The Difficulty of the Assessment!

Late September.

A light, drizzling rain fell incessantly. Outside Konoha, the forests were lush and dense, filled with towering trees, bamboo groves, wildflowers, and ancient vines. Raindrops struck the leaves, creating a crisp, rhythmic patter.

To facilitate entry and exit, there was a small clearing at the gate of Konoha. Due to the rain, the road at the entrance had become muddy. Several carriages transporting goods had already become stuck in the mire, only managing to move forward slowly with the help of the Konoha ninja guarding the gate.

Inside the gate, a group of children was gathering on the road. The harsh weather conditions had not affected the assessment.

"Everyone is here, so I will begin announcing the rules."

"Now, everyone, check your ninja tool pouches first. Kunai, shuriken, steel wire, and explosive tags are all permitted."

"Compasses, maps, and other navigational tools will be issued by the academy."

Jiudai stood before the children, beginning to announce the rules for the final assessment once he saw everyone had arrived. Because many children had been eliminated in the first two rounds, the number of participants for this third round was not large; all the children across the three age groups combined totaled fewer than 50.

As Jiudai announced the rules, the children began to lower their heads to check their pouches.

"Now, I will distribute the maps and compasses." Jiudai glanced at the children checking their gear and waved at the ninja standing to the side to distribute the maps.

Kuming stood near the front and began to study the map carefully as soon as he received it. It was a simple map, roughly marking rivers and mountain ranges. In the very center, there was a large red "X" with the word "Destination" written in red ink, as if the proctor were terrified someone might miss it.

"Now, look at the maps in your hands. The location marked with the red X is the destination for this assessment. It is a temple located 75 kilometers outside of Konoha. Arriving within the specified time will be considered excellent. Those who arrive after ten days or fail to arrive at all will be eliminated."

"For this assessment, I have arranged for Chunin from the village to follow you throughout the journey. They will evaluate your physical condition. If a teacher feels you are unable to continue the assessment, they will step in and bring you back, though that will count as elimination."

"Do you all understand?"

After Jiudai finished explaining the rules, he scrutinized all the children. His face was stern. For some children, this assessment would be quite easy, but for others, it might be an impossible task, especially for the younger age group.

A 75-kilometer mountain trek would take a long time even for a normal adult who knew the route, let alone for these children armed only with a simple map and a compass. Konoha was surrounded by dense forests; once a child entered the woods, it was easy to get lost, and once lost, the assessment was effectively a failure.

Is it really this difficult? Uzumaki Kuming had been full of confidence at first, but after learning the details, his expression turned serious.

This is just an entrance exam for the Ninja Academy; how could such a task appear? Kuming muttered to himself. This level of difficulty was not something a child who had never even attended school should be expected to handle.

This assessment was somewhat like the orienteering Kuming had played in his past life, but significantly harder, and aimed at young children. Although children in the ninja world were generally precocious, there was a limit to that maturity. A task of this magnitude was still fraught with difficulties.

"Now, the assessment begins. You may form teams freely. If you have already formed a team or do not intend to, you may depart immediately."

Just as Kuming was pondering why the entrance exam was so difficult, Jiudai gave the signal to start. Following his command, some children left alone; the teenagers, full of confidence in their own abilities, had no intention of teaming up.

Meanwhile, some of the younger, more timid children began searching for partners in the crowd, intending to form teams before setting off. Through his Mind's Eye of the Kagura, Uzumaki Kuming could sense that as the children departed, Konoha ninja were concealing their presence and following them.

It seems the Third Hokage really cares about the children's assessment. Sending so many Chunin for a single exam is quite a grand gesture.

Watching the students leave one after another, Kuming's excitement began to build. This was his first time leaving the village in all these years; he could finally see the outside world with his own eyes.

"Off I go!"

Kuming glanced at the map, carefully identified his direction, and let out a happy shout. With his legs slightly bent, he darted out like an arrow.

He did not take the main road like the other children who had left first. Instead, he channeled chakra into his feet and sprinted directly into the forest. In terms of chakra application, he had long since surpassed all the other children.

It was precisely because Kuming had already mastered the ability to adhere chakra to his feet that he chose to act alone; he didn't want to be slowed down by dead weight.

Kuming moved with great speed. Shikaichi Nara had originally wanted to team up with Kuming, but before he knew it, Kuming had already departed. With no other choice, he had to find other children to form a group.

Hizashi Hyuga had a pleasant personality and had displayed impressive combat strength in the previous rounds, so many children sought to join him. Hizashi did not turn anyone away, and soon a large team of eight had gathered and walked out of the Konoha gate. There were not many lone wolves; most children had formed teams of three or more to move forward.

After all, this was wilderness survival, and being in a group provided a sense of security.

Whoosh! Thud!

Uzumaki Kuming's figure darted through the forest. As he leaped between the trees, he left footprints on the branches. In the distance, a figure followed Kuming's trail, moving through the woods in the same manner.

Kuming, that kid, he's so fast! He doesn't look like a five-year-old at all!

Minato Namikaze followed Uzumaki Kuming from afar. Although Kuming was not in his direct line of sight, he could determine Kuming's direction from the footprints and traces left on the branches.

Indeed, the Chunin assigned to protect Kuming for this academy entrance exam was none other than Minato Namikaze, who had only recently graduated from the academy. At twelve years old, Minato was already a Chunin!

However, Kuming, who was ahead, had no idea that the Chunin protecting him was an old acquaintance; he was currently focused entirely on his journey.

After running for an unknown amount of time, Kuming looked up at the dim sky and decided to stop and rest. He felt somewhat exhausted, and since he had left Konoha, a light rain had been falling constantly. By now, the rain had grown heavier. The proctors had not issued rain gear to the students.

Consequently, after traveling this far, Kuming was soaked to the bone. As his physical exertion increased, he could clearly feel his body temperature dropping.

I can't keep going. Traveling in the rain is far too inefficient. I'll find a place to rest for today.

The sky remained as gray as it had been in the morning, making it impossible to tell the time. But the fatigue radiating from his body told Kuming he had been running for a long time. With the rain intensifying, he had no choice but to stop.

Whoosh! Uzumaki Kuming leaped down from a tree and landed on the ground. He looked at the surrounding environment, unsure of how to set up his shelter.

It's a pity I don't know Yamato's house-building jutsu; otherwise, I wouldn't have to sleep out in the woods.

I used to think Yamato's development of Wood Release was weak, but now I realize he really knew how to live.

After landing, the environment felt much darker, as the dense forest canopy blocked most of the light. Kuming envied Yamato's Wood Release ninjutsu and began to survey his surroundings.

There were no large clearings where Kuming had stopped, but not far away stood a giant tree that would take three people to encircle. The ground beneath it was relatively dry, and Kuming decided that would be his campsite for the first night.

Once the location was chosen, he had to build a shelter. Kuming thought for a moment and decided on the simplest triangular design: finding a sturdy branch to lean against the giant tree, then distributing smaller branches across it to expand the area, and finally covering them with leaves to complete a makeshift shelter.

Having decided on the plan, Kuming quickly got to work. Relying on his monstrous strength, he could move logs that other children would find impossible to budge. Therefore, for him, building the shelter was not particularly difficult, just tedious. With the support of his strength, it took Kuming less than two hours to finish the shelter.

This speed of constructing a shelter was already quite fast; although it could not compare to Yamato, for a child, having the ability to build a shelter was already an incredibly impressive feat.

After completing the shelter, Jiuming collected some dry fallen leaves and dead tree branches under that massive tree. Fortunately, the forest was dense enough that even with the rain falling from the sky, he was still able to find plenty of dry firewood.

Once he had finished collecting the firewood, Jiuming took a kerosene lighter out of his ninja tool pouch and ignited the wood.

"Good thing I'm sharp; I brought an Asuma-brand Lighter. If I had to use a flint like the others, wouldn't that be too stupid~"

The bonfire rose steadily, and Jiuming took off his damp outer garment, ducking into the shelter to warm himself by the fire. The temperature of the flames brought a sense of satisfaction from the bottom of Jiuming's heart. The rain outside grew heavier, the pitter-patter sounds reaching Jiuming's ears and making his mood exceptionally calm.

In this relatively comfortable environment, Jiuming ate half a Military Ration Pill and drank some fresh water before setting up a perimeter alarm seal, subsequently falling into a deep sleep within this temporary shelter.