"Well," Shigure said lightly, brushing nonexistent dust from his sleeve with a faint smirk. "Since you begged me so earnestly, I suppose I'll accept—out of sheer mercy."
The White Snake Sage fixed him with a long, narrow-eyed stare. For a moment, that ancient serpent seemed torn between exasperation and disbelief. Finally, its great head shook once, scales rasping like stone. "Enough of your nonsense. Let us proceed. It is time you learned the remaining techniques of senjutsu."
The vast cave quieted as the White Snake Sage raised its coils. Chakra swirled, thick and heavy like mist. "I will show you two arts, techniques even Orochimaru coveted. Watch carefully, for these are not to be treated lightly."
Shigure's dark Sharingan lit up, reflecting every shifting ripple of natural energy.
The first technique the Sage displayed was the Immortal Art: White Rage. A blast of Senjutsu energy condensed into a roaring, spectral white dragon, one fierce enough to shatter even mighty defenses like Susanoo. The second was the Immortal Art: Inorganic Reincarnation—a dread technique that allowed mastery over the inanimate, pulling stone, metal, even soil itself into one's service as relentless warriors.
"The reach of this art," the White Snake Sage intoned, "matches the depth of the user's mastery. The more perfect your command of natural energy, the wider your dominion over lifeless matter." Its voice was solemn, a rare break in its usual smugness. "With this, even mountains may rise against your enemies."
Shigure absorbed every detail, every fluctuation. For another, these would have been techniques of near-impossible difficulty. But to him now—even senjutsu yielded to his hunger. His chakra thrummed as if eager to be tested.
He practiced until the cave shook.
Stone walls cracked under his control, shifting and shaping into an army of jagged warriors. Then he inhaled deeply, releasing a spectral roar as the White Rage coiled from his hands, summoning a luminous dragon that tore streaks of pale firelight through the cavern air.
The White Snake Sage's jaw unhinged in astonishment. "By the gods," it murmured. "You've mastered them already. That speed... You are unlike any human I have ever seen." Its expression shifted to grudging admiration. "Now, of the arsenal of Ryūchi Cave, only one immortal art remains beyond you."
Shigure let the White Dragon dissipate, smiling faintly. "When do we begin that one?"
"Not now," the sage said. "The final art calls for another: Black Scale. Without him, it cannot be taught. He is absent at present, and I cannot summon him."
Shigure extended his senses—indeed, the dark, cold chakra that belonged to the Black Snake Sage was nowhere to be found. He sighed. "So I'll return another time."
The snake inclined its massive head. "Good. You have my leave to come and go from Ryūchi Cave, but as you swore, do not settle here as Orochimaru once dreamed. You are not bound. You are free."
"I understand." Shigure nodded.
Before he departed, he pressed a Flying Thunder God marker into the carved throne of the Sage. At the Sage's approving nod, three serpent priestesses slithered out of the shadows. "If another challenger passes my trial, they will notify you through this seal," the White Snake Sage promised. "You may also summon them to your side when required."
"Understood." With that, Shigure vanished like mist, space folding around him in the brilliance of a flash.
For several days after returning to Konoha, Shigure found little peace. Lines of Hyūga clan members waited outside his door—warriors, elders, even young genin—all pressing their hands to his palm, allowing him to awaken the dormant sparks in their veins. Like a doctor in open clinic, Shigure sat calmly beneath the porch of his small home, Sharingan glowing crimson, his strange talent stirring their Byakugan to new heights.
Stronger, sharper chakra surged into his own body in return. Their power flowed to him like rivers into a sea. His room rang constantly with thanks and reverent bows.
By the final day, every Hyūga bore a gleam in their eyes, stronger than when they first walked through his door. The clan's gratitude was enormous. And Shigure's own veins now burned with their bloodline essence.
Inside, he whispered: System.
The familiar voice clicked awake like the tumblers of a lock.
"Host! Incredible! You gathered so many bloodline fragments in days—it's astonishing. Let me analyze... Ahh, here it is: dragon vein essence, Uzumaki resilience, slight traces of Senju vitality, and now... Hyūga purity as well! What an extraordinary collection."
Shigure smirked. "You sound impressed."
"You should be considering fusion," the system urged. "Do you wish to merge them all at once again?"
"Not this time," Shigure said. His hand pressed against his chest, already alive with chaotic power. "One step at a time. I'll start with the Hyūga bloodline—"
But the sharp knock, knock at his door interrupted.
"Lord Shigure! The Sandaime Hokage summons you!"
Outside stood a masked ANBU.
Shigure frowned. "At this hour? What does the old man want now?" Without waiting, he slipped past the ANBU and in the blink of a teleport was at the Hokage's office.
The chamber was filled. Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind the desk, his pipe unlit. On either side loomed Koharu and Homura, his aging advisors. Shimura Danzo stood off to one side, arms folded and eye narrowed beneath the shadow of his bandages. The air was heavy with unspoken conflict.
Shigure swept his gaze across them all, bowing slightly. "Hokage-sama. Everyone. What is this about?"
Sarutobi exhaled, slow and deliberate. "Shigure... we have heard of your ability to awaken potential. And that you have already done so for the entire Hyūga clan. Is this true?"
Shigure knew denial was pointless. "Yes. My ability allows me to unlock a person's hidden strength—and no, there are no harmful effects."
A murmur ran across the table. Koharu leaned forward. "Then we ask you plainly—will you extend this gift to Konoha's other clans?"
Shigure studied her carefully.
"The Uchiha clan," she clarified.
The very name put a bitter taste in his mouth. "Uchiha?" His voice sharpened. "You want me to lend strength to them? Surprising. I had thought this village prefers to keep Uchiha under a leash."
Homura interjected smoothly. "Both Uchiha and Hyūga are pillars of Konoha. If one grows stronger, so must the other. Balance must be maintained."
Danzo's cane thumped the floor. "Enough riddles," he snapped. "You will obey orders and enhance Uchiha as commanded. It is not for you to question. A loyal shinobi does not refuse his village."
Shigure's lip curled. "Orders? Hokage-sama hasn't spoken, yet you already bark commands in his name. Quite bold of you, Lord Danzo. Or is it just your habit to use Konoha as your shield for threats?"
"Danzo. Silence." Sarutobi's voice cracked like a whip.
Danzo seethed, but fell back.
The Hokage's eyes turned grave, yet kind. "Shigure... This request is not meant to burden you, but to preserve balance among our clans. The Uchiha have asked for your aid. And they are prepared to offer compensation. Name your condition."
Shigure's heart beat faster. This is perfect. Strengthening Hyūga already gave him their bloodline. If he could stir the Uchiha as well, fuse their power with his own, the Sharingan in his eyes might ascend into territories unknown.
Yet on his face, he allowed only calm. "My terms are simple: I will speak to Uchiha Fugaku myself. Directly. If they want my help, I'll negotiate with their head—no intermediaries."
The advisors exchanged glances; Danzo's frown deepened. But Sarutobi nodded slowly. "Very well. If that is your will, then so be it. Just... tread carefully. The Uchiha clan remains proud, and their future is a delicate thing."
Shigure inclined his head. "Duly noted." Inside, his blood thrummed with anticipation. Hyūga fused. Soon, the Uchiha as well. His power would ascend to heights even the White Snake Sage hadn't imagined.
He stepped from the office, the door creaking shut behind him. For a moment silence pressed close against his shoulders. Then, in the shadowed corridors, Shigure whispered to himself with a sharp gleam in his eyes:
"This time... the harvest will be even greater."
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