I, Your Father, Carry a Big Stick

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... ... .. .

True to his word, the Raikage arrived at the area where Wu had battled the Two-Tails after putting it off for five days. Accompanying him were Darui, C, and two people Wu didn't recognize. The first was a fairly light-skinned man with deep facial contours, a small goatee, and a dumb hat that vaguely resembled a mushroom or the head of a penis. He also had a weird eyepatch over his left eye, so Wu was significantly more interested in the second person he didn't recognize, a woman with tanned, reddish-brown skin, silvery-grey hair, and a fairly voluptuous figure. Appearing shortly after the group's arrival, Wu playfully remarked, "I was starting to think you wouldn't show up. And I see you brought friends..." Nodding his head, the Raikage answered, "You've already met Darui and C. These two are Dodai and Mabui, my attendants. They will be watching our battle from afar." Exhibiting his lack of fear and practiced shamelessness, Wu responded to the Raikage's remarks by giving Mabui a wink, musing, "Shame. I wouldn't mind if at least one of them got a nice, 'close' look..." Though she raised her brows ever so slightly, Mabui didn't respond to Wu's provocation. Instead, A waved for his companions to back off, his gaze firmly fixed on Wu as he asked, "How do you want to do this, Saiko Dadi? If I go all out, you might die..." Adopting a smile, Wu replied, "Then I'll have died an excellent death. But don't worry. After our initial encounter, I'm just slightly more cautious than before. You won't have to worry about killing me and incidentally leaving the other villages unharmed." "Hmmm..." Not expecting Wu to ascertain the actual reason he was worried about killing him, a thoughtful glint flashed across the Raikage's beady, nearly pitch-black eyes. It was easy to assume Wu was just a madman obsessed with strength, but it was apparent he put at least 'some' thought into his actions. Tearing away his white haori, leaving himself bare-chest, a vibrant blue aura began to exude from A's body, accompanied by bands of bluish-white lighting as he said, "Then let's see what you can do..." Following his words, the Raikage's body appeared to move sideways without any initial movement or changes to his posture, dodging the tip of Wu's staff. One of the many benefits of his Lightning Release Chakra Cloak was the ability to move, attack, and evade without telegraphing his attacks. He could also instantaneously react to anything that came into contact with the lightning cloak, regardless of whether or not he sensed or saw it coming. Seeing the Raikage effortlessly evade his sneak attack, achieved by shrinking his staff down to the size of a toothpick and concealing it within his hand, the smile on Wu's face expanded rapidly. His body was unable to keep up with A's almost ludicrous speed, but he managed to follow the man with his eyes while the rest of his body turned to face him in slow motion. Noticing Wu's eyes shift from gold to a fiery red, A immediately dodged to the side a second time, narrowly evading the laser-like beams of light that had attempted to cut through his left arm. Wu wasn't the only one seeing the world in slow motion right now, so he moved around to the boy's back before charging at him and leaping into a dropkick, thundering, "Lightning Drill...!" Unable to turn around in time, Wu used one of his most convenient and tricky abilities, shrinking his size instantly. The technique always scaled him to where his feet were, so unless someone consistently targeted the ground, he could dodge most attacks aimed at his head or body. Flying through Wu's location, the Raikage's face contorted slightly as he wasn't a Sensor. He was well aware of Wu's ability to change size, but he hadn't been able to come up with a measure to counter it. Trying to keep track of a fast-moving object the size of an ant was easier said than done. Opting for the 'safest' approach, A raised his hands over his head, Black Lightning enveloping his fists before he slammed them into the mountain below, shattering the peak and enveloping the area in a destructive dome of lightning. Seeing the Raikage's attack, Wu, standing far outside the range of the dome, playfully mused ("That bastard intended to trap me...too bad he isn't a sensor...") Feeling a 'little' sorry for the Raikage, Wu alerted the man to his failure by heating his eyes and blasting him from the peak of a mountain more than six kilometers away. As the beams from his eyes traveled at light speeds, however, the attack immediately struck A's back, just below where one of his kidneys was located. Expecting his attack to pierce through A's flesh and bone body like a hot knife through butter, Wu was more than a little surprised when it merely left a nasty burn. He knew the Raikage was durable, but the temperature of his heat vision exceeded 5000&deg;C. Even he couldn't endure those kinds of temperatures... Liberating Wu from his stupor, A turned around with a vicious look on his face, growling, "There you are..." before immediately closing the distance between them. "Lightning Bolt Lariat...!!!" Having yet to learn his lesson, A's attack swept through the afterimage of Wu's head. This time, however, Wu tucked himself into a ball, staff in hand as they both shrunk. His mass varied drastically depending on his size, but the weight of his staff remained the same even when shrunken down to its smallest size. A's body might be durable, but Wu refused to believe the man could withstand a hundred-thousand kilograms of force applied to a point the size of a pore. Feeling a sharp pain in the right side of his chest, A's brow twitched as he looked down to find a tiny hole in his right pectoral. The moment he saw it, the pupils of his eyes immediately shrank to the size of pinholes as the report filed by Yugito surfaced within his mind... Before the Raikage could think to reach into his own chest and pull out a chunk of flesh, Wu allowed his staff to return to its original size. He didn't want to kill one of the only 'fun' opponents he had ever found, so he made sure to control the angle so that it passed beneath A's shoulder blade and avoided anything 'too' important... Seeing a red and gold staff spontaneously 'erupt' from the back and chest of the Raikage, Darui, C, Dodai, and Mabui immediately rushed over to his side, the latter shouting, "That's enough! Please cease your attacks, Dadi-sama!" Though he personally felt as though the Raikage could continue, Wu startled Mabui by appearing atop her cleavage, kicking back and enjoying the softness of her moderately sized mountains in a form roughly the size of a thumb as he replied, "Sure, no problem. It's not like this was a fight to the death, am I right?" Resisting her initial urge to grab and attempt to crush Wu, the tensions in Mabui's body gradually relaxed as she calmly replied, "Thank you for your understanding." Then, as if she didn't care Wu was sexually harassing her, she focused her gaze on the staff protruding from the Raikage's back and chest. Preempting the woman's question, Wu extended his hand, reducing the size of the staff and recalling it to him as he inquired, "I'm assuming at least one of you can use Iryo(Medical)jutsu? If not, I have something you might find useful." Though she was one of the more skilled Medic-Nin in her village, Mabui knew she would be capable of fixing a 5cm hole in someone's lung. They needed to get the Raikage into surgery as soon as possible, but, just to be on the safe side, she replied, "If you have something, we would be in your debt..." Bouncing off the woman's boobs, Wu grew to his full size as he replied, "Sure." before narrowing his fiery eyes and musing, "I'm looking forward to seeing how you'll repay me." Turning away from Mabui before he could see the woman's response, Wu ignored the glares directed at him by Darui, Dodai, and C as he pulled out what appeared to be an ordinary peach. However, the moment he pulled it out, everyone present could smell its rich, revitalizing fragrance. Even A, who was on the verge of unconsciousness, became fully alert in response to the peach's aroma. Proferring forth the peach, Wu's eyes narrowed into amusement as he mused, "It was a good fight. I look forward to many more in the future." Though he would ordinarily refuse his opponents' mercy, A accepted the peach without hesitation. Dodai tried to stop him, but he immediately bit into the indescribably juicy fruit, a refreshing chill filling his throat despite a powerful warmth permeating his body. Then, under the stunned eyes of everyone present, his body appeared to shrink slightly as the hole in his chest immediately closed. Far more noticeable, however, was the fact he seemed to be aging in reverse, going from a middle-aged man in his early forties to a young man in his early twenties. Recovering from the brief euphoria brought by the peach's taste, regret marred A's face as he saw the desiccated remains in his hand. As soon as he had taken a chunk out of the peach's indescribably delicious flesh, the rest of it rapidly withered into a nearly unrecognizable husk. Almost like it had been left out in the sun for twenty years... Interrupting the group's stunned silence, Wu remarked, "The last person I gave something similar to ended up tackling me, kissing my cheek, and nearly suffocating me in her bosom. You have fairly impressive pectorals, but I'd rather not experience them against my face. If you feel inclined to 'thank' me, I wouldn't mind you employing a proxy..." Directing his gaze to Mabui, Wu prompted the woman to return to her senses, her expression morphing between various emotions before she asked the question everyone wanted to know, "What kind of peach was that? I've never seen anything like this before..." Shrugging his shoulders, Wu explained, "Just a neat little fruit that can revitalize a person by twenty years. You can only consume one of each kind, but they're useful for extending or preserving the lives of people I find interesting." Though she took note of the fact Wu had said 'one of each kind,' Mabui didn't press him for additional information. She 'really' wanted to, but A had regained his senses, staring at his slightly thinner arms as he asked, "Did I really just get younger...?" Since no one else was qualified to answer the question, Wu explained, "Not really, but the effects are essentially the same. You certainly appear younger, but the fruit doesn't diminish your power or reserves. You're just as strong now as you were a few minutes ago, so you don't have to worry about 'rebuilding' your strength." Meeting Wu's gaze, A had an expression that was a mix of disbelief and thinly veiled greed. If he were sure he could pull it off without a hitch, he would capture Wu and interrogate him for everything he knew about the peach, their effects, and their acquisition. Instead, he narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "I won't thank you. Instead, now that you've returned me to my prime, I'll work hard to get even more powerful. That's what you intended, right?" Adopting a toothy grin, Wu replied, "It's good that you catch on quickly. I don't really mind explaining things, but I prefer people who can figure shit out for themselves." Finished with what he had to say, Wu began his gradual ascent into the sky. Before he could turn around and bound away, however, the Raikage abruptly stated, "Go with him, Mabui. You can return to the village later." Though she was briefly surprised by the Raikage's words, Mabui gave an understanding nod as she lowered her head, calmly replying, "As you will, Rai-" Interrupting the woman's affirmative response, Wu said, "As tempting as the notion is, let's put a pin in that for now. This was the last thing I had on my itinerary in the Land of Lightning, so I'll be departing shortly after leaving here. But no worries. I'll be sure to play with you plentily the next time I visit Kumo." Without waiting for Mabui's or the Raikage's response, Wu bounded into the sky and bounced through the air. Then, moments later, he appeared to vanish, disappearing from the still stunned group's view... ... .. . (A/N: Wu be regretting his promise to Tenten xD...)

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..." ... .. .

Chapter 41: Respite