"Messenger?" Mamoru sat cross-legged on the ground, his palm propping up his cheek. "What kind of thing is that?"
"Quiet, listen properly..."
Kurenai glared at him and pointed to the calligraphy scroll on the wall. "This is the 'Chunin' philosophy written by Hokage-sama. The content I'm about to talk about is the purpose of my trip. The [Heaven] on here refers to a person's mind, while [Earth] refers to a person's body."
She pointed to her temple and continued to explain, "'If one lacks [Heaven], then one should recognize wisdom to prepare for opportunity' means you should accumulate more knowledge and learn various abilities to prepare for the arrival of missions. 'If one lacks [Earth], then one must pursue the plains to seek profit' means you must persist in training yourself every day. Then, if you possess both [Heaven] and [Earth], no matter how dangerous the mission, you can lead it onto the righteous path."
Speaking of this, Kurenai gave Mamoru a specific look and added, "In other words, you can turn a mission from danger to safety by your own strength alone. The last sentence, 'This is the pinnacle of [Man]... it is the talent for leadership,' refers to Chunin. A Chunin is equivalent to a squad leader-level figure, with the obligation to lead a team in action. I hope you have a deeper understanding of the importance of knowledge and the necessity of physical strength when performing missions, so you must always keep the 'Chunin Philosophy' in mind and keep working hard."
'As I suspected, it's the character for 'Man.' This Chunin Philosophy looks okay, it doesn't seem like a scam.' Mamoru thought secretly.
"That's what I have to convey to you." Kurenai finished her last sentence, her gaze sweeping over the three of them in turn.
"Yes!" Hinata and Shino responded one after another.
"Let's not talk about that for now; I have a very important question to ask you." Mamoru said, getting up from the ground.
"Is that so?" Kurenai intentionally showed an exaggeratedly surprised expression. "The all-knowing and all-powerful Mamoru actually has a question he wants to ask me?"
"Tch." Mamoru clicked his tongue in annoyance, walked to the unfurled scroll, and bent down to pick one up. "What's with this Summoning Technique?"
"This Summoning Technique was prepared in advance." Kurenai replied immediately.
"I know it was prepared in advance." Mamoru raised the scroll in his hand. "What I want to ask is, why can it summon a person?"
"So that's what you're concerned about? To be honest, this Summoning Technique is indeed somewhat special and different from other Summoning Techniques."
Kurenai pinched her chin and explained patiently, "This Summoning Technique doesn't require a blood contract. As long as the Chakra of the summoned target is stored in the scroll in advance, they can be summoned when necessary."
"I see."
Mamoru's eyes immediately lit up, and he followed up eagerly, "In other words, Shadow Clones can also be stored?"
"It's possible. However, I want to make one thing clear. This is Space-Time Ninjutsu, and without talent in this area... I forgot, you seem to specialize in space-time."
Before she could finish, Mamoru interrupted, "I want to learn this."
His Shadow Clones, putting aside other things, in terms of defensive capability alone, could withstand any damage except for space-type attacks before being dispelled. This point made him see infinite possibilities.
"I don't know it." Kurenai looked away and said bluntly.
"???"
A string of question marks seemed to pop up over Mamoru's head, and then he raised his volume, "You don't know it?"
"That's right, I don't." Kurenai repeated.
Mamoru said with a fake smile, "And you call yourself a Jonin? Right, a specialized Jonin who's lopsided."
"You brat, what are you saying?" Kurenai frowned, feeling annoyed in her heart, really wanting to tear that insulting mouth apart.
Seeing Kurenai was really getting angry, Mamoru changed his tone and asked gently, "Then who does know it?"
"The people who know it are in the Anbu."
"There must be a Ninjutsu scroll, right?"
"You're holding it in your hand." Kurenai pointed to the scroll in his hand.
Mamoru held up the scroll and examined it carefully, sighing helplessly.
In the end, he had to research it himself? Fine, before the exam ends, he'd treat it as a way to pass the time.
—
Inside the Central Tower, the empty hall was shrouded in dim yellow light.
In the center of the hall stood two stone pillars so thick it would take four people to encircle them, with slips of paper reading 'Standby' pasted on them. The wall lamps emitted a faint glow, casting flickering shadows across the space. The peeling walls, partially visible in the dim light, made the place seem even more eerie and dilapidated.
Mamoru sat on a bench against the wall with his legs crossed, carefully studying the scroll in his hands by the dim light.
Beside him, Hinata sat upright with her hands placed neatly on her knees, her gaze vacant as if lost in thought.
Shino, as usual, wore his sunglasses. In this dim light, it was impossible to tell if he was awake or asleep.
On a bench on the other side of the hall sat Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. The two groups occupied their own sides, and they should have waited in peace, but—
"Ah... how much longer do we have to wait?" Kankuro finally couldn't hold it in any longer, leaning one elbow on the back of the chair and complaining irritably.
"It's only been two days, and you're already losing patience?" Temari crossed her arms and legs, her giant fan leaning against the wall.
Kankuro sighed. "What choice do I have? It's too boring. I've explored this whole tower, there's nowhere else to go."
"Shut up." Mamoru didn't even look up, his eyes still fixed on the scroll, his tone flat but carrying an undeniable sense of pressure.
"Tch, can't I even talk?" Kankuro retorted dissatisfiedly.
Mamoru finally looked up, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his lips. "If you're bored, you can be my punching bag. I guarantee you won't be bored, and the exam will be over by the time you wake up."
His gaze lingered on Kankuro for a moment. "Want to give it a try?"
Kankuro immediately lost his nerve and muttered, "Tch, only a fool would be your punching bag."
Mamoru had originally wanted to go out for a walk and look for Sasuke's whereabouts, but Kurenai had already reminded them: candidates who have completed the exam must not interfere with others who have not yet entered the tower.
"I'm hungry, let's get something to eat." Mamoru stood up and gently patted Hinata's head.
"Okay." Hinata nodded obediently.
Shino followed silently.
The three walked out of the hall side by side, their figures disappearing around a corner.
Only after their footsteps had completely faded away did Kankuro dare to complain loudly, "Why does that Konoha kid have such a weird personality?"
Temari interjected with a smile, "I think he's quite nice. People with strength should be like that."
Kankuro glanced helplessly at his sister, thinking to himself, 'You just think he looks good.'
Gaara, who had been feigning sleep, opened his eyes slightly, gave Temari a brief glance, and then closed them again.