I, Your Father, Carry a Big Stick

Justifying his actions by telling himself that he would now know where Sakura lived, Wu walked the uncharacteristically timid girl to one of the poorer districts of Konoha. Stopping before they reached the street leading to her home, Sakura turned to Wu and said, "My house is just around the corner. Thanks for walking me this far, Wu-kun..." Realizing Sakura was trying to chase him off after he had spent the last twenty minutes escorting her, Wu narrowed his eyes and unashamedly inquired, "Are you embarrassed of your family?" Panicking slightly, Sakura waved her hands and insisted, "No, no! It's not that! It's just...you know..." Becoming increasingly embarrassed, Sakura averted her eyes from Wu and softly muttered, "I just...I kind of thought that Sasuke would be the first boy I brought home. I don't want my parents to misunderstand our relationship..." Adopting his most 'radiant' smile, Wu replied, "Oh, no worries about that! If they try to tease you, I'll make it 'very' clear we're just friends. You have my word." Furrowing her brows slightly, Sakura looked to Wu, silence lingering for a few seconds before she pointedly muttered, "You know, you can be a real jerk sometimes..." Relaxing his smile a bit, Wu shrugged his shoulders, responding, "I prefer the term 'honest.' I know you like Sasuke, so the thought of pursuing you has never once crossed my mind. What, would you rather have me pining after you like Naruto?" Shuddering at the thought, Sakura turned away from Wu and muttered, "Whatever..." before taking the initiative to lead the way. Their destination was a small, two-story house with two bedrooms, a small kitchen, and an even smaller living room. Konoha had a limited amount of space, so they had the habit of building 'up' rather than allowing residences to take up a lot of space. Unless you were rich, of course. Gesturing toward the somewhat declining structure, Sakura's expression and tone were flat as she said, "Home sweet home..." Before Wu could comment, the door to Sakura's home abruptly opened, a fairly tall woman with fair skin emerging. She had shoulder-length blonde hair that was weirdly fashioned into a single bang, green eyes, and, much like what Sakura was wearing, a green dress with a pattern of pink flowers sewn into it. Having heard Sakura's words, the woman wore a severe expression on her face as she asked, "Something wrong with our-" before stopping as she noticed Wu. His presence caused her eyes to widen before a teasing smile developed across her face, followed by her cupping her cheek and asking, " Are you Wu-kun? Sakura has been telling us all about you as of late..." While her mother's words were true, Sakura stomped the ground in anger, whining, "Kaa-chaaaan! You're going to make him misunderstand...!" Waving his hand sideways in front of his face, Wu retorted, "No chance. I know full well how infatuated Sakura is with her 'beloved' Sasuke-kun. It's nice to meet you, by the way, Mrs...?" Directing a deadpan stare at her daughter, the woman asked, "You haven't even told him our names?" before quickly regaining a smile, turning to Wu, and adding, "My name is Haruno Mebuki. My husband isn't here right now, but his name is Haruno Kizashi. On behalf of both of us, thanks for helping our daughter come to her senses, Wu-kun. We were seriously worried this girl was about to start dieting in the next year or two..." "..." As she had actually been planning to do exactly that, Sakura averted her eyes from both her mother and Wu. In hindsight, she realized that would have been pretty foolish, as, according to some of the medical texts she had read, failing to consume adequate nutrients during the developmental years of a child's life could lead to all kinds of issues. Shattering Sakura's reverie, Wu adopted a naturally charismatic smile as he said, "Sakura is too intelligent to do something that foolish. I consider myself pretty smart, but she even teaches me during our study sessions. If she really did start dieting, don't worry. I'll smack some sense into her." Though she would typically disprove of someone talking about hitting her daughter, Mebuki found Wu's words rather amusing. Sakura had informed them that he was the most intelligent boy in their class and potentially the strongest in the Academy. He was also a member of the Sarutobi Clan, so if Mebuki was being honest, she had a much better impression of Wu than the young heir of the Uchiha Clan. Believing she might be able to give the duo a push in the right direction, Mebuki exhaled a chuckle before narrowing her eyes and replying, "Then I'll leave Sakura in your care, Wu-kun. If you catch her doing anything she shouldn't, be sure to correct her or let us know." Unable to believe what she was hearing, Sakura shouted, "Kaa-chan...!" with an expression that was equal parts pouty and furious. If she had known her mother was going to embarrass her like this, she would have put her foot down a few minutes ago. Providing Sakura a bit of relief, Wu interjected to say, "I should be going. I still have some training to conduct before I turn in for the day. See you at school tomorrow, Sakura." Without waiting for the duo to respond, Wu promptly turned around and ran at his fastest speed. His sudden action left the mother-daughter pair at a loss for words, but Mebuki quickly recovered, a serious expression on her face as she looked down at her daughter and said, "Head inside and get cleaned up. Then I want to hear all about your 'training.' Understood?" Though she wanted to refuse, Sakura was still just an eight-year-old girl. From her and her father's perspective, her mother's word was law within the Haruno household. Thus, after a moment of indecision, she exhaled a defeated sigh, hanging her head and shoulders as she replied, "Yes, Kaa-chan..." At the same time, she was thinking about how she would get even with Wu in the future, disregarding the detail about whether or not he had done anything wrong... ... .. . As Hiruzen really did have other matters to attend to, Wu threw himself into his training for a few hours before taking a bath, eating dinner alone, and retiring to his room. Wu felt markedly more exhausted than usual, so even though he usually reflected upon his day before falling asleep, he convinced himself nothing of import had happened before succumbing to the sweet embrace of unconsciousness... "Huh...?" Having never once dreamed, Wu was confused when he 'awoke' to find himself lying in the middle of what appeared to be his usual training area. The differences were that the sky overhead was twisting and distorted, while the grass, trees, and even the dirt around him seemed more colorful than usual. "Wu-kun..." Catching the confused youth by surprise, a familiar voice startled him to his feet. When he turned around, he found Sakura staring up at him with a potent blush and a dazed expression on her face. However, instead of the Sakura he was familiar with, she was much older and had a tiny diamond in the center of her forehead... Leaving Wu even more confused, Sakura began to pull at the zipper of her red, sleeveless top as she repeated, "Wu-kun..." in an audibly impassioned tone. "Wu-kun..." (chorus) Hearing multiple people whisper his name, Wu shuddered before looking around to find himself encircled by most of the girls in his class. They, too, appeared much older, with Hinata, in particular, having a full and shapely figure that left Wu feeling what he could only describe as 'stifled.' "Wu-kun..." Tensing even further, Wu turned back to Sakura to find that she was now being embraced by her mother. Both were staring at him with expectation while the girls surrounding him began to close in from all sides. Then, with one final "Wu-kun..." whispered directly into his ear, the young boy awoke to find his body covered in sweat. As was often the case when he was genuinely annoyed or frustrated, Wu placed his hand on his chest and softly exclaimed, "What the actual fuck was that...?" His heart was palpitating furiously within his chest, so much so that his inner ears and temples were pounding. Unfortunately, the only thing greeting Wu's outburst was silence. After all, he was the only one in the room... Convincing himself he had just had a nightmare, even though he had never even dreamed before, Wu plopped backward onto his bed and just stared listlessly at the ceiling. As his thoughts began to settle, a resolve gradually formed within his heart, compelling him to close his eyes and attempt to recall the frightening experience. Lord Enma had taught him that being afraid wasn't a sin. Fearing to face and try to understand them, however, was inexcusable... As the scene gradually repeated in his mind, Wu took special note of the diamond-shaped mark on Sakura's forehead. He could explain everyone aging up as being just his imagination running wild, but the peculiar seal was something completely foreign to him. So, too, were the clothes that she, and many of the other girls, were wearing. Thus, even though he felt a lingering sense of discomfort, Wu replayed the scene over and over until he eventually succumbed to unconsciousness a second time... ... .. . Feeling uncharacteristically fatigued, Wu was nearly late for the first time since he had started attending the Academy. He usually showed up a few minutes early to greet and chat with people, so his Sensei and classmates were fairly surprised to see him enter the classroom just before the bell. Noticing the state Wu was in, Daikoku asked, "Are you okay, Sarutobi-san? If you're feeling ill, please go to the medical ward." Waving off his Sensei's concerns, Wu asserted, "I'm okay. I just stayed up late and missed breakfast. I'll be fine after lunch." Since Wu had an immaculate record within the Academy, both in terms of academics and practical skills, Daikoku politely insisted, "You should head over, just to be sure. If nothing else, you can use the opportunity to grab something from the vending machines on your way back." Not wanting to argue, Wu gave a curt, seemingly appreciative nod before turning around and departing the classroom. A few of his classmates took exception to his clearly preferential treatment, but Daikoku shut them up fairly quickly, telling them they could also receive special treatment if they got perfect marks in every class... Reaching his destination less than a minute later, Wu opened the door to the school's medical ward while covering his mouth to stifle a yawn. He didn't notice, but there was a sign posted outside advising students to a smaller office on the opposite side of the facility. The door had also been locked, but due to his inordinate strength and distracted state, Wu had just assumed it was jammed. As the eyes of twenty-seven girls and a female instructor shifted to him, a look of confusion marred Wu's face as he remarked, "Huh? Did I enter the wrong place?" Before anyone could answer him, Wu raised his gaze to the images being projected onto the infirmary's wall. He didn't recognize what was on the left, but he immediately concluded that the anatomical reference on the right was a penis. By process of elimination- Interrupting Wu's absentminded analysis, the female instructor switched off the projector, her face contorted into a judgmental glower as she said, "This is a class for fourth-year girls, only. Did you not see the sign posted beside the door?" Instead of answering the woman's question, Wu took a step back to look at the sign, noting, "Huh...would you look at that..." in a dull monotone. His behavior wasn't very appreciated by the female instructor, but before she could think to reprimand him, one of the girls pointed out, "Hey, isn't that Sarutobi-kun from Class 3-A?" while another replied, "Yeah, but he kind of seems...out of it? Is he sick?" As realization donned on the instructor, the anger disappeared from her expression. She was a temporary lecturer arranged after the audit, but she had still been made aware of Wu's existence. After all, he was the grandson of the Hokage and the most talented member of his generation. Dismissing any thoughts of punishing Wu's impropriety, the instructor told the class, "Read through pages 27 through 29. I'll be back shortly." Rising to her feet, the instructor attempted to approach Wu but stopped when he raised his hand, shook his head, and said, "There's no need for Sensei to trouble herself. I know where the room mentioned on the sign is. I can make my way there just fine." Though she would have been inclined to acquiesce if Wu was an ordinary student, the instructor didn't want to imagine what would happen to her if she permitted the grandson of the Hokage to collapse in the middle of the hallway. Instead of escorting him herself, however, she turned to a bright-eyed girl with brown hair, blush marks, and two tiny buns at the sides of her head, saying, "Tenten. Please see to it that Sarutobi-san reaches his destination safely." Raising her right hand, Tenten replied with a boisterous, "Yes, Sensei~!" before rising to her feet and rushing over to Wu's side. He felt inclined to refuse her help, but Tenten preempted his refusal by grabbing his hand and saying, "Let's go~!" in a cheerful, optimistic tone. ... .. . &nbsp;

While 'escorting' Wu to the temporary clinic, Tenten couldn't contain her curiosity, asking, "Is it true you're the grandson of Lord Hokage? And can you really deflect kunai with your face!?" Maintaining a half-lidded expression, Wu lazily replied, "Technically, and yes..." "Huh...?" Tilting her head to the side, Tenten was curious what Wu meant when he said 'technically,' but decided to focus on the far more interesting matter, remarking, "Your skin must be pretty durable. Or is it just your face...?" Shaking his head, Wu answered, "Nope. With the exception of my eyes, I can harden my entire body. The only downside is that I can't move freely while using the technique." Though her eyes sparkled with curiosity, Tenten forcibly calmed herself, asking, "Is it okay for you to be telling me that? Such a big weakness, you should probably keep it a secret." Snorting through his nose, Wu retorted, "If I couldn't work around such a 'simple' weakness, I wouldn't be much of a warrior, much less a Shinobi..." Spurred by Wu's confidence, Tenten regained her smile, remarking, "Well, you should be careful. Your face might hold up against ordinary weapons, but the tools forged by my Tou-san will cut through you like butter...!" "Hmmm...?" Hearing Tenten indicate that her father was a Blacksmith, Wu's impression of the dango-haired girl improved, albeit marginally. He had come to learn that tools and weaponry were incredibly expensive, not just to acquire but to maintain. By that logic, Tenten's family should be fairly wealthy, even if her distinct lack of a surname implied otherwise. Catching the slightly taller girl by surprise, Wu gave her a quick once over, evaluating the condition and quality of her clothes. She didn't blush, but her expression became somewhat bashful as she half-turned away from him and asked, "What is it? Why are you staring at me like that?" Instead of making excuses, Wu openly admitted, "I thought you might be wealthy if your father was a famous Blacksmith, but your clothes are fairly modest." Furrowing her brows, Tenten puffed out her cheeks as she asked, "What are you trying to imply? That my Tou-san 'isn't' a great Blacksmith? I'll have you know that our shop serves several famous Jonin and has even been visited by Lord Hokage himself! What do you think of that, huh!?" Resisting the urge to point out that Hiruzen visited most of the civilian-owned businesses, presumably to make them feel valued, Wu pacified the moderately incensed brat by raising his brows and remarking, "Wow. Even the Hokage visits your shop? I'll need to check it the next time I'm looking to purchase tools or equipment." Grinning wide enough to reveal a few missing teeth, Tenten puffed out her chest with pride, stating, "It's good that you've realized just how amazing my Tou-san is! After all, he was able to my Kaa-san, and she used to be a Jonin!" Adding an imaginary +1 to Tenten's value, Wu was almost genuine as he remarked, "Wow, you have a pretty amazing background, don't you? You must be at the top of your year." Puffing out her chest even further, Tenten was all smiles as she replied, "That's right~! I might not be as Neji-san when it comes to Taijutsu, but I'm the best when it comes to academics, Shurikenjutsu, and Bukijutsu. After all, I'm the Kunoichi that will one day surpass Tsunade-sama, one of the Legendary Sannin...!" "Hooo...?" As most of the girls in his grade were pretty much useless, Wu was fairly impressed by Tenten's ambition. She kind of reminded him of Naruto, but she clearly had a much better head on her shoulders. Catching the slightly older girl by surprise, Wu adopted his most sincere and charismatic smile as he asserted, "Keep that attitude, and it's only a matter of time until you succeed. It's a shame we're not in the same year. We would have gotten along." Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Tenten averted her eyes from Wu's, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she said, "We're only a year apart...if you really want to, we can still be friends. I can't give you any discounts on ninja tools, but my Tou-san might help you with maintenance..." As it was actually Tenten's parents that Wu was interested in, the latter was pleased by the 'sensibility' of the young girl's proposal. He was also curious to see if her claims had merit, so his expression softened slightly as he replied, "I'd like that..." Faced with Wu's charismatic smile and 'sincere' expression, Tenten found herself swallowing a knot that had formed in her throat. She wasn't really interested in things like love and romance, but Wu was giving her second thoughts on the matter. At the very least, Wu gave her the impression that spending time with him wouldn't be a waste... ... .. . After promising to stop by Tenten's family-owned shop that weekend, Wu parted ways with the dango-haired dame and spent the remainder of the morning napping in the infirmary. Afterward, he met up with Naruto, Kaia, and Hinata at their usual table. This time, however, Ino and Sakura were also present. With her patented pouty expression on her face, Ino 'glared' at Wu as she asked, "Why didn't you tell me you were leading private training sessions at the Hokage's estate, Wu-kun? Don't tell me you're trying to give Sakura an advantage over the rest of us?" Furrowing his brows, Wu retorted, "Are you listening to yourself? I'm not 'giving' Sakura an advantage. She's making an earnest effort to improve herself. No one is stopping you from doing the same." Interrupting before Ino could blow a gasket, Naruto inserted himself into the conversation, questioning, "Huh? Since when are Wu and Sakura-chan training together?" As it wasn't really a secret, Wu revealed, "When everyone started leaving our study group, I decided to return to my usual training. Sakura, Hinata, and Kaia all asked if they could join in, so, after receiving permission from their parents, they all came over to my&mdash;I mean, the Hokage's place." Appearing visibly relieved, Naruto exhaled a faint sigh before regaining his usual smile and asking, "Can the rest of us come over? I don't know about Shikamaru, but Kiba and Choji might want to join in." Shrugging his shoulders, Wu was about to say he didn't really care, but his response was interrupted by Sakura asserting, "No. If the three of you were to come over, you'd only get in the way. We're not going over to Lord Hokage's house to play around, Naruto-kun." Though Sakura's words were unnecessarily abrasive, they hit fairly close to home. Naruto's presence would undermine Hinata's progress, and the inclusion of several boys would inevitably shift the training's focus away from them. She also knew that Naruto would badger her incessantly if he were to join them, so she 'had' to put her foot down. Feeling cowed by Sakura's intensity, the smile on Naruto's face became visibly strained. He would be lying if he said he hadn't wanted to go over and have some fun, so he ultimately remained silent and just endured his crush's ire. Hinata attempted to speak up for him, but then it was her turn to endure as Naruto promptly assured her everything was okay and that he was actually pretty busy in the afternoons. With Naruto unwilling to stand up for himself, Wu saw no reason to speak out in his defense. He did, however, suggest, "I'm busy this Saturday, but if you want, we can start meeting up on the weekends. Just us guys." Though he would have preferred to have Sakura tag along, Naruto's smile regained its vigor as he replied, "Sounds good, Wu! I'll let the guys know, and we can meet over at Choji's place! The food his family makes isn't as great as Teuchi-Ojiisan's, but it's still super delicious...!" Nodding his head in approval, Wu was about to say, "Sounds good." when Ino reintroduced herself to the exchange, asking, "Hey, Wu-kun. Is it okay for me and the other girls to come over after school? If Sakura-chan believes she can sneak an advantage behind our backs, she has another thing coming!" Earning a disproving stare from a certain pinkette, Wu responded with a noncommital shrug, answering, "If your parents are fine with it. Sure, why not? Just make sure you show up with the intent to train seriously. Anyone who gets in the way of the group's progress will be disbarred from future training sessions. Adopting a triumphant grin, Ino pumped her fists and said, "No worries! If it's a contest to determine who's the best suited for Sasuke-kun, I'll prove to everyone that I'm the number one candidate! Just you wait and see! I'll knock your socks off...!" Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Wu repeated the same words he had said to Sasuke weeks prior, "Seeing is believing. Last more than a month, and I'll remove them myself." Believing Wu was underestimating her, Ino's expression became serious as she asked, "What, you think I'll give up? Sakura may be better than me when it comes to studies, but I'm the best in our grade when it comes to our skills as a Kunoichi. I just don't like getting my clothes dirty." Instead of denying Ino's claim, Wu suggested, "Then make sure not to show up for our training in brand-name clothing. Lord Hokage may have told me to take it easy on you, but you're guaranteed to get sweaty and covered in dirt. That's what happens when you genuinely exert yourself." With her frown deepening, Ino seriously reconsidered her decision to attend Wu's training. However, as if Sasuke seemed to go to him to trade information, she believed his training had to be effective. It wasn't for no reason that people speculated that Wu was the best student in the entire Academy. Many believed he was receiving specialized training from Lord Hokage himself, so, if nothing else, Ino wanted to confirm it for herself... Forming her resolve, Ino's expression and tone were serious as she said, "I won't quit...that is, assuming your training isn't just a complete waste of my time..." Adopting a snarky smile, Wu countered, asserting, "There's no such thing as wasted time, just wasted 'potential.' Even without my help, you, Sakura, and everyone else could become strong. You just lack the willpower to do it without someone lighting a fire under your ass." Blushing slightly due to Wu's uncouth words, Ino wanted to retort but was interrupted by Naruto laughing loudly and repeating, "Hahahaha, Wu said ass! That's hilarious...!" Though Wu had said it first, Ino and Sakura gave Naruto a withering stare. When Wu used such language, it almost sounded natural. When someone like Naruto used the exact same language, it came across as childish and annoying. His incessant giggling didn't help... ... .. . With Ino needing her parents' permission before she could join them, Wu returned to the Sarutobi Estate with Kaia, Sakura, and Hinata in tow. The latter was in low spirits after Sakura declined to let Naruto join them, but she showed up regardless. When she returned home the previous day, her Tou-san asked her to demonstrate what she had learned before informing her that she would continue attending Wu's lessons. In other words, she no longer had a choice in the matter... Though Wu noticed the state Hinata was in, he didn't force her to disclose the reason. Instead, he allowed Sakura to believe she was at fault, hoping it would form a rift in the group that eventually led to its dissolution. Until then, he would continue training the girls seriously. After all, there were 'a lot' of eyes on him... ... .. .

After successfully unsealing his Tenketsu, Wu left Hinata and Sakura at a loss for words as he rose, dusted himself off, and acted like he hadn't just spent the last three minutes keeled over. "Well, now that that's out of the way, let's get started with our training. We don't have much time before the three of you need to return home, so I'm only going to demonstrate the basics of what I want you to practice in the months to come." Before Wu could demonstrate the training method, Kaia abruptly shouted, "So cool!" She didn't know how painful having a Tenkesu sealed was, but seeing Wu recover so quickly left the snaggletoothed Inuzuka with stars in her eyes. Furrowing his brows, Wu failed to quash but managed to diminish some of Kaia's excitement as he said, "Pay attention." in a firm tone. Nodding her head, Kaia stood a little straighter while Hinata and Sakura just watched on in silence. As they did, Wu once again demonstrated his ability to sit on empty air, this time without using the Adamantine Body to freeze his lower body. "This is what I intend to teach you. While it might look simple, this is the basics of the basics when it comes to strengthening your core while also improving your Chakra circulation." Raising her hand, Sakura asked, "How does it improve Chakra circulation? Does it have something to do with your feet sticking to the ground...?" Though he wasn't particularly fond of being interrupted in the middle of a demonstration, Wu nodded his head in affirmation, answering, "I was just about to get to that part." Rising to his full height, Wu turned away from the trio and approached the reinforced log that served as his striking post. Then, to the wonder of the three girls, he walked up the side of the log, standing completely parallel before turning to them and saying, "This is the Tree Sticking Exercise. By infusing Chakra into the soles of your feet and maintaining an equilibrium with the surface, you can walk on or adhere to just about anything. Better yet, it's amazing for improving your core." Demonstrating his point, Wu placed his hands behind his head and began doing crunches. Just standing parallel to the ground placed a tremendous burden on the body, but things got really intense when you transitioned to doing handstands and finger walking. Flipping onto his feet after busting out a quick ten crunches, Wu turned to the bewildered duo and overexcited Inuzuka, asking, "Any questions...?" Raising her hand a second time, Sakura responded, "Yeah...how, exactly, do you channel Chakra into your feet? I mean, I can kind of imagine how, but we're still working on the Leaf-Sticking Exercise back at the Academy. How do you expect us to do something this...advanced?" Crossing his arms, Wu shamelessly replied, "Trial and error. So long as you take into consideration what you're doing wrong between attempts, you'll eventually be able to succeed. Just make sure you don't practice alone or climb too high. If you fall onto your head or land on the back of your neck, that's it. You're done." Understanding what Wu meant when he said they would be 'done,' a knot formed in Sakura's throat. She had never been afraid of heights, but the thought of falling backward onto her head caused her knees to tremble... Rolling his eyes, Wu asked, "What's with the overdramatic reaction? I'm not asking you to start the Tree-Sticking Excercise right this instant. I was just giving you a demonstration of what allows me to stick to the ground." Raising his right foot, along with a rather sizeable chunk of earth, Wu added, "Once you attain sufficient mastery, you'll be able to spread your Chakra through surfaces to harden and cling to them. Doing it with dirt is pretty tricky, so I intend to have the three of you take turns atop this log. If you fall, I'll catch you. Then it's the next person's turn." After patting the log for emphasis, Wu directed his gaze to Kaia and said, "You're up, Kaia. Take off your sandals and climb up. Once you get used to doing it barefoot, you can switch to having your sandals on." Without needing to be told twice, Kaia peeled off her sandals, throwing them off to the side before scurrying up the log. It was around three meters tall, more than twice the height of everyone present, but children with Chakra were capable of some pretty incredible things. Expecting Kaia to immediately throw herself off the log just so he would have to catch her, Wu was pleasantly surprised to see her bring her hands together to form a Ram Seal. Unfortunately, the moment she attempted to squat, she immediately lost her balance, tumbling backward off the log. Catching the petite Inuzuka before she could impact the ground, Wu did his best not to reveal his disappointment as he smiled and said, "Don't let it bother you. For now, move off to the side and practice the Leaf-Sticking Exercise with your feet." Though she was somewhat reluctant to leave Wu's arms, Kaia nodded her head before rising to her feet and scampering off to the side. A faint blush colored her cheeks, but thanks to her fang-like tattoos, it didn't stand out as much as it would have. Shifting his gaze to the remaining girls, Wu was about to order Sakura up before pausing when he gazed into Hinata's eyes. They immediately gave him an idea, so he adopted a massive smile and said, "I just thought of a way we can increase the effectiveness of our training." Before the girls could ask what he meant, Wu pointed at Hinata's eyes and asked, "Your Byakugan can see the flow of Chakra, right? From now on, I want you to use them when Sakura and Kaia go up on the log. That way, we'll know for certain whether or not they're circulating their Chakra properly." While Wu's idea wasn't bad, Hinata nearly threw a wrench into his plans, revealing, "The Byakugan places a heavy strain on the eyes...using them too frequently can lead to temporary or permanant blindness..." Instead of being discouraged by the revelation, Wu gave a curt nod and asserted, "If it's ordinary ocular strain, I should be able to treat it with my Mystical Monkey's Palm. You can also just deactivate them if they start to hurt. I'm not going to force you to overuse them." As she was used to her father doing precisely that, Hinata blinked a few times, stunned by the 'pragmatism' of Wu's words. She wasn't sure about letting him use his Mystical Monkey's Palm to treat her, but it was nice to know he was thinking about her well-being... ... .. . Demonstrating she had at least some redeeming qualities, Hinata was able to use her Byakugan precisely as Wu had envisioned. As a result, Sakura managed to stick to the log on her very first attempt, albeit after threatening vengeance if Wu tried looking up her dress. Her words gave Wu the idea of letting her hit the ground when she fell, but he managed to restrain himself for the sake of the trust he had built over the past month and a half. When Sakura inevitably fell from the log, Wu received her without issue before giving Kaia another opportunity. The Hyuga were famous for their finesse and Chakra Control, so after confirming she was okay with it, he had Hinata watch closely as Kaia struggled for nearly twenty minutes to infuse Chakra into her soles. That was already pushing the limits of the Hyuga heiress's capabilities, so she ended up deactivating them before Kaia was able to succeed. As it was already pretty late in the day by then, Wu had Kaia leap off the log so that Hinata could have a go. Her control was surprisingly worse than Sakura's, something Wu made special note of, but she managed to hold the squat for a few seconds before falling off. Not because she was lacking in Chakra Control, but because her muscles gave out on her. Out of curiosity, Wu asked Hinata to perform an ordinary squat. She was reluctant due to the embarrassing nature of the pose, but she eventually gave in after a bit of peer pressure. Proving Wu's suspicions, Hinata was only able to hold a squat for around ten seconds before her legs were trembling like a newborn fawn. She did her best to endure a while longer but inevitably fell onto her bottom after an additional five seconds. Comparably, Sakura held out for more than a minute while Kaia had no trouble holding the pose as long as she wanted. The Inuzuka Clan's techniques conditioned their entire body, so Kaia had decent stamina and a well-balanced physique. At least compared to other girls her age. Once each of the girls had had a turn on the log, Wu decided to end the training session so that he would actually have time to focus on his own. Kaia wanted to continue, but Wu managed to talk her down by reminding her they would be training together frequently from then on. That was enough to convince her to leave, though not before Hiruzen could appear out of thin air to 'greet' them. Having left his hat inside, Hiruzen appeared even older than usual as he adopted one of his grandfatherly smiles, musing, "Ah, you must be Wu's friends. I trust he wasn't too hard on you during your training session...?" Though they were a little surprised and intimidated by Hiruzen's sudden appearance, Sakura managed to speak on the group's behalf, answering, "No, Sir. Wu-kun made sure we took the necessary precautions and did his best to prevent us from injuring ourselves..." "Hoo~?" Caressing his beard, Hiruzen gained a twinkle in his eye as he remarked, "You're a very well-spoken young lady. I imagine you're among the top of your class in terms of academics. Keep up the good work." While she was used to receiving praise for her academics, Sakura became bashful in response to Hiruzen's words. The latter was the most powerful, influential, and, most importantly, the most respected person in the entire village. In his prime, people referred to him with titles such as the 'God of Shinobi' and 'The Professor.' He was a legendary figure in the hearts and minds of most of Konoha's citizens, so Sakura felt a little overwhelmed to be receiving his praise. "T-Thank you, Sir...m-m-my name is-" Interrupting Sakura's stammering, Hiruzen's smile softened as he mused, "Haruno Sakura. My grandson here has told me much about you. You also have a very conspicuous head of hair." Blushing crimson, Sakura reached up and began smoothening her hair. She hadn't looked in a mirror since the training ended, so she was a little worried it looked unsightly. Amused by Sakura's reaction, Hiruzen was tempted to tease her further before noticing the flat expression on Wu's face. He then took a moment to clear his throat before saying, "Well, I just wanted to meet Wu's friends. Now that I have, I should be preparing for dinner. Be sure to take care on your way home. Konoha is safe, but caution forever trumps complacency." Finished with what he had to say, Hiruzen folded his arms behind him in a sagely manner before walking in the opposite direction of the children. He had intended to tease Wu a bit more, but that could wait till later. After all, he didn't want to embarrass his young protege in front of a group of girls, one or more of which he might have a crush on. Seeing Hiruzen walk away, whistling in amusement, Wu had to restrain himself from pulling out his staff and attempting to smack the old man over the head. His chances of landing a hit were slim, but the imagined payoff almost made it worth the risk. Instead, he turned to the trio of girls and asked, "Did you forget that you're supposed to be leaving? Come on. I can at least escort you to the front gate." With Wu's words returning them to their senses, Kaia, Sakura, and Hinata followed after him before eventually departing the estate. The latter was almost immediately received by a member of the Hyuga Clan, one of four that had been spying on the manor. Almost immediately after that, a two-meter tall grey wolf appeared to pick up Kaia, the little girl climbing atop it and waving enthusiastically before departing. This left Sakura on her own, looking back at Wu with a hint of expectation in her eyes... Feigning obliviousness, Wu returned a smile and raised his hand, saying, "I'll see you tomorrow, Sakura. Oh, and good work during today's training. Your Chakra Control genuinely surprised me." Realizing that Wu wasn't going to walk her home, Sakura's expression revealed a hint of anxiousness as she meekly replied, "Thanks...I don't have a lot of Chakra, so I do my best not to waste it..." Nodding his head in approval, Wu asserted, "It really shows." Then, as he didn't want to give the girl an opportunity to ask for an escort outright, he gave one final nod before turning around and walking away. At least, that was his intention... "W-Wu-kun...ano..." ... .. .

Chapter 14: Nightmare