Three Meals of Smoke and Fire Warmth

Orochimaru lost himself in the ocean of knowledge. At that moment, he was like a sponge, constantly absorbing the knowledge contained in the books.

This focused demeanor was not merely a habit he had developed in his previous life. Orochimaru had been outstanding since childhood because he was, by nature, an exceptionally serious person.

No one succeeded so easily. Even geniuses had to shed sweat if they wanted to go far.

It was not until his stomach rumbled that Orochimaru's mind returned to reality.

When he looked up, night had fallen without him noticing. His Night Vision Ability allowed him to read the words on the pages clearly, so he had not realized it right away.

Feeling the hunger in his body, Orochimaru put the books he had finished reading back where they belonged.

He went to Tsunade's kitchen and, seeing that there were still plenty of ingredients, simply started cooking.

Though the ingredients were not particularly fresh, they had clearly been bought today. They were probably the snacks Tsunade had purchased to go with her drinks.

Orochimaru expertly washed the rice and started it cooking. Washing vegetables, chopping them, and stir-frying them were naturally no challenge either.

Orochimaru had also come from the countryside in his previous life. Children from poor families grew up early, so cooking had naturally been no problem for him.

Whenever there were weddings or funerals in the village, he had personally taken charge of the stove. He also had several chef friends, so he could be considered half an expert when it came to food.

After stir-frying two dishes, he was just about to make the final Egg Drop Soup.

The kitchen door opened with a creak. Tsunade, still bleary-eyed, rubbed her hazy eyes as she pushed it open.

"Orochimaru, I thought there was a thief in the house!"

Seeing her half-awake appearance and her somewhat disheveled clothes, with a large expanse of snowy white skin exposed at her chest—

Orochimaru struggled to pull his gaze away, then carried two plates of food over to her.

"Go on, take these to the living room. I'll be done once I make the soup."

Tsunade mechanically took the plates. After setting them down by the dining table, she pulled out two bottles of alcohol.

By the time Orochimaru emerged carrying the soup bowl, Tsunade had already started drinking by herself.

He served her a bowl of Egg Drop Soup, then snatched away her bottle.

"Eat first. It's not good to drink on an empty stomach, and I don't think you ate lunch either, did you?"

Tsunade froze for a moment. She glanced at Orochimaru's displeased expression, then at the table's two dishes, one soup, and a plate of peanuts.

Orochimaru had made stir-fried green peppers with pork slices and shredded potatoes with pork. Aside from the pork, which had been bought today, the other ingredients could be stored for several days.

"Looks pretty good. Didn't you hate cooking?"

As she spoke, Tsunade picked up her chopsticks and began eating. After only two bites, her eyes lit up.

The next instant, the speed at which she picked up food increased.

Perhaps she was truly hungry, or perhaps Orochimaru's cooking really was delicious. Before long, her cheeks were puffed out.

"Eat slower. No one's fighting you for it."

Orochimaru rolled his eyes at her. Why did she look like she had starved to death? Just moments ago, she had been drinking with peanuts, yet now she was wolfing down food without a care for her image.

"Ah! I never expected you to cook this well. How did I never notice before?"

After drinking a bowl of Egg Drop Soup, Tsunade gave Orochimaru a rare compliment.

"Hmph... I've got plenty of skills. You'll find out eventually."

This time, it was Tsunade's turn to roll her eyes. Orochimaru did not care whether she caught the suggestive meaning in his words as he served her another bowl of Egg Drop Soup.

"Orochimaru, something's off about you. Unprovoked kindness always hides some scheme!"

After eating and drinking her fill, Tsunade was the first to speak. Another cup of alcohol sat before her, and Orochimaru had filled one for himself as well.

He took a small sip. It tasted somewhat like Japanese sake. It was not particularly good, but it was better than nothing.

"I want you to spar with me in taijutsu for a while. I've recently developed a new ability and need someone to practice against."

Orochimaru spoke slowly. Their eyes met, but Tsunade's suspicion clearly did not fade.

"That's all?"

Seeing her half-doubting expression, Orochimaru smiled faintly.

"Of course not. I've also been wanting to research biological cells lately. Your Medical Ninjutsu would be very useful for my research. You're better than me in that area, so I'd like to learn from you."

Those words were sincere. The prerequisite for using Medical Ninjutsu was a thorough understanding of the organs of the human body.

One had to know every meridian and every organ in great detail, even matters at the cellular and Genetic Level.

Tsunade could surely give him plenty of guidance in that regard and help him avoid needless detours.

"I knew it. But why do you seem like a completely different person? Even when you had something to ask of me before, you were never like this."

She was naturally referring to what happened at the cemetery, as well as his behavior today. He had taken care of her and cooked for her. At that thought, Tsunade suddenly frowned.

Could this guy Orochimaru have fallen for me? No, impossible. He used to barely give me the time of day. He must be trying to comfort me because Dan died. Yes, that must be it!

At that point, Tsunade did not dare think any further. Instinctively, she refused to let her thoughts go in that direction.

Dan's body was barely cold, and Orochimaru was already taking advantage of her vulnerability. He had even kissed her that day. It had been quick, and it had been raining, but she was certain it had not been an illusion.

"Your wife shall be raised by me?"

As Orochimaru took small sips of his drink, he had no idea Tsunade was working herself into this conclusion. If she knew that the soul inside Orochimaru's body was entirely new, then her guesses would make perfect sense.

But that was impossible. Absolutely impossible!

"I saw that you have quite a lot of books in your study. Can I go read them often in the future?"

Orochimaru looked at Tsunade, who was staring down blankly, afraid she might be recalling unhappy memories again.

"Hm? Read whatever you want. They're just gathering dust anyway."

Tsunade waved her hand generously. To her, knowledge that had not been committed to memory was not knowledge, but merely words.

"Oh, right. I can spar with you, but you have to feed me!"

It had to be said that Orochimaru's cooking really was quite good. Hadn't he already conquered Tsunade's stomach?

Seeing the faint upward curve of Tsunade's lips, this was the first trace of a smile Orochimaru had seen from her since coming to this world.

"Sure, but let's make one thing clear. You can drink, but don't drink too much. You have no idea how much effort it took me to get you into your room today. You must have gained weight..."

"Screw you. You're the fat one. Maybe you've just gotten weaker lately. I don't even weigh a hundred jin..."

The two drank and bickered at the same time, and the atmosphere was rather harmonious.

Orochimaru was no longer as stingy with his words as before, nor did he constantly pull a long face at people.

Tsunade also liked the current, more cheerful Orochimaru. She knew he was probably deliberately acting this way to cheer her up, but she truly did feel much happier.

Light shone through the windows, while their occasional bickering filled the courtyard, which had been silent for many years.

Life was about using that one or two parts sweetness to dilute the eight or nine parts bitterness.