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Upon learning that Midorima and Jūgo were to confront Garaga, the expressions of the three senior members of the Ryūchi Cave varied, but without exception, each gaze grew somewhat evasive.
Finally, Tagitsuhime stepped forward first, addressing the two. "You likely don't know where Garaga resides, do you? I'll take you there."
Midorima nodded, and together with Jūgo, they followed Tagitsuhime out of the main hall.
"Garaga is an extremely troublesome serpent. Not just us, even the Great White Snake Sage finds him a headache," Tagitsuhime explained as she led the way.
"Even the Great White Sage can't subdue him?" Midorima asked curiously.
Compared to Mount Myōboku, the Ryūchi Cave indeed had its unique aspects.
Mount Myōboku felt like a large family. The Great Toad Sage was the patriarch, while figures like Fukasaku or Shima were akin to the household stewards or secondary leaders. Even though there were sages like Gamabunta with somewhat fiery tempers, he was still a reasonable being who understood the bigger picture and never threw tantrums at critical moments.
There was a strict order among all the toads of Mount Myōboku.
In contrast, the Ryūchi Cave felt far too "loosely organized."
It wasn't that their dwellings were crude—after all, snakes do live in caves—but the entire Ryūchi Cave gave off a sense of fragmentation.
He found it hard to imagine Gamabunta ever defying the Great Toad Sage's orders or doing something to displease him. Yet, Garaga had left the Great White Snake Sage feeling helpless, and the Sage had been unable to properly resolve the issue.
"It's a bit complicated..." Tagitsuhime sighed, floating in the air. "Garaga was originally just a very combative snake. Such snakes are common in the Ryūchi Cave. After all, a snake without a temper rarely becomes a Sage. Even we developed our strength through constant tempering. As an outstanding one among them, Garaga certainly had his place. His strength was acknowledged by the entire Ryūchi Cave, earning him a position among its senior members. Under such circumstances, it wasn't easy for the Great Sage to simply remove him."
"But such a... snake existing within the Ryūchi Cave, wouldn't it also threaten the other snakes?" Midorima asked, puzzled.
He remembered Garaga as a fearsome-looking crimson serpent, immensely large but not as colossal as Manda. He could spew a liquid that petrified anything it touched.
At Mount Myōboku, only those who failed Sage training risked petrification. But here in the Ryūchi Cave, those seeking Sage Techniques also had to watch out for Garaga.
Then again, Orochimaru and Kabuto not getting petrified could be considered incredibly lucky.
"There isn't just one snake in the Ryūchi Cave; there are many. It's survival of the fittest. Snakes that cannot survive through strength, even if they form summoning contracts with humans, will likely be killed by them. Rather than that, it's better to first try facing Garaga. Besides, Garaga has his own territory. As long as you don't intrude recklessly, he shouldn't attack."
"Shouldn't?"
"That's right... You have to allow a snake as large as Garaga some room to move."
"..."
"After being betrayed by humans, Garaga's temper grew even more volatile. The Great White Sage, pitying him, chose not to cause trouble for him. However, Garaga is not a simple matter to handle. Even when he causes trouble within his own territory, it makes the other snakes uneasy. Nine out of ten complaints are related to Garaga."
"!?" Midorima blinked. How exactly are complaints and reports calculated here?
"There are also those who secretly report on him," Tagitsuhime hurriedly explained. "But letting this continue isn't a solution. Therefore, the Great Sage has been trying to find a way to resolve it, but Garaga is very difficult to communicate with."
"So, the problem is pushed onto those who come seeking Sage Techniques," Midorima said, the realization dawning. "But this place is too remote from ordinary people. Relying on visiting shinobi to solve the problem isn't realistic. You don't want a close relationship with shinobi."
At least not as close as Konoha's with Mount Myōboku.
"Exactly, but you can also consider this: why should we strive for good relations with ordinary humans?" Tagitsuhime asked. "Our stance towards all shinobi villages is consistent."
Midorima nodded.
That Mount Myōboku had good relations with Konoha was their own affair. Among the three sacred lands, there was no real "competition" or territorial disputes. They seemed to have truly distanced themselves from the conflicts of the great villages.
Even Pain, or Obito, had never plotted against these three places.
In that sense, the Ryūchi Cave had indeed "opted out."
The Ryūchi Cave was quite different from Mount Myōboku.
Mount Myōboku had mountains, waterfalls, and most importantly, sunlight. The Ryūchi Cave was much gloomier, consisting mostly of caverns. Only small patches of open land connected the various caves.
Due to the many caves, some snakes lurked in the shadows, stealing glances at the group.
If not for Tagitsuhime's presence, Midorima would have suspected these creatures might ambush them.
"We're here... just ahead," Tagitsuhime stopped, pointing toward a large cave entrance ahead.
"Large" was no exaggeration. Standing before the entrance, Midorima could only feel his own insignificance.
The diameter of the opening was even larger than Manda's girth.
Just as Tagitsuhime was about to turn and leave, Midorima suddenly called out to her.
"Oh, I wanted to ask, between Garaga and Manda, which one is more powerful?"
Although Manda was already dead, Midorima still had a clear idea of his offensive power. Unless he used "Susano'o," Midorima would find it difficult to withstand Manda's attacks.
If he used "Susano'o" here, he'd probably end up destroying the Ryūchi Cave as well.
So, Midorima wanted to assess Garaga's strength to formulate a battle plan.
"Manda? You know of him?"
"Yes, I've met Orochimaru," Midorima said.
"That explains how you found your way here," Tagitsuhime rubbed her chin. "Garaga and Manda... the two never fought. Even a hothead like Manda found Garaga a headache. Still, I believe Garaga couldn't defeat Manda."
"Why?"
"Manda was bigger and longer, and Garaga never once sought trouble with Manda... Oh, who killed Manda?" Tagitsuhime suddenly leaned in close to Midorima, her face brimming with "gossip."
Midorima pointed towards Garaga's cave. "Join us in this action, and I'll tell you."
Tagitsuhime's expression instantly changed, and she turned and walked away from Midorima without looking back.
She enjoyed gossip, but not enough to provoke Garaga for it.
"What do we do now?" Jūgo asked, watching the departing Tagitsuhime with confusion.
"What else? We go in and have a talk with Garaga," Midorima said, heading towards the cavern.
"What if he won't listen?"
"Then we make him willing to talk," Midorima clenched his fist. "Fighting? That's our specialty."
*****
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