Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 33
🕑 Added 2024-12-01 11:52:24 +0000 UTCIn the dark cavern, cool air swept through the stone pillars.
Perched comfortably atop the female serpent's head, Masashi let the breeze blow through his hair.
The jonin had already been tossed to the side.
The serpent carried them forward as it sped ahead. Though other serpents emerged from the darkness, none dared to block his way.
It seemed he had passed the 'test' of Ryūchi Cave.
More and more serpents appeared in his vision, accompanying him on all sides as they advanced together.
These serpents, who had absorbed natural energy over countless years, possessed formidable physical prowess. Despite their massive size, they exhibited astonishing agility.
Riding on one of these serpents was far more comfortable than any bus on Earth.
As the cavern extended further, the scenery grew more intricate.
Ryūchi Cave was not a single hollow; it was an expansive network of interconnected caverns—large caves nesting smaller ones, upper levels linked to lower levels.
Stalagmites reflected in pools of water, creating mirrored illusions that could disorient any invader.
Limestone formations piled up like seated arhats, their shadows creating perfect hiding spots for the cave's inhabitants.
Clusters of stalactites formed forests of stone towers, resembling a fortress that had grown naturally over millennia.
Masashi felt like a tourist, marveling at the scenery of Ryūchi Cave. It perfectly aligned with his aesthetic sensibilities, making him feel the trip was worth it—even if he hadn't paid a cent or bought a ticket.
The only thing out of place? A persistent, overzealous serpent.
Manda clung tightly to the female serpent, accompanying them the entire way. Whenever another male serpent approached, it would immediately bare its fangs and chase them off.
"Stay back! This territory is mine!" he had snarled.
Apparently, Manda wasn't just infatuated—it was fiercely possessive. And to be fair, he had the right to be.
Masashi had yet to encounter any other male serpent larger than Manda.
Ryūchi Cave differed markedly from Mount Myōboku. There were no human-like structures here; everything was natural and primal. Nor did any serpent seem to use techniques.
He understood why.
Hand signs, though not strictly necessary for chakra control, were largely essential in practice. In his memory, only Hashirama could instantly use jutsu without hand seals—and even then, it was limited to ordinary techniques.
Could these brute serpents compare to Hashirama? They didn't avoid hand seals because they didn't need them—they avoided them because they couldn't form them.
After all, they were snakes. Unlike toads, they didn't have limbs. How could a snake form seals? Maybe they could tie themselves into knots and hope to make their enemies die laughing.
Their bodies were their best weapons.
This indicated that Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode likely focused on physical enhancement. If that were the case, it would suit Masashi perfectly.
He didn't lack jutsu; what he needed was a way to further unlock his physical potential. After years of practicing Yang Release, he seemed to have reached a limit.
Yang Release was never the goal—it was a means to an end. The purpose was to guide and harness the hidden power within his body.
Pure Yang or Yin Release techniques were essentially auxiliary secret arts.
Yang Release strengthened and utilized physical energy. Yin Release enhanced and utilized spiritual energy.
Nothing special. Different schools merely varied in focus and efficiency.
When it came to physical energy, the Uchiha couldn't match the Senju. Masashi was convinced he had already hit the Uchiha clan's natural ceiling for body development through Yang Release, with no room left for qualitative improvement.
The extent of his body's potential was as follows:
Chakra reserves so vast that it would take continuous 'big moves' to deplete them.
Perfect-level chakra molding and control by Konoha's standards, with significant boosts to Sharingan and regular ninjutsu.
Casting ordinary jutsu without hand seals? Not a chance.
His stamina? Decent, but not extraordinary.
Healing? Slightly above average—wounds healed faster than most, but that was it.
In terms of overall power, he was undoubtedly stronger than his 'first-round' self. Yet when it came to pure physical energy, his former life had him beat. Even accounting for the time spent training across both lives, the results were different.
In the shinobi world, bloodline ruled everything.
But unless he unlocked the hidden physical energy within the Uchiha bloodline, he would never grasp the secrets of Yin-Yang Release. At best, he'd end up as another chakra battery bound to the Divine Tree.
Life or death, all left to the so-called Child of Prophecy.
Masashi would never entrust his fate to someone else.
His current strength came from decades of nearly masochistic training—hard-earned through sheer grit. No luck involved.
He endured because of stubbornness—he refused to believe in destiny.
Time passed, and the temperature around him began to shift from cool to warm. The surroundings grew brighter.
To Masashi's surprise, human-like structures started to appear in the natural landscape.
He stood up, looking ahead.
The shadows around him had almost entirely disappeared, replaced by a massive light source up ahead.
Countless serpents gathered around, retreating as the female serpent approached. It dove directly toward the source of light.
Before him, a vast plaza opened up.
Even the serpent, under his mental control, exuded an air of reverence as it slowed down, crawling cautiously.
Masashi turned to look.
Manda had followed them in, his eyes filled with the same reverence—alongside a hint of obsession.
Shaking his head, Masashi commanded the female serpent to stop. He lifted the jonin and leapt down from the serpent's head.
The ground beneath his feet was stone—a massive slab akin to those in human towns, but scaled to the serpents' colossal sizes.
Manda hesitated before inching closer, trying to approach the female serpent.
The female serpent ignored him. He looked at Masashi with what seemed like a pleading expression.
He genuinely liked this female serpent. For her, he fought other serpents every day in Ryūchi Cave. As a result, he had no friends among his kind—a complete outcast.
Masashi never expected Manda to be like this.
The snake reminded him of his own lost youth. Out of empathy, he softened his tone.
"Manda, let me give you some advice. Acting this clingy won't end well for you."
"Hiss... You... Stop talking nonsense," the snake growled, suppressing its voice under the watchful gaze of the figure ahead. "Alright? Will you release the genjutsu now?"
"Fine. You escorted me all this way."
Masashi released the genjutsu.
The female serpent shook her head violently, regaining her will. Yet like Manda, she dared not act out here.
Lowering her golden gaze to Masashi, she seemed to etch his image deeply into her mind before speaking for the first time.
"Human, when you fail, I will request permission from the Sage to devour you."
Then Masashi watched as the female serpent raised her head and rubbed it against Manda's face—the same spot she had slapped earlier.
The two serpents hissed softly as they nuzzled, eventually slithering away together.
Masashi found it amusing. These serpents were quite fascinating.
Turning back, he faced the towering, majestic figure that seemed fused with the earth.
Bowing respectfully, he said, "White Snake Sage, my name is Masashi. I have come to learn Sage Mode."
A massive stone chair was in the vast plaza terminal, a seat far too large for any human.
The armrests of the chair rose nearly 10 meters high, and the seat itself was 4 to 5 meters off the ground. The backrest was intricately carved into the shape of a dragon's head, with its mouth biting down on a colossal scroll inscribed with the words Ryūchi Cave.
Standing below it was Masashi. The chair's velvet drapery hung down to the ground before him, and atop the seat coiled a giant white-scaled serpent.
Its head rested lazily on the armrest, exuding an air of authority.
This was the White Snake Sage, the master of Ryūchi Cave.
A pity it wasn't one of those mythical serpents that could transform into beautiful maidens. If it were, Masashi wouldn't mind using his charm to try his luck.
Even if it were just a snake, as long as it could transform into a beautiful maiden, he'd give it a shot. Not for anything romantic—after all, more friends meant more paths to walk.
Gurgle gurgle~
A strange rumbling came from the White Snake Sage's belly.
As he speculated whether it might be hungry, a gust of white smoke spurted from the Sage's nostrils, spreading out like a gale sweeping across a wasteland.
"Learning Sage Mode?" The White Snake Sage shifted slightly, extending her head toward Masashi for a closer look.
At first glance, the sage seemed smaller than Manda. Coiled, Manda could reach up to 18 meters tall, whereas the White Snake Sage, perched on the chair, appeared to be only about 12 or 13 meters high.
However, that was just a fraction of its true size.
Her body coiled around the entire stone chair, extending endlessly until it fused seamlessly with the earth itself. It was one with the land.
Together with the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku and the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest, the White Snake Sage stood as one of the strongest users of Sage Mode in the shinobi world.
On her head rested a black hat adorned with a large crystal orb, while her neck bore a necklace of beads.
The orb seemed to serve as a tool for observing the world, marking the sage as a cultured being, distinct from the rough-and-tumble denizens of Ryūchi Cave.
The Great Toad Sage also used a crystal ball for observation.
Incidentally, the crystal ball technique was the same one Hiruzen used for spying. While it was unlikely Mount Myōboku learned it from Konoha—given Konoha lacked such a demand—it showed the technique's broader utility.
All techniques in this world arose from a pressing need.
Would Hiruzen, the so-called Professor of Ninjutsu, really need to use a crystal ball just to view the peaceful village he governed? Of course not.
The three Sage sanctuaries, however, were a different story.
Leaving aside the mysterious Slug Sage and the ancient, nap-prone Great Toad Sage, the White Snake Sage's situation required such tools.
With her body merged into the earth, she wouldn't have any other way to observe the outside world.
While Masashi pondered these thoughts, the sage grew impatient. Her scales shifted slightly. This brat had shown up, said a single sentence, and gone silent.
Annoyed, she asked, "Do you know the rules of Ryūchi Cave?"
"Oh, I get it," Masashi nodded. "One bite from the Sage, and Sage Mode is within reach, right?"
"Hehe…" The White Snake Sage chuckled softly.
No descendant of Indra had ever stepped foot into Ryūchi Cave before. This one was indeed different from other humans—arrogant, confident, and undeniably Indra's kin.
Self-assured, too, evidently certain of his success.
But a kid was still a kid.
Indra was a kid. His father, Hagoromo, was also a kid. Even his grandmother, Kaguya, was just a kid.
This wasn't about power—it was about the fact that the three Sages had lived so long that everyone seemed like a youngster in comparison.
"Alright, I'll grant your wish," the sage said, growing intrigued. "The taste of Indra's descendants should be quite good."
She extended her head, opening her mouth, but soon realized the logistics were inconvenient.
"Climb up here and pierce yourself," she instructed. "You're too small to bite cleanly."
"Sure, just a moment." Masashi leapt onto the White Snake Sage's body, climbing to her mouth.
"Which one should I use?" he asked, examining the fangs.
"Pick one that feels right," the sage replied lazily, flicking her tongue before resting her head back on the armrest.
"Alrighty." Masashi rolled up his sleeve, inspecting and choosing a fang based on thickness, angle, and sharpness.
Placing his hand against the chosen fang, he said, "I'm ready."
The White Snake Sage moved her mouth slightly, piercing Masashi's skin.
In an instant, a wild surge of natural energy flooded into his body.
Unlike the toads of Mount Myōboku, the serpents of Ryūchi Cave fused natural energy directly into their bodies. For the White Snake Sage, whose body was an inseparable part of the earth, manipulating natural energy was as effortless as moving her limbs.
As the energy coursed through him, he felt as though he'd returned to the night he first awakened his Sharingan.
The mental impact was enormous, and his body reacted as if consumed by fire.
Whether in his previous life or this one, Masashi had always excelled in chakra control. If he had trained in the Eight Gates, he might have understood this sensation better.
Natural energy rampaged within him like an unleashed husky, running amok in every corner of his body.
Refusing to be careless, he immediately sat cross-legged on the White Snake Sage's body, focusing his chakra to chase down the unruly natural energy.
It was anything but pleasant.
Ryūchi Cave's natural energy mirrored its inhabitants—full of a 'free-spirited' vibe.
Once inside him, the energy dispersed completely, reveling in its new freedom. It tumbled and sprinted, upending everything in its path like a chaotic whirlwind.
The chaos reminded Masashi of his college days—wild and untamed energies that seemed to resist any attempt at control.
But he wasn't going to be like Hitler, trying to force everything different into submission. Sometimes the path to mastery wasn't through subjugation, but through understanding and adaptation.
This natural energy was similar. Fighting against its nature would only lead to failure. The key was to guide it, not eradicate it.
Between his past-life hobbies and present-life training in Yang Release, he had accumulated enough knowledge and experience to handle the situation. While the natural energy's violent intensity exceeded his expectations, he remained composed.
His foundation was solid.
Within his body, his chakra rapidly gathered into a counterforce, forming an army to subdue the unruly energy.
