Orochimaru’s Magic Lamp

"They will know!"

Orochimaru's words rang with finality. No one in the room dared to refute him—but unease settled heavily in the air.

A shinobi capable of bypassing Konoha's outer wall barrier undetected, slipping in and out like a ghost… the very idea chilled them. Each of them couldn't help but imagine what would happen if they were targeted by such a man. Killed without warning, with no trace left behind.

Compared to that threat, the conflict with the Kumogakure delegation suddenly felt minor—just a matter of negotiation and potential losses. But this masked man… if given the chance, he could unleash the tailed beasts upon the village again.

Danzo's eyes narrowed. He was the first to speak, voice firm.

"We can't allow this man to act freely in Konoha. We must find a way to detect or restrict his movements."

Among everyone present, Danzo feared the masked man the most. Tensions with the Hyuga and Uchiha were manageable—but Root was a different matter entirely. Root harbored countless secrets. If any of them were exposed, it would drive a wedge between him and the village that could never be repaired.

Danzo had once trusted Root's security measures. But after hearing about the masked man's space-time ninjutsu, even he had to admit—there was no real defense against that kind of power.

"This concerns the safety of the entire village. Everyone here must do their part—Orochimaru, that includes you."

He locked eyes with Orochimaru.

"How did you track him? What method did you use?"

Under their collective gaze, Orochimaru smiled calmly.

"My method is... unique. I'm afraid no one else can replicate it."

Danzo's eyes gleamed with suspicion. "This isn't the time to be vague. We need to know how you did it. If there's any way we can replicate your results, we have to try."

The room was silent, but the others seemed to share Danzo's sentiment. Even Jiraiya turned toward Orochimaru with an expectant look.

"You all act like I'm hiding something," Orochimaru said, shaking his head with an amused grin. "But it's quite simple, really—I've been practicing Senjutsu, and it's enhanced my tracking and sensory abilities."

"Senjutsu?" Several voices murmured in surprise.

Everyone exchanged glances. The term had been mentioned more frequently in recent times, but it still remained unfamiliar to most.

Still, Orochimaru's explanation felt evasive. The group turned their attention to Jiraiya—another known practitioner of Senjutsu.

Caught in their stares, Jiraiya rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. He didn't recall Senjutsu granting the kind of perception Orochimaru was claiming.

But he had promised to support him—publicly, at least.

"…Senjutsu can enhance one's senses," Jiraiya said carefully. "But results vary depending on the user… Orochimaru has always had a talent for refining his techniques, so it's not unthinkable that he achieved better results than I did."

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned deeply.

That phrasing—better than mine—made it clear Jiraiya didn't possess the same heightened perception Orochimaru claimed to have.

"Don't ask Jiraiya," Orochimaru said with a thin smile. "He only practiced the Senjutsu of Mount Myoboku—his abilities are still at the level of basic perception."

He continued smoothly, clearly enjoying the attention. "But the three Great Sage Lands each have their own approach to Senjutsu. Tsunade, I'm sure the Slug Sage has told you something about the Shikkotsu Forest's version."

Tsunade frowned slightly. But under Jiraiya's earnest gaze, she relented and answered tersely, "Increased chakra reserves. Enhanced self-healing."

She said no more, clearly reluctant to elaborate.

Now, with what they'd heard—strengthened senses, improved physical ability, greater chakra, rapid healing—the group finally had a better grasp of what Senjutsu could do. And more importantly, it confirmed that Orochimaru wasn't lying.

Still, everyone in the room wore troubled expressions. Orochimaru had offered no concrete method to track the masked man—only his personal talent. That meant they were left with the burden of finding their own solution.

And it was clear that wouldn't be quick or easy.

Of course, there was another path: eliminate the masked man entirely. But after learning the nature of his space-time ninjutsu, even that seemed out of reach. Not even Orochimaru had succeeded in finding him, let alone defeating him.

And regardless of their opinions of Orochimaru, his abilities were not in question.

After a long silence, the Third Hokage finally spoke. "Our top priority is to strengthen the village's surveillance. I'll assign this to the Barrier Unit and the Sealing Corps."

"That won't be enough," Orochimaru interrupted, licking his lips, smiling faintly.

"The Barrier and Sealing Corps aren't the only ones with knowledge of seals and enchantments. Many of the major clans have experts as well. They should be gathered together to develop new ninjutsu."

Koharu Utatane frowned. "All this... just to deal with one man? Isn't that a bit excessive?"

Like many traditional shinobi, she believed in offensive measures first—take the enemy down before they became a threat. Her thinking reflected the long-standing ninja mindset: attack is always the best defense.

Throughout history, killing techniques had been refined and mastered. But when it came to defense—especially long-term, village-wide protection—they'd barely evolved.

That mindset was part of why, even now, shinobi still lived under the scrutiny and control of civilian leaders.

Orochimaru glanced at her, clearly about to say something biting, but stopped himself. A pointless argument wouldn't help.

After a moment of silence, he addressed the room calmly.

"The effort is worth it—not just to guard against the masked man, but to strengthen Konoha for the future."

"There are no suitable Uzumaki candidates in the village anymore. The bloodline from the Fourth Hokage's child will dilute over time. We need to advance our sealing techniques—to find a way for ordinary people to become Jinchūriki."

"Uzushio is gone. Konoha has already fallen behind Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure in this field. Now that the wars have calmed, it's time for us to catch up."

It was a compelling argument. Jiraiya immediately voiced his agreement, and Tsunade gave a reluctant nod. The Third Hokage, seeing both his students on the same page, naturally offered no objection.

Surprisingly, even Danzo nodded in support. Perhaps he was intrigued by the prospect of ordinary citizens becoming Jinchūriki—or saw an opportunity to weaken the clans and bolster his own control.

Koharu remained silent, clearly outnumbered.

"The study of sealing and enchantment isn't something that can be done overnight," Hiruzen said gravely, tapping the table.

"In the meantime, the Security Division will revise their patrol routes. The Hyūga Clan will assign elite members to assist."

Fugaku's face darkened. "Lord Hokage, shouldn't we discuss this further—"

"There's nothing to discuss," Hiruzen cut in firmly. "I've made my decision."

His eyes narrowed. "If we rely on the Uchiha alone, can you guarantee that the masked man will not reappear in the village?"

Fugaku was speechless.

He couldn't deny it—Sharingan had its limits, and its range of vision fell short compared to the Byakugan. And with the masked man's elusive techniques, even the Hyūga's powers might not be enough.

Fugaku had no choice but to accept the order, though inwardly, he worried how he would explain this to his clan.

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