I, Your Father, Carry a Big Stick

Though he had effectively converted the ruins of Taki into his private sanctuary, sealing off all entrances except for the air, Wu couldn't stay there indefinitely. Konoha, or, more accurately, the Senju Clan Compound, was his home. He also had business to attend in Kiri, so, after discussing the matter with Fu and Hiruzen, Wu arranged to have a detachment from the Barrier and Engineering Corps stationed within Taki.

While she was initially against the idea of 'outsiders' being stationed within Taki, Wu managed to convince Fu by proposing they would build a shrine and monument near the base of the 'Hero Tree,' honoring Shibuki's sacrifice and paying tribute to the villagers. He also promised that, unless she approved of it, no more than twenty people would be stationed in Taki at any given moment. In other words, he wasn't permitting it to be turned into a military outpost; they were just there to maintain the grounds and prevent anyone else from infringing upon the memorial site.

After cohabitating with Wu for seventeen days, eating, training, bathing, and even sharing the same bed, Fu had developed a bit of a dependency on him.

As Fu had lived in a small cottage isolated from the rest of Taki, living with someone who didn't fear her was a unique experience that helped to fill the massive void left in the wake of the village's destruction. She wasn't happy about Wu's inevitable departure, but as he had explained his goals to her, she didn't attempt to convince him to stay. Instead, she gave him permission to bring everyone from the Senju Clan Compound over to Taki the next time he visited.

After promising he would eventually introduce her to each of the people they had talked about during his prolonged stay, Wu reminded Fu that she could fly over to Konoha at any time. The Council hadn't hesitated to give Fu nominal citizenship, and if she wanted, she could become a permanent resident of Konoha. There was no way they would pass on having another Jinchuriki, so Fu was welcome to enter the village and visit the Senju Clan Compound whenever she pleased.

Though she had no plans of leaving Taki anytime soon, Fu promised that she would visit Konoha in the future. However, she insisted that he would need to escort her over, telling him to return soon before sending him off with a kiss on the cheek...

...

..

.

Seeing Wu with a 'stupid' expression on his face as they walked through a forest, Kurotsuchi narrowed her eyes and asked, "Don't you have like a ton of wives? Why are you acting like an idiot over a kiss on the cheek...?"

Exhaling a rare chuckle, Wu's smile became even more prominent as he explained, "Good women are like fresh cheesecake or tubs of homemade ice cream. Their flavors vary, but each is a delectable treat that brings joy to those fortunate enough to sample them..."

Adopting a deadpan expression, Kurotsuchi asked, "Are you for real? How can you compare women to food? Even if what you're comparing to them is sweets, it just sounds so..."

Though she was tempted to say perverse, Kurotsuchi didn't think that was the right word to describe Wu's analogy. He definitely 'was' a pervert, but his appreciation for women seemed genuine. At the very least, he had yet to try and force her, and, even when Fu was essentially serving herself up on a silver platter, he never attempted to take advantage of her. At least not in any 'overt' manner...

Giving up, Kurotsuchi shook her head and said, "Forget it. Let's just get to Konoha so I can get settled in. Trying to make sense of anything related to you is a waste of brain cells..."

Raising his brows, Wu asked, "Didn't you want to travel to the Land of Hot Water? What about your clothes...?"

Rolling her eyes, Kurotsuchi replied, "That was nearly three weeks ago. At this point, I would be content purchasing clothes from Konoha. I just want this journey to end. Watching you piss around and waiting for you to make decisions about where to go and when is tiresome."

As if to emphasize her point, Kurotsuchi issued a long, protracted yawn that gave Wu an almost overwhelming urge to do the same. Instead, he looked to the sky and said, "If you let me carry you, we could be within the village in the next two hours. If we continue at our current pace, it will take roughly three and a half days."

Raising her left arm, Kurotsuchi replied with a lazy, "Yeah, yeah..." allowing Wu to pick her up in a princess carry. He had flown her in and out of Taki, so she was already familiar with how he transported others.

Picking up the 42kg girl as if she was as light as a feather, Wu took to the sky and bound toward Konoha. A little over two hours later, they reached the not-so-hidden village, touching down in the shopping district so that Kurotsuchi could purchase some clothes and other items.

Before leaving Iwa, Onoki had given Kurotsuchi 31,000,000 Ryo, thirty of it sealed within an innocuous-looking scroll while the rest existed in the form of 10,000 Ryo notes. 300 Ryo was enough to cover the tab of 4-5 people at Yakiniku Q, one of the more expensive restaurants in town, so being given 1,000,000 Ryo in living expenses was more than enough to sustain the stone princess for five years. As for the remaining thirty mill? It was just in case Wu pressed to be given his 'bounty.'

After walking around for several hours, Kurotsuchi had a slightly pouty expression on her face as she remarked, "Konoha has a lot more shops than I was expecting. It hardly even feels like a Shinobi village..."

Nodding in agreement, Wu appended, "Nearly every Shinobi that visits from the outside shares that sentiment. Even I once believed that a large civilian population would only get in the way during war, but I've come to understand that it's a sign of prosperity while also being a clever disguise. After all, everyone who visits here from the outside sees the prosperity of Konoha as some kind of weakness, willfully disregarding the fact we have the second-largest military and have produced many of the most famous Shinobi throughout history..."

Looking at the raven-haired girl, Wu adopted a teasing smile as he added, "Plus, it also makes foreign Shinobi uncomfortable. The citizens of Kumo, Suna, and, as far as I could tell, Iwa all regard their citizenry as some kind of servant class. Things aren't too different here in Konoha, as civilians have fewer rights and freedoms than Shinobi, but they don't live in fear or have to pay deferential respect to us."

Furrowing her brows, Kurotsuchi asserted, "Civilians 'should' fear, respect, and serve the Shinobi within their village. We are their protectors and the most powerful military force of our respective nations. If the strong had to lower their head to the weak, this world would be flipped on its head."

"..."

Though he agreed with Kurotsuchi's views, Wu just smiled and remained silent. The only reason he had come to accept how things were in Konoha was because every other village was incredibly bland in comparison. He hadn't spent much time in Iwa, but seeing Kurotsuchi's reaction to having more than one name-brand clothing store spoke volumes about mundane life within the Stone Village must be...

After completing their shopping, Wu showed Kurotsuchi to the Senju Clan Compound. The presence of so many trees made it seem as though they were entering a forest, but there was a clear, albeit winding path that led from the massive front gate to the primary residence.

As the Senju Clan Compound would essentially be her prison for the next five years, potentially much longer, Kurotsuchi surveyed her surroundings and did her best to take note of anything that stood out. When Wu turned onto a side path, clearly leading away from the massive mansion near the forest's center, she asked, "Where are you leading me...?" in a low, audibly wary tone.

Without turning to face the raven-haired Kunoichi, Wu explained, "I can't exactly have you residing in the primary Senju Clan Estate. Your presence would make everyone tense, and you would stress yourself out looking for secrets and other 'useful' information. Instead, you'll be staying in one of our guest manors, a small, six-bedroom villa next to where the Kazekage siblings are housed."

Expecting Wu to lead her to a prison cell, the expression on Kurotsuchi's face became increasingly grim until they arrived at a grouping of medium-sized manors. The presence of a redheaded boy with a large gourd on his back immediately drew her attention, especially when Wu raised his hand and called out, "Yo! Gaara! Getting in some mid-morning training...?"

Turning his attention to Wu, the faintest of smiles adorned Gaara's face as he replied, "Lord Senju, you've returned. If the opportunity presents itself, you should stay for lunch. Temari will be pleased."

Supplying a noncommital nod, Wu gestured to the confused Kurotsuchi and introduced her, stating, "This is Kamizuru Kurotscuhi, Granddaughter of the reigning Tsuchikage. Like you, she'll be staying and training here for the next few years. Try and get along."

Bowing his head slightly, Gaara replied, "It is an honor to meet you, Lady Kamizuru. I know relations between Suna and Iwa have never been great, but I'm hopeful things will improve tremendously in the future. Please get along well with my sister. She can occasionally be a little temperamental, but she is a caring and considerate person."

Realizing that the youth in front of her was the former Kazekage's son and the Jinchuriki of the One-Tailed Demon Tanuki, various thoughts pervaded Kurotsuchi's mind. First and foremost, she couldn't believe he was able to just walk around freely, seemingly without any supervision...

Interrupting Kurotsuchi's thoughts, Wu pointed to the manor on the left, saying, "That's where you'll be staying for the foreseeable future. You are free to roam around the Compound, but you'll need to inform someone if you want to venture outside. You aren't 'expressly' prohibited from leaving on your own, but if you harm someone or get caught doing something you shouldn't, be prepared to accept the consequences."

"Huh...?"

Tilting her head slightly to the side, Kurotsuchi asked, "You're telling me I can just 'leave' whenever I want? I get that you're sure of yourself, but..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Wu casually replied, "I've already explained to you my plans for the future. If the thought of peace bothers you so much, feel free to disturb it. Just know that actions have consequences and that I'm not nearly as polite when people go out of their way to spite or betray my trust."

"..."

Just as Kurotsuchi was beginning to think that Wu was the biggest idiot she had ever encountered, a sharp whooshing sound caused her body to tense as a man with silvery-grey hair, fierce red eyes, and red markings on his face appeared a few meters away. Kurotsuchi wasn't a Sensor, but she felt the temperature around them noticeably decrease as the man's immense Chakra influenced the environment around him.

Noticing Kurotsuchi standing next to Wu, Tobirama's characteristically sharp eyes narrowed further as he remarked, "I see you've brought yet another 'outsider' into the village. You and my brother really do have a lot in common..."

Taking the initiative to introduce the two, Wu gestured to the befuddled Kunoichi, repeating, "This is Kamizuru Kurotsuchi, Granddaughter of the reigning Tsuchikage." before inverting his actions and revealing, "And this is Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage. The First is also loitering about somewhere, so don't be too surprised when you see him."

Falling onto her butt, Kurotsuchi's shock turned to horror as she muttered, "Impossible..." in a faint, audibly shaky tone. With Tobirama standing right in front of her, she knew 'precisely' who Wu was referring to when he said The First. If it was true that Senju Hashirama had returned from the dead, the entire Shinobi world was about to be flipped on its head...

...

..

.

(A/N: I don't think Onoki will be sitting on his fence for much longer. Also, remember to vote with Power Stones if you want more daily releases~!)