"A person who cannot bear to let his closest followers die for him… is not fit to be a leader."
Even so, with overwhelming power, the White Snake Sage could command absolute obedience. At least outwardly, the three Snake Princesses showed no signs of resistance.
Orochimaru stepped forward with a calm smile. "Tamakihime, a word of advice, in memory of our past friendship: don't shrink back. Don't go weak. Struggle with everything you have—because if you don't…"
Before he could finish, Tamakihime raised her head sharply. Her serpentine fangs bared, her face twisted with rage, ready to bite and spill blood.
But in that instant, the entire atmosphere of Ryūchi Cave froze over. The air thickened into something like gravity, crushing down on every living thing. Thousands of snakes fell silent. A cold voice cut through the stillness:
"Do you wish to be swallowed now?"
The White Snake Sage's voice rang out like judgment.
Tamakihime froze, unable to breathe. Her eyes trembled with raw fear—death had brushed past her skin.
"Heh…" Orochimaru chuckled, breaking the tension. "There's no need to be angry, Sage. The fact that she still dares to struggle shows she hasn't completely given up. It might even help the procedure."
But inwardly, he had already marked her for death.
Courage surges once, fades the second time, and is gone by the third.
Yes, fighting spirit helps—on the first try. But once it's broken, there's little hope of rekindling it. At this point, Tamakihime's outburst was more like a cornered animal's panic than true resolve.
Orochimaru smiled faintly, summoned his equipment from a scroll, and turned to the White Snake Sage.
"I'll need your help supplying natural energy. Unfortunately, there's no second dragon vein here to feed on."
The Sage nodded. "A trivial matter. Go ahead."
"One more thing—just a suggestion." Orochimaru's smile grew sharper. "It may help if you directly link your spirit with the subject during the operation. It might prepare you for the sacred tree's erosion in advance."
The White Snake Sage frowned, her lips tight with reluctance.
She knew the truth. The sacred tree's power was dangerous—something she had once consumed by digesting, not fusing. Many beings stronger than her had tried to merge with its essence... and were devoured instead.
She exhaled smoke slowly. "I'll decide that myself. Just do your work."
"Of course."
Without arguing, Orochimaru began. He helped Tamakihime enter Sage Mode and attached a nutrient solution injector to her body. Then, he pressed the first-generation cell fusion fluid directly into her heart.
Almost immediately, Tamakihime lost control.
The sacred tree's power overwhelmed her mind, expanding violently from within. Her human form rapidly mutated into a monstrous mass of writhing vines and tentacles. A grotesque sphere of biomass lashed wildly at the air.
Failure.
The aura of her life faded fast. The two other Snake Princesses paled, gripped by a grief that was part sorrow, part dread.
They had expected the first trial might fail—but not this fast.
Orochimaru, in truth, had survived his early experiments only thanks to the Djinn's assistance. Without it, he might've been reduced to dust like this.
"Snort…"
The White Snake Sage's eyes flashed with displeasure. Without a word, the ground rose up—mud and stone swallowing the malformed corpse. It crushed her remains silently.
The air turned icy again.
"You call this an experiment?" the Sage asked coldly. "You dare bring this failure before me?"
She didn't mourn Tamakihime. But a death that meant nothing—that was unforgivable.
Orochimaru felt the pressure bear down on him, a crushing weight.
Still, he smiled faintly. "Deception? I had no such intention. I merely underestimated her weakness—of will and mind. She couldn't endure even the first stage."
"…To ensure success next time, the spirit link should be active from the beginning."
"Heh… One more chance," the Sage said icily. "You want a spirit link? Fine. But if this next one fails… your clone stays here forever."
"You're ruthless as ever, Sage," Orochimaru sighed. "But so be it."
He turned to Togarihime who looked startled.
"M-Me? It's not my turn. Yugahime should go first."
"The order was by strength," Orochimaru replied, glancing at the quiet Yugahime behind her. "And you're not the strongest."
Togarihime stared in disbelief.
It hadn't occurred to her that the meek, younger sister she'd always ignored—Yugahime—had long since surpassed her.
"There's no time to hesitate."
Orochimaru smiled faintly, stepping closer. "Because of our history, I'll give you my full support. But if you're as weak-willed as Tamakihime... you'll just end up mulch."
Togarihime trembled, sensing death breathing down her neck.
Still, there was no escape now. She met his eyes.
"…Help me."
"That's what I'm here for," Orochimaru said, entering Sage Mode. "Don't resist."
A white serpent's tail extended from his abdomen, piercing Togarihime's chest. She too entered Sage Mode.
As the process began again, the fusion fluid was injected slowly into her heart. It pumped into her veins. And almost at once, both Orochimaru and Togarihime began to lose control.
After all, this body was only a clone—it hadn't fully evolved. Its chakra reserves were only Kage-level, too weak to suppress the sacred tree's wrath.
But Orochimaru wasn't the one meant to bear the brunt.
"Leave it to me," the Djinn said smoothly, taking over Orochimaru's body.
The spread of the cells slowed instantly.
At the same time, he began producing Sage Chakra, stabilizing Togarihime's collapsing mind.
"Steady yourself. Use Sage Chakra to slow the corruption."
Orochimaru's voice echoed in her thoughts. Togarihime, breath ragged, focused every ounce of will into resisting the invasion. Together, they managed to hold the corruption at bay.
The White Snake Sage, watching with narrowed eyes, leaned closer. Her form shifted—her snake head massive now, inspecting them closely.
She could see it.
The sacred tree's power was being suppressed—barely, but definitely.
"So?" Orochimaru tilted his head. "Did I lie?"
"Forget the spirit link," the Sage said suddenly. "I have a better idea."
Before either of them could react, she swallowed them both whole.
"!!"
Everything went black. They were inside the Sage's body now.
Orochimaru could barely move. The natural energy inside this place was so thick it felt like gravity. A few breaths of it and he was already halfway to becoming a snake.
"Don't panic," the White Snake Sage's voice echoed in his mind. "I mean you no harm. We're merely continuing elsewhere."
"Perhaps you mean me no harm…" Orochimaru murmured, watching as Togarihime's legs were absorbed into the Sage's flesh. "But I doubt she'll say the same."
He realized what was happening.
The Sage wasn't helping Togarihime. She was fusing with her. Devouring both her mind and body. And through her… stealing the transformation for herself.
"Are you… truly cold-blooded?" Orochimaru asked.
"She was raised by me. Cared for, protected for hundreds of years," the Sage replied calmly. "Now, I merely ask her to repay that kindness."
"You humans reap in the fall what you sow in spring. Is that not the same?"
"You mock me for being cruel—but what I do is no different than your farmers."
"…I have more compassion than most snakes, you know."
Orochimaru said nothing. Because… he wasn't angry.
He wasn't even surprised.
What truly puzzled him was why she was so impatient. Togarihime's survival would've only improved future success rates.
"The answer is simple…" said the Djinn within him, laughing softly. "You're too strong. She doesn't trust you. She never did. So she'd rather claim this transformation first—by force."
"She's using Togarihime as bait," Orochimaru realized. "And before you could draw the net tight… she devoured it whole."
He sighed.
"How boring. I was planning to restart the process cleanly at the final stage."
"Maybe she just couldn't stand being outpaced by her own subordinates," the Djinn added with a smirk. "Even old snakes hate being second."
"Maybe."
Orochimaru looked down at the process unfolding beneath him.
Togarihime was gone.
Completely absorbed.
What little resistance she might have offered was drowned in absolute power.
There was no changing that now.
He closed his eyes.
The clone's connection was now tethered to the White Snake Sage directly.
And in her body… the sacred tree cells spread with frightening speed.
The sheer concentration of natural energy here dwarfed Togarihime's or even Orochimaru's own.
But still, the Sage controlled it.
With time, her transformation would succeed.
"…This won't do."
Orochimaru sighed.
"Even if she finishes the transplant… she still won't reach the threshold of the Six Paths. Not without decades—maybe centuries—of refinement."
He placed a hand over his chest.
"Well… let me help you, then."
With that, half his clone's body sank into her flesh—and a trap laid by his original self detonated at last.
"White Snake Sage," Orochimaru whispered, "should you face death… don't forget. You can shed your skin to survive."
"That's my final warning.
Please remember it."
_____________________
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