Chapter 43 : 10th Place

[Jiraiya: Darn it, it seems I didn't make it into the top ten either!]

[Orochimaru: All three of our legendary Sannin got wiped out, and none of us made it to the top ten. It's a real shame. Who's in the top ten? Come on out and reveal yourselves!]

[Gamabunta: The top ten probably consists of incredibly mysterious summoning beasts. They're hiding somewhere we can't reach. 

They might even be snoozing, oblivious to the existence of the Golden List. It's like the giant toad of Mount Myoboku; it wouldn't have known about the Golden List if he hadn't been woken up!]

[Orochimaru: That seems plausible. Maybe they're summoning beasts even older than us?]

[Manda: Let's sit back and wait for the top ten to reveal themselves!]

[Pain: If we can subdue those top ten creatures as summoning beasts, it will undoubtedly bolster the strength of the Akatsuki organization!]

[Tsunade: Oh, conquering such creatures isn't something ordinary folks can achieve, unless you're on the level of the Sage of Six Paths, Pain, you can't! ]

[Pain: How do we know if we don't try?]

And now...

Garaga approached Yasao.

"Master, I really want to show off. Can I speak in the live broadcast room?" Garaga asked.

Yasao always preferred to keep a low profile and conceal his identity, so he had never spoken in the live broadcast room.

"Well, you're going to be exposed soon anyway, so go ahead and speak. According to my calculations, you should be in the tenth spot!" Yasao replied.

"Hahaha, Master, you're amazing! I'm going to flaunt it. When the White Snake Sage finds out that I outrank her, her reaction will be priceless!" Garaga exclaimed.

Without delay, Garaga moved to the side and began to speak.

[Garaga: Hey there, folks! I've got an announcement to make. I'm ranked tenth on the summoning beast list!!!]

[White Snake Sage: Garaga, have you lost your mind? Even if you were still alive, you wouldn't surpass Manda and Aoda in the rankings. You're already dead. Do you really think you can make it to the top ten on the list?!!!]

[Gamabunta: Old White Snake, are all the snakes in your Ryuchi Cave this amusing? ]

[Manda: Garaga, back when you were in Ryuchi Cave, no snake wanted to play with you. Have you been alone for so long that your mind's gone haywire? ]

[Garaga: Manda, you're not much better off. Do you think any snakes want to play with you? ]

[Aoda: Garaga, stop joking around. Even though you're dead and couldn't make the list, you must be really bitter. But this is the reality. Don't talk nonsense and disgrace Ryuchi Cave. ]

[Garaga: To hell with Ryuchi Cave! I'm no longer part of Ryuchi Cave, and I left it a long time ago. Even though I didn't tell White Snake Sage personally, I'll say it here today: I'm no longer associated with Ryuchi Cave. Ryuchi Cave isn't worthy of me. I'm in the top ten on the summoning beast list, and White Snake Sage is only 12th. Take that! ]

[Manda: ???]

[Aoda: ???]

[White Snake Sage: I'm sorry, but Garaga from Ryuchi Cave couldn't accept the news of his own demise. After spending too long in the Pure Land World, his soul's been affected! ]

[Garaga: I'm not dead, old woman. What do you mean, cursing me to die? You're no match for me anymore. Be careful; I might just end you!]

In Ryuchi Cave...

White Snake Sage seethed with anger, her terrifying aura causing the surrounding walls to quiver as if they might crumble.

This presence alarmed Tagitsuhime.

"Sage White Snake, please calm down. Garage Isn't in his right mind, and he's dead. There's no point in being angry with him. You can't touch him!"

Tagorihime advised.

"I understand."

White Snake Sage regained her composure.

If Garaga were still alive at this moment and standing before her, she would have surely swallowed him up!

Though she didn't relish consuming her own kind, she would've made an exception for Garaga.

[Garaga: You don't believe me?]

[Manda: Heh, what you're saying is just too outrageous. Who would believe it?]

[Garaga: A bunch of ignorant folks. You'll see how mighty I am in a moment!]

Shortly after, the tenth spot on the summoning beast list was finally updated, and a name appeared on the list.

[Tenth place on the summoning beast list: Garaga, owner: Yasao]

Shockwaves rippled through everyone!

Garaga, surpassing the Three Great Sages and the Nine Tailed Beasts? How was that possible?

People had seen Garaga's image before. While he was undoubtedly huge and strong, he wasn't considered this formidable.

At the time, Nine Tails could have easily outmatched Garaga.

[White Snake Sage: Garaga, are you really in the tenth spot? Did you rig your ranking on the Golden List? I suspect you cheated!]

[Gamabunta: I can't believe it either. How is this possible?]

[Jiraiya: Unbelievable!]

[Manda: Impossible. Garaga, you might be stronger than me, but tenth place? That's just not possible!]

[Blue Snake: I'm at a loss for words!]

[Senju Hashirama: White Snake Sage from Ryuchi Cave didn't make the top ten, but Ryuchi Cave's Garaga did. It's truly perplexing!]

[Orochimaru: There should be a screen in the live broadcast room, just like before. It must be the same now.]

At that moment, Garaga's image appeared in the live broadcast room.

Boom!

A colossal, red creature that stretched hundreds of meters into the sky ascended. It wasn't a snake but a red scorpion. Its crimson pincers radiated a chilling aura, capable of slicing through anything.

Its pair of dragon-like eyes were fierce and commanding, exuding the authority of a true dragon.

Moreover, the scales covering its body were no longer snake scales but dragon scales.

[White Snake Sage: Is that a Jiaolong (Sea Serpent / Water Dragon / Flood Dragon)?]

[Manda: Garaga, this can't be you. One of your eyes is blind, but this creature has perfect vision.]

[Garaga: Manda, can't my eyes be healed? This is me!]

[Aoda: Garaga has transformed into something beyond an ordinary snake, he's become a Dragon. How is this possible?]

[White Snake Sage: Garaga must have been tamed by Yasao, and he acquired true dragon blood essence before. If Garaga consumed that essence, it could explain his evolution into a Flood Dragon!]

A Flood Dragon! One of the dragon species!

White Snake Sage's lifelong goal was to become a dragon, justifying the name Ryuchi Cave.

She had labored for thousands of years but had never succeeded. Yet here was Garaga, presented with an opportunity to evolve into a dragon!

She was envious!

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