Chapter 384: Chapter 384: Dragon Sage Art
Ryūchi Cave.
This was an underground cavern complex located in a mysterious space somewhere in the ninja world.
Giant stalactites hung from the cave ceiling, emitting a faint fluorescent glow, and the air was thick with natural energy, making one’s body feel slightly warm with every breath.
Sora and Tagitsuhime appeared on a stone platform.
"Master, welcome to Ryūchi Cave~"
Tagitsuhime spread her arms in a gesture of presentation. "How is it? The natural energy here is much denser than on Ascension Island, right~"
Sora took a deep breath.
Indeed.
The concentration of natural energy here was at least five times that of Ascension Island!
If he trained in Sage Art here, his efficiency would definitely increase dramatically.
"Let’s go, Master. That old White Snake should be waiting for us in the main hall."
Tagitsuhime swayed her hips as she led the way deeper into the cavern.
Along the way, Sora saw many snakes.
Large and small, in a variety of colors.
The two passed through long cave tunnels and finally arrived before a magnificent underground palace. The entire palace was constructed from white jade, and the doors were carved with a giant serpent pattern.
The doors slowly opened.
The White Snake Sage had been waiting here all along. It slithered up to Sora and said:
"Ryūchi Cave’s Sage Art emphasizes ’transformation and ascension into a dragon.’ Since Master already possesses the essence of a true dragon, training should yield twice the result with half the effort."
"However..."
It paused, then cautioned:
"The training of Sage Art is fraught with danger, especially the stage of ’serpent transformation.’ Countless gifted individuals have fallen at this step. Although Master is special, you must still be cautious."
"I understand."
Sora’s expression was serious.
He had never been a reckless person.
"Then, starting today, this old one will personally guide Master in your training."
The White Snake Sage turned and slithered toward a side door of the palace. "I will first take you to the ’Dragon Transformation Pool.’ That is the first stop for training in Sage Art."
Sora and Tagitsuhime followed.
The path of Sage Art had officially begun.
...
The Dragon Transformation Pool.
This was a circular pool about fifty meters in diameter. The water was an emerald-like jade green, and the surface was shrouded in a mist of dense natural energy.
Seven stone pillars stood by the pool, each carved with different serpent patterns, from the most basic grass snake to the legendary Yamata no Orochi, all incredibly lifelike.
"Master, this is the Dragon Transformation Pool~"
Tagitsuhime pointed at the water and introduced:
"The pool water contains the essence of natural energy accumulated in Ryūchi Cave for a thousand years. Training Sage Art here will increase your efficiency in sensing natural energy more than tenfold~"
Sora walked to the edge and reached out to touch the water.
Cold.
But immediately after, a wave of warm energy surged in from his fingertips, traveling through his meridians and spreading throughout his body.
It felt very comfortable.
Like soaking in a hot spring.
"Truly a wonderful place."
Sora nodded, then looked at the White Snake Sage. "How exactly should I train?"
"Master, the first step is to sense natural energy."
The White Snake Sage said respectfully:
"Sit cross-legged in the pool, empty your mind, and try to establish a connection with the natural energy around you. When you can clearly perceive its existence and guide a small amount into your body, you will have achieved the basics."
"Sounds roughly like the same steps Naruto used to learn Sage Art in the original story..."
Sora thought to himself.
He took off his outerwear, leaving only his shorts, and slowly walked into the Dragon Transformation Pool.
The water was not deep, only reaching his waist.
Sora sat cross-legged in the center of the pool, closed his eyes, and began to regulate his breathing according to the method recorded in the scroll.
Inhale, exhale, his rhythm gradually slowing.
His mind emptied.
At first, he couldn’t feel anything.
Only the coldness of the pool water and the silence of the surrounding cave.
But gradually...
Benefiting from his previous mastery of the Dragon Vein, a faint fluctuation appeared.
It wasn’t chakra, nor mental energy, nor physical energy.
It was something more primal, more vast – as if the very heavens and earth were breathing, and each breath drove an endless tidal surge of energy.
"This is natural energy..."
Understanding dawned on Sora, and he indeed felt a similarity to the Dragon Vein.
He tried to guide a wisp of natural energy into his body.
He succeeded.
But immediately, a problem arose.
After that wisp of natural energy entered his body, it didn’t fuse with his mental and physical energy to form Sage Chakra, as described in the scroll.
Instead... it was rejected.
No, more accurately, it was "filtered."
After the natural energy entered Sora’s body, it seemed to pass through an invisible sieve. Some specific quality was stripped away. The remaining part could still combine with chakra, but the effect was greatly diminished.
"What’s going on?"
Sora frowned and continued trying.
Once, twice, three times...
The result was always the same.
Natural energy could be drawn in, but it couldn’t perfectly fuse. Something was always missing.
Even stranger, he didn’t feel the "risk of serpent transformation" mentioned in the scroll at all.
Forget serpent transformation, there wasn’t even any sign of his skin developing snake-scale patterns.
"Something’s wrong."
Sora opened his eyes and stood up from the pool.
"Master, what’s wrong?"
Tagitsuhime slithered over, asking curiously.
"I can sense natural energy and draw it in, but I can’t form Sage Chakra."
As Sora spoke, he raised his hand and condensed a ball of pale green energy.
This energy mass contained both chakra and natural energy, but the two were like oil and water – mixed together, yet not truly fused.
"Huh? How could that be..."
Tagitsuhime tilted her head. "Master, did you make a mistake somewhere?"
"No, Master is not wrong."
The White Snake Sage’s voice came from the edge of the pool.
Sora and Tagitsuhime turned to look.
The White Snake Sage slowly slithered to the pool’s edge, its golden serpent eyes carefully examining the energy ball in Sora’s hand. After a moment, it sighed:
"This old one understands."
"Understands what?" Sora asked.
"Master, your essence is that of a ’dragon.’"
The White Snake Sage spoke slowly:
"Ryūchi Cave’s Sage Art was created based on the characteristics of ’snakes.’ A snake transforming into a dragon is a metamorphosis, an evolution. But you are already a dragon. Naturally, walking the path of a snake will lead nowhere."
Hearing this, Sora’s mind stirred.
That made sense.
The Azure Dragon Fruit had granted him the complete essence of a "dragon."
And Ryūchi Cave’s Sage Art, when it came down to it, was still "serpent-type Sage Art," with its ultimate goal being merely "transformation into a dragon."
Asking a true dragon to learn how to become a dragon?
That was a paradox in itself.
"So... I can’t learn Ryūchi Cave’s Sage Art?" Sora frowned.
"It’s not that you can’t learn it, it’s that it’s unsuitable."
The White Snake Sage explained:
"You can sense natural energy and draw it into your body, which shows you have the talent for training in Sage Art. But the ’fusion formula’ of Ryūchi Cave’s Sage Art isn’t right for you. You need to find your own ’formula.’"
"My own formula..."
Sora fell into deep thought.
In the original story, there were three types of Sage Art: Myōbokuzan’s Sage Art, Ryūchi Cave’s Sage Art, and Shikkotsu Forest’s Sage Art.
Each had its own characteristics, training methods, and effects.
But was there a fourth type?
Or rather, was there a "Dragon Sage Art"?
"I think I understand."
Sora walked out of the Dragon Transformation Pool, dried himself off, and put his clothes back on:
"Ryūchi Cave’s Sage Art is useless to me. I need to create a set of Sage Arts suitable for a dragon myself."
"Create Sage Art?"
Tagitsuhime’s eyes widened. "Master, that’s incredibly difficult! Sage Art traditions have been accumulated over a thousand years. Creating your own..."
"Difficult, but not impossible."
Sora looked at the White Snake Sage:
"White Snake, do the archives in Ryūchi Cave contain any records about ’Dragon-type Sage Arts’? Even legends or speculation would do."
The White Snake Sage pondered for a moment, then slowly shook its head:
"No, all existing Sage Art traditions in the ninja world originate from the three sacred lands – Myōbokuzan, Ryūchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest. Among the three sacred lands, only Ryūchi Cave has the theory of ’transformation into a dragon,’ but that is merely ’transformation,’ not ’being.’"
"True Dragon Sage Arts have likely been lost to time long ago, or perhaps... they never existed?"
Never existed?
This statement made Sora’s heart sink.
But soon, the image of the "Earth Dragon," the predecessor of the Dragon Vein, with its unimaginably massive body, floated into his mind, and he couldn’t help but feel encouraged again.
The ninja world must have had true dragons at some point; it’s just that the current ninja world had become smaller.
Since there was no ready-made path, he would create his own!
From the moment he transmigrated into the world of Naruto, he had been walking a path never trodden before. Adding a self-created Sage Art to that was no big deal.
"I’ve decided."
Sora looked at Tagitsuhime and the White Snake Sage:
"I’m going to stay in Ryūchi Cave and create my own Sage Art. But you don’t need to stay with me."
"Tagitsuhime, you return to Ascension Island and guard the laboratory. White Snake, you go back to Ryūgakure and hold the fort, just in case."
"As for the mission to monitor Sasuke from Konoha... let Kōjinja take over."
Hearing this, Tagitsuhime’s face immediately fell.
"Ah... Master is kicking me out..."
She pouted, looking wronged.
But the next second, as if she thought of something, her eyes lit up again:
"But Master’s main body is on Ascension Island! I can go play with the main body~"
Saying this, she started fantasizing again, "hiss, hiss," the corners of her mouth nearly drooling.
Sora shook his head helplessly, ignoring her.
The White Snake Sage bowed respectfully:
"As you command, Master. This old one will guard Ryūgakure well."
"Also..."
Sora added:
"Remind Kōjinja that her mission is only to monitor and protect Sasuke. Unless Sasuke’s life is in danger, she is not to interfere in any matters concerning Konoha."
"Understood."
The White Snake Sage acknowledged, then vanished in a puff of white smoke.
Tagitsuhime also bid a reluctant farewell and used the Reverse Summoning Technique to leave Ryūchi Cave.
Now, the vast Ryūchi Cave was left with only Sora, and the cave full of snakes.
"Alright."
Sora walked back into the Dragon Transformation Pool and sat down cross-legged:
"Let’s begin."
