Just as Tagorihime and Tagitsuhime were starting to think that Ichikishimahime had eaten Hibari and was sleeping it off in the cave, Hibari and Ichikishima-hime's figures finally appeared at the cave's entrance.
Upon seeing Hibari, Tagitsuhime breathed a small sigh of relief, and Tagorihime showed a look of satisfaction.
But for some reason, even though neither of them seemed to have changed, Tagitsuhime and Tagorihime felt that the atmosphere between them was unusual. It was a feeling they couldn't quite put their finger on.
"It seems you also failed, Ichikishima," Tagorihime said softly, looking at Ichikishimahime.
Ichikishimahime forced a stiff smile and said, "It was… unexpected."
Tagitsuhime looked back and forth, then asked, "You two… why do you seem so strange?"
Before Ichikishimahime could answer, Tagitsuhime looked at Hibari and continued, "Hibari-dono, are you alright?"
Hibari felt a little awkward. He was startled by the sudden question, thinking Tagitsuhime had discovered something. He quickly nodded and said, "I'm great, couldn't be better…"
Afraid that if they kept delaying, Tagorihime and Tagitsuhime would discover something, Ichikishimahime quickly said, "We've been delayed for so long. Since Hibari has passed all three of our trials, we shouldn't keep Hakuja-sama waiting. Let's go now…"
"Right, right. I also want to meet the White Snake Sage as soon as possible." Hibari also said quickly.
Seeing this, Tagorihime and Tagitsuhime were a little confused as to why the two of them were suddenly in sync, but what Ichikishimahime said made sense. The White Snake Sage was already looking forward to Senju Hibari's arrival.
The trial had been delayed for so long, so it was indeed not a good idea to procrastinate anymore. They had to take Hibari over right away.
So Tagorihime and Tagitsuhime suppressed their doubts, nodded, and said, "You're right. Let's go…"
Hibari and Ichikishimahime, the two "guilty" ones, finally relaxed a little. They looked at each other and saw a hint of embarrassment in each other's eyes, but neither said anything and just followed along.
The cave where the White Snake Sage lived was in the deepest part of Ryūchi Cave. Hibari followed the three snake princesses through the winding paths of Ryūchi Cave for a long time before they finally arrived at the entrance of a cave.
The cave looked ordinary, but Hibari could feel a very strong presence inside. This aura didn't need to be sensed; anyone who got close could feel it.
Tagorihime, Tagitsuhime, and Ichikishimahime were about to go in and report their status, but before they could step into the cave, an old woman's voice came from inside.
"Come in. Don't leave our guest standing outside. It's rude."
When Hibari heard this, his eyebrows raised. He guessed that this voice was none other than the White Snake Sage herself.
The other three snake princesses were not surprised. Ichikishimahime looked back at Hibari and said, "Let's go. The White Snake Sage is willing to see you."
Hibari nodded, then followed the three snake princesses into the deepest cave. As soon as he entered, Hibari's pupils constricted slightly. Unlike the previous caves, the interior of the White Snake Sage's cave was much more magnificent. The most eye-catching thing was a monstrous dragon head in the center biting a scroll that read "Ryūchi Cave."
It seemed that this place was the "true Ryūchi Cave."
Below the dragon's head was a huge bed, on which was a coiled, large, silver-scaled snake. What was surprising was that even though she was a large snake, she was lying on the bed as if she were a human. This silver-scaled snake also had a very "human" feel to her. She had hair wrapped in a headscarf and was biting a large smoking pipe.
Although her appearance made Hibari feel a little "comical," he had to admit that the aura of this silver-scaled snake was very intimidating. She just lay there without moving, looking at Hibari with her slightly cold vertical pupils, which made him feel a chill down his spine.
Without a doubt, this was a subconscious reaction to the huge difference in power. Hibari knew very well that he probably wasn't a match for the White Snake Sage, not even for a single move. Even using the Flying Raijin Technique to escape would be difficult.
Fortunately, he wasn't there to make enemies, but to build a good relationship. So Hibari didn't feel any hostility, just a little guilt. After all, he had just "taken care of" the White Snake Sage's disciple, and now he was being stared at by the sage herself. It made him feel a little apprehensive.
It wasn't just Hibari. The other three snake princesses were also very respectful in front of the White Snake Sage. No one dared to speak before the White Snake Sage did.
The White Snake Sage studied Hibari with her cold vertical pupils, then flicked her tongue and finally spoke.
"An interesting human. Since you were able to pass the trials of the three snake princesses, it means you are qualified to see me. Now, state your name." The White Snake Sage said softly.
When Hibari heard this, he breathed a small sigh of relief. It was following the expected script. She wasn't going to eat him right away. Being able to have a good conversation was enough to satisfy Hibari.
"I apologize for the sudden visit and for disturbing the sages of Ryūchi Cave. I am Senju Hibari, a shinobi from Konohagakure of the Land of Fire." Even though Hibari felt a little apprehensive toward the White Snake Sage, he didn't show it. Instead, he replied with a normal level of politeness.
"I see. A young man from the Senju clan? Your Senju clan is quite something… full of talented people." The White Snake Sage said softly.
Hibari smiled and said, "I wouldn't dare say that."
He thought the White Snake Sage was talking about his grandfather Hashirama, his grandfather Tobirama, and himself. But in reality, the White Snake Sage was just lamenting that the Senju clan was truly a handful.
Decades ago, they produced a "Chosen One" in Senju Hashirama. Just as he ended the chaos of the world and his "protagonist halo" faded, a few years later, a "carefree" guy like Hibari appeared in the Senju clan and managed to make it to the depths of Ryūchi Cave. This was why the White Snake Sage felt so emotional.
But the White Snake Sage wasn't going to explain anything to Hibari. Instead, she skipped the topic and continued softly, "For thousands of years, those who have sought us out in Ryūchi Cave have, without exception, been in pursuit of power. However, not many have been able to see me. You are one of them now. So, tell me, Senju Hibari, what are you seeking in Ryūchi Cave?"
After hearing the White Snake Sage's question, Hibari was silent for a moment. Then the corner of his mouth curved up into a smile. Without any hesitation or attempt to embellish his words, he spoke with absolute resolve: "It's a coincidence, because what I seek is also power!"
After hearing Hibari's answer, the White Snake Sage flicked her tongue, then took a puff from her pipe. With a puff of smoke, she spoke.
"Hehehehe, a good young man. The pursuit of power is the instinct of all beings. There is nothing shameful about it. But at some point, this instinctive pursuit was labeled with 'justice' and 'kindness' by hypocrites. They wore this disguise as if it allowed them to pursue power more openly. But little do they know that if they have to hide their true desire to pursue power, how can they truly enlighten their own hearts? How can power ever respond to them? Such people are disgusting. Fortunately, you are not the kind of person who likes to wrap yourself in that kind of false kindness. Otherwise, this sage would have eaten you." The White Snake Sage said, looking at Hibari with a slight hint of appreciation.
The corner of Hibari's mouth also curved up slightly. He then said, "I do act hypocritically when I need to, but I've never liked to become self-righteous."
"Hehehe, a good young man." The White Snake Sage said with a smile.
Without waiting for Hibari to say anything else, the White Snake Sage continued.
"The pursuit of power is worthy of recognition, so there's no need to hide it. We in Ryūchi Cave welcome those who seek power…" At this point, the White Snake Sage paused, glanced at the three snake princesses, and then continued, "Of course, there needs to be a trial. After all, we in Ryūchi Cave don't like idiots…"
Hibari smiled and said, "I agree with that. I don't like idiots either."
The White Snake Sage glanced at Hibari without responding. She continued, "The fact that you were able to pass their trials proves that you are not an idiot. So you are qualified to pursue power in Ryūchi Cave. But Ryūchi Cave is one of the three great heritages of this world. For thousands of years, we have mastered countless powers. What kind of power do you intend to pursue?"
Hibari was silent for a moment. Ryūchi Cave had been around for so long, it couldn't possibly only have summoning contracts and Senjutsu. It must have other abilities. Perhaps many lost secret techniques and ninjutsu were stored in Ryūchi Cave.
These unknowns were very appealing to Hibari, but he quickly shook his head and got rid of those thoughts. These so-called "powers" were nothing compared to Senjutsu. The most obvious sign was that the people of Ryūchi Cave all called themselves "sages." Of course, they were indeed qualified to do so.
But from this, he could also tell that Senjutsu was probably the most powerful and proud strength of Ryūchi Cave. Naturally, Hibari had to choose this main path. Choosing a side path would be a huge loss.
And this was just from an ordinary person's perspective. Hibari already knew what the most powerful thing in Ryūchi Cave was, so he was even more certain.
Therefore, not long after the White Snake Sage finished speaking, Hibari broke his silence. He looked at the White Snake Sage and said in a deep voice, "What I seek is the power of Senjutsu."
As soon as he said this, the White Snake Sage flicked her tongue, took a light puff from her large smoking pipe, and then, in a cloud of smoke, said, "Senjutsu… is not easy to learn. This power is fundamentally different from the chakra of you shinobi. One is internal, and the other is external. Chakra is refined from within your body, while Senjutsu… requires you to absorb energy from the outside. Even if I don't say it, you should understand that anything that involves drawing some kind of medium into your body from the outside, even ninjutsu, comes with a certain risk. So why not Senjutsu? Therefore, to cultivate Senjutsu, you must be mentally prepared to die if you're not careful."
At this point, the White Snake Sage paused. The large smoking pipe in her mouth seemed to be repositioned, pointing to some stone statues on the edge of the cave. Some of the statues had become half-human, half-snake.
"Don't think of those as some kind of morbid hobby of mine. Those statues are people who failed on the path of seeking Senjutsu's power. Or rather, to this day, no one has successfully learned and truly mastered the power of Senjutsu from us in Ryūchi Cave…" The White Snake Sage looked at Hibari with her cold vertical pupils and said softly.
Then, a wicked smile appeared on her snake's head, and she continued, "In other words, up until now, the success rate of pursuing the power of Senjutsu in our Ryūchi Cave is zero… With that in mind, are you still prepared to pursue the power of Senjutsu here? Once you make this choice, there's no turning back."
It sounded truly terrifying. This place of heritage that had existed since ancient times had been around for so long, and yet no one had ever successfully learned and mastered Senjutsu there.
The concept of a "zero success rate" was indeed very intimidating. However, Hibari didn't believe in that. A few decades later, Kabuto Yakushi would learn Senjutsu in Ryūchi Cave. Although he learned it in a disgusting way, he still learned it.
Hibari didn't believe that his own cheat-enabled self would be inferior to Kabuto.
Besides, Hibari was not the kind of person who would give up easily. Before he came to Ryūchi Cave, he was already mentally prepared and had a plan. How could he back down because of a few words of "threat" from the White Snake Sage?
If he wasn't even willing to embrace the resolve to die, how could he survive in a world where death was as common as the wind?
So, at the same time the White Snake Sage's words fell, Hibari didn't even think. He just showed a similarly wicked smile and said, "Perhaps very soon, that success rate will no longer be zero."
Hearing Hibari's unwavering determination, the White Snake Sage showed a look of satisfaction once more, then smiled and said, "Hehehehe, as expected, those who dare to come to Ryūchi Cave to seek power are nothing short of madmen. Very good. This sage loves madmen like you!"
——————————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]
There are 50+ advance chapters available for you to read!