Orochimaru’s Magic Lamp

The stars were dim and hazy, the moonlight soft and silver like water. Though only a few hundred miles away, the sky here felt different—strange, as if it had changed its appearance entirely.

The night was deep and quiet, the stars and moon glowing brilliantly in contrast.

Orochimaru leaned against a tree trunk, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. A white snake slithered lazily from his sleeve, coiling around his arm. From its body, Serpentis emerged briefly, then slipped back into him without a sound.

Temporary shelters were never as comfortable as home, but Orochimaru didn't mind. He gazed up at the starry sky, unbothered, letting the moment wash over him.

Tonight, he'd brought down Danzo—the very root of his influence—and had thoroughly toyed with Jiraiya. The first was a serious gain; the second, an indulgence. Together, they left him feeling deeply satisfied.

"Tsk, tsk… All this time and Konoha hasn't made a move," he murmured. "I suppose they don't want to interfere with the peace talks with Kumogakure."

Djinn emerged from the shadows, smirking. "Well, that just means they're planning to deal with you later—once you return to the village."

"It's a minor issue," Orochimaru replied coolly, glancing at him. "I already have a solution in mind. What I care about more… is how he is doing."

"Ah, Kabuto?" Djinn shrugged. "He's fine. After talking tough, he got forcibly reverse-summoned to Ryūchi Cave."

He chuckled. "Obito's a bit suspicious of him, sure, but so far, nothing's come of it. Once word gets out about Kabuto's background, though, Obito's stance is bound to change."

Orochimaru nodded slightly.

Those who are hurt and desperate often gravitate toward one another. Among such people, the one in greater pain usually ends up tolerating the other. Obito might not be that type, but their similar pasts and traumas could at least smooth out their tensions. Their earlier conflict might even work in their favor now.

"There's still cleanup work to do regarding Kabuto," Djinn added thoughtfully. "You'll need to sever Ryūchi Cave's ability to summon him—or at least make Obito believe that Kabuto can only use his own blood contract from now on."

"…But if that's the case, and Obito drags him into his dimension, Kabuto won't be able to escape," Orochimaru pointed out, frowning. "Didn't you say Ryūchi Cave is neutral? Even if they aided Kabuto, outsiders wouldn't necessarily suspect anything."

"I used to think that too," Djinn admitted. "But I underestimated how it looks. For anyone else, it might slide. But for you? You've drawn heavily from Ryūchi Cave before. If it suddenly seems like you can't intervene now, it feels... off."

"Even if you explain it away with words like 'cost' or 'risk,' it still gives the impression you didn't try hard enough."

In the ninja world, betrayal by a subordinate wasn't a small matter—especially not for someone like Orochimaru, who was feared for his cruelty and vengeance. For someone with such a reputation to take a hit to his pride and show almost no reaction? That was bound to raise eyebrows.

Orochimaru mulled this over. While he usually didn't care about others' opinions—outside of his pursuit of immortality—he knew the world didn't see it that way.

Dealing with Ryūchi Cave was easy enough—just a matter of performance. But if Kabuto lost his ability to reverse summon himself, then he would have to be more cautious when facing Obito. The boldness he once acted with would no longer be an option.

Noticing Orochimaru's silence, Djinn rolled his eyes and laughed.

"You're overthinking it. Just avoid being dragged into Kamui. That's the key."

"When you fought earlier tonight, I actually had an idea about how to use Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation in a new way…"

As he spoke, he laid out his thoughts piece by piece.

Orochimaru listened quietly. Then, without a word, he formed seals and entered Sage Mode. Under his control, fine dust from the ground gathered and surged upward, wrapping around him and flowing up to the treetops.

The sudden movement startled nearby Konoha ninjas, but seeing that Orochimaru was just practicing, they resumed their routines—some sleeping, others patrolling the night.

Kakashi passed by a bonfire, maintaining his vigilance while also keeping a wary eye on Orochimaru.

Minutes slipped into hours. Eventually, it was the middle of the night, and the watch shifts changed.

High in the treetops, Orochimaru opened his eyes. His body was now layered with a dust-like coating—like a second skin.

He pulled a kunai from his pouch and stabbed his arm. Blood spilled, and the wound broke through the dust. But once the blade was removed, the dust knit itself back together seamlessly.

He hadn't moved a muscle. It was all done through willpower alone.

"Defense, weight, adaptability…" Orochimaru murmured. "There's potential here."

Djinn grinned. "If Kabuto can keep this barrier up, Obito won't be able to touch him so easily."

Kamui required contact to activate. This kind of passive defense might have been underwhelming for Gaara, but for someone like Kabuto, especially in Sage Mode, it could buy precious reaction time.

"It's difficult," Orochimaru said, shaking his head. The dust crumbled away. "This so-called 'energy-saving Sage Mode' demands extremely fine chakra control."

To defend against Obito, this technique had to function on instinct—unconscious and automatic. That level of refinement was no easy feat.

"A small problem," Djinn said dismissively. "If other kekkei genkai users can manage instinctual techniques, so can Kabuto."

He admitted to himself that Gaara's sand armor was a special case—born from natural talent, high-quality sand, Shukaku's influence, and his mother's love—but still, the principle held.

"There are always more solutions than problems," Djinn said confidently. "I come up with the ideas. You solve them. We've got a good system."

"Don't rush it. Think of this as part of Kabuto's Sage training. For now, there won't be any major moves on Obito's end."

He added with a shrug, "There's some interesting material in Sunagakure. If you pass through the Land of Wind, take a look."

Orochimaru gave a small nod. He was genuinely intrigued by this line of ninjutsu. If he weren't always tied up with other research, he might have spent months on it himself.

There were other options too. He could lay the foundation and delegate the rest to others—though that would mean relying on those skilled in Ryūchi Cave's Sage Arts. And besides himself, only the snakes truly qualified.

"Konoha still lacks talent," Orochimaru muttered with a rare sigh.

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