It was an odd meeting, the broken woman and the S rank criminal. Tsunade hadn't forgotten what he, Orochimaru had done. She looked at his snake eyes without seeing the reflection of her brother and the black and white version of her dead lover. It was enough to make her growl at him, even as he slid her a drink.

"It's your brother's birthday today dear." Orochimaru said in a near simpering tone. "You should toast his memory. I know I will."

The blonde scoffed. "You killed him as good as those explosion tags, why would you celebrate a birthday he'll never get to see?"

He narrowed his eyes at her before assuming a blank expression. "Why indeed." The dark haired man replied evenly enough. "Drink your sake, if not for your brother's sake then your own."

The drink he offered was tossed back without a word. The blonde Sannin slammed the empty dish on the bar cracking it before turning to glare at him. She rose up a hand suddenly heavy. "I hate you." She said drowsily. "You killed Nawaki… you killed him and I'll never forgi-" The rest of the words slurred as Tsunade slumped forward, the effects of the new drug he developed and slipped her taking their toll. Orochimaru nodded to the bar keeper he had already threatened then paid off and hoisted her up into his arms.

"You know," he said mirthlessly. "I don't think I forgive myself either."

Hours later Tsunade woke in a bed with a splitting headache. For a moment she thought she had simply drunk until she passed out and Shizune had found and carried her to wherever they were staying. Slowly memories of the night filtered though and she pushed herself up to a sitting position. Amber eyes darted around the room until they lit on the snake Sannin.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded in a sharp voice. "I want answers now Oro."

He merely smiled at her and raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Oro?" he questioned. "I don't think you've called me that since we were children. Should I call you Princess again? It still fits. You have the temperance of one, not the fairy tale princesses of course, but the flesh and blood conquering ones. There are your looks, all that blonde hair and those honey colored eyes. I think princess suits you more now than it did then."

Tsunade snarled and started to push herself to her feet only to have the lingering effects of the drink force her back down on the bed. Orochimaru clucked his tongue at her in a show of mock sympathy. He walked over to sit beside her. "Really Princess, I thought you were smart enough to always probe your drink, especially when it was given to you by a criminal."

The blonde wearily dropped her head into her hands. She was confused and full of lingering sadness. She hadn't forgotten it was Nawaki's birthday; it was just too much to bear. Her brother would have been eighteen today and instead; it was just eight years since he died.

"Why did you do this?" she said finally.

The snake Sannin hesitated for the briefest moment. It was a peculiar thing for him to feel remorse. He was after all going to live forever and learn every jutsu. But if there was one soft spot in his heart, it was for the blonde beside him. He licked suddenly dry lips before answering.

"I didn't want you to be alone… I didn't want to be alone. Nawaki was your brother, but he was also my genin. It was my failure that he died and Princess you know I can't change the past, if I could, we'd be blowing out candles and eating cake with him right now."

A blonde head rose as she looked at him with tears suddenly brimming in her eyes. Lightly tanned arms wound around his neck as she buried her face against him and let herself cry. "I'm just so tired of being alone. I see his face everywhere and it just doesn't stop, I see him. I see Dan… I see my parents. Everybody dies on me Oro, and I just am so damn tired of being alone."

He didn't say anything, but his arms tentatively touched her back and pulled her tighter to him. His fingers without conscious though wound themselves in her tangled hair. She was beautiful, this woman he held, so strong and gutsy but so fragile and broken. She was a contradiction in terms and someone who he doubted he would ever fully understand.

That thought was cemented when she lifted her head and pressed her lips to his desperately. He startled and pulled away from her. "What...What are you doing princess?"

Tsunade sniffed back the last of her tears. In truth she wasn't sure what she was doing, but she just didn't want to be alone. She wanted to feel something real and here was Orochimaru, breathing and alive in front of her.

"Please," she pleaded desperately. "Please be with me. I don't want to be alone. I'm tired of feeling cold."

He was torn, his lust for her battling with his love. In the end both sides of him were in agreement. All of him wanted her, anyway he could have her. "As long as you like, Princess, as long as you'll have me." He amended.

When the words hit her ears, Tsunade let go. All the pain and loneliness were gone in an instance replaced by a burning, needing hunger for him. She lunged back to him and pressed her mouth hard against his. Her teeth digging into his bottom lips and making the dark haired man hiss. She took advantage of the sound and sent her tongue into his mouth to explore.

Orochimaru ran his hands up and down her back. He thought that he knew how it would feel to have Tsunade willing in his arms, but his imagination had fallen short. She was a living flame, burning him even as he held tighter. However bright she was though, he was going to be more than a passive partner in their joining and his hands jerked at her obi knot to loosen and drop the cloth.

The blonde hardly noticed intent on simply tasting him. His mouth was warm and had the faintest hint of sake over his natural flavor. It was addicting. She wanted more; she wanted all of him under her and free to touch. She pulled away and grinned up at him, half drunk on his flavor. Her hand glowed blue with a chakra blade and before he could do more than widen his eyes in protest, Tsunade neatly slit his clothes in two.

"You didn't." He said in equal measures lust and awe at her hunger for him. She bit her lip and ran her hand down his chest to encircle where he stood proud and so hard he touched his own stomach. "I did." Came her reply.

The night became a flurry of lost clothing and hurried caresses until at last he had her under him and was lined up at her entrance. His eyes met hers, yellow into gold. The words I love you were thought and suppressed by both as he pressed into her, taking all that she would give.

Her broken moan echoed across the room. He was taking her over and she willing went with him. Each thrust deeper and harder than the last, but even that wasn't enough. He wanted her completely lost, so much that she couldn't even remember her name. Pale hands reached down and grabbed her knees to jerk them up to her chest as he doubled his stroke pushing her onward.

"Come for me Tsunade." He chanted out between movements. "I want to hear you call my name."

She shook her head in denial, but he pressed on rubbing hard on that ball of nerves deep inside her. Her legs started shaking and he could feel the hard spasm of her muscles around him. Orochimaru bit his lip to stop himself from ejaculating. His eyes near unblinking to catch every expression that graces her flushed face.

Tsunade felt the tremors subside and looked up into the smug face of the other Sannin. He was, rightfully so, pleased with himself, but she wasn't done. Her hips bucked up and knocked him off balance to roll him under her. She repositioned herself and sank down on him, sighing as he parted her. The blonde tossed her hair back and gave a teasing rock to her hips, grunting at the friction.

"Now you come for me." She said and started a frantic pace. Her hips thrusting so hard the headboard slammed against the wall. It was all he could do to reach up and grab her swaying breasts rolling and pinching her nipples while she took him over.

He mentally redacted his earlier thoughts on her being a princess; she was a goddess, her body a perfect form of scars from the war and hardships of the Shinobi life. The light was behind him causing her hair to look like a halo and in that moment before he came, he would have died for her as a loyal worshipper. He certainly would have killed for her.

A groan was pulled deeply from his chest and let go of her breasts to grip her hips, his own jerking up in short strokes as he lost himself. When he was done she sank forward on to his chest and rested wore out from their ordeal. Pale arms came up to wrap round her. This was home, he thought absently. Home was after all where the heart was. That was his last thought as her hand came up and hit him hard behind the ear, rendering him unconscious.

Tsunade gave the unconscious man a last touch on the cheek and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. She stood to gather her clothes and walk out the door.

When Orochimaru woke, he was alone with only the memories and the faint smell of her on the sheets.