Orochimaru’s Magic Lamp

Orochimaru was momentarily stunned, then grinned.

"Old man, are you serious?"

The position of the Ninja Academy principal wasn't as simple as it looked. It had always been an extension of the Hokage's prestige and authority. By offering it to Orochimaru, the Third Hokage was essentially separating it from his own sphere of influence. It was clear Orochimaru would never follow his lead.

"You managed to train someone like Yakushi Kabuto—who was only a mid-to-low-level ninja just months ago—into what he is now..."

The Third puffed on his pipe, exhaling slowly.

"It would be a waste not to put that talent into education."

The clan leaders around the room looked intrigued—even Uchiha Fugaku. For Kabuto to have outpaced Jiraiya so quickly, they couldn't help but be impressed—and a little greedy.

"You'll be disappointed, old man. I'm going to have to refuse," Orochimaru replied with a smile, calm and resolute.

"To credit Kabuto's growth entirely to my teaching would be unfair. Most of it came from his own talent."

While the thought of shaping the next generation of Konoha's shinobi was tempting, Orochimaru wasn't interested in playing babysitter. The Academy students were too weak, too young. Even the senior class consisted only of eleven- or twelve-year-olds. His time was far too precious.

Besides, real talents like Uchiha Itachi were already under his watch. As for the rest? Let them be sifted through naturally by time and battle.

"Talent, huh?"

"You're telling me that both you and Kabuto mastered Sage Mode within a year just because you're talented?"

The Third Hokage raised an eyebrow as he smoked.

"There are fewer than five ninjas in the world who can even use Sage Mode. What are the odds two of them just happened to appear in Konoha under your wing?"

He wasn't stupid. Orochimaru's refusal wasn't fooling anyone.

The other elders turned to look, Jiraiya most of all. As someone who had trained in Sage Mode himself, he understood how difficult it was. What Orochimaru claimed bordered on absurd.

Orochimaru licked his lips, feeling a bit of a headache. Ironically, he wasn't lying. He had mastered the breathing technique known as "Total Concentration Breathing: Constant Form" with the help of the Djinn. That allowed him to connect with natural energy and build a foundation for the Ryūchi Cave Sage Technique. That was talent. Or divine intervention. Or both.

And Kabuto? While Orochimaru had helped him, most of the transformation had come from Kabuto himself. Even if he gave someone else the same advantages, they wouldn't have achieved what Kabuto had.

But how could he explain that without sounding even more suspicious?

"Let's just say it wasn't all luck," Orochimaru said at last. "There were… techniques involved. Things Jiraiya would recognize."

At that, everyone perked up. All eyes turned to Jiraiya.

Compared to Orochimaru, Jiraiya was far more approachable—and easier to pressure.

Feeling the heat, Jiraiya scratched his head, confused.

"You mean the breathing method?"

He remembered using it to help himself access Sage Mode without needing to rely on the Two Great Toad Sages.

"Exactly." Orochimaru nodded. Then he turned to the Third.

"If you really want more ninja in Konoha to master Sage Techniques, forget the Academy. Let me train some promising Anbu candidates instead. They're the right age, with the right experience. There might be a few who make the cut."

Now Orochimaru understood: the old man never truly intended for him to take over the Academy. He had just been testing him—probing for more details about Kabuto.

Fine. If he wanted a game of leverage, Orochimaru was happy to play.

But if the Third wanted to bargain, the Academy wasn't nearly a big enough chip. Let's bring Anbu into the conversation.

After a moment of silence, the Third Hokage said, "We'll revisit that later."

He couldn't allow Orochimaru full access to Anbu—otherwise, who would they answer to? Hokage or Orochimaru?

The issue of the Academy was left aside, but the clan leaders found themselves even more intrigued by this "breathing method" Orochimaru had mentioned.

Still, asking outright would be foolish. Even a village leader couldn't force someone to reveal a secret technique—let alone someone like Orochimaru.

Hyuga Hiashi's eyes flickered thoughtfully. His daughter was technically Orochimaru's disciple. There might be hope for her to learn something in the future.

Fugaku, on the other hand, remained calm. He already knew his son's talent, and that Itachi was under Orochimaru's wing.

The meeting, initially centered around the fallout from Kabuto's actions, gradually wrapped up. As the clan heads left, they felt a strange mix of unease and awe.

They had all sensed it: a power shift. Danzo and Root, once a major force in Konoha, had been dismantled by a single rogue ninja. It was shocking just how quickly—and naturally—it had happened.

Danzo had been an iron-fisted advisor for decades. And yet, like that... he was gone.

Still, the end result was acceptable.

Orochimaru didn't linger, choosing not to speak further with the Third Hokage. That old man's eyes saw too much—he might just dig out something best left buried.

---

Outside, the sun dipped toward the horizon, casting a golden glow across Konoha's rooftops.

As Orochimaru exited the Hokage Building, he walked a few steps behind Tsunade.

With a slight smile, he asked, "Haven't seen you in a while. How's the medical project going?"

"It's just starting. You think this stuff is easy?" Tsunade scowled, clearly annoyed. She was used to Orochimaru skipping the small talk and jumping straight into what he wanted, but that didn't mean she liked it.

Besides, the project had already shifted from what Orochimaru originally requested. Now it was something else entirely—something messier, and more difficult.

"You'd better pick up the pace," Orochimaru said with a smile. He didn't press the issue.

As they walked, Jiraiya suddenly appeared, leaping down from the Hokage Building. He landed beside Orochimaru, eyes wide with urgency.

"Orochimaru! The old man's looking for you—he wants a full report on how you forced Kumo to back off."

_____________________

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