Summoning Contract of Ryūchi Cave

"One."

"Two."

"Three, ah, four."

Each time Raste's voice faded, it meant that a ninja had passed away.

"I thought it would be a tedious and boring task, but the ninjas are progressing much faster than I expected."

After annihilating the entire ninja squad, Raste Teuchi a spacetime rift and then appeared next to the corpses.

"Is this Forehead Protector from Konoha or Kumogakure? Well, it doesn't matter."

Laster stopped caring about the Forehead Protector on their bodies and began to check if they had made any discoveries in the ruins.

This is one of the ruins left behind by Kaguya Otsutsuki, located in a remote area of Land of Rice.

They thought they wouldn't be discovered by the ninjas for the time being, but unexpectedly, as soon as Rast arrived, she encountered a ninja squad that happened to be on guard nearby.

That small squad was the last remaining force of the entire unit.

Let's stay here a little longer.

After casually glancing at the items carried on the corpse and finding nothing of interest, Rust made a decision.

As the spacetime rift reappeared, everything returned to calm.

Ryūchi Cave, the Natural Energy that had been flowing into Kazashiro's body suddenly stopped.

This subtle change quickly caught the attention of the White Snake Sage.

Immediately afterwards, the Natural Energy within Kazashiro's body began to rapidly emanate outwards, at such a speed that even Uchiha Hikari, who had never cultivated Natural Energy, could feel the movement of the air.

"I never expected it would actually succeed."

A strange look flashed in the eyes of the White Snake Sage.

She could not tolerate the Ōtsutsuki destroying the planet, which is why she sought out an entity that could truly control the Natural Energy.

But now that humans have mastered this power, she senses a new threat.

The status of the Three Great Sage Locations seems to be about to be overturned.

The White Snake Sage put the pipe to his lips.

Since things have come to this, we can only take it one step at a time.

"Why did the Natural Energy leave his body? Does it mean he failed?"

Ichikishimahime hid behind the White Snake Sage, her tone tinged with schadenfreude.

Her words quickly drew a threatening look from Uchiha Hikari. Sensing the killing intent, Ichikishimahime shrank tightly next to the White Snake Sage, avoiding looking in Uchiha Hikari's direction.

"No, the Natural Energy left his body because he no longer needed to store the energy he wanted to use in advance. Now, he can access all the Natural Energy around him anytime, anywhere."

The White Snake Sage exhaled a puff of smoke, watching it quickly dissipate as the air moved.

"Furthermore, Natural Energy will improve his physique, strengthen his meridians, nourish his body, and help him reach the threshold of longevity in any situation and any place."

Hearing this, Ichikishimahime looked on with envy. "To think that mere humans can have the same lifespan as us, it's truly..."

It was at this moment that Kazashiro, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly opened his eyes.

Immediately afterwards, he raised his arm and threw a punch forward.

A sharp gust of wind flashed by, and an invisible attack emanated from his fist, quickly followed by a muffled thud.

"It's a success."

Kazashiro looked at his palm with some delight.

That punch just now didn't contain any Chakra or energy from his body; it was an attack created by drawing upon the Natural Energy around him.

Now, his eyes are incredibly bright, his body is exceptionally light, and even without entering Sage Mode, he can clearly perceive everything within a hundred meters, no, a thousand meters.

He could even clearly sense the murderous figure directly in front of him.

Um?

Why would there be murderous intent?

Kazashiro belatedly raised his head.

The girl in front of me was indeed Uchiha Hikari.

For some reason, the other person's left cheek was red and swollen, as if someone had punched it.

"Uh, you got beaten up?"

Looking at Uchiha Hikari slowly approaching him, Kazashiro asked uncertainly.

Uchiha Hikari did not answer, but the three Hime behind the White Snake Sage all simultaneously revealed expressions of schadenfreude.

They witnessed the entire incident firsthand. The punch Kazashiro threw after waking up landed squarely on Uchiha Hikari's cheek, and the muffled thud was the feedback of a successful strike.

"Hey, Hikaru, say something! I'm getting scared as you walk towards me like this..."

As Kazashiro spoke, he frantically pounded his legs.

Because he had been sitting cross-legged for so long, he couldn't immediately recall what it felt like to stand.

"Hey, that's Susanoo, right? It must Susanoo."

Seeing that Uchiha Hikari was getting closer and closer, Kazashiro stopped massaging his legs and started rubbing his hands on the ground, trying to widen the distance between them.

"No, don't come any closer... don't come any closer... don't, don't come near me! Aaaaaaah!"

"Now you should be able to use the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave quite easily."

Looking at Kazashiro, whose face was bruised and swollen, the White Snake Sage tried hard to suppress his emotions and not let a laugh show.

"I think so. I feel like I can do a lot of things now."

Kazashiro looked down at his palm, carefully examining every line on his hand.

For him now, the concept of "Sage Mode" no longer applies.

He can draw upon Natural Energy and use Senjutsu whenever he wants.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the eternal Sage Mode.

This state brought him far more than just that boost; Kazashiro's physical attributes were also enhanced in all aspects.

Speed, strength, explosiveness...

If I compare myself to the person I remember, I might be able to catch up with Ai at full speed now.

"I need to get used to this power. Speaking of Ryūchi Cave?"

Ignoring the White Snake Sage's attempts to suppress his laughter, Kazashiro asked the Hime beside him which country was closest to their location.

"I think it's called the Land of Rice Fields, a country without ninja villages."

Seeing that the White Snake Sage did not intend to express his opinion, Ichikishimahime answered Kazashiro's question.

"Let's go then, staying here is boring."

Kazashiro stood up and realized that his hair had grown much longer, just like when he was cultivating in the Shikkotsu Forest, almost reaching the ground.

Stroking his hair, Kazashiro turned to look at the still angry Uchiha Hikari: "Um, Grandma, how long have I been training?"

"Who knows?" Uchiha Hikari completely ignored the other person.

The swelling on her face had been healed by the Kazashiro, but the pain still lingered around the wound.

That punch was too fast; even with her Sharingan, she didn't have time to dodge it.

"It must have been a few months. I heard the Chunin Ninja Exams Konoha have already ended."

The White Snake Sage finally suppressed his laughter and answered Kazashiro's question.

"By the way, don't you want to sign Summoning Contract with Ryūchi Cave? You know there are a lot of creatures here that are just as strong as Toad."

As he spoke, Kazashiro had already used Kunai to cut the strands of hair, controlling its length to his liking.

"Huh? Summoning Contract?"

Kazashiro shook his head and looked at the White Snake Sage.

"That's right. Now that you've mastered the ultimate technique of my Ryūchi Cave, you can naturally communicate with the Ryūchi Cave to aid you in battle."

The White Snake Sage wanted to do Kazashiro a favor, at least to ensure that Feng Bai would continue to respect the status of the Three Great Sage Locations of Ryūchi Cave after defeating the Ōtsutsuki.

Through this period of contact, she has roughly figured out Kazashiro's temperament and personality. He is a complex and contradictory person who prioritizes interests but also has a touch of humanity.

He would risk his life to protect those who are good to him.

He will remember anything bad done to him for the rest of his life and will seek revenge.

Moreover, he has a set of standards in his mind. You must never befriend this kind of person, otherwise he will repay you a hundredfold or a thousandfold once he gains power.

I hate vengeful people the most.

If he never recovers, that's fine. Otherwise, once he gains power and comes knocking on your door, he won't agree to any concessions or attempts to make peace.

Invest early.

At this moment, the White Snake Sage had only one goal: to make Ryūchi Cave occupy even a tiny place in Kazashiro's heart.

"Didn't Orochimaru from your Konoha gain the title of Sannin by signing a contract with Manda from our village?"

The White Snake Sage was afraid that Kazashiro would disagree, so he used Orochimaru as an example.

"Ah, you mean Manda?"

The White Snake Sage's words reminded Kazashiro.

"Yes, yes, it's that Wan..."

"Is that the Manda that eats people the moment it appears?"

Kazashiro interrupted the White Snake Sage directly.

Upon hearing this, the White Snake Sage immediately fell silent, and the three Hime behind her didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

"What's wrong? Everyone's quiet?"

The sudden silence made Kazashiro's voice stand out even more in the area.

"That..."

The White Snake Sage wanted to add a few words, but he didn't know how to say them.

She couldn't very well say that cannibalism was an instinct of the people in Ryūchi Cave, could she?

Besides, don't you humans in the Shinobi World also stage cannibalistic dramas every day?

Although this "eating" doesn't refer to the physical act of eating.

"Well, anyway, I really hate that Manda guy, but as for the Summoning Contract, I think you're pretty good, White Snake Sage."

Kazashiro had also heard the rumors about Ryūchi Cave. His impression of the snakes wasn't too bad, but it wasn't good either.

"But I'd better not. You're too old. What if I summoned you when I encountered Ōtsutsuki Isshiki? Wouldn't you be beaten into snake soup?"

Kazashiro's words almost made the White Snake Sage spit out a mouthful of blood onto the faces of the three Hime.

What does it mean to make snake soup?

You're really underestimating this immortal!

I, this immortal, still have the ability to escape from Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, hmph!

"So, let's choose those three younger guys behind you."

"Um?"

Uchiha Hikari suddenly looked up, his face full of displeasure.

"Well, actually, we're not that young anymore..."

Noticing the murderous Uchiha Hikari's eyes, Tagorihime spoke weakly.

Before she could finish speaking, she received an even more murderous gaze from the White Snake Sage Immortal.

"Alas..."

Tagorihime was so frightened that she dared not utter another word.

On one side is Uchiha Hikari, who looks formidable, and on the other is the White Snake Sage, who has lived for a thousand years and still needs their continued service. The three Hime can tell which is more important.

"I think it's a good idea too, so let these three go and serve you."

The White Snake Sage didn't care what the three guys behind her thought. As long as she could get on Kazashiro's bandwagon and find a way out for Ryūchi Cave, she was willing to pay any price.

The premise is that it does not endanger one's own life.

And so, under the displeased gaze of Uchiha Hikari, Kazashiro officially signed Summoning Contract with the three Hime of Ryūchi Cave.