In the pitch-dark underground, the cries of countless snakes echoed.
Orochimaru licked his lips and followed Tagorihime deeper into the earth. The oppressive darkness limited his sight to just a few meters ahead.
But in his mind, intricate, three-dimensional lines began to appear—an abstract map of Ryūchi Cave's twisting tunnels and passages.
He detached a part of his consciousness and touched one of the glowing threads. Instantly, he could perceive events unfolding across every corner of the cave.
It was… overwhelming.
Honestly, it wasn't very useful.
The brain-map lacked labels or clear directions. The information it presented was chaotic and cluttered. If he tried to look through it all, he'd likely need three days and nights without sleep.
"Don't worry," said the Djinn with a light chuckle. "It'll sort itself out."
As the laughter echoed through his mind, the swirling threads of chaos faded. In their place, a thick and vividly colored sigil emerged—one shaped like a giant, jagged "Z."
Orochimaru furrowed his brow. He didn't recognize the symbol.
"What is this?" he asked.
"It's the character for dragon in the language of Ryūchi Cave," the Djinn replied. "More specifically, it represents the White Snake Sage—her true form coils around the entire structure."
"I've already filtered out the mundane parts: the forests, the wild snakes, the background noise. What you're seeing now is the core of the cave."
As Orochimaru studied the map more closely, his expression began to shift.
To outsiders, Ryūchi Cave appeared as a single entity. But in reality, it was divided into three vast zones—each sectioned by the coils of the White Snake Sage's body, forming the central "Z" shape.
The lowest zone was a vast nest, where the female snakes laid their eggs. Through the Djinn's projection, Orochimaru could see mountain-like piles of pale, leathery eggs—layer upon layer, stretching endlessly.
At every moment, new snakes were hatching. Tiny, slick hatchlings emerged from cracks in their shells and wriggled outward, instinctively crawling toward the immense, sleeping body of the White Snake Sage.
This zone lay not only in the physical underbelly of the cave—it was also the deepest region in terms of spiritual energy. It pulsed with powerful leyline currents, rich in natural vitality. Even the weakest hatchlings, born fragile and underdeveloped, could survive by devouring their fallen kin. The strong fed on the weak. The cycle continued.
When the swarm of hatchlings reached the coils of the Sage, something remarkable happened.
They split—dividing into two groups, like a river parting around a stone.
If Orochimaru had explored alone, he might have taken years to understand the pattern.
But with the Djinn's assistance, the distinction was immediately clear.
"They're separated by potential," the Djinn explained. "The ones on the left are mage-snakes—those who can cultivate and channel senjutsu. The others are warrior-snakes—brutes who absorb natural energy directly into their flesh."
The latter were straightforward. Bigger bodies, longer lives, greater raw strength. Manda, that arrogant fool, was the dominant king among them.
But the second zone—the one higher up—was far more complex. This was the true core of Ryūchi Cave. The experimental zone.
In it, snakes grew abnormally large, endlessly expanding. Others constantly shed their skin, refining their forms again and again in pursuit of evolution.
Yet not all succeeded. Many were overwhelmed by the natural energy they tried to absorb, and were turned into stone—permanently petrified mid-transformation.
The landscape was littered with broken husks and statues: cracked scales, dried-out skins, and the ruined remains of failed experiments.
Orochimaru gazed at this scene, and something clicked.
This... this is where the Three Snake Princesses must have come from.
To the White Snake Sage, they were like Uchiha Shinsuke had once been to him: elite disciples, yes—but also pioneering test subjects. Early attempts at transformation. Stepping stones on the path to perfection.
Orochimaru exhaled in awe. "Incredible…"
To rebuild an entire race's evolutionary path from the ground up... to treat a whole species as raw material for the pursuit of transcendence…
The White Snake Sage's ambition was nothing short of godlike.
"Indeed," murmured the Djinn beside him, a hint of reverence in its voice. "She was once just a snake. She may not be an 'immortal' in the truest sense—but she's earned the right to be called human."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.
He wasn't sure what startled him more—the Sage's ambitions… or the Djinn's unexpected admiration.
The cruelty shown by the White Snake Immortal was far beyond anything Orochimaru had ever done. Could a being like this truly be considered a "master"?
"If you think of snakes—or beasts in general—they're predators of the jungle," Djinn said, casting a glance at Orochimaru. "But the White Snake Immortal has suppressed that cold-blooded instinct. She shelters her kind, provides them food, helps them grow. Why wouldn't she be called 'human'?"
"In fact, raising creatures only to eventually consume them—that's a behavior unique to humans."
Orochimaru slowed his steps.
His face twisted as his thoughts tangled. It sounded absurd, but he couldn't find a flaw in Djinn's logic. Deep down, he even felt that the distinction between humans and animals might not be so different after all.
But something still felt off. If what Djinn said was true, didn't that mean he had to accept the White Snake Immortal's viciousness as "human" too?
"Isn't your reaction a bit much?" Djinn raised a brow, surprised. "Sure, the scale is different, but your own methods are no different from hers. Why the shock?"
He genuinely didn't understand. In his view, they were all just crops being harvested. Was Orochimaru not pleased before? So why the strong reaction now, just because he saw a bigger field of crops?
As a human watching a farmer reap his fields, shouldn't he simply understand?
Even if those fields were full of squealing pigs or pecking chickens—did it change their fate?
This was how humans lived. Why feel shame in it? Why deny that this was the way?
Orochimaru frowned deeply. He no longer cared that Tagorihime might be spying. He spoke solemnly, his mind heavy.
"But the wheat field and the people... the snakes and the White Snake Immortal—they're the same kind. That's what makes it different."
He remembered when he had first crossed the line—when he began experimenting on humans, treating them as tools for knowledge. He had hesitated. It hadn't been as easy as Djinn made it sound.
"Oh, I see now. You're tangled up in good and evil."
After a moment's thought, Djinn nodded and sent a stream of images into Orochimaru's mind.
He smiled. "That's just a convenient label people use."
"The rest of the world mostly runs on monarchies. One man controls the seas. Emperors treat people like livestock. There are nobles and serfs who claim to be of higher birth…"
"That's not snakes and snakes—it's people and people."
Djinn gestured toward the shadows, where snakes hissed in the dark, then pointed at Tagorihime, floating in the air. "Do you think these snakes are still her kin? To her, they're just resources—replenishable at any time."
They weren't her equals. She saw them as livestock. And when viewed that way, there was no question of morality. It was simply a difference in mindset.
Djinn had seen enough of the world in his travels to understand how it worked.
But Orochimaru still seemed shaken. The argument hadn't eased his doubts. His worldview was clearly being tested.
This surprised Djinn. He had assumed Orochimaru would easily accept the notion that "everything is a field of leeks" ready for harvest.
Thinking for a moment, Djinn added, "Let's forget emperors for a second. Haven't you seen how Danzo built the Root organization, raising shinobi just to throw them away?"
"But I'm not like him," Orochimaru shot back without hesitation. When Danzo was mentioned—someone he always considered beneath him—his clarity returned.
He turned toward Djinn with a sharp look. "You've been cultivating me too, haven't you? Harvesting my value. Are you the same as the White Snake Immortal? As Danzo?"
"Of course not," Djinn replied smoothly, grinning.
"They're bad people."
"I'm a good person."
He leaned in slightly.
"My harvesting method is just more refined."
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