When Tagorihime and the others heard the White Snake Sage describe him as "a very, very, very interesting brat," the image they had roughly formed in their minds of Rei Kaguya was that of a still-immature boy who possessed endless potential in every aspect and whose future was immeasurable.
The fact that he could get Manda to bring him back did feel rather strange.
After all, Manda's temper was among the worst even within Ryuchi Cave, where summoning snakes roamed everywhere.
But since he was a boy who had received such a high evaluation from the White Snake Sage, it was not impossible that he possessed a kind of boldness other people lacked and used that to accomplish it.
However, when the three human-shaped snake sages truly saw Rei standing leisurely on top of Manda's head and openly ordering Manda forward like a mount, Tagorihime, Tagitsuhime, and Ichikishimahime all fell into a very long silence.
The three of them had cultivated human forms and were sages qualified to serve at the White Snake Sage's side.
That was true.
But if one compared pure combat ability, Manda was actually above the three of them.
So here was the problem.
Manda was now covered in wounds and looked completely beaten into obedience.
In that case, the boy with waist-length black hair sitting openly on Manda's head was very likely the one who had done it.
For someone this absurdly strong and ridiculously young, did he really still need to accept their trials?
"Hm?"
Sensing Tagorihime and the others appear nearby, Manda stopped in confusion and took the initiative to ask.
"Tagorihime, Tagitsuhime, Ichikishimahime… what kind of madness are you three up to? Why did you suddenly come here to block my path?"
"Watch your words, Manda," Tagorihime said with a frown. "You brought a human into Ryuchi Cave, and you clearly do not intend to eat him. The reason we are here should already be obvious, shouldn't it?"
"Human? Hah?"
Manda's snake face revealed an extremely human expression of speechlessness.
He lowered his head and moved closer to Tagorihime, then roared at her in a low voice.
"You call the thing on my head human? The White Snake Sage actually sent you three to test whether this monster is qualified to learn senjutsu? Has that old woman completely lost her mind, or has she gone blind? How can she do something this ridiculous?"
Ichikishimahime had originally wanted to loudly rebuke Manda for his rudeness.
But when she saw Rei Kaguya, who had been resting with his eyes closed, leap down from Manda's head, walk to her, and extend his hand toward her, she finally understood why someone with a rotten temper like Manda would behave like a good child in front of him.
That surging, almost solidified vitality and chakra.
In the eyes of sages, who were extraordinarily sensitive to all kinds of energy, it was practically like the sun.
It was so bright that it could burn the eyes of anyone who looked directly at it.
"Rei Kaguya. A person who came here in pursuit of the natural energy that exists within all things. May I ask how I should address you all?"
"I am Ichikishimahime. Those two are Tagorihime and Tagitsuhime. We are sages who serve at the White Snake Sage's side. By the White Snake Sage's will, we have come to conduct the trials for one who seeks senjutsu."
Ichikishimahime held Rei's right hand and properly introduced herself, her companions, their identities, and their purpose.
At the same time, she instinctively maintained the transformation senjutsu on her body in its most perfect state.
Even with Rei's current eyesight, he could not see even the slightest difference between her and a normal human woman.
"Oh? Ryuchi Cave actually has human-shaped sages? That really is surprising."
After carefully sizing up the appearances of Tagorihime and the others, Rei nodded.
He felt that his decision to give up Mount Myoboku's senjutsu and the Great Toad Sage's prophecy and instead bring his talent to Ryuchi Cave was truly wise.
Putting everything else aside, just the fact that the sages of Ryuchi Cave could cultivate until they took on beautiful human forms already put this place countless levels above Mount Myoboku, whose main members were all toads.
"In that case, three sages, can the trial I need to face begin now? I am quite curious about Ryuchi Cave's senjutsu."
Tagorihime and the other two exchanged glances.
At the same time, they saw difficulty in one another's eyes.
Tagorihime's trial was aimed at those who pursued the rumors of Ryuchi Cave and had already become exhausted during the journey. It tested their willpower and self-restraint.
As long as the tired and hungry trial-taker ate the food she provided, they would be eliminated from the trial, and their body and chakra would become Tagorihime's food.
But Rei Kaguya had used his summoning contract with Manda to enter Ryuchi Cave in a cheating-like manner.
Hunger and exhaustion had nothing to do with him at all.
No matter how realistic Tagorihime's genjutsu was, it was impossible to make someone who was well-fed and fully energized suddenly develop an urgent craving for food.
The troubles the other two faced were similar.
Ichikishimahime's trial involved absorbing a trial-taker's chakra while making them search for crystals within a limited cave to fill the gaps in a rock wall, thereby testing the trial-taker's analysis and judgment under pressure.
But for someone like Rei, whose chakra reserves were outrageously huge and whose recovery ability was powerful, even if he stood there and let Ichikishimahime absorb his chakra for a full day, he would at most feel a little burdened.
If the time pressure was not urgent at all, then what result could such a trial even test?
As for Tagitsuhime…
Would something like a heart-questioning illusion really work against a genius who, at fifteen years old, already possessed the strength to contend for the position of one of the Five Kage and had even learned the basics of senjutsu through self-study?
After discussing for a while, the three snake sages who looked like young girls turned their heads and smiled at Rei.
"We have discussed and studied Rei-kun's situation. We all believe that Rei-kun, who was able to make Manda submit, already possesses the qualities needed to pass all the trials. Therefore, the meaningless trials for Rei-kun will be canceled. Rei-kun only needs to follow us and directly meet the White Snake Sage."
Hearing this, Rei speechlessly cast a disdainful look at Manda, who had been quietly listening from the side.
Why do the great snakes of Ryuchi Cave look even easier to talk to than the toads of Mount Myoboku?
Manda ignored Rei's contemptuous gaze.
He merely turned his head to the side, looking as if he did not want to care and could not be bothered to speak.
"Rei-kun?"
"Mm. I'm coming."
Seeing Ichikishimahime and the others stop and wait for him, Rei took a few steps and came to their side, following them toward the White Snake Sage's residence.
Only after Rei and the three sages completely disappeared did Manda finally release the emotions he had been holding back with great difficulty.
He slammed his tail hard against the ground and laughed loudly without restraint.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Tagorihime, Tagitsuhime, Ichikishimahime, you three idiots who usually love acting all high and mighty. Don't you usually like revealing your snake faces in the middle of speaking to the humans who come to Ryuchi Cave, then drawing power and pleasure from their fear and shock?"
"Why did not a single one of you dare to do that this time? Why were all of you desperately maintaining your transformation senjutsu instead?"
"And you still dared to look at me mockingly…"
"In front of Rei Kaguya, that monster wearing human skin, aren't you all also cowards who didn't even have the courage to start the trials?"
"Hmph, hmph, hmph. Just you wait. I'm going to spread this news throughout all of Ryuchi Cave and let every great snake know about your ugly display!"