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Minato will never understand how his sensei can have Orochimaru as a teammate and not be affected. Orochimaru is just so smart and pretty and amazing , Minato can't help it. He’s standing in the corner of the mission room watching Jiraiya talk with the snake summoner, definitely not staring at the way Orochimaru's long silky hair falls over his shoulder or at the piercing glare he’s giving to Jiraiya. He's not. He's just casually admiring beauty. Except that also sounds weird.
Minato is jostled into the wall and squeaks, then turns around to pout at whoever it is, mortally offended. Kushina laughs in his face.
“Are you still staring at Orochimaru like a creeper?” She asks with a wide grin. He quickly shushes her, mortified at being caught.
“Don't say that so loud!” He hisses and his cheeks flush. He really hopes no one heard that. Looking around he notes that only Fugaku appears to have, and that's good. Minato has blackmail on him.
Kushina giggles some more and then throws an arm around his shoulders. “Don't worry, I'm not gonna say anything. It's really cute,” she says, looking over at Orochimaru as well.
His sensei seems to be finishing his conversation with the man, and the two turn towards Minato and Kushina. Minato freezes as the predatory golden gaze falls on him, not daring to breathe. Orochimaru doesn't give him more than a sweeping glance before the snake sannin is walking out of the room, hair flowing like an inky waterfall around his frame. And wow, that was a very cliche thought, but it fits. Orochimaru is just that kind of beautiful, that kind that can cause spontaneous fainting and heart attacks. Minato really needs to stop thinking how pretty the older man is before something uncomfortable happens.
Jiraiya catches his eye. “Minato!” He calls and raises a hand, walking over.
Minato smiles brightly at his sensei, ignoring Kushina's smothered cackling. At least she's trying to be quiet about it.
“Hey sensei,” he chirps as normally as he can.
Jiraiya seems to buy it because he just smiles and nods to Kushina (he doesn't leer at her anymore after an incident with a tree branch and the hot springs that no one is talking about) before asking Minato “Are you coming to the R&D meeting? All the heads and researchers will be there and you'll be able to promote your project.”
“Ah, all the top researchers?” Minato asks a little nervously, thinking about lovely black hair and dangerous grace.
He doesn't want to be anywhere close to Orochimaru at the same time as he desperately wants to. What if he makes a fool of himself? What if he offends the man? Both of those are very likely possibilities with Minato, unfortunately.
“Yeah,” Jiraiya says, “I even convinced Orochimaru to come out of his lair and interact with everyone else.”
There goes that. It's official, Minato is going to die. He groans and rests his forehead on Kushina’s shoulder. Why?
Jiraiya frowns and crosses his arms. “He's not that bad, kid.”
Minato groans again. “It's not that,” he says, hoping that he doesn't have to actually say it aloud. He would never live it down.
Kushina snorts and shakes her head. “Trust me,” she laughs, “He's more than fine with Orochimaru.”
Minato wishes she'd stop sounding like she's viciously mocking him inside. She probably is, but at least he won't have to hear it. Jiraiya gives them a weird look ( Trust me sensei, I wish everything was normal too ) and retreats to the Hokage with promises of ramen later. Minato doesn't want ramen. He wants Orochimaru to talk to him.
Orochimaru walks out of the meeting room with a strong feeling of annoyance. That entire meeting was a waste of time, and if Jiraiya tries to drag him to another one Orochimaru will hurt him. Now he has to go back to his lab and finish his research for the day, research that was so wastefully interrupted.
He's about to leave the building when a voice calls out from down the hall. “Ah, Orochimaru! Wait a moment?”
Orochimaru turns, irritation spiking, and sees Jiraiya's favorite student, the village’s newest prodigy (and he thinks that term with all the disgust he can muster) scurry up to him.
“What, Namikaze,” he bites out, in no mood for any sort of discussion with this child.
The boy flushes and Orochimaru’s mouth slants into a frown. He's impatient and would rather be home by now and not standing in the middle of the hallway.
“Well?” He snaps after a few moments of the boy's awkward silence, finally irritated enough.
He scoffs when there's no response and turns to leave, cursing the boy internally for wasting his time.
“Wait, do you want to have lunch with me?”
This is blurted out quickly and almost unintelligibly, and Orochimaru has to go over the words in his mind before they register. He turns back around, mood in varying shades of disbelief. Why would he want to do that? More than that, why would Namikaze want to do that?
“Why?” He practically orders, and is pleased some when Namikaze leans back in a sign of intimidation. Good.
“Well, we could discuss our research or something like that?” It comes out as almost a question, and Orochimaru raises a brow. The boy rushes to explain.
“It's just, you're really smart and experienced– way more than me– and I feel like I could learn a lot from you and, yeah.” Namikaze rubs the back of his head and smiles, though awkwardly.
This is new. Orochimaru hums in consideration and is startled to find himself actually considering it. Well, he's never been the humble sort, and no one has ever expressed their admiration for him, for his skills or his research. And Orochimaru is… curious. This boy, Namikaze, is a genius prodigy like himself. Except because he's friendly and open and plays nice , the village practically reveres him. Orochimaru wonders what would make someone like that look up to Orochimaru, who is practically his antithesis.
But perhaps, he muses, there's more to Namikaze than what he presents.
Orochimaru raises his chin and looks at Namikaze from narrowed eyes. “Very well. Tomorrow at noon.”
Namikaze nods frantically and then rushes off, almost tripping over his own feet. Orochimaru wonders again how he’s considered a prodigy.
Minato is a ball of adrenaline and nerves as he bounces on his feet outside of the Research and Development headquarters. It's ten till noon, and he's been waiting for fifteen minutes. He'll admit, it was probably overkill to arrive 25 minutes early to a lunch date– strictly professional lunch meeting – but he couldn't help it. He drove himself crazy all morning in anticipation for now. Inoichi walks out of the building and gives him a weird look. Minato grins manically at him.
“Are you okay?” Inoichi asks tentatively, looking like he might bodily drag Minato into psych for an exam if he says the wrong thing.
Minato smiles wider, and his cheeks hurt with the force of it. But he can't help it, it's like when he goes without sleep for days on end, his body just floods with energy and that's how it is right now.
“I'm great!” He chirps. “I'm just waiting for Orochimaru to come. We have a lunch d–meeting set up,” he catches himself, because Inoichi is also one of the biggest gossips and Minato doesn't have that much blackmail on him like he does Fugaku or Sensei.
Inoichi nods slowly and looks concerned for Minato’s sanity. Really, Minato doesn't get why everyone is so averse to Orochimaru. The man is a genius. He's strong and powerful and smarter than 99 percent of the shinobi in this village, and okay he's kind of scary with his snakes and his chakra and how he never smiles. But he's Jiraiya-sensei's teammate and no one who Jiraiya likes and trusts can be that bad.
Minato waves a bit forcefully at Inoichi.
“Bye,” he says pointedly, and Inoichi gives him another weird concerned look before walking away, likely to go gossip with Shikaku and Chouza at the bar.
Maybe he'll join them after, depending on how the da– lunch meeting goes.
Minato returns to waiting by the door, squashing the part of his brain saying that he looks like an eager puppy. His heart rate kicks back up again without the distraction of Inoichi and he's seized by worry. What if he says the wrong thing? What if he sounds like an ignorant child? What if he upsets Orochimaru? He bounces on the balls of his feet again then whirls around at a familiar chakra signature.
“Orochimaru!” he exclaims at the man who stalks up to him with a scowl (a very pretty, heart-stopping scowl that makes Minato's toes curl and his back straighten).
“Namikaze,” Orochimaru practically hisses, and his expression changes, softens a bit, but remains guarded. Minato's insides squirm, but he ignores it.
“How are you today?” He asks the sannin, wondering why the man's in a bad mood this early in the day. Orochimaru scowls harder and shifts on his feet.
“I'm well. Although Anko decided to put food dye in my household plumbing,” Orochimaru says with a grimace, and Minato is vaguely impressed.
He's heard about Orochimaru's precocious (although the common description was ‘devil’) student, and idly considers introducing her to Kakashi. Only good things can come out of that, he's sure. Well, after the massive property damage.
He chuckles and says, “Oh wow, she seems like more of a menace than Kakashi. Much more.”
Orochimaru snorts a little and waves a hand. “Yes well, I can handle her fine. Now, lunch?” He raises a brow at Minato and Minato inwardly gulps. Here it is.
“Yes! I thought we could have lunch at the ramen stand. They're very discreet and quiet and good to talk in,” Minato says, letting out a large gust of air at the end of it.
His heart rate quickens as Orochimaru narrows his lovely golden eyes and considers it.
“Very well.” Orochimaru turns and Minato quickly walks beside him.
He clears his throat, wishing he could be even a bit more confident with this. Really, he doesn't want Orochimaru to think that he's some sort of pathetic loser.
The walk to the ramen stand is quiet, neither of them talking, and Minato tries to breathe properly though he thinks he fails. They're walking about 3 feet apart, and Minato could die of emotions. It's just, he's never been in such close contact with Orochimaru before, and he's overwhelmed. He keeps his eyes ahead, only occasionally darting quick glances at his striking companion, at how the sun shines on deep black hair making it look like a dark river– he's getting poetic again, damn it. Kushina says that's one of his most unattractive qualities, because his prose sucks. Minato wouldn't believe her except Mikoto agrees. And Fugaku. And Jiraiya-sensei. And basically everyone who's heard his prose except the caretaker at the orphanage. He's even had Danzo comment on it, after reading one of Minato’s mission reports. “Too flowery for propriety, and that metaphor doesn't make any sense,” the old vulture had said. Minato makes very sure to keep his reports as clinical as possible now.
They arrive at the stand and duck under the curtain, heading for the back. Minato frowns at the wary and fearful looks Orochimaru gets from the other patrons.
“Here,” he says, and goes to a secluded booth and slides into the seat with his back facing the patrons. Orochimaru nods and seats himself across from Minato.
“So, Orochimaru, how is your research going?” Minato asks, holding the menu to keep his hands from fidgeting. Orochimaru notices of course. He's a genius and good at reading body language.
Orochimaru glances at the menu and then looks up at Minato with a peculiar expression that Minato can't define. “I'm currently working on enzymes that destroy toxins in the body, even if the body hasn't been exposed to the particular toxin before,” he says in a measured tone.
“That's amazing,” Minato exclaims quietly, aware of the public location.
“I'm working on a variety of sealing projects in a couple different areas. In fact,” Minato continues, “I could use your biological expertise with one of them, if you wanted to– if you were inclined.” Minato feels his face burning, and he can't imagine what he looks like– how he sounds. Like an inexperienced child trying to get a busy professional to help them out.
Orochimaru narrows his eyes and tilts his head a bit. “I would like to see this sealing project of yours,” he says, a faint undertone of genuine curiosity in his voice, and Minato beams. This is going great.
They only stay for another half an hour before Orochimaru leaves to attend to a fragile experiment, but Minato thinks that it went very well, take that Mikoto. He hardly tripped over his own words or said anything stupid, and he thinks (hopes) that Orochimaru considers him more of a colleague now. Or more tolerable at least.
Minato’s grinning and practically bouncing when he walks up to Kushina’s apartment.
“Kushina, are you home? Are you decent?” Minato asks through the door, knocking.
He hasn't shunshined into her apartment since he caught Kushina and Mikoto in varying states of undress and making out. He's pretty sure there was some heavy petting in there too, and he can never unsee that. At least Fugaku had stopped laughing at him after he had walked in on them actually naked.
“Coming!” He hears her call through the door, and his smile turns relieved.
He needs to talk to someone. Because spirits, he and Orochimaru had lunch together .
The door swings open and Kushina stands there with her hands on her hips, thankfully fully-dressed.
“Well?” She demands. “How did it go?
Minato bounces forward and wraps his arms around her, lifting her up.
“It went so good, Kushina,” he gushes. “Orochimaru only looked annoyed twice. And he complimented my research!”
She whacks him on his arm and he swings her around, then sets her on the floor. His face hurts from smiling so hard.
“Good job, blondie. Think you impressed him enough for a second date?” She asks through a wide grin.
Minato laughs. “I really hope so. I'll have to ask him again in a few weeks.”
“Don't ask too soon, or you'll seem like a desperate weirdo,” Mikoto calls from further inside the apartment.
Kushina bursts into laughter and shuts the door behind them. Minato is blushing too hard for anything.
“I am not a weirdo, Mikoto,” he yells in the direction of the bedroom. That's where he thinks she's at, anyways.
She comes stalking out of the kitchen and jabs a finger at him. “You absolutely are. But so is he, so you're well-matched.”
That might be the sweetest thing she's ever told him. He tells her as much and she rolls her eyes and sits down on the couch. “So, have you come to overshare your date, or ask for advice?” She asks.
“Advice please. I don’t know what to do next, until the next date.”
He’s treated to one of Mikoto and Kushina’s combined Thought Faces. Normally Uchihas are stoic even when presented with a puzzle, but Mikoto always looks furious when she’s contemplating something. And Kushina just looks constipated. Minato tries not to choke on the laughter he’s holding in, but doesn’t really succeed.
Mikoto scowls but flips her hair and says, “Talk to him whenever you see him. But don’t act like you’re just sucking up, he’ll really get turned off from that.”
Her frank words have him spluttering. He doesn’t want to think about Orochimaru turned on in any way when he’s with these two. Minato swears they have some sense for when he’s thinking something that they can make fun of him for.
“Don’t say it like that,” he mutters. “But that’s good advice, thanks.”
Mikoto’s lips quirk up into something between a smile and a smirk and she looks over at Kushina. “Well? Do you have anything to say to him?”
Kushina hums and Minato cringes, already anticipating something mortifying. “Don’t act like he’s a freak, and if anyone else does when you’re around, defend him.”
He and Mikoto look at her with surprise. That was surprisingly insightful for Kushina. Sometimes he and everyone else forget that underneath her wild and brash exterior is an intelligent, thoughtful mind.
Kushina just shrugs at their looks. “I used to be bullied, and I imagine he was too. My hair and foreignness, his general unsettling demeanor. Kids suck, and so do most adults.”
Well that’s definitely true.
He thanks them for their advice and leaves with a few quick kisses on the cheek.
“A partner,” Orochimaru says flatly, staring at the chunin manning the Missions Desk.
“Ah, yes,” the chunin stammers, not looking Orochimaru in the eyes. “There are no solo missions available, sorry.”
A growl rises in Orochimaru's throat, cut off before it can leave his mouth, and he's about to stalk off when a voice pipes up from behind him.
“I can take a mission with you, Orochimaru.” It's Namikaze.
Orochimaru turns around and sees the boy standing there with a disgustingly hopeful expression. Orochimaru narrows his eyes, but sniffs and nods. Namikaze can't be worse than Jiraiya.
“Very well,” he says. “You can pick.”
Namikaze brightens and almost bounces to the desk. He wavers over a few and Orochimaru watches in disinterest. He just wants to get out of the village and get paid. He doesn't care much for what. Finally Namikaze chooses one and turns around with a smile.
“Let's do this,” he says and Orochimaru follows him to stand at the wall.
Orochimaru takes the scroll and looks it over. It's a three-week escort mission. He wrinkles his nose in distaste. Oh well, it's better than nothing. And it's an A-rank at least. “Fine, let's go,” he says and hands the scroll back to Namikaze, who takes it and nods, still smiling. Orochimaru sweeps out of the mission room ready to leave. Namikaze falls into step next to him.
“So,” he begins, and Orochimaru suppresses a sigh. “This should be fun. The two of us. On a mission together.” Orochimaru gives a wordless murmur of affirmation.
At least he won't have to deal with the client; that's what Namikaze can do. So the boy will have a purpose after all.
The client is meeting them at the gates, and Orochimaru sees immediately who it is. Oh no. He should have recognized the name, but he was distracted. It's Naoko Torishi, a personal friend of Orochimaru’s father. If he’d realized that she was the client then he would have rejected the mission outright. Knowing her as he does, Naoko’s most likely going to spend the whole trip reminiscing on his childhood.
At least Namikaze is going to have some entertainment on this trip, he thinks sullenly.
Naoko spots him and she visibly brightens. “Orochimaru!” She calls and raises her arms.
He gives in and lets her embrace him briefly before he steps away with a scowl on his face.
“You’ve gotten so tall,” she says, looking him over. “And your hair— so lovely, just like your mother’s.”
He stands there stiffly, unsure of how to react to the sharp pang in his chest at her words. Namikaze steps forward and smiles at Naoko.
“Minato Namikaze,” he introduces. “I’m glad someone else in the village agrees that Orochimaru’s hair is the best.”
Orochimaru would like to take offense but he knows Namikaze is disturbingly honest about his opinions. He watches with lips pursed as Naoko laughs and shakes Namikaze’s hand.
“Enough pleasantries, let us begin the mission,” Orochimaru says then and stalks past them. He can hear them laugh and follow.
Orochimaru scowls as he presses on Namikaze's—Minato's— abdomen. His hands are covered in blood and his thoughts are clogged in a haze of panic. So much for the fastest ninja alive. Although he may not be alive for much longer, he thinks, trying to summon up the chakra for a medical jutsu.
He finally manages to close the wound and Minato starts breathing normally, if heavily. Orochimaru sags in relief. A strange feeling, especially for someone he’s only known for a short while. He can’t recall the last time he was so worried about someone who wasn’t Tsunade or Jiraiya. He wonders what they would think of him if they knew.
Minato coughs and grins up at him. “Hey,” the idiot croaks, blood wetting the corners of his mouth. “You’re too pretty to look so upset.” He laughs and Orochimaru huffs, irritation and happiness warring inside of him.
At least he’s conscious and talking. “Shut up Namikaze,” Orochimaru murmurs, hands smoothing over flyaway strands of yellow hair.
Minato coughs again and Orochimaru drags him upward so he’s sitting, or rather mostly leaning on Orochimaru.
“The enemy?” Minato asks, his hand reaching over to clutch at Orochimaru’s arm.
“Dead,” Orochimaru replies. “In no small part due to Naoko over there.”
They both turn to look at where Naoko is calmly wiping blood off of her chokuto. She looks up when she notices their attention.
“Oh, I wouldn’t have won if I hadn’t had little Oro’s help,” she says with a wave. “He’s become so talented. Took out the other half of these Kusa nin while i worked on mine.”
Minato tilts his head up and stares at Orochimaru through pale lashes. “You’re so amazing,” he murmurs, and squeezes the arm he’s holding.
Orochimaru ducks his head. The blood loss is messing with his mind no doubt.
“Alright,” Naoko says, coming up to them. “Let’s get going then. He needs some rest."
Orochimaru nods. Rest will do them all good.
The trip back is surreal. Minato is carried in Orochimaru’s arms and Minato is on fire. He loves every second of it, even if he feels absolutely gut-wrenching pain the whole way back. Long black hair brushes over his face periodically and strong arms cradle him to a narrow chest. Minato can’t remember most of it, but he’ll treasure every little bit that he does.
Soon enough they’re in Konoha and Minato’s taken to the hospital. Which, fuck. On one hand he really needs professional medical care, but on the other hand he wants to stay wrapped in Orochimaru’s arms for forever. The decision is taken from him as Orochimaru gently ( gently! ) sets him down onto a hospital bed and straightens up.
“Thank you, Orochimaru,” he says in a rasp.
Orochimaru’s eyes seem to soften. “What Konoha-nin would I be if I didn’t help a comrade?” He murmurs with a tilt of the lips.
Minato grins. This is the closest Orochimaru gets to joking in public. He reaches out and grabs the snake-nin’s hand, squeezing it once and then dropping it.
Orochimaru opens his mouth and Minato waits, (metaphorically) on the edge of his seat.
“Minato,” he begins, low and smooth and considering and he called Minato by his first name.
The door slams open and Minato jumps. Orochimaru jerks back and scowls. “Jiraiya,” he hisses and Minato groans.
Good old Jiraiya-sensei and his awful timing. Damn it. Minato watches helplessly as Orochimaru’s face returns to its normal haughty look and the snake sannin glares at Jiraiya. Minato turns a glare onto him as well.
Jiraiya laughs. “What are the faces for? I’ve just come to see my student.”
Orochimaru sniffs and stalks past him. “We’ll talk later Namikaze,” he tosses over his shoulder and leaves the room.
Back to Namikaze then. Damn.
Jiraiya watches Orochimaru go with a raised eyebrow. “What was that about?”
Minato sighs. “Nothing."
The hospital room is quiet when Orochimaru next visits. Minato is asleep, his chest rising and falling softly in the dim lighting. A pang of disappointment goes through him, but he doesn’t leave and instead walks over to the bed and looks down at Minato’s face. For the past two weeks Orochimaru has been faced with the uncomfortable realization that he is attached to Minato. Greatly. He… values Minato’s opinion and presence. It’s an odd feeling, one he hasn’t embraced since he was a child and first put onto Sarutobi’s squad.
Minato’s eyes flutter open even though Orochimaru hasn’t made a noise. He smiles softly up at Orochimaru and Orochimaru’s breath stutters. This is too much for him to handle after these weeks of long gazes and sunny smiles. But he doesn’t turn his head away, because Orochimaru is not willing to act off balance no matter how much he is.
“Orochimaru, you’re here again,” Minato murmurs, voice hoarse.
Orochimaru nods and slides a glass of water to the edge of the bedside table. Minato takes it and drinks, keeping eye contact with Orochimaru as he does. “Thank you again,” he says, louder. “You really are amazing.”
This coming from Konoha’s newest prodigy; their shiny genius, polite and nice and open— all the things Orochimaru himself isn’t. He’s almost surprised to feel no bitterness when he thinks this. Minato is all those things and more. Vicious, deadly, a whip of wind in a fight. And deeply attracted to him.
Orochimaru carefully places his hand over Minato’s prone one. “I could say the same about you. Only twenty and already you are accomplished. Both in battle and in regard to your peers.” He lets a slight hiss mar his words and looks Minato straight on. He feels his hair slide down over his shoulder as he leans slightly forward.
If Minato is discomforted by any of this— the hissing, the hair, the eyes that even Tsunade had said were odd— he shows no sign. Instead he leans up and grins, brighter than any Orochimaru has seen of him yet. “Coming from you that’s the best compliment I’ve ever received.” His hand shifts and twists around Orochimaru’s own. “I really like you Orochimaru,” he continues, “I respect and admire you, and it’s an honor to fight alongside you.”
Orochimaru has to tighten his jaw so it doesn’t fall, but he knows his widened eyes betray him.
“Also you are the most beautiful person I’ve seen and paired with your mind I am hopeless about you,” Minato rushes, finally blushing.
Orochimaru didn’t expect him to be so forthright about it. He thinks for a moment and then decides—
well, he’s done far more risky things. He swoops down and kisses Minato.
It lasts for a few seconds before he is pulling away. Minato looks dazed and ecstatic and a hundred other things Orochimaru can’t put a name to. “I’m willing to try this if you are,” Orochimaru tells him lowly.
Minato takes Orochimaru’s hand and kisses it before kissing Orochimaru. “Absolutely,” he breathes, then whoops in laughter. Orochimaru is caught in his joy and smiles, wider and truer than he has in years.
Yes, this will be good.