"White Snake Sage, we have brought the target who passed the trials…"
After bringing Rei Kaguya to the temple where the White Snake Sage was located and reporting inside, Tagorihime pulled the hands of her two companions and slowly vanished from Rei's sight.
Rei, meanwhile, analyzed with great interest how the three of them had disappeared before pushing open the temple door himself and walking inside.
"How surprising. I thought Tagorihime and the others would try to keep you outside a little longer."
The great white snake coiled upon her throne held an exquisitely crafted pipe in her mouth and spoke slowly to Rei as he stepped into the temple.
"They probably felt those trials were simply unnecessary for me."
Rei walked slowly to the throne of the White Snake Sage.
Looking at this white serpent who had existed since the era of Kaguya Otsutsuki, he gave her a serious bow.
"This is our first meeting, White Snake Sage. Although the outside world has always had rumors that the White Snake Sage knows all information that happens in the shinobi world, since I have come here to visit, I should still introduce myself to avoid being rude."
"My name is Rei Kaguya, a descendant of the Kaguya clan of Kirigakure in the Land of Water. I have come in pursuit of Ryuchi Cave's senjutsu. I hope the White Snake Sage will not hesitate to teach me and pass Ryuchi Cave's knowledge to me."
"Kaguya… is it?"
The White Snake Sage chewed on that surname, whose true meaning had already been forgotten with the passage of time.
With some nostalgia, she said, "That is also a name with a rather long history. It is only that compared to the Uchiha and Senju, who received more attention, you and the Hyuga have become quite ordinary."
Rei did not speak.
But because of the White Snake Sage's words, he could not help frowning inwardly.
Why did she suddenly mention those clans that directly inherited Kaguya Otsutsuki's bloodline here?
What are you hinting at?
What are you trying to express?
Perhaps sensing that Rei's aura had changed slightly, the White Snake Sage quickly awakened from her reminiscence.
She shook her head and laughed self-deprecatingly.
"I have grown old. I actually start sinking into the past over such small things now…"
"But you should be able to understand, shouldn't you, boy of the Kaguya clan? Old beings like us always find it difficult not to feel a little sentimental when we see a young person who carries the possibility of changing the world walk before us."
"I will accept that as your recognition of me, White Snake Sage," Rei answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.
"There is no need to force yourself to act modest in front of me. Those who choose to pursue Ryuchi Cave's senjutsu are basically madmen who can throw away everything for power. The fact that you could pass the trials arranged by Tagorihime and the others unconditionally and arrive here is already enough to prove your mad nature."
The White Snake Sage put her pipe aside and moved her enormous body, lowering her head toward Rei.
"This next part may be somewhat painful, boy."
"Do not think that just because you learned a little of that old toad's senjutsu, you can easily endure Ryuchi Cave's inheritance ritual."
"If possible, could you bite this side?"
Rei turned his face sideways and exposed the side of his neck without the Curse Mark.
Seeing this, the White Snake Sage paused and asked, somewhat confused.
"Why? That thing is merely a degraded product created by imitating a special constitution influenced by our Ryuchi Cave. After you accept Ryuchi Cave's inheritance, it will no longer be of any help to you."
"Although it cannot compare to the prototype with its outstanding performance, a degraded product with lowered specifications is not entirely useless, White Snake Sage."
Rei pressed a hand against the wound of the Curse Mark and analyzed clearly.
"The Curse Mark has a low upper limit, heavy side effects, and a low transplant success rate. I do not deny these flaws. But for shinobi who do not have the ability to cultivate senjutsu, it is a rare key that can open the door between them and natural energy."
"Through research and study of Ryuchi Cave's senjutsu, I want to gradually reduce the side effects of the Curse Mark and improve its general applicability as a strengthening method. That is one of my important goals in coming to Ryuchi Cave to learn senjutsu."
"You want to popularize the constitution of that clan capable of absorbing natural energy?"
The White Snake Sage immediately understood Rei's plan.
"But that is not an easy task, boy."
"No choice. Who told me I plan to become the village's Kage?"
Rei shrugged and said lightly, "If I do not bring out some bait that the shinobi in the village cannot refuse, how could those people who are many years older than me obediently support someone who is not even sixteen yet?"
"Heh, heh, heh. I am looking forward more and more to seeing what kind of mess you will stir this world into, Rei Kaguya."
The White Snake Sage chuckled.
Then she opened her mouth wide and bit down hard on Rei's neck.
Her sharp fangs pierced into his body, but what they injected was not potent poison.
It was highly condensed natural energy and senjutsu chakra.
Almost instantly, various abnormal reactions caused by absorbing too much natural energy began appearing on Rei's body.
But Rei, who had already entered Sage Mode before, was not worried that he would be unable to control them.
After sitting down cross-legged on the spot, he began skillfully balancing the ratio of spiritual energy, physical energy, and natural energy within his body.
At the same time, he called up the system panel and looked at the information rapidly refreshing on it.
[You are receiving Ryuchi Cave's senjutsu inheritance. Convert Sage Mode: Mount Myoboku LV1 into corresponding skill proficiency?]
[Converting Sage Mode: Mount Myoboku LV1 into Sage Mode: Ryuchi Cave skill proficiency…]
With the push of the system, combined with his own talent and strength, the natural energy injected into Rei's body by the White Snake Sage was quickly balanced.
As for the senjutsu chakra belonging to the White Snake Sage, it merged into the senjutsu chakra formed by Rei himself almost without any obstruction.
Then, like a catalyst, it helped Rei transform all the remaining ordinary chakra inside his body into senjutsu chakra.
Hiss—
Rei opened his eyes again.
Several purple facial markings shaped like enlarged snake fangs appeared on his forehead and cheeks.
His pupils also transformed into vertical pupils similar to a snake's.
This was the new face pattern displayed after entering Ryuchi Cave Sage Mode, symbolizing that Rei already possessed the qualifications to use senjutsu independently.
Apart from these changes, which had almost no effect on his appearance, there were no other snake-like features on his body.
[Sage Mode: Ryuchi Cave LV4 obtained.]
"How surprising. You have clearly only just accepted my inheritance, yet you can immediately use Sage Mode to this degree…"
Looking at Rei, whose body had practically no mutation at all, the White Snake Sage, who had returned to her throne and coiled up again, could not help revealing a surprised expression.
"Even among all the successful practitioners of Ryuchi Cave senjutsu across history, you absolutely count as one of the outstanding few."
As expected of a monster whose power of fate feels no weaker than the reincarnations of those two brats, Indra and Asura.
Even if the previous generation of those two reincarnations revived in this era in their prime, you would definitely be able to grow quickly enough to share the same stage with them, wouldn't you, Rei Kaguya?
Feeling the surging senjutsu chakra in his body, Rei briefly moved around and experienced the enhancement brought by the complete Sage Mode.
Then he turned to the White Snake Sage and thanked her seriously.
"I will repay this kindness many times over in the future, White Snake Sage."
"Hehe. Having that intention is enough."
The White Snake Sage picked up her pipe again and commented casually.
"However, the reason you were able to gather so much senjutsu chakra so quickly is mainly because of my help and the environment of Ryuchi Cave, where natural energy is excessively abundant. If you were outside Ryuchi Cave, then relying on yourself to gather this much senjutsu chakra would take at least an hour or more."
"So for the next period of time, stay in Ryuchi Cave and cultivate properly, Rei Kaguya. Although the flow of time in Ryuchi Cave differs from the outside world, as long as you complete your cultivation goal as soon as possible, that difference will not have any major effect on your later plans. Hehehehe…"
Rei nodded noncommittally.
Then he asked, "Will Ryuchi Cave provide me with the necessary food? Or do I need to find food to fill my stomach by myself?"
"Have you ever seen snakes take the initiative to feed their prey to their own kind?"
The White Snake Sage laughed disdainfully.
She shook the ashes from her pipe and said in a meaningful tone.
"Go find the prey you fancy yourself. From now on, you are also a member of the great snakes of Ryuchi Cave."
"As long as you do not treat Tagorihime and the other two, or the few summoning snakes living in the deepest region, as prey, I will not care how large your appetite is, Rei Kaguya."
"Then I will thank you in advance for the meal, White Snake Sage."
Rei licked his lips and returned an equally meaningful smile.