"Brother Manji, this Senjutsu is seriously dangerous!"
The White Snake Sage warned Manji with a worried look.
By now, the White Snake Sage and Manji had grown familiar with each other.
Manji had also learned that the little white snake was, in fact, the White Snake Sage of the future.
The little white snake was still a young girl, not yet the old woman she would become.
It was hard to imagine that this bright, beautiful girl before him would one day become that old woman.
"White Snake, I've never been afraid of practicing Senjutsu!"
"Give me another technique!"
Manji sat cross-legged on the ground and spoke calmly.
Seeing that Manji had made up his mind, the little white snake could only nod. "Brother Manji, don't worry. I'll stay by your side and guide you. If anything goes wrong, I'll stop you right away."
"Then I'll be counting on you."
Manji nodded slightly.
At that, the White Snake opened her little mouth and suddenly bit down on Manji's neck, injecting Natural Energy to guide him.
Then Manji officially began practicing Senjutsu.
In just three short hours, the aura of Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu appeared around him!
"You?! You've already mastered it?"
The White Snake Sage's pupils shrank, and her heart filled with shock!
She had never seen a human practice Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu before. This was the first time—and he'd mastered it so quickly!
"Hmph, this power is nothing special..."
Manji thought to himself, the corner of his mouth lifting as he felt the Sage markings appear on his face.
He hadn't developed scales or started turning into a snake like Kabuto had.
According to the rules, the more physical traits that appeared, the worse one was at using Senjutsu.
Take Jiraiya, for example. He hadn't achieved a complete Sage Mode, which was why he'd undergone such severe toadification.
Naruto, Hashirama, and Kabuto Yakushi had all done a good job.
They'd only developed Sage markings.
But Manji had done even better than them!
He hadn't just learned the Senjutsu of Mount Myōboku; he'd learned Ryūchi Cave's as well.
"Hiss... This boy's talent is terrifying. What kind of monster did White Eyebrow take in...?"
The Black Snake Sage exclaimed, watching Manji practice Senjutsu from afar through a water mirror.
Just as the Black Snake Sage was watching Manji intently through the mirror, Manji slowly opened his eyes and looked straight at him from a distance.
"Hiss... This boy can actually sense that I'm watching him?!"
The Black Snake Sage was startled, gaining a new appreciation for Manji's perceptiveness.
"With power like that, perhaps he really can take care of that alien woman out there..." The Black Snake Sage mused.
About a month later,
Manji had, as expected, mastered Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu and become proficient in it.
The only downside was that
Manji hadn't had time to combine Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu with the Senjutsu of Mount Myōboku and the Enma Sage Art.
Once he activated Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu, he couldn't use Mount Myōboku's Senjutsu.
And once he activated Mount Myōboku's Senjutsu again, he couldn't use Ryūchi Cave's.
It was a problem.
The two were like tigers that couldn't share a mountain.
Fortunately, Manji had excellent control. Otherwise, the two powers would have clashed long ago.
"You're leaving already? Won't you stay a little longer?"
"Brother Manji? If you leave, I won't have anyone to keep me company..."
The White Snake Sage clung to Manji's arm, looking pitiful.
"No, White Snake. I hope we meet again."
Manji smiled faintly and gently pulled his arm free.
The White Snake Sage gazed at him with tender affection.
Manji thought to himself, Could this little white snake have fallen for me?
Over the past month, the White Snake Sage had often come to talk to him. Perhaps because everyone in Ryūchi Cave was a snake, she'd developed feelings for him.
"Aw, all right. If you ever want to come back, you have to visit me!"
Deep in the White Snake Sage's eyes, a profound disappointment flickered.
"Mm."
Manji smiled faintly, then headed toward the main hall of Ryūchi Cave.
The future White Snake Sage liked him?
That was a little too ridiculous.
They said women were like fine wine, growing richer with age, but when it came to snakes... Xu Xian would have something to say about that.
Ah, forget it. If the White Snake Sage got too old in the future,
Manji would be willing to lend Ryūchi Cave a hand.
An old person in the family was as precious as a treasure!
"Manji, your talent is unprecedented, and likely unmatched by anyone who comes after you."
The Black Snake Sage looked at Manji admiringly, then changed the subject. "Would you like to make an already good thing even better? You could choose a snake from Ryūchi Cave and form a Summoning Contract."
"Since you've brought it up..."
"I won't stand on ceremony..."
Manji knew the Black Snake Sage wanted to bind him to Ryūchi Cave.
He'd already learned its Senjutsu, so there was no reason to refuse.
"Brother Manji! Pick me, pick me!"
Before Manji could say anything, the White Snake Sage eagerly raised her hand.
He looked at the young girl who wanted to make a contract with him.
"You..."
Manji smiled helplessly. But at the moment, the only famous figure in Ryūchi Cave was the young girl before him, the White Snake Sage.
Garaga, Aoda, Manda, and the Three Snake Princesses had yet to be born.
"Is that all right?"
Manji looked to the Black Snake Sage for confirmation.
After all, he was asking to form a contract with the future leader of Ryūchi Cave. He still needed the "current chairman's" approval.
The Black Snake Sage paused to consider it, then nodded. "You may."
"Wonderful! Brother Manji, if you ever need me, you can summon me! And you can summon me even if you don't need anything—just to chat. I get so lonely here in Ryūchi Cave..."
The White Snake Sage looked at Manji playfully.
Manji couldn't help feeling overwhelmed. He'd actually formed a contract with the future founder of Ryūchi Cave...
"I have one more favor to ask. Could you tell me where to find Shikkotsu Forest?"
Manji asked.
The Black Snake Sage was taken aback. "Why do you want to know?"
"I want to learn Shikkotsu Forest's Senjutsu."
Manji answered directly, without trying to hide it.
"What?! Brother Manji, you're going to learn Shikkotsu Forest's Senjutsu too?"
The White Snake Sage stared at Manji in amazement.
The Black Snake Sage trembled, giving Manji a strange look. "You've already mastered the Senjutsu of Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave, as well as the Monkey Demon Clan's. That alone is enough to make you invincible. There's no need to learn Shikkotsu Forest's too."
Manji shook his head. "The enemies out there are too strong. It's better to have more safeguards."
Seeing that, the Black Snake Sage didn't argue. He nodded. "With talent like yours, it would indeed be a waste not to learn it."
With that, he tossed Manji a scroll.
"This is the location of Shikkotsu Forest. Unlike Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave, Shikkotsu Forest is, strictly speaking, home to only one being: the Slug Sage..."
Before you continue