As the swirling dust gradually settled back to the earth, startled gasps rippled through the crowd. The previously deafening impact was finally revealed to have been caused by… training weights — the kind commonly used for limb conditioning.
Of course, if they were just regular weights, no one would've been that shocked.
But these seemingly unremarkable objects, tossed down casually from the platform by Tenzo's team, scattered across the open field with no particular order. And yet… each one smashed into the ground with such force that it left behind a crater easily deep enough to swallow a third of the item's own height.
'Uh… that number looks kind of dangerous… Don't tell me these are meant for the kids to use in the third-round exam?'
"What kind of joke is this?! If you strap those things on the kids, they won't even be able to move… The second they wear that weight, they'll be flattened on the spot!"
"Who was the jinx who said the school would go easy on the kids for this third round? That there'd be no surprises or traps?"
"Go easy? Heh… he forgot a word. This isn't 'water' they're letting loose — it's concrete!"
The abrupt unveiling of these weights by the Ninja Academy slammed shut the hopeful grins of many who had thought the worst was over. It was like someone had stuffed a handful of compost into their wide-open mouths mid-laugh. The laughter died instantly, replaced by stiff, painful expressions of disbelief. Glancing around at one another, they each saw the same wide-eyed shock reflected back — and soon, came the stammering, whispered complaints.
'Naruto… what exactly is going on here now?'
Even Uchiha Fugaku, who knew full well how long both his son and Naruto had been undergoing grueling physical training, was left utterly speechless. He turned, dazed, toward Naruto — who stood lazily beside him, looking as if he hadn't a single care in the world.
"This year's Academy is being a bit too harsh… They're not seriously planning to reject all the applicants, are they?"
Of course, Fugaku couldn't possibly know that both Naruto and Sasuke were still wearing weight gear — each with three times the mass of the ones currently lying on the field — and they hadn't even used chakra to boost their physical strength! In other words, these newly unveiled weights were less than child's play for the two of them. Even if the same weight were stacked on top of their current gear, they'd likely just bounce in place a few times before shrugging it off.
"Relax, relax. It's not that dramatic…"
Having successfully teamed up with Hinata and Sasuke, Naruto — already familiar with the so-called "despair-inducing" third round as its exam planner — had zero interest in the reveal. He lazily yawned while answering, arms around the waist of a red-faced Hinata. Pulling her gently into his chest, he rested his chin on her shoulder and nuzzled against her burning cheek as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Same as the last two rounds — this final test only looks hard."
In fact, even without using tricks or shortcuts, Naruto had already observed that a small number of kids had the strength to pass the test on merit alone. And there were plenty of ways to bend the rules subtly — enough to bring the difficulty down from "impossible" to "manageable," even for average kids.
"Alright, that should be just about enough… Ahem, quiet down. Quiet, please! You should all have your teammates by now after the draw, right? In that case, I'll now explain the content of the third-round exam."
Meanwhile, Tenzo — now perfectly at ease in his role as chief examiner — didn't waste time listening to the groans and protests below. After checking the weight inventory and nodding in satisfaction, he delegated the next task to his team: prepare a second gift for the examinees. As they left, he casually took a sip of water to wet his throat, then calmly began announcing the rules of the third-round exam.
"First, the main objective. This round is quite simple: Starting from the Academy, each team is to run a full circuit around the village. As long as you return to the Academy in the end, you pass the exam. Of course, teachers will be monitoring the course in secret — so any kid thinking of cheating or taking shortcuts had better think twice."
"Second, this round uses a team-based point system. The score your team earns will determine your enrollment ranking, which will influence your class placement after admission. For every member who completes the full course, your team earns one point. If someone fails to finish the route? Not only does that person not contribute points — they'll be eliminated from the exam outright."
"Third, the number of final admissions for this round is extremely limited. Which means… you'll need to complete the test within a specific time limit. Whether you succeed will depend entirely on your own capabilities."
"Fourth, due to the difficulty of the exam, and for your own safety, if at any point you feel you truly cannot continue, you may request help from the supervising teachers. They will provide immediate medical aid. However… once you make that choice, I think you already know the price you'll have to pay."
As he spoke, Tenzo's gaze slowly swept across the gathered students. As despair gradually replaced their cries for mercy, his eyes settled once more on the weight gear that had cratered the field. The gentle smile on his face — to them — looked like something straight from a nightmare. And that eerily calm, emotionless voice? It echoed in their ears like a devil's whisper, pushing their already fragile spirits to the very edge of the abyss.
"Oh right, almost forgot... Fifth rule: Before you begin, each of you will need to collect one set of weight gear. Of course, to compensate for this extra burden, the Academy will provide one Ration Pill and a small amount of water to help with stamina recovery. Remember — no external help is allowed. The only tools permitted during the entire exam are the ones provided at the start. If you're caught using anything else, the moment a supervising teacher discovers it, you'll be disqualified immediately."
"And finally, if someone makes it back without their weight gear… they'll be considered as having forfeited their admission and will be disqualified from the exam."
After finishing the entire explanation in one breath, even Tenzo found himself slightly winded. He paused to catch his breath, then smiled and signaled to the other teachers on the platform to begin distributing the weight gear, along with the pre-portioned Ration Pills and water rations. With an expression that somehow managed to be both cheerful and ominous, he waved toward the ever-paling crowd below.
"And that concludes the rules of this round. I sincerely wish you all the best of luck. As the chief examiner, I truly hope to see you all return here to meet me again…"
"And not get eliminated forever. Bye bye now~"