Chapter 88: Orochimaru: "Yes, Jiraiya Did It."
Hearing Tagorihime's scream coming from the White Snake Sage's residence, the other two finally realized that something was wrong and hurried over.
Orochimaru followed closely behind them.
Seeing that Shiromo had already arrived before the White Snake Sage, while the Three Divine Princesses were all looking at him with different expressions, Orochimaru couldn't tell whether Shiromo had passed the trial or not.
"His aura?"
After being reprimanded by the White Snake Sage, Tagorihime gradually calmed down and carefully sensed Shiromo's aura again, finally discovering the problem.
"White Snake-sama, he, he, he stole and learned the senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave!"
Tagorihime stretched out her hand and pointed at Shiromo in shock.
"Idiot. Smell it again."
The old woman's eyes opened slightly as the White Snake Sage glared at her.
"Sniff… it really is a bit different. This is…?"
Tagorihime froze.
"He did not receive my blessing. He relies purely on his own instinct. We'll put that aside for now, first tell me exactly what happened that made you violate the trial rules and bring him here."
The White Snake Sage explained halfway through, then suddenly changed her tone.
"White Snake-sama, I was forced! Look at this…"
Like a child who had been bullied and finally found a parent to complain to, Tagorihime pulled a long face and took out the two books Shiromo had given her.
"White Snake-sama, you must be careful when you read these. What's inside is very terrifying…"
After handing over the two books, Tagorihime retreated to the side and offered a well-meaning warning.
"Hmph. I've lived for over a thousand years. What haven't I seen?"
The White Snake Sage snorted and lowered her head to look at the books in her hands.
"?!"
Bang.
The books fell straight to the floor.
"Where did this filthy abomination come from?!"
The White Snake Sage's originally deep, aged voice instantly became shrill.
"It was him! He said this was written by Jiraiya, the contractor from Mount Myōboku!"
Tagorihime pointed straight at Shiromo.
"Jiraiya? That former companion of Orochimaru?"
The White Snake Sage narrowed her eyes and looked at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru froze for a moment.
He knew Jiraiya's personality, and that he had indeed published some novels that were unsuitable for children.
As for the specific contents of those novels, he honestly didn't know.
Orochimaru didn't have the leisure to read such tedious romance stories.
"...That guy Jiraiya has liked peeping at women's bathhouses since he was a child."
"Shiromo-kun and I have also met Jiraiya recently. He hasn't changed at all, still the same as ever."
"If the contents inside are obscene and filthy, then there's a very high chance that it really is his work."
Orochimaru fell silent for a moment. He did have some doubts that this might not actually have been written by Jiraiya, but Jiraiya was simply too suitable as the "culprit."
So he gave an affirmative answer anyway.
After all, Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave were already at odds. Adding a bit more friction didn't matter.
Sure enough, after Orochimaru said this, the White Snake Sage wore an expression of "well, that explains it" and did not investigate further.
Obviously, even if Orochimaru hadn't said anything, the White Snake Sage had already heard about Jiraiya's personality from Mount Myōboku.
"This is like a toad lusting after white snake meat. Disgusting."
The White Snake Sage picked up the books from the floor and flung them onto a nearby table in disgust.
With that matter dealt with, they could finally return to the main topic.
The White Snake Sage slithered back onto the bed, found a comfortable position, and reclined.
"In that case, let's complete the final trial here… I mean, Tagitsuhime!"
Halfway through her words, she saw Ichikishimahime excitedly take out a pile of tangram pieces, and her face instantly darkened.
Among the trials of the Three Divine Princesses, only the final trial truly mattered.
All the earlier tests, of temperament, intelligence, chakra quantity, were irrelevant. The most important thing was just one point: whether the person could withstand natural energy.
The senjutsu inheritance of Ryūchi Cave began with the White Snake Sage injecting natural energy into a contractor using her own fangs, after which senjutsu could be learned.
Tagitsuhime's test worked the same way: she bit the trial participant, injected natural energy, and produced a genjutsu effect.
This was a layered screening.
It was different from Mount Myōboku.
Here, they wouldn't first teach you the methods and basics of cultivating Sage Mode. Instead, you had to endure it yourself first.
If you couldn't endure it, you became food on the plate.
"White Snake-sama, i-is this really necessary? He already has natural energy in his body, doesn't he?"
Tagitsuhime, who had been secretly flipping through the books the White Snake Sage had thrown onto the table, spoke with some trepidation.
She had seen some of the illustrations inside and now understood why Tagorihime had cried out for help earlier.
"Do it when I tell you to."
"Y-Yes, White Snake-sama."
Under the pressure of the White Snake Sage, Tagitsuhime helplessly walked up to Shiromo and held his hand. "Trial participant, focus your mind. I'm coming."
In the past, Tagitsuhime would definitely have chosen to bite the most fatal spot, the neck. That was a snake's instinct.
But now, she cautiously chose to bite his hand instead.
She also didn't reveal a snake form. She merely opened her mouth, with her two teeth lengthening slightly.
Chomp!
Tagitsuhime bit down.
"What are you even afraid of? Could he really act out in front of White Snake-sama?"
Ichikishimahime floated over to Tagitsuhime, who was wiping her mouth, and mocked her.
After mocking her teammate, Ichikishimahime turned to look at Shiromo.
"What do you think he'll see in the genjutsu?"
"What will I see?"
Shiromo said he was curious too.
"Eh?"
Ichikishimahime blinked. "You weren't affected by the genjutsu?"
"What's so strange about that? Someone who can break out of a genjutsu has the talent to cultivate senjutsu. He's already full of natural energy, being unaffected by me is perfectly normal, right?"
Tagitsuhime snapped back.
"Orochimaru, I didn't expect you to bring such a special existence this time."
The White Snake Sage waved her hand, signaling the three to step aside.
"White Snake-sama, Shiromo-kun may be even more special than you imagine."
Orochimaru laughed softly.
"Oh? How so?"
The White Snake Sage grew curious.
"White Snake-sama, you know Jūgo. As someone born with the ability to absorb natural energy, once he enters Sage Transformation, he mutates and goes berserk. My cursed seal was developed from him."
Orochimaru began to explain.
"I know. But on this one, there isn't even the slightest trace of rejection-induced rampage or mutation from natural energy. This is his 'instinct,' just like the Sacred Lands a thousand years ago."
What the White Snake Sage referred to as a thousand years ago was the world before the Ōtsutsuki clan descended.
A world where chakra did not yet exist.
At that time, the Three Sacred Lands already existed, and the creatures of those lands relied on this instinctive, pure absorption of natural energy to gain power.
After the arrival of the Ōtsutsuki clan and the appearance of chakra, the cultivation of senjutsu changed.
Whether this change was good or bad for the world was uncertain, but for the White Snake Sage, Gamamaru, and Katsuyu, it was undoubtedly a good thing.
If the original pure method of cultivating natural energy had been so perfect, then only those three wouldn't have survived for over a thousand years.
"That's not what I mean. What I'm referring to are the cells that contain his natural energy."
"Cells?"
"That's right. The activity and strength of his bodily cells… are pitifully weak."
"What did you say?"
The White Snake Sage frowned.
She had originally thought Orochimaru was going to say how incredibly strong Shiromo's body cells were, allowing him to absorb and control natural energy so perfectly.
But it was the opposite.
That completely defied logic.
(End of this chapter)