The Snake

Half-awake, Byakuya suddenly opened his eyes and instinctively grabbed the hilt of his Explosive Tag Ninja Sword. Without time to put out the campfire, its embers still glowing, he hid in a corner of the cave.

He quietly put on the Shuten-dōji Mask.

He heard a strange sound, like the deep, rumbling noise of a heavy truck crushing the road, accompanied by a sharp, scraping hiss.

The narrow cave passage amplified the echo, giving Byakuya an intense sense of oppression.

Whatever was coming was definitely not human.

The forest outside the cave was gloomy and damp, its branches and leaves intertwined into an impenetrable canopy. It teemed with snakes and insects, especially all kinds of snakes, and he'd learned more than he'd ever wanted to know about them.

The problem before Byakuya was how to get out of the cave as quickly as possible, but the "bizarre thing" slowly approaching had already blocked the only exit.

Hiss, scrape...

Was that the sound of scales rubbing against rock?

The strange noise drew closer. Byakuya instinctively sniffed, and an indescribably sweet, fishy odor entered his nostrils.

A moment later, his head began to spin.

Damn, it was poisonous.

He hurriedly held his breath and focused.

Shadow Clone Technique.

He sent a Shadow Clone ahead to find out what the thing was.

The battle began in an instant.

The Shadow Clone used Storm Release to illuminate the cave, revealing the full form of the hostile visitor.

He dispelled the Shadow Clone.

Byakuya's expression was extremely grave.

It was an enormous Azure-Black Serpent, far beyond anything he'd thought possible.

Its body was covered in azure-black scales as large as palms, gleaming with a metallic sheen as it crawled. Wrinkled membranes covered its triangular head, and its vertical pupils looked like red-hot brands. Its forked tongue flicked in and out, yet it made no sound at all.

It was obvious that it had sensed someone in the cave long ago. It had come for him.

Beneath the Shuten-dōji Mask, Byakuya's expression grew even graver. He could clearly sense the tremendous chakra within the giant snake. It far surpassed his own and was even comparable to Pakura, who had Kage Level strength.

He absolutely couldn't take it head-on.

That would be suicide.

What rotten luck. This mission had been one setback after another. If he made it back to Konoha, he'd have to take a few extra hot baths to wash off all this bad luck.

The serpent suddenly attacked, its head shooting forward like a cannonball and striking the corner where Byakuya was hiding.

Substitution Technique.

Rocks rained down like hail.

Fortunately, the cave was fairly spacious deeper inside, giving him room to dodge.

He triggered the mechanism at the end of his Explosive Tag Ninja Sword's hilt. Several Explosive Tags, attached by threads, flew toward the Azure-Black Serpent.

A deafening explosion erupted in the cave. The overlapping echoes grew ever louder, leaving Byakuya reeling.

But he knew he couldn't waste even a second. The Explosive Tags probably wouldn't do much to the giant snake.

"Shadow Clone Technique."

Byakuya formed hand seals at lightning speed, and two clones appeared at his sides.

Almost the instant they took shape, the triangular snake head lunged at them again.

The original retreated toward the cave exit while the two Shadow Clones leaped up on either side and hurled shuriken at the serpent's eyes.

"Clang!"

The serpent merely turned its head slightly. The shuriken struck its scales with a metallic ring, sparks flying as they bounced off without leaving even the faintest white mark.

But they had hurt the serpent. It let out an ugly, strange hiss.

Somehow, it managed to do it. Byakuya caught only a glimpse of the serpent drawing in its body before its tail swept toward him.

He didn't dare resist. Using Storm Release: Body Flicker Technique in quick succession, he kept his balance and rushed toward the cave entrance.

The serpent's tail struck the two Shadow Clones, and they burst apart into chakra that scattered into the air.

The serpent seemed to have an incredible sensory ability as well. It turned its head, its vertical pupils full of rage and greed, and opened its jaws. Two rows of curved, scimitar-like fangs shot toward him at blinding speed.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall."

Without hesitation, he formed hand seals.

A waterfall of water surged into existence and spun around Byakuya, forming a tight barrier.

The force of the rotating water even stirred the air inside the cave, sending loose stones skittering across the ground.

"Boom!"

The serpent's head slammed into the water wall. The unimaginable impact made the Water Formation Wall shudder violently, and Byakuya felt his blood and chakra roil. A sudden sweetness surged into his throat.

Senju Tobirama's version of Water Formation Wall used the rotation of water to disperse force. It had managed to block the serpent's attack.

The water swept its head off course, sending it crashing into the adjacent rock wall. The entire cave shuddered as if hit by a small earthquake.

Now!

Byakuya dispelled the Water Formation Wall and used Storm Release: Body Flicker Technique again, finally reaching the cave entrance.

But behind him, the scraping hiss of scales against stone sounded like the whisper of death.

The serpent was enormous, yet its speed was unbelievably fast.

Byakuya half-turned and flung every Explosive Tag in his ninja sword at the serpent pursuing him.

Boom! Boom!!

The explosions continued without pause.

The shock wave sent Byakuya flying, and he crashed into the forest.

He tried to turn over and flee, but two mouthfuls of blood spilled from his lips.

The serpent's increasingly furious hisses came from the cave. The entire mountainside trembled slightly; the explosions had clearly enraged it.

Byakuya waited a moment, then, relying on the extraordinary vitality he'd gained from several Fate Grid upgrades, forced himself to his feet. He quickly activated Storm Release: Body Flicker Technique and raced through the dense forest.

At that moment, he didn't dare look back. He could only run for his life. The serpent was not only enormous but incredibly fast. If it caught up to him in his current condition, he'd be dead for sure.

He deliberately chose an area thick with trees, using the crisscrossing branches to impede the serpent's pursuit.

Soon, he heard the serpent smashing through the trees without slowing down.

Fortunately, he eventually made it out of the forest.

The serpent's hisses and the sounds of its pursuit grew more and more distant.

Byakuya didn't dare let his guard down. He kept running as fast as he could, using Storm Release: Body Flicker Technique every so often.

Only after crossing a mountain and a river, reaching the plains within the Land of Rivers, and spotting a village in the distance did he finally slow down.

Beneath the Shuten-dōji Mask, his face was slick with cold sweat, and his heart continued to pound.

In that brush with death, the slightest mistake would have made him a meal for the Azure-Black Serpent.

He had used up a great deal of chakra.

Fortunately, his injuries weren't serious. After several Fate Grid upgrades, Byakuya's vitality was exceptionally strong.

He took off the mask and entered the village. For four hundred ryō, he bought a hot meal from the locals.

Only after eating his fill did his lingering sense of panic finally begin to subside.

He spent another four hundred ryō on a night's lodging.

While he was there, he asked the family about the matter and learned that there really was an Azure-Black Serpent in that forest. As long as people didn't go near it, it wouldn't harm them.

They also said the serpent wasn't native to the area. It had only appeared there about a decade ago.

Lying on the wooden bed, Byakuya wondered if the Azure-Black Serpent might have come from Ryūchi Cave.

If he could defeat it, signing a Blood Contract with it and making it his Summoning Beast would be a good choice.

But the Azure-Black Serpent's strength was plain to see. He wasn't its match right now.

"Never mind. I'll return to Konoha first. Once I've gotten stronger, I'll come back, beat it into submission, and sign a Summoning Contract. If it really is from Ryūchi Cave, I'll also have a chance to learn Sage Art."

His Fate Grid had increased his Sage Art Talent, so in a way, learning it was something he had to do.

And...

Byakuya opened the Fate Grid Panel.

[Heaven Rewards Diligence, Perseverance Leads to Success

3-day time limit: Successfully sense Natural Energy for a cumulative total of one hour in a natural environment (incomplete)

Reward: Slight increase in Sage Art Affinity]