"They're here! They're here!" The village's guard, along with a great crowd of citizens and fellow Shinobi clamored around at the village's entrance and cheered as they saw the cloaked figures of Jiraiya and Orochimaru coming into view, under the bright afternoon sun. The two of them had been gone for four months and were now eagerly being welcomed back.
"Not a single scratch or a hair out of place on that Orochimaru like always."
"He took down the rebellion for the daimyo so quickly, that he's actually back nearly a month early! They say he's worth a hundred soldiers."
"Don't forget about Jiraiya. The three villages he infiltrated and gathered data on have backed off from our lands entirely. He's creating an amazing network of spies."
Dan Kato listened and watched with the rest, murmured whispers of admiration passing through like the wind rustling a sea of grasses. Inwardly, he wished he could be as strong as the two famed ninjas. In the village, it was common knowledge that Sakumo Hatake, Tsunade Senju, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya were the most talented and powerful. It was only experience that held them back from becoming Anbu, for their skill level was already at that point.
Sakumo was the best swordsman ever produced in Konoha. Some could only catch a glint of silver before they were cut cleanly in half. His form was perfect, every cut and slash efficient and beautiful. Tsunade was famed for her healing techniques and immense strength. People paid fortunes to have her healing hands on them and no surgery of hers had ever failed. Like one of her fellow teammate, she was an avid researcher and a leader in revolutionizing the medical field, constantly working on new drugs and practices. Operating in the shadows, Jiraiya was quickly becoming a very feared and well-known spymaster amongst the other nations. You no longer knew if the walls were listening when you talked and his spy network was growing by the day. Last but not least was Orochimaru, the genius on both the battlefield and the research field, an esteemed purveyor of lost knowledge who also delved into inventing new techniques. A scholar who was one of Konoha's greatest scientific envy of the world.
Seeing any of them was like seeing a celebrity. They were on an entirely different skill level and stories of their exploits grew daily. The most famous one was still Team Hiruzen's defense of Uzushiogakure. He had great respect for all four of them and hoped that one day, through hard work and perseverance, he might be able to reach them and have a chance at achieving his dream of being Hokage.
"Look at the warm welcome Oro," Jiraiya said with a wide grin, giving some girls air kisses as they waved at him. He had begun to be more popular with the ladies now that it was harder for people to catch him in his peeking attempts. His skills in spying and infiltration had definitely helped with both work and private research. Not only that, his network of spies contributed to him knowing the likes and dislikes of every pretty girl in Konoha.
Orochimaru smirked as he adjusted his Jonin vest, his golden eyes glowing like molten lava, highlighted by beautiful midnight-purple. The wind pulled at his silky hair and long traveling cloak, emphasizing the air of grandeur, power and grace around him as he walked. He said smoothly, "It would be a pity if the sun and moon were to go unnoticed, would it not?"
"You're so confusing. Wind and windmills, and now sun and moon," Jiraiya laughed.
Dan watched as they walked past the waving people, regal and confident. When he felt a tug on his pants, he looked down. "Why are we here?" His little sister blinked her large forest green eyes at him, idle fingers playing with her cute yellow dress and a toy ball.
Dan smiled. "We're here to welcome back two very important ninjas of the village. They help protect the people around us."
His sister chirped, "But you're a ninja too. You protect too. How come you don't get a crowd?"
Dan rubbed her head and replied, "Orochimaru and Jiraiya are Lord Third's own students and they're much stronger than me, Chiko."
She shook her head and hugged his leg. "No, you're the strongest! Kindest and strongest." Because she hugged him, her red bouncy ball slipped from her hands and rolled off. "My ball!"
"Chiko!"
Orochimaru came to a stop as a bright red ball rolled to his feet. His gaze flickered from it to the little black-haired girl who had run forward to grab it, but she stopped immediately and squeaked in fright under his eyes. A low laugh thrummed in his throat and he bent down to pick it up. "Yours?" he asked, his voice silky. Though he wasn't loud, people immediately quieted down and watched with rapt attention.
A young man with long light colored hair and emerald eyes came up and bowed, shoving her behind him. "I'm so sorry, Lord Orochimaru. My sister didn't mean to block your path."
"It's fine," he said, his lips still curled. He spun the ball on a finger before closing his hand over it once more. "Well, what are you waiting for? Take what belongs to you." When the man moved to take it back, Orochimaru shook his head. "Not you, your sister. Or do you still play with something like this at this age?"
"She's young and scared of strangers," he said, holding his frightened sister close. He couldn't blame her. Though Orochimaru was a very handsome man, the air of danger, his deathly white skin and edge of coldness to his expressions was intimidating even to him, despite the fact that he was older than Orochimaru.
Orochimaru sniffed the air with his long tongue, making the young girl even more scared by his strange behavior. His serpent eyes dilated in disgust as if he just smelled something foul. "You are... a Chunin?" When he nodded, Orochimaru said, "Is your sister in the Academy? How old is she?"
"Eight."
Orochimaru's eyebrow rose up. "Eight?"
Jiraiya yawned, watching with little interest. "Sarutobi-sensei is waiting for us, Oro."
Orochimaru handed him the ball and smiled at the little girl. "A shinobi must never show any weakness. Disgraceful." He walked past them, his dark traveling cloak flapping in the wind and Jiraiya easily catching up to his friend.
Looking back at the sniffling girl, he said, "Weren't you abit harsh?"
"We graduated the Academy at age six and this girl can't even reach out for her toy. The younger generations are honestly getting spoiled," Orochimaru replied casually. He played with an azurite earring and smirked. "Sarutobi-sensei said he's looking to give me a team of my own soon. If I had a weakling like that as a student, I might just weep."
Jiraiya laughed and punched him on the shoulder. "If you were my teacher, I'd shit my pants." He glanced backward once more and noted, "Can't help but notice, that pretty boy back there looks abit like you. Just... a different color swap."
"Like me?" Orochimaru sneered. "You're obviously lacking when it comes to quality. Our height, build, and hair length may be similar, but it should be obvious who is inferior. Especially... a Chunin and he looks older than me."
"You still have the best ass, don't get so ruffled up," Jiraiya said, jokingly slapping his butt to the gasps of the people around him.
If it was anyone else who did that, Orochimaru would kill them. But since it was Jiraiya, he grabbed his hand, looked at him with narrowed eyes for a moment, before he chomped down and Jiraiya yelped.
"YOU BIT ME YOU ASSHOLE!"
"Don't touch my ass then!"
Dan picked up his sister and rubbed her back as the crowd followed after the two Shinobi. "It's ok Chiko. Lord Orochimaru isn't very warm but he... he just wanted you to be strong. He wants everyone in the village to be strong so he's hard on everyone."
"I don't want the ball anymore," she sniffed, feeling incredibly embarrassed and ashamed.
Dan let his little sister bury her face into the crook of his neck and decided that it was probably best if he took her home. But he stayed there when he saw another legend running in their direction. Tsunade Senju, granddaughter and grandniece of the first and second Hokage, and also a student of the Third Hokage. Her burnished sunny hair was tied up into a high ponytail, her skin smooth and flawless, and her amber eyes filled to the brim with life. She hugged her two teammates tightly before hooking arms with them and talking to them amicably. Orochimaru said something to her that made her laugh out loud, the sound like a clear chime bell in the air and she pecked him on the cheek. To Jiraiya, she pinched his cheek instead and he let out a dramatic sigh and raised his hands up.
Seeing the three of them so close made the crowd gush and fawn. They were considered to be a very wacky team, but they had the best teamwork that has been seen in decades, despite the occasional bickering and arguments. They set the bar for teamwork and were role models in every way, individually or together.
"Who is she?" Chiko asked, peeking from his neck. "She's pretty."
"Tsunade Senju, the most beautiful kunoichi in the five nations," Dan said with a small smile.
Evening...
Tsunade yawned as she stretched on Orochimaru's sofa. Jiraiya was warming his hands over the warm fireplace while Orochimaru was in the kitchen to make them hot chocolate. In her pink pajamas with cute pigs, she curled up comfortably and said, "It's been sooooo long that we've had a sleepover."
"Miss us princess?" Jiraiya asked jovially. He was wearing his red froggy robe and slippers and his hair was loose from the shower, still slightly damp.
She stuck her tongue out at him. "No duh. I haven't seen you both for nearly four months. Still, I'm surprised you returned together. You both had different missions, right?"
"We ran into each other on our way home." Sitting down on his futon that was laid out in front of the fireplace, Jiraiya slapped his knee and laughed merrily. "I was researching at a hot spring and funny enough, I accidentally peeked on Oro! He looked so fed up and was like-" Jiraiya cleared his throat and did an impersonation of his friend's voice, "This is the second time, chosen of the frogs. Peek on another ass, this one belongs to Tsunade."
At this moment, Orochimaru walked in with a tray and three mugs of hot chocolate. "I did not say that," he scowled as he came to their side. He squawked and nearly dropped the tray when Tsunade squeezed his ass.
"Are you seeing another woman?" she asked cheekily. "If not, this ass is mine."
Clearing his throat and trying to calm his heart rate, he handed Jiraiya his mug before sitting down beside Tsunade to give her one as well.
Holding the hot drink, she breathed in deeply and took a sip, inwardly squealing at how delicious it tasted. "I've missed you and your housewife skills," she breathed as she kissed his soft lips.
Jiraiya took a big gulp, also very happy with the drink. "Must be hard on you, Tsunade. Stuck here all alone."
"We write letters to each other," Orochimaru said with a relaxed smile. "It's not the same as being with each other, but it's sufficient enough."
"Can I read them?" Jiraiya asked eagerly.
"So that you can use my words to help you woo girls?" Orochimaru asked, smirking. "I and Tsunade are impressed with your spying skills, but you'll need to do better. We already know you're using us as research."
Jiraiya grinned. "You two are fantastic for research, what can I say. I'm now becoming a lady killer."
Tsunade sipped some more hot chocolate and wagged a finger at her perverted friend. "One warning, Jiraiya. If you contract some kind of disease from being a man-whore, I'm not going to help you."
"What's the point of being friends with a medic then!" Jiraiya exclaimed, faking a heartbroken expression on his face. He then pointed to Orochimaru. "And at least I'm not going to die a virgin!"
Orochimaru inhaled his hot chocolate up his nose and began coughing horrendously, spilling some onto his dark blue silk robe. Getting up, he shot Jiraiya a warning look before walking to the bathroom to clean himself and take his shower.
Right when he left, Jiraiya turned to Tsunade. "You two really haven't done it yet?"
She slouched over the arm rest of the earth colored sofa and sighed. "Nope. I mean... I don't want to force him or anything, but this is taking reallyyyyy long."
Stroking his chin, Jiraiya said, "You don't suppose Oro is a traditional kind of guy and wants to do it on the wedding night... do you?"
She put her mug on the side table and shrugged. "I asked him that question before but he just changed the subject. It's frustrating." She rolled onto her back and hugged a sofa cushion with a dreary expression. "I just... I just want to be closer to him, you know. We can't publicize our relationship, and he's been working so hard ever since we got promoted that I don't get to see him as much as I want to. I... I miss him. I know it's all for my sake but sometimes I just want to say fuck the rules and elope with him or something." She groaned and buried her face into the cushion. "Why can't I just be like you guys... I don't give a damn about being in a noble clan and all that bullshit."
Jiraiya smiled slightly as he drank more hot chocolate. "You certainly don't speak like a young lady from a noble clan, that's for sure." He then said in a more understanding voice, "Cheer up. You know Oro loves you. Just give it some more time, and he'll be Anbu even. Then you'll be free to be together."
A worried look crossed her face as she whispered, "I am actually very afraid. He owes Danzo five years. All this time that guy hasn't made a peep. I think... when Orochi finally does achieve that rank, Danzo will take him. An Anbu for that horrible Root organization... My chances of seeing him will be even less." Sniffling at the thought, she buried her face further into the cushion. When Jiraiya went to sit down beside her and offer a hug, she took it, thankful for his solid frame and friendship.
"Tsunade," Jiraiya said comforting her. "As much of a pervert as I am, I can honestly say sex isn't everything. What you two have is precious. Let's say Oro got into an accident and... got his lower half paralyzed. Would you still be with him?"
"Of course!" she said immediately.
"Seeeee," Jiraiya said. "What's important is just knowing that you both love each other."
"I... know."
Jiraiya sighed and straightened up in his seat. "It's clear you two are very happy with each other and enjoy being in each other's company. But I know that all three of us are also at that age where... we have needs like any other healthy young adult." He lowered his voice. "Oro got a wet dream so I can verify."
Tsunade immediately giggled. "Really!?"
Jiraiya winked at her. "He was so embarrassed, he bit my nose and ran out of the room. So I'm sure that he does think about getting physical. However, something definitely seems to be holding him back." Holding up his hand, he began raising his fingers. "One, he's too traditional and thinks that first-time sex is reserved for a wedding night. Two, he's afraid that he might not do a good job of satisfying you and is trying to avoid it. Three... he's shy as hell."
"I think it might be three," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe some two?"
Tapping on his chin thoughtfully, Jiraiya said, "Well, it makes sense since he's the biggest nerd in Konoha. He doesn't quite understand lust and he's too stubborn to have The Talk with me." Jiraiya snapped his fingers. "We have to expose him."
"Expose him?" Tsunade questioned. It took a few seconds for the meaning to sink in before she narrowed her eyes at Jiraiya, realizing his implications. "You're trying to make my boyfriend into a pervert?!"
"Do you want your boyfriend to have a heart attack from shyness overload when you make love?" Jiraiya shot back. When she cried out in frustration, he grinned and rubbed his hands together in the anticipation of corrupting Orochimaru.
"Hey hey," she pouted. "Whatever you're doing to him, I insist on being there. I don't want this to get out of hand."
"Fine fine. I was going to take it slow anyways."
Five minutes later...
As Orochimaru came back into the dimly lit living room, rubbing out his damp hair with a towel, Jiraiya said, "Hey Oro! Want to go to a strip club?"
"WHAT THE FUCK!?"! Tsunade knocked him out and crossed her arms in a huff while Orochimaru just stood there with wide eyes. Damn it all, she definitely can't get Jiraiya to help with Orochimaru's shyness. He would completely ruin her boyfriend. Her fear of Jiraiya forcing Orochi to go peeking with him, just went from the top of her worries to the bottom. There was probably much worse things that Jiraiya would try to expose her boyfriend to, if he thought that going to visit strippers was taking it slow. Looking over at her boyfriend, she decided that it was up to her to boost up his tolerance for displays of physical affections. Coming up to him, she took both of his hands and put it over her boobs. "Is this so terrible, Orochimaru?"
He stared at his hands that was on her chest. Memories of the dream he had flooded back into his brain and he could hear her dream self-say 'Make me a woman... make me your woman, Orochimaru'. In the next second, he fainted.
"Oh my god!" Tsunade pulled at her hair in frustration. If he fainted just from touching her breasts, he really was going to die of a heart attack if they had sex!
Three days later...
Orochimaru sat at his kotatsu table in his bedroom, staring down at a book that Jiraiya had given him years ago. It was covered in dust and even had some cobwebs attached to it, due to the fact that he had put it away and very high up on his bookshelf so that he wouldn't have to look at it. Quite literally... it was porn.
If it wasn't for the fact that he had that same nightmare/erotic dream of Tsunade being practically naked in his house in white lingerie for nearly every night, he wouldn't be considering this solution. While it was true that he liked being kissed, petted, caressed and hugged by her, the idea of sex... was scary. One, he knew that a girl's first time was going to hurt, especially if the male had no fucking idea what he was doing. Secondly, he had heard that sex could completely ruin a relationship and it frightened him tremendously. Third, to associate himself with a topic that Jiraiya was so... into, made him feel... it just felt completely beneath him. But worst of all, he felt so damn clueless, which made him feel shy, which made him avoid the subject completely because he didn't want to look stupid.
Orochimaru straightened up and said grouchily, "You're nearly nineteen. You're a Jonin. You've already completed 15 S rank missions! You're not going to let something this stupid intimidate you! You're going to look at this porn even if your eyes burn out!" Briskly wiping off the dust with his sleeve, he cracked the book open and began to read. But no more than a minute had passed before he snorted and tossed the unrealistic book aside. "People can't even bend like that!" Crossing his arms and thinking it over alittle more, he decided that with things getting drastic, drastic measures had to be taken.
Sarutobi looked up from his paperwork when he heard knocks at his door. "Who is it?"
"It's me, sensei."
He immediately beamed at the distinct smooth voice and replied, "Come in, Orochimaru." He moved his papers aside, only keeping his crystal ball in front of him as his pupil came in, letting the air rustle the purple canopy curtains behind him in the green office. "We've just had tea when you returned. Another one so soon?" he asked as Orochimaru sat down.
"I..." Orochimaru said hesitantly, "I know you're busy, sensei. But there is something important that I'd like to discuss with you."
"Certainly," Sarutobi replied, smoking on his pipe. "What's bothering you?" When a weird squealing noise sneaked past Orochimaru's lips, he stared. "Are you alright?" he asked, concern for his student.
Orochimaru groaned and covered his face with his hands. "I can't do this."
Seeing his favorite like this made him even more worried. "Orochimaru, child, what's wrong?"
"It's... it's hard to... it's about something I don't understand." He placed his hand on his chest. "This feeling. I have urges and it's... I know it's not very appropriate. Some would say it's wrong and dishonorable even. But every day, this feeling grows stronger. I don't know what to do." Orochimaru nearly pulled out some of his beautiful hair in frustration. "Jiraiya isn't making it easier either. When I'm around that idiot, he only encourages these urges. I'm too... afraid to talk about this and I worry about what Tsunade would think if she found out. I-I" Orochimaru stopped rambling when he saw the expression on his teacher's face. "Sarutobi-sensei?"
The pipe slowly slipped put of Sarutobi's hands. He sat there, frozen in his purple sofa-like chair for nearly an entire minute before he slowly clasped his hands together in front of him. He did it with so much effort, Orochimaru half expected his bones to creak. "Orochimaru..." His teacher reached out and tenderly laid his hands on his. "Don't be scared of these feelings in your heart. Others may not understand, and they may even disapprove. But know that I will always support you and that I will still love you no matter what."
Orochimaru breathed out in relief. "Thank you, sensei. Before coming, I tried hard to see what was so wrong with me, and I wasn't sure if you would understand my predicament."
"I'm always here for you and I don't think there's anything wrong with you. In my eyes, you will always be my perfect son." He patted his hands comfortingly. "Being gay will not change that."
Orochimaru immediately gave him a deadpan expression. "What?"
"Jiraiya won't look at you differently either," Sarutobi continue in a fatherly tone. "I know he's only interested in women, and we can't change that. But he has a golden heart and will always be with you as a true friend."
Orochimaru pulled his hands away and counted to ten in his head before saying calmly, "Sarutobi-sensei, I'd sooner set my hair on fire than look at Jiraiya in that way. I actually came here to talk to you about the subject of sex." After a pause, he added with a heavy emphasis, "With women." He wouldn't have been able to say that last part in such a straightforward manner under other circumstances, but it was definitely better than letting his teacher think that he came to discuss being gay for Jiraiya.
Sarutobi studied him for a few seconds before saying excitedly, "Who's the lucky girl? Am I going to be a grandfather soon?"
Orochimaru slumped forward and banged his head on the desk. Why did everything have to be so hard?
Fifteen minutes later...
After explaining his relationship with Tsunade, Orochimaru leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together. "Now do you understand, Sarutobi-sensei?"
Sarutobi wore an amused smile on his face and idly tapped on his crystal ball. "Orochimaru, for a genius, you're absolutely terrible with things like this." He laughed lightly when his pale student scowled. "The most important thing in a relationship is communication. For your relationship, what are your plans when it comes to sex?" Sarutobi said with a knowing glint in his eyes. "There is the 'moment of passion' where you just do it. Then there's the 'setting the time and date, such as a wedding night', where you choose to enjoy the anticipation and be rewarded for it. What do you want, Orochimaru? Do you want to wait until you're married to her?"
Orochimaru threw his hands up in exasperation. "I don't know."
"And that's why Tsunade is frustrated with you," remarked Sarutobi. "From the very beginning, she had to be the one that pushed. She pushed to be friends with you, she confessed to you, and now she's trying to make the first move about this too. It's all she knows because all you've ever shown her was hesitation. But if you're not ready and you tell her that, I believe she'd respect that and wait."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"That's THE TALK?!" Orochimaru asked, flabbergasted.
Sarutobi sighed. "This is not in my job description... but basically, sex is respectful communication and consent between two partners. No matter your urges, always think about what you're doing and the consequences. Oh, and of course, use birth control if you don't want a little Orochimaru running around." He said the last part with an almost dreamy look. Shaking himself, he added, "And since you're not Jiraiya, I'm not going to bother with discussing on sexually transmitted disease. You're also eighteen, so I'm going to skip over the part with you looking the way you do now, and ladies bleeding from their lady parts once a month. Some advice though, they'll love you for buying them feminine hygiene products. It's considered 'sensitive and caring'."
"But... what about, techniques?" he asked that in a whisper, the tips of his pale ears going red.
"That... comes with experience," Sarutobi said, his cheeks slightly pink. "The best I can do is tell Jiraiya to show you his collection of porn."
Orochimaru made a face at the suggestion. "I'll figure something out, thanks, sensei." He added, "You don't think it's dishonorable though if we make love before we're married?"
A slightly sad smile crossed Sarutobi's face. "If I had adopted you... you could propose to her this very moment, as a member of my clan and as my son. I would never judge you on this."
Noticing his teacher's look, he said quietly, "You adopted me into your heart. That is all that matters. I've said it before, and I will say that again."
Ten years ago...
"Sensei." Orochimaru pointed up at the starry night sky as he and their teacher sat around the campfire, while Tsunade and Jiraiya snored away in their tents.
Sarutobi smiled as he sat beside his young student, folding away the map he had been looking at. "A shooting star. Did you make a wish?" When he nodded, he asked, "What did you wish for?"
"I wished that my goal of obtaining immortality would come true."
"You're still adamant on it?" Sarutobi asked softly.
Golden eyes met his, their depths reflecting the dancing light of the fire. "I will always despise loss and decay." He looked over at the tents and murmured, "I've told you already, sensei. I couldn't protect my parents because I was too young. But I still have the chance to keep you, Jiraiya and Tsunade with me."
"We will all be together again in the Pure Land, after we die," Sarutobi said reassuringly. "Death isn't the end."
"How do you know that? You're not dead," Orochimaru said, offhandedly blunt.
Sarutobi rubbed his head and said, "Do you know why Edo Tensei became a banned technique?"
"Human sacrifice is frowned upon," Orochimaru answered, distasteful at the cowardly claim.
"We discovered that it forces souls to come back here, from the Pure Land. Using that technique is cruel to both the living and the dead."
Orochimaru turned his head away, his expression unreadable. "If you die, how long will I have to wait to see you again in the Pure Land, sensei? Will... I even go to the Pure Land? Or hell?"
Sarutobi was startled by his words. "Whatever would make you say that?" He almost had to resist coming closer to his student out of concern.
Amused by the question, his lips curved upward. "I am a Shinobi. I will walk with corpses and blood beneath my feet." He held out both hands as he closed his eyes. All of a sudden, the wind picked up and it slowly pulled at his clothes and silky hair. Sarutobi couldn't help but grow awestruck at how beautiful the child look under the silver moonlight that highlighted his marble white skin, obsidian hair and soft violet outlined eyes. Softly, he said, "But no matter how the world sees me, how some God judges me, I will continue to walk down the path I've chosen because I believe in my vision of happiness. I refuse to leave the fate of my soul, along with those I love to the unknown." His stunning golden eyes slowly opened. "I cherish this life and the people I currently have. I refuse to give it up without a fight."
The sheer willpower in his voice could literally bend mountains, Sarutobi thought as he looked at his favorite. Reaching out, he slowly hugged him, torn with the knowledge that the path Orochimaru chose was going against the law of nature and that he was going to make his life incredibly difficult, but at the same time, immensely touched and awed. Right this very instant, he needed something to show Orochimaru that he also valued him the same way.
"Orochimaru, how would you like to be adopted by me?" Orochimaru pulled back, stunned. Sarutobi said solemnly, "I love you more than anything in this world. Nothing would make me happier than being able to take care of you."
Orochimaru said softly, "The village would disapprove. My family immigrated to Konoha from a distant clan. My blood is that of a foreigner and I am poor. People already talked when I was friends with Tsunade back at the Academy. The noble clans disapproved that she would befriend me instead of making friends with their own kids."
"I told you before, Orochimaru. You are more important to me than the village," he said quietly, saying something that no Hokage should say, but something a parent would have no shame in admitting.
Orochimaru said in a quavering voice, "I am thankful, Sarutob-sensei, but I must refuse."
"Why?" Sarutobi asked, his eyes wide.
"Because I care about you." He kneeled back on his knees on the soft grass and said, "I don't want to hurt your reputation, especially if I succeed you as Hokage one day. People will talk and say that you were unfair and favorited me, which is why I became Hokage. They're already displeased that you show me special attention."
He squeezed his student's small hand and said immediately, "I'd give up the position of Hokage to adopt you, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru gave him a serene smile, the gentle wind pulling at his long black hair. "It's because you say things like that to me... that's probably why your wife and your monkey summon Enma, hates me."
Sarutobi tried to comfort him. "They don't hate you. They're just... they don't understand you the way I do, Orochimaru. Just give them time."
"She is your wife and I don't want to come in between you two. She will never accept me as her child, especially since she knows that you'll love me more than the sons or daughters she'll give you. You loving someone who's not of your own flesh and blood, more than your real children, will upset her," Orochimaru said wisely, displaying his incredibly deep insight despite his young age. If Sarutobi could love him more than the village, he would definitely love him more than his own children. He then beamed and said in a slightly smug tone, "You probably love me more than her too. She'll never be able to stand me under her roof and I'd rather not see my sensei go through a divorce for my sake."
No matter how much easier his life could be if he was adopted into his home and clan, Orochimaru had refused because he had put his well-being before his, Sarutobi thought. Why others feared and disliked his favorite student, he'd never understand. To him, Orochimaru was precious and irreplaceable. He said firmly, "If you can live your life and be strong against the eyes of others who would laugh at your hair or at your lack of money and dreams, I can do no less than protect and adopt the one I love and see as a son."
Orochimaru's lips curved into a smile. Touching his teacher's hand, he said comfortingly, "I see you as my father, you see me as a son. We both know this in our hearts, Sarutobi-sensei. I don't need an official adoption ceremony."
"Orochimaru," Sarutobi said, his eyes wet with tears. He knew that the decision was final and that Orochimaru was doing this for him no matter what. Hugging him tightly, he regretted deeply, ever becoming Hokage.
Sarutobi smiled slightly and shook his head at the memories. "You refused to let me adopt you for my sake, and now you are working tremendously hard for your future with Tsunade... making sure her family would approve of you and securing her princess lifestyle. You are precious, you know that?"
Orochimaru returned the smile, knowing what his teacher had been thinking about. "I simply love you both too much to condemn you. That day when I stood in the stadium for the Chunin exam, beside my team and Sakumo's team and watched as they were all cheered on by their family, it really... hurt to be the only child who didn't have a family rooting for them. It felt so lonely standing there." Orochimaru swallowed and looked away, his eyes misting at the heartbroken feelings he experienced back then. His voice hitched slightly as he cried, "But you... you stood up and waved to me. You cheered for me." Orochimaru wiped at his eyes as a tear dripped down his pale cheek. "I will never forget that moment. I love you, father."
"My boy..." He felt like he literally could die happy as long as he could have this child by his side in his last moments. Reaching over, he rubbed him on the head like he was still six instead of eighteen years old. "Orochimaru," he said as he sat down in his seat. "I think you and Tsunade deserve some time together, as a couple in the public eye. It's the least I can do for you."
"But we can't-"
Sarutobi laughed as he reached under his desk for something. Taking out a pile of scrolls, he began flipping through it. It took a couple of minutes but he finally found the one and he unrolled it. "I need you and Tsunade to steal something."
"This is starting off very romantically," Orochimaru said with a raised eyebrow.
"Long story short, a noble paid us good money for this. He's... abit of a collector for talismans."
"Superstitious bloke," Orochimaru said with a hint of annoyance, "Only nobles of course, would have the money for ridiculous things like this. But why should I and Tsunade take on something so simple? We could do this when we were Genin."
"It's not a hard mission but so far, no one really wanted it for a reason. It also pays too well for me to refuse."
He handed him the scroll and watched as a flurry of expressions crossed his student's face before he held up the scroll and said in exasperation, "You're sending me and Tsunade to the end of the world?"
"It's not the end of the world, you're exaggerating."
"We're going so far north that it's winter for nearly three-quarters of the year!" Orochimaru's voice rose up a few pitch. "They don't even have summer!"
Sarutobi winked. "You'll be warm soon enough. Also, with Tsunade as the medic, I'm confident you won't be catching a cold either."
Orochimaru stared at him for a moment before pointing at him accusingly. "You're a pervert, sensei."
He had to struggle to hold in his laughter so hard, he thought that one of his ribs cracked. "You should have known that the first year I went peeking with Jiraiya." He stood up and smiled. "Anyways, I'm done for the day. Let's go eat. I'll buy you desserts too, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm not a child."
"Parents will always see their kids as children, no matter how old." Sarutobi ruffled his hair affectionately as they headed out.
"Oh oh, how about these?!" Nawaki held up a pair of gloves as he trailed behind Tsunade and Orochimaru, shopping in preparation for their mission. The clothing store was pretty big but for some reason, he couldn't help his sister and her teammate find the things they were looking for. White shelves and racks lined the walls, with tables of displays in the middle on the clean burnished wooden floors. The wallpapers were a soft blue with trimmings of white and pictures of models were decorated on the walls. A few mannequins laid spread out around the store, decked out in the latest spring wear.
Once again, Orochimaru shook his head as he looked over from a rack of men's clothes. "Too thin, it would only be a waste of money."
"Is where you're going really that cold?" Nawaki asked as he put the thin gloves back on the shelf. He had heard from his sister that Orochimaru disliked the cold immensely, so this was probably a mission that he didn't really want. Pouting slightly, he said, "I wish I graduated from the Academy, so I could take on the mission for you instead, Orochimaru."
Tsunade heard and laughed amicably, rubbing her brother on the head. "You're going to graduate this year, aren't you?"
He bobbed his head excitedly. "The teacher said I'm all ready. Just a few more little things and I'll be ready to pass the exam." The nine-year-old boy jumped, his brown hair flying up and down with the movement. "I hope I can get someone like Orochimaru as my sensei. Better yet if he is my sensei!"
Orochimaru chuckled as he leaned against a shelf of fuzzy socks, his black hair falling over his shoulder on one side. "To be teamed up with Senju royalty again would be a pleasure. I've seen your test scores from the Academy, and I see great potential, Nawaki. But we still have to see your final results." Bringing his hands together, he formed a dozen hand seals at lightning speed before asking, "What technique was I trying to cast?"
Nawaki stared in awe. He could barely pick out five seals, let alone know what the technique was supposed to be. All he could tell was that Orochimaru had made his seals flawlessly. "Umm... I..." He glanced sideways at his sister who was trying to mouth the answer to him behind Orochimaru's back.
He shook his head with disapproval, knowing what his girlfriend was doing behind him. "Terrible. Either your teacher is incompetent or it's your lack of skills, which is it?"
"Orochi!" Tsunade cried, slightly miffed about how harsh he was to her little brother.
"No sister." Instead of moping, Nawaki just stood his ground and accepted the truth. "He's absolutely right. I have to get much much better, especially if I want to make my dream come true." Hitting his chest, he said, "I will continue to work hard and before long, you'll be crying in joy to have me as your student." He beamed when Orochimaru seemed to smile in approval and nodded. Nawaki began picking up some men underwear as he returned to what he was supposed to be doing. "By the way, these say thermal underwear. They'll keep you warm, right?"
Tsunade burst out laughing while he just sighed. "Yes, I suppose they will." Nawaki continued running around to help with their shopping and Orochimaru shifted through another rack of clothing, with Tsunade hanging onto his arm. As the two of them had grown up together and were on a team for so long, most people thought it was just close affections between friends. As long as they didn't make out in public or something, they got away with little things like that.
"You sure are picky," Tsunade commented, watching as he flipped through shirts and pants with a frown. "And I'm still alittle miffed you were so strict on my brother."
"If you baby him, he'll never grow stronger. Besides, he has quite the iron will. A few barbed words will only motivate him," he replied, holding up a long-sleeved woolen shirt with a sleepy sheep in the front. He gazed at it for a few seconds longer before putting it back. "Hideous." When she giggled, he sighed. "I think we'll head to the bookstore after this, and then a fabric store."
"Eh? Why?"
"I'm going to pick up a book on knitting," he muttered. "And then buy some yarn to make us some scarves, hats, and mittens. The winter here is light, and no store has winter gear heavy enough for what we need."
She gaped. "You're going to knit?!"
His lips curved upward slightly as he leaned down to whisper into her ear, "I am the housewife in this relationship, why do you sound so surprised?" He hummed in delight as she giggled and kissed him on the cheek.
Darkwings13:
-Something I noticed while watching the Boruto movie, is that it was super cute when we see all the parents cheering for their kids. I'd like to think that while Team Hiruzen was going through there, Orochimaru was probably rather sad that all the other kids had families that loved them and were rooting for them. I sort of imagined it like all the parents going out to pick their kids up on their shoulder, while little Orochi is just standing there all alone, when suddenly Sarutobi would do the same thing for him. Maybe that's why he shed a tear when he captured his teacher in the Chunin exam in the future, he was reflecting back on the moment. I highly doubt he'd cry from getting sleepy.
-I might be late in updating the next chapter. Wanna draw alittle something for Orochi's upcoming birthday, Oct 27.
(ノ^∇^) I went for the 'parents will always see their kids as babies' approach in the last chapter, lumichan. I think it gives them all some delight to embarrass their kids, even Sarutobi haha. The flip side of love is hate and while it may be very sad in the future, I think the depth of their feelings will always remain beautiful. Of course, I'm not eager at all to write about their team drifting apart. :( Oh yea that dream xD So much sexual tension that gave birth to it lol.
ヾ(・ω・ｏ) I'm happy to know that you laughed throughout it, KHB123! Humor was always something I enjoyed writing and I'm glad it works for you! Ahhh that googly eyed chicken, I sorta recalled it while rereading my story and I decided to now explain why it was special haha. I feel like Jiraiya's version of the The Talk would be 20% ridiculous, 40% inappropriate, and 40% out of Oro's comfort zone teehee. And yea, from what I saw of the clans, before Naruto's generation, it was mostly clan members marrying each other. Which actually brings up a point when Tsu openly dated Dan, her parents probably highly disproved. Which may be another reason why she so easily left Konoha, instead of just retiring but remaining home. They might have been crass enough to tell her to marry someone else to fulfil her duty to the Senju clan, which is absolutely going extinct. I sort of can't blame them if they did that. No one wants to see their clan go extinct, especially a noble one at that.
( ﾟ▽ﾟ) uhhhhhh, my apologies but your writing is slightly incomprehensible, sinnerlust. From what I decipher, I'll try my best to reply. I would agree with you on that fact that Oro doesn't quite like peace. When things are peaceful, he sees 'the windmill isn't spinning'. Which is actually very true when it comes to the world of ninjas. With things at peace, what purpose do they serve? If a sword isn't used for fighting, it only serves as display. He isn't lazy in the future as he's still researching. I think he might actually be preparing for the invasion of Kaguya's clan, which she feared so much she tried to amass a Zetsu army.
(ﾉ≧ڡ≦) I adore their fascinations with chicken favorite food indeed, xxhebi-himexx. It sort of makes me giddy imagining they'd go together to a chicken oriented restaurant since they all liked it. It's also funny that besides all of them liking chicken, they all share the same blood type. It's cute. And yea, back then it was all about arranged marriages, with Hashirama and Mito being a prime example. I feel that for Oro, if he's going to do something or put effort into something like a relationship, he is going to be very committed and serious about it, the same way he is about learning techniques. That, and most ninjas don't have a very long lifespan so I feel like it'd be very normal for him to consider marriage at such a young age. Children back then were even sent to war, (Hashirama's time and Kakashi's time), so Oro would definitely want to get marry quickly if he had the chance and he found someone he saw as an equal and cared about. So far, throughout the series, that was only Tsunade. He respected her while he just laughed at Jiraiya, reminding him that he's never beaten him even when they were growing up. And yea, Jiraiya's death will always be one of the saddest moment in Naruto for me :(
(｀・ω・´) thank you, JigokuShoujosRevenge. Hehe, yea, I kinda didn't expect myself to write that dream ending lol. It was spontaneous.
.*:ﾟ（｀・ω・´）ゝﾟ:*. And I love you for your supportive words, LuckyLefty77. Thanks my friend. I didn't see much multichapter Orotsu fics out there and I see alot of supporting evidence for them that I wanted to present, so here is the result of that lol. I try to keep them in characters as much as possible as well as provide reasonings base for their relationships. Even the bromance between Oro and Jiraiya. Maybe if Kishi had done the same thing for Naruto and Sasuke, I wouldn't eyeroll at the 10000x flashbacks of that fight against Haku. There is so little development with relationships for Team Seven that it's tragic. I still don't really get why Sakura ended up with Sasuke! XD
(*＾∀ﾟ)ъ Hi BlackLady777! I considered writing Jiraiya finding out that he ate his own chicken because Oro didn't tell him, but I think it'd rather not traumatize the poor kid lol. I think that since the Sannin avoided having their parents celebrating their birthdays cuz they were embarrassing, all of them went all out on this one to have some fun and tease their kids, especially with a deliberate kiddie cake haha. And yea that lingerie! I had fun imagining Jiraiya walking right into a women's underwear shop and casually picking out something for Tsu LOL. Yep, in the previous chapters Oro admitted to not being very good with the sword, so I thought a funny way of Sarutobi teaching him besides sparring and using his staff, would be teaching Orochi footwork through dance class. It amuses me to imagine Sarutobi sitting in the back with the rest of the mothers as their kids danced around. Oh and the way I based Oro and Jiraiya's affections for Jiraiya and to each other on the subject is actually based on Team Seven. Naruto understands that Sakura truly loves Sasuke, and he's very supportive of that and he loves his friend dearly, no matter how much of a douche he is. Sasuke did something alittle similar when he told Sakura that it was Naruto and not him who rescued her from Gaara. He commented that because of her, Naruto unleashed unknown powers for her sake. I really think the Sannin's friendship is on the same exact level, or even more so than Team Seven, evidenced by what Jiraiya gave up to look for Oro, both of them saddened by Oro's death, Tsu valuing Oro in her infinite tsukiyomi, Oro not giving Jiraiya the curse mark to kill him when they fought, and Oro holding back against Tsu even she betrayed him and then going out of his way to save her during the 4th war. I'd definitely think that in canon, they were the best of friends and so I put alot of emphasis on their friendship in this fic that anaylze Oro from beginning to end.
(๑ÒωÓ๑) You're right ileangie23! It's strange but the extinction of the Senju clan was never explained, and they were once on par with the Uchiha clan. I guess they might have all died during their first war or something. I wrote Mito as more understanding due to the fact that she has the ability to sense negative emotions, she would be more empathetic and sensitive to people's feelings :) I think because of how scary Oro and Tsu is (her short temper is legendary), people don't really dare to gossip even if they think that's something is up, especially since Jiraiya manages a spy network lol. The fact that Oro and Tsu are both researchers and work together very often, and then including the fact that they were on a team and knew each other as kids would also sort of convince people that they were just close friends. LOL I can imagine a frustrated Tsunade just tackling Oro to the bed, but then he'd run away by disappearing into the ground or something. And yea, Oro felt so awkward about asking for the The Talk that he ended up rambling and making Sarutobi misunderstand completely XD Woah I didn't know Gaara ended up reading the Icha Icha series! That's so funny! I still wonder who his wife is. Lastly, I'm happy to hear you were so amused by the whole last chapter my friend! :D