Orochimaru looked at the locked gates that contained the dark and ominous forest before him and narrowed his eyes. The trees were old, tall and they stretched up to the sky with thick wooden limbs. Danger signs were posted all over the metal gates as well but he didn't even need them to know how dangerous the place was. The forest was silent. Every creature in that place knew that to attract attention meant certain death. Not even the birds were singing.

"You're all here and ready to listen?" An imposing man with crossed scars on his chin eyed them with disinterest as they turned their attention towards him. Letting out an irritated sound, he muttered, "Homura must have been too soft on you. There are too many here. By the time I'm done with you all, no more than ten will pass this stage."

The air immediately grew heavy and hushed whispers broke out amongst the fifty-something participants there. Beside him, both Jiraiya and Tsunade exchanged worried looks and he too, felt something tugged at his insides. Whatever this examiner was going to say next, would not be good news.

"My name is Danzo and I'm in charge of the second stage of the Chunin exam this year." He crossed his arms and said, "For this stage, you'll be handed either an Earth or Heaven scroll. You'll then need to steal a scroll that's different from yours and then head to the Tower, which is located in the middle of the Forest. It usually ends there but as there are so many of you, I'm going to make it more difficult for you all." His dark black eyes flashed. "You must all survive within the Forest of Death for a minimum of seven days and a maximum of ten days before your team is allowed to access the tower."

Jiraiya pointed and said loudly, "You're making us stay in a Forest of DEATH for a week?!"

Danzo replied coldly, "A shinobi must survive in much more frightening situations than a forest with poisonous creatures and plants."

"There's also giant snakes, tigers and bears in there!" Tsunade protested, knowing that the place was forbidden for a reason. Only very capable ninjas were even allowed to be ten meters close to it. "What if someone dies-"

"Exactly." Danzo's straightened up and said, "We'll be having you babies sign consent forms before you enter. We are not responsible for any deaths that occur and we do not care if they do occur. Here, you are allowed to kill another team if needed, to obtain their scrolls." Danzo pointed to the booth where their consent forms awaited. "The Second Stage commences in half an hour. Fill out your forms and hand it in and then line up at the gate you're assigned to."

Orochimaru raised his hand. "If too many make it past this stage, will the next stage be even harder?"

"If too many passes this one, which I highly doubt, we will further wheedle you all down of course," answered Danzo.

Tsunade noticed the dark expression on Orochimaru's face as they lined up for the forms. "Are you worried, Orochimaru?"

He shushed her. "Not here." He took his sheet and waited patiently for his two teammate. They sat down at a distance and he said solemnly, "We need to set up base immediately. We're stuck in that place for a week and we'll need water, food and a place to rest to make sure we're always strong enough to guard our scroll."

Jiraiya scribbled out his signature, not even bothering to read and he passed the pencil over to Tsunade. "So then, when do we attack another team for their scroll?"

Orochimaru's brows furrowed together. "I'll handle that part myself."

"What are you saying? We're a team. You can't do that alone," protested Tsunade, looking up from her paper.

"We can't leave the scroll unguarded," he said sternly, quickly checking to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "You two must stay at the base and keep it hidden."

Jiraiya punched him. "I'm not your housewife. We're going to do this together. You can't defeat a team of three by yourself for the scroll."

Tsunade nodded vehemently. "I agree with Jiraiya-"

Orochimaru hissed and said icily, "You both shut up right now. This is very serious." The two quieted down by the panic they could detect in their friend's eyes. He was clearly tense and Jiraiya was slightly unsettled to see the calm and cool genius like this. He's even told Tsunade to shut up, meaning there was something very wrong. When the two were silent, Orochimaru lowered his voice and said, "We are stuck in that place for a week. Chances of encountering another team has just skyrocketed by at least 75%. The more battles we face, the more we'll tire out and be in danger. If you two can disguise the base, keep it protected, lay traps around it and be well rested, our scroll is safe. I have Manda and I know how to use sneak attacks. Once I get a scroll, I'll stay with you two at the base and then we'll just wait it out until we're allowed to go to the Tower."

Tsunade bit at her thumbnail and said, "But what if you get captured? How will we know to come rescue you?"

"You don't."

Her hazel eyes widened and Jiraiya made an angry sound in his throat. "Are you serious? We can't abandon you-"

"If you come after me, I'll become a hostage," Orochimaru interjected. "Better they think I got separated from you two or that I got lost. Then I'll at least have a chance that they'll leave me alone." He signed his paper and took theirs from them. "No arguing. I've already ran twenty scenarios through my head and this is the best we've got to survive and pass."

Tsunade watched as her friend walked off to hand in the papers, her heart heavy and ill at the idea that for seven days, Orochimaru would have to go off alone and fight all by himself. She turned to Jiraiya and said, "This is a terrible idea. What if he got attacked by a tiger or something?"

"You can tell he's adamant on the idea, right?" Jiraiya said, for once extremely serious. When she continued to worry, he said, "Let's lay alot of traps around our base. If someone falls into it with the right scroll, then Orochimaru won't have to go off alone."

Tsunade perked up at his suggestion. "You... you're right. Yes, we can do that Jiraiya!"

The white hair boy grinned. "Oh, you're finally appreciating the great Jiraiya's intelligence?" He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Of course, if smartass is absent, it'll just be the two of us alone-"

She cracked him on the head and stomped off after Orochimaru. "Pervert." Catching up to him, she looked down at the scroll they were given. It was an earth scroll.

"Don't open this until we're at the tower," he said, passing it to her. "Otherwise, we'll fail the exam."

She gulped and gingerly took it from his hand. What was inside this thing anyways?

From his position, Danzo eyed the two kids before he glanced over the three Root members he had placed into the exam. His organization needed new members. What better way to find someone suitable then in the Chunin exam, where one must bring forth all of their potential and talents if they are faced with death. Blood was not an issue if he could find at least one capable new member. Besides, it is only when humans are faced with death, can they realize their true potential. He wanted to see how his own rookie kids would do anyways. Especially against Sarutobi's kids...

Twenty minutes later...

"Go!"

Orochimaru lead the front with her and Jiraiya a step behind him and on his side as the gates opened. The crushing darkness of the forest and stench of humid air and thick foliage met her nostrils the moment she jumped up the first tree. Despite the sticky warm air, she couldn't help but feel cold all over. She had already passed by two poisonous flowers and in the distance she could see a crawling giant snake. "Where should we set up camp? It's already late in the afternoon."

Orochimaru looked down at the map they were given and replied, "There is a small fall near the northwest section of the forest. We'll carve out the inside of a tree and hide in there." He looked over at Jiraiya. "This is where your cloaking and hiding technique comes in handy, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya gave him a peace sign. "My speciality. No one will find us once I'm done with our base."

"I'll stay with you two on the first day to make sure everything is done properly and I'll set up traps. Tsunade," he said, turning his head to look at her. "You need to carve out the tree. Use Katsuyu to partially melt it with acid, and then dig. With your strength, it should be done in time by night fall."

She nodded. "Ok."

"No more talking. We need to stay silent now," he ordered.

For the next three hours, they jumped through the trees, quiet and tense. Whatever made Orochimaru so nervous, well, it was starting to affect both her and Jiraiya. She couldn't remember a single time when the pervert didn't crack a joke for this long. She herself hadn't asked for rest or food, even though it's already been hours since her lunch at home. There was something very wrong with the forest, with the way Orochimaru was acting, and she couldn't quite grasp why. All of a sudden, Orochimaru stopped and held out a hand keep them from going forward. "What's wrong?" she asked in a hush whisper.

Jiraiya looked around before gasping. "There!"

She peeked down to see a team being attacked by red blood sucking leeches. Cringing, she said, "Those are Konoha's leeches."

Orochimaru added emotionlessly, "They are attracted to human perspiration and like to attack in groups. If they suck your blood for five minutes, you're dead."

Jiraiya gulped and looked around nervously. "Attack in groups... does that mean we're also in the danger zone."

"I don't sweat," Orochimaru said calmly. "But you two do. You both need to distance ourselves from this area." He drew a circle over their map and quickly labeled it. "Take the map and get going. I'll catch up."

"Wait, where are you going?" Jiraiya asked anxiously.

He jerked his head down. "I'm going to check what scroll they have. If we're lucky, we'll have both scrolls in the first three hours of this stage."

"You can't go down there alone. It's dangerous," protested Tsunade. "We're a team. We go together."

"We've already agreed my job is to hunt for the scroll. I have to go alone sooner or later," he said curtly. He glanced down and added, "Those three are obviously weakened anyways. I can handle it. Now get going."

She bit on her lips anxiously. "But-"

"I said get going," he snapped at her.

His coldness cut at her, making her draw back with a hurt expression. He never used that tone of voice with her before. The only time he was this angry, was when he was mad at her and Jiraiya two years ago for that Akano Uchiha incident.

Jiraiya grabbed onto Tsunade's hand and shook his head. "Come on." Squeezing it tightly, he pulled her along as they left the area. They jumped in silence for the next fifteen minutes, him giving her some space and peace to herself. But he could see that she just seemed to get more depressed as time went on. Clearing his throat, he tried to cheer her up. "Hey, maybe Orochimaru stayed up so late he's just grumpy." When she continued to look down, he changed tactics. "Or y-you know, maybe he's on his man period."

At that, Tsunade cracked a smile. Sometimes, Jiraiya could be pretty funny if he wanted to be. "He'd throw another senbon needle at your butt if he heard," she laughed.

Jiraiya grinned. "There we go. Like my dad always say, women are much prettier when they're smiling." He then put a hand to his mouth sideways and whispered, "By the way, what the heck does Orochimaru mean when he doesn't sweat? Everyone sweats right?"

Tsunade wore a thoughtful expression on her face. "I'm not sure actually. But if it's true, I guess that's why he always smell so nice."

Jiraiya made a face. "What do you mean he smells nice?"

"A long time ago, when we had our first battle, I was too tired to walk so I made him give my a piggyback and carry me home," she said, recalling the memory with a fond smile. "Even though we fought till we were battered, bruised and dirty, I remember that he smelled like fresh grass, soap and wind when he was carrying me." She then pouted. "He totally has nicer hair than me..."

"Well I like your hair more than his," Jiraiya spoke up. "It's bright, like the sun."

Her cheeks turned pink and she said, "Wow, what's gotten into the both of you today. You're actually acting gentlemany and Orochi..."

"Is on his man period," Jiraiya interjected, making sure she doesn't get sad again. It seemed to work as she giggled once more.

"An earth scroll like ours," Orochimaru muttured, holding up the blue scroll, his eyes narrowing.

"Give... it back then. You don't need it," gasped the boy with dark brown hair wearing a mask over his face. His teammates nodded behind him, covered with bite marks and dripping blood from the dead leeches around them.

"Hmph." Green flames enveloped the scroll in his hand and he tossed it aside, letting it turn to ashes.

The girl screamed. "Why did you do that?!"

"If you had to ask me that, you're obviously not very smart." He turned his back on them. "There are too many in this exam. I have to whittle down the numbers, otherwise it would only get harder for my team."

"You bastard! Give us back our scroll!"

"How can you do this to the people from your own village! We want to pass just as much as you do!"

Orochimaru barely blinked as he ducked the punches and kicks aimed at him before retaliating with his own taijutsu. The three were already weakened from the blood loss, it was easy enough to counter. Making a few hand seals, he slammed it into the ground and sent a blast of wind up from the ground that sent them flying. Grabbing his kunai, he threw it and it pierced through all three of their hands, making them cry out in pain and lodging them into a tree.

He said in disdain, "I don't care about this village or you people. I'm merely taking out the obstacles in my path. My team will pass, and I don't care how many of you I have to take out myself to do it."

Tsunade scowled as she scrapped out the mushy wood pulp. She had been scraping for the past two hours. Ok granted, she and Jiraiya goofed up abit by splashing around in the waters in front of the tree and Jiraiya had even scaled the waterfall for fun. But still, this was taking forever. Beside her, Katsuyu's eye stalks wiggled and it asked, "Do you need more of my acid, Lady Tsunade?"

"No this is fine," Tsunade said, wiping at her brows. She was already more than halfway into the tree. Just alittle more and it would be all done. "It's just taking alittle longer than expected. I don't want to use too much force or else the tree might just topple over." She looked over at her slug and said, "I remember you eat things like this right? Could you help me clean up the mess, Katsuyu?"

"Of course." Katsuyu immediately divided up into fifty pieces and began munching away at the soft discarded wood pulp.

Sitting on a rock and working on the cloak to disguise the entrance, Jiraiya said, "Hey, it's already dusk and the sun is halfway down. Should one of us go get food and go back for Orochimaru? He's taking awhile."

"I'm here." Orochimaru leaped down from the tree with a small bundle in his hand. Laying down the cloth, he opened to reveal a variety of berries, a few apples and pears he had managed to scavenge. "We'll eat this for dinner."

Tsunade beamed. "Orochimaru!"

Jiraiya looked up with a wide grin. "Are you over your man period?"

Orochimaru quirked an eyebrow as Tsunade began giggling and Jiraiya laughed. "What man period?"

"Never mind, pass me an apple." When Orochimaru tossed him a juicy red apple, he chomped down on it delight. "Sweet!" He put it aside and smeared some more mud onto the cloak.

Walking over, Orochimaru peered at it curiously. He wasn't sure how Jiraiya did it but it really was beginning to look exactly like the bark of a tree. "Impressive."

"What do you expect? I am the great Jiraiya," bragged the white hair boy. He then snapped his fingers. "Oh right! So did you get the heaven scroll?"

"No, it was an earth scroll," Orochimaru replied emotionlessly.

"So what did you do?"

He averted his eyes and lied. "I just left them. They got free of the leeches by themselves anyway."

Tsunade popped up beside him, her arms and hand smeared with wood pulp. "All done!" Cheerfully, she said, "I'm just glad you're not hurt. But too bad it's not a heaven scroll. Then, you wouldn't have to leave us the other days to go hunting."

"It can't be helped," he said uncomfortably. "If I'm not lucky, I might have to go all seven days." Her expression grew sad and he said, "Wash your hands and eat, hime. I'll begin by laying traps around the place-"

They all fell silent as a scream ripped through the air. The orange and red light from the bloody sunset light up the anxious expression on their faces and Orochimaru sniffed at the air wryly, before tentatively sticking his tongue out. A second later, he grabbed them both and pulled them into some dense bushes. "Be very quiet. I smell blood." He stretched out his arm to retrieve the food and the cloak to try and hide their presence. There was nothing he could do about the gaping hole in the large tree however. He'd just have to pray that if somehow saw, they'd think it was from a recent attack instead of three kids trying to make a temporary home out of it.

Laying flat on their stomach and keeping still, they heard the sound of clashing metals, explosions and more screaming. It was obvious that fighting was happening near them and from the sounds of it, a rather bloody and violent one.

Tsunade pressed her hands to her mouth to stiffled a scream as she saw the body of the teenager drop down the fall and got carried away by the currents. His blood dyed the waters red, leaving a bloody trail until the water returned to its original blue color. Hidden in the dense bushes with her teammates, she shook slightly and used all of her experience to mask her chakra as perfectly as possible. She could hear the fighting and screaming slowly getting further and further away but she didn't dare risk moving even an inch.

The next half an hour passed by painstakingly slow. The rocks jabbed into her skin and bugs crawled over their bodies. It felt like an eternity and yet, she still couldn't shake the image of that body washing away.

"We can move now. They're too far away for me to detect," whispered Orochimaru.

Jiraiya gulped. "What the hell was that?"

"Some very violent participants," Orochimaru noted. "Their strength was absurd. I could feel how dense their chakra was, even from here."

His white hair friend said worriedly, "You better stay clear of them while you're hunting around. They... they killed that..." He swallowed and put a hand to his mouth. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Hurry up with that cloak, Jiraiya." Orochimaru stood up and shook the leaves out of his hair and clothes. "I need to start setting traps immediately."

Tsunade watched as the two boys hastily got to work. Her heart was heavy as she sat there, thinking about how close to death they had just been. What if... what if taking this exam was all a big mistake? They were still so young. What if they weren't ready for it? After awhile, she looked up as Jiraiya walked over to her to present his cloak.

"What do you thi-" He stopped when he saw her looking sad again. "What's the matter?"

Tsunade lowered her head and said quietly, "It's only the first day, and someone already died. I think I understand why Orochimaru was so worried." She brushed back a lock of her hair and muttered, "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be a sixty year old genin. At least we wouldn't have to deal with dangerous stuff like this."

Jiraiya gulped. Something was seriously wrong with her. Did what happen shake her that badly? "Tsunade, we're ninjas. We have to be strong."

She grouched at him. "Never mind. You don't understand."

"Fine fine, ironing board."

Orochimaru looked over at the two from the branch he was sitting on and hiding an explosive trap. When he saw Jiraiya clutching a bleeding nose and Tsunade walking away to collect materials for their bedding, he sighed. "Idiot."

Jiraiya on the other hand, thought that a bloody nose was well worth it to see Tsunade back to her usual self.

Three hours later...

"Can we make a fire?" complained Jiraiya, munching on the berries. They were sitting outside their tree, underneath a sky of bright stars that reflected off the pristine blue waters and he sighed at the lurking fishes. "I can like, fish and then we can cook it for dinner."

Orochimaru shook his head. "The smoke would give away our location."

"We can't eat raw food for a whole week," whined Jiraiya, looking at the berries in his hand.

He knew Jiraiya was right. Thankfully the weather was still warm but they certainly had to have meat. Eating it raw might lead to food poisoning so sooner or later, a fire must be made. He popped a few berries in his mouth and said, "Make the fire at dawn or dusk, when the haze and fog will help cover for us. That, and the fire must be made underground. You'll need to dig a hole and then overlay it with stone. Use the driest wood, to minimize the smoke produced, alright?"

"Sweet! Cook meat tomorrow. Can't wait," Jiraiya said happily. He stretched and yawned sleepily.

Orochimaru glanced over as he chewed on an apple. "You stayed up to read manga before the exam, didn't you?"

"Uhhhhh..."

He sighed. "Go to sleep. If you want cooked food, you're going to have to wake up early."

"Fine fine. Man you sound like my mom." He popped a few more berries into his mouth and then went inside their tree and laid down on the bed they made out of softwood and leaves. Soon, he began snoring and Orochimaru let out a breath of exasperation. He picked up a rock and threw it at his head. "Stop snoring. You'll give us away."

"Ouch!" Jiraiya said grumpily, "I can't help it!"

Tsunade turned around and gave him the stink eye. "I will shave you bald if you snore."

Orochimaru smirked as Jiraiya quickly clammed up and went back to sleep, ten times more quiet than usual. "Very good, hime." He looked over at her as she silently continued eating the berries. "What's wrong?"

"I'm worried, idiot," she said with a pout. Wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand, she looked up at the twinkling stars with a forlorn expression. "When are you leaving?"

"At dawn." He leaned back and rested his hands behind him, looking up at the stars above them. Together, they sat there in silence. However, he could tell she wanted to say something from the way she kept glancing over at him. He also knew what she was thinking and wanted to say. Quietly, he said, "I'm going, hime. You know that it needs to be done."

Tsunade hugged her knees and said, "Sarutobi-sensei said people have died in this exam before. I... I didn't think too much about it then. We're strong and smart, the worst was a broken leg or something, that's what I thought. But now-" She sniffed and looked over at him. "You're going into a fricken Forest of Death all alone, against like twenty teams. We just saw someone die like a few hours ago too. What if something happens?" Her hand moved to her necklace under her shirt and she said strickenly, "We can't even go looking for you if you don't come back. How do you think I feel?"

"I might be lying in ambush, and have to spend the night away," Orochimaru replied, trying to change her perspective to a more optimistic scenario. "Stop scaring yourself, Tsunade."

She punched him and said thickly, "If you let yourself get super hurt, I'll break both your legs and stick you in that tree with us for the rest of the week."

He rubbed his sore arm said sternly, "Tsunade be reasonable. Then we'll fail-"

"I don't care if we fail the exam," she said sharply. She wiped at her eyes that was beginning to grow red. "It hurt alot when grandpa and granduncle died. I never want to feel that way again." She hiccoughed and wiped at her eyes even harder. "They never came back. I just stayed and waited with grandma. And then all I could do was cry with her when they brought the bodies back." Tears escaped from the cracks of her fingers as she recalled the painful memories. "You helped. You stayed with me and grandma and held my hand. You understood the feelings because you went through the exact same thing. So please...," she pleaded. "Don't die, Orochimaru. I will wait but I want to know you'll come back to me and Jiraiya. You're my best friend."

His golden eyes tinged with sorrow as the wind sung sadly around them, pulling at his long hair and clothes. In a way, what he was doing was truly hurting her. He knew he could obtain the heaven scroll within a day or two but he planned to go all seven days to take out the other team for her and Jiraiya's sake. He believed that what he was doing was right for them, but he was partially ashamed for causing them both to worry about him. He... knew he had to find some way to comfort her, as he was responsible for how she was feeling after all. Slowly, he reached out and took her hand. "Tsunade, close your eyes."

She looked over at him, tears still trailing down her eyes. "What?"

"Close your eyes," he repeated, his voice soft.

Tsunade hesitantly closed her eyes, her hand instinctively squeezing his as darkness filled her vision. A few second passed until she heard humming. The song was soothing, gentle and incredibly warm. A strange peace settled over her as she sat beside her friend and listened. She realized, as she listened, that although he didn't have the most amazing voice that was out there, there was something special about the low overtones he possessed. It seemed to come from deep down somewhere in his chest. With the way he was humming to her, she almost felt like it was coming from his heart. When the song came to a close, she slowly opened her eyes and looked into his glowing golden orbs. "Orochimaru?"

"My mother sang for me when she was still alive," he said quietly. "The day she and my father had to leave on a mission, she also sung for me when I held on and didn't want them to go. She told me to listen for her song because no matter how far she was from me, she would sing for me because she loved me. The same way a bond still connects us across long distances, the wind carrying her song is a physical representation of that connection." He smiled slightly. "If you miss me, just listen for my song. I promise I'll hum it for you."

Tsunade's eyes grew even wetter with tears. "What if I don't hear it because something happened to you?"

He shook his head. "Even if the windmill isn't spinning, it still remembers when it did and it will continue to wait."

"Huh?" She pouted to see his lips curve. "Are you laughing at me, Orochimaru?"

"In a way, yes." He stood up and looked up at the night sky, the stars as golden and bright as his own eyes. "As long as you still care about me, my song will come back to you again and again in your memories and heart." His pale cheeks colored slightly. "You are my friend, hime, and you have my heart. I know you will be able to hear it with your heart instead of your ears, even if I should... change or not be how you would expect. After all, a quiet windmill will still turn, even if it's a cold wind that now greets it."

Tsunade wiped at her eyes and mumbled, "What do you mean change?" She couldn't help but grow suspicious. "Are you hiding something from me?"

He paused in thought, remembering his mother's words. Things change. Swiftly, slowly... but never unnoticeable by the wind that brings it to us. Like how a magnificent windmill would stand, quietly, proudly, never wavering. It spins beautifully against a soft summer breeze, and it stands strong against a cutting cold storm. No matter the good or the bad, the windmill will always wait for the wind. Endure against the winds of change Orochimaru. "A windmill that doesn't spin is meaningless. But when it does spin, nothing is the same anymore," he said softly.

Tsunade was starting to feel dumb. Almost like when Jiraiya did that stupid Shuriken Whatever technique of his. "I don't understand."

Tsunade stood up by his side and he said solemnly, "You were the wind that spun the windmill after my parents died. Now it's your turn to be the windmill and wait for the wind. There are some things I have to do for yours and Jiraiya's sake, and it may change me and make you dislike me." He looked down at his friend solemnly. "You don't have to accept what I'm doing but wait for me and stay safe Tsunade. That's all I ask." His eyes widened when she stepped on her tippy toes and kissed him on the forehead.

"I trust you," she said firmly. "Even if you... change, I believe that it's for the best for our team and I know you will come back for us no matter what. I'll be your weird windmill and wait for you."

Touching his forehead, he smiled slightly. "Thank you for the good luck, hime." He gestured towards the tree. "Come on, it's getting late. And you sleep in the middle tonight. I can't get out as easily if I'm in the middle. I'll accidentally wake you or Jiraiya."

She didn't even have the heart to protest. Quietly, she settled herself down beside Jiraiya and watched as Orochimaru pulled Jiraiya's special cloak over the hole of tree. He drew out two kunai to hold it in place and she curled inward, watching as the light from outside slowly dim until there was complete darkness. She stayed still as she listened to him settling down beside her, facing away from her. "Orochi."

"Go to sleep, hime," he said quietly. "You'll wake Jiraiya."

"Take this."

He blinked in surprise when she leaned over him and slipped something over his neck. Touching it, he realized it was her necklace. "Tsu-"

She laid back down and said, "Keep it on for the rest of the second stage of the exam, ok? If I miss you, I just have to listen to your wind thing. But if you miss me, you've got nothing. So take it."

His hand curled over the cool stone and he nodded.

Darkwings13:

-Ahem, I was listening to Natsuhiboshi while typing out the part where Oro and Tsunade were talking to each at the end. It's that star song from Naruto :'D It gave me the feels while typing it out. I highly recommend rereading that part with the song playing. It just matched so well.

-For the location of the Sannin's base, I was inspired by the area where Neji, Tenten and Lee were at in episode 30 of Naruto.

-In epsiode 352 of Naruto Shipuuden, when Kakashi asked Pakkun to track down Orochimaru's scent, Pakkun replied that 'it's difficult since snakes don't sweat'. xDDD Lucky Oro! I wish I didn't sweat.

-Yes, I'm trying to make sense of Orochimaru's 'waiting for the Sasuke's wind thing.' He's also mentioned it to Sarutobi when they fought and when he saved Tsunade, about the wind spinning the windmill. Thinking about it, two very close people, but two wholly different situations in which he saved one, and killed the other. In a way, he changed dramatically during those two events. I believe what he referred to, was that he was tired of waiting and wanted to become the wind to change the world instead. It made sense since when Sarutobi asked why, he replied he was tired of seeing a non-spinning windmill. He's lived through 2 wars, the world was still flawed, nothing improved, and life just aimlessly continue on. He's sick of being helpless, powerless and wanted to rule the world (Kabuto mentioned Oro wanted to start a war and rule over the Shinobi world in an ep, I'll look later) and mold it to his liking. Also, at first everyone thought he tried to destroy the leaf out of whim since he was bored, but even Sasuke noticed that it was a lie and that he had a specific reason for trying to destroy Konoha. But now, he wants to wait for the wind instead. Ahem not to spoil so I'll leave it at that. :)

-Bwahahha, the only reason Danzo had for taking part in the exam is to recruit members of Root. And maybe out of curiosity since his long time rival, Sarutobi's kids are in it. ;)

-And I'm further pushing towards his future Sound Village. 8) You guys will understand... later. Like why the heck didn't he name it Hidden Village of the Snake or something lol.

-Soooo yea, Tsunade just gave Orochimaru her 'supposedly cursed' necklace. What will happen next? Stay tune.

-Cough*check poll on muh profile*cough.

JigokuShoujosRevenge! Haha lollipops totally for the win! XD Probably the one time Orochi was grateful for candies.