Inquiries, Suspicion, and Scrutiny from an Immortal

Ryūchi Cave.

It was originally just an ordinary dense forest cave, hidden deep within the mountains.

The only unique aspect was that the location possessed a slightly higher concentration of Natural Energy.

Because of the presence of the White Snake Sage, it later became known as a Sacred Land.

Natural Energy is a power unique to the planet of the Naruto World.

Even without the emergence of Chakra, this power alone is enough to transform indigenous creatures into extraordinary beings.

Across the entire world, there are three such nodes, each occupied by one of the three great Sacred Lands.

Ryūchi Cave, where the White Snake Sage resides, is one of them.

There are many locations in the world rich in Natural Energy, such as the site of the Dragon Vein, Jugo's Hometown Sage Transformation Village, the place where the God Tree took root, Nara Deer Forest, the Forest of Death, Naka Shrine, the Central Mountain Range, the Former Site of Uzushiogakure, the Hoshigakure Meteorite Crater, the Land of Hot Springs Spa Town, and so on...

But there are only three Sacred Lands.

It could be said that the White Snake Sage made Ryūchi Cave what it is, forging it into a secluded paradise.

It isolated itself from the strife of the outside world.

Initially, when Orochimaru first mentioned him, the White Snake Sage had no intention of accepting Uchiha Ao.

One of the primary requirements for Ryūchi Cave to select an agent was to exclude the bloodline of Otsutsuki Kaguya.

She did not intend to record any human containing the Otsutsuki bloodline as a successor.

It was only after Orochimaru insisted repeatedly.

And explained that Uchiha Ao possessed outstanding scientific research capabilities.

That she made an exception and gave him a chance.

Unexpectedly, besides his research abilities, this kid also possessed a ruthless streak.

The White Snake Sage leaned back in her chair, puffing on a pipe, her eyes narrowed as she watched the youth emerge from the bedroom.

At only ten-something years of age...

If it were that good-for-nothing descendant Manda, he probably wouldn't even be able to speak clearly at this age.

Yet this human before her had managed to scheme against her.

Hiss...

Her snake tongue flicked out slightly, brushing against the fangs on her lower jaw, and swayed gently over the pipe.

The embers went out.

The White Snake Sage held the pipe in her mouth, her gaze becoming profound.

"Greetings, Sage."

Ao walked to the front courtyard, neither servile nor overbearing, and bowed in salute, even though his entire body was wracked with unbearable stinging pain.

He showed no signs of disrespect.

"You are very bold! To actually dare to scheme against me."

"In a thousand years, you are the first!"

"It has always been me scheming against others; I never expected to be trapped by a brat like you today, forcing my hand."

"How did you calculate that I would definitely step in to help you!?"

The White Snake Sage revealed her full eyes, the pressure reaching its limit; the thick fog behind her churned violently, occasionally revealing the tip of an iceberg of a temple.

Ao kept his head low, his peripheral vision catching a glimpse of an unusual image.

His heart stirred slightly!

It was a mural, and it actually recorded the process of an experiment...

Is the White Snake Sage also researching some secret!?

In Ao's mind, theories he had seen on mobile game forums about the White Snake Sage after finishing his experiments in his past life, along with content from setting books, could not help but surface.

Ryūchi Cave is the only Sacred Land in the entire Naruto World that focuses solely on cultivating immortality.

It is purer compared to the other two Sacred Lands.

The Toad Sage is forever guiding the Child of Prophecy, attempting to interfere with the fate of the human world; his main responsibility is to guard the balance of heaven and earth, guide the "Child of Prophecy," and continue the Toad clan's lineage and Sage Art inheritance.

The Slug Sage has always been indifferent to worldly affairs, hiding in Shikkotsu Forest to purify the Natural Energy of the entire Ninja World, ensuring the purity of Natural Energy; she possesses the purest power of life, healing, and symbiosis within Natural Energy, and rarely interferes with the movements of the Ninja World, except when life faces large-scale crises.

The Slug Sage could be called the embodiment of a selfless saint; aside from fulfilling her own responsibilities, she just hides in Shikkotsu Forest acting as a veteran shut-in.

Unlike these two sages, what the White Snake Sage pursues is becoming an immortal, mastering the profound mysteries of life's transformation.

In the future, she even participated in the process of Yakushi Kabuto's world-ending scheme.

She has not the slightest concern for the Ninja World.

She is a selfish existence, focused entirely on herself.

There had once been speculation on the forums.

This White Snake Sage, who had always remained hidden in Ryūchi Cave, maintaining neutrality and ignoring the life and death of the Ninja World, had taken in scientific geniuses like Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto for the purpose of studying the mysteries of life.

To explore the secrets of human-snake fusion.

To attempt to completely alter the existing form of her own bloodline.

Because, her essence was that of a snake.

In the process of evolution, snakes have one eternal goal.

To become a dragon!

The White Snake Sage was attempting to become a dragon!

And in ancient legends, a dragon is a creature that fuses the characteristics of thousands of living beings.

Therefore, in order to cultivate immortality, the White Snake Sage chose Orochimaru to become the first human representative of Ryūchi Cave.

It was all for her research.

Orochimaru, because of his pursuit of immortality, had moved the White Snake Sage, who viewed humans merely as blood-food.

He became the first contractor of Ryūchi Cave.

He even gained the power to command the snake clan, becoming the second-in-command among the snakes, surpassed only by the White Snake Sage.

This immortality represented eternal life.

It fit perfectly with Orochimaru's goal of eternal life.

From this, one could conclude...

The White Snake Sage was likewise researching eternal life and the limits of Sage Art, even silently exploring the method to become a dragon!

"What? Afraid to speak..."

Seeing Uchiha Ao remain silent for a long time, the White Snake Sage showed displeasure, and the killing intent in her snake pupils surged.

The walls of the entire Ryūchi Cave trembled, and weathered rock fragments constantly fell away.

Outside the temple.

The Three Princesses were frightened back into their original forms by their ancestor's aura, their bodies pressed tightly against the ground, heads buried in their own soft chests, not daring to look up.

What on earth was the ancestor doing to release such a terrifying aura?

It felt as if she were about to destroy the entire Ryūchi Cave.

It struck fear into the heart.

Ao snapped back to reality, cupped his hands, and bowed: "Reporting to the Sage, I have no intention of scheming against you. Your help is something I will never forget for the rest of my life! But my actions were merely to pursue the truth and explore the limit process of fusing two different bloodlines."

"Even if I were to die, I would be willing."

"Besides, I have prepared a contingency plan."

"In the event that my body collapses, I can use the Spirit Transformation Technique to discard my body and, with the help of the Soul Body Separation technique, seize the physical body of another living being..."

Ao raised his head, his gaze fixed directly on the White Snake Sage, taking in every expression on her face.

The corners of his mouth curled into a confident smile.

"Interesting... you possess such an ability? Are you planning to possess the descendants of my Ryūchi Cave? I recall—the Soul Body Separation technique does not have such a function."

The White Snake Sage retracted her terrifying aura and leaned back against her chair, her tail behind her flicking gently, striking the wall with a loud thud.

A mass of snakes scattered from the cliff walls, forming a dense, writhing carpet of snakes within the temple.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss!"

The endless swarm of snakes flicked their tongues, emitting cold, shrill sounds.

They began to circle around Uchiha Ao.

The White Snake Sage's expression, half-smile and half-serious, seemed to say—go on, pick a body...

"It is merely a new forbidden soul technique I developed while helping my teacher complete his research on the Cursed Seal. It currently has major flaws; it cannot be used against beings with souls of the same level, and after possessing a body, at least half of one's soul power is lost, and one might even completely lose all existing memories."

Ao answered honestly.

This was his ultimate survival mechanism, one that even Orochimaru did not know about.

He had gained the inspiration while researching the Cursed Seal, through the Spirit Transformation Technique and the Soul Body Separation technique.

"Your talent for research at the soul level is truly high!"

"To think you could create an entirely new forbidden soul technique in such a short time!"

"Let me see..."

"Your soul is somewhat special; it is clearly distinct from an ordinary human soul. It seems... not like a single person... hiss..."

The White Snake Sage stared at Uchiha Ao with deep, piercing eyes, her tone slightly hesitant, as if she were judging something.

She pondered it carefully.

Yet, unable to find a way to describe it, she could only use such a contradictory statement.

If it wasn't a single person, then what could it be?

For the first time, a trace of doubt emerged in the White Snake Sage's otherwise clear eyes.