"I said before, as a Genie, I don't fight."
But you did fight. You held a sword and cut down the Fourth Raikage. If you hadn't held back, you could have sliced him in half with one strike.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, staring at Genie, doubting that everything he said earlier was just nonsense.
"Don't look at me like that. I've never lied to my host. At most, I just leave things out."
Genie chuckled. "The reason this time is different, is because you made a wish..."
"Wait, wish? I didn't, I never, don't make things up!"
Orochimaru flatly denied it, three denials in a row.
No wonder his reaction was so strong. From the start, he had heard Genie mention three kinds of Genies.
Granting wishes always comes with a price. This guy clearly wasn't the type to burn through his own strength carelessly, and what just happened was far beyond simple information sharing.
"Your wish was 'to block the Fourth Raikage by yourself.'"
Ignoring Orochimaru's protests, Genie went on, "To make that happen, I used Genie authority along with some technical adjustments. I drew out the battle experience and combat power of past hosts, and condensed them into a special skill."
"This skill is no longer limited by Genie authority. It's a power that belongs to me alone."
"I call it a character card. With it, I gained the ability to fulfill your wish."
Genie waved his hand, and smoke gathered in the air, forming a square frame. Inside was a photo of a wide-foreheaded boy grinning brightly.
"Leaving the process aside, your wish is granted, and I gained a new ability. Both sides win this time."
"But the cost is on me?" Orochimaru's voice went sharp. "That's exactly the kind of trick an evil god would use."
"What else?"
Genie tilted his head, looking innocent. "If I couldn't use tricks like that, what kind of Genie would I be?"
Hearing such shameless words, Orochimaru's mouth twitched as he glared coldly at Genie.
"Relax. I'm not really an evil god. As for the price..."
"You'll carry it yourself?"
"Don't be stupid. Of course it's on you."
Genie rolled his eyes, full of disdain. How could he, Genie, ever make a losing deal for a mere Orochimaru?
"I've prepared a small repayment package for you, to take the place of the original cost. Honestly, after you try this setup, you might even enjoy it."
Shouldering a sudden debt, Orochimaru's face stayed cold, showing no trace of joy.
But since it involved his own interests, he suppressed his irritation and asked, "What exactly is the cost?"
Genie smiled. "What do you think could replace the price of a wish?"
"Jewels and money? Rare ores? Women and wine? Wealth and power? Or maybe your body, your soul?"
"No. None of that means anything to me. I can't take them out of this world. Even your most precious soul is nothing but trash to me."
Genie spoke with meaning, "For a Genie, the only thing equal to a wish... is another wish."
Orochimaru froze slightly, deep in thought.
He wanted to ask more, but Genie said that when the time came, he would understand.
Since even the creditor put it that way, Orochimaru pushed the doubt aside. In his mind, he hoped that time would never come.
…
At a cave near the border of the Land of Fire.
Obito, wearing a Demon Slayer Mark mask, sat in the shadows, staring blankly at the patch of sunlight on the ground at the cave's mouth.
Suddenly, two huge pitcher-plant leaves slowly rose beside him, revealing a strange face, half white and half black, in the middle.
Without turning his head, Obito asked, "Zetsu, how's the situation?"
"The Kumogakure forces have completely withdrawn from the Land of Fire."
Keeping half his body underground, Zetsu replied, "They're resting for now in the Land of Hot Water. Soon, they'll return to the Land of Thunder."
"I see." Obito answered faintly, as if he didn't care.
White Zetsu smacked his lips. "This isn't what you expected, is it?"
Kumogakure lost too fast. From starting the war to retreating, it had been just over a week.
Obito's eyes narrowed. "I didn't think that guy Orochimaru would be that strong."
Tsunade left, Jiraiya wandered outside the village, and Orochimaru buried himself in ninjutsu. Since Obito could remember, the Sannin had already faded a lot from Konoha's spotlight.
And after Orochimaru lost the fight for Hokage, looking like he had been left behind by the new generation, Obito only looked down on him more. He never imagined Orochimaru could almost turn the whole war around by himself.
"So what now?" White Zetsu asked bluntly. "With Orochimaru here, this war can't keep going."
Obito was silent for a while, then said, "Go gather intel on Kumogakure. I already have an idea of what to do next."
"Alright."
Zetsu pulled in his leafy body, ready to sink into the ground, when Obito asked, "That Uchiha who used Susano'o—did you find out who he was?"
Zetsu thought for a moment. "His name is Shisui. But I also heard there's something wrong with his eyes."
"Is that so?"
Obito's expression shifted. Every Mangekyo Sharingan had a unique ability, and even he couldn't ignore that.
But if the guy had overused his eyes, leading to weakening vision or even blindness…
"Keep an eye on that kind of information too."
…
Inside Konoha's fortress.
After a round of rest, the Uchiha who had summoned the giant snakes on the battlefield were called to the medical ward.
One by one, Orochimaru released their temporary contracts and erased the seals that had stored chakra on their bodies.
As the chakra flowed back to him, Orochimaru's presence grew stronger and stronger. On the other hand, the Uchiha couldn't take it well.
Even though Orochimaru didn't tamper with them, just pulling his chakra back was enough to damage their spirits, making them faint on the spot.
The waiting medical ninjas quickly carried them to beds.
After removing the last seal, Orochimaru let out a long breath. He looked up, and a half-transparent screen appeared before his eyes.
It listed in detail almost all the abilities he could use, along with every passive skill.
It also showed stats for things like strength, constitution, intelligence, health, and chakra.
This was a new ability Genie had developed, something called a system interface, and Orochimaru was the first host to use it.
After figuring out the terms, Orochimaru asked in his mind, "Are these numbers accurate?"
"At the start there will be some errors, but the universal stats are pretty reliable."
Genie floated in the air and pointed to one section. "Take soul strength for example. Among all my past hosts, your number is pitiful."
"So what?" Without a shared standard, Orochimaru didn't think much of it, assuming it was just because of different worlds.
"I'll put it this way—weak soul strength makes you easier to charm."
Genie rubbed his chin and grinned. "In ninja terms, that means getting caught in genjutsu."
"No matter what, I still think your number is too low. How about we test it out? Maybe try it with a few Uchiha jonin."
Orochimaru's eyes flickered, then he gave a small nod.
---
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