The Three Great Sage Regions were all unique natural sanctuaries.
Much like the Dragon Vein beneath Rōran, they were naturally formed environments saturated with dense natural energy rather than places created by human hands.
In fact, these locations might have existed since the birth of the planet itself.
The creatures that eventually became the rulers of the Three Great Sage Regions had merely settled there, gradually turning them into the sacred training grounds known today.
"Mount Myōboku is surrounded by mountains and valleys, Shikkotsu Forest is a vast wetland, and Ryūchi Cave is hidden underground. Hmm, each place really does suit the habits of its inhabitants."
Seiryū had already arrived at the entrance to Ryūchi Cave.
A massive cavern opened before him.
The interior was pitch black, and a faintly chilling aura seeped from its depths.
"I wonder whether these places were altered by their inhabitants or whether they were always like this. All three Sage Regions perfectly suit the species living there. That can't be entirely coincidental, can it?"
Seiryū muttered to himself.
However, he did not dwell on the question.
Senjutsu was different from Ninjutsu.
It was also fundamentally different from the power of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
If anything, Senjutsu resembled a native method of cultivation that had originated on this planet.
At the very least, in the original story, Urashiki had shown both surprise and caution when confronted with Senjutsu Chakra.
Senjutsu was also one of the few powers capable of harming members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, and Senjutsu attacks could even affect Truth-Seeking Balls.
It clearly possessed unique qualities.
Seiryū suspected that Senjutsu might have been the original power system of this world.
It simply was not particularly suited for humans.
Then the Sage of Six Paths spread Chakra throughout the world, introducing the power system inherited from the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
As generations passed and countless shinobi experimented with Chakra, humans eventually discovered a way to combine their Chakra with natural energy.
That was how humans became capable of practicing Senjutsu.
"Let's go have a chat with the White Snake Sage. The rulers of the other two Sage Regions were both reasonable enough. Hopefully this one is just as easy to talk to."
Seiryū paused.
"Well, easy to talk to for a snake."
Without thinking any further, he walked directly into the cavern.
His perception had already spread throughout the surrounding area, capturing every movement nearby.
At the same moment, deep within Ryūchi Cave, a massive chamber contained an enormous throne.
A gigantic white-scaled snake shifted slightly upon it.
Its tail moved lazily as it drew from a long pipe before exhaling a cloud of white smoke.
"Has another challenger arrived?"
Then, as though sensing something unusual, it murmured curiously, "Hmm? He carries the aura of the other Sage Regions. How strange."
Despite being a snake, its voice was not harsh or sinister.
Instead, it sounded surprisingly gentle.
In a sense, Ryūchi Cave itself was connected to the White Snake Sage.
It could perceive nearly everything that happened within its domain.
From Seiryū, it sensed the aura of the other Sage Regions.
Not merely one.
Two.
That was extremely unusual.
A single person actually possessed traces of Senjutsu from both of the other Great Sage Regions.
"Hmm? Another challenger?"
"What kind of person is it this time?"
"I hope it isn't another pale, gloomy man like Orochimaru. I prefer the strong-looking ones. If they fail, they have more meat on them!"
Three other figures were present inside the chamber.
They were beautiful women with striking appearances and graceful figures.
They were also three of Ryūchi Cave's highest-ranking attendants.
Hearing that a challenger had arrived, the three immediately began discussing him with excitement.
Those who failed Ryūchi Cave's trials could become their prey.
For the snakes, consuming a powerful challenger was extremely beneficial.
Naturally, they looked forward to new visitors.
The snakes of Ryūchi Cave were notoriously vicious.
Even Manda, Orochimaru's summon, regularly demanded human sacrifices.
Such behavior was deeply rooted in Ryūchi Cave itself.
To many of its inhabitants, humans were simply prey.
The White Snake Sage spoke gently from its throne.
"Go and receive our guest. However, do not show him any hostility. I doubt the three of you are his match."
The three attendants exchanged glances before bowing their heads.
"As you command, White Snake Sage."
They quickly left the chamber and headed toward Seiryū.
"Not his match? An impressive challenger must have arrived."
"The White Snake Sage didn't tell us to cancel the trials, though. That means we can still test him, right?"
"Hehehe. Then if he fails, can we eat him? We should still be allowed to, shouldn't we?"
The three continued chatting, their eyes filled with curiosity and barely concealed anticipation.
The White Snake Sage had warned them not to show hostility.
It had not ordered them to abandon Ryūchi Cave's trials.
That left some room to interpret the order.
If the challenger failed legitimately, then Ryūchi Cave's customs would apply.
And those who failed could become prey.
Meanwhile, Seiryū had just entered a spacious cavern when a pleasant female voice reached him.
"It has been a long time since we welcomed a challenger. Welcome, honored guest. Allow me to guide you from here."
Seiryū stopped and looked ahead.
Several tables had been arranged throughout the cavern.
Beautifully prepared dishes covered their surfaces, and an enticing aroma drifted through the air.
One of Ryūchi Cave's attendants, Tagorihime, approached gracefully.
She possessed an elegant appearance, and her voice was crisp and pleasant.
"My name is Tagorihime. I am one of the attendants of Ryūchi Cave."
Stopping several meters away from Seiryū, she gave him a polite bow and smiled.
"I prepared this meal personally. I hope it suits your tastes."
This was part of the trial.
If the challenger ate the food she had prepared, they would fail and fall under a Genjutsu.
Afterward, Tagorihime would devour them.
Looking at the beautiful woman before him, Seiryū naturally recognized her.
He merely smiled.
"It looks average."
"Do you have military ration pills with ramen flavor, chocolate fried rice, or seven-flavor fruit rice balls?"
"Something like that?"
"I'm very picky. I'm not used to ordinary food."
Tagorihime froze.
"?"
What kind of food was that?
Were people in the outside world eating things like this now?
She could not even imagine what any of those dishes would taste like.
"Hehehe."
Another soft laugh came from behind her.
A second beautiful woman stepped out.
It was Ichikishimahime.
After hearing Seiryū's request, she laughed openly.
"Tagorihime, I think he's making fun of you."
"I think so too."
A third woman, Tagitsuhime, slowly appeared as well.
Her voice carried a playful edge.
"You failed, so it should be my turn now."
"What are you talking about? Obviously, I'm next."
"According to the order, I'm first!"
"I'm first!"
"Hmph. Do you want to fight me before we continue?"
The two suddenly began arguing loudly.
Their hostility toward one another rapidly escalated, making it seem as though a fight might break out at any moment.
Seiryū sighed.
"Don't bother with these little tricks."
"I'm completely immune to ordinary Genjutsu. Compared with me, your skill with illusions is barely worth mentioning."
It was indeed a Genjutsu.
However, ordinary Genjutsu could not affect Seiryū.
He had once assumed this immunity came from the system, but now he suspected it was related to the nature of his spiritual power.
Unless it was a Genjutsu at the Six Paths level, it would have little effect on him.
Seiryū could hear and see the two women arguing.
However, beneath the illusion, both snakes were slowly approaching him.
Their beautiful faces had already distorted into monstrous forms.
Their mouths opened impossibly wide, revealing sharp fangs as long tongues flicked through the air.
They clearly intended to devour him while they believed he was trapped inside the Genjutsu.
The sight was so absurd that Seiryū did not know whether to laugh or sigh.
'Clatter!'
Golden chains suddenly erupted from Seiryū's body.
They moved like living creatures and wrapped around all three attendants in an instant.
"Eh?"
"These are the Uzumaki Clan's Adamantine Sealing Chains?"
"Damn it! He really is immune to Genjutsu? How did he do that?"
Only then did the three attendants realize what had happened.
It was not that their reactions were slow.
Seiryū had simply moved too quickly.
He restrained all three before they had any chance to respond.
The White Snake Sage had said they probably were not his match?
Perhaps the word "probably" had been unnecessary.
The golden chains dragged the three closer.
Seiryū smiled.
"Since I defeated all three of you, does that mean I passed the trial?"
"If not, you may have a problem."
"I'm not the kind of person who goes easy on someone just because they're beautiful."
If Seiryū had sensed genuine killing intent from them, the moment they cast Genjutsu on him would have been enough for him to classify them as enemies.
And Seiryū never showed mercy to enemies.
"You passed!"
"Please let us go. We'll take you to the White Snake Sage immediately."
"Stop tightening them. I can't breathe!"
The three quickly surrendered.
Their eyes now contained fear and caution whenever they looked at Seiryū.
This boy appeared only twelve or thirteen years old.
Yet he had subdued all three of them in an instant.
"Then take me to the White Snake Sage."
Seiryū released Fullbring: Heaven's Chain and spoke politely.
Although he had already sensed the White Snake Sage's location, he was here as a visitor.
It was only proper to let the inhabitants guide him.
"Please follow us."
Led by the three attendants, Seiryū soon reached the deepest chamber of Ryūchi Cave.
There, he finally met the ruler of the Sage Region.
The White Snake Sage.
Seiryū showed no arrogance.
He gave the ancient snake a polite bow.
"Greetings, White Snake Sage. My name is Seiryū. I came here hoping to learn the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave."
"Seiryū?"
The White Snake Sage tilted its head slightly.
"That name sounds familiar."
It returned the greeting with a small movement of its head.
Despite being a snake, its manner was unexpectedly gentle.
Of course, that was assuming one ignored the fact that it permitted its subordinates to eat humans.
After thinking briefly, recognition appeared in the White Snake Sage's eyes.
"Oh. You are Konoha's Shinigami, Seiryū."
"I heard about you from Orochimaru."
"You are the one who killed Manda, correct?"
"Uh."
Seiryū froze for a moment.
How exactly was he supposed to answer that?
The White Snake Sage flicked its tail and exhaled another cloud of smoke.
"I am not blaming you."
"I merely asked Orochimaru how Manda died, and he mentioned your name. That was why I remembered it."
It had indeed first heard Seiryū's name from Orochimaru because of Manda's death.
However, Ryūchi Cave was not isolated from the outside world.
The White Snake Sage was familiar with the recent changes throughout the shinobi world.
Naturally, it had also heard of Konoha's Reaper.
It simply had never met Seiryū personally.
Seiryū joked, "You frightened me for a moment. I thought I'd have to fight you before we could talk."
The White Snake Sage replied gently, "These old bones are no match for you."
"And there is no need to concern yourself with Manda's death. That was the fate brought about by its own actions."
Seiryū smiled.
"That's good."
"I would rather not become your enemy, White Snake Sage. Otherwise, learning the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave would become rather difficult."
The White Snake Sage took another draw from its pipe while examining Seiryū carefully.
"You carry traces of Senjutsu from the other two Great Sage Regions."
"I find that fascinating."
"How did you accomplish it?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"I can learn Senjutsu, but I can't enter Sage Mode."
Seiryū explained his purpose.
"I've always felt that something was missing."
"That's why I came here. I want to combine the Senjutsu of all three Great Sage Regions and see whether anything changes."
"Combine all three forms of Senjutsu?"
The White Snake Sage's eyes flashed.
It shifted into a more comfortable position.
"That is a very interesting idea."
"If it succeeds, it may indeed produce an unexpected transformation."
"What kind of transformation do you think it might cause?"
"I do not know."
The White Snake Sage shook its head.
"Because of the nature of my body, I cannot practice the Senjutsu of the other Sage Regions."
"I have never seriously considered combining them."
It looked at Seiryū curiously.
"Do you have a theory?"
"Sage Mode is closely related to Yang Release."
"And the pinnacle of Yang Release Chakra is Yang Power."
"I suspect that combining the Senjutsu of all three Great Sage Regions might produce Yang Power."
"Yang Power? The power associated with the Sage of Six Paths?"
"It seems you know about it."
"Only a little."
The White Snake Sage puffed on its pipe and exhaled slowly.
"I know about the conflict between Indra and Asura."
"Both inherited part of the Sage of Six Paths' power."
"Yang Power was the power inherited by Asura, correct?"
Seiryū nodded.
"That's right."
"To obtain Six Paths Power through your own efforts."
The White Snake Sage stared at Seiryū with growing interest.
"You truly are unusual."
"At the very least, I never considered such a path."
"Aren't you following a different path yourself?"
Seiryū glanced around the chamber before speaking meaningfully.
"You tried to raise your existence to a higher level, transforming from a snake into a dragon."
"But it seems you failed."
The White Snake Sage sighed.
"Yes. I failed."
"It is a difficult path."
"And because of that failure, I am now bound to Ryūchi Cave and cannot leave."
Without continuing that subject, the White Snake Sage said, "Since you came seeking Senjutsu, I have no reason to refuse you."
"You already know how to sense and manipulate natural energy."
"Learning the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave should not be difficult for you."
After a brief pause, it added, "However, I have one request."
"Would you allow me to observe the moment when you combine the Senjutsu of the Three Great Sage Regions?"
"I am curious to see what will happen."
"Of course."
Seiryū agreed without hesitation.
He sensed no hostility from the White Snake Sage.
Only genuine curiosity about whether Seiryū's method could trigger a fundamental transformation.
Although the White Snake Sage had apparently failed in its own attempt, its age and experience were undeniable.
Perhaps it could offer Seiryū useful guidance.
After all, the Sages of Ryūchi Cave were capable of assuming human forms, something the inhabitants of the other Sage Regions could not normally accomplish.
Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu clearly possessed qualities unique to itself.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)