Chapter 74: I, Your Father, am Magnanimous

Upon reaching the girls' bathroom, Temari exhaled a tired sigh, saying, "You can come out now..."

Though he had already cleared the bathroom of spying devices earlier that day, Wu gave the bathroom a cursory sweep before popping up in front of Temari, asking, "Did you miss me?" in a teasing tone.

Exhaling another sigh, Temari admitted, "Kind of...but that doesn't change the fact I'm also angry with you. How could you just leave without coming to say goodbye?"

Adopting a faint smile, Wu's tone softened as he answered, "It was easier that way..."

"..."

Shaking her head, Temari decided not to fret over the past. Instead, she chose to focus on the present, asking, "What are you even doing here? I didn't expect to see you until...later."

Since he suspected that everything would be coming to a head, sooner or later, Wu admitted, "I live in Konoha. Not always, but it's the place where I spend most of my free and recreational time. Not to insult your homeland, but it's a lot more...lively around here."

Blinking several times, Temari's expression revealed her confusion as she asked, "You live in Konoha? As in...you're part of the Village Hidden in the Leaf?"

Making a so-so gesture with his right hand, Wu replied, "Yes, though it's more of a tentative arrangement. I wasn't born here, nor do I obey orders like some kind of lapdog. I'm more of a free spirit, traveling wherever and doing whatever I please."

As it wasn't uncommon for Shinobi to go astray from their village of origin, Temari decided against accusing Wu of being a traitor to their cause. She didn't want to accept that he may have been deceiving her during his stay in Suna, so she decided to change topics, asking, "How's Gaara? You said you 'fixed' his seal. I didn't even know you could use Fuinjutsu."

Presenting one of the cheeky smiles he was known for, Wu bragged, "I wouldn't call myself a master, but I've yet to meet anyone more talented than me. I recalled all the concerns you shared about your brother, so the one I placed on him will allow him to sleep freely in the future. Feel free to thank me."

Though Wu's smile gave her the urge to slap him, Temari only hesitated for a moment or two before stepping into his spread arms. If what he said was true, she would be beyond thankful. Thus, even though she had tens, if not hundreds, of questions she wanted the answers to, she didn't mind hugging for a bit. Even if Wu could get a little handsy...

"You're ruining the moment, Dadi-kun..."

Removing his hands from Temari's ass, Wu teasingly replied, "Sorry, I thought 'you' were supposed to be rewarding 'me.' Guess I read a little too deeply into things..."

Exhaling a sigh through her nose, Temari replied, "I've yet to confirm if you're actually telling the truth. Don't worry, if it's true Gaara 'is' able to sleep peacefully from now on, I'll..."

Though she was about to say that she would ensure he 'couldn't' sleep peacefully, Temari's words trailed off, a slightly bashful look adorning her face. She 'did' like 'Dadi,' but she wasn't sure they were close enough to make such...crass jokes. Hell, she didn't even know he was from Konoha, a place she had often criticized during their dates, before a few minutes ago...

Without putting much thought into the question, Temari met Wu's gaze and asked, "Just who are you, really, Dadi-kun...?"

Interpreting Temari's words at face value, Wu asked, "Are you sure you want to know? Even though I don't regard us as enemies, you might hate me once you discover the truth. Though, before I get to that, you should know that the 'Otokage' is aware of my identity."

Furrowing her brows, Temari became serious despite continuing to allow Wu to hold her, stating, "I want to know..." in a resolute tone.

Though he nodded his head, Wu made it appear as though he was more than a little hesitant by closing his eyes, inhaling deeply through his nose, and exhaling. Then, even though it earned him a crisp smack, he gave the quadra-pigtailed blonde a cursory explanation of his background, identity, and the recent changes to his marital status...

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In the wake of the Preliminary matches, everyone who had managed to secure a spot in the Finals was made to draw lots to determine who they would be facing off against in the very public venue. Ino and Karui were 'lucky,' as they had been pitted against each other in the very first round. Another 'fortunate' duo consisted of Naruto and Sasuke, though, with the matter of Karin still largely unresolved, the former wasn't as excited as he otherwise would have been.

Making up the rest of the first-round brackets, the enigmatic Ryder would be facing off against Lee, Hinata would be facing off against some rando named Akado Yoroi, and Tenten would be facing off against Temari. There would have been a pairing between Kankuro and another rando, but, as if the boy was protected by some powerful fate, the self-proclaimed Master Puppeteer was given a free pass through the first round as his opponent had suffered critical injuries during the Preliminaries.

With the initial pairings decided, everyone was given a month to recover and prepare for the grand event. For those who lacked confidence, this also afforded them a month to prepare countermeasures against their opponents. To that end, participants, even those from other villages, were encouraged to spend the month gathering information. They were simply limited to doing so within the various Training Fields and could not attack or otherwise attempt to incapacitate their opponent before the Finals. Any attempt to do so, depending on the severity of their actions, would result in consequences far exceeding disqualification...

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As could be expected, Hinata, Ino, and Tenten all asked Wu to help them train during the month leading up to the Chunin Exam Finals. Sakura didn't want to be the only one left out, so she, alongside everyone else, got her parents' permission to participate in a month-long training camp hosted at the Senju Clan Compound.

While Wu was glad to accompany the girls, who had a lot more than 'just' training in mind, there were certain matters he had to take care of before then. He had already explained Karin's circumstances to Hiruzen, but her fate was still in the balance until bloodwork could be done to confirm her status as a member of the Uzumaki. She had openly admitted to being a member of the Clan and was already dwelling in a guest bedroom in the Uzumaki Clan Estate, but word of mouth wasn't 'proof.' More importantly, if she 'was' one of the few remaining Uzumaki, she was a 'very' valuable asset to certain people...

Fortunately for Karin, Wu was reasonably popular among the various Clan Heads even before marrying Tsunade. He couldn't have an actual seat on the Council until he was twenty, but that didn't stop him from visiting the Clan Heads in private or inviting them for a meal at one of Konoha's more expensive restaurants. Thus, while Karin's fate had yet to be decided, Wu was fairly confident things would go smoothly. If they didn't, well, he had never been afraid to get his hands dirty...

With such thoughts in mind, albeit in a different context, one of the first stops on Wu's intra-village tour was the apartment-like complex where the delegation from Kumo was staying. He didn't really care that they had snuck a Jonin into the Exams, but he felt he owed it to Sakura to at least bully them a little. After all, she really had worked hard over the past four years. Wu didn't appreciate someone from another village taking away her opportunity to prove it.

Waiting until the Jonin had gathered to discuss something, Wu popped up out of nowhere, offering his usual "Yo." while raising his hand in a gesture of greeting. His sudden appearance caused the quartet, consisting of the busty Samui, the white-haired Mabui, a male Jonin named Raidai, and the false Genen Ryder to tense, but none of them attempted to attack or flee. Instead, Mabui remarked, "So our intelligence was accurate. We received numerous reports that someone matching your description has been seen around Konoha. Good afternoon, Dadi-sama."

Waving his hand dismissively, Wu stated, "I don't mind if you continue calling me Dadi, but my actual name, at least for the time being, is Senju Wu. Also, just so you know, I've been 'seeing' you quite often these past few weeks. This is just the first time we're speaking face to face."

Though the expressions of the others didn't seem particularly pleased by the revelation of Wu's status and the implication he had been spying on them, Mabui appeared comparably calm as she replied, "So that's how it is. We were wondering where the place you 'belonged' was. It turns out it was Konoha..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Wu carelessly replied, "Something like that." before adopting a cheeky smile and asking, "Why, are you the person the Raikage sent to 'convince' me? Or maybe you still wanted to 'thank' me for the peach?"

Garnering herself a narrow-eyed smile, Mabui adopted a faint smile of her own as she calmly answered, "I'm not unwilling." before questioning, "But I believe you came here for a different reason, no?"

Nodding his head, Wu directed his gaze to the orange and black-haired Ryder as he said, "That girl you were planning to fight in the Preliminaries just so happened to be one of my women. I understand Kumo's reasoning for sending you, but I don't appreciate you taking away an opportunity for her to grow..."

Though he was usually able to maintain his confident demeanor, even in front of the Raikage, every nerve in Ryder's body tensed under the fiery gaze of Wu. Fortunately, Mabui was still as calm as an underground lake in winter as she bowed her head and said, "Please accept our sincerest apologies, Da—Wu-dono. Had we known about her connection to you, I can assure you that Ryder would have chosen a different opponent..."

"Yeah...that's kind of the problem..." replied Wu, adding, "Most of those brats are affiliated with me in one way or another. You see, I primarily do my own thing, but I occasionally teach promising students how to better themselves. That Lee kid happens to be a friend and a pseudo-disciple of mine..."

Losing her mask of calm, Mabui's smile became noticeably wry as she tentatively inquired, "Is...there some way we can reach an agreement...?"

Providing the silvery-haired woman a bit of relief, Wu gave a curt nod and replied, "Sure, why not? My penultimate goal is to increase the number of strong and interesting people in the world. I might live in and be affiliated with Konoha, but my aspirations are not constrained by the whims or will of the village and its Council."

Exhaling a faint sigh of relief, Mabui regained her calm facade as she looked to her allies and said, "Return to your quarters. Wu-dono and I have matters to discuss in private."

As Mabui was their Ambassador and Head Representative in Konoha, the other three Jonin responded in the affirmative before quickly vacating the room. In the wake of their departure, Mabui focused her attention on Wu, body tilted forward slightly, and eyes angled upward as she asked, "How would you like to discuss things...?"

Narrowing his eyes, Wu pulled out one of the chairs the group had been using, patting his lap as he replied, "Face to face..."

Nodding her head, Mabui attempted to sit sidesaddle atop Wu's lap, but he stopped her, narrowing his eyes further as he asked, "Acting coy while trying to seduce me...?"

Exhaling a nearly inaudible sigh through her nose, Mabui forced a smile to her face as she remarked, "I just didn't want to be presumptuous." before hiking up her long green skirt so she could sit astride Wu's lap, straddling him with her arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders...

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(A/N: Man, Tsunade really awakened the best and the worst in Wu xD...)

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