White Dragon Hidden in The Leaves

Night came as I lay on my futon, the pain becoming dull. I couldn't sleep because I was feeling so angry and lonely. The house was quiet, except for the sound of leaves rustling outside in the distance. The one person I expected to always have my back had shown me today that I was wrong in believing in them.

Just as my eyes began to close, a sudden wrenching sensation gripped my entire body. It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room, I gasped, but no sound emerged. The world around me blurred, colors smearing into darkness.

Before I could comprehend what was happening, I was slammed onto cold, hard ground. The impact jolted the breath back into my lungs, and I coughed violently, my senses reeling. The scent of damp earth and the faint odor of decay filled my nostrils. I pushed myself up onto my hands and knees, wincing as pain shot through my back.

"Welcome to Ryūchi Cave," a familiar voice hissed from the shadows.

I looked up to see Kurokane coiled a few feet away, her golden and black scales shimmering faintly in the dim light cast by bioluminescent fungi clinging to the cavern walls.

"Kurokane?" I croaked, my throat dry. "What's going on? Why am I here?"

"You delayed our journey long enough," she replied coldly, her eyes narrowing. "It is time you faced the trials."

We had decided to put this off until after the Chunin Exams, but it seemed like I didn't have a say in that anymore. "I said I needed more time," I protested, trying to get up.

"Time waits for no one," she said sharply. "You want more power, but you hesitate when it's right in front of you. Maybe I made a mistake in making a deal with you."

 Gritting my teeth, I forced myself upright. "Fine," I said, mustering as much confidence as I could. "let's get on with it."

A low, ominous chuckle echoed through the cavern. "Very well," Kurokane said. "But be warned: Ryūchi Cave is not forgiving. One misstep could be your last."

As she began to slither deeper into the darkness, I followed, The air smelled weird, I couldn't put my finger on how to describe it, the silence broken by the distant dripping of water.

The tunnel walls were slick with moisture, and strange, twisting roots protruded at irregular intervals, threatening to trip me up if I wasn't watching my steps.

"Keep your wits about you," Kurokane whispered without turning. "The inhabitants here are always hungry."

"Great," I muttered under my breath, my hand instinctively moving to the kunai at my side.

As if on cue, a sudden hissing filled the air. From crevices in the walls and gaps in the floor, snakes began to emerge, small ones at first, but rapidly increasing in size. Their eyes glowed faintly, reflecting the pale light as they fixed their gaze upon me.

One of the larger serpents reared back and struck without warning. I barely dodged, the venomous fangs snapping shut inches from my face. Stumbling backward, I drew my kunai, my heart pounding. Another snake lunged. I sidestepped and slashed out with the kunai, the blade cutting through its scales as it fell dead on the ground. More were closing in, as they encircled me.

I focused my chakra, channeling it into my feet. Leaping upward to stick against the cavern wall. The snakes hissing in frustration.

But safety was short-lived. From above, serpents began dropping down, forcing me to leap from spot to spot. The constant movement sent sharp pains through my back. Thankfully these didn't seem to have a gimmick.

There were so many that I didn't notice the small snake as its fangs sinking into flesh. A burning pain radiated up my leg. I grabbed the snake and pulled it off, throwing it into the wall with all my strength, but the damage was done. The venom was fast-acting; I could already feel a numbness spreading.

"Kurokane!" I called, struggling to maintain my grip on the wall. "I need an antidote!"

She paused, her golden eyes meeting mine. "Survival is your responsibility,".

Anger flared within me, but there was no time to argue. The snakes below were coiling upward, and my strength was fading. I reached into my pouch, fingers fumbling as I searched for a vial of antidote. My vision blurred, hands shook as I finally found it. what Ninja worth their salt wouldn't carry one just in case, though I wasn't sure if it would work on this type of poison.

As I uncorked the vial, a sudden impact knocked it from my grasp. A snake had slammed their tail into me from the side, sending me tumbling to the ground. I landed hard, the wind knocked out of me. The vial shattered upon impact.

 The surrounding snakes closed in, sensing the imminent kill. Spots danced before my eyes, the edges of my vision darkening. No. I won't die here.

Summoning the last reserves of my strength, I formed a series of hand signs. "Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!"

Flames erupted from my mouth. The sudden heat and light drove the serpents back, their hisses turning to screeches of anger.

I staggered to my feet, legs barely supporting me. Kurokane watched impassively from a short distance away.

"Why won't you help me?" I demanded, my voice hoarse.

She tilted her head. "And why would I help you? you should be able to handle this much, if not maybe you were the wrong choice, even with the divine in you."

"Then maybe... you should have chosen someone else," I spat, taking a shaky step forward.

"Perhaps," she mused. "But here we are."

A sudden movement caught my attention. From deeper within the cave, a massive serpent emerged, far larger than any I had seen so far. Its scales were a deep crimson, eyes were like burning coals. The lesser snakes retreated at its presence.

"An intruder?" it rumbled, its voice resonating through the cavern. "Foolish human."

My blood ran cold. I was in no condition to face something like this. The crimson serpent lunged with terrifying speed. I dodged clumsily, the venom slowing my movements. Its tail whipped around, catching me across the back and sending me crashing into the cavern wall causing me to cough blood.

Agony exploded through me, the impact worsening the already excruciating pain from earlier. I gasped for air, vision swimming.

"End of the line," the serpent hissed, rearing back to strike.

Time seemed to slow. Was this really how it would end? Weak and helpless, just like before?

No. I refuse.

A sudden clarity washed over me. Reaching deep within, I tapped into a well of chakra, untamed energy. My eyes burned, and I felt a surge of power coursing through me.

The serpent struck, but this time I was ready. "Wind style, Gale Palm!" I roared, as my fist collided with the serpent, pushing it back.

Not giving it a chance to recover, I leaped forward, kunai in hand. I aimed for its eye, the blade glinting in the dim light. The serpent twisted at the last moment, and my kunai scraped harmlessly off its scales.

It slammed its head into me, crashing me back into the cave wall.

"Persistent little insect," it snarled.

Glancing upward, I noticed stalactites hanging precariously from the cavern ceiling. Forming hand signs as quickly as my trembling hands allowed, I focused my chakra.

"Shadow clone jutsu!"

My clones rushed the snake while others went above to break the stones free. The serpent looked up too late as it was killing my clones. The massive spikes of rock crashed down, several impaling its long body. It let out a deafening roar of pain, thrashing wildly.

Seizing the opportunity, I staggered toward the passageway Kurokane had taken, my limbs heavy as lead. The lesser snakes parted before me, either out of fear or respect, I couldn't tell.

Kurokane awaited me at the entrance to a deeper tunnel, her expression passive. "You survived," she noted.

"Thanks... for the help," I said bitterly, leaning against the wall to catch my breath.

"You didn't need it," she replied. "And now you are stronger for it."

I wanted to argue, but exhaustion was overtaking me. The venom's effects were still present, but weakening quickly.

"Rest if you must," Kurokane said. "But know that the true trials lie ahead. What you faced was merely the cave's natural defenses."

I slid down the wall, sitting on the cold ground. "Of course they were," I muttered, closing my eyes for a moment.

"Here," she said unexpectedly, producing a small, luminous orb from out of her mouth. "Consume this. It will neutralize the venom."

I eyed it warily. "Now you decide to help?"

"Consider it a reward for not dying," she said with a hint of amusement.

Too tired to argue, I took the orb and swallowed it. A soothing warmth spread through me, the numbness receding.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"Do not thank me yet," she replied. "you had passed my test but you still have to pass these as our sage demands of all who form contracts with us.'

I opened my eyes, meeting her gaze. "Then let's get on with it."

She inclined her head. "Very well. Beyond this point, I cannot accompany you. The trials are meant to be faced alone."

"Of course they are," I sighed, pushing myself to stand. My body protested, but the antidote was working, strength slowly returning.

"Remember," Kurokane said, her tone serious. "Trust your instincts. The snakes you encounter will not be as forgiving as I have been."

"Forgiving isn't the word I'd use," I retorted, but there was no malice in my voice.

She gave a serpentine smile. "Perhaps not. Now go. Prove that our contract was not a mistake."

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the darkness of the tunnel ahead. The air was different here, colder, with a faint metallic scent. My footsteps echoed softly, My hand rested against the cold stone wall as I moved forward, guiding me through the pitch-black passage. 

After what felt like an eternity, a faint light appeared ahead, a subtle, flickering glow that seemed to pulse with a life of its own. I moved towards it, while the shadow was my ally these fuckers were born in it, molded by it. As I walked into the light I found myself at the entrance to an expansive chamber.

The ceiling loomed high above, the room was filled with dozens of branching tunnels, each one identical to the next. A whispered voice echoed through the chamber, reverberating off the walls and filling my mind. "To proceed, you must find the path that is not a path."

Great a riddle, fuck I sucked at these. I looked around the room, counting at least ten different tunnels. Which one was the right one? Or was it none of them?

I clenched my fists, frustration building. I was far from my full strength. 

"Think, Ayumi," I muttered under my breath, closing my eyes. "The path that is not a path... What could it mean?"

Nope to hell with thinking, putting my fingers together I used shadow clones, sending one down each path as I sat down to rest. I had to think. The voice had said, "The path that is not a path." What if it wasn't one of these tunnels? Not even a few seconds after that though all of my clones were killed. I had been at this for hours, repeatedly sending clones in growing pairs to each tonal with the same result.

While I was resting in the center of the chamber, looking around once more. The light from the fungi was faint but enough to see the ground. It was uneven, covered in roots and small stones. I scanned it carefully, trying to notice anything I hadn't before.

Then I saw it, a thin trickle of water flowing along the floor, barely visible in the dim light. The stream weaved between the tunnels, leading to a section of the wall that seemed unremarkable at first glance. I crouched down, running my fingers through the cold water, and followed its path to where it disappeared into the stone.

"A path that is not a path..." I repeated, a flicker of realization dawning on me.

The water was flowing into the wall, but it had to be going somewhere. I moved closer, inspecting the rock face, and noticed a small gap, just wide enough for me to squeeze through. It wasn't a tunnel, at least not like the others.

There was no guarantee that this was the right choice, but I had no other leads. plus I didn't want to keep using my chakra for this in case I was attacked. I slipped into the narrow gap, the stone scraping against my shoulders as I pushed my way through. 

The passageway twisted and turned, growing narrower with every step. It was suffocating, the stone pressing in on all sides. If I had a body like that of a snake this would be easy but I didn't want a body like theirs. it was kind of creepy.

But I forced the thoughts away, focusing on moving forward. The path opened up suddenly, the pressure around me releasing as I stumbled into another cavern. 

Suddenly, the ground beneath me shifted, and I stumbled, barely managing to catch myself. I looked down to see the floor was no longer solid stone, instead, it seemed to be covered in shifting sand, the grains sliding and flowing like water.

I took another cautious step, and the sand moved again, pulling at my feet. I struggled to keep my balance, the ground shifting beneath me. I gritted my teeth, pushing forward. The sand pulled me back, threatening to swallow me whole.

I reached out, my fingers brushing against the wall for support, but it crumbled beneath my touch, disintegrating into sand. There was no solid ground here, no stable surface to hold onto. "oh you got to be kidding me."

With a deep breath, I released the wall and took a step forward, my movements slow and deliberate. The sand shifted beneath me, but I kept moving, refusing to let it pull me under. Step by step, I pushed forward, the tunnel growing narrower until the sand was at my hips.

Finally, the sand began to give way to solid ground, the tunnel widening into another chamber. I collapsed onto the stone floor, my chest heaving, every muscle in my body screaming in protest.

The disembodied voice spoke again, its tone almost... pleased. "You have shown resilience. You may proceed."

I took time to rest, though I was extremely hungry.