Toru, Hinata, and Ino looked at Yamato with poker faces. The exam would be child's play...
"Hide-and-seek? Are you serious?" Ino asked.
"Very serious. This game will be very different from the original. It will be much harder, to be honest," Yamato replied.
'Playing hide-and-seek may sound ridiculous, but knowing the abilities of Jounin, I think this is going to be troublesome.'
Toru couldn't help but think that this really wasn't going to be a child's game. Not only because they were going to play hide-and-seek, but also because Yamato still hadn't explained the rules they would have to follow to take the exam.
"Yamato-sensei, may I ask something?" Hinata said as she raised her hand. Her cheeks were slightly red because of the cold morning air.
"Go ahead."
"If we're playing hide-and-seek, we have to choose a seeker and those who will be hiding. There are also certain rules that I don't know if they would apply to this exam. What are you going to do about that?"
Hinata had never played hide-and-seek before; however, she knew all the rules involved in the game.
"I was just about to get to that."
Yamato leaned against a nearby tree. He had already decided everything, and that was because he was following Kakashi's advice to the letter.
"All right, the rules are simpler than those of ordinary hide-and-seek. There will be one seeker and three hiders. In this case, I will be the seeker, and the three of you will be the hiders. The maximum duration of the exam will be until noon. As soon as the first hider is found, the exam will end, so a single mistake will be enough for you to be found."
Ino looked at the ground as she thought. She hadn't understood the explanation very well. In fact, there was something missing, but Yamato hadn't said it yet.
"Ah, that's right. The first person to be found fails."
Ino's eyes widened the moment she heard what Yamato said. If she failed, she wouldn't be able to join any team, meaning her entire future as a ninja depended on not being found during the exam.
"But that's unfair, sensei. You're a Jounin. Finding three kids with that much experience would be easy for you. That puts us at a disadvantage," Ino said anxiously and fearfully.
But something like that didn't seem to bother Yamato much. With a long sigh, he said:
"That's true, and that's why I brought this."
Taking a handkerchief out of his pocket, Yamato looked at his students.
"I'll cover my eyes with this. That will obstruct my vision, forcing me to use my other senses to find you."
After hearing Yamato, Ino sighed in relief. After all, if their sensei covered his eyes, their chances of winning would increase.
"If it's like the original game of hide-and-seek, then we'll have some time to hide, right?" Toru said. However, his mere participation seemed to annoy Ino.
"That's right. You'll have five minutes to hide. You can hide in the trees, bushes, underwater, or underground. The only thing you have to do is avoid being found and don't leave the forest."
"Then there's only one thing left. When does the exam begin?" Ino asked, although even with Yamato covering his eyes, he still had the enhanced senses that all Jounin typically possessed.
"The exam will begin when a leaf sprouts from this branch," Yamato said as he brought his hands together. At the same time, a small branch emerged from the ground.
This caused Hinata and Ino to stare in amazement at the strange jutsu their sensei was using. Even Toru raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Now I'll leave. When the leaf sprouts from the branch, the exam will begin. I'll return once the five minutes have passed and start looking for you."
Although she was nervous, Hinata responded with a slight nod, and Ino did the same. As for Toru, he simply stared at the horizon without saying a word. Not even his hidden abilities could save him from being found.
"Then let the exam begin," Yamato said before disappearing in the blink of an eye.
'I'm going to pass this exam. I have to pass. Even if I have to stay on the same team as that weirdo. Anything for Sasuke,' Ino thought, trying to encourage herself.
Hinata looked at her hands and clenched her fists.
'My Byakugan will be very useful for escaping if Yamato-sensei gets close. I don't have to worry because I know I'll pass. Still... Toru-kun, I hope you can pass this exam too.'
Although she was nervous, she was confident in herself. She knew her eyes would be a great help. All she had to do was stay away from Yamato and her teammates.
Toru stared intently at the branch, and when he sensed that the leaf was about to sprout, he turned around and looked toward the forest in front of him.
"Now!"
When the leaf sprouted from the branch, Toru shot toward the forest. This surprised Hinata and Ino, but they couldn't just stand there with their mouths open.
'I'm not going to let them beat me,' Ino thought. Mirroring Toru's actions, she also ran toward the forest.
The same happened with Hinata. Moving at a steady pace, she entered the forest and hid behind a tree.
'This should be fine. It's not too far from where we were a moment ago. I can use my Byakugan more freely here.'
Bringing her hands together, Hinata activated her Byakugan, and veins began to bulge around her eyes. With her dojutsu activated, she carefully analyzed her surroundings.
After observing for a few seconds, Hinata found Toru, who was sitting on a tree branch and looking around.
'Toru-kun seems to have chosen a good position. If he stays still and doesn't make any noise, he can blend in among the tree's leaves.'
A few more seconds passed as Hinata continued using her Byakugan. During that brief moment, she was able to see Ino's figure hiding among the bushes near two trees. That area was somewhat dark because of the height of the trees.
'Ino... she's hiding in a terrible spot. She should have climbed a tree. If she stays there, she could end up making a lot of noise, and if that happens, she'll be found very quickly.'
—Toru's Hiding Spot—
Taking a strategic position on the strongest branch of a tree, Toru observed his surroundings.
There were still two minutes before Yamato appeared, so he still had a chance to change his hiding spot, but if he did, he wouldn't be able to find a better place. The spot he was in was surrounded by the branches of other trees, which helped conceal the sound of his movements, even his breathing.
'Thirty seconds left. I still can't see him, but if I manage to stay hidden, I can secure my victory.'
Looking toward the place where he had been standing a few minutes earlier, he tried to find Yamato until the sound of the wind announced the sensei's arrival. He appeared with the cloth wrapped around his eyes.
'He's here!'
Toru tried to keep his eyes on Yamato, because if he lost sight of him, his chances of being found would increase considerably.
'He hasn't moved since he appeared.'
Toru tried to remain still so he wouldn't make any noise. Although he could disguise the sound with the movement of the leaves, he could only do that when the wind was blowing; otherwise, he would be revealing his position.
'I don't know where Hinata hid, much less Ino. I just hope he doesn't find us until noon.'
A few more seconds passed before Yamato decided to begin searching.
His steps were slow. He seemed to be trying to get used to being blind.