[Deep within Ryuchi Cave]
All around was silent.
Only the water droplets falling from the stalactites made faint "drip, drip" sounds.
At the very center of the cave, on an ancient and heavy bluestone seat, a snow-white old snake was quietly coiled.
Its snake eyes were half-closed, its aura lazy and weary, carrying a sense of age worn down by time. It was the White Snake Sage who ruled Ryuchi Cave.
In daily life, she rarely moved. Most of the time, she rested like this with her eyes closed. The atmosphere around her was so still it was almost solemn, and the disciples of Ryuchi Cave never dared to disturb her lightly.
Suddenly, three light figures stepped on immortal mist and silently floated in front of the bluestone seat.
Their movements were respectful and restrained. They were the three disciples under the White Snake Sage, Tagorihime, Ichikishimahime, and Tagitsuhime.
The three held their breath and exchanged glances.
Tagorihime stepped forward half a step, slightly bowed, her voice gentle and respectful, afraid of disturbing the resting sage, "Great Sage, a message has come from Mount Myoboku."
"Mm..."
The old white snake on the bluestone seat still had her eyes closed and did not move at all. Her voice was slow, carrying a trace of aged hoarseness.
"What is it?"
Tagorihime lowered her head, her tone becoming even more respectful as she reported clearly, word by word, "The Great Sage of Mount Myoboku is about to celebrate his thousand-year birthday banquet. A special invitation has been sent, inviting you to attend."
Whoosh!
As soon as the words fell, the White Snake Sage, who had been half-closing her eyes with a lazy aura, suddenly snapped her eyes open.
The originally dim eyes burst with dazzling light. The long-standing lifelessness instantly vanished, replaced by undisguised joy.
"What? Arisu's birthday banquet? And it's his thousand-year celebration?", The White Snake Sage sat up and asked in surprise.
"Yes, that's right. The invitation clearly states it is the thousand-year birthday of the Great Sage of Mount Myoboku.", Tagorihime quickly nodded and answered seriously.
The moment the news was confirmed, the aura around the White Snake Sage completely changed. There was no trace of her usual aged dullness. Instead, it was full of lively joy.
Her snake head lifted slightly as she laughed. The laughter was bright, filled with unhidden delight, "Hahaha, you three hurry and get ready, then go call Hitsuki. Come with me to Mount Myoboku!"
Before the laughter even faded, a pale blue immortal mist suddenly wrapped around the White Snake Sage's body.
Spiritual light flowed, and the originally old and massive snake body gradually shrank and transformed. In just a moment, the immortal mist dispersed.
A bright and charming young girl's figure stood in front of the bluestone seat.
The girl wore a pink-white long dress. Her skin was smooth like jade, her features delicate and lively. Her almond-shaped eyes curved with joy.
Her figure was slender and graceful, and her whole body radiated youthful brightness. There was not a trace of the old snake's aged decay anymore. She was completely a pretty young girl.
"Sage, you?!"
"Wow!"
Tagorihime, Ichikishima, and Tagitsuhime instantly widened their eyes, staring at the girl before them in shock. Their mouths were slightly open, full of disbelief.
In the impressions of the three disciples, their master, the White Snake Sage, had always been an aged figure.
In snake form, she was old and decrepit, with a massive body.
The White Snake Sage in snake form.
In human form, she was an old woman.
Usually, her aura was still, always carrying a faint sense of old age.
They had never seen her so lively and radiant. This huge contrast left them completely stunned.
The White Snake Sage looked at the shocked expressions of her three disciples and raised her hand to gently adjust the hair by her temples.
"Hehe, what? Does this appearance make me feel unfamiliar to you?"
The White Snake Sage spoke with a smile, her tone carrying a rare hint of girlish charm, her eyes curved.
"Mhm!"
Tagorihime, Ichikishima, and Tagitsuhime all nodded hard, the shock in their eyes still not fading.
The White Snake Sage lowered her gaze and smiled softly, her tone gentle. "The one I'm going to meet this time is Arisu."
"On such an important day, how could I go to his thousand-year birthday banquet looking like an old woman?"
———
Several days passed in the blink of an eye. The long-awaited thousand-year birthday banquet of Arisu finally opened grandly at Mount Myoboku.
On this day, Mount Myoboku became more lively than ever before. It could truly be called a scene where everyone poured out into the streets.
On the plaza, the first to appear was a grand celebratory formation.
"Without the Great Sage, there would be no Mount Myoboku!"
"We will forever follow the Great Sage and protect the eternal peace of the ninja world!"
"Happy and healthy thousand-year birthday to the Great Sage!"
"We respectfully wish the Great Sage boundless longevity, living as long as heaven, with blessings that continue endlessly!"
Tens of thousands of White Zetsu stood in neat formations, their steps steady and unified as they moved forward in a grand procession from the entrance of the plaza.
Each formation held carefully made banners high. The red banners with golden characters fluttered gently in the wind, filled with blessings.
At the same time, orderly chants echoed throughout the entire plaza along with the movement of the formation.
On both sides of the formation, large and small toads gathered together, waving colorful immortal flowers in their hands.
Along with the rhythm of the procession, several ceremonial cannons fired at the same time.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Thunderous sounds shook the sky.
On the high platform, Arisu sat in the main seat, smiling warmly as he watched the performance below.
After the formation finished its performance, the entire place instantly fell silent.
Immediately after, the grand barrier of Mount Myoboku suddenly activated.
The originally clear sky and warm daylight
switched to night in the blink of an eye, opening the prelude to the grand celebration.
Mount Myoboku was originally always daytime, but after Arisu's changes, it could use the power of the dragon veins to achieve spring, summer, autumn, winter, and day and night.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the next second, thousands of fireworks dragged brilliant tails of light as they rose into the sky from all around the plaza, piercing the dark night.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The sounds came one after another as fireworks burst in the sky, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple lights interweaving.
"....."
Arisu lifted his eyes to look at the dazzling fireworks filling the sky. His gaze loosened slightly, and his thoughts instantly drifted to his distant past life.
"It really looks alike..."
The grand and lively scene before him
looked just like the fireworks nights of family reunions during the New Year in his past life, and also like the grand celebrations of National Day filled with cheering crowds.
This was what Arisu had said before.
It wasn't because he was afraid Kaguya was still hiding in Mount Myoboku, but because this place looked exactly like the fireworks on Earth before he transmigrated.
"Time really flies, it's already been so long…", Arisu murmured softly.
From the moment he accidentally arrived in this ninja world that had no moon and not even a calendar, to witnessing the birth of the Ninja Sect step by step, the end of wars, and now the stability and prosperity of Mount Myoboku, before he realized it, countless years had already passed, the long passage of time feeling like the flick of a finger.
The fireworks in the sky continued to bloom for a long time. Only after Arisu had recalled all those past years in his mind did they gradually fade.
Seeing the fireworks ceremony come to an end, Arisu came back to his senses.
Looking at the crowd below, who were still eagerly waiting, he spoke gently, "Don't let everyone keep standing. You've all worked hard for a long time. Hurry and begin the feast."
As soon as his words fell, deafening cheers instantly erupted below. The White Zetsu responded in unison, the toads jumped in celebration, and the entire place was filled with joyful sounds.
Soon, thousands of banquet tables were laid out one after another across the plaza, table after table connected, stretching endlessly from the center of the plaza all the way to the foot of the mountain, with no end in sight.
Looking at the endless banquet spread across the mountains, Arisu couldn't help but laugh lightly and mutter with a hint of teasing, "With a setup like this, Mount Myoboku's kitchen is probably smoking from all the work."
"With so many people starting the feast at the same time, it's impressive the kitchen can handle it."
"Gamamaru, later I'll personally go thank the kitchen staff for their hard work."
Gamamaru beside him heard this, smiled, stepped forward, slightly bowed, and gently reminded him, "Teacher, just leave these matters to me. There's no need for you to go personally."
"Teacher, the banquet is ready. Next, it's time for the guests to offer birthday wishes and present gifts."
Hearing this, Arisu smiled. "Well, it is my birthday after all."
Very soon, it was time for the birthday wishes and gift-giving segment.
"Who wants to go first?"