Adopted by Tsunade [253-254] (Patreon)

Chapter 253 – Heading to Ryūchi Cave

Natsume did not drink the Hero's Water.

The side effects were too severe.

He had no reason to try it.

Besides, he felt the Hero's Water might not do much for someone with a Sage Body.

Right now Natsume had Kaguya, and his chakra was constantly increasing.

Given enough time, his physique would evolve into that of an alien.

Such a wonderful, side-effect-free method was far better than the Hero's Water.

Still, since he already had it, he couldn't just waste it. He could toss it to Yakushi Kabuto for research.

Who knew what surprises might come from it.

As for the tree in the Takigakure, Natsume had examined it thoroughly after Shibuki left.

Other than producing Hero's Water, there was nothing special about it.

And its output was extremely low.

The bottle Shibuki gave him was the result of more than ten years of accumulation.

Compared to the true God Tree, it was worlds apart.

Natsume had no real interest in it.

…

A new day.

After breakfast, Natsume and Ino left the Takigakure.

The one most reluctant to part with them was actually Fū.

She had already accepted Natsume and Ino as friends.

In just two short days, her feelings had risen to an incredible degree.

Although that was entirely one-sided on Fū's part.

It had to be said—she really was an overly naïve ninja.

Living inside the Hidden Waterfall wasn't a big problem.

But out in the shinobi world, she would probably die a miserable death.

"Fū really is a fascinating girl."

Ino glanced at Natsume and spoke, looking for a topic.

They were walking through the forest. A cool breeze was blowing, making the air feel quite refreshing.

"Mm."

Natsume noticed her gaze and asked with a smile, "But didn't you notice she's very popular in the village?"

Reminded by him, Ino suddenly realized something felt off.

If it were just her personality, it shouldn't make her that popular.

Shibuki treated her far too well, as if terrified she might suffer even the slightest harm.

"She's a jinchūriki," Natsume said.

A look of surprise appeared on Ino's face.

That really hadn't crossed her mind.

The Seven-Tails' jinchūriki, huh?

Everything suddenly made sense.

Though with that personality of hers, it was really hard to associate her with the word "jinchūriki."

"Speaking of which, when did you master the Yin Seal?"

Natsume paused, then said a bit apologetically, "I haven't really chatted with you much lately."

"It's fine."

Ino quickly waved her hand. "Natsume-kun is the Hokage. It's normal for you to be busy."

She was actually quite busy herself.

She was learning both her clan's secret techniques and medical ninjutsu, and she was also following Kurenai to learn how to work as the Hokage's secretary.

Her days were full, but left little time for romance.

Still, she believed this experience was far from useless.

On the contrary, it would definitely prove valuable.

After all, Natsume was too strong.

His strength and reputation both far surpassed everyone else.

If she didn't work hard, how would she have any right to be close to him?

Ino's personality was different from Hinata's. Her goal wasn't to be merely a virtuous wife and good mother, but a capable partner who shared his ideals.

Natsume appreciated that way of thinking.

"The Yin Seal… I just mastered it recently."

Ino spoke modestly. "As a medical ninja, I'm only just getting started. I still have a long way to go."

"If Shizune heard you say that, she'd be jealous."

Natsume couldn't help but laugh. "She's been working on the Yin Seal for so long and still hasn't made much progress."

"I… I didn't mean it like that."

Ino puffed out her cheeks slightly. "And Shizune-nee wouldn't be jealous."

Natsume looked down at her adorable expression and couldn't help reaching out to rub her head.

Ino's body stiffened. Her gaze instantly shifted to the leaf-strewn ground, but out of the corner of her eye she snuck a quick glance at him, noticed the gentleness in his eyes, and felt a spark of joy in her heart.

"You're very talented in medical ninjutsu. In the future, you might not lose out to your teacher."

Seeing that she didn't resist, Natsume stroked her soft hair a few more times.

At the same time, a faint, pleasant scent drifted to him.

"Natsume-kun, you… you're exaggerating too much."

Though Ino enjoyed his praise, she didn't believe she could surpass Tsunade.

"Who can say what the future holds?"

Natsume pulled his hand back.

Mainly because it was hard to walk properly while patting her head.

Ino felt a trace of reluctance. Being patted like that made her feel very at ease, but that wasn't something she could say aloud.

"Sensei hasn't been in Konoha lately, has she?"

"Hmm? Why do you ask?"

Natsume was a bit puzzled. "Hasn't she been in Konoha the whole time?"

"Oh."

Ino scratched her head. "I just haven't seen her for a long time, so I thought she had a mission outside the village."

Natsume fell silent for two seconds, then said, "She's been working on an experiment recently. You'll probably see the results soon."

He certainly couldn't tell her that Tsunade was giving birth.

As for the experiment, he meant Wood Release.

But after exchanging Wood Release for Tsunade, Natsume would lose more than half of his accumulated Fate Points.

So he planned to harvest Mount Myōboku first.

Fate Points had to come from named, canon characters.

And Mount Myōboku was full of named toads.

In other words, there was room to operate.

"I see."

Ino's face showed sudden understanding, along with some anticipation. "If it's something that takes so much of Sensei's time, it must be really amazing."

It was amazing.

They were literally making a person.

Creating a new life.

Natsume subconsciously glanced at Ino walking ahead of him.

Her exposed waist and abdomen were nothing short of perfect.

He withdrew his gaze and walked up beside her again.

The two of them walked and chatted at a leisurely pace, not moving particularly fast.

Natsume had nothing urgent pressing on him.

Thinking he'd neglected her recently, he decided to spend a little more time with her.

Ino's thoughts were even simpler.

She was happy just to be with a handsome guy.

What they did or what they talked about didn't matter as much.

A true face-value believer.

"You're graduating this year, right?"

Natsume asked with a smile.

According to the timeline, the original plot was about to begin.

The Land of Wave arc definitely wasn't going to happen again.

Should he hold a joint Chūnin Exam?

"Mm."

Ino nodded. "My teammates will definitely be Shikamaru and Chōji. Feels like it's lost all mystery."

She sounded a bit regretful at the end.

It wasn't that she disliked Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chōji; there was just no element of surprise.

But precisely because they were so familiar with each other, it meant fewer headaches when it came to teamwork.

"What about your jōnin sensei?"

Natsume raised a brow. "The Hokage's right in front of you. You can openly ask me to cheat for you."

Ino's eyes lit up at that.

For a three-genin team, the most important factor early on was the jōnin leading them.

The stronger they were, the safer the team would be, and the more they could learn.

On top of that, there were also connections and influence to consider.

Becoming the Hokage's student was completely different from apprenticing under an ordinary jōnin.

The Ino–Shika–Chō trio had always been close to the Sarutobi clan.

In the original story, their teacher was Sarutobi Asuma.

But now that Natsume was Hokage, that naturally wasn't set in stone.

As for tradition—what use was that?

The first person that came to Ino's mind was Tsunade.

If Tsunade became their jōnin sensei, the benefits didn't need to be spelled out.

But that was probably hard to achieve.

Ever since retiring from the Hokage position, Tsunade had been living a relatively leisurely life and seldom involved herself in Konoha's affairs.

The new generation of Ino–Shika–Chō was important, but not that important.

Among the remaining jōnin, Might Guy and Hatake Kakashi already had students.

That left Kurenai, Morino Ibiki, Sarutobi Asuma, and a few others.

To be honest, Asuma was still the most suitable choice.

But…

Ino felt rather unenthusiastic about him.

While it was true that the Ino–Shika–Chō had their own clan techniques and didn't strictly need a brilliant teacher, she still hoped to have a truly formidable jōnin.

"Natsume-kun, since you're asking, does that mean you already have someone in mind?"

Ino blinked, asking him directly.

The team's sensei was traditionally chosen by the Hokage.

She was the junior of the Sixth Hokage Natsume and the student of the Fifth Hokage Tsunade.

No matter how you looked at it, she wasn't likely to get the short end of the stick.

So instead of saying what she wanted, she simply asked.

Natsume had actually brought it up on a whim.

Just as he'd said, he wanted to give Ino a bit of special treatment.

See if she had anyone in mind for a sensei.

As it turned out, not really.

Although Konoha was a big village, there weren't many people who clearly surpassed Sarutobi Asuma in both status and strength.

After thinking for a few seconds, Natsume suddenly came up with a candidate.

"What do you think of Kabuto?"

"Kabuto?"

Ino froze for a moment. "You mean Yakushi Kabuto-senpai?"

Yakushi Kabuto was Tsunade's student.

Calling him "senpai" made perfect sense.

But the two of them hadn't really interacted much, so he was practically a stranger.

"That's right."

Natsume nodded. "He keeps a low profile, but his strength is beyond question."

Especially since Natsume planned to take Yakushi Kabuto to Ryūchi Cave and have him learn Sage Mode.

That way, even if Kabuto didn't reach his level from the original story, he wouldn't be too far off.

On top of that, in terms of medical ninjutsu, Kabuto would be able to guide Ino.

As for Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chōji, they had their clans and secret arts to support them, so Natsume wasn't too worried.

"If Natsume-kun says so, then I'm sure he'll be good."

Ino smiled in a bright, youthful way.

Even if she didn't trust Natsume, she could trust Tsunade.

Anyone who could be Tsunade of the Sannin's student was definitely far above ordinary shinobi.

As for status, that went without saying.

They walked a bit further.

Only then did Natsume use the Flying Thunder God Technique.

…

Yamanaka Flower Shop, in Konoha.

It was morning, and the shop was open for business.

The sudden appearance of Natsume and Ino gave Yamanaka Misa a fright.

Once she saw who it was, she let out a breath and greeted them. "Lord Hokage."

"What about me?"

Ino leaned forward, acting cutesy. "Your daughter's back, and you're not even going to say anything?"

"What is there to ask?"

Yamanaka Misa smiled, her eyes narrowing. "With the Hokage around, is there any way you'd be in danger?"

"…"

Ino was speechless.

That was true, but wasn't her mother trusting him a bit too much?

Although, since she felt the same way herself, she wasn't in a position to complain.

"Aunt Misa."

After returning the greeting, Natsume smiled. "Ino did great on this mission. She's already a qualified medical ninja."

She did save Uchiha Sasuke's life, after all.

Ino blinked in confusion.

Hadn't she just used the Mystical Palm Technique once?

If they were talking about contributions, wouldn't Sakura's be bigger?

"Lord Hokage flatters her."

Yamanaka Misa's smile grew even brighter.

Obviously she was delighted.

Especially since the person praising her daughter was the Hokage.

After chatting for a bit, Natsume took his leave.

He headed straight for the lab building.

"Lord Hokage."

Natsume ran into Hatake Kakashi at the entrance.

Kakashi was carrying a lunch box.

He looked much better than before.

There was even a faint smile when he greeted Natsume.

That would have been unthinkable in the past.

"For Rin?"

Natsume pointed at the lunch box.

In truth, an Edo Tensei reincarnated person didn't need to eat.

"Mm."

Kakashi nodded, then asked, "Lord Hokage, may I know why you summoned Rin?"

"You'll find out in a while."

Natsume smiled. "I can't tell you just yet. I hope you don't mind."

"There's no need to apologize."

Kakashi's tone didn't change. "As a shinobi, I understand."

"Go see Rin."

Natsume parted ways with him.

A moment later, he arrived at a lab that stank of chemicals and other, less identifiable smells.

"What is it?"

Kabuto spoke without turning his head.

"With your current strength, it's time to learn Sage Mode."

Natsume didn't bother with small talk.

"I'm very busy."

Kabuto frowned. "I'll learn it later."

In fact, Tsunade had already told him to learn Sage Mode before.

Of course, that would have been at Shikkotsu Forest.

But Kabuto knew Natsume had spent years learning Sage Mode, and had to remain in a sacred place for long stretches of time, so Kabuto had turned it down for the moment.

He was busy with experiments, and he was also learning under Orochimaru.

"I'm not sending you to Shikkotsu Forest. I want you to learn Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode."

Natsume explained, "And you won't have to stay there. I'll have them come to Konoha."

"Ryūchi Cave?"

Kabuto finally looked up, somewhat surprised. "Wouldn't that be considered betrayal? And would Ryūchi Cave even agree?"

The three great sacred places were allies—but only barely.

There was definitely competition between them.

As the contract holder with Shikkotsu Forest, how could he possibly learn Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode?

"Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't."

Natsume smiled. "But as long as we give them an offer they can't refuse, they will."

"I've heard the summons of Ryūchi Cave aren't exactly reasonable."

Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "Are you sure about this?"

Snakes were violent and cold-blooded by nature.

To control them, you had to offer sacrifices.

Trying to talk them into something was impossible.

The only solution was overwhelming force.

Which was where Kaguya came in.

"Don't worry, there'll be no problem."

Natsume was full of confidence.

"I'll look forward to your good news, then."

Kabuto nodded.

"You're not coming?"

Natsume blinked.

"Didn't you say you'd bring them over?"

Kabuto asked as if it were obvious. "Why would I go with you then?"

"…"

Natsume was speechless, and could only vanish in front of him.

When he reappeared, he was already at the daimyo palace in the Land of Snow.

"Kaguya."

He knocked on the door and entered, asking, "Interested in accompanying me to Ryūchi Cave?"

"What about Mount Myōboku?"

Compared to the White Snake Sage, Kaguya held a much deeper—and more negative—impression of the Great Toad Sage.

That was because of the history books she'd read.

After she'd been sealed, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo had contacted the Great Toad Sage many times.

And clearly, he had ulterior motives.

"We'll go to Ryūchi Cave first, then Mount Myōboku," Natsume said.

…

Chapter 254 – The Three Snake Princesses and the White Snake Sage

Natsume had never been to Ryūchi Cave, and naturally neither had Kaguya.

He could use Fate Points to teleport there, but he didn't want to waste them.

Very quickly, he thought of an undercover asset.

The Slug Sage.

Natsume was going to profit the most from this operation.

But the Slug Sage would also benefit a great deal.

Mount Myōboku would be destroyed, Ryūchi Cave suppressed, and Shikkotsu Forest would become the only intact sacred place.

In the ninja world, it would then stand alone at the top.

Although the Slug Sage didn't have such grand ambitions, the benefits were real.

Getting it to lend a hand wouldn't be a problem.

Contract holders could only reach the sacred places via Reverse Summoning.

But what about when the three sages wanted to meet each other?

It definitely wasn't done that way.

So there had to be another method to reach the three sacred places.

Summoning Technique!

Natsume formed hand seals and slapped his palms on the ground.

With a puff of white smoke, a slug about half as tall as a person appeared.

As the smoke dissipated, it saw Natsume and was just about to greet him when its body suddenly trembled.

Kaguya!

It instinctively wanted to flee, but quickly remembered they were now partners.

So it forced itself to stay.

In a gentle voice it said, "Lady Kaguya, Lord Natsume."

Very naturally, it put Natsume second.

Normally, a split slug would always put its contract holder first.

Such a thing simply didn't happen.

But Kaguya was another matter.

She'd left a deep psychological shadow on it back in the day.

It couldn't beat her.

And it wasn't just a small difference—it was overwhelming.

Fortunately, they were now on the same side.

"Slug, long time no see."

Natsume greeted it with a light laugh.

Its reaction had been pretty amusing.

Kaguya, however, didn't spare it a glance.

She was looking at Natsume, her pale eyes shifting slightly, as if considering how to get him to pay her more.

"It has been a while."

Nowadays, the people who summoned the Slug most often were Shizune and Ino.

Tsunade and Natsume almost never summoned it.

To be honest, it was quite happy to be summoned today.

If only Kaguya weren't here, it would be even better.

Even though she wasn't showing any hostility, being watched by a monster that could crush it at any time was horrifying.

Like going to a zoo, but without the glass wall—who could handle that?

"Why did you summon me today, Lord Natsume?"

the Slug asked, soft and obedient.

It knew Natsume's strength; he obviously hadn't called it for battle.

If it was a fight, it would be far from the first choice—especially with this ancestor standing right there.

"We're going to Ryūchi Cave and Mount Myōboku," Natsume said directly. "We can't find the way."

The Slug's body stiffened, and for a moment it even panicked.

So the time had finally come?

It had already expected this when they'd first started cooperating.

Natsume now had Kaguya.

And the Great Toad Sage had foolishly tried to strangle them through its prophecies.

On top of that, there were grudges from a thousand years ago.

So a reckoning was inevitable.

It had just thought it would be later, not this soon.

At the same time, the Slug felt a hint of melancholy for the soon-to-die Great Toad Sage.

Too flashy—of course it would go wrong.

A plain life was better.

Over the past thousand years, the Slug had seen far too many deaths, so it calmed down quickly.

"Will Ryūchi Cave be handled the same way as Mount Myōboku?"

it asked curiously.

Previously, when they made their deal, Natsume had only said he would destroy Mount Myōboku.

Ryūchi Cave hadn't really come up.

After all, the one causing trouble was the Great Toad Sage.

Once Kaguya was sealed, the White Snake Sage had basically stayed out of things.

"No."

Natsume shook his head. "I intend to cooperate with Ryūchi Cave."

The Slug's tentacles twitched, but it didn't question him further.

"I'll take you to the entrance of Ryūchi Cave now."

"If we follow you, we'll only slow you down."

Natsume took out a Flying Thunder God kunai. "Slug, take this. Once you arrive, I'll come to you."

The Slug recognized the kunai as part of the Flying Thunder God Technique and nodded.

Traveling alone would be faster and more comfortable.

And being able to get away from Kaguya—

It grabbed the kunai in its mouth and disappeared with a puff.

It moved extremely fast.

"You scared it," Natsume said with a laugh.

"It's timid," Kaguya said, tilting her head slightly to glance at him.

"It's you who's too strong."

Natsume studied her delicate features and pale skin.

"Then why aren't you afraid?"

Kaguya asked in return.

A direct and to-the-point question.

How was he supposed to answer that?

Reckless?

Greedy for your body?

After thinking it over, Natsume said, "Maybe because everyone else only sees how strong you are, and I also see how beautiful you are."

Kaguya narrowed her eyes slightly and said coolly, "You still have time."

Natsume hadn't processed her words when he was suddenly pulled into her Amenominaka.

"…"

Confronted with a rather horny Kaguya, he could only put up a desperate struggle.

…

Time passed.

Afternoon came to the Land of Snow.

The previously–white sky was tinted with a faint pink.

It looked… quite appetizing.

Natsume stared blankly up at the sky.

Kaguya, on the other hand, was watching him, licking the corner of her lips. She rubbed her stomach, her entire being radiating satisfaction.

Very soon.

Natsume came back to himself.

A Slug clone appeared in front of him again.

It was notably smaller than the previous one.

Clearly, this was another split body.

Natsume felt that the Slug Sage's clones might be similar to Shadow Clones.

"Lady Kaguya, Lord Natsume,"

the Slug said in a sluggish, creeping tone. "The main body has already reached the entrance to Ryūchi Cave."

"Thank you."

Natsume smiled, took Kaguya's hand, and the two of them vanished.

When they opened their eyes again, they were in a desolate area.

Ryūchi Cave might be called a cave, but in reality, it spanned a huge region.

And there were bones everywhere.

Human bones, snake bones.

Among the three sacred places, Ryūchi Cave was the most brutal.

In Mount Myōboku, those who failed Sage Mode training turned into stone.

Here, those who failed became a feast for the snakes.

Even those who succeeded had to pay a hefty price whenever they wanted to summon snakes.

In that respect, it was even worse than Mount Myōboku.

At least the toads were relatively gentle and did their job diligently.

The only price you had to pay was obedience.

"This is the outer area of Ryūchi Cave,"

the Slug explained when it saw them. "If you keep going forward, you'll eventually see the temple where the White Snake Sage resides. But normally, you can't see it at all—you have to pass the tests first."

"What kind of tests?"

Natsume asked casually.

"The trials of the Three Snake Princesses,"

the Slug replied. "They are Tagitsuhime, Ichikishimahime, and Tagorihime. Only after passing them can you meet the White Snake Sage and make requests—such as training in Sage Mode."

Each of the three sacred places had its own unique sage arts.

Ryūchi Cave's specialty was a human-transformation technique.

The Three Snake Princesses were snakes who had taken on human form, and they were among the highest-ranking figures here.

Amusingly, the three of them represented loli, young woman, and mature woman archetypes.

Though they were pretty fierce.

The White Snake Sage could also take on human form, but in the guise of an old woman.

As for Manda, Garaga, and the others—none of them could do it.

Natsume figured their innate talent just wasn't high enough to learn the transformation technique.

"Um… Lord Natsume, I won't go any further with you."

The Slug asked somewhat awkwardly.

It was effectively a traitor now, and didn't want to face the White Snake Sage just yet.

Better to wait until after Ryūchi Cave had been subdued. Then, meeting again wouldn't be so awkward.

"Mm."

Natsume nodded. They'd already found the place; whether the Slug came along or not didn't matter.

The Slug let out a breath of relief and popped back to Shikkotsu Forest.

"Let's go."

Natsume started walking forward.

Kaguya caught up and took his hand.

Thanks to his growth over the past two years, the difference in height between them was no longer so jarring. They now looked more like a couple.

Though there was nothing romantic about this place.

After a short while, they were surrounded by swarms of snakes.

Kaguya's Byakugan flared, and a layer of blood mist rose into the air.

Regardless of size, every snake caught by her gaze died instantly.

The gruesome sight sent the rest of the snakes fleeing in terror.

"You two are going too far."

With that voice, a figure appeared in front of them.

It was a young woman, closer to early adulthood, with refined features and long brown hair, wearing a golden crown.

She was dressed in a white robe with three magatama-shaped green ornaments on her chest.

When she spoke, one could glimpse sharp fangs and a blue tongue.

Notably, she was floating in mid-air.

"I am Tagitsuhime. I'm in charge of screening humans who enter Ryūchi Cave."

Tagitsuhime's eyes swept over Natsume, but ultimately her gaze settled on Kaguya.

She didn't recognize her.

A thousand years ago, Tagitsuhime hadn't even been born yet.

And the White Snake Sage wasn't about to bring up its old scandals for fun.

But Kaguya's display just now had shown her overwhelming strength.

Even so, Tagitsuhime didn't take her too seriously.

In her view, no matter how strong a human was, they couldn't compare to Ryūchi Cave itself.

"We're here to pay a visit to the White Snake Sage," Natsume said with an easy smile.

Tagitsuhime frowned.

Their complete lack of deference annoyed her.

And they'd just slaughtered a large number of snakes.

In an instant, her eyes darkened with heavy eyeliner, and her long tongue flicked out.

Natsume finally saw firsthand how quickly snakes' moods could shift.

Tagitsuhime flew toward him, opening her mouth wide, aiming for his neck.

This was her unique sage art—

A binding technique that paralyzed the target and plunged them into a genjutsu.

"Don't kill her."

Natsume spoke up at once.

He was afraid that if he was even a second late, he wouldn't be able to save her.

And in fact, that was exactly what happened.

The moment Tagitsuhime directed killing intent at Natsume, an unimaginable pressure descended on her.

Her body went limp against her will, and the next second she was being lifted by the throat in Kaguya's hand.

The sheer strength made her eyes roll back white.

But more than the pain or suffocation, what truly terrified Tagitsuhime was Kaguya's power.

With a casual lift of her arm, she'd subdued her.

Even the White Snake Sage might not be able to pull that off so easily.

In fact, she felt that earlier surge of aura had surpassed the White Snake Sage.

It was utterly unbelievable.

Only then did Natsume's "Don't kill her" finally reach her ears.

Kaguya released her grip without expression.

Tagitsuhime crashed to the ground, gasping for breath.

Her face was full of lingering fear and shock.

Who was this woman?

Why was she so overwhelmingly powerful?

It made no sense.

"Tagitsuhime, that's not how you treat guests," Natsume said, squatting down to look at her.

"…Sorry…"

Tagitsuhime's heart trembled. She immediately lowered her head. "I… I apologize."

Snakes, too, had things they feared.

And faced with Kaguya, who could crush her in an instant, she wisely chose to bow her head.

"Lead the way," Natsume said, giving her a light kick.

Tagitsuhime didn't dare show any anger and quickly got up.

She couldn't do anything to Kaguya, so she could only pin her hopes on the White Snake Sage.

Before long, a grand temple came into view.

Standing at the entrance were two other figures.

A little girl and a young woman.

Compared to Tagitsuhime, they looked younger.

But they were dressed similarly in white robes.

The only real difference was their hair color.

One had blue hair, the other green.

"Tagitsuhime, have these two humans passed your trial?"

The loli, Ichikishimahime, spoke up.

At the same time, her eyes were measuring Natsume and Kaguya.

"In that case, it's our turn to test them."

Tagorihime licked her lips.

To pass all three trials, one had to defeat all of them.

Anyone who could pass even one trial was already outstanding among humans.

And the more chakra they had, the better they tasted.

"They don't need any more testing,"

Tagitsuhime said quickly, giving them meaningful looks. "Let them see the White Snake Sage."

But the other two were clearly used to doing as they pleased, and her signals went right over their heads.

Tagorihime's expression chilled. Heavy black eyeliner and a long tongue appeared as she revealed her true form.

The scene around them shifted to a castle, with countless exquisite dishes floating all around.

This was her genjutsu-type sage art—

Transmuting objects.

Anyone who ate the food failed the trial.

But in the next instant, the illusion shattered.

Natsume opened his eyes to see Kaguya holding Ichikishimahime and Tagorihime by the neck, one in each hand.

Both snake princesses were red-faced and stunned.

Tagitsuhime's lips twitched.

She'd known it would end like this.

"What about them?"

Kaguya turned slightly to look at Natsume, her tone cool.

"Keep them alive. They're still useful," Natsume said immediately.

If he hesitated even a little, there really would be dead—well, dead snakes.

Kaguya let them go.

The two snake princesses dropped to the ground.

"White Snake Sage."

Natsume raised a brow and looked deeper into the temple. "We're already here. Why not show yourself?"

With the White Snake Sage's strength, not noticing them at the boundary might be plausible.

But for them to get all the way here without being sensed?

Impossible.

The three snake princesses brightened at his words.

They, too, had sensed the White Snake Sage's presence.

Soon, an old woman appeared.

She had orange hair and a white robe.

The three snake princesses immediately hid behind her.

"White Snake Sage, you must avenge us!"

Ichikishimahime's little loli face was full of hatred.

"Silence!"

The White Snake Sage snapped, staring at Kaguya. Her body began to tremble.

Ichikishimahime froze, utterly confused.

So were the other two.

"Y-you… you're…?"

The White Snake Sage stammered, her attention completely off Natsume for the time being.