"If this old one isn't mistaken… you must be the new contractor of Ryūchidō," the White Snake Sage said, her eyes now turning to Sasuke after finding nothing noteworthy in Naruto.
She transformed into the form of an elderly woman clad in a flowing white robe and slowly stepped toward Sasuke. As if she had uncovered a secret, she muttered with astonishment, "There's no mistaking this chakra… This is the blood of the Sage of Six Paths. Long time no see… Indra."
When observing Naruto earlier, the White Snake Sage's eyes had only been half-lidded, but now, in this form, they were squinting so tightly they were almost closed.
"I don't know any 'Indra.' I'm Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto calling him Indra was one thing—after all, he was like a brother—but from someone else? Not happening.
Yet this White Snake Sage could instantly see through his identity as Indra's reincarnation, while she couldn't discern Naruto as Ashura.
As expected of Naruto—he really is something else.
"My apologies then. Greetings, Uchiha Sasuke."
The White Snake Sage appeared extremely pleased with Sasuke as the new contractor. She kept smacking her lips and muttering to herself, "Excellent… very good… outstanding."
"Uh… hello," Sasuke replied, slightly stunned by how polite she was. And he wasn't alone—even her three chief followers had never seen the White Snake Sage act like this before.
"Esteemed guests, may I ask what brings you to Ryūchidō?" she asked, sitting back down on a stone bench. Her squat frame looked almost comical climbing up onto the platform.
Now that she'd recognized Sasuke's identity, she placed him in the same high regard as Naruto.
"We're here for Ryūchidō's Senjutsu," Naruto said directly. Sasuke nodded, signaling agreement.
"I didn't think either of you would be interested in anything else."
The White Snake Sage nodded calmly. "To be honest, that's all we really have worth offering here at Ryūchidō."
"By tradition, one must pass a trial to earn the right to learn our Sage Art."
"However, with your identities, I suppose we can make an exception."
While the priestesses Tagitsuhime and Ichikishimahime were surprised, they didn't object.
"As Ryūchidō's successor, learning Senjutsu is part of your path," she said to Sasuke first, then gestured to Tagitsuhime to begin preparing the materials needed for the training. After taking a small puff from her pipe, she turned to Naruto.
"As for you, honored guest—Ryūchidō's Senjutsu is unique to our serpent clan. Have you considered becoming one of us?"
"I'm not interested in those weak little snakes crawling around Ryūchidō," Naruto replied bluntly.
The White Snake Sage nodded. With the overwhelming aura Naruto had unleashed earlier, it was clear he already stood above every other serpent in the cave—except for her.
"If you're willing to be my summoning beast, I might consider it."
"Deal."
Naruto hadn't even finished his sentence when the White Snake Sage's calm demeanor vanished. She practically jumped at the opportunity, as if trying to answer before he could change his mind.
"White Snake Sage?!"
Tagitsuhime was shocked and opened her mouth to protest, but the White Snake Sage silenced her with a single glance.
"Honored guest, no backing out now," she said.
This was the White Snake Sage—the highest authority of Ryūchidō and a being that had lived for thousands of years, dating back to the Sage of Six Paths.
From what Tagitsuhime knew of her, someone speaking to the White Snake Sage like Naruto just did would normally have been obliterated. But now, the Sage was agreeing—even sounding anxious he might change his mind.
Had the world changed too fast… or was she just too slow to keep up?
Tagitsuhime's head spun.
On the other hand, Ichikishimahime found it completely reasonable. After all, she had experienced Naruto's explosive power firsthand. That overwhelming energy had nearly broken her self-control.
In the world of summons, might makes right.
No matter how long you've lived, that law never changes.
"White Snake Sage… are you really that optimistic about me?"
Naruto narrowed his eyes with a smirk, looking just like a fox.
Hssssss…
The White Snake Sage hissed in a serpentine language Naruto couldn't understand. Then she spoke again:
"I don't have the Toad Sage's gift of prophecy, nor the Slug Queen's unique constitution. But I am extremely sensitive to chakra… and I'm pretty good at reading people."
"Back then, I missed my chance by just a step."
She spoke slowly, as if reminiscing.
"Mount Myōboku became the 'righteous' force of the ninja world, nurturing the Sage of Six Paths and rising as the leader of the summoning realms. Meanwhile, Ryūchidō was reduced to a second-rate presence—nothing more than a foil for Myōboku and Shikkotsu Forest."
"Decades ago, that peace-loving Slug Queen picked someone named Hashirama Senju as her successor."
"No one expected him to grow so powerful, becoming what the world now calls the 'God of Shinobi.'"
"Because of that, Shikkotsu Forest's name soared, second only to Myōboku—but still far ahead of us."
"In recent years, that damn old toad's been preaching his whole 'Child Prophecy' theory."
"Hmph… who knows if it's real or just self-promotion? He's the only one who sees those 'prophecies.'" She scoffed.
"We tried to find suitable successors too… but how often do you find someone truly worthy? Most couldn't even pass the trials. Those useless trash just rot away in Ryūchidō—better to drain their chakra and turn them into nutrients for the next generation."
"That's why the world says we're monsters who eat humans. But what's so noble about turning people to stone like they do in Myōboku? Or being completely devoured in Shikkotsu Forest? It's the same thing—why do they get praised while we get demonized?"
She turned to Naruto again. "I can feel the immense power hidden within you—like an endless ocean. What you've shown is just a fraction."
That terrifying power from earlier wasn't even his full strength?!
Ichikishimahime's heart trembled. No wonder the White Snake Sage wants him so badly.
There's a huge difference between a partner and a successor.
If we could absorb his chakra… or better yet, bear his child…
We could create the strongest serpent in all of history!
Overcome with excitement, Ichikishimahime couldn't help but tear up. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Naruto.
"Your potential is vast—immense. You're not inferior to the Sage of Six Paths at all. With your strength, you're bound to reach that level eventually."
The White Snake Sage's gaze pierced into Naruto.
"Ryūchidō has been silent for long enough. It's time we let the world see what we're truly capable of."
You've lived for over a thousand years, and you still have this much fight in you?
Naruto finally understood her ambitions—but he couldn't quite tell how much of it was genuine and how much was manipulation.
Meanwhile…
Close to the Sage of Six Paths?!
Sasuke's heart pounded from what he'd overheard. Naruto's gotten that strong already?
I'm just trying to reach the level of my past self—Indra.
And you…
You're already about to become the Sage of Six Paths?
"We said we were brothers… now you're turning into my dad?!"
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