Cultivating Sage Art

"Lord Sage, this is the child Lord Orochimaru brought."

Tagorihime respectfully reported to the White Snake Sage enshrined upon the high platform, her voice filled with reverence.

The White Snake Sage was coiled atop the altar, its body enormous and imposing.

Its white scales shimmered with a mysterious light.

At that moment, the White Snake Sage had not taken the form of an elderly man, instead appearing in its original form as a gigantic white serpent.

Its sharp snake eyes fixed intently on Obito Uchiha standing below.

"Hehehe... So this is Obito Uchiha, the Blood-Red Flash of the outside world. You certainly look awfully young!"

The White Snake Sage let out a low laugh, its voice seeming to emerge from a deep cavern as it echoed throughout the space.

Its lantern-sized snake eyes remained locked onto Obito Uchiha.

Meanwhile, Obito Uchiha stood quietly where he was, expressionlessly meeting the White Snake Sage's scrutinizing gaze.

"I have long heard of your many deeds, especially the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, where you faced ten thousand men. I heard that in that battle, you personally slaughtered countless enemies..."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. It is truly difficult to imagine that someone as young as you could take so many lives. I have to say, your mental fortitude is exceptionally strong..."

As the White Snake Sage spoke, it continued to inspect Obito Uchiha from head to toe.

Obito Uchiha was not surprised in the slightest. This White Snake Sage's strength was likely unfathomable.

The original story had not described the White Snake Sage in much detail, only saying that everything in the Shinobi World would reach its ears.

Obito Uchiha guessed that the White Snake Sage possessed abilities similar to Gamamaru's, though they were not the same.

Gamamaru might have learned of the future through sleep, while the White Snake Sage might have learned everything about the Shinobi World through some other means.

"Since he has passed the trials of you three, I shall inject him with Sage Art power. Obito Uchiha, if you cannot endure Snake Transformation, my subordinates will eat you!"

"However, you are still so young and also a genius of Konoha. For Konoha's sake, I may leave your corpse intact and send it back to Konoha."

The White Snake Sage stared coldly at Obito Uchiha with its snake eyes, giving Obito another chance to choose.

Obito Uchiha remained calm and nodded without hesitation.

"Oh? You are so young. Are you not afraid of death?"

The White Snake Sage looked at Obito Uchiha impassively. An ordinary person would surely have deliberated for a while, yet Obito Uchiha had nodded immediately.

Was this Obito Uchiha a rational genius, or an excessively confident madman?

Obito Uchiha slowly spoke with a calm expression.

"No regrets! If my fate has already been decided, and I will walk toward death no matter what, then why should I fear it?"

"If heaven allows me to live, then even if I face countless dangers, I will surely emerge unscathed!"

Hearing those words, the White Snake Sage could not help but be slightly moved, a trace of appreciation appearing in its eyes.

"Oh, to possess such clear insight at so young an age is indeed rare. Yet throughout these long years, I have witnessed too many people with confidence as extreme as yours. However, their endings often failed to meet their expectations..."

The White Snake Sage spoke slowly, its gaze tightly fixed on Obito Uchiha.

That piercing gaze seemed capable of seeing through everything, reaching directly into Obito's heart as it sought to discern the path of his future fate.

"Then I shall grant you this powerful inheritance!" The White Snake Sage suddenly opened its enormous, blood-red maw, its fangs gleaming with cold light.

The next instant, the White Snake Sage's body stretched like rubber, and with lightning speed, it viciously bit Obito Uchiha on the back!

In just an instant!

Obito Uchiha felt an energy even colder than his Mangekyo Sharingan surge into his body like a tidal wave!

That chakra was bone-chillingly cold and utterly evil!

"So cold! Am... am I in the underworld?"

At that moment, Obito Uchiha felt as though all the blood in his body was about to freeze.

Yet despite enduring such immense pain, he still clenched his teeth and held on.

Beads of sweat the size of beans slid down his forehead, but Obito Uchiha's gaze remained resolute and unyielding.

"What incredible power!"

Obito Uchiha exclaimed inwardly.

Though the pain brought by this power was nearly unbearable, he could also clearly sense the terrifying energy contained within it.

As long as he could successfully control this power, he believed he would surely become even stronger and rise as a dragon!

Obito Uchiha endured the searing pain and desperately worked to mobilize and balance his own chakra!

In the blink of an eye, Obito Uchiha's originally somewhat slender body underwent a shocking transformation!

The muscles throughout his body rapidly bulged as though being inflated like balloons, accompanied by the swelling of his muscles.

Then a horrifying sight appeared—fine snake scales gradually began to emerge across his smooth skin!

These snake scales were completely different from the white scales of Orochimaru and Kabuto in the original story. Obito Uchiha's scales were a deep, ink-black color!

The ink-black scales continued to spread at a visible pace, extending from his arms and shoulders to his chest and abdomen, until they finally covered Obito Uchiha's entire body.

At the same time, Obito Uchiha's eyes also underwent a drastic transformation in an instant.

His originally normal round pupils abruptly contracted into narrow vertical slits, like the snake eyes of a cold-blooded creature.

These strange eyes gleamed with an eerie cold light, revealing boundless killing intent and ruthlessness. One would shudder after meeting them with a single glance.

Obito Uchiha focused slightly, and Three-Tomoe Sharingan appeared within his narrow pupils!

It seemed the Sharingan could still be used!

Obito Uchiha quickly mastered this power, enduring the first step of cultivating Sage Art: Snake Transformation!

The three divine princesses and the White Snake Sage watched Obito Uchiha as he balanced the power.

"Enduring Snake Transformation means he has the talent to cultivate Sage Art. What remains is simply a matter of time. He appears to be a fine prospect~"

The White Snake Sage immediately saw that Obito Uchiha possessed the talent to cultivate Sage Art and nodded in satisfaction.

Obito Uchiha had now completed the first step. What followed would be training, control, and the cultivation of Sage Art.

"Take him to the back mountain for the next stage of training. Arrange his food and lodging properly. Whatever he wishes to eat, give it to him."

"We are not like those frogs of Mount Myoboku. After an inheritor arrives at Mount Myoboku, all he can eat are bugs. We should give our inheritor something good to eat."

The White Snake Sage spoke indifferently.

"Yes!"

The three divine princesses nodded respectfully.

"Oh, right. Tell him to watch out for that snake and not let it eat him. Shinya truly hates humans."

The White Snake Sage added one final reminder.