Inside the darkroom.
Sasuke sat cross-legged, his upper body bare. Using a kunai, he carved two circles into the ground—one large, one small—with himself positioned at the center.
Kakashi dipped his hands in cinnabar and began writing on Sasuke's back. Dense, intricate seals spread from the ground to Sasuke's shoulders, finally converging at the cursed mark.
"All right." Kakashi stepped back. "Just bear with me."
Sasuke nodded.
Kakashi's hands flew through a series of seals before pressing his right palm against Sasuke's shoulder. "Evil Sealing Method!"
Excruciating pain tore through Sasuke, forcing a scream from his lips. The previously still runes compressed and shifted rapidly, beginning to rotate around the curse mark.
Finally, an irregular circle formed around the curse's outer edge.
"With the power of the Evil Sealing Method, the curse won't trigger the next time you use ninjutsu. However, this sealing technique relies on your willpower. If you give up resisting the curse's power, the seal will break and the curse mark will erupt again."
Kakashi explained the process carefully.
Sasuke nodded, his face pale as paper.
"There's still one day left. Get some rest."
The central tower's upper floors had prepared rest rooms for ninjas who completed the exam early. Though not luxurious, they were clean and comfortable.
After three days of sleeping outdoors, Sasuke finally lay down in a warm, soft bed.
Following dinner, Naruto and Sakura came to visit him.
"Sasuke-kun, how are you feeling? Any better?" Sakura asked with concern.
Naruto hung back, looking equally worried.
"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei helped me control the curse mark. I just need proper rest to recover my strength, then I'll be fine."
"Ah, that's great! Kakashi-sensei really is amazing." Sakura smiled with relief.
After a brief silence, Sasuke turned to Naruto. "About that strange monkey, it really was..."
"Ah! I've already figured it out!" Naruto interrupted with a broad grin. "Every ninja has their own way of doing things! Even though I don't like that monkey's methods, maybe that's just another form of shinobi way in this world!"
"But I'm still sticking to my beliefs. In the next exam, I'll use my own way to become a chunin and win everyone's recognition! After all, I'm the man who's gonna be Hokage!"
Naruto flashed a thumbs up, looking proud.
"Honestly, you're an idiot." Sasuke smiled and shook his head.
The three of them chatted and laughed for a while, analyzing other contestants' strengths. Only when Sasuke couldn't hide his exhaustion did the other two finally leave.
Perhaps this is what friendship means.
Watching the door close behind them, Sasuke felt warmth spreading through his chest.
The deceptive monkey had indeed left a significant impact on him.
*"Completing the mission is the only value of your existence!"*
*"If your righteousness causes rivers of blood to flow—from others or yourself—then I, Monkey King of Deceit, would rather choose to remain in darkness!"*
Monkey's words echoed in his mind again.
Though Sasuke couldn't fully grasp the reasoning yet, beyond the specific words, Monkey's greater impact was making Sasuke truly feel the world's complexity.
Maybe there's more than one path to your destination.
Uchiha Itachi's face flashed through Sasuke's thoughts again.
But perhaps due to his "Will of Steel," this time Sasuke didn't flee from the thoughts. Instead, for the first time, he examined what had happened to him from an outsider's perspective.
Thinking back to when Team 7 first formed, when Kakashi-sensei asked about their dreams, Sasuke had answered: "Reviving the Uchiha clan and killing that man."
But ultimately, those were two different things.
For so long, driven by hatred and fear, his mind had been consumed with obsession over Itachi and the resulting pursuit of strength.
As for reviving the Uchiha clan—he'd probably forgotten that long ago.
Monkey's appearance made Sasuke consider for the first time whether there might be other ways to fulfill his ambitions besides simply growing stronger.
For example, like Naruto shouted constantly: "The man who becomes Hokage."
No wait—"becoming Hokage."
Before this, that idiot had yelled about it so many times Sasuke's ears had grown callused. But tonight, Sasuke seriously considered those words for the first time, thinking about the value behind "becoming Hokage."
After pondering it briefly, Sasuke just felt frustrated.
A twelve-year-old boy had virtually no understanding of politics, and even less goodwill toward it. Being able to think this far was already remarkable insight.
Better to focus on the present.
Sasuke's mood relaxed as he fully appreciated the benefits of the "group chat" system.
"I am Uchiha Sasuke, and I've passed the second round of the Chunin Exams. What suggestions do you have for the next stage?"
Soon, replies appeared.
**Forgotten Love**: "Congratulations~ Feeling proud of you."
**Big-Faced Cat**: "Why no detailed report this time? Second Pillar, you seem distracted."
Sasuke's face reddened—he really didn't want to discuss what happened with Monkey.
**Einstein's Pecs**: "Hey upstairs, what's with the criticism? What do you know? Brother Pillar is just being humble."
Rain ninja?
Sasuke was confused by that username.
**Muddy Water Konjac**: "Don't anyone else answer! I've got this question! Let me claim this spot first."
An old acquaintance had finally appeared.
"I've been hooked on this whole thing, thinking about it constantly while our host was gone. Everyone, at this point in the timeline, a key figure is about to appear. Do you all remember who?"
After a long pause with no responses, Muddy Water Konjac continued: "That's right! It's Jiraiya!"
"Host, I suggest you immediately find that perverted white-haired old man and become his student!"
Huh? So sudden?
Because of Orochimaru, Sasuke had learned about the "Legendary Sannin" from Sakura. Hearing the name now, he quickly remembered Jiraiya was one of them.
But did mentor relationships have to develop so abruptly? After all, he had a reserved personality.
"Isn't that a bit sudden?"
Sasuke thought carefully before replying to "Muddy Water Konjac."
"Don't panic! I've planned this out for you! Just approach him and say these exact words:"
"'Jiraiya-sama, I want to become your student! My dream is to bring unprecedented peace to the ninja world! I hope to receive your guidance!'"
"If he asks more questions, just say you had a prophetic dream that told you seeking Jiraiya's tutelage was essential to achieving your goals."
"Trust me, this approach will work!"
While Sasuke processed this advice, a new reply appeared.
**Squirrel Duck**: "The guy above is delusional. Sasuke isn't compatible with Jiraiya at all—he'd be better off sticking with Orochimaru's training methods."
**Muddy Water Konjac**: "Haha, I won't argue with you. You can think what you want. But host, listen to me—at minimum, there's no harm in gaining another powerful mentor."
After a moment, Muddy Water Konjac posted again:
"Please, just let me see how this plays out once. Pretty please? 🥺"