Naruto: Starting By Saving Mikoto

Hiro looked at his reflection in the water, noticing the love bites from Konan scattered all over his neck.

"How am I supposed to face Tsunade like this? She'll probably kill me if she sees," he muttered under his breath.

The water rippled as a light breeze stirred the surface, distorting his reflection. Hiro sighed, running a hand through his hair. He could already imagine Tsunade's fiery glare, her fist clenched, ready to make an example out of him.

He rubbed at his neck, trying in vain to make the marks disappear. But that wasn't going to work. Desperate for a solution, he scanned his surroundings and spotted a large, leafy branch nearby. An idea sparked in his mind.

He quickly plucked a few leaves, using them to create a makeshift wrap. As he twisted the leaves around his neck, he felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"This should do the trick," he muttered, glancing at his reflection again. The vibrant greens concealed most of the evidence, hiding the love bites beneath the foliage.

With a deep breath, he straightened up, feeling slightly more confident. He still had to face Tsunade, but at least now he had a fighting chance of avoiding her wrath.

"Better get ready for the worst," Hiro muttered as he turned away from the stream, heading back to face whatever was waiting for him—be it Tsunade's fury or more unexpected surprises.

Hiro finally stumbled into the inn, pulling his cloak tightly around his neck. His steps were slow, his face pale as if every ounce of energy had been drained from him. As soon as the door creaked open, Shizune rushed over, her face full of concern.

"Hiro! You look awful!" she exclaimed, immediately wrapping her arm around him for support.

"Yeah... rough night," he muttered, doing his best to sound like he was barely holding on. His legs wobbled for added effect. "I got lost in the forest. Ended up spending the night out there."

"You spent the night outside? No wonder you're exhausted!" Shizune said, guiding him toward the stairs. "Let me help you to your room."

As they walked, Hiro hunched over, leaning into Shizune's support. His hand instinctively kept tugging his cloak up to make sure his neck stayed hidden. But the more he did that, the more it drew attention.

Shizune glanced at him suspiciously. "Why are you covering your neck like that? Did something happen?"

Hiro's heart raced for a second. He forced a weak laugh, trying to brush it off. "Oh, that? Yeah, the mosquitos were relentless last night.

My neck's a mess of bites. I, uh, used some leaves to try to keep them off." He tugged at the makeshift leafy wrap under his collar for effect. "Didn't really work out, though."

Shizune frowned, her brow furrowing. "Mosquitos this time of year? That doesn't seem right..." She eyed him warily but didn't press further. "Let's get you lying down."

As they entered his room and Shizune helped him onto the bed, Hiro thought he was in the clear. He took a deep breath, sinking into the mattress, but the moment of relief was cut short by a heavy voice from the doorway.

"Lost in the forest, huh?" came Tsunade's sharp tone.

Hiro's blood ran cold. He turned his head slowly to see Tsunade standing in the doorway, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. She wasn't buying any of it.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune blurted, quickly bowing in respect. "Hiro just got back. He seems really worn out—he spent the night outside."

Tsunade's eyes never left Hiro. "Is that so?" She stepped into the room, her gaze piercing through him. "You're telling me you, an Uchiha, with all your abilities, got lost in a forest and had to spend the night outside?"

Hiro tried to sit up straighter, but Tsunade's presence made it hard to maintain the exhausted act. He scratched at the leaves around his neck nervously. "Yeah, well, I wasn't exactly paying attention to where I was going..."

Tsunade's eyes dropped to his neck, clearly noticing the awkward way he was covering it. She walked closer, her expression growing darker. "And those mosquito bites you're hiding—let me take a look."

Before Hiro could protest, she reached out, grabbing the edge of his cloak and pulling it back. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw the faint marks covering his skin—love bites, not mosquito bites.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Mosquitoes, huh? You really think I'm that gullible?"

Hiro froze, his mind racing for an excuse. "I—I can explain—"

But before he could get the words out, Tsunade's hand clenched into a fist. "Explain after I beat some sense into you," she growled.

"Wait—wait!" Hiro pleaded, holding his hands up in defense. "It's not what it looks like!"

Tsunade's glare could burn through steel. "You've got two seconds before I make sure you're actually too tired to walk."

"Alright! Fine! I'll admit it wasn't mosquitoes, but it's not as bad as you think!" Hiro blurted, desperation seeping into his voice.

Tsunade's fist hovered in the air, but she paused, waiting.

Hiro gulped. "Just... it's complicated, alright? Can we talk about this without violence?"

Tsunade sighed, lowering her fist but keeping her stern look. "You're lucky I'm feeling patient today. Start talking."

Hiro forced a weak smile as Tsunade continued to eye him with suspicion, her gaze sharp and calculating. He had barely managed to keep his cool, but her intense focus was starting to unravel his confidence.

Suddenly, Tsunade straightened up and turned to Shizune, who had been observing the exchange from a distance. "Shizune, could you give us a moment? I need to handle something… personal."

Shizune raised an eyebrow, concern flickering across her face, but she nodded and retreated to Tsunade's room, casting one last glance over her shoulder.

Tsunade stepped closer to Hiro, leaning in as if examining the leaves more closely. Hiro tensed, but she didn't stop there. She leaned in even further, close enough that he could feel her breath on his skin.

Her nose twitched slightly as she inhaled, catching the faint scent lingering on him.

Hiro's heart dropped.

Tsunade's face darkened as her eyes snapped to his. "Who is she?" she asked, her voice dangerously low.

Hiro blinked, feigning confusion. "W-what do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Tsunade's patience was clearly wearing thin. "I can smell her on you." Her eyes narrowed, blazing with anger. "Who's the vixen you spent the night with?"

Hiro winced, his mind racing to come up with a response. "Tsunade, it's not what you think—"

"Not what I think?" she snapped, cutting him off, her tone growing harsher. "You reek of her scent! Don't you dare stand there and lie to my face."

Hiro swallowed hard, feeling the weight of her anger pressing down on him. He was cornered. There was no escaping it now.

"It was... it wasn't like that," he stammered, trying to find the right words. "We—nothing happened, I swear. I ran into someone while I was lost in the forest, and... I didn't have a choice. She helped me, that's all."

Hiro regretted it now. He had never experienced such a situation and had no idea how to get out of it. The truth felt like a tangled web, and he had a feeling that telling it would only make things worse.