"Troublesome teacher, what do you want with me?"
His eyes darted about, a flicker of impatience passing through his lively gaze before it was replaced by indifference and calm.
"Don't put it that way. A teacher ought to devote even more care to an outstanding student, helping a snake crawling on the ground transform into a dragon. Hehehe."
A pale purple tongue swept across his lips, and his hard features became all the more detestable.
"That's enough chit-chat. I went outside the village to train this time and found a very interesting place. Do you want to sign your name on this?"
Several names, signed in blood, caught his eye on the purple-and-white scroll. The most recent one made Hanazuki's mouth twitch.
"Mitaraishi Anko... A Summoning Scroll? What place is this for?"
"Why not find out for yourself? The first time Anko summoned something, she brought forth a summon half the size of the Hokage Office Building."
"As a member of the Uchiha Clan, I wonder what sort of being you'll summon."
With a cold snort, the two vanished in an instant. When they reappeared, they were hovering above Training Ground 3.
"Impressive Body Flicker, as always. Want to give it a try?"
Orochimaru's smile was sinister. Anticipation lurked in his serpent-like eyes, as if he were wondering what sort of summon his beloved student would call forth.
"Summoning Technique!"
Poof! As the white smoke dispersed, his clear black-and-white eyes quietly transformed into the intricate Mangekyō Sharingan. Bound within him and unable to sense the outside world, the Black Nine-Tails frowned slightly.
Kid, you've summoned someone extraordinary. This guy's chakra is a real handful. Judging by his age, he's a lot older than me.
It doesn't matter whether it's that world or this one—he's just as hard to deal with in either. You're in for trouble, brat. I shouldn't have converted my chakra into yours earlier.
You're on your own, kid...
The Black Nine-Tails hurriedly hid itself, deeply wary of the figure in the white smoke. No matter how Hanazuki tried to communicate with it, he got no response.
"What sort of being will it be? This feeling... Could it be..."
His pupils shrank to pinpoints. Orochimaru stared at the figure in the smoke in disbelief, a long-forgotten chill rising unbidden along his spine.
"Honestly, you again, little snake? Didn't I already warn you that your constitution is unsuited to Sage Mode?"
Orochimaru's mouth twitched even more. His usually hard expression nearly cracked as he turned and gave Uchiha Hanazuki a long look.
I only told you to summon a beast to help you fight. Who told you to summon the White Snake Sage of Ryūchi Cave without permission?
"My deepest apologies, White Snake Sage. I wasn't the one who performed this Summoning Technique. It was my most prized student, Uchiha Hanazuki."
Orochimaru took a couple of small steps back. His eyes clearly said, You deal with the mess you made. I can't help you.
"It wasn't you but your student? His chakra is even more immense and ominous than yours, little snake. That power... Is he from the Uchiha Clan?"
The white smoke cleared, revealing an elderly woman with a kind expression and a white robe. Her smiling eyes rested on the figure in black, who had somehow put on a Three-Eyed Demon Fox Mask.
"Was it you? That power just now was even more ominous than the little snake's. What are you hiding? The power within you, and the power dwelling in your eyes, both make me sense a hint of danger."
"I see. What an interesting child. In that case, you may try your hand at the challenge too. If you pass my test, you'll gain a power your teacher never managed to obtain."
Poof! Poof! Poof!
The white smoke dissipated, and Hanazuki and the White Snake Sage vanished without a trace. Orochimaru stood rooted to the spot for a long time, the composure he had barely maintained now entirely replaced by shock.
"I never thought the White Snake Sage would answer a Summoning Technique. I thought Manda would be the one summoned into the World of the Living..."
"The White Snake Sage has existed for at least a thousand years, nearly as long as the ninja themselves. She's not someone you can easily please."
"Good luck, my dear student. It's a shame my constitution is unsuited to Sage Mode. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gone to such lengths to search for a way to become a sage based on those few clues."
Orochimaru walked away, having already begun to think of Uchiha Hanazuki as a dead man. Whether one pleased the White Snake Sage or not, she was an extremely troublesome presence.
Unfortunately, Konoha's youngest jonin was probably about to become snake food. What a shame.
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
In Ryūchi Cave, one of the three great training grounds of the Ninja World, a guest whom the master had forcibly invited now stood in the mist, looking around in every direction.
"So this is Ryūchi Cave? Sage Mode doesn't interest me. I have no desire to grow scales all over my body. Did that difficult old woman drag me here after all?"
Hanazuki picked a direction at random and looked around. The mist shrouding his surroundings grew thicker and thicker, reducing visibility to just a few meters.
"Is that the one who came seeking power?"
"Ah, the interesting little boy the sage mentioned. Shall we put him through a trial?"
"I'll go first. That child smells so delicious. He must taste wonderful. Hehehehe..."
A chorus of female voices, each with a different lilt but all alluring in their own way, faded into the thick mist. One after another, graceful female figures disappeared from sight.
At the same time, points of fire lit up within the strange fog. The scene before him was a spacious, magnificent courtyard, resplendent in gold and jade.
"Welcome, guest. Have you also come to Ryūchi Cave to seek the sage's power?"
Hanazuki tilted his head slightly. The woman who appeared before him had delicate features, dark green hair, and skin so pale she looked as though she never saw the sun.
"No. That old woman insisted on bringing me here. The sage's power isn't of much use to me right now."
His words left the green-haired woman at a loss for what to say, but the veins faintly bulging on her forehead gave away her feelings.
He dares call the White Snake Sage an old woman? What a rude brat. I'll make sure he dies a most agonizing death.
"In that case, please rest at my humble abode for a while. You'll be able to meet the White Snake Sage shortly and ask her to send you out of Ryūchi Cave."
"Why not rest for a while and get something to eat while you're here?"
Beneath the green-haired woman's radiant smile, Uchiha Hanazuki returned a smile of his own.
"I refuse!"
Before you continue