"As I've said before," the Lamp God shrugged, "I don't know how to fight."
But Orochimaru didn't buy it.
He narrowed his eyes, staring at the floating figure. "You held a sword and cut down the Fourth Raikage. If you hadn't shown mercy, you would've split him clean in half. You fought, and that's a fact."
The Lamp God grinned. "Come on now, I'm a respectable genie. I'd never deceive my contractor."
"At most, I omit a few things," he added with a wink. "This time was just... different. Because you made a wish."
"Wait—wish?" Orochimaru cut in sharply. "Don't mess with me."
His tone was cold, stern. From the very beginning, he had been warned that any wish made through a genie came with a price. The Lamp God wasn't some fool who burned power for fun—and this latest stunt clearly wasn't just information sharing.
Unfazed, the Lamp God continued, "Your wish was to 'hold off the Fourth Raikage alone.'"
"To fulfill it, I tapped into my power as the Lamp God—and used a little technical finesse. I distilled the combat experience and fighting ability of a previous host into a unique skill."
"This skill isn't bound by my power anymore. It's become something entirely mine. I call it a character card—and it's how I was able to fulfill your wish."
With a flourish, the Lamp God waved his hand. A misty square frame materialized in the air, displaying a cheerful boy with a big forehead and a radiant smile.
"Never mind the details. The wish was fulfilled. I got a new skill. A win-win, right?"
Orochimaru's voice grew sharp. "And the price? You're starting to sound like an evil god."
"Isn't that obvious?"
The Lamp God tilted his head, feigning innocence. "You don't know how to use an evil god properly. That's your real problem."
Orochimaru scowled, unimpressed by the smug confidence.
"Relax," the Lamp God said. "I'm not a true evil god. But yes, there is a price."
"Let me guess," Orochimaru sneered, "I have to pay it?"
"Of course! Who else?" The Lamp God rolled his eyes. "You think I'd give out free samples?"
He grinned again, eyes twinkling. "But don't worry. I've prepared a nice little debt-repayment package just for you. Think of it as an alternative to the usual cost. In fact, you might even enjoy it."
Orochimaru didn't look pleased. He folded his arms, face cold. "And what exactly is this price?"
The Lamp God leaned forward, his smile turning cryptic.
"What do you think is worth the value of a fulfilled wish?"
"Jewels? Money? Rare minerals? Fame, fortune, power? Your body? Your soul?"
He shook his head. "No. Those are meaningless to me. They can't be taken across worlds. Even your soul is just low-grade scrap."
"To someone like me… the only thing that can match the value of a wish—is another wish."
Orochimaru blinked. His expression shifted, thoughts racing.
He wanted to press for more, but the Lamp God cut him off with a wave.
"You'll understand when the time comes."
And with that, the matter was closed—for now. Orochimaru filed away the thought in the back of his mind, though he silently hoped that time would never arrive.
…
A Cave on the Border of the Land of Fire
Obito, wearing his striped mask, sat silently in the shadows, staring at the sunlit edge of the cave's entrance. His expression was distant, lost in thought.
Beside him, two large Nepenthes leaves slowly rose, revealing a bizarre human face—half black, half white—emerging from between them.
Without turning, Obito asked, "Zetsu, what's the current situation?"
"Kumogakure's forces have completely withdrawn from the Land of Fire," Black Zetsu reported, his body still half-sunken into the earth. "They're currently regrouping in the Land of Hot Water and will soon return to the Land of Lightning."
"I see." Obito's voice was calm, almost indifferent.
White Zetsu clicked his tongue. "That's not what you were expecting, was it?"
Kumogakure's defeat had come too quickly. Barely over a week had passed since the war began, and they were already retreating.
Obito narrowed his eyes. "I didn't think Orochimaru would be this strong."
With Tsunade gone and Jiraiya out of the village, the Sannin's influence in Konoha had dwindled. Orochimaru, obsessed with forbidden jutsu and disgraced after failing to become Hokage, had seemed irrelevant. Obito had dismissed him entirely. Yet somehow, Orochimaru had almost single-handedly turned the tide of the war.
"So, what now?" White Zetsu asked, tilting his head. "With Orochimaru on the field, we can't keep fighting."
Obito was silent for a moment. "Keep listening in on Kumogakure's movements. I already have a new plan."
"Got it."
Zetsu began to sink back into the ground, but Obito called out, "Wait. The Uchiha who used Susanoo—have you identified him?"
Zetsu paused. "His name is Shisui. But… there are rumors his eyes aren't in perfect condition."
"Hmm…" Obito's expression shifted.
Every Mangekyō Sharingan had its own unique abilities—even he wouldn't dare underestimate one. But if Shisui's vision was deteriorating from overuse...
"Keep tracking him. Let me know if anything changes."
---
Konoha Fortress
After a brief rest, the Uchiha shinobi who had summoned the giant snake during battle were called to the medical wing.
Orochimaru calmly stood over them, dissolving their temporary summoning contracts and removing the curse marks he had embedded to store chakra.
As he reclaimed his chakra, his aura grew stronger. In contrast, the Uchiha's bodies began to tremble. Even without Orochimaru harming them directly, the loss of his chakra wreaked havoc on their minds. One by one, they fainted.
Medical-nin rushed in from the sides, quickly moving the unconscious shinobi to hospital beds.
With the final curse mark removed, Orochimaru let out a long breath. He gazed into the air, where a translucent interface shimmered before him—visible only to his eyes.
It displayed a detailed list of his abilities, passive skills, and personal stats—strength, constitution, intelligence, health, mana—all neatly categorized.
This was the system interface gifted by the Lamp God, a unique power Orochimaru was the first to wield.
He studied the values carefully. "Are these stats accurate?" he asked mentally.
"Not all of them yet," replied the Lamp God, floating lazily nearby. "But common values across all worlds—like this one—are mostly spot-on."
He pointed at a specific stat. "For example, your soul strength. Among all my previous hosts, your number is… well, insane."
"And that means?" Orochimaru asked, unimpressed without context.
The Lamp God tapped his chin. "A weak soul is easily charmed—or, in your world, easily caught in a genjutsu."
He grinned. "Your stats could be better, though. Want to test it? Maybe go find a few Uchiha jonin and see for yourself?"
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed. He nodded slightly.
_________
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