"Then the conditions we discussed earlier may need to change."
Tagorihime raised a slender finger, smiling like a merchant about to secure a profitable deal. "If he doesn't seize the opportunity to trick Orochimaru, then he'd be doing injustice to his journey."
"Forty years of snacks—no, fifty years!" Ichikishimahime declared boldly, looping her arm around Orochimaru's shoulder with a grin that nearly split her delicate face. "Orochimaru, you won't object, will you?"
The three sisters—Ichikishimahime, Tagorihime, and Tagitsuhime—surrounded him with the enthusiasm of predators who had found their prey.
Are these three still the Sages of Ryuchi Cave?
If they wanted something, they could simply take it by force—yet here they were bargaining like market vendors. Orochimaru couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry.
He had already figured out the truth: even if he refused, the Three Snake Princesses would still help him. The only difference would be whether they helped sincerely… or grudgingly. But that didn't mean he could just give in. If he let them fleece him now, what if they demanded something even more outrageous next time?
"Fifty years' worth of snacks is too much," Orochimaru said, frowning deeply as though the weight of the world rested on him. "All the snacks I prepare are freshly made—and don't forget the high-quality military rations. Thirty years. Not one more."
Ichikishimahime slapped the ground with her tail, outraged. "Forty years! It takes a huge amount of Sage Chakra to move a mountain! Do you think we work for free?!"
"Thirty years, and that's final," Orochimaru shot back immediately. "I won't add another year. I refuse to encourage such blatant price-gouging."
"Stingy! You're haggling over a few snacks!" Ichikishimahime pressed her forehead against his, beautiful features warping into something fierce. Her long pink tongue flicked out, licking his cheek with irritation.
"Am I stingy?" Orochimaru retorted sharply. "Why don't you consider your own appetites? If I can't feed you three, then no one in this world can!"
It was true. If he were stingy, would he have ever shared snacks with them in the first place? He had only done it to build a relationship—but he regretted it the moment he realized what monstrous appetites these women had.
Do not be fooled by their graceful figures and delicate beauty. Each of them could devour soldier pills like children eating jelly beans. And these weren't ordinary soldier pills—they were the valuable, high-grade Akimichi Clan emergency rations!
Even a seasoned jonin would be hospitalized after consuming so many. Bloodline limit or not, their body would collapse.
Yet these three? They consumed them like popcorn.
Providing them thirty years of snacks was already an astronomical financial burden. And he had to supply that every year. If not for the annual support, he would have gone bankrupt long ago.
"Enough, both of you," Tagitsuhime finally stepped in, gently pulling Ichikishimahime away. "Thirty years is enough."
"Indeed," Tagorihime nodded. "Thirty years of snacks is acceptable."
Ichikishimahime pouted dramatically, but she forced a smile when she saw Orochimaru's expression of despair. "Fine, thirty years," she conceded, though her eyes gleamed like she had already won.
"So," Orochimaru said, relieved to change the subject, "how exactly will you help me?"
Ichikishimahime responded with a mischievous laugh. Her body elongated, shifting into a white snake that draped itself around his neck like a living scarf. "Like this," she hissed, licking his cheek again.
Tagorihime and Tagitsuhime transformed as well, winding themselves around his arms like elegant snake-shaped sashes.
Their bodies pulsed with thick Profound Chakra. Natural Energy surged toward him like a tide.
Orochimaru inhaled sharply. He was certainly not used to having living creatures clinging to him like accessories.
"Ichikishimahime," he drawled, "I prefer wearing belts, not scarves."
"What did you say?!" Ichikishimahime slammed her head into his chin. "We're trying to help you, and you're still complaining?!"
"Fine, fine. I'm starting. Get ready."
Drawing upon the three sisters' Sage Chakra, Orochimaru produced three high-density compressed soldier pills, crushed them effortlessly, swallowed the powder, then began weaving hand signs at blinding speed.
"Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation!"
The Three Snake Princesses focused entirely on absorbing and directing Natural Energy. Under Orochimaru's feet, the ground trembled violently. The entire mountain began shifting, rising like a massive stone serpent awakening from slumber.
A thick stone pillar thrust up beneath him, carrying him and the Snake Princesses high into the sky.
At the peak of Rain Mountain, Sage Chakra flowed like a river. Orochimaru could feel it draining rapidly—far too rapidly.
This was a ridiculous amount of Sage Chakra. Enough to create a thousand Sage Art Explosive Tags. Enough to blow up the entire mountain instead of reshaping it.
For the first time, he felt a twinge of regret.
Should I have just used Chakra bombs instead?
But it was too late now.
Under the influence of Inorganic Reincarnation, the once towering Rain Mountain shifted and split, as though a sculptor were carving it with an invisible chisel.
The mountain rose, melted, shifted, and divided—until the singular peak became a vast mountain range stretching beyond the clouds. Hundreds of massive peaks emerged like giants standing shoulder to shoulder.
In the depths of this new range, the salamander Ibuse awoke groggily, scratching its head in confusion. Its familiar home had transformed overnight.
---
The Next Morning
Golden sunlight pierced through the clouds—a rare sight in the Land of Rain. The villagers stared upward in awe, enjoying what felt like the first clear sky in years.
But the peace lasted only until they looked toward Rain Mountain.
Or rather, what used to be Rain Mountain.
"What… what is that?!"
"Where's the mountain?! Wasn't it just there yesterday?!"
"It turned into a… mountain range?!"
Panic spread like wildfire.
Rain Mountain—once the towering symbol of their land—had vanished. In its place was an entire stretch of mountains that hadn't existed the night before.
Hanzo was among the first to arrive. Stepping out of a black car, he stood stunned, staring at the monumental transformation.
"This…" His pupils trembled violently. "This is impossible…"
Even if all of Iwagakure's Earth Release users gathered together, they could flatten a mountain—but splitting a mountain into a naturally formed range without leaving a single artificial mark? That was far beyond human capability.
Hanzo shivered.
The prestige of the White Snake Pharmaceutical Company rose instantly in his heart. If they could find someone capable of reshaping a mountain without a single alarm…
Then the company's true power was beyond imagination.
No wonder they insisted on remaining neutral. If they ever chose sides, the entire Ninja World would tremble.
Hanzo pressed a hand to his chest, overwhelmed with gratitude. If he hadn't acted on impulse and cooperated with the company, the Land of Rain would never have experienced such a miraculous transformation.
Behind him, a loud thud echoed. Ibuse came crashing down the hillside, panic visible in every movement.
"Ibuse, it's alright," Hanzo crouched and stroked its head. "The one who changed the environment was the helper I invited."
Ibuse whined miserably, clearly traumatized by last night's chaos.
---
The Entire Ninja World Reacts
Within a day, news of the transformation spread across nations. Every country dispatched envoys demanding explanations.
Hanzo gave them the same answer:
"Perhaps the Sage of Six Paths descended. Seeing that the Land of Rain suffered too greatly, he reshaped the mountain out of compassion."
The absurd explanation only fueled more speculation.
---
Iwagakure
"Tsuchikage-sama, could you achieve such a feat…?"
Ōnoki glared at the foolish upper-ranked ninja.
"With Dust Release, I can erase a mountain," he said bluntly. "But splitting it into a pristine, naturally formed range? Don't be ridiculous."
He scoffed.
"Even Hashirama and Madara couldn't do this."
---
Sunagakure
"This is too absurd," the Third Kazekage muttered. "Even our entire village couldn't pull this off."
He immediately ordered all outside activities to be reduced. Something capable of reshaping terrain this drastically was a threat too great to ignore.
---
Konohagakure
At the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at two photographs—one of the original Rain Mountain, and one of the newly formed range.
His hand rubbed his balding scalp in frustration.
"Even with thousands of Earth Release users, this is impossible. And the range looks completely natural… as though the terrain had existed for centuries."
Danzo crossed his arms. "It defies the limits of ninjutsu."
Then, without warning, he produced a scroll.
"You should look at this instead."
Hiruzen hesitated before opening it—a list of information recovered from the black market, containing shocking details about surviving members of Uzushiogakure.
"What? Survivors?!"
Homura and Koharu rushed to his side, equally shaken.
Danzo continued calmly, "The company sheltering them is none other than White Snake Pharmaceutical. And Orochimaru has a close partnership with that company…"
A heavy silence filled the room.
Homura spoke first. "As the village that once signed a treaty with Uzushiogakure, it is our responsibility to give these survivors a home."
Everyone understood the true meaning—it was an opportunity to bring the Uzumaki Clan into Konoha formally.
But Koharu raised an important concern.
"Will they accept? When their homeland fell, it wasn't Konoha who saved them, but that company. They may hold resentment."
Danzo nodded solemnly.
"Resentment festers. If they enter Konoha with bitterness in their hearts, it will become a hidden danger that could erupt at any moment."
He had struggled with this decision. But hiding the information was useless; news would spread anyway. Better to voice his concerns now than be blamed later.
Whether Konoha invited them or not was no longer his choice.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)