The next day, the trainees had fully recovered their strength and Earth Flow enthusiasm. Inside, the atmosphere was a mix of tension and excitement. The trainees sat in their seats, chattering excitedly about the upcoming exams.
"I heard that this exam is being personally administered by the Third Hokage Tsubasa, Tentsubasa. It must be really amazing!" Uzuki Nozomi whispered to Tian Yukihime beside her.
" The Third Hokage? That's incredible!" Gekko Kenshichi whispered in response, "He's a legendary powerhouse. I wonder what this exam will test."
While the students were still discussing amongst themselves, the entire auditorium suddenly fell silent. The Third Hokage, Tsubasa, stood on the podium, wearing a white Hokage robe, a smile on his face, but his eyes were very serious.
"Welcome to the third exam, students." Tsubasa's voice echoed in the auditorium. "This exam will test your resolve and your choices. You may face various difficult situations, but please remember, your choices will determine your Mirai."
Before the trainees could react, a thick fog suddenly rolled in. Tsubasa's voice rang out again. "Now, the exam begins."
In an instant, the students found themselves no longer in the auditorium. They had been transported by Tsubasa's Genjutsu to different scenes, where they began to face various difficult choices.
Asuka Iwata found himself standing on the edge of the village, where the village's ninjas and clan members were locked in a fierce standoff. The village ninjas shouted, "Your clan has betrayed the village and must be punished!" The clan members retorted, "The village leadership doesn't understand us; we're just protecting our own interests!"
Asuka Iwata was in a state of turmoil. "What should I do? My clan and the village are both important to me." He hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and stood on the village's side. "I am the village's ninja, I must protect the village!" He swung his Kunai and charged towards the clan members.
On the other side, Tian Zhiyun faced the same situation. She thought to herself, "The village is everyone's home, and the clan cannot betray the village." Without hesitation, she stood on the side of the village and helped the village's ninjas repel the clan members.
However, some trainees chose a different path. One trainee, seeing the confrontation between his family and the village, thought to himself, "This matter is too complicated; I don't want to get involved." He quietly slipped away to the side, remaining neutral.
Tian Yukihime found herself and her companions on a mission when suddenly a powerful enemy appeared, and her companions fell one by one. She thought, "I can't abandon them!" Without hesitation, she rushed towards the enemy, protecting her companions with all her might. Although she was wounded, she successfully rescued the last of her comrades.
Kyogoku Rikiō -oh faced the same situation. Seeing his comrades in danger, he thought, "I am a ninja, I cannot abandon them!" He fought with all his might, blocking the enemy's attack and protecting his comrades. Although he himself was seriously injured, he had no regrets.
But some trainees chose to flee. One trainee saw his companions in danger and thought, "I don't want to die here." He turned and ran, leaving his companions behind.
A trainee discovered that his beloved had betrayed him, spending her time with another man. He was furious. "I can't let them get away with this!" He grabbed his weapon, ready to rush forward and kill them. But just as he was about to strike, he suddenly calmed down. "No, I can't do this. I'm a ninja; I must solve this rationally." He lowered his weapon, turned, and left.
Another student faced the same situation. He saw his beloved betray him and thought, "I can't lose her!" Without hesitation, he rushed over and fought with the man. He completely lost his mind and only wanted to kill the man.
The exam lasted a long time, and the students faced various difficult choices within the Genjutsu. Some students helped the village defeat the clan, some helped the clan defeat the village, and some chose to remain neutral and hide. Some students killed everything for their lovers, while others became indifferent and gave up on love. Some students risked their lives to save their companions, while others only cared about escaping.
Finally, Tsubasa dispelled the Genjutsu, and the students returned to the auditorium. They were all exhausted and slumped on the ground, their faces showing fatigue and confusion.
Tsubasa stood on the podium, looking at the students with a serious expression. "This exam is over. I have seen and remembered all your choices. This exam tested not only your abilities, but also your character."
He paused, then continued, "In the first exam, you wrote down your thoughts; in this exam, you made your choices. I will combine your answers and choices to ultimately decide who stays."
The trainees all looked at Tsubasa with tension. They knew that the outcome of this exam would determine their Mirai.
Finally, Tsubasa announced, "After comprehensive evaluation, all those who are hypocritical and have dark hearts have been eliminated. In the end, only 113 people will remain in the Kage Academy."
Those eliminated trainees all hung their heads, their faces filled with disappointment and regret. Those who remained, however, breathed a sigh of relief, their faces showing satisfaction and determination.
Tsubasa looked at the remaining trainees and smiled slightly, "You have passed this test, but the path of a ninja is long. I hope you can persevere and become true ninjas."
The trainees all stood up and answered in unison, "Yes!"
Most of the eliminated trainees stood outside the auditorium, their faces filled with resentment. They watched the trainees who passed the exam leave triumphantly, their hearts filled with confusion and grievance. Finally, one trainee couldn't hold back any longer and shouted, " Lord Hokage, I'm not convinced! I clearly helped the village wipe out the clan, was I wrong?"
Tsubasa stood on the steps, sunlight bathing him and outlining his ethereal features. He wore a white Hokage robe, a dark belt around his waist, and his long black hair flowed in the wind. A gentle smile graced his face, but his eyes held an unwavering determination. He smiled slightly and said, "Classmate, are you really sure your choice is right?"
The students fell silent immediately, all staring at Tsubasa, waiting for his explanation.
Tsubasa's voice was gentle yet firm. "A person who can abandon their family will also abandon their village. In the illusion, you slaughtered your entire family, not even sparing infants. Our Kage Academy must not nurture a murderous monster. Do you understand? It's not too late for you to adjust your mindset now. Don't become a murderous monster one day, or our Konoha will never let you go."
The trainees were all taken aback. The trainee who had questioned him lowered his head, a look of confusion on his face. "But... I thought the village's interests were above all else. Wasn't what I did protecting the village?"
Tsubasa shook his head slightly. "The village's interests are certainly important, but the village's foundation is its people, every single life. If innocent lives are sacrificed to protect the village, then what is the point of the village's existence?"
Another trainee immediately stepped forward, looking distressed, and said, " Lord Hokage, I wasn't taking sides! How come I'm eliminated too?"
Tsubasa looked at him, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "Because you are a person without responsibility. The Kage Academy doesn't need someone like you who only knows how to run away. How can someone who only runs away from difficulties be entrusted with great responsibilities? The students of the Kage Academy will all be high-ranking members of Konoha in the future, and we absolutely cannot tolerate those who dare not take responsibility."
The student smiled bitterly, "Helping a clan destroy a village is wrong, helping a village destroy a clan is wrong, and not helping either is wrong. So how do I choose? Isn't there no solution?"