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Midorima had no idea what place the map was depicting, but it gave him confidence.
Even if they found nothing else in the basement, he could still head to the location marked on the map.
However, after thoroughly searching the entire basement, they only found a few scattered mentions about the Ryūchi Cave. For instance, the cave was said to lie "between illusion and reality," meaning finding it would require a certain amount of luck.
"What should we do with these things?"
Just before leaving, Jūgo pointed to the culture flasks containing the cells of the First and Second Hokage.
"Let's leave them here for now."
Midorima already possessed the First Hokage's cells, and in his estimation, the Second Hokage's cells weren't as important as Jūgo's own cells.
After leaving Orochimaru's archive, Midorima began preparing for the journey to the location marked on the map.
They needed ample supplies of food, preferably some military ration pills, and, of course, they had to buy clothes for Jūgo.
Once everything was ready, the two made a detour to Otogakure to say goodbye to Kimimaro.
Kimimaro was surprised by their plan to seek out the Ryūchi Cave. While he understood their motives given Jūgo's condition, he remained pessimistic about their chances of success.
"Jūgo served under Lord Orochimaru for quite some time. Even after Lord Orochimaru visited the Ryūchi Cave, Jūgo's condition didn't improve. Do you really think you can succeed?"
Jūgo tensed up and lowered his head.
"I think it's entirely possible," Midorima said, expressing confidence in Jūgo.
In the original story, after Jūgo began following Sasuke, his emotional control improved significantly, suggesting he still had room for growth.
As for the possibility Kimimaro mentioned, Midorima suspected Orochimaru had never even considered it — he had likely just treated Jūgo as a tool.
As Midorima was about to part ways with Kimimaro, the latter shared a somewhat unexpected piece of news: Otogakure was planning to establish cooperation with Konohagakure.
"This…" For a moment, Midorima thought he had misheard.
Although in the manga Otogakure did participate in the Chūnin Exams hosted by Konoha, the idea of Otogakure initiating cooperation now, with Orochimaru dead, caught Midorima completely off guard.
After all, Otogakure's previous participation in the exams was because Orochimaru had designs on Konoha. Now, he couldn't believe Kimimaro had any intention of targeting Konoha.
"After all, it's difficult for Otogakure to survive on its own, right? We have to build good relations with a major village," Kimimaro said with a strained smile, his face pale with illness.
Clearly, he had already shouldered the future of Otogakure.
Midorima nodded and gently patted his shoulder. "Take care."
After parting from Kimimaro, Midorima and Jūgo set off once more.
Based on descriptions from the anime, the Ryūchi Cave was a place that combined "reality and illusion."
They were dealing with Sages, after all; they had to maintain a certain mystique.
Therefore, finding the Ryūchi Cave depended not only on reaching the right location but also on whether the Sages were willing to receive them.
Jūgo felt his backpack; the food was nearly gone. He looked around at the scenery, which consisted only of mountains and trees, offering little else. Sometimes, just to find water, they had to cross several ridges.
"Lord Midorima, aren't we there yet?" Jūgo asked, watching Midorima who moved with swift, steady strides. He gathered his energy and tried to keep up.
He couldn't quite figure it out — Midorima looked quite slender and physically weaker than him, yet his stamina seemed far superior.
"Are you getting tired?" Midorima asked, looking back.
"Of course not," Jūgo quickly shook his head.
"Then let's keep going. But a word of caution: the place marked on this map might not be the Ryūchi Cave itself," Midorima said, waving the map in his hand.
"But the map must point to a specific location, right? Otherwise, how long will we have to walk?" Jūgo said, frustrated.
"The map marks the entire mountain, but it doesn't specify the exact spot," Midorima explained.
"Was Orochimaru tricking us?"
"If this map had been placed somewhere obvious, we might have been deceived. But it was hidden inside a book cover; that seems unlikely. Besides, Orochimaru was a meticulous researcher, especially concerning cells. The vague marking is probably because the location itself is difficult to pinpoint. After all, it exists 'between illusion and reality.'"
The location of the "Ryūchi Cave" was indeed quite mysterious. Those seeking it were typically subjected to genjutsu. Even if they passed the trials, they often arrived at the cave in a daze.
However, after the first visit, if one managed to return alive, a second visit should be much easier.
Kabuto had mentioned this in the manga.
Jūgo nodded and was about to ask another question when he suddenly felt as if a fine veil had been drawn over his eyes.
"Fog is rising!?" Jūgo exclaimed in surprise.
Midorima nodded, his expression growing more serious.
So it was true; the place marked on the map was indeed the Ryūchi Cave.
The anime had touched on this briefly, and the situation depicted there resembled their current experience.
"Do you have any military ration pills left?" Midorima asked.
Jūgo checked his pocket. "A few. Do you want some?"
Midorima shook his head.
They continued walking. The fog grew denser, reducing visibility to just two or three meters. With every few steps, they had to check if they were still on the right path.
Jūgo followed closely behind Midorima, his eyes darting to the sides. But in the thick fog, it was hard to find any landmarks.
Suddenly, Jūgo tripped over a stone. Stumbling forward a couple of steps, he frowned and looked back. The stone that had tripped him had already vanished into the mist.
Frowning deeper, Jūgo grew more alert. "Lord Midorima, doesn't this place feel strange to you?"
"It's home to Sages. How could it not be strange?" Midorima replied.
"No, no…" Jūgo shook his head. "I mean, this fog appeared at a suspicious time. And I keep feeling like we're being watched."
Midorima paused and looked at Jūgo in surprise.
This guy is surprisingly perceptive.
Ever since the fog rose, the Sages of the Ryūchi Cave had already begun their trial. Whether they would get to meet the Great White Snake Sage depended entirely on whether they could pass the test.
"Just stay alert. If you feel your body can't take it, eat a military ration pill," Midorima advised.
Jūgo nodded and concentrated, watching for any strange phenomena around them.
He didn't know how much time had passed. The prolonged trek was wearing him down. Just as he was about to reach for a ration pill, he suddenly saw several lights appear ahead.
"Hurry!" Midorima urged, quickening his pace towards the lights.
Jūgo didn't want to fall behind and followed closely.
As the lights drew nearer, an enormous, majestic palace came into view, resplendent and imposing. Under the eaves of the palace hung a plaque bearing three large characters: Ryūchi Cave.
Midorima let out a sigh of relief. They had finally arrived.