Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

"Hey, where are you taking me?" Pakura asked, her voice tinged with frustration. She glanced around uneasily, noticing the curious stares of the villagers. Embarrassment bubbled within her. She was still the Kazekage—or at least, she had been.

If you're going to kill me, just kill me already. Why parade me through town like this?

"Just follow." Orochimaru's voice was cold and devoid of emotion. He didn't even bother to turn around.

Pakura's discomfort grew, but she had no choice but to keep following him. They walked through several streets, finally arriving at a quiet residential area. Orochimaru approached a large mansion and unlocked the door without hesitation.

Pakura lingered on the threshold, her mind racing. Isn't he going to kill me?

"Go wash up first," Orochimaru said abruptly, turning to face her. A flicker of disgust crossed his expression. The experiment subject is filthy; it's unbearable.

Pakura instinctively crossed her arms. "What do you want?" she asked warily, acutely aware of how disheveled she looked.

"You're overthinking things. I find you dirty," Orochimaru retorted with a dismissive snort. He thought her assumption was laughable—imprisonment had left her unkempt and grimy. The idea of attraction was absurd to him.

"You're the one—" Pakura began, but she stopped herself from saying "dirty." She couldn't deny that Orochimaru was immaculately clean, even unsettlingly so.

I drank too much last night, and I did shower this morning, she thought indignantly. How am I still dirty?

If Pakura had seen Orochimaru's grotesque transformations—oozing from his own skin, slick with slime—it might have made more sense to her.

"Over there. Go on your own," Orochimaru said, gesturing toward the bathroom. He clearly had no intention of showing her the way himself.

Pakura hesitated for a moment before stepping inside, her mind clouded with confusion and simmering anger. She followed his instructions reluctantly.

"He still has a conscience," she muttered under her breath as she entered the house.

Inside, Orochimaru surveyed the pristine room. He didn't need to guess who had cleaned it—it was undoubtedly Nawaki's work. A faint smile crept across his lips as he headed to the kitchen to prepare a meal, realizing he hadn't eaten yet after a long day.

Meanwhile, Pakura located the bathroom and stepped inside. She closed and locked the door behind her, the peculiar smell of her own body growing more pungent in the confined space. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she quickly undressed.

Her once-pale skin had darkened slightly, coated with grime. She turned on the shower, letting the water cascade over her. Carefully, she began scrubbing herself clean.

The water trailed down her head, over the curve of her neck and body, before pooling on the floor in dark, murky puddles.

...

It took a long time for Pakura to wash herself thoroughly. Once she was done, she realized with a sinking feeling that she didn't have any clothes to change into.

After searching for some time, she finally found a large bathrobe and wrapped herself tightly in it. There was no way she would consider putting her dirty clothes back on. Double-checking to ensure no part of her body was exposed, Pakura tiptoed out of the bathroom.

As she walked through the mansion, she didn't spot a single servant—nor did she see Orochimaru. With all her strength sealed as part of her surrender for the Land of Wind, she had no intention of attempting to escape.

"Orochimaru," she called tentatively as she stepped into the living room. There was no response.

Just then, a pleasant fragrance drifted through the air, drawing her attention. Following the scent to the dining room, she finally found Orochimaru cooking.

Pakura's thoughts flickered with surprise. This sinister-looking man could cook? As a woman who had never been skilled in the kitchen herself, she found it ironic.

"Sit yourself down. It'll be ready soon," Orochimaru said without glancing her way, continuing to handle the kitchen utensils. Feeding the test subject was a necessary step.

"Oh." Pakura nodded reluctantly. She knew she was in no position to resist—Orochimaru could kill her effortlessly if he wanted to. She sat at the table, tucking her bathrobe securely around herself.

"Eat," Orochimaru commanded as he set the food in front of her, then took a seat opposite her.

It was then that he noticed the change in Pakura's appearance. Clad in the bathrobe, her freshly washed body gave off a subtle fragrance. Her beauty, though slightly muted by her emaciated features, was undeniable. Orochimaru's thoughts momentarily drifted to Tsunade's praise of Pakura, acknowledging her as a woman of exceptional charm.

"Why are you looking at me?" Pakura asked, her voice edged with suspicion as she tightened her hold on the bathrobe and focused on eating.

"Later, you'll go buy some clothes yourself," Orochimaru said, turning his gaze away without a hint of discomfort. "You'll be staying here for the next year."

"Huh?"

Pakura was visibly surprised by Orochimaru's statement.

"What exactly is the purpose of bringing me here?" she asked, suspicion creeping into her voice. The idea of being alone with a man for a year stirred unsettling thoughts.

"I want to study your Kekkei Genkai," Orochimaru replied bluntly, meeting her gaze without pretense.

Pakura knew she was in no position to refuse. Orochimaru had countless ways to force her cooperation as long as he didn't kill her.

"Cooperating with you is no problem," she said after a pause. "But you'll have to take care of me for a year. Kekkei Genkai aren't that easy to master." Pakura's tone was steady as she dared to negotiate.

"You don't have the bargaining power with me," Orochimaru responded coldly. "Scorch Release, right?" This time, he didn't even bother to look up. As long as she cooperated, he saw no reason to make things unnecessarily difficult.

"Yes, a new Nature Transformation created by combining Wind and Fire natures," Pakura said, rolling her eyes at his indifferent attitude. He truly was unfeeling.

"You're very good," Orochimaru said, a rare hint of praise in his tone. As a genius who could manipulate seven chakra natures, he had once tried to develop a Kekkei Genkai himself but had failed. That failure made him appreciate Pakura's abilities.

"You're too kind," Pakura replied, her lips curling slightly into an ironic smile.

"Okay, eat slowly. Don't forget to clean up after yourself," Orochimaru said as he finished his meal and stood to leave.

Pakura nodded, slightly dazed. It seems fair that I do the cleaning if he's willing to cook.

...

When Orochimaru came out of the kitchen after washing the dishes, Pakura bumped into him.

"Take this money and buy some food," he said, handing her a wad of cash and a scroll. "And come back and write down your training experiences on this scroll."

Whether or not it was convenient for Pakura to go out wearing only a bathrobe was of no concern to him.

"Okay," Pakura replied, taking the money and scroll. With no pockets or place to put them, she simply held them in her hands.

"I'm going out. Help yourself," Orochimaru added. He wasn't worried about her running away; in her current weakened state, escape was impossible, even if she tried. Besides, Konoha's alert level had recently been raised again due to the actions of the Kumo Ninja.

As he turned and walked toward the door, Pakura called out, "You still haven't arranged a room for me."

"You can pick any room except mine," Orochimaru replied without turning around. His tone was notably more agreeable, given how cooperative Pakura was being.

With a casual wave of his hand, he stepped out the door and disappeared from view.

...

"I heard you took Pakura home?" Kawakaze teased, giving Orochimaru a playful shoulder bump and flashing a mischievous smile.

"That woman is very cooperative," Orochimaru replied calmly, unfazed by the joke. Pakura had indeed started writing down her training experiences at his request. Orochimaru knew that without the right aptitude, mastering Scorch Release was impossible, so even if someone had access to her information, it wouldn't guarantee success. Pakura, understanding this, didn't hold anything back. If Orochimaru could learn it, it would simply prove his skill.

"Oh? How cooperative?" Kawakaze's interest deepened, and his grin widened, clearly enjoying the banter.

"What are you thinking? She agreed to help me research Scorch Release," Orochimaru said, rolling his eyes in irritation. Kawakaze's antics reminded him of Jiraiya's tendencies, making the comparison unavoidable.

"That's enough. We two are busy," Tsunade interjected, clearly annoyed by their inappropriate conversation. Without hesitation, she kicked Kawakaze out of the laboratory.

"I'll stop talking, okay?" Kawakaze pleaded, casting a pitiful glance at Tsunade.

"Too late. Go to sleep." Tsunade slammed the laboratory door shut behind him, locking it to ensure he didn't return.

Afterward, she turned to Orochimaru and added, "If you like her, it's not impossible."

Orochimaru was momentarily stunned by her comment, staring at her in disbelief. Like family, like friends. He couldn't help but think Tsunade and Kawakaze shared the same teasing nature.

"Don't worry about it," he muttered, stepping away from Tsunade as he picked up the experiment records. His mind involuntarily conjured the image of Pakura in the bathrobe, but he quickly shook his head to dispel the thought. Refocusing his attention, he immersed himself in the detailed notes Tsunade had prepared.

The three of them had a clear division of labor: Tsunade conducted the experiments, Kawakaze slept, and Orochimaru, still in the early stages of understanding the research, studied the records. Once he familiarized himself with the work, he would assist Tsunade in the operational aspects of the research.

...

In the evening, Orochimaru returned home. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Pakura standing not far away.

"If you didn't come back soon, I was going to starve to death," she said with obvious dissatisfaction. "And then you wouldn't be able to research Scorch Release anymore."

Perhaps Orochimaru had been too lenient with her, because Pakura's tone carried no hesitation.

"Didn't I give you money?" Orochimaru asked. He distinctly remembered handing her a significant amount earlier that day. He wasn't stingy, after all.

"It's all gone," Pakura replied without a trace of guilt.

"All gone? What did you buy?" Orochimaru asked, puzzled. That money should have been more than enough to last him a month.

"I bought clothes and all sorts of feminine things. Do I need to go into detail?" Pakura responded matter-of-factly. Having lived alone and indulged herself in the past, she thought nothing of spending lavishly.

"Forget it. I'll go cook," Orochimaru said, realizing this was his first real encounter with a woman's spending habits—aside from Tsunade's gambling.

"That's more like it," Pakura said, softening slightly. "I left the scroll in your room after I finished writing it." She followed behind Orochimaru, her hunger driving her.

"Got it," Orochimaru replied with a hint of exasperation. For a moment, he wondered whether he had taken in an experiment—or a burden.

...

Orochimaru's life after returning to the village became very routine. He followed a strict schedule, alternating between the hospital and home.

At the hospital, he focused on studying cells, while at home, he concentrated on researching Kekkei Genkai. Despite Pakura's lack of restrictions on sharing her knowledge, the progress on Kekkei Genkai research was painstakingly slow. Orochimaru wasn't sure if he would ever succeed, but he diligently practiced based on Pakura's insights, attempting to fuse the Nature Transformations of Wind and Fire.

After a week, the two began getting along better. Despite her extravagant spending and inability to cook, Pakura's temperament seemed to mesh well with Orochimaru's. She refrained from making unreasonable demands, even though she knew Orochimaru could remove the seal on her if he wished.

Occasionally, Nawaki brought Misaki over to visit. Orochimaru, impressed by the girl from the Uzumaki Clan, gave her a precious gift, feeling quite satisfied with her potential.