Ryti Cave was flooded by a roaring ocean of natural energy. Thousands of snakes writhed madly in a single hissing gust. They bit into the misty haze that had once been air, greedily devouring every scrap of it. In a frenzy, they devoured each other, entwining into a nightmarish, pulsating ball of flesh.
One instinct, one thought was beating in their collective mind: to become a god.
And to do this, you need to take them away — the all-conquering eyes of Uchiha Yue.
In the very heart of the cave, a huge white snake was curled up in gigantic coils. Raging streams of energy poured into her, causing her ancient body to shudder.
— R-ro-o-o-ar-r!
The next moment, the White Snake Hermit abruptly raised her head, letting out a roar like a bull. Her icy gaze swept over the writhing bodies of Princess Tagorihime and the other supreme snakes, who were absorbing power in the same frenzy. They were just fuel. Pawns in a last, desperate game. There was nothing but ruthless, cold calculation in the Hermit's eyes.
The princess and the other leaders, intoxicated by the power, did not notice the gaze of their mistress. Their minds were clouded by the promises that the White Snake Hermit had drawn for them. To shorten their lives, to give everything for the sake of strength in order to kill Uchiha Yue and seize his power — now they were ready for any sacrifice. They believed that when their mistress became a dragon, she would share her divine power with them. The pioneer will lead the others, and all the snakes will turn into dragons, and Ryuti Cave will become the greatest of the sacred lands.
Just thinking about it made their blood boil.
They didn't realize that from the moment the Hermit decided to put everything on the line, their future was sealed.
This world is doomed. She could feel it in every scale. The natural energy, the blood of this world, was flowing away, and at a terrifying rate. In a few months, her level will drop so much that so-called hermits like her will simply cease to exist.
It was time for them, the ancients, to die long ago. They were parasites, sucking on that blood, using it to create senjutsu chakra and prolong their unnatural longevity. Their life, their strength, everything was tied to natural energy, just as the life of an aerobic being was tied to oxygen.
When the oxygen runs out and the internal reserves are depleted, they will only die of old age, without the slightest chance to return to a normal existence.
This was exactly what awaited all the hermits. Even if they kill Uchiha Yue, it won't change anything. The energy of the Shinobi world is not enough to keep them alive. And even though she might begin to recover over time, she, the White Snake Hermit, knew that she would not live to see this dawn.
She would not accept such a future. Never. Rather than rot ignominiously waiting for the end, it is better to challenge the heavens themselves. Put everything on the line to kill Uchiha Yue and take his eyes!
It was her will, her tyranny, her premonition. She knew in her gut that once she possessed this power, she would become a deity who transcended all existence. The lust for those eyes was the root cause of her insane adventure. The only chance in her entire thousand-year life, and she would cling to it with a death grip.
She will become a new natural disaster until Uchiha Yue matures, until others are able to get to him. And then, having gained full power, even the resurrected Sage of the Six Paths will not be able to stop her.
She had no doubt of success. Yue has not yet reached his potential. He is a genius, a future conqueror of the world, but now he is just a chick in the nest. And she is an ancient dragon, ready to descend from heaven. Even if something goes wrong, in her new state, she can always retreat. Success was not just probable, it was predestined.
The air on Mount Meboku trembled.
In the depths of the temple, the Great Hermit Toad opened his eyes. He could feel the natural energy of the entire world being distorted and roaring. His gaze, full of bewilderment, turned towards Ryuti Cave.
"What is this snake up to? Did you really decide to stock up on energy for the future, before Uchiha Yue absorbed every drop?"
It doesn't make sense. Natural energy cannot be held in one place. As long as it is in this world, it will circulate, obeying the general laws. Her act will not stop the extinction.
"It's incomprehensible,— the Elder thought. "But there's hardly anything good in it."
He closed his eyes again, immersed in the expectation of a prophetic dream that would indicate a turning point. But ever since Uchiha Yue appeared in the world, the visions have been silent. A month is too short a time. The elder understood that he had to wait. Still, he couldn't shake the thought of the Child in the Prophecy. Will he be able to defeat the Uchiha monster? Maybe. But to do that, Jiraiya has to find him first.
"The Child of Prophecy… Uchiha Yue... how could such a being be born in this world? If Hagoromo and the others were alive now… Damn Danzo! What the hell are you doing joining the Uchiha clan for?!"
After a long time, the Great Hermit Toad sighed bitterly. If the prophecy is silent, he himself must become the variable that will change the course of the game. Soon, two wise men, Shima and Fukasaku, appeared before him.
—What?" No way! Elder, are you out of your mind?! Shima's voice was as sharp as a whip. — Distribute senjutsu right and left!
She shook her head violently, convinced that the Great Hermit Toad had completely lost his mind. To unveil the technique of Mount Meboku, to allow every Shinobi to practice it... is unthinkable!
— Senjutsu is the soul of our mountain! — She continued. — This is what sets us apart from other draft clans. If we give it away, then eventually the whole world will be overrun by hermits! This will undermine the very foundations of the sacred lands! This secret cannot be trusted by anyone!
The Great Hermit Toad heaved a sigh. If he could, he wouldn't do it. Yes, to practice their technique requires the help of toads from Mount Meboku, but this is only a temporary limitation.
There has never been a shortage of people in the Shinobi world. And humans are intelligent and desperate creatures. After receiving the training method, they would first depend on the toads. But over time... the Great Hermit Toad knew their nature all too well. He saw mountains of corpses, on top of which would sit someone who would finally comprehend the essence, stepping on the bones of his relatives.
And that price... under the circumstances... seemed reasonable to him.