As Naruto continued to guide the group using his heightened senses, occasionally using the Great Fireball Technique to illuminate their path, they deliberately defied the signposts' directions and once again veered onto the wrong path. Unintentionally, they quickened their pace, moving swiftly forward.
Let's rewind time slightly to before Naruto persuaded Shikamaru and the others to continue the exam. Between Shikamaru and Naruto, there was a conversation known only to them and Hinata...
What exactly happened during that exchange that now has Naruto so tense and on high alert, as if facing a formidable enemy?
Fifteen minutes earlier.
"""
Come to think of it, I've seen this Ninjutsu's effect quite a few times before... Ah! That's it! It must be the Great Fireball Technique! But this Ninjutsu is ranked at a C-level difficulty... To master it and unleash such a massive fireball, the user must be at least a Chūnin, right?
Perhaps because I've witnessed it firsthand several times, the impression has become increasingly clear.
After deep contemplation, Shikamaru not only exclaimed the name of the Ninjutsu represented by that orange-red fireball but also accurately assessed the caster's strength.
Comparing his analysis with Naruto's earlier guess, their conclusions were nearly identical.
Hmm? You're quite knowledgeable, Shikamaru...
Hearing Shikamaru's words, Naruto was surprised by his companion's detailed understanding of the Great Fireball Technique—not only accurately identifying the Ninjutsu's name but also knowing its difficulty ranking and using that to deduce the caster's strength with remarkable accuracy. He instinctively blurted out his surprise.
But Naruto quickly realized the reason behind Shikamaru's insight.
Although Naruto first encountered the Great Fireball Technique through a detailed description in a training scroll Sasuke brought from the Uchiha Clan—the most common and widely used Fire Release ninjutsu among the Uchiha—this didn't mean the technique was exclusive to the clan.
On the contrary, the Great Fireball Technique's unique characteristic of scaling its destructive power proportionally to the amount of Chakra infused, combined with its moderate C-rank difficulty, made it exceptionally cost-effective compared to other Fire Release techniques.
This combination of affordability and considerable effectiveness made it an exceptionally attractive option, leading to its widespread adoption.
Considering this, it's hardly surprising that Shikamaru, a rising star among the Nara Clan's younger generation, could obtain detailed information about this non-exclusive ninjutsu through his family's connections.
After all, even though the Nara Clan's abilities and nature leaned toward support roles, they remained one of Konoha Ninja Village's oldest and most influential clans. Moreover, Shikamaru often
Indeed, judging by the earlier display, the caster had timed the Great Fireball Technique's explosion perfectly, causing it to extinguish completely mid-air and vanish without a trace, leaving no impact on the ground. This demonstrated the caster's remarkable precision and control.
Realizing this, the astonishment on Naruto's face gradually faded, replaced by an approving smile.
He nodded slightly, acknowledging the accuracy of Shikamaru's deduction, and began to articulate his thoughts calmly.
"Based on this, the caster must either be at least a Chūnin-level ninja or have mastered the Great Fireball Technique to an exceptional degree."
"Well, yeah. My old man always forced me to learn this and that. It's hard not to know it..." Shikamaru shrugged lazily, responding casually.
As Naruto continued speaking, Shikamaru's jaw slowly dropped. After a brief pause, he struggled to suppress a laugh, forcing his face into a serious expression as he scanned Naruto up and down.
Then, feigning solemnity, he boldly teased Naruto, taking advantage of their increasingly familiar relationship.
"Huh? I didn't realize you had such a thorough understanding of the Great Fireball Technique, Naruto... Or should I say, 'young' proctor-sama? If that's the case, you must be quite skilled in Fire Release ninjutsu, right?"
"Hmph, you could say that, but unfortunately, my specialty is Wind Release. It's just that the Great Fireball Technique was the first ninjutsu I personally taught Sasuke..."
"Stare—"
"...Ahem, ahem... Ha ha ha... Eeeyah... What I meant to say was, the Great Fireball Technique happens to be the signature move of one of my closest friends."
As Naruto puffed out his chest and proudly replied, his peripheral vision, now almost instinctive, caught the slightly wary and guarded look in the eyes of the person in his arms.
A sudden, inexplicable guilt washed over him, and without thinking, he forced a few coughs to interrupt himself, awkwardly smiling as he quickly changed his tune.
"If you see something often enough, you'll naturally understand it so clearly, right?"
"Phew, thank goodness I corrected myself in time, before she noticed... Wait a minute, something feels off... Sasuke and I are both boys, aren't we? Is it really so strange for boys to have a deep and unbreakable bond of friendship?"
As his words trailed off, the strange expression on Hinata's face gradually returned to her usual demure and obedient demeanor, instantly relieving Naruto's inexplicable guilt by more than half.
But then he quickly realized the absurdity of the situation. His lips twitched, and inwardly, he transformed into a chibi version of himself, clutching his head and wailing in silent protest.
"Wait a second... If I wasn't hiding anything from Hinata and wasn't getting too close to another girl... then why am I feeling so guilty here? This is just ridiculous, isn't it?!"
"Really? That's suspicious... Well, never mind that for now. According to what you're saying, this person who's frequently using the Great Fireball Technique probably hasn't been practicing Ninjutsu. And even if they were practicing, a Fire Release Technique as prone to collateral damage as this one should be practiced in a remote training ground or near a water source, far from populated areas. Thinking about it that way, this act seems more like someone deliberately firing the fireballs into the sky for some specific purpose..."
Shikamaru, noticing Naruto's unintentional display of frustration and annoyance, paused thoughtfully, assuming Naruto simply didn't want to reveal too much of the truth.
After a brief pause, he lazily raised his hands behind his head, tilting his head back to observe the dazzling fireballs reappearing in the sky. He continued casually, as if fishing for information:
"Look, another one. The intervals seem to be getting shorter... Could it be that you really arranged this?"
"Get out of here! I told you, I don't have time to set up a free 'fireworks show' for you guys..."
"That's true, but if you didn't deliberately arrange it... I can't think of any other reason someone would do this."
Before Naruto could retort, Shikamaru continued, his fingers gesturing lightly as if trying to see right through Naruto. His dark, curious eyes remained fixed on Naruto the entire time.
After all, the angle of the Great Fireball Technique had remained constant from beginning to end, indicating the caster hadn't moved at all during that time.
And spewing fire into the air was both harmless and ineffective... unless it was meant to be attention-grabbing "fireworks," it was purely a waste of effort.
"So what? It's none of my business anyway... Maybe someone just has a weird hobby of showing off, bored out of their mind and likes to randomly spew fire for fun..."
As he spoke, Naruto swiftly scanned the list of proctors in his mind. Confirming that none of them possessed the ability or inclination to continuously cast the Great Fireball Technique, he felt increasingly innocent.
Just as he was about to retort angrily and refuse to take the blame, a seemingly casual word Shikamaru had mentioned earlier triggered a sudden stiffness, freezing him in place.
Wait a minute... attention-grabbing... could it be...?
Half-believing, half-doubting, Naruto focused his mental senses toward the newly risen and exploding orange-red fireball.
In the scorching air, he detected a familiar aura that confirmed his suspicions, leaving him unsure whether to laugh or cry. He inwardly wailed, his heart heavy with despair.
"Holy shit?! It's actually true?! I knew that fireball looked familiar... So the "fireworks" we just saw were entirely Sasuke's doing!?!"
After a long, stunned silence, Naruto's confusion suddenly cleared. He mechanically turned his head, his expression strange as he looked at Shikamaru, a hint of fear creeping into his voice.
"Hey, Shikamaru... after I started treating Chōji, how many times did that Great Fireball Technique appear?"
"Hmm? That's odd... why are you suddenly asking about that?"
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, his expression questioning. Seeing Naruto's lack of response and the deepening frown on his face, his own demeanor grew serious, infected by the inexplicable tension radiating from Naruto.
After a brief pause, he continued, carefully recalling the events as he gazed up at the reappearing orange-red fireball.
"Let me think... I think it's been six... Wait, really? It's getting more frequent. Another one already? That makes seven times now, right?"
"Damn it, seven times already? I remember the previous record was only two... Even that time, we were scrambling for half a day just to barely calm him down. Now, with seven fireballs... I'm probably doomed today."
Even though Naruto had already anticipated the outcome, hearing Shikamaru's cold, heartbreaking answer, delivered without any awareness of the situation, still left him looking utterly despondent.
As the color drained from his face, leaving him pale and weak, he muttered frantically under his breath, his voice a litany of desperate complaints.
"Even if the little guy doesn't start crying and throwing a tantrum... the frequency of these Great Fireball Techniques is almost continuous! He's clearly reaching his breaking point, on the verge of losing control at any moment..."
As he spoke, Naruto's mind conjured an image of Little Fan lying on the ground, throwing a tantrum, rolling around, and crying his heart out—a pitiful sight that left him feeling utterly helpless yet deeply heartbroken. But another possibility sent a chill down his spine.
"No, no, no, this isn't the time to worry about that... If I'd been even a moment later, I might have ended up meeting Dad and Mom already... Or, based on my past experiences, as long as nothing goes wrong... even if I rush over now, there's a good chance that little guy will roast me alive with his Great Fireball Technique, turning me into a walking barbecue. Then, smelling like grilled meat from head to toe, I'd be sent to reunite with my parents!"
"Hey, Naruto? Naruto? Are you okay? Your face is getting paler by the second!"
Shikamaru, completely in the dark and utterly bewildered, had no idea what was troubling Naruto.
After a moment of puzzled hesitation, he naively assumed that Naruto was simply exhausted from healing him and his companions earlier, pushing himself beyond his limits and now showing signs of fatigue.
He couldn't help but mutter to himself, filled with gratitude:
"Healing three people at once must have been a tremendous burden. He's so tired he's acting strangely... Even though he's clearly suffering himself, he still managed to answer my questions... Naruto really is a softie with a sharp tongue."
With their thoughts and understanding completely misaligned, Shikamaru's admiration and gratitude toward Naruto grew even stronger.
This unintentional misunderstanding led to two starkly contrasting and rather comical thoughts in their minds:
"He must be acting like this because he's both exhausted and worried about whether he can continue overseeing the exam..."
Hmm... let me think... If I bring these three little guys along as witnesses, it should prove I didn't deliberately ignore or forget him...
If I think about it that way...
If I think about it that way...
Having a friend as devoted as Naruto is truly wonderful...
When the time comes, will I be able to die with a little more dignity?
The timeline shifts forward, returning to the present...
Just as Naruto, overwhelmed by despair and fear, followed the trail of exploding Great Fireball Techniques from Little Fan's fan, desperately searching for his scent and rushing forward, on the other side...
Little Fan, already furious, was interrupted by some unwelcome and ill-timed guests...
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say...
They were like punching bags delivering themselves to their doom.
"Crown Prince: Ugh, spit, spit, spit! What's with all this talk of death? I'm clearly doing important work here, not abandoning Sasuke! What's there to be afraid of...? Wait, something feels off."
"And why am I suddenly feeling guilty at this critical moment?! I'm supposed to be a straight-as-an-arrow guy, right?!"