Sage Mode!

Holy crap!

The sudden attack caught Orochimaru off guard.

He didn't even have time to mount a defense or dodge before a sharp pain erupted in his shoulder.

Hiss... this old hag... she has no sense of honor!

She just attacked without a word?

Before he could think further, a cold, violent, yet vibrant energy surged through the fangs and into his body.

This energy was incredibly overbearing; the moment it entered his system, it began to rampage, attempting to reshape his flesh, meridians, and even his cellular structure.

This couldn't be a Cursed Seal, could it?!

Feeling the changes in his body, Orochimaru's expression shifted.

He looked down at his right hand, where white snake scales with a cold luster began to emerge uncontrollably, spreading rapidly.

"Hehehe..."

On the stone throne, the old woman transformed from the White Snake Sage released her bite, watching Orochimaru's transformation with a smile.

"This is the introductory method to the Sage Art of our Ryūchi Cave."

"Only by enduring this power and allowing your body to initially adapt to it will you be qualified to learn the subsequent Sage Arts."

"If you cannot endure it..."

"Then you will turn into a stone statue and become a part of Ryūchi Cave; I will not lift a finger to save you."

She was merely curious about what made Orochimaru special, but she didn't care whether the little guy lived or died.

After all, to her, such variables were merely a diversion in her long, long life...

Tch...

Orochimaru glanced at the old hag, feeling quite annoyed.

Her attitude was truly infuriating.

However, now was not the time to dwell on that.

The most urgent priority was to understand the situation inside his body.

He gritted his teeth against the intense pain and strange sensations radiating throughout his body, sat cross-legged, focused his mind inward, and began to carefully sense the nature of the foreign energy and the impact it was having on him.

This power... is this natural energy?

It was just as he had felt when he previously attempted to absorb it—full of violence and aggression.

But it was also somewhat different...

Or rather, it carried a specific "imprint."

The White Snake Sage's imprint?

Under the impact of that power, his body was being forcibly transformed in the direction of a "snake."

His cells were tearing and restructuring under the influence of this energy; the principle was similar to the Transformation Technique, but far more violent.

This feeling...

Orochimaru instantly recalled the scenes from the original Naruto series in his memory, where Naruto Uzumaki trained in Sage Art at Mount Myoboku.

According to his previous hypothesis, Chakra was essentially a foreign energy originating from the God Tree.

Natural energy, on the other hand, was the native power of this world.

There might be some fundamental repulsion between the two.

If one absorbed natural energy directly, the native power would instinctively reject and attempt to assimilate the foreign Chakra user, with the end result being petrification.

But now, the natural energy the White Snake Sage had injected into him, which carried her "imprint," seemed to be... forcibly increasing his body's "compatibility" with natural energy?

By transforming his body structure toward a "snake," a biological form better adapted to natural energy, she was helping him avoid the risk of being completely assimilated?

Thinking of this, a flash of inspiration struck Orochimaru.

He finally understood!

This was likely the core secret of the Sage Arts in the Three Great Sage Regions!

The toads of Mount Myoboku, the white snakes of Ryūchi Cave, the slugs of Shikkotsu Forest...

These three Sages were all creatures that existed before Kaguya Otsutsuki and the God Tree descended.

Their long lives had allowed their body structures to evolve to a point where they could perfectly adapt to, and even control, natural energy, while simultaneously containing the foreign power of Chakra.

The so-called Sage Art of the holy lands wasn't about teaching you a "technique" at all.

It was about using a certain method to make your own life form and body structure "imitate" and "approach" these three Sages!

Thereby gaining a constitution compatible with both natural energy and Chakra...

This also explained why, when using Sage Art, one would manifest the biological characteristics of the corresponding holy land.

The toad eyes and toad hands of Mount Myoboku's Sage Art.

Ryūchi Cave Sage Art likely involves traits like snake pupils, snake scales, and horns.

As for Shikkotsu Forest... Orochimaru guessed it might be related to the First Hokage's monstrous recovery, corresponding to the Slug's insane regenerative and splitting abilities.

Conversely, without adaptation, one would fall into intermittent states of berserk rage, just like Jugo, the source of the Cursed Seal...

So that's how it is!

Having figured this out, Orochimaru's mindset shifted immediately.

Since this was an adaptive transformation, rather than enduring it passively, he would embrace it actively!

The next moment.

He stopped trying to suppress or guide that violent energy, instead opening his mind to actively perceive and adapt to the sensation of transforming into a "snake."

Hum—

Almost the instant his thoughts shifted, the chaotic and violent aura on Orochimaru's body miraculously began to stabilize rapidly.

The snake scales that had been uncontrollably and wildly proliferating on his skin also stopped spreading, stabilizing within a specific range.

Hm?

On the stone throne, a trace of imperceptible surprise flashed through the White Snake Sage's murky, golden slit pupils.

So quickly... he adapted to the first stage of the energy shock?

She had lived for over a thousand years and had seen at least eight hundred humans attempt to learn the Ryūchi Cave Sage Art.

Among them were many with exceptional talent.

But to stabilize the initial "snake-like" state in such a short time—this Orochimaru before her was definitely the first!

This little guy... he's got some skills!

The White Snake Sage thought to herself, her gaze toward Orochimaru filled with a bit more interest.

However, what shocked her even more was yet to come.

The very next second after Orochimaru's aura completely stabilized.

Faint purple eyeshadow quietly emerged at the corners of his eyes, as eerie as a snake's shed skin.

At the same time, the snake scales that had appeared on his exposed skin did not disappear; instead, they became more solid and distinct, shimmering with a cold, dark luster.

The purple Chakra on his body burned as if it were tangible...

This... what is this?!

The White Snake Sage widened her eyes, her face full of disbelief.

Sage Mode?!

Are you kidding me!

This kid actually entered Sage Mode directly?!

The cultivation of Sage Art is not something that happens overnight!

The first step is to endure her power, allowing the body to initially adapt to natural energy and complete the basic "snake-like" transformation.

This step alone eliminates ninety-nine percent of people.

And the second step is, on that basis, to perceive, absorb, and fuse external natural energy, perfectly combining it with one's own spiritual and physical energy to reach a delicate point of balance.

This balance point varies from person to person and requires a long time of exploration and trial to finally find the "Sage transformation" form best suited to oneself.

But this kid!

He was clearly in contact with the Ryūchi Cave Sage Art for the first time, and one could even say it was his first real encounter with natural energy!

Yet he did it all in one go, skipping the process of searching for a balance point and completing Sage Mode?!

How is this possible?!

Could he be a natural Sage Body?

That doesn't seem right either! Even those monsters from legend who possessed the Sage Body couldn't possibly be this outrageous, right?!