"I told you before, as a Genie, I can't fight."
But you had fought, and even wielded a sword, cutting down the Fourth Raikage. If you hadn't held back, one slash would've cut him in half.
Orochimaru glanced sideways at the Genie, watching him with suspicion. He wondered if everything the Genie had said earlier had been complete bullshit.
"Don't be like that. As a proper Genie, I've never deceived a host."
"At most, I've concealed things or kept them secret." The Genie smiled. "The reason this time was different is that you made a wish..."
"Wait, a wish?"
Orochimaru flatly denied it. Raising an eyebrow, he said coldly, "Are you joking?"
His reaction was understandable. From the very beginning, he'd heard the Genie explain the three types of Genies.
Wishes came at a price. The fellow before him clearly wasn't some fool who'd squander his own power, and this incident had obviously gone beyond simply sharing information.
"Your wish was to 'hold off the Fourth Raikage single-handedly.'"
The Genie ignored Orochimaru's objection and continued, "To grant your wish, I used a Genie's authority and made a few technical adjustments. I distilled and condensed the previous host's combat experience and abilities into a unique skill."
"This skill is no longer limited by a Genie's authority. It's an ability that belongs to me alone."
"I call it the Character Card. With it, I gained the ability to grant your wish."
The Genie waved his hand, and smoke gathered in the air to form a square picture frame. In the picture was a boy with a huge forehead and an exceptionally bright smile.
"Let's not dwell on the details. Your wish was fulfilled, and I gained a new ability. This really was a win-win."
"But I'm the one who has to pay the price?" Orochimaru's voice rose an octave. "That's clearly the sort of trick an Evil God would use."
"What else?"
The Genie tilted his head, looking innocent. "Why be a proper Genie if you can't use Evil God tricks?"
Hearing such a brazen remark, Orochimaru's mouth twitched. He stared coldly at the Genie.
"Relax, I'm not actually an Evil God. The price..."
"You'll bear it yourself?"
"Just kidding. Of course you will."
The Genie rolled his eyes, inwardly disdainful. There was no way he'd let a mere Orochimaru make him take a loss.
"I've prepared a little repayment package for you to replace the original price. In fact, after experiencing this arrangement, you might even be delighted."
Burdened with a debt out of nowhere, Orochimaru wore a stony expression, not looking the least bit delighted.
But since his own interests were at stake, he swallowed his displeasure and asked, "So what's the price?"
The Genie smiled. "What do you think could stand in for the price of a wish?"
"Jewels and money? Rare minerals? Beautiful women and fine wine? Wealth and power? Or your body and soul?"
"No. Those things are worthless to me. I can't take them out of this world. Even your most precious soul would just be scrap."
The Genie spoke meaningfully. "For a Genie, the only thing equivalent to a wish is a wish itself!"
Orochimaru paused, thoughtful.
He wanted to ask more, but the Genie said he would understand when the time came.
Since his creditor had said so, Orochimaru put the question out of his mind. He hoped the time would never come.
In 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 sunlit ground by the entrance.
Just then, two enormous pitcher-plant leaves slowly rose beside him. A strange face, half white and half black, appeared between them.
Without turning around, Obito asked, "Zetsu, what's the situation now?"
"The Kumogakure forces have completely withdrawn from the Land of Fire."
Keeping half his body underground, Zetsu replied, "They're recuperating in the Land of Hot Water for now. They'll return to the Land of Lightning soon."
"I see." Obito responded indifferently, seemingly unconcerned.
White Zetsu smacked his lips. "This isn't how you thought things would go."
Kumogakure had been defeated too quickly. Barely a week had passed between the start of the war and their withdrawal.
Obito's gaze sharpened. "I didn't expect Orochimaru to be that strong either."
Tsunade had left, Jiraiya had departed the village, and Orochimaru was absorbed in his research. By the time Obito's memories began, the Sannin were already far less active in Konoha.
Besides, Orochimaru had failed to become Hokage, looking like a wave swept away by those who came after him. That made Obito look down on him even more. He hadn't expected Orochimaru to turn the tide of the war almost single-handedly.
"What should we do now?" White Zetsu asked bluntly. "With Orochimaru around, this war can't continue."
Obito fell silent for a while, then said, "Go gather intelligence on Kumogakure. I've already got a plan for what comes next."
"Fine."
Zetsu drew in his leaves, preparing to sink underground, but Obito asked, "Did you find out who the Uchiha was who used Susanoo?"
Zetsu thought for a moment. "His name is Shisui. But I also heard there might be something wrong with his eyes."
"Is that so?"
Obito's expression shifted. Every pair of Mangekyō Sharingan had a unique ocular ability. Even he didn't dare dismiss one lightly.
But if his opponent had overused his ocular power, causing his eyesight to deteriorate—or even leaving him blind—
"Keep an eye out for more information about that, too."
Inside the Konoha stronghold.
After resting for a while, the Uchiha who had summoned giant snakes on the battlefield were summoned to the Medical Room.
Orochimaru dissolved their temporary contracts one by one and removed the Cursed Seals he'd placed on them to store Chakra.
As the Chakra returned, Orochimaru's presence continued to grow stronger. The Uchiha, on the other hand, couldn't take it.
Even though Orochimaru hadn't tampered with anything and had merely reclaimed his own Chakra, their minds still suffered some damage, and they promptly collapsed unconscious.
The medical ninjas waiting nearby then carried them straight to the beds.
After removing the last Cursed Seal, Orochimaru let out a long breath and looked into the air. A translucent screen appeared before his eyes.
It listed in great detail most of the abilities he could use, along with all of his passive skills.
It also described his condition through multidimensional stats such as strength, constitution, intelligence, health, and mana.
This was a new ability the Genie had developed, called the System Interface. Orochimaru was its first host.
After understanding what the terms meant, Orochimaru asked through thought, "Are these stats accurate?"
"It's brand-new, so of course there are some errors. But some values that are standard across all worlds are still fairly accurate."
The Genie floated in the air and pointed to one of the entries. "Take soul strength, for example. Your score is truly dreadful compared to those of my past hosts."
"So what?" Without any universal standard to compare it to, Orochimaru had no idea what that meant. He assumed it was due to the differences between worlds.
"Let me think. Low soul strength makes you susceptible to bewitchment."
The Genie stroked his chin and smiled. "In terms of the Shinobi World, you'd say you're vulnerable to genjutsu."
"Anyway, I think your score is far too low. How about giving it a try? For example, find a few Uchiha jonin—"
Orochimaru's eyes flickered. He nodded.
Thanks to "Changqing1040," "Zhuoluo C Yang," and "Strange Jiang Xiaobai" for the tips!
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