Along the way, Orochimaru spoke of strange, cryptic things.
If this were the real world, Orochimaru would definitely have been considered an edgy chuunibyou for saying such things.
Finally, after a thick cloud of smoke spread through the air, the once-still ground began to tremble slightly.
Then, accompanied by a low rumble, a massive opening slowly appeared before them.
The cavern seemed bottomless, while the surrounding earth continually crumbled into it.
Standing at the edge of the pit, Obito Uchiha felt a sinister, icy chill wash over him.
Like a freezing tide, it swiftly swept across his entire body. It felt as though he stood before the gaping maw of a giant python, ready to be swallowed whole at the slightest misstep.
If his judgment was correct, at least ten thousand people had died here!
"Let's go, little Obito..."
Orochimaru's cold, hoarse voice sounded beside Obito's ear.
Orochimaru stepped lightly forward, walking into the depths of the cavern without hesitation.
Obito Uchiha quickly followed Orochimaru.
They traveled through the winding passageway, the crunch of bones breaking beneath their feet sounding from time to time.
Piles of shed snakeskin lined both sides of the path, releasing a foul stench. The human skeletons scattered across the ground were even more horrifying.
Some of the bones were already incomplete, while others still held the terrified postures they had worn in life.
Still, Obito Uchiha had seen mountains of corpses before.
The deeper they went, the dimmer the light became and the more oppressive the atmosphere grew. Yet Orochimaru, walking ahead, remained unhurried, as though he had long since grown accustomed to everything here.
Orochimaru secretly observed Obito Uchiha's reaction.
To his surprise, Obito Uchiha strolled along as if taking a leisurely walk through a garden.
The environment had not affected him in the slightest.
Orochimaru was slightly taken aback. Was this really the reaction of a ten-year-old child?
He remembered feeling somewhat unsettled when he had first come here. Yet Obito Uchiha did not even furrow his brow, utterly unmoved.
"As expected of someone who came out of a battlefield of ten thousand... Interesting..."
Orochimaru licked the corner of his mouth.
The two continued onward...
Then, directly ahead of them, a magnificent mansion suddenly appeared!
It gleamed with golden light, with the three characters "Ryūchi Cave" carved above it!
Obito Uchiha's eyes lit up. Finally, we're here!
Obito Uchiha walked inside without hesitation.
"Welcome to Ryūchi Cave."
A cool yet gentle mature female voice rang out, clear and melodious like an oriole emerging from the valley, making one unable to resist wondering what kind of beauty its owner possessed.
Following the sound, Obito Uchiha saw a lovely woman approaching gracefully, light and elegant like a fairy descending to the mortal world.
Her figure was alluring and graceful, her curves exquisite. Her white gown fluttered in the wind, making her already ethereal, beautiful temperament even more striking. Her delicate face was as flawless as a sculpture.
The woman had now arrived before Obito Uchiha. Smiling, she said,
"You must be tired from the journey. Have something to eat first!"
As she spoke, Tagorihime lightly waved her hand, and the table behind her was instantly covered with an abundance of lavish dishes!
The dishes possessed perfect color, aroma, and flavor, sending out tempting fragrances that made one want to taste them after only a single sniff.
Obito Uchiha swallowed involuntarily.
On the brutal battlefield, all he could eat were the plain meals and rations prepared by the Akimichi Clan.
Now that such a lavish feast had suddenly appeared before him, he truly wanted to eat.
Tagorihime, standing nearby, merely smiled and softly said, "Little brother, hurry and eat. Eat plenty, too. Otherwise, you might end up underdeveloped in the future~"
Although her words were gentle, they seemed to conceal something deeper.
Hearing this, Obito Uchiha snorted inwardly.
Of course, he understood the trap hidden within. One of the so-called three great trials was the temptation of food overseen by Tagorihime.
She had deliberately prepared so much food to lure those who came for the trial into indulging their appetites. If they could not resist the temptation, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Because once they ate the food, it meant the trial had failed, and their lives would end with it.
Once you ate your fill, you would be dead.
Thinking this, Obito Uchiha forcibly suppressed his desire for food and silently warned himself that he absolutely could not be fooled by the delicacies before him.
"This fairy, I will not eat. I came to seek an audience with the White Snake Sage!"
Obito Uchiha spoke firmly.
At that moment, Obito Uchiha suddenly realized that Orochimaru had inexplicably vanished. Did that old bastard run off?
Seeing that Obito Uchiha had passed the first trial, Tagorihime smiled faintly and instantly disappeared!
The magnificent mansion and lavish feast vanished along with her.
Obito Uchiha's surroundings abruptly changed!
At that moment, Obito found himself trapped inside a secret chamber.
A sweet-looking, dark-blue-haired little girl floated playfully in the air, watching Obito Uchiha with great interest.
Obito Uchiha calmly looked at the little girl floating in the air.
No need to guess. In a two-dimensional world, most little girls had lived for thousands of years.
"Well then, little brother, play a gemstone block-filling game with me. If you fail, I'm going to eat you!"
Ichikishimahime swung her jade-like legs and spoke playfully.
Obito Uchiha quickly looked toward the gemstone blocks on the ground.
He remembered that in the original story, this so-called block-filling game was missing one block, making it impossible to complete no matter what.
Obito Uchiha swiftly picked up the gemstone blocks from the floor and began placing them into the wall.
Fortunately, Obito Uchiha had also been a fan of puzzle games in his previous life. He could solve things like Kongming locks and tangram puzzles in a single attempt.
This kind of block-filling game was even easier!
Ichikishimahime stared at Obito Uchiha with her beautiful eyes, seemingly not expecting this child to complete the puzzle so quickly.
In less than ten minutes, Obito Uchiha had filled the entire wall.
Only the final spot remained. The last block did not fit, no matter how he tried to place it!
Ichikishimahime had already revealed an evil smile and could not resist sticking out her tongue, as though she were ready to eat Obito.
"If you can't finish it, you should kill yourself! I don't like eating fresh Chakra~"
Ichikishimahime said with a smile, though that smile did not look gentle at all in Obito's eyes.
Obito Uchiha smiled slightly at Ichikishimahime. The old blogger from his previous life had already provided the solution.
Obito Uchiha slowly broke apart the final block, then quickly fitted it into place!
Before you continue