The week passed quietly, and the living experiment came to an end. The results were excellent, aligning perfectly with Orochimaru's predictions.
"Tsunade can be scheduled for the transplant," Orochimaru said to Misaki, who stood beside him as he disposed of the deceased test subject.
"I know. I'll go notify them," Misaki replied, scribbling furiously on a scroll. Orochimaru wouldn't trust anyone else with this kind of task.
"Well, shall we go to Sensei's house for dinner?" Orochimaru asked, removing his medical gloves and heading toward the door.
"Sure," Misaki agreed without hesitation. She would have been alone otherwise, as Nawaki and Kushina were both on a mission and wouldn't return in time for lunch.
"Then hurry up and finish writing. I'll wait for you outside," Orochimaru instructed, washing his hands before leaving the laboratory.
After a short while, Misaki finished recording the data and ran out to join him.
"Sensei Orochimaru, let's go," she said, catching up with him in front of the hospital.
"Your Sensei's wife asked me to buy something. I almost forgot," Orochimaru remarked after taking a few steps, lightly slapping his forehead.
"You can't forget! Otherwise, your wife will scold you when you get home—saying you don't take her words seriously. That would be the same as not taking her seriously," Misaki teased, covering her mouth as she laughed.
"You women really do understand each other," Orochimaru said, shaking his head with a hint of exasperation in his voice. He'd been through this before. Back when they were dating, Pakura hadn't been nearly this sentimental.
It was just a simple errand—he could always go back and buy what she needed! Still, he found it exasperating how something so minor could be blown out of proportion.
After some wandering, the two of them finished the shopping and finally headed back.
With the addition of a child to their home, Orochimaru had hired several servants. While he preferred peace and quiet, he was usually too busy to manage everything himself. Pakura had been concerned about handling the baby and the housework alone, but with his resources, supporting a few extra hands was no trouble at all.
"Welcome home."
"This time it's good—you didn't ignore what I said," Pakura said, holding Satsuki with a satisfied expression as she eyed the items in Orochimaru's hands.
"How could Sensei ignore what his wife said? He was too busy last time, but this time Sensei bought it in the morning," Misaki quickly interjected before Orochimaru could speak.
"Yes, yes. I was afraid I'd forget again, so I bought it in advance," Orochimaru added after a brief pause, finally catching up.
"Not bad, worthy of praise. Let's get ready to eat," Pakura said, offering a verbal reward before twisting her waist and walking toward the dining room.
"Misaki, Sensei really hasn't raised you in vain," Orochimaru muttered in praise only after Pakura was out of earshot.
Misaki smirked smugly. No one ever suspects a kind lie, she thought.
If it were Nawaki, he'd probably get caught instantly—or more likely, he wouldn't even think to lie in the first place.
"Let's go, eat." Orochimaru handed over the items to Pakura and headed toward the dining room.
By the time Orochimaru and Misaki arrived, the dining table was already filled with dishes, including a variety of soups beneficial for breastmilk. Pakura, however, was frowning slightly, likely finding the process somewhat taxing.
"Sensei's wife, can I hold Satsuki for a while?" Misaki asked, her eyes hopeful as she stared directly at Pakura.
On the one hand, Pakura couldn't eat properly while holding the baby. On the other hand, Misaki genuinely adored the cute infant.
"Okay, here you go. It makes me uneasy when you look at me like that," Pakura said, handing Satsuki over to Misaki.
Satsuki, with her snake-like pupils, didn't cry or fuss, remaining unusually obedient. It was no wonder Misaki liked her so much.
"Give your sister a smile," Misaki teased Satsuki, but she didn't respond with a smile.
Misaki turned her attention to the bowl of soup. It seemed Satsuki was destined to be aloof even at such a young age.
"Hurry up and eat, then you can take Misaki's turn," Pakura said, noticing Orochimaru's slower pace compared to hers. As she spoke, she continued serving him. Sharing good things was something Pakura excelled at.
"That's not necessary."
"Drink some more instead." Orochimaru hadn't minded the soup at first, but when he remembered its intended purpose, he hesitated.
Orochimaru hadn't had any issues with the soup at first, but when he considered its current purpose, he hesitated.
"Of course I'll drink it. I can't let our precious daughter go hungry."
"You should drink some too, to nourish yourself," she added.
Pakura gave Orochimaru a deep look, thinking to herself, I'm the one making sure you're well-fed.
"Chicken soup is very good, Sensei. Please drink some," Misaki interjected quickly, noticing Orochimaru was about to say something to decline.
"Okay, I'll drink some then," Orochimaru relented, starting to eat. Pakura followed soon after, while Misaki seemed entirely absorbed in playing with Satsuki, as though she wasn't hungry at all.
"If you like her so much, I'll let you keep her for a few days. I'm getting a little tired of playing with her," Pakura said with a teasing tone.
She glanced at Misaki's casual smile, unable to resist the joke. Of course, she would never truly part with her daughter.
"Don't do that. I don't want to starve Satsuki."
Misaki chuckled softly, knowing she couldn't feed Satsuki herself—she had no breast milk.
"Haha, if she gets hungry, you can just bring her back," Orochimaru quipped, a sly grin forming on his face.
"Then I'm afraid you won't be willing to part with her, Sensei," Misaki replied knowingly. She was well aware of how much Orochimaru doted on Satsuki, treating the child like a delicate treasure he feared breaking.
"What's there to be reluctant about?" Orochimaru retorted, his tone firm. Yet his actions betrayed him—he never took his eyes off his precious daughter, even while eating.
"So, can I really let Misaki take Satsuki for a few days?" Pakura asked, her patience wearing thin with Orochimaru's stubbornness.
"Forget it. I don't think it's appropriate," Orochimaru answered swiftly. "It's not that I'm unwilling to part with her—it's just too troublesome to go back and forth. Besides, Satsuki will be able to eat solid food soon enough."
His serious tone made his excuse sound oddly reasonable.
"Hahaha~" Misaki laughed, clearly entertained. "Sensei's wife is joking," she said, her voice filled with amusement. It felt lucky to have someone willing to play along with her teasing by pretending to take it seriously.
Pakura rolled her eyes, her exasperation evident. "You're unbelievable. When Satsuki grows up, you'll probably want to tie her to your waist, won't you?"
Orochimaru's daughter-obsessed nature was evident to everyone, even if he refused to admit it outright.
"That won't happen. I'm not like that." Orochimaru said the words, but he didn't truly believe them.
She only feels at ease when she's by her father's side.
"Sensei, when Satsuki grows up, Ginji will steal her away." Misaki suddenly recalled something Tsunade had once said and brought it up again.
"If he dares, I'll break his legs." Orochimaru's eyes widened, vividly imagining that brat Ginji standing smugly with Satsuki in front of him, flaunting his victory. 'Uncle Orochimaru, I'll take Satsuki with me.'
Orochimaru quickly shoved the image out of his mind, feeling slightly unsettled. If such a day ever came, he hoped it would be far, far in the future. It's no easy task to carefully nurture something, only to have someone else swoop in and take it away.
"Then you'd better be ready for Kawakaze and his wife to fight you to the death! Personally, I think Ginji is pretty cute," Pakura said, smoothly steering the conversation in a different direction. She seemed genuinely intrigued by the idea of the arranged marriage.
If Orochimaru hadn't stepped in, she probably would have approved of it. Judging by the looks of Kawakaze and Tsunade, Ginji was undoubtedly handsome. Beyond that, the Hatake Clan was wealthy, and Tsunade was the Hokage, meaning Ginji would wield both money and power.
No matter how you looked at it, Ginji was an excellent match. If anything, Satsuki had managed to secure a good husband ahead of time.
It was hard to imagine anyone in all of Konoha surpassing Ginji as a suitor.
"So what if he's cute?" Orochimaru retorted. "Satsuki should be in control of her own happiness."
He ignored any further debate on the topic, though inwardly he knew he was completely outmatched by the two of them.