Orochimaru’s Magic Lamp

After years of operation, the Guard Team had become almost synonymous with the Uchiha clan. Even the team's emblem bore the iconic Uchiha fan.

Now, being overridden by another ninja clan—especially by Hyuga, Konoha's other prominent dojutsu family—was bound to stir major unrest.

But Uchiha Fugaku found it difficult to refuse.

The masked man behind the Nine-Tails Rebellion had the Mangekyō Sharingan. And yet, even after Orochimaru confirmed this, the village hadn't blamed the Uchiha clan. That was already a huge concession.

The masked man had clashed with the village again before vanishing—bold and defiant to the end. Fugaku knew they had no room left to push back.

Seeing Fugaku's conflicted expression, the Third Hokage understood this wasn't obedience out of fear but a choice made under pressure. He nodded slightly, inwardly satisfied.

In the past, even a hint of interference in Uchiha affairs might've triggered rebellion. But now? They cooperated—even allowing others into the Guard Team.

The Hyuga elder, who had been waiting silently, now spoke with clear delight, "The Hyuga clan will respond to the village's call without delay."

He had long resented the Uchiha Guard swaggering through the village, flaunting their strength. This was his chance to replace them.

Though the Uchiha were still stronger, the elder wasn't foolish. He knew the Third Hokage would never allow the Hyuga clan to fully dominate either. Still, this was a rare opportunity—one they couldn't ignore.

That said, his eagerness showed a bit too plainly. His excitement made him look greedy.

Fugaku noticed, and his sharp gaze turned cold.

Honestly, there wasn't much he could do. Maybe he could embarrass some of the Hyuga branch members, but he knew the main family wouldn't care. It would be a petty gesture at best.

Just then, Orochimaru turned toward the Hyuga elder with a smirk.

"Ah… I nearly forgot why I came tonight," he said, chuckling darkly.

"Hehehe… Patriarch Hizashi, you killed the leader of the envoy. Now you want your brother, Hyuga Hiashi, to take the blame with his life?"

Fugaku's eyes lit up with calm mockery.

That's right. Why should they fear a clan like this—so bound by rigid tradition, obsessed with bloodlines and rules? The Uchiha had nothing to fear from such people.

The more he thought about it, the more certain he was: his clan would see things the same way.

Hearing the venom in Orochimaru's tone, Hiashi's face changed. He glanced at his brother standing beside him, looking downcast. Hiashi opened his mouth to speak… but couldn't find the words.

The Hyuga elder cut in first, his voice composed but defensive.

"Lord Orochimaru, even you said it was a trap set by the masked man."

Orochimaru licked his lips and smiled.

"But you jumped into it so eagerly."

"I heard what really happened from someone who was there," he continued, voice low and mocking.

"The envoy's leader pretended to attack the girl—Hinata, was it? Your clan head went to stop him, and the enemy paused. But you couldn't stop yourself." He let the silence stretch before adding:

"Just ordinary people, and you—trained in taijutsu, with the Byakugan… Tsk tsk…"

Everyone present, except for the Third Hokage and Hyuga Hiashi, was hearing this for the first time. Their eyes turned to Hiashi—some with doubt, some with judgment. Fugaku, inwardly, was laughing.

As a fellow dojutsu user, he knew just how disgraceful this sounded.

Hiashi flushed red but kept his expression stern. The Hyuga elder tried to defend him:

"This is hearsay. And even if Hiashi had held back, do you think that envoy—this 'Tetsuya'—had no means to take his own life?"

Orochimaru raised his eyebrows.

"It makes sense, but now Kumogakure wants the Hyuga clan head to pay with his life. So, what should he do? And don't suggest offering up Hizashi in his place—that was dismissed from the start."

The clan patriarch fell silent, lost for words. Hiashi let out a long, weary sigh.

"There's no need to argue, Lord Orochimaru. Even if this was all a trap, I was the one who got involved. For the sake of the village, I'm willing to take my own life."

"Patriarch—"

Hizashi turned toward Hiashi, but no words came. The elders around them remained quiet.

Seeing that Hiashi's suicide was starting to seem like a foregone conclusion, Danzo stood up abruptly, voice cold and sharp.

"The old man will never agree to this. Konoha doesn't surrender like cowards."

The Third Hokage nodded slightly, showing his support for Danzo. Tsunade and Jiraiya glanced at Orochimaru—who still hadn't stated his stance—and held their tongues.

Koharu looked like she wanted to speak up as well, but after meeting Orochimaru's gaze, she swallowed her words, deciding to wait.

Meanwhile, Nara Shikaku remained seated with his usual calm, clearly aware that he was just a witness at this meeting.

Danzo added sternly, "Hiashi being forced into suicide just makes Konoha look pathetic."

Orochimaru glanced at Danzo, then turned to Hizashi, smiling faintly.

"The real reason Kumogakure won't let this go is because they suffered significant losses. If Konoha responds with equivalent damage, they'll be forced to explain why, after signing the peace agreement, their envoy—Tetsuya—showed up at the Hyuga compound in the first place."

Hiashi frowned, clearly confused. Orochimaru didn't support suicide, yet he spoke of "substantial loss." What exactly did he mean?

The Third Hokage's eyes flickered with recognition, and Danzo's brows twitched—he seemed to catch on.

The clan patriarch urged him in a grave tone,

"Lord Orochimaru, if you have a plan, please speak plainly."

Orochimaru chuckled darkly.

"It's simple. Say Hinata's Byakugan was stolen by Kumogakure. If there's even a suggestion that the Hyuga bloodline has been compromised, the loss would be no less than the death of an envoy."

Claiming the envoy stole the Byakugan, then was killed while escaping, seemed much more justifiable than simply murdering a diplomat.

Koharu's eyes lit up with sudden understanding.

Under Orochimaru's proposal, Konoha wouldn't seem weak—just negligent. And that was far more acceptable.

Hiashi's expression darkened. His face turned pale as he pointed at Orochimaru.

"You want me to sacrifice my daughter's eyes?"

The elders quickly grabbed Hiashi's arm.

"It's just for show. Lord Orochimaru means a staged theft. The eyes can be returned afterward."

Hiashi's face remained pale. But then Orochimaru said,

"Even if it's faked, it must be convincing. Your daughter will have to actually lose those eyes—at least temporarily. Otherwise, Konoha's entire narrative falls apart. People will say we lied."

"Absolutely not!" Hiashi snapped, his voice unwavering.

Orochimaru smiled slyly.

"Whether you agree or not, that's up to you."

In the council chamber, the Third Hokage, the two chief advisors, and Shikaku all remained silent—clearly supporting Orochimaru's approach.

This wasn't a sudden plan. It had been discussed in multiple meetings already. Many of the Hyuga elders had repeatedly emphasized how unacceptable it would be to let Hizashi die.

They'd preached about clan honor and protecting the village—but when it came time to act, they hesitated.

A death in the family, or the temporary loss of a pair of eyes?

From the village's point of view, the answer was clear. Hizashi would die. Hinata would live—just without her Byakugan.

To the council, there wasn't much difference between Hizashi and Hiashi. In fact, many believed Hizashi had done more for the village—fighting in battles while Hiashi stayed safe in the village.

Under the growing pressure from everyone in the room, Hiashi felt utterly cornered. But still, he refused to give in.

This wasn't just about him.

____________________

If you like my work

Support me on patreon at

patreon.com/Silver757

Or Tip me on

coff.ee/silver7959

http://buymeacoffee.com/silver7959