A New Snake In The Shinobi World

Seeing Orochimaru's rapid recovery from his injuries, Nono couldn't hide her surprise.

But then she thought about it, Orochimaru had created recovery potions and pioneered cloning technology. Compared to those feats, the ability to repair his own bones didn't seem all that impossible. With this realization, Nono quickly composed herself.

---

It was seven o'clock in the evening at the orphanage.

This newly established orphanage was still empty, with no one living there besides Nono. Most of the rooms remained vacant, save for one guest room illuminated by the dim glow of a candle.

Inside, Tsunade sat beside the bed, her gaze fixed on Orochimaru, who was lying there with a calm demeanor.

Conflicting emotions stirred within her. When she thought about how reckless and dismissive Orochimaru had been earlier, she wanted to punch him all over again. But when she remembered how he hadn't even tried to avoid her attacks, allowing himself to take the full brunt of her strength, a pang of fear crept into her heart.

Two entirely opposite feelings warred inside her, leaving her deeply unsettled.

"How did you find me, Tsunade?" Orochimaru suddenly asked, his calm voice breaking the silence.

Tsunade snapped out of her thoughts.

"I… I went to the Sound Village. Jiraiya told me where you might be," she admitted. Her voice was quieter than usual, and she avoided Orochimaru's gaze, guilt from her earlier outburst weighing on her.

"Jiraiya?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "He only knew the general direction I left in, not my exact location." He paused, then continued, "How long did it take you to find me?"

"A month and a half," Tsunade replied after a brief hesitation.

"A month and a half?" Orochimaru fell silent for a moment, then let out a small, exasperated sigh. "So, you spent all that time searching for me just to hit me a few times?"

"I… I just wanted to knock some sense into you! And besides, you didn't even try to dodge," Tsunade shot back, her confidence returning. "Also, don't think for a second that I'm going to forgive you just because of that."

"Oh? Then what do you plan to do?" Orochimaru asked, his tone light.

Tsunade opened her mouth to respond but faltered, unable to come up with an answer.

What could she do to him, really? She had hit him, yelled at him, and vented her frustration. Yet, despite all that, the idea of truly cutting ties with him never crossed her mind. After everything they had been through together over the years, a few disagreements or fights weren't enough to sever their bond.

"I haven't decided yet," Tsunade finally said, her voice firm. "But you owe me for this, and I'm not letting you forget it."

Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Fine. Just think of it as me owing you one."

Tsunade seemed satisfied with his response. Orochimaru, meanwhile, rubbed the area where she had punched him earlier, then propped himself up with his hands and sat upright on the bed.

"You're injured—" Tsunade started to say, but Orochimaru cut her off.

"It's nothing."

Tsunade frowned, but then her expression shifted as another thought came to her. "Speaking of which, I didn't have a chance to ask earlier, how did you manage to gain the Sage Body? You're not… you're not from my clan, are you?"

Orochimaru blinked, clearly caught off guard by the question.

"Good grief, the two of us—"

"Don't even think about it!" Orochimaru interrupted, waving her off before she could continue. "Even if we trace our bloodlines back a thousand years, there's no way we'd be related."

"But… this kind of ability…" Tsunade trailed off.

"With my research skills, achieving something like the Sage Body isn't out of reach," Orochimaru replied casually, brushing off her concerns.

---

Time has a way of dulling anger, and for Tsunade, the same was true. After spending some time with Orochimaru, her initial fury began to fade.

However, when she saw Orochimaru walking side by side with Nono earlier, something inside her reignited. It wasn't jealousy exactly, but an inexplicable irritation. Even though Orochimaru and Nono hadn't acted the least bit intimate, it still bothered her.

And so, she hadn't held back when she punched him earlier.

Even she was surprised that Orochimaru hadn't avoided her blow. Though his body seemed unscathed, the fact that he had taken the hit willingly left her with a strange mix of guilt and confusion.

Then there was Nono's reaction how she seemed to step in defensively, as if shielding Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru, do you think I have a bad temper?" Tsunade asked suddenly, her voice sharp.

Orochimaru stared at her, puzzled. "When did I say that? Besides, haven't you always had this temper?"

"You used to think I was annoying," she muttered, her tone softer now.

"I only thought you were annoying because you kept asking the same kinds of questions over and over," Orochimaru replied bluntly. "As one of the Sannin, don't you think it's a bit tedious to focus on relationship drama all the time?"

"I was just trying to show you that I cared about you!"

"Cared?" Orochimaru sighed, shaking his head. "Let's just drop it, Tsunade. There's no point in dragging this out any further."

Tsunade hesitated, then reluctantly nodded. "Fine. But… can you at least tell me when you'll come back to the village?"

"I still have unfinished business here. It'll take at least a few more months. You should head back tomorrow," Orochimaru said firmly.

"Tomorrow? I want to stay here for two more days," Tsunade protested.

"Do whatever you want."

"Then I want you to stay with me!"

"…"

---

That night, the two talked at length, but Orochimaru never explained how he had obtained his sage body. Tsunade didn't press him further, understanding that some secrets were better left untold.

By the next morning, Tsunade had convinced Orochimaru to stay at the orphanage with her for two days. During that time, she spent most of her hours chatting with Nono, a fact that left Orochimaru slightly perplexed. Still, he didn't dwell on it.

On the third morning, as everyone prepared to part ways, Orochimaru pulled Nono aside.

"Lord Orochimaru, is there something you need?" Nono asked, her tone polite but curious.

"Something just occurred to me," Orochimaru said, his voice calm. "When you were on your last infiltration mission, you wouldn't happen to have kept any maps of Suna and Iwa, would you?"

"Maps?" Nono echoed.

"Yes. You should have them, right?"

"Of course," Nono confirmed without hesitation. She reached for a bamboo tube strapped to her waist and handed it to him. "I always carry maps with me. If you need them, they're yours."

Orochimaru said nothing, opening the tube and pulling out the map inside. He scanned it briefly before frowning.

"There's no cemetery marked on this…"