Orochimaru’s Magic Lamp

In the forests of the Land of Hot Water, tension hung heavy between the trees.

On opposing sides, the elite teams of Konoha and Kumogakure stood atop the treetops, nearly twenty high-ranking ninja scattered but alert, watching each other from a distance.

From Kumogakure's side, there were wielders of Storm Release and Boil Release, along with two imposing figures—the jinchūriki of the Two-Tails, Yugito Nii, and the Eight-Tails, Killer Bee.

Konoha's team, led by Mitokado Homura, was no less formidable: the Uchiha prodigies Shisui and Shinsuke, Hiashi Hyuga, and elite jōnin like Kakashi Hatake stood at the ready.

The lineup on both sides was so strong that it could easily spark a small-scale war. Though this was meant to be a peaceful exchange, the air was tense. Eyes locked across the divide, and both sides instinctively measured one another's strength—an invisible gunpowder spark waiting to ignite.

Just months earlier, the war between the two villages had ended. Many of the shinobi present now found themselves facing old enemies.

A breeze rustled through the treetops. The silence dragged.

Finally, the delegation in charge of the peace talks moved forward. Breaking away from the Kumogakure formation, they crossed the clearing toward Konoha's side.

Shff…

With a flash of motion, the Konoha shinobi repositioned, surrounding the incoming team in a tight perimeter, alert and ready for anything. Their vigilance extended inward, too—prepared not only for outside threats, but for deception from within.

Hiashi Hyuga activated his Byakugan, scanning the approaching delegation with sharp precision. After a brief silence, he gave Mitokado Homura a small nod. No disguises. No illusions. No foreign chakra signatures. It was clean.

Trusting Hiashi's judgment, Homura signaled the team to proceed.

"Wait."

A cold voice cut through the air—Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails jinchūriki, had spoken. Her narrowed eyes fixed directly on Shisui, hidden in the shadowed canopy.

"We've delivered them safely. But if anything goes wrong… we walk. Peace talks or not."

Her words made Homura frown. Around her, none of the other Kumogakure ninja—not even Killer Bee—objected to her bluntness. Clearly, this wasn't just her opinion. Kumogakure was testing the waters.

Trying to intimidate us?

Homura's expression hardened. "Peace negotiations are between the villages. Kumogakure doesn't get to unilaterally decide to walk away."

Konoha had won the war. These peace talks were a formality—an opportunity to extract reparations. After two defeats, Kumogakure had taken considerable losses. The Fourth Raikage was still recovering from injuries. Konoha would not let this chance slip.

Yugito smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "So, what then? Do you want to fight again?"

Her eyes moved past Homura and locked onto Shisui. Her smile sharpened.

"Last time, we didn't settle things. If we meet again on the battlefield… I'll kill you."

Shisui met her gaze but said nothing. He remained calm, unreadable.

Homura glanced at Killer Bee, surprised to see him remain silent, watching passively as Yugito spoke with such brazenness.

Kumogakure should've been cautious—perhaps even humble—given the situation. So why were they provoking Konoha so openly?

Could it be… the Fourth Raikage has already recovered from his injuries?

Mitokado Homura was startled by the thought, but a faint smile curled at the edge of his lips. He said calmly:

"Kumogakure's shinobi are certainly tough. Youth has its advantages. As for me… I'm just an old man now."

Then his tone sharpened slightly.

"But I hope you'll still be that tough when you face Orochimaru on the battlefield."

With that, Homura stopped paying attention to the Kumogakure team. He turned, leading both the Konoha escort and the peace delegation toward the Land of Fire.

As Konoha's figures disappeared into the dense forest, Yugito Nii dropped the arrogance that didn't suit her otherwise calm demeanor. Her expression turned serious.

She stared in the direction of the Fire Nation, concern flashing in her eyes.

Orochimaru… That man is terrifying. Even if Lord Raikage has recovered, he might not be a match for him.

Can what can't be earned on the battlefield really be won through posturing and bluffing? Yugito had serious doubts.

"Don't worry," said Killer Bee, patting her shoulder in his usual quirky tone. "Konoha might not dare to push us too far."

"If they try anything shameless… we'll just have to fight again. Big Brother's already healed. Kumogakure doesn't fear Konoha."

It might sound absurd to start a war over peace talks—but in the shinobi world, that was nothing new.

Everyone knew that "peace" was just a temporary pause between conflicts. The long-term clauses in any treaty were meaningless. What mattered were the immediate gains each side could secure.

As the defeated party, Kumogakure had only two choices: accept Konoha's harsh demands—or resist and force a better deal through strength.

Killer Bee was confident. Even if their overall strength didn't match Konoha's, Kumogakure would never allow itself to be bullied.

He didn't trust Konoha's Third Hokage, either. That old man was far too cunning to allow things to spiral into full war—but he'd push the limits as far as he could.

---

Two days later, after a long journey, the Konoha escort safely brought the Kumogakure delegation to the village.

After a night of rest, the peace talks officially began.

At the negotiating table, Konoha's representatives—Homura and Koharu—opened aggressively. As expected, they presented an overwhelming list of demands, following the principle of "ask for everything, settle for what you need."

The Kumogakure delegates pushed back fiercely, rejecting many terms—but their leader, "Tetsuya", the one officially responsible for the talks, remained silent throughout.

His silence weakened Kumogakure's position. Lacking firm leadership, they were slowly cornered into signing an agreement full of humiliating and unfavorable terms.

Three days later, the treaty was finalized. Both sides gathered for the formal signing of the peace agreement.

Back at their Konoha lodging, the Kumogakure team sat in silence. Except for "Tetsuya," the entire delegation was miserable. No one could find joy in this outcome.

They had signed a degrading treaty. Returning home with such a document meant they'd face harsh criticism—or worse.

Seeing their restless and anxious faces, Tetsuya's lips curled into an eerie smile.

"Don't worry," he said. "I have a solution. I won't let the village suffer."

No one responded. Their minds were elsewhere.

Before the agreement was signed, such words might have inspired hope. But now, after everything was sealed, what use was empty reassurance?

Tetsuya noted their reactions but didn't explain further. Still smiling faintly, he turned and walked alone into a side room.

That moment, a twisting vortex silently formed in the air.

From within the spiral, Obito Uchiha stepped out, carrying a limp figure in his arms.

It was someone with the exact same appearance as "Tetsuya."

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