The Great White Snake Sage's massive body shifted ever so slightly atop his ancient throne, a low hiss escaping his colossal form like a gust of wind through a cavern of bones. His golden-silver eyes gleamed with intrigue, his long whiskers subtly swaying with the vibrations of the cave.
"Hm… How bold you are, child," The Elder hissed, voice like distant thunder masked by silk. "But power cannot be taken so casually. Before you are even deemed worthy to glimpse the essence of our blood… You must pass two trials."
The air chilled at the words, as if the very stone of Ryūchi Cave remembered the screams of past challengers who dared.
Naruto cocked a brow, arms folded casually as his cheeky smirk returned. "Yeah? And what kinda 'trials' are we talking about?"
Before the Elder could respond, the elegant violet-scaled female snake from earlier stepped forward, her eyes calm and serious, a stark contrast to her earlier serenity.
"The first trial," She intoned, her voice echoing softly through the chamber, "is to face the Thousand Venom Pit. You will be dropped into a cavern housing the thousand most venomous and savage snakes in all of Ryūchi Cave. Their fangs carry poisons so lethal they've dissolved bones in seconds… even one bite would mean instant death for a normal man."
The torches flickered ominously as she continued.
"The second trial will be combat. You must battle and defeat our elite warriors—giant serpents, hardened by centuries of fighting, guardians of the sacred blood. There are dozens of them… and they do not hold back."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly, already recalling the horrors of the Thousand Venom Pit. It was a place even he avoided.
Naruto clicked his tongue and tilted his head to the side.
"Poison, huh?" He gave a small snort. "Then we can just skip that one."
The Elder Snake blinked slowly. "Oh?"
Naruto smirked and held out his hand, pulsing a bit of chakra through his skin. "I'm immune to poisons. All of them. Snake, spider, you name it. Even the stuff that kills you with a whiff is worthless to me. It will only be a time waste."
He leaned forward slightly, eyes glinting with mischief and menace.
"So, unless you've got something that melts reality, that pit won't do much."
A deep rumble of laughter escaped the Elder Snake's ancient body. It shook the stone platform, and bits of dust fell from the ceiling like falling stars.
"Interesting… Very interesting. Then we skip the waiting… and move on to the pit. Even if poison does not harm you… Let us see how you fare when surrounded by creatures whose only instinct is to kill."
Naruto let out a heavy sigh and stretched his arms, cracking his knuckles.
Crack! Crack!
A grin curled on his lips, filled with chaos and confidence.
"Fine. But I'm not babysitting. If anything gets flattened, electrocuted, or crushed into a smear, I'm not taking the blame."
The female snake bowed her head lightly and gestured for him to follow. Her tone returned to its formal grace.
"Then please… this way. The pit awaits."
Naruto gave Orochimaru a playful salute as he turned to follow. "Don't miss me too much, snake Sannin."
Orochimaru chuckled, his tongue flicking out briefly. "Just don't die before I figure out your secret."
Naruto waved him off and followed the priestess-like snake down a shadowy corridor. The air thickened with each step, as if the cave itself was watching him, judging him.
Behind them, the Elder Snake turned his head slightly toward Orochimaru, his massive eye gleaming.
"That boy… is no ordinary human."
Orochimaru's grin widened. "That's the part that excites me the most."
As Naruto's figure disappeared into the dark, winding passage, the distant hissing of a thousand bloodthirsty serpents echoed like a haunted symphony… and the true trial began.
----
The female snake slithered ahead with a composed grace, leading Naruto through a narrow, winding passage that pulsed with ancient chakra. The deeper they went, the more oppressive the air became, like thick tar clinging to the lungs.
Eventually, they arrived at a massive stone platform that overlooked a black abyss—the Thousand Venom Pit.
It was a chasm of absolute darkness. No light pierced its depths, no reflection, no shimmer—just void. A heavy silence hung in the air… until the hissing began.
Hsssssss… HSSSSSSSSSSSS…
Hundreds, no, thousands, of serpentine voices whispered from below. The sound slithered through the air like nails dragged across the soul, eerie and bone-chilling.
The ground beneath Naruto's feet seemed to vibrate with the movement of countless bodies below, writhing and waiting.
The female snake, her violet scales catching the dim torchlight, looked at him with something close to genuine concern.
"This pit holds the deadliest serpents ever birthed in Ryūchi Cave," She warned softly. "Many have been consumed screaming before they even struck back. Do not be arrogant, human. Even poison immunity won't save you if you're torn apart."
Naruto tilted his head and gave her a crooked grin, his golden-blue eyes glowing ominously in the dark.
"Relax… I'm not worried about poison. I just wanted to know—am I free to kill these things?"
She blinked. "You… may defend yourself by any means."
"Good."
Fwump!
Before she could say another word, Naruto leapt straight into the pit without hesitation, his cloak fluttering like torn wings behind him. The moment his feet vanished into the darkness, the hissing reached a fever pitch, a frenzied cacophony echoing through the walls like the shrieks of the damned.
Fwoosh!
A sudden, blinding inferno bloomed from below. Naruto's hand, now glowing with roaring flame, ignited the void as he casually hurled a colossal fireball into the abyss.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The explosion was cataclysmic. The entire pit shook violently, flames bursting out from the depths like a volcanic eruption. A hellish roar of combusting oxygen and vaporizing venom echoed upward, and the ground beneath the female snake quaked from the impact.
Bits of stone broke loose and crumbled down the sides of the pit. She slithered back several feet, eyes wide in alarm.
"W-What in the name of the Elder—?!"
Then came the laughter.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
It echoed from the pit, chilling and triumphant. A dark, sinister laugh that rang louder than the hissing, louder than the fire, louder than fear itself.
BOOM!
A second explosion followed—the entire cavern flashed orange and crimson, flames dancing like spirits unleashed from the underworld. Smoke and ash billowed upward, carrying the stench of burnt flesh and molten scales.
The screeches and hisses of thousands of snakes turned to agonized howls before being silenced.
The female snake stared into the pit, stunned.
Down below, amidst the smoke, fire, and cracked earth, stood Naruto—completely untouched, his cloak fluttering like a devil's flag in the inferno. His palm still burned with residual flame, embers dancing up his arm like living things.
"What a warm-up," He muttered, the flames reflecting in his eyes as his grin widened.
"Next?"
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