June 4, 1 bNb
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Izuma's stomach lurched.
One moment, he had been sitting across from Hokage, idly watching his smoke drift, whilst suppressing any irritation and discomfort he felt from being sat beside Orochimaru. The next second, he felt a slimy force coil around him.
The force was courtesy of one of the twin snakes that had slithered out from Orochimaru's sleeves.
He barely had time to react before the first one wrapped around his torso, smooth scales tightening with unnatural strength. The second did the same to Orochimaru, its body looping lazily around his arms.
Perhaps Izuma should have been more worried, but seeing Hiruzen continue to smoke whilst looking wholly unperturbed made any such feelings unnecessary. If his biggest backer wasn't concerned, what need did he have?
Orochimaru, for his part, remained amused all the while.
And the next second…
Poof
Stone replaced wood beneath his feet. The feeling was cold and damp, and Izuma nearly stumbled half a step, but years of combat experience were a powerful thing, and so he managed to steady himself.
The second his footing was stable, a semi-pungent scent hit his nose. It wasn't completely unfamiliar; he had occasionally trekked through caves on some fronts, but it was still relatively novel.
The smell was…earthy. That was the most apt word Izuma's vocabulary could manage. It was a mineral-heavy stench with musky undertones.
He had been quite enamoured with colognes in his previous life, and so he considered his ability to describe unique scents as particularly decent. However, at this moment, even that prior experience seemed to fail him.
Izuma let his eyes wander a bit to confirm his suspicions, and very soon, confirmed they were.
Ryūchi Cave.
Orochimaru stood a few steps ahead of him, perfectly at ease. The entire ordeal was likely nothing more than an afternoon stroll to the man—actually, was snake more fitting?
What is Orochimaru? A snake person? Or just a regular human? Izuma wondered. In the anime, even whilst young, Orochimaru still had a distinct appearance, not unlike that of a snake.
Kisame and Orochimaru were both people—animals?—that Izuma truly possessed not the faintest hint of an idea regarding their lineage.
Was Orochimaru's father or mother secretly a snake that his other parent had gotten freaky with?
Izuma shook his head and took a better gander at the cave he was now situated in.
The cavern stretched outward in all directions, vast beyond all reason. The ceiling alone disappeared into darkness, so high that Izuma genuinely wondered if the concept of "ceiling" even applied here. Sky seemed a better description, considering just how high the cave went.
Stalactites the size of towers hung suspended overhead, veins of faintly glowing mineral running through.
There was no mountain in the Land of Fire that Izuma was aware of that could house something like this.
Izuma shook his head.
There is no mountain, period.
The space defied common sense, defied geometry. It felt less like being inside a cave and more like stepping into the hollow of the world itself.
The walls were riddled with openings from which hundreds, maybe thousands, of smaller caves branched off like arteries. From each, serpents slithered in and out: tiny, thumb-thin snakes that vanished into cracks; massive coils that scraped stone as they moved; creatures with scales like polished jade, obsidian, or bone.
It put all other sights Izuma had seen in his last life to shame, not that he had seen all that many, but he was sure even if he had, this would still easily rank above them.
The sound in the cave was constant as well.
A low, overlapping hiss that vibrated through the stone and into Izuma's bones.
The nearest snakes noticed him.
Heads lifted, and tongues flicked outward
Then the hissing sharpened.
He straightened slightly and met the gaze of the nearest serpent without challenge.
Orochimaru, of course, looked delighted.
"Oh my," he drawled. "How welcoming."
The hissing continuously intensified, a process which greatly grated on Izuma's nerves. However, a few moments later, all hissing abruptly stopped.
A sudden, heavy sound echoed through the cavern.
Something large was shifting.
From one of the higher tunnels, a snake descended.
It was not enormous, but it was still massive by any reasonable metric. Its scales were a muted, weathered yellow, marked with pale striations like old scars. Intelligent eyes regarded the scene with clear irritation.
[Image of the Snake]
As it slithered forward, the effect was immediate.
The smaller snakes scattered, retreating into their tunnels or pressing themselves flat against the stone. Those that remained bowed their heads, bodies lowering in instinctive deference.
An authoritative figure, he noted to himself.
The snake stopped a few meters from Orochimaru and lowered its head slightly, voice emerging not from a mouth that moved, but directly into the air around them.
"Orochimaru," it said. "Why have you brought another human here?"
Orochimaru placed a hand over his chest, mockingly polite. "Ryōta. Always a pleasure."
The snake—Ryōta—did not look pleased.
"I am giving him the opportunity," Orochimaru continued smoothly, "to become a snake summoner."
Ryōta's eyes narrowed. "You skipped the process."
Orochimaru laughed, a soft, amused sound that Izuma could see unnerved Ryōta as much as it did him.
"Did I?"
"Yes," Ryōta snapped. "Summoners are meant to find Ryūchi Cave. They prove their resolve, their instinct, their compatibility by surviving the journey. Only after reaching this place—after being judged—are they accepted."
Its gaze appraisingly flicked back to Izuma.
"You have invalidated the trial."
Orochimaru waved a hand dismissively. "Ah. My apologies. How careless of me."
The apology was so insincere it bordered on insulting.
Ryōta did not seem fooled.
It turned fully toward himself, tongue flicking once, twice. The scrutiny was intense, as though layers of him were being peeled back and examined.
Izuma met the gaze calmly.
He had dealt with worse judges.
For a moment, the cave was silent.
Then Ryōta paused.
"…Never mind," the snake said slowly.
Orochimaru's brows lifted in mild surprise.
Ryōta's gaze lingered on Izuma, something akin to reluctant acknowledgment entering its tone. "If the seeker is you, the process would have been useless regardless."
Izuma blinked, slightly taken aback.
"…I'm flattered," he said carefully, unsure whether that was an insult or a compliment.
Ryōta huffed. "Do not be. It is merely an observation."
The snake shifted its massive coils, settling more comfortably. "I did not expect one who had proven himself in battle beside Orochimaru to seek our help."
Its eyes flicked briefly to Orochimaru, then back to Izuma. "If you were to undergo our trials, the conclusion would have been foregone from the very beginning. You simply took a shortcut."
Orochimaru smiled, pleased.
Well. That was new.
He cleared his throat, reining himself in before his expression betrayed too much satisfaction at the glaze.
"If it's any consolation," he said evenly, inclining his head toward Ryōta, "I didn't intend to disrespect your process. I'm not so naive as to fail to understand the importance of trials."
Ryōta's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I simply don't have the luxury of time," he continued with a shrug. "I'm in the middle of a war. I can't afford to wander the world hoping I stumble across Ryūchi Cave before someone decides to become embroiled in another skirmish with our village."
The snake snorted, a dry, scraping sound that echoed faintly through the cavern.
"You speak as if summoning us is a convenience," Ryōta said coolly. "The snakes are not tools to be selected at will, human. We are not dogs waiting for a master's whistle."
"I wouldn't dare think that," he replied. "If anything, I consider it… an honor to even stand here."
Ryōta studied him again.
Then it huffed.
Orochimaru's smile widened, clearly enjoying himself far too much.
"Still," Ryōta went on, "since you are Izuma Uchiha… I will allow it. You would have passed the trials regardless."
Sorry, Kakashi—if anyone was Mr. Worldwide, it would be him, Izuma thought, enjoying the thought dearly.
Mr. Worldwide, his traitorous brain supplied helpfully.
"I appreciate the consideration," he said sincerely.
Ryōta's gaze sharpened. "Do not mistake this for acceptance."
"Since you bypassed the process," the snake continued, "you must tell me why you seek to become a snake summoner."
Izuma didn't hesitate.
"I want power."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.
Ryōta, for his part, did not react.
"I'm being sent on a mission where there's a non-zero chance I'll face a jinchūriki," Izuma said plainly. "I'm not afraid of that. But I'm not arrogant enough to think I can handle one alone, at least, not yet."
He lifted his chin slightly, eyes steady.
"So I want allies worthy of standing beside me. Who better than the snakes?"
Greed bled into his tone, and he was unashamed of it. From everything he had seen, the snakes respected few things more than unabashed greed and ambition.
Ryōta hummed in thought.
"You speak honestly," it said at last. "That much I will grant you."
The snake shifted, coils tightening briefly before relaxing again. "I will bring this before the Great Sage. If she approves, you will become a summoner."
"And if she doesn't?" Izuma asked calmly.
Ryōta's eyes gleamed. "Then you will be eaten."
He was slightly taken aback at the remark, but truthfully did not think much of it.
Orochimaru was here. Hiruzen had explicitly told him to keep Izuma alive. If the snakes tried anything too dramatic, well, then the snake would just have to step in and thwart his kin.
In fact, a small part of Izuma wanted to see that very interaction take place.
"I'll take those odds," Izuma said.
Ryōta regarded him for a long moment, then vanished as his body slipped backward into the shadows of the cave, as if swallowed by the stone itself.
Minutes passed.
Izuma waited, hands loose at his sides, breathing steady. He could feel Orochimaru watching him from the corner of his eye.
He ignored it.
Finally, the stone shifted again.
Ryōta reemerged.
"You are a fortunate human," the snake said flatly.
Izuma's heart kicked into overdrive, pounding restlessly at the mere thought of having, not only, his own summon, but one so powerful.
The village had its own slew of summoning beasts contracts in its possession; however, Izuma had no intention of setting his sights on such lowly beasts. The Uchiha clan, too, had a few summoning scrolls to their name, but again, although crows were great for aura farming, they simply could not compare with the ability to wrestle with tailed beasts.
Ryōta dropped a large scroll, sealed with unfamiliar markings, from his mouth and let it drop neatly at Izuma's feet, the loud thud silencing any distracting thoughts.
"This will bind you," Ryōta continued. "Sign it."
Izuma didn't hesitate and instantly unfurled the scroll.
His brow arched slightly at the list of previous summoners—a measly seventeen. Sixteen was more fair, considering one of the few on the list was s Anko, who, not to be rude, was only there because of Orochimaru.
He, too, was only here because of similar circumstances, but he had done so through a fair trade.
He shook his head, unwilling to let his mind wander any longer, and pricked his thumb, let a few drops of blood fall, and pressed his palm to the parchment and signed his name.
The scroll flared faintly, then went still.
Ryōta nodded. "You are now a summoner of Ryuchi cave."
It worked.
"This allows you to summon most snakes," Ryōta explained, "including myself. However—" its eyes narrowed "—the greater ones will not answer you so easily."
Izuma straightened.
"To summon the monstrous snakes," Ryōta continued, "you must earn their approval individually. Strength alone will not suffice."
Izuma frowned slightly. "Earned how?"
He knew summons could very well refuse to fight for their summoner; however, he was still under the impression that any snake could be summoned.
Ryōta's gaze cut toward Orochimaru.
Orochimaru chuckled, hands tucked in his sleeves.
"Don't look so shocked, Izuma-kun. You've been given more than most already." He stepped forward, inspecting the scroll's seals with not a flicker of interest. "Do you know how long it took me to find this place? Years of research and exploration."
He glanced sideways. "You should consider this a favor."
Izuma's eyes narrowed. "What favor?"
Orochimaru smiled. "Ah, but before we get to that, let's talk about them."
He turned back to Ryōta.
"The ones you're looking for," he said, "like Manda, are not ordinary summons. They don't care for summoning contracts. You see, they are too prideful for that. No, they get to choose who calls them. If you want to summon one… you'll have to go deeper. Find their lairs. Face them directly. Earn their approval."
Izuma's scowl deepened. He didn't remember this from the anime.
"That sounds like a pain in the ass."
Orochimaru raised a hand, almost innocent. "I can lead you, of course. The paths are endless, and if you stray too far… well, even Ryōta wouldn't find your body."
Izuma bristled at the implication.
"I'm fine on my own."
"No," Ryōta said flatly. "You are not. Without guidance, you will become lost in more ways than one."
"Think of it as a shortcut," Orochimaru offered, too sweetly for Izuma's liking. "And of course, that brings us to the matter of balancing the scales."
Izuma stared at him. "Let me guess. This shortcut settles the 'favor'."
"Indeed." Orochimaru's smile widened. "One small thing, really. When the time comes—actually, let's hold off on letting you know. It would be a shame if your mind wandered, and you weren't in the best state to face the upcoming challenge."
Izuma bit back an irritated huff. Orochimaru holding back was certainly worse than Orochimaru coming clean. He definitely had his own machinations at play.
"You're serious?"
"Of course, Izuma-kun. Why would I lie to you?" Orochimaru replied.
He sighed, but chose to forget about it. Whatever it was, well, soon Orochmaru would be ousted from the village altogether.
No one would care if he ignored repaying the favor of a criminal, after all.
Still, he nodded.
Maybe Orochimaru would buy it. Maybe it'd give Izuma a sliver of breathing room while he poked deeper into whatever experiment the snake bastard was hiding.
He didn't think Orochimaru was that naive, but every little edge helped.
"Fine," he said aloud. "Lead the way."
Orochimaru turned. "Wonderful."
And together, the two disappeared into the deeper dark.
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A/N:
Izuma won't be a Naruto savant, meaning his knowledge is lacking in some areas—also, many of the happenings of Ryūchi Cave will be original, as it wasn't really touched on in the source work.
By the way, in Boruto, how does everyone just know where Ryūchi Cave is? LOL. That shit took Orochimaru effort, and he's already a snake.
Lastly, who do you guys think Izuma's main snake summon will be? Manda? Aoda? It should be obvious, though.
By the way, below is Izuma's new look, courtesy of ByJunior.
[Izuma's new look]
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