As Chōji gradually regained consciousness, Naruto's initial enhancement gift to the new generation Ino-Shika-Cho Team was fully delivered, marking the end of their brief rest period.
Like Shikamaru and Ino, Chōji awoke to find himself completely restored. Discovering he was as refreshed as if he'd enjoyed a long, blissful dream, his resistance to the Third Round Exam quietly diminished.
Having already resolved to redouble his efforts, Chōji naturally had no intention of withdrawing from the exam now.
With their opinions aligned, the trio quickly conferred and, at Naruto's invitation, followed him, ready to complete the exam in full.
Unbeknownst to them, the moment Naruto finished treating Chōji, they could have halted the exam and simply awaited their acceptance letters at home.
After all, although Shikamaru and his group were completely unaware of the small gifts Naruto had given them, and due to the limited time, they hadn't been able to fully absorb and transform the gifts' power, Shikamaru and Ino's earlier antics had forced the group to increase their pace.
By the time Shikamaru and Ino stopped to rest, they had already covered nearly one-third of the entire exam course.
Moreover, with Naruto having completely replenished their stamina and Chakra to peak levels, and having deliberately enhanced their physical strength, each member was now at least one tier stronger than before the exam.
This sudden and significant drop in the exam's difficulty made it a breeze for the trio...
Based on Naruto's calculations, as long as the three youngsters refrained from recklessly wasting their energy and maintained a steady, even pace, completing the Third Round Exam and securing their admission to the academy was already a foregone conclusion.
Beyond this, Naruto had successfully achieved his two main goals for the exam: fostering the potential for future alliances between the Ino-Shika-Cho and Hyūga clans, and establishing the budding, unbreakable bond of the new generation Ino-Shika-Cho Team—a golden triangle of camaraderie.
These unexpected triumphs far outweighed the fact that all three had already passed the exam and secured their admission.
However, Naruto chose not to reveal this knowledge. Instead, he feigned ignorance and invited them to continue participating in the exam for two reasons.
The first, and most fundamental, reason was to further solidify and enhance the results of their physical enhancements.
The moment Naruto implanted the hidden gifts deep within their bodies, the contained energy began to seep out in faint, thread-like streams, subtly nourishing and gradually integrating into the three youngsters' bodies every second.
This meant that even without rigorous training, the passage of time alone would allow them to achieve relatively decent results, placing them in the upper-middle tier of their peers.
But if merely passively absorbing knowledge could lead to achievements that ordinary people would consider ideal and impressive... what about someone like Little Lee, who constantly pushes himself to train diligently and relentlessly?
It's obvious that the rewards for such dedication would far surpass those gained through idleness and complacency.
Continuing to participate in this marathon-like exam would provide an excellent training opportunity.
Although the difficulty posed no real challenge for the trio—making their participation seem almost superfluous on the surface—reversing the perspective and using this significantly easier exam as a starting point for their physical training seemed just right.
After all, to truly acclimate these pampered youngsters to rigorous cultivation and inspire them to wholeheartedly embrace it, mere mental stimulation wouldn't suffice; a gradual, structured approach was essential.
This wasn't a decision Naruto had made on a whim. Rather, it stemmed from the fact that these three youngsters' mental state eerily mirrored Sasuke's when they first met—spoiled, mischievous, and averse to hardship.
In the beginning, Sasuke had to painstakingly practice even the fundamental ninja skill of tree climbing.
Only through relentless effort, fueled by the dual rewards of achievement and satisfaction, did he personally internalize the principle of "no pain, no gain."
This allowed him to shed his childish aversion to hardship and tears, gradually adapting to the increasingly demanding training that followed.
Even now, after enduring the tedious process of accumulating experience and results to enhance his strength, Sasuke maintains his unwavering passion for training.
He even finds joy in the struggle, transforming it into a wellspring of motivation that drives him forward.
This unwavering dedication enables him to persistently chase after Naruto's shadow, striving relentlessly to catch up.
In other words, the reason Naruto had become increasingly adept at nurturing and caring for children wasn't due to any accumulated parenting experience from a past life.
Rather, it was because he had spent the past year and a half patiently nurturing and caring for Sasuke's entire growth process.
Even the enhancement techniques he applied to the Ino-Shika-Cho Team had first been bestowed upon Sasuke, who clung to Naruto's side throughout their training.
As for the second reason Naruto wanted to persuade the Ino-Shika-Cho Team to continue participating in the Third Round Exam...
It was a rather delicate matter, still related to Sasuke. Or rather, compared to the first reason—a lofty, righteous, and deliberately serious justification—this second, primary reason was inextricably linked to Sasuke.
From the moment he set out until now, Naruto had been completely focused on catching up with Hinata and building rapport.
Later, he had divided his attention between refining his Chakra and helping the Ino-Shika-Cho Team recover and transform.
Unconsciously, he had forgotten about a teammate who had been waiting anxiously at the forefront of the candidate group for half a day.
It wasn't until he saw the increasingly dazzling and frequent bursts of fiery orange light in the sky—as if a massive fireball were burning with rage—that Naruto gradually realized during a casual conversation with Shikamaru... the source of the persistent and growing ominous premonition that had haunted him since the start of the exam.
To put it simply, the second and most crucial reason driving Naruto to persuade the Ino-Shika-Cho trio to continue the exam was...
Safety in numbers.
At least... with outsiders watching Sasuke might show some restraint and spare him from too humiliating a fate.
M... maybe?