Naruto: Just Want To Be A Death God

The three of them resisted with difficulty.

On their faces, snake-like traits began to appear—scales, eye markings, and vertical pupils…

Naruto smiled gently, polite and warm:"Does this mean I've passed your test?"

He slightly withdrew some of his spiritual pressure.

Immediately, the three gasped for air, and the "snake transformation" stopped.

"As expected of the legendary Uzumaki Naruto," the brown-haired woman grinned, sticking out a snake tongue.

Naruto tilted his head:"You know me?"

"The man who defeated the Rinnegan—how could we not pay attention?" said the blue-haired woman, narrowing her eyes. "That eye technique is the stuff of legends."

"Those ugly toads from Mount Myōboku also told us a few things," the last woman said slowly.

"The Sage is waiting for you."

She waved her hand.

The temple hidden in the bushes and jungle distorted like a curtain being drawn aside, slowly disappearing to reveal a concealed entrance.

"Please come with us."

Karin clung tightly to Naruto's sleeve, cautiously following.

These snakes didn't pose much actual threat to her.

It's just...

The place felt creepy. She didn't like it psychologically.

They proceeded through the cave tunnels, going deep within.

An old lady, about the same height as Ōnoki, sat on a stone platform.

Behind her, carved into the wall, was a dragon's head, with a scroll reading "Ryūchi Cave" held in its jaws.

"Sage, we've brought Uzumaki Naruto," the brown-haired woman spoke respectfully.

Karin glanced at her, then at the old lady.

The Sage?

Her?

Ryūchi Cave… wasn't this supposed to be the dwelling of snake-type summoning beasts?

So the one in front of them should've been a "snake."

But...

From the beginning, the three who looked like welcoming emissaries were human.

And the Sage… was human, too?

"A powerful human, what brings you to Ryūchi Cave?" the old woman asked slowly. "With your status, Mount Myōboku wouldn't refuse to teach you Sage Mode."

Naruto tilted his head, glancing in a direction.

Deep within, beyond some rocks blocking his view, he sensed a familiar chakra.

"I don't plan to study any particular sacred land's Sage Mode," he replied, shaking his head. "I just want to understand what natural energy actually is."

The White Snake Sage chuckled:"So you want to walk the path of that Senju Hashirama guy?"

"Even the First Hokage knew Sage Mode?" Naruto pondered. "And he didn't learn it through your method?"

The White Snake Sage shook her head:"I don't know."

"He never came to Ryūchi Cave to request our Sage Mode."

"All I know is that he was contracted with Shikkotsu Forest, but..."

"The Sage Mode he used didn't look like theirs."

Naruto nodded:"Besides Sage Mode, I have one more thing I want to ask."

"Is it about the Sage of the Six Paths?" she asked.

Naruto nodded.

"That old toad from Mount Myōboku already told me," the White Snake Sage grinned, her expression slightly excited."Back then, I was very cautious and never tried to contact their kind."

"However..."

"Each of the Three Great Sage Lands possesses unique abilities."

"That old toad can peer into the future."

"And I... have the ability to record the past."

"Would you like to see the past through my eyes?"

Record the past?

"I'd appreciate it," Naruto agreed and sat down cross-legged.

The human form of the White Snake Sage began to ripple like water, and a tail slithered out from behind her. Then the "elderly" outer appearance shed completely, revealing a massive white snake, still wearing the hat from before and holding a long-stemmed pipe in its mouth.

"Then..."

"Let us begin."

She flicked her tail, emitting a faint energy from her forehead.

It was almost unrelated to chakra.

It was "natural energy" mixed with a bit of "spiritual power."

Naruto did not resist, allowing this power to draw his consciousness away.

Both Nine-Tails and Karin were also swept into the historical memory.

It was like passing through a curtain of water, a cool sensation enveloping them as they arrived in "another world."

Unlike typical memory-sharing or vision-sharing jutsu...

Here, he could perceive the surrounding environment.

Though what he perceived was based on the White Snake Sage's recognition, not pure objectivity.

Still, even if some details were missing, what he could see and feel was far more powerful than mere words.

The memory was long.

Naruto and Karin stayed in Ryūchi Cave for nearly a month, fully watching the events from over a thousand years ago.

But...

Even after witnessing that history so vividly, Naruto still hadn't found the answer to the question in his heart.

He saw the Sage of Six Paths' abilities...

He also witnessed the battle between "Ashura" and another man.

But all he gained were fragments of information.

Just as the White Snake Sage had said.

At that time, she had been very cautious and never approached that clan.

Everything she saw was from a distance.

"The man who fought Ashura was Indra," the Yang Nine-Tails frowned after watching it all, explaining to Naruto."They were both sons of the Sage of Six Paths."

The White Snake Sage subtly leaned her head forward.

She had witnessed history.

But witnessing doesn't mean understanding.

"Why did they fight?" Karin asked in confusion. "They were brothers."

"Seems Indra was jealous of Ashura," the Nine-Tails tilted his head, "But I don't know the exact reason."

"I was randomly dragged in."

It was just that his home was near the battlefield, so Ashura casually grabbed him.

The White Snake Sage nodded in satisfaction.

"Thank you for your generosity in letting us see so much," Naruto looked up and expressed his gratitude. "As for Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode—"

The White Snake Sage shook her head:"It's not that I'm stingy or unwilling to teach you."

"The Sage Modes of the Three Great Lands are essentially the same: mastering natural energy."

"The difference lies in how we help the contractors perceive that energy."

"Those toads from Mount Myōboku use a special 'oil' they apply to the contractor's body to help them sense it better."

(This is all accurate, by the way!)

"Meanwhile, Ryūchi Cave injects my venom into the contractor's body."

"If you're lucky and don't die from the poison, then you'll master it."

She paused:"Do you know a little guy named Orochimaru?"

"He used my method to develop something called a 'Cursed Seal.'"

Naruto nodded.

He had thought of that man too.

"I can let you—" the White Snake Sage wriggled her massive body, "collect some of the venom."

"And you're in luck."

"This generation of Ryūchi Cave has a new Sage Mode practitioner, and he endured the torment of my venom."

"And surprisingly, unlike Orochimaru, he's from the Uchiha clan—and yet he's quite compatible with our Sage Mode."

"He's already mastered it."

"And it's even more perfect than that Jiraiya kid from Mount Myōboku."

Naruto smiled slightly:"So Sasuke did well, huh?"

"You know that Uchiha brat?" the White Snake Sage puffed her pipe."That's great news."

"It's rare to have a suitable heir for Ryūchi Cave."

"If he pissed you off and you killed him, that'd be troublesome."

She turned her head.

A small snake hanging nearby nodded, and with a poof, it vanished in a puff of smoke.

Not long after, it returned with Sasuke.

"Naruto?" Upon seeing that familiar blond figure, Sasuke's cold face couldn't help but show a ripple of emotion."What are you doing here?"

Naruto responded:"Came to ask the White Snake Sage about something."

"Just happened to run into you."

The Sage spoke up, addressing Sasuke, though not nearly as gently as with Naruto:"Uchiha brat, show Uzumaki-sama your Sage Mode."

"He's curious about natural energy."

Sasuke gave an "oh", and raised his hand to form seals, drawing in natural energy.

"No rush, not here," Naruto shook his head."Back at Orochimaru's place—you can show me there."

"I need to borrow you anyway."

Sasuke lowered his hand.

Naruto collected some venom from the White Snake Sage and sealed it for storage.

They were reverse-summoned away by Sasuke.

Land of Fields, Hidden Sound Village.

A puff of smoke exploded.

Sasuke inhaled deeply, looking slightly dazed.

A key requirement for "Summoning Jutsu" is chakra.

The more chakra someone or something has, the more chakra is required to transport them.

Although this time the summoning succeeded...

Just bringing Naruto and that red-haired Uzumaki woman had nearly drained him of all chakra.

Sasuke's eyes landed on the Nine-Tails.

Was it because of the tailed beast?

The Yin Nine-Tails caught his stare and growled, bristling:"Uchiha brat, what are you looking at?"

"Such insolence."

Sasuke ignored him:"Should we go see Orochimaru first or—"

Naruto shook his head, gazing through the walls into the distance:"No rush."

"I think your Sage Mode has a great test subject right now."

Sasuke frowned, not quite understanding.

"That guy, Uchiha Itachi—you're still thinking about him, right?" Naruto smiled, turning to Sasuke.

Sasuke froze, his face instantly tense:"You sensed him?"

"Nearby?"

Naruto nodded:"Five kilometers away."

"His chakra is obvious and strong. Seems like he's been here for a while."

"Looks like he knew you'd be at Orochimaru's place, so he's waiting for you."

Sasuke took a deep breath:"Naruto, I know you're hunting down rogue Akatsuki members."

"But this one—leave him to me."

"I'll avenge the Uchiha clan and my parents!"

"Please!"

Naruto smiled, raised his hand, and channeled chakra into Sasuke's body:"Go."

"If you can't beat him—"

"I'll collect your corpse and take revenge for you."

Sasuke and Naruto locked eyes, and Sasuke solemnly nodded.

(End of Chapter)