Senjutsu

In Konoha's camp, Minato Namikaze was staring at a map, carefully considering the upcoming war.

The situation in Konoha is not optimistic...

For some unknown reason, he looked out of the tent. The appointment of the Third Hokage had already been issued, and given the distance between the Mist Shinobi Battlefield and the Land of Grass, Kato Osamu should have arrived long ago.

However, so many days have passed and there has still been no news, which has made him increasingly suspicious.

"Xu won't do anything foolish..."

Ninjas are nothing more than a group of people who have mastered great power. Even with all sorts of skills, when they are close to death, they will always experience the fear of their biological instincts.

Fear of war, fear of death, fleeing the battlefield, defecting from the ninja village—such things happen in every ninja village.

Danzo's Danzo Cursed Seal, Hiruzen Sarutobi's Will of Fire, pre-battle mobilization—whether by force, by manipulating inner emotions, or by brainwashing words—it's always difficult to prevent such things from happening.

Although such incidents are extremely rare in Konoha, they do occur. Suddenly disappearing during a march without saying goodbye is considered a sign of being a rogue ninja.

Minato Namikaze frowned slightly. Although his tone was firm, a shadow of gloom couldn't help but rise in his heart when he thought of the demands in the Third Hokage's secret letter.

"Report!"

The messenger's voice snapped Minato Namikaze back to his senses. He took the scroll and immediately opened it. War is a race against time, especially for commanders.

"What...? What does the Stone Shinobi mean by this?"

The hand gripping the scroll seemed to tighten slightly. The intelligence indicated that the Stone Shinobi had launched a surprise attack on the Cloud Shinobi, and the Third Raikage of Cloud Shinobi was leading an almost entirely force towards the Stone Shinobi battlefield. The Stone Shinobi were also gathering their forces and heading towards the Cloud Shinobi defense line.

A major battle between the Cloud Shinobi and the Stone Shinobi seems imminent...

A flicker of excitement flashed in his eyes, but Minato Namikaze forcefully suppressed it, and his deeply furrowed brows quietly relaxed a little.

For Konoha right now, this is incredibly good news...

However, he still had some doubts in his heart. It had all happened so suddenly, it was almost like a dream...

"Immediately dispatch an advance team, led by Fugaku Uchiha Jonin, to form a reconnaissance squad. In addition, send two Byakugan teams to infiltrate the front lines of both sides and make sure to confirm whether the Cloud Shinobi and the Stone Shinobi have truly broken out into a major battle!"

"Report the message back promptly..."

"Yes!"

The messenger vanished in a flash, and Minato Namikaze didn't wait any longer, summoning the command team members again to analyze the matter.

If that's true, he has a feeling that after this battle, the fighting in the Land of Grass Konoha likely end very soon...

"The Stone Shinobi are fighting the Cloud Shinobi?"

In the jungle on the edge of Kusagakure, Kato Osamu slowly rose. After his reconnaissance that day, he had a general understanding of the situation on the Stone Shinobi battlefield.

He had no interest in risking his life for Konoha; he simply hid far away in the Land of Grass, secretly monitoring every move of the Konoha camp.

"It seems it's time for me to show myself in a few days..."

However, as the Soulfire Insect continued to transmit information, Kato Osamu thought of that day Jiraiya could vaguely sense his spying. That green-skinned, purple-haired Toad could even track his location, and Kato frowned slightly.

He understood that it was the effect of Senjutsu Chakra. The green-skinned, purple-haired Toad was probably from Mount Myoboku, one of the Three Great Sage Lands. Thinking of the Three Great Sage Lands, Kato Osamu Hand Seals, and a rune slowly appeared.

Ryūchi Cave also possesses the power of Senjutsu...

The figure disappeared into the jungle of Kusagakure, only to suddenly appear in Ryūchi Cave.

"Hiss..."

A human-like glint flashed in the Shiro's eyes. It darted onto Kato Osamu's body, coiled around his neck, and gently licked his cheek. Before he could react, a voice slowly drifted over.

"Kato brat, it's been such a long time..."

In the cave of Ryūchi Cave, a black-haired girl, wearing a golden crown and a long blue-white robe with a plain white sash, floated slowly in the air, approaching Kato Osamu.

"Tagorihime..."

Kato Osamu frowned slightly. As a contractor, his connection with Ryūchi Cave was not close, but he was aware of the existence of the White Snake Sage and the Three Great Goddesses.

The exquisitely beautiful girl before him was none other than Tagorihime, one of the three great goddesses, and the only goddess he had ever seen.

"Shiro, aren't you coming over here?"

The white snake coiled around Kato Osamu's neck, its body restless. It shook its head slightly, but remained motionless.

"Does Tagorihime know why I've come here?"

After calming the Shiro, Kato Osamu looked at Tagorihime. Her body contained pure Senjutsu Chakra, comparable to the green-skinned, purple-haired Toad that Kato Osamu.

"Shiro really likes you..."

Tagorihime said nothing more.

"The White Snake Sage wishes to see you..."

"Oh?"

"Come with me..."

Floating in the air, Tagorihime didn't move too fast and didn't say much along the way. She didn't have much affection for humans, even the contractors of Ryūchi Cave.

Over the years, she has devoured countless people who wanted to become contractors.

"The White Snake Sage..."

Before Kato Osamu lay a vast underground palace, its doors slowly opening, exuding a chill and dampness.

Suddenly, a huge white snake appeared before them, its long body coiled out from beneath them, its end nowhere in sight.

With golden Snake Eyes, a green gem on his chest, and a pipe dangling from his lips, he was silently observing Kato Osamu.

"So you're that Kato?"

"His mastery of Yin Release is even greater than Orochimaru's..."

The Shiro darted off Kato Osamu's body, vanished, and reappeared on the White Snake Sage's throne, tilting its head back and nestling close to the White Snake Sage.

"You named Shiro White Nether Princess? That's not bad, no wonder she likes you..."

Kato Osamu looked at the Shiro and seemed to understand something. No wonder it could lead countless large snakes when it first met the Shiro.

"What does the White Snake Sage want with me?"

"Those who come to Ryūchi Cave either want to become contractors or want to cultivate Senjutsu..."

"You brat, I can see from your eyes that you want to cultivate immortal Senjutsu, yet you're waiting for me to speak. You're truly a cunning human..."

A hint of coldness appeared in the White Snake Sage's Snake Eyes. Kato Osamu remained silent. The White Snake Sage's Senjutsu Chakra was like an unparalleled golden light, far surpassing even Tagorihime's.

"Nothing that happens on this continent escapes my ears. Since Shiro likes you so much, I can give you a chance..."

The White Snake Sage moved, suddenly transforming into the appearance of an old woman. If it weren't for the unparalleled power within her, Kato Osamu would have even seen a somewhat kind face.

"We, the snakes of Ryūchi Cave, have two ways of cultivation. One is to gradually grow larger and stronger, and the other is to cultivate Senjutsu, which, upon successful cultivation, allow us to transform into human form..."

The White Snake Sage stroked the Shiro's head, a hint of affection flashing in her eyes. The three great goddesses and the countless giant snakes beneath them were all her kind.

Although she disliked humans, she sincerely hoped that her own kind could achieve something.

"Shiro has cultivated for so long, yet she still cannot take human form. If you are capable of cultivating immortal Senjutsu, you will need to supply Shiro with Natural Energy to help her take human form..."

Do you agree?

Kato Osamu nodded, then shook his head. He was the Shiro's contractor, and helping her was certainly within his power, but he still had doubts.

"If that's the case, why didn't the White Snake Sage, or the Divine Maiden, do it themselves? They would probably be better suited to do it than I am..."

"If it were that simple, all the snakes of my Ryūchi Cave could transform into human form..."

Tagorihime glanced at Kato Osamu, a hint of sneer in her eyes.

"Alright, let's leave that aside for now. I want to make it clear to you beforehand that learning the Senjutsu in Ryūchi Cave is a matter of life and death. If you cannot fully master it, at best your body will turn into a snake, and at worst you will die instantly..."

Kato Osamu frowned slightly. With the power of Yin–Yang Release, was Senjutsu Chakra worth it? However, he could sense that Senjutsu seemed to have some restraint over Yin–Yang Release, as if it were a completely different kind of energy.

"How long does it take to cultivate Senjutsu?"

"The last person to successfully cultivate took five years..."

"Five years..."

Thinking about the matters currently at hand, Kato Osamu shook his head slightly.

"I don't have that much time right now..."

"If I need to continue my studies, I will return to Ryūchi Cave..."

A sinister smile appeared on the White Snake Sage's face, and his tongue slowly extended, hissing in the air.

"Cunning humans are always afraid of death..."

Ignoring the aura of the White Snake Sage, Kato Osamu slowly raised the corners of his mouth, his voice seemingly carrying a hint of mockery, as it slowly echoed in the palace of Ryūchi Cave.

"That's true..."