With a powerful, heavy punch that grazed Jiraiya's cheek and slammed hard into the ground, the earth instantly caved in, forming a massive crater.
"Hmph! If she didn't consider you a companion, I really would've beaten you to death!"
With that, Orochimaru stood up, dusted off the dirt, and turned to walk away. Yet after taking seven or eight steps, Orochimaru stopped and looked back.
"She'll be back for dinner tonight. Remember to buy some good wine."
Without waiting for a reply, Orochimaru strode off, leaving a battered and bruised Jiraiya stunned in place. He honestly hadn't expected such things to happen over the past two or three years.
"She must be in so much pain!"
That was all he managed to mutter in the end. Thinking about it now, he no longer blamed Orochimaru for acting the way he did. He really had deserved that beating, and taking a hit actually made him feel a little better.
As for Orochimaru, he was currently whistling all the way to the vegetable market. While the beating he gave Jiraiya looked utterly merciless, he had actually held back. At worst, Jiraiya had only suffered some superficial injuries; if Orochimaru had gone all out, broken bones and fractured limbs would have been the least of his worries. Besides, if he didn't beat Jiraiya up to vent some of that emotional tension, wouldn't Tsunade lose her temper with him later? And when she eventually found out that he and Tsunade were living under the same roof, wouldn't she start overthinking things?
Now, though, staging this little scene proved he was only looking out for Tsunade, making the whole arrangement completely reasonable and justified. The cold and ruthless Orochimaru had made such a huge sacrifice purely for the sake of his companion!
Familiar with the routine, Orochimaru arrived at the market. Since Jiraiya was back, he needed to add an extra dish to the table. He couldn't have them ending up like in the original timeline, where the Sannin reunited for dinner at some roadside tavern.
He picked up an old hen, a rooster, a fish, a couple of pounds of beef, and some fresh vegetables to go with the drinks. Carrying the old hen in one hand and a bundle of scallions, ginger, and garlic in the other, Orochimaru headed back home. This kind of sight was entirely normal; no matter how famous a ninja was, as long as they didn't hold a high official post, buying groceries and cooking meals was a regular part of life. Even the Hokage, if there was no wife at home to cook, would have to send subordinates to pack up takeout.
Back at Tsunade's place, Orochimaru first cleaned the old hen and put it on the stove to simmer for soup, then started cooking the rice. By the time Tsunade returned home, Orochimaru was nearly finished in the kitchen; he just needed to stir-fry a couple more dishes, and dinner would be ready.
"Orochimaru, what's the occasion today? Why are you making so many dishes?"
She looked at the lavish spread filling the table. Normally, the two of them at most had three dishes; a spread this extravagant only happened when they had guests or were celebrating a holiday.
"Jiraiya is back."
Hearing this news, Tsunade froze for a moment. After so long without a word or even a single letter sent back, she had assumed he had died out there somewhere!
Even as she spoke, a figure appeared right outside the door. Speak of the devil—who else could it be but Jiraiya?
"Hey... Tsunade, long time no see!"
Seeing the newcomer, Orochimaru rolled his eyes. So the guy timed his arrival precisely for mealtime, huh? He cooks for one, but feeds a whole crowd—what a freeloader. Of course, that was just Orochimaru's inner monologue.
"Hmph! So you still remember how to come back! I almost thought some village's girl had put a spell on you!"
Seeing her long-absent companion, Tsunade was genuinely happy, though her tongue remained merciless as she poked him in the chest and scolded him nonstop. Jiraiya could only stand there like a wooden post, letting Tsunade scold him without daring to talk back.
"Alright, Tsunade, it's time to eat."
Orochimaru glanced at Jiraiya again and added, "If you didn't bring good wine, you don't get any share of it!"
Orochimaru's remark came at just the right time, effectively bailing Jiraiya out of a tight spot.
"Hehe, I actually bought a few bottles! I'm definitely going to eat enough to get my money's worth!"
Judging by that smug look on his face, Orochimaru almost expected him to start acting contrary: "Hah... I'd rather starve to death outside than touch a single bite of your food!"
Tsunade didn't give him a hard time anymore and went to the kitchen to fetch an extra set of bowls and chopsticks.
After three years apart, the Sannin were reunited once again. Jiraiya was still the same old Jiraiya, but Tsunade was no longer that radiant girl of the past, and Orochimaru had an entirely different soul inhabiting him.
The three of them began to eat, drink, and chat. Most of the conversation revolved around Jiraiya sharing what he had seen and experienced during his three years away. The atmosphere was surprisingly pleasant, with no awkwardness in sight.
"Mmm, this tastes amazing! Tsunade, your cooking has really improved. You couldn't even make simple dishes back then."
Gulping down his food, Jiraiya praised between mouthfuls. Sleeping rough for the past few years meant he hadn't had a single decent meal—it was either fighting wars or taking on apprentices.
"Orochimaru made it."
Tsunade cast a sideways glance at Jiraiya and said slowly.
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya's eyes widened just as Tsunade's had earlier, staring straight at Orochimaru. He knew what kind of person Orochimaru was; eating and drinking were trivial matters to him, so when had he ever become so particular?
Instinctively, Jiraiya's gaze drifted over to look at Tsunade, completely forgetting to chew the food in his mouth.
"Ah, Orochimaru must have had it rough. Who would have thought that the cold and ruthless Orochimaru could go to such lengths for Tsunade?"
At that thought, his impression of Orochimaru rose by another notch, mixed with a hint of guilt.
"Eating isn't enough to shut that big mouth of yours?"
Orochimaru ignored his stunned, complicated, and guilty expression.
"Did you beat him?"
Tsunade looked at Orochimaru, then back at Jiraiya, whose face still had a bandage on it. The wound looked a bit red and swollen, clearly fresh.
"Heh, didn't he tell you he just tripped and fell?"
Orochimaru gave Tsunade a half-smile, and she let out a cold snort:
"Serves him right!"
Seeing that neither of them cared about how the person involved actually felt, Jiraiya glared at Orochimaru.
"Got time later? Let's spar and see if you've made any progress over the years."
The three of them chatted back and forth casually, and before long, they had finished their meal and drinks.
"Orochimaru, what are your plans for the future?"
Jiraiya spoke up first, not inquiring about Tsunade's thoughts right away, but turning to Orochimaru instead.
"In the mornings I practice taijutsu with Tsunade, and in the afternoons and evenings I work on my experiments."
"Oh? You've even started doing research? I thought you'd be busy taking on an apprentice!"
Orochimaru drank his wine in silence, knowing that certain events were bound to happen sooner or later.
"What about you, Tsunade? Are you still doing medical ninjutsu research?"
Jiraiya turned his question to Tsunade, as that was what he cared about most.
"Me? Well, I tag along with Orochimaru, look after Shizune until she grows up, and drink a bit of wine."
Tsunade's tone carried a hint of melancholy. Her mental state was clearly poor—and that was only because Orochimaru had forced some structure back into her daily routine; otherwise, she would have ended up like her counterpart in the original timeline, sinking into chronic alcoholism.
Seeing Tsunade's somewhat passive attitude toward life, Jiraiya opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated. Should he urge her to be optimistic? Should he tell her to face life more positively? They had been companions since childhood and knew each other inside and out; if a pep talk would work, it wouldn't be his place to say it.
Hearing her, Orochimaru muttered inwardly:
"You can't even take care of yourself, let alone anyone else. You still need me to cook for you!"
Jiraiya looked back at Orochimaru, entirely at a loss for words.