"Oh? You're asking me to give them another chance?"
After patiently listening to Hinata, Naruto lowered his head slightly.
His expression remained cold and detached, but both the way he looked at Hinata and the tone of his voice were noticeably softer and more indulgent compared to when he had been scolding Ino and Shikamaru earlier.
"Why do you say that? Based on their behavior, being disqualified from this exam as failures isn't unjustified... Right, Hinata?"
Just as Hinata had suspected, when it came to Shikamaru and Ino—or more precisely, Ino's selfish and overbearing behavior that had chilled him—Naruto was indeed displeased.
But it wasn't to the point where he would genuinely get angry at a child. That cold demeanor wasn't born from actual anger, but rather a deliberate act to play the "bad cop" role.
What Hinata didn't know was that Naruto had been waiting... waiting for her to step in and plead for the two of them—unable to stand by and watch them get eliminated without speaking up.
After all, if someone plays the bad cop, there needs to be a good cop too. Only through this interplay could Naruto achieve the outcome he wanted.
In other words, it wasn't because the person pleading was Hinata that he showed favoritism or indulgence. And the softening of his gaze had absolutely nothing to do with how cute she looked when she pouted or how it stirred the instincts of a certain wife-doting maniac!
It was simply because among the four present—Shikamaru and Ino being criticized, and Naruto playing the examiner—only Hinata remained who could act as the good cop! That's all. Really!
"Uwah—!"
Naruto's noticeably softened response made Hinata even more certain of her hunch. But his indulgent and gentle gaze left her flustered and blushing.
Having rushed to speak up, she hadn't properly thought through how to justify her plea, and now she was stumbling over her words in panic.
"B-because…"
As she hesitated, Hinata's originally clear reasoning turned into a tangled mess under Naruto's gaze.
While stammering out half-formed sentences, her mind raced, trying to think of something convincing.
'Ugh… what should I say now? What do I do… Should I tell Naruto-kun it's because Ino is a girl and deserves leniency?'
'No… Naruto-kun clearly treated boys and girls the same earlier...[Are you sure about that...?]If I say that, it definitely won't work.'
'Then should I say it would be a shame to give up after working so hard up to this point?'
'Ugh… but if that's acceptable, then anyone could use the same excuse to avoid punishment. That would put Naruto, as the examiner, in a tough spot… Ugh… what should I do…'
Even though Hinata had successfully figured out Naruto's "bad cop" act, at the end of the day, she was still just a young girl.
Even Shikamaru, the actual person involved and someone skilled in strategy, couldn't come up with any justification to challenge the fact that they were about to be eliminated.
Naturally, it was even harder for an outsider like Hinata…
Of course, this apparent difficulty was only on the surface… Because compared to Shikamaru, Hinata had one big advantage that could bridge, offset, or even reverse the situation—
Namely, a certain someone's wife-doting instincts—ahem!—that is, because Hinata was playing the good cop role, Naruto was naturally inclined to cooperate and deliberately ease up, allowing himself to be "persuaded" step by step.
Since Hinata couldn't think of a solid reason to defend them, the solution was simple: Naruto just needed to provide her with an opening and subtly guide her into using it as the basis for her plea, giving himself a reason to relent.
From the moment he began scolding Ino, Naruto had already planned everything: Hinata would naturally plead for them, and he would naturally need a reason to back down.
And sure enough, the key "opening" to turn things around was now slowly, clumsily approaching from behind the group.
Perhaps because Naruto's attention had quietly shifted entirely toward Hinata, who had bravely stepped forward to plead for others, the oppressive pressure on Shikamaru and Ino suddenly lifted, allowing them a bit of freedom to move.
Because of that, they were the first to notice the chubby little figure wobbling closer behind Naruto.
"Huh? That silhouette… Chōji?!"
Squinting into the distance, and as the figure came closer, Shikamaru finally recognized who it was.
But at the same time, he also saw the sweat-drenched face, the lifeless eyes, and the pale expression—causing him to cry out instinctively.
"No way…! Hey, Chōji! Get a grip! What happened to you?!"
"Huh? Ah… Shikamaru…"
Hearing the worried voice near his ear, Chōji's shaky movements paused. He struggled to lift his head and looked toward the sound.
After confirming that it really was Shikamaru and not a hallucination, Chōji managed a small, strained smile.
"Heh… I finally… caught up…"
But before he could finish, the mental fatigue overcame him. His stamina had long since hit rock bottom, and he'd only been moving by sheer willpower.
Now he couldn't keep going. With a slight tremble, he collapsed face-first to the ground, still smiling.
"Chōji! Hey, Chōji!"
Seeing his friend fall, Shikamaru forgot all about the current crisis—being scolded and threatened with disqualification by Naruto.
With a shout, he felt a gentle power rising from within, fueling his body with incredible speed. In a flash, he darted forward and caught Chōji before he hit the ground.
"Hey! Stay with me, Chōji! Come on! Ah—wait!"
Shikamaru, not celebrating his unexpected burst of strength, furrowed his brows and anxiously called out.
He reached into his pouch and pulled out a Ration Pill—the same one he had refused to eat even when Ino had exhausted him during their chase.
"Haha, thank goodness, it's still here... I didn't drop it… I knew it was the right choice not to eat this earlier... Hey, Chōji, take this. You'll feel better after you eat it. Come on, open your mouth… That's it, try a bit harder and swallow..."
As he spoke, Shikamaru stimulated Chōji's nerves to keep him semi-conscious. Then, without hesitation, he force-fed him the Ration Pill, helping him swallow it to replenish the energy and chakra his body desperately needed.
"W-what…? Shikamaru… still had a Ration Pill?!"
Watching the scene unfold, Ino's frustration instantly evaporated. She covered her mouth in disbelief. The resentment in her eyes melted into guilt and shame.
"I even ate my Ration Pill earlier just to catch up to him… But he… he held onto his the whole time..."
Even Naruto hadn't expected this. Despite looking utterly drained earlier, Shikamaru had preserved his Ration Pill—not for himself, but for his teammate, knowing Chōji would likely fall behind.
His gaze toward Shikamaru now held a flicker of approval. It was also the most effective way to make Ino reflect on the gap between her and Shikamaru—on how differently they treated their teammates.
"Even though he kept saying it was troublesome… Even though you chased and yelled at him… he never forgot his teammate's weaknesses. He never retaliated against you, nor did he eat the Ration Pill meant for him… He kept it, just for this moment—to give Chōji a second chance at recovery."
"This is the difference between you and Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino."
Naruto's tone softened with admiration for Shikamaru's actions. No longer sounding fierce and intimidating like before, he turned his head and looked back at Ino, muttering as if to himself:
"So… what exactly should I do to convince myself to give you another chance?"