Reaching immortality (Reborn as Orochimaru)

10. Jiraiya is becoming increasingly unbearable

The smell of toad was clogging my senses. My brain was running a mile a minute telling me I was team mates with someone who should be on my plate and fried with onions. Then I'd be disgusted at the thought of cannibalism before the smell of toad returned with Jiraiya's slight brush against my shoulder and my mouth would salivate.

I hissed at the man every time he tried to get close and he seemed increasingly amused by it. I doubted he understood how uncomfortable his presence made me. He seemed to be under the assumption that I was playing hard to get if his pornographic trash he called novels were any indication. 

I'd seen a scene just like this in one of his earlier works, but I knew with a certainty that it was not going to end in the way he planned. If anything it would end up in stir-fried toad legs. My mind flashed to the thought of Jiraiya's severed legs in a pan and a small laugh escaped me as we were halfway to Ame.

It got me a few startled looks, but the others chose to ignore it.

Speaking of the others. The Uzumaki were a surprise on this mission. It wasn't often that Uzushio and Konoha shinobi did missions together, last I'd heard relations hadn't been as strong as previously when Mito became the wife of our first Hokage. I was unsure what had caused the change to the point where Uzushio shinobi were travelling to Konoha to assist us in the war.

Just this morning I'd seen twenty different red-heads all around town before we were sent off on our mission and my curiosity was begging me to go up to my new team mates to ask them why.

In fact, why was I hesitating in this?

I barged my way in between the two Uzumaki with all the subtlety of a snake before clearing my throat. The two startled and gasped before looking at each other then back at me with bafflement.

"Orochimaru-sama-san-sir?" Kishiko Uzumaki spluttered as his face reddened to a shade brighter than his crimson locks. Nagisa looked absolutely star-struck at my proximity and her mouth wouldn't stop opening and closing as if struggling with words in general. I glanced at the girl and labelled her useless in my mind before looking at the boy and giving him my sweetest smile I'd stolen from Minato that one time I'd bought him his very own Haori. 

"Kishiko-kun was it?" I asked pleasantly, my voice utterly unfamiliar using the higher pitched tone of friendliness. I hadn't bothered acting nice in years but I wasn't rusty. If Kishiko's excited grin was anything to go by.

"H-hai! It's a pleasure to be doing a mission with you Orochimaru-sama!" The boy said honestly. I couldn't really be sure he was still a boy with the longevity of Uzumaki genes but the boy was willing to take a lesser status than me if his attitude was any indication. It should be, I was rarely wrong about interactions such as these.

"Likewise, if I may inquire.." I paused for dramatic effect because movies had been my lifeline in learning how to act in my past life. "Why is Uzushio sending it's shinobi to assist Konoha in the war efforts?"

Jiraiya scoffed. "Have you been living under a rock Orochi-teme?" 

"Ignore the oaf." I assured Kishiko. The boy looked at Jiraiya for a moment before nodding and turning to me with a willing smile. He had a charming crooked toothed smile. I felt a small spark of interest pool into my gut at the sight of it. 

"-Hey!"

We ignored him.

"Well, it's mostly due to all the work you've done Orochimaru-sama. You're seals are revolutionizing in its ingenuity and it's improved the livelihood of our Shinobi and civilians alike by leaps and bounds. Our Uzukage has been sending us to Konoha to create better relations with you for years."