Ten kilometers is not a short distance for shinobi equipped with chakra, and for certain specialists in Taijutsu, it is child's play.
However, for these children with an average age of seven or eight—children who could not yet use chakra—ten kilometers was a monumental undertaking.
Twenty minutes had already passed, and the children had split into four echelons. The first echelon consisted of only three people: Sarutobi Hiruzen, Uchiha Kagami, and Artoria. Sarutobi Hiruzen led the three, followed by Uchiha Kagami, with Artoria bringing up the rear. The gaps between them were small, however, and all three had already passed the halfway mark.
The second echelon also numbered only a few, including Akimichi Chifuu, the young heir of the Akimichi clan, Shimura Danzo, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and several members of the Uchiha and Senju clans.
The vast majority of the third echelon were children from prominent clans, with only a small handful being prodigies among commoners.
The fourth echelon consisted entirely of commoners. Yet this was only to be expected; the commoners had arrived in the village just a few months ago, having barely shaken off the state of missing their next meal after finishing the last. Their physical condition wasn't necessarily terrible, but it certainly couldn't be called good either.
Another ten minutes passed, and Artoria had pulled nearly a kilometer ahead of the second echelon, but his stamina was bottoming out. Even though his Taijutsu had broken through to the Chunin level, he was only a five-year-old child, not some heavy-weight green-clad beast of stamina. Without using chakra, ten kilometers was practically his limit.
*I need to ask System-ge as soon as I get back whether the Red Dragon's Heart can be redeemed.*
By this point, only the final kilometer or two remained, but Artoria had begun panting every three steps, his legs feeling as though they were filled with lead, far too heavy to lift.
Running just a few meters ahead of Artoria to shield him from the wind, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked back with a trace of sympathy. "Lily, how about I carry you the rest of the way?"
"……"
If I actually agreed to that, that old bastard Tobirama would have me expelled from Hashirama's tutelage by tomorrow, alright?
Artoria cursed inwardly twice, but let no sign of it show on his surface, merely shaking his weary head in refusal.
Seeing Artoria turn him down, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't get angry; instead, a swell of pride rose in his heart. *As expected of the girl I fancy!*
Running at the very front, Uchiha Kagami also flashed a look of admiration in his eyes. For a five- or six-year-old little girl to reach this level was already quite impressive.
Time slowly drifted by. Uchiha Kagami, running at the front, had long since completed the task. After receiving a few words of praise from Clan Head Uchiha Madara, he had happily trotted off to the side to rest.
Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen, whose stamina remained plentiful and who had matched Uchiha Kagami step-for-step the entire way, had delayed finishing so he could stay by Artoria's side.
By now, Artoria had reached his absolute limit. His vision was a hazy blur, his throat tasted entirely of blood, and his lungs felt as though they were burning with fire.
At this point, running seemed to have become a pure instinct. Even with his consciousness fading, his body continued to carry him forward purely on reflex.
He didn't know how long he had been running; he only knew he had to keep running, keep running, until he felt himself crash into a broad, solid chest, and a voice said,
"That's enough, Lily. Tobirama says you've passed."
Perhaps hearing a human voice, or perhaps hearing the words he had longed for, Artoria's body went limp, and he passed out.
Before losing consciousness entirely, Artoria even caught the sound of the two Senju brothers arguing—perhaps because of the System, he heard it with exceptional clarity.
"Tobirama! I told you long ago that making a five- or six-year-old girl run ten kilometers without chakra was too harsh!"
"Anija, you certainly weren't saying that back then. Besides, flowers grown in a greenhouse won't achieve very high heights in the future."
"That was back then..."
"Then why doesn't Anija come up with a solution?"
"…That bell-grabbing thing you mentioned before sounded pretty good…"
"You want the few of us to grab bells from several thousand people? Just how many bells do you plan to hang from your body?"
"……"
…………
When he woke up once more, it was inside a wooden hospital built by Hashirama using his Wood Release ability.
*An unfamiliar ceiling……*
Artoria squinted his eyes, yet felt not a shred of fatigue.
Silently checking his body with chakra, Artoria discovered it bore no resemblance whatsoever to the condition of someone who had collapsed from exhaustion.
"Lily, you're finally awake!"
Following the voice, Artoria looked over to find Senju Hashirama, along with Senju Tobirama, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and an unfamiliar red-haired beauty.
"It's been a whole six hours, you're finally awake!" Senju Hashirama hung noodle-tear lines down his face, rendering the scene sorrowful enough to make Artoria want to laugh.
The red-haired beauty was even more direct, actually turning her head away and pretending not to know him.
"Your physical recovery is very good. Barring any accidents, you'll make it in time for the final assessment the day after tomorrow," Senju Tobirama stated, emotionlessly shattering the atmosphere with zero self-awareness.
"I understand, Lord Tobirama," Artoria replied.
Senju Tobirama nodded, and the next instant vanished directly from everyone's sight.
*He actually used the Flying Thunder God right here!*
"Tobirama is just that kind of temperament; actually, he's quite a good person at heart." As if afraid he would misunderstand, the red-haired beauty walked over and gently patted Artoria's shoulder.
"Um…… Ano—"
"Ah, that's right, my name is Senju Mito. I'm your teacher's wife, you should call me Shiniang, little Lily." Mito chuckled cheerfully as she rubbed the top of Artoria's head with a thoroughly familiar, easygoing air.
"……" Was this what the remarkably gentle Mito-sama from the anime was like when she was young?
"That's right, that's right!" Senju Hashirama walked over as well, gently stroking Artoria's head.
"……" So why does every single one of you love petting my head?! I'm still a patient here!
……
Ah…… by the time I finished writing it was already four or five in the morning, the quality is rather mediocre, and looking back upon review it's already not easy to revise…… Well…… everyone please bear with it (Gomen nasai).