When the world finally snapped back into focus, Ren Uchiha found himself plunged into a profound, chilling gloom.
From somewhere unknown, the rhythmic, hollow thump of a wooden fish echoed through the dark. Gradually, his eyes pierced the shadows to reveal a colossal, towering mural of a Buddha. The statue possessed three heads and six arms, holding ritual implements with a terrifying, wrathful expression. Beneath it coiled a savage dragon, its jaws clamped shut around a massive stone scroll inscribed with three words: RYŪCHI CAVE.
In the darkness, the rustling of something enormous slithering past echoed like steel scraping against stone. Ren's scalp tingled. His innate combat instinct—the sense that had seen him through countless brushes with death—screamed a warning of extreme danger. It felt as though he were being watched by something that transcended human understanding.
Abruptly, a raspy, deep, and ancient voice rang out:
"Little brat—"
"In the presence of a Sage, why do you not bow?"
The voice carried a physical weight, a wave of power that brushed against Ren's face. His eyes snapped wide, veins bulging at his temples like the activation of a Byakugan. A unique surge of natural energy flooded his vision, granting him a 360-degree infrared thermal view. His dark eyes instantly shifted into a hybrid of snake-pupils and the Sharingan.
Beyond the sensory shock, this "greeting" from the Sage quietly bestowed a new ability upon him: [Night Vision].
With a blink, the world transformed. It was as if a high-wattage searchlight had been switched on in a pitch-black room, rendering every detail with crystalline clarity.
That was when he saw it.
Beneath the giant gates of Ryūchi Cave sat a white snake so immense that a single one of its scales was larger than Ren himself. It was coiled in a massive heap, lowering its head to stare at him with golden pupils brimming with cold-blooded cruelty and greed.
"The... White Snake Sage?"
Ren froze, immediately recognizing the ancestor of Ryūchi Cave—a terrifying entity that had existed since the era of Kaguya. Ever since he had received the gift from Tagitsuhime during his battle with Ebizō, he had expected some follow-up, but he never thought the Big Boss of the Cave would summon him personally.
And what did it mean by saying his method of mastering Sage Mode was "wrong"?
The White Snake Sage tilted its head, its voice a low hiss. "Mortal... do not continue walking down that mistaken path. Your teacher, Orochimaru, is nothing but a failure on this road—a madman who couldn't even grasp the power of a Sage. How could he guide you on the true path of 'Becoming a Dragon'?"
Ren knit his brows, hesitating. "The path of... Becoming a Dragon? What is that?"
Following Orochimaru's roadmap, Ren expected to at least reach a level similar to Mitsuki's future Sage Transformation. While imperfect, it was a power that even the Ōtsutsuki clan found wary. Yet, the Sage was calling it a mistake?
The White Snake Sage let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Before I answer that, I must ask you—what do you believe 'Sage Mode,' as pursued by humans, actually is?"
Ren thought for a moment. "A powerful state achieved by absorbing natural energy to qualitatively enhance one's Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu?"
"Hmph! 'Powerful'?" The Sage sneered. "Then what degree of strength do you consider truly 'powerful'? What do you believe is the absolute limit for a shinobi walking this earth?"
Sensing that the Sage (or "Grandmother," perhaps) didn't intend to kill him just yet, Ren relaxed slightly. He rubbed his chin and considered. "The limit... I suppose it's the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju? The man who changed the world and created the One State, One Village system."
In the original story, anyone who surpassed Hashirama usually wasn't considered a "ninja" anymore—they were essentially gods.
But the White Snake Sage shook its massive head. "Wrong! The limit of a ninja is not Hashirama Senju." It paused, its golden eyes gleaming. "It is your ancestor, the man who died at the hands of the First Hokage—Madara Uchiha!"
Ren raised an eyebrow. He didn't interrupt;战力 (power-scaling) debates were always subjective. He just wanted to know why he was here.
The White Snake Sage uncoiled its tail slowly, reminiscing. "The man who mastered the strongest Bloodline Limit, controlled the strongest Tailed Beast, and reached the pinnacle of Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu. The Ghost of the Uchiha. And yet, he died to Hashirama. Do you think that if you mastered the 'complete' Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode, you could kill Madara Uchiha?"
Ren's heart skipped a beat. Me? Kill Madara? Are you joking? Even if you gave me another Tailed Beast and I fought Old Man Madara, I'd still just be tickling him!
The Sage saw the shock on Ren's face and nodded. "It seems you understand, having faced the Nine-Tails. A creature so powerful, yet it crawled beneath that man's feet. A standard 'complete' Sage Mode is not much stronger than the final form of the Curse Mark Orochimaru gave you. Even against the Nine-Tails, it would fall short. That is the limit of ordinary Senjutsu."
The Sage leaned in close, staring into Ren's snake-slitted Sharingan.
"However, above that Senjutsu, there is a stronger form. The key that allowed Hashirama to finally kill Madara was Senjutsu—but not the Senjutsu of the Three Great Sages. It was a Senjutsu that transcends ordinary Sage Mode, a Senjutsu from the very source of life! The realm one touches only when Yang Release reaches its zenith: The Great Sun Senjutsu!"
The White Snake Sage hissed, its voice filled with a dark fervor. "Ren Uchiha... you have already glimpsed the tip of the iceberg of that power. Think back."
Ren blinked, memories flooding back of the moment he crushed the opal and saw the magnificent sight within Ryūchi Cave. Countless points of eerie green light had illuminated the darkness, floating and connecting into a web of glowing lines that filled the cavern. A terrifying, near-infinite gathering of natural energy!
The White Snake Sage lunged its head forward, a cold wind brushing Ren's ear as its jaws parted in a wide, hungry grin.
"Yes! That is the true power of a Sage! The Yin-side of the world, a limit of Yin Release created by the absurd fantasies of great life at its end! The Key that can open the limits and allow one to ascend... into a Dragon!"
Note: Support me and get early access to chapters on Pat reon.com/XareonMTL