"Is this place always so lively?" Orochimaru asked as he and Tsunade walked down the streets of the mountainous town, enjoying their lunch by visiting the food vendors. Just like last night, the streets were filled with people and a child almost ran into him. The air was fragrant with cooked meat and sweet baked goods, so much so that it was almost overwhelming for his sense of smell.
Tsunade giggled as she munched on a creamy chicken bun. "You're always looking up. What is it?"
"Almost every big house here has an attached windmill. It's lovely to see them spin," he replied, admiring them. He felt his heart give one big thud when she slipped her small warm hand into his. Funny how these hands, so strong that they could crack apart the ground with just a single touch, seemed so soft and vulnerable as he held it. He squeezed her hand to let her know that it was ok, and was rewarded with a beautiful smile that made him feel... he wasn't sure what he was feeling. He just knew it made him feel light and pleasant. Eyeing her bun, he asked, "May I?"
"Eh?" She was surprised when he leaned down and took a bite, overlapping her own. "We have my winnings from last night to buy fifty more buns. Get your own, Orochi," she teased.
"But I doubt the others would be as sweet as this one. They don't have the taste of your lips," he said, a hint of sharp teeth showing from his grin.
Tsunade took another bite out of her bun, purposefully biting down on the same spot and she felt sparks tingled down her spine from their indirect kiss. Licking her lips, she said demurely, "You certainly have a sweet tongue." As she expected, he was amused by the clever pun.
"This is just a small taste of it," he said flirtatiously.
Tsunade replied coyly, "With words or... something more physical?"
His eyes gleamed as he grinned down at her. Before, when he thought it was just playful banter, he already enjoyed the exchange of wits. When she confessed she liked him, he had begun to hold back slightly with flirting. To resume the activity again but now with the intention of romantic interest, made it much more exciting. If there was one thing he could claim to be good at, despite him being 'romantically challenged' as Tsunade claimed, it was flirting. It was stimulating, fun but most of all, relatively safe in his opinion. "There are some things that one needs to find out by themselves," he purred, his voice like dark chocolate.
She twirled a long lock of his obsidian hair around her finger. "You're certainly bold today, Orochimaru."
"Unless you plan to ravish me in public, I can say I'm pretty safe," he chuckled.
Tsunade hooked her arm around his and gave him a Cheshire-like smile. "You won't be safe forever. One day, your gorgeous raven hair will be spread across my bed sheets, Orochimaru." Lightly, she patted his butt.
Orochimaru audibly swallowed at the touch. Maybe flirting wasn't as safe as he thought it was. Holy Hokages... was it getting hot or was he experiencing the symptoms of an incoming heart attack? To make matters worse, a mental image of Jiraiya asking 'Don't you ever get urges' popped up and with bad timing, someone bumped Tsunade, making her hug his arm even more, which made her huge boobs press into his arm even more, and made him think about his urges even more.
Five minutes later...
"Want to buy another bun? Or something else?" she asked as she finished eating, oblivious of Orochimaru looking like he wanted to run and jump into a freezing cold lake.
"Wh-what?"
She said cheekily, "You seem distracted." When he vehemently denied it, she just inwardly laughed at him and repeated, "I was asking if you wanted to buy something else to eat."
"Tsunade, you really should be more mindful of your spending," Orochimaru said. "Aren't you in debt? And you have to pay for the damage back at Uzushio as well." He was confused as to why she suddenly huffed and walked away from him. Catching up to her, he asked what was wrong.
Tsunade's nostrils flared. "Why do I have to pay for half of the damage? It's all Jiraiya's fault. He should pay."
"He offered to pay for all of the damage," Orochimaru replied tonelessly. "Tsunade, he regrets what he did."
She stuck her tongue out at him. "I don't have money to spend." He pointed at her newly manicured nails and she immediately put her hands behind her back. "Th-there was a special promotion."
"Hmph." Orochimaru leaned back and crossed his arms, thinking deeply about the predicament. He ignored her when she whispered that they were standing in the middle of the busy street. Finally, he said, "Tell you what, hime. I'll accompany you to the gambling den and help you win enough money to help pay for half of the damage and pay off your own personal debt. How about that?"
She stared at him in surprise. "But you hate going to those places."
"I'm sure I'll hate losing my Kusanagi even more."
"What?" When he told her he had left his sword back at Uzushio as a guarantee for payment, she was flabbergasted. "But that is an imperial treasure." He dully nodded at the comment, she pouted at him. "Fine! I'll pay for half of the damage," she grouched.
Orochimaru half smiled. He knew that Jiraiya had quite a large bank account (how he managed it was a mystery though). He'd definitely be able to manage the other half of the payment. "Then it looks like we'll be gambling together for awhile, hime."
Tsunade pouted, still not too happy about the agreement. But then again, he was willing to spend more time with her, she gets to win and have fun gambling (winning was much more fun than losing), and her debt will be gone. When she saw some girls ogling Orochimaru's backside, she quickly grabbed him by the waist possessively. "What you are looking at, you sticks?"
"Who are you calling sticks, you cow!"
"C-cow?" A vein throbbed on her forehead and she gently tapped the ground with her heel. Immediately, fissures appeared and the ground cracked apart to make the three girls fall screaming into a hole. Unable to help himself, he laughed out loud. "Such a violent young lady you are, hime. It's marvelous."
Her grip tightened around his waist and she said firmly, "Only I get to admire your tight buns. They deserved it."
"Tight buns?" He let her pull him along by the waist.
"Your killer behind," she explained. "Anyways, after shopping, we have our date. Seven o'clock sharp Orochi. I've made reservations at the best restaurant in town and we absolutely can't be late."
Hours later...
In his bathroom, Orochimaru stared down at the cologne bottle Tsunade had bought for him. Apparently, this would make him smell like 'hot sunset at a beach'. What the hell did that mean in the first place? He gave himself another look in the mirror. His long hair had been tied back, with two locks framing his sculpted face. Wearing a dark blue and white yukata with dark green leaves stitchings, tied with a long purple sash that flowed to his right thigh, he thought he looked quite presentable. But having to dress up nicely for every single date would definitely be abit of a pain.
Plucking his earrings off the counter, he threaded them back through his ears before giving himself two quick squirts from the cologne bottle. To him, it smelled like sun dried mandarins and sea salt. Looking at the mirror again, he stared at himself for a moment before turning around to check out his backside in an innocent manner.
"Hey Orochimaru! Ready yet?"
He heard Tsunade knocking on his door and he quickly exited the bathroom. He had refused to share a room with her since Jiraiya wasn't here. In his opinion, it would be just too awkward so he settled for an adjoining room. It was simply furnished, with pale cream green wallpaper, clean tatami mats, a puffy futon in the corner, and an accentuated side table against the wall. Too bad there was a hideous figurine of running horses on the table, otherwise the room would be better. In three strides, he was at the door and he opened it.
He went lock-jawed at the girl standing in front of him. Tsunade had tied her long hair into two low golden pigtails. Wearing a glamorous grape-red kimono that was decorated with light pink blossoms and gold leaves, and a green obi shaped like a bow that clung to her curves and highlighted her fair skin, he thought she looked like she was modeling for a photography session. Her lashes were curled and darkened with mascara, her lips a glossy pink and her eyes reminded him of treasured amber wine. But worst... of all, the kimono she wore showed off her slender shoulders and dipped down to show off the plump top of her breasts, spilling out from the tight obi bow that hugged her waist.
Tsunade was puzzled when Orochimaru slammed the door shut. Standing there for a few seconds, she rapped her knuckles back on the door. "What the heck Orochimaru?! Open up! We're already super late for our reservation you dolt!" He was usually the most punctual member of their team, so she had expected him to call on her when they had to go. Growing impatient, she knocked harder. "Orochimaru! How come you're on time for everything except for our first official date!" The door opened up to reveal his dripping wet face and damp hair and at exactly the same time, her first connected with his nose and made him reel backward. "Oh my god! Are you ok?!"
He pinched his nose to stop the nosebleed and grimaced. He had gone back to dunk his head into the sink, hoping cold water could cool him off after being surprised by her look. Combine that with a bleeding nose, he could say that his raging hormones were safely back under control. "Just heal my nose and let's be on our way," he said curtly. His heart stopped when she pushed his head down to heal his nose and the sight of her cleavage was all he could see. Dimly, he heard her say something but nothing clicked as he had seemingly forgotten basic human speech. When she let him go and looked at him expectantly, he just dumbly nodded.
"Good," she chirped, hooking arms with him. "I wanted to try a different hairstyle too. You know, I've always been fond of pigtails but I thought it made me look childish so I went for a ponytail instead."
"I... I like it," he said shyly, keeping his eyes locked to the ground.
Tsunade nearly swooned at how cute he was being. It was like seeing him as a kid again. Smiling happily, she hugged his arm and pressed her cheek into it.
Orochimaru smirked as he sipped on a cup of hot green tea with honey. The outdoor restaurant was a tourist's favorite. The tables and chairs were laid out on an open plateau, under the night sky. A huge cherry blossom tree grew in the center and the customers sat beneath its shade. An ornate railing encircled the dining area, making sure that no one would fall off the edge if they had too much to drink or something. Cooking was done indoors and the food would then be carried out. Everything was set up for perfection, with a single candle set out on the tables. Usually, anyone that misses their reservation would be dismissed immediately. This was a popular restaurant after all but Tsunade had nearly broken the manager's hand when she gave him a handshake and so, they were let in through fear.
"So, what do you think of the place I picked out?" Tsunade asked, stirring her iced blueberry drink.
His lips curved even more. "It's certainly very elegant. The view is fantastic as well."
She clapped her hands together in delight. "Just wait till you try the food! Their specialty is lizards, birds, eggs, herbs and goats! You know, since we're on a mountain and everything." Orochimaru nodded and picked up a menu, briefly scanning through it. Peeking at him over the rim of her glass, she admired the way the light of the candle danced over his sculpted face, accentuating the topaz colored eyes and warm purple outline around them. With his hair tied back, it allowed her to see more of his face. The long locks framing his face was a nice touch. If it was all tied back, then it wouldn't have style. Her eyes then wandered to his outfit, hugging his strong but at the same time, slender build. A few pink petals drifted downward to land in his obsidian hair and she sighed dreamily. Others might think his looks were strange, but she thought he looked incredibly exotic.
"I think I'll have the miso kid steak," Orochimaru murmured, closing his menu.
Tsunade perked up in surprise. "Not an egg dish this time?"
"Hime, I'm not that boring am I?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at her. Resting his chin in his hand, he inquired, "What are you getting?"
"Wanna get fried salamanders as appetizers? After that, I think I'll get..." She mulled over the menu. "The daily special."
"The daily special?" He tilted his head in question.
"I'm adventurous," she purred, closing her menu shut. "It's basically a surprise dish." She and Orochimaru looked up as a chipper young girl in a baby blue kimono and pink obi came over and greeted them politely.
"Hello, have you decided on your meal? Or should I give you alittle more time? Miss? Mr?"
They shook their heads and handed over their menu along with the orders. When she left, Orochimaru lounged back in his chair and looked up at the boughs of the huge pink tree that shaded him along with other fifty tables. Next, he turned his attention to the sea of clouds and looming mountains at the edge of the plateau.
Tsunade pouted. It was like he was purposefully trying not to look at her. Which should literally be criminal, since she had taken so long to dress up for his sake. Fluffing her pigtails, she crossed her arms impatiently.
What she didn't realize, was that he was trying to come up with something romantic to say. Orochimaru felt like he just sat down to write a test he completely did not study for, and to make matters worse, he was seventeen years old and he felt like some prepubescent awkward school boy. This was their first official date (totally not counting the one they had as a kid, especially since he and Jiraiya ended up accidentally kissing each other) and he wanted it to be a success. He had heard enough from passing groups of girls that he was expected to be 'a gentleman, charming, funny, smooth, witty, know the secrets of the female mind' and other ridiculous demands to be the perfect boyfriend. He could only assume that he would need to portray these traits during 'dates' to secure that position. But at this rate, he was thinking it'd be easier to obtain the title of Hokage than boyfriend. He sneaked a peek and saw that Tsunade was wearing her legendary princess pout and he quickly looked back over to the moon, his mind going into overdrive at the ticking time bomb.
Tsunade perked up when he slowly opened his mouth. "So... is the food organic?" Andddddd she sunk back down in her chair.
"Orochi," she grouched. "That's even worse than the how's the weather question." Letting out a long breath, she asked, "Are you nervous?"
"Slightly."
"Just relax," she encouraged. "Come on, we've known each other forever. It's not like a blind date or anything."
He moved his long ponytail over one shoulder, playing with the tip as he mulled over what to say. Finally, he straightened up and clasped his hands together in front of him. "Tsunade, it embarrasses me to ask but umm... what are you expecting of me?"
Tsunade blinked. "Eh?"
He explained, "When we go on missions, we are given objectives. After we complete the mission, we are graded on how well we've accomplished. On dates, I know the objective is to make the other partner happy but that's too vague for me. What should I do to please you?"
Hearing that made her inwardly squeal. "Orochimaru, when people love each other, it'll come naturally on what they should do. Me telling you to buy me stuff for example, wouldn't be as great as if you'd go on ahead and get me something yourself."
Orochimaru asked, "But what I get you something you don't like?"
Tsunade smiled. "If it's from you, I'll like it."
Hearing that was slightly relieving and he looked up to see their food arriving. His piece of steak was oozing with a sauce made from garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and topped with miso dressing. A side of sliced eggplants served to accentuate the dish and give it pleasing final touch. Seasoned on top of the steak were salt and pepper. He then glanced over at the fried salamanders they had ordered. Fried to a crispy golden brown, the lizards were covered in a pale sweet sauce, topped with chopped bell peppers, seasoned with mountain herbs and lying on green lettuce. Last but not least was Tsunade's dish and he stared. "What is that?"
"Uhhhhh..." Tsunade could feel her eyes watering from her dish. Ok, it looks absolutely amazing, but the fumes were abit of a red flag. Sliced mandarin formed a circle, making the dish look like a giant flower. In the middle was a small sauce bowl, made of crushed peppers and hell red hot sauce. Inside the circle of mandarin was a smaller circle of half cut eggs, stuffed with meat in the center and topped with cilantro. Plucking one up with her chopsticks, she gently dipped it into the fiery sauce and stared at it for a moment to gather her courage. Finally, she popped it into her mouth and she swooned. "Hey! It's actually really good!"
"Oh no miss!"
They looked up as the server came over with another small bowl. "You have to dip the egg and the slugs in the sauce and eat them together." She plopped down a bowl of squirming blue mountain slugs and the salt shaker and bowed before running off to seat more customers.
Orochimaru blinked and said, "I suppose this is where sensibility triumphs over being adventurous."
Tsunade cringed and squeaked, "I can't eat them! That's like... freaking eating Katsuyu." Picking up the bowl of slugs, she looked around quickly before dumping them under the table so that they could escape for freedom.
Orochimaru lifted his legs up and rested them on the stretcher of his chair to make sure that no slugs would slime all over his feet. Slicing into his steak, he asked, "Tsunade, I have a question for you. What are your plans for the long run?"
"Eh?"
He swallowed and took another sip of tea. "Assuming we don't die in our line of work, I'd like to know what you wish for. It sad but you ask about my dreams and wants and I have never really done the same for you."
Tsunade turned her eyes to the stars and said softly, "To be honest... I don't much care for the life of a shinobi. Maybe I'm being selfish but there's little glory or joy to be had, and so much more risk involved. I'd like to retire from it like my grandmother. I'll step in if I'm needed, but otherwise, I don't want to be handed mission after missions." She beamed and said cheerfully, "When you're Hokage, I'd much rather serve as your adviser or something. And also lead the hospital and work on medical innovations. Oh oh, and then have like two months of vacation time or something." But then she sulked. "But if you're Hokage, I guess you won't have vacation time."
He smiled and winked at her. "To be honest, I think that as leader of the village, a Hokage deserves vacation time and they should be able to do what they want. When I'm Kage, if I need to leave the village or do my own thing, I expect them to be able to run the place and not set it on fire in my absence. No offense, I think Sarutobi-sensei, your grandfather, and granduncle are very capable leaders, but they coddle too much."
"So... vacation time then?" asked Tsunade.
"If I'm not allowed vacation time, I'll force feed the village poison," he said with a wry smirk.
Tsunade clapped her hands together. "Let's bring Nawaki! He loves the village but he's also interested in the world outside the walls."
Orochimaru watched the light sparkling in her eyes at the mention of her sibling and he felt a sudden stabbing of pain in his heart. "You really do love your brother."
"Besides you and pervy no brain, he's the one I love most." When he gave her a sad smile, she asked quietly, "Orochimaru, what's wrong?" Pressing his lips together, he silently shook his head and reached out for his cup of tea. As he did, she rested her own hand on his. "I only want to help you," she said softly.
He pulled his hand away and murmured, "I know, Tsunade." Biting down on the side of his cheek, he let out a slow and long breath. "I want to tell you something. I despise this world." Meeting her eyes, he watched her reaction. Besides a hint of surprise, there was no disdain or rejection as he had feared. Gathering abit more confidence, he said, "There is alot of sadness and pain in this world. I've experienced it firsthand at a young age. My parents, the ones I loved most, I had to watch them struggle and then I had to watch them be buried. I've grown desensitized and I stopped believing in happy endings."
"What do you mean... struggle?" she asked timidly.
He took in a shuddering breath. "Look at me. The only thing weirder than serpent eyes, sharp teeth and deathly white skin, is if someone comes into the village with fox ears." Plucking a fried salamander up, he glanced around quickly before popping it into his mouth and swallowed it whole without chewing. "My father said that back in the clan, we all ate like this. I was born eating like this. To blend in and be more 'normal', we had to learn how to chew. When I was a kid, I sometimes forget and when I do, I grow fearful and ashamed." He rubbed at his temple as she continued to watch him with shock. "I smell with my tongue. Other than our team, I've never let anyone else know that. My father was discriminated against while my mother, had to hide her ability to summon demons. She couldn't rise up in ranks since she had to hold back."
"I... I am so sorry," Tsunade said strickenly.
He waved away her apologies. "Don't apologize for man's bestial nature. They will always fear those that are different from them. I believe there is a clan of people that resembles sharks. They have gills and blue skin, along with shark-like traits. I've heard that they faced the same discrimination as my father's clan too." He then gave her a bitter smile. "Those ignorant and cowardly enough to hate someone who has no choice in being born they way they are... are the monsters, not us." He raised his cup of tea in a mock toast and took a sip. "It's all utter madness. Even when I've contributed so much to the village, some are still wary of me."
"Why don't we just quit?" Tsunade asked, knowing about how some of the others feared him and his ruthlessness during missions. "Like I said, this life is sad and hard. We can go into research instead. Or we can move to somewhere peaceful and quiet."
"This life is sad and hard, but it has meaning. If I quit now, I'll never obtain the power that's needed to change the world," he said softly, sitting up and gazing at her soft and earnest face. "Tsunade, you, Jiraiya and Sarutobi-sensei are the ones who showed me that there is still value in this world. What your grandmother asked me to do, has shown me that and I wish to protect the family I now have. The family that is a part of this world." He leaned forward slightly, thinking about that one quote. People change, or they die before they do. If you cannot change yourself, how can you expect the world to change, Orochimaru. "I... I wish to change. Instead of thinking of only myself, I want to improve the village and then the world, so that perhaps... we can have a happy ending."
She reached over and laid a hand on his cheek, her thumb brushing the soft skin. "I'll be with you the whole way, as you teach the world to learn from its mistakes."
He let himself enjoy the comforting caress before reaching up to hold her hand in his. Closing his eyes, he said quietly, "You, Jiraiya and Sarutobi-sensei are all I need to stay sane in this madness of a world. Thank you." Looking down at the food, he smiled and said, "Finish off your dish, and then come with me. There is something I wish to show you."
"Oh my god! SLUGS!"
People around them began screaming as slugs crept up their legs and chaos ensued as ladies jumped on chairs and the men tried to squish them for their dates. Orochimaru and Tsunade smiled at each other before he used a genjutsu to hide them from sight so that they could finish off the rest of their meal in peace.
"You... want to show me a field of rocks and dirt?" asked Tsunade. After the dinner, he had taken her out of the town and down along one of the hiking trails. In such a glamorous kimono, she was unsure about the whole ordeal as she didn't want to ruin it. The hike took around half an hour and it ended up in a barren field of rocks and dirt under the night sky.
He smirked. "Patience is a virtue, Tsunade." Taking his silver flute out from his sleeve, he hummed to himself softly for a moment before he brought the flute to his lips to play. As he played, she could hear a woman beginning to sing along and she knew that he was once against casting his auditory genjutsu. But nothing could prepare her for what happened next. The ground they were standing on suddenly blossomed into a field of white flowers and vivid green grass. He chuckled slightly as he dropped his flute from his lips. Flicking the instrument, a hidden blade emerged outwards and he twirled it expertly in his hand. With a swing of the silver blade, petals flew up into the air and slowly began to drift back down towards her.
"This... this genjutsu," Tsunade said in awe, holding her hand out to the petals. Was this really an illusion? It was so well made. She could literally feel the softness of the petals she was holding in her hand. "It seems so real."
The comment seemed to amuse him as he replied, "Reality is what one chooses to believe in." Tapping on his temple, he smirked. "They say those who are mad, sees a different kind of world and reality. Would you choose to be mad, to be with me?"
Tsunade twirled around, letting her kimono flow with her movement. With a wide smile, she replied, "Is there anyone in this world who isn't crazy?"
"Only the short-sighted sheeps," he traded back with a chuckle, taking her hand in his to lead her along the field of snow white flowers.
Loving the golden eyes that was looking down at her, dripping with unfathomable intelligence, she said, "If there's anyone who can affect the entire Shinobi world and change our very way of life, I believe it's you, Orochimaru."
"Your faith in me is quite touching," he murmured. Giving her a charming smile, he raised his flute back to his lips and played a short tune. All of a sudden, a sparkling crystal blue lake materialized beneath their feet and began spraying artful jets of water around them, like some kind of fantastic water fountain. The jets sprinkled water when he slowed down his music, and would arch at a change in note. Underneath the dancing spray of water, Tsunade thought she could almost cry from the sheer beauty of it. Which she did as she hugged him and presses her face into his chest.
"Tsu-Tsunade?" Did he do something wrong? Confused and slightly scared that he was indeed a complete failure at romance, he awkwardly stood there.
"Hold me," she commanded, sniffling into his silk yukata. When he did so, she looked up at him. "Doing all of this for me... what brought on the change of heart exactly?"
He thought about his answer carefully before saying with complete honesty, "I've always been scared of taking risks with relationships, as I fear that will just make the ending more painful. You wanting to move our relationship from that of platonic friendship to romance, was almost as scary as you asking me to be friends back during the Academy days." When she owlishly blinked her round eyes at him, he said, "But I've realized that by holding back, bonds can weaken, break, and I might even lose the chance to experience something... " He paused to find an appropriate word before saying shyly, "Beautiful." Unconsciously, he pulled her closer to him. "You are beautiful, Tsunade."
Finding herself entranced by his soothing voice and molten gold eyes, she felt her heart speed up in her chest. Despite her nervousness, she knew what she wanted from him. The question was, did he want the same thing? "Do you want to kiss me? " she breathed, her nose almost brushing against his as he held her in his arms.
"I.." He felt his mouth go dry, aware of how close their bodies were. He had always been someone who was honest with what they want. Power, knowledge, technique, peace and quiet when Jiraiya wouldn't shut up about his latest peeking adventures. But when it came to feelings, he would always get tongue-tied about what he wanted. Nervously, he said, "I don't know what to say, Tsunade."
She smiled and whispered, "Don't say anything then. Just do what your heart is telling you." Reaching behind him, she pulled down his hair tie to free his gorgeous long hair.
"Tsunade." He felt something give in his heart and in his self-control, and he bent his head down to capture her lips with his. A shock of thrill and electricity passed through him from the contact and he felt his body react, desiring her warmth, energy, and life. She was a creature of passion. She enjoyed and lived life to the fullest. Even when it came to eating, she didn't treat it as a necessity but instead, a pleasure. Now that they were kissing, she was pouring all of her heart and soul into it and he was overwhelmed by the intensity and fire.
His grip tightened around her waist as he crushed her against him, and she responded by opening her mouth to entwine her tongue with his. He delighted in the succulent taste, sucking on it like it was candy. Their mouths worked against each other feverishly, her releasing years of longing and attraction towards him and he, euphoric in letting go and abandoning the control he was so obsessed with.
Shooting stars danced across the sky and the jets of water arched over them as he continued his genjutsu, sending sparkling water droplets raining down on them and ensuring that she felt the refreshing coolness of the water as it soaked her clothes and skin. Slowly breaking the kiss, he breathed heavily, deprived of oxygen but full on love and affection. Touching foreheads with her, he murmured, "Tsunade... I feel strange."
"My handsome patient," she teased, her voice sultry and sleepy. "How so?"
"It feels like there're butterflies in my stomach when I'm with you. My heart races when you look at me now. We've just kissed, but I'm already hopelessly fantasizing about the next."
She smiled and whispered, "Those are some very serious symptoms, Orochimaru."
"I think I'm in love with you," he breathed onto her lips. "Is there a cure?"
"Only death probably," she replied, inhaling his scent. "Or marriage."
"Both will involve some waiting," he said with a lazy half smile.
"No matter how long, the windmill will always wait for the wind," she replied, snuggling against his chest.
He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and held her tightly. After a few minutes of peace and serenity in the beautiful landscape, he said, "I've cast this genjutsu for a reason Tsunade." He snapped his fingers and returned them back to reality, standing amongst dirt and rocks. "I've heard that the beginnings of relationships start off like some kind of fantasy, where everything is magical. But then things happen, and reality sets in where everything isn't as great as one once thought it was." He gestured to the barren land around them and said quietly, "I can be quite cold, insensitive, impatient and stubborn. I can't make everything seem beautiful forever. There will be times where I fear that I may fail you, and all you'll see is ugliness." His eyes shone solemnly as he looked down at her, his long hair dancing in the warm wind. "I care about you, deeply. So one last chance, Tsunade Senju. Do you really want to be with me?"
She stood up on her tippy toes and kissed him in answer. "I've told you before, Orochimaru. It doesn't matter if you're not perfect. Whether it's being with you in some gorgeous wonderland or in a field of rocks, I will be with you through the good and the bad times because I love you."
"Tsunade," he said, his heart feeling like it was bursting. Bending down, he kissed her hard on the lips once more just as the sun began to rise, lighting up the sky with strokes of warm orange, gentle pink, beautiful purple and hazy azure blue.
Two weeks later...
Orochimaru stopped completely in his tracks to see his teacher standing at the village's gate, smiling and waiting for him under the light of the glowing sunset. Beside him, Tsunade squeezed his arm and smiled. "It looks like sensei checks every day to see when we would return." Pulling on his arm, she dragged him over to their teacher and chirped, "Sarutobi-sensei!"
"Sensei," Orochimaru said quietly, his eyes shimmering with unspoken emotions.
At the sight of the one he loved like a son, he felt all of his tiredness wash away and he reached out to hug him. "You've gotten even skinnier, Orochimaru."
"So have you, sensei," Orochimaru said thickly, returning the hug. "I'm glad... to be back home." Home, the place where someone who loves you and thinks of you, no matter how far away you were. That was how he defined home. After so many years, and with everything he's learned on this mission, he finally accepted that Konohagakure was his home.
Drawing back from his student, he gently held him at arm's length. To him, Orochimaru was the most important thing in his life and he noticed immediately, that something seemed different with him. His eyes were much softer, his posture relaxed and there was a warmth to him that could not be missed. Smiling, he said, "It looks like you have not only done alot of good on this mission, it seems to have done alot of good for you too."
"You've heard about how fantastic we were?" Tsunade asked cheerfully.
Sarutobi chuckled. "Your abilities cannot be denied. You've saved Uzushiogakure from destruction and have them deeply in our debts. I am eager to celebrate your promotion to Jonin." He then paused and asked, "But where is Jiraiya?"
At that, Orochimaru coughed and looked away awkwardly while Tsunade crossed her arms and pouted. "He's recovering back at Uzushio."
"I didn't see anything in the report that he got hurt during the invasion of Uzushio," said Sarutobi, feeling slightly confused.
"He was near death," Orochimaru corrected. "But not during the invasion. It was... during something else that is sort of related to Tsunade."
She shot him a death glare. "Don't you dare tell sensei about what happened."
It was then that Sarutobi noticed how big Tsunade's bosom had gotten. Despite the fact that he himself was a pervert, his fatherly love for Orochimaru had completely blinded him to everything else besides his favorite. His cheeks slightly red, he asked quietly, "Did Jiraiya peek on you?" With breasts that big, there was no way Jiraiya could have had the willpower to resist peeking on her. His guess was proven correct when she cried out in frustration and stomped off, leaving cracks in the ground with every footstep.
The two men stared after her (along with the gate guards and passing villagers) for a few seconds before Orochimaru said, "We were alittle late in getting back since we made stops at gambling dens to make money to pay for the damage back at Uzushio when... Tsunade nearly destroyed a hot spring resort as she beat up Jiraiya. The money has been sent and when Jiraiya completely recovers, he should be able to head back immediately without any further complications, sensei."
"I suppose we'll have to postpone the celebration party until Jiraiya comes back then." Sarutobi smoked on his pipe and sighed at his wacky kids. Still, they were his kids and he loved them completely, no matter how difficult or weird they were. Putting a hand on Orochimaru's shoulder in a fatherly gesture, he said, "Come and sit with me for tea, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru smiled and replied, "It would be my pleasure, sensei." He ignored the looks of disapproval at the obvious favoritism, only caring about the opinions of those he cared about.
Two months later... night time.
Jiraiya arrived in front of the village's gate, his usually jovial manner completely absent. The tall young man with wild white hair that was standing before the gates wore a look of utter conflict, his gaze intense and his jaws tight at what he had learned from the toad sages back at Mount Myoboku, when he came to visit them and tell them to adjust his training schedule as he had been recovering back at the hospital.
"Orochimaru and Tsunade did what?!"
"Jiraiya-chan, don't cha remember? They betrayed the mission. Orochimaru sought to steal the forbidden technique you three were sposed to destroy, and Tsunade assisted him."
"Out of foolish foolish love," sighed the female toad sage.
Jiraiya's hands curled into fists, feeling utterly trapped with what he was supposed to do. If he had to guess, Orochimaru would be the one responsible for their memory loss to escape punishment. No one was a more sneaky snake than he was. But did he realize that a lie, no matter how well it was executed, always faced a risk of being revealed? He must not have accounted for his toad sages in remembering the event.
Slowly, he walked up to the closed gates and loudly knocked. When it was opened, the guard said in surprise, "Well if it isn't the Village's Madness! Welcome back! But weren't you supposed to be back next week according to your letter? Lord Third even asked us to be prepared next week and he along with your teammates was even going to come welcome you themselves-"
"I need to speak to Sarutobi-sensei immediately," Jiraiya said brusquely. "Let me in."
"O-oh ok."
Without another word, Jiraiya made haste to the Hokage's office.
Darkwings13:
-I made a reference to our favorite shark man, Kisame xD He does look weird but I adore that fish guy.
-Tsunade's kimono is based off Setsuka's kimono from Soul Calibur 3
- A thank you note to BlackLady777 previously, for pointing out Orochimaru's stats in the databook. He has a perfect score of 5 for genjutsu, despite the fact that we never see him use much genjutsu in the anime. Might be because of the loss of arms and all. But anyways, I wanted to showcase that skill of his more in my story, and tie it along with hi future 'sound' village.
(─‿─) I've always aimed to make this story follow the canon storyline, JigokuShoujosRevenge. But yep, I want to build up Orochimaru's character and let the readers see how he later changed to a villian, and also catch glimpses of his buried humanity through the anime/manga.
(^ー^)ｖThank you very much Slimjim77!
(*^ ω^) Thank you LuckyLefty77! Hoped you like the date chapter.
(*≧∀≦*) Hi xxhebi-himexx! Jiraiya, I feel like he could find humor in almost any situation. He's such a sunny guy. And yep, Orochi has come to realize that it's better to have no regrets than to miss something that could be meaningful and real. With Tsunade always being super supportive and doing the little meaningful things like bringing him hot dessert, he was moved to ask her to go on a date. And exactly my friend. If there's something I really wanted to portray in this story, is that despite the future tragedies that awaits, and the fact that their relationship is far from perfect and has its flaws, it's real. *Still crossing fingers for Orotsu in the canon series, especially since he's changed alot*
(っ*´∀｀*)っI adore kid Orochi, wanna hug him so much too, BlackLady777. And I think that Sarutobi saw him as a kid in his dying moments, because on the inside, he knows that Orochimaru was a good kid and very precious. And you're right about what I wanted to do with the different portrayals and erased memories. It also ties into what Orochimaru said about 'I can't make everything seem beautiful forever. There will be times where I fear that I may fail you, and all you'll see is ugliness'. But even so, the constant is that their love and lives are real. Speaking of fanart, I'm inspired to draw Oro and Tsu during this date. And I'm still eager to have Sarutobi have the Talk with Orochimaru. But uhhhh... first, must deal with Jiraiya. Oh and I did consider making Tsu be stuck as a kid a little longer, but she's waited long enough to date Oro that if I made her wait even more, it'd be cruel and unusual punishment xD Poor girl.
(人ﾟ∀ﾟ) I feel that Konoha is indeed pretty prejudiced, ileangie23. From the Senju vs Uchiha thing, the Uchiha clan was discriminated against and during council meetings and stuff, they couldn't really rise up in ranks. Naruto was mistreated badly. Kushina, as a foreigner was bullied. The latter two were saved by Iruka and Minato respectively, leading them to try and be more open to the village. Sarutobi and his team did the same for Orochimaru but then shit hit the fan for him with the war and him fighting right in the middle of it (I still consider the 4th war to be a complete joke) and then being affected by Tsu's loss and Jiraiya running off around the world. :( At least it looks like he's got his happy family at the end with Mitsuki and seems to be back on good relationship with Tsu and Konoha. And since youve mentioned that Jiraiya knows that Oro cares about her, I feel like that's why he proposed that she should be Hokage. He probably believed that Oro wouldn't hurt the Leaf if she was the leader, despite the fact that she doesn't even want the job and has her blood phobia. Will expand on this later. And I totally think that since their team dynamic is so comfortable with each other, she's kind of bossy towards the two. Orochimaru also seems to be highly amused by her violent temper and demanding personality. Which reminds me that all the girls he's associated with (Tayuya, Rin, Anko, Guren,.Karin, Tsunade) is tomboyish. It's funny lol. I feel like a joke with their relationship is if Mitsuki calls Tsu 'dad' and calls Oro 'mom'. BWAHAHHAHAHAHA XD