Seisuke placed the contract scroll, which was thicker than him, on the ground and slowly unfurled it. After seeing two unfamiliar names, the third one was Orochimaru's.
His name was written in blood, and below it was his handprint. After signing the blood contract with Ryūchi Cave, one could summon the great snakes in Ryūchi Cave through the summoning jutsu formula.
The White Snake Sage said slowly, "Write your name with your blood, mix chakra with the blood, and press it on the scroll. Then you can sign the summoning contract with Ryūchi Cave."
"Okay." Seisuke immediately bit his finger, wrote his name in blood, infused chakra into the blood, reddened his five fingers, and pressed his handprint on it.
Subsequently, a strand of chakra was reflected from the scroll, coiling around his left arm. Immediately, Seisuke felt a pang of pain. When the pain subsided, black patterns appeared on his left arm.
Now, Seisuke had signed the contract with Ryūchi Cave. The White Snake Sage said, "Alright, kid. This is the blood contract between you and Ryūchi Cave. Also, are you sure you want to postpone the cultivation?"
"Yes."
"If you die, this contract will be void."
"Can't you wish me well?"
"Hmph! Alright, go find a more powerful snake and sign a contract with it yourself."
"Huh? Haven't I already signed the contract?" Seisuke asked.
The White Snake Sage replied, "You've indeed signed a contract, but it only gives you the ability to summon ordinary snakes in Ryūchi Cave. If you want to summon snakes with sage chakra, you need to tame them yourself."
"The concepts are different?"
"Yes. Go find Nagatsu Hime and the others. They'll take you there. Leave now." The White Snake Sage rolled up the scroll with its tail, giving the order to leave.
"Goodbye, White Snake Sage." Seisuke left. The White Snake Sage watched his back and said softly, "Fate is like a tangled mess, hard to sort out. However, if one doesn't survive, it's all in vain. Learning the sage arts of Ryūchi Cave isn't that easy."
...
Outside the door, Ichinotori Hime was waiting for Seisuke. She said, "Come on, let's go. I'll take you to find a snake that can use sage chakra."
"By the way, where's Sister Nagatsu Hime?"
"She said she didn't want to see you and asked me to take you." Ichinotori Hime flew up and said, "The sage arts of Ryūchi Cave are really powerful. Are you really not going to learn them? Even that Orochimaru couldn't learn them."
"Lord Orochimaru can't learn?" Seisuke asked.
Ichinotori Hime nodded and didn't hide it. She said, "Orochimaru's body couldn't withstand that power. Although he didn't die, the White Snake Sage judged that he couldn't learn."
"That's really tragic." With Orochimaru's talent, it wasn't that he couldn't learn, but his body couldn't bear the natural energy. Although Seisuke didn't know what was wrong with Orochimaru's body, he could only offer silent condolences now.
"Right, Sister Ichinotori Hime, how do I sign a contract with those snakes?"
"It's simple. I'll take you to choose a snake, and you sign a contract with it. But whether you can control it depends on you."
Ichinotori Hime and the others could help him sign the contract, but controlling the summoned beast later required his own ability.
Most of the snakes in Ryūchi Cave would follow the sage's orders, but there were also some with violent personalities and great strength that wouldn't obey obediently. Just like Orochimaru's Manda, it required payment every time it was summoned.
Ichinotori Hime led Seisuke into a cave. The caves in Ryūchi Cave were intricate. Without a local snake as a guide, it was easy to get lost and enter the territory of a great snake. Without sufficient ability, one would become the snake's dinner.
Although Seisuke's physique wasn't even enough to fill the snake's 牙缝儿 (literally "tooth gap", here it means not enough to be a mouthful for the snake).
Without Ichinotori Hime, he definitely wouldn't come here easily.
"Let me see. This place is good." Ichinotori Hime led Seisuke to a deep underground lake and said softly.
Seisuke glanced at the pitch - black lake water and asked, "And then?"
Ichinotori Hime clapped her hands. Then a large snake with a pitch - black body slowly raised its head from the lake.
Swish - swish - swish -
The lake water trickled down along the shiny black snake scales. A pair of golden, cold vertical pupils looked at the two in front of it, and it said, "Lady Ichinotori Hime, may I ask what brings you to my place?" The voice was cold. It was a female snake?
Ichinotori Hime pointed at Seisuke and said, "This is a human who has signed a blood contract with our Ryūchi Cave. He needs a partner. Black Snake, you'll sign a contract with him."
"Just a human. Can he sign a contract with me?" The Black Snake lowered its head. Seisuke noticed that there were two horns growing on the back of the Black Snake's head. Obviously, it wasn't an ordinary snake.
"Don't look down on this kid, Black Snake. He's not an ordinary person. I have a hunch that he can pass the test of the White Snake Sage. Moreover, this is also the order of the White Snake Sage. You can't go against it." Although Ichinotori Hime was smiling, her tone was firm and not to be refused.
The Black Snake's eyes flickered. After a moment of silence, it said, "I understand. If that's the order of the White Snake Sage and Lady Ichinotori Hime."
Ichinotori Hime said, "Little Seisuke, this is the Black Snake. Among the snakes in Ryūchi Cave, it's one of the most powerful. Even compared to Orochimaru's Manda, it's not inferior. If you have the ability to control her, then your future achievements will surely be high."
"I know. I'm Asakawa Seisuke. Please take care of me, Black Snake."
"Alright, I'm the Black Snake. Remember, don't summon me unless you're facing a powerful opponent." The Black Snake said coldly.
"I know." For a summoned beast at the level of the Black Snake to appear, the opponent must be a very tough one. Usually, those non - talking snakes in Ryūchi Cave would be enough.
"Then from now on, you can summon me." The Black Snake said.
With the Black Snake's consent, Ichinotori Hime helped the human and the snake sign the contract.
Snakes at the level of the Black Snake and Manda couldn't be summoned without a contract. Ryūchi Cave wasn't like Myoboku Mountain, where anyone could be summoned or whoever was available would come.
If it weren't for the orders of Ichinotori Hime and the White Snake Sage, the Black Snake wouldn't have signed a contract with him.
However, getting the contract of Ryūchi Cave was a very lucky thing.
Ordinary snakes were enough for him to use, and the Black Snake was like an ace in the hole.
The Black Snake slowly sank into the lake. Ichinotori Hime said, "Alright, you can go back. The next time you come, it'll be to cultivate the sage mode. I really don't know if you can survive it."
"Who knows?" Seisuke shrugged. Ichinotori Hime called a snake to send him out of Ryūchi Cave.
Orochimaru, who was sitting at the entrance, saw Seisuke and nodded in satisfaction. He asked, "Have you cultivated the sage mode?"
"No, I don't think I'm suitable for cultivating it now." Seisuke said.
"Indeed, you're still too weak. It's not the time for you to cultivate it yet." Orochimaru said, "It's time to go."
"Okay, Lord Orochimaru."
Orochimaru patted his head and said, "From now on, you should call me teacher."
"Okay, Lord Orochimaru. No problem, Lord Orochimaru!"
"..." Orochimaru