Chapter 61: I, Your Father, Shall Merge the Heavens and the Earth

While Wu was explaining things to Tenten, Hinata was standing anxiously outside a large yet modest-looking Estate grounds. There were only three residences on the property, but the largest among them could easily rival the manor of the Third Hokage, a building staffed by around forty people.

Knowing that Naruto lived alone in such a large residence, Hinata couldn't help feeling melancholic. However, while she had reverted to wearing her beige hoodie after separating from Wu, she had the front unzipped and a hint of resolution in her eyes as she buzzed to the intercom outside of the Estate.

As he didn't feel like doing anything when Hinata wasn't around, Naruto had been lounging in the living room of the main residence, lazily playing video games. It had cost him a lot of money to have a console imported over from the Land of Snow, but it was worth it as he was the only person in his circle of friends that owned one.

*bzzzzt*

"Hmmm...?"

Pressing pause on the controller, Naruto made his way over the tiny black and white monitor connected to the external intercom, turning it on to see who was outside. His expression lit up when he saw Hinata, but then, just as quickly, morphed into a frown when he saw what she was wearing.

"I thought I told her to stop wearing that outfit..."

Shaking his head, Naruto muttered, "Whatever. It's okay so long as she stays inside and I'm the only one who can see..."

With such thoughts in mind, Naruto didn't bother to speak through the intercom. Instead, he made his way to the front entrance of the manor, a welcoming smile on his face as he opened the door and waved to Hinata, shouting, "I'm glad you came, Hinata-chan! Just jump over the gate and hurry inside."

Contrasting Naruto's expectations, Hinata remained on the other side of the closed gate with a 'serious' expression as she said, "Naruto-kun...we need to talk..."

Though he immediately felt that something was very, very wrong, Naruto made his way over, asking, "What's up, Hinata-chan? You don't have time to come inside? We can watch a movie together, or-"

Without waiting for Naruto to finish, Hinata stated, "I'm breaking up with you, Naruto-kun..."

"..."

Believing he had misheard or that Hinata was joking, Naruto managed to keep his smile, albeit noticeably strained, as he replied, "That's a...pretty awful joke, Hinata-chan..."

By maintaining eye contact, Hinata made it clear she wasn't joking as she added, "Our relationship isn't healthy, Naruto-kun. I've decided...I believe I'll be happier if I abide by my Clan's wishes and marry Wu-kun. The two of us have been engaged for a long time, and-"

Before Hinata could finish, Naruto surprised her by abruptly turning away, head hanging and hands balled into fists as he softly growled, "Just go..." in a trembling voice tinged with rage and sadness. A terrifying aura began to exude from his body, causing dust and tiny pebbles around him to rise against the pull of gravity. However, as anguished as he felt, Naruto knew it would only make things much, much worse if he lashed out violently...

Seeing Naruto's condition, Hinata couldn't help hanging her head slightly. She knew better than most how lonely Naruto truly was, so she couldn't help feeling as though she had wronged him. It's just...while she wanted him to be happy, she was tired of sacrificing her own to help him achieve it...

Turning away from the first boy she had ever loved, Hinata's voice nearly cracked as she whispered, "Goodbye...Naruto-kun..." before walking away with tears building in the corners of her eyes. She didn't cry, but the pain of losing a loved one was still present, squeezing her heart like a vice and causing her to feel anguish from the very core of her being...

As she got further and further away from Naruto's home, the pain Hinata was experiencing compounded. She knew there was no going back now, but just as she was about to break down and start crying in the middle of the road, a familiar warmth embraced her from behind, followed by a soft yet resonant voice whispering, "It's going to be okay..."

Turning around, the tears in Hinata's eyes began to flow uninhibited, her bottom lip quivering as she whimpered, "Wu-kun...it hurts..." in a sobbing tone.

Nodding his head in approval, Wu wrapped his arms around Hinata's suddenly frail-seeming body, holding her flush against his own as he softly asserted, "It's supposed to...that's how you know the love you shared was real. However, it's also evidence of how truly unhappy you were. To love someone so deeply but not feel it returned...it pains my heart just imagining what you had to endure..."

Though Wu's words caused her heart to ache even further, Hinata also felt as though a painful weight was being removed from it. She couldn't think straight due to her chaotic emotions, but the warmth of the boy in front of her helped her remain grounded. She felt as though even a soft breeze might sweep her away, so she clung to Wu's warm and muscular frame as if her life depended on it. In a way, it kind of did...

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As the clone that he had sent to watch over the clone he had concealing itself in Hinata's hoodie dispersed, Wu wrapped up his conversation with Tenten so that the grieving bluenette wouldn't have to experience having her pillar of support abruptly vanishing in a cloud of smoke. Fortunately, Naruto's house was only a half-kilometer from Yakiniku Q, so Wu's clone was able to guide Hinata to a private booth before swapping out with his original with the excuse of needing to use the restroom.

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With some delicious food in her belly and a shoulder to cry on, Hinata's mood qualitatively improved. She was a little glutton when she wanted to be, so after imbibing nearly 10kgs of meat between them, Wu and Hinata made their way to the Hyuga Clan Compound, the latter adhering to the former's arm as he guided her toward their shared fate...

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Suppressing his growing urge to smile, Hiashi remained stoic and stone-faced as he listened to Wu's barebones account of what had transpired and, most importantly, his and Hinata's decision to marry.

When Hiashi had first discussed the possibility of Wu and Hinata being engaged, he hadn't been particularly enthused. It was witnessing how much both of his daughters flourished under Wu's 'care' that made him change his mind. The thing that mattered the most to him, despite what he told the Elders, was his daughters' happiness. So long as he could see their smiles, he could endure just about anything.

With Wu's explanation eventually coming to an end, Hiashi responded with a slight bow, attesting, "Though the circumstances leading up to the decision are less than happy, this news is undoubtedly fortuitous for both the Senju and Hyuga Clans. I know my daughter will be in safe hands with someone like Senju-sama looking after her..."

Nodding his head in affirmation, Wu said, "Just leave it to me." in a calm, confident tone of voice. Before he could lead the conversation toward the specifics of his and Hinata's wedding, however, Hiashi raised his head and added, "On the subject of my daughters' care..."

Adopting an expression that made it very clear he wasn't joking, Hiashi revealed, "It is the sincere belief of myself and the Elders of the Clan that a merger between the Senju and Hyuga Clans with benefit both houses. To that effect...please consider accepting both of my daughters are your wives..."

Though the cogs within his mind briefly ground to a halt, Wu's expression didn't vary in the slightest. He knew there was a high probability that the Hyuga Clan would try to pawn off both of the princesses onto him, but he had expected to be nominated as Hanabi's Jonin-sensei or something to that effect. It had never once occurred to him that a prideful Clan such as the Hyuga would even consider a merger...however, considering the Senju was virtually extinct, it was a reasonably intelligent decision on their part. They might have to abandon their name, but the payoff was securing their place as the most influential Clan in Konoha...

While Wu was weighing the pros and cons within his mind, Hinata and Hiashi interpreted his response as stunned silence. As a result, the former felt compelled to say, "It's okay with me, Wu-kun...Hanabi-chan has had a crush on you for a long time. If it's okay with you...I would like you to give her the same chance at happiness. We can all be a family...together..."

Blinking back to awareness, Wu surprised and relieved the two Hyuga by calmly replying, "Don't get me wrong. I'm not against the idea. However, Hanabi is still just a child, and I can't possibly make the decision to merge our houses without consulting Tsunade. There are a significant number of factors that need to be considered before such a merger..."

Since Hinata didn't fully comprehend what was required for a Clan to function, it was Hiashi who nodded his head, affirming, "Senju-sama is correct. However, just knowing you approve of the merger is enough for now. The actual unification wouldn't occur until either Hinata or Hanabi has yielded a suitable heir. As both are still very young, we have ample time to work out the specifics of the arrangement."

Returning a nod of his own, Wu replied, "You're right. For now, our main focus should be specifics related to my and Hinata's marriage. Hanabi is welcome to visit and even reside in the Senju Clan Compound, but any decisions regarding her future should wait until after she has graduated from the Academy."

As Hanabi was only eight years old, Hiashi had no qualms about agreeing to Wu's decision to delay things. Hinata had been engaged to Wu at the same age, but so long as Hanabi was allowed to reside within the Senju Clan Compound, Hiashi was confident things would develop in a direction suitable for both their Clans. As Hinata had pointed out, Hanabi looked up to Wu quite a bit. If the initial engagement had fallen through, Hiashi had no doubt his youngest daughter would have willfully volunteered herself as a replacement...

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Upon realizing that he probably shouldn't blindside her completely, Wu sent over a few of his clones to the Senju Clan Compound to explain the situation and petition Tsunade's support. To say she wasn't particularly enthused by the revelation would be an understatement. She didn't mind the marriage and potential engagement, but the thought of merging the Senju and Hyuga Clans gave her a tremendous migraine.

Though she knew they were in desperate need of staff and people to maintain the Senju Clan Compound, Tsunade had never considered the notion of merging with another Clan to revitalize her own. Such mergers weren't uncommon, but, more often than not, the politically superior Clan had people in place to ensure a smooth transition. The current Senju Clan only had Shizune as a retainer. All of the most critical positions within the Clan were currently vacant, so unless they could miraculously fill them in the next 4-6 years, it was only 'natural' that the Hyuga fill such positions. In other words, the Senju Clan would effectively become the Hyuga Clan, albeit with a different name.

Fortunately for Tsunade, Wu already had plans to fill the positions she was currently fretting over. He had no intention of allowing the Hyuga Clan to 'infest' his Clan and subsume it from the inside. He had no issues with the merger itself, but they were mistaken if they believed they would have any authority to make decisions in the future. In fact, the moment they came under his influence, Wu intended to make some rather drastic changes to the archaic, borderline backasswards Clan...

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(A/N: It's Saturday, my dudes.)

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