Facing Tsunade's direct question, Orochimaru was momentarily caught off guard. If both of them were adults, perhaps he might have flirted back or even indulged in his darker thoughts. But now... he was still a child, and no matter how advanced his intellect or how strengthened his physique was, that didn't change his age. At least, not in ways that mattered for this situation.
He gave Tsunade a casual, dismissive response and changed the subject quickly. Together, they arrived at the village's well-known grilled chicken restaurant.
"Hey, look at that…," Tsunade muttered as they entered the shop.
As soon as they stepped inside, they spotted an acquaintance.
"Oh? Orochimaru? Tsunade? Haha! What brings you here? Come, come! Join me!" A young man with white hair, dressed in a white outfit, stood up from his table and waved enthusiastically at them.
"Hiruko? You're eating here alone?" Orochimaru asked as they approached.
Tsunade chimed in after him, "Where's Jiraiya? Didn't he come?"
Hiruko, laughed and replied, "That guy? He's off doing some 'special training' as usual, right?"
"Yeah, probably off somewhere trying to perfect that weird technique of his," Tsunade said with a casual shrug. While the three of them Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade were usually together for missions, their individual pursuits often kept them apart. Jiraiya was busy mastering sage techniques, something that had once been a closely guarded secret but had since become something of an open secret among their circle.
Hiruko smiled. "Well, I'm not eating alone. I came here with Dai he just stepped out for a moment."
As if on cue, a young man wearing bright green tights emerged from the restroom and walked over to their table. He was none other than Might Dai.
"Now, let me introduce you properly," Hiruko said, turning to the man in green. "This is Might Dai, a fellow shinobi!"
Orochimaru was momentarily taken aback. Of course, no introduction was necessary he already knew Might Dai. But what surprised him was the connection between Hiruko and Dai. The two seemed like such an unlikely pair. But then again, maybe it wasn't that surprising after all.
Hiruko, one year younger than Orochimaru, had become something of a follower of the Sannin trio ever since Jiraiya had once stood up for him. Meanwhile, Might Dai, despite his later legendary status, was known as the perpetual underdog during these early years, often teased for his lack of ninjutsu skills. It made sense that the two of them, both outcasts in their own way, would form a bond.
Orochimaru watched Might Dai closely, studying him. While Dai was known as a failure among his peers, Orochimaru knew better. This was the man who would one day master the Eight Gates and push his body beyond its limits to protect those he loved. His legacy would be passed on to his son, Might Gai, who would become one of Konoha's most formidable shinobi.
"Nice to meet you both!" Might Dai said, bowing respectfully. "I've heard a lot about you both please teach me!"
Tsunade, clearly a bit flustered by Dai's intense respect, scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "Uh, you don't have to be so formal! We're all comrades in the same village!"
"Thank you, Tsunade-sama!" Might Dai responded earnestly, making her even more uncomfortable.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, remained silent, observing the interaction.
"This party is something special!
Two 'dead last,' and two geniuses!
Two types of people who would normally never come together, but due to various circumstances, they've ended up sitting together by chance!
However, Orochimaru, who knows the storyline, naturally won't underestimate these two 'dead last'!"
"Might Dai, the founder of the Eight Gates Released Formation!
On the other hand, Hiruko was unwilling to remain mediocre. In order to catch up with the Sannin, he developed a forbidden technique called Chimera Jutsu!
This forbidden technique allows him to fuse ninjas or summoned beasts with his own body, and it can even integrate Kekkei Genkai.
It can be said that this is extremely similar to Orochimaru's genetic fusion!
Although his Chimera Technique is fundamentally different from Orochimaru's genetic fusion, the fact that he can achieve this on his own is undeniably impressive!
When Orochimaru first encountered Hiruko, he had already added him to his list of potential experimental subjects!
He just hadn't decided yet whether Hiruko should be his test subject or his subordinate!
Of course, no matter which it is, now is not the time!"
After a lively meal, during which Hiruko insisted on paying the bill, the four of them left the restaurant together. As Hiruko and Might Dai waved goodbye and walked off, Tsunade nudged Orochimaru with her elbow.
"Hey, Orochimaru," she began. "That guy in green... why do I feel like I've seen him somewhere before?"
"We all live in the same village, Tsunade. It's not strange to run into familiar faces," Orochimaru replied casually.
"No, no... I mean, he seemed familiar in a different way..." Tsunade frowned, trying to remember where she had seen Might Dai before.
Orochimaru raised his hand to respond, but just as he was about to speak....
Whoosh!
Two ANBU shinobi appeared in front of them, seemingly out of nowhere. Their sudden appearance interrupted the conversation.
"Orochimaru, you've been summoned by the Hokage," one of the masked shinobi said, his voice monotone yet urgent.
Orochimaru smirked slightly, feeling a sense of satisfaction. "Looks like they've finally decided to acknowledge me," he muttered under his breath.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, confused. "What's going on?"
Orochimaru waved her off. "Don't worry. I've been expecting this."
With that, he followed the ANBU toward the Hokage's office.