Chapter 75: I, Your Father, am Politically Minded

Finished with their discussion, Wu donned his clothes while Mabui lay face-down on the table, an unfocused look on her rubicund face and a viscous white fluid dripping down her plump, reddish-brown thighs.

Giving the woman’s hospitable bottom a light smack, Wu teased, “You’re acting as though you’ve never experienced a real man before. Wake up.”

Blinking back to awareness, Mabui forced herself to rise, her expression still a little dazed as she struggled to find a comfortable sitting position. Before she could, Wu surprised her by placing his hand on her abdomen, a gentle green light flowing from his palm and easing the ‘discomfort’ she was feeling.

Retracing his hand a few seconds later, Wu remarked, “I believe we have reached an agreement. I have no intention of relocating to Kumo, but I’m more than willing to cooperate and conduct business with you. Just make sure the ‘representative’ you send over is of sufficient status and is willing to work hard to improve. I have no need for someone whose only value is in their appearance…”

Believing she was more than qualified for the position, Mabui asked, “How about me? My family is one of the founding Clans of Kumo, and I serve as the Raikage’s Assistant. I’m also willing to work as hard as required…”

Though he gave Mabui an appraising look, appreciating what he saw, Wu ultimately shook his head, stating, “You certainly qualify, both in terms of appearance and background. Unfortunately, you lack the proper mindset and suitable ambition. I have no doubt you will work as hard as ‘required’ to ensure my cooperation. What I need is someone who genuinely desires strength, even if it means they view me as a means to an end. If I needed a sex slave or a convenient woman, there are hundreds of brothels I could visit.”

Hanging her head slightly, Mabui muttered, “I see…” with a contemplative look on her face. The image of Karui immediately came to mind when she considered Wu’s ‘specifications,’ but she didn’t want to force a member of the younger generation into such a difficult situation. Karui absolutely had the drive to improve, but people who presented themselves as brash and temperamental generally had the strongest attachments to ‘home.’ If she learned that she was effectively being ‘given’ to Wu, she might suffer from depression and lose her motivation entirely.

Seeing through Mabui’s thoughts, though he didn’t know ‘who’ she was thinking about, Wu remarked, “You’re overcomplicating things. I certainly have expectations, but I never said you had to ‘give’ me a woman. If you want my recommendation, I suggest coordinating with Konoha to open an Embassy. Your Raikage was the one that pointed out the pitfalls of war, so the most ‘sensible’ thing to do is coexist…”

Adopting a teasing smile, Wu added, “At the very least, it’s the smartest thing to do while I’m still alive…”

Though she didn’t disagree with Wu’s assertion, especially after seeing him defeat the Raikage in single combat, Mabui remarked, “Konoha and Kumo have a very…sorted history. So long as Shimura Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu sit on Konoha’s Council, I can’t see them permitting the establishment of an Embassy. I’m sure you are aware, but the three of them, alongside Sarutobi Hiruzen, served under the Second Hokage…a man who was slain by Kumo’s Kinkaku Force. Since then, the hostility between our respective villages has been persistent, to say the least…”

As he was well aware of how big a pain in the ass the ‘Elders’ could be, Wu snorted in contempt before saying, “You’re overlooking something. While the Hidden Villages represent the greatest military power of each Land, the Kage are not the rulers of their respective nations. So long as the Lightning and Fire Daimyos can reach an accord, those relics on the Council will have no choice but to grit their teeth and bear it. You can be sure they will try to undermine your efforts in secret, but that gives us a chance to expose and ultimately try them. It’s that simple.”

“…”

Though she wanted to argue that ‘nothing’ was ever that simple, Mabui knew that Wu was in possession of an item that both Daimyos would be more than willing to make concessions to obtain. She also suspected that he would personally lead the charge if the Elders attempted to interfere in his plans, so there was a ‘very’ real possibility that things would work out.

Interrupting Mabui’s thoughts, Wu brazenly gave her decently sized tits a squeeze as he added, “Also, everything doesn’t need to be decided right this instant. Talk things out with your Raikage, and if you need to consult me, I’m more than willing to ‘converse’ as often as you like.”

As she had yet to recover from the veritable pounding Wu had given her earlier, a wry smile developed across Mabui’s face as she softly mused, “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” before taking the initiative to lean back onto her elbows and pull her feet up, spreading them slightly. Wu had just finished getting dressed, but she felt obligated to ‘thank’ him for being so willing to work things out…

…

..

.

Though it was much later than he initially planned, Wu crept into the suite being leased out to Suna, fearlessly sneaking into Temari’s room. He knew she would have calmed down considerably after confirming her brother’s condition, so he wanted to talk to her one last time before returning to the Senju Clan Compound.

Fortunately, though it was already pretty late, Temari was still awake, an absentminded expression on her face as she polished her massive metal fan. She was wearing loose black pajamas that left her neck, clavicle, and nape exposed, so Wu surprised her by gingerly placing his hands on her shoulders and asking, “Still mad…?” in a soft, soothing tone.

Hearing the familiar voice, Temari suppressed her almost instinctual urge to stab him in the face, a pout forming on her own as she replied, “It isn’t very mannerly to sneak into a girl’s room in the middle of the night…”

While continuing to massage Temari’s shoulders, aided by his Mystical Monkey’s Palm, Wu teased, “Luckily for me, it’s only a little after 7 PM. We still have four hours and forty-six minutes left…”

“…”

Exhaling an exasperated yet audibly alleviated tone, Temari leaned her head against Wu’s body, staring up at him as she revealed, “I saw Gaara earlier. He’s still asleep, but all the injuries he sustained during his match have vanished. Shukaku’s regeneration isn’t that potent, so I’m guessing you did something with these mischievous hands of yours…?”

Nodding his head, Wu replied, “Of course. I’d rather have you angry at me than sad over your brother’s condition. I began treating him the moment I could…”

Exhaling an even more exasperated sigh, Temari slumped forward slightly, staring at her fan with a wry smile as she softly remarked, “You really are a playboy, aren’t you? Such a sly, silvery tongue…always telling me what I want to hear…”

Refuting Temari’s words, Wu muttered, “If that were true, I wouldn’t keep telling you the truth…”

Furrowing her brows, Temari retorted, “You lied to me. Even if it was your actual alias, you fed me an incorrect name and manipulated me into falling in love with you. How am I supposed to respond to learning you have two wives and a handful of lovers…?”

While putting more effort into his massage, Wu asserted, “To be fair…I wasn’t in a relationship with either girl when we met back in Suna. I did have a girlfriend, but she’s one of the girls I told you about previously. As for the others, I only entered into a relationship with them four days ago, shortly after they broke up with their first love and desperately needed someone to comfort them…”

“…”

Bumping her head against Wu, Temari stared up at his face as if she were trying to see through him. He had, in fact, told her about several girls he planned to be with in the future. He even joked about saving her favorite actress and rebuilding her supposed kingdom, so she knew he never had any intention of ‘just’ being with her. She just never expected him to marry so suddenly, especially not without consulting her beforehand…

Narrowing her teal eyes, Temari surprised Wu by asking, “What are you really aiming for, Wu? You can’t seriously be trying to ‘unify’ all the Lands, can you…?”

Shaking his head, Wu replied, “I honestly don’t care about such things…I just want to live freely, be the best me I can be, and help others achieve their full potential. I told you before, but I wasn’t born in Konoha. I do feel an obligation to protect it and its interests, but I feel no enmity toward the other villages. You might not believe this, but I gave the Raikage a peach that effectively made him twenty years younger, all so that I would have a powerful opponent in the future. That’s the kind of guy I am, Temari…and that is ‘exactly’ why you fell in love with me. Because I’m free…just as you wish you could be…”

“…”

Though she wanted to refute Wu’s claims, Temari remained silent as there was a considerable amount of truth to his words. She had confided in him her dream of touring each of the Lands, and, while she didn’t exactly hate her father, she resented the situation he had forced herself, Kankuro, and Gaara into. She ‘understood’ why he had to do it, but that didn’t make his actions any easier to swallow…

Instead of attempting to argue, Temari asked, “So, what happens now? I can’t imagine you simply standing aside and allowing us to crush Konoha. If I told my father you were in the enemy camp, I reckon he would call off the entire invasion…”

Shrugging his shoulders, Wu calmly replied, “This invasion has little to do with me, you, or any single person. The higher-ups of Konoha have been preparing for Suna to invade for years. On the opposite side, your father is in a position where he ‘has’ to do something just to appease the populace. Even if he used my presence as an excuse to call off the invasion, it would only stoke the flames of resentment in your people’s hearts. As miserable as it sounds, Suna needs this war…even if it’s just to remind the people of its horrors…”

Furrowing her brows, Temari ignored the suspicion in her heart, retorting, “That can’t be…” in a faint yet obstinate tone.

Adopting a sad smile, Wu asked, “Even if I sat on the sidelines and did absolutely nothing, do you genuinely believe that Suna, with its limited personnel and resources, can overwhelm Konoha, the most powerful and prosperous of the Great Shinobi Nations? If it were possible to overwhelm and ruin an enemy village in a single day, the previous three wars wouldn’t have lasted decades. Suna could certainly do tremendous damage, but it was never your father’s intention to defeat Konoha. He intends to weaken them so that ‘other’ nations will invade. Then, while Konoha is busy trying to rebuild and fight a war on multiple fronts, Suna will occupy a few small territories near the border…”

As a fairly intelligent girl, enough that she was initially being groomed to become Suna’s Strategist, Temari wasn’t incapable of seeing the logic in Wu’s claims. The only things Wu had failed to touch upon were Otogakure and, of course, himself. If Wu sided with Suna, there was a good chance they ‘could’ achieve victory during the invasion. Inversely, if he sided with Konoha, they would be sending their people to their deaths, and for what? Population control…?

Realizing the grim truth, the look on Temari’s face morphed from a furrow into a scowl. She knew her father well, and with Wu’s observations as a basis, she could easily imagine him sending people to their deaths as an excuse to ‘restructure’ the village. Many people had accused him of doing something similar when Pakura, the ‘Hero of Suna,’ had risen in popularity to the point people began viewing her as a potential replacement for the position of Kazekage. And what did he do? He sent her as an Ambassador to the nation furthest from Suna, Kirigakure, a country they couldn’t hope to trade with due to the Land of Fire separating them. And what awaited her upon her arrival? An entire squadron of ‘rogue’ Kiri Shinobi…

While the circumstances surrounding Pakura’s death were quickly swept under the rug as a mere conspiracy, there was one glaring factor that no one could refute. Pakura possessed an exceptionally rare Kekkei Genkai that permitted her to use Scorch Release, a terrifying fusion of Wind and Fire Release that could desiccate and mummify enemies on contact. Its only notable weaknesses? Powerful Water Release Jutsu and large, open bodies of water…two things Kirigakure, situated in the Land of Water, was famous for…

…

..

.

(A/N: Rasa is one sussy baka…)