The White Snake Sage

After unexpectedly discovering the entrance to Ryūchi Cave, Sosuke's first thought was to find a way to sign a contract.

The Points required for an exchange were too high. If possible, learning Sage Mode by hand would be much more suitable for him.

With a student's earnest desire to learn, Sosuke deliberately triggered Ryūchi Cave's alarm, and soon the Great White Snake before him appeared.

Tagorihime had already become one of Ryūchi Cave's senior administrators by the time Naruto became Hokage.

Back then, she had stored vast amounts of Senjutsu Chakra within her body. With Ryūchi Cave's powerful Senjutsu, she could unleash terrifying combat strength approaching Beyond-Kage Level.

But now, Kamihime wasn't nearly so terrifying. At most, she was on the same level as Manda and Gamabunta would be later on.

Her one unusual trait was that she could transform into human form whenever she pleased. When they first met, the one who appeared before Sosuke was a beautiful, barefoot young woman.

After silently studying him for a long while, the Great White Snake slowly lowered her head. Thick white smoke began to billow around her body.

Before long, the terrifying white snake had vanished, replaced by a pretty young woman with pale skin.

She wore a golden crown, and her long green hair fell to her waist. Her delicate jade-like feet stood out sharply against the grass, and Sosuke couldn't help sneaking a few extra glances.

Her golden, slit-pupil eyes stared intently at the boy through the smoke. Every so often, she flicked her long, forked tongue from her mouth.

At last, she coldly uttered a few words: "You pass."

That meant Sosuke was eligible to sign a contract with Ryūchi Cave, saving him tens of thousands of Points in the process.

If Kamihime hadn't been so aloof, the boy would have gone over and given her a warm hug.

"Sosuke!"

Just then, the Ponytail Princess finally arrived.

The scene around them looked as if a typhoon had swept through. She clicked her tongue in amazement, and the cold, unwelcoming Kamihime across from them caught her interest even more.

When she heard that the other party came from one of the legendary sage regions, Mito eagerly raised her hand. "Um, Sister Hime, can I sign a contract with you, too?"

After glancing at the adorable Mito, Kamihime's attitude noticeably softened. "To sign a contract, you have to pass Ryūchi Cave's test, but I can make an exception for you."

"Really? That's wonderful! Thank you, Sister Hime."

Sosuke, standing nearby, was a little surprised. He couldn't understand why Mito was getting such preferential treatment.

Did Ryūchi Cave discriminate by gender?!

Thinking it over, he realized that, starting with the White Snake Sage, all the senior figures in Ryūchi Cave seemed to be women.

Worried about what lay ahead, Sosuke still had no idea that Mito had subdued the entire village's uprising in an instant.

The power of her Adamantine Sealing Chains had even made Kamihime take notice. A large part of her earlier silence had been because she was observing Mito's battle.

Even without the Cursed Seal's boost, the chakra inside Mito far surpassed Sosuke's. Since he had passed the test, the girl before her would have no trouble either.

Kamihime was in charge of the tests. If she said Mito could skip hers, no one could say otherwise.

"Come to think of it, it's been a long time since Ryūchi Cave welcomed a new contract holder." Kamihime sighed faintly. She was about to spit out the Contract Scroll when she seemed to sense something and stopped in her tracks.

"Yes, yes, I understand."

After briefly communicating with some unknown presence, she turned to the young man and woman before her.

"Come along. The White Snake Sage wants to meet you in person."

With that, she led the way without looking back, showing no concern that the two might refuse.

No one could resist Ryūchi Cave's power. Besides, the White Snake Sage's invitation wasn't something just anyone could turn down.

"The White Snake Sage?" Mito asked, puzzled. So many things had happened that day, and they all felt like a dream.

Almost instinctively, she turned to seek her companion's opinion.

"Let's go," Sosuke said without much hesitation.

Compared to the lazy Great Toad Sage, the White Snake Sage was certainly more aggressive. Perhaps that was just in a snake's nature.

But after thinking it over, he couldn't recall either of them doing anything particularly offensive.

People like Kabuto Yakushi and Orochimaru had returned safely from Ryūchi Cave. Since he had already passed the test, there was no reason he should be in danger.

Tens of thousands of Points—if he missed this chance, he would have to search for another sage region.

Who knew how long it would take before he found anything?

Weighing the potential reward against the risk, Sosuke decided to meet the White Snake Sage in person.

Even if she turned on them, he might still be able to escape Ryūchi Cave with the power of the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Glancing at the Ponytail Princess, whose little face was flushed, Sosuke leaned over and whispered, "Stay alert later, and don't leave my side."

"Oh, okay." Mito was exceptionally obedient just then, though the boy didn't notice.

Soon, the two followed Kamihime into the cave.

The dark, damp surroundings made them uncomfortable, unused as they were to the darkness. The gazes watching them from the shadows made things even worse, putting the keenly perceptive Mito on high alert.

"Don't worry." As if sensing her wariness, Kamihime spoke without looking back. "Stay close to me. Those little ones don't have the guts to attack."

So if I got separated, the snakes lurking in the dark would come rushing out and swallow me whole?

Mito swallowed, regretting her reckless decision.

Compared to the dangers lurking in the darkness, the mutated villagers seemed as harmless as white rabbits.

"Ugh, I should've stayed in the village."

As for Sosuke, aside from feeling uncomfortable in the darkness, he had no particular concerns.

Many snakes lived in Ryūchi Cave, and their population far exceeded that of Mount Myōboku, where the toads were few in number. Of course, they still couldn't compare to the Great Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest.

Even when someone with Kage Level chakra summoned Katsuyu with all their might, they could call forth only a tiny portion of her body. In a sense, all of Shikkotsu Forest had been built upon her.

Thanks to her terrifying ability to split, Katsuyu's numbers were theoretically limitless. If a summoner wished, they could even summon miniature slugs no bigger than a fingertip.

Each of the Three Great Sage Regions had its own strengths and weaknesses, and each passed down Senjutsu differently. Of the three, Ryūchi Cave was the most aggressive.

He just couldn't figure out why the Great White Snake Sage had gone out of her way to meet him.

Could she be planning to make me her son-in-law? Sosuke chuckled to himself, deciding to play it by ear.

Then again, the White Snake Sage had lived for ages. She surely knew many of the Ninja World's secrets.

He had been looking for a suitable weapon for a long time. Perhaps he could ask her about it and get some specific leads.

After walking for about thirty minutes, the three emerged from the cave and arrived outside a strange temple.

This was the White Snake Sage's residence, a space entirely separate from the Ninja World.