But Sasuke couldn't die yet.
Blood.
A full moon.
The corpses of his parents.
An executioner holding a butcher's knife.
Uchiha Itachi.
The light of his Mangekyō Sharingan.
And finally...
Naruto's silhouette.
"Naruto..."
Sasuke suddenly opened his eyes.
He thought about Naruto and the training he had undergone.
Naruto had experienced similar pain while training his Wind Release Chakra Mode.
By using Wind Vibrating Chakra, every single one of the body's roughly 130 trillion somatic cells was stimulated, destroyed, and then regenerated.
The cells were continuously broken down and recreated.
The pain Naruto had endured during that process was certainly no less intense than what Sasuke was experiencing now.
Yet Naruto had never given up.
Naruto wasn't driven by deep-seated hatred. He was simply willing to endure all that pain to become stronger, achieve his dreams, and gain the recognition of others.
If Naruto could endure such suffering for his dreams, then what right did Sasuke, who had sworn to avenge his family, have to give up?
"Ahhhhhhh!"
With that thought, Sasuke stopped rolling and thrashing on the ground.
Despite his trembling body, he forced himself to stand once again.
The White Serpent Sage watched this scene with great interest.
"Really? You still have the strength to stand?"
Sasuke's entire body trembled violently.
He endured wave after wave of pain crashing over him like a raging sea.
The agony pierced his heart, gnawed at his bones, and seemed to penetrate all the way into his marrow.
Buzz!
The three-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes suddenly glowed with a deep red light.
At the same time, the Cursed Seal of Heaven activated involuntarily.
Once again, Sasuke transformed into his most terrifying form.
Twin bone wings emerged from his back. His hair became wild and gray-black, while his pupils took on a demonic appearance.
Dark cursed-seal markings spread across his face, burning with a savage and terrifying intensity.
Combined with his blood-red Sharingan, Sasuke looked like a demon that had crawled out of hell.
An ominous aura radiated from his body.
Even the White Serpent Sage's expression changed slightly.
"What terrible darkness..."
"If Uzumaki Naruto's power resembles that of a celestial god who commands nature, then Uchiha Sasuke standing before me is like a demon."
"It's truly incredible that these two mischievous brats can still become soulmates."
"Truly incredible."
The White Serpent Sage understood exactly what was happening.
Sasuke's transformation into this ultimate demonic form was a desperate attempt to resist the poison spreading through his body.
Indeed, after gritting his teeth and enduring the initial agony, Sasuke gradually became accustomed to the pain.
His body stopped trembling violently.
He no longer screamed or roared.
But that was only the first obstacle.
The most important question was whether his body could withstand—or even assimilate—the highly toxic energy now invading it.
The White Serpent Sage's yellow-green eyes narrowed.
It was as though he could see directly into Sasuke's body.
"Hmm?"
"Is this really that scoundrel Orochimaru's Cursed Seal?"
"This kid looks as though he has completely mastered it and used its power countless times."
"His body has already been repeatedly tempered by the Cursed Seal, which means he has essentially become accustomed to the energy of Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu."
"The chakra is already prepared..."
"Hmm. It seems this really is quite a shortcut."
It was similar to a vaccine.
The essence of a vaccine was an inactivated virus that trained the body to produce antibodies without causing a serious pathological reaction.
The Celestial Cursed Seal worked in a similar way.
In reality, it was a corrupted version of Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu.
Although its power was far inferior to true Senjutsu, it served as a kind of rehearsal.
Sasuke's body had been repeatedly damaged and forced to adapt to the Cursed Seal, causing it to develop a certain resistance.
That resistance could potentially give him some degree of immunity against the tremendous damage caused by Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu Chakra.
And now...
The White Serpent Sage watched as Sasuke gradually calmed down after his initial struggle.
He was even beginning to adapt to the power.
"An incredible boy..."
"It really seems like he can survive."
The White Serpent Sage slowly flicked his forked tongue.
To him, there was no absolute distinction between good and evil or right and wrong.
He simply observed the thousands of years of history, wars, and peace that had unfolded throughout the Ninja World with cold, detached eyes.
As the master of Ryūchi Cave, one of the Three Great Sage Regions, he was not without principles despite being regarded as a terrifying serpent that devoured humans.
Anyone capable of withstanding his power had the opportunity to learn Senjutsu.
Just as Yakushi Kabuto had in the original timeline.
The White Serpent Sage looked at Sasuke with a mocking smile.
"Uchiha Sasuke, it seems you truly are the most suitable candidate to inherit Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu."
"But this isn't the end."
"It's only the beginning."
"You still have to endure even greater pain."
"Once the Senjutsu Chakra begins spreading throughout your entire body, you will experience an agony far more intense than anything you've suffered before."
"It will feel as though your entire body is being reborn."
Indeed—
The very next moment, Sasuke, who had thought he had already adapted to the power, suddenly began trembling violently.
His entire body convulsed as though he had been struck by lightning.
It felt as if his skin, flesh, bones, and internal organs were all being torn apart and rearranged.
An unimaginable and unbearable pain struck him without warning.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
A piercing scream echoed throughout Ryūchi Cave.
Outside the cave, Jiraiya immediately heard Sasuke's agonized cry.
Without hesitation, he jumped to his feet and rushed toward the depths of Ryūchi Cave.
Yakushi Kabuto and Jūgo exchanged glances.
They knew they had no other choice.
They had to follow.
"Stop!"
"The White Serpent Sage said only that brat was allowed to enter!"
"Stop them!"
"You're looking for death!"
A massive swarm of snakes surged forward like an endless tide, completely surrounding the three of them.
Jiraiya didn't hesitate.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"
A powerful stream of flames mixed with toad oil suddenly erupted.
The flames transformed into a blazing sea of fire and surged into the depths of the cave, illuminating everything in their path.
The snakes let out shrill hisses.
In an instant, countless smaller snakes were reduced to ashes.
Yakushi Kabuto wasn't willing to fall behind either.
The edges of his palms buzzed with chakra as he unleashed Chakra Scalpel.
He cut through the attacking snakes one after another, slicing them cleanly in half.
Jūgo's arms transformed into massive, shell-like weapons.
The burning power of the Cursed Seal spread across half of his body.
With an enraged roar, he unleashed his explosive strength and blasted open a path.
"Move!"
Following Jiraiya's command, the three of them charged forward.
"How dare you!"
Suddenly, enormous figures blocked their path.
Manda, Aoda, and a massive two-headed serpent appeared before them.
Jiraiya stared coldly at Manda.
"Manda, this isn't the time for us to settle our old score."
"Move aside!"
Manda let out an angry roar.
"Jiraiya! This is Ryūchi Cave, my territory!"
"How dare you act so arrogantly here?!"
"My student is inside. If you intend to stop me, then prepare yourselves to die!"
The man and the giant serpent roared at the same time and charged toward each other.
In an instant, the entire Ryūchi Cave descended into chaos.
Jiraiya's strength was naturally far beyond that of the ordinary giant snakes.
With Yakushi Kabuto and Jūgo assisting him, the three of them managed to cause considerable turmoil throughout Ryūchi Cave.
Then—
"Enough!"
Three enormous figures suddenly appeared in the air.
The Three Great Elders of Ryūchi Cave floated above them, glaring angrily at Jiraiya and his companions.
Jiraiya didn't stop.
He immediately shouted in a deep voice:
"How is Sasuke?!"
"You damn human! How dare you behave so arrogantly in Ryūchi Cave!"
"The brat is fine."
"The White Serpent Sage wishes to see you."
Jiraiya's expression changed slightly.
However, he still didn't dare relax completely.
"Really?"
"Then lead the way."
He stopped fighting and followed the three furious Ryūchi Cave elders deeper into the cave.
When they finally reached the deepest temple, Jiraiya had no time to exchange pleasantries with the White Serpent Sage.
His eyes immediately locked onto Sasuke, who was lying unconscious on the ground.
"Sasuke!"
"What happened to you?!"
Jiraiya rushed forward and began examining Sasuke's body.
Yakushi Kabuto also stepped forward and examined him using Medical Ninjutsu.
"Don't worry. He's fine."
"He simply lost consciousness because of the extreme pain."
"However..."
Kabuto's expression became serious.
"His chakra has completely mutated."
"It appears to have been entirely transformed by Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu Chakra."
Jiraiya's heart trembled.
He naturally understood what this meant.
"Sasuke..."
"Did he succeed?!"
The White Serpent Sage chuckled.
"Jiraiya, the heir of Mount Myōboku..."
"I never expected you to bring me such a suitable successor for Ryūchi Cave."
Jiraiya knew that Ryūchi Cave and Mount Myōboku had always been rivals.
He had already prepared himself for a confrontation.
However, judging from the White Serpent Sage's expression, the old serpent seemed to be doing nothing more than mocking and provoking him.
"What do you want, White Serpent Sage?"
"Me?"
The White Serpent Sage laughed.
"I don't want anything."
"I'm not like you—a person who breaks his promises and betrays the trust of others."
"Since this brat has successfully endured Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu Chakra, I will naturally teach him the true Ryūchi Cave Senjutsu."
"Heh. That's good."
Jiraiya's expression became complicated.
"If he and Uzumaki Naruto both inherit the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave and Mount Myōboku, then perhaps they can determine the winner in the future battle of destiny."
"Then we'll finally know whether Ryūchi Cave or Mount Myōboku is superior!"
Jiraiya frowned.
"Naruto and Sasuke?"
"A battle of destiny?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Each of the Three Great Sage Regions possessed unique abilities.
The Great Toad Sage was renowned for his ability to see the future.
The White Serpent Sage possessed incredible insight and power.
And the Great Slug Sage possessed an immortal life force.
But the White Serpent Sage wasn't supposed to make prophecies.
So why was he speaking with such certainty?
The White Serpent Sage didn't answer.
Instead, he simply said:
"Alright. I'll leave this brat's education to myself."
"Jiraiya, all of you will leave Ryūchi Cave."
"Do not return for seven days and seven nights."
Jiraiya looked at Sasuke.
He wanted to stay.
However, he knew the White Serpent Sage would never allow it.
"Very well, White Serpent Sage."
"I trust you to keep your word."
After saying that, Jiraiya took one last deep look at Sasuke.
Then he turned around and quickly walked out of Ryūchi Cave.
________________________________________
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