Chapter 33:
Orochimaru's straightforward demeanor made Tsunade feel a bit uneasy, but she quickly brushed it off and caught up with him.
At the new barbecue restaurant, the food was mouth-wateringly delicious. The tender, juicy meat was a welcome change from the battlefield rations they had eaten over the past ten days.
Even Orochimaru, usually composed and reserved, found himself indulging, his appetite larger than usual. After all, they had been out in the field for quite some time, moving between the battlefield and the search party. Good food like this was a rarity when you were fighting for your life.
"This is so good!" Tsunade said between bites, clearly enjoying herself. "I wonder where Jiraiya's run off to… If he were here, we could all enjoy this together!"
Orochimaru smiled for the first time in a while, a rare sight.
Noticing his smile, Tsunade paused and blinked at him, feeling a bit flustered. "You… why are you smiling?"
Orochimaru didn't respond immediately, and when he did, his tone was casual. "Nothing."
Orochimaru's smile was a rare occurrence. In the two years they had known each other, Tsunade could count the number of times she had seen him smile on one hand.
"For some reason," Orochimaru continued, "seeing you eat like this brings a sense of calm to me."