Natural energy is a profoundly magical force. Before the advent of Chakra, natural energy already existed in the ninja world.
It can be thought of as the life energy of the planet itself. In fact, whether a planet can sustain life largely depends on the presence of natural energy.
The God Tree planted by the Ōtsutsuki clan must also select a planet rich in life energy; without it, the tree cannot grow.
After Kain was injected with natural energy by Ichikishimahime, using the snake's fangs, he spontaneously sensed the potent natural energy surrounding him.
This was due to the natural energy now circulating within his own body. Though the wound on his neck healed rapidly thanks to the Extremis virus, Kain could distinctly perceive the overwhelming presence of external natural energy.
In an instant, a massive surge of natural energy rushed toward Kain. Once inside his body, it was controlled and transformed into magic and Chakra.
However, as the influx of natural energy grew, Kain began to feel overwhelmed within a minute.
"You're too impulsive," Ichikishimahime said softly. "Newcomers must absorb natural energy slowly. Such a vast amount is beyond your control, Chakra or not."
She prepared to step forward and take another bite to draw out the excess natural energy from Kain's body. This was the method taught in Ryūchi Cave: the Snake Princess could expertly regulate the intake and extraction of natural energy to help practitioners master it perfectly.
Even if a person had little Chakra, Ryūchi Cave could assist in their successful training. However, they rarely did so, as none of the three Snake princesses wanted any ninja to successfully practice Sage Mode.
Kain was an exception. He and Orochimaru were uniquely valuable to Ryūchi Cave.
Hiss!
Just as Ichikishimahime was about to help Kain, his body suddenly erupted in bright yellow flames. The flames consumed his clothes almost instantly but left his body unscathed.
"What… is this?" Ichikishimahime's large eyes instantly narrowed into vertical pupils. If she hadn't dodged in time, she might have been burned by the flames herself.
To her surprise, she noticed a seductive fragrance emanating from Kain's body. The scent was so alluring that she felt an almost uncontrollable urge to devour him whole.
As the flames burned, the scent grew even stronger, surpassing even the fire dragon's appeal to her.
Only her rationality and the dangerous aura of the flames stopped her from acting on her primal instincts. The flames filled her with instinctive fear, as if they were uniquely designed to suppress snakes like her.
The flames burned for nearly an hour before gradually extinguishing.
When the flames finally disappeared, Ichikishimahime couldn't resist any longer. She moved closer to Kain. However, before she could act, Kain's eyes snapped open.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Kain cast the spell directly at Ichikishimahime, sending her flying dozens of meters away and slamming her into a stone wall.
Despite the impact, Ichikishimahime felt no pain. Over her thousands of years of life, her body had been strengthened many times by natural Chakra, making it nearly impervious to such injuries.
No matter what Ichikishimahime did, she couldn't move. It was as if an invisible force restrained her body, turning her into stone.
"You snakes really are troublesome. Were you planning to eat me?" Kain asked, his tone sharp but calm.
While speaking, he retrieved a suit of clothes from his space backpack and began putting them on. Once dressed, he conjured a small spring of clear water into a pothole and examined his reflection in the surface.
The faintest hint of blue lingered at the corner of his eyes—so subtle it was almost imperceptible. Kain realized he had successfully entered Sage Mode and retained a significant amount of magic-infused Chakra in his body.
More importantly, he felt transformed, almost as though he'd been reborn. His entire being brimmed with comfort, and his magic power had increased substantially.
Before this transformation, Kain might have been able to knock Ichikishimahime away, but not so far and certainly not restrain her for this long.
He could only attribute this new strength to the Phoenix gene within him, which had digested the excess natural energy and converted it into his own magic power.
Kain recalled the phoenixes of the Harry Potter world. Their origin remained a mystery, but he speculated they might be magical creatures born directly from nature.
After finishing his preparations, Kain turned to Ichikishimahime, who was still frozen in place. He waved her over. "Snake Princess, come here."
Ichikishimahime tried to use Sage Chakra to break free of the petrification curse, but before she succeeded, her body floated toward Kain under his magic.
"Snake Princess," Kain said, his voice cold, "were you really planning to attack a contractor of Ryūchi Cave? Especially while I was in the middle of practicing Sage Mode?"
Ichikishimahime hurriedly protested, "No! Although the smell of your body is incredibly tempting, I didn't plan anything like that at the time."
Kain studied her carefully for a moment, then pulled a bottle of Veritaserum from his space backpack. It was the only one he had, purchased from Borgin and Burkes.
"If you lie, not even the White Snake Sage will be able to protect you," he warned.
Without waiting for a response, Kain poured the entire bottle of Veritaserum into Ichikishimahime. Once the potion took effect, he repeated his question.
"Snake Princess, what were you planning to do just now?"
"I intended to use the excuse of inspecting your Sage Mode to take a little blood from you," Ichikishimahime admitted without hesitation. "The scent of your body is irresistible. It's even more alluring to me than a fire dragon."
Kain raised an eyebrow, then followed up, "And? Were you planning to eat me?"
"No," she answered. "If I ate you, the White Snake Sage would definitely punish me. I only wanted a taste."
Satisfied for now, Kain conjured a magical barrier to seal off the cave, ensuring no one outside could overhear their conversation.
Once the barriers were set, he returned to Ichikishimahime. With the Veritaserum still in effect, he pressed her for more answers about Ryūchi Cave.
"How old are you?"
"When was Ryūchi Cave founded?"
"Are the only Sage Arts in Ryūchi Cave Inorganic Reincarnation and the White Shock Technique?"
"What does the White Snake Sage usually do? What's her weakness?"
Kain bombarded her with questions, one after another.
But just ten minutes later, before he could get through even half of the questions he had in mind, the effects of the Veritaserum began to wear off.
Seeing this, Kain lifted the petrification curse on Ichikishimahime.
"What did you do to me?" she began angrily.
Before she could finish, stone tendrils suddenly erupted from the ground. Like slithering snakes, they wrapped tightly around her petite body in an instant.
Ichikishimahime gasped in shock. "The Inorganic Reincarnation Technique!? You learned this Sage Art just by hearing me mention it once?"
"It's not Inorganic Reincarnation, but it's close," Kain replied calmly.
By combining magic with Sage Chakra, Kain controlled the stones, manipulating their shape with magic while using Sage Chakra to increase their hardness. With Sage Chakra infused, the stones became harder than steel.
With a wave of his hand, Kain pulled the tightly bound Ichikishimahime toward him.
"Snake Princess," he said, his voice cold and firm, "even though you didn't intend to kill me, your actions are unacceptable. From now on, you will be my Summoning beast. If I summon you, you are required to fight for me."
Ichikishimahime hesitated. "You've learned so many secrets of Ryūchi Cave from me…" she muttered reluctantly.
But when she met Kain's unwavering gaze, she realized she had no choice. If she refused, she likely wouldn't survive the day.
"Fine, I agree," she said, her voice begrudging. Then, her tone softened slightly. "But… can I taste your blood in the future? Just a little?"
"We'll see how you perform," Kain replied, releasing his control over the stones.
He then pulled out a scroll and handed it to her. "Make the Summoning scroll. And don't even think about trying anything. If you do well, I might reward you next time—with a cup of my blood."
"A cup!?" Ichikishimahime exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. She vividly recalled the alluring scent of his blood from earlier. The idea of drinking an entire cup seemed almost too good to be true.
"I hope you'll keep your word," she said quickly, eager at the prospect.
Without wasting any more time, Ichikishimahime began creating the Summoning scroll.
Watching her work seriously, Kain smirked inwardly. He decided that once he returned, he would craft a few miniature wine glasses, each capable of holding no more than 10 milliliters.
Any future "cup" of blood for Ichikishimahime would be served in those.
The Summoning scroll itself was simple to make. Both Ichikishimahime and the White Snake Sage were capable of crafting them.
While the White Snake Sage could create Summoning scrolls for all of Ryūchi Cave, Ichikishimahime only needed to make one for herself and Kain.
Once the scroll was complete, Kain signed his name. From that moment on, he could summon Ichikishimahime whenever he needed her in battle.
However, Ichikishimahime's true value lay elsewhere. Her expertise in helping others master Sage Mode would allow Kain to train more subordinates who could wield this powerful technique.
Kain wasn't worried about Ichikishimahime breaking her promise. Between his strength and the irresistible temptation of his blood, the ancient Snake Princess would remain loyal to him as his exclusive Summoning beast.
After leaving Ryūchi Cave and returning to the capital of the Land of Fire, Kain began to feel the subtle yet profound changes in his body.
Kain discovered that he seemed capable of maintaining the power of Sage Mode indefinitely. According to Ichikishimahime, however, it was unwise to sustain Sage Mode for long periods.
Prolonged use of natural energy would steadily drain a ninja's physical and mental energy.
Even without using any ninjutsu, maintaining Sage Mode required constant effort to regulate the absorption of natural energy, creating an ongoing toll on both body and mind.
But Kain's body was different. The Phoenix gene within him seemed to handle the absorption of natural energy effortlessly, converting it into magic power.
This continuous replenishment of magic power allowed him to remain in peak condition at all times.
"I need to learn some magic," Kain thought to himself. "Otherwise, all this magic power would go to waste."
Resolving to explore the world of magic, Kain decided to first make the necessary preparations and arrangements within the ninja world before embarking on his next journey.
….
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