Snakes are Venomous, Flowers are Poisonous

Chapter 22: Negotiations

The room was deadly silent as Orochimaru sat across from Haruno Reiko. The shoji doors had been shut tightly as soon as they both had made themselves comfortable, the sound of the outside world not permitted with the four walls encompassing them. All of his summons had been dismissed so they could have absolute privacy. He had watched warily as the matriarch had gone around the room, placing seals at an interval. Recognizing the silencing seals, he had narrowed his eyes at the complicated seals that would purposely trap anyone daring to disrupt the barrier the seals were creating.

Anyone else would have assumed he would be the one being this paranoid.

Now, they sat motionless as they watched each other.

Orochimaru had dressed as smartly as he did when he traveled to every major clan only a month before. However, he had decided on a slightly more masculine kimono as he did not want to cause any rifts between his own beauty and the radiance coming off Reiko in abundance. He had gone out of his way to acquire the silk kimonos he owned, however, it was obvious that they simply fell into Reiko's hands at her whim—not surprising since her clan dealt a great deal in silk.

However, it was her youthfulness that had his shoulders stiff.

There were wrinkles under her eyes and around her mouth from her often frowning, however, they were not as severe as one would think to exist on a ninety-year-old civilian woman. Meeting her eyes, he could feel it in his bones how desperately he wanted to pick this woman apart and learn her every secret, no matter how small or dark.

And by the calculated way Reiko was staring back, he had a feeling she had a similar feelings.

"I thank you again for coming to Konoha to discuss Sakura-chan's training," Orochimaru began, an easy and polite smile slipping onto his face. "As her clan head, I wanted to make sure you had a say in how your clanswoman faired."

"I appreciate the invitation." Her voice was like steel wrapped in silk—beautiful, yet ready to cut deeply when given the chance. "I do not have many opportunities to be part of my grandchild's lives, and encouraging Sakura would be an honor for me."

"She is incredibly bright, I can only assume it comes from your side of the family."

"But, of course."

The tension was slowly growing in the room, but neither occupant acknowledged it in favor of playing the roles of sensei and clan head. They had no audience, but certain games needed to be played so the players could truly understand one another before the real battle could being.

"What has Sakura been training in so far?"

Orochimaru nodded graciously. Reiko was making the first move, not surprising with her track record. Strike first and hard.

"Even though she has trained at the Academy since the age of seven and at a genin rank for half a year, her physical skills were severally lacking. Thus, I have had her learning taijutsu and fighting katas in this last month. On top of that, she had grown great initiative to study topics on her own, seeking out information in any way that she can. With her eidetic memory, I do not doubt she will be a poison master by the time she is ready to become a jonin."

"One of the Legendary Sannin, and all you have your student doing is simple exercise techniques?"

While his body was relaxed, his eyes snapped up to meet hers, but she revealed nothing.

"Tell me, Reiko-san," he spoke tersely, smirking internally at the way her lips pulled downward at the honorific. "Do you know what elemental jutsu types are?"