The border of the Land of Fire, in a forest near the Land of Rain.
Orochimaru stood atop a tall tree. Raising his hand, he released the seal between White Snake's brows. A flood of memories poured into his mind, and an involuntary grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Whether the upcoming journey to Ryūchi Cave would allow him to learn Sage Arts and enhance his chakra to the level of a bloodline limit was still uncertain.
But with Danzo now taking over the first-generation cell research, at least there was another way forward.
Rustle, rustle...
Suddenly, a wild boar nearly twenty meters long burst out of the trees. It sniffed the ground with its broad, dark snout, digging through the soil and devouring roots and bulbs.
Seeing this, Orochimaru licked his lips, set aside his earlier thoughts, and leapt down from the treetop, pouncing toward the beast.
—
A short while later, after disabling the wild boar, Orochimaru formed hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
White smoke exploded outward—and a massive purple python materialized in the clearing.
Manda loomed over the scene, scanning the area. Confirming there were no enemies nearby, he lowered his gaze onto the injured, howling wild boar. A trace of displeasure flickered in his eyes.
"This stupid pig isn't worth the sacrifice of two hundred people," Manda said disdainfully.
He spoke as if it was Orochimaru's fault, shamelessly ignoring the fact that he had once tricked Orochimaru himself.
Orochimaru simply crossed his arms and smiled without responding.
If it weren't for the upcoming trip to Ryūchi Cave, he wouldn't have wasted even this wild boar on Manda.
You want two hundred people? Be grateful you're getting half that in one meal, Orochimaru thought.
After a long moment of sulking, Manda snorted unhappily, coiled his body around the squealing boar, and devoured it whole.
---
"I thought you were really going to catch humans and feed them to Manda," Djinn said, a little stunned at the scene.
He had expected some kind of live sacrifice—not that "two hundred people" was just a unit of measurement.
Considering the size of the boar, weighing at least four to five thousand kilograms, Djinn thought, Isn't that the same as feeding it a hundred people anyway?
Watching Manda tear into his meal so eagerly, Djinn frowned in confusion.
"It's just a wild boar. For someone like Manda, catching prey shouldn't be that hard. Why does he eat so desperately?"
Orochimaru chuckled.
"Manda could catch prey easily—but he rarely gets the chance," he explained.
"Ryūchi Cave is located in the Land of Stone. There's nothing there but rocks—no forests, no prey. It's barren, nothing like the lush Land of Fire."
He paused, then added, "Besides, without the White Snake Sage's permission, the snakes of Ryūchi Cave aren't allowed to leave the cave."
"I see..." Djinn nodded thoughtfully, finally understanding.
Using snakes' cold-blooded instincts to hunt in the Land of Stone would have been a disaster.
And compared to animals, which instinctively avoid danger, humans were much easier targets.
If the snakes of Ryūchi Cave had ever started hunting humans freely, the Five Great Ninja Villages would have banded together to wipe them out.
It was simple: those who are not our kin must be eliminated.
The White Snake Sage would never risk the extinction of Ryūchi Cave's snakes just to satisfy their appetites.
Besides, ordinary humans weren't very nourishing to begin with.
The real delicacies were the occasional ninjas who traveled to Ryūchi Cave to train in Sage Arts—those were the rare high-class meals that could truly satisfy the cave's serpents.
Djinn glanced at Manda, who was still busy devouring the boar, then asked curiously,
"Since there's so little food in Ryūchi Cave, what exactly do they eat?"
Although Ryūchi Cave is a sacred place of immortality, practicing Sage Arts clearly can't fill one's stomach.
As for Manda, that useless snake—he hadn't truly mastered Sage Arts. His massive size came only from passively absorbing the surrounding natural energy over time.
"There are only snakes in Ryūchi Cave. What else could they possibly eat?" Djinn asked.
Orochimaru curled his lips into a sharp grin and said,
"Manda isn't just the king of snakes. He earned that title by devouring tens of thousands of his own kind."
The law of the jungle—only the strong survive. Cannibalism was nothing unusual in nature.
"No, it can't be that simple," Djinn shook his head, though he didn't deny the principle itself.
Under Orochimaru's curious gaze, Djinn explained the basic ecosystem model of "producers, consumers, and decomposers."
"Even in a world like this, where chakra and jutsu exist, ecosystems still follow certain rules. Snakes at the bottom of the food chain don't just appear out of nowhere."
Orochimaru frowned slightly at that.
The scientific knowledge of the ninja world wasn't backward, but compared to another world—the one Djinn seemed to draw from—it was warped.
Technology here was tightly bound to warfare, and fields that explained how the world itself worked were greatly lacking.
Terms like "food chain" and "ecosystem" were unfamiliar concepts to Orochimaru, and for once, he found himself at a loss.
"Maybe the big snakes eat the little snakes... and the little snakes feed on mice, insects..."
Orochimaru offered an offhand answer, but seeing Djinn's unsatisfied look, he grew more thoughtful.
"But these are just ordinary matters. Why do they matter so much?"
Djinn smiled lightly.
"Ordinary, maybe. But sometimes, from a small glimpse, you can see a greater truth—like the nature of the White Snake Sage."
He glanced at Orochimaru and continued,
"Environments do shape character. But at the level of the White Snake Sage, it's the other way around—the environment reflects her will."
"For example, in Konoha, there's the 'Will of Fire' established by the Third Hokage. In Root, there's Danzo's 'Will of Root.' People are only promoted when they align with their superior's will."
Orochimaru raised his eyebrows slightly.
He understood very well what Djinn meant. After all, hadn't he imposed his own will upon his subordinates too?
Compared to Konoha, Ryūchi Cave was fully under the White Snake Sage's control—free from the compromises that the Third Hokage or Danzo had to make.
Thus, the environment there would reflect her true nature even more clearly.
Djinn smiled again.
"Last time, you failed to gain Sage Arts and barely escaped with your life. Even if you've trained the Breathing Method now, how much greater are your chances, really?"
"If you change your approach," Djinn said, his voice calm, "and treat it not as begging for power, but as an exchange—offering something in return—your chances will be much better."
"Look at Mount Myōboku. The toads carefully teach Sage Arts to those they deem valuable, like Jiraiya, who aligned himself with their 'Child of Destiny.'"
"You know, after all—nothing is truly free. The free things often cost you the most... and are the least reliable."
Orochimaru's expression grew a little strange at that final line.
Coming from Djinn, it was strangely convincing.
After a moment's thought, Orochimaru leapt onto Manda's massive body and asked casually,
"Manda, what exactly do you snakes eat in Ryūchi Cave?"
Manda, busy swallowing the wild boar whole, paused mid-bite, startled.
"Huh?!"
Orochimaru repeated his question patiently.
Manda let out a disdainful snort.
"Why should I answer you? I'm under no obligation."
Orochimaru didn't argue.
Instead, he casually created a shadow clone and sent it flying off into the distance.
"Answer me—and I'll catch another prey for you later."
Manda's eyes brightened immediately. Raising his head high, he huffed proudly,
"I want two."
Clearly trying to make the most of the situation, he added smugly,
"That's only fitting for someone of my stature."
_____________
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