Orochimaru’s Magic Lamp

"But here's the question—if you believe this incident is connected to me, why are you only informing me about something this serious now?"

Orochimaru's gaze swept across Konoha's senior leaders. Except for the Third Hokage and Danzo, whose expressions remained stoic, the others averted their eyes, visibly uneasy.

Why had they delayed notifying Orochimaru? The answer was simple.

The peace talks with the Hidden Cloud Village were critical. They couldn't afford any disruptions. And frankly, some among them were already planning to make Orochimaru the scapegoat. Informing him too early could give him leverage to twist the narrative to his advantage.

They had counted on a convenient time gap—once Orochimaru returned from his mission, they could quietly decide how to deal with him.

What they hadn't expected was Orochimaru's counterplay, or rather, Kabuto's.

Could it really be coincidence? That precise of a move? It seemed more like a carefully calculated trap.

Koharu and Homura turned to Jiraiya, searching his expression for answers. Compared to Orochimaru, they still trusted Jiraiya.

Jiraiya wouldn't lie for Orochimaru.

Meeting their eyes, Jiraiya gave a wry smile and nodded.

The summoning contract could, indeed, be used that way. But he had always had a harmonious relationship with Mount Myoboku and never imagined the technique could be used to bind or restrain.

Only someone like Orochimaru would think to weaponize a summoning pact like that—never trust the world without assuming the worst.

After Jiraiya confirmed Orochimaru's claims, the mood in the room shifted.

The expressions around the conference table varied—some frowned, others widened their eyes, a few curled their lips or scrunched their noses—but no one spoke.

It was deeply embarrassing.

They had let an S-rank rogue ninja destroy half of Root and escape, all because they didn't trust Orochimaru.

No wonder he walked in with that attitude.

A student defecting is already a huge stain on a master's record. But when the village deliberately holds back information, preventing that master from fixing the problem in time? That's a whole different level of failure.

And now they were blaming Orochimaru? On what grounds?

Koharu had no comeback. What she said earlier was now clearly invalid.

She wanted to scold Orochimaru for not clarifying things sooner—but he'd only just returned from his mission and had been hauled straight into the Hokage's office. He hadn't even had time to rest.

Frustrated. Powerless. And worst of all—wrong.

She had no outlet for her anger now, only a sour sense of shame.

"Let's move on," the Third Hokage finally said, his tone weary. "Now, we need to discuss how to deal with the defector—"

"Wait, Hiruzen. This matter isn't over."

Danzo's voice cut in, sharp and cold. He had no intention of letting Orochimaru come out of this clean.

Yes, it might hurt his own reputation, but Orochimaru couldn't be allowed to win this round.

"Kabuto Yakushi was once a Root agent—a spy sent to foreign nations. But he didn't just betray us recently. He turned on Root long before that.

I tasked Orochimaru with eliminating the threat. But instead, he kept Kabuto hidden to plant him in Root and steal our secrets."

Danzo's hoarse voice echoed as he stared Orochimaru down.

"In short, if Orochimaru hadn't acted out of selfishness, none of this would have happened."

The room fell silent again, tension rising.

Eyes turned toward Orochimaru—some curious, some suspicious.

Even the Third Hokage looked momentarily caught off guard. This wasn't just about the present. There was a whole backstory to the defection?

"Tsk tsk… Danzo-sama, you're not going to stop halfway, are you?"

Orochimaru's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"If we're talking about the past, let's not skip over the details. Let's begin with how Kabuto got his surname—'Yakushi.'"

That name. It was unusual enough to raise eyebrows.

Orochimaru began to speak.

He painted a picture of a child orphaned by war, adopted by the head of an orphanage. The boy had lost everything but found peace—however fragile—in that humble home.

But peace doesn't last in the ninja world.

"Yakushi Nonō—you may know her as the 'Walking Shrine Maiden.' In reality, she was one of the most capable espionage ninjas."

Orochimaru cast a glance at Danzo.

"Danzo wouldn't allow someone like her to retire. He cut off the orphanage's funding and forced her back into the field."

This didn't raise much reaction—everyone in the room had lived through wartime. Danzo's decision was brutal, but understandable. It was for "the good of the village."

But Orochimaru wasn't done.

"Once Nonō returned to the battlefield, Kabuto stepped up to reduce her burden. He joined Root and became a spy ninja."

He chuckled darkly.

"Despite being a mediocre fighter with almost no combat talent, he had the makings of an excellent spy."

"Do you know what the true gift of a spy is?"

Everyone present—seasoned ninja all—mentally answered: information gathering, observation, disguise, reasoning…

"Wrong," Orochimaru said.

"Those are just skills. They can be taught. Real talent lies deeper."

His voice dropped into something darker.

"Kabuto had no family. No ties. The only person he cared about was Yakushi Nonō. That's not just background—it's aptitude."

"The greatest danger in using spies isn't exposure. It's betrayal."

"To be completely controllable and still never betray—that's the ultimate trait of a spy."

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