In Shishou's secret laboratory.
He retrieved a cluster of parasitic worms that had devoured the White Snake Sage's flesh from his insect breeding space, attaching them to his left hand.
"Rebirth!"
Upon giving the command, a massive surge of energy flowed from Shishou's left hand into his body.
"Hmm, my chakra reserves increased by 300 units, slightly more than a tailed beast."
"Truly worthy of being one of the three Great Sage Beasts, the White Snake Sage."
"My skin looks a bit paler, but not as pale as Anko's."
"It seems my strong physique has mitigated most of the White Snake Sage's physical changes."
"My absorption and control of natural energy have improved significantly."
"Not bad, not bad."
Satisfied, Shishou nodded, feeling the changes within his body.
Perhaps due to the parasitic worms' rebirth process, he showed no signs of snake-like transformations.
With the awakening of the White Snake Sage's sage jutsu bloodline, his training in sage arts would progress even faster.
In two years, he could advance further in his sage training.
By then, even if he hadn't awakened the Rinnegan, he would be a formidable opponent for Nagato.
And with the help of the Great Slug Sage, his victory would be almost certain.
Thinking of the Great Slug Sage, Shishou opened the insect breeding space to check on her.
Seeing that she was still asleep, he didn't disturb her.
The Great Slug Sage had expended considerable energy sealing Ryuchi Cave, and recovering fully wouldn't be easy.
After confirming his body was in order,
Shishou used the Flying Thunder God technique to travel to the Land of Demons.
Arriving at the shrine, he saw Konan in her professional attire discussing something with the shrine maiden Miroku and Uzumaki Eri.
Seeing Konan's outfit, Shishou smiled.
Upon his arrival, the three women stopped their discussion and approached him.
"Shishou, you look a bit paler."
Miroku and Eri naturally linked their arms with Shishou's, examining him curiously.
Seeing Shishou enjoying the company of two women, Konan pouted and sat on a nearby chair.
"It's just your imagination."
Shishou dismissed their observation and said to Miroku and Eri, "I'm here to ask you two to perform a contract seal on me."
The snake population in Ryuchi Cave had been wiped out by the White Snake Sage and himself, making the summoning contract useless.
Thus, Shishou decided to sever his contract with Ryuchi Cave.
In case the White Snake Sage wasn't truly dead, this would prevent her from using the contract to find him.
As for the three Snake Princesses, he could sign a new contract with them later.
"Contract seal?"
Hearing Shishou's request, Miroku and Eri were puzzled. Even Konan looked at him with surprise, not understanding his reasoning.
After Shishou explained, they understood his cautious approach.
Next,
Miroku and Eri led Shishou to the center of a ritual formation, preparing to jointly perform the contract seal.
Sealing all contracts on Shishou would be easy for them.
But selectively sealing only the Ryuchi Cave contract without affecting others was challenging.
Even with Miroku's expertise in sealing techniques, she needed assistance.
And with Shishou having multiple summoning contracts, the task became even more complex.
Therefore, Miroku and Eri needed to utilize the shrine's ritual formation to assist in the contract seal.
This would allow them to sever Shishou's link with the Ryuchi Cave contract scroll without disrupting other summoning relationships.
Shishou stood in the center of the formation, while Miroku and Eri took positions on either side.
"Let's begin."
At Shishou's command, Miroku and Eri simultaneously formed seals with their hands, extending countless sealing patterns into the formation.
The formation began to glow faintly, enveloping Shishou.
Then, countless patterns emerged from Shishou's body, floating in the center of the formation.
'Their sealing technique is truly impressive,'
Konan, observing from the side, couldn't help but admire the scene.
Miroku and Eri carefully studied the summoning patterns, identifying the one linked to Ryuchi Cave and preparing to seal it.
After several minutes,
They successfully located the target and performed the seal, severing Shishou's link with the Ryuchi Cave contract scroll.
"Shishou, Eri and I need to rest."
"Let Konan keep you company."
After completing the contract seal, Miroku, feeling fatigued, addressed Shishou.
The sealing process wasn't exhausting, but identifying the specific pattern among many was mentally draining.
Eri nodded in agreement.
Konan, hearing this, pursed her lips, sensing they were deliberately creating an opportunity for her to be alone with Shishou.
"I'll take you to your rooms."
Embracing Miroku and Eri, Shishou vanished from the spot.
Returning, he smiled at Konan in her professional skirt suit.
He had intended to find her at the palace to fulfill a previous promise.
Meeting her here was even better.
Plus, he noticed Konan was wearing a short skirt suit.
Feeling Shishou's gaze on her attire, Konan became self-conscious and, blushing, defended herself,
"I'm not dressed like this to please you..."
Hearing her unintentional admission, Shishou laughed.
He had been unsure if Konan's outfit was deliberate.
Now, he was certain.
This girl was trying to seduce him!
But knowing Konan's shyness, he decided not to press the issue and risk her getting angry.
Instead, he extended his right hand to her, smiling,
"Let's go. I'll take you to Ryuchi Cave to teach you their sage arts."
Konan's Paper Release, combined with Ryuchi Cave's Inorganic Reincarnation technique, had great potential in Shishou's view.
Seeing Shishou's outstretched hand, Konan hesitated, then placed her hand in his.
As soon as she did, Shishou pulled her into his arms.
"Are you trying to..."
Before she could finish, Shishou silenced her with a kiss, causing her face to flush deeply.
Releasing her, Shishou looked into her eyes and smiled,
"You wore this to seduce me, didn't you?"
Blushing, Konan turned her head away and stubbornly replied,
"That's just your wishful thinking."
**********
This fanfiction is complete on my Pa treon. If you want to read it, you can find it at patreo n.com Betek.