"Are you the white snake that's come to take me?"
After leaving Mount Myōboku, Takeshi began his journey to seek out the White Snake.
Watching him squat in the grass, lifting the tail of every white snake he saw and asking them a question or two, Uchiha Hikari fought the urge to kick him, turning her head away as if she didn't know him.
How embarrassing.
Takeshi, completely oblivious to how ridiculous he looked, kept searching through the grass for a white snake.
He wasn't sure whether the "White Snake" he was looking for was the same one Orochimaru had mentioned, but he decided to try his luck in the wild first.
"Are you..."
"You must be Shimura Takeshi, right?"
Just as Takeshi lifted yet another white snake by the tail and dodged its fangs with practiced ease, a woman's voice suddenly came from nearby.
Almost instantly, Hikari's shuriken whistled through the air toward the source of the sound. Moments later, the sharp clang of metal spreading open could be heard.
"Who's there?!"
Hikari's face was cold, her tone filled with hostility.
"How scary... Why did I have to be the one to do this?"
The owner of the voice muttered softly, revealing her true appearance.
She was a young woman dressed in shrine maiden robes, adorned with ornate accessories. Her blue hair glimmered faintly, and her eyes were marked with red shadow.
"I am Ichikishimahime, sent by the White Snake Sage to guide you."
Takeshi looked her up and down, then released the snake in his hand.
"So the Great Toad Sage's prophecy really had some weight to it, huh? The Ryūchi Cave actually sent someone to receive me. Gotta say, your service is impressive."
Ichikishimahime fell silent.
When had the Ryūchi Cave ever invited a cultivator before? Usually, it was reckless fools seeking power who came knocking—only to end up devoured when they failed the trials.
Even now, she didn't understand why the White Snake Sage had sent her to welcome this seemingly harmless boy.
Well, the cold-faced girl behind him looked far less harmless.
"Please, follow me."
Ignoring Takeshi's teasing, Ichikishimahime floated into the air, guiding them toward Ryūchi Cave.
"Are you sure you want to follow this ugly thing from who-knows-where?"
Hikari's voice wasn't loud, but Ichikishimahime heard it clearly.
She nearly lost balance midair.
Ugly thing?
Her current form was adorable, thank you very much!
Over the centuries, countless men had fallen for this face before meeting their deaths—yet this rude brat dared to call her ugly?!
Could she eat her? Surely she could eat her. After all, the White Snake Sage only said to bring Shimura Takeshi—she never said anything about this impolite girl.
Sensing Ichikishimahime's sudden murderous intent, Hikari's eyes began to shift, revealing the pattern of her Mangekyō Sharingan.
That overwhelming gaze crushed Ichikishimahime's will to act. She obediently crouched down nearby, waiting for their decision.
"Let's go. My goal's to meet the Sage of Ryūchi Cave anyway. Since they've gone out of their way to welcome me, it'd be rude not to show up."
Takeshi followed her without a hint of hesitation.
"Do you even know the meaning of 'rude'?" Hikari deactivated her Mangekyō Sharingan, muttering as she trailed after him.
...
As they walked, the scenery gradually began to change.
At some point, a thick mist rolled in, wrapping around them until their figures were barely visible.
"Be careful."
Hikari raised her hand, motioning for Takeshi to slow down.
The atmosphere gave her a sense of danger. The Mangekyō pattern flickered back into her eyes.
"Don't worry."
Takeshi waved her off. It was only mist—Shikkotsu Forest had plenty of that too.
Just a concealment technique, nothing more.
Of course, behind that mist, Ryūchi Cave's denizens were no doubt watching from the shadows.
They walked for several hundred meters more before a sudden glow pierced through the fog.
Ichikishimahime had vanished without a trace, and a magnificent palace appeared before them, filling their entire view.
The massive doors slowly opened, and a woman with green hair bowed deeply toward them.
"I am Tagorihime. Welcome, both of you."
She hesitated briefly—clearly not expecting Takeshi to have brought company.
And those eyes...
"Oh, hello, hello."
Takeshi stepped right in, immediately spotting a table covered in elaborate dishes.
"Please, have a seat."
Tagorihime warmly gestured for him to sit.
These dishes...
Takeshi ignored the invitation, staring intently at the food on the table.
If he wasn't mistaken, everything before him—perhaps even the building itself—was an illusion.
But what intrigued him was that the illusion wasn't formed from chakra.
It was created from natural energy.
To forge illusions with nature energy itself—how fascinating.
Standing nearby, Tagorihime felt a chill crawl up her spine as Takeshi froze in place, danger radiating from him.
"Hah, so this is how Ryūchi Cave welcomes its guests? Then I shouldn't fall behind. Ice Releasel!"
An ocean of ice spikes erupted in front of Tagorihime, forcing her to reveal her true form.
The White Snake Sage's trusted attendant was swept away in a torrent of ice, vanishing into the depths below.
As she disappeared, the entire illusion shattered.
A dark cavern littered with bones spread out before them.
"Tch. That one sure ran fast," Hikari muttered, kicking over the table that had held the "food."
All that lay there now was a pile of dark, unidentifiable sludge.
And the one she called "that one," of course, was Ichikishimahime.