"Hehe~!"
The familiar, eerie laugh echoed through the street. Orochimaru glanced at Tsunade out of the corner of her eye, noticing the mischievous grin spreading across her face.
"Tsunade… what are you doing here?" Orochimaru asked calmly, her dark eyes observing the approaching figure.
"I was following you, of course…" Tsunade replied, a sly smile tugging at her lips. Then, realizing she might have revealed too much, she quickly corrected herself, "I just happened to be passing by."
"Is that so…" Orochimaru murmured, her gaze sharpening. She stepped into a narrow alley, quickly forming a series of hand seals. With a soft hum of chakra, she activated a Barrier: Heaven Sense Formation centered on herself. Instantly, she could sense everything within half a kilometer, confirming that no one was tailing her. Only then did she release her Transformation Jutsu.
The Barrier: Heaven Sense Formation was a compact, tactical variant of Konoha's massive Protective Barrier. Unlike the enormous, cumbersome protective barriers, this one could cover a half-kilometer radius and provide precise sensory detection. However, the barrier came with a limitation: the user could not move without causing the barrier to collapse. Activating it required immense mental strength, and being a sensing-type Barrier Ninjutsu, it utilized Yin Release chakra.
Orochimaru had received the scroll containing this Barrier Ninjutsu from Hiruzen Sarutobi, who knew of her fascination with both Yin and Yang Chakra transformations. While the Ninja Academy taught the basics of barrier techniques—the One-Thread Light Formation—this advanced form was far more practical in combat. The Academy's basic barrier merely immobilized anyone standing in its center and could easily be broken with brute strength. Very few even considered it useful in battle.
Tsunade, curious, followed Orochimaru into the alley and watched as the barrier shimmered into existence.
"That was a Barrier Ninjutsu just now?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow.
"To be precise, it's the Barrier: Heaven Sense Formation," Orochimaru explained, lowering her hands. "It's from a scroll Hiruzen-sensei gave me. It requires a Yin Chakra nature transformation to activate. However… the user must remain completely still while the barrier is active. Moving even slightly will cause the barrier to dissipate automatically."
"So… you have to just… stand there?" Tsunade spread her hands, smirking with a hint of disdain. "Not very impressive, is it? This is just as useless as the barrier jutsu we learned at the Ninja Academy!"
Orochimaru's lips curved slightly. "It may seem limited, but its value should not be underestimated. In the right situation, this barrier could decisively change the outcome of a battle."
Tsunade shrugged and laughed, clearly unconvinced. "Orochimaru, enough talk. Come with me. Let's try our luck at the Casino. I bet we can clean up!"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow at Tsunade's overconfident grin. "You? Clean up? Don't make me laugh. You'll be the lamb slaughtered by every gambler there."
"Nonsense! My luck is fine! You must be influencing my fortune!" Tsunade retorted, tugging Orochimaru along the street toward the nearby Casino.
---
Later, in the heart of the bustling Casino, Tsunade's luck held true to her usual record—catastrophically bad.
"Bastard!" she screamed, kicking over a trash can in frustration. It flew across the room like a shooting star, scattering refuse everywhere.
Orochimaru, sitting nearby, counted her winnings meticulously. A briefcase at her feet overflowed with neatly stacked money, while she casually observed Tsunade's violent outburst. Once she had finished counting, she set aside her initial capital and divided the rest, handing half to a flustered Tsunade.
"What do you want?!" Tsunade's cheeks puffed in irritation, glaring at the paper bag.
"No? Then I'll keep it," Orochimaru replied coolly.
Before the words could leave her mouth, a flicker of movement—a shadowy blur tinged with lightning—sped past. The paper bag suddenly appeared in Tsunade's hands.
"Who said I didn't want it! I'm risking my gambling luck here!" Tsunade exclaimed, unable to hide the small smile threatening her scowl. The money she received was far more than she had lost.
Orochimaru, of course, thought silently: If luck could be quantified, hers would clearly be negative—a passive skill ensuring she lost every gamble or suffered unexpected misfortune if she ever won.
As they walked, Tsunade's curiosity broke through her competitive nature. "Orochimaru… are you planning to tell Hiruzen-sensei about your improved soldier pill formula?"
"The funding came from Danzo-sama," Orochimaru replied. "I will inform Hiruzen-sensei, but the ownership of the formula is shared between me and Danzo-sama. I cannot give it to him unilaterally."
Tsunade leaned closer, whispering earnestly, "Be careful… Grandma Mito's instincts are sharp. She doesn't trust Hiruzen-sensei, and perhaps we shouldn't either."
Orochimaru smiled faintly and patted Tsunade's shoulder. "I respect Grandma Mito's abilities, but I trust my own judgment. Danzo-sama, as Assistant Hokage, is someone I consider reliable."
Inwardly, she mused: If you believe that, you've already lost.
---
A few blocks away, a boy laughed joyfully while a girl chased after him. Tsunade, irritated at the distraction, stomped ahead, muttering under her breath.
Orochimaru, watching her, formed a single hand seal. Body Flicker Technique! In an instant, she vanished and reappeared beside Tsunade.
"I'm planning to make soy sauce chicken later. You don't want any?" she asked, feigning innocence.
"Who said I didn't want any?!" Tsunade grabbed Orochimaru's hand, fuming.
---
That night, at Orochimaru's house, the aroma of cooking filled the air. Jiraiya had just returned from Mount Myōboku and gazed at Orochimaru in awe.
"How lucky! After almost dying on Mount Myōboku, I get to eat Orochimaru's cooking immediately!"
Tsunade glared at him fiercely, the intensity of her stare nearly cutting through the air. Jiraiya, caught between fear and hunger, hesitated, but the smell of food won out.
"Don't tell Grandma Mito," Jiraiya whispered.
"I sent a Shadow Clone," Tsunade replied, lowering her glare slightly.
Soon, the trio was embroiled in a humorous struggle over the last piece of chicken, chopsticks clashing, sauce splattering. Orochimaru's frustration grew, but she eventually corralled the dishes and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Tsunade and Jiraiya to glare at each other, nursing their bruised egos.
---
The next day, at the training grounds by the Naka River, Uchiha Youka and a boy named Uchiha Yashiro approached Orochimaru with challenge in their eyes.
"Orochimaru, I challenge you!"
"You still remember my name," Orochimaru noted calmly, assessing them.
Uchiha Youka's fists clenched. "Accept my challenge! 5,000 ryo per match."
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "Challenge fee. If you aren't willing to spend that, I have no reason to humor you."
Uchiha Youka's anger flared, but he reluctantly handed over his wallet. Orochimaru weighed it briefly before tossing it back, a smirk curling her lips. "Awaken your Sharingan first. Without it, you have no right to challenge me."
Despite their indignation, the two young Uchiha could not awaken their Sharingan. Judging from its difficulty, Orochimaru thought: The Sharingan is far harder to awaken than the Byakugan.
"Even as the Third Hokage's disciple, your arrogance blinds you! We are Uchiha!" Yashiro and Youka charged, launching kunai and performing hand seals.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" Uchiha Youka spat fireballs, scattering across the training ground like fiery seeds in the wind.
Orochimaru smiled faintly, preparing to demonstrate the depth of her skill.
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