I, Your Father, Carry a Big Stick

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... ... .. .

After reading through the contents of the scroll, Rasa arranged to have Wu, Tayuya, and Guren stay in one of their diplomatic suites. Each had been given a room of their own, but Tayuya didn't even bother checking hers out before making herself comfortable in Wu's. As a result, the latter was using her increasingly pliant ass as a pillow when someone knocked on his door, interrupting his reading of a bout about poisonous plants and herbs native to the region. Before Tayuya could rise after him, Wu ordered her to 'behave,' leaving the pouty redhead lying on her stomach as he made his way over to the door, opening it to find a 157cm tall girl with teal eyes and sandy-blonde hair fixed into four 'starburst' pigtails. She had on a light-purple outfit that vaguely resembled the fusion of a low-cut kimono and a nurse's uniform, hanging from her shoulders to reveal a mesh armor extending from her neck and presumably covering the rest of her torso. She also had on a scarlet sash and some kind of fishnet material covering her left thigh and right calf, the purpose of which Wu could only imagine. Seeing Wu checking her out, the blonde-haired Kunoichi took the liberty to do the same while questioning, "You're the 'infamous' Saiko Dadi? You certainly don't look like someone that could take on a Kage...just how old are you?" Adopting a mischievous smile, Wu replied, "Old enough to understand the implications of your visit, young enough not to give two shits. Do you want to come inside, or would you prefer to let me have the honor...?" Though she was momentarily confused by Wu's words, a tinge of pink spread through the girl's cheeks as she narrowed her eyes into a half-lidded expression and remarked, "You certainly have the confidence part down. Unfortunately for you, I didn't come here for the reasons you seem to believe. My father asked me to show you and your friend around Suna. But if you're that desperate for a woman's touch, I can drop you off at the red light district before returning home." Rolling his eyes, Wu teased, "Yeah, yeah...you keep telling yourself you're just here to be my guide. With badassery like mine, do you think I haven't been through this same song and dance before? Also, plan on introducing yourself any time soon?" Furrowing her brows, the blonde-haired girl replied, "Temari of the Sand..." in a low growl. Despite her denial, she clearly understood why her father had tasked her with being Dadi's escort during his stay in Suna. The boy was strong enough to defeat a Tailed Beast and contend against a Kage at twelve years old. Their alliance with Oto was also recently forged, so 'strengthening their ties' mutually benefited both parties. She just didn't want to admit she was being treated as a tool to further Suna's interests... Directing his gaze to Temari's chest, Wu playfully remarked, "Temari, huh? It suits you..." As her name meant 'hand ball,' Temari immediately understood what Wu was implying as he stared at her breasts. The sudden urge to punch him swelled within her mind, but, understanding the disastrous consequences of doing so, she forced a smile and replied, "Thanks. My mother gave it to me..." Increasing Temari's desire to punch him a thousandfold, Wu shamelessly remarked, "It clearly isn't the only thing she gave you..." Inhaling a steadying breath, Temari's expression and tone became serious as she said, "My mother died more than twelve years ago. I would appreciate it if you didn't make such crass jokes..." Catching the sandy-blonde a little by surprise, Wu's cheeky smile turned into an awkward, ostensibly apologetic grin as he scratched the back of his head and awkwardly inquired, "Is that so...?" before following it with a sincere-sounding, "Sorry..." Recovering after several surprised blinks, Temari crossed her arms and averted her gaze to the side as she softly replied, "Don't worry about it. She died a long time ago. Besides, I can kind of understand why you'd feel the need to crack jokes at a time like this. My youngest brother also had power and responsibility thrust upon him. It...isn't easy, is it?" Shaking his head, Wu asserted, "It's a better position to be in than the shoes of my enemies. It also permits me to meet cute and considerate girls such as yourself. In that regard, I would argue I'm quite fortunate..." Seeing Wu immediately revert to his playful persona, Temari exhaled a tired sigh before adopting a faint smile and pointedly remarking, "At least you're aware of it. If any other guy tried to approach me, my father would review every aspect of their character and background before summoning them to his office to inform them of their inadequacies and warn them of their proper place. This is probably the longest conversation I've had with a boy outside my immediate family." As Temari kept mentioning her family at virtually every opportunity, Wu's expression became 'serious' as he remarked, "Your father is a wise man. If I had a daughter half as cute as you, I'd have her walk around with a stick and teach her to beat the shit out of any boy brave enough to approach..." Though she knew Wu's words were pure lip service, Temari couldn't help exhaling an amused chuckle. She still wasn't all that enthused about the circumstances she had been forced into, but at least Wu was easy to talk to... ... .. . Observing the interaction between Wu and his daughter using a technique that allowed him to link his vision to an eye formed of sand particles, Rasa gave a curt nod and muttered, "It seems I was worried for nothing..." While it was true he frequently invited his daughter's would-be suitors to his office, Rasa only did so because he wanted to find someone 'worthy' of her. If the people targetting her couldn't even look him in the eye and request his permission to pursue her, how could he trust them to remain firm if his daughter's life was in danger? At least with someone like Dadi, he could be sure she would be protected. The strong were usually just as possessive. If something jeopardized what was 'theirs,' they would fight for it with every fiber of their being... Canceling his Jutsu, Rasa returned his eyes to the scroll penned to him by Orochimaru. It rehashed the details of their upcoming invasion of Konoha but also outlined a path for future cooperation. Once 'destroyed,' Konoha, or, more accurately, another village, would need to be constructed in its place. Suna lacked the workforce and population to protect their interests abroad, so Orochimaru had proposed a union between Dadi and Temari to prevent arguments over the distribution of land and resources. Simply put, the duo would become the leaders of a village that served the interests of both Suna and Oto. Though the arrangement would invariably favor Otogakure, Rasa knew that, with his strength, he couldn't possibly defend both Suna and a newly formed village. He would have needed to assign someone to protect and administrate the region, so who better than his daughter and a boy whose potential seemed limitless? Dadi wasn't even a teenager but could already defeat Tailed Beasts without external assistance. If anyone could protect his daughter and a newly established village, Saiko Dadi could... ... .. . After accompanying Temari around her shithole of a village for the better part of six hours, Wu returned to his room to find Tayuya in the middle of doing handstand pushups. Her physique had improved tremendously in just a single month, so it was now possible to make out the outline of her abdominal muscles as she strained to keep her balance and complete her most recent set. As he had come to appreciate watching others train after years of being an involuntary mentor, Wu snuck over to the bed and silently scrutinized Tayuya's form and progress. The prickly redhead had a lazy, almost cat-like personality at times, but she could also be really hardworking when she wanted to be. It would be some time before she met Wu's standards, but she was making steady progress, and it showed. Finished with a 'light set,' totaling 100 verticle pushups, Tayuya exhaled a sigh and controlled her transition to become perfectly horizontal without touching the ground. Then, while continuing to support herself with just her hands, she spread her legs wide, eventually doing a full split before raising herself onto the tips of her fingers and holding the posture. It was quite the sight to behold from Wu's perspective, but he resisted the urge to comment as one of the things he despised most was being interrupted in the middle of his training... Fortunately, Tayuya's rather peculiar planking exercise was one of the last in a routine that has lasted more than two hours. When she was finished, her scarlet locks were caked to her body, but there was a gratified smile on her face as she absentmindedly traced the line of her abdomen. Before meeting Wu, she had never imagined developing her physique to the point she had visible abs. It was only possible due to an uncompromising diet and a considerable amount of exercise, but she was gradually beginning to take pride in her results. Seeing Tayuya admiring herself, Wu couldn't help but ask, "Would you like a mirror, my narcissistic little tomato?" Starling slightly, Tayuya looked toward Wu with slightly widened eyes before regaining her usual edge as she asked, "Do you always have to be such a voyeur...?" Shaking his head, Wu asserted, "You're not the only one captivated by your progress. Seeing your muscles develop and watching your flexibility improve fill me with just as much gratification as you. After all, I'm bound to 'benefit' quite a bit in the future." Rolling her eyes, Tayuya retorted, "You could 'benefit' right now if you weren't so concerned with a brat that isn't even here..." Since he was supporting his head with his left hand, Wu shrugged and raised his right as he mused, "I would think you had a vested interest in me being the type of man who keeps his promises." Unable to refute Wu's words, Tayuya just snorted through her nose in a pouty huff. She had never once felt this 'frustrated' before meeting and getting to know Wu. If the very notion didn't disgust her, she might find another man just to alleviate the 'itch' that was beginning to drive her a little crazy... Making her way over to Wu's bedside, Tayuya's expression became serious as she said, "Let me sit on your face..." Turning his eyes up at the zesty redhead, Wu teased, "Is that any way to ask for a favor~?" Spurred by her 'frustration,' Tayuya's revised Cursed Seal of Heaven began to stir, quickly transitioning from her base state to her level two, now completely symmetrical transformation as she growled, "Please let me sit on your face...Wu-sama..." As he found Tayuya's transformed state more than a little charming, the color of Wu's eyes shifted from gold to a fiery red as he replied, "That's my girl..." before lying on his back, patting his chest, and adding, "Come to daddy..." With Wu's consent, Tayuya didn't hesitate to strip away her spats and top before straddling the former's face. Her muscle density and, as a result, her weight increased quite a bit in her transformed state. However, as he was used to casually spinning around a staff that weighed 8000kgs, Wu was able to freely maneuver Tayuya's bottom with his hands before giving her the 'medicine' she needed to tide herself over until he could break her, and many others, completely... ... .. . (A/N: When horny gets literal...)

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.)

Chapter 45: I, Your Father, do not like Sand. It's Coarse, and Rough, and Irritating—and it Gets Everywhere...