I, Naruto Uzumaki, don't need your approval.

After Kagura's Mind's Eye was activated, the White Snake Sage's chakra seemed to be connected to the entire earth, endless and boundless.

The White Snake Sage was also watching Naruto Uzumaki.

In addition to his large chakra reserves, Naruto also possesses several different forms of chakra within his body. These chakras all share a common characteristic: they are extremely powerful.

There was even the aura of the Nine-Tailed Fox among them.

The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—isn't this the child favored by Gamamaru? Did Ryuchi Cave have some good luck?

After gazing for a long time, the White Snake Sage broke the silence first, slowly saying, "Child of Prophecy, leader of Uzushio Village, or should I call you the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"

Naruto was not angry after his true identity was exposed.

A great immortal like the White Snake, who has lived for thousands of years, wouldn't be believed by anyone without some special methods. It's better to be straightforward than to be like those riddle-solving people from Mount Myōboku.

However, the White Snake Sage's politeness was also related to his strength. When Jiraiya was being fooled, he didn't have the strength to overturn the table.

After a moment's hesitation, Naruto spoke:

"Any title other than 'Child of Prophecy' is acceptable. I don't like being forced to accept prophecies... Ultimately, the title of 'Child of Prophecy' depends on individual strength."

The White Snake Sage smiled and said, "I like your temper, but I hate that old toad who is immersed in his dream. If we can abduct the ninja he has chosen, the old toad's expression will be quite interesting."

After a pause, the White Snake Sage stared at Naruto and said, "You must have come for Sage Mode, right?"

Naruto nodded: "I did come for the Ryuchi Cave Sage Technique, but I have a few questions I'd like to ask the White Snake Sage, and I hope to get some answers."

"Ask away, I do know some secrets of the ninja world."

The thought of making the old toad lose face made the White Snake Immortal very happy.

After a brief pause, Naruto stepped forward and said, "I want to know the differences between Ryuchi Cave Sage Techniques and Mt. Myoboku Sage Techniques, and whether there are any Sage Technique lineages in Shikkotsu Forest?"

The White Snake Sage stared at Naruto for a few seconds, then said in a low voice, "It seems the guest has quite the ambition. Besides the Sage Techniques of Ryuchi Cave, he also covets the Sage Techniques of the other major holy lands."

"Very well, I can tell you definitively that the cultivation methods of the three holy lands' sage techniques are almost identical, but there are slight differences in their focus. The sage techniques I have mastered are for enhancing ninjutsu, while you'll have to ask Gamamaru and Katsuyu about the other two."

"But whether they will teach you the new book is still hard to say."

Ryuchi Cave Sage Techniques focus on enhancing ninjutsu...

Naruto fell into deep thought. So, Mount Myōboku and Shikkotsu Forest must have focused on genjutsu and taijutsu. In the distant past, they might have inherited the same ninjutsu.

In addition, Naruto was surprised by the White Snake Sage's frankness, as he had actually revealed such a secret.

After a moment's thought, Naruto continued, "I have another question for you. Does the Great Sage know the origin and function of the Pure Land? What exactly are those souls that linger in the Pure Land?"

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in the eyes of the White Snake Sage, who then shook her head: "I know nothing about the Pure Land. It is a place independent of the Ninja World, and even the power of Ryuchi Cave cannot reach it."

At this moment, the White Snake Sage seemed to remember something and said, "However, Gamamaru should know about the Pure Land. That guy is very mysterious. You can go to Mount Myōboku and ask him."

"That's a real shame..." Naruto said with a regretful expression.

Judging from the changes in chakra, the White Snake Sage must have some knowledge about the Pure Land, but due to various concerns, he ultimately chose to conceal it. This indirectly confirms his guess that the Pure Land is related to the Divine Tree and is the territory of the Sage of Six Paths.

The so-called prophecy of the Toad Immortal may have been a way of invading the sacred tree and peeking into parts of the future.

After a moment of contemplation, the White Snake Immortal said with a smile, "You've finished asking all the free questions. If you want to ask anything else, you must agree to a few conditions."

"What are the conditions? Become a hermit of Ryuchi Cave, or stop the resurrection of the Ten-Tails?"

Naruto looked at the White Snake Sage with a faint smile on his face, which surprised the latter.

The White Snake Sage stared at Naruto for a few seconds, her face filled with helplessness. She had originally thought that Gamamaru's plan had gone wrong, and that she could take advantage of the situation and make the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki the spokesperson for Ryuchi Cave.

But unexpectedly, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had transformed from a pawn into a player just like them.

No wonder Gamamaru gave up on influencing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki; that old toad was truly cunning and shrewd.

"The Nine-Tails told you about the Ten-Tails, right? I didn't expect that you and the Nine-Tails were already in sync..."

The White Snake Immortal gently shook her head and then said, "Since that's the case, I won't force you to become the Dragon Cave Immortal. Once you've learned the Dragon Cave Immortal Technique, leave as soon as possible."

After saying that, the White Snake Sage shrunk his size and left a tooth mark on Naruto's arm in the blink of an eye.

Naruto reacted immediately, but did not stop it.

This is the way immortal techniques are taught in Ryuchi Cave, and it's much more barbaric than those of Mount Myoboku.

Feeling the natural energy flowing into his body, Naruto enveloped it with his chakra while asking the White Snake Sage, "Since the Great Sage knew of the Ten-Tails' threat, why didn't he actively destroy the Rinnegan?"

"I have fought against the user of the Rinnegan before. If the White Snake Sage were willing to take action, he might not be a match for me."

The White Snake Immortal didn't reply, but pointed to the passage beside him with his tail and said, "That cave is naturally full of energy and suitable for cultivating immortal arts. Divine Maiden Tianxin will guide you in your cultivation. After you finish cultivating, you should leave as soon as possible."

"The flow of time in Ryuchi Cave is different from that in the outside world, so don't waste too much time."

Seeing that the White Snake Sage was also becoming a riddle-maker, Naruto wisely stopped asking questions. Asking any further would be like reopening old wounds. Were the three great holy lands so powerful that they didn't want to stay in the ninja world?

They simply cannot leave this alien space, which is full of natural energy, for long.

The ninja world doesn't have a place with such abundant natural energy, so it can't grow giant summoning beasts that are tens of meters long.

Chapter 166 Three evil places.

Led by Snake Princess Tashin-hime, Naruto arrived at a cave in Ryuchi Cave.

Although he was already able to sense natural energy, he still needed guidance from the Ryuchi Cave Sage for specific training. Naturally, Naruto wouldn't refuse such free guidance.

Moreover, the Ryuchi Cave Immortal is quite pleasing to the eye when he doesn't show his teeth.

After helping Naruto sit down at the altar in the center of the cave, Princess Tianxin began to explain the precautions for cultivating Sage Techniques, since cultivating Sage Techniques is very dangerous and the chance of going berserk is extremely high.

The White Snake Sage wasn't worried about Naruto's death, but rather about Naruto going berserk because of it.

Once the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki goes berserk, even she can't stop him and can only watch as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki wreaks havoc in Ryuchi Cave. Therefore, she can only send her subordinates to assist Naruto in completing his training.

There are three conditions for cultivating Sage Mode: first, the ability to sense natural energy; second, precise control over chakra; and third, possessing a large amount of chakra.

These three conditions were a piece of cake for Naruto.

After listening to the explanation from Princess Tianxin, Naruto began to cultivate by guiding natural energy. When natural energy is abundant, guiding it into the body is not a difficult task.

After forming hand seals, Naruto released more than ten shadow clones, which sat cross-legged in various places on the altar.

Soon, Naruto and his shadow clones sensed the natural energy in the outside world and tried to absorb it into their bodies.

Bang bang bang!

Soon, some of the shadow clones exploded due to problems with chakra control, caused by the natural energy.

Seeing this, Naruto had an epiphany. He then gave up controlling the shadow clones and focused all his energy on absorbing natural energy. Even if he encountered a backlash from the natural energy, it was easily expelled by his own chakra.

Not long after, with a precise chakra ratio, Naruto obtained his first Sage Chakra.

Sage Chakra is purer and more violent than ordinary chakra.

To fully master this power, one must either be born with a special physique or undergo subsequent body modifications. In addition, one needs elite Jonin-level chakra control.

Kabuto Yakushi is the best example. With Orochimaru's cursed seal, he transformed from a mortal into a 'dragon'.

Clearing his mind of distractions, Naruto stood up and looked at a protruding boulder in the distance.

After clasping his hands together, several Wind Release ninjutsu instantly appeared in his hands. After being thrown out, the range of the Wind Release ninjutsu gradually expanded, quickly sweeping across the entire cave and cutting the entire boulder into small pieces.

Upon seeing this, Tianxin Shenji shrank back, secretly glad that she hadn't made a move.

Even among the giant serpents of Ryuchi Cave, which are affected by natural energy, only these three women have successfully cultivated immortal arts and become immortals of Ryuchi Cave over the years.

Naruto mastered Sage Mode so quickly; at this rate, he could probably become a Sage in less than a month.

While Tashin Shinki was surprised, Naruto continued refining his chakra while simultaneously assessing the strength of his Sage Chakra.

After adding Sage Chakra, the power of ordinary ninjutsu is about twice as strong as before.

The Spiral Wheel Technique hasn't changed much. It's a ninjutsu that imitates the Tailed Beast Ball, and it uses the high-quality chakra of the Nine-Tails, making its destructive power comparable to the Tailed Beast Ball.

However, Naruto valued something else even more.

Sage Mode can affect the Rinnegan. Although the Rinnegan can also absorb Sage Chakra, its absorption efficiency is far less than that of ordinary ninjutsu.

Even in a future war with the Otsutsuki clan, Sage Mode can still break through their defenses.

As for Ryuchi Cave Sage Mode, Naruto wasn't particularly interested. Even Kabuto, who had mastered Ryuchi Cave Sage Techniques to its peak, couldn't match the power of Sage Mode in Sage Mode.

He wasn't the only one who cultivated immortal arts; there was also the Nine Lamas within him.

However, Naruto would be quite interested in learning the Sage Techniques from the other sacred lands and combining them together.

After all, both the Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation of Ryuchi Cave and the Sage Art: Toad Song of Mount Myōboku are extremely powerful ninjutsu. Even a Kage-level enemy could be in danger if they are not careful.

In addition to what the White Snake Sage said, Naruto suspected that the Sage Techniques of the three sacred lands were originally from the same source.

It's a matter of different understandings of the same Sage Mode training method. In that case, the original Sage Mode inheritance must be somewhat heaven-defying, reminding Naruto of Hashirama Senju, known as the God of Shinobi...

As Naruto pondered, the earth in the distance trembled.

A few breaths later, one after another, the giant snakes of the Dragon Cave surged into the altar along the passage. They raised their eyes and looked at Naruto in the center of the altar.

Naruto didn't speak, but looked at the Snake Princess who was training with him and asked, "Princess Tanshin, what's this?"

Princess Tianxin said respectfully, "Lord Menma, today is the day of the Ryuchi Cave hunt. The Ryuchi Cave serpents will fight each other to determine the strongest serpent, and the altar where you are is the stage for their battle."

"Interesting. These giant snakes must see me as an enemy?"

After a pause, Princess Tianxin continued, "If the Immortal Menma is willing, he can also participate in the hunt in Ryuchi Cave, freely kill these giant snakes vying for power, and practice the immortal techniques he has just mastered."

Upon hearing this explanation, Naruto secretly lamented the cruelty of Ryuchi Cave, and then said, "So, Orochimaru must have participated in this kind of hunt as well?"

Princess Tianxin smiled and said, "Lord Orochimaru did participate back then, but he was bullied terribly. However, he eventually signed a contract with the strongest Manda. It's a pity that Lord Orochimaru doesn't have the talent to cultivate Sage Mode."

"However, Lord Menma is different. You are the most talented ninja I have ever seen. Perhaps it is because of this that Lord Orochimaru gave you the token of Ryuchi Cave."

Naruto looked at Tashin Shinki: "Since you knew I was recommended by Orochimaru, why did you still put me through a test at the beginning?"

Princess Tianxin said helplessly, "I have no choice. If we don't follow the rules, the White Snake Immortal will eat us too. To her, we are both her subordinates and nourishment."

"From this perspective, Ryuchi Cave is truly cruel, perfectly embodying the law of the jungle."

Tianxin Shenji gently shook her head: "The White Snake Immortal has already been very merciful, allowing us to coexist with these reptiles. Like the neighboring Wet Bone Forest, the entire clan and holy land only has the Slug Immortal, and the other species have been assimilated."

"What about Mount Myōboku?" Naruto also wanted to hear what the Ryūchi Cave sage thought of Mount Myōboku.

Princess Tianxin did not hide anything and continued, "Those toads are delicious, but sometimes they turn into stone. Those big toads are also very troublesome and often cause the snakes to suffer losses. However, the White Snake Immortal's evaluation of them is that they are charlatans who are immersed in fantasy."

After hearing the evaluation from Princess Tianxin, Naruto suddenly felt that the Third Hokage's Holy Land was more like one of the three evil lands.