"You don't have to worry about me; you know my strength."
"It's precisely because I know your strength that I worry you might overexert yourself!"
Orochimaru took the hair tie from Tsunade's hand and used a comb to brush her hair.
"How could I..."
Tsunade's cheeks puffed out slightly, unwilling to admit that she had overexerted herself.
"Then, do you want me to tell you how many times you overexerted yourself and made foolish mistakes on the battlefield before?"
Orochimaru tied Tsunade's light yellow hair into twin ponytails that hung down her back. A notebook slipped from her sleeve into her hand. On the cover of the notebook was written 'Tsunade Observation Diary,' which recorded how many times Tsunade had overexerted herself and made foolish mistakes on the battlefield.
Orochimaru had originally intended to use this to review and help Tsunade avoid such low-level mistakes on the battlefield in the future. However, before she could use it, Ōnoki arrived on the battlefield, followed by the Third Tsuchikage's confrontation with the Third Hokage.
"Ah! When did you write this?!"
Tsunade exclaimed, reaching out to snatch the notebook from Orochimaru's hand.
"We're going to the battlefield soon, and I'll continue writing. If you don't want me to have too much material, then reduce the number of times you make foolish mistakes."
Orochimaru tapped Tsunade's head with the notebook.
"Damn it, you're not trying to use this to mock me, are you?"
Tsunade covered her head, her bright brown eyes wide, looking at Orochimaru angrily, wanting to snatch the notebook from her hand, tear it up, and flush it down the toilet into the sewer.
"Do I look like such a boring person?"
Orochimaru shook the notebook and said, "This thing is just for review, to let you know how many mistakes you've made on the battlefield. The battlefield isn't a game, Tsunade, you should understand that by now."
"Mm..."
Tsunade understood Orochimaru's good intentions, her face flushed with embarrassment, and she said shyly, "I... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have blamed you."
"Do you think I'd get angry with an idiot?"
Orochimaru put away the notebook, a hint of helplessness in her eyes as she looked at Tsunade.
"Ugh..."
Tsunade hugged Orochimaru, burying her face in her neck and rubbing against it.
"I'm sorry!"
"Alright, we've been together for so many years, how could I not understand your temper?"
Orochimaru patted Tsunade's back, completely at a loss with her. If she really got angry with her, she would have become as violent an existence as Grandma Mito long ago.
Tsunade was someone she had watched grow up since childhood. How could she not understand what kind of person she was?
She also understood her fiery temper very well; when anger flared, she tended to act recklessly and impulsively.
"Mio, I'm leaving the experiment to you and my Shadow Clone."
Orochimaru formed hand signs, and a Shadow Clone appeared beside her.
"Mm, Orochimaru, you and Tsunade, please be careful on the battlefield."
Hyuga Mio hugged Orochimaru. Even if they were rivals in love, she didn't want Tsunade to get into an accident on the battlefield.
"My strength is very great," Tsunade said, brandishing her fist.
"With the amulet you gave me, I can turn danger into safety."
Orochimaru raised her hand, and the amulet dangled from her finger, swaying.
Hyuga Mio gasped, covering her mouth, looking at the slightly worn amulet in Orochimaru's hand. She could tell that she cherished this amulet. A warm current surged through her, her face felt hot, and her heart rate quickened.
"When you come back, I'll give you a new amulet."
Hyuga Mio clasped her hands together and placed them on her chest, her white eyes filled with anticipation, hoping Orochimaru would return from the battlefield soon.
"The amulet represents your blessings and feelings for me; it has nothing to do with quantity. This one amulet you gave me is enough."
Orochimaru carefully placed the amulet on her person, then changed the subject, saying, "Unless you want me to be covered in amulets."
"I didn't think that."
Hyuga Mio was amused by Orochimaru's words and said, "I'll go pack the things you two need to take to the battlefield."
Uchiha Hikari walked into the living room dejectedly and sat on the sofa, looking at the combat armor casually thrown on the sofa. She wanted to go to the battlefield, but Orochimaru would definitely refuse her.
"Orochimaru, aren't you going to wear combat armor?"
Tsunade looked at the combat armor tossed onto the sofa.
"This thing doesn't have as much defense as my white robe, nor can it carry as many things as my white robe. I'll just wear this to the battlefield."
Orochimaru absolutely refused to wear combat armor; she couldn't stand the thing.
"Little Hikari, when I return, I'll check your learning progress."
Orochimaru walked in front of the dejected Uchiha Hikari, gently stroking her head.
"Mm."
Uchiha Hikari nodded reluctantly.
"Good girl."
Orochimaru lowered his head, wanting to kiss Uchiha Hikari's forehead, but Uchiha Hikari happened to look up at that moment, and Orochimaru's lips landed directly on hers.
Hmm?!
Orochimaru froze.
I was supposed to kiss Hikari's forehead!
?!
Tsunade saw this scene and a powerful Chakra erupted from her body, causing cracks to spread from the floor beneath her feet.
Uchiha Hikari wrapped her arms around Orochimaru's neck, flipped over, and pinned Orochimaru to the sofa.
Hyuga Mio walked into the living room holding two scrolls, just in time to see this scene. The scrolls slipped from her hands and fell to the floor.
"Orochimaru, you kissed me, I didn't kiss you…"
Uchiha Hikari released Orochimaru, her rosy lips parted, revealing white, even teeth. She panted slightly, her large black eyes glistening with moisture, looking at Orochimaru with an innocent expression.
"So it's my fault?"
Orochimaru tapped Uchiha Hikari's head, who had taken advantage and was now playing innocent. Feeling Tsunade and Hyuga Mio's gazes, he walked over with a headache, looked at the spiderweb-like cracks on the floor beneath Tsunade's feet, and took her hand.
"Mio, I'm sorry to trouble you."
"Ah… Mm-hmm."
Hyuga Mio snapped out of her shock, picked up the scrolls that had fallen to the ground, and handed them to Orochimaru. She had never expected Uchiha Hikari to make such a bold move.
Regret, so much regret… Tsunade regretted it once again. She shouldn't have dragged Orochimaru to search for treasure in the first place.
But then she thought that if they hadn't gone, Uchiha Hikari would still be buried underground, and she felt glad they had gone.
It was very conflicted.
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