"Aren't you in a hurry to finish your Sage Art training and leave Ryūchi Cave? Why would you want to go to the Great Snake Nest?"
Ichikishimahime rested her arms under her head, floating lazily in the air.
"Summoning beasts, powerful summoning beasts can enhance my overall combat ability."
Orochimaru didn't say power, because she didn't think summoning beasts should be counted as part of her own power, at most it was overall combat ability.
"That place is very dangerous, you know. Be careful not to become food for the great snakes living there."
Ichikishimahime said this, but still flew ahead to lead the way.
"If you could hide the anticipation in your eyes, I would believe you were concerned about me."
Orochimaru had long since realized that all Three Snake Princesses were full of mischief, especially this shortest, most idiotic Ichikishimahime, who was even more full of bad intentions.
"How mean! I really am worried about you, you know. Rather than being eaten by a great snake, why don't you let me eat you instead?"
Ichikishimahime's face instantly changed, her pink snake tongue licking her lips.
"Want to try? I really want to know the gap between myself and a true Sage."
Orochimaru erupted with powerful Sage Chakra. Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode was different from Mount Myōboku's; she could still absorb Natural Energy and refine Sage Chakra even while moving.
In other words, as long as she wanted to, she could maintain Sage Mode indefinitely.
Of course, she could also transform back into her human appearance.
However, internally, she was closer to the White Snake Sage and the Three Snake Princesses.
Now, she could already perform Orochimaru's signature movements, it was just a bit too disgusting.
(Yakushi Kabuto did not maintain Sage Mode indefinitely. His appearance was like that because he was injected with Orochimaru's blood. This means that Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode is not impossible to revert to its original appearance.)
Although there were no Sages to assist in battle, being able to absorb Natural Energy and refine Sage Chakra during battle was not bad, allowing for long-term maintenance of Sage Mode.
After all, the two Sages of Mount Myōboku couldn't be called upon at will.
They weren't summoning beasts that could be summoned casually, but Sages of Mount Myōboku. Below the Great Toad Sage, the couple Fukasaku and Shima held the most authority, and everyone had to listen obediently.
Even Gamabunta had to bow his head obediently and be lectured in front of them.
However, before she left Ryūchi Cave, she needed to develop a Yin Seal that could store Sage Chakra. She couldn't maintain this appearance indefinitely. Even though her current form provided her with comprehensive amplification, the most exaggerated aspects were her sensory abilities and physical prowess.
If she couldn't develop a Yin Seal that stored Sage Chakra, then in the future, entering Sage Mode would require absorbing Natural Energy and refining Sage Chakra in advance.
Uzumaki Naruto could also refine Sage Chakra in advance through Shadow Clones.
"I won't fight you. There's no benefit in fighting you."
Ichikishimahime didn't want to invite trouble. She raised her hand and pointed at the cave entrance ahead, saying: "That's the Great Snake Nest. The most dangerous group of great snakes in Ryūchi Cave live there. I'll accompany you this far~!"
Ichikishimahime's figure disappeared.
Powerful summoning beasts are also a way to increase strength.
Orochimaru crouched down, placing her hand on the ground. Under the enhancement of Sage Mode, her sensory abilities had become extremely exaggerated. She instantly perceived the entire situation of the Great Snake Nest, sensing the distribution of massive Chakras. She even sensed an extremely familiar presence—that was Manda!
Manda's strength was very high, even capable of fighting Gamabunta and Katsuyu simultaneously, but it wasn't the summoning beast Orochimaru wanted.
That Manda liked to eat living people. In the original work, Orochimaru needed a hundred living sacrifices every time she summoned it. Isn't that ridiculous?
She didn't even use living people for her experiments, so where would she get living sacrifices for it?
In the original work, being controlled by Erzhuzi's Sharingan and then being blown up by Deidara's C0 Self-Destruct, or in other words, being blown up by Patrick, was truly well-deserved, good for her!
Walking through the nest, Orochimaru saw many traces left by great snakes slithering on the ground.
Suddenly, a noisy sound came, the sound of a great snake slithering. A great snake twisted its body and rushed over, stopping just as it was about to open its mouth and bite Orochimaru. A pair of huge snake eyes stared at Orochimaru for a moment, then it turned and left in a different direction.
Hmm?
Orochimaru was just about to use this great snake to test Inorganic Reincarnation.
As it turned out, it turned around and ran away.
Never mind… Orochimaru continued forward, searching for a suitable summoning beast for herself.
Bang—!
Lightning faintly flickered around Orochimaru. Her swollen fists had bulging veins, and with one punch, she sent a dark blue great snake's head flying high before it crashed heavily to the ground. The animated ground twisted, forming pillars that pressed against the great snake from all directions, squeezing its body and rendering it immobile.
"It seems I'm still stronger."
Orochimaru looked at the great snake, which struggled but failed to break free from the restraints of Inorganic Reincarnation. She released it and asked: "How many powerful great snakes are there in this Great Snake Nest? Where are they located? How about I let you go if you answer my questions?"
The great snake heard Orochimaru's words, paused for a moment, then gestured for her to get on its body, and took her to find the powerful great snakes.
"Then I'll trouble you."
Orochimaru jumped onto the dark blue great snake's head.
Bang—!
A great snake, its tongue flicking, fainted.
"Next!"
Bang—!
A great snake was caught in a net made of animated rocks by Inorganic Reincarnation, hanging in the air, looking at Orochimaru with a lifeless expression, lowering its head in submission.
"Next!"
Orochimaru was also not satisfied with the strength of this great snake. As her summoning beast, its strength was too low. Wouldn't she have to protect it?
She wasn't summoning a summoning beast to be a burden; it was to assist her in battle!
???
The great snake heard Orochimaru's words and looked at her with a surprised expression.
You beat me up, and it wasn't to subdue me? Then why did you beat me?
"Sorry, sorry, you looked like you were coming to hit me just now."
Orochimaru flicked a rebirth pill into the mouth of the great snake she had just beaten up and hung up.
The effect of the rebirth pill would definitely be greatly reduced on a giant snake, but it was still enough to heal its wounds.
"Let's go, Blue Snake, let's find the next one!"
Orochimaru ate a soldier pill and jumped onto Blue Snake's head... Was Orochimaru planning to fight all the giant snakes in the Great Snake Nest?
Ichikishimahime, who had been following Orochimaru invisibly, watched as Orochimaru defeated one giant snake after another, not knowing what she was trying to achieve.
"I'm not fighting that guy; I'm not interested in it."
As the giant snake happily took Orochimaru to find Manda, Orochimaru patted the head of the giant snake, whose mood was inexplicably getting better and better; she had no interest in Manda at all.
This guy, the giant snakes it's taking me to find, they all have a grudge against it, don't they?
Orochimaru looked at Blue Snake, suddenly realizing this; so she had become this giant snake's thug!
Boom—!
The rock wall shattered, and the massive Manda raised its head high, looking down at Orochimaru and the giant snake that willingly let her sit on its head.
"Making such a big commotion, aren't you going to come and spar with me? Oh... Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode... Is that what you're relying on?" Manda opened its mouth and bit towards Orochimaru and the giant snake, "Since you're here, then stay!"
"Sage Art: Lightning Release: Lightning Stimulation!"
Orochimaru formed hand seals, activating Lightning Release: Lightning Stimulation with Sage Chakra, while the Yin Seal on her wrist released Yang Release Chakra to strengthen her body.
Whoosh—!
Orochimaru punched Manda's nose, and the force of the punch rippled through the air, sending a violent shockwave in all directions.
Manda let out a cry of pain, its body uncontrollably leaning back, and its massive body was actually lifted slightly off the ground by that punch.
"White Snake Scale Blade!"
Her white snake tail extended, Orochimaru twisted her body, and under the enhancement of Yang Release Chakra, the white snake scales slightly lifted at the edges, emitting a sharp glint like a keen blade, striking Manda's head like a whip, forcefully scraping off the scales and flesh from Manda's head, causing blood to gush out.
Manda let out an even more agonizing scream, glaring furiously at Orochimaru.
"Sage Art: Wind Release: Great Vacuum Sphere!"
Orochimaru's hands became blurs, completing the hand seals in an instant, then she took a deep breath and spat out a super-large high-pressure wind sphere condensed from Wind Release Chakra.
(Danzo Shimura gave a thumbs up: Good Wind Release!)
Boom—!
The terrifying Great Vacuum Sphere directly blasted Manda's massive body away; however, Manda's massive body actually shattered in mid-air.
Snake shedding?!
Orochimaru reached out and caught the falling snake skin, looking at the large hole in the ground.
So that's it, it shed its skin and burrowed underground the moment it was hit by the Great Vacuum Sphere... The ground shook violently, and Manda burst out from underground, opening its mouth to bite Orochimaru.
"Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation!"
Orochimaru jumped into the air, formed hand seals, and the ground, imbued with life, formed a pair of large hands that grabbed Manda's body, stopping its charge towards Orochimaru.
"You, what exactly are you plotting by coming here?"
Manda broke free from the restraint of the large hands, looking warily at Orochimaru; it sensed that the woman before it, who had mastered Sage power, was a very troublesome opponent.
"I'm here to find a suitable summoning animal for myself."
Orochimaru, seeing that Manda did not continue its attack, dispelled Inorganic Reincarnation.
"How do you think I am?"
Manda self-recommended, saying, "I am the strongest giant snake in the Great Snake Nest. If I become your summoning animal, you won't be at a disadvantage."
While Ninja seek powerful summoning animals, summoning animals also seek sufficiently powerful contractors.
"You? Forget it, I'm not interested in you."
Orochimaru shook her head, rejecting Manda without even a moment's hesitation.
She truly couldn't afford a summoning animal like Manda, which demanded a hundred live humans at the drop of a hat.
"What?!"
Manda didn't expect to be rejected; it was one of the strongest giant snakes in the entire Ryūchi Cave, and to actively offer to become someone's summoning animal and be rejected was unbelievable!
"Blue Snake, let's go, let's find the next one."
Orochimaru jumped onto Blue Snake's head, not even bothering to glance at Manda.
Manda was such a powerful giant snake, why did she reject it?
Ichikishimahime, who was following Orochimaru, didn't understand why Orochimaru rejected Manda. Wasn't she here to find a powerful giant snake to be her summoning animal?
Was Manda not powerful enough?
Huh? Over there... Isn't that where Shinza lives?
That's a rather troublesome fellow.
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