"Ho ho, did he pass successfully?"

In the main hall, Orochimaru, standing on countless red steps, looked down at Kiyoshi, who had pushed open the large door.

Anko stood behind Orochimaru, bending over to look down the steps.

"Your life is safe, Orochimaru."

On the highest platform, where Orochimaru and the others stood, there was a purple bed.

An orange-haired old woman was reclining on the purple bed.

She opened her eyes, her pupils were cloudy golden slits, and her whites were pitch black.

"Everything that happens in Ryuchi Cave reaches my ears, and so do the changes in natural energy. The human child you brought is quite interesting. As per our agreement, I won't eat you this time."

The White Snake Sage smiled.

Anko shrank her neck in fear.

Looking down, Kiyoshi had already ascended the red steps.

"Orochimaru-sensei, White Snake Sage." Kiyoshi said respectfully.

Upon hearing this, Anko scurried to Kiyoshi's waist and poked him, as if asking why he didn't greet her.

"Anko." Kiyoshi stroked her head.

Anko's personality had always been mischievous and straightforward.

When she was young, her temperament was more like a boy than a little girl.

"Humans are born for desires, destined to slowly fall into darkness. Everyone who comes to me abandons everything to satisfy their desires…"

The White Snake Sage gazed at Kiyoshi.

She seemed puzzled that Kiyoshi, a person seeking power, could receive the favor of natural energy.

One must know that the first step to perceiving natural energy is to empty one's mind and merge with nature.

Yet this Uchiha, inherently evil and possessing a chilling Chakra, actually had such extraordinary talent.

Kiyoshi said calmly, "No, desire is a neutral trait, not a derogatory one. Humans can wage wars for desire, and they can also develop civilization for desire. From the first time humans lit fire and preserved the flame, wasn't it desire that drove it?"

"So-called ninjas are those who endure what ordinary people cannot. If one cannot even control their desires, then falling into darkness is inevitable. A true ninja would not be like that, at least I am confident I won't."

Are desires necessarily bad, leading 100% to darkness?

It is desire that constantly pushes humanity forward, from primitive gathering and hunting to agriculture.

As long as one can control desire and not be controlled by it, then one can continue to ascend higher.

Ever since Kiyoshi awakened his memories, he had not slackened in his training for a single day.

Even now, his puppet clones far away in Kusagakure are still continuing to learn and research.

The fatigue they endure afterward will all be transmitted back to Kiyoshi.

He relies on 'savoring beautiful things' to enhance his ocular power, and he will also adhere to his shallow bottom line.

He will only pick the fruit when it is ripe, not act prematurely.

Even Rin, she is now much older than in the original timeline, reaching the legal age.

Kiyoshi would not sink into such things. He clearly distinguished between what was for enjoyment and what was for increasing ocular power.

"An interesting human child."

The White Snake Sage shook her head with a smile.

She had military-green, horn-like ornaments embedded in the front of her forehead, and a red luminous pearl on top of her head, emitting a faint light in the dim hall.

Such a person who directly faced their desires was rare.

"Alright, before I teach you Senjutsu, let me warn you that if you fail, I will eat you in one bite. Orochimaru was just an exception."

Accompanied by the White Snake Sage's laughter, her human form vanished.

A colossal white giant snake coiled on a massive throne, its serpentine body merging into the dense darkness, making its full extent invisible.

Only its tail, which coiled out of the darkness and wrapped back around, was visible, adorned with two golden rings.

She wore a green cat's eye stone on her chest and held a pipe in her mouth. In her true snake form, orange hair hung down from her snake head.

The White Snake Sage's laughter in her snake form also became gloomy, echoing through the vast hall.

Tagorihime, Ichikishimahime, and Tagitsuhime stood beneath the White Snake Sage's enormous throne.

Kiyoshi immediately dismissed all his puppet clones, and a rush of fatigue and experience flooded his mind in an instant.

"...Good."

After adapting, Kiyoshi nodded.

Whoosh!

The White Snake Sage stretched her body, and the sound of slicing through the air rang out.

Pfft!

Blood spurted from Kiyoshi's neck, instantly revealing two bloody holes.

The holes were incredibly thick, about one-third the size of a fist.

Dense natural energy rapidly condensed along the holes, so fast that it caused gusts of wind.

Kiyoshi's robes flapped loudly, and his long black hair danced wildly behind his waist.

Whoosh... Whoosh... Whoosh!

The sound of the Trait Panel faintly echoed in Kiyoshi's mind, and a panel appeared before him.

"You have received the White Snake Sage's infusion and are condensing the Trait: [White Snake Sage Transformation (Purple)]"

A new Trait appeared before Kiyoshi.

[White Snake Sage Transformation (Purple)]

[Requirement: Receive the White Snake Sage's infusion, sense natural energy.]

[Progress: Completed]

[Effect: Your physical body has comprehended the snake's understanding of natural energy. Natural Energy affinity increases by 100% on its original basis.]

[Your Ryuchi Cave Sage Art training speed increases by 100% on its original basis.]

[The power of your Ryuchi Cave Sage Art increases by 100% on its original basis.]

[When a snake is weaker than you, it will involuntarily bow to you and acknowledge you as its master.]

[Note: Can be upgraded.]

"..."

Kiyoshi silently closed the panel, lacking the extra energy to think about anything.

He felt that every one of his cells was undergoing some inexplicable reaction under the infusion of natural energy.

Horny flesh sprouts grew on his head, and his skin showed some glowing scale patterns.

The aura of a snake spread out.

"Did he fail?" Tagorihime exclaimed in surprise.

Kiyoshi's condition clearly indicated that he was undergoing snake transformation.

Once the trial subject's physical body could not withstand the natural energy, the White Snake Sage would eat them whole.

"That shouldn't be the case. He absorbed more natural energy than all previous trial subjects." Ichikishimahime stroked her chin.

Such an anomaly was unheard of by them.

"Let's wait and see."

The most majestic and curvaceous Tagitsuhime parted her luscious red lips.

The women stopped talking and focused their attention on Kiyoshi.

"Orochimaru-sensei, will Kiyoshi be alright?" Anko asked worriedly.