Although Manda had been pinned to the ground and brutally beaten by Hibari, to the point where all his pride was gone and he respectfully called Hibari "sama," Manda was still very appealing to Orochimaru. This was just a summoning beast; you couldn't expect it to be impossibly strong.
Moreover, not everyone was as monstrous as Senju Hibari, who could completely dominate Manda in every way and also possessed the snake-slaying blade, the Ame no Murakumo.
In Orochimaru's opinion, Manda was more than powerful enough. Just his massive body alone, if he were to slam down, could crush countless people. Furthermore, as someone who adored snakes, Orochimaru was infatuated with Manda's majestic yet noble purple form. You could say it was "love at first sight."
Orochimaru was sizing up Manda, and Manda was doing the same to Orochimaru. Before, he hadn't paid much attention to them, only giving them a quick glance. But now that Hibari Senju had beaten him up, he no longer dared to look down on humans. Anyone recognized and accompanied by Hibari must be a genius.
Upon closer inspection, Manda felt something unusual. Leaving Hibari aside, the boy standing next to him was filled with a "snake" aura. If he weren't a human and Manda hadn't just met him, he might have mistakenly taken the boy for a fellow serpent. After all, there were a few powerful beings in the Ryūchi Cave who disguised themselves as humans.
That's right. Despite Manda's arrogance outside, constantly calling himself "I, the great one" and others "brats," in the Ryūchi Cave, he was just a "little brother," not even close to the top tier.
According to Hibari's knowledge, there were indeed a few powerful characters in the Ryūchi Cave. The White Snake Sage was the most notable, having lived longer than even the Sage of Six Paths. Although Hibari had never seen her fight, he was sure she was an incredibly powerful being.
Besides the White Snake Sage, the Ryūchi Cave had three other powerful characters who often took human form: Tagorihime, Tagitsuhime, and Ichikishimahime.
Although their true forms were snakes, they were already on par with the title of "Sage." They possessed many abilities and had even developed human bodies. In the previous world, you could call them "Lady White Snake" without any issue.
That wasn't all. The love for beauty seemed to be a trait of all women. The three snake sages were also very beautiful in their human forms. They dressed exquisitely and were stunningly beautiful. A single glance could mesmerize an ordinary person, who would then be willingly eaten by them.
Judging by their abilities, Manda, who forcefully ate people, was leagues below these three.
But that was a story for another time. Hibari smiled as he watched Orochimaru and Manda staring at each other. He put a hand on Orochimaru's shoulder and said to Manda, "This boy is my brother and half my student, Orochimaru. I'm mainly here to accompany him to your Ryūchi Cave and handle some personal business. As for him, he wants a powerful summoning beast..."
"Manda-sama, would you be willing to become my partner?" Orochimaru asked softly, choosing his words carefully.
He knew very well that Manda had no hostility toward him, but that was only out of respect for Hibari. He knew he wasn't on the same level. So, if he wanted to form a summoning contract with a beast that only respected power, he had to be humble, at least until he was strong enough to dominate Manda. He had to treat him as a partner for now.
After hearing Orochimaru's words, Manda flicked his tongue and said in a low voice, "I belong to the Ryūchi Cave. Our blood contract is engraved on the summoning scroll held by the White Snake Sage. Therefore, no matter who you are, to make me your summoning beast, you must first get the approval of the White Snake Sage and the Ryūchi Cave. Even Hibari-sama must."
At this point, Manda seemed to show respect for Hibari, and he also felt that Orochimaru would be successful in the future. Moreover, he had a strong aura similar to his own, so they would get along.
So, Manda paused for a moment and added, "Of course, if you, Orochimaru, can truly gain the approval of the White Snake Sage and form a summoning contract with us, then... I, Manda, am willing to assist you!"
Hearing Manda's words, Orochimaru raised an eyebrow and said, "I see..."
He then looked at Hibari next to him. Hibari smiled and said, "Well, what are we waiting for? Manda, you lead the way. We'll go visit the Ryūchi Cave. I've been wanting to see the White Snake Sage for a long time. I have some questions that only she can answer."
Manda felt a pang of bitterness. He had come out for a meal, only to be beaten senseless after a little appetizer. Now, he couldn't even eat, and he had to serve as a guide to take these two great masters back to the Ryūchi Cave. It was humiliating.
But the situation was not in his favor, and Manda dared not refuse. He wanted to warn Hibari that the Ryūchi Cave wasn't a nice place and that one wrong move could mean he would never return.
But then he thought, 'Why am I so pathetic? This guy just beat me up, and I'm rushing to warn him. That's just crazy!'
It would be best for Hibari to die in the Ryūchi Cave and be eaten by Tagorihime and the others. That would be his revenge, wouldn't it?
With this thought, Manda felt a little better. He was originally reluctant, but now he was eager to take Hibari to the Ryūchi Cave to "die."
This was a win-win situation for him. If Hibari died, it would be revenge. If Hibari survived and gained the approval of the Ryūchi Cave and the White Snake Sage, then his cooperative attitude would be a plus, right?
Thinking of this, Manda quickly said, "Very well. I will lead the way."
After saying that, he respectfully lowered his massive head. Hibari looked at Manda and knew what the cunning serpent was thinking. But he didn't expose him or get angry.
This was normal. If he were in Manda's situation, he would make the same choice. At the end of the day, the Ryūchi Cave was a place where the strong reigned supreme. As long as he remained strong and showed no weaknesses, Manda would have to stay submissive and respectfully call him "sama," wouldn't he?
For Hibari, that was enough!
So Hibari naturally stepped forward and stood on Manda's head. Orochimaru didn't hesitate either and followed.
Manda slowly raised his head, twisted his huge body, and entered the dense forest, ready to return to the Ryūchi Cave.
The Great Toad Sage, the Slug Sage, and the White Snake Sage were all powerful beings from the same era, each having lived for an unimaginable number of years.
The Great Toad Sage had the ability to foresee the future, and the other two Sages also possessed some special abilities.
As Hibari stood on Manda's head and traveled toward the Ryūchi Cave, in the depths of the cave, the White Snake Sage, who was feigning sleep, suddenly moved slightly. Her silver scales rubbed against each other, and the large pipe she held in her mouth lit up on its own, as if she had just woken up from a pleasant dream.
Then, this Sage who had lived for countless years gently blew out a puff of smoke, opened her eyes, and whispered, "An extra person? This doesn't match my prediction... But perhaps it's a good thing. This extra person has no scent of destiny... Perhaps he can compete with that pesky toad."
The three Sage lands had always had a symbiotic yet competitive relationship. They didn't interfere with each other, but they were also always in a quiet rivalry. The Slug Sage was fine; her personality was gentle, and she wasn't very ambitious.
However, the White Snake Sage of the Ryūchi Cave and the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku didn't have a good relationship. This was one of the reasons why Mount Myōboku and the Ryūchi Cave were subtly hostile toward each other.
Since ancient times, the three Sage lands have existed. In every era, a "Chosen One" would emerge, and the three Sage lands would take turns helping this "Chosen One" to become the protagonist of their era and make the world a better place.
So, don't be fooled into thinking the three Sage lands don't get involved. At crucial moments, they would step in and provide some help to these "protagonists."
The last "Chosen One" was from the Shikkotsu Forest, none other than Hibari's grandfather, Senju Hashirama.
Hashirama learned Senjutsu in the Shikkotsu Forest, and combined with his Wood Release, he became unrivaled, ending the turbulent era. He was the protagonist of his time, the Chosen One.
But after his battle with Madara Uchiha in the Valley of the End, his halo faded. He had completed his mission and it was time for him to rest.
After that, the protagonist of the next era would belong to the Mount Myōboku. That would be the son of the Fourth Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto. He would also be blessed with great fortune and become the "Chosen One," defeating his enemies and restoring peace to the world.
This had all been planned. Mount Myōboku had already begun its operation. Didn't Jiraiya get tricked into going to Mount Myōboku just by a simple Summoning Jutsu?
This was Mount Myōboku already watering the seedling.
This was no big deal. It was just a few decades, and the White Snake Sage could afford to wait. After all, she had lived for hundreds of years. After Mount Myōboku was done, it would be the Ryūchi Cave's turn to be the "leader" in the next era.
And it was true. After Naruto Uzumaki, the protagonist of the next era was his idiotic son, Uzumaki Boruto. This idiot boy indeed became connected to the Ryūchi Cave and formed a summoning contract with the brutal serpent, Garaga. Although it was only temporary, their relationship would surely deepen in the future. The Ryūchi Cave would eventually become Boruto's "mentor."
But this time, the White Snake Sage felt that some details had changed. When Mount Myōboku began its operation, the three Sage lands were supposed to follow suit. In the Shikkotsu Forest, Tsunade had signed a contract, and Orochimaru would soon follow the guidance of fate and come to the Ryūchi Cave.
All of this was "foreseen" by the Sages. So far, everything was going smoothly, but something was wrong with the Ryūchi Cave. Orochimaru had arrived, but so had an extra person.
If it were an ordinary person, the White Snake Sage would not have to think twice. She would just have one of her disciples eat him and ensure he never returned.
But this time, the White Snake Sage didn't plan to do that. She didn't feel the scent of destiny on this person at all. It was as if he had popped into this world out of thin air, with no connection to it.
Such people were rare. In her incalculable life of thousands of years, this had only happened a few times. And such people were the ones who could break the original trajectory of events.
Now, Mount Myōboku was up to something, and a person like this was suddenly coming to the Ryūchi Cave. If she handled it well, she might be able to create some trouble for Mount Myōboku and snatch some of their protagonist's aura and fortune?
While this wasn't a major thing, the White Snake Sage was still very happy to do it. In her long and incalculable life, causing trouble for Mount Myōboku was one of her few hobbies.
In any case, it wouldn't take too much effort. She would just consider it a show.
Thinking of this, the White Snake Sage gently blew a puff of smoke and said, "Ichikishimahime, Tagitsuhime, Tagorihime, come see me."
The White Snake Sage's voice was very soft, as if it couldn't even leave the room. But at the same time, the three great snakes who were cultivating in the depths of the Ryūchi Cave all opened their eyes.
Without a moment's hesitation, they quickly rushed toward the deepest part of the Ryūchi Cave.
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