The subterranean lair of Orochimaru was a maze of cold stone and flickering torches, its air thick with the hiss of serpents and the pulse of forbidden chakra. I stood in a vast training chamber, my hood low to conceal my four eyes—a trait I was born with—my towering frame, over six feet and rippling with chakra-enhanced muscle, radiating menace. My modified body was a fortress of power: a second heart amplified my chakra flow; expanded lungs fueled endurance that let me endure days of relentless training. Sculpted for dominance like Sukuna from Jujutsu Kaisen, my physique was a weapon forged for my goals—power, control, freedom. The Ryuchi Cave's trials had forged me into a proto-Snake Sage, its venomous chakra, viper-like agility, and regenerative powers enhancing my arsenal—Dismantle, Cleave, Mirror Mirage Technique, genjutsu, and medical ninjutsu. My alliance with Sasuke and the Sound Four was fragile, Orochimaru's schemes a tightening noose, but I was ready to break free, my sights set on mastering Snake Sage Mode's full potential, including the advanced techniques Kabuto Yakushi wielded in his battle against Sasuke and Itachi: Sage Art: Inorganic Reanimation, White Rage Technique, and other serpentine abilities. Tsunade's Yin Seal and medical ninjutsu remained a future goal, a path to perfect my body, but today, I'd unleash the serpent's wrath to prove my dominance. This was a Baldur's Gate boss fight, and I'd clear it with the cunning of my gamer past.
Orochimaru's training had pushed me to the edge, but his latest test was a gauntlet—a mock battle against the Sound Four to gauge my progress. Sasuke watched from the sidelines, his Curse Seal pulsing, his Sharingan sharp. The Sound Four—Kidomaru, Jirobo, Sakon, Tayuya—circled me, their chakra signatures cold and predatory. Orochimaru perched above, his golden eyes glinting. "Show me your power, Archon," he hissed. "Or die."
I smirked, my second heart steadying my chakra. "Let's dance."
The battle began with Kidomaru's webs, sticky threads launched from his spider-like limbs. I activated Snake Sage Mode, natural energy surging through me, scales flickering on my forearms, my pupils slitting. My reflexes sharpened, my body twisting with viper-like agility to dodge the webs. I wove a Mirror Mirage Technique, fifteen clones slithering around the chamber, their serpentine movements hypnotic, disorienting Kidomaru. His webs hit air, and I countered with Sage Art: Inorganic Reanimation, a technique I'd gleaned from stolen scrolls detailing Kabuto's feats. Channeling sage chakra into the stone floor, I animated it, spikes erupting beneath Kidomaru, forcing him to leap back. The spikes twisted like living serpents, pursuing him, their edges laced with venomous chakra that sizzled on contact.
Tayuya's flute pierced the air, her genjutsu summoning spectral warriors. I countered with my own confusion genjutsu, inspired by Ino, flooding her senses with flickering images—snakes coiling in a dozen directions. Her music faltered, and I unleashed Sage Art: White Rage Technique, another of Kabuto's abilities. A blinding orb of light and sound exploded from my palm, its deafening screech and searing brilliance overwhelming the Sound Four. Jirobo clutched his ears, Sakon staggered, and Tayuya dropped her flute. My enhanced senses, shielded by sage chakra, let me navigate the chaos, my second heart keeping my focus sharp.
Sakon and Jirobo charged, their Curse Seals flaring, their brute force a wall of destruction. I twisted, my sage-enhanced agility letting me evade Sakon's dual strikes, and tapped his arm with Cleave, its contact-based power, laced with venomous sage chakra, leaving a sizzling wound. Jirobo's earth dome tried to trap me, but I used Inorganic Reanimation again, animating the dome's walls to collapse inward, crushing his technique. My regeneration kicked in, healing a graze from Sakon's claws in seconds, scales shimmering as my skin knit together.
Kidomaru recovered, launching a barrage of webbed arrows. I countered with a venomous chakra cloak, a defensive shroud taught by Orochimaru, its corrosive surface burning the webs to ash. I closed the distance, my Dismantle, infused with sage chakra, slicing through his spider armor like acid, forcing him to retreat. Tayuya's flute resumed, but my shadow genjutsu, inspired by Shikamaru, froze her, her body rigid as I knocked her out with a precise strike.
The Sound Four fell, battered but alive, their eyes wide with grudging respect. Orochimaru clapped, his laughter echoing. "Magnificent, Archon. You've surpassed my expectations. The Ryuchi Cave has forged a true sage."
I deactivated Sage Mode, scales fading, my chakra steadying. "I'm just getting started."
Sasuke's gaze was intense, his Sharingan cataloging my moves. "You're a monster," he said, a rare note of awe in his voice.
"Takes one to know one," I replied, our alliance holding—for now. The Sound Four's defeat solidified my place, but Orochimaru's smile was a warning. He wanted me as a tool, a potential vessel, but I'd break free once I'd mastered Snake Sage Mode.
That night, I trained in secret, pushing my sage abilities further. Sage Art: Inorganic Reanimation let me animate a cavern's walls, shaping them into coiling serpents that struck at summoned targets. The White Rage Technique blinded and deafened a pack of rats, its sensory overload perfect for crowd control. My venomous chakra cloak burned through stone, a defensive trump card. My Mirror Mirage clones, now twenty, slithered with hypnotic grace, disorienting a summoned snake. Dismantle and Cleave, enhanced by sage chakra, devastated boulders, their corrosive bite unmatched. My regeneration healed a deep cut in moments, my medical ninjutsu amplifying the effect.
I refined my Yin Seal practice, the diamond pattern on my forehead holding for fifteen minutes, storing a growing chakra reserve. My medical ninjutsu reached new heights—I could regenerate entire organs, a synergy with sage mode's healing that would make me unstoppable. Tsunade's mentorship was a future goal, her Yin Seal a reservoir to fuel my Malevolent Shrine, her medical expertise key to perfecting my body. I visualized her strength, her precision, knowing I'd return to Konoha to claim her knowledge.
Orochimaru's endgame was closing in. He coveted Sasuke's body, and I was a prize he'd try to bind. I prepared for betrayal, my senses tracking the Sound Four's movements, my sage-enhanced perception catching their whispers. Sasuke's Curse Seal was unstable, his loyalty to Orochimaru wavering. I stabilized it with medical ninjutsu, earning a nod of trust, but our paths would diverge soon.
The next day, Orochimaru summoned me. "The Ryuchi Cave's core awaits," he said, his voice a silken threat. "Complete your transformation, or I'll find another use for you."
"I'll finish it," I said, my four eyes hidden but locked on his. "But I'm no one's tool."
His laughter was a challenge, but I was ready. Snake Sage Mode was mine, its advanced techniques—Inorganic Reanimation, White Rage, venomous cloak—proof of my dominance. Konoha's pursuit—Danzo, Kakashi—would hunt me, but I was Archon, a gamer reborn, playing a game where power was the prize. The Ryuchi Cave's core was my final forge, and I'd emerge a true sage, ready to carve my path through any foe.