*Sss...*
A tide of venomous snakes poured from the cavern, a dizzying sea of iridescent scales and glistening fangs. They writhed and coiled over one another, their sheer numbers enough to overwhelm the senses.
"You got a plan here, or just showing off?"
Naruto let a fraction of his Ki bleed into the space around him. An immense pressure radiated outward, causing the entire Ryuchi Cave to shudder. Tiny pebbles skittered down the walls, and Naruto became the center of near-invisible flame of aura, shimmered around him.
A Ki Flare. A basic, yet effective, technique for any Z Fighter worth their salt.
Snakes are acutely sensitive to energy. Under the crushing weight of Naruto's unleashed Ki, many of the weaker serpents were pulped instantly against the stone.
Facing Naruto's unwavering gaze, Ichikishimahime, who had just pulled herself from the rubble, froze. She felt like prey caught in the eyes of its natural predator, her limbs locked as if by a paralysis jutsu.
Nearby, Sasuke could only stare, stunned by the sheer magnitude of Naruto's power. Even without sensory skills, the difference in their strength was palpably clear.
'I thought awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan would finally put me on his level,' Sasuke thought, his confidence wavering. 'But I'm not even close.'
"You're wrong about that, Sasuke," Naruto said, his expression serious. "You're not just 'not even close.' You're worlds away."
Sasuke's thought shot back. 'Stop reading my mind.'
"I'm not reading your mind!"
'Liar.'
"Really," Naruto said, a hint of a smirk touching his lips. "I'm just using my eyes."
'Naruto, you bastard,' Sasuke seethed internally. The guy was incredible, but sometimes, he was just infuriating.
"Honored guest, we ask for your mercy," an ethereal voice called out.
Another woman in a fine kimono appeared before them. Like Ichikishimahime, she had her hair in an ornate coil, though hers was worn low against the nape of her neck. This was Tagorihime, another of the White Snake Sage's trusted attendants. She descended with an serene grace, with sage-like energy radiating from her. In any other setting, she might have been mistaken for a fairy.
"Interesting way you greet guests around here," Naruto remarked, casually glancing at the retreating mass of snakes.
By human standards, Naruto was the uninvited intruder, and Ichikishimahime was merely defending her home. But that logic doesn't apply to beings like these. 'Might makes right' is the fundamental law among tailed beasts and summon creatures. Demonstrating strength is more effective than any apology.
Tagorihime waved a delicate hand, and the snakes retreated like a receding tide, vanishing back into the dark crevices of the cavern. She then turned to Naruto and bowed low, her posture perfect and respectful.
"Ichikishimahime and these children have been ill-mannered. We have offended you," Tagorihime said, bowing deeply at a perfect ninety-degree angle. Her posture was low, her attitude one of pure deference. "Please, do not hold anger in your heart."
"It's fine," Naruto said, waving a hand dismissively as he reined his Ki back to normal. "We're here to see the White Snake Sage."
Seeing this, Ichikishimahime let out a silent sigh of relief, her demeanor growing even more respectful. "Of course. Please, follow me." She then turned to lead them deeper into the cave.
Naruto found himself curious about the human forms of Tagorihime and Ichikishimahime. It felt less like a transformation and more like they were yokai who had taken shape. But the shinobi world didn't have yokai, Moryo is from hell and Satori is something else.
'What does that make the Sage of Six Paths?' he wondered. 'A Yokai? And the Ten-Tails? Or The God Tree?'
His thoughts drifted as they walked, and soon they arrived at a magnificent underground temple. Naruto knew from his research that the entire structure, as grand and solid as it appeared, was a creation of the White Snake Sage's senjutsu. It was an illusion woven from sage chakra, but one so masterfully crafted it had achieved a state of near-physicality, a genjutsu on a level only she could produce.
'I wonder if a punch would go right through it,' he mused.
In the center of the temple hall sat a massive white phosphorescent snake, a long pipe held gently in its mouth. To its right stood a third kimono-clad woman, Tagitsuhime, the last of the Sage's attendants.
"Honored guests, we are graced by your presence," the great white snake said, her voice a calm, androgenous whisper. The White Snake Sage's eyes were half-closed, yet Naruto could feel her ancient gaze studying him, trying to peer into his very core.
The Sage was known to be eccentric and proud. For her to offer such a polite greeting was a testament to the power Naruto had just displayed. The snakes of Ryuchi Cave were notoriously ill-tempered, from Manda down to the lowest viper. The gentle Aoda was a true anomaly among his kind.
"White Snake Sage-sama, we apologize for disturbing your solitude," Naruto said, his own eyes narrowing slightly. He was probing the Sage with his Ki, trying to gauge the depth of power belonging to one of the legendary Three Great Sages. Despite having lived for a millennium, the Sage's energy felt not stale, but ancient and active.
Naruto also sensed that she was holding back, concealing a significant portion of her true power. To be able to hide its energy from him was a feat no one else in this world had managed. She did live for over a millennia, from same time as Sage of Six Paths.
'Hey, Kurama,' Naruto projected into the seal space. 'What do you know about the three great holy lands? About their Sages?'
Kurama grunted, rolling over on his mat. 'Nothing worth knowing. I saw the old man with a fat toad sometimes, probably one of those Myoboku frogs. They all looked weak. Couldn't hold a candle to us tailed beasts.'
In Kurama's mind, humans were cunning, but among beasts, the nine of them were invincible, ofcourse Naruto isn't considered human by him. What were sages and holy lands to him? One Tailed Beast Bomb and they'd be a crater.
'Are you sure?' Naruto countered. 'I can feel a tremendous amount of chakra here. Just these illusions are pulsing with more energy than some tailed beasts. And the Sage herself... her chakra reserves are easily on par with yours.'
'Don't you dare compare me to that weakling Shukaku!' Kurama snarled. 'This is only half of my chakra, brat! Once I'm whole again, you'll see what real power is. I have nine tails. I am the strongest.'
A different, more innocent voice chimed in through their shared link.
'Wow, that big snake looks tasty!' Kid Goku thought, and Naruto could almost feel a phantom drool forming in his own mouth. 'Back in the woods, I used to love grilling snakes and tanuki.'
Naruto suppressed a sigh.
'If you eat her,' he thought back dryly, 'we're going to have to rebrand them as the Two Great Holy Lands.'
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