Ryou recalled that in the original anime, Shinga's first contractor did indeed look a lot like the Third Kazekage.
Moreover, the setting where the contractor betrayed Shinga was in a desert, which fits the environment of the Land of Wind perfectly.
The Third Kazekage was a person with great charisma, but at the same time, he was a Shinobi who grew up in the cruel environment of the desert.
Betrayal and slaughter were the norm in the desert.
The Third Kazekage might have abandoned Shinga for some reason.
For example, perhaps Shinga was too big and difficult to handle, so the Third Kazekage wanted to switch to a smaller snake.
There were too many reasons.
Since Ryou and Candy had both come into contact with Sasori's Third Kazekage Human Puppet, Shinga had smelled the scent of the Third Kazekage on them, which is why it crawled out of its nest to seek revenge on the Third Kazekage.
But, what kind of internet are you using? Don't you know the Third Kazekage has been dead for two or three years?
Female Orochimaru sneered, "Shinga, there's no need to dwell on the Third Kazekage anymore, because—he is already dead!"
"What?!"
Upon hearing this, Shinga's massive snake head froze in mid-air. The hatred in its eyes suddenly vanished into a void, leaving behind only a blank expression of astonishment.
If the Third Kazekage was dead, then what about all these years it had endured, fueled by hatred?
"No, impossible. Juuichirou has Magnet Release; how could someone so powerful die so easily?"
Ichikishimahime said, "Shinga, Orochimaru is right. The Third Kazekage is dead."
"He was betrayed by the subordinate he trusted, and even after being poisoned, he couldn't find peace; he was turned into a Human Puppet!"
Ryou signaled to Candy; empty words were far less convincing than seeing it with one's own eyes.
Candy nodded, performed hand seals, and summoned the Third Kazekage Human Puppet.
The moment Shinga saw the Third Kazekage Human Puppet, the snake froze.
"Juuichirou, you really are dead?"
Shinga felt a wave of emptiness in its heart; the revenge and hatred it had plotted day and night suddenly had nowhere to go.
It then let out a loud laugh, "Good, I never thought you would be betrayed too! How ironic fate is!"
Ryou said to Shinga, "Can you let us pass now?"
Shinga said to Ryou in a low voice, "If you want to pass, no one is stopping you!"
"Aren't you the snake guarding the gate here? Aren't you coiled here to tell us that to see the White Snake Sage, we have to defeat you?"
"Hmph, how could I possibly fight for that old monster snake? Ridiculous!"
"(╬▔皿 ▔)╯. If you're not guarding the gate, why are you blocking the way?"
Ryou's Sharingan spun, and with powerful dōjutsu power, he directly controlled Shinga.
Afterward, he very subtly dropped a spore into the earth, letting it burrow into the ground to come into contact with the skin where Shinga touched the ground.
This was right in front of the White Snake Sage's cave; one still had to be modest when planting things right in front of the host.
Subsequently, the Third Kazekage was summoned away by Sasori.
He was in the middle of using his ultimate move to fight against the Uchiha Clan's Shinobi; it would be ridiculous if the puppet just disappeared in the middle of the fight, wouldn't it?
Led by Ichikishimahime, Ryou entered the White Snake Sage's cave.
Something strange appeared; inside the cave, a massive temple had been built—the White Snake Sage's temple.
The temple was carved from bluestone with snake patterns, pillars entwined with white snakes, and the candlelight was a ghostly green.
The incense smoke in the temple flickered in and out like a snake's tongue, and the snake statues outside were covered in white scales with cold, slit pupils.
Snake shadows shifted on the cave walls, the sound of scales rustling was faint, and the atmosphere was chilling and intimidating.
A Snake Princess with a high, jet-black bun, adorned with a golden circular hairpiece on her forehead, and dressed in a plain white shrine maiden outfit, waited in front of the temple.
She wore a red-trimmed, slanted-collar robe with a vermilion belt, and a necklace with a round pendant around her neck. Her face was beautiful, and her aura was mysterious and cold.
It was Tagitsuhime.
Tagitsuhime said to Ryou, "Trial-taker, you have successfully passed the three great trials. Next, you will undergo the final Sage training!"
Ichikishimahime looked at Tagitsuhime and mocked, "Tagitsuhime, you coward, you were so scared that you hid here with the Ancestor!"
Tagitsuhime could no longer maintain her cold image and snapped at Ichikishimahime, "You shameless monster snake, don't think I don't know what you've done. You have simply tarnished the Sage's image!"
"( ′ ▽ ` 〃 )."
Ichikishimahime blushed a little and stopped provoking Tagitsuhime.
The two snake princesses joined forces and, one on each side, led Ryou into the interior of the temple.
Anko and Yamato were stopped, but Female Orochimaru was allowed to enter.
Because she was a successor of Ryūchi Cave, she was special.
"Anko, Yamato, you failed the assessment during the third trial, so you are not qualified to meet the Ancestor!"
Anko huffed, "I've already made it here, which proves I passed the three great trials. I want to become a Sage!"
"..."
Tagitsuhime and Ichikishimahime were suddenly stunned.
The trials of Ryūchi Cave didn't have any rigid rules; the Snake Sages did things according to their whims.
Anko and Yamato had been rescued by Ryou and brought here, but regardless, being able to come here was a form of Sage destiny.
Tagitsuhime sneered and stepped aside, "Fine, go in and meet the Ancestor!"
Anko suddenly hesitated.
Female Orochimaru held Anko's hand, "The risk is too high, and you don't have any room for error. Don't go!"
"But... Sensei, if I don't, I won't be able to become a Sage in the future!"
Ryou had already walked into the White Snake Temple, and he still had the leisure to turn back and tease Anko, "Anko, once I become a Sage, I will teach you Senjutsu!"
"Rest assured, we are a team. Whoever becomes a Sage first will definitely help the others who become Sages later."
Anko snorted, "Uchiha Ryou, I curse you, you evil guy, to be unable to withstand the erosion of natural energy, turn into a monster, and get eaten by the White Snake Sage!"
"How bold!"
Ryou was enraged, and the woman suffered.
He performed hand seals with his fingers, causing the spore inside Anko's body to tremble.
Anko immediately collapsed to the ground, rolling her eyes.
Seeing this scene, Tagitsuhime made up her mind to stay far away from Ryou. This was truly an Uchiha who was born evil and loved controlling people.
Ryou, led by Tagitsuhime and Ichikishimahime, entered the White Snake Sage's temple.
The expression on Ryou's face began to turn solemn. The White Snake Sage was an old monster that had lived for thousands of years; it might have already been a great monster back in Kaguya's era.
Ryou couldn't possibly defeat such an old monster.
But Ryou didn't think the White Snake Sage would be stronger than Madara.
The power system of the Naruto world is that the closer one is to the Six Paths, the stronger they are, and the closer to the Ōtsutsuki Clan's bloodline, the stronger they are. The White Snake Sage's Senjutsu couldn't possibly be stronger than the Six Paths Power.
Admittedly, Madara had cultivated Ryou significantly, but the fact that he had implanted a curse mark inside Ryou made it impossible for Ryou to trust him.
He could only rely on external forces to break free from Madara's control and gain true freedom.
If an accident happened on this trip and Ryou was schemed against and devoured by the White Snake Sage.
Then Ryou still had a backup plan.
That was his spores.
Inside the spores was Ryou's chakra, carrying Ryou's mental will.
This type of clone was a Yang Release type clone that could grow on its own.
Even if the main body died, the spores would still exist.
If Ryou's main account went offline, then he would have a bunch of alt accounts—the spores—figure out a way to summon Ryou's soul from the Pure Land to achieve resurrection.
Ryou had made all the necessary preparations. Since that was the case, he would go and meet the legendary leader of Ryūchi Cave, who radiated spiritual and wondrous light, with an open heart.