A strange, oppressive silence hung over the Ryuchi Cave. Mist curled through the air, twisting around jagged rocks and collapsing ruins, creating an illusion of a world abandoned by both time and logic. Orochimaru paused, sensing a sudden absence of life—a disturbance in the natural flow of chakra.
Tagorihime had vanished. Where moments ago her presence had been tangible, now there was nothing—no aura, no footsteps, no shadow.
An invisible Sage Art, Orochimaru thought, narrowing his eyes. She can completely erase her presence.
He barely had time to react when his senses tingled with electricity. Instinctively, he raised his hands.
"Lightning Release: Ten-Fingered Lightning Blast!"
A Shadow Clone mirrored his movements, slamming its palms into the damp earth. Fingers crackled with condensed lightning chakra, spreading outward across the water-strewn ground in blinding arcs of raw energy.
Before the attack could dissipate, Orochimaru moved seamlessly into the next technique. "Water Release: Su Borusu!" A torrent of water erupted, amplifying the range and impact of the lightning, merging elements into a deadly combination.
"Enough!" A voice called from above the mist. "You've already passed my test. What more do you seek?"
Orochimaru's sharp gaze pierced the fog. Tagorihime had taken to the air, her beauty transforming into something both predatory and divine. Her skin shimmered with snake-like scales, a deep blue tongue flicked out from her mouth, and her golden, pinpoint pupils glimmered with unrestrained power.
What is this brat doing? Orochimaru thought. It seems there is no end to her games.
His mind turned to the first Sage Art Genjutsu he had encountered here. Perhaps his cautious approach had saved him from its subtleties, but his instincts whispered that the others—those who had come before—could not have been so lucky.
A glance at the skeletal remains littering the ground confirmed it. Many had clearly failed the initial trial. Was the Ryuchi Cave designed to weed out the foolish, those whose intellect could not match the Sage Arts?
Understanding dawned on him. Orochimaru's lips curved into a thin, almost imperceptible smile. He believed he now comprehended the true nature of this test.
Tagorihime, sensing the shift in his expression, nodded slightly, her tone playful yet ominous. "Hurry, there are more tests waiting. Be careful… don't let yourself be eaten."
Orochimaru followed the direction she indicated, anticipation rising in his chest. This was no ordinary test. Every step he took promised to reveal new insights into the hidden depths of Sage Arts.
From the shadows appeared Ichikishimahime, her form delicate yet charged with latent power, a contrast to Tagorihime's predatory aura. "That boy can pass our exams and meet the White Snake Sage," she said, almost reverently. Tagorihime's judgment, sharpened from countless encounters with seekers of power, had singled him out: Orochimaru was exceptional.
Soon, the surroundings shifted dramatically. Orochimaru found himself inside a cavernous expanse—a labyrinthine test chamber designed to disorient and challenge. Stone walls rose high on all sides, ancient glyphs carved into the rock glowing faintly with residual chakra.
He approached the next obstacle: a massive stone door had fallen, blocking his path. Its surface was riddled with holes, each an odd shape and size, while scattered pebbles of varying colors lay on the ground before him.
Is this a puzzle? Orochimaru mused. A test of intellect rather than combat. How… pedestrian.
He turned his gaze to Ichikishimahime, who hovered gracefully in the air, her golden crown catching the dim light. "As long as you fill the holes in the door with the pebbles from the ground, you may pass."
Orochimaru exhaled softly, a faint amusement flickering in his eyes. This trial was almost laughably simple, yet it required precise chakra control. Gathering his energy, he summoned a vortex of wind, sweeping up the pebbles with flawless accuracy. One by one, each pebble fit perfectly into its corresponding hole.
When only a single gap remained, no suitable pebble was nearby. Undeterred, Orochimaru shaped the wind into a precise stone replica, filling the final hole in seconds.
Ichikishimahime's eyes widened in disbelief. She hovered closer, incredulous. "How… how did you do that?"
Orochimaru's form blurred, and he appeared before her in an instant, his expression sharp. "And I ask you the same," he retorted, voice low and biting. "How could you conceive such a juvenile test? Do you not respect the art of challenge?"
The loli's delicate features contorted in anger, her face transforming grotesquely as black markings extended across her nose, sharp teeth bared, and her long tongue flicked out. "How dare you trivialize my carefully prepared trial!" she hissed, fury radiating from her like venom.
Orochimaru only chuckled softly, releasing her grasp. He had not come to Ryuchi Cave to argue with petty gatekeepers; he had come for Sage Mode. His resolve was absolute.
"You will never see the White Snake Sage," Ichikishimahime spat venomously.
Suddenly, she lunged, attempting to bite him. Orochimaru's body reacted almost instantly, Sealing Techniques forming along his arms in anticipation. He moved to intercept, aware of the mystical forces at play.
Sealing Techniques… a precautionary measure, he realized. Ingenious, but ultimately unnecessary for me.
Tagitsuhime struggled against her own bindings nearby, trying and failing to resist the meticulously arranged seals. Even with Sage Chakra at her disposal, Orochimaru's mastery far exceeded her expectations.
"Your will is tested here," Orochimaru observed silently, contemplating the scope of the trial. "And I intend to prove mine."
He allowed Tagitsuhime to bite his forearm deliberately, channeling a controlled shock of energy through the seals. A surge of sensation traveled up his body, yet he remained in complete control.
Orochimaru's mind drifted briefly, illusions forming around him: Hiruzen Sarutobi gazed at him with regret, Danzo Shimura with suspicion, Jiraiya in shock, and Tsunade with silent sorrow. These visions of the past, ghosts of relationships and choices, hovered at the edges of his consciousness.
None of them can shake me, he thought, fingers brushing over the fine scales forming along his forearm. I know what I seek, and no shadow of memory or illusion can divert me from it.
As he stood, the environment shifted again. The dense fog lifted, revealing the grand entrance of the White Snake Sage's temple. Orochimaru's eyes reflected the gleam of ancient wisdom and untapped power that awaited within.
"This is where I meet the Bilge," Tagorihime murmured softly. "The White Snake Sage himself."
He stepped forward confidently, pushing the massive doors open. The interior was a vast hall, dominated by a colossal serpent head, a giant parchment clutched between its jaws, emblazoned with the words Ryuchi Cave.
The White Snake Sage, a massive white serpent, lazily uncoiled on a pedestal. Its eyes, slitted and calculating, regarded Orochimaru with both amusement and curiosity. "Orochimaru… daring enough to call upon me for power," it rumbled, a hiss threading its words.
The scroll in its mouth fell open, and Orochimaru, precise as ever, bit the corner with his fangs and inscribed his name, sealing it with his fingerprint. The scroll snapped shut, returning to the serpent's mouth.
"Now, let us see if your body can endure," the Sage warned. In an instant, its fangs struck, tearing through Orochimaru's robes and injecting raw Natural Energy into him.
Pain exploded through his body. White scales erupted across his skin, evidence of the Sage's transformative energy. If left unchecked, he would fully become the White Snake Sage, his body a vessel for its overwhelming power.
Even his Shadow Clones, scattered across distant laboratories, shuddered in response, mirroring the transformation of the main body.
"Master Orochimaru!" his assistants cried, watching helplessly as the scales spread.
Orochimaru's calm voice cut through the panic. "Continue your work. Focus on progress… I can handle this."
He touched the scales lightly, noting their texture and the subtle flow of energy. Ryuchi Cave manifests quickly… faster than anticipated, he mused. Yet even as his body changed, his mind remained razor-sharp, a testament to his indomitable will.
The White Snake Sage observed silently, testing, measuring, challenging. And Orochimaru, ever the seeker of ultimate power, embraced the trial without hesitation.
This is only the beginning, he thought. And already, I am closer than ever to the Sage Mode I have sought.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)