#for as far it matters to them oro and jiraiya were one of them and were family no matter what

[olivegardenhunter]

The sannin as normal childhood friends who have sleepovers and play games in the forest and bond over liking "gross" animals

anon thank you SO much for this mental image. you have made my very miserable assignment-filled day. I have many thoughts about the sannin and baby sannin being inseparable best friends who were just normal kids make up about 90% of them. here's some hc I have about that (sorry for the massively long post, I'm a yapper at heart)

yes absolutely. I like to think of the sannin as misfits who never fit in anywhere else except with each other. there's so many different reasons for this. we know they became genin at age 6. if this makes them the exception, rather than it being the normal practice for a village in tumultuous times, then this must have meant each of them were prodigies in their own rights in the academy (yes, even Jiraiya I'd say, though I'd suspect his was more a case of recognised potential rather than showing any obvious prodigal talent from the get-go). this is further reinforced by the fact the third hokage became their sensei. I doubt the hokage would've taken up any random group of genin as his students. if this is the case, can you imagine how difficult it must've been for them to make friends with others, their age or otherwise? not only would it be hard to relate to their other peers cause of the age and probably ability gap, but I'd imagine people would've found them downright intimidating! all this, along with all their individual personality which, if their 6 year old selves were anything like their 50 year old selves, would've meant the little baby sannin would not have been anyone's first choice of friends.

so I'd imagine each of them being a bit of loners in the academy. then they get put in a team together. recognise they each stick out like a sore thumb from everyone else, but have all of the above common ground. their personalities are difficult for each to get used to initially, but once they do, these three super super super quickly become absolutely inseperable. to call them family would've been a serious underestimate of their relationship imo.

anyway this is all a long winded way of saying YES they're absolutely those regular childhood best friends who have sleepovers and hang out and play games. I imagine that tsunade grew up with a massive family in a massive loving home. direct contrast to orochimaru who's an orphan and, I imagine jiraiya is an orphan too (hence no canon last name). therefore, the senju compound is typically the designated sleepover venue.

the senju compound has mito, and nawaki, and depending on what your hcs are, would have tsunades parents, and I'd think they'd still effectively live like royalties even if the first and second are dead. (hashirama and tobirama wouldn't be around anymore by the time the three became genin I think, because (and someone correct me if I'm wrong) hiruzen would've already been hokage when he took on the three of them as his students, meaning tobirama would have already passed)

jiraiya and orochimaru just being at awe at the way tsunade lives and just how lively her house is and tsunade is just happy to have kids her age at home with her that just gets her cause her parents always nag her about training and chores, mito still treats her like a baby even though she's already a Shinobi that can take care of herself damn it!, and nawaki is so young he's so boring and sometimes gets annoying. so she always convinces her fellow teammates to come over to her house to practice and train, to babysit nawaki with her, to be the test dummy for try out this new jutsu or technique she's learning, and anything else that she insists she cannot do alone and needs them to be there with her

until suddenly it's already dark and oh her teammates can't possibly walk home all alone at this hour and besides my mum's making dinner and it's your favourite jiraiya and she'd scold me if I didn't offer some to you guys and orochimaru, mito found some sort of old scroll that uncle tobirama wrote about a new jutsu that she wants your thoughts on and besides, we have to meet sensei soooo early tomorrow for our mission and the training ground is closer from my house anyway, and you guys are just trying to get out of the bet we made and that's cheating y'know! and and and suddenly the senju compound just so happen to always have a few sets extra clothes and pyjamas that just so happened to be orochimaru and jiraiya's size and hey oro, raiya, look! it's got toads and snakes! and it matches mine! and the adults always just so happen to have two extra plates set at the table during meals, and the house just so happens to always be stocked up with both her teammate's favourite snacks, and orochimaru and jiraiya can suddenly enter the senju compound at any time of the day, with or without tsunade, and are greeted joyfully by the household's residents who had started nagging at them about training and chores and picking up after themselves, and mito is treating them like babies even though they're fully trained shinobis! and nawaki is being sooo annoying today and damn it, why isn't tsunade home yet? we agreed to train at 3!

(the three of them never quite notice that jiraiya or orochimaru's unannounced visits to the senju compound never trigger any of the seals that are activated by the presence of non-senju, non-family chakra in the compound. they never quite notice that the anbu guards at the front never give jiraiya and orochimaru any of the trouble or scrutiny that any visitors or guests to the senju compound are always subjected to, and the guards merely let them in with a slight bow of their heads, the same way they would to tsunade, or mito, or her parents.)

the only other times the sleepover isn't at tsunade's place is when there's a thunderstorm and orochimaru insists he needs to spend the night at his apartment because he tells them that last time the storm was this bad, lightning had struck a branch that smashed through his apartment that, if he wasn't already there and was even a little slower, would have destroyed the very few things his parents had left him that he so carefully keeps in a chest and he cannot ever take the risk that that would ever happen again he lost his power and his food went bad in his fridge, and c'mon tsu, you know oro not-so-secretly has a fear of thunder! don't you remember what happened last time at that mission where we were camping? we can't possibly let him spend the night alone at his house!

(later on when they're older, they'll come to find that jiraiya's new jonin apartment will become the new designated sleepover venue as jiraiya begins bringing back questionable sake from his missions that they were definitely too young to be having that he could not have possibly obtained that legally, and mito started banning them from playing card games at the senju compound when she noticed her granddaughter's tendency to lose her entire pay packet in a single game was becoming a bit too familiar to her... like a certain husband of hers' gambling habits that she had tried so hard to make sure wouldn't get passed on to the grandchild who the man had unwittingly taught said card games to at the age of 4. jiraiya started to call his apartment the degenerates' club then, much to the other two's dismay. though they couldn't quite protest when he correctly pointed out they were absolutely behaving like degenerates, even if princess tsunade and the leaf's once-in-a-generation prodigy felt like they were above those sort of disreputable behaviour.)

jiraiya and orochimaru fight tooth and nail that the massive forest that makes up the backyard of the compound, created by the shodaime himself of course, is the only reason they choose to hang out with tsunade at the senju compound, because princess tsunade (dammit oro stop calling me that!), the shodaime hokage seemed to have left so many fascinating things in this forest, there's so many secrets to discover. I don't think I've seen any of these species anywhere else in Konoha. I believe the secrets to some of his jutsu or techniques lie in this forest... oro you're such a nerd. and besides, Princess, the snakes here really seem to like oro for some reason and I think the toads are about to make me their king, I'm sure of it! and also, me and oro are the only people who don't find the fact you use the slime from those slugs in your potions or whatever absolutely disgusting, so we're the only friends you have to play in this gigantic forest with in the first place (it's not potions, it's a new medicinal gel I'm creating! and can you two just shut up? hide and seek is supposed to be a SILENT game and right now, you both really suck at it! I can literally locate you without even moving!) ...hey tsu, is mito-sama going to make those cookies she made last time again? she told me yesterday she would cause hiruzen-sensei told her we did a good job on our last mission.

the three of them knew everyone in Konoha had started calling them the 'Hokage's brats' behind their backs. but none of them realised that, particularly among the elders, this didn't seem to just be in reference to their sensei... there were other, more hushed whispers going around that if they had tried to listen to, would've sounded something like the adopted senjus... or lord first and second's legacies...

(these rumours may or may not have started when people started noticing tsunade's parents went from talking about their two children they adored, to their three rascals plus sweet little nawaki. or when mito kept comparing jiraiya's antics and personality to hashirama or orochimaru's brooding nature and hunger for knowledge was like tobirama's, or how tsunade's own hot temper and tenacity but also mischief was like her own's and the many Uzumakis that came before her, and that all three of them together balanced each other the way she, hashirama, and tobirama had. or when hiruzen constantly raves about his students and how much he sees his senseis in each of them and how the will of fire burns so brightly in them that he knew lord first and second would be extremely proud to see. in the end, though tsunade may have been the only one who shared a name with the senju founders, everybody couldn't help but see hashirama and tobirama and everything they had been and everything they had stood for in all three of the legendary sannin.)

#why yes i AM supposed to be doing my assignment right now #thank you anon for the ask and my apologies for taking your idea and absolutely RUNNING with it to the hills #as you can see i have a lot of thoughts when it comes to the baby sannin #with everything we know about the senjus (so not much) and all their stuff about the will of fire and the village being their family #there is absolutely NO WAY that they see tsunade's beloved teammates that she wont shut up about and see that theyre both orphans #that are in need of a little bit of love and family #and not immediately decided to adopt the two of them whether they like it or not #i absolutely believe that soon after they became a team the senjus started considering jiraiya and orochimaru as family #without even a shred of doubt in their mind #for as far it matters to them oro and jiraiya were one of them and were family no matter what #cause thats the kind of teachings that hashirama would've passed down #and cmon orochimaru had to learn tobiramas techniques somehow #i doubt these techniques were public knowledge #and jiraiyas proximity to the senjus could also be how minato learnt tobiramas technique too #but these hc just make what happened after the second war with the three of them so much more tragic #anyway anon i take your childhood friends sannin idea and raise it with inseperable unbreakable found family bond sannin #they mean everything to me #sannin #nart #meta #hc #tsunade #jiraiya #orochimaru #senju clan #mito #the legendary sannin #tsunade senju #naruto #naruto meta

[okaywitheverything]

Konoha X Reader ♡1

A/N: So I’ve been really inactive I know but its because I have a lot of tests coming up. Here is fun series I wrote long ago which is sort of everybody flirting with you in Konoha. Hope you like it. Here’s part one of three.

"Yeah, it would be a nice change of space. I've been cooped in one place for far too long I feel. I've always had a nick for travelling and exploring." You answered with an adorable smile on your face.

"Is that the only reason? Pardon me for questioning you but I need to be completely sure about approving your request to move here to Konoha. I can't take any duty of mine lightly."

"Nothing less would be expected of you Hokage-sama. You truly are as intellectual, perceptive and ingenious as people say."

The Third Hokage laughed lightly at this. "As flattered as I am dear, I am not cutting you any slack." He replied smugly.

"I'm an okay Jounin-level kunoichi that feels the urge to start anew. Oh come on, I'm not an assassin in disguise! I could have fooled you if I actually wanted to." You replied as serious you could, slightly staring at him to try and intimidate him.

Don't think it's working at all.

"I'm actually in a disguise right now."

That's seemed to have caught him off guard. You smirked a little. "You haven't even checked my ID yet. The photo it has right now, doesn't match my current self. Wait! Don’t peek! Let's make this interesting. You'll see my abilities as a ninja as well. What do you say?"

Tempting the Hokage was probably not a good idea, but you have never been one to shy away from risks.

"Oh I'm not doubting your ability of deception. Say what, that door leads to a bathroom. If you manage to amaze me with a different disguise that matches whatever is in your ID, I'll let you move here, no more questions asked." He said, propping on his elbows, leaning forward. This old man was surely fun, you had to give him that.

"Alright, give me five minutes."

You looked at your appearance right now. Really big dorky glasses that hid your beautiful features under its frame. A really tight braid with middle parting of your hair. You looked oh-so-nerdy right now. But only you knew that on the removal of these two things, your entire appearance did a one eighty degree. And that's what you intended to do as of right now.   

 You looked at yourself with awe in the mirror. You never bragged about your appearance or thought of yourself as superior to basically anyone. 

But you weren't one to willingly drag yourself down, you remained confident with whatever you wore, whatever you had. Sure everyone had bad days, but to make a routine out of it? That was not you. Right now, your beautiful (h/c) tresses cascaded down your body to (whatever your hair length is).

Your cherry pink lips glossed more as you reapplied the lip balm. Your (favourite colour) blouse was the one thing that remained the same. You swapped your baggy pants with a similar (favourite colour) skirt that reached your mid thigh that matched your painted nails. You had removed your glasses already and replaced it with contacts. (Or just removed if you don't need contacts)You were thankful for all the accessories you kept in your (favourite colour) purse in case you needed to party anytime.  

But you really outdid yourself by taking out matching heels from the bag and replacing your flats. 

Guess the female purse is really a mystery.

You readied yourself and stepped out.

 Go big or go home, right? 

The Hokage looked up from some documents he was checking and Kami, you could have sworn you saw blood trickling down his nose. You instantly grew worried, was he having a seizure? 

You then saw him frantically grabbing your folder and snatching out your ID. His widened eyes darted back and forth from the photo on the ID to your  confused face. 

"Are you going to say something?" You said after few minutes of silence.

"I think I need to check the bathroom to see if you swapped places with someone. As shocked as I am to admit this, I was totally not expecting that. Keeping my end of the deal, as you have truly amazed me, I can only hope this will help our undercover missions. Anyways, welcome to Konoha!" The Third replied with a grin, a narrow strip of blood still gushing down. 

You responded with another charming smile of yours. However, before you could say something, the door abruptly opened revealing a large man with really long white hair and a lady close behind who had beautiful golden locks."Hokage-sama, did you hear about Oro- Oh! Hello there. I don't believe we have met. I'm Jiraiya, a renowned writer and appreciator of beauty and grace. And you seem just the kind of elegant lady that I was looking for."

 The man started but changed his composure entirely when his eyes met yours mid sentence. You tilted your head in slight confusion and saw the lady behind him come ahead while smacking the back of his head. However, as soon as she saw you, a slight pink tinted her cheeks.

 Maybe at the embarrassment of realising someone else's presence?You wondered.

"Hello I'm Tsunade. I haven't seen you around, you seem new." With pink cheeks, she put her hand forward which you gladly accepted giving her a small smile.

"Yes, I arrived here today. I'm (Your first name) (Your last name)." You replied.

You didn't realise at what point exactly did the white haired man had moved to the corner of the room during your conversation. You saw him squatted down, vigorously writing down something and mumbling incoherent words along the lines of 'new characters initials will be (your initials)'.

What surprised you was the river of blood gushing down his nose, blood almost thrice the amount you witnessed on Hokage's face earlier.

He seriously looked like he was about to pass out.

Is the weather here really this hot and cruel?  Good thing I'm wearing a mini skirt right now.

You came out of your thoughts when you heard knuckles cracking quite loudly and saw Tsunade glaring at Jiraiya that he totally ignored as his eyes only travelled between your face and his book. 

The Hokage, about whom you had completely forgotten until now stood beside Jiraiya, leaning to read what he wrote, giggling like a lovestruck teen.

 "Is this how you are supposed to behave?!" Tsunade pulled Jiraiya up by his ear, and to be honest she even scared you. "And you sensei, supporting him like that?!" She continued and you praised her confidence and unwavering voice.

If you hadn't witnessed the scene, you would never believe she was talking to The Lord Third. 

The Third sheepishly scratched his neck, embarrassment coating his cheeks. You felt you should excuse yourself before the situation escalated to another level. "If my request is approved, I'd like to look around the Village." You said moving towards the door. "Let me assist you with that. I know all the exclusive spots in the vill- Oww   ow what?!" You heard Jiraiya exclaim from the corner.

"Have you forgotten about the important matters we came to discuss here? It's not like I'd rather stay here than show her pretty ass around but we have some duties." Tsunade said making you blush.

'Pretty ass' caught you off guard. Both the curse and the compliment. 

You grabbed your folders and put them inside your purse and headed out, not before flashing a bright cheeky smile to all the three people in the room as you heard Tsunade say, "We hope to see you around soon." 

The two guards outside almost didn't recognise you as the same girl who entered the office. They exchanged quizzical glances while all you could wonder was how could they let Jiraiya and Tsunade intrude like that. Maybe because it was an emergency. You gave them both genuine smiles and shrugged to yourself while moving to find the exit. 

This wasn't how you planned on exiting and roaming, in such a short skirt but you had no choice because of the intrusion in the office. You didn't mind though, Konoha seems to intrigue you in a good way and you found yourself excited to explore, looking like a total bomb in that sleek, sexy (favourite  colour) outfit of yours.

A/N: this was just some meaningless drabble of sorts. Hope you enjoyed.

#narutofic #naruto imagine #naruto #fic #imagine #fluff #kakashi #itachi #Sasuke #tsunade #tsunade x reader #konoha x reader #konoha #leaf village #cute #lead village x reader #sannin x reader #sannin #jiraiya #jiraiya x reader #third hokage x reader #third hokage #hokage x reader #team sarutobi #please review #i tried lmao #smwrites #raywrites #ray writes #fifth hokage x reader

[awintersrose]

235) Thunder Storm (for OroTsu/missing their Third?)

From this prompt list.

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As the heavy wooden door clatters shut to the banquet hall, the inauguration ceremony is complete. Konoha’s best and brightest remain in attendance to celebrate the rise of the Sixth Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, but Tsunade instead finds her escape with a pilfered bottle of sake. 

She makes for a surreptitious figure, running among shadowed paths and darkened alleys, skipping rooftops toward the forest, heading toward the one place she knows she won’t be sought out. That locale is just outside the village, and happens to be the new holding quarters of her former teammate - quaintly appointed the ‘New Otogakure.’ 

The last long stretch of the walk is lonely, it always is, and the scent of ozone hangs in the air. Tsunade recalls that it is meant to rain this night, and she absently considers that she could be caught in a downpour at any moment. Serves Shizune right for forcing her into this kimono.

It’s fortunate that she makes her way past the Jounin on duty just as the first raindrops begin to fall. 

The facility is rather modern, which she knows suits Orochimaru well. It still surprises her that he has found a form of contentment here, but then again, there are a great many things that have surprised her of late.

A beeping sound accompanies the automatic doors as they open before her - she has scarcely had the chance to press a single button, but it seems she doesn’t need to. His eyes glimmer, cat-like in the halflight, as if he has been waiting for her.

“I could sense you on your way at a hundred-fifty paces, Hime. What brings you to my humble abode?” Orochimaru crosses his arms, then gazes at the bottle in her hand. “I take it the inaugural celebration was not to your taste? Come in, then.”

She follows his fluid steps down brightly-lit corridors, giving into the knowledge that his company is the only one she can stand on a night like tonight. Now that everything is finally at an end. 

Now that her service is over.

They play cards and drink, and it’s obvious that the sake won’t be enough, it’s never enough. Her spirits are far lower tonight than they have been since the war ended. Tsunade should feel relieved to be passing along the hat, but by her own measure - her legacy came at far too high a cost. 

“Did you hear me?” Orochimaru snaps his fingers to regain her attention as he lays his cards on the table. “I’m about to rob you blind, Hime.”

“What?” She sets her saucer down, peering and blinking bleary-eyed at her own hand. Perhaps he might be fooled into believing she can even read the suits and values at the moment.

“You’re not nearly drunk enough to be losing on purpose. What’s the matter?” he asks, head tilting to the side as he studies her. 

He already knows her scent has been radiating discontent and her pulse has been erratic from the moment she crossed his threshold, but like him, Tsunade has never liked thunderstorms. Since her arrival, the skies opened up, and have poured forth pure wrath, barreling down upon the building with heavy force. The silence amplifies the sound, and it’s simple enough to blame her nerves on the environment, yet there is more. Because even he feels the edge of it.

Once they had comfort on nights like these. Too-warm, sun bright comfort, with laughter like booming thunder and the name to match, his arms big enough to fit them both in his embrace. Jiraiya.

Now there’s only an empty space where he should be, and the only thunder present is that which crashes amongst the clouds.

“Don’t you go crazy here like this?” she demands.

“Don’t I? Hime, I think the village established long ago that I am ‘crazy’, what a question,” he smirks, shuffling the cards.

“Stop that, you know what I mean. Alone in the silence, thinking about things.”

“What good is it to think about such things? I find my distractions. And I find them well,” he sighs. “I don’t know what the point in playing is anyway, it’s not as if I can win your money and use it… Not for anything I truly want.”

“Ugh, Oro - behave.”

“Hime, you know very well I have been the model of perfect decorum and plan to be exactly that for the extent of my time as such an honored guest of my homeland.” His words drip with honeyed venom, and his golden eyes flash with a bit of understated discontent, but she knows him well enough to know he means what he says.

“You only say so because you know good behavior will get you the privilege of the equipment and requisitions you desire.”

“Just so, Hime-dear. A reciprocal balance.” Orochimaru rises to walk towards a small cabinet, where he withdraws a dark bottle.

Tsunade’s eyes sharpen. “You old snake! I didn’t know you were hiding alcohol here.”

“I wasn’t. Suigetsu-kun pilfered it and left it here. It’s a decent quality umeshu - not your drink of choice, but one I find more palatable than your choice of sake. Who made the ordering decision for the ceremony, anyway? The quality was dreadful. You don’t care because you drink like a fish.”

“Shizune - cutting costs as usual. But that doesn’t matter - open the bottle and get over here.” Tsunade  waves him over, just as a particularly close peal of thunder rolls and lightning flashes through the high-slitted excuses for windows. She practically jumps in the air.

“Hime…” Orochimaru approaches, abandoning their usual distance to sit a bit closer beside her as he works the bottle open.

By his movements, Tsunade realizes just how formal this aspect of their interactions has become. Not their words, no, those have never been formal - could never be formal at this point in their lives. But when was the last time they touched with true intention, let alone affection?

She supposes the avoidance was a safety measure at first, to appease the council and prying eyes. It’s not as if she couldn’t subdue him on her own if he really were a threat. Even so, feeling him closer, so close that the silk of his haori brushes her arm as he moves, makes her aware of an emptiness she thought she’d reigned in long ago.

Despite movements that are as graceful as a geisha serving a favorite customer, Orochimaru’s pour is generous and he pushes the cup into her hand. “Drink.”

As she takes the cup and quaffs the overly-sweet liquor, all she can think about is how his biting, corrosive chakra should have always been accompanied by the solar warmth of another.

That absence is eating away at her, has been eating away at her with every toast to each accomplishment, each success of her rule as Hokage, the Allied Shinobi Forces’ victory at war… 

Her gambles always have a way of fucking her over in the end. All the idiot had to do was come home.

Orochimaru takes a sip of his own drink and turns golden eyes on her, dark lashes dipping low. “I miss him too, Hime.”

“How did you even…”

“Do you remember what we used to do when it would storm like this during monsoon season?” he swirls the small amount of umeshu in his cup, contemplating the amber hue of the liquid in the dim light.

“It didn’t matter because we were together.” Tsunade shifts back and pulls her knees to her chest just as a deafening thunderclap echoes through their hearing.

With the flash of accompanying lightning, the room is plunged into darkness as the power to the building goes out.

Perhaps it’s the reminiscence, perhaps it’s the proximity, but Orochimaru finds himself caught around the waist by arms stronger than iron as he blinks into the encroaching darkness. It should feel startling and foreign, but he’s always known Tsunade better than anyone else ever could. That includes the feel of her against his form, whether in joy, or sorrow, or fear.

After all these years, her skin still smells of vanilla bath oil, even if it’s laced with rice powder, cosmetics, and the tang of old sake rising from her pores. She’s been drinking more than usual at night, it seems. Anything to chase the memories away. 

It’s not as if he can blame her. 

The distant hum of a motor indicates the activation of a generator, and the eerie green of emergency lights flicker along the floor as mechanical bolts lock into place at all doorways. Emergency protocols - no one wants their pet prisoner escaping during the raucous chaos of a blackout.  The sensor Jounin know exactly where he is and exactly where he won’t be going.

As if he would while here with Tsunade anyway. The sound however, startles her enough to make her utter a sound, her arms clamping around him even harder. It’s out of character for her, especially at their age.

Out of character or not - how could he deny her? His arms slip around her in turn, and she feels smaller against him that he remembers. Deceptively fragile.

This woman is anything but, at least not physically. 

“Remember how we’d used to spend those days at his flat? He’d make that spiced hot chocolate his mother used to fix when we were kids, then try to make us laugh when the storms picked up?”

“If the power went out, he’d get lanterns and a flashlight and make dumb faces…” Her voice is tentative, as if afraid of the words it speaks, the images it conjures. “We’d have to get him to stop.”

“I was never cold when we were together like that.” Orochimaru settles his chin upon her shoulder, solidifying the embrace. It goes unsaid that he’s been cold for decades since.

Neither Jiraiya nor Tsunade ever knew the depth of who and what they'd always been to him, nor why their abandonment of Konoha destroyed an already fraying mind in the end. It took an age for Orochimaru to admit it to himself. 

It was why he found his purpose in his work. It was why every attempt at a bond made elsewhere was an ephemeral thing, even when attempted with another who chased immortality.

For his clan, a mating bond, once established, was near impossible to break.

In another life, they might have been a family twined out of three matched souls. But he failed her when it mattered most, and the life lost also cost him any dream of a future. And so he paid a life for a life as he handed Tsunade her brother’s necklace. Eventually Jiraiya paid his own price in turn. 

Now she's here in his arms, trembling in the dark with the ghosts of lost loves so near and all Orochimaru wants to do is chase that pain away. Isn't it too late?

It's never too late until you're dead. A jovial baritone echoes in his memory, so close that he could reach out and touch the heat of Jiraiya's presence. 

Her lips taste like plum wine and sake, smeared lipstick and leftover spices from her shared meal at the ceremony. Kissing her may be a mistake, and certainly against many rules, but all pretense of good sense is out the window and melted away in the rain. 

Good sense is a trifle he will leave the young to pursue; they’ve had their fill. The Densetsu no Sannin are relics of the past, forgotten and stricken from history, but the two that remain now stand reunited in the one place they have left to call their own. 

That place has never had walls or a stone foundation. It lies between breaths and heartbeats, in the echoing desperation of Tsunade’s voice in his ear, pleading in nonsensical tongues. It is in the heat of her skin, scarred and soft and perfect as he kisses away the salt of her tears. 

He can only see her in shadow and the second subtle glow that his senses lend him, of her chakra, her heat signature, both things that he would know anywhere no matter the surroundings. Her lacquered nails tear at clothing, eager to get to the flesh beneath, and they fall together, side by side on a makeshift bed consisting of her kimono and his discarded haori. 

The raucous drumbeat of rain and crashing thunder accompany the rising hunger, the echo of the aching emptiness both seek to fill. What rises between them is not gentle, could never be; much like the storm outside, holding the potential for creation or destruction. 

Lightning flashes, illuminating her in all her splendor as Tsunade meets him pleasure for pleasure, and Orochimaru is wholly overcome. Self control gives way to the long lost years of denial, of cravings locked behind steel bars of heartbreak and vengeance.

Decades have passed and she still has the power to render him undone. 

He loses himself within the clutch of her body and too quickly, euphoria finds them with a furious violence that borders on pain. It’s nowhere near enough to quell the ache of old wounds torn asunder, the need awakened anew. Hardly a breath is caught between them before they are set to chasing the same high yet again as the storm rages outside, and Jiraiya’s spectre lingers in their hearts, their collective sense memory.

Peace may never be fully within their grasp, but a tenuous comfort is found in the afterglow, where Tsunade drinks down Orochimaru’s every gasping breath. The heat of his touch radiates over her flesh as if he’s marked her for keeps, their bodies still united. 

The electricity kicks on and the dim lights flicker to full brightness, revealing the beauty of his form just as she pins him down to rest beneath her. What’s been lost is found again, however inconvenient it may be. 

All she knows is that she refuses to let it go. They’ve earned this.

When storms come, they’ll weather them together - as it always should have been.

#orotsu #jiraorotsu #orochimaru #tsunade #naruto #naruto shippuden #my fanfics #hope you enjoyed it! #awintersrose #peepingtoad

[peepingtoad]

Anonymous said: Assuming Jiraiya could have either survived his encounter with Pein or been brought back to life afterwards, how do you imagine his relationship with Tsunade and Orochimaru would have changed? Do you think Orochimaru's comment about them "never being on the same page" is correct? | headcanon asks | always accepting! |

I think first of all I’ve got to tackle the phrase ‘never being on the same page’.

Now, I can’t remember off the top of my head when Oro said this, but I don’t recall there ever being any explanation as to what was meant by it (or it probably would have been something that stuck with me more). Orochimaru is pretty cryptic at times, and their experiences in general are probably pretty unique, being the token gothy weirdo. Their ‘not on the same page’ could well hold a different meaning than if Jiraiya or Tsunade were to claim they ‘weren’t on the same page’. 

Did Orochimaru mean that they were never on the same page as the other two because they always felt like an outcast regardless of their efforts? Did they mean they disagreed on things all the time or had opposing views? Did they mean they were never around at the right time to help each other out, or kept secrets from each other while doing their own things? Did they simply mean to say that their methods of handling difficulties and life in general were never the same?

It could mean one of those things, a few of them, all of them, or more than the above.

But say their comment was ‘correct’ in the most general sense... is that a bad thing? We see that Orochimaru later develops in a way that they come to appreciate the value of the sun-moon dynamic far more than they once had. It’s something they talk to Mistuki about a lot, and the subtext of urging him never to let go of his ‘sun’, while understated, speaks quite clearly to me of the fact that they would not have let go of their ‘sun’ quite so easily if given another chance. It’s subtle, but there’s certainly an acknowledgment that they may not have appreciated what they had until it was truly lost.

So I guess whether or not their comment is ‘correct’ doesn’t actually matter to me, given that it’s a very personal and subjective statement in the first place, and that it doesn’t necessarily link to how their relationships would change, in my eyes, given the chance post-war. Because it can mean good things and bad things either way. People are required to be different in order to meet a uniquely brilliant middle ground; the Sannin’s differences, along with the fact they still worked as a team long after they were required to, is pretty firm evidence of that--a bond forged of understanding each other and being harmonious despite their differences, that only really showed cracks when pushed to extremes by the first long term world war that ended up wiping out their whole generation. 

At the end of the day, they were described as the type of friends who bickered and had blow-up arguments over disagreements, but we don’t actually get enough canon evidence to suggest it was over anything serious for the most part. And when it got serious, there were many external factors going on that provide a damn good reason for it, and that was where being on different pages had a negative impact. There doesn’t seem to have been much communication between them during that time, they started flying solo rather than sticking together--the fact that is truly when things began to fall apart really says a lot about how strong their friendship actually was, differences or not.

The real evidence that Jiraiya and Orochimaru, at least, may not have been doomed had he lived, is in this attitude they show later on--the conviction with which they impress the value of friendship, even if it is between two vastly different souls on different pages to each other, on their son.

Having said that, I do think it would be awkward at first, trying to repair the friendship. Jiraiya would possibly be a little tentative about jumping too whole-heartedly into the best friend dynamic they once had, even if he would probably have all the vibrating energy of a dog that really wants to grab that toy and go wild with it. Of course, navigating Orochimaru’s parole would come with its difficulties too--but perhaps that’s what would be needed to save their reconciliation from getting too intense, with more talking and fewer tempers flaring? Maybe it would be surprisingly chill anyway, since we see Orochimaru themself chilling out immensely in the post-war blank period? Of course, there’s always the consideration that they would be the one most capable of and inclined towards bringing him back at all. That’s where it gets into more ‘what if’ fanfic territory!

Honestly though, I’m a big fan of the notion of Jiraiya, having actually survived, becoming their parole officer and starting to mend the friendship that way, while sort of helping them learn to be a person again. Either that or Jiraiya being granted the most freedom to interact with them in general and perhaps ease them back into Konoha life to a degree. I think the biggest change in their relationship here would be actually being around for each other, properly and consistently, and perhaps showing a little more vulnerability to each other. Aside from the biggest change--that being that they aren’t outright enemies anymore, pff!

... But now, onto Tsunade!

Honestly, I think it does largely depend on her and what she’s comfortable with. She and Jiraiya have always comfortably inhabited the drinking buddies/best friends dynamic where they avoided speaking about anything too heavy. This definitely continued when they reunited in the main series after so long; it was incredible just how easily they fell back into it. Nothing was sorted out between them, but they defintiely seemed to be comforted by each other, which is nothing to sniff at in this world. And of course, feelings going unspoken was prevalent up until Jiraiya left for Ame, where even as he basically admits he does still love her it’s framed in a joking sort of way, with the whole ‘if I make it back’ gamble. Saying it and allowing himself some honesty in that moment without actually putting the onus on her to respond or share how she actually feels, because he knows her well enough to know that she has been avoiding love like the plague. It would have been shitty of him to rope her into the Hokage position then bother her with his dumb old feelings, right?

And I feel that’s how he would continue to be overall, if he survived or was brought back. He might have one serious moment where he does tell her that he still loves her and always will, but aside from that he’ll continue to be her close friend and nothing else, unless she happens to reveal that she reciprocates. There may be peace now, no imminent threat of death constantly looming over them and making the prospect of having nice things to lose terrifying, but Tsunade is still a seriously traumatised woman. Any changes would have to come as baby steps, even small changes like being less evasive of their feelings and regrets than they once were, much less moving into romantic territory.

I dunno, I of course think that the manner of their last conversation was set up as a ‘this has always been sort of an unspoken thing deep down’, and basically makes them a canon ship in my eyes (albeit an irregular one), but even with that being the case I think they’d be very much capable of remaining in that same sphere they always have done for a long time after the dust settles. Just because it’s damn scary to go through what they all have and then just go talking about it and uprooting all the feelings and thoughts of old.

As for Jiraiya himself... I think, by the time he fights Pein/Nagato, he does realise what a failing it was to try and go at everything alone. He didn’t involve Tsunade or Orochimaru in his dreams and goals, and frankly he paid for it in losing them both--even if there was so much more to them both leaving, he still feels like he could have stopped it by not being the first one to leave. So I think the biggest change overall would be in him making sure those two know how he appreciates them. How he needs them, to be honest. And I think that’s where it doesn’t really matter if they’re all on the same page, so long as they are actually bloody talking to each other and being the supports for each other that they once were. You don’t have to have the same stance on everything to at least work on it.

#{memoirs(headcanons)} #{bonds | character dev} #{long post} #sorry i had to be so vague with this haha #i felt like the orochimaru quote was trying to lead me to a conclusion to the first question #but in my eyes the questions weren't really relevant to each other anyway #different = good and healthy when there's communication #and that's the real issue with those three #they were strongest together #and when they weren't it all went to hell #also thanks to dokuhebi for discussing this with a work-enraged me about 12 or so hours ago :'D #anonymous #{fanmail} #{headcanons | all things sannin}

[dokuhebi]

peepingtoad asked:  “15 (to give Oro a back/shoulder massage) ”

𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 : 𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 15. your muse gives mine a back / shoulder massage // @peepingtoad It had taken a great length of time, but the three orphans had finally lessened their initial scrutiny of the serpent. Perhaps it was because after spending enough evenings with them, after seeing firsthand that their death threat hadn’t been an act of hostility, but a rather problematic belief it had been necessary, fear had been banished. Understanding something always did. Or maybe it was as simple a case as age. These children were at heart, just children, and regardless of their difficult background, it was natural for the young to seek out someone older. To look for someone to depend on. Jiraiya had given them that, but his acceptance of the serpent in the home meant that they too were included in this familial dynamic. It is easier for the children to forget the vipers level of threat, than it is for the viper to forget the trios. Because no matter how those eyes look up brimming with current innocence, the serpents dreams will still be plagued with the adult versions. With one particular adult, causing their precious team mates fatality.  But circumstance plays a role in everything. That they can not deny. They had once been ready to carve out Jiraiya’s heart too, in a split second of panic. So despite the obvious tension in the home, only half of which is known on the toad summoners part, the group manages to find a working method to proceed with daily living. The rainy weather is hardly to the vipers taste, but their partner manages to counteract the irritation such temperatures may brew inside the serpent. His more cheery disposition, his well timed comments, and certainly how he brought warmth through sharing their bed with them. His bed, would be accurate, since this had been his home and furniture before they arrived. But the serpent hadn’t taken long to dominate their own space in the abode. The children were told to come inside, when the storm became unusually strong. Yahiko however, was far less quick to heed the two adult shinobi’s calling. With Konan and Nagato safely in the house, Orochimaru had offered to fetch the boy. Knowing there was usually less arguing when it was they who spoke. The moment golden eyes landed upon the small figure cloaked in his drenched attire, they had noticed the shift of rocks and heard the groan of water swept soil. A large chipped off rock face acting like a boulder tumbling down a slippery slope. A quick and careless action had them ensuring the boy got out the way, even at the cost of injury upon their own person. Because after becoming immortal, and learning the trick of regeneration - two undisclosed facts in this past era - the serpent had little to lose.  It had been a quick and flighty decision of course, and when the boy spots the injuries - injuries that would land any other shinobi a cripple as a best case scenario, he had rushed back inside to fetch Jiraiya. His calls likely earning the mans attention before he reached the door. In the moment nobody is looking however, the serpent has already abandoned the damaged body for a new one. Has erased the empty and shed vessel with the request of a summon, leaving it to all disappear in smoke. The abilities they possess are from a future time, where new genetic sampling was possible, due to unethical studies the serpent had undergone. To avoid questions, they had kept some more forbidden techniques private, such as rebirth. Worried any strange behaviours of overly impressive levels would lead to questioning. Questions they didn’t need Jiraiya, or anyone else, asking. By the time their team mate arrives, with three little ones in tow ( a bit touching and surprising indeed, to see concern on all three young faces), the serpent is remarkably all right. A little muddied in the split second decision to ensure they don’t look immaculate. Which would raise questions in its own right.  After a brief debate between Yahiko and Orochimaru, where the former insisted he had seen blood and the latter insisted he had panicked unnecessarily, Jiraiya manages to bring both contrasting parties back inside. The serpent had gone in to their room for a change of clothes, and to wash up from the filth, while Jiraiya settled the children and set out dinner. By the time they see him again, Orochimaru is seated beside a primitive heater in their small sleeping quarters. Their new clothing draped nearby so it would be warm before being placed on their body.  They feel the weight of his figure upon the futon, as well as the draft his movement causes upon their bare torso and chest. They had been wringing out their hair in a towel gently, before discarding that. Hung to dry on a chair. Golden eyes are cast briefly to his figure, a quick and assumptive, “I told you I am fine. I just got staggered, and the child overreacted.”  They complain for a moment, when his hands trace their open back in what they think is a means of ensuring there was no underlying damage, “Jiraiya, I am not underplaying any-”   however the movements become more apparent. More tender and therapeutic than the prodding required for medically testing various muscles. So they fall silent, until speaking more permissively, albeit with a bit of tongue and cheek, “I wasn’t nearly as tense until joining your little household.” It is far too easy to fall in to his relaxing touch, where muscles used a little too frequently with far too much demand, earn a chance to be worked out and eased. It is evident where they are tight, for they involuntarily flinch and tense when his fingers apply pressure to more sensitive points. Enough attention however, and even those spots would feel far better. A content sigh falls without their notice from their lips, a comfortable air hanging around them. They place a hand to his leg, slender fingers tenderly stroking up the fabric covered limb as they turn to claim his lips. Their free hand clasping his jaw gently to direct him toward them, a kiss playful and light as they draw away to speak, “I have medicinal oils that would work wonderfully for this,” they offer, deciding they quite liked the idea of spending the early night lounging on the bed, with his hands easing away every strain of their body, repaying the favor afterwards for him next. A quiet and intimate few hours to enjoy one anothers touch, to explore ever so innocently one anothers bodies. “Why don’t we-” a loud crash, followed by familiar bickering, breaks the serpents sentence. Where the vipers expression falls in to something passively irritable, and their gaze shifts to the source of noise just outside their door. They move to get their kimono from the heater, the fabric barely warm from the archaic design. The snake Sannin is not sure which two children have begun to bicker, but they have decided it is far past all of their bedtimes.  “I’ll leave that to you. I’ve already done my domestic duty for the evening.”

#詩 Ouroboros; peepingtoad #peepingtoad #tossing this in for our new verse #because why not :')

[awintersrose]

Secret Ceremonials Update - Teaser

I know it's been an age and a half since my last update, and after many false starts, wrestling with writer’s block and my own motivational demons, I have been hard at work with this next chapter. I am finally to the point where I can say that I'm much more optimistic about actually posting this month... And thus I offer a little tidbit for those of you who have waited so patiently. 

As if sensing something was not right, Jiraiya looked toward the bed. Orochimaru was huddled knees to chest, coiled tightly in one of the blankets; he appeared as if a wayward draft might shatter him to pieces.

“What’s wrong, lover?”

The gentleness of the question was more than he could bear. Words boiled forth, words he didn’t want to say, words he didn’t want to ask, but he had to know, lest everything be ruined all over again. Forever.

“Was it because of me?” Orochimaru’s voice quavered, and he shifted, unable to meet Jiraiya’s gaze. “Did you stay in Ame because of what I almost did?”

Silence hung between them, as sharp and stark as a whetted blade. Jiraiya crouched in front of him, coal-black eyes fixing upon wary, lifeless gold.

“You mean the last ambush. When I was injured.” It was not a question.

“Yes. What other time could I possibly be talking about?”

Jiraiya exhaled, trying to choose his words carefully. That day, when Jiraiya had been injured and slowing them down, Orochimaru had threatened to kill him—and meant it. Yet prior to it, there had been another incident that strained the already-ragged seams binding the two of them together. As he glanced at Orochimaru, Jiraiya decided that perhaps it was better left unsaid. 

He simply shook his head and moved to sit beside his lover. “It was a rough period for us, is all. But that day… Oro, I’m not going to pretend it didn’t fuck me up, because it was really hard to hear and even harder to face - seeing you like that.”

Orochimaru looked down, growing paler, struggling to maintain the even pace of his breathing as Jiraiya continued.

“But later on I had an idea about why. Why you hardened yourself to that choice… why I was a lost cause if help hadn't come when it did…”

In his mind’s eye, Jiraiya could still see the cold sweat on Orochimaru’s brow, the shaking of his hand as he held the kunai aloft. He could hear Tsunade’s resolute arguments and sense the power of her protection. He could feel the pain of the wound that nearly spilled his guts to the dirt floor of the cave, and the turmoil of his own inner voice, wondering if it was best that she just to let him die.

“There were more enemy troops nearby than we thought. That’s what the reports said when I pulled them afterwards. You could sense them. There was never actually any hope for the both of you if reinforcements hadn’t arrived, was there? If you had killed me, you’d have run as a decoy, wouldn’t you?” Jiraiya asked softly.

“She’d have hated you for it, but she would have gotten away alive.”

White hands grasped the blanket desperately, pulling it tighter, and Orochimaru gripped the edges against his palms. “I’ve always been faster than the both of you, so it was the logical choice. Tsunade would have gotten away easily. She didn’t need to know. She’d have only argued even more - like she did - instead of going.”

With a fragile pause, he pressed his forehead to his knees, hiding his face. "She's stronger than either of us, and Mito-sama is still alive. She would have recovered in time. All that mattered was her survival." She had Dan. He’d have picked up the pieces.

“But help came. We all got out alive.”

“And you hated me for what I almost did. So much that you left.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And my dears, I know that you probably hate that I’m leaving you there, but I’ve got to leave some good stuff for the update - I promise not all of it is angst XD.

Thank you all for being so patient with me, there is certainly more to come.

[Link to the fic thus far]

#jiraorotsu #jiraiya #orochimaru #tsunade #secret ceremonials #awintersrose #my fanfics #if you enjoyed it please let me know what you think?

[peepingtoad]

|| @dokuhebi​​ | cont. {x} ||

It was difficult to call it an 'off day', really. Whenever he had the free time on his hands, it usually saw Jiraiya once again in that heavily guarded building, whiling away the time with Orochimaru. Drinking, trying to cook them something they would enjoy, playing board games to try and keep their active mind arrested—playing other games to keep them physically so..

But there came a time where he really had to see to other affairs; simply put, he had to keep his own house and life in order. It would have been much too easy to just move in to that comfortable prison of theirs... and unfortunately, also very obvious that there was so much more to this whole scenario than trying to reform a fellow war hero and friend.

That is, if Hiruzen hadn't already caught on.

So the day so far had been taken to catch up with some errands. Taking his clothing to the dry cleaners, shopping around for food and cleaning supplies and anything else to make the captive serpent's stay more homely—even taking some much-needed time alone, having dusted his own home, to chip away at some drafts he'd been working on lately... which incidentally became a deluge of ink to span many pages, taking him well into the evening. Productive as he had no doubt been, with not much of a ‘break’ to speak of, it had been... nice. It was nice to do something out and about for a change, to idly browse the shelves of stores and then spend time working on a project, even if thoughts of the one he holidayed from were still ever-present.

It got him thinking, as he observed his work with a glass of whiskey in hand, that they had been behaving well and staying within the terms of their parole. Why not then (with a bit of arm twisting, no doubt), give them permission to walk the streets of Konoha with him? Have ANBU keep a close watch on the two, and of course maintain the seals, but they had yet to step out of line under Jiraiya’s watch. He was quite sure that— 

Tap tap tap.

Jiraiya’s gaze snaps towards the glass doors separating his bedroom from the wooden balcony, where a masked figure stands—a sight to send those hopeful notions tumbling into the abyss. Pushing away from his desk, he slides open the door, and receives a scroll from the shinobi who then vanishes in a flicker. Dark eyes scan the paper, his frown cementing itself the more they move along. He, too, disappears from sight.

At the best of times, killing one of your own was a crime with serious consequences. It could be argued, of course, that this poor sap was one of the viper’s own by technicality alone... but that's besides the point. Oh, and of course there were two such saps, we must not forget. Almost three, he notes the moment he sees the first two body bags followed by a weakly squirming mass on a stretcher...

So needless to say, away has fluttered Jiraiya’s hopes for a change to the terms of parole by the time he closes the door to secure their privacy; gone is the optimistic thought of pushing things that one step closer to clemency for Orochimaru. The point at which everything he’d fought tooth and nail for would prove not to have been one big exercise in futility.

And yet somehow, he can’t be furious at them. He knows them far too well, knows that right now they will also be kicking themself (hopefully to at least some extent) for scuppering their chances. If nothing else, they express some degree of remorse in words, even if that look in their eyes and the way they carry themself is strange, lacking in the connection of something human inside—rather like a marionette held up only by the most worn of strings.

But Jiraiya knows. He knows what inactivity does to them, knows that they keep their feelings and temper well under wraps (hell, even he has trouble prying anything out of them at times)... unless they are goaded. Unless they are cornered and forced to react, given no opening to escape. The scroll told him the details—that it happened during the seal check, a duty that the sage was normally charged with, for he is a familiar and safe presence for them to be disrobed from the waist up before, for them to not feel so acutely the sting of vulnerability no matter how unsavoury the task.

The fools.

... But really, were they fools?

The timing was too apt, too convenient was it that he had chosen this day to do errands rather than spend his free time here. It’s like they were trying to put Orochimaru in a corner in order to frame them, without the protection of Jiraiya’s watchful eye.

So he absolved them without much need for thought... only for them to halt him before he could take a sip of the piping hot brew they’d prepared. His eyes widen at the clatter of metal, gazing up at them in confusion initially, only for realisation to flicker clearly over his expression, upon which a twitch of a hurt frown briefly twists it.

“Oro...” A sigh rippled across the steaming liquid. He really had to train his sense of smell better. All he could really pick out was the whiskey on his own breath, even with the cup still hovering beneath his nose... and before he knows it, it’s taken away, and he watches as they explain the ploy, his own gaze lowering to his empty hands.

So, thirty to sixty minutes to try and come up with a plan—not only that, but one that would entail changing their mind without breaking their... well, trust was generous, given it’d taken a snap gesture for them not to drug him. Finding his lap suddenly occupied by them, Jiraiya moves automatically, arms winding around them to hold them close despite himself, the silk of the yukata he’d recently bought them so fine that his hands glide over their form, grasping to keep them close. Looking into those beautiful eyes, we has to swallow heavily past the lump that has formed in his throat, his insides churning with how close he’d been to having his heart ripped out again. Even their claims that he’s ‘the other half of why they keep on’ comes with a sting, seeing as how they were all too ready to flee without him. 

Again.

But it doesn’t stop him from sighing at the proximity of their lips, of their breaths ghosting calmly over his skin. His eyes slide shut, no tears for all their brief glassiness aside from those red markings that forever taper down his cheeks. He closes that distance, with a single kiss of their lower lip, and a breath shakes out of him.

“Is... is there no chance of waiting it out a little longer?” He tentatively prods, eyes bright like mercury in the artificial light of the room, imploring them. “Hiruzen isn’t gonna be in that seat much longer, the ceremony’s practically ‘round the corner. It’ll take them time to even formulate a jutsu capable of sealing you. Even he’ll have his work cut out for him...

“Look... I found out this week. Kushina’s pregnant. You know what that means, right?” Of course, they were among the few that knew, being close to Tsunade and thus aware of what was passed down from the Uzumaki matriarch who had once resided in the far reaches of the estate where their teammate was raised. “I... I wanna be able to help should something go wrong, so if we can just try a little longer... I know it’ll be hard, and it’ll be stressful, but...”

His embrace tightened, and his gaze grew steely.

“But I promise you, I won’t let that happen to you. The moment it’s certain that’s what’ll happen, we leave this place, okay? Trust me, darling. You’re more than half of why I go on. And I’ll never, ever let that happen to you.”

#dokuhebi #just throwing in that curveball at the end there #8) #i think it's wrong timeline-wise for mina beocming hokage/kushina becoming pregnant but this is total au soooo~ #{verse:housearrest | dokuhebi} #{queue} #{thread:offday}

[peepingtoad]

// @masshirohebi​ continued from {x}

It’s so much easier to treat this as a game. A distraction from both the maddening ennui of his current existence, and the ever-swelling need that rises up to choke him whenever he lays his eyes on that otherworldly face, or feels slender coils slinking beneath his touch.

That’s the theory, but the stakes only seem to grow ever higher, as time progresses—for while the serpent, too, plays this game, their hands speak in a way that sly serrated smiles do not. In every caress lies a furtive whisper of years-long love… yet still Jiraiya senses that sobering distance, even as he yields to the pleasing cage their body forms, his own sinking back into the cushions with a sigh. He welcomes this ruin so easily every time, but that void between them never shrinks. Not even with their perfumed scent cloying up the air he breathes, nor the way they seem to snatch it right from his chest again with every cool press of lips.

“How do you read my mind like that?” He says with light amusement, a low hum against porcelain as he noses aside the shining earring to return a languid kiss there. While one hand remains fanned securely over the small of their back, the other slides into silken hair that slips ghost-like between his fingertips, elusive as the viper themself. A gentle but yearning tug of the roots later, his palm falls to cradle their neck as their attentions become just that little bit pointier. If that alone isn’t a sign of encouragement, the hitch of his breath with every sharp promise of possession surely is.

Ah, but Orochimaru won’t have him, will they? Not in any sense besides a captive one, at least. That was made clear the first time Jiraiya gave in, both in action and in words, only for them to confirm outright that they didn’t fully believe it. That they didn’t fully believe him. Always, the sage hoped actions would ring clear where language could not, so he loved them in that moment and every time henceforth with all his body and soul... and still, nothing. Still his heart lodged in his mouth like a black, burning coal, its glow smothered by his own prolonged fear. Fear of further rejection--but even more so, fear that the truth would only create problems far worse than this torturous sport of theirs.

For if this truly was not and could never be real, were they not simply enemies once more? Old friends with a past too treacherous to ever rise above, but so entangled that they could never be free? Between entrapment and losing this person forever, Jiraiya knows what he would choose, despite all better judgement. That knowledge has embedded itself deeper and deeper all the time.

But what would they do with that knowledge?

As their hands drop to his chest, clearly impatient to claim more of him, the humour drains from Jiraiya’s demeanour. Sadness mingles with adoration—a most bitter tonic, knowing how far his desires reach, but having no insight as to how he can make them see. How to make it so that when their eyes meet, that distinct emptiness and mistrust instead overflows with shared devotion.

... The only way, it seems, is to be the first to throw caution to the wind, and suffer the consequences.

“Orochimaru… Oro…” The use of that more casual nickname sees warmth return to both lips and eyes, softening the momentarily stony expression. Dangerous thoughts swim unwelcome as ever to the surface, grasping for those fragile threads of resolve. With the number of times he’s been through this, it’s only sheer stubbornness that’s kept him holding back for so long--that, and mindlessly doing what his baser self knows best.

He catches himself before falling to his usual distraction of peeling the clothes from this ruinous creature, instead guiding the viper down until their lips meet. Easy as a more animal brand of love seems, it is ultimately too unsatisfying when it comes to them, leaving him only with muddled thoughts for company whenever they leave him to fester in this godforsaken place. His hand slides from throat to pale cheek, sustaining the contact, but no tender touches will relieve the gravity of knowing he must lay it all bare lest he lose his mind. Rather abruptly, he breaks the kiss.

“Look, I just want to say... that is, I need you to know...” he sighs, and presses his forehead into theirs with more than slight frustration. How is it that words feel so inadequate, so clumsy and trite, without the safe structure of fiction? With a humourless laugh, he lurches suddenly more upright, both arms winding tightly around their smaller frame. “... God, I just love you, more than I know how to say, which is just so... so infuriatingly ironic, isn’t it? I know you don’t believe it, and I’m a complete idiot, but I... I just can’t bear the thought of losing you again, Orochimaru. I want to keep you forever, no matter how it blows up in my face. I... I’m so damn stupid.”

#masshirohebi #hahaha did you think that ask was gonna be left there #because you thought wrong #oro has really pushed him in this verse... it's excellent #{verse:captive | dokuhebi} #dokuhebi #{fragments | dokuhebi} #{thread:boredom}