If the Benefactor Doesn't Understand Mahayana Buddhism

A black dot sped through the sky a thousand meters above the ground. In a world without airplanes or flying saucers, it could only be Orochimaru.

Just moments ago, Orochimaru had bid farewell to the White Snake Sage and Ryūchi Cave's three elders.

The parting had naturally been somewhat reluctant, mainly because they did not want to let him go.

Having grown accustomed to Orochimaru's delicacies from land and sea, they were truly unwilling to return to their primitive ways.

Fortunately, over the past half year, they had learned quite a bit from Orochimaru's cooking. Through constant exposure, they had picked up plenty themselves.

They might not have mastered much culinary skill, but they could at least grill fish and meat. All it took was controlling the heat and sprinkling on some seasoning.

They had also learned most of the simple dishes that anyone with hands could make, such as Hotpot and spicy hot pot.

Orochimaru had never expected that he alone would change habits of eating raw meat and drinking blood that they had maintained for centuries. For that, he truly had to thank his past self.

Before he left, perhaps because she had seen how well-behaved Orochimaru had been over the past half year, the White Snake Sage had infused Shiro with a snake cultivation technique.

Orochimaru stroked Shiro, who was sprawled atop his head. The little fellow truly had deep fortune.

"A great snake rides the wind and rises, soaring straight up nine kilometers!"

Orochimaru freely enjoyed this moment of liberation. The sensation of flying between heaven and earth was still vastly different from Sonido.

Sonido consumed Chakra, while Sage Mode consumed Natural Energy, stamina, and mental energy.

The latter sounded more costly, but Natural Energy could be replenished at any time, while the drain on stamina and mental energy was minimal. Maintaining this state for an entire day would not be a problem.

Orochimaru had also asked the White Snake Sage whether his Sage Mode was normal. After all, whether it was Sage Kabuto in the future or anyone else's Sage Mode, they all looked somewhat different from his.

Not to mention Naruto, Jiraiya, or the First Hokage, whose Sage Modes retained normal human forms. Even Kabuto, whose Sage Mode was said to be the most perfect beneath the Six Paths, had merely grown dragon horns and snake scales.

His Sage Mode also had a normal form, which was the first stage of entering Sage Mode.

In the first state, aside from black tear streaks, a pair of twenty-centimeter dragon horns on his head, and a few fine scales at the corners of his eyes, the rest of Orochimaru's body remained normal.

But once he fully entered Sage Mode, not only did his hands and feet mutate, black wings sprouted from his back, along with a tail like a steel whip.

It could rival Kimimaro's second Curse Mark state, both being much closer to beastification.

Orochimaru simply named the first state the Dragon-Snake Form and the second the Black-Winged Great Snake Form.

The White Snake Sage had also said that Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode varied from person to person. All kinds of dragon-like traits could emerge, and she was already accustomed to it.

He no longer dwelled on it. As long as he did not end up with some ugly, neither-fish-nor-fowl form like Jūgo's, it was fine.

Orochimaru felt that he could now contend with the Kage-level fighters of other ninja villages. Aside from someone like the Third Raikage, who could directly clash with the Eight-Tails, and Ōnoki's Kekkei Tōta, the other villages' Kage should not pose much of a problem.

However, this was all Orochimaru's speculation. He needed to find someone for comparison.

Even if he could fight them—or even crush them—Orochimaru did not think himself invincible yet. Leaving aside Madara in the future, even a fully developed Nagato would not be someone he could casually handle.

Not to mention Six Paths Madara and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. At their core, both had already undergone a transformation in the very level of their lives.

Even Might Guy, risking his life, had failed to kick his way to the ending. A few breaths later, those people would revive at full strength.

Just as Orochimaru's thoughts began to wander, a powerful Chakra fluctuation came from below.

Orochimaru immediately projected his Mind Net downward. Once he sensed the situation two kilometers beneath him, his expression turned startled before his lips curled upward.

"I was just thinking of finding someone to test myself against, and who knew I'd run into one."

With that, Orochimaru flew toward the source of the fluctuation.

When he was a thousand meters from his destination, Orochimaru exited Sage Mode and returned to his original appearance.

The energy fluctuations in Sage Mode were far too powerful. It would be troublesome if he scared the other person away before even getting close.

"Still not enough?"

At that moment, Rōshi panted heavily as he struggled to control the Four-Tails, attempting to draw out more of its power.

"Ah, your talent is too poor. Looks like you'll have to work even harder!"

Within his mental sea, the Four-Tails shook its head with a sigh. If Rōshi had been a cheat like Naruto, why would he need two and a half years of training? Half a year would have been enough to become a Perfect Jinchuriki.

"Someone's coming!"

Just as Rōshi prepared to continue his efforts, the Four-Tails' warning stopped him.

At the Four-Tails' prompting, Rōshi looked in one direction, but there was no movement in the dense forest ahead.

Just when he assumed it was merely a passerby who happened to be passing through, a pale-skinned figure with flowing long hair appeared in his sight.

"So it really is you—the Rogue Ninja of Iwagakure, Rōshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki!"

When he saw the Konoha Forehead Protector on the newcomer, Rōshi immediately realized that he had come with ill intent. Moreover, he hated being called the Four-Tails Jinchuriki most of all.

"Amitabha. Benefactor, I trust you have been well!"

Rōshi pressed his palms together toward Orochimaru, looking no different from a monk.

"I heard you can borrow the tailed beast's power in battle, so you must be quite strong. As it happens, I also wish to study tailed beasts. Would Holy Monk Rōshi be willing to lend me the Four-Tails for a while?"

As he spoke, Orochimaru approached Rōshi with a faint, amused smile. He was not making this up—he truly wanted to study tailed beasts, and every word he said was true.

Yet when Orochimaru's hoarse voice reached Rōshi's ears, it took on an entirely different meaning. This was naked provocation!

What did he mean, borrow it for a while? He clearly wanted to take it by force. Anger had already risen in Rōshi's eyes, and his voice turned cold.

"Amitabha. Benefactor, please conduct yourself with dignity! Personal belongings are not for lending!"

Orochimaru had expected this reaction. If Rōshi lent him the tailed beast, would he still have a life left? Orochimaru's main purpose was to test his current strength; the tailed beast was merely incidental.

"Ah, ah, ah—ah, my ass! Today, either I beat you to death, or you beat me to death!"

With that, Orochimaru charged at Rōshi. All that talk had only been to stop him from fleeing at once. Did Rōshi really think Orochimaru wanted to discuss Buddhist doctrine with him?

"If the benefactor cannot understand Mahayana Buddhism, then this humble monk also knows a little about fists and feet!"

Seeing his opponent attack first, Rōshi no longer held back. He likewise drew a Shuriken and flung it at Orochimaru.

Their battle was on the verge of erupting. Drawing weapons at the slightest disagreement was nothing unusual in the Ninja World.

Their positions were different. Forget fighting for their villages—even though Rōshi had defected from Iwagakure, he would not show mercy to a former enemy. Orochimaru was even more so.

He might have some reservations about attacking those in the same camp, but there was no need to hold back against a Rogue Ninja like this. He was doing good deeds and eliminating evil for the people. When he met that little old man Ōnoki someday, he would even have to claim credit for it.