"Since when did the Shinobi World produce a Neko Clan that commands Senjutsu? Truly surprising. Young Sage Neko, what brings you to Ryuchi Cave?"
The White Snake Sage lifted her head.
In response, the black cat rapidly grew larger, until he was just as tall and imposing as the White Snake Sage herself.
Strength was one thing, stature was a matter of attitude. In a negotiation like this, he refused to lose in presence.
"..."
Tagitsuhime was a little speechless.
This cat really was... something else.
She didn't know whether to call him petty or arrogant, but everything he did was vaguely irritating. Yet, she had to admit his strength was real. With the combined power she and her two sisters possessed, they were still no match for him.
He had already surpassed their level and become someone qualified to stand on equal footing with the White Snake Sage.
"Meow~ There are three great sacred grounds in the Shinobi World: Ryuchi Cave, Mount Myoboku, and Shikkotsu Forest. I intend to add one more name to that list: Kuraokami."
Takeshi licked his paw, his tone casual.
On the way here, he had more or less sized up the situation at Ryuchi Cave. Aside from the White Snake Sage, the other snakes were merely average. Their Senjutsu chakra was strong, to be sure, but not to the point of being overwhelming. Their Sage Art techniques were far inferior to the various ninjutsu he'd obtained through his system.
Of course, the real key was his Sage Body.
The Sage Body was absurdly powerful. It amplified his Sage Mode and ninjutsu far beyond the norm. Ordinary sage snakes simply couldn't compare. Perhaps only the three leaders of the sacred grounds could be considered in the same league as him.
The White Snake Sage flicked her tail, her ancient eyes fixing on the black cat.
She had witnessed everything that had just transpired in her domain.
Even so, she still couldn't fully grasp the depths of his strength. This black cat's Senjutsu chakra was only slightly stronger than that of her three Snake Princesses, but when it came to the application of Sage Art, he was overwhelmingly superior.
Especially those two particular ninjutsu.
Flying Thunder God. Sage Art: Gate of the Great God.
Either one alone would be manageable. The terrifying part was that he possessed both. It meant that if his first blow missed, he could instantly retreat, only to launch a surprise attack at some unforeseen moment and use that potent sealing jutsu to suppress his target.
Even she was wary of Senjutsu on that level.
Troublesome.
"Hiss~ If you believe you have the ability to bear the consequences, Ryuchi Cave has no objection."
The White Snake Sage shifted her posture, making herself seem a bit more proper. She did not personally care whether a place was called a sacred ground. Reputation was useless to her, at times, it was even a burden.
But for Takeshi, it would mean shouldering many complications.
A fourth sacred ground?
Countless ninja beasts would flock to challenge Kuraokami. The existing three had been built up slowly over a millennium, while Kuraokami had existed for... what, less than a year?
She hadn't investigated, but she judged it to be around that long.
"Meow~ That's my problem to worry about."
Takeshi didn't seem to care.
"In that case, I acknowledge your strength. Regarding Kuraokami, our Snake Clan will not interfere. However, this only applies to me and my subordinates here. I cannot control Manda."
The White Snake Sage spoke mildly.
Of course she could control Manda. This was merely a way of leaving herself an escape route.
"Meow~ Doesn't matter. If they come, I'll catch them for roasted snake meat. And while I'm at it, I can start a wholesale line of snakeskin wallets."
Takeshi waved a paw, utterly unconcerned.
"..."
The White Snake Sage was briefly at a loss for words.
The boss himself going out to do the grunt work? Could he at least try to act like a clan leader?
Mount Myoboku and Ryuchi Cave had been at odds for a thousand years, yet Gamamaru had never personally come to fight her. Most of the time, it was their underlings who clashed, and even then, the battles rarely escalated too far.
"This is part of stimulating combat strength and preserving the wild nature of ninja beasts," Tagitsuhime felt compelled to explain. "It ensures survival of the fittest and maintains the clan's fighting power and potential."
"You make a good point, meow. I'm only a year old, I really do need that kind of wild battle stimulation to push my own potential."
Takeshi nodded solemnly.
It wasn't that he was being blindly protective, he simply knew his own situation. In terms of fighting power, he was on par with the other leaders. But his subordinates, those idiot cats-what could they possibly do?
Even the strongest among them, Nekomata, was just so-so.
Recently, Nekomata had been diligent. With Tsunade watching over his training and Shizune being a ball of tireless energy, the cat had almost no idle time outside of sleep and was supposedly improving quickly.
Even so, Nekomata still couldn't be compared to the great snakes of Ryuchi Cave, much less the toads or the slug.
If they really followed the usual rules of engagement, Kuraokami would be wiped clean in less than a day.
Tagitsuhime narrowed her eyes, momentarily speechless.
She didn't know how to respond. At first glance, his words sounded reasonable, but on second thought-he was already this strong. What "potential stimulation" did he need? He hadn't seemed short on wildness or combat power when he beat down Manda and Tagorihime.
"Forget it. A newly established sacred ground is always granted some special considerations."
The White Snake Sage lounged back down lazily and flicked her tail, signaling that Takeshi could leave.
"Thanks, meow~ Oh, right, I need to ask for directions. You have some kind of shortcut to Mount Myoboku, right?" Takeshi asked.
Tagitsuhime was stunned. He really was both overprotective and shameless. Ryuchi Cave didn't have any so-called shortcut, and even if it did, why would they let him use it?
"Meow? You don't?"
"There is no such thing. Our Snake Clan also relies on speed to travel there. If you wish to go to Mount Myoboku, I suggest you use the same method you used to come here."
The White Snake Sage had no desire to let Takeshi use any paths connected to Ryuchi Cave. That would cause too much trouble, the toads and snakes would end up fighting again.
Fights were common, but it would be ridiculous if a brawl broke out specifically because of a black cat.
"Meow~ Fine."
Takeshi waved his paw, indicating they didn't need to see him off. Then he vanished with the Flying Thunder God. The White Snake Sage could still sense his movements-he was zipping all over Ryuchi Cave, doing who-knows-what.
"Sage-sama, is this really alright?"
"Let him be."
The White Snake Sage reclined on her chair, lazily smoking. Since she couldn't stop him, she would let him do as he pleased. If his shortcut caused a fight, so be it. The Snake Clan and the toads had never needed a good excuse to clash.
Just as she had told the black cat, battle was also a way to stimulate potential and growth.
After a millennium of fighting, one more skirmish hardly mattered.
Takeshi stepped on dozens of jutsu markers and finally used the Flying Thunder God to leave Ryuchi Cave.
He didn't know the exact location of Mount Myoboku, but from the intel of his previous life, he knew it was far from Konoha. All he had to do was wait until some of the snakes traveled far enough and then take a chance by teleporting to them.
Besides, even if he didn't find it, it wasn't a major loss. At worst, he could ask Minato about it later. He just preferred not to let Minato know about this venture, Minato and Jiraiya were a bit too straightforward. If a real fight broke out, it would put them in a difficult position.
He didn't return to the Land of Snow. Instead, he used the Flying Thunder God to jump back to Orochimaru's location.
When she saw the black cat return, the tension in Tsunade's shoulders finally eased.
Whether he had succeeded or not, his safe return was the best possible outcome.
===============
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