The White Snake Sage screamed in agonizing pain. The piercing cry echoed through the cavernous depths of Ryuchi Cave, alerting the Three Snake Hime—its loyal priestesses—who rushed over with great concern to check on their revered master's condition.
Bloodshot eyes wide with fear and disbelief, the White Snake Sage stared directly at Uchiha Izumi. It was utterly confounded by the strange and overwhelming power that resided within her—power capable of corroding its very consciousness and body. Even more puzzling was the fact that this young girl was able to absorb a fragment of its consciousness and a portion of its physical essence without suffering any harm or backlash.
"How is this possible?" the White Snake Sage thought desperately. "I have cultivated for thousands of years, and even a sliver of my essence carries tremendous energy—my spiritual power alone is immense. Yet, she absorbs it with no adverse effects. An ordinary person would have been annihilated long ago!"
Izumi sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor, her breathing steady as she calmly absorbed the flood of energy. Slowly, the power began to manifest physically within her body. Her skin shimmered, transforming and hardening as intricate snake-like scales formed across her limbs and torso. Her eyes glimmered and shifted, changing from their normal hue into the vertical, slit-pupiled eyes of a serpent.
Opening her new snake-like eyes wide, Izumi examined her reflection in a nearby pool of water. "Is this the Sage Art of Ryuchi Cave?" she murmured to herself in amazement. "As expected, it's incredibly effective."
Glancing back at the weakened White Snake Sage, Izumi's tone turned curious. "White Snake Sage, what's wrong with you?"
The great serpent's eyes dimmed with weariness as it spoke, "It's nothing serious—just some fatigue from transferring such a large amount of energy to you."
Izumi immediately felt guilty. "To think that learning the Sage Art requires such a sacrifice from you... I'm truly sorry!"
Suppressing its frustration, the White Snake Sage responded calmly, "It is fine. I saw great potential in you, so I chose to give you an extra portion of my power. This caused some damage to my essence, but it was a worthwhile risk. Ametame-hime, please take her to learn some of our Sage Arts. I need to rest and recover."
Ametame-hime, the youngest of the Three Snake Hime, approached Izumi with a gentle smile. "Come, Izumi, I will guide you through the techniques you need to learn."
"I'm very grateful, White Snake Sage. And thank you, big sister," Izumi said warmly as she transformed back into her usual appearance.
Without hesitation, she followed Ametame-hime into the darkness, disappearing deeper into the labyrinthine cave system.
Outside, the White Snake Sage's frustration boiled over. "Damn it! This little girl is not simple at all! She actually robbed a portion of my energy without me realizing it!"
Ichikishimahime's eyes narrowed. "Should we kill her to prevent future trouble?"
The White Snake Sage pondered briefly before shaking its massive head. "No. Since this has happened, let us consider it the cost of befriending her. She is no ordinary person—her future achievements will undoubtedly be extraordinary. For now, I need to recover."
Tagorihime nodded in agreement. "I understand."
---
Izumi arrived in a spacious chamber lined with countless scrolls, neatly organized on tall shelves. The air was thick with the scent of ancient parchment and chakra-infused ink.
Licking her lips with her tongue—a little habit she was only now becoming aware of—Izumi exclaimed in surprise, "Ryuchi Cave uses scrolls too?"
Ametame-hime smiled and explained, "Yes, these are specially prepared for humans, since you frequently use scrolls for knowledge transmission."
Izumi nodded thoughtfully and, again absentmindedly, licked her lips with her now longer, more flexible tongue.
Realizing how often she had been doing this, Izumi was surprised to discover, "Wow, the tongue can actually perceive so much information!"
"That is true," Ametame-hime confirmed. "For us snakes, the tongue is one of the most vital sensory organs. After cultivating the Sage Arts, the tongue's sensitivity improves even more."
"Oh, I see." Izumi again flicked her tongue out and licked her lips. The pink of her tongue against her lips looked surprisingly cute.
She grinned, "It's a little strange. I'm becoming like Orochimaru—with a longer tongue that constantly wants to stick out. But sticking out my tongue lets me detect scents and signals in the air. It's fascinating."
Ametame-hime nodded and continued, "In Ryuchi Cave, there are Sage Arts that enhance sensory organs like the tongue and skin, allowing them to perceive heat, sound, even emotions. Most of the Sage Arts here you can learn, but for the most precious Ninjutsu, you may only master ten types. Ordinary people can only learn five. The White Snake Sage thinks very highly of you."
Pointing to a nearby bookshelf, she said, "There are precious scrolls here reserved for you."
Izumi's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Wow! I'm that amazing? Big sister, can I learn even more than ten?"
Ametame-hime closed her eyes, then flicked out her tongue and retracted it thoughtfully before smiling. "It's rare to see someone master Sage Arts so quickly. No, in fact, I've never seen anyone like you before."
"The three of us can allow you to choose three extra Sage Arts to learn—this is the maximum effort we can offer."
Izumi threw her arms around Ametame-hime in gratitude. "Thank you, Ametame-hime big sister! And please thank the other two big sisters as well. I won't be polite!"
Ametame-hime laughed softly. "You are the first little one like you I've met. Hurry and start your learning."
Izumi nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!"
She looked over the array of Sage Arts available and began to select them carefully.
"Thirteen Sage Arts… all these Ninjutsu can be learned by me?"
Spreading her Chakra through the bookshelf, Izumi began her intense study and practice of the Sage Arts of Ryuchi Cave.
---
White Rage Technique
This technique aims to overwhelm an opponent's senses by sealing their three key faculties: sight, hearing, and touch. Blinding light, deafening sound, and intense vibrations combine to cause unbearable pain and disorientation. Opponents cannot perform active Jutsu, and only those with the enhanced physiology and recovery of Sage Mode can withstand this technique.
"Powerful… but the next one is even stronger," Izumi murmured.
---
Inorganic Reanimation
Reserved only for those who have "completely mastered Ryuchi Cave Sage Art," this forbidden Ninjutsu imbues life into inanimate objects, allowing the user to control them remotely.
"This technique could be very useful," Izumi thought with interest.
---
Shedding Technique
A powerful substitution technique that surpasses even Orochimaru's famous style. It allows the user to shed their skin or form a decoy, confusing enemies and escaping attacks.
---
Great Serpent Lightning
A Lightning Release technique infused with Sage Chakra, unleashing devastating electrical attacks that combine raw power with the benefits of Sage Mode.
"I can integrate this into my Lightning Mode," Izumi noted thoughtfully.
---
Ryuchi Cave Barrier Technique
An advanced technique creating formidable barriers for defense or containment.
---
Sealing Technique
A powerful method of binding and sealing enemy attacks or spiritual energy.
---
Sensory Enhancement
The Sage Art that improves the sensory organs, such as tongue and skin, enabling the perception of heat, sound, and even emotions.
---
Snake Swallow Technique
This Ninjutsu allows the user to devour objects or enemies into their body for destruction or storage. It can also be used to hide weapons or items inside the body.
---
Poison Mist
A technique that releases a toxic gas capable of incapacitating or killing enemies.
---
Genjutsu
An illusionary technique to deceive opponents and manipulate their senses.
---
Izumi diligently learned and practiced each technique, absorbing the knowledge rapidly.
Watching her progress, Ametame-hime could not help but praise, "Her talent is extraordinary. To master such difficult Sage Arts so quickly is truly enviable."
After spending several days immersed in training, Izumi finally licked her lips and said happily, "Thank you, big sister. I've learned so much and grown stronger."
Ametame-hime smiled gently. "So, would you like to return now? Or do you wish to explore Ryuchi Cave further?"
Izumi considered for a moment. "Can I try to find one or two more summoning animals? Preferably large ones. It's more convenient for battle, and I need to build a connection with them—otherwise, they might not obey me after being summoned."
Ametame-hime nodded approvingly. "That depends on your strength. There are many snakes here. If you can subdue or come to an agreement with them, they will follow your commands when summoned."
Izumi smiled confidently. "Then I'll go find some companions."
"Good. When you find them, have them send you back."
"Mhm, I won't trouble you any longer. Bye-bye, big sister! Please send my regards to the White Snake Sage and the other two."
"Hehe, interesting young one. Farewell."
With a wave of farewell, Izumi set off in search of new summoning animals.
Soon, she smiled brightly. "Ah! Found one."
Without hesitation, she jumped into the vast lake shimmering with crystal-clear water.
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