The "secrecy" of Mount Myoboku and Shikkotsu Forest's hidden realm refers to a horizontal stretch of the world—they exist in secluded corners of the same dimension, parallel to ordinary ninja activity.
But the secrecy of Ryuchi Cave extends vertically. Deeply concealed beneath the underground space of the Ninja World, it resembles a deeper layer beneath the surface world, like the hidden depths of Skyrim.
"I don't get it—if this snake is trying to lead me somewhere, why's it moving around so inefficiently? What's the point of all this wandering? Why not just go straight there?" Orochimaru said.
Ten days had passed since they left the Valley of the End behind. By now, the two of them had been trailing that snake for nearly ten days, yet it kept aimlessly running around without purpose… At least the one silver lining was that it hadn't wandered out of the Land of Fire yet.
Orochimaru wasn't stupid. He seemed to be complaining, but he was actually asking Haseo a question. He'd long suspected that Haseo knew something about this snake's origins and its purpose. Otherwise, there was no way he'd follow a snake blindly like some idiot.
Orochimaru didn't trust cold-blooded reptiles, but he did trust Haseo. At that moment, he still didn't know what Ryuchi Cave was, nor what terms like "trial grounds" or "cultivation grounds" meant. Orochimaru wasn't short on patience, but his tolerance largely hinged on how forthcoming Haseo was—Haseo clearly knew far more than him at this point.
"It definitely is pretty inefficient. Maybe because... humans usually don't value things obtained too easily. Even snakes seem to understand this principle. But this game of chase is dragging on long enough already."
So saying, Haseo flickered forward several times and blocked the snake's path. Then he gently placed Katsuyu on his shoulder, right atop the snake's head, and spoke:
"If you're going to lead the way, then lead properly. We've been patient enough chasing you around the world for so long. So enough is enough…
I know we're supposed to go downward. I don't know how many entrances there are to where we're headed, but I do know you must ensure one entrance exists within the Land of Fire.
The world is dangerous—we can't go to distant places."
Indeed, the world was dangerous, but for this poor snake, Haseo was even more dangerous than the entire world combined. Look at him—he seemed to be negotiating with kindness, but before showing any kindness, he'd already placed a natural predator directly onto the snake's head.
Snake skin is moist, slippery, and cool, but not as moist, slippery, and cool as Katsuyu's skin. The snake stiffened, then went around Haseo's feet, continuing forward with the slug still perched atop its head.
"Now there shouldn't be any problems, right?" Orochimaru asked.
"No more issues. If it still can't guide us properly, then there's no need for guidance anymore."
Ryuchi Cave must have had ways to directly bring Orochimaru into the hidden realm—after all, those messenger snakes always arrived at Orochimaru's side through spatial teleportation. And yet now they were playing coy. Haseo understood their intention perfectly but had no intention of indulging their theatrics.
The White Snake Sage was a creature of living-fossil status, exuding immense pressure and overwhelming presence. Haseo probably couldn't do much about him, but since he hadn't actually met the White Snake Sage yet, bullying a little snake shouldn't be an issue.
What joy in life, what sorrow in death? So many great serpents sent here to guide had already perished. Could this remaining one really be a cowardly snake fearing death? Of course not—it felt no fear of death whatsoever. But right at this moment, Katsuyu's soft belly pressed gently against its head, as if pouring wisdom straight into its mind.
What did it realize?
Even the lowliest ant clings to its life fiercely.
Half a day later, the snake brought Haseo and his companion to a ruined shrine. They then descended through an opening leading underground into total darkness.
There you have it—no one in this world understood negotiation like Haseo did.
Along the dark, deep passage downward, the further underground they went, the more maze-like these densely packed tunnels became. Even for a ninja, Haseo soon lost his sense of direction.
After what felt like hours of wandering, Haseo finally spoke up, addressing Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, do you think we're still within the Land of Fire?"
After all, when humans lost their directional sense, maybe animals still retained some ability to navigate.
But this question received no response.
Haseo turned around only to find that Orochimaru had disappeared without notice... At this moment, Haseo felt like a teacher supervising a kindergarten field trip who suddenly realized one child was missing during headcount.
Well, perhaps not quite that exaggerated. They were already within Ryuchi Cave territory, so Orochimaru wouldn't be in danger. He had his own so-called trial to face.
"He shed his skin."
At the same time, Katsuyu also spoke. Haseo looked back and saw that the snake beneath Katsuyu had left only a petrified, stiff shell behind while its real body had already slipped away.
"No choice then. This is someone else's territory."
Haseo reached down and scooped up Katsuyu, then pressed forward through the tunnel.
Now Haseo carried the Chakra Corrosion Phenomenon, and as this phenomenon worsened, his ability to control his own chakra and perceive surroundings would increase significantly. So even within this labyrinth, he could sense the direction where the strongest chakra pulsed.
The deeper he walked, the more spacious the area became. Then gradually, surrounding signs of construction and carving appeared. Especially on either side of the passage, snake-patterned totems began appearing—simple in line, eerie in style, reminiscent of primitive human worship.
Haseo found it interesting. That was exactly how a hidden realm should feel—otherworldly, ancient, and full of secrets.
Then shortly afterward, that strong chakra presence approached... The White Snake Sage? Not quite. It was far less powerful.
Before him emerged a head barely a meter wide... a tiny serpent visage.
"Human."
This one has a triangular head and keeps flicking its tongue in and out. It clearly looks short-tempered and ravenous for human flesh.
"Oh, it's you—Mr. Snake."
The snake exuded strong chakra and seemed eager to devour Haseo. However, Haseo had no appetite for this oversized serpent—it was an old lesson learned through experience. Despite being an "infant snake" whose body hadn't fully matured yet, the meat was already tough and had lost its tenderness.
Haseo might be choosy about his meals, but his loyal partner sure wasn't. A chef face-to-face with his meal at last. He slid his right hand behind him and drew his long blade just an inch. Then he brushed his thumb lightly along the edge, drawing a single bead of blood.
The "baby snake" raised its triangular head high and charged straight at Haseo with tremendous force, but Haseo simply stepped aside with a graceful dodge.
That strike could've flattened any ninja—yet it missed completely and crashed into the ground.
By now, Haseo had completed the hand seals and pressed his palm against the snake's scaly surface.
[Ninjutsu: Summoning Jutsu]
Katsuyu appeared from nowhere, her massive body slamming down onto the "baby snake." Upon contact, Katsuyu's surface gently sank inward before swallowing the snake whole… Slugs don't always need their mouths to eat.
Wait, what was this snake's name again? Wan... something starting with Wan?
Ah well. Who cares? After all, it shouldn't have been so arrogant before reaching full maturity.
There were plenty of snakes in Ryuchi Cave; one less wouldn't make much difference. But this way, Katsuyu could enjoy a hearty meal and stay in a good mood—wasn't that quite a bargain?
Besides, Haseo was doing Orochimaru a favor. What if later on, Orochimaru ran into this thing and ended up getting eaten instead? Who would Orochimaru even complain to then? So by eliminating this threat early, what else could he do besides thank Haseo?
After swallowing the infant snake, Katsuyu turned around contentedly and made her way back to Shikkotsu Forest.
Haseo's visit to Ryuchi Cave was clearly not a friendly visit—it was more like a full-scale invasion launched by Shikkotsu Forest upon Ryuchi Cave.
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