Passing the Trial, Contracting with Ryūchi Cave

"You injected the First Hokage Cells serum?"

Orochimaru saw the changes in Uchiha Ao at a single glance.

Just as Ao's Chakra was about to be completely exhausted.

A brand-new surge of power suddenly welled up within his body.

The intense life force aura carrying the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai was unmistakable.

He recognized it instantly.

Ao did not deny it, nodding his head slightly.

This was the first time he had completely depleted his Chakra in such a short amount of time.

He hadn't expected to discover a brand-new function of the Hashirama Cells.

It was as if a withered tree had encountered spring, regaining its vitality.

After this single experience.

His Chakra had climbed to another level, steadily stepping into the elite Chunin rank.

It was simply unreasonable.

Is this the world of Kekkei Genkai, where bloodline inheritance is the core?

Merely having two bloodlines inherited from Otsutsuki Kaguya resonate slightly.

Was enough to cause a qualitative evolutionary change in his body.

Feeling the Hashirama Cells within him fusing more tightly, a wave of soreness spread throughout the cells in his body.

That was the consequence of the cells being pushed to their limit.

His own Chakra also underwent a qualitative change as it merged with the Chakra produced by the Hashirama Cells.

At the same time.

His soul completely fused with the soul power of his predecessor at this moment.

Many memories buried deep within the body surfaced.

During this process, Ao also sensed a special power hidden within his bloodline.

"Sharingan?"

Ao felt this power continuously surging toward the area around his eyes, and a pair of eyes appeared in his mind.

He felt a faint sense of anticipation.

He wondered what kind of abilities his Mangekyō Sharingan would possess...

It is said that the Uchiha bloodline is the eye that reflects the heart.

It can manifest power based on the soul traits of the Uchiha clansman.

Reflecting the deepest obsessions within their hearts.

Then—what is my obsession?

Ao asked himself.

The moment this thought flashed through his mind, a question appeared in his head.

Why does the Naruto World exist in the first place?

From the bottom of his heart, he felt a profound curiosity about the essence of this world.

"Congratulations..."

Ichikishimahime gritted her teeth and replied with a cold face.

She kept her head down, standing rooted to the spot.

Orochimaru glanced at her and said, "Very well, thank you for your help, little Ichikishimahime... In a while, I will arrange a special blood sacrifice for you."

In this trial.

Ichikishimahime had clearly gone easy on him.

She hadn't used her abilities on a large scale.

Otherwise, with Uchiha Ao's current level of power, it would have been impossible for him to pass the trial.

He would have been easily drained into a husk by her.

"Hee hee, Lord Orochimaru, keep your word... This time, I want three hundred blood sacrifices! More than that brat Manda, so he stops showing off in front of me every day!"

Ichikishimahime jumped up excitedly, dancing with joy as she spoke.

She completely shattered her previously obedient and sensible image.

The second stage of the assessment was passed.

The two crossed into a corridor once more, passing through it to arrive at yet another brand-new territory.

The one guarding the gate this time was Tagitsuhime.

She was also the strongest among the Three Princesses.

Dressed in a white robe that outlined her slender figure, her long, straight black hair was tied up high with a small headband, and her dark golden slit pupils kept sizing up the young man beside Orochimaru.

"Lord Orochimaru, I never expected you to take a member of the Uchiha clan as your disciple..."

The woman shook her head slightly, her ruby pendant swaying against her peach-shaped breasts, before she turned around and pushed open the stone doors of the massive temple behind her.

"Come in..."

"The White Snake Sage says there is no need to continue the third trial."

She extended a hand, bowed slightly, and extended a respectful invitation.

"Little brat... what is your name?"

After Orochimaru stepped through the gate first.

Ao heard a very faint question from Zuijinji behind him.

"Uchiha Ao."

He nodded slightly, revealing his name.

Uchiha?

Zuijinji looked at Ao's back, lost in thought.

How interesting...

The two stepped through the gate.

They felt a sudden sense of vertigo.

When he regained his senses, he had already appeared in a dim cavern.

Everything around them was pitch black.

Only a few rays of light illuminated the scene before them.

In front of them was a massive temple.

Ao followed behind Orochimaru, walking along a row of neat bluestone slabs as they entered the temple gates.

In the center of the temple sat a throne carved from a giant rock, upon which the true form of the White Snake Sage—a massive, snow-white serpent with scales that shimmered with a cold light—was slowly coiled.

The snake's body was so long that its end was nowhere in sight, and two golden rings adorned its tail, swaying gently with its breathing and casting fragmented shadows.

The surroundings were filled with a pure white mist.

It contained a dense aura of Natural Energy.

Ao glanced at Orochimaru calmly, sensing a soul power similar to Orochimaru's emanating from the White Snake Sage.

So, this is the root of Orochimaru's soul transformation?

He looked thoughtfully at the mist behind the White Snake Sage.

Aside from the White Snake Sage, no one else could have helped Orochimaru complete the soul transformation from human to snake in such a short time.

It seems that Orochimaru has become the true successor of the White Snake Sage.

However—this Sage seems to have kept an ace up her sleeve.

Orochimaru has not learned Sage Mode, nor has he mastered the way to control Natural Energy.

Ao lowered his head and followed Orochimaru in performing a deep bow to the White Snake Sage.

"Orochimaru, are you certain you want to add his name to the Ryuchi Cave Contract Scroll?"

The aged voice of the White Snake Sage rang out, her slit pupils, heavy with the weight of history, slowly turning toward Uchiha Ao.

With just one glance, she had seen right through Ao completely.

"I... cannot see your future."

"Descendant of Indra, your growth is filled with uncertainty... Hiss!"

The White Snake Sage opened her eyes slightly, her mouth, which held a pipe, slowly opening to exhale a puff of white smoke.

"I approve."

As the words fell.

A scroll descended from the sky and landed before Orochimaru.

Orochimaru stepped forward, opened the scroll, and spread it out before Ao.

"Bite your finger and sign your name."

He pointed to the blank space following the name "Orochimaru" on the scroll.

Ao only saw the name of Orochimaru alone on the scroll.

How truly strict!

With a heritage spanning thousands of years, she had only accepted one human proxy: Orochimaru.

Unlike the contract scroll of Mount Myoboku, which was already densely packed with a vast list of names in the search for the legendary Child of Prophecy, spanning an entire massive scroll.

Uchiha Ao followed the instructions.

Using his own blood, he wrote the characters "Uchiha Ao" onto the scroll.

"From this moment on, you are the second successor of Ryūchi Cave."

The voice of the White Snake Sage echoed through the air.

The scroll slowly rolled itself up, floated into mid-air, drifted into the white mist, and vanished from sight.

"White Snake Sage, would it be possible for him to remain here at Ryūchi Cave for a while?"

"I have encountered some trouble in Konoha, and once I have resolved the issues outside, I will come to retrieve him."

Orochimaru lowered his head, making his request in a gentle, soft-spoken tone.

Uchiha Ao kept his head bowed, watching him silently from the corner of his eye, his ears pricked up as he waited for the White Snake Sage's response.

This was the first time he had ever seen Orochimaru act with such reverence, even more humble than when he faced his own teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

It seemed he held this White Snake Sage in high regard.

"Very well, I shall help you instruct him for a time."

The White Snake Sage paused, as if in deep thought, but suddenly, a snoring sound drifted over.

Orochimaru bowed to express his gratitude.

He then turned to look at Uchiha Ao and instructed, "You are to stay here and wait for me to come for you. During the time I am away, train diligently under the Sage... and when you have the chance, learn more about your Kekkei Genkai... it relates to the mission I will entrust to you later!"