A sweet yet sticky scent was the first thing that she realized before she heard the hypnotic low chanting that seemed to permeate the air like an eternal hymn. Her eyes snapped open and she was stunned by what she was seeing. She was laying in a silk white bed with Orochimaru, with crevices in the wall holding softly glowing candles. Sitting up, she could see that flowers of all sort grew around their bed. But with it being this cold, it had to be impossible. This deep underground, it wasn't freezing but it was definitely chilly. The cave room was actually quite nice but she'd trade it for something warmer with how frozen her boyfriend was looking. Cupping his cheek, she worriedly shook him. "Wake up, Orochimaru." He just pushed his face against her thigh, unconsciously trying to seek warmth.
She sighed as she transferred chakra to her hands, making them glow green and she began trying to raise his body's core temperature through medical ninjutsu. With it being this cold, his body was definitely going into hibernation mode. She nearly jumped when a giant black snake slithered into the room and reared upwards, flicking its tongue out at her. The snake rippled with muscles and it was so long that it filled up half of the room. Its width and girth were the same as a doorway and when it opened its mouth, the fang was thicker and longer than even Orochimaru's Kusanagi. She wasn't much of a sensor, but even she could tell the massive amount of chakra that seemed to radiate from it.
The snake slowly relaxed when she didn't move and it transformed into a stately and elegant woman with piercing obsidian eyes and absurdly long hair that touched the ground as she stood up from her kneeling position. Half of her hair was tucked neatly into an elaborate headpiece made with silver sticks that ended with a pearl at the end coming out. It fanned out from the back of her head and two had small dangling silver bells. One lock of her hair was snow white and she brushed it back as she tilted her head at them. Her nails were long and sharp, painted deep red. The outfit she wore had sleeves that was long and big enough to drag across the ground. A tight obi of gold cinched her small waist and the under robe she wore bared her graceful neck that was decorated with a necklace of a silver snake. Simple but elegant. Lastly was a long translucent black cloth that rested on each arm, like a scarf that trailed across the ground as she walked around their bed, continuing to keep her eyes on them. Her entire outfit was threaded through with threads of gold and stitched into patterns of flowers and twining serpents, occasionally dotted with diamonds for eyes that sparkled at her movement.
But no matter how lovely her outfit was, her face was a different matter entirely. Tsunade had been titled the most beautiful kunoichi in the five nations, but she thought the title was a joke now that she stood before true divine beauty. The woman was perfection incarnate. Her lashes were long and lacy, even more so than Orochimaru's. Her brows curved and, cheekbones high, lips full and a gorgeous rose red. Dusty gold eyeshadow turned the strange eyes she posses, sclera that was entirely black, into something exotic and enchanting. Her skin was the same shade as Orochimaru and she soon realized that they may be kin.
"Cold?" She waved a hand and the standing braziers flickered to life, instantly warming the room by a few degrees.
"Who are you?" Tsunade asked, her body tense.
"I am known to my children as Lord Mother. To the world that once knew me, Mother of all Darkness, the serpent that once lived upon the roots of the God Tree." Her voice was melodic, tempting as if a serpent should be. It was spoken with ease and practiced like some noblewoman who had lived through much manipulation and hardship at court.
Tsunade glowered at her. "Don't expect me to bow down to you. I don't know what any of that means."
Her lips curled. "I did not bring escorts. I am not flaunting my rank before you though my soldiers stand at my ready. I am here to speak only as your future mother-inlaw."
"Orochimaru's parents died years ago," Tsunade said immediately.
"I am the matriarch of the clan he's a part of, and therefore his mother."
Narrowing her eyes, she said, "His parents hailed from different clans. Which one are you from?"
"His parent's marriage was the same as your grandparents. It united two clans. A shame they left... But perhaps they were wise, their actions have protected this dear boy." She folded her hands behind her back and smiled. "And he's met you. You will be a most wonderful daughter in-law and this will be one of the grandest alliance of all time."
"What are you planning?"
"A wedding!" Her pale hands stretched out as if to compass something grand like a kingdom. "Once you two are married, it shall be proclaimed to the world and we shall be secured a place in this world."
A revival of Orochimaru's clans... The clan that took on snake traits, and the clan proficient in curses, demons and auditory genjutsu. Tsunade stared at the statuesque woman for a short while before saying curtly, "You're not human."
"I'm an archdemon. The great serpent that lived under the God Tree. Once Kaguya ate the forbidden fruit, I was freed." The mother glanced over at her and smirked. "You look like you don't understand, but all in due time dear child. Now..." She lowered her arms and looked down at the sleeping man. "His father's clan has been completely wiped out but his mother's clan has survivors. It was devastating to see the clan that worshipped me and seeked to take on my image, gone. Seeing him soothes my soul, especially as it may revive what has been lost." She let out a mournful sigh, shaking her head and making the bells from her headpiece chime
Tsunade asked guardedly, "And how will our marriage help you?"
"Blood of the one that is looked on so favourably by the world, if you married him, it is a sign of peace. His mother's clan will not be persecuted for their practice in curses and demons and can be left alone. Not only that, the children you bear will revive my beloved snake clan," she said, smiling as if she could already picture it.
"I'll marry him alright, but my kids aren't going to be calling you grandma or anything," Tsunade immediately rejected, the whole idea reeking of stupid in her opinion. "Demons are savage and they only care for destruction. Giving you a chance to come openly into the world, would mean screwing it over."
"We do not choose to be born with the desire for blood and souls," she said lowly. "Given a choice, do you think any of them would want to be so hideous? You humans do not even give them a chance before you outright reject and hurt them. Many of them can overcome their cursed bestial nature." She touched her heart. "His mother's clan understood and through their music, had tamed many of my children. They pitied our madness while the rest of the world did not wish to accept us. After much time, many have become sentient and capable of thought like I am, proving that just because we're born monsters, doesn't mean we have to live or die as one."
Tsunade laughed. "Give demons the chance to obtain knowledge and intelligence? So you can stab us in the back? I refuse. Your kind killed so many of us that the Uzumaki clan had to take it upon themselves to learn how to seal you all away."
"Our side suffered significant loss as well. But should we let the past keep us killing each other till the end of time?" The Mother said heavily, "I know that the threat of a second Shinobi world war threatens to happen. As your allies, we would help you with everything we have. Our curses are fearsome."
"We already have the Uzumaki clan's promise to help. If we asked you, their long-time enemies, we'd lose them," Tsunade argued.
The Mother began to grow angry, her black eyes narrowed in dislike. "If you do not wish to be associated with us, then so be it. I cannot force your opinion."
"Good, now can we leave?" Tsunade said, just as ticked off.
"You may leave, but he stays."
"No! He's coming with me," Tsunade snapped, holding onto Orochimaru possessively.
The Mother laughed, her voice grating. "Leave with you?" She pointed a sharp finger at her. "Once his parents left and went to live in Konoha, they were discriminated against, were they not? His mother most likely could only use auditory genjutsu. But in a life and death situation, don't you think she would have tried to summon a demon for help?"
"What are you saying?"
"The first war was devastating. I know that they died in the war, just as the two Hokages of Konoha died as well." Her lips curled and a glint appeared in those midnight black eyes of hers. "When his mother tried to summon a demon to save herself and her husband, not wanting to leave their son all alone in a village that barely cared about them, the summoning failed. That's because the Uzumaki clan had learned how to bait the demons onto their island and sealed them. Because she hadn't summon for so long, his mother didn't know that she could no longer do it. They died gruesomely."
"You're lying!" Tsunade was horrified by what she had heard. The Uzumaki clan, the clan whose blood ran in her veins, was responsible for Orochimaru's parents' deaths? It can't be...
The Mother gently seated herself down on the bed, her kimono sleeve brushing against Orochimaru's form. "If I tell him this truth, he'd never want to see you again, descendent of the Uzumaki." She chuckled at the distress she had induced upon the girl. "Two paths lay before you. Marry him in an equal marriage and help my children take back our place in the world. Become my darling daughter-inlaw and give me beautiful grandchildren to raise. The other choice is to lose him entirely. I will not let him be with someone who would endanger what his parents stood for." Standing up, she regally swept away. "I will give you time to ponder on the matter. You will both be summoned in a few hours."
Once she was gone, all that was left was that background hymn that continued to play. It was a forlorn and sorrowful tune, and it only served to dampen her spirits the longer she heard it. Anywhere else, and she would have thought she was going mental but since the place belonged to a clan that was good with auditory genjutsu, she wasn't going to question it. After all, she had a bigger problem at hand. Looking down at Orochimaru, she bit onto her lips, torn with what she should do. If it was true that the Uzumaki clan was responsible for his parent's deaths, would he leave her? Worst, would he abandon the village... his home, that was allied with Uzushiogakure? Taking his hand, she cradled it against her heart and hung her head, feeling incredibly overwhelmed and stressed. Why was happiness so short-lived sometimes?
The minutes passed as she fought with her internal conflict, not noticing him stir until he called out to her. "Tsunade... where are we?" He put a hand to his head in discomfort. "What's that music?"
She quickly forced herself to smile and said lightly, "Morning sunshine. Are you ready to get married?"
"What?" He sat up, continuing to wince as his head pounded. "This is not the time for jokes."
"Orochimaru, you can relax." She paused before saying curtly, "Your mother's clan... they survived. They're living here and they brought us here. They're probably the ones that cursed Yanona and since you're a kin, we can ask them to remove the curse on her. It's great news, isn't it?"
His golden eyes widened slightly, studying her face closely for the truth in her words. He knew, though, she wouldn't jest on such a matter and he said softly, "My mother's clan survived... and they hid out here for protection?" When she nodded, he asked, "What happened while I was unconscious? Did you speak to someone?"
"The leader of the clan. She referred to herself as the matriarch. The Lord Mother." Tsunade hesitated before saying, "She's... she's not human. She claims to be some serpent that once lived on the roots of some God Tree, some kind of archdemon."
Orochimaru stroked his chin in thought. "She may be the one that my father's clan worshiped, and the reason why we tried to copy her image." He touched his serpent eyes and frowned. "If she's a demon, it makes sense why my mother's clan would also respect and adhere to her. They were demon summoners after all."
His face was controlled, bare of any emotions as he continued to sit there in silence. Tsunade found herself being unable to contain herself and she blurted, "How do you feel?"
He coolly looked over at her briefly, before looking back down at his hands that was folded on his lap. How should one feel if they are suddenly reunited with the clan that they came from? To him, rather than elation or excitement, he felt indifferent. He had never met them, why should he care just because it was his mother's origin? She did leave it to boot. He might have been called a child of an exile. Secondly, why not just request a meeting? Why did they resort to kidnapping him and Tsunade like this? Perhaps its because of their dark reputation that they have to keep a low profile and couldn't openly try to speak with him, but it was still abnormal. Glancing over at her, he asked her a question instead. "Do you want to leave?"
"Eh?"
"They're not close to me. They don't even know me," he said lowly. "I'm not obligated to stay here, especially with such a rude greeting."
"I..."
"Something is troubling you." He noticed right away that something seemed to be putting her on edge and it worried him. With her personality, very little things could bother her so when she was disturbed, that meant something big.
Letting out a long breath, she turned her head away from him. "I doubt we can leave even if we wanted to."
"Do you really doubt our strength that much? We are one of the best in the village, we can leave if we want to," he said confidently.
"Orochimaru," she said with a forced smile. "Come on, don't be like that. It's practically your mother's family. Maybe she has a sister or brother and you can meet an aunt or uncle. Maybe even cousins! They've been away from society for so long that it may have contributed to the strange way they used to talk with us."
"But what do they want?" he said with exasperation.
Tsunade said reluctantly, "They want us to be married in an equal fashion. They don't want you absorbed into the Senju clan and this way, they can return back to the world, have a place and protection from Konoha."
Orochimaru said darkly, "And what if we didn't love each other? Would they have forced us? How do they know all of this about us anyways? We're leaving right now."
"But..."
"Tsunade," he said sternly, pulling her off the bed with him. "What is with the hesitation?"
"I..." she began reluctantly. "I..."
At that, he couldn't help but smile and cup her cheek. "You know you can tell me anything. I understand you best. But later, alright?" With that, he grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the room.
Out of the room was a long hallway with candles inside the crevices to light the way. Unlike their room, the walls were polished and more updated. Carvings of half humans with a lower half of a snake decorated the walls and they each held a scythe in hand. The hallway was long and filled with diverging paths. Orochimaru flicked his tongue out to taste the air, trying to grasp a sense of direction. "I taste water. If we find the source, it can lead us out of here. Let's hurry hime." They quickened their pace and after a few more minutes of running, they burst out into an open area that took their breath away. Before them was a long bridge with two huge snake woman statues that each held up a large hanging brazier that glowed with blue fire. Their bottom half was serpentine and it reached down to the deep lake beneath the intricate stone bridge. The bridge was held up with large pillars that stood as the foundation and each pillar had a large stone snake wrapped around it for decoration. The floor was carved with decorative symbols and hissing snakes and the top dome ceiling was full of sparkling gemstones and made to look like tree roots were coming down upon them. But instead of the haphazard placement of normal roots, this was made to come out in an intentional pattern that swam out from the middle of the ceiling. The roots travelled outward before coming down to wrap around the carved pillars that held the ceiling up.
To their left, was a large opening into the lake that was made by shaping a giant snake resting upon a platform, its mouth opened and fanged. Where its tongue was supposed to be was stairs that led down deeper into the place from the platform on which it rested on. A whistle caught their attention as a woman leaped down on the bridge, her purple lips curled into an excited smile that reflected the madness in her violet eyes. Her clothes were decorated with raven feathers and she even adorned some into the side ponytail she wore. Her pants had the left side ripped off at the thigh to show off her skin and on her feet she wore short boots that clicked as she took a few steps forward. Her top bared her toned stomach and the sleeves was long, with feathers matching at the end as well. Drawing the tambourines from her belt, she grinned. "Going somewhere, honored guests?"
"If this is how you treat honored guests, I'd hate to see the treatment of prisoners," Orochimaru replied coldly.
The woman laughed. "We'd cut off their legs to make sure they don't run away of course. So yea, you're totally honored guests."
"Well let me be curt since I don't like wasting time. This guest wants to leave. So out of my sight."
"No one leaves without Mother's say so," clucked the woman in disapproval. "Be a good boy and go back to your room."
Orochimaru reached into his sleeve and took out his silver flute. "I dislike the cold of this place. I also dislike attitude from little girls who don't know their place." He twisted the middle of his flute and separated it in half. Flicking them both, blades extended outward and he expertly twirled them in hand. "To fight someone from my mother's clan should be interesting. I hope you'll give this guest some kind of entertainment before I leave."
She cackled as she clicked a button on her instruments, turning them into bladed chakrams. "Let's dance then."
The hymn they had been hearing immediately changed as she clapped her tambourines together a few times. The song started off with violins, slow and steady as the two circled each other. "Stay back and watch for now, Tsunade. This is my fight," he said as he watched closely for an opening. Just as the song reached a faster rhythm, he leaped forward and plunged his blades down. She jumped out of the way and brought her chakrams out in front of her in a thrust attack that only missed when Orochimaru flipped over her into a handstand, his fluted blades holding him up. Quickly, he brought his knee down on her head before landing on his feet. He was caught off guard by her quick recovery however, when she elbowed him in the back and ripped her chakram down the right side of his arm.
Quickly rolling away, he twirled one-half of his flute before throwing it at her, clipping her shoulder. Seizing the opportunity, he raised his hand and hissing white snakes emerged from his sleeve to bite at her.
"Damn you!" She slashed off the snake's head just as he let them go, running past her to grab at his fallen half flute. Connecting them once more, he bit onto it just as he made the summoning seals, using the blood from his right arm as the catalyst and he slammed his hands down on the bridge. A circle of red appeared and with a ferocious hiss, a dozens of large snakes emerged and lunged at the girl, who cackled as she dodged them. Charging forward, she lunged at him and they both fell off and down into the lake below. "I heard snakes don't do well with the cold! Try this!"
His breath froze in his lungs when he hit the freezing waters. He tried to surface and fight on top of the water but she slipped both chakrams over his feet, cutting him when he tried to kick off. With a snarl, he opened his mouth and shot his tongue out to break her neck.
Up above, Tsunade ran over to the edges and cried out when she could see the waters turning red at their fighting form. The water must be freezing and it would be a major disadvantage to Orochimaru, who was extremely sensitive to the cold. Knowing his medical data like the back of her hand, she knew that his speed could fall to half of what it originally is if he was freezing. Jumping off the bridge, she skipped over to the platform where the open snake head was and punched downward, creating a deep hole that led down into the lake. Making five hand seals, she blew a torrent of fire down the hole to heat up the water to help him. Keeping her eyes on the bloody red waters that was spreading, she blew harder, forcing all of her chakra to the technique.
An explosion of water rocked the place as a beautiful giant white snake emerged out of the water, snapping at the woman who was bleeding in several places. His golden eye looked over to her in thanks and she smiled in relief before jumping over to run up his scaly body and stand on his head. Cracking her knuckles, she said, "My turn, Orochi." As the woman fell back down, he threw his head up to give her a boost to her jump. In midair, she began a barrage of kicks and punches that broke bones, ruptured organs and split skin. With a final kick, she sent her flying back into the lake and she pointed at the platform. "Let's try down the stairs and get out of here!"
He shot off across the water and hurriedly made his way over when all of a sudden, the place rumbled once more and the snake statue slowly closed its mouth, blocking off their escape. Tsunade was startled when the matriarch of the clan leaped down and stood in front of her, her black eyes glinting. "I did not want to do this, but you gave me no choice." She formed three rapid hand seals and said darkly, "Curse Technique: Eyes of Stone."
Orochimaru hissed and transformed back into his human form in an explosion of smoke, hurriedly catching Tsunade and jumping back onto the surface of the lake. His flute dropped down and sank into the waters between him and the newcomer that just arrived and he said lowly, "What have you done to her?" Tsunade laid in his arm completely immobile but her eyes still moved, showing that she was conscious.
"Petrified," the woman said, elegant strolling across her destroyed platform, her long sleeves and trailing kimono brushing the ground. Up on the bridge, dozens of her servants and minions gathered, watching over the meeting with respectful distance. "If I wanted to, I could have killed her but I held back on the potency." She gently touched the lids of her eyes. "The Byagukan and Sharingan from your village, my dear boy, holds nothing over my own eyes. I can kill with just a murderous stare."
"Eyes of the Basilisk," Orochimaru breathed. The very reason why his clan had taken on snake characteristics, was in the hopes of helping them increase their chances of becoming a snake sage. But the second reason was in producing someone who would inherit those legendary eyes that had disappeared ages ago.
"You want her restored? You listen to me, dear boy," the woman said softly, the bells on her headpiece chiming with her movement. "I am your Lord Mother, and you will show me respect. First, bow down to me."
Orochimaru glared at her stiffly for a few seconds, before he looked at Tsunade in his arms and without another word, he dropped to his knees and bowed his head low. "Lord Mother. I... apologize for our behavior. You were the progenitor of my father's clan, and beloved of my mother's clan. I should not have acted in such disrespect."
"You are forgiven." She beckoned him over and he did so quietly and obediently. Biting her finger, she opened Tsunade's mouth and let a drop fall in. He watched as slowly, Tsunade's limbs twitched and she regained movement again, looking up at the matriarch with wide eyes. "I will tell you something, as a sign of forgiveness and trust. I hope you will value it, dear boy." She walked past him and said, "You are immune to my gaze. I cannot harm you with my eyes. But should you show any signs of leaving without my permission, I will turn her into a vegetable, a fate worse than death. Understood?"
"Yes, Lord Mother," he replied solemnly.
"And you, dear girl. You will do well to remember the other danger you're in." She clapped her hands together. "Archana."
A woman stepped forward from the crowd with a bundle in her arms and began to make her way over to them. The strange thing about her was the six arms she possessed and the six dark eyes. She was a spider incarnate, taking on and perverting the human body. In her arms was a baby, seemingly normal though. Its hair was a soft downy blonde and the eyes were white gold. The Mother gestured to them and said, "His mother perished in child birth and the father was killed by ninjas who trespassed into the woods where the entrance to our hideout is. You will take care of him as a sign of redemption until I find a permanent home who will adopt him."
Orochimaru slowly let Tsunade down and he reached out to take the baby, trying his best to hide his look of irritation. "We will do our best."
The Mother chuckled. "It will give you experience for when you have kids of your own. Now, come with me. You two will both live here for the next little while, while the wedding is planned."
"Where are we getting married?" asked Tsunade.
"Here of course. But many of my children are away and will take time to come back. Family is important, they can't miss out on this grand occasion." She clapped a hand over Orochimaru's shoulders and smiled. "Dear boy, the only survivor of your father's clan... I have great expectations for you. Do not disappoint me."
Orochimaru thought he might have cracked a tooth since he was grinding down on it so hard. "I'll do my best, Lord Mother." At this moment, the baby looked up at him and began howling.
"This kid is loud." Tsunade bounced the kid in her arms and tried to stop it from crying. She had to admit that in the village, she was probably the most spoiled girl around. But still, who the hell would know how to take care of a six month or so baby who was suddenly thrown into your arms by some ancient evil being.
As the kid's parents were both dead, they were given their home in the meanwhile. From the bridge where the battle took place, there was a level below it that served as the living area for the people here. It was actually like an underground village. The temple on the upper level was where The Mother's priests and priestess were, and they were the ones responsible for the constant quiet music. It helped cast an auditory genjutsu for the people, making the people living on the second level be able to see the skies above. There was also trees that was also part of the genjutsu, lining the sidewalk and at the moment they were a vibrant orange, red and yellow of Autumn.
The house they were in currently, was built like a cottage. From the walk in was a living room with a toasty brick fireplace before a knitted burgundy and red rug. A seating area with a big kotatsu table and a nice chocolate colored sofa around it, was next to the fireplace. Obviously, the homeowners were avid readers from the shelves of books to the left of the fireplace, with even a small section of what seemed to be baby books. A big section of the floor was covered in stuffies and kid toys, along with a big playpen, play mat and a toy baby walker. Further inward was a simple light kitchen, with a medium circular table that was perfect for a small family. There was stairs directly in front of the entrance of the house and she and Orochimaru had both went up to find a comfortable master bedroom with a four poster bed, covered by a dark blue quilt blanket. What she found really cute though, was the baby's room. The crib was handmade and even had a hanging mobile that consisted of baby stuffed snakes that spun. Candle holders on the walls served as lighting for the night and all in all, even though the cottage-like home was relatively simple, it had a homey feel to it.
"WAAAAAAAAH!"
"Oh come on," Tsunade sighed as she jiggled the baby. Orochimaru had went out with The Mother to check out the rest of the village and so, she was stuck here all alone. She knew little about babies, other than medically taking care of them of course. They were loud, easy to upset and did embarrassing things in their diapers. Even in the hospital, she made valiant attempts to stay from them. With her blunt mannerism, she was certain she held no motherly charm. Even with Nawaki, when he was a baby, he preferred to be coddled and held by others. He even picked Jiraiya holding him than her!
Slumping over into the rocking chair, she began trying to rock it. The thing was definitely cute, she admitted halfheartedly. The usual chubby cheeks and big eyes that all babies seemed to have, along with that angelic blonde hair... Oh great, now he was cooing at her. He probably liked the rocking chair then. She sighed and stroked his head. The poor thing wasn't even a year old... and it was an orphan. That really tugged at her heartstrings. Even though she didn't trust the place and the people because of their association with demons, the baby was innocent.
One hour later...
"I'm back." Orochimaru's eyes went wide when he found Tsunade napping the afternoon away in front of the fireplace with the baby in her arms. He had never quite seen her this soft before. The light of the fireplace practically made her skin glow and the baby was snuggled so comfortably against her enormous bosom. Usually fiery, lively and always the center of attention, right now she seemed utterly demure and dare he say it... the picture of motherhood. He stood there awkwardly in the doorway before closing the door. Making his way over, he hesitantly shook her. "Tsunade, wake up."
Waking up, she quickly asked, "Did everything go ok?"
He shushed her and looked down at the sleeping baby. "Let's not wake it. My ears still hurt." Taking the child from her arms, he walked over to the brown sofa and placed it down. Coming back to her side, he let out a long breath and muttered, "There's another level below this one with a high water level. They're pirates. Some of them do go up and use a transformation technique to look like certain villagers and buy other supplies from up there too. Ever since Asuita moved here, it had helped with the market since he's a merchant."
"What are we going to do?" Tsunade asked.
"I'll think of something to get us out of this," he reassured her. "That woman will be teaching me other snake techniques that my father never got to bring with him when he left and there's a good amount of time yet before the marriage happens."
"What do I do in the meanwhile?"
He said apologetically, "Take care of that thing. I'm sorry, Tsunade."
"Hey," she protested. "Don't call the baby a thing. It's a baby."
Orochimaru quirked an eyebrow at her. In the animal kingdom, motherhood was accompanied by protectiveness and uhhh... tender motherly love. He wondered if she had caught some kind of motherly symptoms while being left with the kid for an hour. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "The boy. How about that?"
She stared at him in incredulity, before putting her hands on her hips and puffing herself up. "A real name, Orochimaru."
"You're kidding." He frowned at her. "He's not our child, Tsunade. Not only that, we're being forced to take care of him. I do not relish this task and I don't understand why you would."
"He's an orphan like you," Tsunade argued. "How could you not feel for him?"
Orochimaru let out a long breath and looked away from her in irritation. She's definitely caught adoptive mother syndrome. Arguing with her would be pointless but he still pointed out, "Remember that he's not permanently ours. I don't want you to get attached and then get hurt when you lose him." He walked away from her to start digging through the kitchen. "I'm getting started on dinner. You can think of a name if you want to so much."
The baby woke up from their loud conversation and began crying again. Tsunade grumpily stuck her tongue out at his back before coming over and picking the baby back up and patting its back. "Just ignore him. He's hard on the outside but on the inside he's really quite sweet." After a few brief seconds, she sighed before walking over to the playpen and putting him down in it. "Which stuffies do you want?" She reached down and picked up a rattle. "Want this?"
In the kitchen, Orochimaru could hear her trying to coddle the child and he shook his head in disapproval at the whole situation. He's never felt quite this helpless in his life and it was upsetting to him. The fact that he couldn't protect Tsunade, made him feel even worse. Now, he had a baby on his plate to boot and Tsunade was making things difficult by getting attached to it with the situation they were in. What else could go wrong?
"OH MY GOD! OROCHIMARU!"
He ran out at her scream. "What happened?"
"He called me mom!"
Orochimaru facepalmed.
Darkwings13:
-I based the Mother off of the Nidhogg (monster serpent) that under the God tree in Norse mythology. Funny thing actually, the God Tree in Naruto grew from the blood soaked into the ground from countless wars, according to the fourth databook.
-This whole underground hideout thing, along with all the snake decor hints to Orochimaru's own future hideout. Despite the fact that his snake clan is extinct, the musical one I'm having still exists and it serves as the reasoning as to why he named his village Hidden Village of Sound.
-Oh, and yea I made a bit of a reference to Kidomaru (one of the sound four), weird body that looks like a spider. It's interesting to me how alot of Orochimaru's techniques are listed as evil and his curse marks makes people appear demonic (like Sasuke getting hand bat wings). Also, Mitsuki, his son, is proficient in curse techniques. :D
(〃´∀｀) Before I forget, we've now reached 84 favorites for this story oh my god! Much huggles and thanks to new favorites, Mangamolly1991, thanhvq36, imtheecookie, niels1263, UrdnotTony, itspbandjellytime, miratty, Mad Merlin, the dark emperor, Alexis Noir, Katelynn Snow Fox, longsword00, BrotherCaptainSheperd, Jhsiung, subzerodx, kadienewberg. I will continue to do my best for you all!
v('∇'*)⌒ Ahhh sorry for making you wait, lumichan. It makes me happy to hear that my writing brings you joy though. The highest compliment a writer can hear. Hahah yea, he really got to put away some time from his books and into more physical exercises so that he can last as long as she can. She has the benefits of DNA XD That, and the fact she's blessed with crazy strength haha. Yea they're both so witty, I gotta stick flirty innuendos in there with the afterglow. I feel like Orochi is really attracted to cleverness after all, and it amuses him when they're flirting. With this new event, poor Orochi really has to cook for the family now. Yeaaaaa, drunken Sannin XD I'll bet that it's probably the funniest thing ever if all three were drunk. I have a feeling that Oro is a lightweight, the total opposite of Tsu who has godly alcohol tolerance, and that Jiraiya has a good amount of tolerance but not as ridiculously good as Tsuna. I'll still add something about those flowers though ;D
(^ω^ ) Hi again Berserkeroo! Dwahh you're too kind. And I'm grateful that you think so highly of me my friend!
(๑˃́ꇴ˂̀๑) I'm glad you think so, whiteorochi! I hope this delivers for you. I don't know if you'll even see this but I really appreciate it. And yea, I noticed there wasn't much long chapter Orotsu fics out there so I wrote this to help spread the love for them. That, and I wanted to analyze Orochi.
o(^u^o) I agree with you, JigokuShoujosRevenge. I have abit of a habit with repeating stuff. Though sometimes I feel with Oro, he's hesitant with relationships and keeps asking why Tsunade wants to be with him, as some kind of way to assure him. Kinda like a clingy girlfriend always asking her boyfriend if he loves her or thinks if she's pretty. Other times though, I really just somehow end up repeating myself yea xD As for Orochi being sweet, I think he really is capable of that but at the same time, is extremely dark and cruel. He's a the ends justifies the means kind of guy for sure but at times, he does show a more compassionate side to him. Even when dealing with the Ame orphans, he suggested they killed to be spared the pain of living as orphans in a war-torn country. I feel like it's because of all the things that happened, that he just became incredibly jaded.
（〜^∇^)〜To hear that it was a balm for you, xxhebi-himexx, makes me so very happy. I kinda based him maturing for her sake, the way he was willing to part from his own son and help him pick a better path (going to Konoha). He can be pretty self-sacrificing to those he cares about. Just like how he risked his neck against Katsuyu to help Tsuna. And yes for this arc, it's going to involve alot on Orochimaru's snake clan and curses. Yea, I really wanted to show Oro using more 'sound' related techniques. He's got a 5 in genjutsu after all too. It's kinda sad but Kishimoto really dropped the musical part of his village after Tayuya and Rin died. The sound based techniques they used was fascinating. Kekekeke, he is a late bloomer huh? Like how Jiraiya is a late bloomer for techniques and now Orochi is a late bloomer on the subject of sex. My sun and moon babies :D (Jir and Oro).
（っ・∀・）っThat lemon still makes me all tingly. I can't believe I wrote that, BlackLady777 XD He's really grown up after this experience and as someone who sort of believes that the world is selfish and cruel, to have Tsunade so willingly give him her virginity as a sign that she loves and trust him despite the hardship, probably meant mountains to him. He's too used to manipulation and lies, so this was something very good for him. Kinda like how Sakura loved and never gave up on Sasuke and that ended up touching him too. You know what, you're totally right! Having her be so 'good' and long last at sex would definitely kinda fire Orochi up. He'd like a challenge. I'll bet he sometimes put in extra work so that he would stay ahead of her for their Academy tests hahahaha! He'd definitely be prideful if he can keep up with her too. I plan on more Sannin drunkenness lol. Their interactions together is already so funny, that when drunk, it's probably crazy. It's also a bit of a pun that Orochi is a lightweight since some rare wine is made from snakes ;D I sorta kinda extended their afterglow with being assigned to take care of this baby. I'm quite excited actually. Orochi is already showing great reluctance about being a psuedo father and investing his time in a baby lol. Tsuna though, isn't too unhappy about this. xD I feel like Jiraiya and Orochi have always been shown to be involved with babies/kids (orphans). Tsunade may not be the best mother figure like how she drags Shizune into trouble, but she'd definitely try to do good.
ლ(・ヮ・ლ) Hiiiii Lissette Paola655! I'm using translator too so I hope this answers what you're asking my friend. Orochi got purified back at Uzushiogakure just right after he erased their memories and then the three helped to defend the village. Oh and no problem! If readers spend the time to review and show me attention, it's only right that I do the same to show that I appreciate it.
（●＞ω＜●）Those two really are beautiful and sexy, yes ileangie23. I so agree. The prettiest people in Naruto. The experience was a good confidence boost for him and the relationship. Oh thank you! I tried my best. I played on their wittiness and power play to have them tease and flirt with each other, all happy and lovey dovey lol. You know, I can totally imagine Orochi suppressing the urge to squeal when he had his sons aha! He's always a been a pretty family oriented dude in my opinion. To have a 'wife' and kiddies, to have a family that he lost at a young age, is probably something he secretly wished for, which would be why he created his sons. He said he loved them too dwaaah. Hehehe, I got abit giddy writing that sexy alcohol kiss. Surprised Orochimaru didn't get drunk from the lust lmao. I agree, I think Orochimaru isn't addicted to sex, but yes, to the person and the fact that he has everything of her. That's probably really intoxicating and beautiful to him, especially since he always think that she's good enough to marry another Kage. Tsunade might be too busy with her 'motherhood' atm to think about sex lol. Or... they might wanna get it on and get interrupted. Babies demand alot of attention ;D Oh I laughed when Oro seemed afraid of her too! The only person he's probably ever afraid of, especially since he kept telling Kabuto she could kill him in one hit lol. I feel like he was totally not wanting to go with Jiraiya's plan and was like... "Can she not recognize me under this crappy mask?' XD