Uchiha Ryun smiled and quickly stopped his girlfriend. "Alright, Tsunade. Nawaki came here on a mission this time. Grandma probably has something important to discuss, so let's not beat him up."
Tsunade nodded after hearing this. Although she was unhappy about having their intimate moment interrupted, Ryun was right. Nawaki was here on official business. If she kept hitting him, she wouldn't be in the right.
Nawaki gave Ryun a grateful look, and Ryun smiled in return before heading to see Uzumaki Mito.
Pushing the door open, he saw Mito kneeling on the floor, staring blankly at a portrait of Senju Hashirama.
Hearing the door open, Mito snapped out of her thoughts, and her expression softened.
"Come here, Ryun," Mito beckoned.
Ryun nodded and approached her. Mito smiled. "I heard everything. You're going to train in Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode, right?"
Ryun was momentarily stunned but then remembered Mito's sensory abilities. He let out a sigh of relief. "Yes, Grandma. In three days, I'll be heading to Ryūchi Cave to train in Sage Mode."
Mito nodded. "Good child. Grandma believes you'll succeed. Once you master Sage Mode, your strength will increase significantly."
Ryun nodded again. The grandmother and grandson chatted for a while longer, with Ryun explaining in detail how all three of the Great Sage Regions had sought him out. Mito's eyes grew brighter as she listened.
Finally, when Mito was satisfied, she told Ryun to spend the next three days having fun with Tsunade.
Ryun agreed. For the next three days, he and Tsunade were inseparable, sticking together all the time.
Three days later.
Tsunade looked at Ryun with reluctance in her eyes, unsure when they would see each other again. She tugged at the hem of his clothes.
Ryun kissed her cheek. "Take care of yourself while I'm gone. Make sure to eat properly." As he spoke, he adjusted her collar and held her shoulders.
"Think of me while I'm away, okay?" Ryun smiled. His eyes were so deep and affectionate that even a dog would be mesmerized, let alone Tsunade.
She was completely dazed. "I'll miss you. But you have to miss me too! Once your training is over, come see me right away!" With that, Tsunade raised her head, and the two shared a passionate kiss.
After a while, they embraced again. At Ryun's signal, Tsunade stepped back. Once she was far enough away, he slapped the ground, and summoning seals spread out around him.
With a loud "poof," a thick cloud of white smoke appeared. When it dissipated, the massive figure of Manda emerged. The giant snake flicked its tongue, looking at Ryun. At the same time, it sensed the aura of Shikkotsu Forest.
It quickly scanned the area and spotted Tsunade not far away. Manda froze. 'This girl looks familiar. She must be one of Orochimaru's teammates.'
Seeing her teary-eyed gaze fixed on Ryun, Manda suddenly understood. 'The heir of Ryūchi Cave has won the heart of Shikkotsu Forest's summoner.' But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. It lowered its head toward Ryun.
"Are you ready?" Manda's voice was unusually respectful, which shocked Tsunade. She knew Manda well, but it had never shown Orochimaru such deference.
Ryun nodded. Manda lowered its head further. "Get on." It gestured for Ryun to step onto its head.
Without hesitation, Ryun climbed up. He turned back and waved at Tsunade, who waved back. Then, with a reverse summoning jutsu, both the man and the giant serpent vanished in a puff of white smoke.
Tsunade felt a pang of loneliness and sighed, heading home alone. She hoped to see Ryun again soon.
Ryun's vision blurred as Manda transported him to a cave.
Above the cave entrance was a stone plaque inscribed with the words "Ryūchi Cave."
Manda suddenly spoke. "Let's go. The White Snake Sage is waiting inside." With that, Manda led the way into the cave.
Ryun wasn't one to dawdle. He followed Manda into the depths of the cavern.
Upon entering, Ryun didn't feel the dampness he expected. Instead, a refreshing fragrance filled the air, soothing his mind.
The cave seemed to know a guest was arriving today. Torches along the walls lit up one by one as Ryun approached, illuminating his path.
Manda sighed. 'I've come here so many times, but I've never received such a grand welcome.' Snakes had night vision, so light was unnecessary for them. But that didn't mean Manda wasn't jealous of this treatment. It was clearly the White Snake Sage's doing.
Deep inside, the White Snake Sage sensed Manda bringing a shinobi inside. Its eyes lit up. 'He's here, he's here! Our precious heir has arrived!'
'Why is it so dark? No, I can't let my precious heir be frightened. I'll use my Sage chakra to light the way.'
Along the path, they encountered many snakes. However, none dared to block Ryun's way. Instead, they observed him from a distance with respectful gazes.
Ryun was puzzled. "Manda, is your status that high? Why do your fellow snakes look at you with such reverence?"
Manda's face flushed. 'They're not looking at me like that, you fool! They're looking at you, little ancestor!'
Among the snakes here, Manda's strength ranked second to last. Normally, it was just a gatekeeper. If not for Ryun, it would never have been able to act so arrogantly.
Manda coughed. "They're probably looking at you. Ordinary humans who come here to learn Sage Mode must pass the trials of the Three Snake Sages. Those who fail never get to meet the Sage."
"But you, my friend, are the one the Sage personally requested to see. You don't need to undergo any trials to train in Sage Mode. In thousands of years, you're the only one. Of course they're curious." Manda continued.
Ryun nodded. He never thought he'd be someone who received special treatment in this life.
Man and snake traveled deeper into Ryūchi Cave until they reached a stone door. It was tightly shut, but as Ryun approached, it slowly opened.
Manda said, "From here, you must go alone. I'll wait outside." It wasn't qualified to enter the Sage's chamber. The only reason it had gone in last time was because the Sage had assigned it a task.
"Got it. Thanks, Manda." Ryun smiled.
Manda snorted. "If you really want to thank me, master Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode quickly. Then spread our name across the shinobi world!"
With that, Manda swiftly slithered back toward the cave entrance. As Ryun turned to enter the Sage's domain, Manda glanced back at him. 'The prophesied one... Don't disappoint me and end up as the Sage's meal.'
Then it continued on its way. Meanwhile, the Three Snake Sages, along with other notable serpents like Sanda and Ao, followed closely behind. They, too, wanted to learn more about the human who had earned the Sage's unprecedented favor.