As he exited the building and stepped into the cool night air, his thoughts sharpened.
Madara, the Ten Tails, and even the Otsutsuki clan—all of them were forces of nature that dwarfed the skirmishes between nations.
But Hiro didn't intend to just survive these threats; he intended to rise above them.
His plans weren't built on raw strength alone.
Sure, power was essential, and he'd gain that with time and careful strategy, but he knew that true victory would come from outmaneuvering the competition.
His mind raced through the possible scenarios, each threat unraveling in his thoughts like a chessboard of moving pieces.
First, Madara. The man was a legend, resurrected with power that could wipe entire nations off the map.
But Hiro knew that Madara's confidence, his reliance on the Infinite Tsukuyomi and the Ten Tails, could be exploited.
No one was invincible, especially someone with such a singular goal.
"I'll need to disrupt his plans before the Ten Tails reaches full strength," Hiro muttered to himself.
The key was in using people, positioning alliances carefully.
If he could manipulate events—push the right people into the right conflicts—he could weaken Madara before he became unstoppable.
He didn't need to beat Madara in a straight fight. He needed to control the battlefield before the fight even began.
Then there was the Ten Tails.
He would need information, maybe even some forbidden techniques.
Tsunade's connections could help here, but he would have to play his cards carefully.
The real wild card, though, was the Otsutsuki clan.
Alien beings with god-like powers, they were unlike anything the shinobi world had ever faced.
Hiro knew that a head-on battle with one of them would be suicide, especially with his current level of power.
But they operated on a different set of rules, bound by their own traditions and arrogance.
If he could find a way to turn those traditions against them, to manipulate their pride, he might just be able to outthink them.
Hiro's fingers tightened on the strap of his pack. He wasn't afraid of the future, but he knew that every step would be perilous.
He needed to grow stronger—physically, mentally, and strategically. The groundwork he laid now would be crucial for the battles to come.
"I need more allies," he thought.
Tsunade was a start, but there were others he could sway to his cause.
Some would come for power, others for revenge or protection.
But the key would be keeping them under his control, always one step ahead, making sure no one saw the full extent of his plans until it was too late.
As he moved through the quiet streets, Hiro's mind never stopped calculating.
And now, with threats like Madara, the Ten Tails, and the Otsutsuki in his path, the stakes had never been higher.
But he wouldn't just survive. He would conquer.
He wasn't naive. He knew her age, her experiences, and her pain. But in Hiro's mind, age was nothing but a number, especially in a world where vitality and youth could be manipulated with the right skills.
He smirked to himself, already forming a plan.
"Tsunade may act like she's untouchable, but I know there's something inside her that wants to feel alive again," he mused.
She had buried her emotions for so long that even she might have forgotten what it was like to let someone in. But that's where he came in.
Hiro had no intention of forcing anything, of course. Subtlety was the key.
He had seen how her defenses wavered in moments of vulnerability, how her anger often masked deeper feelings.
The trick was to show her that he wasn't just another opportunist, that beneath his arrogance was someone who could understand her burdens—and maybe even help lift them.
But there was another angle, one that intrigued him even more.
Tsunade was capable of regaining her youth. Not just through her current jutsu, but by revitalizing her very essence.
If he could use Orochimaru for vitality, she wouldn't just be maintaining a facade of youth—she would truly feel younger, more energetic, and more connected to the world.
He could already see how it would unfold.
First, he'd plant the seed in her mind, something casual during one of their conversations—perhaps during a battle or a mission where her strength would start to wane from exhaustion.
He'd offer the knowledge subtly, making it seem like she had control, like she was making the decision.
Then, once she felt the benefits of her enhanced vitality, she'd realize that it wasn't just her body that felt younger—but her heart.
"Feelings can't be forced," Hiro reminded himself. But they could be nurtured.
He didn't need Tsunade to fall for him immediately, or even consciously. He needed her to trust him, to let her guard down bit by bit. The rest would follow naturally.
And if he could accomplish this—if he could not only win Tsunade's loyalty but also her affection—he would have a powerful figure by his side, someone whose experience and influence would be invaluable for the battles ahead.
He smirked. "This isn't about conquest. It's about making her see what we could be together."
The game with Tsunade was far from over, and Hiro was patient. He would play it carefully, ensuring that every move he made brought them closer.
And when the time came, she wouldn't just see him as an ally or a clever strategist. She would see him as the one person who truly understood her.
For now, though, he had other matters to attend to. But in the back of his mind, the plan for Tsunade was already in motion.