White Snake
"Are you the white snake who came to take me away?"
After leaving Mount Myōboku, Kazashiro began his journey to find the White Serpent.
Seeing Kazashiro crouching in the grass, raising his tail to ask questions whenever he saw the white snake, Uchiha Hikari forcibly suppressed the urge to kick him, turning his head away as if he couldn't see him.
That's so embarrassing.
Kazashiro was completely oblivious to this, and instead continued searching for the white snake in the grass.
Although he wasn't sure if the white snake the other party mentioned was Orochimaru, Kazashiro decided to try his luck in the wild first.
"Are you...?"
"You must be Shimura Kazashiro."
As Kazashiro lifted the tail of what appeared to be the umpteenth white snake, nimbly dodging its sharp fangs, he suddenly heard a woman's voice.
Almost instantly, Uchiha Hikari's shuriken flew whistling towards the source of the sound, and soon after, the sound of the shuriken being unfolded could be heard.
"Who?!"
Uchiha Hikari's expression was cold, and his tone was clearly hostile.
"How terrifying! Why do I have to do this?"
The owner of the voice muttered softly, revealing his true face.
It was a girl dressed in something resembling a shrine maiden's outfit, with elaborate headdresses, blue hair, and red eyeshadow.
"I am Ichikishimahime, sent by the White Snake Sage to guide you."
Kazashiro carefully examined the "girl" in front of him and released the white snake from his grasp.
"The Great Toad Sage's prophecy was indeed quite accurate; Ryūchi Cave really did send someone to pick me up. I must say, your service is quite thoughtful."
Hearing Kazashiro's words, Ichikishimahime was speechless for a moment.
When has Ryūchi Cave ever actively sought out cultivators? It's always a bunch of reckless fools who come looking for powerful beings, only to be devoured by the cave for failing their tests.
Even now, she doesn't understand why the White Snake Sage would send her to pick up this seemingly cute little devil.
Hmm, that cold-faced girl behind me is a bit scary.
Please come with me.
Ichikishimahime ignored Kazashiro's teasing and floated in the air, guiding him to the location of Ryūchi Cave.
"Are you sure you want to follow this ugly guy of unknown origin?"
Uchiha Hikari's voice wasn't loud, but it was just loud enough for Ichikishimahime to hear.
Ichikishimahime stumbled and nearly fell from the air.
What does "ugly monster" mean?
The way I conjured up is actually quite cute, okay?
Over the centuries, how many people have been misled by their own appearance and then met their demise? Why does this rude fellow speak so hatefully?!
Could I eat her? I certainly could, after all, the White Snake Sage only sent me to greet Shimura Kazashiro, without mentioning this impolite little girl beside him.
Seemingly sensing Ichikishimahime's murderous intent, Uchiha Hikari's eyes began to display the patterns of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
This terrifying gaze immediately made Ichikishimahime abandon her intention to fight, and she obediently squatted to the side, waiting for the two to make their decision.
"Let's go. My goal is to visit that immortal at Ryūchi Cave anyway. Since he's sent someone to greet me, it would be very impolite of me not to go."
Kazashiro followed behind the other person without any psychological burden.
"Are you ever rude?" Uchiha Hikari deactivated his Mangekyō Sharingan, made a sarcastic remark, and then followed in Kazashiro's footsteps.
As they traveled further, the environment around the two people and the snake began to change.
Before they knew it, thick fog had become the dominant feature, enveloping their figures.
Be careful.
Uchiha Hikari extended his hand, signaling Kazashiro to slow down.
The surrounding environment made her feel threatened, and the patterns of her Mangekyō Sharingan reappeared.
"Don't worry."
Kazashiro gestured for Uchiha Hikari to relax; it was just fog, there was more of that in the Shikkotsu Forest.
It's just a covert tactic.
Of course, there must also be some guys from Ryūchi Cave lurking in the shadows behind the thick fog.
The group advanced several hundred meters more when suddenly a bright light dispelled the thick fog. Ichikishimahime had vanished without a trace, and a magnificent building suddenly appeared before them, almost filling their entire field of vision.
The door slowly opened, and a woman with green hair bowed in greeting towards Kazashiro's direction. "I am Tagorihime, welcome to both of you."
Tagorihime paused for a moment, clearly unaware that there was another person following behind Kazashiro.
And the other person's eyes...
"Oh, hello, hello."
Kazashiro stepped into the building first, and upon entering, he saw a table laden with delicious food.
"Please sit, Kazashiro Baisang."
Tagorihime warmly invited Kazashiro to take a seat.
These delicious foods...
Kazashiro ignored the beautiful woman's invitation and instead carefully examined the food on the table.
If he wasn't mistaken, everything in front of him, including the entire building, was an illusion created using Illusion Technique.
Surprisingly, this Illusion Technique was not made of Chakra, but of Natural Energy.
It's possible to create Illusion Technique using Natural Energy? Interesting.
Standing to the side, Tagorihime looked at Kazashiro, who was standing still and not moving, and vaguely sensed a dangerous aura.
"Ha, so this is how Ryūchi Cave treats its guests? Well then, I can't be outdone! Ice Release: Torrential Ice Crystal Burial!"
An ocean of ice cones erupted in front of Tagorihime, startling her so much that she immediately reverted to her original form.
Then, this capable assistant of the White Snake Sage was swept away by the icy current and rushed towards the unknown depths.
As Tagorihime disappeared, the scene before them immediately changed, revealing a dark cave filled with skeletons.
"Tch, that guy ran pretty fast." Uchiha Hikari kicked over the table that was serving the "gourmet food."
The food pictured above is nothing more than a pile of dark, unidentified substance.
The person she was referring to was, of course, Ichikishimahime.