"Leaf-Style Dance of the Crescent Moon."
"Pfft, leave that to Hayate..."
Kazuyama shut the Kenjutsu scroll with a scowl. Techniques like that? Completely unsuited for him.
But the Kusanagi sword? No way he was letting Hayate have it. That blade was his—for no other reason than the simple fact that it was cool.
One day, he'd have it at his waist, a long robe draped over his shoulders... Tsk, tsk. Wouldn't he be the Naruto world's equivalent of Yao?
(Note: Yao is a character from Honor of Kings.)
Cool, elegant, and commanding.
Lost in his daydream for a moment, Kazuyama quickly shook himself back to reality. Now wasn't the time for that. He had to focus on Ryūchi Cave. And to make matters worse, he was still half-asleep…
He rummaged through the scattered items in the research room.
Hmm… Medicine? Take it.
A shirt?
Shit! Orochimaru, you son of a—@#!@¥!#!
Did the guy think he'd be burned to ashes in the final flames or something? He even left a spare shirt for him!
How could someone be this damn sinister?
Orochimaru: Haha, I'll take that as a compliment…
Kazuyama held up the shirt. It was his size, sure—but the style? Absolutely not.
A black shirt, a white robe, and that ridiculous, thick purple rope belt…
It was an eyesore.
Sigh… Orochimaru really had the worst fashion sense.
Do normal people even wear this?
Forget it. He's not normal anyway!!
With no other choice, Kazuyama put on the outfit. Walking out half-naked would definitely land him in trouble with the guard team for public indecency.
And those red-eyed people? Even more of a hassle.
To avoid unnecessary drama, he prepared to activate the Flying Thunder God Technique and head straight home.
But before leaving, he took one last look around the now-empty research room and let out a sigh.
He had spent so much time here. Now, it seemed he'd never be coming back.
Stepping outside, he gazed at the ruins of the house—burned to cinders by the fire.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A massive earthen wall rose in an instant—then Kazuyama kicked it.
A loud bang echoed as the wall came crashing down, burying the remains of the house beneath the rubble.
"Done! Let's go home."
After wrapping things up, Kazuyama clapped his hands and instantly activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, teleporting straight home.
It was still daytime. Pakura was at the Academy, busy teaching her students, and Ebisami was nowhere to be seen.
Not that Kazuyama cared. Without giving it much thought, he stepped inside and pulled out the Ryūchi Cave contract.
Senjutsu was an undeniable force in the Naruto world—one powerful enough to even damage a Six Paths body. There was no way he could overlook it.
But Ryūchi Cave wasn't Mount Myōboku, and the White Snake Sage was no Gamatatsu. Dealing with them wouldn't be so simple.
"Chōmei, what do you think? Should I go?"
"Of course! What's there to be afraid of? It's just a measly snake."
"And if things go south, I'll step in. We'll squash it, no problem."
From Chōmei's perspective, aside from the Rikudō Sennin, the Tailed Beasts weren't exactly invincible, but they weren't to be trifled with either.
A mere snake knowing Senjutsu? So what?
"Hahaha, Chōmei, you're really full of confidence."
"But you're right. No need to hesitate. Worst case? I'll just become Orochimaru's unofficial contractor—no way we don't get any summoned beasts that way."
Thinking about how Orochimaru had managed to walk away unscathed, Kazuyama made up his mind.
Still, before heading to Ryūchi Cave, he stopped by the pharmacy—disguised, of course. He knew the owner wouldn't recognize him, but for some reason, just thinking about that place gave him the chills.
Afterward, he took a detour through the Forest of Death, walking for what felt like forever before finally returning home.
Once everything was set, he bit his index finger and signed his name on the contract.
The next second, he activated the Summoning Technique, pressing his palm against the scroll.
Boom!
A burst of white smoke erupted, and in an instant—Kazuyama was gone.
…
Ryūchi Cave was a place of heritage, on par with Mount Myōboku and Shikkotsu Forest, home to a vast population of snakes.
The moment an outsider arrived, the snakes stirred, instantly awakened.
From the depths of the cave, three figures suddenly shot out.
Yes, they flew out!
"How long has it been? It's been more than ten years since the last human came to Ryūchi Cave."
"Who's to say? I wonder if this one has the guts to take the test."
"Haha, I hope so. Otherwise, this is going to be boring as hell."
Meanwhile, Kazuyama took in his surroundings.
As a sacred dwelling of snakes, Ryūchi Cave was buried underground, its massive caverns exuding a terrifying aura. Everywhere he looked, traces of snake activity made it clear—he had entered their lair.
"Chōmei, always be vigilant."
"Kazuyama, something's coming. Not human—three snakes. Their mood is strange… curiosity mixed with madness."
Kazuyama was slightly startled. He had just arrived, yet he was already detected.
And in the blink of an eye, three figures had landed.
They surrounded him in a triangular formation.
His pupils contracted slightly.
"Are you the one who just touched the contract of Ryūchi Cave?"
"Huh? Your strength isn't bad, and your blood gives off a different smell. Is it Kekkei Genkai?"
The speaker was a young girl with long green hair, wearing a golden crown topped with a golden orb. Her golden, vertical pupils gleamed, framed by red-colored eye shadow that extended to the wings of her nose. Pale-skinned, she wore a flowing white gown, a green magatama-shaped ornament resting on her chest.
But Kazuyama knew this was only a disguise.
Tagorihime, one of the three elders of Ryūchi Cave.
The other two, nearly identical save for their hair color, stood beside her.
Ichikishimahime had long blue hair.
Tagitsuhime had long brown hair.
"Heh, it seems this challenger is quite interesting."
"It's rare to see someone so calm in our presence."
Tagitsuhime smiled, prompting laughter from the other two.
Kazuyama glanced at them.
"So, this is Ryūchi Cave?"
"And you three… are the Sages?"
"I have to admit, a Sage is truly a Sage… This presence… hiss… ha..."
Relying on natural energy, they possessed extraordinary perception, able to sense Senjutsu chakra and malicious intent—but not the true hearts of people.
The moment Kazuyama spoke, all three were visibly thrown off.
Wasn't coming to Ryūchi Cave supposed to be about gaining power? Why did this kid seem to be playing by an entirely different set of rules???
(100 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake