After regrouping, Sarutobi Enjun and Uzuki Ruri spontaneously followed Uchiha Gen's lead, treating him as the core of the team as they walked step by step into the depths.
With the Sharingan and his sensory ninjutsu, Gen was naturally the first person capable of detecting danger and the best equipped to block it. Sarutobi Enjun and Uzuki Ruri, being slightly weaker, stayed behind to provide support and cover the flanks. Unbeknownst to them, Gen had truly become the heart of the squad.
Before they had traveled very far, the faint, hazy glow of lanterns appeared ahead. As they drew closer, they discovered a magnificently decorated palace. On the plaque at the top of the hall, the words 'Ryuchi Cave' were engraved in gold against a black background.
Gen glanced at the plaque and then looked around, the tomoe in his Sharingan spinning slowly. Finding no flaws did not mean it wasn't Genjutsu. After all, his Sharingan was currently only at the single-tomoe stage. Although it provided a bonus to Genjutsu, it wasn't enough to leap across so many levels and see through an enemy whose strength far exceeded his own.
Orochimaru had just warned them not to believe anything they saw here. If it were any other Uchiha, they might have had unwavering faith in what their Sharingan perceived. After convincing themselves they had seen through the deception, they might even mutter something like, "Hate your fate for not possessing the Sharingan."
In history, quite a few Uchiha had failed because of such arrogance, including some extremely powerful ones. The fact that Orochimaru issued such a reminder despite knowing Gen had awakened the Sharingan said everything.
Perhaps due to preconceived notions, Gen stubbornly looked for faults and noticed some slight incongruities, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong. Sensing the approach of the three-man team, the wide palace gates swung open, and a green-haired woman with a dignified face and a cool temperament, dressed in noble attire, walked out.
"This humble one is Tagorihime. Greetings to the three of you. Please, come in."
Tagorihime gave the three a gentle smile, turned slightly, and gracefully pointed toward the interior of the hall, leading them inside.
"You may rest here for a moment. I have already gone to report to the White Snake Sage. As long as you pass the trials, you will soon be like your teacher Orochimaru and successfully sign a contract with Ryuchi Cave to obtain great power."
The long table in the hall was covered with food, emitting a fragrant aroma that seemed to have a special effect of enticing one's desires. Even those who weren't hungry would involuntarily develop an appetite under its influence.
"Gen, should we..."
Sarutobi Enjun looked at Gen, seeking his opinion.
"Don't eat."
Gen didn't explain; he simply uttered the words quietly and stood his ground, his Sharingan flashing with red light as he surveyed the great hall. Both vision and smell could be influenced; it seemed the Genjutsu of Ryuchi Cave had its merits.
"Okay."
Sarutobi Enjun nodded heavily. He and Uzuki Ruri assumed Gen's Sharingan had seen through some flaw. Tagorihime seemed to think so, too.
"Eh? A Sharingan at your stage shouldn't have this kind of insight."
Tagorihime let out a sound of confusion, and the magnificent scene of the great hall instantly vanished, turning into a cavernous vault filled with the withered bones of various creatures.
"Forget it, I won't be able to eat this one. What a pity. I'll leave it to you, Tagitsuhime."
Tagorihime waved her hand with a bored expression and vanished. Another purple-haired Snake Princess, wearing clothes similar to Tagorihime's, floated over from the distance. Accompanying her was an even thicker fog.
Everything before Gen's eyes, including his two teammates beside him, instantly vanished. His heart stirred as he saw a figure, both familiar and strange, walk out of the thick fog ahead. The figure was slender and handsome, though a scar on his forehead broke the atmosphere, making the man look more fierce. This was the original body's father, Uchiha Taki.
"Gen, it's me. Come here."
Uchiha Taki gave Gen a gentle smile and called out softly. The latter remained unmoved, simply standing there with his chin in his hand, analyzing the situation.
The Snake Princess here shouldn't know that Uchiha Taki is my father, yet I still see him. This means this technique is automatically generated based on my memories. The effect is similar to the Temple of Nirvana Technique, except the latter makes people see scenes they fear or are unwilling to face.
Gen rubbed his chin and used his Sharingan to observe the flow of his own chakra. Fortunately, the difficulty of breaking this technique wouldn't be very high for him. The intent was actually the same as Tagorihime's earlier: to interrogate the heart.
It seemed that Orochimaru's previous arrangement for Jiraiya to train his teammates' Genjutsu resistance was specifically for this moment. In that case, Gen relaxed a bit. Since everything was within Orochimaru's calculations, it meant his two teammates should be safe for now.
The Three-Way Deadlock meant the relationship between the Three Great Sage Regions was subtle. Since the toads of Mount Myoboku were countered by the snakes of Ryuchi Cave, it meant they would also find ways to resist that counter. Perhaps having undergone training with Gama-riki, the two would have a miraculous resistance to the Genjutsu of Ryuchi Cave.
Thinking of this, Gen immediately formed hand seals. Using the Sharingan's ability to see through the flow of chakra, he forcibly disrupted his own energy and broke free from the shackles of the illusion.
When he opened his eyes again, he was still in the fog. His two teammates were behind him, but their eyes remained closed. Their chakra states were fluctuating, clearly showing they had realized it was a Genjutsu and were working hard to break free. He estimated it wouldn't take long for them to wake up. On a battlefield, this amount of time would be enough for an enemy to kill them dozens of times, but here, it was enough to pass the trial.
"Tch, you really did wake up after all. I wanted to try and see if an Uchiha who has opened the Sharingan tastes any different compared to other ninja."
Tagitsuhime floated in mid-air, her head drooping as she looked at the awakened Gen. The latter looked up at this seemingly dignified but cruel-eyed Snake Princess and asked:
"Is there a next trial?"
"Yes. Tagorihime tests greed and temptation, I test will and reason, and Ichikishimahime tests thought and wisdom. If you can't pass the trials, you'll become our snacks. Hey, you don't look stupid; you won't end up being eaten by that idiot Ichikishimahime, will you?"
"Greed and temptation, will and reason, thought and wisdom..."
Gen nodded slowly. Judging from the first two trials, the difficulty was still acceptable.