It was unlikely that Hiruzen truly understood the full extent of Danzo''s schemes.


    Their rtionship had always been delicate. As long as Danzo didn''t cross certain lines, Hiruzen preferred to turn a blind eye, even if he had his suspicions.


    He understood all too well that a fallout between him and Danzo would benefit no one.


    While their ideologies shed, Danzo''s ultimate goal still aligned with Konoha''s protection. He hadn''t yet done anything that outright harmed the vige. That was the primary reason Hiruzen chose to tolerate his actions.


    That being said, this time, it wasn''t Hiruzen who had stumbled upon Danzo''s activities.


    ---


    On the streets of Konoha, a Pale Blue-haired ninja with an aloof expression strolled forward, his thoughts swirling.


    It was evening, and he had just returned from a mission with his teammates.


    "Strange," the man muttered to himself. "At this hour, why would Danzo-sama''s subordinates be active outside the vige?"He furrowed his brow. It was an odd sight, especially sote in the day when most would be resting.


    Still, he quickly shook his head. As a respected figure in Konoha, Danzo often acted in ways that others couldn''t understand. And despite being an elite Jonin himself, he wasn''t about to question someone of Danzo''s status.


    Whatever Danzo was up to wasn''t something he could—or should—try to figure out.


    ---


    "Hmm? Uncle!"


    A sweet, childlike voice interrupted his thoughts.


    He turned his head to see a young girl with short ck hair, no older than four years, clutching a skewer of meatballs in her hands. She gazed at him in surprise.


    "Ah, Shizune," he said warmly. "Did youe out here alone to buy meatballs?"


    "Yes," Shizune replied with a hint of shyness. "There wasn''t anything to eat at home, and I got hungry, so…"


    Her soft voice trailed off as she looked at him with wide, innocent eyes.


    "I see," he replied with a chuckle. "How about I buy you a couple more skewers?"


    "Really? That''d be great!" Shizune''s face lit up with delight.


    After paying for two more skewers and handing them to her, he noticed that Shizune was staring off into the distance, distracted by something.


    He followed her gaze and froze when he saw the figure she was looking at, a blonde woman walking hand in hand with a pale-skinned man.


    It was Tsunade.


    And beside her, Orochimaru.


    Dan''s smile faltered, but he quicklyposed himself. His armor-d figure stiffened ever so slightly, though he forced a polite nod in their direction. ?????Ｂ?S?


    Tsunade, who had also noticed him, felt momentarily awkward.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She shot a quick nce at Orochimaru, only to find his expressionpletely neutral. The only thing unusual was where his golden eyes were focused—on Shizune.


    Tsunade''s brow twitched.


    After an exchange of polite nods, the two groups passed each other without further interaction.


    As they walked away, Tsunade couldn''t help but ask, "Hey, Orochimaru, why were you staring at that little girl just now?"


    "No reason," Orochimaru replied with a faint smile. "I just found her… interesting."


    "Interesting?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You''ve never met her before. What''s so interesting?"


    "It''s hard to exin," he said dismissively. Then, with a yful glint in his eye, he added, "Why don''t you focus on more important things, like what you''re going to wear tonight?"


    Tsunade''s face turned red in an instant.


    ---


    Tsunade and Orochimaru''s marriage had added ayer of yfulness to their rtionship. While the two had been together for years, marriage brought new dynamics.


    One of these included certain… experiments in their private life.


    "Maybe something simple," Tsunade murmured, her face flushed. "But I don''t think a Nurse Uniform fits me. The buttons won''t close…"


    "Who told you to grow so much?" Orochimaru teased, his lips curling into a sly grin while ying with the buds.


    "What? Are you saying you don''t like it? You said you did back then!"


    Orochimaru opened his mouth but quickly shut it. He had no idea how to respond. After all, he''d heard of peopleining about being too small, but too big? That was a first.


    ---


    At the Hokage''s office, a Konoha ninja knelt before Hiruzen, delivering a report.


    "Lord Hokage, reports indicate that children from surrounding viges have been disappearing without a trace," the ninja said solemnly.


    Hiruzen frowned as he scanned the mission report in his hands.


    "All children?" he asked after a moment. "And the total number of missing cases?"


    "Over twenty so far," the ninja confirmed grimly.


    Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke from his pipe, deep in thought. "I see. I''ll send someone to investigate immediately. You''re dismissed."


    The ninja bowed and left, leaving the Third Hokage to ponder the situation.


    Something about this didn''t sit right with him. He could feel it in his gut.


    Wasting no time, he summoned a team of ANBU to look into the matter.


    ---


    Midnight.


    "He was fully equipped, with dirt on his boots… fresh from outside the vige," Orochimaru mused to himself, sitting in the dim light of his home. "Could it really have been you Dan?"


    Given the current circumstances, Orochimaru had been cautious. After returning to Konoha via Flying Thunder God earlier in the day, he''d immediately taken Tsunade out, only to run into Kato Dan near the vige entrance.


    It was enough to make him suspicious.


    But even if Dan had stumbled upon something, Orochimaru wasn''t particrly worried. Without direct orders from the Hokage, Dan wouldn''t dare to investigate further.


    "Still…" Orochimaru''s golden eyes gleamed in the dark. "It''s best to secure everything I need sooner rather thanter."


    ---


    In their bedroom, Tsunade raised her head from Orochimaru''s chest, looking slightly apologetic.


    "Did I bite you too hard?" she asked.


    "It''s fine," Orochimaru said with a faint smirk, running a hand through her hair. "You can continue."


    A yful glint appeared in his eyes as he guided her closer.


    Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Aren''t you tired of me yet?"


    "How could I ever get tired of you, Tsunade-hime?" Orochimaru replied, his tone low and smooth.


    In that moment, his gaze softened ever so slightly. If there was one thing he didn''t tire of, it was her presence.


    ***


    Drop a review if you haven''t already.


    For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 60+ advanced chapters: /Blownleaves.