Naruto: Starting By Saving Mikoto

Hiro's grip remained steady as he leaned closer, his smile fading into something more serious. "Listen to me, Tsunade," he said quietly, his tone filled with confidence. 

"I'm not here to fight you. Not unless you force me to."

She tried to jerk her head away, but he held her firmly, his dark eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her still. 

"You are Sannin in your Hidden Leaf Not infront of me, right now, you're nothing more than a defenseless fish. You can't afford to act impulsively, not with someone like me."

Tsunade's eyes burned with defiance, her pride pushing against the cold grip of fear that held her frozen. 

She wanted to hit him, to wipe that smug look off his face, but her mind raced with her own limitations. 

She hated this—hated that he had this power over her, that he knew how to exploit her deepest weakness.

"What do you want?" she spat, trying to mask her vulnerability.

"I want to talk," he said, his voice soft but commanding. "There's no reason for us to be enemies, Tsunade. In fact, I think we could help each other."

Tsunade wanted to stand up and beat this guy to death, but the blood—it kept her trapped, her fear of it paralyzing her and preventing her from acting as she wished. She had no choice but to listen.

"You think I'll trust you?" she hissed, her voice filled with venom.

Hiro released her chin slowly, his smirk softening as he took a step back. "I don't need your trust," he replied coolly. "But you're smart enough to know when you need help."

"I can even help you with your fear of blood if you want."

Tsunade didn't take his words seriously. How could he possibly treat her fear of blood? He must be bluffing.

He sheathed the blade, the tension in the air still thick. "You care about Konoha. You care about protecting those you love. I'm offering you something no one else can—something that might make that easier for you."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, her pride warring with the uncomfortable truth that Hiro had gotten the upper hand, at least for now.

"What makes you think I need anything from you?" .

Hiro's lips curled into a smile. Without saying a word, he took a deliberate step closer. 

His eyes, already sharp, began to shift. The familiar crimson of the Sharingan swirled in his pupils, but then it twisted—morphed—into the intricate pattern of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Tsunade's breath caught in her throat. 

She had seen Sharingan before, faced Uchiha in battle, but this... this was different. 

Her body stiffened as the crimson spirals bore into her, a power unlike any she had encountered in years radiating from him.

For a fleeting moment, she was frozen. It wasn't fear—it was shock. Wasn't the Uchiha clan wiped out, with only two members known to be alive: Itachi Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha? This guy obviously didn't match the description of either. So who was he?

And on top of that, those eyes… that pattern. There's no doubt it's a Mangekyō Sharingan. 

While she didn't know the exact power of it, from her grandpa's stories about Madara Uchiha, she could guess that this guy might be a Kage-level ninja, or at the very least, on par with or even stronger than her.

Hiro took another step forward, his presence now more overwhelming than ever. "You're smart enough to know when you're at a disadvantage," he said softly, his voice carrying a lethal calm. 

"And right now, you're at a disadvantage, Tsunade."

Tsunade's fists clenched, nails digging into her palms as she struggled to maintain her composure. 

She hated the feeling of being cornered, but Hiro was giving her no room to maneuver. He was making it clear: there was no escaping this confrontation.

"Think about it," he murmured, his eyes glowing with the scarlet power of the Mangekyō. 

"You can push me away, try to make me your enemy. But ask yourself, Tsunade… do you really want me as your enemy? 

If you do, then everyone you care about will become my enemies—Konoha, Jiraiya, everything. 

Do you want that?"

Tsunade glared at him, her mind racing. As much as she despised admitting it, his words rang true. His power was formidable—this wasn't someone she could afford to underestimate.

She let out a slow breath, her defiance still lingering in her gaze, but it was clear she had no other choice.

"Fine," she bit out, her jaw clenched tightly. "You've got my attention. Speak."

Hiro's smile widened, satisfaction gleaming in his still-activated Mangekyo Sharingan. "Good. Now we can have a real conversation."

Her eyes flicked up and down Hiro's form, trying to gauge the full extent of his threat. "So who the hell are you?"

Hiro raised an eyebrow, his smirk barely faltering. "That's the first question you're asking me? I thought you might be more interested in how I knew your weakness."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, her impatience evident. "what about your identity?"

Hiro shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm a wanderer from a distant land. I've seen many things and heard many tales."

Tsunade's skepticism deepened. "That's not an answer. Why are you here, really?"

Hiro's smirk returned, though his eyes betrayed a hint of amusement. "I'm here because the stars aligned. It's a cosmic coincidence that brought me to this place at this time."

Tsunade stared at him, disbelief evident in her expression. "Cosmic coincidence? You expect me to believe that?"

Hiro's gaze remained steady, his tone casual. "Believe it or not, it's the truth. The universe has its own plans, and I'm merely a part of them."

Tsunade rolled her eyes in frustration. "And what's your actual plan here? What do you want from me?"

Hiro leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I want you."

Tsunade's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Her face flushed, a mix of anger and confusion playing across her features. "What did you just say?" Her voice trembled, a combination of outrage and sheer incredulity.

Hiro straightened, his smile now replaced by a more serious expression. "I'm offering you an alliance. But if you're interpreting it differently, that's not my intention."

Tsunade shook her head, trying to process the unexpected declaration. 

"An alliance? Are you seriously saying you're here to make some sort of deal? 

And you thought telling me that you want me—what, romantically or otherwise—would be convincing?"

Hiro's gaze softened slightly, though he remained composed. "No, Tsunade. I'm not talking about anything personal. 

What I want is your cooperation. I believe we can achieve more together than apart. I understand if my words seemed misleading, but I assure you, my focus is on mutual benefit only hehe."

"If you think you can just waltz in here, make cryptic comments, and expect me to take you seriously, you're sorely mistaken. If you have something valuable to offer, you need to be straight with me."

Hiro took a step back, giving her some space. 

"My offer is genuine. I can help you with your fear of blood, among other things."

Tsunade's expression hardened, but she took a deep breath to regain her composure. "Alright, I'll hear you out if you can really do it. But if you're going to waste my time with more games, we're done."

Hiro nodded, his demeanor shifting to a more earnest tone.