I, Your Father, Carry a Big Stick

With three weeks passing without incident, Wu was starting to think Kumo didn't want to play with him anymore. He kept himself busy by focusing on his training and teasing the increasingly affectionate Tayuya, but he didn't appreciate being 'ignored.' Catching his destined lover a little off guard, Wu caressed her head while casually remarking, "I think I might visit the village of Kumo today..." Ceasing the movements of her head, Tayuya raised her face to meet Wu's gaze, wiping her mouth before asking, "Are you planning to attack them?" "Hmmm..." Running his hand along the side of Tayuya's face, Wu gently cupped her chin as he replied, "That depends on them. I'm primarily just planning to take a look around and deliver a...message. What will you do...?" Without having to consider her response, Tayuya replied, "I'll wait here for you to return..." Narrowing his eyes, Wu's voice deepened as he mused, "That's my girl..." Then, without him needing to remind her, Tayuya combed back her scarlet bangs and dutifully lowered her head... ... .. . With sharp mountains stretching far beyond the horizon, most of Kumo's buildings needed to be built within or around mountains. Hundreds had been hollowed out to make space for Kumo's residents, each connected by reinforced wooden skyways. This made getting around Kumo relatively inconvenient for ordinary villagers, but few complained openly as it was widely regarded as the safest of the Shinobi Nations. Though he could have simply flown into Kumo, taking advantage of the fact it was located within a bunch of mountains, Wu climbed one of the spiraling paths carved for merchant caravans, intending to enter from the front gate. As could be expected, the Shinobi tasked with guarding the 'entrance' to Kumo quickly realized Wu didn't belong. However, as they had been given a description of the person known as 'Saiko Dadi,' none attempted to stop him. They just cleared a path and relayed messages to their higher-ups as quickly as possible. Amused by the hive-like reaction, a toothy grin developed across Wu's face as he slowly meandered his way up the mountain's interior. He was a little interested to see who they would send out to 'greet' him, so he took his time reaching the entrance proper. To Wu's surprise, the first person of note to arrive was an impressively muscled man with bronze skin, sandy-golden hair flaring away from his scalp like fierce spikes, and rather...curious facial hair. He had shurikens tattooed on each of his shoulders, a large golden belt, and his iconic arm guards, but, even without them, Wu could have identified the man as the Raikage based on his aura alone. That, and the fact he was covered from head to toe in crackling lightning... With an expression that looked like he could swallow the Sun whole, A glared at Wu and shouted, "So you've finally decided to show your face at my village, Saiko Dadi! Eager to test your strength, huh!? Let's see if you can endure this, you snot-nosed little punk...!" Finished with his 'greeting,' A managed to make every hair on Wu's body stand on end as he blitzed forward with the literal momentum of a bolt of lightning. Wu didn't even have time to blink before he was sent crashing into the interior wall of the mountain, accompanied by A's muscular bicep as he shouted, "Lightning Bolt Lariat...!" Following through with his attack, A blasted a hole in the side of the mountain, sending Wu's body crashing through it, lightning crackling in and across his body as he internally groaned ("I may have been a little too daring...") Before Wu could plunge into the icy waters that filled the intersecting ravines below, A appeared next to him in an instant, grabbing him by the shoulders and hefting him over his head as he shouted, "Liger Bomb...!" Feeling a legitimate threat to his life, Wu arrested the fall of himself and A using the greaves that allowed him to bound through the sky. This caught the dark-skinned Raikage by surprise, but his movement speed wasn't the only thing accelerated by the lightning enveloping his body. Using his hold on Wu's shoulders, A tried to pull himself up and place the much smaller boy into a headlock. The moment his grip lessened even a little, however, Wu seemed to 'disappear' into thin air, reappearing shortly after so he could wave and remark, "You're really fucking fast, ain't ya...?" Unable to change direction in mid-air, A could only grit his teeth, a sober expression on his face as Wu pulled out his red and gold staff, aiming at him before increasing its size and length in an instant. A was able to block the attack with relative ease, but he ended up being smashed into the icy waters below. Despite nearly losing his head, Wu couldn't help grinning as he stood in the air and waited for the Raikage's reaction. Fortunately, the enraged ape didn't let him down, bursting from the water and ascending into the sky as if he could fly. Wu was fortunate that he couldn't, as it would have made dodging and his potential escape considerably more difficult. Dodging the Raikage's charge, Wu found himself shouting, "Ol&eacute;~!" despite not knowing what it meant. Because the Raikage had targeted the face of a mountain, however, he immediately had to dodge a second time as the man came bounding back in an instant. Unable to contain himself, Wu spun through the air, holding his gut as he cackled like an actual monkey. Then, as he dodged another one of A's charges, he shouted, "This is fucking great! More! Show me more of what you can do...!" "This brat..." Burying his fist into the side of a mountain, rather than simply standing on it like a normal Shinobi, A stared up at Wu as if the latter had lost his mind. He had heard that 'Saiko Dadi' was a battle junky that seemed determined to challenge the entire Shinobi Wold, but seeing a young boy laughing like a crazed lunatic while his life was on the line was...disconcerting. Seeing the Raikage just staring at him, Wu raised his brows and remarked, "Oh? You're not coming to me? Then I suppose this grand-daddy will have to come to you!" Contrasting his words, Wu ascended hundreds of meters into the air in an instant, a kunai appearing in his hand as he reached up to grab a clump of his longer hairs. The duration of his Hair Clones wasn't actually fixed. The cap seemed to be an hour, but if he split hairs or cut them short, he could produce tens of thousands of clones that would 'pop' after a few minutes. Though he was briefly confused by Wu's contrary words and actions, A's expression turned incomparably grim as the sky was abruptly blotted out by tens of thousands of clones. He knew from the reports that each clone possessed strength comparable to the original, but the most troublesome thing was- Completing A's thought, the 19,387 Wu's hoisted their staves like throwing javelins before unleashing them towards the chaotic village below. To add insult to injury, each staff abruptly grew to its maximum size, quite literally blocking out the sky as the thousands of clones shouted, "Monkey Style - Imperial Bamboo Descent...!" Though he was kind enough not to aim for any residential structures, the force of Wu's combined blow was enough to cause a powerful earthquake throughout the Land of Lightning. It was like someone had wrung a gong, a powerful vibrational force spreading for hundreds of kilometers, causing countless landslides. To Wu's considerable surprise, Kumo emerged comparably unscathed, at least compared to the surrounding ten kilometers. Similar to how training weights could be reinforced with seals and chakra, drastically increasing their weight, density, and durability, the mountains comprising Kumo had been fortified to their core. It was honestly a little impressive... Interrupting Wu's appreciation of his work, a sphere of superdense, inky purple Chakra came hurtling toward him the moment his clones vanished. Its density was so great that it caused the space around it to distort, but Wu just had to dodge a few meters to the side for it to sail past him and toward the horizon. *Big Bada Boom* As a bluish-white explosion bright enough to humble the Sun dominated the horizon, its size dwarfing and annihilating the surrounding mountains, Wu's left eye twitched as he remarked, "Am I being one-upped...?" Interrupting Wu's thoughts, a dragon formed of black lightning surged up and enveloped him in an instant, sending excruciating pain throughout his body. When the lightning dispersed, eyes were eerily unaffected, simply gaining a fiery hue, but a plume of black smoke emanated from his throat when he coughed. Despite enduring more pain than he had ever experienced, the smile on Wu's face appeared relaxed, almost affectionate. He felt as though his insides had been charred, but he didn't give a damn as he combed his fingers through the smoking remains of his hair and sighed, "So I'm not the strongest...what a relief..." As his consciousness began to slip away, Wu released the charred hair in his hands before shrinking down to his smallest size, entrusting his body to one of his clones while hundreds more split off and charged into Kumo, thrashing everything with a headband. Most lasted less than a minute, but that was more than enough of a distraction to let Wu to escape, even with two Jinchuriki doing their best to track him... ... .. . With hours passing since Wu's departure, Tayuya was beginning to feel nervous and, though she would never admit it, lonely. Ever since she had placed her future into Wu's hands, the two of them had grown closer at an almost alarming level. Wu had explained this was likely due to something called the 'Suspension Bridge Effect,' but when she asked what he meant, not even he knew for sure. Exhaling a hot sigh, Tayaya removed her hand from between her thighs, unceremoniously wiping it on Wu's pillow before rising from the bed they shared each night. She was currently nude but didn't mind it as much of the initial chill that had permeated the cave had waned. Now, the interior was filled with warmth and the lingering smell of delicious food. Wu took cooking 'very' seriously, so everything he made was equal parts nutritious and delectable. Opening the small freezer that Wu had produced from his seemingly magical bag, Tayuya briefly eyed the large container of ice cream in the corner before immediately tearing her eyes away. The last time she had pilfered some of the delicious treat for herself, Wu had literally smacked her bottom until she apologized. Thus, even though she, like most girls her age, had an affection for all things sweet, she pulled out one of the frozen slabs of meat and prepared to grill it. As someone who had only cooked over a campfire, never caring about the taste of her food, Tayuya was unsuccessful in her attempt to emulate Wu. She avoided burning the meat, but the texture was dry, and the flavor was all over the place. She was sure she had cooked it the way Wu usually did, but the taste couldn't even be compared... After begrudgingly devouring the piece of meat, still completely naked, Tayuya wiped her hands and face clean before using Wu's toothbrush to brush her teeth. He had given her an incredibly judgmental deadpan the first time she did it but never expressly forbade her from doing so. Thus, even though it was 'incredibly unhygienic,' according to Wu, Tayuya gave her teeth a good scrubbing before rinsing her mouth and spitting into the bucket placed off to the side. After that, with nothing better to do, she crawled back into the bed and continued where she had left off before, her cheeks immediately gaining a ruddy hue as she exhaled a faint, "You better fucking return..." ... .. .

Though his clone only lasted for a few minutes, it was able to carry Wu well over a hundred kilometers before depositing him in a small nook he had scouted weeks prior. Wu didn't truly trust anyone, so, during his many cuddle sessions with Tayuya, he had his clones preparing secondary and tertiary bases he could retreat to if shit hit the fan. Fortunately, while the Land of Lightning was known for its mountains, it was equally famous for its hot springs. Wu had discovered quite a few in his search for a Chakra mineral vein, so his clone placed him into one that had a particularly high concentration of Chakra. The moment he was fully submerged, the wounds on his body began to heal at a rate visible to the naked eye, permitting him to awaken mere minutes later. "Ugh..." Cradling his head, Wu immediately activated his Mystical Monkey's Palm, alleviating the intense pressure that made his skull feel like it was going to crack open. Black Lightning was an order of magnitude more powerful than regular Lightning-infused attacks, so Wu had sustained significantly more damage than he expected. His unique constitution would allow him to recover in just a few hours, but that was several times longer than his usual recovery time. Intending to pay the Raikage another visit later that evening, Wu closed his eyes and focused on his recovery. He wasn't upset by Kumo's reaction to his rather brazen entry attempt, but he also wasn't the type to let even minor slights go unpunished. A had attempted to kill him and very nearly succeeded, so Wu intended to keep badgering the man until his eventual departure from the Land of Lightning... ... .. . Seeing the destruction wrought by his and Saiko Dadi's brief encounter, A couldn't help feeling responsible. He didn't regret his attempt to kill the boy, but his inability to end the battle immediately resulted in the village sustaining more significant damage than the previous two wars combined. He had the Engineering Corps working tirelessly to repair the damage and strengthen their defenses, but Konoha wasn't the only one to suffer from the slaughter of the Uzumaki Clan. Kumo would recover, but it would take months, potentially even years, to mend some of the seals that had been damaged... Far more troubling than the physical damage the village had sustained, it was the loss of trust that weighed most heavily on A's mind. If the people lost faith in the village, they would begin to leave en masse. The Lightning Daimyo would also view their failure to protect their home as an indication of weakness or ineptitude. Even if he didn't, the faction that opposed the very existence of Kumo was bound to make a fuss, severely reducing their funding at a time when they needed it the most. Exhaling a weighty sigh, A appeared to age several years in an instant as he asked, "Which Teams were we sending to the Chunin Exams this year? We'll need to make a show of force if we are to rekindle the confidence of our Sponsors..." As the Chunin Exams weren't even in the top ten of her priorities at the moment, Mabui found herself caught off guard by the Raikage's question. Fortunately, he didn't hold her accountable, his voice uncharacteristically calm as he added, "No matter...just see to it we have at least a few Aces in the group. Securing first place when the exams are in a foreign nation is probably impossible, but I want at least two people in the Finals..." Bowing slightly, Mabui replied, "I'll see to it immediately following the video conference with the Lightning Daimyo." "Nn..." As he didn't have anything else to say, at least for the time being, A just stared out over Kumo with a profound, contemplative expression on his face. Wu's power was far from the legends that had dominated the First and Second Great Shinobi Wars, but his young age and desire for battle implied he would get there eventually. A doubted the practicality of the notion, but if he could sway the boy into joining Kumo's camp, the other Shinobi Nations wouldn't know what hit them... Nearly as soon as that thought had crossed the Raikage's mind, an alarm began sounding throughout the village, the result of him ordering them to remain on high alert. Shortly after that, Darui and C burst into his office, the latter appearing more than a little disquieted as he shouted, "Raikage-sama! Saiko Dadi has returned...!" ... .. . Deciding to play things a little safer this time around, Wu had one of his clones follow his original path while he, alongside several hundred of his clones, invaded the skies above the village. His clones shared the same 'signature' as himself, so even if Kumo's Jinchurik could sense him, they would need to figure out which of the ant-sized entities he was. Matching Wu's expectations, the Raikage, alongside another muscular, blond-haired man, showed up to confront his clone. This time, however, the Raikage didn't immediately attack. His expression was just as fierce as before, but he lacked his Lightning Cloak as he asked, "How is it you were you able to recover so quickly? You took a direct hit from mine and Darui's Black Lightning Darkness Dragon. You shouldn't even be alive, much less in perfect condition..." Shrugging his shoulders, Wu's repeated the usual, "I'm just built different. Now, ready for round two...?" Answering in the Raikage's stead, the goatee'd man standing next to him began to gesticulate wildly, stating, "Yo, yo! Why you gotta come around here actin' a fool? Can't you see my main man's trying to keep his cool? Ya fool, ya tool." Furrowing his brows, Wu's clone threatened, "The next time you open your mouth and speak in such a ridiculous manner, I'm graffitiing 'ya fool, ya tool' on every surface in the village." Undaunted by the clone's words, Bee was about to respond with another rhyme when A held up his arm, a steely expression on his face as he said, "Not right now, Bee..." Raising his hands in a gesture of mock surrender, Bee took a step back and elected to remain silent while A turned his attention back to Wu and admitted, "Now isn't a good time for our rematch. I have a meeting with the Lightning Daimyo, and the village is in chaos after your most recent attack. Give me a few days to sort things out, and I'll gladly accept your challenge. Just nowhere near the village..." After hearing from Yugito that the only thing Saiko Dadi desired was a good challenge, A attempted to appeal to the boy's 'sensibilities.' There was a chance Dadi would just refuse his request, but, with the state the village was in, it would be negligent of him not to try a more 'diplomatic' approach. Surprising and relieving the Raikage, the clone didn't need to consider his response before answering, "Sure, I don't see a problem with that. It's not as though I came here to attack your village. In fact, before you so rudely tried to give me a haircut, I was coming here to inform your people that I would soon be departing the Land of Lightning. Color me surprised when the Raikage himself came out to 'greet' me..." Hearing Wu's 'admission,' a bit of color drained from A's usually healthy brown face. He still thought he did the right thing by at least attempting to eliminate the person that had been targeting his subordinates, but the cost of his failure... Exhaling a wearied sigh, the Raikage shook his head and muttered, "So that's how it is..." before meeting the clone's gaze and asking, "And where will you be heading next? According to Nagito, you're planning to provoke each of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, correct...?" Nodding his head, the clone affirmed, "Eventually. For now, I'll most likely pop over to Suna. Why, are you planning to take advantage of my actions to benefit from the other nations' plight? I can't say I'm surprised, but I'm not particularly fond of being used. If you want to kidnap children for your little research projects, do it on your own time..." Shaking his head, the Raikage narrowed his eyes and replied, "After what you've done to Kumo, I'm just hoping you'll afford similar treatment to the other villages. The notion of a war breaking out may excite you, but I can assure you there is no 'true' glory to be found on a field of slaughter. You want powerful opponents? Keep doing what you're doing. Trust me when I say you have 'effectively motivated' many people to surpass you..." Adopting a radiant smile, the clone mused, "Is that so~?" before causing the two men to tense as he began ascending into the air, adding, "When you're ready, come to the region I fought the pussycat a few weeks ago. Fail to do so within the week, and...let's just say you won't like my parting gift." Before the clone could leave, A surprised both it and Bee by extending his hand and saying, "Wait, Dadi-sama. I will come to face you, regardless of your response, but what is the possibility of you aligning with Kumo in the future? You'll understand once you visit the other Shinobi Nations, but no other village reveres individual strength and merit as much as Kumo. You have already witnessed the capabilities of myself and our Jinchuriki. Join us, and I will personally see to it that you never want for a worthy foe..." Adopting a fairly amused smile, the clone replied, "As attractive as your offer is, I'm afraid I can't accept it. There is already a place I belong, at least for the time being. Once you discover where that is, feel free to send over someone to try and convince me. I've developed a fondness for fiery redheads these past couple of weeks, so that little burnt tomato you sent after me a few weeks ago might suffice~." Finished with what he had to say, the clone turned away and vanished from the perception of the Raikage. The man next to him, Bee, could still follow him, but that was because he was the Jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails. However, even he lost track of the clone when it suddenly stabbed itself in the chest, forcibly dispersing and transmitting its visual records to the original... ... .. . Feeling a little 'pent up' after his second assault was halted before it could begin, Wu returned to his and Tayuya's love nest to find the zesty redhead doing crunches. He doubted she had been training the entire time he was gone, but seeing a thick layer of sweat covering her naked body brought a smile to his face. Thus, for the better part of an hour, he silently observed her, waiting until she had finished before remarking, "Nice ass..." Though every nerve in her body tensed, Tayuya managed to avoid crying out or startling as she looked back to find Wu staring at her from his bed. Her first instinct was to ask how long he had been watching her, but she quickly suppressed it, asking, "How did it go?" in a genuinely curious tone. Making a so-so gesture with his free hand, Wu casually replied, "Almost got my head chopped off by the Alphabetical Ape but managed to keep myself together when I imagined about how despondent you'd be if I failed to return. So, how was house sitting? Were you a good girl while I was away...?" Furrowing her brows, Tayuya asked, "Did you really fight the Raikage?" Nodding his head, Wu revealed, "And we agreed to fight again in a few days. Until then, let's make the most of our time together. Who knows, I might lose my head for real the next time~?" Exhaling a sigh, Tayuya whispered, "You'd better not..." before making her way over and joining Wu in the bed. He immediately licked the sweat from her shoulder, but instead of getting flustered as she had a few days prior, she reached down and grabbed the appendage resting against his inner thigh as she said, "You're not allowed to die, even after you give me what I want..." Instead of responding with words, Wu surprised Tayuya with a quick peck on the lips. It was a lot tamer than what she did of her own accord, but it caused the tips of her ears to turn red, a precursor to the blush that would follow... ... .. .

After recovering from his brief haze, Wu narrowed his eyes in amusement and replied, "I mean...I wouldn't be opposed..." Though she would have preferred a more 'direct' answer, Tayuya became even more serious as she proposed, "Fine. Then let's make a deal. If you can kill the Otokage, I don't care what you do with me. Make me your pet, your wife, or whatever. I just want that bastard dead." With one arm crossed over his body and the other caressing his chin, Wu gave the impression he was seriously considering Tayuya's proposal. If he were being honest, he would rather 'spare' someone like the Otokage as they showed a clear desire to improve. He didn't fear the repercussions of sparing his enemies, as, even if they targeted those close to him, it would be their fault for being caught unawares. Thus, while he was interested in Tayuya, he wasn't sure he wanted to sacrifice a potential adversary just to have her. Seeing Wu hesitate, Tayuya clenched her teeth before reaching up to the zipper of her parka. She had already revealed her traitorous intentions, so even though it was putting the cart before the horse, she was prepared to 'convince' Wu to help her. However, the moment her shaky hand began its southern journey, Wu reached out to stop her, his shimmering golden eyes narrowing into a piercing gaze as he asserted, "I have a counter-proposal. Want to hear it...?" Recovering from her momentary stupor, Tayuya's expression regained its severity as she nodded in affirmation. In response, Wu released her wrist and explained, "Anyone who is fated to be my partner, regardless of their status, must be strong. I don't need a woman to sit at home, cook dinner, and care for our children. I need a woman who works tirelessly to improve and achieve their goals. You want me to kill the Otokage for you? Sure, no problem. In exchange, I don't want 'this' version of you. I want the 'best' version of you...the person you can become with adequate resources and proper support. Promise me that, and I'll hand the Otokage's head to you on a platter. However, if you betray me..." Furrowing her brows into the most serious expression she could manage, Tayuya proclaimed, "If you really can kill that snake bastard, I promise to become the best fucking version of me you can imagine..." Adopting a smile, Wu caused Tayuya's body to tense as he caressed her chin and mused, "You're certainly headed in the right direction..." Though she would ordinarily resist, swat his hand away, or avert her gaze, Tayuya stared directly into Wu's eyes as she raised her head slightly and questioned, "What do you need me to do?" Retracting his hand, Wu's expression became fiery as he answered, "We just discussed it. I need you to be the best version of yourself, and that means training...lots and lots of training..." Instead of asking what the training might entail, Tayuya gave a resolute nod and asked, "Then what are we waiting for?" in a firm tone. Feeling strangely 'gratified,' the smile on Wu's face morphed into a toothy grin as he exhaled a chuckle and playfully mused, "That's my girl..." ... .. . Upon receiving reports that Darui, C, and even Yugito had been defeated, the Raikage sat at his new desk in silence, fingers linked and elbows propped up on the table as he stared daggers at the white-haired woman smiling nervously across from him. He didn't actually blame Mabui for the outcome, but the reality of the situation compelled him to direct his anger at 'someone.' Suppressing his rage as much as he could, A's rough tone was evocative of distant thunder as he asked, "How soon will they recover? They didn't suffer any crippling injuries, did they?" Despite the terrifying aura exuding from the A's body, Mabui exhaled a faintly relieved sigh before revealing, "Darui suffered severe injuries to his dominant arm, but his opponent, this Saiko Dadi, seemed to have treated the worst of them on sight. C needed to be placed in a medically induced coma to relieve the pain from his internal injuries, but the Doctors said he would recover fully. As for Lady Yugito..." Furrowing her brows, Mabui softly appended, "According to the Two-Tails, Matatabi-sama, Yugito suffered catastrophic injuries that could have led to her death. However, it didn't seem that her opponent had the intention to kill...it was more like he just wanted to force her to transform..." Closing his eyes, A leaned forward and rested his forehead against his knuckles. Saiko Dadki's actions suggested he wasn't a 'real' enemy, but the amount of damage he had inflicted upon them in a single day had set them back months. Darui and C were his personal bodyguards, and Yugito was a Perfect Jinchurki. The three were among the most powerful Shinobi in Kumo, yet they had been soundly defeated...by a child... Voicing his thoughts aloud, A softly groaned, "I'm getting too old for this shit..." Though he was only 44 and widely regarded as the fastest Shinobi in the world, the day's events left A feeling mentally and physically drained. He wanted nothing more than to rush out the gates and personally confront this 'Saiko Dadi,' but he couldn't leave Kumo even more unprotected than it already was. He wanted to believe he could pulverize the whelp causing trouble near his village, but the one-sided beatdown suffered by three of his most skilled Shinobi mandated caution. After all, Darui was the man he was seriously considering as a successor... Shaking his head, A surprised Mabui by saying, "Forget it...until Darui and the rest have made a full recovery, no one is to go near that little monster. I'm issuing a Flee on Sight order, effective immediately. If any of our away teams encounter Saiko Dadi on a mission, they are to return to the village immediately. No exceptions." Bowing her head low, Mabui replied, "As you will, Raikage-sama." before turning around to carry out his orders. She half-expected the Raikage to lose his temper and immediately rush out of the village to confront Saiko Dadi. She believed A would return victoriously, but Saiko Dadi wasn't a simple opponent. Even if A and Kill Bee could defeat him, there was no guarantee they would return unscathed. If Kumogakure lost even more of its war potential right now, Dadi wouldn't be the only threat they needed to concern themselves with... ... .. . Staring down at the red-headed Kunoichi panting heavily beneath him, her back arched and body dripping with sweat, Wu's eyes glimmered with amusement as he questioned, "Is this your limit, Tayuya? And to think, I actually had high hopes for you..." Feeling frustrated by Wu's words, Tayuya grit her teeth and arched her back even further, almost like she was trying to buck the boy off of her. Unfortunately, Wu was sticking to her abdomen using the same method he had taught Kaia, Sakura, Ino, Hinata, and several others. All Tayuya accomplished by trying to buck him off was straining her back and the muscles of her abdomen. While sitting cross-legged atop the arched beauty's lower abdomen, Wu mused, "Just two more minutes and you can stop. This is a tried and true method of improving the strength of your core muscles. Just be thankful I'm only using a few hundred kilos instead of a few thousand." Though she continued to hold the embarrassing pose, Tayuya groaned, "You're a demon..." It had been nine days since she started training with Wu, and the only times he allowed her to rest was when she passed out. She was improving quickly, sure, but this wasn't exactly what she had in mind when he asked if she wanted to get 'physical'... With a little more than three minutes passing, Wu gave Tayuya a gentle smack on the side of her ass as he teased, "See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Good girl." Disregarding the fact Wu was still sitting on top of her, Tayuya allowed the tensions in her body to relax, dropping to the ground and panting as if she had just finished running a hundred marathons. The cave was so cold that the sweat pooling beneath her had frozen, but she didn't pay it any mind as she stared listlessly at the ceiling, her forearm resting on her forehead as she struggled to remain conscious. After observing the slightly older girl for a few moments, Wu scootched back a bit, straddling her thighs as he used the Mystical Monkey Palm to provide relief to her severely strained abdominal muscles. At this point, he could even grope her breasts without her offering any resistance, but that wasn't any fun. He preferred it when she was more reactive, so whenever her mind was 'elsewhere,' he just focused on the task of healing her. By the time Wu had finished his treatment, Tayuya's breath had steadied, her pale-red eyes staring into him as he ran his hands along her sides one final time. She was currently wearing little more than her sleeveless black crop top and spats, so there were only a few thin layers of fabric keeping her from being fully nude... Noticing the slight 'hunger' in Tayuya's eyes, something he had only seen in Kaia, Ino, and, most recently, Tenten, Wu narrowed his own and asked, "What are you thinking about, I wonder...?" Turning her face to the side, Tayuya muttered, "First defeat Orochimaru, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know..." Narrowing his eyes further, Wu leaned forward slightly, tracing his right index and middle fingers along and beneath the band of Tayuya's top as he said, "Maybe I don't need to know..." As this was far from the first time Wu had teased her, Tayuya kept her face turned to the side as she retorted, "Then just do it...you coward..." Instead of responding verbally, Wu raised the band of Tayuya's top until her modest but present breasts 'popped' out. They were barely large enough to fill the palms of his hands, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. At the very least, she didn't have to worry about them getting in the way during training and combat... Though she kept her head turned to the side, Tayuya stared at Wu from the corner of her eyes, closely observing his face and actions. She knew better than to expect they would 'finally' cross the line, but her heart still beat madly within her chest. Seeing the 'expectation' in Tayuya's gaze, the only thing preventing Wu from taking her was his promise to Tenten. There weren't many things he cared about, but keeping his word was one of them. He despised when other people reneged on their promises, so he would be a pretty massive hypocrite if he carelessly recanted his own. Voicing his 'sincere' thoughts on the matter, Wu's tone deepened as he said, "I'm half-tempted to rush over to Otogakure and teach that snake a lesson right this instant. It's...disheartening that we already have a prior engagement..." As Wu had already confided in her his identity, albeit after modifying her Cursed Seal of Heaven to cover much of her back and shoulders, Tayuya knew he was referring to the fact he wanted to kill Orochimaru during the Chunin Exams. He had also detailed to her his reasons for doing so, so all she could do was exhale a hot sigh, muttering, "Whatever..." in an audibly agitated tone. She had never been particularly fond of sex, but the notion she couldn't have it even when she actually wanted to was...frustrating... Narrowing his eyes in amusement, Wu moved back even further before surprising Tayuya as he suddenly lifted her legs into an M-shape. It made her seem especially vulnerable, exciting something deep within him as he asserted, "There is more to sex than simply fucking. Let's see if you have more talent for this than more 'conventional' training methods..." Realizing what Wu intended, a rare moment of panic overtook Tayuya as she shouted, "Wait! At least let me take a bath first...!" Unfortunately, her reaction served to stoke the 'flame' within Wu's chest, compelling him to exacerbate his teasing until she could no longer even beg him to stop... ... .. .

Chapter 40: I, Your Father, Eclipse the very Heavens