"Shikamaru, how did you know that I'm actually the real examiner hiding behind this year's Chūnin Exams?"
Hearing Naruto ask this question—albeit a bit belatedly—Shikamaru, who had just been about to take the lead again, stopped in his tracks. He fell into thought, unable to figure out how to respond… or rather, uncertain whether Naruto's seemingly casual question was laced with good intentions or something more dangerous. He was caught in a dilemma.
'Tch… What a drag… What should I do now…'
Muttering under his breath, Shikamaru furrowed his brows, wrestling with whether or not to tell Naruto the truth. So distracted was he that he didn't even notice the bag of chips slipping from his arms, nor did he register Chōji silently creeping over to pick them up one by one from the ground.
Despite being in the middle of a high-stakes, time-sensitive exam, Naruto didn't rush him. Instead, he kept smiling gently and even averted his gaze a little to avoid pressuring Shikamaru further. Unintentionally, this created a more relaxed and comfortable space where Shikamaru could gather his thoughts without being directly stared at.
'For someone who always says he hates trouble, he sure overthinks every little thing the moment something happens. Honestly, it doesn't match that catchphrase of his at all…'
In truth, Shikamaru's cautious and contemplative nature reminded Naruto of himself—especially back before he'd acquired the overwhelming advantage he now held. Every step Naruto had taken had been one of careful calculation.
As he silently assessed Shikamaru with a warm smile in his eyes, Naruto continued to feed his chakra gently into the obedient and quiet Hinata in his arms. He wanted to keep her stamina and chakra at their peak. Meanwhile, he turned a blind eye to Chōji's stealthy attempt to reclaim the fallen chips.
He remained still, keeping the same distance from Shikamaru, and smiled patiently.
'Well, I guess I'm not one to talk about Shikamaru either… Back then, when I was a kid, I didn't know anything—but that also meant I didn't have to worry about anything. In a way… maybe the real Naruto had it easier than this fake one occupying his identity.'
Shikamaru's methodical thinking mirrored how Naruto had reached his current position: step-by-step planning, constantly thinking ahead, all while holding truths that others either hadn't noticed or never considered. The fear of taking even one wrong step—and causing an irreparable mistake—made them both far more cautious than the average person.
Of course, to those unaware of the bigger picture, this kind of cautious behavior might just look like indecisiveness or weakness.
"Hehe… Chips, chips… my precious chips…"
At the same time, Chōji had no idea why Shikamaru was frozen in place. But even if he had known, he wouldn't have worried about it for even a second. Now fully in snack mode, he bent down with a gleeful grin, happily retrieving the dropped chips as if rediscovering lost treasure.
However, just as he was enjoying the reunion with his beloved snacks—eyes narrowed, drooling—he suddenly felt his hands lighten. He blinked, frowning, and rubbed his palms.
The bag was gone.
'Who?! Who dared steal my chips?! Don't let me find out who that bastard—'
Having his long-lost treasure stolen again was an offense Chōji could not tolerate. After freezing for a few seconds, he clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. Eyes wide with rage, he spun around looking for the culprit. Then, he spotted Ino, who was now struggling a bit to carry the armful of chips but still smiling sweetly.
Faced with such a sight, and driven by sheer survival instinct, Chōji immediately reined in his anger and changed his tone.
"Beautiful, elegant, and charming big sister…"
Only then did Ino's expression soften. With a sigh, she let go of the bags of chips in her arms, letting them fall to the ground with a soft thud, all while shaking out her aching wrists.
"Hmph. At least you were smart enough to change your tune quickly."
After a brief pause, she noticed Chōji trying to casually inch away. She smiled and reached out, grabbing his soft earlobe and giving it a firm tug and twist before he could escape.
"But tell me—did you seriously not notice that Shikamaru is trying to organize his thoughts right now? He can't afford the slightest distraction. I'm warning you—if he fails to give that examiner a perfect answer because of your nonsense and we lose our chance to get into the Academy…"
She glanced around, then, catching Chōji's horrified expression, picked up one of the chip bags from the ground. Her voice dropped to a devilish whisper.
"Then you can kiss these beloved chips of yours… goodbye. Forever."
Ino, like the others, had misunderstood Naruto's behavior. She feared that any minor mistake would result in everyone being eliminated under one of Naruto's random, mood-based assessments. That's why, upon seeing Chōji messing around near Shikamaru, she panicked. Momentarily setting aside her usual graceful demeanor, she let her more assertive side show to scare Chōji into behaving himself.
Of course, she was also deeply curious about how exactly Shikamaru had figured out Naruto was the real examiner—making her even more unwilling to let Chōji mess things up.
Hoo… The answer's actually simple. Just one word.
Just then, Shikamaru's body trembled slightly. It was subtle, but it suggested he had made his decision. His awareness snapped back into place, and he let out a long sigh. Turning to face Naruto—who had been smiling at him the entire time—he shrugged and gave a small, knowing smile.
"A gamble."