078 The Most Expensive Things Are Those That Come for Free

On the border of the Land of Fire, near a forest adjoining the Land of Rain. Orochimaru stood atop a treetop, raising his hand to undo the seal at the white snake’s brow. Instantly, a new memory flooded his mind, and a smile tugged at his lips.

Whether his journey to Ryuchi Cave would grant him the power of Sage Arts and strengthen his chakra to the level of bloodline limits remained uncertain. Yet with Danzo taking over the research into the First Hokage’s cells, it was at least another path to fall back on.

A sudden rustling—the ground trembled as a wild boar nearly twenty meters long darted from the woods. Its dark snout burrowed into the earth, sniffing fiercely, overturning soil and swallowing root bulbs.

Orochimaru licked his lips at the sight, banishing previous thoughts, and leapt down from the treetop, lunging for the boar.

Moments later, after depriving the beast of its mobility, he formed hand seals. “Summoning Technique!”

As the white smoke cleared, a gigantic purple serpent appeared amidst the trees. Manda, towering above, cast a wary glance about, confirming no enemies were near. Its gaze settled on the whining boar, displeased. “Orochimaru, this stupid pig isn’t worth the sacrifice of two hundred people.”

The words were brazen, shameless, as if it had forgotten the time it had tricked Orochimaru.

Orochimaru merely crossed his arms and smiled in silence. If not for the journey to Ryuchi Cave, Manda would hardly be of any use, and this pig would never have been offered. Two hundred people? Be glad for half.

Receiving no answer, Manda snorted irritably, then coiled around the squealing boar, jaws opening wide to devour it.

“I thought you’d actually catch people for Manda to eat,” the Lamp Spirit mused, fascinated by the scene. He’d expected living sacrifices, but it turned out ‘people’ was merely a unit of measurement. This hog weighed at least four or five thousand kilograms—easily equal to a hundred or so people.

Watching Manda’s ravenous haste, the Lamp Spirit wondered, “It’s just a wild boar. With Manda’s abilities, it could easily catch one. Why eat so voraciously?”

“Manda could catch one, but it never gets the chance,” Orochimaru replied with a smile, explaining, “Ryuchi Cave lies within the Land of Stone, a place of nothing but rocks—large and small—utterly desolate, unlike the forests of the Land of Fire. There aren’t even larger prey.”

“Moreover... unless permitted by the White Snake Sage, the snakes of Ryuchi Cave aren’t allowed to leave the cave.”

“Ah, so that’s how it is.” The Lamp Spirit nodded, understanding Orochimaru’s implication.

By the cold-blooded instincts of serpentine life, if the Land of Stone were their hunting ground, one could imagine the grim outcome. Compared to animals with an innate sense of danger, humans were far easier to hunt. But should such events occur, regardless of the cave’s reputation as a sage sanctuary, Ryuchi Cave would surely face the combined wrath of every ninja village.

The reasoning was simple—those not of our kind have hearts that are different; their bodies may be slain.

Naturally, the White Snake Sage would never allow the destruction of its kin simply to sate lesser snakes’ appetites. Ordinary people made poor fare anyway. Each year, ninja who traveled to Ryuchi Cave seeking Sage Arts were the true delicacies—high-grade snacks.

The Lamp Spirit glanced at Manda and pressed, “If that’s so, Ryuchi Cave must have abundant food resources. What exactly do they eat?”

Ryuchi Cave was a place of Sage Arts, but training in such arts hardly filled one’s belly. Moreover, Manda, this useless snake, couldn’t even use Sage Arts; its massive size was due entirely to passive exposure to natural energy.

“There are only snakes in Ryuchi Cave—what else could they eat?” Orochimaru bared his teeth in a grim smile, suddenly saying, “Manda is not only king of all snakes, but earned its name by devouring tens of thousands of serpents.”

The law of the jungle—survival of the fittest—makes cannibalism among kin a common occurrence in nature.

“No, that can’t be,” the Lamp Spirit shook his head, not denying the law of the jungle, but something else.

Under Orochimaru’s puzzled gaze, he outlined the ecosystem model of ‘producer-consumer-decomposer,’ explaining, “Though the ninja world’s supernatural forces make things unpredictable, the basics hold true. The lowest tier of the food chain—snakes—cannot simply appear out of nowhere.”

Orochimaru frowned slightly. The ninja world’s science was not backward, but compared to another world, it was distorted—most technologies were tightly bound to warfare, leaving great gaps in understanding the world.

Food chains, ecosystems—these were new concepts to Orochimaru, and he’d never viewed the world through such a lens. For once, he found himself unable to answer.

“Perhaps big snakes eat smaller ones, and small snakes eat mice and insects…”

He offered a casual reply, but as the Lamp Spirit pressed on, unsatisfied, Orochimaru questioned, “These are ordinary matters—is there any importance to them?”

“Not important, perhaps, but through small details, one may glimpse the whole—and perhaps reveal something of the White Snake Sage’s character,” the Lamp Spirit said with a smile, glancing at Orochimaru. “Though environment shapes personality, at the White Snake Sage’s level, the opposite is true—the environment is an extension of its will.”

“For example, in Konoha, there’s the Third Hokage’s ‘Will of Fire.’ In the Foundation, there’s Danzo’s ‘Will of Roots.’ Only those who submit to their will can advance.”

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, well acquainted with the Lamp Spirit’s words—he, too, imposed his will upon his subordinates.

Compared to Konoha, Ryuchi Cave was ruled solely by the White Snake Sage, with no elders or Danzo to temper its authority. Thus, its character could be observed more precisely.

“Last time, you failed to acquire Sage Arts and barely escaped with your life. This time, though you’ve entered the regular mode of the breathing technique, how much better are your chances?”

The Lamp Spirit smiled, “If you could change that ‘seeking’ to exchange, replace the unpaid with the paid, your odds would be much higher.”

“See, Mount Myoboku’s toads taught Jiraiya Sage Arts precisely because they desired something from him—they wished to align with the Child of Destiny.”

“Remember, the free is always the most expensive and unreliable.”

At this, Orochimaru’s gaze grew strange—coming from the Lamp Spirit, the words carried weight.

After a moment’s thought, Orochimaru leapt onto Manda’s head and asked, “In Ryuchi Cave, what do you snakes eat?”

Manda’s throat bulged as it gulped down the boar, pausing in surprise, “Huh?!”

Orochimaru repeated the question. Manda snorted arrogantly, “Why ask that? I have no obligation to answer you.”

Orochimaru wasted no words, sending a shadow clone flying into the distance. “Answer my question, and I’ll catch you another prey.”

“I want two,” Manda insisted, raising its head proudly to ease the swallowing of the boar. “That’s what I deserve, after all.”