Under the dim glow of a flickering chandelier, a thin figure worked in silence.
A scalpel in hand, Orochimaru methodically dissected flesh from bone, his expression unreadable—half hidden in the shadow. His movements were mechanical, practiced, and devoid of emotion.
"Hah…"
With a weary sigh, Orochimaru paused, his eyes dull with exhaustion.
Another precious bloodline-limit specimen, wasted. Unless something miraculous occurred, tonight's experiment was a failure.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Suddenly, the underground lab at the Root base trembled violently.
The unexpected quake caused Orochimaru's hand to slip. The scalpel sliced deep into the exposed, still-beating heart of the subject on the table. Blood surged out, staining the silver tools and pooling on the floor.
From the corners of the room, hidden in the darkness, came a chorus of hisses—serpents, disturbed and riled by the scent of fresh blood. But just as quickly, they fell silent.
Orochimaru was about to resume his work when an eerie shift filled the air.
> "Hmph?!"
His snake-like eyes narrowed as he set the scalpel down. A strange presence was spreading through the lab.
He scanned the room—and then saw it.
There, on the square table beside the hospital bed, nestled between scattered instruments and vials, sat a golden, long-necked wine jug that hadn't been there before. It shimmered unnaturally, as if lit from within.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with curiosity. It wasn't just a jug—it was a lamp.
A so-called God Lamp.
He knew what it was, not because of his vast knowledge, but because floating just above it, glowing in bold golden letters, were the words:
> "I am the God Lamp. Touch the lamp's wall to awaken the Lamp God and make a wish!"
Blunt. Direct. Irresistibly tempting… and clearly a trap.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
He was certain this lamp hadn't been there before. And there was no way anyone—anyone—could have entered his lab undetected and placed it on his table.
This thing had manifested on its own.
And yet, in the ninja world, strange and powerful artifacts weren't unheard of—like the Totsuka Blade that seals enemies in an illusion of eternal drunken dreams, or the legendary Six Paths tools like the Amber Purifying Pot and the Golden Canopy Rope.
So a lamp that grants wishes?
It wasn't outside the realm of possibility.
In fact, Orochimaru found himself intrigued.
Very intrigued.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
But… if Orochimaru could uncover the rules and limitations behind the so-called God Lamp's wish-granting abilities, then perhaps—just perhaps—he could achieve a form of equivalent exchange.
He didn't mind paying the price. Not at all.
Especially now, with age and experience, he was more aware than ever of his own limitations.
Bloodline limits. Dojutsu techniques. So many powers locked behind the walls of heredity. Without the right blood, he was no different from any other ninja.
As Orochimaru pondered this, a knock came at the door.
It was a Root ninja—one of Danzo's shadows.
Those disposable ghosts who slink through Konoha's underbelly, unnoticed and unmourned when they die. The perfect lab rats.
Orochimaru licked his lips. "Come in."
The ninja entered swiftly, kneeling before him. "Lord Orochimaru, the Nine-Tails has appeared in the village and is causing mass destruction. Lord Danzo has requested your presence."
The lab had trembled earlier. Could it have been related?
"Nine-Tails?" Orochimaru frowned.
The current jinchūriki of the Kyūbi was Uzumaki Kushina. While not a perfect vessel, the strength of her bloodline and the powerful sealing arts of the Uzumaki clan should've been enough to keep the beast firmly contained. And with the Fourth Hokage personally watching over her, the odds of the Kyūbi escaping were near zero.
Unless... something had happened during childbirth.
A sly smile curved his lips. "So... Minato made a mistake."
He still held a grudge over Jiraiya's student being chosen as Fourth Hokage. Hearing that Minato was suffering now filled him with petty satisfaction.
As for Danzo's "urgent meeting"? Orochimaru didn't care.
He knew Minato well—Kyuubi wouldn't win, and the sealing arts of the Uzumaki would hold. There was nothing worth watching.
Instead, Orochimaru turned to the Root ninja and pointed. "Go pick up that lamp."
The ninja hesitated, lifting his head slightly as if to speak, but the look in Orochimaru's eyes silenced him. He nodded reluctantly, mask hiding his dread.
The moment the God Lamp was touched, a burst of translucent smoke burst from its spout, quickly forming into a humanoid shape midair.
The figure's features were indistinct, blurred by mist, but a voice echoed out, cheerful and mocking:
"Hahaha! I am God Deng, a hardworking lamp spirit. Pleased to meet you—my master!"
Orochimaru's brows furrowed.
That word—master—was suspicious. It could mean owner… or perhaps contractor. Or worse… victim.
But what truly unsettled him was the way the Djinn spoke.
It wasn't addressing the Root ninja who had touched the lamp.
No—those hazy, glowing eyes were staring straight at him.
Worse still, the ninja stood frozen, waiting for instructions as if he hadn't seen or heard a thing.
Suppressing the growing unease in his chest, Orochimaru pointed again. "God Deng, he's the one who awakened you—not me."
The mist-like Djinn chuckled.
"Oh? And who exactly woke me up? The one who touched the lamp… or the one who gave the order to do so?"
Orochimaru's face darkened. This spirit was smarter than he expected—nothing like the mindless, rigid beings like the Shinigami or other summoned gods he had dealt with before.
And that was bad.
This one might not play fair. Worse—it might not be trickable.
As Orochimaru tensed, ready for anything, the misty Djinn spoke again, slowly and smoothly.
"Suspicion. Caution. Paranoia. All valid responses to me…"
"But unfortunately for you…"
"…they won't help."
"You cannot resist me."
The humanoid smoke surged forward like a wave, crashing into Orochimaru's body and disappearing in an instant.
Bang!
A cloud of smoke puffed into the air—Orochimaru had used a substitution technique and reappeared on the far side of the lab.
But before he could savor his narrow escape, a voice echoed directly in his mind:
> "You can't run. It's the contract. The rules. You and I are already connected."
> "I can possess your body whenever I want."
"L-Lord Orochimaru…" the Root ninja stammered, still holding the lamp and clearly disturbed by Orochimaru's sudden shift in behavior.
"Get out!" Orochimaru snarled—but the words didn't come from his own will.
They were spoken through him.
"Y-Yes!" the ninja replied hastily, setting the God Lamp back in place and fleeing the lab with trained efficiency.
In the span of seconds, Orochimaru was once again alone.
Alone... with the Djinn.
> "Now, do you finally understand?"
The hunter had become the hunted.
Orochimaru stood silent for a moment, then answered in his mind, voice cold.
> "Lamp Spirit. What do you want?"
The Djinn replied with a grin in its tone:
> "As a God Lamp, I desire only one thing…"
> "To grant your wish for eternal life."