"Let's go..."
"I'll take you to the new research site first..."
Orochimaru's low voice rang out, carrying a deep weariness.
The schemes of the past few days had consumed much of his energy, leaving him without the strength to make the trial even harsher.
Uchiha Ao had actually gotten off easy.
After Anko's hesitation had wounded him, Orochimaru had become somewhat wary of his apprentices.
Uchiha Ao's choice had brought him great comfort.
Ao didn't say a word.
But his actions spoke for themselves.
At Orochimaru's instruction, he rose at once and lightly brushed the dew from his clothes. He leaped up, placing one foot on the stone statue and the other on the water's surface, then followed Orochimaru away.
"You need to cultivate good Chakra habits in your daily life!"
"No matter the circumstances, you must keep practicing how you use Chakra."
Orochimaru reminded him softly.
He had officially begun teaching Uchiha Ao.
By then, Ao's control over Chakra had undergone a tremendous change.
In ten days, he had completely mastered his greatly increased Chakra.
He had successfully advanced to Chunin.
Perhaps it was because two souls had merged together.
Ao's progress in the Spirit Transformation Technique was astonishingly swift.
With just one glance, he had noticed the weakness in Orochimaru's soul.
Five wounds in different places, along with the soul's white-snake-like appearance, proved that Orochimaru had quietly undergone a major transformation during his absence.
"Pretty fast progress..."
Orochimaru's golden, slit-pupiled eyes narrowed, a trace of surprise flashing through them.
He gave it some thought.
Then he made a decision.
"I took in a few orphans in the Land of Rice Fields. When you get there, help me train them well."
"At the same time... I have a research project for you!"
"Do you know about Kekkei Genkai?"
Orochimaru walked ahead, speaking as he went.
"I do..."
Ao nodded and followed him.
"Your next research project will be related to Kekkei Genkai."
Seeing Ao's response, Orochimaru laid out the detailed arrangements.
He deliberately slowed his pace, guiding Uchiha Ao's stride and using the journey to train his Chakra control.
Although Ao had inherited some of his predecessor's ninja training, he was far less experienced in actual combat than many seasoned Genin.
In their last battle, he had only managed to seize a chance to survive by trading his life for his opponent's.
Under Orochimaru's guidance,
his control over Chakra soon improved further.
Five days passed.
The two left the Land of Fire and arrived in the Land of Rice Fields.
At last, they stopped in a barren wasteland.
Orochimaru formed Hand Seals and slapped his palm against the ground.
A black Cursed Seal instantly appeared on the earth.
The aura of a barrier spread outward.
In the blink of an eye, a giant snake surged up from beneath the ground and opened its enormous jaws before them.
Orochimaru led Uchiha Ao into the snake's mouth.
Their feet stepped onto its moist tongue, and they followed the slick trail of saliva into its belly.
Feeling the warm ground beneath his feet, Ao knew clearly that this wasn't a genjutsu.
When they reached the base of the tongue,
he suddenly felt the snake's body sway.
The next moment,
its jaws snapped shut.
Darkness surrounded them.
Then came a violent upheaval, as if the world had turned upside down.
When light returned, the surroundings had changed completely.
A woman in a high-collared, emerald-green furisode stood before them.
Her sleeves were wide, and dark golden cloud patterns were embroidered on her clothing.
A white ribbon floated behind her, moving despite the lack of wind.
The woman looked languid and wore a kind smile, seemingly without a hint of malice. She glanced at the two of them, sizing them up in secret.
"Lord Orochimaru, why have you broken our agreement and brought an outsider to Ryūchi Cave without permission? If the Sage finds out..."
"Tagorihime..."
Orochimaru discreetly flicked out his tongue and lightly licked his lips.
"I've brought this disciple to take the trial set by the White Snake Sage."
He gestured to Uchiha Ao beside him as he introduced him.
"This kid? Can he really do it?"
"I sense a familiar aura coming from him..."
Tagorihime's expression shifted. Her smile faded, and she lifted her eyelids slightly to look him over.
"Little one, you have such fair skin! What's your name?"
Her golden, slit-pupiled eyes radiated a potent charm as she asked in a soft, sweet voice, as if she could melt a person outright.
She lightly clapped her hands.
A line of women in revealing clothes, their figures alluring, emerged one after another from the dark doorway behind her and surrounded them.
Before the two could react, the women swarmed forward, rubbing their soft bodies against them and pressing close.
Uchiha Ao, however, remained unmoved, calmly watching it all.
A trace of disdain appeared in his eyes.
A genjutsu...
That's it?
How was this supposed to test a man when they hadn't even taken their clothes off?
His spirits instantly surged, and his willpower burst forth, piercing the illusion.
The four beautiful women pressed close around him vanished in an instant.
His vision cleared once more.
Orochimaru's amused expression met his eyes.
And beneath it, a hint of surprise.
That soul power... It was already slightly greater than his own.
How had Ao trained it?
Uchiha Ao truly had extraordinary talent when it came to the soul.
Orochimaru's thoughts stirred.
He silently reconsidered the training plans he had in mind.
"Hmph..."
Tagorihime snorted and stepped aside, clearing the doorway behind her.
She didn't proceed with the next step.
She was giving Orochimaru face.
Going easy on them.
"Please..."
Orochimaru was right there, so she didn't dare go too far.
After all, Orochimaru was a contract holder valued by the Sage.
If it had been an ordinary person,
she would probably have eaten them as food.
There would have been no need for a trial.
After the two entered the doorway,
they passed through a dark corridor,
and emerged into another chamber.
The one guarding it was a petite snake princess who looked like a little girl.
A golden ball-shaped ornament adorned her black hair, which was tied into twin buns, and a pair of blue teardrop earrings hung from her ears.
She wore a short, dark-blue kimono. Beneath its white lining, her chest was flat, and her fair collarbones showed.
A blue-green ribbon floated behind her.
"Lord Orochimaru, is this the successor you were looking for? He looks a little weak!"
Ichikishimahime's soft, childlike voice rang out.
Her eyes were full of disdain for Uchiha Ao.
His Chunin-level Chakra simply wasn't enough to pass her trial.
"Begin."
Orochimaru said nothing more, only tossing out those words.
Then he yielded the space to Uchiha Ao.
Seeing this, Ichikishimahime said no more and immediately explained the rules of the trial to him.
"You have ten minutes to fill every groove in the stone door with the rubble on the ground."
As soon as she finished speaking,
Uchiha Ao had already followed the pattern and easily filled every groove in the stone door.
The spatial puzzle posed no difficulty for him.
Orochimaru had also trained his speed over the past few days.
It was no slower than a Chunin's.
The only difficult part was using Chakra to secure the stones as he fitted them into place.
It required a great deal of Chakra as well as precise control.
Uchiha Ao had just enough Chakra.
He gathered all the stones in advance.
He completed the trial only after his Chakra had run dry.
"How is this possible..."
Ichikishimahime's eyes widened in astonishment as she asked,
"How could a child with barely enough Chakra to qualify as a Chunin pass the trial I set?"
Before you continue