Orochimaru's pupils contracted slightly. She pinched Hyuga Mio's cheek and said with a smile, "It's possible you nearly destroyed the Ninja World in your previous life, which is why you met me in this life. If you hadn't met me, you might still be living the life of a normal Ninja..."
"And then, the Caged Bird Curse Mark on my forehead would follow me for life. I would still be that branch family member who secretly resented the main family of the Hyuga Clan in my heart. If I married, my descendants would also be branded with the Caged Bird Curse Mark, and the main and branch family system of the Hyuga Clan would not change."
Hyuga Mio continued, saying that her life had changed from the moment she met Orochimaru. If she hadn't met Orochimaru, none of this would have happened.
Marriage... The thought of Hyuga Mio marrying made Orochimaru uncontrollably want to kill the groom.
"So, I really am a fickle person..." Orochimaru acutely noticed her possessiveness towards Hyuga Mio, which was abnormal and twisted.
Is it because Mio likes me that I can't tolerate Mio, who likes me, marrying someone else?
What is this?
The protagonist of a harem anime?
Or an idiot who's dating multiple people and is about to get a cleaver to the back?
Orochimaru didn't want to admit she was such a person. She always believed that her rationality came before her emotions, but she now realized she had never truly understood herself.
Splash—!
The sound of water. Hyuga Mio bathed in a bathtub for the first time, and it was also her first time bathing with Orochimaru. Her sexy, voluptuous, and curvaceous snow-white body was mostly submerged in the warm, bubbling water, leaning into Orochimaru's embrace.
"It seems, Mio, that meeting me was a good thing for you."
Orochimaru turned her head to the side and said truthfully, "However, the changes in the Hyuga Clan are the result of your efforts. It has little to do with me. I merely researched the Caged Bird Curse Mark that interested me. At that time, I wasn't interested in what you would do. Even if you died... I wouldn't care."
Orochimaru wanted to tell Hyuga Mio that she wasn't as good as Mio imagined. Everything she had done from beginning to end had its own purpose; she wasn't as perfect as Mio thought.
"At that time, I wasn't your assistant either. We were merely in a cooperative relationship. This is normal. It's our exposure that caused you trouble and got you involved."
Hyuga Mio recalled the situation back then. If Orochimaru hadn't intervened, things certainly wouldn't have ended so smoothly. How could a main and branch family system that had lasted for hundreds of years be abolished so easily?
She still felt uneasy about involving Orochimaru. She hadn't wanted to involve Orochimaru, but in the end, she did.
"Orochimaru, are you saying this to make me have a bad impression of you?"
"That's the idea... It seems to have failed."
Orochimaru looked at Hyuga Mio, who had seen through her intentions.
"I'm not as good as you think. Hikari and Tsunade have confessed to me. I will face their feelings for me, and I will face your feelings for me, but I may ultimately be unable to bring myself to reject any of you. Such a person as I am not worthy of your affection."
"Mio, you are a very excellent person. A selfish person like me doesn't deserve you, doesn't deserve your affection."
"Don't say that."
Hyuga Mio pressed her finger against Orochimaru's lips. She was happy that Orochimaru was willing to tell her these things. She rested her head on Orochimaru's chest and said, "I won't give up. As long as you haven't rejected me, it means I have a chance, doesn't it? Competing for affection isn't something I'm good at, nor is it something they're good at. I will stay by your side until you no longer need me."
"Before that..."
Hyuga Mio intertwined her fingers with Orochimaru's and kissed her lips, a brief touch. She licked her lips, her white eyes narrowing slightly, and said, "This way, I won't be falling behind."
Falling behind?
Falling behind in what?
Are you playing some kind of competitive game?
And I'm the final prize?
Orochimaru stared blankly as Hyuga Mio walked to the shower. The bathroom door opened, and Uchiha Hikari rushed into the bathroom and jumped into the bathtub.
Did she time it perfectly?
Orochimaru looked at Uchiha Hikari, who was hugging her with a beaming smile. She had reason to suspect that Hyuga Mio knew Uchiha Hikari was coming and that's why she got out of the tub.
Mio, when did you become so cunning!
Orochimaru suddenly realized that Hyuga Mio had been setting a trap for her from the beginning, wanting her to show emotions of caring for her.
She used to think she understood Hyuga Mio thoroughly, but now she realized she didn't understand Hyuga Mio enough.
It made sense, considering that as a branch family member in the old Hyuga Clan, if Hyuga Mio hadn't been more cunning, who knows how much she would have been bullied.
"Orochimaru, it's been so long since we bathed together!"
Uchiha Hikari's petite body was sprawled on Orochimaru. Seeing that Orochimaru was deep in thought, she waved her hand in front of her.
"Sorry, Hikari, I was thinking about some things."
Orochimaru came back to her senses and noticed Uchiha Hikari's posture, which could no longer be described as merely ambiguous. She wanted to remind her, but the words caught in her throat, feeling it wasn't appropriate at the moment.
Confessing during the day, and then creating distance at night... It looked like she was deliberately pushing her away, rejecting her in this manner.
"I just feel like dating is so troublesome..." Orochimaru couldn't understand how those'sea kings' could date so many people and still manage to keep everyone happy. They weren't even dating yet, and just facing their confessions was already overwhelming her.
"What are you thinking about? Is it about Sealing Technique?"
Uchiha Hikari looked at Orochimaru somewhat nervously, mistakenly thinking there was a problem with her Sealing Technique.
"No."
Orochimaru poked Uchiha Hikari's soft, white forehead and said, "Don't overthink it. If there's a problem, I'll tell you directly."
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