Chapter 254:
Ryūchi Cave, one of the three legendary sacred grounds for learning Sage Techniques.
It is a place that only those with the right destiny can reach, let alone survive its trials to practice its unique form of senjutsu.
But Orochimaru was clearly among the chosen few. After all, without a fated connection, he wouldn't have been able to sign a summoning contract with the snakes of Ryūchi Cave in the first place.
Unlike most people, Orochimaru had a deeper understanding of Ryūchi Cave.
Firstly, he was certain that Ryūchi Cave existed within the physical world, not in some separate dimension. His reasoning? His memories of Mount Myōboku, the petrified human statues found there. If Mount Myōboku, another sacred place, was accessible within the ninja world, then Ryūchi Cave must be as well.
Secondly, Orochimaru was confident Ryūchi Cave was located within the Land of Fire.
Why? The three legendary sannin—Tsunade, Jiraiya, and himself—had all come from Konoha, a village in the Land of Fire. If the sacred places were scattered across various lands, surely other countries would have had their own representatives inheriting their power.
With this analysis, combined with the clues provided by the snakes he summoned, Orochimaru had managed to pinpoint Ryūchi Cave's location in a relatively short time.
It took him just a month and a half after his encounter with Minato and the young team of Kakashi, Obito, and Rin.