I, Your Father, Carry a Big Stick

After a much longer night than she was expecting, stretching well into the morning, Tsunade was using the Mystic Palm to alleviate the ache in her hips and lower back as she grumbled, "Dammit, kid...show some restraint next time..." Instead of responding immediately, Wu silently observed Tsunade's actions while lying on his side, hand propping up his head as he softly asserted, "You're beautiful..." with a 'dazed' look on his face. Though she 'glared' back at him, Tsunade didn't offer a rebuttal. Wu had performed 'a lot' better than she was expecting. He was meticulous yet passionate during foreplay, pleasantly 'forceful' during the act itself, and his stamina...she was utterly exhausted and cramping due to dehydration, but Wu looked like he could go another ten hours without issue...maybe a lot more... Shaking her head, Tsunade muttered, "Little monster..." under her breath before attempting to rise to her feet. However, despite her treatment, her legs immediately gave out on her, nearly causing her to stumble until Wu miraculously appeared, seemingly out of thin air, to catch her. "Take it slow...I can't imagine it's easy to walk after having your insides stirred up for ten hours. You couldn't even think straight half an hour ago, so don't force yourself..." Though she was secretly appreciative that Wu had caught her, Tsunade turned her eyes up at him with a judgemental look as she asked, "Do you enjoy hearing the sound of your voice? If you keep inflating your ego like that, your head will expand..." Adopting a cheeky smile, Wu mused, "I much prefer the sound of yours..." with a narrowed gaze and a fiery look in his eyes. He was half-tempted to give the busty blonde a smack on the ass, but he knew they weren't quite at that stage...yet. Blushing up to her ears, Tsunade was about to shove Wu away when he stole the initiative from her, picking her up in a princess carry and asking, "Where did you need to go? I'll carry you." with a markedly more 'sincere' expression and tone. "..." Resisting the urge to tell Wu to fuck off, Tsunade remained silent for a few moments before answering, "I need to wash up. Carry me to the bath..." in a soft yet authoritative tone. To her surprise, Wu's smile broadened as he replied, "No problem." before carrying her from the room and following her directions to the bathhouse. There, he disregarded her initial protests and gave her a 'very thorough' scrubbing before carrying her back to her room and advising her to get some rest while he went outside to train... ... .. . "I get it, okay!? You've proven your point! Go outside and collect all the women you want! Just give me a fucking break...!" After five days of cohabitation, punctuated by 8-10 hours of sex every single day, Tsunade was at her wit's end. It felt good, sure. Damn good, even. But she hadn't left the house a single since Wu came over, and his 'care' was so thorough that she barely even left her room. With an expression resembling a kicked puppy, Wu hung his head and whispered, "I thought you wanted me to prove to you I'm not a brat. You keep calling me things like 'kid,' so I just assumed you weren't satisfied..." Hearing Wu's 'explanation,' Tsunade had one of the most dumbfounded expressions the former had ever witnessed. If she had known Wu was going to town on her just to prove a point, she would have conceded the first night. Reaching up to massage her forehead, Tsunade exhaled a groan and said, "Fine, fine...you're a 'real' man, got it? Sorry for calling you a kid. Now, can you leave me in peace? Shizune and Tonton had to move to another room because you don't let any of us get any sleep at night..." Smiling apologetically, Wu scratched the back of his head as if he were embarrassed. In truth, he didn't actually know if his actions were extreme or not, as Tsunade was the first woman he had sex with. He reasoned this was the best time to weaponize that fact against her, so he hung his head and said, "Sorry...this is the first time I'm doing something like this. I just wanted to make you feel good..." Blinking several times, Tsunade opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find the words. When she did, several beads of sweat began forming on her brow as she tentatively inquired, "Don't tell me...could it be you were still a virgin before this? How is that possible...?" Shrugging his shoulders, Wu replied, "I definitely had the opportunity, but I didn't want to jump into a commitment or derail my future aspirations by inadvertently having a kid. Before Hiruzen approached me, and you asked me to 'prove' myself, I was planning to wait until I was between sixteen or seventeen before becoming sexually active..." "..." Unable to process what she was hearing, Tsunade cradled her forehead while holding up her left hand to prevent Wu from speaking further. If she had known Wu was still a virgin, she would have delayed their marriage at least a year or two. Now, she felt like she had stolen something precious from both Wu and the girls who were infatuated with him... Ignoring Tsunade's attempt to silence him, Wu exacerbated matters by adopting his most radiant smile and stating, "I don't regret it. Not even a little. I've said it before, but you're an extraordinary woman, Tsunade. A lot of people would envy the position I willfully stumbled into." "Ugh..." Feeling as though she had suffered critical damage, Tsunade groaned, and she couldn't even look Wu in the eye. His smile cut through her like the sharpest of knives, piercing to the very core of her being and filling her with emotions ranging from guilt to gratification. "Dammit, kid...if you keep saying shit like this, you're going to make me a fool..." Confused by Tsunade's words, Wu was about to ask what she meant but was preempted by her exhaling a sigh and muttering, "Just for tonight, I'll let you go for as long as you like..." with a distinctly 'pouty' expression on her face, complete with puffed-out cheeks. There was even a faint blush creeping into her cheeks, compelling Wu to smile from ear to ear in what Tsunade interpreted as unfettered excitement... ... .. . &lt;Two Days Later&gt; After entrusting Tsunade to Shizune, Wu made his way into Konoha with a smile and a discernible 'skip' in his step. He had gone to great lengths to ensure Tsunade no longer felt 'guilty' about taking advantage of him. More importantly, he had released all the 'tensions' that had accumulated in his body over the years, so he was in an incredible mood and felt lighter than he had in his entire life. Thus, even though he wasn't entirely sure how to explain the situation to Tenten, he was all smiles as he made his way over to Yakiniku Q. Though he didn't encounter anyone worth talking to during his visit, Wu emerged from the restaurant in an even better mood than before. Hiruzen had never explicitly told him he could no longer open tabs in his name, so Wu had filled his stomach with more than three kilos of premium-cut pork and steak. The Senju Manor's food stores were practically empty, and the budget given to Shizune to purchase groceries could barely afford to feed the two women and their pet, much less someone as voracious as Wu. He had fasted for six months in the past, just to confirm whether he could subsist entirely off of Natural Energy, but he much preferred to have a full belly. And food simply tasted better when someone else was paying. Feeling content and full, Wu set his destination as the Higurashi Tool Shop before allowing his feet to carry him on pure muscle memory. He wasn't in a hurry, so he spent the better part of an hour just taking in the sights and sounds of Konoha. Everything seemed just a little brighter than usual, the smiles on people's faces more prominent, and the sounds emanating from the crowds less annoying. Smiling in amusement, Wu softly hummed, "I had heard that having sex could change how people viewed the world, but I had never imagined it to be a literal interpretation...I could get used to this..." Spurred by his words, Wu was about to break his rule about not flying over Konoha when a peculiar sight caught his eye. Sasuke and Sakura were roaming around together, and the former didn't appear too annoyed despite the latter clinging to his arm and giggling like an idiot. They were clearly on a date, but instead of messing with them, as he was very prone to doing, Wu just exhaled a chuckle and mused, "It seems Spring is in the air..." before leaving the young couple to their business. ... .. . As it had been three days since she expected Wu to show up, Tenten was beginning to feel slightly exasperated. She knew there had to be a reason for him not to appear, but she would be disappointed if she found he had left the village without at least informing her parents... Fortunately, just as Tenten was thinking about visiting the Sarutobi Estate directly, her mother called up to her, shouting, "Tenten! Your beloved Wu-kun is here~!" in an audibly teasing tone. Though no one was around to see her, as far as she knew, Tenten rolled her eyes before rushing over to her door. She expected to find Wu down in the kitchen or the living room, so she nearly bumped into him when she opened the door to find him right outside. Taking advantage of Tenten's forward momentum, Wu caught her in his arms, a teasing smile on his face as he said, "Got ya..." Turning her eyes up, Tenten reciprocated Wu's embrace before asking, "Where have you been, Wu? I've had to train on my own since you didn't show up." Though he guided her back into her room first, Wu adopted a wry smile and replied, "I...kind of got married..." Blinking nearly a dozen times in rapid succession, the smile on Tenten's face became noticeably more artificial as she asked, "Care you explain?" Nodding his head, Wu said, "That's exactly what I came here to do. But you should probably sit down first. It's going to be a doozy..." "Right..." Allowing Wu to guide her to the bed, Tenten sat down, her brief stupor replaced by a serious expression as she stated, "This had better be good. Hinata and Naruto are still together, as far as I'm aware, so who could you have married in such a short period?" Scratching the back of his head, Wu's smile became even wrier as he said, "Yeah...that's the doozy part. For a variety of different reasons, I ended up getting hitched to your childhood hero, Senju Tsunade. Since then, we've spent the past few days...consummating our relationship..." As the gears in her mind ground to a halt, the expression on Tenten's face froze along with them. Wu had told her about the incident where he gave Tsunade a peach, but this was the first time she was hearing about them being in a relationship. She knew Wu wouldn't lie to her, but as someone that had been obsessed with Tsunade since childhood, Tenten couldn't wrap her head around the notion her boyfriend had married someone in their fifties... Fortunately, or perhaps not, Wu was ready and willing to give her an in-depth explanation of the events that had transpired. Beginning with his discussion with the Third Hokage... ... .. . (A/N: Peerless under Heaven...!)

After hearing what Wu had to say and taking a few moments to collect herself, Tenten recapped, "So you learned from the Third Hokage that Lady Tsunade's eggs were going to given to surrogates, volunteered to 'help,' got into a heated argument, and still somehow ended up getting married...?" Though he nodded his head, Wu corrected, "It would be more accurate to say Jiji asked if I was willing, and I replied that I was. After all, Tsunade is the woman you look up to and intend to surpass. The fact she agreed with the arrangement should tell you just how 'dire' the situation was..." Exhaling a sigh, Tenten leaned into Wu's shoulder as she replied, "Yeah...I get that. It's just hard to believe that 'the' Senju Tsunade is now your wife. I can't imagine how I'm going to face her..." Resting his cheek atop Tenten's head, Wu softly replied, "When you're ready...for now, we continue our lives as usual. I already talked to her at length, and she has no problems with me assisting in your training these next couple of weeks. She even permitted us to utilize the Senju Clan Compound, nearly 500 acres of forest personally planted by the Shodai Hokage..." As exciting as the prospect of exploring the 'heart' of Konoha was, Tenten wasn't quite ready to meet with Tsunade just yet, replying, "For now, let's just use the usual training grounds. I..." Realizing how her words could be misconstrued as running away, Tenten found herself unable to voice them. It wasn't like she could avoid meeting Tsunade for the rest of her life, so even though the very thought made her tremble, she supplanted, "I changed my mind...let's go ahead and use the Senju Clan Compound. In fact, let's go right this instant. The sooner I can get this over with, the sooner I can return to focusing on my training." Nodding his head in approval, Wu gave Tenten a kiss on the top of her head, saying, "That's my girl..." in an affectionate tone. He wouldn't have condemned her if she wanted to put things off, but facing the source of your worries and insecurities was infinitely better than allowing them to consume you. The longer she delayed the encounter, the more anxious and unfocused she would become... Catching Wu a little off guard, Tenten softly inquired, "So...what was it like? Someone as...experienced as Lady Tsunade should have been able to teach you all kinds of things, right?" Flipping things on their head, Wu surprised Tenten by asserting, "Quite the opposite, surprisingly. I also thought she would be experienced, but she yielded the advantage pretty quickly once I got her to climax a few times. After that, she never even tried to steal it back..." Though it was a little difficult to believe, a wry smile developed across Tenten's face as she remarked, "Why am I not surprised? And to think, for a moment there, I was actually looking forward to seeing you get teased by an older woman." Recalling the state he had left Tsunade in before his departure, Wu had a confident smile on his face as he stated, "That's not going to happen. You should know that if it's a skill I can quantitatively improve, I keep 'training' until I surpass even my own expectations. You might find this challenging to believe, but there was a point when Tsunade was shouting at me to go and find other women just to have a moment's reprieve." Contrasting Wu's expectations, Tenten remarked, "I can't speak about the parts concerning Lady Tsunade, but the rest certainly sounds like you. It's one of the reasons I'm terrified to actually do it. I've heard about Kunoichi who have been 'broken' during intense intercourse..." Planting another kiss on Tenten's head, Wu assured her, "I would never do something you're against, Tenten. Tsunade just goaded me and paid the price for her hubris..." Not wanting the image of her Hero to be tarnished any further, Tenten responded with a half-hearted, "Yeah, yeah..." before asking, "When do you want to introduce me? I didn't have anything planned today except training, so I'm down to go whenever." Surprising the dango-haired girl, Wu shook his head, asserting, "Now isn't the best time. We can go over the Senju Clan Compound, but I don't think Tsunade is in any condition to accept visitors. If I had to guess, she won't be waking for another six to eight hours, at least..." Blinking in surprise, Tenten's voice carried more than a hint of incredulity as she asked, "What did you do to her...?" Narrowing his eyes and adopting a playful smile, Wu replied, "She wanted to see my limits. I merely proved to her I didn't have any..." Understanding what Wu was insinuating, Tenten's voice trembled slightly as she softly inquired, "How long...?" Adopting a toothy, almost feral grin, Wu left the dango-haired girl reeling as he revealed, "Fifty-three hours, and I still haven't rested...in fact, I feel more energetic and 'alive' than ever before. Aren't you excited~?" Without hesitation, Tenten replied, "More like horrified..." before adopting a sober expression and adding, "Promise me you'll never do anything like that to me, Wu..." Pulling the usually bubbly girl close, Wu's expression and tone softened as he answered, "I said it before...I would never force you to do anything you're unwilling. This situation with Tsunade may have shaken things up, but you're still the first woman I chose to walk this path with...nothing can ever change that..." With Wu's words whittling away at the defenses of her heart and mind, Tenten momentarily forgot her trepidations and muttered, "Oh, Wu-kun..." in a faint, clearly enamored tone. Then, as the latter drew his face closer to her own, Tenten closed her eyes and just allowed her instincts to take over... ... .. . As the days since Wu's return transitioned into weeks, the delegations from Iwa, Suna, Kumo, Kiri, and several other smaller Shinobi Nations began to arrive in Konoha. Around the same time, Hiruzen called Wu into his office to ask if he intended to participate in the Chunin Exams, but the latter immediately refused. He had every intention of taking part, primarily to prevent Orochimaru from targeting anyone he found useful, but most of Wu's interest in the Chunin Exams involved its Finals. Since he had intended to talk Wu 'out' of participating, Hiruzen had no problem permitting the former to do as he pleased. It would cause an international incident if Wu were discovered partaking in the Exams as an inactive participant, but Hiruzen was confident in the boy's ability to go undetected. Besides, if Oto and Suna 'did' orchestrate an invasion of the village, they could easily claim that Wu was acting in the capacity of an ANBU operative. Who was going to attempt to hold the boy accountable? The Raikage...? With the matter of his 'participation' decided, Wu was asked to remain low-key until the delegations from the other villages departed. He wasn't expressly prohibited from walking around the village, but Hiruzen asked him to act with discretion unless he was sure of his victory and prepared to eliminate Orochimaru ahead of schedule. Fortunately for Hiruzen, Wu was more than happy to 'confine' himself to the Senju Clan Compound. 'Bullying' Tsunade and teasing Shizune were quickly becoming his favorite pastime, and he had already explained his circumstances to everyone that mattered. If anyone needed something from him, they could easily find him at the Senju Clan Compound, either training himself 'or' Tsunade... ... .. . "I can't believe I let you talk me into this..." With a mesh bodysuit covering her ribs, abdomen, and thighs, a white crop top that barely contained her breasts, and a red skirt that struggled nearly as much to conceal her remarkably rotund ass, Tsunade had sweat beading from her brows as Wu instructed her in his 'horse stance' training. It was the same training Wu had put most of his students through, but he had gradually refined it to include weights and strike training. While perched on the end of his staff, which was currently parallel to the ground and with the opposite end adhered to a tree, Wu replied, "You're the one who demanded to know the 'secret' of my strength. Besides, now that you have that incredible body to serve as a foundation, it would be a sin not to refine it further." Unable to refute Wu's words, Tsunade just continued to squat with her hands out to her sides, each clutching the rims of jars with the kanji for 'guts' written on their surface. The contents of said jars were granulated Chakra Metal Ore, the same material used to pack the weights used by people like Wu, Lee, and other physical-oriented Shinobi in their training. Even a palm-sized bar of the material could weigh hundreds of kilograms, yet Tsunade was supporting reinforced ceramic jars filled with liters of the substance, roughly 100,000 kilograms each. Though he was confident he would wipe the floor with her in a fight, Wu had to concede he wasn't a match for Tsunade in terms of raw physical strength. His current limit was around 140,000 kilograms, yet, according to Tsunade, she had once used the sword wielded by Jiraiya's summon to take out an entire platoon of enemy Shinobi. Said blade was more than 16 meters in length and purported to be around 400,000 kilograms, yet she had managed to swing it around like an ant swinging a full-sized tanto... Observing Tsunade's form, caked in sweat and focused to the extreme, Wu would be lying if he said he didn't feel an inkling of 'obsession' for the woman. Tsunade's character left a lot to be desired, but her strength and beauty were 'beyond' exceptional. She was widely regarded as the most powerful Kunoichi in history, so seeing her aiming to improve herself 'just for him' stoked the flames in Wu's heart and eyes. Feeling Wu's gaze burning a hole in her, a progressively ruddy hue spread through Tsunade's cheeks. She would never, ever admit it, but his 'honest' desires caused her to feel increasingly giddy. She initially thought he was just a brat using his strength, appearance, and natural charisma to satisfy his desires. In reality, Wu's most sincere desire was to have at least one person who could keep up with his monstrous growth. Thus, whenever he found anyone even remotely close to him in terms of strength or potential, he did everything he could to 'obtain' them and spur their growth. In other words, at least from Tsunade's perspective, Wu was desperate not to feel alone... Reaching the limits of her endurance, Tsunade released the jars, allowing them to crash to the earth, their weight causing them to embed so deeply into the fertile soil they were nearly buried completely. Then, even though she knew she would 'regret' it, she turned to Wu and said, "Today is a safe day..." Replacing the faint red glow exuding from his pupils, Wu's eyes became fiery red as he promptly descended from his perch, a wolfish grin on his face as he teased, "Have I ever told you how much I absolutely fucking adore you?" Resisting the urge to point out that he had never even said he loved her, Tsunade rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, yeah...why don't you take that silver tongue of yours and put it to use somewhere else? My hormones have been going crazy ever since I started training again. You have the responsibility of helping me 'balance' them." Grinning even fiercer, Wu's eyes looked like they were on the verge of firing beams as he practically growled, "If I weren't concerned with how you viewed me, I'd push you down right here and now..." Though her throat tensed slightly and her heart skipped a beat, Tsunade managed to appear unflustered as she forced a smile and replied, "Lucky for me that you do..." ... .. . (A/N: For those who are curious, check out the fight between Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru. She really does swing around Gamabunta's tanto like it's a toy. And yes, it does weigh that much, if not considerably more due. After all, no ordinary metal could endure the strain of being swung around by a giant frog without snapping instantly.)

With his plans to kick back, relax, and just train for around fourteen hours ruined, Wu meandered around Konoha with no clear destination. He was tempted to visit Kaia, but the last time he went to the Inuzuka Compound, her mother insinuated that he should basically 'breed' her on the spot. While Wu wasn't so attached to physical appearances that he would shun Kaia for her boyishness, pushing her down and taking her from behind like a dog wasn't at the top of his 'to-do' list. He imagined he would, at some point, but he didn't like being pressured into doing something without any clear, tangible benefits. Some might consider the act of fucking a tangible benefit, but, as someone with several options, Wu would be 'giving' a lot more than he received in such a situation... Pulling a shiny golden Ryo from his Storage Pouch, Wu gave it a quick flip to decide his fate. If it landed with the date stamp up, he would surprise Tenten by spending the day with her parents, helping out around the store until she returned from training. If it landed with the date stamp down, he would bite the bullet and visit the Inuzuka Clan Compound, albeit with the intent of 'just' visiting. Either way, he would be heading to Yakiniku Q before anything else. Flipping the gold coin unnecessarily high into the air, high enough that a normal person wouldn't even be able to see it, Wu's expression morphed into a flawless deadpan when a fucking crow swooped in out of nowhere and snatched it out of the air. "..." Resisting the temptation to chase after and beat the shit out of the crow, Wu put his hands into his pockets and silently made his way to Yakiniku Q. As for where he would head after that? Well, technically speaking, the coin never landed. He could flip another, but he decided he might as well see what fate had in store, passing much of the remaining day wandering around without a purpose... ... .. . After idling about in Wu's room for several hours, even taking a nap at one point, Tsunade inferred she was being 'ghosted.' She was tempted to wait around until Wu returned, just to spite the little brat for daring to reject her for some snot-nosed lasses, but she figured that would be too petty, even for her. With several hours to cool her head and at least 'attempt' to view things from Wu's viewpoint, Tsunade could see how her request was just a 'little' unfair. She also understood that her attempts to avoid responsibility were the direct cause of the current situation. No matter how she looked at it, Tsunade knew that Wu had been doing her a pretty massive favor by accepting Hiruzen's proposal. Because of her most recent attempts to avoid her responsibilities, she had basically forced the matter. Wu allowing her to use 'his' women as surrogates was probably the best possible outcome, given the circumstances. However, instead of being grateful for his sacrifice, Tsunade had wanted him to give up even more just to protect her 'pride' as a woman. While pride was undoubtedly important, Tsunade was well aware that she had thrown away her dignity and several other things throughout her long depression. For twenty-five years, she had drowned her misery in alcohol, consumed countless drugs, used her body to get her way, and gambled with such wanton indifference that she had bankrupted one of the most affluent Clans in the world. With all that in her ledger, not to mention the veritable mountain of 'baggage' she carried, did she even have the 'right' to be prideful? Exhaling a sigh, Tsunade removed Wu's shirt before tossing it onto his bed and making her way, buck naked, to the bathroom. Along the way, she passed by a standing mirror, something Wu often used to check the condition of his body. Upon seeing her reflection, Tsunade did much the same, once again awed by the disparity between her present appearance and the wrinkled 'husk' she once was... Despite her healthy complexion and the perkiness of her ass and tits, three things most women would have been exceptionally grateful to possess, Tsunade couldn't help exhaling a frustrated sigh, muttering, "God dammit..." before turning away from the mirror and making her way into the bathroom... ... .. . After meandering about for most of the day, Wu returned to the Sarutobi Estate, believing not even Tsunade could be obstinate enough to wait an entire day just to spite him. When he didn't immediately sense her Chakra, a gratified smile developed across Wu's face until he noticed that Hiruzen was actually home. While it wasn't uncommon for Hiruzen to be in his own house, the elderly Kage was usually busy until late in the evening. He seldom came home early, and when he did, it was generally because they needed to discuss something. The servant standing near the entrance, clearly waiting for his arrival, further confirmed Wu's suspicions. Without giving the servant a chance to greet him, Wu raised his hand and said, "Yeah, yeah. I know. Thanks for coming out to wait. I'll go see him in a moment." Bowing respectfully, the aging servant responded with a polite, "Have a good evening, Young Master." before returning to her other duties. As for Wu, he made a short stop at his room to see if Tsunade had bothered to clean up after herself(she didn't) before making his way over to Hiruzen's study. There, he found the old man without his hat, a 'teasing' smile on his face as he nursed a wooden pipe packed with much more than tobacco. Seeing the look on the man's face, a look of disbelief marred Wu's as he asked, "She actually said yes...?" Nodding his head in affirmation, Hiruzen mused, "She didn't seem all that enthused by the notion, but she brought the marriage contract and Clan Registration Form over to the Council a few hours ago. Congratulations, Wu-kun. I don't imagine things will be easy for you moving forward, but you've managed to succeed where countless other men have failed. All you need to do is sign and stamp this paperwork, and Senju Tsunade will be your lawfully wedded wife..." Pushing the papers toward Wu, Hiruzen was amused to see the boy just staring at them with a blank expression on his face. He had heard about what occurred the previous day and was aware that Wu had been kicked out of his room later that night. He didn't know the 'specifics' of what had occurred, but he didn't find it any less amusing to see someone like Wu at a loss. Gods knew he could use a bit of humbling... After recovering from his genuine yet excessively prolonged stupor, Wu sat down in front of Hiruzen, asking, "And she didn't say anything about the 'ultimatum' she gave me? I'm not signing this paperwork if she thinks, even for a moment, that I'm going to simply 'give up' my other women for her..." Though he blinked in surprise, Hiruzen didn't hesitate to shake his head, answering, "As far as I'm aware, she was consenting to the proposal we discussed previously. At the very least, that's how she made it appear to the Council. I'm afraid you'll need to discuss the-" Before Hiruzen could finish speaking, Wu pricked his thumb and stamped each document. So long as Tsunade didn't inform the Council that he was prohibited from marrying other women, he didn't need to worry too much about the potential backlash. If push came to shove, he could just divorce the temperamental Senju and move on with his life. Seeing how quickly Wu proffered forth his thumbprint, an amused chuckle emanated from Hiruzen's throat. He honestly couldn't blame Wu for being just a little enthusiastic. If he were fifty years younger and didn't have any attachments to life, he might have tried approaching Tsunade himself... Interrupting Hiruzen's daydreaming, Wu gave the man a skeptical look as he questioned, "So, what now? Do I just mosey on over to the Senju Clan Compound and make myself at home...?" Supplying a slight nod, Hiruzen answered, "Now that you have signed the paperwork, it is as much your home as Tsunade's. Just know that you will always have a place here if you ever need to 'escape' or cool your head. I will instruct the cleaning staff to leave your room untouched." Returning a nod of his own, Wu's expression and tone softened as he replied, "Thanks, Jiji. I appreciate it." with a smile. Then, without any real expectations about what was to come, he returned to his room, packed up some of his personal effects, and made his way over to the Senju Clan Compound, the largest Estate in all of Konoha. It had fallen into a state of disrepair after twenty-some-odd years of neglect, but it was still regarded as the most prestigious and historic location in the village... ... .. . Though she had consumed nearly a liter of alcohol to calm her nerves, Tsunade's legs were twitching like someone with restless leg syndrome as she 'patiently' waited for Wu to arrive. As more and more time passed, her desire to rush out and tear up the documents compounded. However, as she couldn't think of a better 'resolution' to the circumstances she had created, she remained seated, glaring at the entrance to the main house with a massive bottle of cheap sake in hand. Fortunately, just as the sun had finished its descent over the horizon, Wu appeared on the path leading to the entrance. Tsunade's body tensed as she saw him, but she managed to calm herself by chugging nearly a third 4.5L bottle. Her metabolism and tolerance blew most people's out of the water, so even though the sake had an alcohol content of 16%, she didn't stumble while attempting to climb to her feet. She did, however, have the ruddy complexion and demeanor of a drunk as she said, "It's about damn time you showed up, brat..." Blinking in feigned surprise, Wu pointed to himself and asked, "Could you be talking about me?" Furrowing her brows, Tsunade pointedly remarked, "I don't see any other brats around, do you?" Shrugging his shoulders, Wu calmly pointed out, "Well, you're married to this brat. I'm glad you changed your mind, by the way. I'm not ashamed to admit I spent most of the day just wandering around and feeling lost after what happened this morning..." Though she was initially planning to continue arguing for a bit, Tsunade blinked in surprise and asked, "Seriously...?" in a disbelieving tone. She hadn't spent that much time with Wu over the past year, but she couldn't imagine him wandering around in low spirits. Shrugging a second time, Wu allowed Tsunade to jump to reach her own conclusion on the matter. If she asked around, it would be pretty easy to confirm he had been wandering around the entire day. He just wasn't in a depressive state while doing so. It might have looked that way to others, but the truth of the matter was that he was simply bored. Reading into Wu's silence, Tsunade took a shallow breath before exhaling a tired sigh. She knew Wu wasn't a fragile boy who needed coddling, but it was hard to deny that she wasn't taking advantage of him. If not for the peach he had given her, this would be a 'very' dubious situation... Though it was probably a little too late to be asking such things, the glare on Tsunade's face visibly softened as she asked, "Are you sure about this, kid? It isn't too-" Before Tsunade could finish speaking, Wu's expression and tone became firm as he said, "Tell me what I need to do to convince you I'm serious. I can't make you my only woman, but I'm willing to do just about anything else. Just name it." "..." Forcing herself to remain calm, Tsunade took several deep breaths before surprising Wu as she calmly replied, "You don't have to do anything, kid. I wouldn't even have this 'opportunity,' much less this body, if it weren't for you. I'm not sure how things will work out, but I'll at least try to abide you having other women. Just..." Narrowing her eyes into a serious expression, Tsunade added, "Just don't expect me to play second fiddle to anyone. You're 'my' husband. I expect you to take that seriously..." Since Tsunade wasn't explicitly asking him to do anything, Wu nodded his head, maintaining his 'serious' expression as he answered, "I swear it..." in a deep, earnest-sounding tone. Seeing no trances of falsity or deception in Wu's gaze, Tsunade exhaled her most prominent sight yet, even going so far as to cradle her forehead as she muttered, "I can't believe I'm about to do this..." Before Wu could ask what she meant, Tsunade regained her intense look, glaring at him as she said, "Get inside. I have no intention of planning any ceremony, so we'll consummate the marriage directly. This is also your chance to prove to me you aren't 'just' a brat, so I expect you to put some effort into it..." Though he would have refused two days prior, Tenten's 'permission' to do as he pleased compelled Wu to narrow his eyes, a mischievous smile on his face as he asserted, "Trust me...you won't be disappointed..." Unaware that Wu was still a virgin, Tsunade snorted through her nose, half-turning as she said, "Don't compare me to those little brats you've been playing with..." before turning around fully and leading the way into the manor. The Senju Clan's financial plight meant she couldn't afford any servants, so the only people living within the 40-room castle were herself, Shizune, and her pet pig, Tonton. As a result, the interior felt like a haunted manor, a notion that brought a devilish smile to Wu's face as he had every intention of making Tsunade scream... ... .. . (A/N: This...this was unexpected...*sweating intensifies*)

Chapter 53: I, Your Father, am not a Child