in the making.
Hyuga Xingzhuo had already noticed that she wore clothes bearing the Uchiha Clan Crest. When she spoke to him, he made no effort to keep his distance.
"They did. I just didn't expect it to happen like this."
By now, the girl had gotten a good look at the two boys behind her.
One had red hair and looked like a sissy.
The other was a handsome boy with pale lavender eyes and long black hair.
She didn't know the red-haired boy, and wasn't particularly interested in getting to know him.
So she asked Xingzhuo curiously:
"Are you from the Hyuga?"
Xingzhuo nodded and replied:
"Yes. I'm Hyuga Xingzhuo, and this is my good friend, Senju Yuto."
The Uchiha girl looked at Yuto in surprise when she heard the name Senju.
Looking at his red hair again, she realized it was a trait inherited from his mother's Uzumaki Bloodline.
Then she declared confidently:
"My name is Uchiha Rinne. I know who you two are. Big Brother Kagami said you're the strongest geniuses of the new generation, but I don't believe it. I'll beat you both!"
At the girl's fierce declaration, Xingzhuo used System Inspection on her.
[Name: Uchiha Rinne] [Vitality: 100] [Spirit: 120] [Chakra: 2700] [Techniques: Uchiha Shuriken Jutsu, Fire Style Ninjutsu Series, Three Body Technique] [Special Ability: Sharingan (Two Tomoe)]
After looking over the panel, Xingzhuo stared at the girl in surprise.
For someone without cheats, this talent was impressive!
At around ten years old, she already had enough chakra to be a Chunin. Her Two-Tomoe Sharingan could boost her to Chunin level as well. This girl was not to be underestimated.
Yuto was a little indignant. He said bluntly:
"Beating me shouldn't be hard. I spent most of my life in a wheelchair, after all, and barely trained."
"But I don't think you'll ever beat Xingzhuo. Your clan's former leader, Uchiha Madara, took a serious loss at his hands!"
At that, Xingzhuo immediately sensed trouble.
It was true that the Asura of the Ninja World had suffered a loss at his hands, but was that really something Yuto should say?
Especially in front of an Uchiha.
Sure enough, Uchiha Rinne's eyes widened when she heard him. "What did you say?"
Xingzhuo sprang to his feet, grabbed Yuto before he could say anything else, and dragged him toward the preparation room, where participants could change clothes.
Uchiha Rinne hurried to her feet, ready to chase after them and demand an explanation. But all three boys had already entered the boys' preparation room, and she could only stop outside, fuming with impatience.
"Damn it! Boys these days will say anything!"
She paced back and forth by the door. When no one came out, she spat out the words in frustration and returned to her seat to wait for the Selection Tournament to begin.
"Xingzhuo, everything I said was true," Yuto said, puzzled.
Xingzhuo explained helplessly:
"The truth can be the sharpest weapon of all. She's just a little girl who doesn't know any better. There's no need to provoke her."
"Fine. Whatever you say. You always manage to convince me."
Yuto pouted, but quickly put the matter out of his mind. "There are already over a hundred people here. This Selection Tournament is going to be lively."
"Sure is. Too bad we can't watch from the spectator stands." Xingzhuo seemed distracted.
Then Hyuga Yunfei, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke. "Young Master, I just saw someone I know from the Branch Family. He's working at this examination. He said that once the tournament begins, the electronic screen will show the matches in real time."
"Really?" Yuto picked up the conversation.
The two of them started discussing it.
Xingzhuo activated his Byakugan and looked outside the preparation room. The girl had already left, so he led the other two out and toward a corner.
More people entered the Second Waiting Room.
Over half an hour later, when the number of participants had reached more than four hundred, the waiting room doors closed. A ninja wearing a Konoha Jonin vest walked in with three ninjas in Chunin vests and began announcing the rules of the Selection Tournament.
"Lethal attacks are forbidden... Attacking after an opponent surrenders is forbidden... Powerful weapons such as Explosive Tags are forbidden... And so on..."
The Jonin listed a long string of prohibitions.
He only stopped once the electronic screen behind him lit up, displaying the first round's matchups and order.
"Finally, when only twelve participants remain, the final matches will begin. You'll face the twelve genius Chunin and twelve genius Jonin who have already been selected for the Theory Class."
The four hundred or so children in the room burst into an uproar.
Facing Chunin was one thing, but Jonin? What kind of joke was that?
Just then, one of the Chunin behind the Jonin examiner stepped forward, activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, and formed more than a dozen hand signs.
Genjutsu: Heart Shock!
The participants, who had been chattering moments before, fell silent and stared at the Uchiha Chunin in shock.
However, nearly half the people there had remained silent all along and were unaffected.
Hyuga Xingzhuo and Senju Yuto were among them.
"Is that some kind of group genjutsu that makes people feel fear? I've never heard of it before," many of them thought.
The Jonin who had announced the rules looked pleased at the silent waiting room and continued:
"The final twenty will all be admitted to the Theory Class, whether they win or lose. But impressive victories will earn you rewards. The person who defeats the most Theory Class ninjas will take first place, and the rest will be ranked accordingly. The top five will all receive special rewards."
"As for what those rewards are, I can only say that even I, a Jonin, envy them."
"All right, enough talk. The tournament begins now!"
Before you continue