"White Snake Sage, long time no see!"
Orochimaru greeted the White Snake Sage, who was reclining on the sage's throne, with a gentle smile.
The White Snake Sage seemed to have just noticed Orochimaru's arrival. With a languid expression, he turned his head to look at Orochimaru and gently removed the pipe from his mouth.
"Oh..."
"It's Orochimaru!"
Wisps of smoke were exhaled from his mouth, enveloping the White Snake Sage's face.
"My Ryūchidō always has its rules. Any creature from the ninja world who comes here must undergo the same trials you did before."
"No exceptions!"
"Even if that creature is brought by you, a contractor of Ryūchidō, it's the same."
"Orochimaru, you are a clever child, you should understand why I sent the Three Divine Sages to stop your companion, shouldn't you?"
The smoke exhaled by the White Snake Sage was quite magical. Not only did it show no signs of dissipating with time, but it gradually spread throughout the entire temple space.
As he spoke, the temple deep within Ryūchidō was filled with wisps of white mist, transforming the originally eerie and terrifying grand hall into something akin to a fairyland.
Orochimaru casually glanced around, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips, and gently shook his head at the White Snake Sage.
"As the master of Ryūchidō, it is only natural for Great Sage to set rules that people must abide by."
"As for the trials set by the Three Divine Sages, I believe my companion can handle them."
Looking at Orochimaru, whose expression remained calm, a cold glint flashed in the White Snake Sage's eyes.
"Heh heh, you have quite some confidence in your summoning."
"What? Signing a summoning contract with my Ryūchidō isn't enough, and you went and found a wild fox as a summoning beast yourself..."
"Orochimaru, by doing this, do you think my Ryūchidō's thousand-year heritage is no longer worthy of your strength?"
The White Snake Sage's tone rose a few octaves, his voice carrying a hint of displeasure at Orochimaru's actions.
Orochimaru sneered inwardly and gently shook his head.
"Great Sage, you flatter me!"
"It is precisely because Ryūchidō has a long heritage of senjutsu that..."
"I, after making some progress, have come to ask Great Sage for methods of practicing senjutsu."
"So that I won't be laughed at in the ninja world later, as a contractor of Ryūchidō, unable to even use the techniques after entering Sage Mode."
"Great Sage, what do you think?"
The White Snake Sage's eyes flashed with a hint of mockery upon hearing this.
"Oh?"
"So you have come to Ryūchidō this time to ask me to teach you the techniques used in Ryūchidō's Sage Mode?"
Although Orochimaru could not see the White Snake Sage's expression through the veil of smoke, he sensed from the White Snake Sage's inner thoughts that, after discovering the nature of the power within him, she had the same intention as he did.
"Indeed!"
Orochimaru chuckled softly. His own intentions were not pure, so he naturally wouldn't bother with the White Snake Sage's machinations.
"For example, the various techniques for utilizing senjutsu power mastered by the Three Divine Sages: invisibility, material transformation, chakra absorption, senjutsu binding..."
"Of course, if I could learn even stronger senjutsu abilities from Great Sage, that would be ideal!"
The White Snake Sage's expression paused slightly, then he let out a scoff.
"You are indeed well-informed!"
"However..."
"Learning more advanced applications of senjutsu power from me is not something that can be achieved with mere words."
"Orochimaru, you should know that what I value most in you is your understanding of fair exchange."
"Simply put..."
The White Snake Sage sat up straighter, staring greedily at the ever-flowing Dragon Vein power within Orochimaru, and said in a low voice: wap.kanshu伍.net
"I can teach you senjutsu, but you need to exchange something for it!"
"Do you understand?"
Orochimaru nodded readily.
"Of course!"
"Since I dare to make such a request, I have naturally come with full sincerity!"
"What does White Snake Sage want in exchange for Ryūchidō's senjutsu?"
A sharp glint flashed in the White Snake Sage's eyes. Just as she was about to demand the Dragon Vein power within Orochimaru, a sudden loud noise echoed from afar, followed by a violent tremor that shook the entire Ryūchidō.
The White Snake Sage was startled. She waved her hand, gathering the smoke in front of her into a ball, and projected the scene of the shaking area through mental waves.
The image was even blurrier than before. Vaguely, a towering fox could be seen wielding a long sword, chasing after two flickering figures and hacking at them.
At the fox's feet lay a giant red snake, and judging by the struggles of the giant snake, it was clearly not comfortable being stepped on by the fox.
Witnessing this scene, the White Snake Sage's anger flared up.
"Orochimaru, is this the sincerity you spoke of?"
"You come to Ryūchidō to ask me to teach you senjutsu, yet you let your companion kill my attendant!"
"How dare you!"
Orochimaru's hand slowly gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist, and he asked with a calm expression:
"Oh?"
"I don't know where Great Sage is getting this from!"
"Isn't this all arranged by Great Sage herself?"
"Blocking my companion, letting me meet you alone, and then..."
"To facilitate Great Sage devouring the power within me, right?"
Orochimaru's words exposed the White Snake Sage's intentions, startling her. Seeing Orochimaru's hand on his sword hilt, she immediately understood Orochimaru's plan.
"So that's how it is!"
"Orochimaru, you've got quite a plan!"
Instead of getting angry, the White Snake Sage laughed and waved away the mental waves in front of her, slowly descending from the sage's throne.
"You already knew my nature, so you used Ryūchidō's rules to have your companion entangle the Three Divine Sages who were setting up the assessment, thereby creating an opportunity for you to face me alone."
"However..."
The White Snake Sage no longer pretended. Her once kind old face was now filled with menace.
"How could you have known that your actions would just happen to align with my desires?"
Facing the approaching White Snake Sage, Orochimaru showed no hint of retreat. Instead, he nodded as if the matter were perfectly reasonable.
"Indeed!"
"It seems Great Sage harbors the same thoughts as I do!"
"Then, this transaction between myself and Ryūchidō will have to be conducted in a different way!"
The White Snake Sage paused slightly, then let out a disdainful laugh.
"Hahaha..."
"Orochimaru, although I don't know where you cultivated Sage Mode, if you think Sage Mode is just what you've mastered, then the Dragon Vein power within you will fulfill me today!"
"Sage Art - Inorganic Reincarnation!"