As a landmark of Konoha, the Hokage Rock is a place that most people don't visit out of respect for the Hokage of each generation.
Konoha ninjas don't come here easily, nor do they allow others to cause trouble in such a place.
But all of this is relative. As one of the most famous Sannin and the granddaughter of the First Hokage, Tsunade could sit on her grandfather's statue Tenten without anyone daring to say anything.
That afternoon.
Tsunade sat on the Hokage Rock where the First Hokage, watching the sunset. Her fair legs dangled from the Hokage Rock, swaying gently, and her breasts shone brightly in the sunlight.
"How did you come to this place?"
A slightly hoarse voice sounded from behind, accompanied by the sound of light footsteps.
What brings you here?
Tsunade knew who it was as soon as she heard the name, and continued drinking without turning her head.
Seeing her sitting alone, Orochimaru slowly walked to her side and took out two jars of wine from behind him.
"I heard from Shizune that you're leaving tomorrow?"
Orochimaru handed him a jar of sake, with the words "Tsunade" clearly displayed on it.
Tsunade was slightly taken aback when she saw the sake Tsunade. Without being polite to Orochimaru, she grabbed the sake jar and examined it carefully.
Although the antique wine jar is unremarkable, the worn stickers indicate that the wine has been around for quite some time, at least two and a half years.
When did you brew this wine?
Instead of answering Orochimaru's question first, he inquired about the unopened vintage wine in his hand.
Faced with Tsunade's questioning gaze, Orochimaru boldly ruffled her hair. He hadn't done this in a long time; the last time was several years ago.
This action naturally made Tsunade frown, but after weighing the wine jar in her hand, Jonin from punching Orochimaru for the sake of the wine.
Just as Tsunade was getting impatient and about to lose her temper, Orochimaru removed his hand.
"12 years ago!"
Orochimaru revealed a timeline that Tsunade didn't expect: 12 years ago, in Konoha Year 35.
That year, Orochimaru had just arrived in this world, Dan Katō had just passed away. It was also the year Orochimaru kissed her.
Brewing wine was no problem for the mad scientist Orochimaru; it was an essential skill for time travelers, and he would succeed after a few tries.
The alcohol in this world is somewhat similar to sake from an island nation, but it's not very strong and tastes a bit strange; Orochimaru doesn't quite like it.
For the sake of scientific research, although he had to keep a clear head at all times and rarely drank alcohol, he would occasionally have a drink during his leisure time.
Looking at Orochimaru's smiling face, Tsunade silently opened the seal on the sake jar.
As soon as the crack was opened even a little, a rich and mellow aroma of wine wafted out, making Orochimaru, who was standing nearby, somewhat intoxicated, not to mention Tsunade, the alcoholic.
Whether it was because she had drunk alcohol earlier or not, Tsunade's face was flushed, and she was enjoying the smell of alcohol.
Tear off the seal, open the wine jar, and Tsunade couldn't wait to take a sip.
As the liquor entered her throat, a burning sensation traveled from her throat to her stomach, and Tsunade knew it was strong liquor, with a higher alcohol content than she had expected.
Ah...! Fine wine!
Tsunade smacked her lips, savoring the sensation, and continued:
"Did you brew this yourself?"
Orochimaru had also unsealed the mud seal, nodded slightly and took a sip.
The two of them drank like that, taking turns sipping, and the atmosphere became somewhat dull.
From this vantage point, you can see the entire Konoha area. Today, the weather is perfect, sunny and breezy, and it's only early autumn, so the air is crisp and refreshing.
There may be no first cup of milk tea in autumn, but there is the first jar of wine in autumn. The person who watches the sunset with you is more romantic than the sunset itself!
"Are you really leaving?"
After a long pause, Orochimaru broke the silence first; a man should take the initiative.
Tsunade did not answer the question, but only glanced at him, the meaning in her eyes was already very clear.
"Is it okay if we don't leave?"
Orochimaru persisted, asking questions relentlessly. This time, Tsunade didn't remain silent but instead spoke calmly:
"If I don't leave, will you support me?"
As expected, he heard what he wanted to hear and smiled slightly.
"Sure! I'll take care of you!"
"Tch... get back to your research!"
Their conversation was quite casual, which lightened the somewhat heavy atmosphere.
Orochimaru is still Orochimaru, and Tsunade is still Tsunade. Their relationship has not faded with the passage of time, but it is extremely difficult for them to take it to the next level.
The two then chatted about the past, mostly about the years they had spent with Shizune.
It was during this period that Orochimaru changed her impression of him. Perhaps her attention was entirely focused on Dan Katō at the time, or perhaps Orochimaru had indeed changed a lot.
Orochimaru: "Are you sick?"
Tsunade: "No!"
Orochimaru: "Heh... I thought you'd been sick for years, I've never seen you smile before!"
Tsunade: "Being human is hard enough, what's so funny?"
The two chatted idly, and the wine in the jar gradually emptied.
Orochimaru's brewed sake has an alcohol content of over 50 degrees, and even after so many years, the alcohol content has decreased somewhat, but it is still over 40 degrees.
Before anyone knew it, Tsunade's face showed signs of drunkenness, but her hands continued to move.
As the sun sets and the evening glow begins to rise, two figures sit atop the stone statue of the First Hokage, gazing at this beautiful scene—another sunset.
"In this life, how many things can we do as we please? The sun sets in the west, but it will always rise again. Why keep unhappy things in your heart?"
Twelve years of companionship, one year longer than "Eleven Years," still couldn't warm this cold heart.
How many twelve-year cycles does one have in a lifetime? If there were another cycle, Orochimaru could launch the Konoha Crush Plan.
"Clouds may disperse and dreams may fade, but memories will never disappear. We are born into this world to pursue hope, but all we get in return are memories."
Looking at this woman, one of the few he cared about, Orochimaru could only sigh.
He wasn't good at expressing his feelings, and even though he could speak eloquently, it was difficult to achieve anything against Tsunade, a woman whose heart was sealed like cement.
Otherwise, Jiraiya wouldn't have been able to win Tsunade when he was over fifty.
After today, they might become enemies if they meet again. Orochimaru cherished these last moments very much.
How should we say goodbye?
A gentle breeze caressed their faces, ruffling their hair, and the setting sun cast their shadows long and thin.
"Just like when we first met!"
Upon hearing Tsunade's words, Orochimaru was reminded of his childhood memories.
"My name is Orochimaru, nice to meet you!"
"I'm Tsunade, it's nice to meet you!"
Both of them were lost in distant memories, and in this moment, Orochimaru looked up to the sky and sighed!
"When people arrive in Luoyang, the flowers are in full bloom, but I have not come in spring. If the spring breeze has pity on the flowers, may I be young again!"
As he spoke, he turned to look at Tsunade. This was the first time he had expressed his feelings to Tsunade so directly, and it was probably the last time.
Orochimaru encountered an unsolvable problem during his first experience of romantic love, Tsunade was his White Moonlight.
Upon hearing these lines of poetry, Tsunade was slightly taken aback, and then her gaze met Orochimaru's deep eyes.
The two stared at each other for a long time, one minute, two minutes, five minutes.
In the end, Tsunade was the first to give in, her blush deepened, and her expression softened.
Her long-dormant heart trembled slightly, and the next moment, Tsunade met Orochimaru's gaze and, as if possessed, quickly pecked him on the forehead.