The once magnificent palace had now transformed into a massive cave. The surroundings were filled with dark, damp rocks, and the air was thick with moisture. At the far end of the cave stood a towering stone wall adorned with countless lanterns. At its center was a carved beast's head, its mouth holding a large scroll inscribed with three bold characters: Ryuchi Cave.
Beneath the beast's head was an enormous stone chair. A colossal white-scaled serpent, as large as a mountain, lay coiled on the chair, a pipe in its mouth. Its emerald-green eyes gleamed with intelligence as it gazed at Rasa, exhaling a puff of smoke.
Below the white serpent stood Amane, Ichikishimihime, and Tagorihime, their demeanor obedient and respectful.
Seeing the master of this place finally appear, Rasa focused his attention on the giant white snake and calmly replied to its question.
"Very impressive. Although I've also mastered transformation techniques, my current abilities only allow me to transform into familiar substances, and even then, only those with simple structures. To create something as complex as the food and palace you conjured—I truly cannot do that."
This wasn't false modesty on Rasa's part.
Since arriving in this world, Rasa had gained various abilities, but he had little time to deeply explore or develop any of them. To quickly acquire the power needed to control his own destiny, he had no choice but to hastily absorb and utilize these abilities.
Hearing Rasa's words, the smol girl, Ichikishimihime spoke in a haughty tone.
"Kekeke~! Human ninja, it seems you're quite good at flattery. But it's useless—this is Ryuchi Cave, after all..."
Rasa remained composed and replied,
"That's not it. I'm simply stating the truth. And as for flattery... if I recall correctly, wasn't it you who invited me here?"
The little girl's eyes widened, clearly annoyed.
Beside her, the brown-haired Tagorihime chimed in,
"Is that so, human ninja? Weren't you also seeking out Ryuchi Cave?"
Though surprised that the snakes of Ryuchi Cave knew about his search, Rasa had a ready excuse.
"Oh? When did I ever seek out Ryuchi Cave?"
The little girl immediately seized on what she saw as a flaw in his words and said arrogantly,
"Kekeke~! What a lying human! But nothing you do can escape the notice of the White Snake Sage-sama. I heard from those humans from the Land of the Sea that you were searching for a place where giant snakes live. Are you going to deny that?"
Hearing this, Rasa roughly understood how his whereabouts had been exposed.
Though he was curious about how his interactions with the merchants from the Land of the Sea had been discovered, it no longer mattered.
"No... I was searching for a place where giant snakes live, but that doesn't mean I was looking for Ryuchi Cave."
"Hmph! Still trying to cover up even here? Humans really are full of lies!"
When it came to arguing and twisting words, these snakes of Ryuchi Cave were no match for Rasa.
"It's not a lie. While I am aware of Ryuchi Cave's existence, just like the other two great sage regions, given your ties with Konoha, I never imagined there would be any connection between us. Therefore, seeking out Ryuchi Cave would have been pointless for me."
Tagorihime, however, remained skeptical.
"Is that so? Then why were you searching for a place where giant snakes live, Rasa-sama?"
Rasa didn't hide his intentions and even hoped to gain some information from Tagorihime.
"I've heard that near Ryuchi Cave, there's a group of humans who can naturally absorb natural energy. I'm simply interested in them."
At this, the three attendants of the White Snake Sage were taken aback. They began to believe Rasa's words because, near one of Ryuchi Cave's exits, there indeed lived such a group of humans.
Just then, the massive white-scaled serpent exhaled a puff of smoke and spoke in a grandmotherly voice.
"So, Kazekage of Sunagakure, are you searching for the Tenkumo Clan?"
As soon as the White Snake Sage spoke, the three attendants fell silent.
Rasa, however, was puzzled.
"The Tenkumo Clan?"
He genuinely didn't know what clan Kimimaro or Juugo belonged to.
"If you're referring to the clan that can naturally absorb natural energy, then yes, that's the one. I've only heard of their existence and don't know much about the details..."
The Sage nodded.
"That must be them. However, the ability to naturally absorb natural energy is extremely rare even within the Tenkumo Clan. May I ask why you're searching for them, Kazekage?"
Rasa answered straightforwardly.
"Of course, it's because I'm interested in their innate ability to absorb natural energy."
"Ho?"
The White Snake Sage shifted slightly, its massive head rising as it stared at Rasa, its forked tongue flicking out.
"Kazekage, I can sense the pure natural energy within you. Even I have only felt such pure and powerful energy a very, very long time ago. With this energy, you shouldn't need the abilities of the Tenkumo Clan, should you?"
Rasa didn't rush to explain. Instead, he first clarified,
"Sage energy—that's what I call the energy within me now."
"Sage energy? A fitting name!"
The White Snake Sage pondered for a moment before exhaling a series of smoke rings.
Rasa then continued,
"While I've indeed mastered sage energy, I'm the only one who has. I have no idea how to help others achieve the same. As the Kazekage, it's only natural that I want others in my village to gain access to such powerful energy as well."
"I see. You truly are a responsible leader."
The White Snake Sage sighed, then took a deep puff from its pipe. After exhaling a cloud of smoke that filled the cave, it looked at Rasa and asked,
"Then, Kazekage of Sunagakure, would you be willing to become the successor of Ryuchi Cave?"
Although Rasa had anticipated this possibility, he was still surprised when the White Snake Sage actually proposed it.
"Why? Don't you already have Orochimaru?"
The White Snake Sage seemed to fall into deep thought.
"Orochimaru? He is indeed a clever child. Unfortunately, the path he has chosen is not the one I envision for the future of Ryuchi Cave."
"The future of Ryuchi Cave?"
"Hmm..."
The White Snake Sage pondered for a long time before finally looking at Rasa and slowly posing a question.
"Kazekage, do you wish to transcend this fragile flesh and evolve into a dragon that soars through the heavens?"
(AN: Okay, if you are thinking this is some Cultivation shit then you are wrong. The concept also existed in Japanese myth too.)