Chapter 169: A Truly Unique Exam

"The exam isn't fixed, and I'm not interested in having you compete for bells or focus on team coordination."

"You three—one from the Hyuga main family, one from the Uchiha, and a civilian—aren't going to blend together easily."

"I don't like wasting my time on things that won't work, so your exam will be a little different."

"Master, someone is using a special jutsu to spy on us," Snowy suddenly informed Takuya.

"..."

Takuya didn't need to think too hard about who it was. Other than the person sitting in the Hokage's office, no one else would dare to casually spy on him.

At that moment, the Third Hokage really was using the Telescope Technique to see what Takuya was up to. He wanted to know how Takuya would handle leading a squad that was bound to have problems.

The Uchiha were prideful, the Hyuga weren't far behind, and there was also a civilian genius caught in the middle—this team was not going to be easy to lead.

How was Takuya going to solve the team's internal issues?

Curiosity got the better of the Third Hokage, and he began spying on them.

Since there was no one else in his office, he could do as he pleased.

Suzune from the Hyuga clan remained silent, Uchiha Ryoji was still rubbing his head, and Aida Sui—the civilian caught between them—asked curiously:

"Sensei, what exactly is our exam?"

Ignoring the Hokage's spying, Takuya snapped his fingers.

"Simple: stand still."

Takuya's sudden command made the three of them instinctively straighten up. Even Ryoji, who had been sulking, obeyed without complaint.

Takuya glanced up at the sun.

He created a shadow clone and said to it:

"I'm going to take a nap. Keep an eye on them."

"Remember, don't move. Not until I wake up. If you move, you'll all fail and have to repeat a year."

The bell test? That's old news.

Since I'm the Jonin instructor, I'll decide how this exam goes.

After warning the three students, Takuya turned away, lay down comfortably on the grass, and started sleeping, leaving the clone to watch over them.

What the...?

You're going to sleep while we stand here under the sun, and if we move, we fail? What kind of weird exam is this?

Ryoji wanted to scream, and Aida was just dumbfounded.

Suzune stayed silent, but from the frown on her face, it was clear she wasn't happy with this test either.

But Takuya didn't care whether they were happy or not. As long as he was content, that's what mattered.

They would stand in the sun while he napped.

"..."

This exam really is something else, the Third Hokage thought, watching from his office. He glanced at Takuya, sleeping on the grass, and then at the three students standing motionless under the hot sun.

His mouth twitched a bit.

He even considered sending someone from the Anbu to remind Takuya that this wasn't how things were done.

But he quickly squashed that idea.

Since Takuya had been appointed as a Jonin instructor, the exam was his to run.

As long as he wasn't intentionally harming the students, there was no reason for the Hokage to interfere.

Fine, I'll leave him to it, the Hokage thought, shaking his head. It seemed like Takuya was taking some sort of personal revenge.

The Hokage put away his crystal ball and decided to stop watching. As long as Takuya didn't cross the line, he wouldn't get involved.

Meanwhile, Hyuga Suzune, Uchiha Ryoji, and Aida Sui stood like statues under the blazing sun for more than four hours before Takuya finally woke up.

"That nap felt great," Takuya said with a yawn. "When did Snowy come out?"

Yawning again, he picked up Snowy and glanced at the sun.

"They didn't move at all," his clone reported.

The clone, which had been standing in the sun along with the students, dispelled itself. Even the clone had had enough of standing under the hot sun.

Takuya absorbed the memories from the clone.

Looking at his three students, drenched in sweat, Takuya chuckled as he sat down on the grass.

He pulled out a sealing scroll, took out some snacks and drinks, and casually sipped on his drink while snacking. His legs were crossed, and he looked completely relaxed.

He was so relaxed, it was infuriating.

What kind of insane exam is this?

Ryoji felt like he was about to lose his mind. Standing in the same spot for hours was more exhausting than a full day of training.

The worst part? He really needed to use the bathroom...

But he didn't dare move. He was terrified that if he moved even an inch, Takuya would fail him and force him to repeat a year.

If he had to go back to the academy, he'd be humiliated for life.

There was no way he could let that happen. No matter how bad things got, he'd hold it in.

Ryoji was holding on, and so was Suzune, her face flushed from the heat.

Even Aida, who looked absolutely miserable, was hanging in there.

"Congratulations, you've all passed the exam. Meet me at the village gates tomorrow at 9 AM. I don't like it when people are late, so make sure you're on time," Takuya said, glancing at them.

He could tell they wouldn't last much longer—someone would soon lose control and have an embarrassing accident.

Ryoji could probably manage, but Suzune was a girl, and if she lost control in front of everyone, it would be socially devastating.

If that happened, the Hyuga clan would probably want to kill him.

Hearing that they had passed, the three of them collapsed to the ground, too exhausted to stand anymore.

They struggled to their feet and wobbled off into the trees, desperate to relieve themselves before their bodies gave out completely.

As they left, Takuya headed to the hotpot restaurant, intending to grab a meal and then head home for some rest.

"Takuya? How did the exam with your new students go?"

It was Uchiha Mikoto, who had the day off. She was sitting in the restaurant with Kushina, chatting.

"It went well. I had them stand in the sun all day, so their legs are probably a bit wobbly now."

"..."

Your student exams are really strange. Most people use a combat exam or have them compete for bells.

But you? You make them stand under the hot sun for hours until their legs give out.

Kushina and Mikoto both felt sorry for Uchiha Ryoji and the others. Poor kids.

If they were walking normally, it would take them about ten minutes to get home. But Uchiha Ryoji, wobbling as he was, took nearly an hour to make it back.

Meanwhile, Suzune collapsed the moment she got home.

Her legs felt like they weren't even part of her body anymore. As for the clan training exercises waiting for her, she simply couldn't do them.

Having never gone through anything like this before, Suzune was shocked. Who knew standing still for a few hours could be more exhausting than a full day of training?

"Sensei really is a genius to come up with an exam like that," she muttered through clenched teeth.

Aida, who lived the furthest away, massaged his aching legs as he walked home. The constant grimacing and smiling made passersby think he'd lost his mind.

At times he looked like he was in pain, and at other times he looked oddly happy.

It was a bizarre sight.

The next morning, Takuya woke up early. Having finished his Sage Mode training, he was now adjusting his daily routine.

After picking up a mission from the Hokage's office, Takuya strolled over to the village gates.

Even though it wasn't 9 AM yet, Ryoji, Suzune, and Aida were already there. None of them had dared to be late.

"Good job, no one's late," Takuya said, nodding approvingly.

"Let's get going. Today's your first official mission. Hopefully, you'll complete it without any issues."

Their mission took them to the countryside.

"The client isn't here yet, so while we wait, why don't you all introduce yourselves? Talk about your dreams, favorite foods, things like that. It's a good way to get to know each other."

***********important********

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