The Mizukage's journey was a grand affair—especially since it was a formal invitation from another Hidden Village.
As Yoru had predicted, just by bringing Terumī Mei along, Yuki Kiri was bound to get a bit sulky. Still, there were plenty within the village deeply curious about the upcoming Chūnin Exams.
Even though Yoru openly warned them that Sunagakure's environment was harsh, with poor climate and grueling conditions, many still signed up eagerly for the trip. Even researchers like Yukiko and Hiromi expressed interest in tagging along for a change of pace.
After much back-and-forth, Yoru finally finalized the list of companions.
Though Kirigakure was quite far from Sunagakure, the group treated the journey like a full-fledged vacation. First came a leisurely cruise by sea, then a short trek through the Land of Hot Springs, and finally, switching to carriages once they crossed into the Land of Fire—slowly making their way to the Land of Wind.
What should have been a week-long journey stretched out to nearly a month, with the group enjoying the unique sights and flavors of each country they passed through.
Naturally, they encountered shinobi from other villages along the way—mostly from minor villages, all heading toward the Chūnin Exams just like them.
Yoru's group made no attempt to announce their identities. They simply acted like curious travelers, sightseeing and relaxing.
Well—this applied only to Yoru's group. The actual Genin team led by Kisame Hoshigaki, including Zabuza, remained fully focused on their training the entire trip.
A month later, the party finally crossed into the Land of Wind.
The land was shrouded in constant sandstorms and wasteland. Even with the joint-infrastructure efforts over the past few years, the vast stretches of desert were still overwhelming. The scattered development was a mere drop in the bucket compared to the sea of sand.
However, the cities within the Land of Wind were mostly built around oases. Sunagakure itself was situated atop the largest of them. The village was relatively protected from the worst of the sandstorms.
By the time Yoru and his party casually arrived at Sunagakure, Fourth Kazekage Rasa had already been waiting outside the village, flanked by Chiyo, high-ranking Suna officials, a host of Suna shinobi, and even some curious foreign ninja.
After all, this wasn't just anyone—they were here to greet Yuki Yoru, the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure. The man hailed as the strongest in the current shinobi world, and an idol to the younger generation. Everyone wanted to see what kind of man he truly was.
"Returning to your homeland... does it feel any different?"
Inside the carriage, Yoru's head was resting in Mei's lap, his face relaxed as he glanced at Pakura nearby.
"You know, you were once a contender for the title of Fourth Kazekage. Did you ever imagine things would turn out like this?"
"Shut up."
Pakura shot him an embarrassed glare as she adjusted her slightly disheveled clothing.
Sunagakure's political climate back then was... complicated. She had indeed been a top-tier candidate, capable of rivaling Rasa. But due to certain "special reasons," not only did she lose the candidacy—she had been cast aside entirely by the village.
Pakura no longer cared to dwell on the past.
That was the game of politics, after all. She simply hadn't been suited for it.
But meeting Yuki Yoru had opened up an entirely different path for her.
"Welcome, Fourth Mizukage!"
Before anyone even stepped out, Rasa was already approaching with a bright smile. As the carriage curtains were lifted by Mei, Yoru emerged, donning the white Mizukage cloak and formal hat.
"That's the Mizukage?"
"Whoa... so young... and hot!"
"I can't sense anything from him at all. Is he really the strongest in the shinobi world?"
"Damn... that's what I'd look like if I were handsome!"
Countless eyes locked onto Yoru, necks craned.
Rasa smiled warmly—but when his eyes met the expressionless Pakura behind Yoru, he froze momentarily before quickly recovering.
"Mizukage-sama, so young and accomplished! With your presence, this Chūnin Exam will surely be one for the history books."
"Hahaha, Kazekage-sama flatters me."
Yoru, grinning, stepped off the carriage, arm hooked around Mei's:
"To single-handedly support a village like Sunagakure—you are the real hero, Kazekage-sama."
"No no, compared to you, Mizukage-sama, I can hardly be called that."
"Nonsense, nonsense."
"You praise me too much."
The two of them exchanged smiling formalities as they entered the village, their easy demeanor stunning many of the Suna shinobi and causing the high-ranking officials to frown thoughtfully.
The strongest man in the world... yet so modest?
With such temperament and strength combined, the future of Kirigakure under Yuki Yoru's leadership was frightening to imagine.
Especially considering how far Kirigakure had already advanced.
Compared to them, Sunagakure was still trapped in the outdated systems of the old Kirigakure. The difference between the two... was like heaven and earth.
How could they possibly catch up?
And yet...
Chiyo, Ebizō, and the others all turned their gazes to Pakura, who walked silently behind the two Kage.
Once the village's top combat asset, now a member of Kirigakure—and brought here personally by Yoru.
Pakura walked calmly, holding her head high, meeting their stares directly.
Ebizō seemed as if he wanted to say something, but Pakura simply followed behind Yoru without a word, leaving them with the elegant curve of her back.
"This..."
"It is what it is," Chiyo murmured, sighing. "Perhaps this is karma."
Back during that political transition, they had chosen Rasa over Pakura—and now the consequences stood before them in full.
"Make sure Baki keeps everything under control," Chiyo instructed. "There are too many outsiders in the village. We can't afford any incidents."
"Understood."
The welcome ceremony was executed with full honors. After all, this was a diplomatic visit between two major powers. Sunagakure rolled out the red carpet for Yoru's group.
Later that day, Rasa personally arranged their accommodations in Sunagakure's most luxurious inn, and also went over the upcoming exam schedule and rules.
Incidentally, Uchiha Fugaku was staying in the neighboring building.
Since Konoha was geographically closer to Sunagakure—and because Yoru had spent a month sightseeing—Fugaku and his group had arrived long ago.
Now, there were only three days left until the start of the Chūnin Exams.
"Mizukage-sama," Rasa said, laying a scroll on the table. "This joint Chūnin Exam is meant to promote inter-village cooperation, peaceful development, and mutual growth."
"We hope your shinobi will perform well."
"Thank you, Kazekage-sama. Pakura—please see our guest out."
"Yes."
Yoru took the scroll with a smile and gestured.
Pakura, face blank, looked at Rasa.
"This way, Kazekage-sama."
"Ah, yes..."
Once they had left, Mei opened the scroll, curious to see the exam structure.
Compared to the original exam taken by Naruto and Sasuke, this one—held under Suna's Blood Sand Policy—was far more brutal. There was no written test at all.
It was divided into three stages:
Stage 1: A "Forest of Death"-style survival battle
Stage 2: Team-vs-team combat
Stage 3: One-on-one duels
It was a comprehensive and harsh exam, testing both individual strength and teamwork.
"This won't be easy. I saw some strong shinobi from the other villages today," Mei muttered, setting down the scroll. "I'm not sure Zabuza's team can even win."
Yoru, casually nibbling on Suna's local sweets, was unconcerned.
"You're surprisingly relaxed. Aren't you worried? You're the Mizukage—if our shinobi get crushed in front of everyone, we'll be a laughingstock!"
"You have to have faith in the kids," Yoru replied calmly. He lifted a sand cookie to her lips.
"Besides, instead of worrying about them, you should enjoy this rare change of scenery. Might not get another chance like this."
Mei frowned slightly, surprised.
"Wait... you mean... they wouldn't dare do anything with you here, would they?"
"Exactly. Because I'm here."
Yoru smiled faintly.
His spiritual perception had already locked onto a number of... interesting individuals in the village.
There was no doubt: the real main character of this exam wasn't the hopeful Genin aiming for promotion.
It was him—the Fourth Mizukage.
"Tell Kisame to make sure the kids are fully prepared. I'm heading out for a bit."
"Ah, okay."
Yoru vanished from sight. Mei paused, then simply shook her head.
Others might not know the full extent of Yoru's power—but as his personal secretary, she did.
She didn't know exactly how strong Hashirama or Madara had been, only that they had been titans who ended the Warring States Era and founded the Hidden Villages.
But Yoru...
To her, he had long since surpassed the limits of a "shinobi" or even a "human being."
He stood at the level of a Sage of Six Paths.
Meanwhile, in Sunagakure...
Due to the proximity between the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind, and with Obito giving them advance notice, Nagato and his group had already arrived.
But rather than setting traps or engaging in covert sabotage, they instead blended in quietly—observing the state of the village firsthand.
Nagato had only just learned that Sunagakure was under Obito's control. While surprised by the scale of Obito's plan, he was curious what kind of village this so-called "Uchiha Madara" had built under his banner of peace.
Unfortunately, the reality was...
Bitterly disappointing.
It only took a few days for Nagato to become disillusioned.
"Blood Sand Policy—using brutal selection and merciless education to forge true shinobi from sand and grit... What a stupid system."
"You have someone like Rasa, a top-tier ninja, and still you manage to run the village into the ground. No wonder Hashirama became the First Hokage instead of Madara."
If Obito had absolute genjutsu control over the village, why not copy Kirigakure's current policies?
Why revert to something that even Kirigakure itself had discarded?
"Because that kind of system suits him perfectly," said Konan, sitting across from Nagato in a cozy food stall serving Wind Country delicacies.
"If the village under his control looked anything like Konoha—or the new Kirigakure—that would be strange."
"True enough," Nagato nodded.
Based on the memories he had extracted from several Suna Jōnin, after the Third Great War, Sunagakure's crushing defeat had led to the Land of Wind's Daimyō slashing their funding.
Even with Rasa, the golden ninja of gold dust, a lack of budget meant development was crippled.
Combine that with exploitative "alliances" from Konoha and Kirigakure, and the high-pressure Blood Sand system almost made sense.
Why didn't Obito just control the Daimyō too?
Because, as every ninja knew—you don't touch the nobles, even if you burn the world down.
"...Such a pitiful, miserable village."
Nagato stared out at the street, watching Suna's downtrodden citizens rush about, their expressions filled with weariness and despair.
His Rinnegan, glowing faintly beneath crimson hair, flickered with cold light—reminding him of the Rain Village under Hanzo's iron rule.
The same oppression.
The same hopelessness.
The same absence of a future.
After a while, he turned away.
"Where's Hikari?"
"Wandering the village," Konan replied. "She seems fascinated with the local life."
She remembered how excited the little girl had looked when they first arrived—completely different from her usual demeanor.
A curious, wide-eyed child.
Then again... she was just a child. Konan still had no idea where Obito had dug her up from.
"Bring her back," Nagato said grimly.
"Yuki Yoru just arrived in the village. We can't afford any surprises."
His eyes darkened as memories of the Iron Country battle surged back.
He had burned nearly everything in that fight—summoning the Gedo Statue, pouring out his life force.
And still, Yoru had crushed him.
That overwhelming defeat.
The humiliation of being knocked off his pedestal.
Those eyes... full of disdain and ridicule...
"This time... I'll show you the true power of a god, Yuki Yoru."