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Sasuke, Itachi, and Kabuto gathered before the White Snake Sage, ready to take their leave.
The White Snake Sage offered a perfunctory farewell. "Must you depart so soon?"
"We thank you for your hospitality," Sasuke replied politely. "But worldly duties await. We cannot linger."
Though, speaking of which… His gaze lingered on the Sage. When did she change forms? I recall her human form being an elderly matron.
"As you wish…"
Wreathed in fragrant smoke, the Sage languidly pushed herself upright. Her hand dipped into the neckline of her loose dress—and retrieved a scroll.
The scroll unfurled from her throne, tumbling down the steps to lie before Sasuke.
"This," the Sage's voice held a rare solemnity, "is the complete summoning contract of Ryūchi Cave. Seal it with your blood. From this day forth, any great serpent born after my three immediate successors may answer your call to battle."
Sasuke couldn't hide his surprise.
Throughout history, such permission was rare. Jiraiya and Mount Myōboku were the benchmark.
In the parlance of the Sages, this made one an 'Immortal Ally.' It signified a bond of shared fortunes and shared perils. With it, the Sage could also perform a 'Reverse Summoning' upon their ally.
Sasuke understood the weight of this gesture. He chose honesty. "There is something you should know, Elder. The Great Serpent Manda… I used him as a shield. He perished. If you hold any grievance for this…"
The Sage waved a dismissive hand, cutting him off. "This old one knows. That is why, during your trial, I deliberately assigned the King Cobra to young Kabuto's path. As for the King Cobra himself… I have made the matter clear. Those who feast upon men may one day find themselves the feast."
Sasuke's worry dissipated. He pressed his hand to the contract scroll, leaving a stark, bloody imprint.
Shh-lick!
The scroll rolled shut. The Sage tucked it back into her robes. Her golden gaze shifted to Lady Tsuchigumo, who stood in silent attendance.
The snake-woman approached Sasuke, bearing a flat, ornate tray.
On it lay a rolled-up painting.
Sasuke eyed it. "This is?"
"Open it," the Sage commanded.
Sasuke pushed back his sleeve. He took the scroll with both hands and slowly unfurled it.
The painting depicted a vast, misty sea of clouds above towering, ink-wash mountains. Coiling through those clouds was an immense serpent, its body shrouded in feathers as dark as a moonless night. The beast was so vast its tail vanished into the mist—one could see its head, but never its end.
Even with his limited knowledge of art, Sasuke could feel it. The brushstrokes were powerful, wild, imbued with a terrible, magnificent energy.
But his attention wasn't on the technique. It was locked on the serpent itself.
"Does it feel… familiar?" the Sage asked, a knowing lilt in her voice.
Sasuke nodded slowly. "Is this… the Fourth Serpent King, 'Kurotan'?"
The Sage chuckled. "Look at the mountains beneath the clouds. If little Kurotan were placed on that canvas, he would be but a speck. Besides… while the form is similar, the essence is different. Especially… the eyes."
Sasuke was transfixed. The serpent's gaze in the painting held a divine, imperious weight. He stared, losing himself in it.
Crack—!
Suddenly, the painted serpent seemed to move. A crushing, primal aura of slaughter erupted in Sasuke's mind. The scroll nearly slipped from his hands.
His expression sharpened. This… is no ordinary painting.
The Sage's languid air vanished. Leaning on one arm, she sat fully upright, her voice dropping to a grave timbre. "A millennium ago, when this one first established Ryūchi Cave, there was another serpent. Its power rivaled my own. Its name was 'Kurobane.' It had no wish to share this mountain, to be my equal. So it ventured into the wider world, carved out its own domain. With its immense strength, it gathered many worshippers. Mankind came to revere it as… The Plumed Serpent God."
"The Plumed Serpent God…"
A flicker of recognition crossed Sasuke's face. In quieter moments, Orochimaru had spoken of the legends—the 'Four Gods of the Earth.'
Since the age of the Shinobi Sect, four native deities were said to exist on this land.
The God of Death. The God of Curses. The Plumed Serpent God. The God of Harvest.
They represented four divine principles: Soul, Curse, Power, and Wisdom.
The Plumed Serpent God was the very symbol of battle and raw power among them.
He hadn't expected… that deity to have origins here.
"Kurotan… is the child of the Plumed Serpent God?" Sasuke questioned. "The timeline doesn't seem to match."
"Kurotan hatched from an egg Kurobane left behind a thousand years ago," the Sage explained. "Nurtured by the sacred energy of this cave. He carries the potential… to become the Second Plumed Serpent God."
"A second generation?" Sasuke's brow furrowed. "Even gods… can be succeeded?"
The Sage's smile was cryptic. "They have always been able to succeed. You've seen the God of Death through Orochimaru, yes? The God of Death is the oldest, most primordial of the Four. It existed even before the Sage of Six Paths' time… And every hundred years, the God of Death perishes. It transfers its divine power into a mask. To this day, it has succeeded… twenty-seven times."
Sasuke's mind raced. So that's why there are twenty-seven masks in the Uzumaki clan's Mask Hall… Each once housed a previous Death God.
"Which means this painting…"
"Correct," the Sage confirmed. "Before its death, Kurobane sealed its divine nature into this artwork. The serpent chosen by the painting… shall inherit the power of the Plumed Serpent God. Its child, Kurotan, is the most likely candidate. But first… the divinity within the painting must be awakened."
"How is it awakened?"
"That is no simple task," the Sage said, her tone implying a great understatement. "Kurobane was prideful in life. It requires… one hundred thousand full prostrations."
Sasuke blinked. "Full prostrations?"
The Sage's gaze slid to Kabuto. "Kabuto. Demonstrate."
"Ah… yes."
Kabuto stepped forward. He knelt at the foot of the dais, straightened his torso, and stretched his arms flat on the ground before him. Then, he lowered his entire body until his forehead touched the stone—a complete, five-point prostration.
He raised his torso back to a kneeling position, then slowly stood.
A simple series of motions.
Yet Kabuto was already sweating profusely.
"It has little to do with physical stamina," the Sage remarked. "A prostration performed with genuine piety… drains one's very life force. One hundred of them would leave you bedridden for a month."
"And if the heart is not sincere?" Sasuke asked.
"Then it is useless. A million prostrations would mean nothing."
Sasuke shook his head. "Then I fear this blessing is not for me. However powerful this Plumed Serpent God may be, I cannot muster devout reverence for it. This painting… please take it back. Gift it to one more worthy."
The Sage laughed, a low, rustling sound. "Honest, as ever. But you need not perform the task yourself. Another may do it in your stead… provided they meet one condition."
Her golden eyes glinted. "They must bear no existing contract, servitor bond, or deeper connection to any other god. Therefore, Orochimaru… and Kabuto… are ineligible."
Kabuto started. "Ah? I… cannot either?"
"You are my son-in-law now," the Sage said, matter-of-factly. "You may only prostrate to me. How could you bow to another god?"
"S-son-in-law…!?" Kabuto stammered, flushing.
From the shadows, Lady Kuchinasi let out a low, gleeful chuckle. "Kekeke~."
Sasuke offered his thanks, carefully rerolled the divine painting, and bid the White Snake Sage a final farewell.
Outside Ryūchi Cave, Orochimaru was waiting.
He took in the transformed trio—their auras refined, their bearing changed. His lips curved in a thin, satisfied smile. The journey had been fruitful.
Sssss…
A pale snake emerged from Orochimaru's sleeve. Its eyes… gleamed with the tomoe pattern of a Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Kabuto," Orochimaru said, his voice a silken promise. "Let us first restore the light to your right eye."
Zzt! The snake's gaze locked onto Kabuto's pale, sightless orb.
—Amatsukami!
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