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Due to the Hyuga Clan meeting and the decision to hold the joint Chunin Exam early, Sasame gained seven hundred and twenty-four points of Destiny Value. The former contributed most significantly, especially due to the drastically altered fates of Hizashi Hyuga and Neji Hyuga. While the latter contributed less, it involved a large number of people, which still added up to a decent amount.
Time flowed by slowly, and spring quickly arrived. During this month, Sasame didn't have much to do, primarily running back and forth between the Land of Fire and the Hidden Leaf Village. The metropolitan city, constructed based on his memory of a past life, was completely finished. Although it wasn't a major global metropolis, it possessed the style of a second or third-tier city. To the ninja world, the sheer scale of it was utterly shocking. Everyone who visited the Land of Fire was astonished by the city's magnificence.
The Hidden Leaf Village, by contrast, had not changed much, save for the restructuring of its institutions. Other areas were largely untouched.
In addition to the capital city, there was one other matter: Koyuki Fūka was pregnant, as she had wished. She intended for the child to become the Daimyo, and Sasame agreed. It was time for someone to take responsibility, mainly because he was lazy and didn't want to manage it. If the Hidden Leaf Village had a suitable Hokage, he was ready to retire and enjoy his life. However, he had to carefully consider who that should be. Frankly, he favored the current generation—not one specific person, but the generation as a whole. In his opinion, it didn't matter whether Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, or Hinata Hyuga became Hokage. The Hidden Leaf Village's foundation was incredibly strong and was nowhere near its peak yet. In a few more years, it would be even more formidable.
A new day began. March 1st. The entrance to the Hidden Leaf Village was quite lively.
"When are they going to get here?" Kankuro asked impatiently, pacing in a circle and looking into the distance.
"What's the rush?" Temari frowned. "Stop pacing. It's annoying."
"It's been half a year. Don't you miss them?" Kankuro stopped and sighed. Before, when they went out on missions, they would usually return within two or three weeks, a month at most. Since joining the Hidden Leaf Village, they could only go home once a year.
Temari fell silent. Although the Hidden Sand Village was environmentally harsh, it was still their hometown. She missed it, of course. Even Gaara felt the same way. If given the choice, he would definitely return to the Hidden Sand Village. After being thoroughly beaten by Sasame and enduring long missions, Gaara's personality was now quite close to his later self in the original series. He was no longer rash and fell within the normal range of behavior.
"Don't get your hopes up too high," Temari said, regaining her composure. "Maki-sensei is leading the team today. Lord Kazekage won't be coming." Rasa was their father, but for various reasons, the family wasn't very close.
"It's good enough to see sensei," Kankuro smiled, then asked, "I hear a lot of people are opposing Lord Kazekage lately?"
"A few, yes," Temari nodded. "They think Lord Kazekage is too obedient to the Hidden Leaf Village."
"A bunch of fools!" Kankuro immediately cursed. "Haven't they seen the Hokage's power? How can they think like that?"
Temari's body involuntarily trembled upon hearing that. Even after so much time had passed, she couldn't forget it. She often dreamed at night of Sasame's Thousand-Hand Kannon—a power too immense to resist.
"Sorry," Kankuro said quickly, seeing her reaction.
"It's fine," Temari waved her hand. "Lord Kazekage will deal with the Hidden Sand Village's problems. We don't need to worry about it."
"That's true," Kankuro huffed. "No matter how much they oppose, it won't make a difference."
"They only dare to make trouble in the Hidden Sand Village," Temari scoffed. "If they had real guts, they should take their complaints to the Hokage. They blame Lord Kazekage instead of addressing the source. It's pathetic."
"They've arrived," Gaara said calmly, interrupting their conversation.
They looked up toward the distance. A line of shinobi wearing Hidden Sand Village headbands appeared. Leading the group was the Jonin, Maki. Behind him were mostly the Genin participating in the Chunin Exam. The Kazekage, Rasa, and the Land of Wind Daimyo hadn't come, as this was only the first stage. They would attend the third stage, which would be held in the Hidden Mist Village, not the Hidden Leaf.
"It's been a long time," Maki noticed the three of them, left his group, and walked over to greet them.
"Sensei," Kankuro and Temari called out in unison. Gaara merely glanced at him without a reaction. Maki was used to it and wasn't bothered. In fact, his overriding feelings were joy and a touch of bitterness at the reunion. The three geniuses of the Hidden Sand Village had to serve the Hidden Leaf. As a proud Jonin, Maki felt humiliated, but what could he do? Without the strength to fight, everything was pointless. He was aware of the internal opposition in the Hidden Sand Village. They were just a bunch of power-hungry opportunists. Even if they managed to overthrow Rasa, it wouldn't change the current situation, as it wouldn't solve the root cause.
"How have things been lately?" Maki asked, pushing aside his thoughts.
"It's been pretty good," Temari said after thinking about it. That was actually the truth. Their current team leader was Kakashi Hatake, the Hidden Leaf's renowned copy ninja who knew over a thousand jutsu. He was attentive to them and was willing to teach, not just leave them to fend for themselves. Later, Sasuke Uchiha had joined them as a temporary teammate. That one was quite arrogant, but after a spar with Gaara, he recognized his strength. Although Sasuke was somewhat aloof toward Temari and Kankuro, his strength was undeniable, and missions were completed flawlessly with minimal effort. Their workload was surprisingly lighter than it had been in the Hidden Sand Village.
"That puts my mind at ease," Maki sighed. Given their status, the Hidden Sand Village would be powerless if they were treated unfairly in the Hidden Leaf Village. They could only be grateful that the Hokage wasn't a petty man. Though perhaps the real reason is that he simply doesn't care, Maki thought with a deep sigh. "Let's head into the Hidden Leaf Village."
"Okay." Temari walked alongside him and asked, "We received your notice that we are also participating in the Chunin Exam?"
"That was Lord Kazekage's decision," Maki explained. "Having you participate as Hidden Sand shinobi reminds everyone else that you are not Hidden Leaf shinobi."
"I see." Temari understood. The three of them had been in the Hidden Leaf Village for too long. Many people in the Hidden Sand Village no longer considered them their own. After all, who could guarantee that they hadn't defected during all this time? If they returned later and took up high-ranking positions in the Hidden Sand Village, they might betray the village. How should I put it? Their worries were justified, but the gap in strength between the two sides was far too great. Did the Hidden Leaf really need them as double agents? Sasame could conquer the Hidden Sand Village by himself. Therefore, these worries were all in vain.
"If we run into Hidden Leaf shinobi, do we need to hold back?" Kankuro couldn't help but ask.
"Just don't kill anyone," Maki thought for a moment and said. "When a fight is necessary, you must fight. Otherwise, it will make the Hidden Sand Village look too weak." Although it was an act of self-deception, it was all they could do.
Their conversation ended as they entered the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village. Many onlookers were pointing at them, seemingly discussing something. Many of the young Hidden Sand Genin felt annoyed, but before they left, the Kazekage, Rasa, had repeatedly warned them not to cause any trouble, or they would be declared missing-nin. They had no choice but to endure it.
"Welcome, everyone from the Hidden Sand Village." Sasame had sent Kakashi Hatake and Rin Nohara, in her Edo Tensei state, to greet them. The former was the team leader for Kankuro, Gaara, and Temari, so his presence was appropriate. The latter was there to observe the spectacle. Rin Nohara had been resurrected for some time now, and many people knew of her existence. Sasame had another goal in mind: to let Obito Uchiha know. It was time to strike a blow against that perpetually enraged, adolescent punk.
"Kakashi-sensei," Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara greeted him. Maki was stunned and a little bitter. Gaara had always been cold toward him, yet now he was greeting Kakashi Hatake in front of him. In a way, this was... sigh, how miserable. Maki could actually understand it. Kakashi Hatake was a Hidden Leaf shinobi and the student of the Fourth Hokage. He was effectively in the same inner circle as Sasame.
"Please follow me," Kakashi Hatake said with a smile. "Your lodging has been arranged. In two days, we will travel to the Hidden Mist Village."
"Thank you." Maki nodded slightly. The group followed Kakashi Hatake away.
At the Hokage's office, Sasame stood at the doorway, watching Kurenai Yuhi. She was folding his clothes. Two days ago, after Sasame had showered, she had taken the clothes back to wash them. Kurenai Yuhi was wearing a pencil skirt, and when she bent over to fold the clothes, her body curves were perfectly showcased. It was a beautiful pear shape, a very pleasing sight for Sasame.
Kurenai Yuhi finished putting away the clothes, then turned and glared at him. She had long since noticed Sasame's suggestive gaze, but since she was working, she had ignored it. Or perhaps, she had simply gotten used to it.
"Time to get to work, Lord Hokage," Kurenai Yuhi said, stopping in front of Sasame. He was blocking the door.
"Thank you for your hard work," Sasame raised an eyebrow and leaned toward her.
Kurenai Yuhi's heart sped up. She pursed her lips but didn't move away. With a soft moan, she collapsed into Sasame's arms. She wasn't released until a few minutes later. Her lipstick was noticeably faded. Kurenai Yuhi took a deep breath, sat on the bed, and took out her lipstick to reapply it. Sasame saw this and didn't tease her any further. Once her makeup was done, Kurenai Yuhi returned to her image as the capable Hokage's secretary.
She glanced at a file and reported, "The Hidden Mist Village team has arrived outside the Forest of Death. You should prepare to go meet them." Normally, the Hokage wouldn't need to personally go, but the Mizukage, Terumi Mei, was also with the group. Sasame couldn't afford to be lazy. After all, the two of them were intimately acquainted. Even without that relationship, proper etiquette demanded that he greet her out of respect.
"Understood," Sasame nodded.
"Wait," Kurenai Yuhi quickly walked up to him, took a tissue, and wiped his mouth. "You have lipstick all over you."
Sasame kissed her cheek again and said, "Now there's no lipstick." Kurenai Yuhi had not at all anticipated his sudden move. By the time she recovered, he had already left the Hokage's office. A moment later, a smile curved her lips, and she muttered to herself, "Hmph, what a scoundrel."
At the entrance to the Hidden Leaf Village, Sasame arrived alone. Bringing Kurenai Yuhi would have been inappropriate. If the Mizukage got jealous and flooded the Hidden Leaf Village with water, that would be a problem. Sasame considered bringing two Hokage Guards, but most of them were female shinobi, like Yūgao Uzuki and Anko Mitarashi. Therefore, he decided to come alone. His presence alone was the greatest gesture of respect.
A moment later, a group of people appeared in his sight. Leading them was Terumi Mei. Beside her were Zabuza Momochi and Haku. Behind them were Chōjūrō and Suigetsu Hōzuki, along with a group of Genin. Ao hadn't come; he was likely staying behind in the Hidden Mist Village, as they needed a respected shinobi to maintain order.
Frankly, Sasame hadn't expected Terumi Mei to come in person, as this was only the first stage, and the second and third stages would be held in the Land of Water.
"Good afternoon, Lady Mizukage," Sasame said, walking toward her, wearing his Hokage's Cloak and smiling. When no one was looking, he even winked at her.
He received a speechless look from Terumi Mei. Under normal circumstances, how could he address her as "Lady Mizukage"? It was clearly teasing. And with so many people around, she was worried someone would notice. While it was perfectly natural for a Mizukage to be in a relationship or marry, a relationship between the Mizukage and the Hokage would cause quite a stir. Terumi Mei didn't want the Hidden Mist Village's current positive momentum to be affected. She kept her expression cool and said, "Lord Hokage, it's a pleasure."
Sasame understood her concerns and naturally complied. Otherwise, if he angered her, the Mizukage he had just acquired might slip away.
"I will show you to your temporary residence," Sasame said with a smile.
Terumi Mei nodded. They quickly arrived at the lodging, a spacious courtyard.
"Among all the villages, your accommodations are the best," Sasame said, glancing at Zabuza Momochi and the others nearby. Seeing that no one was paying attention, he leaned in and whispered to her.
Terumi Mei shivered at his warm breath. She rolled her eyes and said, "That's the least you could do."
"This wasn't prepared for the Hidden Mist Village; it was prepared for you," Sasame corrected, raising an eyebrow.
Terumi Mei's heart inexplicably fluttered, but her expression remained stoic. She asked, "Then thank you?"
"No need," Sasame quickly kissed the corner of her mouth. "I'm just collecting some interest now. I'll collect the principal tonight."
Terumi Mei's body stiffened, and her face flushed even more. She instinctively looked around and said angrily, "What are you doing? If someone sees us, it will cause problems!"
"Relax, no one will," Sasame chuckled. "Don't you trust my strength? Besides, you seem to be enjoying it. Doesn't it have a unique thrill?"
"You bastard!" Terumi Mei immediately reached out and pinched his waist hard. "Don't you dare come looking for me tonight! Or you'll be dead!"
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