Orochimaru’s Magic Lamp

When Orochimaru summoned his snakes, the Fourth Raikage had already anticipated how this would play out.

He wasn't a fool. The moment Orochimaru brought reinforcements, the balance between offense and defense had already tipped. The battlefield dynamic had changed.

Whether it was dealing with the current Orochimaru or planning for Konoha's future, Kumogakure would need a new strategy.

But... something felt off.

If their positions were reversed—if Kumogakure had received the support of Ryūchi Cave—they would never waste time like this. They would seize the momentum, strike fast like lightning, and crush Konoha in one decisive blow.

Yet Orochimaru didn't do that.

He revealed his location on purpose, walked into the enemy's encirclement, and before the battle even started, threw his trump card in Kumogakure's face—only to avoid the fight altogether.

Orochimaru had said he was sincere. And strangely enough... he truly seemed to be.

The Raikage couldn't help but think back to their earlier clash. Orochimaru had the chance to kill him, yet chose only to wound him.

It didn't make sense.

The more he thought about it, the less he understood Orochimaru's intentions.

Even after all this, aside from learning a bit about Ryūchi Cave, he still had no real idea what Orochimaru was thinking.

But as the leader of a village, he didn't have the luxury to dwell on intentions. He needed to act.

If Konoha wasn't the enemy this time, then the true threat lay elsewhere.

"I've seen your sincerity," the Fourth Raikage finally said.

Though he admitted to being outmaneuvered, he wasn't one to submit easily. His voice remained low and firm.

"Leaving aside this agreement—if you say Tetsuya was under a genjutsu, I assume that's more than just speculation."

Orochimaru gave a slight nod and didn't comment on the Raikage's attitude. He already held the advantage. What did appearances matter?

"When Hiashi killed Tetsuya, his Byakugan clearly detected a strange chakra enveloping her."

The Raikage narrowed his eyes. "Then after all this time, has Konoha found who did it? Don't tell me your village's intelligence has hit a wall."

Orochimaru chuckled lightly. "Oh, we've found something. In fact, I've had a face-to-face encounter with the mastermind. He wields a rare space-time ninjutsu."

He gave a vague explanation of Obito's abilities, describing it as a long-distance teleportation technique similar to the Flying Thunder God—without revealing everything.

Even with that limited information, the Raikage frowned. He immediately understood how Tetsuya had died.

He had once fought Namikaze Minato himself—he knew all too well how dangerous space-time techniques could be.

"To counter this threat," Orochimaru added, "Konoha is upgrading its barrier and sealing arrays. It won't be long before he has nowhere to run."

"..."

The Raikage was silent for a long while before speaking again.

"This agreement—we're willing to sign it. But in return, we want access to Konoha's sealing technique upgrades."

Defending against the mysterious attacker was important, but only secondary. The real threat—the one with unclear motives—was still Orochimaru. Kumogakure couldn't afford to rely on his strange sense of goodwill. That would be suicide.

Orochimaru clicked his tongue.

"That's an added condition," he said with a smirk, resting his chin in one hand. "Naturally, it comes with a price. If Kumogakure wants that clause, you'll have to share all your sealing techniques in exchange."

The Raikage frowned. "Isn't the Uzumaki Clan's knowledge enough for you?"

Orochimaru shook his head. "One can never have too much knowledge. Besides... it makes for an excellent collection."

While the Four Symbols Seal of the Uzumaki Clan was undeniably powerful, it required members of the clan to fully realize its potential. Techniques like the Adamantine Sealing Chains were outright impossible for outsiders.

Kumogakure's own techniques, like the Iron Armor Seal, were far weaker and often broken by the Eight-Tails—requiring successive Raikage to constantly re-seal it.

Yet even those "lesser" techniques held value when used on regular shinobi. Both Kumogakure and Kirigakure had developed unique methods with notable reference value.

"..."

This time, the Raikage didn't hesitate for long. He nodded.

Sealing and barrier techniques were primarily defensive. Konoha might be strong now, but this advantage was temporary. They weren't enemies—at least, not today.

Besides, he didn't believe Kumogakure's sealing arts could hold a candle to Konoha's anyway.

"Very well," Orochimaru said with a smile, signaling to someone behind him. "If we're agreed, let's sign."

The Raikage gave a small nod. No objections.

—Elsewhere, in a hidden laboratory deep within Konoha—

A white snake stirred from a shadowy corner of the room. It slithered lazily across the floor, flicking its tongue as it approached a figure seated in quiet meditation.

Kabuto opened his eyes.

When he saw the snake, a rare, sincere smile crossed his face.

The next instant—he vanished.

---

It was late at night. The moon hung dim and hazy behind drifting clouds, casting a bleak silver glow over the land.

After emerging from the laboratory, Kabuto sprinted through the shadows. It didn't take him long to reach the Root base. He had spent years lurking under Danzo's command, and he knew the layout and protocols well. The guards had changed, but the rules hadn't. That was enough for him to predict their patterns—and he was no longer the same man they once knew.

Snap.

With chilling ease, he snapped the spine of a patrolling ninja. Forming a quick hand seal, he summoned the earth to swallow the corpse whole, leaving no trace behind.

Underground, the slaughter continued in eerie silence.

Root operatives were well-trained, but Kabuto's ambush caught them off guard. It wasn't until four or five teams had been eliminated that they even realized an attack was underway.

By then, it was already too late.

Guided by the white snake, Kabuto had reached the heart of the Root base—Danzo's personal quarters.

BOOM!

A thunderous crash echoed through the cavern as a volley of stone spears erupted from the ground, turning a small fortified structure into a pincushion of rock. The building collapsed under the assault. Through the rising dust, Danzo emerged, battered and furious.

But there was no time for anger.

The walls, the ceiling, the ground—spiked thorns burst from every direction like living blades, converging on him with murderous intent.

Forced to retreat, Danzo found himself overwhelmed. His sharp eyes darted around, seeking any opening.

"Protect Lord Danzo!"

"The enemy's in the square!"

Shouts echoed as Root operatives rushed to his aid, giving Danzo a moment to breathe. He turned his gaze toward the center of the underground chamber—and froze.

"You… Kabuto?!"

Though Kabuto's body now glowed pale from Sage Mode, his form hadn't changed drastically from before. Danzo recognized him instantly.

That once-insignificant pawn now wielded monstrous power. Danzo's expression twisted—was it fear? Rage? Envy?

"You dare attack Root? Killing my men?! Even Orochimaru can't shield you from this!"

Kabuto strolled calmly across the battlefield, dodging attacks with ease. A faint smile curled on his lips.

"Isn't it a little late to say that, Lord Danzo?" he replied, voice cold. "I'm here to settle a personal score."

"Revenge?" Danzo's eyes narrowed. He immediately thought of the breach from a month ago. His voice turned sharp. "Was this Orochimaru's doing?"

Kabuto clicked his tongue in mock annoyance.

"You wound me," he said, raising a finger to himself. "You've forgotten already?"

"My name is Kabuto—but before that, I had a surname. A gift from someone dear to me."

His voice dropped, eyes darkening with emotion.

"Her name was Yakushi Nono."

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