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The first exam content quickly concluded. While many students achieved good scores, it was undeniable that their thunder had been completely stolen by Hinata alone. Two perfect 100-point scores loomed like a great mountain, pressing upon everyone's hearts, instilling a deep sense of powerlessness. If 90 points could still be strived for through effort... then 100 points were not something that could be obtained solely through hard work. Even the universally acknowledged Uchiha genius, Sasuke Uchiha, only scored in the low nineties for both subjects. It seemed not far from 100, perhaps just a few points short. Yet, this "small" difference of a few points actually gave Sasuke Uchiha an insurmountable feeling, making him feel that it would be hard to surpass.
After recording everyone's scores, Iruka Sensei announced: "The first exam took a total of 1 hour and 13 minutes. First place goes to Hinata Hyuga, second place to Sasuke Uchiha, third place to Sakura Haruno, fourth place..." After announcing name after name, Iruka's throat felt a little dry. He took a sip of water and cleared his throat. He continued, "Next, we will proceed with the second content, weighted long-distance running!" Iruka pointed to the weighted equipment that had been prepared yesterday. Then he continued, "The leg weights, backpacks, and other weighted items here combined weigh around 200 jin (approx. 220 lbs). You will carry these items and run two laps around the field to complete this exam content."
This sounded much simpler than testing shuriken and kunai throwing techniques. But actually, it was indeed very simple. Yet, it would definitely not be easy. Aside from those who specialized in Taijutsu, what did a 200-jin weight mean? It was equivalent to each person carrying a 200-jin fat person! And the perimeter of this training ground was roughly 600 meters. Two laps... that's 1200 meters, equivalent to one kilometer plus an additional 200 meters! The crucial point was their age. They were generally nine to ten years old.
"2... 200 jin... This, this, this... Iruka Sensei, you're not joking, are you?!" Sakura Haruno secretly swallowed. A faint sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead. Many of the girls' expressions were the same as hers, and even many of the boys looked like the sky was falling. Although they could lift such a weight if they pushed themselves, running two laps... forget running, they might not even be able to crawl! Iruka shook his head, his face devoid of emotion. "This is not an exam content I devised. This is content personally set for each class by the Third Hokage-sama." "So this is not a joke. If you have any objections, you can take them up with the Hokage-sama."
Sakura Haruno: "..." Iruka continued, "Moreover, if you don't push yourselves, how will you ever know how terrifying your potential truly is?!"
Everyone: "..." You're speaking without feeling any pain, aren't you? We're still just a bunch of kids! Although the children in the Ninja Academy, as long as they weren't the dead-last few, could generally beat a few adults, carrying a 200-jin weight and running 1200 meters, even if an adult were to do it, they would probably be exhausted after about 200 meters, wouldn't they?!
Just as everyone was silently complaining, a figure walked forward, attracting everyone's attention. Hinata was the first to step forward, picked up her designated weighted gear, and then put it on, muttering, "It's not heavy... feels quite light. When I usually train, I start with 400 jin of weight, and I run at least 10 kilometers." It was fortunate that her muttering wasn't loud, otherwise, let alone the students, even Iruka, their teacher, would probably break out in a cold sweat. Starting with 400 jin of weight was one thing. Iruka thought he could handle that. But simultaneously running at least 10 kilometers with 400 jin of weight. That was simply insane! Without Chakra enhancement. Purely relying on physical stamina... Hiss... Unbelievable, utterly beyond belief, how terrifying that would be.
Liu Chen explained to Hinata, "You specialize in Taijutsu. Others focus on Ninjutsu. These little brats will be doing well if they can crawl two laps. But you, carrying 200 jin of weight, could run around Konoha all day." Hinata nodded, somewhat understanding, thinking, So I'm really strong, then? Well, even Hinata herself had to admit. She did seem to be the strongest in this class. And the time it took... was only a little over three months, almost four.
Under everyone's wide-eyed gaze, Hinata effortlessly shouldered the weights, then began running around the training ground at an unhurried pace. Her breathing was balanced and orderly, her steps steady, yet with a hint of lightness. As if, if she truly wished, she could go even faster. Sasuke Uchiha gritted his teeth. He was the second to step forward, and the third was the attention-seeking Naruto Uzumaki. Both ran almost side-by-side. After Sasuke put on the weights, his expression stiffened slightly, feeling immense pressure. But he still dragged his body forward, slowly running. Naruto, however, was in a bit more distress... His forehead was covered in cold sweat the moment he put on the weights. Glancing at Sasuke Uchiha, who was already dozens of meters ahead of him, he gritted his teeth and said, "Damn Sasuke, I won't lose to a show-off narcissist like you!" Although the weight put immense pressure on him, he still shuffled his feet forward. Naruto might currently be the dead-last of the class. But he was still the protagonist of the original story... his perseverance was almost unmatched. And Sasuke Uchiha was also one of the protagonists; his talent and perseverance went without saying. It was just that his thoughts seemed very simple and he was easily manipulated.
"This batch of students... there are quite a few with good talent and perseverance!" Looking at Hinata Hyuga, who was running incredibly fast, Iruka wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.