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Orochimaru watched from a distance as the enraged crimson serpent charged into the White Snake Sage's cave, licking his lips with interest.
He glanced at Manda, coiled nearby, and asked, "Manda, what is that?"
"That's Shinya!" Manda replied in a low voice. "Shinya is the most ill-tempered snake in Ryuchi Cave. It often throws tantrums and causes trouble, and even the White Snake Sage has a hard time dealing with it."
"Oh?"
Orochimaru's eyes shifted, and he asked, "If it's Shinya, would it tell me what I want to know?"
"Don't even think about it!" Manda responded decisively. "Shinya absolutely despises humans. It's never made a contract with a ninja. If you appear before it, you'll definitely be eaten!"
"Is that so? What a pity." Orochimaru's tone was tinged with regret.
...
Inside the White Snake Sage's cave.
"What do I want?"
Shinya's massive body lunged further into the cave, stopping just before the White Snake Sage.
A giant red snake and a giant white snake faced off coldly.
"Shinya!"
The three snake women floated up from the ground, surrounding the White Snake Sage.
Tagorihime shouted sternly, "The master has been very merciful to you! That's the only reason you've been allowed to cause trouble in Ryuchi Cave all these years!"
"Merciful?"
The sound of rocks collapsing came from outside the cave, clearly the result of Shinya angrily whipping its tail.
Its voice was filled with rage.
"Don't make me laugh! We are snakes; what mercy do we need? If it hadn't ambushed me back then, how could it have stolen my reverse scale?"
Tagitsuhime retorted, "The master had no choice back then, but didn't they return it to you later?"
"Return it!"
Shinya furiously whipped its tail again, causing a loud rumble, shaking the entire cave.
"By that time, I had already lost my Yokai form! Of course, they could return it to me!!"
"At least the master spared your life!" Ichikishimahime argued.
"Enough." The White Snake Sage spoke calmly, "Shinya, there's no need to dredge up old grudges. I have never regretted my actions. So why have you suddenly turned against us this time? Is it to gain an advantage over Uchiha Kaito?"
"That's right! If Otsutsuki doesn't die, Ryuchi Cave is bound to decline completely!" Shinya seemed to have calmed down, its voice steady, "You're getting old, aren't you? The time left for us is running out!"
"Hmph!" The White Snake Sage exhaled a puff of smoke. "Then, have you considered the consequences of failure?"
Shinya dismissed it casually, "At worst, death! Do you think you have many years left to live?"
"If we die, the legacy of Ryuchi Cave will be completely severed," the White Snake Sage said flatly.
"If things continue like this, Ryuchi Cave's legacy will eventually be lost anyway!" Shinya asserted confidently.
"But," Tagorihime interjected, "if Kaito can defeat Kaguya on his own, we won't have to do anything to achieve our goal."
"Foolish!" Shinya's single eye glared at her darkly. "You think that way, and the toads and slugs think the same! Everyone wants something for nothing! But what if the war is almost won, and we do nothing? Won't you regret it afterward?"
"But those toads will definitely hide away; why should we make an effort? Besides, they would benefit from our success!" Tagitsuhime said indignantly.
"Idiot!" Shinya looked at her with disdain. "If we succeed and they haven't contributed, they can forget about reaping any rewards! Not just us, but those Yokai from Mount Ōeyama won't let them off!"
"Hmph, we snakes have never had a good relationship with Mount Ōeyama," Tagitsuhime retorted, still unconvinced.
"How tiresome! Always calculating everything. You've spent so much time with humans that you're becoming more like them!" Shinya said with great dissatisfaction.
It then turned its gaze back to the White Snake Sage and said, "Although we had different views back then, I stopped opposing your actions when I learned you intended to use Sage Arts to transform into a dragon and regain your Yokai form."
"But now it seems your path is clearly a dead end!" Its tone became aggressive. "Even now, you still place your hopes on others. It's laughable!"
"I understand," the White Snake Sage withdrew back to its seat, its tone softening. "However, even if we act according to your wishes, we cannot afford to go all out."
"Do as you please," Shinya also exited the cave, its voice coming from outside, "As long as you don't interfere with my actions when the time comes, that will be enough!"
...
"Oh my, it's leaving."
Orochimaru continued to observe from a distance.
"But, what exactly is the action it mentioned?" he wondered aloud, clearly intrigued.
"Hey! Orochimaru! What are you planning?" Manda asked, displeased.
Manda knew Orochimaru's temperament well. If Orochimaru was curious about something, he would never give up easily.
It could only issue a warning: "If you're going to confront Shinya, go by yourself! Don't drag me into this!"
"Are you afraid of it?" Orochimaru turned to scrutinize Manda closely.
"Who... Who's afraid of it!" Manda said, a bit flustered, "It's just too volatile. If we fight, Ryuchi Cave could be damaged!"
"Is that so." Orochimaru shifted his gaze away, noncommittal.
"Hey! What do you mean by that!"
"Nothing. I'm heading back now."
Orochimaru said, then dissolved into the ground, merging with the earth.
"Hey!"
Manda glared at the ground where Orochimaru had vanished. After a moment, it also turned and quickly slithered away.
...
"Master!"
After Shinya left, Tagorihime turned to the White Snake Sage, "Please reconsider. Are we really going to fight Kaguya again?"
"It's futile. That will only bring greater despair," Ichikishimahime said gloomily, "That person has already become a god. We can't possibly defeat her."
"Shut up! We only need to follow the master's orders!"
Tagitsuhime glared at her, mocking, "If you're so afraid of death, you can stay behind when the time comes! After all, the master did say to preserve some strength."
"I'm not someone who clings to life!" Ichikishimahime retorted. "I'm just worried that Ryuchi Cave's strength will be wasted in vain!"
"Enough! Stop arguing in front of the master!" Tagorihime snapped at the two.
"It's still too early to say. We need to consider this carefully."
The White Snake Sage instructed, "From today on, have the younger snakes closely monitor the movements in the ninja world, especially the Akatsuki and Uchiha Kaito, as well as those toads."
Its figure became shrouded again in the misty white smoke.
"Even if we do go to the battlefield, it will only be at a critical moment. And if Uchiha Kaito fails too early, we won't need to get involved at all."
"Understood."