Sakumo had not quite been able to take his eyes of his - beautiful, incredible, graceful - mission partner as he slipped out of the many layers of formal kimono and ornaments that made up his disguise for this mission, but now-

The last layer of silk hit the tatami and Sakumo only barely remembered to breathe, eyes sweeping over Orochimaru's back and the tiny, delicate scales revealed there; white sheened with silver, patterned in diamonds with pale lavender shading through to violet so deep it was almost black.

"Hatake?" Orochimaru asked, slanting a look over his shoulder as he unpinned his hair, falling like a spill of ink down his back and only half concealing the lovely raiment that was his own skin.