"You should eat quickly. Once you're done, it'll be Misaki's turn."
Pakura knew she couldn't match Orochimaru's pace as she said, handing him a bowl of soup.
Good things are best shared.
And Pakura lived by that rule completely.
"I think that won't be necessary."
"Drink more."
At first, Orochimaru didn't care about the soup at all, but thinking about its current effects made him reluctant to drink.
"I will definitely drink it. I can't let my precious daughter go hungry."
"You should drink some too, to nourish your body."
Pakura gave Orochimaru a meaningful look, thinking, I've even fed you well enough.
"This chicken soup is really good, Teacher. Just have one bowl."
Seeing that Orochimaru was about to refuse again, Misaki quickly chimed in.
"Alright then, I'll just have one bowl."
Orochimaru agreed and picked up his chopsticks first, followed shortly by Pakura beginning to eat.
Only Misaki sat there happily holding Aoi, seemingly not hungry at all.
"If you like her so much, I can let you take care of her for a few days."
"I'm getting kind of tired of playing with her anyway."
Looking at Misaki's cheap grin, Pakura teased slightly.
She definitely wouldn't give away her daughter.
"But no way! I'm afraid Aoi would starve under my care."
Misaki laughed — after all, she had no way to feed Aoi properly.
"Haha, if she gets hungry, just return her to me."
Orochimaru joined in the teasing.
"In that case, I'm more worried you'd miss Aoi too much, Teacher."
Misaki knew how much Orochimaru cherished Aoi — to him, she was truly a pearl of great price.
He feared she might melt in his mouth or shatter if held too tightly.
"Why would I miss her?"
Orochimaru stubbornly denied it, never once taking his eyes off his beloved daughter as he ate.
"So then should I really let Misaki take Aoi for a few days?"
Pakura hated how stubborn he could be.
"Forget it. I think that would be inconvenient."
"It's not that I miss her, but constantly moving back and forth is simply troublesome."
"When Aoi grows up a bit and can eat regular food, maybe."
Orochimaru politely declined, giving a reasonable excuse.
"Hahaha~"
"Teacher's wife was just teasing."
Misaki laughed, finding joy in having someone willing to play along with her jokes.
"You just wait."
"Once Aoi grows up, you'll probably keep her tied to your hip?"
Pakura rolled her eyes. There was no denying the depth of the father's love for his daughter.
"That won't happen. I'm not that possessive."
What he said out loud didn't match what he was thinking.
Only when she was beside him did he feel at peace.
"Actually, Teacher's worried that once Aoi grows up, Ginji might kidnap her."
Suddenly reminded of Tsunade's previous words, Misaki brought them up again.
"He dares? I'll break both his legs!"
Orochimaru glared, already imagining Ginji, that brat, parading before him hand-in-hand with Aoi.
"Uncle Orochimaru, I'm taking Aoi with me now."
Shaking the image from his mind, Orochimaru still couldn't shake the lingering unease.
If such a day ever came, he hoped it would arrive later rather than sooner.
Having spent so much time nurturing something, it felt unbearable to have it snatched away before its roots had even settled.
"Then you'd better get ready for Kawaki and his wife to come after you!"
"I actually think Ginji's kind of cute."
Pakura shifted the topic suddenly. She found the idea of a childhood betrothal quite interesting.
She might've gone along with it—if Orochimaru hadn't objected.
Given Kawaki and Tsunade's good looks, Ginji was definitely not bad-looking.
Plus, the Hatake family was wealthy, and Tsunade herself was the Hokage—so power and money were both there.
All things considered, Ginji would grow up to be quite the catch.
If you really thought about it, Aoi Tsukigami had basically landed a golden goose early!
There probably wasn't another kid like Ginji in all of Konoha.
"So what if he's cute?"
"Aoi's happiness should be in her own hands."
Orochimaru completely brushed aside the topic of marriage.
In reality, he wouldn't stand a chance against them in a fight.
Naruto: Starting from Pursuing Tsunade – Please bookmark this page: (m.