Orochimaru’s Magic Lamp

"Since he's a traitor to the village, send someone to hunt him down. What more is there to say?"

Orochimaru glanced at Koharu and added indifferently,

"The village has its own systems for dealing with traitors. Just follow protocol."

His evasive, detached attitude—acting as if this had nothing to do with him—immediately soured Koharu's expression. She had hoped that if he admitted fault and showed some remorse, the matter could be quietly resolved. But Orochimaru's cold indifference was deeply disappointing.

"Orochimaru, stop pretending you don't understand!"

Koharu snapped.

"Kabuto was under your command!"

"I know that," Orochimaru replied, his expression unreadable.

"But when I learned what he'd done, I didn't defend him or try to hide it. I followed protocol. What more do you expect?"

Koharu was momentarily speechless.

It was true—Orochimaru hadn't caused a scene or tried to shift blame. He hadn't said things like, "Root deserved it," or "This cancer should've been removed long ago." In fact, he'd cooperated quietly.

The room's mood softened slightly. A few expressions eased as if unconsciously agreeing with Orochimaru's reasoning.

Koharu felt a chill run down her spine.

Since when did we start being grateful just because Orochimaru didn't make things worse?

Still, betrayal and internal attacks couldn't be brushed aside. It wasn't just about damage to Root—this affected Konoha's reputation. Someone had to be held responsible.

"Orochimaru, do you think this is enough?"

Koharu glared at him. The calmer Orochimaru acted, the angrier she felt—not out of personal hatred, but because his attitude reeked of detachment. As if he were above the village's concerns.

"What do you want, then?" Orochimaru asked, eyes half-lidded, still unbothered.

"Kabuto was your subordinate. His betrayal is your responsibility. You need to pay for it," she replied sternly.

Konoha, after all, was a military structure. Even if it didn't have an explicit rule about command responsibility, it would be enforced in spirit. Orochimaru couldn't pretend this had nothing to do with him.

During the Nine-Tails incident, the entire Uchiha clan was blamed simply because the Nine-Tails had Sharingan patterns in its eyes. Even though no proof linked them directly, the village still held Uchiha responsible—for failing to control their own.

The same principle applied now.

The only reason things hadn't escalated further was because the only real damage was to Root. If it had affected other factions, this meeting would've turned into a tribunal.

At that moment, Danzo, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.

He stared at Orochimaru with a piercing gaze.

"It's strange that Kabuto targeted Root. I don't believe he acted alone."

Though he had no hard proof, Danzo trusted his instincts.

Kabuto had every reason to resent him—but choosing to strike Root, instead of coming for him personally? That kind of decision bore Orochimaru's influence.

Danzo's words dropped into the room like cold water into hot oil. A ripple of tension spread.

The clan leaders began exchanging glances, their expressions darkening with speculation.

They remembered seeing Kabuto in this very room just months ago—then a mid-tier chunin, nothing more. Now, he had destroyed half of Root. If he hadn't been stopped, he might've wiped it out completely.

What changed?

That question gnawed at them.

They had suffered no losses in Kabuto's betrayal, but the potential secrets were too tantalizing. Even Uchiha Fugaku was intrigued. Kabuto had done what he'd always dreamed of—crippling Root. And now, he wanted to know how.

Danzo's suspicion wasn't baseless. If Orochimaru had given Kabuto that power, and if it could be replicated…

The room turned to Orochimaru.

To everyone's surprise, it was Koharu who came to his defense.

"Danzo, this is serious. Don't make baseless accusations."

Her tone was sharp.

"This is not the place for empty speculation. If you want to accuse Orochimaru, bring evidence."

Koharu wasn't defending Orochimaru out of trust. She still wanted him held accountable—but she wouldn't allow Danzo to escalate the situation without proof.

Danzo's expression darkened.

"Evidence? You want evidence?"

He turned his glare on Orochimaru.

"Not long after he left the village, Root was attacked. The timing was too perfect—it's obvious he orchestrated it to distance himself."

"It was a coincidence," Koharu replied coldly.

"You know why Orochimaru left."

Only a handful of people knew the true reason for Orochimaru's departure—his secret mission involving the rogue 'Tetsuya.' But Nara Shikaku, representing the ninja corps, had made sure the clan heads here were informed of Orochimaru's contribution.

When Koharu reminded the room of this, a few heads nodded.

But just then, to everyone's surprise, Orochimaru spoke again—this time against himself.

"It wasn't a coincidence."

Gasps swept through the room. Koharu turned sharply to look at him.

"It really wasn't," Orochimaru said calmly.

"But I didn't plan it. Kabuto did."

He looked around the room, voice smooth and deliberate.

"He knew that with me here, he wouldn't have a chance. So he chose the moment I was away."

The confidence in his tone was almost arrogant—he made it sound like someone capable of taking down half of Root would've been no match for him.

"To you, Kabuto may seem formidable. But I taught him everything he knows about Sage techniques."

Orochimaru's tone remained cool, almost casual.

"If I had wanted to stop him that night, even from the frontlines of the peace talks with Kumogakure, I could have ended him."

He looked at Jiraiya and added meaningfully,

"You should understand—learning Sage techniques and signing a summoning contract comes with a cost. A bond."

"Had you informed me earlier instead of waiting, he wouldn't have had time to reach Ryūchi Cave and break the summoning contract."

"Now, he's off the leash."

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