It didn't take long for Arthur to briefly explain his reason for being here—all without revealing too much about himself.
Enma seemingly accepted the information without question. "Let us talk more in private."
Arthur was led into an office room, where Enma took a seat and leaned back in his chair as if he was a businessman.
Steepling his fingers in a gesture of contemplation, he began, "I must say that what you've told me requires careful consideration. We primates live in harmony with nature and only take what we need."
"Naturally understood…"
"But… we can defend what is ours. We are very protective of our home. So… Tell me, little Alex, what role do you see yourself playing in all of this?"
"I can help you strategize. More importantly, I can learn from you and your deep connection to this land to help combine our strengths."
Enma's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of learning. "What exactly do you propose to learn?"
"I'd like to learn the ways of the jungle and understand its power over nature."
Enma stared at him for a moment as if searching for hidden motives. Arthur, however, remained calm.
Just as Enma was about to agree to something, a door at the back of the room slammed open with a bang.
A female gorilla with broad shoulders strode into the room. Red lipstick painted her full lips, and she wore an emerald dress far too ornate for the jungle setting.
"Honey!" she boomed. "What in the name of the Great Banyan Tree is going on here? Who is this boy you're fraternizing with?"
"Now, Nala, calm down. This is little Alex; someone who came to give us a warning after meeting Pepé."
Nala scoffed. "And what does that old macaque know?"
Considering neither her nor Enma ever once addressed Elder Pepé by his title, it told Arthur that their prestige here was quite exceptional.
So he said, "Your land's in danger from outsiders."
Nala's hand strapped to her thigh. "Alex, was it? I don't think you understand how this jungle works." Arthur remained relaxed as she slowly crept toward his face. Her breath reeked of bananas. "The only outsider I'm seeing here is you."
Feeling threatened, Arthur still did not make a face.
Enma sighed. "Nala, please calm yourself. There's no need to treat our guest like—"
Nala interrupted him with a hand before turning to face Arthur again. "You allowed a young boy in my jungle without my consent? Absolutely not!"
Enma straightened in his chair, saying firmly, "Nala, first of all, it's our jungle. Second, Pepé wouldn't send someone here without a reason."
Arthur found this interesting, for those were the same words Ooka-Ooka said.
Yet Nala wasn't convinced.
With a deep scowl, she repeated, "Hasty decisions? No, honey. Use your head. An outsider came to our village crying wolf. Where's the proof in this boy's warning?" Arthur braced himself for dismissal, but instead of ordering him out, her gaze hardened. "Are you strong, boy?"
"I wouldn't call myself strong, but I am quite resourceful."
"Resourceful, eh?" she smirked. "Perhaps that's the proof I need to see first." She then strode toward a window. "See that courtyard? I want to test your character there. If you pass, I'll believe that outsiders are threatening our home. But if you fail…" She purposefully trailed off as the glint in her eyes spoke volumes.
A test from monkeys had never been witnessed in this world before. But regardless of what it was—arm wrestling, tree climbing—Arthur wouldn't back down.
"I accept."
"Good!" she finished, clapping her giant hands. "You have five days to prepare, boy. Until then, I don't want to see your face in my village."
She then turned to Enma.
There was a conflicted look on his face. Clearly, he wasn't eager to go against Nala's wishes, but Arthur's arrival and Elder Pepé's message were things he couldn't ignore.
"Nala," Enma hesitated, "I think we should—"
But she cut him off with a sharp glare. "That settles things! Now, you," she said, pointing at Arthur, "I don't care where you go. Five days is all you get…"
Arthur looked toward Emma for some assurance. But the king, caught between his wife and the weight of an important message, could only offer a helpless shrug.
✟
A moment later, after making things official, Arthur departed their village and walked into the jungle.
An untamed wilderness would now be his temporary home, and he was more than content with this.
Five days in their jungle? That was simply inviting a hungry lion into a herd of gazelle.
So Arthur pressed on by pacing his way through the undergrowth until the sounds of the village faded. When he emerged again, it was into a clearing with sunlight dappling the grassy floor.
'Crimson gaze...'
No immediate threats, no territorial beasts, and—best of all—no primates.
This strange world held its fair share of dangers, of which there was no doubt. But Arthur, having experienced such threats, had faced much worse.
Now, he hadn't eaten anything for some hours. So it was time to fish.
Around the clearing was a small stream gurgling its way through mossy rocks. Inside was freshwater fish. So he removed his sandals and walked through the water.
Patience was key.
When a small fish darted out from behind a rock before moving toward a clump of weeds, his hand plunged into the water.
Splash!
The fish struggled as he retracted his hand. A meager catch, but enough to sustain him for now.
Cooking it came next.
Building a fire without tools was slightly trickier, but nothing hard since he had chakra.
So, after gathering a few dry leaves and twigs, he carefully arranged them into a small pile. Using shuriken, kunai, flint, and a roll of bandages tucked in his bag.
Click-click-swoosh!
A spark had caught hold and ignited a small ember. Gently, he cupped his hands around the flame until it became a crackling fire.
Shelter, food, and fire—he had secured the basic necessities for survival without wasting any precious daylight. In doing so, he gave glory to God, remembering that all things are possible with Christ.
The fish was easily cleaned in and out, scaled, and then skewered before being placed over the fire. While it was cooking, Arthur sat back against a log to think.
Nala's challenge, while unexpected, was a natural one due to most monkeys being territorial creatures.
He wondered whether she wanted a fight to the death or planned to make him run an obstacle course.
If it was a fight—be it against her or another primate—brute strength wouldn't be enough. So he needed to be creative. Not for her challenge per sé, but for their entire village.
The best way to do that was to understand the way their society operated and how it came into existence.
Before he could delve deeper into a strategy, he noticed that the sun was setting. This meant building a shelter was his next priority.
Arthur scanned the surroundings until his eyes fell on a cluster of trees with thick branches. After climbing one of them, he pulled out a kunai, embedded chakra at the edge, and gradually sliced many branches off.
Needless to say, any man could do what he was doing. But no man could do it at the speed he was at.
After descending, he set off to gather more leaves and twigs before eventually bringing everything back to his resting area.
The sound of sound of nocturnal creatures soon began to gather. This meant scavenging for more sustenance before nightfall would be a good idea, so he did just that.
Some edible mushrooms and berries were quickly found thanks to his Crimson Gaze. Many were so far out that he would have missed them had he solely been on foot.
By the time he returned, the fish had just finished cooking. But there was still more to do before eating.
So, with all the gathered materials, he used some rope he had brought and fashioned a makeshift bed.
Parts of the fish had now been somewhat burned. No one ever said he was a good cook.
Either way, he used some of the larger leaves he had collected as a plate and placed all the fish, berries, and mushrooms on it.
Then he said a silent prayer.
The flames cast a glow on his face as he ate peaceably. To no surprise, the food tasted quite bland since he had no salt. But even in these uncertainties, he found no room to complain.
The last rays of sunlight soon faded.
The night almost felt alive with the chirping of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl. Even the moon seemed perpetual as it bathed the entire jungle in a soft glow.
Arthur was alone, but he wasn't hopeless. He had skills, knowledge, and, most importantly, his faith in Christ.
Once his meal was finished, he rose to his feet and performed the Calorie Control technique.
Swoosh.
Just like that, he was ready to begin his nightly training undisturbed.
✟
The next day.
As the first rays of dawn shone, Arthur woke refreshed. Hunger could be felt, but he ignored it for now since today wasn't worth wasting.
He spent the day practicing advanced taijutsu movements that he witnessed in the exams. When he was done, he moved on to continue honing his Smoke Kekkei Genkai.
This particular Kekkei Genkai wasn't great for combat. It was more for stealthy assassinations or espionage. So he practiced focusing the Smoke technique to be more inconspicuous, which would allow him to use it easier in combat.
Of course, one day of training wouldn't yield immediate results. Yet he pushed himself to his limits every time.
When he had finally exhausted all of his chakra, it was time to eat.
The same method of foraging for food was followed: two fish were caught this time, alongside larger fruits.
Then, after using the Calorie Control technique, he restored his chakra indefinitely, allowing him to do more training.
Night time eventually came, and he was seen running what seemed to be a marathon. Times like these are when he wished he had weights to work with.
Nonetheless, he managed to run far enough before choosing to return to his resting area.
Arthur was tired, but his spirit was willing.
Something he could never afford to do was fall behind. Every decision he made, specifically in this location, could translate back in the ninja world.
For instance, Enma was Hiruzen's personal summon. He even wore the Leaf Village's headband, insinuating that he was affiliated with that village. If the two were to make contact with one another, and Enma used Arthur's name, his whole charade here would crumble.
That was why he had told the residents to call him Alex.
And assuming that Enma didn't make contact with Hiruzen, and Arthur could dwell here in secret before the finals, there was still the fact that the primates here had to accept him.
Arthur didn't like the idea of that one bit. So a plan came to mind.