Motomu looked at the cotton quilt in the center of the living room, stained with blood, where Cobra had spent over a month lying.
Tonight, Cobra was heading off to complete the summoning contract with Anko, so she likely wouldn't be coming back.
He wouldn't need to prepare a place for her to sleep anymore.
He stuffed the quilt into the washing machine.
At the exact moment Motomu pressed the start button.
He felt his entire body suddenly loosen up, and even his aching muscles felt much better.
Sensing carefully, he realized that in that moment, a certain summoning contract had been severed from his body.
Motomu instantly understood what had happened.
Cobra's contract had been transferred to Anko.
For Anko, this had both pros and cons.
The pressure on her chakra was the downside.
As for the benefits.
He remembered that the conditions Cobra had offered Anko were quite good.
Setting aside her help in battle, Motomu was also extremely interested in her teaching Senjutsu.
He wondered if he had any talent for Senjutsu himself.
In the original series, Orochimaru didn't have it, while Anko obtained the blessing of natural energy through the Cursed Seal.
Senjutsu could enhance the power of ninjutsu while also allowing for new transformations.
As for the basics of Senjutsu, it began with obtaining Senjutsu chakra.
Natural energy, life energy, and mental energy in a 1:1:1 ratio.
This was the proportion required to form Senjutsu chakra.
The principle seemed simple, but practicing it was actually extremely difficult.
The balance between these proportions had to be perfect.
Once a mistake was made, one would be assimilated by the natural energy.
Furthermore, there were many different methods for refining natural energy.
Motomu rubbed his chin, thinking silently to himself.
Using the most clearly explained example from the original series, Mount Myoboku Senjutsu.
Those who failed to balance the natural energy would turn into stone toads.
Even the protagonist, Naruto, had to be completely still to refine it.
This was likely the specific effect caused by different natural energy refinement methods.
On the other hand, Hashirama, who could just clap his hands and get whatever he wanted, used Sage Mode as if it were a game; it lasted long and activated instantly.
He could even activate it while in the middle of a battle with Madara.
It was essentially no different from using a cheat code.
The Three Great Sage Regions were all roughly at the same level.
Since Naruto and Hashirama were both reincarnations of a certain yang-attribute chakra, the gap in their Senjutsu probably wasn't just due to individual differences.
A few theories surfaced in Motomu's mind.
Perhaps the difference lay in the type of natural energy. Hashirama, who mastered Wood Style, very likely absorbed natural energy from trees without even knowing it.
As time passed and it constantly accumulated, he suddenly reached a sufficient amount of natural energy one day.
He just clapped his hands.
Clap!
Sage Mode activated.
So, following this line of thinking.
If the wood-attribute natural energy brought by Wood Style counted.
Then did the flame energy needed for his heart to gain experience count as a type of natural energy?
A sharp glint flashed in Motomu's eyes!
Senjutsu.
This was getting interesting.
In that instant, Motomu felt as if the light of his wisdom had broken through the top of his head.
The light of insight shot straight into the sky!
At this moment, if his system was the kind like Deep Blue where he could add points, his comprehension stat would surely be 999+.
Others would look at him with pure envy!
Besides, the evolution stones were purely a matter of luck.
Even if he got an evolution stone, if he didn't roll the Mangekyo ability he wanted, he would still have to keep trying.
The current progress toward obtaining the Mangekyo was unknown.
But as for the flame energy, which was one of his goals, he finally had a lead.
Beep—beep—beep
The old washing machine, having finished its grueling task, let out a hum.
After Motomu hung up the quilt to dry, he lay back on his bed and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning.
Pidgey's listless chirping woke Motomu, who had almost overslept.
He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and tore off the calendar page from yesterday, Friday.
Motomu quickly grabbed his ninja tool bag and headed out the door.
Outside the competition venue, which looked like an ancient Roman coliseum.
Team Motomu gathered once again.
Inside the arena, the spectators who had mostly arrived were letting out bursts of cheers.
They seemed to be welcoming some big figures to the scene.
"Motomu, Kakashi, Obito, everyone, do your best!"
"Obito, I'll be watching you."
Looking toward the source of the voices, Motomu saw two girls approaching from not far away, dressed up for the occasion.
Since they were on holiday, Rin had come to cheer them on, and Anko had also arrived, dragging Cobra along with her.
Anko gave a yank, and the listless, black-haired girl behind her, who had intended to sleep in, was pulled slightly off the ground.
"Quick, cheer for them, Snake Sage!"
"Ugh, I'm really so sleepy!"
"And there are so many people, I'm getting nervous."
The black-haired girl with short hair muttered in a low voice, clearly feeling dizzy as her eyes spun in circles behind her glasses.
Motomu and Kakashi nodded in response.
Encouraged by the girl of his dreams, Obito, who was following behind Motomu, puffed out his chest and quickened his pace, walking ahead of the team by a few steps.
Passing through the white, dim corridor, Motomu and the other two followed a group of contestants who were also there for the competition up to the contestants' seats.
As he stepped onto the final stair, Motomu's vision suddenly opened up.
Surrounding a central circle of grass and forest were solid stone platforms, where dozens of rows of spectators sat like steps.
In the audience, ninjas and civilians sat mixed together, their noisy discussions merging into a loud, chaotic din.
In what looked like the VIP area, the crowd was relatively quiet, with people who were clearly Daimyo or high-ranking officials chatting quietly.
After scanning those wealthy lords, Motomu turned his gaze to the high platform with only three seats.
Dressed in the Hokage's robe and wearing the 'Fire' character hat, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was in his late prime, sat in the center.
Beside him, with his right chest exposed and lightning scars etched into his dark skin—the man who, in the original series, tore through the Eight-Tails like dried squid and soloed thirty thousand Stone Ninja—the Third Raikage sat boldly on the stone chair.
The chair, which could have fit two of the baby-faced Acting Mizukage Yagura sitting nearby, looked incredibly small beneath his frame.
Is this the pressure of a peak powerhouse?
Motomu looked at the Third Raikage with a solemn expression.
Unlike the Hokage and Mizukage, this guy didn't have a single guard by his side.
An overbearing aura seemed to overflow from him, as if it might directly crush the old man and the youngster beside him.
While Motomu was staring at the man, a loud voice echoed through the arena.
"The Chunin Exam finals officially begin! ..."
Listening to a bunch of senseless fluff about welcoming the leaders of various countries.
Motomu's eyes narrowed slightly.
It wasn't because those platitudes moved him, but because of what was happening on the high platform where the three Kage were sitting.
Beside the Hokage, Karatachi Yagura's expression had turned noticeably sour after he glanced at the contestants' area.
Motomu looked around him.
Among the competing Mist Genin, there were only a few scattered individuals, not even enough to form a three-man squad.
Evidently, Orochimaru had been far too aggressive in snatching up experimental subjects.
This had resulted in very few Mist ninjas making it to the final round.
On the other hand, the Leaf and Cloud each had two full squads present.
In front of so many Daimyo and high officials.
As the leader of the Mist, Yagura's pride had taken a massive hit.
From a distance, Motomu could vaguely see Yagura saying something to Sarutobi without even using his Sharingan, while the Raikage beside them sat motionless with his arms crossed, looking completely indifferent.
As the two continued their conversation.
Based on their lip movements, Motomu gradually guessed what they were thinking.
Yagura wanted to choose the match-up order himself!