"He is," she agreed. "Funny, it's always the shinobi who draw that conclusion. Other civilians always assume he's my husband, first." It was an idle bit of chitchat, but it had served as an ice-breaker in the past and often helped her switch tracks and avoid properly naming her master. Orochimaru valued his anonymity, after all.

"Well, I have plenty of time to put in some leg work," she mused, rubbing her lip thoughtfully as she stared at the singled-out plants. "But the cliffs could pose a pretty big issue. Climbing trees is one thing, but if I tumble down a cliff then Danna-sama will be most displeased. I don't suppose you have any recommendations for how I should proceed?"