While Naruto was leading Hinata farther and farther down the wrong path, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, who had set out earlier and were moving at a steady pace, had yet to encounter a single trace of another examinee catching up.
Could it be that these three seemingly relaxed and unhurried kids were actually fast enough to rival Sasuke, who had disappeared in the blink of an eye after taking off first? Was it possible that just a slight head start was enough for them to leave the rest of the examinees in the dust?
Not quite. The answer was actually pretty simple… Just like Naruto and Hinata, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had also chosen the completely wrong direction—going the exact opposite way of what the guideposts indicated.
At the same time, their formation had shifted from how it was when they first set out. No longer walking side by side, the three had unconsciously changed positions due to differences in physical stamina.
Nara Shikamaru, who was usually the laziest of them all, was now surprisingly at the front of the trio. His eyes scanned left and right as he walked, occasionally frowning in thought and mumbling some calculation to himself.
A little behind him was the trio's only girl, Yamanaka Ino. Although the weighted gear on her arms was clearly draining her stamina—evident by her light panting—she still managed to keep up right behind Shikamaru, making sure the distance between them wasn't too noticeable.
As for Akimichi Chōji, the most stout and powerful-looking among them… Well, his spot was clear at the very back, a fair distance away. That round and chubby little figure, mouth agape and tongue lolling, was puffing and panting heavily as he struggled to keep up.
Gone was the carefree Chōji from the start of the exam, happily munching on snacks with cheeks stuffed like a squirrel. Now, his arms dangled limply by his sides as he trudged forward at a snail's pace, tiny face glistening with sweat.
Before long, likely at his limit, Chōji stopped walking. He bent over, placed both hands on his knees, and began gasping even louder, his breathing ragged and strained.
"I-I'm telling you, Shikamaru... Can we just... rest for a bit...?"
Raising his left hand—the one without any weighted gear—Chōji spoke in a trembling, broken voice. His pudgy body wobbled as if the slightest breeze might knock him flat on his butt.
Hearing his voice, the two in front stopped and turned to check on him. Before Shikamaru could even speak, Ino's eyebrows shot up. She crossed her arms and let out an annoyed complaint.
"Ugh, seriously, Chōji? You want to rest again? That's the third time since we left!"
She began scanning him up and down with a frustrated expression. Seeing how much worse off he looked than before, she frowned even deeper.
"Chōji... we're in the middle of an exam right now, not playing a game. If we keep stopping like this, we're never going to pass!"
The moment the two turned around, Chōji's legs gave out. Unable to withstand the ever-growing weight of his body, his muscles relaxed, and he plopped onto the ground in a soft heap.
"E-Even if you say that... I can't help it…"
He scratched his head sheepishly, avoiding eye contact while muttering weakly.
"I mean, other than going out for barbecue, I never really exercise… Running around the whole village like this is just too much…"
"You've got some nerve saying that!" Ino snapped. "We're both wearing these heavy metal weights, but you're the only one who's taken three breaks! I haven't even asked for one! Are you seriously okay with being worse than me—a girl?!"
Chōji's pitiful excuse only fueled Ino's growing irritation. Since they were close friends, she didn't hold back—marching right up to him, she grabbed his soft, squishy earlobe and gave it a firm twist.
"If it weren't for your constant breaks, we would've caught up to that cute guy who sprinted off first! Now look at us—we're starting to worry we won't even pass this round!"
"Aaaagh! Ow ow ow ow! Easy, Ino! Easy! It hurts!"
Terrible at handling girls, Chōji was utterly flustered. Especially now that even a girl was doing better than him, all he could do was cry out in pain and beg for mercy, unable to come up with a single word in his defense.
"Alright, alright, let's cut him some slack, Ino."
Just then, Shikamaru, who had been unusually silent and deep in thought, finally snapped out of it. Watching the two bicker with a helpless smile, he massaged his temples and shook his head. Then he patted Ino's shoulder and spoke on Chōji's behalf.
"Chōji's… uh, a little rounder than we are. The exam's only just started anyway. Let's let him rest for a bit."
"Hmph. You always baby him. One day he's going to drag us down so hard we won't finish in time! And when that happens, let's see how you explain it to your mom when we fail the entrance exam!"
Though she was still annoyed, Ino relented after that. She gave Chōji one last fierce glare before letting go of his now-pink ear. With a sigh, she put her hands on her hips, turning away dramatically and throwing in a mock-scolding for good measure.
"Also, are you really sure we're going the right way? We've been walking forever and still haven't seen anyone. This has to be the wrong direction, right?"
"…Ahem. Relax. As long as my deduction is right, we still have a pretty good chance of passing… probably."
Raised under a father who "deeply respected his wife's opinions"—definitely not afraid of her—Shikamaru felt a shiver crawl up his back when Ino mentioned his mom. The image of her smiling warmly floated to mind, sending another chill down his spine. He coughed to cover it up.
"As for whether this is the wrong path… Well, I wasn't sure before, but now..."
His voice trailed off. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Shikamaru spotted two small, hand-in-hand silhouettes approaching in the distance. Familiar ones. At that moment, all doubt faded from his mind. A smile tugged at his lips as he continued.
"Now I'm a hundred percent certain—the path marked by the guidepost is the wrong one."