Orochimaru arrived at Ryūchi Cave. What he intended to do was something that even Kakuzu could guess. Since that was the case, why not just let Orochimaru have his way?
Orochimaru cast a grateful glance at Kakuzu before shifting his gaze toward the three elders of Ryūchi Cave—Ichikishimahime and her two companions. Whether or not he could enter depended on their approval.
After observing Orochimaru for a moment, the three elders finally nodded.
"Go on in. Today is truly a day of anomalies."
Ichikishimahime was in a terrible mood. The two people they had encountered today were like walking glitches—one was someone they couldn't afford to provoke, and the other carried an aura similar to their own kind. Against these two, they could do nothing but let them through.
The thought of their own powerlessness made Ichikishimahime mutter curses under her breath before vanishing into the mist along with her two companions.
...
From there, the journey for Kakuzu and Orochimaru was smooth. Step by step, they ascended the stone stairway and eventually reached the final palace of Ryūchi Cave, where they came face to face with the White Snake Sage.
Seated on a small mink-fur chair was an elderly woman who appeared to be in her sixties or seventies. She had brown hair wrapped in a black headscarf.
This was the legendary White Snake Sage.
But one should not be fooled by her seemingly kind and elderly appearance—if she were to reveal her true form, her ferocity would far exceed that of the three previous elders.
The White Snake Sage exhaled a puff of smoke from her pipe and first turned her gaze to Orochimaru.
"You have not undergone a single trial of Ryūchi Cave, yet you wish to enter and gain power? Young man, don't you think you're trying to reap rewards without effort?"
Orochimaru chuckled in response to her words.
"White Snake Sage, you must be joking. I came here because I sensed an aura similar to my own. That's why I sought out this place. If you find my presence unwelcome, I am willing to leave and take on the trials first. Only after passing them all will I return to seek your guidance."
Extending his long, serpentine tongue, Orochimaru licked his dry lips. His words were respectful, but his demeanor carried an air of arrogance, subtly demonstrating that he was one of their kind.
Orochimaru was eager to stay in Ryūchi Cave and obtain greater power.
"Hehehe... You certainly know how to talk." The White Snake Sage let out a sinister chuckle. "Your body is constructed differently from most humans. In a way, one could say you belong to our kind. If you wish to learn Senjutsu, I can teach you. But do not set your expectations too high—gaining something always comes at the cost of something else."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with delight at her agreement to teach him, but her latter words gave him pause. Gain something while inevitably losing something else?
The remark left him deep in thought.
But the White Snake Sage no longer paid attention to Orochimaru. Instead, she turned her gaze to Kakuzu.
"That old slug from Shikkotsu Forest and the senile toad from Mount Myōboku both chose to teach you Senjutsu. That suggests there is something unique about you. But unlike those two fools, I am not so easily persuaded. You have not undergone any trials and have barged straight in, violating the rules of Ryūchi Cave."
She took another puff from her pipe, her expression unreadable.
"Moreover, unlike the young man beside you, your body shares no connection with our serpent lineage. Why should I grant you the power of Senjutsu?"
A faint smile remained on the White Snake Sage's lips as tendrils of smoke curled around her.
Kakuzu simply chuckled and nodded.
"White Snake Sage, you're in excellent health—not frail and decaying like the Slug Sage or the Great Toad Sage. Judging by your condition, living another thousand years wouldn't be an issue."
"Heh, your flattery might work on common folks, but I am not so easily swayed," the White Snake Sage replied, unimpressed, taking another drag from her pipe.
Kakuzu nodded again, acknowledging her words without dispute. Then, from within his robe, he produced a scroll, unfurling it and undoing the sealing technique.
Poof!
A thick cloud of smoke erupted, drawing the attention of both the White Snake Sage and Orochimaru.
They were both curious—what exactly had Kakuzu taken out?
As the smoke cleared, ten large boxes appeared from the scroll. Kakuzu picked them up and carried them over to the White Snake Sage.
She watched, intrigued, as he carefully unlatched each one, finally revealing a long, rectangular object and offering it to her.
"White Snake Sage, care for a Huatzu?"
Kakuzu's smooth gesture of offering a cigarette left both Orochimaru and the White Snake Sage momentarily stunned.
Orochimaru, having roamed the shinobi world for years, was naturally familiar with cigarettes. But the White Snake Sage, who had lived in seclusion within Ryūchi Cave for eons, was less acquainted with such worldly items. While she had heard whispers of the outside world, she never concerned herself with trivial human customs.
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Kakuzu did not explain. Instead, he lit a Huatzu for himself, took a long drag, and exhaled a cloud of smoke in a slow, relaxed manner.
The rich scent of the smoke wafted toward the White Snake Sage.
She narrowed her eyes at Kakuzu's blatant disregard for etiquette, then suddenly straightened up.
...
"You!!!"
Boom!
A thunderous explosion shook the palace as the White Snake Sage revealed her true form—a colossal serpent over a hundred meters long.
She flicked her forked tongue, her enormous head looming over Kakuzu. Even though she had limited her transformation to a hundred meters, in truth, she could stretch far beyond that—perhaps even to a thousand meters or more.
"Kakuzu-san..."
Standing behind him, Orochimaru couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. Truth be told, Kakuzu had been quite audacious. Blowing smoke into someone's face upon their first meeting—no wonder the White Snake Sage was furious.
Lowering her enormous head, she brought her massive face mere inches from Kakuzu, her flicking tongue alone larger than his entire body.
"Where did you get this Huatzu?"
Kakuzu, unfazed, took another leisurely drag and answered nonchalantly,
"I crafted it myself using the finest tobacco. Huatzu is not something commonly found in the shinobi world. Frankly, the cigarettes here can't compare."
His words subtly suggested that only individuals of high status could appreciate something as fine as Huatzu.
"White Snake Sage, these ten boxes of Huatzu are my gift to you. If you find them to your liking, just let me know—I'll ensure you receive an endless supply."
The White Snake Sage's lips curled into a smirk.
"Since you're so thoughtful, what are you waiting for? Light one for me."
Kakuzu retrieved an extra-large Huatzu from the box and used a Fire Release technique to ignite it.
The White Snake Sage took a deep inhale, exhaling with a sigh of absolute satisfaction. Then, she gradually reverted to her elderly form, settling back into her mink-fur chair.
"Not bad, not bad... Kakuzu, the temptation of Huatzu is indeed powerful."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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