The Three Great Sage Regions, Ryūchi Cave.
Ryūchi Cave is a dark, deep, and winding giant karst cave.
When Ryou, Candy, and Satori were transported inside, they found themselves in a dark cavern.
As soon as they entered, the Cursed Seal on Ryou's neck felt like it was burning.
Because the natural energy in Ryūchi Cave was so dense, and Ryou's Cursed Seal contained the Sage Transformation enzymes of the Jugo's Clan, it could automatically absorb the surrounding natural energy.
If the natural energy outside was in a gaseous state, then the natural energy in Ryūchi Cave was liquid.
Moreover, this natural energy carried a large amount of negative energy; inhaling it would lead to a violent frenzy.
Ryou used White Zetsu cells to suppress the Cursed Seal, cutting off its contact with the natural energy.
Ryūchi Cave was not in absolute darkness.
Patches of faintly glowing ores grew around them, emitting a cold, fluorescent shimmer that carved out a hazy realm within the dark snake cave.
The cave walls were very high, reaching over a hundred meters.
But they were cold and slippery, covered in a layer of sticky dark green moss and trails of saliva left by giant pythons; the air carried a strong, pungent stench of snakes.
Mixed with the smell of rotting earth and stale blood, it was enough to make one gag.
The light in Ryūchi Cave was dim, but relying on the Sharingan's excellent insight and the White Zetsu cells' sensing ability, Ryou could clearly see the situation inside.
Broken bones were scattered across the wasteland, half-buried in the dust—some fractured and distorted, others still wrapped in tattered cloth.
Some were human, some were animal, clearly the bones that the giant snakes of Ryūchi Cave could not digest.
Candy shrank into Ryou's chest and covered its nose, the surrounding snake stench making it very uncomfortable.
Satori, on the other hand, found the darkness and coldness of Ryūchi Cave quite to its taste.
"What a great place! Even better than that altar just now. If I could make a home here, my power would increase significantly."
Snakes are sinister and greedy, cold and cunning by nature, without a shred of mercy, knowing only slaughter and consumption.
The places they inhabit are always accompanied by death and resentment.
To Satori, they would be a fine group of neighbors.
Satori suddenly looked toward the left cave wall and said, "Snakes are coming—giant snakes! Many, many giant snakes!"
Satori had no eyes and couldn't see things, but it had a mind's eye.
The more malicious a person was, the easier it was for Satori to sense them.
Hiss, hiss, hiss—
The wind wailed, and the faint rustling of crawling snakes could be heard, as if countless behemoths were lurking in the darkness.
Ryou's White Zetsu cells also sensed the giant snakes of Ryūchi Cave rushing toward them.
Suddenly, a rumbling sound rang out—it was the sound of the cave walls being forced open by the giant snakes.
Following that were over a dozen giant snakes with bodies as thick as ancient trees.
Their scales were as thick as rock, and their vertical pupils were cold and crimson, staring intently at Ryou and Satori.
The giant snakes of Ryūchi Cave, having been bathed in natural energy for years, had already become demons.
They could sense that by swallowing Ryou and Satori, they would gain a massive evolutionary leap, perhaps even ascending into dragons.
One of the giant snakes couldn't wait; it opened its massive maw, a foul wind blowing forth, as if it intended to swallow Ryou whole in one bite.
Sharingan: Genjutsu!
The tomoe in Ryou's Sharingan spun, and in an instant, the vertical pupil of the snake attacking him became a reflection of the Sharingan.
It had been hypnotized by Ryou's Sharingan!
Ryou's Sharingan met the eyes of each snake one by one; the giant snakes lacked intelligence and were brought under control by his Sharingan one after another.
Although the giant snakes of Ryūchi Cave were bathed in natural energy year-round, it was only a physical leap; their intelligence remained at the level of beasts.
The evolution of life should be an evolution of wisdom, not just a qualitative change in form.
Ryou approached one of the giant snakes and touched its hard scales.
Candy scratched with its claws, "It would be a pity to kill snakes raised this large. Let's capture them in the Box of Ultimate Bliss and tame them!"
"Nekomata's group of Shinobi Cats only know how to hiss when a war starts. If we could form contracts with these giant snakes, things would be much better!"
Ryou nodded and took Candy's suggestion, calling out to Satori, "Satori, the usual routine—catch the snakes!"
"Fine!"
Satori had already begun the process: control, capture, and tame.
Meeting Ryou, even the Sage of Six Paths would be hard-controlled if he showed up!
Even the Sage of Six Paths would be hard-controlled if he showed up.
Satori summoned the Box of Ultimate Bliss and captured the giant snakes controlled by Ryou's Sharingan into it.
There was no worry about them hurting people in Hozuki Castle, as these giant snakes were all under the control of Ryou's genjutsu.
Once in Hozuki Castle, the Great Tree of Takigakure would naturally suppress them.
Satori didn't take all the giant snakes; one was left behind to serve as a guide.
Ryou, with Candy and Satori, sat on the giant snake's head, preparing to control it to swim into the depths of Ryūchi Cave.
Suddenly, something strange happened.
A purple giant snake emerged from the ground and bit toward the head of the snake Ryou was standing on.
Ryou jumped away with Satori, and the purple giant snake bit off the head of the guide snake in one go.
"My snake!"
Ryou was furious; his Sharingan spun to see what kind of snake it was, but immediately after, his pupils constricted.
He saw an unexpected person.
The giant snake opposite them was covered in thick, deep purple scales that were almost black, with several horns on its forehead and venomous fangs. It exuded a foul stench and felt much more powerful than an ordinary giant snake.
Manda
This was Manda, Orochimaru's most iconic Summoning Beast, who in the original work held his own against Gamabunta and Katsuyu.
In the end, he was tragically used by Sasuke as a meat shield to block Deidara's self-destruction.
However, this wasn't enough to surprise Ryou; what surprised him was the figure atop Manda's head.
Long black hair, pale skin, and purple markings extending from under the eyes down to the sides of the nose.
It was Orochimaru, currently looking at Ryou with a cold smile.
Ryou shouted at Orochimaru, "Orochimaru! First you blocked my bridge, and now you're here to block my ascension—you don't miss a single chance to do something wicked!"
Ryou came to Ryūchi Cave to seek Senjutsu and become a Sage. Isn't becoming a Sage essentially an ascension?
Orochimaru blocked the bridge and now the ascension; no wonder his whole family is dead.
"Old classmate, we meet again!"
Orochimaru gave a wicked chuckle; seeing Ryou getting worked up made him happy.
This brute had also blocked his bridge back then, even after he had offered him the Ryūchi Cave Summoning Scroll to sign.
He didn't expect this brute to backstab him.
We're both thousand-year-old foxes, so why are you trying to play tricks on me?
Orochimaru didn't waste words with Ryou, looking at him with a cold sneer, "Ryou, let me show you something 'good'."
Ryou was puzzled, "Something 'good'? Is it a new Ninjutsu?"
"What new Ninjutsu? This is even more exciting than Ninjutsu!"
Even more exciting than Ninjutsu
Orochimaru formed a hand seal, and suddenly a plume of humanoid smoke exploded beside him.
As the smoke slowly dissipated, Ryou's pupils shrank; it was no different from seeing a ghost—no, it was a ghost.
This person wore blue armor, had silver-white hair, and red eyes as sharp as blades. There were three red markings on each cheek and his chin. He stood with his arms crossed, looking at Ryou with an extremely sharp gaze.
This person was Konoha's Second Hokage—Tobirama!