"I'll spare you this time for Orochimaru's and Ryuchi Cave's sake."
"If I hear about you eating people again, we'll see if I don't finish you off."
"A snake body this large and filled with Senjutsu chakra should taste pretty good, right?"
"It would probably be delicious grilled, in a soup, or as various flavors of jerky."
He was about to go to Ryuchi Cave to study, so it wouldn't be right to kill their top snake before he even got there. Nor would it be right to kill Orochimaru's summoning animal right after leaving him.
"I won't do it again, I won't do it again," Manda quickly declared.
"Clean yourself up, then take me to Ryuchi Cave," Kageyama Kogetsu said, flashing to the ground.
"Yes."
Manda obediently agreed, not even daring to ask why he was going to Ryuchi Cave, for fear of another beating.
Actually, death wasn't that terrifying for Manda. What was terrifying was being虐殺 without any ability to fight back.
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey..."
Manda spat out the blood in his mouth, then lowered his head and wiped his face on the ground, finally prostrating himself.
Kageyama Kogetsu flashed onto the snake's head. Manda, enduring the pain both inside and out, slithered towards Ryuchi Cave.
Due to Manda's enormous size, the entrance he used to Ryuchi Cave was naturally different from the one for outsiders. It was located on a cliff between two high mountains.
On the cliff face, shrouded in clouds and mist, one could easily see snake tracks of all sizes, scales, and shed skins. The air had a fishy smell that grew stronger the further down one went.
Manda entered a huge cave at the bottom of the cliff and followed a tunnel downwards. Soon, he arrived at a brilliantly lit and luxurious castle. In the garden outside and inside the castle, there was a dazzling array of delicious-looking and smelling food.
"Lord Kogetsu, I can only bring you this far. You must pass the trials of Ryuchi Cave to proceed," Manda said with his head bowed.
"Is this the trial?"
"A sophisticated genjutsu. The aromas of the various foods are imitated almost perfectly, but they can't fool my senses," Kageyama Kogetsu said, observing with interest.
"Hmph, challenger, you've passed."
As a soft, pleasant voice sounded, the castle instantly disintegrated. What came into view was a huge underground space. Some kind of glowing moss-like plant provided a certain amount of light, but it was still quite dim.
A figure walked out of the darkness. It appeared to be a beautiful young woman, around eighteen years old.
She had long green hair, wore a golden crown with a golden orb on top, had bright and spirited black eyes, fair skin, and was dressed in a long white robe with a green magatama-shaped ornament on her chest. Her demeanor was noble and dignified.
Kageyama Kogetsu looked at Tagorihime before him, then thought of Ichikishimahime and Tagitsuhime in their genjutsu states...
Hmm... Xu Xian's feat is understandable now.
"Pfft... Manda, what happened to you?"
Although Tagorihime had sensed that Manda was not in good shape, she didn't expect him to be in such a miserable state and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Normally, Manda wouldn't be so polite. While he couldn't defeat Tagorihime, she couldn't defeat him either.
"N-nothing. I was slithering too fast down the next mountain and accidentally fell," Manda said, his eyes darting around.
"Hee hee hee... you're really unlucky then, to have fallen so badly," Tagorihime said, covering her mouth and giggling teasingly.
"None of your business! What's wrong with me seeking some excitement?" Manda snapped, his defenses broken.
"To have cultivated a human form, Ryuchi Cave's Senjutsu is indeed unique. What's this snake woman's name?"
Manda's expression changed, his voice becoming soft and gentle.
"Lord Kogetsu, her name is Tagorihime. After her, Ichikishimahime and Tagitsuhime will be responsible for testing you."
"After passing the three trials, you will be able to meet the White Snake Sage."
Tagorihime's expression changed, revealing her true form: golden, vertical pupils, red eyeshadow extending to the bridge of her nose, pale skin, and uneven, sharp teeth. She looked fierce.
"Insolent Manda, you dare to leak information!"
By saying there are more trials, aren't you just giving him a heads-up?
"Whether you leak it or not is irrelevant. Lord Kogetsu will definitely pass the trials."
Just as Tagorihime was about to speak, she was interrupted by Kageyama Kogetsu.
"Ryuchi Cave has so many rules. Mount Myoboku, aside from being far away, having a harsh journey, and a labyrinthine terrain, doesn't have much else."
"I hope your trials are worthy of the quality of your Senjutsu. At least don't let me make this trip for nothing."
Tagorihime's expression was unfriendly. She said coldly, "You've been to Mount Myoboku?"
"Yes, not only have I been there, but I've also learned their Senjutsu," Kageyama Kogetsu admitted frankly.
"Then what are you doing here at Ryuchi Cave?"
"Leave at once! You're not welcome here!"
If not for the fact that Kageyama Kogetsu had learned Mount Myoboku's Senjutsu and was undoubtedly powerful, Tagorihime would have said "get lost."
In the ninja world, Mount Myoboku's overall strength was slightly greater than Ryuchi Cave's. In nature, snakes are the natural enemies of frogs and toads, so this was a reversal of the natural order.
Slugs, in turn, countered snakes. Among the three great sage regions, Ryuchi Cave felt like it was being picked on from both sides.
Shikkotsu Forest only had one slug, the rest were clones. It was countered by toads and was relatively passive, so its overall strength was even a bit less than Ryuchi Cave's.
"Welcome or not, I'm here."
"Leaving is impossible. I will obtain the Senjutsu of all three great sage regions," Kageyama Kogetsu said with a faint smile. His tone was calm, but it contained an unquestionable determination.
"Who do you think you are? Watch me..."
"Are you sure you want to fight me?"
Kageyama Kogetsu's expression turned cold, his voice icy. His right black eye and left Tenseigan appeared simultaneously.
Greenish-white chakra erupted from his body, forming a chakra cloak that enveloped him. The chakra cloak on his head flickered like a greenish-white flame. An extremely terrifying aura emanated from him, making one—no, making a snake's heart pound in fear!
"You..." Tagorihime's eyes were filled with terror as she stammered.
"Never mind. Whether or not you teach me Senjutsu is not for you to decide. Isn't that right, White Snake Sage?" Kageyama Kogetsu said, looking past Tagorihime with a smile.
"Truly, the younger generation is to be feared. I was discovered as soon as I arrived."
Behind Tagorihime, an old woman who looked harmless appeared. She was wearing a long white robe and a hat with military-green horn-like decorations.
"You... are far from being my opponent. That one, however, is worthy of a battle with me. It would surely be exhilarating."
"Actually, I've been curious about the strength of the founders of the three great sage regions for a long time, but I've never found an opportunity for a battle."
"Perhaps today is that opportunity."
Kageyama Kogetsu glanced at Tagorihime, then ignored the old woman before him and looked directly at the rock wall behind them. His gaze pierced through the rock, straight to the true body of the White Snake Sage, which was enshrined in the temple.
"Fight?"
"That won't do. At my age, I can't fight anymore."
"How can we let Mount Myoboku have a strong individual like you all to themselves?"
"You want the Senjutsu of all three sage regions. This is a good thing for both Ryuchi Cave and Shikkotsu Forest."
"As for Ryuchi Cave's Senjutsu, I will make the decision. You may peruse it as you wish," the White Snake Sage, in the form of an old woman, said with a smile.
Hmm... except for the secret sage arts that are the foundation of Ryuchi Cave.
The power emanating from this person is indeed terrifying, and that's without the enhancement of Senjutsu. He is indeed qualified to contend with me.
Setting aside the monstrosities that were Otsutsuki Kaguya and the Six Paths brothers, in the past thousand years, only Indra, Asura, Senju Hashirama, and Uchiha Madara have posed a threat to us old folks of the three sage regions.
Now, there's another one to add to the list. It's best not to offend him.
If we really were to fight, I might be fine, but who knows how many other snakes would be lost. Ryuchi Cave itself would be destroyed.
"You, you're still too naive. The White Snake Sage is a person of understanding," Kageyama Kogetsu said with a chuckle, deactivating his Tenseigan Chakra Mode.
Tagorihime silently lowered her head, her lips pressed together.
Manda's head was already pressed to the ground.
"White Snake Sage, my apologies. I was a bit impulsive and almost became an unwelcome guest," Kageyama Kogetsu said with a slight bow.
After establishing his dominance, he immediately lowered his stance and showed goodwill. He was both hard and soft, more formidable than the Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara of the past.
One of them was too soft, the other too hard.
"It's fine. It's understandable for young people."
"Tagori, please escort our distinguished guest to my place."
"Sir, I will await you in my home," the old woman, who was the White Snake Sage's avatar, said with a slight bow.
"You're too kind, White Snake Sage. It is we who are intruding."
The White Snake Sage smiled and nodded slightly, and her figure dissipated.
"This way, Lord Kogetsu," Tagorihime said, stepping aside with her head bowed.
"Mm."
Kageyama Kogetsu jumped down from Manda's head and walked forward at a leisurely pace.
Tagorihime hurried ahead to lead the way, meeting up with Ichikishimahime and Tagitsuhime along the way.
"Phew... I'm finally free. That scared the snake out of me."
Manda let out a long breath, stirring up a cloud of dust, and then carefully departed...
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