"I understand. Thank you for your concern, Lady Tsunade."
Heiyan nodded without elaborating.
"Here they come!"
Just then, a commotion arose from the hotel staff behind them.
"Oh?"
Heiyan and Tsunade simultaneously turned their gazes toward the street, where they saw a large and lively procession.
This group numbered nearly one hundred members. Most wore high collars with headwraps and masks, riding on armored rhinos, camels, and giant flamingos, presenting a strong exotic flavor.
At the center of the procession was an extravagant palanquin carried by eight bearers. Decorated with golden ornaments, its front bore a large golden character meaning "Wind."
It was the Sunagakure delegation arriving first.
Villagers from Konoha gathered along both sides of the street to watch, quickly crowding the road until it became impassable.
Thankfully, Konoha ninja arrived promptly to maintain order, preventing any stampede while also ensuring the smooth arrival of the Suna delegation at the hotel entrance.
Heiyan's gaze swept through the Suna team.
A beautiful figure immediately caught his attention.
She was a girl around his age. With delicate features, green hair tied into a bun, paired with two orange strands framing her face, she had the kind of flashy, nonconformist hairstyle typical of the "Zang Ai" clique — all styling and attitude.
Unlike other Suna ninjas who wrapped themselves tightly, leaving barely an eye visible, this girl dressed quite boldly in a backless outfit, accentuated by white bandages around her waist, proudly flaunting her attractive figure.
"Hmm, love at first sight?" Seeing Heiyan staring unusually at the girl, Tsunade teased.
"No," Heiyan shook his head, denying the claim.
The reason he noticed her was because he recognized this alternative-styled girl as Pakura, one of the most tragically fallen kunoichi in the ninja world.
Her death left a deep impression on him — and that was all there was to it.
"Don't deny it!"
Tsunade refused to believe Heiyan's words. Without hesitation, she pulled him forward. "As a man, you should be bold, courageous, and proactive. If you like her, just go chase after her. What are you afraid of?"
You really think so?
Even Jiraiya was bold and brave enough — and look where it got him. He almost got punched to death by you and was still recovering in Konoha's hospital.
Internally sighing, Heiyan sarcastically remarked inside his heart, feeling rather helpless about Tsunade's reckless match-making.
Tsunade's arrival stirred some excitement within the Suna delegation.
After all, being the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, her strength and beauty were renowned far and wide. She served as a role model among female ninjas in the Five Great Shinobi Villages and was adored by countless men.
"Oh, it's little Tsunade! Haven't seen her in years, and look how big she's grown!" Chiyo, the leader of the Suna delegation, dismounted gracefully from her camel and spoke up.
Though thirty-eight years old, Chiyo maintained herself well and looked only in her twenties. She had refined features, short pink hair, and wore beige armor with reinforced plating across her chest. Within Sunagakure, she was regarded as a goddess-like figure.
Chiyo and Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of Konoha, were of the same generation, making her effectively Tsunade's senior.
She was also, like Tsunade, widely renowned for her exceptional mastery of Medical Ninjutsu.
"Master Chiyo."
Tsunade wasted no time in greeting the elder while discreetly nudging Heiyan with her elbow, hinting him to seize this rare opportunity and take initiative.
Unexpectedly, Heiyan didn't move at all. Instead, Pakura stepped forward on her own.
"I'm Pakura from Sunagakure. What's your name?" She crossed her arms over her waist, eyeing Heiyan up and down.
In her opinion, since Heiyan stood shoulder to shoulder with Tsunade at the very front of the crowd, his identity must be extraordinary—perhaps he was some genius ninja from Konoha?
At that thought, a competitive glint flickered briefly through Pakura's eyes.
"Heiyan."
"Oh, nice to meet you."
Pakura smiled warmly, extending her hand in friendliness to shake hands with Heiyan.
However, the moment their palms made contact, Heiyan immediately felt an immense force suddenly surge from her hand.
Her arms were slender and her fingers pale and long, yet they possessed surprising strength—stronger than an average person could bear.
"So, you're going to participate in the upcoming Chunin Exams too, right?"
Pakura tightened her grip, pressing harder and challenging him provocatively, "You'd better start praying now that we don't end up fighting each other in the arena. Although I must say you are quite my type, I won't hold back one bit."
Bold, fiery, aggressive—that was simply who Pakura was.
"Sorry, but you've mistaken me for someone else."
Heiyan met Pakura's provocation with a steady gaze and replied coolly, "I won't be participating in the Chunin Exams."
After saying this, under Pakura's slightly astonished gaze, he effortlessly pulled his hand free.
"Then who exactly are you...?"
"I'm the owner of the Four Seasons Hotel."
Heiyan said it in a brief, indifferent tone, leaving Pakura stunned into silence.
Ever since she started her journey to Konoha, she'd been eager to stay at this world-famous hotel.
This luxurious building featured a reception hall on the first floor, a restaurant on the second, and guest rooms starting from the third floor upward. Each level had a tea lounge open twenty-four hours. Moreover, there was even a hot spring on the rooftop, allowing guests to soak beneath the glass skylight while watching the stars at night.
Never did she expect its owner to actually be a teenage boy standing right before her.
So, he was one of those born with a silver spoon—someone who made it through sheer financial power.
Just as Pakura was left speechless by Heiyan's revelation and momentarily stunned, the curtain of a nearby palanquin belonging to the Sand ninjas was suddenly lifted.
Heiyan caught a fleeting glimpse.
Inside the palanquin sat the green-hatted Third Kazekage. Before he could see more, the curtain dropped again, and a boy about ten years old stepped out.
He had short brown hair and wore black ninja attire with mesh-lined bodysuit underneath.
"Ahhh!"
As soon as the boy descended from the palanquin, he hurriedly removed his mask and took a deep breath. Then he closed his eyes and stood still, his face radiating pure delight.
"Rasa, what nonsense are you doing?"
Seeing this, Pakura frowned and questioned.
"Miss Pakura, those elders weren't lying after all—the air here in Konoha really is so fresh and sweet. It's far superior to our village in every way."
The boy named Rasa opened his eyes wide in surprise.
"What do you mean? What's wrong with the air in our Sunagakure?" Pakura burned with anger upon hearing such "foreign-worshipping" words from Rasa and pressed forward aggressively.
"Why are you overreacting so much? I'm just stating a fact," Rasa replied, puzzled.
Indeed, the Land of Wind was built upon a desert, constantly plagued by sandstorms. The air quality remained terrible year-round. Both ninja and villagers wore hats and face masks through all seasons to protect themselves against the harsh elements.
In contrast, Konoha enjoyed lush greenery and pleasant weather, making its air naturally fresh and sweet by comparison.
"If you love Konoha that much, why don't you just stay here? You don't even need to go back." Seeing Rasa remain unrepentant, Pakura coldly suggested.
"That won't be necessary. I, Rasa, will become The Fourth Kazekage. I'll lead Sunagakure toward prosperity and affluence, carry out reforestation projects, and let our villagers breathe fresh air too."
Suddenly serious, Rasa spoke with determination.
"I am The Fourth Kazekage!" Pakura snapped back fiercely without yielding.
The two stood locked in confrontation, tension rising sharply between them as if they might come to blows any moment.
Meanwhile, Heiyan, indifferent to their squabble, watched passively like an amused spectator.
He knew this brown-haired young man arguing with Pakura would eventually become The Fourth Kazekage in canon—the father of Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara. Although the original Rasa had proven himself a consummate schemer responsible for killing Sunagakure's hero Pakura, repeatedly sending assassins after his son Gaara, and conspiring with Orochimaru to launch an invasion on Konoha, he also understood that Rasa genuinely cared about being a good village leader, doing everything ultimately for Sunagakure's benefit.
The current young Rasa still possessed youthful innocence in both speech and manner—nothing like the gloomy, humorless man he'd later become.
At this moment, Chiyo and Tsunade had wrapped up their small talk.
"That's enough out of both of you!" Chiyo strode over and sternly stopped Rasa and Pakura's argument before it could embarrass everyone publicly or provoke ridicule from outsiders.
Observing this, Heiyan signaled the Four Seasons Hotel staff to spring into action and help Sunagakure's delegation check in smoothly.
"How'd the chat go? Feeling confident about this one?"
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