AN: Last one of these I have for now..I'm debating continuing this one. I have ideas but it seems a good spot to stop for a while.
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Graduation brings new drama in the force to be reckoned with that is Tsunade. Tsunade seems convinced that Jiraiya has a crush on her which has Orochimaru doing his smirking sneer thing the entire after noon and makes him seem like he has an ego problem.
Jiraiya has a stupid look on her face because she has no idea why Tsunade thinks such a thing. Her hollering to Orochimaru to stop grinning you dumbass! Is probably not the best first impression when their new sensei walks in.
It doesn't help that they are then forced to sit around at the training ground they followed like ducks to get to and told to introduce themselves.
Tsunade is loud and vicious but Jiraiya is actually pretty impressed with the medic nin doing front line stuff and judging from Orochimaru's snickers her staring at the blonde is only making Tsunade's thoughts that "he' has a crush on her worse.
Which gets a faint frown sent her way by their sensei and Jiraiya inwardly whimpers.
Orochimaru introduces himself as such a nerd.
"Nerd." Yeah she can't help it and Orochimaru gives her a disdainful sneer, one that she can read the dancing eyes of but apparently no one else.
"That's not nice." Hiruzen says and Jiraiya shrugs.
"He says his hobbies are reading. I live at the orphanage with him I can tell you he always has a book on his too pretty face that's gonna bite his nose some day." Tsunade whirls on her and starts biting into the younger girl pretending to be a boy about how maybe if Jiraiya cracked a few more books she wouldn't have been the dead last.
Jiraiya huffs and crosses her arms. Hiruzen looks entirely done with the lot of them but prompts Jiraiya to also introduce 'himself'.
"Jiraiya, I'm an orphan like a lot of the brats in Konoha. I'm Orochimaru's friend whether he likes it or not-" a sneer and huff from her shoulder which is snake face for 'do not make me laugh out here and ruin my facade' "..And I like stealing and not getting caught." Jiraiya ignores the startled look from her new sensei and squawk from Tsunade as she starts counting on her fingers. "I like challenging locks that don't want to let me in, I like acting, I think people are neat and weird and scary all at once depending on what happens. I don't like when people make stupid assumptions because usually they are wrong and that sort of stuff is what gets people killed."
Hiruzen's eyes are a heavy weight and the faintest pressure of Oro's hand on her shoulder from behind where no one will see it prompts her to stop before she goes further. She's still the dead last to them and needs to stay that way until at least their first mission. Until the team is definitely staying coherently together. Because of course Orochimaru had found in the records that most teams after a day or two dissolved and went back into the academy or the genin corps and was able to speculate on an additional test they would be filtered through.
"Goals for the future?" Hiruzen prompts. Tsunade wanted to revolutionize medics, Orochimaru wanted to take the world apart and see how it work though he had just left it at 'learn all the jutsu's I possibly can and everything about them.' Because of course Jiraiya had reminded him that morning that most people heard 'I want to take everything and everyone down to the smallest bit and find how it all works and then scramble back together' as more evil mad crazy megalomaniac instead of curious bookworm.
"Stay alive and in one piece and keep pretty boy the same. I guess Tsunade now too since we are a team." Jiraiya uses what Oro dubs her 'dumb face' when she answers, her arms crossed as though her statement is the most obvious thing. There's a look to Hiruzen that says he'd like to face palm as much as Tsunade is doing.
"Whaaaaaat? I think it's a good goal!" She defends herself. Whining as she does so which takes the attention back off her previous remarks. Slips the attention away again.
The bell test though has her so not amused that she can't stand it. Because while Oro will work with her he has no knowledge of Tsunade and doesn't trust easily and Tsunade may be a nice teammate eventually but right now she's got clan ego shoved so far up her backside it's blooming out her ears.
It is not rubbing the two weird looking orphans well.
Both her teammates are pretty amazing though. Tsunade's taijutsu is way above par, and Orochimaru is already flinging ninjutsu at full C grade that he worked to exhaustion on regularly. Jiraiya's contributions are mostly unnoticed which suits her. She has bright white hair that is sort of a 'here I am take me out' sign on the battlefield so being ignored is rather high praise. Orochimaru knows what she is doing when she goes for their sensei brawler style, each of the three still managing to argue and interrupt the other's attacks rather than working together.
Jiraiya has in her wake though been dropping wire and flash mines, which thanks to Tsunade's determination to out brawl her, go unstepped on. Oro keeps trying to interfere and drive the man back but they are so outclassed it isn't funny.
Jiraiya somehow ends up tied to a post while her teammates are lectured but allowed to eat. Real food too, there's fish and nori and the smell causes her stomach to wrap around her backbone and beg pitifully. Hiruzen is lecturing her on her lack of help and she can't help it.
"Well I'm proud of being able to vanish obviously! It jus was a bad set up for it here! You should see how easily I'm not noticed in the bathhouse!" It's accompanied by a proud smirk but from the dark glare of Tsunade and the sudden menace of their jounin sensei..why are they mad?
Orochimaru sighs and catches her eye before letting his eyes slip down her rope bound figure slowly and then goes back up to lock eyes.
Huh?
Ohhhh...
Yeah. That would sound bad coming from a boy.
When the sensei leaves however, Oro is there with chopsticks and holding out a bite. It's far from the first time they've fed each other. When you're an orphan you heal slowly rather then someone fixing you up with chakra and on many occasions the academy or practice has left them with broken fingers or sprained arms. One time even just a concussion that had Orochimaru fussing over her so she didn't slip and crack her head open fully.
She eats carefully, not wishing to spill any and can't help the happy sound. The food is good. "Thanks Orochimaru."
"It would be of little use if you were too hungry to assist as sensei has assured we may after lunch." Always playing it off with a nonchalance, that's her friend. It's really his way of blushing though most times and she knows it.
What surprises her is when Tsunade grumbles but does the same. "Here. I don't like Tofu anyways. Not like I'll eat it."
"Th..thank you.." Jiraiya doesn't trust Tsunade though to not change her mind and bites the fried bean curd swiftly. Tofu is protein and they never get enough, indeed save for if she's been out thieving which is always raw fruits and vegetables or some onigiri, is at the academy breakfasts. Something that hadn't occurred to her or Orochimaru before now would no longer be an option. The idea of not eating everything you can, when you can, is a foreign one to both children.
It turns out though that in helping her, they pass Sensei's real test. Teamwork. He goes on to explain you don't always know or like your teammates but that won't matter for the sake of the mission.
For some reason Jiraiya hears it as 'the glory of Konoha.'
There's another layer of subtle brainwashing that the older man there probably doesn't even realize he's doing as it's laid down.
"So it is official? We are your team?" Orochimaru states calmly and Jiraiya looks over. There's a flicker of yellow eyes to her before back to their sensei and Jiraiya rolls her eyes. Orochimaru wants to tell because he thrives on knowing what other's don't. He really does. Perching her hands on her hips she just shrugs. If he wants to, sure. It isn't like she cares if it's his doing of it.
"Yes." Hiruzen nods. "You are officially team seven and we shall start missions in the morning."
Orochimaru nods, then smirks his egotistical bratty smirk that squints up his eyes and tilts his head to the side. On a girl without his features that may be cute. On Oro it is plain creepy and he knows it because he's practiced it on the window at night when there's a reflection from their ratty little room lamp. Heck she'd coached him on it because he wants it to look creepy and nerve wracking and what else did they have to do some nights in an orphanage?
"Then you should be honored Sensei, for this is something rather unique in the history of Konoha teams, having two kunoichi after all."
"Ah, forgive me Orochimaru-chan I didn't realize you were ..a..a..girl.." Tsunade says but smiles at him.
Okay it's worth it to see Orochimaru's blank expression like he's contemplating hitting her. Really it has Jiraiya sniggering.
"He's not."
Oro huffs, insulted as he crosses his arms but he does give a faint smile as Jiraiya shrugs, rubbing her short hair. "Even if he is prettier than I am."
"You? There's nothing feminine about you." Tsunade glares, oh. She must think they are joking.
Jiraiya can't help her foul mouth and rolls her eyes "Really what's between my legs, or rather isn't, says otherwise. Besides it's safer pretending to be a boy." Tsunade doesn't get it but Hiruzen closes his mouth. Whatever it was he was going to say stalls.
No, Tsunade wouldn't know as a sheltered clan Senju princess, really one of Konoha's favored elite among the upper most echelon of nin society, what happens out there. Despite how young they are there's a few girls that have left the orphanage to go train in seedier locations because again..you offer food and shelter and warmth and a lot of people will take it. It isn't just the academy that figured that one out.
Orochimaru had been the first to realize it after the first few times Jiraiya henged slightly and went out as a girl to ensure she could still play at her real gender without being recognized. There'd even been a sick pair of drunks who had leered at her.
"I see..convenient then, that playing a boy got you on a team together?" It's a question but Jiraiya and Orochimaru nod to their sensei, respecting that he's figured it out so soon.
"What was with all the staring at me today then!?" Tsunade huffs, face red and Jiraiya smiles at her. She really is quite funny. For a clan brat.
"Well I thought what you had in mind is really neat. When you get it figured out mind teaching me the basics? I mean it's not fair to expect you to heal everything so .." Oro nods and softly mentions him as well.
"...Yeah. Sure."
For the first time all three smile and Hiruzen is pretty certain there's no one up to teaching the monsters, but he'll do his best.