Orochimaru, Running Away with a Bucket
The chair spun violently as it scraped against the floor, clearly showing how fast she had stood up.
Uchiha Hikari rushed to the door and pulled it open, only to see Orochimaru standing there, his hand just about to grasp the doorknob. He wore a relaxed smile, one that carried a hint of anticipation.
"Hikari, are you ready?" Orochimaru asked cheerfully. "I'm going to check how well you've learned the Sealing Techniques. You weren't lazy while I was on the battlefield, were you?"
He reached out and lightly tapped Uchiha Hikari on the forehead.
"Not at all!" Hikari replied confidently. "I've mastered every Sealing Technique you taught me, Orochimaru!"
"So confident?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "Then let's go test it."
Placing a hand on Hikari's shoulder, Orochimaru led her to an open area near the house.
"Summoning Technique!"
With a puff of smoke, a large brown-patterned snake appeared. The moment it recognized Orochimaru, its massive body stiffened. Clearly frightened, it immediately tried to retreat back to Ryūchi Cave.
"It's you again? What an unfortunate coincidence," Orochimaru said calmly.
He recognized the snake at once—it was the same one Uchiha Hikari had summoned during a hands-on lesson at the Ninja Academy, where it had been used as a practice target for sealing techniques.
The snake tried to curl up, forcing a flattering and pitiful expression onto its face.
"Oh, this one!" Hikari exclaimed excitedly. "It's the snake from the Academy sealing class!"
She rubbed her hands together eagerly, clearly excited to demonstrate the results of her training.
Time passed quickly.
By the end of the session, the snake lay completely exhausted, its chakra nearly depleted. Orochimaru nodded in satisfaction as he watched Hikari complete the final seal with flawless precision.
"Well done," he said.
As a reward for its hard labor, Orochimaru gave the snake a rebirth pill and several soldier pills before dismissing it back to Ryūchi Cave.
Uchiha Hikari had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan at an extremely young age and possessed astonishing talent. Any ninjutsu Orochimaru taught her, she mastered with frightening speed. The same was true for sealing techniques—she could already apply them in real combat scenarios.
The only pity was her lack of Yang Chakra nature transformation, which prevented her from learning the Two-Endpoint Sealing Technique.
"Hikari," Orochimaru said, gently stroking her head, "your sealing skills are already very impressive."
"That's because Orochimaru is a good teacher," Hikari replied sweetly.
She narrowed her eyes happily and leaned into his hand like a spoiled kitten.
"The next sealing technique I'll teach you," Orochimaru continued, "is the Eye Sealing Curse Mark. Once you learn it, you'll be able to remove such curse marks by yourself."
He had been observing Hikari's progress for years. Now, her foundation was solid enough. Against enemies with stronger ocular powers, the Eye Sealing Curse Mark could determine the outcome of a battle.
"I want Orochimaru to remove it for me," Hikari said suddenly.
She wrapped her arms around his waist, lifted her small face, and looked up at him with bright, expectant eyes.
"That's a strange insistence," Orochimaru muttered, tapping her forehead lightly.
He didn't quite understand why she cared so much about something like that. The thought briefly wandered into uncomfortable territory.
Have I written too many strange stories lately?
He quickly shook his head.
I'm overthinking it. Hikari isn't that kind of person.
"I don't care," Hikari said stubbornly. "I just want Orochimaru to do it himself."
Orochimaru sighed inwardly but said nothing more.
"Alright, Hikari," he said at last. "Go home with my Shadow Clone. I'm heading to the Spiral Tower to see Grandma Mito."
He pinched Hikari's cheek, formed hand seals, and summoned a Shadow Clone beside him.
"Hm."
Hikari nodded obediently.
"I'm leaving the Limb Regeneration Technique to you," Orochimaru said to the clone.
"Leave it to me," the clone replied with a grin. "But handle your romantic debts yourself. I'm just a clone—emotional matters are for the real body!"
Damn it… why is my Shadow Clone so annoying?
Orochimaru clenched his fist as he watched the clone lead Hikari away.
Spiral Tower
As Orochimaru stepped onto the massive Uzumaki clan emblem carved into the floor, his thoughts drifted to Uzumaki Chigusa in the distant Land of Waves. Ever since the war began, he hadn't had the chance to visit.
"Orochimaru, you're here."
Uzumaki Mito looked at him with gentle eyes.
"Grandma Mito," Orochimaru greeted respectfully. "Aren't you teaching the sealing team children today?"
He walked quickly to her side, unable to ignore how time had faded her once-vibrant red hair.
"The Sea Lion Hunting Team also needs knowledge that ninjas must master," Mito replied calmly.
She reached out, and Orochimaru lowered his head, allowing her to stroke it.
"Grandma Mito… Tsunade confessed to me recently," Orochimaru said hesitantly. "Although she was drunk at the time."
Mito's eyes widened slightly. "That girl finally gathered some courage!"
Then she froze.
"Wait—she was drunk?"
Her cheerful expression instantly turned stern.
"Drinking for courage?" Mito snorted. "If she were here, I'd scold her properly."
"Yes… she confessed while drunk," Orochimaru said. "But Grandma Mito, you already knew Tsunade liked me, didn't you?"
"Of course," Mito replied calmly. "She's liked you for more than ten years."
"So long…?" Orochimaru murmured in disbelief.
"I thought I would die without seeing your relationship progress," Mito said with a smile. "The old Tsunade never planned to confess. She didn't even know how to express her feelings—and you were completely oblivious."
Orochimaru hesitated before asking, "Grandma Mito… you don't object? We're both women."
"Why would I?" Mito replied. "Tsunade likes you, not your gender."
She continued calmly, "Orochimaru, you're exceptional. Your only 'flaw' is being a woman—and that's insignificant compared to your merits."
An insignificant flaw…?
Orochimaru left the Spiral Tower in a daze.
If Grandma Mito were twelve years younger, she might have drugged him and Tsunade, locked them in a room, and forced them to settle things already.
Later That Evening
Tsunade woke from her sleep, her headache gradually fading. Memories from the previous night flooded back.
Her face burned.
I… confessed? And even kissed her?
She pulled back the blanket and froze when she saw she was wrapped only in a bath towel.
This couldn't be real… right?
Just as panic set in, the door opened.
Orochimaru entered wearing a pink apron.
"Tsunade," she said casually, "squatting there won't grow mushrooms."
"Ah—Orochimaru!"
Tsunade jumped up. "I-I didn't do anything too extreme while drunk, did I?"
"Oh?" Orochimaru stepped closer. "What kind of 'extreme' things are you talking about?"
She glanced at Tsunade's hands, then frowned. "Why aren't you even wearing underwear?"
"I—I didn't!"
Tsunade hurriedly dressed. When she struggled with her bra clasp, Orochimaru stepped forward and helped her.
"Um… Orochimaru…"
"Do you want me to continue what you said while drunk?" Orochimaru asked calmly.
"N-No!" Tsunade shook her head furiously.
Her face turned crimson.
Suddenly—
Drip.
Blood fell to the floor.
"I—I need the bathroom!"
Tsunade fled.
Orochimaru stared at the bloodstain and finally realized the truth.
Tsunade… you really are thinking something perverted.
At dinner, Tsunade tried to act normal, sneaking glances at Orochimaru.
Hyuga Mio noticed everything.
I can't keep falling behind…
"Don't just eat rice," Orochimaru said, placing a piece of fish into Mio's bowl.
"…Hm."
Mio ate quietly.
The balance had shifted.
And everyone could feel it.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)