Although Uchiha Hikaru wasn't wearing Konoha's forehead protector, beside him stood Hatake Sakumo.
Hatake Sakumo hadn't yet earned the title of White Fang, but since this was the Chūnin Exam, other villages definitely wanted to gather intelligence.
And of course, they would know about Hatake Sakumo, who was somewhat of a prodigy in Konoha.
The person standing next to him was naturally a Konoha contestant.
Since they had already decided to team up to eliminate Konoha, there was no need to hold back.
Moreover, it was Uchiha Hikaru who had first provoked them.
So these Hidden Cloud ninja couldn't help but taunt him.
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Hikaru slowly shifted his gaze away from Rōshi and turned to the two Cloud ninja in front of him.
The two Cloud ninja originally wore mocking and disdainful expressions, but when they met Uchiha Hikaru's eyes, an involuntary panic began to rise within them.
His eyes were full of contempt, piercing deep into their souls.
However, Uchiha Hikaru was very young, and his appearance was extremely misleading.
So although the two Cloud ninja felt uneasy, they didn't want to be intimidated by a child.
To hide their true feelings, they furiously snapped:
"What are you looking at? Haven't you seen your old man before?!"
One of the Cloud ninja even glared fiercely at Uchiha Hikaru, trying to cover up his inner panic.
But Uchiha Hikaru ignored their words and actions, standing quietly in place.
His gaze revealed coldness and disdain, as if he were looking at two barking dogs.
Anyway, the Chūnin Exam was about to begin, and these two Cloud ninja had already been marked as "dead men."
Their fate was sealed, only awaiting Uchiha Hikaru's next move.
The surrounding crowd finally began to notice something was wrong with Rōshi.
They looked at him and saw sweat pouring down his face, his pupils continuously contracting and dilating, as if undergoing immense pain.
Just as the two Cloud ninja were about to say something more, Dodai stepped forward to stop them.
Dodai's gaze motioned them to look at Rōshi.
They followed his gaze, and with just one look, their hearts stopped beating.
Rōshi was the first to provoke Uchiha Hikaru, but now he looked like this.
Almost everyone present couldn't comprehend how Uchiha Hikaru had acted.
They only saw Rōshi jump out to provoke, and the next moment, he lost all ability to resist. This heightened everyone's vigilance.
Especially the Hidden Rock ninja, who knew Rōshi's identity and strength.
As a Four-Tails Jinchūriki who possessed Melt Release, no one among them could defeat him.
Yet this expert of Iwagakure now stood powerless before Uchiha Hikaru. This stark contrast filled the Rock ninja with helplessness and fear.
And fear quietly spread through their hearts like a dark vortex.
They feared Uchiha Hikaru's power, and even more so, his mysterious and unfathomable abilities.
They looked at each other, as if silently asking, "What should we do now?"
The Cloud ninja who had just taunted and trash-talked were now panicked.
Though they had felt uneasy before, they didn't think it was a big deal.
But now it was different—Uchiha Hikaru was clearly a very formidable figure.
They couldn't help but recall Uchiha Hikaru's icy gaze just now, a look meant only for the dead.
This terrifying thought made them tremble involuntarily, cold sweat breaking out on their foreheads.
They swallowed repeatedly, desperately trying to hide their fear.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
No one dared to speak lightly, and all eyes focused on Uchiha Hikaru.
Yet he shifted his gaze to the platform not far away.
Sure enough, the next moment, a familiar figure appeared on the platform.
Uchiha Noboru had arrived there at some unknown time.
He cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention, then loudly announced:
"All right, the Chūnin Exam officially begins. Everyone be quiet!"
"Tomorrow's matches will be watched by nobles and even daimyo from various countries. There are too many people here now, so..."
He paused and scanned the crowd, his gaze lingering briefly on Uchiha Hikaru.
Then he spoke deliberately, word by word:
"Today is just the preliminary test. Twelve people will be selected as candidates for tomorrow's final round."
"The forest behind you is the location for the preliminaries. There are twelve scrolls inside. Whoever brings out a scroll by nightfall, by any means necessary, passes!"
He pointed toward the forest.
"Understood?!"
After speaking, his eyes blazed with pressure as he stared at everyone.
Under his gaze, the ninjas present couldn't help but voice their understanding.
Seeing that they grasped the rules, Uchiha Noboru nodded in satisfaction.
His gaze swept across the crowd before finally resting on a motionless figure.
His face darkened, frowning.
"Which village is that ninja from? What's going on with him? Doesn't he know the exam has started?"
He asked sternly, his tone showing obvious displeasure.
The Rock ninja's faces tensed as the examiner noticed Rōshi.
They knew this was Konoha, and the examiner was also from Konoha, and Uchiha Hikaru was undoubtedly from Konoha.
This made them hesitate and hesitate again when answering Uchiha Noboru's inquiry, unsure how to explain.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Hikaru frowned impatiently.
Seeing their indecision, he snapped his fingers.
Then, Rōshi's body suddenly shuddered, as if touched by an invisible force.
The next moment, Rōshi's expression instantly twisted into pain, his body violently trembling as if losing control.
"Ah—!"
Rōshi shouted loudly, his voice full of agony and terror.
His eyes widened, and his hands tightly grasped his body, as if trying to endure the pain.
With this cry, Rōshi suddenly dropped to his knees, gasping heavily.
Sweat drenched his face, yet a look of relief appeared in his eyes.
He gritted his teeth, struggling to keep calm, silently grateful to have finally escaped that terrible hell.
Uchiha Hikaru's figure was deeply imprinted in his mind.
He was now in the list of people absolutely not to provoke.
The reaction between the two undoubtedly revealed the reason for the problem.
Naturally, Uchiha Noboru wouldn't trouble his own people, so he bypassed the question.
He said indifferently:
"Since everyone understands, then let's begin."
His gaze swept the crowd, his tone tinged with coldness.
"You may proceed. Life or death, Konoha takes no responsibility."