Orochimaru’s Magic Lamp

"Your mother looks sad. Do you know why?"

Orochimaru's golden eyes rested on Neji, who stood before him like a miniature adult. A faint, eerie smile curled on his lips.

"Lord Orochimaru…"

Neji's mother's face changed dramatically. She didn't know what he was planning to say, but instinctively stepped forward, trying to interrupt him.

"Hm?"

With a single glance, Orochimaru's cold presence spread across the room like a fog. Neji's mother froze. Her lips trembled as she tried to speak, but she couldn't force the words out.

Unfazed, Orochimaru continued calmly, "You don't have to tell him now. But how long do you think you can keep this from him?"

The words pierced through her defenses. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. Her face paled, and then—she dropped to her knees, her body sagging with silent despair.

Neji turned from his mother to Orochimaru, unease tightening in his chest.

Orochimaru smiled again, his voice low and casual:

"Your father... is going to die."

"Die?"

Neji blinked, confused. The word was familiar, but its weight was not yet something he fully grasped. Still, as a child raised in the ninja world, he understood enough to feel the dread behind it.

Something terrible was about to happen—something to his father.

He turned back to his mother, hoping for a denial. A shake of the head. Anything.

But she looked away, unable to meet his gaze. A tear slid silently down her cheek.

That alone was enough. He had his answer.

But… why?

Why would his father die? What had he done?

He looked at his teacher again, voice shaking with questions he didn't know how to ask.

"Simple," Orochimaru replied, almost amused.

"Because someone wants him dead."

As he spoke, Orochimaru slowly raised one hand. From his long sleeve, a small, emerald-green snake slithered out.

Neji flinched and instinctively stepped back. But then he stopped.

The snake didn't move.

In fact, the vibrant life it had a moment ago was vanishing rapidly—as Orochimaru casually pinched its neck between two fingers.

Neji's eyes widened.

In that still moment, he finally understood.

Death wasn't just a word. It was real. It was cold. It was final. It meant someone could just stop existing.

Was this what was going to happen to his father?

Fear flooded him. Panic. Grief. Emotions too large to name crashed over his young heart.

And yet, he still asked the only thing he could:

"Teacher… can you save my father?"

Orochimaru's smile deepened, strange and unreadable.

"I can't."

Then, after a pause:

"But you can—if you're willing to pay the price."

---

That night, the Hokage's meeting room was brightly lit.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sat at the head of the table, flanked by his two advisors. Across from them sat the remaining Sannin, each with their own expression—ranging from solemn to indifferent.

They exchanged a few quiet words, but the room carried a heavy atmosphere.

Soon, others filed in: Jonin commander Nara Shikaku, Uchiha Fugaku, Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi, and the elders of the Hyuga clan.

This was a special closed meeting, called to resolve the scandal involving the Hyuga clan—the death of a foreign dignitary during a diplomatic mission.

This was already their third meeting on the issue.

In the last session, a tentative decision had been made: to offer up Hizashi as a scapegoat to appease the other village.

But now—Orochimaru had brought new information that upended everything.

Turning to him, Koharu Utatane asked bluntly,

"Orochimaru, where exactly did you get this information? How can you be so sure that Kumogakure knows the truth?"

All eyes in the room turned to him, searching, suspicious.

It was the question on everyone's mind.

Orochimaru smiled but avoided answering directly. Instead, he said calmly, "I've encountered the one who orchestrated the Nine-Tails Rebellion."

That response caught everyone off guard. Koharu's eyes widened. "What did you say?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes. "Orochimaru, this isn't something to joke about."

But he couldn't help remembering—after the Nine-Tails attack, Orochimaru had claimed to be seriously injured during training. Now, that story felt questionable.

"This time, it's the truth, old man."

Orochimaru raised a brow, speaking with confidence.

"He wore a black cloak and a tiger-striped mask. His right eye was visible—he had a Mangekyō Sharingan. His ability was some kind of space-time ninjutsu, which he used to freely enter and leave Konoha…"

He described the attacker in detail—everything but the man's true identity. It was clear Orochimaru was speaking of Obito.

The more he spoke, the darker the expressions around the table grew. The description was too vivid to be fabricated—and the mention of a Mangekyō Sharingan made everyone instinctively glance at Uchiha Fugaku.

Fugaku's face tightened. Until now, he hadn't understood why he was summoned to a meeting about the Hyuga Clan's internal matters. But now it made sense—they were implicating the Uchiha.

He looked at Orochimaru with silent accusation. Why didn't you warn me earlier? I came unprepared.

But Orochimaru continued, answering the question without being asked.

"Though I don't know his exact motives, it's clear the masked man bears a grudge against Konoha. Using the Nine-Tails to attack was a way to vent that hatred… and to drive a wedge between the Uchiha and the village."

The room fell silent. Everyone recalled the strained tension in Konoha after the Nine-Tails' rampage. No one could deny the implications.

Sensing the change in the room's mood, Fugaku quickly asked, "Lord Orochimaru, are you certain? About the Mangekyō Sharingan? No members of our clan are missing. How could an outsider possess it?"

"I don't know," Orochimaru replied with a shrug, then turned his gaze to Danzo and added with a knowing smirk, "It doesn't have to be a clansman. Someone could've stolen a Sharingan and awakened it through sheer luck. It's not impossible."

Danzo flinched under Orochimaru's stare, though his mind raced at the possibility. Could it really happen?

Fugaku muttered to himself, "Perhaps… during the wars, many Sharingan were lost. There were always opportunists who tried to take them."

But aside from Kakashi, no other non-Uchiha had become known for using a Sharingan. And the clan had never actively tracked the stolen eyes.

While the others were still processing this, Hiashi suddenly stood up.

"Before Tetsuya died, there were signs of genjutsu manipulation on his body. Lord Orochimaru, are you suggesting the masked man was responsible?"

"It's not a suggestion—it's a certainty," Orochimaru replied. "Using manipulation and provocation is his pattern."

He swept his gaze around the table and concluded slowly, "Now do you understand? This isn't about whether the Kumogakure delegation knows the truth."

"They will find out."

____________________

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