After Naruto cheerfully volunteered to be the first and confirmed that the drawing lots process was nothing more than a normal grouping method, the participants who passed the second round of the exam collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Then, under the influence of the "herd leader effect," their naturally curious and eager selves rushed forward alongside their children, forming a long vertical line before the stairs leading to the high platform.
Fortunately, thanks to Tenzo's earlier offhand mention of the "obedience keyword restriction," things stayed mostly under control. Although there was some initial jostling during the rush to line up, everyone quickly settled into well-behaved little lambs, lining up in order. With the orderly process of drawing lots one by one, the entire procedure didn't take long to complete. Combined with Tenzo's intimidating presence, no one dared take more than one ball or try anything sneaky. The process remained peaceful and smooth, and the number of wooden balls inside the lottery box turned out to be just right — no more, no less — enough for every participant to receive a grouping number of their own.
"Alright, the drawing is over… You should all have your wooden ball by now, yes?"
Once the last family retrieved their ball and returned neatly to the line below the platform, Tenzo finally relaxed his tense expression. His lips curved into a faint smile, and he nodded in satisfaction. He then placed the now-empty lottery box on the ground, where it silently sank back into the floor. At the same time, amplifying his voice with chakra, he spoke at a moderate volume that clearly carried to everyone present.
"Now then, please pay attention and listen carefully. I will explain the rules of the third round of the exam... First, let's talk about the small ball you just received."
As he spoke, Tenzo, now standing straight, conjured a small wooden ball identical to the ones earlier using his Wood Style. With the numbered side turned inward to his palm, he raised it high to display it to the crowd. Perhaps because he would finally be rid of this troublesome task once the exam was over, he wore a much gentler expression compared to his grumpy demeanor during the second round. He began to patiently explain to the crowd below, his pace steady and calm.
"Please flip your ball and look carefully for the number marked on its surface."
As planned, Tenzo paused slightly after speaking, sweeping his gaze over the crowd to give them time to process and check the number on their own ball.
…
"A number… huh? Oh wow, there really is one! I was so nervous earlier I didn't even notice."
"I wonder what the number is for... Hey, I got number 9. What number is your kid?"
"You're number 9? No way! So are we!"
"That's weird. Mine is number 9 too… Don't tell me all the balls have the same number?"
"How could that be? Didn't you hear that brat yell he got number 1? So they can't all be the same."
"Yeah, not all the same. Look, mine says 24."
"Eh? You're 24? So are we!"
"Hmm, this is getting interesting… Based on what they're saying, I think I get it now."
At that moment, Nara Shikaku, who had been silently standing among the crowd, stroked his small goatee and eyed the number on his wooden ball thoughtfully. After muttering to himself, he decisively raised his ball high and called out.
"Hey! Ours is number 6! Anyone else got 6?"
"Me, me! I've got number 6!"
"Me too!"
"As I suspected. Including us, that makes three families — exactly what I was thinking."
Hearing the responses echo back confirmed Shikaku's theory. Smiling, he reached out to ruffle the hair of the grumpy boy beside him and glanced at the two familiar figures approaching — one thin, one round. With a bigger smile, he joked softly:
"Brat, looks like your luck's not bad today... The new Ino-Shika-Cho trio starts their first team-up today."
"...Tch. Troublesome."
The first team-up of the signature Ino-Shika-Cho trio among The Konoha 12 — in a way, this could be called fate.
…
Tenzo's vocal reminder, combined with the obvious signs for the sharp-eyed, allowed the once nervous crowd — who had been straining to hear every word — to relax. They instinctively flipped their balls, searching for the numbers Tenzo mentioned, while whispering among themselves. It didn't take long before many of them realized the hidden purpose behind the identical numbers.
"Good. It looks like you've all checked your numbers and figured out their meaning... That's right. As you've noticed, the numbers on the balls aren't unique. Instead, each number appears on exactly three balls, including your own. In other words, for every number drawn, there are three holders."
As the crowd's chatter quieted and they began naturally grouping up with families holding matching numbers, Tenzo spoke again, drawing their attention back to him as he continued explaining the rules.
"Accordingly, among all of you, each group of three people holds the same number... As I told you before, this third round of the exam requires random teams of three, based on the lottery results. The two others holding the same number as your child — those will be your child's teammates in this round."
Random three-man cells based on the draw — while it looked like pure luck, the method was fair. So, after Tenzo's explanation, no one raised objections.
Of course, what they didn't know was that, as a Wood Style user, Tenzo could freely manipulate trees — and the wooden lottery box was no exception.
Following Naruto's prior request, Tenzo had used the structure of the box to alter its interior after Naruto drew his number. He sealed away the other two balls marked "1," and only released them when Hinata and Sasuke stepped up. With the wooden pillars inside guiding them, the correct balls were gently delivered into their hands.
In other words, the first team for the third exam had been predetermined from the moment Naruto pulled the "1" ball — a team of Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke.
As for the clueless rest?
They were busy celebrating their child's "luck" in not ending up with Naruto, completely unaware they'd just missed a golden opportunity to ride the coattails of the real proctor hiding in plain sight and score an easy win…
"Haha! Nailed it! This third round doesn't seem so bad after all!"
"Yeah yeah, looks like we overthought it. The real hard parts were probably just the first two rounds."
"Exactly! The first two rounds already eliminated so many people. They're probably easing up a bit now so enough kids can actually qualify to enroll, hahaha!"
"Haha, true! Well then, I'll be counting on your kid to take care of mine in this round! After this, drinks are on me!"
"Hahaha, no problem! With my son on the team, your kid's guaranteed to pass with flying colors!"
Convinced that their predictions were correct and the worst was behind them, the crowd relaxed. Smiles spread as they chatted, many beginning to brag about their kids, egged on by their soon-to-be teammates.
However, before their excitement could peak — the special surprise Naruto had planned for the third round of the exam began to reveal itself.
"Exactly! As long as we're sure there's no traps or cruel rules in this round, our kids are basically guaranteed to get in—"
BOOM! BOOM BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!
Suddenly, small dark shadows dropped from above, accompanied by a series of loud crashes. The boasting warrior among the crowd was abruptly silenced mid-sentence. Dust exploded into the air over the previously empty clearing designated for the eliminated.
The ground trembled violently beneath everyone's feet, immediately pulling all eyes toward the disturbance.
"...Th-those things... No way..."
"Are... are those really for the kids? Isn't that a bit too much?!"
"Hey hey, you've got to be kidding me... That type of gear — isn't that meant for adults?!"