Tagitsuhime was the same as before—clad in her shrine maiden attire, exuding a cold and distant aura… as long as she didn't show her snake face.
Even though he already knew that the three of them were snakes, every time he saw them transform from beautiful women into serpents, he couldn't help feeling unsettled.
"Don't judge us based on human aesthetics," Tagitsuhime said coldly. "You're here to learn senjutsu, not to look for a mate. I have no interest in human males."
"Uh..."
Wait, are you misunderstanding something? I'm not into snakes either!
"I'm not interested in you, I'm just not used to the sudden transformations. It's weird, that's all."
"That's your problem, human," Tagitsuhime replied. "All you need to do is learn senjutsu."
"Listen carefully. The key to the White Rage Technique is to gather senjutsu chakra in your abdomen first, and then—"
And with that, Tagitsuhime's lecture began.
She poured out a torrent of knowledge. This time, Kiyosuke was prepared. He took out a notebook and started jotting down encrypted shinobi shorthand at high speed, planning to decode it slowly later. Tagitsuhime spoke too fast for regular writing to keep up—shorthand was the only way, even if deciphering it later might be a hassle.
"Ababa ababa ababa!"
Compared to Inorganic Reincarnation, the White Rage Technique was even more complicated. The knowledge left Kiyosuke completely overwhelmed. His head throbbed. After all, this technique required senjutsu chakra to create an orb capable of emitting both sound and intense light.
Still, Tagitsuhime wasn't the type to teach once and be done with it, she demonstrated as well.
She formed hand signs, and her slender frame swelled slightly. With a low growl, she shouted,
"Sage Art: White Rage Technique!"
A white dragon, made of liquid, burst from her mouth. In its claws, it held something like a dragon pearl.
The dragon soared forward, circling the orb mid-air until it merged into the pitch-black pearl.
The next second, the pearl exploded!
BZZZZZZZZZT—
It was like a flashbang—light and sound surged out in a deafening burst. The air around them vibrated violently with an ear-piercing buzz. The entire cavern shook, as if an earthquake had hit.
"My eyes! My eyes!!"
Kiyosuke rolled on the ground, clutching his face. Everything had gone dark. He'd accidentally looked at the White Rage Technique's blinding flash and now couldn't see a thing—he was blind!
Damn it!
Fortunately, the technique's sound wave had no effect on his elemental body. He didn't even have bones to conduct the vibrations. That was a relief—after all, the sound from this jutsu was strong enough to disrupt even Itachi and Sasuke's Susanoo forms.
Tagitsuhime walked over silently, placed a hand on his eyes, and Kiyosuke immediately felt a cool sensation.
When she removed her hand, his vision returned.
"Now you understand how terrifying this technique is?" Tagitsuhime's cold face revealed a trace of schadenfreude.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Kiyosuke was still shaken. If she hadn't known medical ninjutsu, he'd probably be looking for a new pair of eyes.
"Then start training."
"Yes, ma'am."
Compared to Ichikishimahime, Tagitsuhime was much more serious. There was no playful banter in her lessons—she taught with strict formality, like a business transaction.
During this period of training, combined with earlier attempts, Kiyosuke had been blinded three times!
Once because he forgot to use his cornea defense when Tagitsuhime activated the technique; the second time was when Ichikishimahime ambushed him for fun—he opened his eyes in shock and got blinded again.
Still, he managed to grasp most of the White Rage Technique. It just wasn't nearly as powerful as Tagitsuhime's version.
Next up was Tagorihime's Object Transmutation.
This was Tagorihime's exclusive ability—not something just anyone could learn.
A genjutsu-based senjutsu, Object Transmutation transformed one object into another, and it was extremely difficult to detect.
Tagorihime used it specifically to deceive those who came to train at Ryūchi Cave. Once someone consumed food she had transformed, she could devour their body and chakra.
Genjutsu, huh... I wonder if I'll be able to learn this one.
...
It was still the same dazzling golden temple deep within Ryūchi Cave, a stark contrast to the gloomy hall of the White Snake Sage. Even knowing it was an illusion, Kiyosuke couldn't find a single flaw—it was that well-crafted. That alone showed how terrifying Tagorihime's genjutsu was.
She reclined lazily on a cushioned bench, smiling. "Want something to eat?"
Kiyosuke looked at the table in front of her. A whole spread of food was laid out... and there it was—Ichiraku Ramen.
Must've been something Ichikishimahime brought back earlier. It even looked fresh—steaming, fragrant, and vibrant. Honestly, even Teuchi himself wouldn't be able to tell it was fake.
Kiyosuke gave her a flat look.
"Tagorihime-sama, do you really think I'd eat any of this? Besides, I've already learned Sage Mode—you can't devour my body or chakra anymore."
Tagorihime giggled behind her hand. "True, I can't eat you. But still—how about a little bite?"
"No thanks. For all I know, it's some cursed crap again."
"Hmph! Boring."
Seeing that Kiyosuke wasn't falling for it, Tagorihime lost interest. With a wave of her hand, the delicious spread instantly turned into a pile of writhing bugs, rats, and rotting carcasses. A foul stench hit him in the face, and he immediately stumbled back, face contorted in disgust.
"You were seriously trying to make me eat that?"
She's got the heart of a snake! A true femme fatale!
"Look again," Tagorihime said, shaking her head.
"Huh?"
Kiyosuke looked again. The dead rats and insects on the table were gone, replaced by a pile of cold, hard stones.
He picked one up and knocked it against another—clink—a crisp sound.
"Stones?"
"Are they really stones?"
Tagorihime giggled again.
Kiyosuke watched in disbelief as the stone in his hand transformed into a small snake that bared its fangs and bit down on his arm—only to recoil in pain from the flames on his body.
"Not a snake, either?"
Then the snake morphed into a kunai, which Kiyosuke tested—he easily pierced his own arm.
"What the hell is this...?"
Eventually, the kunai turned back into a stone.
What is this, some kind of matryoshka trick?
Kiyosuke stared blankly at Tagorihime.
She slowly rose from her seat. The radiant temple faded, replaced by a damp, shadowy cavern.
She said softly, "This is the power of Object Transmutation—the most difficult genjutsu-based senjutsu. Do you think you can learn it?"
"Who knows? But I've got to at least try."
"Then try..."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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