Afterward, it seemed the White Snake Sage was a bit tired. She had said everything there was to say, both the things that should and shouldn't have been said, to Hibari. There was nothing left to discuss with him alone.
As for whether he could learn Senjutsu, that was up to his own effort and fate. The White Snake Sage's previous words still held true: in Ryūchi Cave, everything depended on destiny; don't expect any shortcuts.
That fellow Kabuto had been too eager for success, forcing a shortcut for himself. He ended up as a grotesque creature, neither man nor ghost. Despite becoming a Sage, he was defeated by a single "look" from Itachi, utterly shaming Ryūchi Cave.
Seeing that the White Snake Sage had nothing more to say to them, Hibari and Ichikishimahime wisely took their leave, walking out of the cave together.
Before they had gotten very far, Ichikishimahime spoke up, sounding a little annoyed. "It's all your fault. You made me lose face in front of Hakuja-sama!"
"Lose face? I think Hakuja-sama was quite relieved," Hibari said with a shameless grin. "Didn't you hear her say that since you've been training for a thousand years, you should know better by now? She was probably worried about you three single snakes before. It's a good thing I came to rescue you from this misery..."
Ichikishimahime glared at him fiercely. "Don't talk nonsense. Let me tell you, Ryūchi Cave is different from the outside world. A thousand years only counts as reaching adulthood. In human terms, that would be at most about twenty years old..."
Hibari was taken aback. "Is that really how it is?"
"What do you mean, 'is that really how it is'?" Ichikishimahime frowned.
"Hehehe, nothing. I just think you guys are amazing," Hibari said with a laugh.
Before Ichikishimahime could say anything more, Hibari continued, "I imagine Tagorihime and Takitsuhime are probably still arranging a place for me to stay, so I'm not in a hurry. Let's go see that kid Orochimaru instead. I wonder how he's doing. Hopefully, Manda didn't eat him..."
Ichikishimahime replied, "Don't worry. As long as we haven't eaten you, Manda would never dare to eat Orochimaru. Besides, I've already told him to take Amaryuho to sign the summoning contract. He wouldn't dare disobey me."
Hibari naturally didn't think Orochimaru was so pathetic that he'd be eaten by Manda, but he still wanted to see him. "That's true," he said. "But I still need to meet with him. There are some things I need to make clear. I'm going to be living in Ryūchi Cave, so he can't just follow along. Plus, there are some tasks I need him to do."
Hearing this, Ichikishimahime nodded. "Then follow me, and I'll take you to him."
With that, Ichikishimahime floated forward and swiftly flew away. Hibari followed her in a few long strides, and soon, the two disappeared into the winding, twisting caves.
At the same time, inside Manda's cave, the young Orochimaru was sitting on a relatively flat rock, holding a scroll. He was completely absorbed in his studies, paying no attention to his surroundings.
This guy was an absolute bookworm, never forgetting to seize every moment to read and learn new things. It was no wonder he would eventually become the "Greatest Scientist of the Shinobi World," a man who couldn't be killed despite dying so many times.
Manda was coiled nearby, staring at Orochimaru for a while before flicking his tongue and speaking. "Kid, aren't you worried about that Hibari at all? Ryūchi Cave is a very dangerous place..."
Orochimaru didn't even look up from his scroll. He simply and calmly replied, "Why should I be worried?"
"Aren't you his companion? He said you were his little brother and his half-apprentice. I thought your relationship was close. So, in your heart, that's not the case at all? Hehehe, that's good. It's a fitting attitude for someone who smells like a snake..." Manda sneered.
This time, Orochimaru finally looked up and met Manda's gaze. "First, your premise is fundamentally wrong. While many people are expendable to me, Hibari-aniki is definitely not one of them. On the contrary, he holds an important place in my heart. Not only does he see me as a little brother and half-apprentice, but I also see him as my elder brother and teacher. Second, he is the idol I'm determined to pursue and surpass. So, he is not an insignificant person to me. Even if I truly 'smell like a snake,' I am still a human, Manda."
Manda was stunned. He hadn't expected Orochimaru to say something like that.
In most situations, Orochimaru wouldn't bother to explain himself. He wasn't someone who would be swayed by others' words or care about their opinions. However, there were a select few people he deeply valued, and Hibari was one of them. For that reason, he felt it was necessary to make things clear.
"Then why aren't you worried about him at all?" Manda asked, still perplexed.
Orochimaru had already returned his attention to the scroll in his hands. He spoke flatly, "That's because he's Senju Hibari. He doesn't need this kind of useless concern from me. Instead of worrying about his safety, it's better to acquire more knowledge so I can help him sooner in the future."
Manda fell silent upon hearing Orochimaru's words. He let out a soft huff. "Hmph, you certainly know how to talk pretty..."
This time, Orochimaru didn't respond to him, continuing to study the scroll with unyielding diligence.
Manda felt as though he had embarrassed himself and closed his eyes. He coiled up in the cave, beginning to rest and recover from his injuries. Hibari had beaten him up pretty badly before; it would probably take three to five months to fully heal. He felt like his own snake gallbladder had been cracked from the impact.
And so, with Manda feigning sleep and Orochimaru sitting quietly reading, the entire cave fell silent. Time passed for a long while without either of them noticing.
Just as Orochimaru finished reading a key point in his scroll, he seemed to sense something. He looked up toward the entrance of the cave. Sure enough, a moment later, Ichikishimahime flew in first, with Hibari following closely behind.
"It seems those two are getting along quite well," Ichikishimahime said, looking at the feigning Manda and the reading Orochimaru with a hint of surprise.
"Hahahaha, Orochimaru, reading again?" Hibari called out with a loud laugh.
The sound of his voice made Manda flinch and open his eyes. Seeing Hibari, he immediately bowed his head respectfully. "Hibari-sama, please excuse me."
"Oh, no problem. From now on, we're a family, Manda. I look forward to getting along," Hibari said in a friendly manner.
Manda's heart felt bitter. He knew his name was on the highest-level summoning blood contract in Ryūchi Cave. In the blink of an eye, he had become Hibari's summoned beast, and their statuses were clearly not equal. He knew he was in for a hard time from now on.
But what could he do? He was no match for the White Snake Sage, and he was no match for Hibari. All he could do was obey.
So, Manda could only pretend to be happy and said, "I hope for your guidance as well, Hibari-sama."
"Aniki, are you done with your matters there?" Orochimaru asked, putting away his scroll and looking at Hibari.
Hibari waved his hand. "This is just the beginning. It's still a long way off. That's why I had to come see you, kid. So, did you achieve your objective?"
Hearing Hibari's question, Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Yes, it is done. I have signed summoning blood contracts with Manda and many other great snakes... I'm very satisfied with that."
"Hahahaha, not bad! Let me tell you a little secret: there are even more powerful contracts in Ryūchi Cave. You need to work hard, kid, and maybe you'll be able to sign contracts with even stronger snakes in the future," Hibari said with a wink.
Orochimaru nodded and said softly, "When I saw Ichikishimahime, I had already guessed as much. I suppose you must have signed a more powerful contract, aniki?"
"Hahahaha, of course! I'm Senju Hibari, after all. Don't be too envious, but as soon as I made my move, I got the highest-level summoning blood contract in Ryūchi Cave. Aside from the White Snake Sage herself, I've signed contracts with everyone else in Ryūchi Cave," Hibari said with great satisfaction.
Orochimaru first glanced at Ichikishimahime, then looked back at Hibari. "I see. I was wondering why you and the Princess seemed so much closer. It's because you signed a contract."
Orochimaru was so sharp it was unnerving, truly like a snake. His words almost made Hibari feel a little awkward, but Hibari's quick wit saved the day. He swiftly responded, "That's right. If you want to put it that way, we're a family now."
Orochimaru didn't dwell on it and instead asked, "Should we leave now? In about a month, Hitenn-dono's wedding will be starting. If we rush back from the border of the Land of Grass, we should make it in time."
Hearing this, Hibari quickly waved his hand. "That's exactly what I needed to tell you. You've achieved your goal, but as I just said, I've only just begun. Even if things go quickly, it'll take me ten days to half a month. If it takes longer, three to five years isn't out of the question. In short, I'm going to be staying in Ryūchi Cave for a while."
Orochimaru was taken aback. He asked, "Why is that?"
"Well, I mentioned this to you before. I came to Ryūchi Cave for some personal business. I wanted to see if I could qualify to learn the secret Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave. I just passed the relevant test, so I need to stay here and learn Senjutsu," Hibari explained softly.
"Senjutsu? Aniki, you're here to learn medical ninjutsu? This..." Orochimaru said, sounding confused.
What's going on? If you want to learn medical ninjutsu, why not go to Shikkotsu Forest? Isn't Ryūchi Cave the place that eats people? How is it a place to save them?
Hibari was also momentarily confused, not understanding what Orochimaru was talking about. Then, as if he suddenly realized something, a look of enlightenment appeared on his face. "You've got it all wrong. It's Senjutsu, not 'Shosen Jutsu,' which is a type of medical ninjutsu! Let me explain it to you. Get ready to take notes... Senjutsu is something completely different from ninjutsu. The system it operates on is also different. If ninjutsu relies on chakra, then Senjutsu..."
This was the nature of Hibari and Orochimaru's relationship. When the mood struck, they would start... a lecture. Orochimaru was already accustomed to Hibari's teaching style, so he didn't show any surprise and listened intently as Hibari explained.
After a long while, Hibari had roughly explained what Senjutsu was, and Orochimaru finally spoke. "I see. Senjutsu can complement ninjutsu and greatly increase one's own power?"
"Exactly. That's the gist of it," Hibari nodded.
Without hesitation, Orochimaru immediately asked, "Then can I also learn Senjutsu in Ryūchi Cave, aniki?"
With such a good opportunity and a new type of power, Orochimaru was naturally curious. He also felt that this was one of the truths he was searching for, so he couldn't possibly miss it.
Hibari had no intention of keeping it a secret. The White Snake Sage never said he couldn't pass on this Senjutsu after he learned it. If the opportunity was right, he even planned to teach it to Tsunade later.
Besides, if Jiraiya could learn Senjutsu, there was no reason Orochimaru couldn't. Since Orochimaru was on his side now, he naturally hoped Orochimaru would become as strong as possible.
"If I can learn Senjutsu, I would be happy to teach you if you want to learn. However, I can't do it yet. If you want to learn Senjutsu, you still need to get Ryūchi Cave's approval..." Hibari said, looking at Ichikishimahime as he spoke.
Ichikishimahime looked at Orochimaru, then shook her head. "The trial of Ryūchi Cave only accepts one person at a time. If Hibari had failed, you might have had a chance, but he has already succeeded. So, until he learns and masters Senjutsu or dies, we will not be accepting a second disciple."
Orochimaru didn't argue after hearing this. He thought about it carefully. He still hadn't fully solidified his existing ninjutsu, so he didn't have much time to learn Senjutsu anyway. It would be better to wait for Hibari to learn it first, and he could learn from him later. That way, he could avoid participating in the trials of Ryūchi Cave altogether, right?
With that thought, Orochimaru nodded. "Then I'll wait for you to master Senjutsu, aniki..."
"Hahahaha, you're very confident in me," Hibari said, laughing.
"Yes, because you're Senju Hibari!" Orochimaru replied without a hint of doubt, his voice full of faith in Hibari.
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