Super Evolution—King Cobra

"What, don't tell me I have to rely on you for everything."

Itachi clicked his tongue helplessly, stretched his body, and kept surveying the surroundings. The environment at the very outskirts was simply too harsh.

After all, he couldn't rely on Itachi for everything. His little brother should be a fierce beast, not dead weight.

"That won't happen. I'll swallow that bastard myself. Though meat this old is probably too wrinkled to chew."

Mamba panted heavily beside him. His body was covered in dense wounds, and his originally rather petite frame had visibly swollen and enlarged under the expansion of chakra.

Just moments ago, Itachi had shown them what the strength of the Uchiha Clan truly meant. Blistering heat churned through the cramped space, and the snakes, who knew nothing of Water Release, had been roasted into crispy meat.

Even the one-eyed black python, Lieta, had been cooked red where it stood.

It probably never believed that its shell, impervious to blades and spears, would ultimately be destroyed in such a manner. The unwillingness in its eyes vanished along with its death.

It gradually became a thing of the past.

"Just don't choke on it."

Itachi gave a reminder, watching Mamba with considerable curiosity. He had heard that creatures of Ryūchi Cave gained power by devouring one another. Of course, Orochimaru had long since played that devouring trope to death.

Snakes swallowing him, him swallowing snakes, snakes spitting him out, him spitting snakes out—a never-ending cycle of nesting dolls.

He was already used to such things. Besides, every evolution of a snake required a long passage of time before its strength could improve. This Little White Snake's progress over the past few years was probably only this much, but at least it could serve as a scouting ninja beast. That was not too bad.

"You're underestimating a snake's jaws."

For creatures like them, capable of swallowing something that could make them fat in one bite, their throats were the least likely to dislocate. Lieta's massive body visibly shriveled under Mamba's sucking, while the Little White Snake's body instead took on a transparent, ethereal quality.

[Ding]

[Would you like to devour it?]

[Yes]

[Energy overflow detected. Would you like to release it?]

[No]

[Enormous chakra energy is burning in the abdomen. Please make a decision.]

[Wait]

[Application not responding. Possible bodily collapse.]

[It's an illusion. Choose to ignore it.]

Itachi was briefly stunned by that series of actions, especially when he saw the pain twisting Mamba's body, every piece of flesh tensing tight. This guy was really risking his life.

With such determination, given time, he might not be unable to rise into a new powerhouse and noble.

Among those who could distinguish right from wrong, aside from the rare few blessed by luck, which of them had not possessed great perseverance?

The smaller snakes and other fodder were also continuously gathering food. For low-ranking creatures of Ryūchi Cave like them, weak enough that one meal left them starving for days, this food could even keep them from having to chew rocks just to survive.

After this battle, although their tribe had suffered severe losses, they had gained nourishment for recovery. They would soon be able to claim more territory and food.

They had even found some armor and swords here, though there was nothing they could do with them.

"Crack!"

A sudden bursting sound came from Mamba's body. Itachi's pupils contracted slightly. The next second, a layer of bloody mist exploded from that small shell, followed by a rapid series of popping joints. The dense sounds made it seem as though some demon was growing inside him.

"Cough, cough!"

Faintly, beast-like gasps could be heard from his body. The painful groans had already made his voice hoarse.

If this continued, his body would be unable to bear such pressure and would explode. Numerous tiny blood vessels on Mamba's skin had bulged frighteningly to the surface, and the blood within them raced chaotically with the beat of his heart.

"Steady yourself. Don't let your thoughts run wild. Hold onto your mind and guide that chakra toward the more gentle areas."

Itachi rebuked him softly, then immediately pulled out several scrolls and opened them. He bit his finger, then wrote several talisman-like characters—Dog, Ox, Rabbit, Tiger—upon them in crimson blood.

"Seal!"

In an instant, the dense ink marks and formations on the scrolls appeared across the ground. They moved with lifelike agility, while the black formation patterns spread outward like a spiderweb.

Within mere seconds, layers upon layers of sealing formations had covered the ground beneath Mamba. Some Curse Marks even crawled onto his body, clinging to the Little White Snake's skin like tattoos.

Using the formations to gather and restrain the chakra, the turbulence within him gradually subsided. Mamba slowly became able to control the chakra inside his body, and he could feel an indescribably wondrous mystery in the circulation through his body.

An unspeakable comfort filled his entire body. As chakra flowed through every tendon and vein, he could even feel power continuously merging into his body, as though every pore and cell was steeped in chilling comfort.

It felt so good he almost moaned.

Itachi clapped his hands nearby, somewhat helpless. Still, seeing how pitiful this guy's background was, doing a little more work did not matter. So I've become his babysitter? I've only known him for a while, and I'm already helping him with this and that. Doesn't he know how to give his boss some peace of mind?

"Crackle, crackle."

A layer of fine, tender skin gradually shed from Mamba's surface. Then white scales grew over his body at a visible pace, densely packed like exquisite armor. Aside from faint cracks, they were almost no different from skin.

His entire body also grew a size larger.

[Devouring successful]

[All attributes have been activated]

[Bloodline successfully transformed and enhanced]

[Super Evolution—King Cobra]

It seemed this little thing's origins and bloodline were truly not simple. Itachi watched everything unfold, able to see the hidden trick within it. The former Little White Snake had leaped into a new state, its brilliance surging. On its upper body, small wings resembling those of a flood dragon had actually grown!

"How is that possible? This is...!"

Itachi stood rooted in place. The ethereal Little White Snake, nearly two meters long, instantly shrank into an even more petite body. When its fin-like wings fluttered and lightly touched the air, faint ripples appeared in space, and it could even fly for short periods.

What kind of super evolution form was this?

No, it should now be called a King Cobra!