Chapter 70: Wants, Needs, and Pork Cutlets

“There are less than three hours before you need to be in front of the giant Ram Seal. Don’t exhaust yourself…”

Raising her head with a ‘pop,’ Ino looked up at Wu was an impassioned gaze as she asserted, “I need this…” before rising to her feet and turning her exposed bottom to him.

Since it didn’t really matter to him either way, Wu mused, “If you insist…” before helping the lithe and athletic girl seat herself, a high-pitched moan escaping her throat as her weight dropped against him.

Observing the scene from where they were eating together a few meters away, Tenten remarked, “That girl just doesn’t stop, does she…?” to Hinata and Sakura. In response, the two looked at each other for a brief moment before Sakura attempted to excuse her friend’s behavior, stating, “Ino has always been a very…mature girl. I’m sure she’ll mellow out once we’re no longer ‘trapped’ in the same room together…”

Though she didn’t dispute Sakura’s words, Hinata softly asserted, “I think it’s a good thing. Wu-kun is very passionate. Having someone so eager to receive his affections should feel very…fulfilling for him. And I’m sure Ino-chan feels the same way…”

Rolling her eyes, Tenten flatly retorted, “She’s certainly getting filled full of something…”

Smiling wryly, Hinata waited for a few seconds before asking, “Will the two of you be moving into the Senju Clan Compoun? I think it would be fun to all stay together.”

Hearing Hinata’s question, the realization that she might have to explain the situation to her parents dawned on Sakura. She had no idea how they would react, but she couldn’t imagine them agreeing to let her leave home to live with a boy her age. She also wasn’t sure if she even ‘wanted’ to get married at this point, so she didn’t have a convenient excuse to move out on her own.

While Sakura was panicking, Tenten calmly replied, “I’m going to stay with my parents at the Higurashi Tool Shop. I still plan to inherit it in the future, so I’ll only stop by the compound when Wu returns from missions or when you girls want to hang out or train together.”

Nodding her head in understanding, Hinata shifted her gaze to Sakura, questioning, “What about you, Sakura-chan? I noticed you seem a little uncertain…”

Adopting an embarrassed smile, Sakura explained, “I’d like to stay over, but I’m not sure my parents would allow it. I know we’re adults now, but I still want to respect their decision since they’ve been really good to me…I mean, they’re my parents, you know?”

Nodding a second time, Hinata’s smile turned gentle as she said, “There’s no need to force yourself. However, if you’re looking for a reason to move in, Lady Tsunade mentioned teaching Hanabi and myself Iryojutsu. I know everyone looked up to her during our time in the Academy, and I sincerely believe learning such an important skill together would bring us closer…as both friends and women who love the same man…”

As she had never stopped to consider that she might ‘love’ Wu, a fluttery feeling filled Sakura’s chest when she heard Hinata’s remark. While it was undoubtedly true that she liked him, she didn’t know if she ‘like-liked’ him. It was a bizarre feeling, especially considering what they had been doing together these past four days…

Though they both saw through Sakura’s thoughts, neither Hinata nor Tenten criticized her. Feelings were a complicated affair, and Sakura had been dating another boy just four days prior. Once she had been removed from the ‘controlled environment’ of the Chunin Exams, the reality of what she had done would probably hit like a ton of bricks.

So that things didn’t become too awkward due to Sakura’s silence, Tenten remarked, “I certainly wouldn’t mind learning medical techniques from the woman who pioneered the field as we know it. I didn’t have much success when Wu was trying to teach me his Mystical Monkey’s Palm, but all of his techniques are just weird. Don’t even get me started on the ridiculousness that is his Fuinjutsu…”

As Wu’s ‘Fiery Golden Eyes’ gave him the ludicrous ability to comprehend any language, including cryptograms, encoded messages, and virtually all things related to sealing, he could create Storage Scrolls by just doodling at random.

Words, including those forming Sealing Languages, were given meaning by the people that created and used them. With Wu’s power, he could absentmindedly move a brush around until a paper was completely black with ink, seemingly with no form or structure, and then read it back as if it were an ordinary journal entry. It was utterly ridiculous…

Recalling how Wu had made a Storage Scroll for her by drawing a ‘bear’ pattern onto high-quality talisman paper, a ruddy hue developed through Tenten’s cheeks. Both as a result of the memory and the fact that Ino was literally screaming off to the side.

Like the other two girls at the table, Tenten immediately shifted her gaze to the scene of Ino being supported by Wu, the platinum blonde clutching the sides of her face and practically squealing each time their lover thrust into her. It was a very…intense sight. One that made the girls at the table feel a mixture of excitement and trepidation as they imagined themselves in a similar position…

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Of the twenty-four Teams that had taken part in the Second Stage of the Chunin Exams, only eight managed to reach the tower at the center of the Forest of Death. However, as this was far too many people to participate in Finals, Hiruzen, backed by the Exam Proctors and Representatives from each participating Team, announced that a Preliminary Competition would be held to reduce the number of participants by half.

As it would cause problems if Wu appeared as an observer, he wished the girls luck before perching himself atop Temari’s head without her noticing. The quadra-pigtailed blonde had been participating in the exam alongside her two younger brothers, Kankuro and Gaara. Wu had planned to visit her at some point over the past four days, but their respective circumstances didn’t permit it. He was confident he could remove the wires in her room without being noticed, but it would be pretty suspicious if a Shinobi from a foreign nation just went ‘off the grid’ in the middle of enemy territory. The Proctors might not make a fuss about it, but the Leader of Temari’s Team, the stone-faced Baki, would immediately presume something was amiss…

Unaware that she had a passenger, Temari was sizing up the competition with a severe look on her face. She had noticed it during the First Stage of the exams, but Konoha had a lot of powerful Genins competing in this year’s Chunin Exams. She had initially believed that she and her brothers would sweep the competition with ease, but even the ‘little girls’ standing on Konoha’s side gave her a feeling of pressure.

Fortunately for Temari, her name was not among the first to appear on the monitor overlooking the expansive interior training field. Instead, it was a Genin from Kumogakure named Ryder, one of the few people their Jonin-sensei had warned them to be cautious of before they entered the Forest of Death. Unfortunately, at least for them, the boy’s opponent was also a Genin from Kumo, a bronze-skinned girl with spiky red hair and hawk-like eyes.

“Oh, come on! This is clearly rigged…!” shouted Karui. There were only three people from Kumogakure among the twenty-four participants, so she refused to believe she had been paired against one of her own, much less Ryder. How the hell was she supposed to show off in the Finals if she was pitted against someone she had no hope of defeating!?

Though she would ordinarily chastize Karui for such an outburst, Samui, the busty blonde Wu had pummeled on his second day in Kumo, couldn’t help raising her hand and saying, “I’m inclined to agree with Genin Karui. Konoha makes up eighteen of the total twenty-four participants. It seems a little…abnormal that two of the three people from Kumo would be pitted against one another in the very first round.”

“Hmmm…”

As the decision was ultimately his to make, Hiruzen took a moment to consider Samui’s words and the situation as a whole. While the pairings were completely random, he couldn’t deny that things ‘appeared’ to be stacked against Kumo. There was also a lot of tension between their two villages, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they filed a complaint with the Fire and Lightning Daimyos if he didn’t give them at least a little face.

Nodding his head, Hiruzen admitted, “While I can assure you no foul play was involved, I can also understand why you would think that. As such, I will make an exception, just this once. The Genin from Kumo may ‘choose’ who they would like to do battle against. I believe that would remove any doubts you may have, correct?”

As Hiruzen’s response was better than anything she could have hoped for, Samui didn’t hesitate to bow her head ever so slightly, responding, “Kumo thanks the Hokage-sama for his consideration…”

Raising her head almost immediately, Samui turned ty the members of her Team, warning, “Choose carefully. If you are defeated after concessions have been made for your benefit, you will be disgracing much more than yourselves. You will be inviting shame upon the village…”

Hearing his Jonin-sensei’s words, Omoi became noticeably despondent while Karui raised her fist and squeezed her bicep as she said, “Leave it to me! I’ll teach the tree-hugging brats to never underestimate Shinobi from Kumo…!”

Though her eye twitched when Karui called the Genin from Konoha tree-hugging brats, Samui didn’t say anything. Instead, she focused her steely blue eyes on Ryder, saying, “The village is counting on you…” in a low tone that only a few of the more seasoned Jonin could hear.

Nodding his head, the black and orange-haired Ryder responded, “Leave it to me, Samui-sensei.” in a calm, confident tone.

Returning a nod of her own, Samui shifted her attention to Kamui and said, “You’re up first. And remember, ‘be cautious.’ There is a reason that Konoha is regarded as the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Nations…”

Waving away her Jonin-sensei’s concerns, Karui jumped from the catwalk overseeing the training field before looking up at the group from Konoha. She was half-tempted to point her finger and assert that she was willing to take on anyone, but certain members of Konoha’s delegation gave her a bad vibe.

Deciding to abide by Samui’s warning, a rare thing for someone as hot-tempered as Karui, the hawk-eyed girl pointed to Choji, a teasing sneer developing across her face as she said, “Here, piggy, piggy…come and let this big sister cook you into glazed ham.”

“Hmmm!?”

Not expecting to be the person chosen, Choji ceased shoving chips into his mouth and opened his usually squinted eyes in surprise. Given the circumstances, Karui’s words made it seem as though he was the weakest person in the group. Shikamaru was standing next to him, leaning over the railing with a bored look on his face, so Choji couldn’t believe he had been chosen over his lazier-looking friend.

Drawing the long, katana-like sword on her back, Karui’s sneer became even more prominent as she asked, “What’s wrong, piggy? Afraid to get your ass kicked by a girl…?”

With Karui calling him a piggy for the second time, Choji’s expression became uncharacteristically serious as he handed his bag of chips to Shikamaru, saying, “Hold these for me…” before leaping off the catwalk and ‘crashing’ into the ground like a meteor. His actions caused Karui to consider if she had made a mistake, but when the smoke cleared to reveal Choji up to his knees in the ground, arms crossed as if it wasn’t a big deal, she immediately burst out laughing…

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(A/N: Lightning-grilled pork cutlets…)