Orochimaru’s Magic Lamp

In the first half of his life, by normal human standards, Orochimaru had been consumed by war and the pursuit of immortality. Even in his spare time, he focused solely on himself, rarely paying attention to others.

He did take in a few disciples—Kabuto among them—but calling it "mentorship" was generous. Most of the time, it was just a matter of wandering through the wilds and occasionally picking up a few curious talents, like rare herbs stumbled upon by chance.

But true cultivation of talent wasn't just about identifying people. It was about building the environment that allowed talent to flourish. That was far more tedious—and yielded no immediate results. Yet now, for the first time, Orochimaru was ready to put that on his agenda.

Immortality was a vast and difficult undertaking.

For the Otsutsuki clan, it might come easily—an extension of their nature. But for mortals like himself, reaching that level meant overcoming obstacles most would never even comprehend.

Sage techniques were only one part of the puzzle. And now, with countless ideas and avenues of research piling up, Orochimaru found himself running out of time and ability to pursue them all alone. The path forward was too complex to walk alone—unless he chose to fall back on the "Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique" for a cruder, lower-tier version of immortality.

It wasn't impossible… but it was clearly a last resort, not a first choice.

Now that the ninja world had settled into a relative peace—even kumogakure, ambitious as ever, had been pushed back—he had the opportunity to refocus. His soul was recovering. He could resume Sage training and reconnect with nature through breath and meditation.

But these things required time, and endless experiments no longer suited his daily routine. It was the right moment to begin cultivating others—to grow the "leeks," as he put it.

The next phase of his plan was simple: completely dismantle what remained of Root, and redirect the resources Danzo had once used for personal power toward his own areas of research.

Sealing techniques. Medical ninjutsu. Human biology. The secrets of the First Hokage's cells. All of it required skilled hands.

And the quickest way to find those hands… was to dig through Root's remnants.

Kabuto had already half-destroyed their base, taking out most of its members. Danzo had lost his strongest pillar. The old man would inevitably try to suppress any attempt to rebuild Root—but without his manpower, his options were limited.

At best, Danzo might attempt to play the victim or blame Kabuto's actions on Orochimaru, calling him a traitor's master.

Perfect. That was exactly what Orochimaru wanted.

He licked his lips, eyes glinting coldly.

Kabuto was now a weapon—unpredictable, volatile. He could backfire, hurting Orochimaru himself… or he could destroy Danzo completely. It all depended on who wielded him more effectively.

Just as Orochimaru was considering the best way to deliver a fatal blow to Danzo, Kakashi—fresh off shift rotation—appeared on a nearby treetop.

Orochimaru turned. Kakashi gave a respectful bow and said seriously, "Orochimaru-sama… I have a question. Something I'd like you to help me understand."

Orochimaru raised a brow. A question—now? But as he looked into Kakashi's eyes, he understood. There was something deeper there, something long buried.

He stood, his voice calm. "This isn't the place for such a talk. Come."

Without waiting, he leapt into the forest's shadows. Kakashi glanced back at his comrades, then followed.

They landed in a quiet clearing. Orochimaru turned with a faint smile.

"Ask what you want. I may not be your teacher, but as Sakumo's friend, I don't mind advising his son."

Kakashi bowed again. Even with his mask on, his long-held frustration was plain in his eyes.

"For personal reasons, you went against the village's interests," Kakashi said. "You suppressed kumogakureand resolved things in the end—but at its core, isn't it the same as what my father did?"

His voice was tight. "Was what he did right or wrong? Did he fail because his choice was flawed… or because he didn't see it through to the end?"

Orochimaru paused. The image of Sakumo came to mind—alone, still wandering by the River of the Dead. Even in death, some questions lingered.

He placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder.

"If you're hoping for a clear answer from me, you'll be disappointed," he said gently. "These things can't be generalized. Right and wrong depend on the situation."

Kakashi frowned. It was too vague. Too diplomatic. He'd hoped for something more concrete.

"…Thank you for your insight, Orochimaru-sama," he said quietly, bowing again—but he was clearly dissatisfied.

Then Orochimaru said something unexpected:

"Do you remember the name Uchiha Obito?"

Kakashi's eyes widened. "Why are you bringing him up?"

Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Relax. My relationship with Sakumo was good. I wouldn't deceive his son."

Kakashi was silent for a moment, then asked again, "Why mention Obito?"

Instead of answering directly, Orochimaru began explaining.

"During the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, Obito abandoned the mission to save his teammate, Rin. He died during the rescue."

Kakashi's expression darkened. He nodded slowly.

"Obito wasn't a good ninja," Orochimaru said, "but he was a good companion."

Kakashi's heart clenched at those words. Then Orochimaru continued.

"But you and Obito performed many missions during the war, didn't you? Not just Kannabi Bridge. There were other moments—other choices. Tell me, Kakashi… during those times, what did you choose? Were you a good companion?"

Kakashi's eyes shifted. His jaw tightened.

"No need to answer," Orochimaru said with a smile. "I already know. You made the 'right' choice—because you survived Kannabi Bridge. None of you would have lived if you'd done otherwise."

His tone darkened.

"But why the inconsistency, Kakashi? Why didn't you choose what was right every time?"

The answer was simple.

"Because the ones dying before weren't important. But this time… it was Rin."

Kakashi looked stunned.

"You call it loyalty," Orochimaru said, voice cold. "But it's just a double standard."

"Companions, villagers, teachers, family—they're all different people. And they carry different weights. To protect the ones you care about, it's only natural to give up those who matter less."

Kakashi's expression shifted again and again. After a long silence, he finally sighed.

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