Desire; Wisdom; Heart.

Shinmoku's heart skipped a beat.

Had he accidentally wandered into a horror movie?

Drawing his short blade and holding it horizontally before him, he paced across the threshold.

From the outside, it looked like a temple, but the interior was vastly different; dining tables were arranged all around, a chaise longue sat upon the dais directly ahead, and a statue of a white snake coiled around the vaulted ceiling.

Aside from the scale being off, everything else resembled a scene of an ancient emperor hosting a banquet for his ministers.

Amidst the swirling mist, a graceful, reclining figure appeared on the chaise longue.

She bent her jade-like legs, raised an arm, and hooked the hem of her skirt with slender fingers, slowly smoothing it back to outline an alluring silhouette.

"?"

What was the meaning of this? A test of desire?

Her judgment of people was accurate enough, but Shinmoku hadn't lost his memory; this was Ryūchi Cave, so what could possibly appear here?

Xu Xian was simply too comprehensive.

"Are you done?" Shinmoku demanded. "I admit I'm not immune to temptation, but your methods are far too clumsy."

"Is that so?"

A soft voice drifted over, and the figure subsequently floated out from the mist. Her white dress had fallen back into place, wrapping her tightly, with ribbons trailing behind her, looking incomparably holy.

Yet, her appearance was quite mature, with flaming red lips, and in no time, she arrived right in front of Shinmoku.

"Are you really... not going to consider me?"

Thump! Thump!

His heart was beating fast—unnaturally fast.

Damn it!

He'd been drugged; there was poison in the smoke!

Shinmoku swung his blade with force, slashing toward her throat. The blade was covered in a blue halo, crackling with electric sparks.

"Ah—"

Amidst a piercing shriek, the person's face turned hideous, fangs protruded, and her eyes transformed into vertical slits.

Bang—

The temple dissolved into white smoke.

From within the mist:

"You have passed my test."

"Heehee~ Now it's my turn~"

A little girl descended from the sky, floating until she stood before Shinmoku.

"You aren't going to pull that same stunt, are you? That's not broadcast-appropriate!"

"What is 'broadcast'?"

"...Broadcast is a verb, used for human television programs."

"That sounds very interesting. If you pass my test, I'll consider signing a contract with you and give you the chance to take me to broadcast~"

"That's not how it's used... Forget it, what is the test?"

"Wisdom!" Ichikishimahime waved her small hand, and a chessboard appeared on the open ground. "Play Go with me!"

"Go?"

Shinmoku couldn't help but frown. He only knew the general rules; although he was better than ninety percent of people, in the eyes of someone who actually knew how to play, he was no different from a bot... Note, a bot, not an AI.

He had no choice but to try.

"I must play with the black stones."

"I allow it~"

Shinmoku picked up a stone and placed it on the star point; this move was basically the standard opening.

"Why did you play there?"

"?" The difference between modern Go and ancient Go was quite significant, so Shinmoku asked curiously, "Where do you usually place yours?"

"Here~" She placed a white stone right in the center of the board.

"Ah~" Shinmoku raised his left hand and bit his thumbnail. "Impressive!"

"Right~"

He felt relieved. She was also a terrible player; the first four moves were settled.

Once the star points were occupied, Shinmoku's movements slowed down visibly. There was no helping it; calculating while playing was the most primitive way to play Go.

After hours of intense struggle.

"I win."

"Huh? Did you win?"

"Count them yourself."

Ichikishimahime rested her chin on one hand and began to count with the other.

"I let you win."

"My thanks."

She gave a thumbs-up.

The lad knows how to play the game.

"See you~" She waved her hand. "The final trial is very difficult, so be careful."

"Understood."

The girl's figure vanished, and the cave instantly turned dim. Purple mist permeated the air, and a chilling, mysterious wind blew from nowhere.

"Swish—"

"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

Shinmoku caught sight of a shadow, instantly activated his Sharingan, and unleashed his Fire Release.

He then spun his body, spraying flames in a three-hundred-sixty-degree arc that instantly filled the entire cave.

However, it was impossible to guard against everything; a bewitching figure burst from the ground beneath him with incredible speed. By the time he reacted, the figure had already coiled up his leg and reached his shoulder.

A sharp pain erupted from his shoulder, and he could clearly feel fangs piercing his muscle and injecting venom.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—"

His vision began to blur with overlapping images.

"Uchiha Shinmoku! Have you forgotten the mission to revitalize the Uchiha clan?"

"I haven't dared to forget for a single moment!" Shinmoku shouted aloud.

He had been quite frightened at first, but when that voice spoke, he nearly lost his composure—it turned out he was just talking to himself.

The overlapping images gradually solidified.

Uchiha Madara, Obito, Itachi, Uchiha Fugaku, Sasuke, Uchiha Sifangzhu, Sifangtai, and Shinna.

If that previous sentence had been spoken by this group, it would have been a living hell; aside from Uchiha Fugaku, not a single one of them wanted to revitalize the Uchiha, and two of them were even the culprits behind its downfall.

"You two," he waved his hand at Obito and Itachi, "get lost—"

"You get lost too, you scare me." He said this to Uchiha Madara.

"And you, do I even know you?" he said to Uchiha Fugaku.

"Go find your brother."

"If you're dead, go where you belong."

Finally, only Shinna remained.

"If you don't leave, I really won't be able to see you anymore."

The figures vanished one by one.

"Uchiha Shinmoku! Have you forgotten the mission to revitalize the Uchiha clan?"

"Again?"

"Damn it!" Shinmoku was getting annoyed. "Whether or not to revitalize the Uchiha, and how to do it, is for me to decide! My life is my own, and I'll live it however I damn well please!"

"Get out—"

Veins bulged on Shinmoku's forehead, and after his roar, peace returned to the world.

"...Congratulations."

A mature woman drifted out, looking much more serious than the previous two—er, snakes.

"Follow me. I will take you to see the White Snake Sage."

Shinmoku followed her as they traversed the cave, and after stepping into a massive cavern, he saw the legendary White Snake Sage.

She was a viper, characterized by her keeled, white scales and a massive form that looked as if she could transform into a dragon at any moment.

"Since you have passed the trials, I grant you the qualification to practice Sage Mode. Come forward, and I shall inject you with venom."

"Sage Mode?" Shinmoku was stunned. "I didn't say I wanted to learn Sage Mode. I've only just started my journey; isn't learning Sage Mode now just asking for death?"

"Then why have you come?"

"To sign a contract with Ryūchi Cave."

Upon hearing this, the White Snake Sage transformed into the appearance of an old woman.

"There is a man in this world named Orochimaru who holds the contract scroll. You should know him; he is currently the only one who knows the location of Ryūchi Cave."

"That guy is too treacherous; I don't trust him."

"In that case..." The White Snake Sage opened her hand, and natural energy gathered in her palm as a scroll slowly materialized. "Take it."