At the Chiba Grand Hotel, a white-haired shinobi stood by the entrance, looking for all the world like the hotel's doorman.
But he was no ordinary doorman. He was Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang of the Leaf, who had earned great distinction during the Second Shinobi World War by venturing alone deep behind Sunagakure's lines.
At the moment, however, Hatake Sakumo was feeling rather frustrated.
Two months earlier, he had just returned to Konoha from a mission when Lord Hokage had personally sought him out.
He had told Sakumo that Chiba Tetsuya, who had left the village years ago, had donated a large sum toward its development. In exchange, Tetsuya wanted Sakumo to protect him for a while.
And so Sakumo had been sent to the Chiba Grand Hotel in the Capital City of the Land of Fire.
Yet after staying at the Chiba Grand Hotel for over a month, he had not seen Chiba Tetsuya even once.
"When is this ever going to end?"
Hatake Sakumo sighed helplessly. For the past month or so, he had been staying at an inn near the Chiba Grand Hotel. Interestingly enough, that inn also belonged to the Chiba Commerce Association.
Why wasn't he staying at the Chiba Grand Hotel?
A certain fellow who spent all day scheming about one thing or another had been busy doing business all over the shinobi world. He had forgotten all about Hatake Sakumo and never informed the hotel's staff.
And at the Chiba Grand Hotel's rates, Hatake Sakumo really could not afford more than a few nights.
He was fairly wealthy, but the Chiba Grand Hotel catered to aristocratic standards, and its prices were naturally rather outrageous.
"Maybe I should just go back to Konoha."
After spending over a month there without doing anything, Sakumo felt