"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Augh!" While drinking tea with his wife, Hashirama jumped when he heard his granddaughter scream coming from the courtyard. "Tsuna?! I'm coming!" Slipping on his feet, he ran out from under the elegant gazebo, his yellow robe billowing around him.

His wife sighed, brushing back a strand of her red hair and throwing some more crumbs to the koi fishes around the gazebo. "Honestly... he's spoiling her."

"Augh!" In Hashirama's office, his brother, Tobirama knocked over the ink and it spread across his papers. It was bad enough that his brother ditched all the paperworks on to him, but now this?! When he heard Tsunade scream again, he got out of his brother's chair and fumed. Making a few hand seals, he shouted, "Flying Thunder God Technique!"

"Tsuna! Your grandpa is here!" Bursting into the spacious and garden-like courtyard, Hashirama looked around anxiously for her.

Tsunade cheered when her grandfather showed up. To her surprise, her grand-uncle also showed up, spewing fire from his nostrils (figuratively). "Granduncle?!"

Tobirama crossed his arms and glared at the two. "What's with all this racket, brother? Tsunade?" He jerked a finger at the window of his brother's office. "I can't possibly work on all of your overdue papers in such an environment."

Hashirama immediately sulked. "You care more about the papers than us..."

"Idiot!" Tobirama walked over to them and glared down at Tsunade. "Now tell me, Tsunade, why is the youngest lady of the house screaming in such an unladylike behaviour?" He shot his brother a 'it's bad enough you take her gambling and now this' look.

Tsunade sighed, walking over to a bench under a cherry blossom tree. "I suck at ninjutsu... and I'm only decent at taijutsu."

Hashirama siddled up to his brother. "Tobirama, she's clearly not feeling well. We must cheer her up and reassure her how wonderful she is-"

"Of course she's doing terrible," Tobirama said bluntly, shoving his brother off of him. "Your teacher told us that you've been sleeping in class and you occasionally play hooky!"

"What?!" Hashirama put a hand to his heart. "My Tsuna is that irresponsible?"

Immediately, Tobirama punched his brother on the head. "She's been playing hooky with you!"

"B-but she told me she finished school early!" he protested.

Rubbing his eyes, Tobirama sighed before saying to his grand-niece, "Why do you suddenly care all of a sudden, Tsunade?"

"I want to beat someone," she replied simply. "But I don't think I can win..."

Sitting down beside her, Tobirama asked, "That still doesn't explain the screaming."

"I was just frustrated. I can't do the Shadow Clone Technique," she said, her cheeks puffing up in irritation. "I've been practising all morning."

"It's a high level jutsu, you can't possibly perform it," Tobirama stated. "Why not try the Clone Technique?"

She shook her head rapidly. "No no! It's not good enough to win." Straightening in her chair, she pulled on her grandpa and grand-uncle's shirt and gave them puppy eyes. "Please train me. I only have five days left. I need to do good in taijutsu and have one really good ninjutsu to back me up."

"Of course!" Hashirama said excitedly. "I'm always here for you, Tsuna. I'll teach you all of the best hand to hand combat you'll need."

Tobirama grimaced when his brother and grand-niece looked at him expectantly. "I still have a mountain of paperwork..." Their eyes grew rounder and he facepalmed. "Fine." He eyed Tsunade and said, "The Shadow Clone Technique is something I created, so I expect that you won't make a fool out of that technique."

"I'm sure she'll do splendid," Hashirama said proudly, rubbing her head.

Tsunade beamed, squeezing their hands. "I want to spend more time with the both of you before you leave too..."

Immediately, Tobirama and Hashirama turned solemn, knowing that time was growing short and that they may soon return to a bloody fighting ground once again. They glanced at each other briefly before squeezing her hand in reassurance.

Orochimaru woke up, gasping for breath. The sun wasn't even up. His room was draped in cool darkness but his body was drenched in sweat. Looking at his hands, he swallowed thickly, trying to will them to stop shaking. He was never sure if he should be grateful that he never had to see the life slowly drain out of his parents... or the fact that he never got a chance to say good-bye to them. That question haunted him constantly, and his dreams would continually show him running to them as they laid there dying, reaching out towards him. What did they even die for? What was the meaning in their deaths? The excuse that it was for the village, meant nothing to him and was not a good enough explanation as to why the most important people in his life was gone so suddenly.

Death came in all shapes and forms. Everything that had a physical body, perishes. So in the end, what was the point? What was the reason for existing? Most importantly, what was the point in forming bonds, when you know you'll never have them with you forever. It has to end somewhere and it will always be painful. Alone, he didn't have to deal with these thoughts and fears, instead, he could learn and study until he finds an answer to all of this.

You fear things that you don't understand. Once you've learned it, studied it and understand it, you can conquer that fear, Orochimaru.

His father's words echoed in his head, once again reassuring him. He may fear death now... but the more he understood it, the closer he'll get to conquering it. All he had to do was continue learning and studying.

Getting out of bed, he slowly walked over to the table and lit a candle. The light washed over his pale, tired and sad face as he touched his parent's picture. Tomorrow... was the day he was going to be fighting against Tsunade. Her Will of Fire... can't possibly trump the harsh reality of this world and of endings. "Be with me," he said quietly, hugging the picture to his chest.

Orochimaru's eyes moved to the right when Tsunade took a seat on the desk beside him. He could feel a few of their classmates taking notice as well and he said emotionlessly, "May I ask what you're doing, Tsunade-hime?"

She grinned, placing her bag on the table. "This will be my new seat after today. Did you forget our bet?"

"Hmph." He turned his head away and returned to opening his scroll. After today, he won't have to deal with her anymore. He sneaked a glance over at her once more as she began humming and taking her things out of the bag. She was too confident... either she was overly optimistic or she had a trick up her sleeve. His eyes narrowed slightly, thinking about the research he's gathered on her from around the village. Her grandfather was Hokage, her grand-uncle was candidate for second Hokage, her grandmother's skills were unknown but he heard she possessed immense stamina and strength. As for her parents, they were currently out a long-term mission, and will not be back for at least half a year. Most likely an S-rank mission since it was taking so long. This would mean that her parents would be excellent ninjas as well.

Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes and ran over his strategy. She had amazing physical strength, was very fast and dexterous. Her results in gym were top notch, beating even his. Only thing she lost to him was agility by a marginal amount. She was proficient enough with weapons, and could throw the shurikens well. However, her arsenal of ninjutsus is most likely limited. She was too lazy of a person to learn anything out of class. So far, they've only learned five. As for him, he knew at least thirty and could perform twenty-three. So he far outclassed her in that department. Next, neither of them could use genjutsu so it would be a battle between taijutsu and ninjutsu. He was good in both whereas she was excellent in one and adequate in the second. If he could keep her at a distance, he would win.

Tsunade pouted when Orochimaru smirked and began reading his scroll. Sticking her tongue out at him briefly, she returned her attention to the class when their teacher began his lecture.

For the rest of the day, he noted that she steadily grew quieter and quieter. Obviously, the waiting and uncertainties must be getting to her. His eyes flickered to the clock, noting that there was only half an hour before they head out to their match. His smile grew wider, eager to start. To actually test his skills against someone decent would be good practice. He jumped slightly when she tossed a ball of paper on his desk. Unravelling it, he immediately gave her a look of exasperation/annoyance. She had drawn him with his hair braided in flowers as the first thing they'd do as friends once she's beaten him.

She giggled and winked. "Bet on it!" He made a sound of displeasure, unconsciously touching his hair before returning to his reading. She couldn't help but notice that while he usually didn't display much emotion, he seemed to really care about his hair. Tilting her head, she looked it over carefully. It was long, silky, and gleamed like the purest black obsidian. Not even her hair was as pretty as his. The one time someone had called it ugly in his presence, he shot them a death glare so powerful that she was sure that their knees ended up rattling. Yet the other time, when someone called it girly, he didn't care and continued walking. Scratching her cheek, she guessed it probably wasn't a good idea to touch his hair. Maybe they can do something else after.

"So what do you want to do after I beat you?"

"Hmph." He looked over at her, his eyes half closed. They had chosen an empty and grassy field for the match. Only a few trees dotted the landscape along with some boulders. It was an open plain, hard to hide from. He had picked this spot so that she could not drag out the time by trying to hide. That, and he wouldn't let her use any sneak attacks on him.

The skies were a bright blue and painted over with thick white clouds. There was only a gentle breeze today and the sun was still high in the sky. If all went as planned, he'd be able to make it home in time to start on dinner and finish his homework. "Tsunade-hime," he said lowly. His lips twitched in anticipation. "The only thing you should be doing after this is finding an excuse to tell your family how you lost that necklace. I'm not going to hold back." His eyes darkened. "This silly game of yours ends today."

"Shut up," she said, glowering at him and raising her fist. "I will win this for the both of us."

"Hmph." He moved his hair over his shoulder and said, "I never asked for this."

"I know the truth." She grinned and cracked her knuckles. "For some people, you need to crack through the hard shell until you reach the soft bits. Sorry Orochi, but this is gonna hurt."

Orochimaru adjusted his stance, moving his left leg back for increased stability. "First to land three strikes on the other wins. Whether it be a bruise or drawing blood, anything that leaves a mark on the body counts. It will be a free for all."

She felt a slight twinge of fear. Draw blood? He really was going all out wasn't he? She bit her lips, adjusting her own stance into an offensive one. Drawing out her kunai, she said, "Ready when you are."

"Just move when you feel like it, Tsunade-hime."

They stared at each other, their minds calculating and anticipating each other's first move. She could feel sweat starting to creep on her neck as she continued looking into Orochimaru's dead eyes. It felt like looking into the eyes of a snake who was merely waiting for the opportunity to strike. No way she was going to let him, she thought to herself.

"Take this!"

Orochimaru's eyes flashed as she threw five shurikens at him. With three back flips, he dodged all of them. Landing gracefully, he muttered, "Too slow, Tsunade-hime." Making a quick succession of hand seals, he shouted, "Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Technique!"

Tsunade gasped and stumbled back when he vanished in a puff of smoke. Where was he? She wracked her brain quickly for the technique he just used. If she remembered correctly, this was a track and sneak attack ninjutsu. She quickly realized that he must be trying to strike her from underground and jumped out of the way just as he popped up and tried to cut at her ankle. "You're too slow!" she teased back, wearing a wide grin. "You're not the only one that's been studying, Orochi! I can't use it but I know what it does."

He glared at her. "We'll see."

Tsunade bit her lips as he disappeared once again. He must be trying to strike just as her feet touches the ground. As she was slowly falling down from the air, there was no way she'd be able to dodge. But... she grinned, raising up her first. She was not going to dodge this time.

"Argh!"

"Ha!"

Orochimaru flew backwards and held a hand to his cheek as he slowly sat up. She had punched the ground so hard, that she had produced a deep crater. Not only did it forced him to surface, but it also landed a hit on him.

"First strike is mine!" she cheered.

"Don't get cocky." Jumping to his feet, he ran forward, going for a direct attack. With both kunai in hand, he swiped at her. She barely managed to react as their weapons clashed and sparks ran down the metal. His arms shook as she struck back and he quickly learned that it was better to dodge than to block. Her strength was great but nonetheless... He smirked when he grabbed onto her ponytail and yanked hard. Swiftly, he sliced at the back of her neck and leaped away. "You only look forward, never back," he said, holding up his kunai. "If I was an enemy, I'd have sliced a different away and you'd be dead."

"Eah..." She clutched at the stinging wound, feeling the blood come through the cracks of her hand. "That's..."

His eyes narrowed to slits. "I have no need for weak friends, especially as a ninja. They die too easily. You understand the second reason why I've asked for this match now?"

"That's cruel!" she shouted. "Not everyone is strong-"

"That's why not everyone survives," he replied flatly. "We're going to grow up to be ninjas. I don't have the heart or time to invest my feelings in anyone who I know will be dead within a year or so. After this match, I hope that at least that message will get through to you, Tsunade."

She growled at him. "I'm not weak! I'll prove to you that you won't lose me when we become friends. And I'll teach you that it's not physical strength that matters, it's willpower!"

He almost grimaced at the words. "You're making me feel sick."

"Nothing is impossible as long as you have the will and determination," she shot back. "You suggested this match because you're sure you'd win. But I trained my ass off for this, and I'll show you!"

"I never said you were weak, Tsunade-hime," he replied calmly. "But I have little faith that a relationship with you will last indefinitely. Everything must come to an end." When she winced, he added, "That injury will hurt whenever you move your head. You're at a serious disadvantage now, Tsunade."

"Shut it. I never go back on my gambles." She made a pained sound as she faced him once more. "I promised my grandfather to uphold his Will of Fire. You're a part of the village, you can't be alone. I won't let you!"

He grunted as she dashed at him and slashed. "You fool..." he said, parrying the blow. Leaping over her head, he threw a shuriken that she knocked away. Retaliating, he threw five at her and his eyes narrowed when a log dropped at his feet. The Body Replacement technique? He looked up as she jumped towards him. "You're wide open." He tossed another one at her and when another log dropped at his feet, he hissed. Where was she? A whistling sound came from his right and he slashed. A third piece of log fell and he shouted, "Is that the only technique you know?"

When he heard a sound from the back, he threw another shuriken at her. "I've enough! Where's the real one?" When blood spurted from her right arm, his eyes widened as he realized this one wasn't a substitution. He gagged as her fist connected with his stomach, salivia running down the side of his mouth as he choked on his own spit and flew into a boulder.

"We're... even now," she panted.

He winced as he touched his chest. Damn it... she might have broken one of his ribs.

She coughed and forced a smile on her face. "The payoff is better when you risk more. Looks like I broke one of your ribs, Orochimaru." She laughed before coughing. "We're probably... going to have to spend out first friend day... at a clinic or something."

He made a sound of annoyance in the back of his throat and glowered. "I'm done. This is the end." Making five rapid hand seals, his eyes darkened. "Wind Element: Spiralling Blast!" Sucking in a lungful of air, he expelled it with his chakra to produce a solid wall of pressured air."

"Shadow Clone technique!"

Those aren't normal clones, he thought as his vortex hit them. Their body made dents in the grass before they vanished. If it was only an illusion, that shouldn't have happened. He looked up as twenty Tsunades leaped down on him and he quickly formed more hand seals. "Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole!"

As he sped out of their range, his eyes narrowed as she left tens of craters. Rocks poked up from the ground and dirt flew everywhere. When the smoke settled down, he saw that all of her clones were gone and she was standing on the top rock with a look of exhaustion. "Looks like you've used up all of your chakra with that move," he said, drawing out his last shuriken from his sleeve.

"I... augh." She held a hand to her chest and breathed hard, her eyes glazing over.

"I've won." He threw it at her. The weapon spun through the air, aiming to cut at her right shoulder. There was no where she could go now. The rock was too high, she can't possibly jump down in that state, especially with all the spikes at the bottom. The ledge she was on was also too narrow to dodge. Once she got hit, he'd go get her down from there. His eyes widened when she fell backwards. Did she faint? He saw a sharp rock protruding up at the spot where she'd definitely land from her fall. Speeding towards her, he jumped and caught her in his arms before rolling to a stop in the dirt and grass. "Tsunade!" He shook her. There were cases where too much loss of chakra could kill you. Did she push herself that hard? "Tsunade, answer me." He sat her up and shook her. "Tsunade, wake up. How do you feel?"

He placed a hand on her cheek and moved her head. Did she perhaps lose too much blood? "Augh!" He dropped her, cradling his hand as she bit into it. "What-" He looked over to see her smiling at him tiredly. "Third strike... I won, Orochimaru."

"You!" He glared at her as he nursed his injured hand. "That's cheating."

"No," she said. "It's just knowing your opponent. I knew you that you would catch me." She winked. "Kunoichis are important on teams for missions that involve tricking males enemies. I'm not cheating at all. I'm just being a ninja."

"If you were wrong, you could have died," he hissed. "What if I couldn't even make it to you in time?"

"I'd just dodge that rock in the last second," she said, grimacing as she sat up. The gesture took too much energy though, and she collapsed back on her back. "Ow..."

"Liar. You don't have the strength." He walked over and knelt down beside her with a sour expression. There was no denying that she had won though, even if the tactic was shady. His expression softened as he looked over her injuries. She had indeed trained incredibly hard for this. To think... she valued this chance this much, and had even bet on her necklace. Then, to win this battle, she had let herself get hurt to gain a hit and then also risked getting seriously injured to end it. Soft sunlight washed over her tired face and he sighed. "You're an interesting person, Tsunade-hime. I'll stay with you to study you... for now."

She immediately fumed. "You mean, be friends right?"

He smirked. "You can view our relationship like that if you want." He moved back slightly when she raised her trembling arms towards him. "What?"

"Carry me back home, I'm hungry. I can't walk." When he seemed annoyed, she laughed. "A man keeps his words. You're now my friend unless you're not a man!"

His lips curled. "Being a girl doesn't sound so bad, really. You girls have a bigger washroom."

"OROCHIMARU!"

He couldn't help but smirk when she tried to punch him, but only ended up falling back. "Save your breath, Tsunade-hime." Taking her hands, he wrapped them around his neck and picked her up on his back. "You really are a princess," he murmured, slowly walking. "Making me carry you as the first thing to do as your friend."

Tsunade smiled, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Are you sad that you lost?"

"Hmph. Try not to rub it in, or I might just accidentally drop you, Tsunade-hime."

"Meanie," she pouted. She was beginning to grow sleepy as the rhythm of his steps, the warmth of his body and her own exhaustion caught upto her. She couldn't help but think that he really did have nice hair. It smelled like soap, wind, freshly cut grass, and was so silky. "Orochimaru..." she mumbled sleepily, rubbing her cheek against his hair. "What do you use to have such nice hair?" She thought he said something in reply, but she didn't really catch it as she closed her eyes and fell asleep on his back.

He glanced back at her half-heartedly as she mumbled gibberish in her sleep. He had to admit, he admired her slightly for her strong personality. She certainly didn't give up easy, that's for sure.

"Tsuna? Tsuna you're awake!"

Tsunade slowly opened her eyes and looked over to see her grandfather sitting beside her bed, looking extremely relieved. "I'm... home?" Indeed, as the background of the room came into view, she knew that she was indeed home. Her yellow transparent canopy covered her queen sized bed, with its fluffy white pillows covered by gold embroidering. Her slug stuffed animal rested beside her and she slowly sat up.

"Oh thank goodness! My sweet little baby," Hashirama sobbed, hugging her.

She blushed and said, "Granpda, I was just tired. The injuries I did have, you could cure with a sneeze."

"That's not the point!" he said loudly, letting go of her. His eyes grew bigger and he said, "Seeing you in such terrible shape, makes me feel like the world's worst grandfather. Thank the stars Orochimaru was there to protect you from those bullies." A passionate fire raged in his eyes. "If it wasn't inappropriate, I'd spank all of them to the moon."

She blinked in question. "Bullies?"

"Yes, isn't that why you two got so hurt?"

Catching on quickly, she bobbed her head. "Ye-yea. Those bullies knew those three kids Orochimaru knocked out on our first day. They thought I was his friend and went to get me first." She quickly asked, "Did you heal his rib?"

Hashirama gave her the thumbs up. "I did. He's having tea with your grandmother." Putting a hand to his chin, he said, "Mito seemed rather fond of him. They're talking about the history of her clan and he's asking her questions based on his readings."

Tsunade smiled. "That's good to hear. Can... can I talk to him before he heads home?"

Hashirama looked over at her window and said, "It's getting late. I was thinking of letting him stay over and sleep in one of the guest room. You two can then head off for school tomorrow together."

"Yay! That would be great," Tsunade cheered.

Five seconds later...

"That is not great," Tobirama said, fuming as he met his brother outside Tsunade's room. "You're going to let some strange boy stay over at our mansion?"

"Hey," Hashirama protested. "He's Tsunade's friend."

Tobirama crossed his arms. "Your brain hasn't been that addled from lack of use has it? You can clearly tell that the reason why his rib was broken was because of Tsunade. Clearly, they fought-" A vein throbbed on his forehead when his brother shrugged.

"Everyone fights, all that matters is the making up part. I'm not going to question those children." He laughed and clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Just like how you didn't question when Mito sent me flying out the bedroom window."

"Probably because you did something idiotic to upset her," Tobirama replied. His eyes narrowed. "That kid, Orochimaru was it? You said he was polite and quiet but all I sense is a snake. He told a very good story, lying without showing any trace of hesitation. Do you really want someone like that to be Tsunade's friend?"

Hashirama yawned. "I lied about doing work all the time too."

"BROTHER!"

Wincing, Hashirama replied solemnly, "You shouldn't judge the kid too harshly. His parents, ninjas who were out fulfilling their duties for the village, died and left him as an orphan." His brown eyes grew sad. "I heard that he caught a glimpse of their mangled bodies when they asked him to identify some of his parent's personal belongings. It must have been traumatizing."

Tobirama sighed. "I still don't like that kid but Sarutobi is waiting for me in the office. We'll talk later."

With that, he disappeared in a flash of smoke.

"Husband." Mito Uzumaki smiled, tilting her head and curtsying in her beautiful cheery blossom themed kimono as she appeared in the hallway.

Hashirama opened his arms and grinned. "My beautiful wife! Perfect timing!" Folding his hands behind is back, he smiled down at Orochimaru who was by her side. "You too. Tsunade is waiting for you inside."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow in surprise. To be able to wake up so soon meant she had fast chakra regeneration, something much more important than physical healing. He gasped when Hashirama shoved him through the door without another word. "Don't keep my princess waiting kiddo!"

Orochimaru sighed, dusting his long white robe. "Your grandfather is certainly energetic," he muttered. He took a quick glance at her room. It was large, with two big windows opening up to a gorgeous night view of the courtyard. Long golden curtains framed the windows, tied back by forest green cords. Her bed, with its canopy of translucent yellow canopy partially hide her snow white bed with soft gold blankets and matching white and gold pillows. He was slightly amused to see the white and blue slug stuffed animal resting beside her. Nearby was a mountain of stuffed animals that she had built up over the years. On the right side of her room was her study table, a lovely piece of furniture. The craftsmanship was simply superb. Across from it was a sitting area with sofas, also matching the white and gold theme.

"Great room huh?" Tsunade said proudly.

"Hmph." He walked over and neatly sat down on the chair beside her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine enough," she said brightly. "What about you?" He shrugged in reply, turning his head to look at her headboard. She pouted slightly and said, "Cold as ever."

The corners of his lips twitched. "You are certainly interesting, Tsunade-hime." He cocked his head, regarding her with his golden eyes. "Even now, I still don't really understand what happened. Is this a dream?" Letting out a long breath, he muttered, "To go to all the trouble to help someone like this... why?"

Her cheeks turned pink and she fidgeted in her bed. After a moment's pause, she said, "I... I have alot of respect for you." He remained silent at her response, but she could see he was slightly intrigued by the answer. Tsunade took in a big breath before saying, "You're the smartest in the class and you're super hardworking. You never stop and you never give up. Sometimes, I sorta spy on you..."

"That's alittle creepy," he commented.

"Shut up and let me finish." She stuck her tongue out at him before continuing. "Sometimes, I see you stare after kids who are picked up by their parents and you have the saddest look in your eyes. I also know that you frequently visited the cemetery. Your great love for your parents really touched me." She held out a hand and smiled. "I see myself in you from the love we have for our family."

His eyes widened, remembering seeing the image of himself when she cried to him that day. When she grabbed his hand, he swallowed, trying not to instinctively pull away. "You..."

"I think you're amazing," she said, her hazel eyes hard. "You may be cold, but I've never seen someone so hardworking, intelligent, strong, and capable of such a deep love for his family. At first I thought you were just really cool and the sadness for your parents deaths made me want to reach out to you. But now, I see that there's so much more to you and I just really really like what I've seen. I really like you, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru swallowed and looked at their entwined hands. "So... you..."

"I want to become friends with someone who has so much love for his parents and is working so hard. That's why I gambled everything to reach out to you," she confirmed, nodding rapidly. She gasped when she saw his eyes teared up. "Orochi... maru?"

He squeezed his eyes shut, biting down sharply on the side of his cheek to hide away his emotions. The bitter tang of blood coated his tongue and he turned his head away from her. "You are certainly interesting, Tsunade."

She watched him curiously as he stood up and drew away his hand. "Orochimaru?"

"Goodnight, Tsunade-hime."

As he walked away, she shouted, "Wa-wait! Did I say something wrong?" When he looked over his shoulder at her, she cried out. "Oroc-orochimaru!" He was smiling... he was smiling at her. It wasn't a smirk, or indifferent curve of the lips. It was a genuine smile.

"Your gamble paid off," he said lightly, his eyes warm like melted honey.

"It's time for bed, Tsunade."

Tsunade shrieked in fright. "Grand-uncle?!" Tobirama was sitting on a tree branch that hung near her opened window and she fumed. "Eavesdropping is rude."

Tobirama narrowed his eyes. He threw a kunai at her door. Yanking on the string connecting to the weapon, he opened it and Hashirama rolled in unceremoniously. It was quite obvious that the First Hokage had been eavesdropping as well.

Tsunade screamed. "Augh! This is so embarrassing."

"Tobirama!" Hashirama shouted at his brother. "Weren't you supposed to be talking to Saru?"

"Shut up," Tobirama retorted. "You're supposed to be finishing up the paperwork, brother."

Her grandmother put a hand to her mouth and laughed demurely. Holding out a hand to Orochimaru, she said gently, "Come, I'm sure you're tired, Orochimaru. I'll show you to one of the guest room. It's far too late to go home now."

Tsunade gaped as Orochimaru respectfully bowed and headed off with her grandmother, looking perfectly at ease. She crossed her arms angrily. How does he keep his cool and adapt so easily?

Darkwings13:

-Even though Tobirama is the more solemn of the two Senju brothers, I think he probably doted on Tsunade as well. Just in a different manner haha. Also, he never seemed to like Orochimaru in comparison to Hashirama, who even had the heart to praise Orochimaru's skill at the Edo Tensei. Orochimaru also seemed familiar with him enough to show a sweat drop at his behaviour. The amount of times Lord Orochimaru sweat dropped... is like nil xD

-If the fight scene sucked please let me know so I can improve. :)

-Episode 26 of Naruto, Orochimaru did not look pleased at all when a strand of his hair was accidentally cut by Anko. He also made a comment 'Why, I get itchy when I see blood. Also, because my precious hair was cut so I got alittle excited." The blood part is easily understandable, the hair part to me was more like a small nugget about his personality.

To Guest and Nobody, thank you for enjoying the story and I hope I'm updating soon enough for you. JigokuShoujosRevenge, very grateful for your feedback friend. I try my best to keep with Naruto's humor and solemn moments. Life is serious but it's also fun, that's what I believe in too haha. Hope that you'll enjoy this chapter. Hi again as well, ileangie23. I think I need more work on Tsunade's characterization, but I am having alot of fun writing about Orochimaru and Hashirama. I can strangely relate to the two and I'm happy you think all of the are well portrayed friend. The necklace was added as an after-thought, and I'm glad it helped with the sincerity of Tsunade's bet.

Till next time all readers. :D