The Chakra-Sensing Paper was stored in a wooden box.
Before the lid was opened, Naruto was still rubbing the shoulder that had scraped against a sandbag yesterday. Mizuki had not come today. Only Iruka-sensei, Teacher Mizuno, and the Office of Academic Affairs recorder stood by the edge of the field. Yet the feeling of being watched from yesterday had not fully faded, like sand in his shoe that jabbed him with every step.
The moment Kiyo saw the wooden box, he took a step back.
"Will it explode?"
Morita Yu said, "Your mouth will explode first."
"Is my mouth that dangerous?"
"You're only realizing that now?"
Iruka-sensei set the wooden box on the long table. Inside were pale sheets of paper cut into small pieces, each only two fingers wide. Beside them sat a bowl of clear water, a damp cloth, and several spare wooden sticks. The moment Che saw those things, he understood.
This was not a formal nature test.
Children their age still had unstable chakra, and many could not even manage their output properly. The sensing paper's purpose today was more like screening: who could mobilize chakra, who would overdo it, who would lose the flow, and whose reaction was too unusual. The paper might wrinkle, become damp, split, scorch black, or do nothing at all.
After hearing the rules, Naruto's expression turned awful, just as expected.
"What if there's no reaction?"
Iruka-sensei looked at him. "Then we write down no reaction."
The words were flat, but two children nearby lowered their heads and laughed. Naruto heard them, and his fingers clenched at once.
Sasuke stood to one side without laughing. He stared at the paper in the box, his gaze more serious than yesterday.
Rina went first. She held the paper between her fingers and closed