While Motomu was still thinking...
Stone pillars controlled by Inorganic Reincarnation surged, twisting and strangling the Big Eyeball like old tree roots.
Terrifying pressure set in; although the Big Eyeball's defense wasn't breached, it could no longer maintain its shape under this squeeze.
As pressure increased on both sides, its shape deformed, and its great mouth loosened as its teeth were pried open bit by bit.
"Garaga, I didn't kill her."
"Heh heh heh, if not you, then who?"
"Tagitsu Hime's corpse is lying right here, what else do you have to say!"
"To save your life, you've even started lying."
Motomu: "..."
Why were these snakes so quick to frame people and shift the blame?
However, it seemed Garaga was truly dead.
With Ryuchi Cave losing two powerful generals, it was no wonder the White Snake Sage was so desperate.
While pulling at the Big Eyeball's teeth to keep them from opening easily, Motomu thought of something else.
Garaga's death might be related to the assassination of the Kazekage.
An opportunity to pummel the One-Tail had appeared; no matter what, he would have to visit the Hidden Sand later.
Conveniently, he had become a Chunin after the exams ended.
That old dog Danzo would definitely have designs on him. The most convenient place to cause a 'death' and pluck an eye was the battlefield.
And the battlefield Konoha had been preparing for a long time was toward the Hidden Sand.
He could just go with the flow.
The Big Eyeball's fangs were pried open bit by bit.
The one snake and two humans opposite looked at the figure revealed within the bizarre eye. Their flicking tongues and white-scaled faces turned into hideous visages.
It was just as Tagitsu Hime had said last time.
This Uchiha ninja, who didn't seem human, could control an eyeball that grew fangs.
That eyeball was incredibly hard and difficult to break, but the ninja himself was still fragile. As long as they attacked the main body, they could solve this menace!
As the gap widened, stone spears wedged into the Big Eyeball's mouth to pry it further.
The sound of creaking echoed.
Using all his strength to hold the teeth, Motomu shifted his vision to the other side.
Pushing its speed to the limit, the slowly flying Big Eyeball No. 2 finally reached the pre-set safe zone.
Psychokinesis knocked over a pile of stones, sealing the cave which had only one exit.
Motomu immediately spat out the black-haired girl from within the Big Eyeball.
The girl landed with an "ouch." The Big Eyeball's long purple tongue stretched out in front of her, scribbling on the ground.
"Release the Reverse Summoning?"
"Motomu, remember to take me with you!"
Covered in sticky saliva, the girl formed hand seals and shouted softly.
"Release!"
On the other side.
Poof!
Amidst smoke and the White Snake Sage's unsightly expression.
Motomu and the Big Eyeball vanished instantly.
The strangling stone pillars suddenly hit empty air, crushing against the spears prying the mouth and shattering into a floor full of rubble.
"Damn it! Find him! Search the ninja world, find that snake traitor even if you die trying!"
A sharp, raspy roar thundered through Ryuchi Cave.
Motomu returned to his small courtyard at home.
Draining his last bit of chakra, he immediately summoned Cobra back.
Familiar smoke rose.
His legs gave way, and he slumped to the ground, panting heavily while supporting himself with one hand.
That was far too close; he had almost been turned into a human skewer by the Impaler.
Having overexerted himself, the soreness and fatigue previously suppressed by adrenaline surged into his body.
Motomu's supporting hand failed, and he lay sprawled on the ground.
Cobra, the black-haired girl also covered in saliva, shook her hands in disgust. Taking off her glasses, she kicked Motomu.
"Hey, human, where can I wash off this disgusting stuff?"
Motomu glanced at her and pointed a weak finger toward the sink.
Cobra had been the hero in defeating Tagitsu Hime.
Feeling her kick his thigh a few times, Motomu lacked the energy and didn't care to argue about her insubordinate behavior.
"Right, besides your glasses, help me wash my eyes too."
The two shrunken Big Eyeballs flew up, slowly floating toward the sink.
The black-haired girl twisted her slender waist, dodging the eyeballs in disgust.
"Those things are truly gross, I don't want to..."
"I'm out of chakra, I can't maintain the Summoning Jutsu much longer."
"Fine, fine, I'll help you right away."
Creak—creak.
After fiddling for a while, no sound of running water came.
Instead, Cobra made a silly, puzzled sound.
"Human, how do you open this?"
"Nothing I've read mentioned this thing."
Motomu, who was about to close his eyes and rest, turned his empty sockets toward Cobra again.
"What are you doing? You don't even know how to turn on a faucet?"
The Big Eyeballs waiting quietly in the sink flew up at Motomu's command.
They both circled and nudged the cross-shaped handle of the faucet.
Creak—splash.
Tap water gushed out, swirling in the granite sink before flowing down the drain.
"I see, you turn it. I thought you had to pull it."
"Enough talk. Give them back once they're washed."
Splash!
A jumping sound was heard, followed by a heavy object falling into the water.
Watching everything through the Big Eyeballs, Motomu's lips twitched repeatedly.
Cobra had jumped right into the sink, splashing water everywhere.
"So you're taking a bath?"
"Obviously. This much slime is disgusting."
"I wasn't even this messy when I hatched."
Hearing this, Motomu rubbed his body, causing some of the dried and crusted saliva from the Big Eyeball to flake off.
He realized the problem too.
Hiding in the Big Eyeball's mouth was great for survival, but it was indeed repulsive.
He sighed, enduring the tearing pain in his muscles.
Motomu struggled to his feet and grabbed the Big Eyeballs that were starting to play with the water.
"Go inside the house; there's a bathroom for bathing there."
"You know what a bathroom is, right?"
"A bathroom? Oh! I think I have a general idea."
"Then I'm going."
While washing the Big Eyeballs, Motomu turned and kept reminding her.
"The faucet for the bath is a lever. Left is hot, right is cold."
"Don't you dare move the lever's base; I spent an eternity getting that water temperature just right."
"If you mess it up, I might just have snake soup to recover tonight."
A sound of footsteps followed.
"Ah! Hahaha, heehee!"
"It's cold!"
"Eek! Now it's scalding!"
He didn't know if she was even listening.
Hearing the novel, excited shouts of the girl in the bathroom along with the sound of the shower spray.
After stuffing the eyeballs back into his sockets, Motomu grabbed a change of clothes from the bedroom and turned to leave the house.
The Uchiha compound was very close to the Naka River, and Motomu's house at the edge of the compound was even closer.
He and Obito often went swimming there in the summer. Now that it was July, the temperature was perfect.
It was two in the afternoon, and the scorching sun beat down on the ground and rooftops.
The slime on his body had quickly dried, sticking to his skin and clothes.
His hair, in particular, was the worst-hit area.
Fortunately, few people were out on the streets in this weather.
No one noticed Motomu's appearance.
Placing his fresh clothes by the flowing river, Motomu dove headfirst into the water.
The cool river water washed away his tattered clothes and the slime covering him.
Exhausted from the battle, Motomu floated back to the surface like a corpse.
With his mind finally at ease.
The system notification panel instantly expanded before his eyes.
Messages he hadn't had time to check popped up.
[BATTLE ESCAPE SUCCESSFUL]
[THE RIGHT EYE HAS LEARNED A LESSON]
[RIGHT EYE EXP +3000]
This 3000 was just for escaping from the White Snake Sage.
The bulk of this mission's rewards would come from killing Tagitsu Hime.
After a quick glance, Motomu skipped this line and continued scrolling up.