Seeing Minato's kunai only a breath away, Lock abandoned his concealment and leapt up, shouting—
"Wait!"
Minato froze mid-strike, stopping less than a meter from Lock. His eyes softened into a smile. "So I was right… You were hidden here the whole time. Truly impressive. I never even sensed you… But in the end, you revealed the smallest flaw."
Only then did the crowd understand. When Lock had thrown down the smoke bomb earlier, he'd quietly burrowed a small hollow beneath the ground, masking himself with his chakra suppression technique and soil cover. Ordinary eyes—and even many trained senses—would never catch it.
But Minato wasn't ordinary. By carefully observing how his own wide-area attacks shifted the environment, he had pieced together Lock's location.
Yet Lock only grinned. "So what if you found me? That means I win."
"Hm?" Minato blinked in confusion.
Lock pointed to the referee. "It's been over five minutes already. The rules were to endure until then, not defeat you. Looks like I've passed."
Minato tilted his head, then chuckled with wry acceptance. "So it has. Clever. You've earned it, Fujiwara Lock. Congratulations—you're officially a ninja."
Lock smiled back, though he added honestly, "If you had fought me seriously, I wouldn't have lasted even a minute. Thank you for holding back."
The words were sincere, and Minato gave him a nod of respect.
But among the watching crowd, opinions split sharply. Many only saw that Kakashi had defeated his examiner outright, while Lock had "slipped by" through tricks and stalling. To them, Kakashi shone brighter. Only a few—those who truly understood the gap between Lock and the genius standing before him—realized how remarkable it was that he'd endured against Minato Namikaze at all.
The Third Hokage stepped forward, smiling warmly as he held out two forehead protectors. "You both did well. From today onward, you are a shinobi of Konohagakure. The future of the village will one day rest on your shoulders. Please report to the Hokage Building this afternoon for registration and assignment. Understood?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
Lock and Kakashi replied in unison, their voices firm. The moment they tied the metal plates of the forehead protectors to their brows, the crowd erupted into a deafening noise.
But before the cheers could fade, a group of shinobi in dark robes approached. At their head was a stern man with a cross-shaped scar along his chin.
"Lord Hiruzen," he called out coldly, "this—"
"Enough, Danzo," the Hokage cut him off before he could finish. "Not here. We'll discuss this later."
Danzo's single visible eye narrowed. He gave Hiruzen a look of open discontent, then turned his gaze toward Lock. The boy felt a chill run down his spine—like a blade resting against his neck.
That stare… he's targeting me.
Danzo said nothing more, but the lingering weight of his glance told Lock all he needed. This was not a man who would give up easily.
The Hokage, sensing the unease, gently patted Lock on the head. "Don't worry, child. As long as I draw breath, none in this village will harm you."
Lock nodded faintly. Whatever others might say about Hiruzen, his presence in that moment was like a shield.
"Wahaha! You're an interesting brat."
A heavy hand suddenly slammed onto Lock's back, nearly knocking him over. He looked up with irritation, only to meet the grinning face of a tall, white-haired man.
"Jiraiya, don't scare him."
The rebuke came from a composed young man with pale skin and sharp eyes. And beside him stood a striking blonde woman, arms crossed, expression impatient.
Lock's breath caught. The Legendary Sannin… in person?
"Stop lingering," Tsunade said curtly, glaring at her teammates. "The ceremony's over."
As the three departed, Lock exhaled deeply. In one da, he had seen the Hokage, Danzo, and now the Sannin. His heart burned with quiet determination. Someday… I'll stand among legends like them.
The students of the Academy swarmed around Kakashi and Lock, eyes fixed on the newly-won forehead protectors.
"Whoa, you're real shinobi now! So cool!"
"Kakashi's amazing—he actually beat the examiner!"
"Yeah, Kakashi's definitely the strongest! The youngest ninja in Konoha's history!"
"Kakashi-kun is so handsome… I wish I could be his girlfriend."
Excitement buzzed through the crowd, though most clustered eagerly around Kakashi. Compared to his spectacular victory, Lock's quiet endurance seemed unimpressive. Only a handful of friends came to Lock's side, offering genuine smiles.
Lock didn't mind. He tied his headband tighter, feeling its weight against his forehead. It wasn't applause or praise he wanted—only the path forward.
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