"Impossible!!!"
Orochimaru's body, leaning against the tree, visibly stiffened. It did not escape Hikaru's notice. Seeing Orochimaru refute Tsunade for once, Hikaru nearly burst out laughing.
Who would have thought that the aloof Orochimaru could have embarrassing moments too?
At this point, he had not yet become as smooth and calculating as he would be in the future. His entire being was icy, with an expression that kept strangers at arm's length permanently fixed on his face.
It would be difficult to see such an expression on Orochimaru's face in the future. Back then, he always wore a faint smile, but no one could tell what hid behind it. Perhaps he was deflecting you with vague answers, or perhaps he was secretly preparing to stab you in the back.
"Tsk, tsk. Why is that impossible?"
Tsunade did not mind at all. With a smug smile, she jumped onto the tree and leaned against Hikaru's side without the slightest thought of keeping her distance. For Tsunade, it had already become a habit.
After letting out a huge yawn, Tsunade raised her fair little hand. "Got anything to eat?"
"Jerky."
Hikaru tossed a piece to Tsunade, then threw one directly to Orochimaru without asking. Orochimaru, whose gaze remained on his book, raised a hand to catch the jerky and silently began eating.
"Mmm~~~~ Why does this jerky taste kind of weird? When was it made?"
After taking a bite, Tsunade immediately felt that something was off about it, yet she could not say exactly what. She looked up at Hikaru.
Hikaru closed his eyes and leaned against the tree trunk, a mischievous smile flickering across his lips. "Is it? Probably not. It was made from wild boar meat I bought earlier, so it has a bit of a gamey smell. Still, it