I, Your Father, Carry a Big Stick

With the Otokage asking him to wait a few days before dismissing him to speak with Tayuya, Wu returned to his room, pleasantly surprised to find no cameras or microphones had been installed while he was away. Those with adequate mastery of the Earth Release could move through walls as if they were immaterial, so planting such devices was easy with someone like Kagero around. Speaking of Kagero... Less than ten minutes after Wu had laid down to relax, the ground a few meters away distorted, revealing the green-haired girl in her thin, single-strap white dress. However, instead of rising out of the earth to join him on the bed, she just stared at him with her bluish-purple eyes and asked, "Why did you ask me to come here...?" Instead of answering the girl's question, Wu's brows perked up slightly as he inquired, "Did you give up on using me to restore your clan? I'm hurt..." Lowering her head, Kagero gave the impression she was in deep thought, her half-lidded gaze directed at the ground for nearly a full minute before she climbed the rest of the way out like exiting a pool. Before Wu could tease her further, Kagero reached up to the metal clasp preventing her dress from slipping from her thin frame. The moment she did so, the garment slipped away from her body like smooth silk, revealing the rather 'modest' physique underneath. She would be turning seventeen in less than two months but could have easily been mistaken for one of the girls that had starved themselves during their fifth and sixth years at the Academy, desperately attempting to catch Sasuke's attention. It was certainly eye-catching, that's for sure... With an utterly relaxed expression, Wu casually remarked, "No tits, and I can clearly see the outline of your ribs. Do you honestly believe you're suited to bearing children? As you are right now, you're more likely to have a stillbirth or die during the delivery..." Hanging her head, Kagero closed her eyes and attempted to conceal her body beneath her hands. She knew she wasn't beautiful, but Wu's words caused her chest to tighten painfully. Before she could retrieve her dress and run away, however, Wu pat the space next to him a few times, saying, "Come and lie down..." in a paradoxically relaxed yet forceful tone. Suppressing her desire to refuse, Kagero took a few tentative steps forward before sitting on the edge of Wu's bed with her back facing him. In response, the latter ran his surprisingly hot fingers along the ridges of her spine, remarking, "I can literally count your vertebrae. You are one seriously malnourished woman..." "..." Feeling even more insecure, Kagero instinctually hugged her body as she attempted to excuse her appearance, stating, "It is my fate to sacrifice and die for the Fuma Clan...the condition of my body never really matt-" Before Kagero could finish, Wu's expression and tone hardened as he asserted, "It's the most important thing. Physical and mental wellness are interconnected. Unless you can look me in the eye and tell me it somehow benefits your Clan for you to be depressed and feeble, I'm calling you out on your bullshit..." "..." Not sure what else to say, Kagero settled on saying nothing at all. Before the Otokage had approached her with the task of getting closer to 'Dadi,' she had never even considered lying with a man. Well, she had, but the Forbidden Jutsu she had inherited meant she was destined to have a very short lifespan. Others with her 'condition' were lucky to make it to twenty, so the notion of having children had only crossed her mind in her dreams. Interrupting Kagero's increasingly depressive thoughts, Wu surprised her by adding, "Yeah, I didn't think so. From now on, you'll be sticking to the diet I assign you. Before putting a bun in your oven, we need to put some meat on your body..." "Ah..." Surprising the green-haired girl even further, Wu punctuated his words by reaching around to the front of her body, his palm caressing her abdomen as he made his way South. The tension in her body increased to the point that she was shivering, but she offered no resistance as his fingers delved into the consecrated grounds between her inordinately white thighs. With his lips close enough to tickle the ridge of Kagero's ear, Wu's voice deepened as he teased, "At least this spot still has a bit of flesh on it...I guess your body still understands its biological purpose, even if you try to deny it..." Biting her bottom lip, Kagero attempted to close her thighs, but the rather prominent gap between them made the action futile. All she could do was endure, her back arching as Wu effortlessly repositioned her onto his lap and just as easily pried her legs open. It was the most embarrassing thing she had ever experienced, but less than two minutes later, it became a lot easier to bear... ... .. . Hearing a knocking at his door, Wu gave the unconscious Kagero's hair one last caress before rising to his feet. The latter was lying face down on his bed, the tension drained from her body so thoroughly she had passed out with her eyes open, absentmindedly drooling on the sheets. Opening his door, Wu was equal parts surprised and unsurprised to find Tayuya standing outside, now garbed in her Oto Shinobi attire. Wu found the ensemble, consisting of a tan tunic and a thick purple rope wrapped around her waist, more than a little ridiculous. However, as the only thing she wore underneath was her usual black spats and black crop top, it was barely tolerable. Seizing the initiative, Wu adopted a cheeky smile as he asked, "Missing me so soon~?" Furrowing her brows into a fierce pout, Tayuya forced her way into Wu's room before pausing when she noticed Kagero, buck naked and passed out on his bed. The latter's presence...bothered her a lot more than she had expected. However, as Wu had already made it 'very' clear he was to have multiple wives, she suppressed her frustration and retorted, "I was going to see if you wanted to sleep together, but I can see that you had 'other' ideas..." Instead of attempting to defend his actions, Wu nodded his head and revealed, "I was actually hoping you would show up a bit sooner. This one could learn a thing or twenty from you..." Turning to meet Wu's gaze, Tayuya's expression remained visibly miffed as she asked, "So, what? Are you expecting me to train 'all' of your future baby factories...?" Shaking his head, Wu replied, "Only those who have value...besides, we both know you're more of a Sadist than a Masochist. So long as you don't take things too far, feel free to 'explore' that aspect of your character. Just remember who's really in charge, got it?" Punctuating his words, Wu gave Tayuya a firm slap on her left ass cheek before squeezing it hard enough to elicit a pained yet distinctly pleasure-tinged moan from her throat. Because of Kaia, Wu had developed a habit of spanking girls who were subordinate to yet disobedient to him. Tayuya had been on the receiving end of his 'disciplining' quite a number of times, so instead of lashing out like she used to, she just stared at him pointedly while massaging her ass and making her way over to the bed. Catching even Wu by surprise, though he also expected it, Tayuya awoke the absentminded Kagero by giving the latter a comparably lighter smack on the bottom, shouting, "Wake up...!" in a barking tone. The green-haired girl instinctually rose to a seated position and recoiled, but upon seeing that her assailant was Tayuya, she began to stammer, "T-T-Tayuya-sama! I-I-I..." Before Kagero could think of an excuse to justify her existence, much less her presence within the room, Tayuya narrowed her eyes at her and said, "Dadi-sama has requested that I show you how to 'properly' perform your functions as a woman. You had better pay close attention because I'm not letting you sleep until you get it right. Understood, stick bug?" As Tayuya was fairly famous within Otogakure for her violent disposition, Kagero found herself swallowing a knot in her throat while simultaneously bobbing her head like a chicken. She didn't like the play on her name, but she wasn't going to talk back, not when she was stark naked and literally with her back to a wall. Snorting through her nose, Tayuya growled, "You better..." before turning to Wu and beginning an impromptu strip tease. She had never performed one before, so she didn't dance or anything. However, using what Wu had taught her, she managed to sell it well by taking her time and maintaining eye contact. According to him, that was all it took for a confident woman to effectively 'ooze' sensuality. It didn't matter if they were eating a meal or doing something as mundane as brushing their teeth. So long as they took their time and maintained eye contact, they could be reading a book on how to perform a vasectomy and still look 'sexy'... ... .. . Though she had wanted to talk to him the previous night, Guren stopped herself when Tayuya informed her that she would be paying 'Dadi' a visit. Now that it was the morning of the following day, however, she was left with no choice but to disturb the young couple as they were supposed to be setting out for Suna. After mentally preparing herself, Guren was about to give Dadi's door a firm knock when it suddenly opened, revealing the aforementioned boy in nothing but a pair of briefs. She really should have controlled herself, but Guren's gaze immediately lowered before widening in shock. Adopting the cheekiest smile Guren had ever seen, Wu crossed his arms and teased, "If that's your reaction to seeing its outline, I can't wait to see your response to its 'Level Two' transformation..." After coughing a few times to try and cover her embarrassment, Guren's expression hardened as she asserted, "It isn't appropriate to answer your door in a state of undress. Please wear your clothes properly, Dadi-kun..." Leaving the door open, Wu turned around, responding, "Yeah, yeah..." as he meandered over to his bed and started picking up his clothes from the ground. Guren briefly followed him with her eyes but quickly stepped out of view when she eventually noticed Tayuya staring at her with a deadpan expression from Wu's bed. She immediately regretted doing so but knew it would only make her look even more suspicious if she stepped back into view and pretended nothing had happened... ... .. . After forcing Kagero to promise she would stick to the meal plan he had 'painstakingly prepared for her, Wu, accompanied by a silent Guren and a stone-faced Tayuya, made their way out of the underground compound. The latter was absentmindedly wondering how they would get to Suna if Wu could only carry one of them, but she quickly realized how ridiculous her concerns were when he promptly manifested one of his increasingly infamous clones. Guren briefly protested the idea of being carried through the sky in a princess carry but soon gave up when Wu put his foot down on the matter, saying she was more than welcome to stay behind if she thought for a moment he would spend four days running when he could save nearly as many flying... ... .. . (A/N: Kagero's situation is pitiful, but it's also one she willfully placed herself into. Wu might be a little forceful, but it's only because Kagero pretends not to care despite clinging to life and possessing considerable power. As for Tayuya...well, just check the image I put in the comments section.)

After flying over the Land of Rivers, a region filled with lush vegetation and a city famous for the fact it never stopped raining, Wu found himself at the entrance to a massive desert. He had no idea how such an extreme disparity in climates could exist side-by-side, but at least it made it easy to know he was entering the Land of Wind. "Man, talk about a shit hole. Can either of you tell me why anyone would bother living in such a place?" Though he had read up on the history of Suna and the Land of Wind, Wu couldn't help feeling that the people who settled the desert's few oases were idiots. Training in hot and dry climates had benefits, but how much more evidence did people need that they 'shouldn't' live somewhere than the sun-bleached bones of massive creatures? Sure, its sheer shittiness made other nations reluctant to invade, but come on... Deigning to answer Wu's question, Guren explained, "It's said that in the past, a number of clans fled here to escape the conflicts near the center of the continent. They wandered from place to place to avoid exhausting any one area of its resources but eventually settled down once Ninjutsu spread through the world, making it possible to prosper even in the most inhospitable of climates. Since then, I would assume it's their attachment to 'home' that prevents modern residents from leaving..." Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Wu remarked, "Go figure...the children of idiots are obstinant fools. Never could have seen 'that' coming..." Smiling wryly, Guren suppressed her almost instinctual compulsion to defend the inhabitants of Suna. She was someone that had a 'very' strong attachment to the notion of home, so much so she was willing to become a vessel to Orochimaru just because he had given her a place to belong, a purpose greater than herself. Unaware of the purple-haired woman's thoughts, Wu kept flying until they came upon a massive plateau that had been sculpted to resemble a series of steps. A man-made canyon separated these steps in two, leading to a city that, from the sky, appeared to have been constructed in the center of a colossal impact crater. Though he could have easily just flown into the city, Wu controlled their descent when Guren suggested, "We should land a few kilometers from the entrance. If we enter the village directly, it could cause unnecessary tension with people who are supposed to be our allies." Since Guren was 'technically' in charge, despite being ranked below him, Wu replied with a lazy, "Hai, hai, Guren-sama..." that left the purple-haired woman with a complicated look on her face. She was only put in charge because she was familiar with their connections in Suna and was 'much' older than both Wu and Tayuya. People, especially those in high positions, had 'difficulties' respecting those much younger than themselves. Wu was likely the strongest member of their group, but that wouldn't be enough to get people to truly 'respect' him... Having noticed Wu's group from the lookouts stationed across the multi-tiered wall, a sizeable party of Suna Shinobi came out to 'greet' them by forming an encirclement around them. The leader of the group was a man with facial tattoos that resembled those of the Inuzuka Clan, but, instead of a Ninken partner, a child-sized doll that resembled something out of a horror movie hovered in front of him, its head and jaw clicking as it stared at Wu with an open mouth and slowly twisting head. "This is the entrance to Sunagakure, the Village Hidden in the Sand. You are to declare yourselves immediately and lay down your arms, or we will have no choice but to detain you with force." Raising her hands to indicate they had not come there seeking trouble, Guren replied, "I am Jonin Guren of Otogakure. We have come here at the behest of our Lord to meet with Lord Rasa. Once you have confirmed our identities, please allow us to pass." Though the alliance between Oto and Suna was tentative, at best, those ranked Jonin and higher had been made aware of the 'specifics' of their cooperation. Upon hearing that Guren was from Oto, the Jonin leading the security group ordered his men to stand down. Most of them remained on guard, but that was just good practice. After all, entering an enemy village while disguised as a recently acquired ally was fairly common... ... .. . After a minor incident involving the customs officials being unable to open and search Wu's bag, Guren couldn't help asking, "Can that bag really not be opened by anyone other than you...?" Instead of answering the question directly, Wu tossed the pouch toward Guren, saying, "Give it a go." Despite a small opening already being present, Guren discovered that she could not loosen the cord keeping the bag shut. The most abnormal thing about this was that the cord wasn't even appropriately fastened. It should just open on its own, but it remained bound shut and even 'flew' back into Wu's hand with a simple gesture. Wriggling his eyebrows, Wu teased, "Pretty neat, huh? The coolest part is that it's also indestructible, so I can even use it to stop an attack if I really need to. Well, that and the fact the interior keeps expanding over time..." Hearing Wu's description of the bag, Guren's expression revealed a trace of confounded disbelief as she questioned, "Where did you obtain such a thing?" With an amused smile, Wu replied, "Would you believe me if I said it was on my person since birth? It's just one of the many things that makes me mysterious and awesome..." Though he had been straining his ears to listen to the discussion between Wu and Guren, the Chunin serving as their escort through the village of Suna stopped them at the entrance to a spherical building with the kanji for 'Wind' on its side, revealing, "This is the Central Administration Office. The Kazekage should summon you shortly..." Nearly as soon as the man had finished speaking, a very tall, 188cm man wearing a turban-like headgear walked out. A thin sheet dangled from his headpiece, covering the left side of his face, but he had rugged features and two red markings on his right cheek, presumably matching the cheek concealed by the cloth. Eying Wu and his group with his sharp, beady black eye, the man added, "You must be the delegation from Otogakure. Lord Rasa will see you now." Contrasting the overly casual demeanor of Wu and the standoffishness of Tayuya, Guren gave a slight bow and a faint smile as she expressed, "It's good to see you again, Baki-sama. I hope things have been improving for you and Suna since our previous meeting." Furrowing his only visible brow, Baki replied in his incredibly deep voice, "If that were the case, we wouldn't need an alliance with Oto. Now, follow me. Lord Rasa has made an opening in his considerably busy schedule to hear what you have to say. It is disrespectful to keep him waiting." Exhibiting her almost innately kind nature, Guren adopted an apologetic smile as she replied, "Lord Rasa has our sincerest gratitude. Please, lead the way, Baki-sama." Instead of answering Guren, Baki turned his back to the group and led the way up a spiraling staircase lined with concealed explosives. Soon after, they reached a circular landing that formed a looping hallway around the entire structure with several doors facing inward. One such door bore the symbol for 'Wind' above its frame, indicating that it was the office of the Kazekage. As expected, the turbaned man led Wu's group to the aforementioned door, saying, "You are to be respectful and courteous..." before turning to it and declaring, "Lord Rasa. The delegation from Otogakure has arrived, as summoned." From within the office, an equally deep yet distinct voice replied, "Permit them entry..." While pushing open the door with his right hand, Baki turned to Wu and his group, instructing, "Enter." in a firm tone. Guren gave a polite nod in response, but Wu whispered, "You're playing with fire, old man..." as he passed Baki's much taller frame. Though he frowned in response to Wu's comment, Baki didn't speak or attempt to deny him entry. Instead, he waited for the group to enter the room before closing the door behind them and posting outside, ready to act alongside the dozen other Jonin concealed nearby. Their Kazekage was more than capable of defending himself, but an organization backed by someone as infamous as Orochimaru couldn't be trusted... ... .. . Upon entering the office, standing to Guren's left, Wu came face to face with a middle-aged man with auburn hair, dark eyes, and a constipated look. The diamond-shaped cap symbolizing the authority of a Kage could be seen hanging on a hook behind him, but the man himself was dressed fairly casually in a simple black jacket and pants, complete with a visible mesh underneath. Seizing the initiative in the discussion, the Kazekage, formerly known as Rasa the Gold, ruined the Otokage's ongoing attempts to keep Wu in the dark about her true identity, asking, "Why have Orochimaru's henchmen come to my village? Coming here at such a critical moment risks exposing everything to those rats from Konoha." Though she visibly winced when Rasa namedropped Orochimaru, Guren pulled out the scroll she had been asked to hand over, responding, "The specifics are detailed within this scroll. Beyond that, our primary intention for coming here was to complete introductions." Raising his left brow, Rasa's expression revealed a hint of incredulity as he parroted, "Complete introductions?" Then, as Wu was the only person he had never seen before, he gave the latter a skeptical look and asked, "You came all this way to introduce this boy to me...?" Preempting Guren's response, Wu raised his hand and offered a casual "Yo." before following it with a cheeky smile as he revealed, "The name's Saiko Dadi. Feel free to call me Dadi-sama." Though it took him a moment to piece things together, Rasa's already beady eyes appeared to shrink as he asked, "You're the one who fought the Fourth Raikage and laid waste to Kumogakure?" Adopting an even cheekier grin, Wu replied, "It appears my reputation precedes me. And yes, I'm the one that kicked the ass of the Two-Tails' Jinchuriki and went toe-to-toe with the Alphabetical Ape. Nice to meet you, magnet man." Hearing Wu 'confirm' the previously unsubstantiated reports surrounding the Two-Tails' appearance and subsequent thrashing, Rasa visibly tensed. The hierarchy of the Tailed Beasts was determined by the number of tails they possessed. Those with fewer tails were notably weaker than those with a greater quantity, so it didn't take much imagination to guess what might happen if 'Dadi' fought their own Jinchuriki, the vessel of the One-Tailed Demon Tanuki. Becoming serious, Rasa's hardened into a grim expression as he inquired, "Am I to interpret this as a threat...or perhaps a 'warning?' Bringing such a 'monster' into midsts doesn't exactly inspire confidence in our coalition. If you have a child capable of fending off Kage and defeating Tailed Beasts in your employ, what's the-" Before Rasa could finish speaking, Guren gave a smile that wasn't quite a smile as she suggested, "Please peruse the contents of the scroll. And no, our visit here is not intended as a threat. Dadi-kun was curious about your village and planned to come here unaccompanied. I was tasked to ensure there weren't any misunderstandings that came about as a result of Dadi-kun's intrigue." Though he didn't believe a single word coming out of Guren's mouth, Rasa eventually responded with a terse, "I see..." before subsequently opening the scroll and reading its contents. Some of what was inscribed within all but confirmed that Dadi's presence within Suna was intended as a threat, but other sections caused a reflective glimmer to flash across his eyes... ... .. .

Though she had wanted to witness Wu's battle with the Raikage, Tayuya obediently waited for him on a mountain peak several hundred kilometers from the battlefield. She wasn't looking forward to returning to Otogakure, but she still had a part to play in the forthcoming invasion of Konoha. Wu had also entrusted her with an important task, so even though she would have preferred never to return to Orochimaru's side, Tayuya was willing to put her life on the line to secure her future... Interrupting the pensive redhead's thoughts, Wu snuck up behind her and gave her meager breasts a light fondling, asking, "Did you miss me~?" in a teasing tone. In response, Tayuya leaned back her head, hitting the tip of his chin as she flatly remarked, "You're becoming more degenerate with each passing day..." Without missing a beat, Wu adopted a cheeky smile, retorting, "That's an interesting accusation, coming from someone who spends nearly an hour a day masturbating..." Tearing herself from Wu's clutches, Tayuya 'glared' back at him, asking, "And whose fault is that...?" with narrowed eyes and an accusatory tone. Pointing to himself, Wu feigned shock as he replied, "Don't tell me...could it have been me...!?" Exhaling loudly through her nose, Tayuya changed topics, asking, "Are we leaving, or what?" in an irritable tone. Nodding his head, Wu replied, "Yeah." before adopting what appeared to be a concerned expression, asking, "Are you sure you're okay with this? I know I was the one to propose making you a double agent, but-" Before Wu could finish, Tayuya's expression became serious as she said, "I don't need your concern, Wu. I've been doing shit like this since I was six years old. Just don't fuck up on your end." Raising his hands in a gesture of mock surrender, Wu replied, "Okay, okay. I just wanted you to have the option to refuse. If this is the path you've decided, I have nothing else to say on the matter. As for Orochimaru...you can just leave him, her, or however else they refer to themselves, to me..." Nodding her head, Tayuya 'almost' responded by saying she trusted him. Instead, she stared into his eyes for a few seconds, the distance between their bodies gradually diminishing until Wu seized the initiative to wrap his arms around her. Only then did she whisper, "Let's fucking do this..." with a look of conviction on her face. ... .. . Upon returning to Kumo, the Raikage, transformed to resemble his older self, had Mabui compile the records of every Kunoichi between the ages of fourteen and twenty-six. The reports he had received from Samui and Yugito mentioned how Saiko Dadi had openly attempted to flirt with them. He had expressed a similar interest in Mabui and Karui, so A had reason to believe the mysterious youth had a penchant for promiscuity. Seeing the Raikage perusing the records of their Kunoichi with a serious expression on his face, Mabui felt compelled to suggest, "If you're going to choose someone for this matter, please delegate it to those of us with more...experience. The younger generation should be allowed to choose their own partners..." Furrowing his brows, the Raikage raised his gaze to meet Mabui's as he firmly stated, "Times may have changed, Mabui, but Kunoichi do not have the same rights as ordinary citizens. If they are not prepared for this kind of responsibility, then the Academy has failed them. If that's the case, we may as well scrap the entire Kunoichi program..." Bowing her head slightly, Mabui closed her eyes and replied, "Forgive me, Raikage-sama...I have spoken out of turn..." Shaking his head, A returned to perusing the files as he appended, "The lives of Shinobi are not meant to be glamorous and filled with virtue. We are liars, deceivers, and killers who train our very children to possess the same traits. Anyone who can readily claim the lives and futures of others but is not willing to jeopardize their own has no place in this field..." Though she wanted to point out that they were slowly making a transition to more 'honest' work, such as transporting cargo and constructing cities, Mabui kept her head low and replied, "I understand, Raikage-sama. I will ensure that the Kunoichi chosen are well acquainted with what's expected of them..." Without raising his gaze from the files, the Raikage gave a curt nod. At the same time, however, he was also considering Mabui's proposal. He would rather not assign one of their few female Jonin to a seduction mission, but mature women had a 'charm' most younger girls lacked. Mabui even had a prior arrangement with Saiko Dadi, so there was always the possibility of entrusting the matter to her. The real question was, who should he assign as her support? Samui? She certainly wasn't lacking in appeal... ... .. . After touching down a few kilometers from the entrance to Otogakure, Wu playfully remarked, "What happened to 'never, ever' doing that again? You seemed to enjoy it quite a bit this time around." Ignoring Wu's remark, Tayuya regained her previous standoffishness as she said, "We should hurry and report to the Otokage as soon as possible. She will be expecting us." Rolling his eyes, Wu replied, "Yeah, yeah..." before shoving his hands into his pockets and leading the way. Shortly after that, he and Tayuya found themselves at the usual entrance, this time being guarded by the man Wu had once given 'wings.' Seeing Wu, the dark-haired, beady-eyed man, one of the many members of the defunct Fuma Clan, visibly tensed. It hadn't even been three days since he was released from the medical ward, so seeing the person that had forcibly pried apart his shoulder blades caused him to feel a mixture of anxiety and rapidly increasing nausea. Feigning ignorance, Wu raised his hand, a friendly smile on his face as he said, "Yo. Did you join Otogakure just recently? I don't think I've ever seen you before." "..." Amused by the man's hateful glare, Wu was tempted to tease him further when Kagero showed up in her hunchbacked disguise, popping up out of the ground as she stated, "Otokage-sama wishes to speak with you..." Nodding in affirmation, Wu replied, "I was planning to head over there in a moment." before asking, "Is she in her throne room or one of her labs...?" Since it was a fair question, Kagero gave a nod of her own before replying, "She's in her throne room. Guren-sama is also present..." Though Tayuya had warned him about flirting with Guren, Wu responded with a fairly cheeky, "Nice." Then, before Kagergo could retreat into the ground, he added, "I might stick around for a bit before heading out in the morning. You should stop by my room when you're off duty..." Hearing Wu's 'proposition,' the green-haired girl concealed beneath the visage of a buck-toothed hunchback visibly reddened. She immediately 'understood' why he was asking her to stop by, so she began to fidget nervously, a rather disgusting sight for Tayuya and the dark-haired man. Then, instead of responding verbally, she sank into the ground and 'swam' away at her fastest speed. Seeing the little mayfly run off, Wu mused, "And there she goes~" in a sing-song tone. Afterward, he casually made his way into the interior of the underground compound, Tayuya following close behind as they made their way to the Otokage's, Orochimaru's throne room... ... .. . "Welcome back, Dadi-sama, Tayuya-chan. Considering how long you were abroad, I trust your visit to the Land of Lightning was eventful? I certainly heard quite a few rumors while you were away..." Since just about everyone throughout the Mainland had heard about the 'disaster' that had befallen Kumogakure, Wu made no effort to conceal his involvement in the matter, casually replying, "The Raikage was quite a bit stronger than I was expecting. If I hadn't thoroughly trained the muscles of my neck and shoulders, that damned ogre would have taken my head off at the start of the fight." Though her breathing became audible when she heard Wu admit to being the culprit behind Kumo's near destruction, the Otokage forced herself to appear calm as she mused, "As expected of the boy who intends to carve his name into the very foundations of the Shinobi World. Well done, Dadi-sama..." Smiling proudly, Wu made a show of raising his chin and puffing out his chest slightly as he retorted, "Was there ever any doubt? I mean, it's not like I refer to myself as the splendiferous Saiko Dadi just because I like how it sounds. I'm fucking awesome." Exhaling a bone-chilling chuckle, 'Otochimaru' was about to stoke Wu's ego further when the latter interrupted her, saying, "Oh, and while we're on the subject of my badassery, you should probably know I'm planning to head to Suna next. I kind of agreed to give the other villages a taste of the same medicine once I was finished with Kumo." Furrowing her brows ever so slightly, Otochimaru wanted to insist that Wu stick around. However, even if she offered him power through the Cursed Seal of Heaven, the odds of him actually accepting it were slim. 'Dadi' was a prideful, borderline arrogant boy who believed in the power he already possessed. He was also capable enough to contend against someone like the Raikage, so if she intended to make him into one of her future vessels, she would need to employ more...subtle tactics. Fortunately, while Dadi's constant wandering was a mild inconvenience for Otochimaru, his next destination actually served her interests. She had spent the last three and a half years ensuring that tensions between Suna and Konoha were at an all-time high. They had already agreed to support her during the crushing of Konoha, but their cooperation could be assured if she sent Dadi to them as a representative of Oto. Having made up her mind, the Orochikage proposed, "How about visiting Suna as my representative alongside Guren and Tayuya-chan? Otogakure and Sunagakure will be cooperating during the upcoming Chunin Exams. I believe the teams participating at the behest of Sun will be 'motivated' to improve once they witness the power possessed by Oto Shinobi similar to them in age..." Though he originally intended to have Tayuya stick back at the base and see if she could convince the other girls to emigrate to Konoha, Wu didn't hesitate to respond, "Sure, sounds like a lot of fun. Just don't get mad if I accidentally beat up their Kazekage, hahahahaha~." Narrowing her eyes in amusement, the Otokage replied, "I would like you to defer to Guren during the mission, but I won't protest if you 'cut loose' a bit. Just be sure to avoid causing too much damage to their village. It's quite pitiful, you see, being constructed in the center of a desert and all..." Providing a thumbs up, Wu mused, "No worries. If it comes to that, I'll be sure to take things out of the village. I wouldn't want to sabotage our little alliance, now would I~?" Believing that 'Dadi' was just fooling around, the Otokage responded with one of her creepier chuckles. Even if Dadi destroyed the entirety of Suna, she actually wouldn't mind. More accurately, it wouldn't matter so long as he went on to weaken or outright destroy Konoha soon after. Both results served her underlying desire to abolish the existing system in its entirety. Then, while the various nations warred against one another, she would have all the time in the world to research Immortality and her other fields of interest. After that, she could finally rid the world of the very concept of mortality...then no one else would ever have to die... ... .. . (A/N: For those of you who are unaware, Orochimaru wasn't always a monster. He just got tired of watching everyone around him die...)

Chapter 44: Chrysalis