"What a grand spectacle!" exclaimed Hiruzen Sarutobi, somewhat taken aback by the massive arena before him.
"Oh, it's nothing special," Jinghang replied modestly.
But that was an understatement - the arena could easily accommodate fifty thousand spectators, and thanks to Kōsaburō Hirai's excellent promotional work, it was packed to capacity for the opening match.
This so-called "World's Greatest Shinobi Tournament" was, of course, secretly about territory distribution. However, they couldn't announce that publicly - it would only stir up hostility between villages. Besides, if a ninja lost a crucial match, they might feel compelled to commit ritual suicide out of shame. So officially, this was promoted as a friendly competition between ninja villages.
Jinghang had carefully considered the rules. Even cage fights on Earth sometimes resulted in deaths, let alone matches involving actual weapons and jutsu. As the saying goes, blades have no eyes, and ninja techniques show no mercy. It would be terrible if what was supposed to be a mere competition ended in death.
Moreover, since all participants were elite jōnin from various villages, going all out could lead to unpredictable outcomes. That's why Jinghang specifically arranged for two Kage to serve as "safety officers" on site. This would minimize casualties while preventing any potential cheating by selecting Kage from different villages.
For example, in this first match between Sakumo Hatake of the Hidden Leaf and Nishiyaku of the Hidden Cloud, the "safety officers" were the Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi and the Fourth Tsuchikage Murasaki. Hiruzen Sarutobi and A would simply watch from above. And the Kazekage? Well, he had commentary duties to handle.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first World's Greatest Shinobi Tournament!" Jinghang began warming up the crowd with his chakra microphone. His casual, playful tone quickly captured the audience's attention. After all, they had paid 2000 ryō per ticket - twice the price of a theater show!
"Now, let me introduce our first competitors. From the Hidden Leaf Village, the elite jōnin - Sakumo Hatake!"
Jinghang raised his voice dramatically as Sakumo instinctively raised his hand to acknowledge the crowd's thunderous applause.
"And from the Hidden Cloud Village, the elite jōnin - Nishiyaku!"
Another wave of cheers erupted.
As the noise died down, Jinghang continued: "I must remind both contestants of our rules. In this arena, almost anything goes, but there are three essential rules. First, see those two lights in the center? Green means start, red means stop - and when that red light comes on, the match ends immediately, no matter what.
Second, our safety officers - the Mizukage and Tsuchikage - are stationed at the corners. If they intervene, the match must stop.
Third, a contestant can surrender by raising their hand. Once surrender is declared, the match ends, and the opponent must cease all attacks.
Is that clear to both of you?"
Both ninja nodded in agreement.
"Very well then - let the match begin!"
Jinghang pressed the button on the main podium, and the green light illuminated. Simultaneously, thick curved soundproof panels rose from the walls surrounding the spectator seats.
"Heh, the Kazekage thought of everything. Those panels will prevent outside noise from affecting the fighters," the Third Raikage commented, his voice carrying through the chakra microphone to the entire arena.
"Indeed," Jinghang smiled. "While not perfect, it's the best way to minimize external sounds interfering with the ninjas' audio perception."
In the arena, both fighters had drawn their weapons. Sakumo wielded his signature Damascus short sword, while Nishiyaku carried a pair of hook swords - one in standard grip, one reversed, displaying his expertise as he practiced a few swift movements.
"While the match is just beginning, would the Hokage and Raikage care to introduce our competitors?" Jinghang asked.
Hiruzen readily agreed. "Of course. Sakumo here is well-known to many in our world as Konoha's White Fang. He's known for his resolute fighting style, tactical flexibility, and mastery of Lightning, Earth, and Water Release. His swordsmanship, in particular, is legendary - truly one of the Leaf's finest."
"As it happens, Nishiyaku is also our Cloud Village's master swordsman, equally skilled in Lightning Release," the Third Raikage countered. "This should make for quite an interesting match."
The spectators whispered among themselves, nodding appreciatively at this information. While Sakumo Hatake was a familiar name - they'd heard of his exploits at Rishiki Fortress - this Nishiyaku was less well-known.
But that was misleading. According to Sand Village intelligence, Nishiyaku was highly regarded within the Cloud Village, and his strength was not to be underestimated.
Everyone knew the Cloud Village's strongest combination was the hereditary "A-B" pair - "A" being the successive Raikages named Ay, and "B" being the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki Bee. Their Double Lightning Release: Lariat technique was legendary throughout the ninja world.
But few knew of other hereditary titles within the Cloud Village, passed down only to the most exceptional shinobi. Among these, the title "C" - currently held by Nishiyaku - was particularly prestigious.
Standing nearly 190 centimeters tall, Nishiyaku cut an imposing figure. His muscular frame was wrapped in a white sleeveless combat vest, with a black "Lightning" tattoo on his left arm and a red "Fire" tattoo on his right - clear indicators of his mastery over both Lightning and Fire Release.
Sakumo made the first move, launching a probing attack with a Body Flicker Technique.
Nishiyaku responded in kind, refusing to play defensive. Instead, he raised his hook swords and met Sakumo head-on!
In a flash of movement, the audience could only catch glimpses of blurred figures and flying sparks, accompanied by the sharp clang of clashing blades.
"Well, well... it's been a while since I've faced such a skilled swordsman," Nishiyaku remarked as their blades locked in a test of strength. The grinding sound of steel on steel revealed the immense force behind their deadlock.
After a moment, both fighters leaped backward, abandoning the power struggle to seek better opportunities for their next assault.
The crowd roared in approval - such an intense display of swordsmanship right from the start had exceeded their expectations.
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