Unlike unintelligent snakes, Summoning Manda required significant effort—preparing numerous enemy corpses as sacrifices after every major battle.
These arrangements often left Orochimaru overburdened even after a hard-fought victory.
Otherwise, Manda would refuse to respond to his Summoning in the future.
The White Snake Sage continued, "I can teach you the perfected Sage Mode and the Sage Arts of Ryūchi Cave."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "White Snake Sage, I'm not entirely ignorant of Sage Mode. Such a dangerous technique… Do you really believe we can succeed in mastering it?"
Kain, remaining silent for now, decided to watch from the sidelines. He figured Orochimaru would negotiate first, and then he could follow up.
"That's because we didn't intervene before," the White Snake Sage replied. "It is nearly impossible for ordinary ninjas to master Sage Mode on their own. However, Ryūchi Cave has a method to ensure your success—even if your chakra reserves are somewhat lacking. This is something the other two holy places cannot guarantee. Even Mount Myōboku's techniques fall short compared to ours in this respect."
'Is that a boast?'
Kain couldn't help feeling skeptical about the Sage's claims. He asked, "White Snake Sage, could you explain the method you're referring to?"
The Sage did not hesitate to reveal the secret. "When you practice Sage Mode, you simply need the assistance of the Snake Princesses. They will extract any excess natural energy from your body, ensuring the balance of the three types of energy at all times."
Orochimaru frowned slightly. "If such a method exists, why haven't I heard of any ninja successfully mastering Sage Mode in Ryūchi Cave?"
"Before encountering the dragons you've raised, they were all… cannibals," the Sage admitted bluntly. "They would offer no assistance to anyone attempting Sage Mode training."
Hearing this, Orochimaru and Kain exchanged a glance.
"There's no issue on my end," Orochimaru said with a smile. "If the supply is sufficient, I'll continue providing you with fire dragons. I'll agree to the terms you've outlined."
It was clear to Orochimaru that Ryūchi Cave had already gained something invaluable from their deal. However, he wondered what Kain might ask for next.
As for the pure-blooded dragons the White Snake Sage wanted, Orochimaru was confident he could achieve that by adjusting genetic ratios during cultivation and experimenting a few more times.
Still, the Sage's interest in the dragons suggested he had yet to fully uncover the fire dragons' secrets.
Originally, Orochimaru had only planned to create a flying Summoning beast, but now it seemed he had overlooked something important.
Kain stepped forward with a smile and addressed the White Snake Sage. "White Snake Sage, obtaining the flesh and blood of dragons isn't as simple as it seems. Even for me, I can only secure a small quantity at a time—and at great personal risk."
Upon hearing this, the White Snake Sage suddenly realized what was happening: both Kain and Orochimaru were strategizing to extract additional benefits from their negotiations.
"What more do you want? If it's a Summoning partner—"
"No, no, no, I don't need that," Kain interrupted with a smile. "If possible, I'd like a small amount of flesh and blood from you—just a fist-sized piece from you, the White Snake Sage, and the Three Great Snake Princesses every so often. That's all I ask."
Kain's smile widened as he spoke to the White Snake Sage. To him, the most valuable resource in Ryūchi Cave wasn't the fire dragons but the unique properties of these four snakes.
He also remembered that all of them had the ability to transform into humanoid forms, and the Snake Princesses could even partially display snake characteristics.
Having their blood and cells in his possession would open up countless possibilities for research and cultivation.
Orochimaru, understanding the immense value of the White Snake Sage's flesh and blood, narrowed his golden pupils. He silently hoped the Sage would agree.
The White Snake Sage pondered the request for a moment before responding. "Very well. However, Ryūchi Cave will require six fire dragons every month in return."
Hearing this, Orochimaru smiled. "No problem. As before, I'll raise them directly in Ryūchi Cave."
As they left Ryūchi Cave, Orochimaru said with a grin, "We've struck gold this time, Kain."
It seemed Orochimaru subconsciously aligned himself with Kain, seeing him as a partner in this venture.
After all, their gains were extraordinary—the perfected Sage Mode training method, the Sage Arts, and, most importantly, the flesh and blood cells of the White Snake Sage and the Three Great Snake Princesses.
The latter was something Orochimaru wouldn't have dared to ask for himself, but thanks to Kain's fire dragons, he now had access to it.
Kain replied with a smile, "It's not a big deal. Isn't the point of our cooperation to achieve a win-win outcome? By the way, is it difficult to cultivate a fire dragon?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "Not difficult, but I do need to study what the White Snake Sage mentioned further."
"That's magic power," Kain explained. "Fire dragons are originally magical creatures where I come from. I've heard that they were much stronger thousands of years ago. Perhaps their power has diminished after centuries of evolution."
As he spoke, Kain demonstrated magic to Orochimaru, using the Levitation Charm to lift a nearby object, widening the snake summoner's eyes in surprise.
"So, there's a whole other kind of power out there," Orochimaru remarked, looking at Kain with a spark of enthusiasm. However, he knew little about magic for now and resolved to proceed step by step.
"By the way, Kain," Orochimaru said, changing the topic, "the project you entrusted to me is complete. Here's the spell seal you requested."
He handed a scroll to Kain. "This seal will continuously affect the target with the mental energy of the caster. Additionally, you can imbue them with your own chakra if needed."
Orochimaru's thoughts wandered to his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi. 'The old man is losing his edge,' he mused. 'If this continues, it won't bode well for Konoha Village.'
…
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