Half-awake and half-asleep, Byakuya's eyes suddenly snapped open. He instinctively gripped the hilt of his explosive tag sword. Without wasting time to extinguish the dying embers of the campfire, he retreated into a dark corner of the cave.
He gently put on the Shuten-doji mask.
He heard a strange noise. It was a dull, low-frequency rumble like a heavy truck crushing the pavement, accompanied by a sharp hiss-hiss sound.
The echoes amplified within the narrow cave tunnel, pressing down on Byakuya with an intense sense of oppression.
Whatever was coming was definitely not human.
Outside this cave was a dark, damp forest with a canopy so dense it blocked out the sky. It was teeming with snakes and insects. He had seen a wide variety of snakes here, broadening his horizons significantly.
The problem facing Byakuya now was how to escape the cave quickly. But that slowly approaching "abnormality" had already blocked the only exit.
Hiss-hiss... hiss-hiss...
Was that the sound of scales scraping against rock?
The noise grew closer. Byakuya subconsciously sniffed the air, and an indescribable, sickly sweet scent invaded his nostrils.
Immediately, a wave of dizziness hit him.
Bad. It's poison.
He hurriedly held his breath and focused his mind.
Shadow Clone Jutsu.
He sent a Shadow Clone ahead to scout out the intruder.
Combat erupted instantly.
The Shadow Clone used Storm Style to illuminate the cave, revealing the full appearance of the unwelcome guest.
He dispelled the Shadow Clone.
Byakuya's expression turned extremely grim.
It was a blue-black serpent, far larger than anything natural.
Its body was covered in palm-sized, blue-black scales that gleamed with a cold, metallic light as it moved. Its triangular head was wrapped in wrinkled skin, and a pair of vertical slit pupils glowed like red-hot branding irons. Its forked tongue flicked in and out silently.
Clearly, it had sensed someone in the cave long ago and had come specifically for him.
Under the Shuten-doji mask, Byakuya's expression grew heavier. He could clearly sense the massive chakra contained within the giant snake. It far surpassed his own; it might even rival the Kage-level strength of Pakura.
He absolutely could not fight it head-on.
Fighting head-on was suicide.
Just my luck. This mission has been one disaster after another. If I make it back to the Leaf alive, I'm scrubbing myself raw in a hot bath to wash off this bad luck.
The giant snake attacked suddenly. Its head shot forward like a cannonball, accurately targeting the corner where Byakuya was hiding.
Substitution Jutsu.
Rocks rained down.
Fortunately, the interior of the cave was spacious enough to give him room to maneuver.
He triggered the mechanism on the hilt of his explosive tag sword. Several tags, guided by thin wires, flew toward the blue-black serpent.
Deafening explosions erupted in the cave. The echoes magnified the sound, making Byakuya's head spin.
But he knew deep down that he couldn't waste a single second. Explosive tags likely wouldn't do much to this beast.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Byakuya's hand seals were a blur. Two clones appeared instantly beside him.
Almost the moment the clones formed, the triangular head slammed toward them again.
The main body retreated rapidly toward the cave exit, while the two Shadow Clones leaped left and right, throwing shuriken at the snake's eyes.
Clang!
The snake merely tilted its head slightly. The shuriken struck its scales with the sound of metal on metal, sending sparks flying. They bounced off without leaving even a scratch.
However, it seemed to annoy the snake. It let out a hideous, grating hiss.
Byakuya didn't see exactly how it happened—he only caught a blur as the snake coiled slightly—and then a massive tail swept toward him.
He didn't dare block it. He used Storm Style Body Flicker repeatedly to maintain his balance and rushed toward the exit.
The two Shadow Clones were hit by the tail swipe and instantly popped into smoke.
The snake seemed to possess incredible sensory abilities. Its head whipped around, its vertical pupils filled with violence and greed. It opened its giant maw, revealing two rows of curved, scimitar-like fangs, and lunged at him with lightning speed.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall."
Without hesitation, he formed the seals.
A waterfall-like torrent surged from nowhere, spiraling around Byakuya to form a tight barrier.
The force of the rotating water churned the air in the cave, sending loose rocks tumbling.
BOOM!
The snake's head slammed into the water wall. The unimaginable impact shook the barrier violently. Byakuya felt his blood surge, and a sweet, coppery taste rose in his throat.
Tobirama Senju's version of the Water Formation Wall, with its rotating force deflection, managed to forcefully block the giant snake's attack.
The snake's head was diverted by the current and smashed into the adjacent rock wall, causing a small earthquake throughout the cave.
Now!
Byakuya canceled the Water Formation Wall and used Storm Style Body Flicker again, finally bursting out of the cave entrance.
But the scraping sound of scales on rock behind him felt like the whisper of the Grim Reaper.
The snake was massive, and its speed was terrifying.
Byakuya half-turned and threw every remaining explosive tag from his sword at the pursuing beast.
BOOM! BOOM!!
Explosions chained together.
Byakuya was blown forward by the blast wave, tumbling into the forest.
He tried to scramble up to run, but instead vomited two large mouthfuls of blood.
More furious hissing came from the cave, and the entire mountain seemed to tremble. The explosions had completely enraged it.
Byakuya took a moment to recover. Relying on the superhuman vitality granted by his system upgrades, he forced his body to stand. He activated Storm Style Body Flicker immediately, weaving through the dense forest at top speed.
At this point, he didn't dare look back. He just ran for his life. The snake was huge and fast; if it caught up to him in his current state, he was dead.
He deliberately chose areas where the trees were densest, using the interlocking trunks and branches to hinder the snake's pursuit.
Soon, he heard the sound of trees being smashed aside as the snake barreled through regardless.
Fortunately, he eventually broke out of the forest.
The sounds of hissing and crashing trees grew distant.
Byakuya didn't dare relax. He kept running at full speed, using Storm Style Body Flicker intermittently.
Only after crossing a mountain and a river, arriving at the plains of the Land of Rivers and spotting a village in the distance, did he slow down.
Under the Shuten-doji mask, his face was drenched in cold sweat, and his heart was pounding like a drum.
In that life-or-death moment, a single mistake would have made him the blue-black snake's lunch.
His chakra was heavily depleted.
Luckily, his injuries weren't severe. Thanks to the system's boosts, Byakuya's vitality was naturally tenacious.
He took off the mask and entered the village. He paid four hundred ryo to buy a hot meal from a local family.
After eating and drinking his fill, the lingering palpitation of fear finally settled.
He spent another four hundred ryo to stay the night.
While chatting with the host family, he learned that there was indeed a blue-black giant snake in that forest. As long as people stayed away, the snake didn't bother them.
They also mentioned that the snake wasn't native; it had appeared there over a decade ago.
Lying on the wooden bed, Byakuya wondered if the blue-black snake was from Ryuchi Cave.
If he could defeat it and sign a blood contract with it, making it his summoning beast would be an excellent choice.
But with the snake's current strength, he was absolutely no match for it right now.
"Forget it. Return to the Leaf first. Once I get stronger, I'll come back, beat it into submission, and sign the contract. If it really is from Ryuchi Cave, that opens the door to learning Sage Mode."
His system had already boosted his Senjutsu talent. In a way, he was obligated to learn it eventually.
And...
Byakuya pulled up the status interface.
> [System: Hard Work Pays Off]
> Limited Time Mission (3 Days): Successfully sense natural energy for a cumulative total of one hour in a natural environment (Incomplete).
> Reward: Minor increase in Senjutsu Affinity.