I, Your Father, Carry a Big Stick

Standing at 198.2cm tall and 104kgs, the leader of Kumogakure, the Raikage, was a veritable mountain of a man. He had the reddish-brown skin, characteristic of the people within his village, sand-colored hair that combed back into spiky dreadlocks, a pointed beard, and a mustache that jutted away from his upper lip like the brows above his eyes. Around his waist was a large golden belt bearing the visage of the God of Lightning, Raijin, while his forearms were clad in enormous golden vambraces, each bearing special seals that could adjust their weight from 1000-12,000kgs in an instant. Upon learning that Samui, one of his higher-ranking Jonins, had been severely beaten just a few kilometers outside the village, the Fourth Raikage, A, rose to his feet, shattering the wooden desk in front of him as he shouted, "Whaaaaat!? You mean to tell me there's some brat strong enough to take out one of my top Jonins just 'messing around' outside of Kumo!? Where's B!? I'll deal with this little punk myself...!" Though she could understand the Raikage's anger, his assistant, a fairly attractive woman with similar reddish-brown skin, green eyes, and light grey hair pulled back into a neat bun, calmly replied, "Please don't be too hasty, Raikga-sama. While it is true that Team Samui was defeated, they only sustained mild injuries. If the enemy can truly alter his size, conceal his presence, and move at high speeds, unnecessarily antagonizing him might invite a disaster onto the village." Glaring at his long-time assistant, A practically barked, "Then what do you suggest we do, eh, Mabui!? We can't just allow this brat to do whatever he pleases within our territory...!" Nodding in agreement, Mabui replied, "My views are in alignment with Raikage-sama's. However, mobilizing two of our most powerful forces to repel a young boy who hasn't presented himself as a substantial threat is a bit excessive. I suggest sending Darui and C to establish contact with this 'Saiko Dadi,' while Lady Yugito observes from afar. If it turns out he is a threat, the three of them should be able to handle him." Though he wanted to ask what the point of sending three people was when they could send two, A tried his best to see things from Mabui's perspective. If it turned out this Saiko Dadi had been sent as a distraction to pull him away from the village, a catastrophe could occur while he was away. Furthermore, if he failed to kill the brat during their first encounter, he could become a massive thorn in the side of Kumo. Having made up his mind, A crossed his arms and snorted loudly through his nose before saying, "So be it. Send Darui, C, and Yugito, and have the Barrier Team strengthen the detection wards. Even if that brat can shrink down to the size of an ant, he shouldn't be able to conceal his Chakra and presence completely. Put everyone on high alert for the next seventy-two hours." Bowing respectfully, Mabui replied, "Understood, Raikage-sama." before immediately leaving to carry out his orders. They had already upped their alert level following the less-than-triumphant return of Samui's Team, so Darui, C, Yugito, and several other Jonin-ranked individuals were close by, ready to act at a moment's notice. All they needed was a green light from the Raikage, and the combined forces of Kumo would mobilize to repel or try to capture Wu and Tayuya... ... .. . Understanding there was a 'very' high chance of Kumo sending people to eliminate or capture him, Wu performed some shirtless exercises to warm his body and elevate his preparedness. He had learned a little over a year ago, back when he was undergoing medical testing in Konoha's research facilities, that his body was highly susceptible to the Lightning Release. It was the only element he couldn't simply shrug off, so Wu wanted to be in his best condition in case someone like the Raikage showed up. Observing Wu from a few meters away, Tayuya was bored out of her mind. It had been more than three hours since Wu started his 'warm-up' exercises, so she couldn't help thinking he was making things easier for their enemies by exhausting himself. Wu had never openly trained during his stay in Otogakure, so she had no idea that his stamina was virtually inexhaustible. Reaching the limit of her patience, Tayuya called out, "Don't you think this is more than enough for a simple warm-up? Put your clothes back on and stop dancing around like an idiot." Instead of stopping his Tai Chi-like movements, Wu playfully responded, "Don't you worry your pretty little head, Tomato-chan. I'm fairly confident in my stamina. Something for you to look forward to." Clicking her tongue, Tayuya picked up a few rocks and decided to 'help' Wu in his training. To her frustration, he happily 'obliged' her, his golden eyes glistening with amusement as he evaded each of the nearly super-sonic pebbles by a hair's breadth. Interrupting their little 'game' about twenty minutes later, Wu caught one of the pebbles Tayuya had thrown between in index and middle fingers as he said, "We've got company. Be a pet and find someplace to hide. Leave this to your beloved Dadi-sama." Furrowing her brows, Tayuya retorted, "What do you mean, 'be a pet?' Do I look like a fucking dog to you!?" Raising his left brow, Wu generously explained, "It's a term of endearment used when addressing a close friend or loved one. Like how people have 'pet names' for one another. It doesn't mean I 'literally' view you as a pet, Tayuya. Now, run along. Dadi has business to attend." Though she showered Wu with her remaining rocks before doing so, Tayuya promptly retreated to a 'safe' distance. She didn't see the point after Wu's previous performance, but she wasn't so obstinant that she couldn't follow the orders of her 'superior' when the enemy was near. With Tayuya out of the way, Wu took a moment to release some of his hairs into the wind before pulling out his staff and perching atop it in a crouching posture. One of the approaching Chakra signatures gave him a similar impression to Naruto, so Wu assumed it belonged to one of Kumo's two Jinchuriki, human weapons with powerful creatures known as Tailed Beasts sealed within them. After learning about Jinchuriki following one of Naruto's little 'outbursts,' Wu had been looking forward to facing a competent one in direct combat. He knew the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox was the most powerful of the Tailed Beasts, characterized by it having the most tails, but Naruto was currently too weak-minded to use the beast's power properly. Thus, if Wu wanted a 'real' challenge from a Jinchuriki, he had no choice but to look beyond the borders of Konoha. "Huh...?" Sensing that his precious Jinchuriki was hanging back, allowing its two companions to rush forward on their own, Wu's expression morphed into a frown. The duo approaching him were clearly Jonin, one even possessing Chakra comparable to a Kage. Jinchuriki, however, were weapons of mass destruction that could wipe out an entire village with a single devastating attack known as a Bijuudama(Tailed Beast Ball). Wu 'really' wanted to try fighting one... Spotting Wu atop his staff, a fairly tall man with dark skin, a bulbous nose, black eyes, and shaggy white hair gestured for his ally, a fair-skinned man with short blond hair, to stop. The latter was the Sensor between the two, but he had been unable to detect Wu even though he could sense Chakra across vast distances. Noticing Wu shortly after they came to a stop, the blond-haired man cupped his chin with his thumb and index finger, remarking, "Wow, he really is just a child. If I had to guess, he couldn't be more than twelve, maybe thirteen years old. If he could soundly defeat Samui and her team at this age, he'll be a force to be reckoned with in the future." Instead of responding to his ally's observations, the dark-skinned man looked around for any indicators that Wu's miniature clones were nearby. Samui had given a detailed report of her encounter with Wu, so, despite appearing relaxed, almost bored, the man was actually on high alert. "So, how do you want to handle this, Darui?" asked the blonde-haired man. "Should we approach and try to talk with him, or should we seize the initiative to attack?" While continuing to pay close attention to his surroundings, Darui replied, "I don't see any of his miniature clones. He also isn't attacking us, so we might be able to talk things out if we approach slowly...before that, how go your efforts to sense his Chakra, C? Can he really not be detected...?" Shaking his head, C revealed, "That appears to be the case. I'm looking right at him and focusing my senses to the extreme, but he gives off the same impression as the surrounding terrain. Do you think he could be an apprentice of the Tsuchikage? Someone who has inherited the abilities of the Second?" As there was only a single person throughout history that was infamous for being completely undetectable, C couldn't help correlating Wu's ability with that of the Second Tsuchikage, Mu. The latter possessed an ability that allowed him to become intangible, possessing neither a physical form nor a Chakra signature. This, alongside his many other skills, allowed him to become one of the most powerful Shinobi in his era, his moniker being the 'Non-Person' due to the sheer impossibility of detecting him. Hearing C reference the Second Tsuchikage, the expression on Darui's face became uncharacteristically serious. Mu was known as the greatest infiltration expert and Assassin in the entire history of the Shinobi World. If 'Saiko Dadi' was truly his descendent, they were dealing with a monster that couldn't be allowed to mature... Suppressing the urge to unsheathe the cleaver-like sword on his back immediately, Darui said, "Let's try talking to him..." despite having every intention of cutting off Wu's head the instant he showed a clear opening. Kumogakure had the policy of trying to recruit powerful Shinobi to their side, but people like 'Saiko Dadi' didn't just appear out of thin air. For him to reach his current age and possess such tremendous power, there 'had' to be a force backing him. Understanding his partner's intentions, C's expression morphed into a friendly smile as he waved his hand and called out, "Heeeeeeeey! You're Saiko Dadi-sama, right? Mind if we come over and have a chat with you?" Though Wu immediately answered C's question, his voice didn't come from the direction the two men were expecting. Instead, it came from above them as a chorus, courtesy of several ant-sized clones standing in the air above them, "Sure, why not?" Seeing the dozens of clones hovering above them, the pupils of Darui's eyes shrank. Samui hadn't reported that Wu possessed the ability to fly, so he hadn't been paying any attention to the sky. At the same time, this all but confirmed that 'Saiko Dadi' had some kind of connection with the Tsuchikage. After all, while several Shinobi could traverse the sky using a variety of methods, only the Third Tsuchikage was known to be able to fly freely... With his clones continuing to provide overwatch, Wu leaped over to the small, pillar-like mountain where Darui and C were standing. His actions caused the duo to tense, but neither attacked as they weren't sure if he was the 'real' Wu. If they attempted to assassinate him mid-flight and he was just a clone, they would have undermined their 'friendly' approach for nothing. Shouldering his red and gold staff, Wu adopted a friendly smile as he inquired, "So, what did the two you want to discuss? I don't mind hearing you out 'before' I give you a beating." Hearing Wu suggest he was going to 'beat' them, the brows of Darui and C visibly twitched. Neither believed they would go down easily, but it was clear 'Saiko Dadi' didn't feel threatened by them in the slightest... ... .. . (A/N: Enjoying the story? Leave a comment and consider becoming a patron!)

While Darui and C were having a standoff against 'Saiko Dadi,' the entire scene was being closely monitored by a woman with long, straight, muted blonde hair bound into a ponytail. She had dark, seemingly pupilless black eyes and wore bright red lipstick, while her outfit consisted of a black and purple blouse, black trousers bearing a cloud pattern, and a red sash tied around her waist. Her left arm had translucent blue prayer beads wrapped around it, and each of her forelimbs was covered in bandages. As the Jinchuriki of the Two-Tailed Demon Cat, Matatabi, a massive cat wreathed in cobalt blue and black flames, the blonde-haired woman was among the most powerful residents of Kumogakure. She was one of only two 'Perfect Jinchuriki,' granting her complete access to Matatabi's power without needing to sacrifice her reason. More importantly, while Yugito wasn't a sensor, Matatabi was once part of a creature that specialized in converting Natural Energy into Chakra. Catching the sandy-haired Kunoichi by surprise, a feminine voice echoed within her mind, revealing, ("Prepare yourself, Yugito-san. That boy is on his way to this location. You should be able to sense him if you activate one of my tails.") Trusting Matatabi's judgment, the woman, Nii Yugito, manifested a long, fiery blue tail covered in black swirls from her lower back. The nails on her fingers also lengthened, but they could become much, much longer if she needed them to. As Matatabi had indicated, Yugito immediately became aware of Wu the moment she tapped into the power of her Tailed Beast. He was trying to sneak up on her from behind, so she quickly turned around, narrowing her eyes as she called out, "Attempting to sneak up on a Jinchuriki is a fool's errand. Show yourself, Saiko Dadi." "Hooo~?" Popping up a few hundred meters from Yugito's location, Wu transmitted his voice across the chasm separating them, asking, "Did your little friend give me away? I was unaware there were Tailed Beasts that could sense Natural Energy. That's good to know." Crossing her arms in front of her, Yugito's already fierce-looking nails began to lengthen further as she asked, "What is your aim, attempting to sneak up on me like this? Are you trying to make an enemy out of Kumo?" Shaking his head, Wu was sincere as he flatly replied, "If I cared at all, I couldn't care less. I'm just here to gather information and mess with the Teams leaving your village. If I were 'truly' your enemy, I would have sent my clones to infiltrate your village and wreak havoc." Narrowing her eyes further, Yugito stated, "That doesn't make any sense. You claim not to care, but you're here gathering information and attacking our people. Even if you were only following orders, you wouldn't go about it like this. Tell me, what information are you trying to acquire...?" Caressing his chin, Wu appeared to be in deep thought. In reality, he was merely messing with the overly serious woman, delaying his response for nearly a full minute before responding, "I guess you could say I'm here to see how I compare to one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations? Don't worry; I'm not biased toward your village. I'll be paying similar visits to Suna, Kiri, Iwa, and Konoha. Kumo just happens to be the direction my staff pointed when I was deciding on where to travel." Demonstrating what he was talking about, Wu placed his staff on its end and allowed it to fall. Seeing this, the expression on Yugito's face became grim as she questioned, "You're telling me the reason you beat Samui and those children was because your 'staff' brought you here!?" Raising his right brow, Wu asked, "Are you an idiot? I beat them because they would have beaten me if I were weaker than them. It's that simple. People don't get to play the victim just because they happen to be weaker than the people they attempt to victimize. You literally have two brains in that little head of yours, woman. Think." "..." ("...") Though the tail behind her back flickered with greater intensity, Yugito didn't immediately attack Wu. From a purely objective point of view, the latter hadn't done anything wrong. If he 'had' been weaker than Samui's group, they would have attacked and attempted to detain him. There was no question about that. If he were dangerous, they would have tried to kill him on the spot. From that perspective, it could be argued that Wu really 'was' magnanimous for deigning to spare them... Seeing Yugito pause for several seconds, Wu earned a look of resentment from the woman by clapping his hands, a surprised expression on his face as he sarcastically remarked, "Well, would you look at that. You can do it if you put your minds to it. Well done." Despite her increased agitation, Yugito retracted her claws and appeared to lower her guard as she asked, "So you're here to test your strength and show off? Is that it...?" "You say that as if it's difficult to believe," replied Wu. Then, with a serious expression, he firmly asserted, "Individual power and authority are two of the most crucial elements in this world. By exhibiting my strength, I deter those who would believe they have some kind of 'right' to control me. On the other end of the spectrum, I become an obstacle for those who aspire to reach the pinnacle. If my errant behavior inspires even a single person to surpass their limits and ascend to my level, providing me with a worthy foe, it will have been worth it." With an expression that looked like she was suppressing a scoff, Yugito remarked, "You speak as if you're already the strongest in the world. As far as I can tell, your reserves of Natural Energy can't even compete with the Chakra of a Chunin. I have no doubt you're very powerful, but you're far from the level of the Raikage..." Shrugging his shoulders, Wu replied, "And? You speak as if I'm supposed to be bothered by the notion of someone being stronger than me. It's the exact opposite. The more people there are for me to overcome, the more enjoyment I get out of life. If everyone was weaker than me, my desire for strength would gradually decline. If that happened, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Thus, unlike the many people who envy the power and capabilities of others, I'm content so long as there is even a single person left for me to overcome." Immediately following Wu's words, Matatabi shouted ("He's coming...!") in an alarmed tone. Yugito immediately reacted by leaping backward, but as fast as she was, the 'extension' of Wu's staff was near-instantaneous. The moment she saw him aim it at her, the tip was already depressing her gut, forcing her back with much greater velocity. Though the weight never changed, Wu could freely manipulate the size and length of his staff, much like the other members of the Monkey Clan. His current record was 300m in length and 12m in diameter, but the most crucial aspect of his staff's ability to change size was the speed at which it did so. Much like the laser-like beams he could fire from his eyes, if his opponent didn't immediately dodge to the side, they were fated to be hit. With the force behind Wu's blow rupturing her intestines, a large volume of blood erupted from Yugito's mouth once she collided with the face of a distant mountain. The extension rate of his staff was around 7000 meters per second, so the force behind the blow was nearly 4.7 million kilograms. If not for the inordinate durability of a Shinobi and her status as the Two-Tails' Jinchuriki, she would have been pulverized and split in half. Sensing that Yugito's life was in danger, Matatabi began channeling her unique Chakra into her host. Cobalt-blue and black flames erupted from the severely injured woman's entire body, her size rapidly increasing until she had transformed into a large cat with a height of 14m. Her length, due to her tails, was nearly twice that, but she more than made up for being the 'smallest' of the Tailed Beasts by also being the most agile. Finished with her transformation, Matatabi attempted to release an ear-piercing yowl but was almost immediately silenced by Wu's tower-sized bo staff impacting her head. To the latter's wonder, his staff actually went through her body, or, more accurately, she regenerated so quickly that it 'appeared' to pass through her. Taking advantage of his aerial mobility, Wu dodged to the side, spinning his now normal-sized staff before extending it the moment Matatabi was level with him in the air. His staff easily dwarfed the Two-Tails in size, but due to the limitations on its weight and the amount of torque necessary to send such a large creature flying, Wu was only able to bat the massive cat a few hundred meters, barely injuring it. Despite the muscles in his arms and shoulders protesting, the smile on Wu's face was the biggest it had been in a while. He had fought a handful of Chakra Beasts in the past, including a snake more than 50m in length, but the incredible aura exuded by the Two-Tails made his heart pound in his chest. It was also much more durable than the aforementioned snake, a creature Wu had bludgeoned to death with a single blow. Surprising Wu yet again, Matatabi 'skid' across the air, its paws leaving trails of blue flame in its wake. When it had finally arrested its momentum, it charged at Wu in mid-air, its size expanding rapidly as it expanded like a gaseous flame. Matatabi had quickly realized the 'weakness' of Wu's staff, so by increasing her size, she was planning to disperse the weight across more of her body. What Matatabi didn't expect was for Wu to reduce the size of his staff and charge directly at her. Most people feared her flames, which were capable of melting both steel and stone, but Wu charged directly into her, piercing her body before expanding his staff 'inside' of her. Reacting quickly, Matatabi shed off one of her tails, effectively splitting her power in half but ensuring Yugito's safety as she promptly exploded from the inside. Wu's staff might not be able to increase its weight, but a 300x12m long staff expanding inside of her body wasn't something even the formless Matatabi could endure. As the remnants of Matatabi extinguished around him, Wu couldn't help laughing aloud. The battle had been incredibly brief, but it was one of the most enjoyable he had ever had. He could also sense the remnants of the Two-Tails' Chakra coalescing toward the half-conscious Yugito, so he was excited by the prospect of being able to face her again in the future. Landing next to the sandy-haired blonde, Wu was being sincere as he mused, "That was a pretty enjoyable battle. You did well for the vessel of an overgrown housecat." Believing Wu was about to kill her, Yugito attempted to form a hand seal but stopped when the unconscious bodies of Darui and C were dropped next to her, courtesy of Wu's clones. Then, before she could muster the resolve to suicide alongside her two companions, Wu gave a curt nod and said, "See you around, pussycat." before turning around and simply flying away. After that, she immediately lost consciousness... ... .. . Witnessing Wu fodder a Tailed Beast, seemingly without effort, Tayuya's heart was beating madly within her chest. Until now, she had been acting under the assumption that Wu was powerful, but not 'that' powerful. She had assumed someone like the Otokage could effortlessly overpower him, but now...now Tayuya didn't know what to think. All she knew for sure was that Wu was 'a lot' stronger than any of them had suspected... Liberating Tayuya from her reverie, Wu offered a playful "Boo." Instead of startling, however, Tayuya turned to face him, a severe expression on her face as she abruptly asked, "Are you serious about wanting to fuck me...?" ... .. .

"Hmm..?" Though his senses were obscured by the cave wall and encompassing mountain, Wu perked up when he sensed three decently sized Chakra signatures within his range. Noticing Wu's reaction, Tayuya ceased eating to ask, "What is it?" She was also a decent Sensor, but her detection abilities relied on a form of echolocation. It helped her target enemies while playing her flute, but it was nowhere near the level of Wu. Rising to his feet, Wu said, "Finish your breakfast. I'm gonna go out and say hello to our guests." Furrowing her brows even further than usual, Tayuya attempted to say, "I'll go with-" before Wu interrupted her, his expression serious and his tone firm as he said, "I don't babysit people. If you want to follow after me and observe from a distance, feel free. Just stay at least 2km away. I can't guarantee you won't get caught up in my attacks if you're any closer than that..." Without waiting for Tayuya's answer, Wu raced out of the cave. He could sense that one of his opponents was also a Sensor, so he wanted to head them off before they could discover the location of his base... ... .. . Shortly after Wu departed his hidden base, the blonde bombshell leading the search team made a stopping gesture, her voice deep yet calm as she ordered, "Karui, Omoi, swords out. One of our targets is fast approaching, distance-" Before the woman could finish speaking, a teasing voice sounded behind her, tickling her ear as it appended, "Zero meters..." Though the pupils of her sky blue eyes shrank to the size of pinholes, the bob-haired blonde managed to channel lightning-infused Chakra through her body, drastically increasing her speed and reaction time as she turned around, slicing the afterimage of Wu with her tanto. ("He's fast...!") Looking around and seeing no hide nor hair of her opponent, a bead of sweat formed on the woman's brow as she shouted, "Triangle formation!" before leaping back to join her much younger charges. As neither of them had seen Wu, the red-headed girl, wielding a lengthy katana, asked, "What's going on, Samui-sensei...!?" while looking around, the pupils of her eagle-like eyes rapidly expanding and contracting as she focused on various objects in her surroundings. Instead of answering Karui's question, Samui focused her senses to their absolute limits, determined to sus out the location of Wu. If she knew that the person she was looking for was currently perched atop her shoulder with a pensive expression on his face, a fresh layer of goosebumps would replace those already covering her body. While resisting the temptation to slide down into the woman's abundant cleavage, Wu internally mused, ("So this is the standard of a Kumo Jonin and Genin...not the worst, but far from the best...") With several seconds passing without incident, Samui softly whispered, "The enemy appeared behind me for a split second before disappearing. We should assume they specialize in silent assassination, so stay on your toes and watch each other's backs..." Hearing their Jonin-sensei's words, the redhead's body tensed while the white-haired youth outright shivered, muttering, "An enemy that not even Samui-sensei can sense...is this penance for putting butter in my cereal? Or is it-" Though she would ordinarily humor her young protege's penchant for babbling when he was nervous, Samui's tone hardened as she hissed, "Omoi! Stay focused...!" Before the quibbling youth could respond, Wu sent shivers down Samui's spine as he said, "It won't help. The fact I've been able to sit here for so long should tell you how screwed you are. The real question is, how badly should I beat you...?" While Samui was unable to see Wu's location due to being just above her collarbone, Karui quickly spotted him with her incredible vision, shouting, "He...he's on your shirt!?" before promptly appending, "How the hell is he so tiny!?" As if she were swatting a mosquito, Samui used her lightning-fast reflexes to smack the location Karui was looking. However, while she was able to land a direct hit, Wu's durability remained unchanged, even in his smallest form. Samui had also held back to avoid injuring herself, so he was utterly unscathed when she tentatively raised her hand to check. Raising his own, Wu offered a friendly "Yo." before remarking, "You should know that it's my policy to return violence with violence. You can't change the fact that you're going to suffer a beating, but the intensity depends on your actions. But don't worry. Even if I spank your ass until you can't walk, I won't kill you." Though her first instinct was to smack Wu many, many more times, Samui suppressed the urge, asking, "Who are you? Why are you sneaking around the outskirts of Kumo...?" Making himself comfortable on Samui's shoulder, Wu replied, "Does it look like I'm sneaking around? If I wanted, I could infiltrate Kumo and sit in the Raikage's chair without anyone noticing. Right now, I'm just pissing about and having a bit of fun..." Punctuating his words, several other Wu's appeared around Samui and her group in an instant, one even popping up between them to shove the two Genin away. They did their best to keep their footing but soon found themselves face-planting into the ground as the Wu's on their backs grew to their full size. "Omoi! Karui...!" Before she could go to the duo's aid, the trio of Wu's surrounding Samui began poking at her with the tips of their staves. She was faster than him in terms of speed and reaction time, but the near-perfect coordination of his clones was enough to leave even Hiruzen feeling helpless. The force behind his thrusts was also reinforced by 8,000kgs of weight, so Karui's attempts to block ultimately resulted in her being knocked back and forth like a pinball. When she tried to jump up to escape the encirclement, one of the clones he had waiting on her foot manifested itself, grabbing her by the ankle and slamming her to the ground. Believing that kindness toward one's enemies was cruelty to oneself and allies, the ten clones surrounding Samui prevented her from bouncing back to her feet. Whenever she would try, they would intercept her with a lattice formed from their staves before ultimately pinning her neck, wrists, and ankles with two each. Omoi and Karui didn't fare much better, but as they were around his age, Wu just pushed them around for a bit until they stopped resisting. Plopping down in front of where Samui was pinned, Wu sat cross-legged and asked, "Does it hurt? I mean, lying on your chest like that can't feel too comfortable..." Despite the numerous bruises covering her body, Samui's eyes were as sharp as daggers as she glared at Wu and asked, "What do you want? If you-" Before Samui could finish speaking, one of the Wu's placed the tip of his staff on her spine, forcing the air out of her lungs as it slowly slipped out of his grasp. At the same time, the original narrowed his eyes and said, "It isn't polite to answer one question with another..." As the weight on her spine increased, the pained groan Samui was stifling became an anguished scream. She felt like her spine was about to snap in two, but the clone eased off just as she screamed. Just as Wu was about to ask a different question, Samui, panting with one eye closed, groaned, "Just...kill me...! I'll never betray my village...!" Tilting his head to the side, Wu asked, "Are you an idiot? I don't recall ever asking you to betray your village. As I said before, I'm just pissing around and having fun. This little display of mine is to prevent you from believing you have 'any' right to question or detain me. Understood?" To demonstrate his point, Wu waved away his clones, adding, "Let's give our new friend here some breathing room. Oh, and heal up the brats while you're at it." While his clones went off to carry out his orders, Wu returned his gaze to Samui, brows raising as he asked, "Do you enjoy being pressed down that much? You look confused and disappointed..." Furrowing her brows, Samui propped herself and attempted to rise to her feet. Before she could, Wu asked, "Did I say you can stand? Take a seat. I might not ask you to divulge your village's secrets, but that doesn't mean we can't have a chat." Though she narrowed her eyes, Samui did as instructed, sitting in seiza despite having nothing to protect her knees from the abrasive, ice-cold stone. She had spent her entire life in the Land of Lightning, so she was fairly used to the pervasive chill that permeated the whole region. After nodding his head in approval, Wu surprised Samui by 'revealing,' "My name's Dadi, Saiko Dadi. You may address me as Dadi-sama, Lord Dadi, or Dadi, the Magnanimous. And you are...?" Since there was a good chance Wu had heard her speaking to Karui and Omoi, Samui honestly replied, "Samui...just Samui..." Nodding his head, Wu mused, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Just Samui. However, considering I just wiped the floor with you and your little Tag Team, I would appreciate it if you addressed me formally. You wouldn't want me to think you're disrespecting me, right~?" "..." Though she wanted to say that Wu had done nothing to deserve her respect, Samui begrudgingly replied, "Please allow me to express my sincerest apologies...Dadi-sama..." Narrowing his eyes in amusement, Wu made Samui think he was about to try and pry information from her. Instead, he promptly rose to his feet and dusted himself off, saying, "Well, see you around, Samui-chan. When you return to Kumogakure, notify the Alphabetical Ape that I'll probably be in the area for a couple of days. He's welcome to send people after me, but I can't guarantee I'll be as nice as I was today." Finished with what he had to say, Wu walked past the stunned Samui with his guard down. Luckily for her, she did not attempt to attack him as an additional seventeen hair clones were loitering around within her clothes. If she 'had' struck, not only would she have found her face firmly planted in the dirt, she would have been forced to walk home naked... As that thought crossed his mind, Wu internally mused ("Maybe that's what I'll do to the next group~?") before disappearing from the stupefied blonde's senses... ... .. . Witnessing how effortlessly Wu had played the group from Kumo, Tayuya found herself at a loss for words. She knew he was strong, but seeing dozens of clones blink in and out of existence, effortlessly overwhelming his opponents, she didn't know what to think. It was just so- Eliciting a surprisingly girly yelp from the usually aggressive tomato, Wu placed his hand firmly on Tayuya's shoulder, teasing, "Enjoying the view?" before backstepping her attempt to turn around and kick him in the chin. After seeing that it was Wu who surprised her, Tayuya's surprised look morphed into a glower as she growled, "Don't sneak up on me like that...!" Tilting his head to the side, Wu asked, "How 'should' I sneak up on you then? Because, after hearing that little yelp of yours, I'm definitely going to keep doing it..." Going red in the face, Tayuya attempted to punch Wu, surprising herself as the hit actually landed. Immediately afterward, however, she regretted her actions as an intense pain radiated through her hand and wrist. Wincing in pain, Tayuya angrily hissed, "What the fuck is your face made from!?" Tilting his head to the opposite side, Wu replied, "Pure, unadulterated badass? Either way, you probably shouldn't try to strike me in the future. While I find your little outbursts cute, it gets annoying 'having' to dodge just to avoid injuring you. Now, give me your hand..." Without waiting for Tayuya's response, Wu grabbed her hand and began healing it. Her first instinct was to tear it away, but upon realizing what he was doing, she clenched her teeth and bore it. When he was finished, however, she immediately shoved him, saying, "Don't fucking touch me..." before storming off toward their little love ne&mdash;cave. ... .. .

Chapter 37: I, Your Father, am a Master Baiter