Chapter 55: Chapter 54: Orochimaru's Face Power
Chapter 54: Orochimaru's Face Power
"Eat... eat me?"
A cute little girl, even if she's technically a snake, casually mentioning eating people—how is anyone supposed to handle that?
It seems Manda's habit of wanting to devour humans isn't without reason. Apparently, such customs are deeply rooted in Ryūchi Cave's traditions.
Toneri glanced at Orochimaru, desperately hoping his teacher would refute such a claim.
"Hmm," Orochimaru merely nodded indifferently, as though Toneri had nothing to do with him.
So much for having a supportive teacher.
City Kushinada-hime nodded in satisfaction and led them deeper into Ryūchi Cave. Orochimaru and Toneri walked, while Kushinada-hime floated forward.
A ghost?
"This contract trial is much simpler than the Sage Trials—what a pity," Kushinada-hime's bell-like voice echoed through the cave.
Sage Trials?!
Toneri's heart skipped a beat.
For an ordinary ninja without any special abilities, achieving Sage Mode is one of the best ways to surpass countless others.
For example, Kabuto would later use Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode, combined with the modified Edo Tensei, to earn his place amidst the monsters of that era.
Of course, the main factor was Orochimaru's unique body modifications...
Still, mastering Sage Mode could allow even an ordinary ninja to break past their limits.
Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode was something Toneri had always been intrigued by.
---
"By the way, Orochimaru," Kushinada-hime turned to the Sannin, "with your strength, you should have no trouble passing the trials. Why haven't you shown interest in Ryūchi Cave's Sage Chakra yet?"
Orochimaru glanced at her with his yellow, slitted eyes, the corners of his mouth curling into a signature smirk.
"It's precisely because I know so much about your Sage techniques that I choose to stay away, wouldn't you agree, Kushinada-hime?"
Her expression froze, the playful demeanor fading. She realized Orochimaru knew more than he let on—secrets only a select few could access.
---
As they ventured deeper, the tunnel widened into a vast hall. Beneath the stone ceiling lay an enormous space, dimly lit yet strangely luminous.
At the center of the hall stood a grand throne, upon which coiled a massive, pure-white serpent covered in glistening scales.
Above the throne was a lifelike dragon head, its jaws gripping a giant scroll.
Inscribed in bold letters on the scroll were three characters:
Ryūchi Cave.
The serpent, with orange hair, yellow pupils, and a green cat's-eye gem on its chest, wore a purple ribbon-adorned headpiece resembling dragon horns, crowned with a red jewel.
This was the Great White Snake Sage.
"White Snake Sage," Kushinada-hime greeted respectfully, bowing deeply.
Orochimaru, though silent, also offered a slight bow, signaling his respect.
Following their lead, Toneri quickly bowed as well, calling out, "White Snake Sage."
This is how to play your cards right.
---
The White Snake Sage took a drag from her long pipe, exhaling a puff of smoke.
"Orochimaru, have you come for the Sage Trials?" she asked, her voice carrying the weight of many years.
Her level of clarity and awareness surpassed that of the Toad Sage on Mount Myōboku.
"No," Orochimaru replied, meeting her gaze.
Interestingly, their slitted pupils bore a striking resemblance.
Hearing this, the White Snake Sage's expression turned wistful.
"Without seeking Sage Mode, why have you come?"
Kushinada-hime stepped forward. "White Snake Sage, Orochimaru is here to exercise his right as a Ryūchi Cave inheritor. He's brought his disciple, Toneri, for a contract trial."
Ryūchi Cave had always been open to the wider ninja world. Those who passed their trials could become contractors. However, few ever succeeded.
This was largely because Ryūchi Cave had a strict policy: those who failed the trials were devoured. After all, if too many people knew about the cave, word might spread, and their sanctuary would lose its mystique.
Fewer leavers meant more potential meals.
---
The White Snake Sage's gaze shifted to Toneri, her serpentine tongue flicking as she examined him.
But as she studied him, her expression subtly changed.
"Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails?"
Her body shifted, transforming from a massive serpent into an elderly woman with yellow hair. For the first time, she removed the pipe from her mouth.
As someone with knowledge tracing back to the era of the Sage of Six Paths, the White Snake Sage understood the origins and significance of the tailed beasts.
For a long while, she said nothing, lost in thought, her pipe exhaling streams of smoke.
Toneri stood frozen, praying silently that the trial would remain simple and that the presence of the Two-Tails wouldn't complicate things.
He glanced pleadingly at Orochimaru, hoping his teacher would defend him.
But Orochimaru didn't even look his way.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the White Snake Sage made her decision.
With a wave of her hand, the enormous scroll held in the dragon's jaws unfurled and floated down, spreading out before them.
Its surface was covered in densely packed names—the lineage of Ryūchi Cave's contractors.
Nearest to Toneri was none other than his teacher's name: Orochimaru.
Further up, he noticed a vaguely familiar name but couldn't quite recall who it belonged to.
"Little one, sign your name on this scroll, and you will become a contractor of Ryūchi Cave. Through the Summoning Jutsu, you'll be able to call upon our serpents in battle. We refer to individuals like you as 'Land Walkers.'"
Land Walkers?
Toneri looked at Orochimaru, who finally gave a slight nod of approval.
Suppressing his excitement, Toneri picked up the enormous brush provided by Ryūchi Cave.
His hand trembled as he carefully wrote his name in an open space on the scroll.
Once finished, he bit his thumb, wincing at the sting, and pressed his bloodied hand onto the scroll.
Contract sealed!
The scroll rolled itself back up, returning to the dragon's jaws.
"The contract is complete. You may leave now," the White Snake Sage said, reverting to her serpent form.
---
Toneri stood there, stunned.
Wasn't there supposed to be a trial?
Could it be that Orochimaru's reputation carried so much weight that even trials could be skipped?
So Orochimaru is the true holder of the Face-Fruit?!
Orochimaru and the White Snake Sage exchanged a final meaningful look before disappearing together in a puff of smoke.
---
"White Snake Sage, allowing him to bypass the trial…" Kushinada-hime hesitated.
"No need to say more. Orochimaru is no ordinary man," the White Snake Sage replied, her gaze drifting into the distance.
Chapter 56: Chapter 55: The Ceiling Disast
Chapter 55: The Ceiling Disaster
Once again experiencing the dizziness of transportation, Toneri and Orochimaru found themselves back in the Konoha lab.
As they returned, Orochimaru's shadow clone dispersed.
"Sensei, can I summon a contract beast now?" Toneri asked.
Honestly, after signing the contract, he didn't feel anything special. Except for the slight pain in his finger, everything seemed normal.
"Go ahead and try. Let's see how well you can control your chakra," Orochimaru's voice remained as smooth as ever, like a slow-acting poison that subtly lowered one's defenses.
Toneri glanced at his finger.
He was eager to see what kind of serpent he could summon. After all, this was one of the sacred beasts from Ryūchi Cave, one of the three great sanctuaries!
Though serpents were the coldest and hardest to control among the three summoning factions—serpents, toads, and slugs—he figured as long as he didn't accidentally summon a particularly rebellious one, like Manda, who didn't even respect Orochimaru, he'd be fine.
For example, Sasuke's Aoda, though massive and powerful, was incredibly obedient and an ideal battle companion.
"Should I try it here?" Toneri hesitated.
What if he couldn't control it and accidentally summoned a massive serpent?
Orochimaru's disdainful glance pierced through him, making Toneri grit his teeth.
"Sensei, are you looking down on me?" Toneri couldn't help but ask.
Even if you are, do you have to make it so obvious?
Orochimaru's expression remained calm, his disdain unhidden. "Of course not."
Toneri: "..."
Could you at least pretend better? This expression doesn't fool anyone!
"You've only been in contact with chakra for about a month. While your chakra reserves are almost at the level of a Chūnin, much of it is due to the Two-Tails, not your own refinement. This is why your chakra control is weak—it's inevitable."
"Your chakra quantity is both your strength and your weakness," Orochimaru continued, his indifferent gaze cutting through Toneri's pride.
"The only fortunate thing is that the Two-Tails' influence on your body is most pronounced the first time. While it will still increase your chakra reserves over time, you shouldn't experience another dramatic surge. You can now focus on improving your chakra control gradually."
"When your body enters its growth phase, your chakra will increase rapidly again. But until then, you must push your control skills to the limit—that will be the most beneficial for your future growth."
Toneri felt a bit moved. Despite Orochimaru's ever-present disdainful expression, he gave a detailed analysis of Toneri's current chakra condition, even forecasting his future state.
What a teacher.
Naruto's insane chakra reserves were partly due to the Nine-Tails but mostly thanks to the Uzumaki clan's powerful physique.
Toneri's chakra quantity, however, stemmed mainly from the Two-Tails, which didn't have nearly as much chakra as the Nine-Tails.
He even suspected that when the Sage of Six Paths distributed the tailed beasts' chakra, he might have been drinking instead of paying attention:
One share for the One-Tail, one for the Nine-Tails.
Two shares for the Two-Tails, one for the Nine-Tails...
By the time he got to the Eight-Tails: "Huh? Still this much left? Fine, give the Nine-Tails the rest."
---
"So, with your current chakra and control level, there's no need to worry about damaging the lab. By the way, how old are you now, Toneri?" Orochimaru suddenly asked.
Despite his small stature, which stemmed from years of malnutrition, Toneri should be older than he appeared.
"Eleven!" Toneri declared confidently, his big eyes blinking innocently.
Orochimaru: "..."
For the first time, his expression shifted. The disdain vanished, replaced by something new.
As Toneri felt triumphant, Orochimaru quietly donned white gloves, his signature sinister smirk returning.
"Sensei... what are you planning to do?" Toneri asked, his voice shaky.
"Oh, nothing much," Orochimaru replied, his tongue flicking in excitement. "I've just never seen an eleven-year-old this... compact. I feel compelled to study you."
Toneri: "..."
Fine. You're the boss—I can't win this.
"Sensei, I'll summon now. Watch closely, and if I summon something extraordinary, you'll be ready to step in." Toneri tried to act serious, pretending not to notice Orochimaru's ominous movements.
---
Orochimaru's teasing faded, replaced by genuine curiosity.
Toneri formed the necessary hand seals: Boar → Dog → Bird → Monkey → Ram.
He bit his finger, letting his chakra flow into the summoning circle.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
As the circle activated, intricate black lines resembling tadpoles appeared.
White smoke billowed out. Toneri felt his hand touch something smooth and cold.
His first summon was a success!
But when the smoke cleared, what lay before him was...
A black snake no thicker than his pinky.
Toneri was speechless.
This wasn't the grand entrance he envisioned.
"Hmm... Toneri-kun, you certainly didn't disappoint," Orochimaru remarked, his amusement barely concealed.
The tiny snake disappeared in a puff of smoke as Toneri quickly dismissed it. He had to redeem himself.
He gathered more chakra this time, determined to make a grander impression.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
The circle grew larger, his chakra output more intense.
With a loud pop, Toneri felt himself rising.
Higher and higher, the floor shrinking beneath him.
Orochimaru remained where he was, gazing up at Toneri, who now towered close to the ceiling.
"Damn it, am I about to break the ceiling?"
A booming, unfamiliar voice echoed:
"Who summoned me? If there aren't 200 sacrifices, I'll eat you!"
Orochimaru: "..."
His hands flew through a sequence of seals, his expression unchanging. If he didn't act quickly, the ceiling would definitely collapse.
"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
---
Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
8 Power
stone 
Paragraph comment