After hearing the orders from the White Snake Sage, Ichikishimahime immediately replied, "Yes, Hakuja-sama."
She then glanced at Hibari, a hint of joy in her eyes, before quickly heading toward a large bookshelf. Rows of massive scrolls were stored there. She reached out, took one down, and quickly returned with it.
The White Snake Sage looked at the scroll and nodded. Right in front of Hibari, Ichikishimahime unrolled the scroll on the ground, opening it completely.
The scroll was pristine and blank. Aside from numerous blood seals at the very top, not a single word was written on it.
This sight caused Hibari's eyebrows to twitch. He had seen summoning scrolls before. His own Senju clan kept a summoning scroll for the Shikkotsu Forest, which had the names of Hashirama and Tsunade on it.
However, this scroll had no names written on it, which meant something significant: before Hibari, no one had ever signed a summoning blood contract like this with Ryūchi Cave!
"Interesting..." Hibari murmured softly.
At the same time, the White Snake Sage spoke in a low voice, "Senju Hibari, you should feel honored. You are the first in Ryūchi Cave's history, spanning thousands of years, to be able to leave your name on this summoning scroll. You must understand what this represents, don't you?"
A grin spread across Hibari's face. "Of course. It represents the trust of everyone in Ryūchi Cave. I, Senju Hibari, will not betray that trust. And at the same time... this is also a legacy."
Hibari was right. The matter of trust, while meaningful, wasn't the main point. A summoning blood contract is simply a foundation for communication and connection between two parties. It's a bridge to build trust, not a direct symbol of it. There have been cases where a summoned beast was forced into a contract.
The true significance lay in the legacy. It was the same way Jiraiya inherited the summoning blood contract of Mount Myōboku, allowing him to pull Naruto into the Mount Myōboku faction without any prior notice.
And it was the same way Hashirama's summoning blood contract was passed down to Tsunade; even without ever going to the Shikkotsu Forest, she could summon creatures from it.
Similarly, it was like how Orochimaru would later teach Sasuke the summoning blood contract for Manda's tier. This meant that if Hibari found someone worthy in the future, he could write their name into the contract. That person wouldn't need to specifically travel to Ryūchi Cave to discuss matters; they could instantly establish a communication link with the cave!
Compared to the summoning blood contract that Orochimaru would later acquire, the one laid out before Hibari was clearly more effective and of a higher caliber.
The White Snake Sage confirmed this immediately.
"Hmm, it's good that you understand. This represents our trust in you. This summoning blood contract is the highest-level blood contract in Ryūchi Cave. It bears the blood seals of everyone in Ryūchi Cave except for me. In other words, once you, Senju Hibari, sign this contract, we in Ryūchi Cave will become your most reliable support. At the same time, you must also bear this great responsibility and spread the name of Ryūchi Cave throughout the land," the White Snake Sage said softly.
A look of satisfaction crossed Hibari's face. He then looked at Ichikishimahime beside him, and she nodded. Her gesture was clear: the White Snake Sage had said that all the other blood seals were on the scroll, and that included Ichikishimahime's. This meant that once Hibari signed the contract, Ichikishimahime would technically become his summoned beast.
However, this was clearly a summoning relationship built on the principle of equality. If Hibari tried to enslave anyone whose blood seal was on the scroll, he would likely enrage all of Ryūchi Cave, and he would certainly face dire consequences.
Hibari didn't hesitate. He looked at the empty summoning scroll, smiled softly, and then bit his right index finger. A deep red drop of blood welled up from the small wound.
He knelt on the ground and, using his bloodied finger, wrote the large characters of his name, Senju Hibari, on the summoning scroll with a fluid, confident stroke!
As soon as he wrote his name, he felt a faint, indescribable connection with Ryūchi Cave.
He wasn't the only one to feel it. Ichikishimahime, Tagorihime, and Tagitsuhime also felt this change. If Hibari needed anything or wanted to summon them, they would sense it and respond instantly.
Not only that, even Manda, who was in another location talking with Orochimaru, felt the shift. He guessed that the person who had completely overpowered him, Senju Hibari, had now truly become 'Hibari-sama.' This made Manda feel a bit awkward, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had to accept his fate.
Meanwhile, in another secluded, desolate cave in Ryūchi Cave, a large serpent with blood-red scales, a single blind eye, and a fiercely bloodthirsty aura suddenly opened its remaining eye. It flicked its tongue and muttered to itself, "That wretched old hag, did she just sell me out? Hmph, let's hope this 'contractor' doesn't summon me. Otherwise, I'll eat him first!"
Hibari had no idea that a certain someone in the summoning blood contract was already holding a grudge against him. He was feeling quite pleased with himself. One of his two goals in coming to Ryūchi Cave was perfectly achieved.
Although he was a bit disappointed that he couldn't summon the White Snake Sage to assist in battles, it was an expected outcome. If he could truly bring a figure as powerful as the White Snake Sage to the battlefield, it would be more overpowered than any cheat code.
Hibari had brought up the summoning blood contract for another reason—to reassure the White Snake Sage. A summoning contract is inherently a two-way street. It's not just a jutsu that Hibari can use to summon them when he needs them.
Conversely, if the people of Ryūchi Cave wanted to find Hibari to get him to do something or help them, they could also use this contract to contact and track him.
More skilled individuals could even use the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to summon Hibari directly back to Ryūchi Cave.
The White Snake Sage had been worried that Hibari might give up halfway through his training. Now, she no longer had to worry. A fundamental connection had been established between Ryūchi Cave and Hibari.
If Hibari dared to run, the Three Snake Princesses could use Reverse Summoning on him. Once he was back in Ryūchi Cave, could he really cause trouble?
Feeling at ease, the White Snake Sage looked at Hibari, who had just signed the summoning blood contract, and said, "Now that you are a part of our Ryūchi Cave family, we won't need to keep such a close eye on you. I'll make things a little easier for you when it comes to learning Senjutsu. But you must remember, this is not a license for you to go wandering off. You must put your full effort into this."
Hibari smiled. "Don't worry, Hakuja-sama. I've longed for the power of Senjutsu for a long time. I won't go running off for no reason."
"Hmm, that's good. Is there anything else?" the White Snake Sage asked, nodding.
Hibari shook his head. He had the summoning blood contract, and he could now begin to learn Senjutsu. Both of his objectives in Ryūchi Cave had been met, so there was nothing else he needed.
Seeing this, the White Snake Sage looked at Tagorihime and Tagitsuhime. She said, "Ichikishima, you and this boy stay here for a moment. Tagitsuhime, Tagorihime, you two go prepare a place for him to stay and arrange everything else. I have something else to discuss with this boy alone."
Though Tagitsuhime and Tagorihime were curious about what the White Snake Sage wanted to talk about with Hibari alone, and even more curious as to why Ichikishimahime was allowed to stay, the White Snake Sage had already given her order. They didn't dare to disobey. They suppressed their curiosity, nodded in unison, and said, "Yes, Hakuja-sama."
They then glanced at Hibari and Ichikishimahime before leaving to prepare for Hibari's "future."
Unlike the curious pair, Hibari and Ichikishimahime were both feeling a bit nervous. The White Snake Sage didn't keep anyone else, but she kept the two of them, who had something to hide. It would be strange if Hibari didn't overthink it.
He had gotten with the White Snake Sage's disciple without even telling her. Now, being left alone for a private talk, Hibari was naturally feeling very guilty.
He gave an awkward laugh and looked at the White Snake Sage. "Hehe, Hakuja-sama, do you have something you want to say to me alone? Ichikishima seems a bit tired after performing the trial, so if there's nothing she needs to do, why don't you let her go rest first?"
The White Snake Sage's enormous head looked at Hibari with a hint of amusement. She then said, "At least you have some sense of responsibility..."
When the White Snake Sage said this, even a fool like Hibari would have understood that she clearly knew everything.
Ichikishimahime's face flushed crimson, and she suddenly didn't know what to do. The White Snake Sage looked at the two of them, a little flustered, and said, "Why are you panicking? Do you think I'll eat you?"
Hibari was about to retort that she literally would eat people, but he decided it was better not to be so cheeky. So he just gave an awkward laugh.
The White Snake Sage didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with what she said. Instead, she spoke in a calm tone, "I don't intend to interfere with you two..."
Upon hearing this, Ichikishimahime breathed a sigh of relief. She had been afraid the White Snake Sage would be furious, which would have meant the end for her.
The White Snake Sage continued, "Ryūchi Cave has always been a place of freedom. Ichikishima, you have been training for more than a thousand years. You should know what you should know and what you shouldn't. I won't say more about that. However, Senju Hibari..."
Hibari felt a shiver down his spine when the White Snake Sage called his name. He immediately responded, "Here!"
"Hehehe, you're quite something, kid. You've been in Ryūchi Cave for less than a day and you've already... done something like this. I don't even know what to say to you." The White Snake Sage glared at Hibari as she spoke.
Hibari just gave an awkward laugh, unsure of how to respond.
"But since Ichikishima accepts it, so be it. This makes your relationship with our Ryūchi Cave even closer and different from those who just come here to seek power. So I'll give you a word of advice.
"The first and most important rule of learning Senjutsu is to never be impatient, understand? Natural energy isn't so easily tamed. It prefers those with a calm and peaceful mind... You can be crazy in other ways, but you absolutely cannot be impatient with this. Otherwise, even if you learn Senjutsu, it will never be perfect... Those people are a prime example." As she spoke, the White Snake Sage looked toward a stone statue that was half-human and half-snake.
Before Hibari could speak, the White Snake Sage continued, "If you rush to succeed, the natural energy will also rush. When that happens, your inner balance will be broken, and you, boy, might turn into a snake. I wouldn't mind; in fact, I'd think it's quite good. But once you transform from a human into a snake, everything you possess will be erased by this natural transformation... I'm sure you don't want that to happen, do you? So, you must remember what I've said. Don't wander off, and practice Senjutsu with a calm mind, even if it takes you five or ten years. You must not be impatient."
Hibari nodded. "Thank you for your guidance, Sage. I'll take it to heart."
He absolutely did not want to turn into a snake. Why would he? Even the Snake Princesses had been cultivating for thousands of years and were still striving to become more human.
The White Snake Sage herself even had the word "Sage" at the end of her name, not 'Silver-Scaled Snake.' And although she hadn't shown it this time, Hibari knew she had a human form.
Thus, it was clear that a human body was the best for Senjutsu in Ryūchi Cave. Why would anyone want to become a snake? Did he want to end up looking like that disgusting Kabuto Yakushi?
Besides, Hibari wasn't in a hurry. The future of the shinobi world was 'peaceful,' so nothing major would happen for a while. Madara probably hadn't even figured out how to awaken the Rinnegan yet. And there probably wouldn't be any big problems in Konoha.
At worst, Danzō would start causing trouble, but even then, his main target would be the Uchiha clan, which had little to do with Hibari.
So, Hibari had no need to rush. He could spend five or even ten years in Ryūchi Cave to learn Senjutsu and other "powers" as well. After all, the White Snake Sage had said they were "family," so Hibari wasn't going to hold back.
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