Just as Chōji and Ino, energized by Shikamaru's confident demeanor, received their assigned weights and supplies and set off, the other kids—already riled up by Sasuke's attention-grabbing performance—could no longer hold back. Whispering among themselves, they started grumbling and complaining.
"Ughhh! I can't take this anymore! That guy already stole the spotlight, and now even that chubby kid who looks too fat to move has left ahead of us… When are we going to start the exam?!"
"I don't get what our parents are still whispering about. The Examiner already said the exam started! Are they trying to make us give up without even trying?!"
"Exactly! If we keep waiting, those four are gonna finish a lap before we even start!"
"No way I'm letting them hog all the attention while I just sit here doing nothing... Hmph! If they can head out with those supplies, there's no reason I can't!"
"Let the grown-ups worry about whatever—they're not the ones taking the exam, we are!"
"That's right!"
"Count me in!"
"I'm going too!"
Taking advantage of their distracted and overthinking parents, the kids, driven by their competitive nature, followed the lead of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio. One after another, they slipped away from the crowd and lined up in an orderly fashion on the field to receive their weights and supplies.
"Hey, hey, hey?! What are you doing? Get back here—now!"
"You silly kids, don't act rashly! We haven't even figured out how to help you pass!"
"You… You lot! Come back here—come back!"
"Listen! Be good! Stop that!"
By the time the parents—acting as guardians—realized what was happening and tried to intervene, it was already too late. Clumsily wearing their weighted gear, the kids rushed out of the Ninja Academy in groups, chasing after the first four who had left. They followed the directional signs set up along the roadside by the academy, while their stunned parents could only watch them disappear in silence.
"Heh, the result's even better than I expected... I should probably thank those three kids for their perfectly timed entrance if I get the chance."
And the mastermind behind the entire setup—Naruto—casually strolled through the crowd with Hinata's small hand in his, keeping her close to make sure she didn't get pushed around or lost. As he made his way toward the scattered pile of gear, he casually sifted through the weights while thinking to himself.
'Sasuke really did put on a flashy show, but now that I think about it, the ones most rattled were actually the parents who had nothing to do with the test… Maybe that was a miscalculation on my part. Luckily, those three kids showed up right after, putting on a very public display of choosing their gear—that patched things up nicely.'
While reviewing the small flaws in his earlier plan, Naruto used his sensory abilities to pick out a relatively smaller and lighter weight from the pile.
"Alright, this one's Hinata's."
Muttering to himself, he didn't hand it to her. Instead, he gave Hinata two supply pouches—one with ration pills and the other with a small amount of water—and slung the chosen weight along with another onto his own arm.
"Okay, all set… Let's go, Hinata. Time for us to head out too. If we make Sasuke wait too long, he might get cranky."
Even though Naruto knew full well that as the heiress of the famed Hyuga Clan known for their Gentle Fist, Hinata had certainly gone through strict physical training since childhood—and wasn't as delicate as she looked—he still couldn't help but dote on her. He treated her like something too precious to let suffer even the tiniest bit of hardship.
As the test designer, Naruto had anticipated the possibility that Hinata might be challenged by the exam format. That's exactly why this third round, despite appearing complex and difficult, was full of loopholes.
Beyond the sneaky wordplay buried in the rules meant to give all the rookies a chance to pass, the real purpose was far more personal: to make it easier for him to openly help Hinata through the challenges and ensure she passed the test without issue.
Otherwise, after a year of nothing but relentless training with the sole goal of becoming stronger—even to the point of wishing he had more hours in a day—Naruto would never have volunteered to the Third Hokage to prepare an exam for the new batch of Ninja Academy applicants.
"U-Um… But…"
Hinata, who had been staring nervously at the dents left behind by the weights, froze slightly at Naruto's words. She glanced at the Examiner, who seemed to notice the strange scene and had turned his head, and then gently tugged Naruto's sleeve. Her face flushed red, lips pressed tight before she summoned her courage.
"These look really heavy… Naruto-kun, you should give me my share. I…"
She lifted her head, looking straight into Naruto's jewel-like blue eyes, and tried to speak with more resolve to prove she could handle it. But the moment their eyes met and she saw his warm, indulgent gaze, her willpower shattered.
"I-I-I can do it, Naruto-kun…"
Under Naruto's gaze, the already shy Hinata became even more flustered, retreating into herself like a little red-capped mushroom. All the momentum she had mustered vanished. After a short silence, she stammered softly, poking her fingers together as if discovering a fun new game.
And as those words escaped her lips, steam practically poured from her head. She couldn't say another word. Her blushing, adorable demeanor and soft, delicate voice made Naruto want to scoop her up right then and there and proudly kiss her in front of everyone as a declaration of his love.
'Ahhh, kids are just too pure… My precious girl, do you even realize? That one little sentence just now would be enough bait to send a lolicon "gentleman" straight to jail for three years, no parole…'
Even Naruto—normally composed—momentarily froze after hearing Hinata's sweet little whisper. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly as he chuckled to himself inside.
Thankfully, Hinata didn't notice his strange expression since she had lowered her head in embarrassment. She didn't realize just how many accidental double meanings her words might've carried.
"It's fine, really… Look, even if I carried ten more of these, I'd be totally fine."
After pausing briefly to collect himself, Naruto gently reassured Hinata, softening his tone and waving his arms around as if to prove he was still perfectly okay.
But Hinata didn't know Naruto as deeply as Sasuke, who had trained with him for over a year. So even though Sasuke had mentioned Naruto's strength many times, this kind-hearted girl still mistakenly thought Naruto was just trying to act tough to make her feel better.
"B-But… didn't the Examiner say we had to carry our own weights and complete a full lap around the village? If we don't, we'd be disqualified… right?"
Trying to bring Naruto back to reason, Hinata repeated the rule Tenzo had announced earlier, hoping he'd hand her share back and avoid overexerting himself.
"So… I should carry my own share."
Naruto knew full well where all the loopholes were in his own test, but Hinata's clumsy attempt to hide her concern warmed his heart.
"Exactly. That's why, as long as we both finish the lap and we're carrying two sets of weights between us, there's no problem. There's no rule about who has to wear which."
"E-Eh? Is that really okay? But… N-Naruto-kun…?"
"If you're really worried, we can swap at the finish line just to make it look good. Don't worry about it."
He said it lightly, casually pointing out another glaring loophole in the exam. Without giving her a chance to object, Naruto gently pulled the blushing Hinata into his arms, hiding her within the crowd. Wrapping his arms securely around her waist, he lowered his head and planted a soft kiss on her now-scorching red ear.
Then, whispering close to her ear with an even more affectionate smile:
"Besides… if I can't even carry this much—"
"—how could I possibly protect you for the rest of my life?"
'Ahhh, having a daughter must be like this… Fugaku, my man—calm down. I take it back, alright?!'
"That's it! You're asking for it! Take my Fireball Jutsu!!"