"Sounds like your mission was quite the roller coaster, Kiyosuke-kun."
Inside the lab, Orochimaru chuckled as he listened to Kiyosuke recount the events. Normally, C-rank missions didn't come with that much drama.
"Who knows?" Kiyosuke replied. "By the way, Orochimaru-sama, why did the people from Kirigakure ambush us?"
Orochimaru didn't avoid the question.
"Kirigakure wanted intelligence on the village. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time. They're preparing for war."
"But… didn't the war just end?"
The Second Great Ninja War had wrapped up between Year 38 and 39 of the Konoha calendar. Logically, everyone should be focusing on recovery. Why would Kirigakure start preparing for battle again so quickly?
Orochimaru smiled.
"That's exactly why they're preparing. Konoha was the victor in the Second Great Ninja War. And since the Land of Fire is geographically close to the Land of Water, they want to gather intel.
"Yes, the war is officially over… but the conflicts between the great villages have merely gone underground."
For as long as they'd existed, the Five Great Ninja Villages had never truly stopped fighting—openly or in secret.
Konoha had won both previous wars, causing resentment and putting its strength on display. But with the White Fang's suicide and the Slug Princess leaving the village, Konoha had begun to decline.
Now was the weakest the village had been in years—especially with only one of the Legendary Sannin remaining: Orochimaru.
"Mark my words, Kiyosuke-kun. Within five years, the Third Great Ninja War will begin. You need to build up your strength before then."
He set down the test tube in his hand.
"I have a jutsu here that can boost your combat power. Want to give it a try?"
Wait... could it be the Curse Mark?
Hell no! He definitely didn't want Orochimaru planting any markings on his body!
Keeping a straight face, he asked, "What kind of jutsu, Orochimaru-sama?"
"Summoning Jutsu."
Kiyosuke's heart leapt.
"I'm in!"
Ordinary summons like Kakashi's ninja dogs or Guy's turtle were mostly used for scouting or support. But powerful summons, like Jiraiya's toads or Orochimaru's snakes, could change the tide of battle entirely.
The summoned beasts of the top-tier summoners could cause widespread destruction on the battlefield.
Especially Orochimaru's snakes—they hailed from Ryūchi Cave, one of the Three Great Sage Lands, and were ferocious beyond belief.
"Follow me."
...
They stepped outside the lab and into the courtyard. Orochimaru bit his finger, formed several hand seals, then slammed his palm against the ground.
Black, tadpole-like symbols spread out in a web-like formation from his hand.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
BOOM!
A massive cloud of smoke exploded outward, swallowing the entire courtyard.
When it cleared, a giant snake stood before them, its body the width of a water tank, coiled and imposing. Its dull yellow scales shimmered as it coldly observed the two humans.
Orochimaru grabbed Kiyosuke's arm.
"Don't be afraid."
In the next instant, the snake opened its mouth wide and swallowed them whole before Kiyosuke even had time to react.
POOF!
The snake vanished from the courtyard.
...
Ryūchi Cave
This was one of the Three Great Summoning Grounds, alongside Mount Myōboku and the Shikkotsu Forest.
Its complex network of caverns and warm, damp environment made it a perfect habitat for snakes. Thousands of them lived and bred here, many having gained intelligence and terrifying power from the dense natural energy saturating the land.
At the pinnacle stood the White Snake Sage—an existence on par with the Great Toad Sage and the Slug Sage.
There were two ways to reach Ryūchi Cave: one was through a signed summoning contract, which allowed reverse summoning. The other was to find the cave manually.
Orochimaru had done the latter, passed the trial, and signed a contract with the snakes of Ryūchi Cave.
Now, the giant snake that brought them here slithered into a foggy forest and spat the two of them onto the moss-covered ground before vanishing into the shadows.
"Gross..."
Kiyosuke was drenched in sticky mucus.
He had no idea how Orochimaru could tolerate this. Flames flickered over his body as he evaporated the slime, but the stench lingered.
"You'll have to get used to it," Orochimaru said.
Kiyosuke looked around at the fog-shrouded surroundings.
"Orochimaru-sama, where are we?"
"To obtain a summoning beast, you must form a contract with it. This is where you do that—Ryūchi Cave.
"There are snakes here far larger and more vicious than the one that brought us. If you want to summon one, you'll need a contract. Otherwise, you'll have to pass a trial to earn that right."
Kiyosuke nodded in understanding.
"So... what's the trial?"
"That depends on you," Orochimaru replied with a sly smile. "Keep walking forward and you'll enter the heart of Ryūchi Cave. Whether you survive the trial is up to you."
"And if I fail?"
"You'll be eaten by the snakes."
He said it with complete indifference.
Kiyosuke gulped.
"You're kidding, right? My life's on the line?"
"I barely made it out alive myself. But the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
"If you'd rather not take the chance, I can bring you back. You'll just have to figure out another way to get a summoning beast."
"Wait! I'll do it!"
Kiyosuke took a deep breath and steeled his nerves.
"I'll go—but when I come back, you'd better teach me the hand signs for the Summoning Jutsu! And you're not allowed to run off!"
"I'll wait one day." Orochimaru sat down cross-legged on the ground.
"Fine. I'm going."
Kiyosuke knew he needed a summoning beast—and mastering Sage Mode would be vital. Ryūchi Cave was far more dangerous than Mount Myōboku.
He'd considered going to Jiraiya, hoping to become his student, but the man hadn't shown up in the village even once.
Following Orochimaru was risky—very risky—but this might be his only chance to learn the technique.
If he chickened out now, he'd be left behind… or worse, end up as a lab rat.
There was no turning back.
He stepped into the mist, disappearing into the fog.
...
From the shadows, a woman in priestess robes appeared beside Orochimaru.
"So this is your student, Orochimaru?"
"Not yet," he murmured. "If he comes back alive, then yes. If not, it just wasn't meant to be."
The Ryūchi Cave trial was lethal. If Kiyosuke failed, he'd become nothing more than snake food.
But if he survived… Orochimaru would take him in.
"Hehe… don't underestimate the trials of Ryūchi Cave," the woman said. Her beautiful face turned pale.
Her mouth stretched unnaturally wide, revealing fangs and a flickering forked tongue. Dark shadows spread from her eyes down to her nose.
"I'm already looking forward to feasting on that boy's chakra."
"Then let's wait and see."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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