The Shadow Clones dispersed with a soft puff of smoke, their chakra dissolving into the air.
Inside the Laboratory Base, a single clone remained — Orochimaru's clone, disguised as the elegant Miss Mi. Despite her graceful appearance, her heart thudded with unease. Uchiha Madara would be arriving soon, and that man's sudden visits to the base always put her on edge. He had the unnerving habit of showing up without warning, as if the most secretive research facility in the world were nothing more than a park he liked to stroll through.
"Miss Mi, are you feeling unwell?" one of the researchers asked, noticing her pale complexion.
"I'm fine," she replied softly, forcing a smile. "But there's something urgent I must attend to. If old Mr. Deng comes, tell him I'll be away from the laboratory for a while."
Before anyone could question her, Miss Mi's hands flashed through seals. Chakra rippled, and another clone appeared before she vanished in a swirl of smoke — her disguise nearly crumbling under the strain of her true transformation.
Far from the sterile lab, deep within the sacred temple of Ryūchi Cave, the original Orochimaru knelt in the center of the chamber. Her serpentine transformation was advancing rapidly. White scales spread across her arms and neck, glinting faintly under the dim light of the cave's torches.
"If you don't want to become my next meal," hissed the White Snake Sage, its long forked tongue flicking out with anticipation, "then feel the natural energy in your body. Purify it. Blend it with your physical and spiritual energy to create Sage Chakra. Fail, and you will turn completely into a snake. When that happens… I'll eat you myself."
Its voice was both teasing and deadly serious.
Orochimaru's lips curved into a cold smile. "It won't be that easy to eat me."
She forced her trembling body to sit upright, pain burning through every nerve. Unlike Uzumaki Naruto, whose frog transformation had come without agony, Orochimaru's change was violent — scales tearing through skin, muscles twitching as they reshaped. Every breath was a struggle.
But she knew fear and panic were useless. The only path forward was through control. She closed her eyes, pushing aside the agony, and reached out with her senses. Slowly, she began to feel it — the living pulse of natural energy surrounding her, flowing through the very air and stone of Ryūchi Cave.
Bit by bit, she drew that energy into herself. Her chakra began to blend with it, forming the first threads of Sage Chakra.
The transformation slowed.
The White Snake Sage's golden eyes widened slightly. This child… she's doing it? She's actually learning to control natural energy this quickly?
Its surprise deepened as it watched her progress. Just as I suspected… the natural energy of Mount Myōboku and that of Ryūchi Cave are entirely different. Frogs borrow nature's power to become one with it, but here… here one must shed their humanity — their skin — to be reborn as a dragon.
Orochimaru's breathing steadied. She could now sense the natural energy in every corner of the cave. It thrummed through her like a second heartbeat. She wove it together with her chakra, refining it again and again.
But then — something went wrong. The snake scales spread faster, consuming her flesh until her entire body turned white and serpentine. Her arms fused, her legs melted away.
The Sage watched, its eyes narrowing. "Did it fail?"
It opened its mouth, fangs glinting, ready to swallow her whole. But then — it stopped.
A tremendous surge of natural energy burst from within Orochimaru's body.
"This…" The White Snake Sage's eyes gleamed. "Could it be…? Has she completed it?"
Against all expectations, Orochimaru had succeeded.
From within the white snake's body, something stirred. The skin split open with a wet tear. A pale hand emerged, followed by a cascade of dark hair slick with translucent fluid. Orochimaru crawled free of her own shed skin, reborn.
Two pairs of slender horns jutted from her head, curving upward like ivory blades. A sleek white tail slithered behind her, coiling lazily as if it had a will of its own.
"Master White Snake Sage," she said, her voice soft but firm. "I told you… I'm not so easy to eat."
Her once-yellow eyes glowed an eerie violet, the sclera now pitch black. She could feel it — every vibration in the cave, every living creature in its walls. Her senses were magnified a hundredfold.
This is… Sage Mode.
Her strength, her awareness — all of it surged beyond imagination. She flexed her fingers, marveling at the immense power pulsing in her veins. Even the Yin Seal on her wrist remained perfectly stable, proof that she had retained control.
Her gaze flicked toward the white serpent tail. "You grew in an interesting place," she mused aloud. "At least it's more elegant than Kabuto's version."
The tail hissed, splitting into a small white serpent that looked back at her. For the first time, she felt her consciousness expand — she could see both through her own eyes and through the snake's. They were one.
"Excellent…" Orochimaru whispered, excitement trembling in her voice. "A perfect Sage Mode. This power… it's beyond anything I imagined."
The White Snake Sage smiled faintly. "Impressive. But have you adjusted to your new form yet?"
"I have," she replied smoothly. "The strength of Sage Mode amazes me. It's stronger than even my calculations predicted."
Her expression hardened. "Master White Snake Sage, please — allow me to begin my training in the Arts of Wisdom. Time is something I can't afford to waste."
The Sage could feel her urgency. Orochimaru's mind was elsewhere — her thoughts on Uzushiogakure, on the chaos of the outside world. Every day spent training was a day that village could fall.
The Sage chuckled softly. "Patience, child. The arts you seek cannot be rushed."
Still, it relented. "Very well. I will teach you two Ryūchi Cave Arts — Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation and Sage Art: White Rage Technique. The first gives life to the inanimate; the second overwhelms all who sense it, paralyzing them in blinding light and shattering sound."
Its golden gaze shifted toward the back of the cavern. "You will not train alone. They will assist you."
Three silhouettes approached — the graceful sisters Tagorihime, Ichikishimahime, and Tagitsuhime.
Orochimaru felt a chill of foreboding. "Assist me…?"
Tagorihime smiled faintly. "Your gaze is rather impolite. From now on, you'll be under my supervision. I am Tagorihime — pleased to guide you."
Tagitsuhime's tone was warmer. "And I, Tagitsuhime. Let's do our best together."
Ichikishimahime crossed her arms, frowning. "Master Sage, why must we help this outsider? My test wasn't even finished before she—"
"Enough." The Sage's tone turned cold. "You three tested her, and she surpassed you. Her mastery of Sage Mode is proof of your inadequacy. You will assist her training — that is not up for debate."
"…Understood," Ichikishimahime muttered, lowering her head.
The three sisters exchanged glances — some resigned, some curious.
Orochimaru smiled. "Then, I'll be in your care. Let's begin."
---
Meanwhile, at the Laboratory Base, the real world continued on.
"Mr. Deng," one of the staff greeted, bowing slightly. "Miss Mi left suddenly for an urgent matter. My apologies that your visit was in vain."
Uchiha Madara — known here as "Mr. Deng" — merely nodded. "It's fine. I'll return another time."
He had come expecting to discuss research progress with Miss Mi, only to find her gone. As he turned to leave, the hum of engines drew his attention. Outside, several small trucks were parked near the shoreline — their tires rolling not on dirt, but on water.
The vehicles floated effortlessly, skimming across the sea.
Madara's eyes widened slightly. "So this is… what she meant by technology changing the world."
Though he still believed in his grand plan — the Infinite Tsukuyomi — even he couldn't deny the allure of such inventions. He often visited this place to observe the progress of modern science, curious about how far humanity had advanced while he hid in the shadows.
Watching those strange machines, he couldn't help but feel a faint echo of nostalgia — of an age when he and Hashirama once dreamed of changing the world together.
The driver of one truck noticed him staring. "Mr. Deng! Would you like to give it a try?"
Madara blinked. "I don't know how to drive."
"It's simple! Just like walking, but with pedals."
"…Very well. Show me."
He climbed in, imitating the driver's movements. The engine roared softly, and the truck glided forward — stable, responsive, almost alive beneath his hands.
A rare smile touched Madara's lips. "Interesting. Different from battle… but oddly satisfying."
"Right? Miss Mi designed the engine herself," the driver said proudly.
Madara hummed thoughtfully. Perhaps I should have her build one for me… something to pass the time while I wait for my Rinnegan to awaken fully.
The truck sped forward over the water, waves parting under its wheels as Madara felt, for the first time in decades, a strange sense of peace.
---
Back in Ryūchi Cave, Orochimaru sat cross-legged within a cavern lined with shimmering stalactites. Her hands formed seals as she focused her Sage Chakra.
"Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation!"
The ground trembled. The stalactites above her quivered, twisting as though alive — then froze again, lifeless stone once more.
Ichikishimahime hovered nearby, legs crossed in midair. "Hopeless. You've tried dozens of times and still can't give life to stone."
Orochimaru exhaled softly. "Forgive me. I'm clumsy, you see."
Her calm tone only irritated Ichikishimahime further. Yet within that serenity, Orochimaru's mind was racing. Inorganic Reincarnation… it's like Yin-Yang Release — giving form and life to what was once dead. The energy balance must lean toward Yang Release… more vitality, less thought.
She closed her eyes, refining the flow. Sage Chakra, after all, was a perfect fusion — one part physical energy, one part spiritual, one part nature. To manipulate it properly meant understanding how life itself could be shaped.
Ichikishimahime waved a hand in front of her face. "Hey! Are you even listening?"
Orochimaru opened one eye, a faint smile curling her lips. "Of course I am. I'm just… thinking."
The stalactites above trembled again — and this time, faint cracks of light pulsed across their surfaces, as if something deep within the stone had begun to stir.
Ichikishimahime's eyes widened. "Wait—"
A low rumble filled the cave.
Orochimaru's smirk deepened. "Ah… it seems I've finally grasped it."
---
To be continued…
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