As the scroll slowly unfurled before him, Orochimaru's brow furrowed slightly.
Now that he had acquired Ryūchi Cave's method of sage cultivation, he no longer felt inclined to sign the summoning contract. The agreement was one of equality—it granted him the power to summon the snakes of the Dragon Cave, but it also gave them the ability to summon him.
In other words, if the White Snake Sage desired, she could forcibly summon him into Ryūchi Cave at any time. And within this domain, no one could defy her.
Compared to that threat, the benefits of extra high-tier combat strength paled in comparison.
Sure, the three Snake Princesses and Kagari could be valuable allies—but commanding them like he did Manda would take far more effort. This wasn't like Jiraiya's bond with Mount Myōboku's toads. Jiraiya was chosen by the Great Toad Sage as the teacher of the "Child of Prophecy," and he had built genuine emotional ties with his summons.
But Orochimaru knew his relationship with the snakes of Ryūchi Cave could only remain transactional and cold—for now.
In the long run, he preferred to invest his efforts inward. One snake would suffice.
Still, he raised his eyes, glanced at the scroll, and met the White Snake Sage's gaze.
With a smile, he said, "No problem. I'll sign."
He knew there wasn't really another option. If he were in the White Snake Sage's position, he wouldn't offer one either.
The White Snake Sage nodded slightly, pleased with his pragmatism. Still, she noticed something unsettling: Orochimaru was making very few demands of her. It was as if he intended to leave quickly after obtaining the sage art. She had to force the situation just to slow him down.
After a moment of contemplation, she added, "Signing a contract with Ryūchi Cave is in your interest as well. If you summon them in the future, you won't need to worry about obedience."
As she spoke, she cast a glance at the three Snake Princesses. They quickly nodded in agreement.
Turning her gaze back to Orochimaru, she had already grasped the heart of the matter.
Orochimaru had operated on Manda with the goal of mastering the power of the Divine Tree. With her assistance and his medical skill, it wasn't impossible. But she wouldn't aid him unless she gained something greater in return—and Orochimaru understood this.
She needed him to develop an advanced enough technique that she could use.
And if it could be applied to her, then adapting it for Orochimaru would be even simpler.
In essence, Orochimaru's demands weren't as high as she initially thought.
She would need to raise the stakes in other areas—starting with the Snake Princesses.
"What are you saying, sage? I'm honored to sign a contract with Ryūchi Cave," Orochimaru said with a sly smile. "But enough delay—why don't we begin the sage art training now?"
Compared to a few more allies, his personal advancement took priority.
"It's a small matter."
The White Snake Sage gave a subtle nod, placed her pipe aside, and revealed her true form.
The scales along her neck split open, transforming into countless tiny white snakes that surged toward Orochimaru. In the blink of an eye, they enveloped him, wrapping him into a tight, writhing sphere of serpents.
Orochimaru stood still, eyes closed, as countless small snakes sank their fangs into his chest, abdomen, neck, and limbs.
Their sharp teeth pierced his skin—not to inject venom, but to deliver pure natural energy.
The White Snake Sage carefully controlled the flow of this energy, gradually allowing it to infiltrate and reshape Orochimaru's body.
Watching silently, the White Snake Sage's eyes glinted coldly. This was the perfect moment—she could turn Orochimaru into a being like Sazanka-hime, completely under her control.
After all, whether human or snake, if most of one's power came from someone else, how could they ever claim to be truly independent?
But after some thought, she decided against it. Instead of flooding him with her energy, she deliberately held back, giving Orochimaru space to adapt using his own chakra.
Orochimaru, after all, was no ordinary subordinate.
Unlike the three Snake Princesses—who could be replaced or recreated—Orochimaru was unique.
Yes, she could forcefully reshape him into a serpent-like being, but that would only enslave him. And a slave has no ambition. No drive.
If he resisted, the consequences could be unpredictable. And if he accepted it blindly, he'd be ruined.
The White Snake Sage understood this deeply.
The three Snake Princesses of Ryūchi Cave had barely grown stronger in centuries, while Xinya and Manda, who were allowed more freedom, had evolved tremendously.
Reluctantly, she admitted that if she wanted the power of the Divine Tree, she couldn't keep acting like an untouchable god.
Because Orochimaru already understood how to learn Sage Arts through his own means. His life span might only be a few decades, but hers had to stretch for the next thousand years.
She couldn't afford to lose this bet.
…
With the Sage's help, Orochimaru finally made his first connection with natural energy.
Unlike the overwhelming and untouchable essence he had once glimpsed, this version—filtered through the White Snake Sage—felt colder and more confined.
Still, he wasn't in a position to complain. He had no way of grasping the pure source yet.
Not until his soul reached completion would he attempt again to communicate directly with true nature, using the "total concentration breathing pattern" he had devised.
…
Time passed slowly. After half a day, Orochimaru found the balance point between his chakra and the natural energy. Finally, he began to form his first strand of Sage Chakra.
The speed wasn't particularly fast, but neither was it slow—especially given the method.
The White Snake Sage hadn't tested him this time; she had gifted him the energy.
While enduring a trial only required endurance, using a gift like this meant he had to actively learn to harmonize with nature.
Another quarter hour passed.
Orochimaru opened his eyes. The swarm of snakes had silently slithered away.
He brought his hands together. Eye shadow now marked the corners of his eyes, and his fangs had grown long and sharp—he had officially entered the White Snake Sage Mode.
"Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation!"
His fingers locked into the technique's seal. Instantly, the earth and stone around him trembled, twisting and writhing like living serpents under his control.
It was a flexible, versatile spell—deadly in the right hands.
But within five minutes, his Sage Chakra ran out, and Orochimaru dropped out of Sage Mode.
He stared at his hands in surprise. He had stopped absorbing chakra as soon as he sensed his limit—yet the amount he had stored was far less than expected.
The White Snake Sage didn't seem concerned. She calmly explained that this was normal for beginners.
Since she had avoided the harsher methods of Sage training, his body would need time to adjust gradually.
Then, under her instruction, Sazanka-hime brought out something from deep within the cave—a palm-sized white scale.
Before Orochimaru could even see it clearly, he felt a massive wave of natural energy radiating from it.
"This is…?" he asked in surprise.
"The shed scale of the sage,"
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