Chapter 2
Orochimaru was having a normal day. He was on his way to get groceries. He had forgotten to get them last week so his pantry was almost bare. Nothing unusual happened along his route; some sneers directed at him, others hid their children, Occasionally there would be someone who ran away in fright. Something he's long since grown accustomed to happening he goes out into the village. Overall an average day all things considered until it wasn’t.
His day veered off course when he noticed a small child with a light brown complexion who looked around 4 or 5 with wavy black hair wearing a simple dress with a floral pattern heading straight toward him. After taking stock of her he dismisses her and rightly so assumes that he's in the way of her destination. So he does the logical thing and simply moves out of her way to avoid a collision.
Keeping her in the corner of his eye he continues onward. What Orochimaru didn't account for was the fact that she also changed directions so that she is once again headed straight towards him.
Curiosity piqued, he slowed down to a leisurely stroll. Only for this child to grab his hand and place a piece of candy in it?
She probably confused him with someone else. The second she looks up she’ll realize she has the wrong person. He mentally prepares himself for the inevitable fit of screaming, crying, or running away and if he’s particularly unlucky a combination of all three when she realizes who he is.
Sure enough when she looks up terror is marred on her face. She takes a small step back looking ready to bolt. However, contradicting his previous thoughts she didn’t run away or cry instead she studied him for a moment at him before a blush erupted over her face and a look of embarrassment overtook the visage of fear. As she starts to curl in on herself she opens her mouth to speak. “Um, I-I’m sorry. I um hope da candy ma-makes you feel better.” Against all odds, she turns even more red before turning on her heel and finally running away.
He’s left there shell-shocked. Not even registering the fact she ran away. After a few minutes, he shakes himself out of his daze and continues to the market, his original destination.
Once he arrives he realizes the candy is still in his hand. He peels his fingers back to reveal a piece of candy. It’s in a pastel pink wrapper with little pictures of strawberries covering it. He carefully unwraps it and places it in his mouth. He can’t remember the last time he had candy. The taste of strawberries flooded his tastebuds it was overly sweet but he found that he didn’t mind.
He finished his shopping quickly, only getting the essentials. It wasn’t necessary to finish shopping quickly, as the shopkeeper at this store treated him almost affably. It was the only place he willingly got groceries from. However, it wasn’t a place he would prefer to linger.
With groceries in hand, he puts the strange interaction out of his mind. He had almost succeeded in completely forgetting about it when three days later they bumped into each other. While he was on his way to the jonin headquarters to drop off some paperwork. Normally he would avoid spending any time in that hell hole but he was unfortunately left with no other choice.
As he made his way through the crowds he partly concealed his presence to make him less noticeable. It would have little effect on any ninja worth their salt but worked wonders to make civilians pass right by him.
When he was a bit more than halfway to his destination he spotted the little girl from a few days ago. She was leaning against a tree looking a little out of breath but none the worse for wear. Her eyes watched people come and go.
After a moment of consideration he stopped concealing his presence to see what she would do. He neither slows down nor stops but continues at the same pace as before while keeping an eye on her. It doesn’t take her long to notice his presence amongst the crowd. The second she spotted him fear flashed across her face. Her turmoil was clearly displayed across her face. Assuming she wouldn’t approach him again he ignored her presence.
Apparently, he was wrong in his assumption again as shortly after notices out of the corner of his eye the little girl barreling towards him. Dogging people as she closes in on her target. Orochimaru comes to a halt. Waiting to see if she’s once again heading towards him. Only for her to trip a meter away from him. His brain faltered for a moment as he panicked over what he should do. Before he can stop himself he's reaching out to catch her. She falls into his arms and he quickly places her back on her feet and steps back.
Her face turns as red as a tomato. She doesn’t bother trying to say anything and just shoves three pieces of candy into his hand before running off again. He quickly looks at what candy he received this time. It was two pastel blue with pictures of blueberries and one pastel red and cherries covering the wrapper.
He tucks the candy into an inner pocket on his jonin vest. His body moved to catch her before he even processed it, and he wonders what had possessed him to catch her.
He’s left contemplating whether she knows any of the rumors surrounding him or if her parents have ever warned her against interaction with him in the same manner the other parents do. Surely she has seen the looks the villagers give him only a blind man wouldn’t notice such obvious hostility. She clearly knew him and some of the rumors pertaining to him considering the fact that she had looked at him with pure fear both times she saw him.
He can’t stop mulling it over even after he arrives at his destination. After he enters his attention is immediately taken by the hustle and bustle that he normally associated with it. It was much too loud for his liking.
Two days later she's once again coming up to him only this time at a more sedate pace. She was pale and thin but not concerningly so. She wore a similar outfit to last time accompanied by a small satchel. This time her appearance wasn’t completely unexpected. He wasn’t left in shock when she handed him two pieces of candy. A glance revealed it to be another strawberry and cherry-flavored candy wrapped in pastels.
Before she could run off he called out to her. “Why,” he’s unable to stop his frown or the way his eyes narrowed, “do you keep giving me candy?” The little girl pauses as she mulls over his question eyebrows furrowed in thought. He patiently waits for an answer to the question that has been on his mind since she first gave him candy.
“You looked sad and um candy makes me happy so I gave it to you so you can be happy.” She beamed up at him as if she hadn’t just said the most absurd thing he's ever heard. Something he was sure no one had ever said to him nor would dare say to him and yet here she was. Saying it as if it was the most obvious answer ever.
Still smiling up at him she waved at him before spinning on her heel and speed-walking off to who knows where. Probably to go disturb some poor unsuspecting soul. He doesn't even react to her leaving too flabbergasted to do anything but replay what the small child told him moments earlier.
He goes into autopilot and lets his legs carry him away. When his brain comes back online he's standing in his living room.
He unzips his jonin vest and flings onto an armchair before he unceremoniously flops down face-first onto his couch. He lay there pondering his life decisions until he forced himself to rise. Busying himself with his research until late in the evening.