He reined in his thoughts and glanced at the questions on the test paper.
Today's exam, supposedly an assessment of the Will of Fire, actually contained a vast number of history questions.
For example, when was Konohagakure founded, and what reforms did Senju Tobirama implement after succeeding to the position of Hokage?
The earlier questions were not difficult for him.
He already knew the history of Konohagakure by heart.
He listed Senju Tobirama's reform measures one by one.
Yet, when he looked further down, he felt something was not quite right.
Why on earth was there such a bizarre question as "List the achievements of Lord Third Hokage, and state your own views"?
They weren't even trying to hide it anymore.
Uchiha Reki silently complained to himself, then proceeded to lavishly and wildly flatter Sarutobi Hiruzen.
However, when he reached the final question—"Your understanding of the Will of Fire"—his brush hovered in mid-air.
This question looked simple, but was actually profound.
What on earth was the Will of Fire? Was it protecting the village, or passing down a belief? Uchiha Reki fell deep into contemplation.
Stuck on the exact same question was Senju Hashirama.
He touched his chin, striking a thoughtful pose.
At the same time, Senju Hashirama was quietly pondering within his consciousness.
He touched his chin, his brows deeply knitted.
"Monkey truly deserves to be Tobirama's student; he actually went and added a few more supplements on top of Tobirama's foundation."
Of course, Senju Hashirama basically couldn't understand the supplementary parts made by Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He didn't understand the use of making these things so complicated.
Was it just to make things difficult for the students during exams?
While Senju Hashirama was silently complaining to himself, Uchiha Reki had already started writing furiously.
Senju Hashirama observed Uchiha Reki's answer, his mouth falling open involuntarily.
Wait, you actually know how to answer this?
Writing like this makes me, the First Hokage, look terrible.
"Wherever the leaves dance, the fire is ever burning."
"In places where leaves dance, the light of hope will burn on."
Uchiha Reki casually borrowed Sarutobi Hiruzen's dying words to summarize, leaving Senju Hashirama dumbfounded once again.
Very well, very well. To have such a profound understanding of the Will of Fire meant he probably didn't have a radical personality like Madara, which meant he could rest easy.
Senju Hashirama recalled the past; once upon a time, he and Senju Tobirama had discussed similar topics.
Tobirama had once proposed that the Will of Fire was not merely a belief in protecting the village, but even more so a form of heritage and responsibility.
And Uchiha Reki's answer actually coincided with Tobirama's views, and was perhaps even deeper.
For a moment, Senju Hashirama felt somewhat dazed.
Uchiha Reki's appearance was identical to that of Uchiha Madara, yet his inner mind shared a certain common thread with Tobirama.
This caused Senju Hashirama to sigh inwardly, wondering if this was the power of mixed bloodlines.
Soon, Uchiha Reki finished all the questions and sat peacefully at his desk, waiting for the exam time to end.
Compared to his relaxed state, his fellow classmates were worried sick.
In the past, there had been questions about the Will of Fire, but the difficulty had never been this high.
Could it be that Lord Hokage thought it was too easy and wanted to turn up the difficulty for everyone?
Especially Asuma, lying in a hospital bed at Konohagakure Hospital, who was cursing angrily in sheer frustration.
He had originally thought he could escape the exam, only for a teacher from the Ninja Academy to personally bring the test paper right to him.
And sat right in front of him to proctor.
Not long after, Miyagi Shunsuke collected all the test papers and delivered them to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
That evening, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat at his desk, earnestly grading the exams.