"I see. You are truly lucky."
In a sense, Tōshirō could be considered someone favored by heaven, as he happened to cross over to that place through the Reverse Summoning Jutsu.
This was the first time Orochimaru had heard Tōshirō mention this, and he was very excited: "As expected, something interesting always happens when you're with Tōshirō."
After that, he laughed to himself: "What will you bring me next? It's really exciting... hehe..."
The White Snake Sage continued: "Since you already have the purest form of Sage Art, you shouldn't have any use for mine, right?"
"There's an old human saying: 'the more, the better.'"
Tōshirō showed a slight smile: "No one ever complains about having too much; they only complain about not having enough."
The White Snake Sage let out a sneering laugh: "Humans are born with desires, destined to slowly fall into darkness. Everyone who comes to me discards everything they have to satisfy their desires."
"Because that's just how humans are," Tōshirō said calmly and bluntly. "It's human nature, nothing more."
After a moment, the White Snake Sage smiled: "You see things quite clearly."
Her gaze slowly shifted to Orochimaru, who was quite in agreement with this sentiment: "Orochimaru, your friend here is quite a lot like you."
Orochimaru replied with a laugh: "Birds of a feather flock together."
"Alright, enough talk." Tōshirō stated that he was busy: "How do I obtain Sage Art? Do I have to continue with the trial?"
Without waiting for a response, Tōshirō pointed his finger at each of the high-ranking members of Ryūchi Cave, one by one, without allowing for an argument: "Is it you, or all three of you together, or..."
He paused, his gaze subtly sliding over to the White Snake Sage. His eyes were eager, filled with a desire to fight.
What!
Seeing that Tōshirō dared to be so reckless as to challenge the White Snake Sage, her three attendants were all shocked.
Something like this was a first.
Every human who came to Ryūchi Cave without exception discarded their human pride, begging for Sage Art.
And the vast majority of those who were unqualified became food that wasn't even enough to get stuck in her teeth.
Humans like Orochimaru, who miraculously survived, were extremely rare.
This human in front of her actually planned to gain her recognition this way.
"Kid, you have a lot of nerve."
The White Snake Sage's vertical pupils narrowed. Her benevolent grandmotherly face was gone, replaced by an aura of threat, with no trace of a joke.
The position of Ryūchi Cave's master could not be challenged.
Tōshirō's eyes were filled with indifference: "I'm just curious about the true strength of someone who has lived for thousands of years."
He wanted to know how far he was from a true top-tier expert.
Having lived since the era of the Sage of Six Paths, the White Snake Sage's strength was definitely top-tier.
The White Snake Sage was silent for several seconds before speaking: "Alright. If you can please me, I will not only grant you... no, satisfy your request to obtain Sage Art, but I can also help you stabilize the natural energy in your body. How does that sound?"
Even though Tōshirō didn't say it outright, the White Snake Sage had sensed something unusual about him.
Hearing this unexpected bonus, Tōshirō showed a pleasant smile: "Oh my, I really should thank you then."
The White Snake Sage gave a cold laugh: "Don't be so quick to thank me. If you don't satisfy me, then don't blame me for what I do afterwards."
Tōshirō said indifferently: "It doesn't matter. That would just mean I'm not strong enough."
"You better remember saying that."
The White Snake Sage straightened herself on the chair and slowly moved away from her position. Standing, she said faintly: "Let's move somewhere else."
Although it was their first encounter, she still had a good idea of Tōshirō's strength.
Everything that happened in Ryūchi Cave reached the White Snake Sage's ears. She had heard very clearly about the Mangekyō Sharingan that Tōshirō had displayed when he broke Tagitsuhime's genjutsu.
As the White Snake Sage who had lived since the era of Kaguya, she couldn't be more clear about the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
With that in mind, the White Snake Sage decided to show a little of her true strength.
Because her true body was too large, a casual movement would cause a cataclysmic level of power. Fighting here could accidentally cause some destruction to the surroundings.
After all, this was her usual area of activity, and if it was destroyed, it would be a bit of a hassle to fix.
The White Snake Sage led Tōshirō and the others out of the temple, through a dark forest, and to a spacious open area. This way, they could fight to their heart's content.
Orochimaru, standing in the distance with his arms crossed, looked at the two with great interest: "Let me see your true strength now."
Orochimaru was very aware of how terrifying the White Snake Sage's power was. Leaving other factors aside, her exaggerated size alone was enough to make most ninjas feel intimidated and shiver in fear. Ordinary ninjutsu would be less effective than a mosquito bite against her massive body.
"Now, please, entertain me to the fullest."
The White Snake Sage's voice was sharp. Her aged appearance erupted with an astonishing aura, a testament to the terrifying energy contained within her seemingly old body.
This astonishing aura was like a physical entity, exuding an incredibly cold, dark red presence that surged forth like a breaching flood.
If an ordinary human were to face it directly, they would be so frightened their legs would give way and they would lose control of their bowels, even for a second.
Tōshirō was at the center of the vortex, continuously feeling the oppressive violence and killing intent. His expression was composed, and he let out a sigh.
Although she was called a Sage, judging by the wild aura released by this person in front of him, she didn't have the slightest air of a Sage.
This made Tōshirō think of the Buddha from Journey to the West.
One side with kind eyebrows and a gentle face, the other a wrathful vajra.
Do you believe in Buddhism?
If you do, I will show compassion.
If you don't.
I will show you what a wrathful vajra is.
In the end, what is a Sage or a Buddha? At their core, they possess unparalleled power.
Without that power, who would listen to your nonsense?
The corner of Tōshirō's mouth twitched, and his eyes turned blood-red. Combined with the chakra he released, the oppressive aura on him suddenly weakened considerably.
"Hoho, not bad..."
The simple probing ended. The White Snake Sage was about to show her true strength. Her body rapidly swelled and expanded, and she transformed into a mountain-sized white giant snake.
Its head was wrapped in a large, millstone-shaped hat, tied with purple silk, with a dazzling red gem embedded in the center.
Its long orange hair was spread out, and a jade-green orb hung from its neck.
As far as the eye could see, its white body stretched on endlessly, as if there was no end. Shiny golden rings were fastened on its surface.
Without exception, the ornaments worn by the White Snake Sage contained a massive amount of natural energy, with the green bead on her neck being particularly noticeable.
Tōshirō boldly speculated that these items might have magical functions, just like ninja tools.
Considering her personality, she probably wouldn't resort to using tools to deal with him, so Tōshirō didn't pay much attention and focused on how to physically fight this giant snake.
To deal with such a massive body, Tōshirō had only one choice.
The three tomoe in Tōshirō's eyes spun rapidly, connecting and transforming into the snowflake-like pattern.
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [One Piece: General Blue]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Marvel: The Fantasy Crystal]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Marvel: Hades]."
"If you want early access to nearly 60+ chapters, join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"