The air in Orochimaru's subterranean lair was thick with the scent of damp stone and the faint hiss of serpents, a constant reminder of the power I sought. The Ryuchi Cave's trials had tested my resolve, and though I hadn't fully mastered Snake Sage Mode, its venomous chakra, viper-like agility, and regenerative potential were within my grasp. I stood in a cavernous training chamber, my hood low to conceal my four eyes—a trait I was born with—my towering frame, over six feet and rippling with chakra-enhanced muscle, casting a long shadow. My modified body pulsed with strength: a second heart amplified my chakra flow; expanded lungs fueled endurance that let me train through days of grueling drills. Sculpted for dominance like Sukuna from Jujutsu Kaisen, my physique was a weapon honed for my goals—power, control, freedom. My skills—Dismantle, Cleave, Mirror Mirage Technique, genjutsu, and medical ninjutsu—had carried me through the Chunin Exams and Konoha's invasion, but now, in Orochimaru's lair with Sasuke and the Sound Four, I was forging a new path. Snake Sage Mode was my immediate prize, its trials a Baldur's Gate dungeon I'd conquer, while Tsunade's Yin Seal and medical ninjutsu remained a future goal, a way to perfect my body's resilience. The Sound Four's distrust, Sasuke's ambition, and Orochimaru's schemes were variables in a game I'd play to win.
Orochimaru's training was brutal, designed to break the weak and sharpen the strong. Sasuke, his Curse Seal flaring, pushed his Sharingan to new limits, while I focused on Snake Sage Mode, guided by Orochimaru's cryptic lessons and the Ryuchi Cave's serpents. The Great White Serpent's words echoed: Return when you're ready. The Ryuchi Cave will forge you… or break you. I was ready, my gamer instincts from Warhammer 40,000 treating this as a prestige class unlock—high risk, high reward.
Training began at dawn, Orochimaru observing from a throne-like perch, his golden eyes glinting. "Snake Sage Mode requires harmony with natural energy," he said, his voice a silken hiss. "Your body is strong, Archon, but your mind must bend like a serpent. Fail, and you'll be stone."
I nodded, my second heart steadying my chakra as I sat cross-legged, sensing the cave's natural energy. It was wild, like a river of raw power, and my modified physiology—lungs, heart, muscles—handled its surge. I balanced it with my physical and spiritual chakra, guided by Orochimaru's seals, which amplified the flow. Scales flickered on my skin, my reflexes sharpening, my chakra tingling with a venomous edge. I pushed further, infusing a kunai with sage chakra; when I threw it, the blade corroded a boulder, its surface bubbling. Dismantle, enhanced by sage chakra, sliced through a stone pillar like a venomous whip, while Cleave, delivered with a touch, left a sizzling mark. My Mirror Mirage Technique evolved, twelve clones slithering with serpentine grace, their hypnotic movements disorienting a summoned snake.
Regeneration was the next focus. Orochimaru demonstrated, shedding a layer of skin to heal a deep cut, his body unmarred. I mimicked it, slicing my arm and channeling sage chakra to regenerate tissue, visualizing a snake's scales knitting together. The wound closed in seconds, faster than my medical ninjutsu alone, leaving a faint scale-like sheen that faded. My second heart and lungs sustained the process, letting me repeat it without fatigue. In combat, this would make me near-unkillable, pairing with my medical skills to heal mid-fight.
Agility training was relentless. Orochimaru summoned serpents to attack, their speed blinding. I dodged, my body twisting with unnatural flexibility, my reflexes viper-like. My towering frame moved with precision, weaving through fangs and coils. I countered with a shadow genjutsu, inspired by Shikamaru, freezing a serpent mid-strike, and a confusion genjutsu, drawn from Ino, disorienting another. My clones distracted the rest, letting me land a sage-enhanced Dismantle that severed a serpent's tail.
Sasuke trained nearby, his Curse Seal pushing his limits. We sparred once, his Sharingan tracking my clones, his Chidori clashing with my Cleave. The sage chakra gave me an edge, my speed matched by his, but I outlasted him, my endurance overwhelming his stamina. "You're different," he said, panting. "What's driving you?"
"Power," I replied, echoing his own ambition. Our alliance was fragile, but I saw its use—a Baldur's Gate party member to keep until our paths diverged.
The Sound Four were a constant threat. Kidomaru, with his spider-like limbs, taunted me during breaks, his spider-like cunning a challenge. "You think you're special?" he sneered. "Lord Orochi will break you."
I met his gaze, my four eyes hidden but sharp. "Try me."
Tayuya's flute haunted my genjutsu, her music clashing with my illusions, while Sakon and Jirobo's brute force tested my physicality. I countered, outsmarting them with strategy, my towering frame intimidating. They backed off, but their loyalty to Orochimaru was a warning—I was an outsider, expendable if I faltered.
Orochimaru's motives were clearer now. He wanted Sasuke's body for his Sharingan, and me as a potential vessel or tool. I'd play along, learning Snake Sage Mode, then breaking free. I prepared for betrayal, training in secret, refining my Yin Seal practice. The diamond pattern on my forehead held for five minutes now, storing chakra for a potential burst. My medical ninjutsu advanced—I could regenerate organs, a synergy with sage mode's healing, and stabilized my body under sage chakra's strain.
One night, Orochimaru summoned me alone. "You're progressing fast, Archon," he said, his smile predatory. "But Snake Sage Mode requires sacrifice. Swear loyalty, and I'll take you to the Ryuchi Cave's core."
"Loyalty's earned," I countered, my voice steady. "Show me the cave, and I'll prove my worth."
He laughed, a sound like breaking glass. "Bold. Very well. Tomorrow, we go."
The prospect thrilled me. The Ryuchi Cave's core was the final trial—full immersion in natural energy, a make-or-break moment. My body was ready, my skills honed, ready. I trained that night, pushing my Mirror Mirage to fifteen clones, their serpentine forms hypnotic, disorienting a pack of wolves. My genjutsu paralyzed and disoriented foes, while Dismantle and Cleave, laced with sage chakra, devastated stone. My medical ninjutsu kept me sharp, my Yin Seal growing.
Tsunade's path lingered in my mind. Her Yin Seal and medical ninjutsu were key to mastering my body, and I'd return to Konoha, claiming her knowledge. Konoha's pursuit—Danzo, Kakashi—would hunt me, but I was Archon, a gamer reborn, playing a long game where power was the prize. The Ryuchi Cave was my next challenge, and I'd emerge a sage, ready to carve my path through any foe.