Orochimaru’s Magic Lamp

"Gurgling..."

Bubbles rose steadily from the surface of the nutrient tank. Immersed in the pale green solution, Orochimaru frowned, resisting the mental nudge of the Lamp God trying to rouse him from slumber.

Soul-deep healing through suspended animation was deeply restful—soothing beyond reason. No wonder Orochimaru instinctively clung to sleep after reverting to his true form.

The Lamp God normally didn't mind his long naps, but letting Obito slip away now meant dealing with more chaos later. A sword in the open can be parried—an arrow in the dark cannot. If no one kept an eye on Konoha, how could they guard it against a thousand hidden threats?

Eventually, under the persistent mental pressure, Orochimaru stirred. The moment he fully awoke, his eyes snapped open, golden light flaring from their depths.

Kabuto, monitoring the lab equipment nearby, noticed the change in the tank and rushed over. But the moment he met Orochimaru's glowing serpent eyes, he froze.

For a moment, it looked as if Orochimaru had awakened a new dōjutsu. But soon, the brilliance faded, and the familiar vertical pupils returned.

Kabuto blinked, dazed—until he noticed Orochimaru's silent gaze urging him to act. He quickly began activating the control panel.

The nutrient tank's fluid rapidly drained, and the glass casing withdrew into the base. Orochimaru leapt lightly from the platform, stretching his limbs. He felt invigorated—lighter than ever.

The recent boost in spiritual strength had increased his chakra reserves by nearly 20%. It wasn't an overwhelming jump, but the density and clarity of his energy were remarkable. He felt as if he'd returned to his youthful prime.

Kabuto began readying the diagnostic equipment to assess Orochimaru's state, but Orochimaru waved it off.

Instead, his gaze shifted toward the ceiling. "How do I catch up to Obito?"

The Lamp God had already filled him in on tonight's events. Orochimaru agreed—Obito needed to be taught a lesson. Konoha wasn't a playground for him to enter and leave at will.

"Simple," the Lamp God replied with a chuckle. His misty form unraveled into a thin thread, stretching outward.

"Start with the Hyūga Clan. Criminals always return to the scene of the crime—especially ones like him."

Orochimaru retrieved a sealed scroll, extracted a white snakesage scale, and pressed it to his chest. With a simple gesture, he entered Sage Mode and vanished in a blur.

---

That morning, Konoha's winds carried whispers of chaos.

Following the signing of the peace agreement, the leader of Kumogakure's envoy—Tetsuya—was found within the Hyūga compound. He was killed on the spot by Hyūga Hiashi, head of the clan.

That alone was a disaster.

Worse, Tetsuya's body was promptly discovered by the remaining members of the Kumogakure delegation.

The aftermath was immediate and explosive. Kumogakure's delegation erupted in outrage. Their accusations were swift, their anger genuine—or at least, well-performed.

Konoha's officials urged calm. They insisted Tetsuya's death was suspicious, riddled with inconsistencies. Something didn't add up.

But the delegation from Kumogakure wouldn't hear it. Their comrade was dead. Killed, plainly, by the Hyūga clan's head.

The truth didn't matter. What mattered was timing and opportunity.

A man's death, in the right place and moment, could be more valuable than his life. Kumogakure's envoys knew this. They might've even sensed the inconsistencies in Tetsuya's death—but they weren't here for justice.

They had a new purpose now: to tear up the unequal terms of the peace deal, to reclaim lost ground, to posture and bargain from a position of rage.

And Tetsuya's corpse had just handed them the perfect excuse.

They even convinced themselves their actions were righteous—after all, Tetsuya's death couldn't just go unanswered.

Konoha, naturally, refused to give up the benefits it was about to secure. They repeated the same lines: "We'll investigate. We'll give Kumogakure an explanation. Let's not let this derail the peace talks."

And so, the arguments dragged on…

High atop Hokage Rock, Obito stood on the Fourth Hokage's head, eyes half-lidded. Only the wind stirred around him, but he seemed to be listening to everything happening within the Hyūga compound.

Lives. Profit. Sacrifice...

Different causes. Different methods. But in the shinobi world, this kind of story repeated endlessly.

Obito had once accepted it, too—until the day the "sacrifice" turned out to be Rin Nohara.

By now, he had uncovered the entire truth.

Kirigakure had implanted the Three-Tails inside her, planning to unleash it on Konoha. No matter the outcome, Rin was meant to die. So Kakashi killed her first.

It wasn't complicated. Sacrifice one to save many. A logical decision. A shinobi's choice. Even Rin had accepted it.

But Obito—he couldn't.

No. Something about it still felt wrong.

After exacting revenge on Kirigakure, Obito returned to Konoha. He unleashed the Nine-Tails on the village—recreating the chaos of that night.

He wanted to see what his teacher, Minato Namikaze, would do.

But in the end, Minato chose to sacrifice himself too—just like Rin.

Sacrifice... It was nothing more than a polished word for surrender. Even Minato-sensei, who he had once admired, was no better.

Madara was different. Flawed as he was, Madara's Eye of the Moon plan sought to eliminate sacrifice at its very root. To end pain in this world once and for all.

Obito wasn't ready to bet everything on Madara's dream just yet. A sliver of hope still lingered—in this reality.

He watched the distant village lights in silence.

Now, another situation was unfolding. Another question of sacrifice versus gain. What would Hiruzen do? What would Konoha decide?

Obito was eager to find out.

The night grew darker. The stony faces of the Hokage loomed cold and silent in the breeze.

Then—another figure appeared atop the Third Hokage's statue.

Orochimaru.

He gazed at Obito's mask, a smile curling on his lips.

"You were behind the Kumogakure incident," he said.

Obito stirred from his thoughts. Surprised at first, but he quickly composed himself. His voice rasped through the mask:

"As expected of one of the Sannin… Orochimaru. I should've known you'd find me."

"But you're too late. Things are already in motion. You can't stop it now."

"I don't care about small matters like this," Orochimaru replied casually. "What does interest me… is your goal."

Obito was silent for a moment. Then, seeing that Orochimaru hadn't attacked, he spoke slowly:

"I'm testing something."

"I want to see whether Konoha will sacrifice its people to preserve its interests—or abandon its interests to protect lives."

Orochimaru raised a brow. "Then prepare to be disappointed."

"In Konoha, everyone acts for the so-called 'greater good'."

"Be it material or emotional."

"Be it personal greed or collective loyalty."

____________________

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