"So, you've passed the trials of the three Hime. That means you're now qualified to undergo Sage Mode training," the White Snake Sage said, looking directly at Akira Uchiha. Akira couldn't help but smirk to himself.
It seemed these snakes at Ryūchi Cave had misunderstood why he was here. Did they really think he'd come all this way just to learn Sage Mode?
Or maybe Orochimaru had tipped off Manda, who then passed the word along to the White Snake Sage and the others?
Akira was about to clarify that learning Sage Mode wasn't his main goal.
He was actually here to find a few compatible snake allies to assist him with summoning in the future.
But just as he was about to speak, he paused, reconsidering.
In the life simulator, he had died more times than he could count while trying to master Sage Mode.
It had felt like being thrown into deep water and told to swim or drown.
Now that he had finally mastered Sage Mode, why not give the White Snake Sage a little shock?
So, as the White Snake Sage approached and began channeling natural energy into him, Akira didn't flinch. He let her flood his body with energy.
Then, he started drawing on his own spiritual and physical strength to merge with the natural energy.
In fact, he found the amount of natural energy she was providing to be insufficient, so he activated Sage Mode on his own, pulling in the vast reserves of natural energy around him. Akira was no novice to Sage Mode.
After all, he'd been practicing it in the life simulator for years.
Even as he activated Sage Mode, he kept an eye on the White Snake Sage, curious about her reaction.
The White Snake Sage, who had initially appeared as a massive white-scaled serpent, suddenly shifted into her human form—a frail-looking old woman.
Her face showed utter disbelief as she stared at Akira.
The White Snake Sage knew better than anyone how difficult it was to master Sage Mode.
But Akira Uchiha, on his first try, had produced such impressive results?
As the current master of Ryūchi Cave, the White Snake Sage could clearly feel the natural energy of the cave converging around Akira in huge amounts.
And this—this was something only someone who had already mastered Sage Mode could do.
Incredible. Could this really be Akira's natural talent?
On his very first exposure to natural energy, he could already draw in such massive amounts?
Meanwhile, the White Snake Sage continued to observe Akira's transformation.
His spiritual energy, physical power, and natural energy were perfectly balanced in a 1:1:1 ratio, seamlessly merging together.
"This can't be... Could it be that he's already mastered Sage Mode?" she thought, deeply shaken as she watched Akira's chakra steadily transform into sage chakra.
But she quickly shook her head, dismissing the idea.
Why?
Because, as far as she knew, the only people with a contract with Ryūchi Cave were Orochimaru and Akira Uchiha.
Orochimaru didn't know Sage Mode, so he couldn't have taught Akira.
And the White Snake Sage knew she hadn't taught Akira herself.
So, it just didn't add up.
As absurd and unbelievable as it seemed, the only explanation was that when she had injected natural energy into Akira, not only had he managed to control it, but he had also drawn even more natural energy to himself.
These energies were fusing smoothly and efficiently. Was he really about to successfully create sage chakra?
"Is this what it means to be a genius? The greatest genius in the ninja world?" she thought, utterly stunned as she watched Akira.
This level of talent was terrifying. Not only had he grasped the essence of Sage Mode in an instant, but he moved as if he had been practicing it for years!
The White Snake Sage couldn't help but feel a deep sense of awe as she looked at Akira.
Though Ryūchi Cave was hidden away, it was still connected to the real world, and the White Snake Sage was well aware of Akira Uchiha's growing reputation in the ninja world.
So, when she learned that Akira had chosen to sign a contract with Ryūchi Cave—especially after he had turned down an offer from Mount Myōboku—she felt a certain fondness for this young contract holder, even before meeting him.
Of course, if he failed to master Sage Mode, a genius like him would undoubtedly make for a very delicious meal.
But reality was proving to be far more astonishing than she had anticipated.
Akira had effortlessly balanced his chakra, and was now in the process of condensing sage chakra.
Such talent was something the White Snake Sage hadn't seen in a thousand years.
"Heh, this old snake must be in shock, huh? She'd never guess that I died twenty times in the simulator before I finally got the hang of Sage Mode!" Akira thought, amused as he watched the White Snake Sage's stunned expression.
At the same time, he felt a deep sense of pride welling up inside him.
He had died so many times in Ryūchi Cave during the simulations.
Even though those experiences weren't real, they felt pretty close to it.
Now that he had the chance to show off, why not take it?
Seeing the White Snake Sage's astonishment only made Akira feel even more satisfied.
He nodded to himself.
If the White Snake Sage was this impressed by his abilities, then surely the other snakes in Ryūchi Cave wouldn't dare underestimate him either. This would make it much easier for him to find a few snakes to assist him with summoning techniques.
But while Akira was feeling quite pleased with himself, the White Snake Sage, though still shocked, was already forming a new plan.
All the snakes in Ryūchi Cave shared a common dream.
In fact, it wasn't just the snakes of Ryūchi Cave—this dream was shared by snakes all over the world.
They all wanted to become dragons.
No matter what kind of snake they were, their ultimate goal was to transform into a dragon.
It was like how ordinary people, when they reached the peak of their power, would aspire to become gods.
In fact, Ryūchi Cave had a ritual for transforming snakes into dragons.
But in over a thousand years, not a single contract holder had succeeded.
Even the snakes of Ryūchi Cave, including the White Snake Sage herself, had never achieved it.
But now?
Akira Uchiha, on his very first attempt at Sage Mode, had already mastered it. Such talent could truly be called the greatest in the ninja world.
Perhaps even the strongest talent in the last thousand years.
What if he were the one to complete the dragon transformation ritual?
Once this thought took root in the White Snake Sage's mind, she couldn't shake it, no matter how hard she tried.
And as she watched Akira so effortlessly master Sage Mode, seeing the blue chakra flames begin to swirl around him, the White Snake Sage became convinced.
Maybe, just maybe, Akira could accomplish what no one in Ryūchi Cave had ever done.
Maybe he could truly become a dragon.
Deciding it was worth a try, the White Snake Sage extended her hands.
At that moment, the natural energy within Ryūchi Cave began to surge as if it were boiling over.
This sudden outpouring of energy caught the attention of every snake in the cave.
"What's this… this surge in natural energy… Is it the Great Sage?"
Tanshin Hime, who had been casually eating eggs as if they were grapes, froze as she felt the disturbance in the cave's energy. The egg in her hand slipped from her grasp, smashing to the ground, but she didn't even notice. Her face was filled with shock.
"To practice Sage Mode, all you need is a little natural energy as a catalyst, right? But why is the Great Sage stirring up so much energy?" Ichikishima Hime wondered, equally stunned.
"The last time natural energy was this agitated was three hundred years ago when the Great Sage attempted to transform into a dragon. This energy feels the same… Could it be that the Great Sage is trying to transform again?" Takitsuhime thought, her face showing her astonishment.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Takitsuhime made her way to the innermost shrine of Ryūchi Cave.
Upon entering the shrine, Takitsuhime's shock deepened.
It was true—the dragon transformation ritual was being prepared.
But it wasn't for the White Snake Sage as she had originally thought. It was for Akira Uchiha.
There, Akira stood in the center, surrounded by countless blood-red runes.
The natural energy swirling around him had taken the form of dragon-like shadows.
These shadows had the bodies of serpents but were equipped with four powerful dragon claws. Their faces were more rugged, and on their heads grew a pair of dragon horns.
The energy dragons, vivid and lifelike, coiled around Akira as they spiraled closer.
One by one, the energy dragons merged into Akira's body.
Takitsuhime was left speechless by the scene before her, completely stunned.
The Great Sage was actually performing the dragon transformation ritual for Akira?
This was like asking someone to run before they could even walk.
Could this really work?
**********Importanat*****
This time, I will release an extra chapter for every 500 Power Stones given!
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 186 at patreon.com/Emik01.
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