The two traveled together, crossing the Land of Fire and passing through the Land of Rivers before finally entering the territory of the Land of Wind.
As always, the Land of Wind was covered in endless yellow sand, with oases few and far between.
Kiyosuke pulled on a long robe and covered his face with a veil, wrapping himself up tightly. Pakura did the same. In this scorching desert, it was crucial to minimize exposure to sunlight—otherwise, the ultraviolet rays could easily cause burns.
That was why, despite the intense heat, the people of Sunagakure dressed so heavily. Of course, they also had an exceptional tolerance for heat. Otherwise, their clothing alone would have been enough to cook them alive.
"Sunagakure is really out of the way. Even if you gave me a map, I still wouldn't be able to find it on my own."
Kiyosuke took a sip of water as he spoke.
Pakura replied,
"You'll get used to it. Even Sunagakure's own shinobi get lost sometimes. There have been cases where people went out on missions and ended up wandering the desert until they never came back.
The desert is unforgiving."
"That's exactly what I mean. Human resilience is really something. People actually manage to survive in a place like this—it's incredible how adaptable we are."
He sighed, then asked,
"How much farther do we have to go?"
Pakura pointed ahead.
"If we keep moving in this direction, it'll still take a full day and night."
"Then let's pick up the pace. I don't want to drag this out."
"Asakawa."
"Yeah?"
"Nothing, just calling your name."
Pakura smiled, then asked,
"How are you planning to deal with Rasa? His gold dust defense is extremely difficult to break. And we're in the desert—his home ground. It'll be hard for your abilities to work here. Not to mention, you can't afford to expose yourself."
If Kiyosuke's identity were revealed, it would immediately become a case of Konoha attempting to assassinate the Fourth Kazekage. That would undoubtedly ignite a war—something they absolutely couldn't afford.
Even if she became the Fifth Kazekage, the elders might very well pressure her into launching a war against Konoha.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to expose myself. I'll be operating in the shadows this time. I've already got everything planned out. Though... I might have to let Rasa die with a bit more dignity."
"Dignity?"
Pakura sneered.
"After everything he's done, you think he deserves a dignified death? I'm not letting him go out as some kind of hero of Sunagakure. He'll die in disgrace—nailed to the pillar of shame, like the criminal he is."
"That's up to you. I'll make Rasa's death look like an accident."
The two conversed quietly as they made their way toward Sunagakure.
...
By the next day, they had finally arrived at the gates of Sunagakure.
From a distance, the village's outer wall looked like a peeled bamboo shoot—layer after layer of vertical sections stacked together, blocking the wind and sand from entering the village and leaving only a single passage leading inside.
Pakura approached the gate alone.
The guards on duty looked down from above and called out,
"Who goes there?"
She removed her face covering, revealing her features.
"It's me. I'm back."
"Pakura-sama?!"
The guard was stunned.
"Aren't you…?"
"What about me?"
Pakura feigned ignorance and asked calmly.
"Wait, are you really Pakura-sama?"
"Look at this."
Pakura activated her kekkei genkai.
A bright orange-red fireball danced freely through the air under her control.
There was no doubt—it was her.
Only Pakura, and one other in Konoha, could control flames with such precision. But even that one's flames weren't this color.
Scorch Release existed only in Sunagakure, and Pakura was its strongest user.
The guards rushed to her, excited.
"Pakura-sama, you're finally back! We thought you were gone for good. It's such a relief!"
"Yes! When we heard the news of your sacrifice, we were devastated!"
"You're our hero, Pakura-sama. It's so good to have you back!"
Pakura's hand, hidden inside her robe, clenched slightly—but her heart was warmed. She smiled.
"See? I'm just fine. Is Kazekage-sama in? I've got a report for him."
"Kazekage-sama is in the office. Please, go right in!"
They didn't even bother to inspect her and let her pass, eyes filled with admiration.
"She's amazing… Pakura-sama really is the pride of Sunagakure. Thank goodness she's okay."
"Yeah! I wonder what kind of bastard's going to be lucky enough to marry Pakura-sama one day… Just thinking about it makes me jealous!"
"For real though, is there even anyone in the village worthy of her?"
"I am!"
One guy shamelessly declared.
"Idiot! You're dead!"
"Get him!"
Whap! Whap! Whap!
A chaotic brawl broke out at the gates.
Meanwhile, far off in the distance, Kiyosuke stood in the shadow of a sand dune, watching as Pakura vanished through the gates, then quietly waited.
...
Pakura walked through the village without hiding her face.
In fact, she boldly let everyone see her.
The moment the villagers spotted her, cries of joy erupted.
"Pakura-sama! It's Pakura-sama!"
"I knew it! I knew you were alive! Thank goodness you're back!"
"Pakura-sama!!!"
"Pakura-sama, I love you!"
"I admire you the most, Pakura-sama!!!"
The villagers were overwhelmed with emotion.
Some even wiped tears from the corners of their eyes.
Pakura was incredibly respected in Sunagakure.
If she wasn't, she would never have been called "the Hero of Sunagakure."
Her status here was on par with Kiyosuke's standing in Konoha.
Seeing everyone genuinely happy to see her again, Pakura's nose tingled slightly.
So… they really had been worried about me...
She smiled and said,
"Everyone, I'm sorry to have worried you. Thank you."
She bowed deeply to express her heartfelt gratitude.
"You don't have to do that, Pakura-sama. As long as you're safe, that's all that matters to us."
"Exactly. We're just glad you came back safe and sound."
"Yeah, yeah."
More and more people gathered around, forming a dense crowd.
Just then, a shinobi ran up and shouted,
"Pakura-sama! Kazekage-sama is thrilled to hear you've returned. He's asked to see you immediately."
"Got it. Everyone, I'll go report to Kazekage-sama first. I'll see you later."
She said goodbye and followed the ninja toward the Fourth Kazekage—Rasa.
...
She entered the Kazekage Building and made her way, as if by instinct, straight to the office.
Inside, a middle-aged man with short brown hair sat at his desk in a black ninja uniform—Fourth Kazekage Rasa.
When he saw Pakura, he said,
"Pakura, you're back. When we lost contact with you, I personally sent people to search for you. I'm truly relieved you're safe."
Pakura smiled.
"Thank you for your concern. But I failed the mission."
"Oh?"
Rasa's expression didn't change.
"What happened?"
"Kirigakure ambushed me just as I was about to hand them the alliance scroll. They clearly had no intention of forming an alliance. Kazekage-sama, the mission was a failure. Please punish me."
She knelt on one knee.
Some of Rasa's suspicions were put to rest.
"I'm just glad you made it back safely. It's a relief. You know, your false death report made the villagers grieve for quite a while."