Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, was unquestionably in her prime at this moment in time.
She was young and beautiful, full of life and energy, standing at 163 cm tall. Her figure was flawless, with curves that accentuated her beauty. While her chest was far more developed than the average woman's, the rest of her features were strikingly well-proportioned.
Especially after being "handled" by Orochimaru.
Orochimaru still recalled the effort it had taken to guide Tsunade from being hesitant to enthusiastic, and from enthusiastic to completely uninhibited.
Tsunade blushed when Orochimaru teased her, but instead of responding, she quietly looked down and puffed on her pipe.
After so many years together, she was well aware of Orochimaru's preferences. She also knew how much he enjoyed seeing her in certain "unconventional" outfits.
At first, she had been curious about where Orochimaru had picked up these peculiar habits. However, over time and with Orochimaru's persistence she found herself indulging in these quirks as well, to the point where she occasionally found them enjoyable.
In short, while Tsunade sometimes thought Orochimaru had changed too much, she didn't dislike it. It was a strange contradiction, one she didn't fully understand.
More than half an hour later, Tsunade lay curled up in Orochimaru's arms.
"Orochimaru, have you ever had thoughts about that girl Mikoto?" she asked suddenly.
"Do you want the truth or a lie?" Orochimaru responded casually.
"Of course, the truth," Tsunade demanded.
"It's crossed my mind before," Orochimaru admitted without hesitation.
He saw no reason to deny it. Tsunade had asked him the same question in the past, and he had been forthright then as well.
"And now?" she pressed.
"Even now, yes," Orochimaru replied calmly. "But it's unlikely anything will come of it."
"Why not?" Tsunade frowned. "She seems to like you well enough. If you so much as beckoned to her, I'm sure she'd run straight into your arms!"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, somewhat taken aback. "What makes you think that?"
"It's your fault, isn't it?" Tsunade retorted, her voice tinged with annoyance. "If you hadn't planted that idea in my head, I wouldn't even be entertaining it. You… Hey, Orochimaru, why don't you give it a shot?"
Orochimaru let out a laugh. "I never knew I had a knack for teaching women to think this way!"
"Stop joking around," Tsunade said impatiently, shaking his arm. "So? Are you going to try or not?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Orochimaru said, his tone more serious now. "I may not care about my reputation, but you should care about yours. Enough of this nonsense, get some rest. Don't you have anything better to think about?"
"Isn't it enough that you take care of the serious matters?" Tsunade replied nonchalantly as she stretched out on the bed, resting her head on her hands.
Orochimaru was her husband, and with his overwhelming strength and intellect, there was little she could do that he couldn't handle better. Besides, wasn't it natural for her to focus on enjoying life when he had everything else under control?
Still, Orochimaru was right.
Getting involved with Mikoto? It might be fine if no one ever found out, but if the truth came to light, it would be humiliating for everyone involved.
Wait… What's wrong with me? Why am I even thinking about this?
Tsunade suddenly froze, stunned by her own thoughts. Was she seriously entertaining the idea of sharing her man with another woman and even suggesting it herself?
"Oh my god, I must be losing it…" she muttered to herself, glancing at Orochimaru lying beside her.
But no… it wasn't an illusion. Nor was it genjutsu—if Orochimaru had used genjutsu on her, she would've noticed it immediately.
Tsunade wracked her brain for an explanation but found none. Eventually, she gave up, shook her head, and pulled the blanket over herself.
---
The next morning, outside the Uchiha clan's district, two figures stood facing each other.
With Tsunade off helping at the hospital, Orochimaru had wandered here out of boredom.
"Mikoto," he said directly, "you agreed to help with Tsunade's duties because you have something you need from me, didn't you?"
When Orochimaru had first noticed Uchiha Mikoto cleaning his home, he'd already suspected something was off. The subsequent visits only confirmed his hunch.
Still, he hadn't confronted her. She hadn't said anything, and he hadn't seen a reason to pry. But now...
"Yes…" Mikoto admitted timidly, her gaze dropping to the ground.
She knew better than to lie to Orochimaru. Someone of his intellect and perception would see through her immediately. Besides, she had a feeling her honesty might work in her favor.
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Let's find a more private place to talk."
"Sir…?" Mikoto looked up, startled.
"Just follow me," Orochimaru said, waving his hand dismissively.
Without further words, he led Mikoto to an open area on the right side of the Hokage Rock.
When they arrived, Orochimaru turned to face her. "Alright, this will do. Mikoto, you've spent enough time around me to know I don't like wasting time. Just tell me what you want. If it's not too unreasonable, I may consider helping you."
"Thank you, sir…" Mikoto replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's like this…"
She hesitated for a moment but eventually explained the mission her father had given her.
As Mikoto spoke, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Enhancement Serum?" he echoed, his voice laced with curiosity.
"Yes, sir," Mikoto said, nodding. "My father said it could help the clan better control the Sharingan. That's why I…"
She trailed off, but Orochimaru understood the implication.
"Ah, I see…" he mused, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "So it's because those with awakened Sharingan are prone to emotional extremes, isn't it? It seems your Uchiha clan is more divided than I thought. Your father must belong to the peace-loving faction."
"Yes, sir," Mikoto replied, a bit surprised.
She had always been aware of the tension within the Uchiha clan and their relationship with the village. But Orochimaru's knowledge of the matter seemed even more thorough than hers.
As expected of Orochimaru-sama…
"Well," Orochimaru continued, his smirk deepening, "there's one thing I'm curious about. How are you so sure I still have this Enhancement Serum?"