I, Your Father, Carry a Big Stick

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... ... .. .

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..." ... .. .

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...?" ... .. .

Chapter 39: Relent