Chapter 116 : Practicing Senjutsu

Note:

I used Takeshi as MC name to avoid confusion for the chapter and now I will again revert to using Orochimaru as MC name since they are practically same entity and are connected.

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In the ninja world, after Orochimaru absorbed Ryūchi Ball, fused with ancient bloodline inheritance, releasing an amazing aura fluctuation, many powerful beings felt its presence.

In a hidden cave, an old figure clenched his fist tightly, opening a pair of majestic and domineering blood-red eyes.

Cold and evil, those eyes transformed into intricate patterns, exuding a sense of fighting spirit and rebellion.

The old man gazed in the direction of the pressure, unable to fully comprehend the strength of the other party. He tried to stand up, but a series of violent coughs interrupted him, forcing him to give up.

Gently stroking the pale flesh on his chest, the old man felt the power nurtured within him and slowly closed his eyes.

"Wait, the world still needs me to bring peace."

Not far away, a cloaked figure wearing a straw hat suddenly halted. A black shadow, darker than darkness itself, overflowed from the cloak and took shape as a pitch-black human figure.

The featureless human figure gazed towards the distant horizon and muttered to himself.

"The direction of Ryūchi Cave? I wonder what that snake is up to. But my biggest concern should be the meddling folks from Mount Myōboku."

The shadow returned to the cloaked body and started walking towards a distant village.

"Could this aura belong to a devil?"

Countless bubbles rose from a gloomy altar, as a massive head emerged from the blood-like viscous spell. Devout believers knelt and prayed, and pale pupils stared into the dark void.

Opening its ferocious mouth, the head unleashed a chilling yin wind that left all the believers in a stupor. Their faint light was sucked out and swallowed by the head.

"One day, I will confront you."

The huge head submerged back into the altar, leaving only lifeless bodies on the ground, and the yin wind wailed like the cry of the dead.

The quiet corners of the ninja world were stirred by this fleeting aura. In the magma-like nine secluded purgatory, colossal monsters roared.

Underneath the sealed layers of the ground, a darkness-filled atmosphere roared.

Ironically, most of the ninjas in the ninja world remained oblivious to this phenomenon.

These, Orochimarus didn't know, and even if they did, it would only make them more cautious.

"The power fluctuations..."

In Hokage's office, Senju Tobirama cast aside the document he was reviewing in disbelief, to the surprised gazes of the ninjas around him, and rushed out of the window.

Standing atop the Hokage Rock, Tobirama looked solemnly into the unknown distance.

As one of the most powerful ninjas in the ninja world, Tobirama possessed extraordinary perception. He had just sensed some strange fluctuations in the ninja world, something unfamiliar yet familiar, leaving him uneasy.

"...Could it be the legendary Sage aura?"

Though there seemed to be a breath not too far from Konoha, Tobirama was not proficient in Senjutsu. He could only vaguely detect its location because Hashirama had used Senjutsu before, making him somewhat familiar with this power.

"Why did I sense a life force similar to my elder brother within that energy aura? The source of this force must be a powerful being, given its distance!"

Tobirama sighed, realizing that there were still many unknowns in the ninja world. Even after unifying the manu clans and establishing ninja villages, how many histories and secrets lay buried in the dust of the war-torn world?

"It seems I need to be more cautious in my future plans. To protect the Senju clan and the village established by my elder brother, I must not fall easily."

Tobirama jumped off the Hokage Rock. This "commotion" had quietly set numerous changes in motion.

"Why? Why can't I fly!"

In Ryūchi Cave, Orochimaru struggled to control the substantial power of Senjutsu within his body, under the guidance of the White Snake Sage. However, he couldn't recapture the ethereal and natural sensation he once experienced when separated from his body.

"You must calm down and envision yourself as a part of the space around you, so you can easily sense the forces of nature and control them..."

The White Snake Sage sighed helplessly, watching as Orochimaru struggled and eventually fell to the ground.

"You're using all your true essence, you idiot! Why do you get worse the harder you try!"

Following the teachings of the White Snake Sage, Orochimaru had already absorbed the natural energy.

Ordinarily, people would need to ingest the saliva of a big snake to perceive this power more easily. However, Orochimaru had integrated the Ryūchi Ball energy bestowed by the White Snake Sage, bypassing the initial perception process.

Subsequently, the White Snake Sage directly employed her own power to mobilize the natural energy in the air to exert pressure on Orochimaru.

Experiencing the feeling of being squeezed by the surroundings air-like entities was unimaginable. Orochimaru couldn't break free with strength but had to continuously absorb and refine these energies.

If he failed to absorb or refine them in time, Orochimaru would be crushed by the surrounding forces or suffer severe injuries due to the disordered natural energy.

Those who came here for Senjutsu cultivation in the past would be mercilessly devoured once they fell into a coma. This method honed the ability of inhabitants of Ryuchi Cave to quickly devour and transform. Compared to Mount Myōboku's steady approach, Ryūchi Cave's cultivation method was much more violent, but if one survived, future cultivation would become much simpler.

The White Snake Sage referred to this self-refined natural energy as "True Yuan," a title that Orochimaru found irritating.

"Is it because my level is not high enough?"

This time, Orochimaru stood up with determination and resumed his meditation to cultivate his strength.

"I didn't expect the effect to be different."

The energy he cultivated did not exist in the legendary "Dantian," as Orochimaru had initially guessed. Instead, he felt it gather between his eyebrows.

This power did not exist in the form of a tangible entity. Even if his head were cut off, there would be no "crystal nucleus." Instead, it seemed to be hidden in another space, likely connected to the blended soul.

Orochimaru wondered if the "Sage Beasts" in other sacred places were similar.

This time, Orochimaru managed to fly a little higher, but he still couldn't achieve the ease of flying at will, or even complete assimilation with the surrounding aura to achieve invisibility. He was still far from reaching that level.

After all, he was just a beginner. Cultivation of this level couldn't be achieved overnight, even after hundreds of years of practice.

At this point, Orochimaru had fully grasped his own body. Although he lacked the defense bonus of the Shikotsumyaku, he felt an increase in physical strength and greater resilience, much like that of a more powerful snake.

As for chakra, Orochimaru's previous chakra and Shikotsumyaku were now within his clone body held by real Orochimaru.

Orochimaru's current power had become what they called "True Essence." In terms of energy, it was only at the level of an ordinary jonin, which was not much different from before.

Fortunately, his previous ninjutsu still worked as usual, and the compatibility was still good.

Moreover, True Yuan did not seem to have fixed attributes. It could still use all five elements just as before, and each of the transformed attributes reached the level of Jonin, which was quite a pleasant surprise.

The power of Senjutsu did not disappoint him. Orochimaru discovered that his Ninjutsu was about 30% stronger than before.

One should not underestimate this 30% increase. It represented the significant difference in quality between True Yuan and his previous chakra. Factoring in the weakened spiritual power, Orochimaru was not much weaker than before his soul split.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru was also diligently learning Sage Mode.

Tagitsu-hime had firmly bitten Orochimaru on the neck, enabling him to sense the power of nature more smoothly.

However, the Sage Mode carried great risks. Orochimaru's body was still young and could not absorb too much natural power, making it difficult for him to make rapid progress.

"It truly is a wondrous power. If I can fully master this method of absorbing the power of nature, I believe I could even devour other people's chakras and even their souls!"

Orochimaru silently opened his eyes, and the end of his eyes showed a tinge of red, adding to the purple eyeshadow he already possessed.

Nonetheless, Tagitsu-hime and Ichikishima Hime perpetually held onto their red eyeshadow, a fact that Orochimaru was slightly envious of.

"Forget it. Cultivating any power to its extreme leads to the same outcome. With my powerful bloodline and spiritual power, I can become the ultimate being and then uncover the secrets of this world, including the power of nature."

Real Orochimaru displayed an indifferent smile. Subconsciously influenced by his awareness of the plot, his later personality tended to be more open-minded, less obsessive, and extreme.

In truth, he had no memory of Takeshi. He was merely under Takeshi's control and would not betray him.

"Cough, cough! Take a break, and stop 'walking on air'."

The White Snake Sage interrupted Orochimaru's cultivation. Orochimaru slowly descended to the ground and looked at the squinting White Snake Sage, unsure of what she intended to do.

"You are a descendant of our Ryūchi Cave. Yet, you only summon those inferior ninja snakes, bringing shame to us."

The White Snake Sage made an ethereal "hissing" sound, and Orochimaru had a feeling that she was summoning something.

"Could it be that..."

"I have a very promising little guy here. Although he's not from the White Scale family, his talent is exceptional. Take him with you!"

The White Snake Sage called out to a cave, "Come out, Manda!"

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