The next day, unlike the previous one, Ryo and the others didn't wake up at the crack of dawn.Instead, it was only about an hour before the tournament resumed that everyone slowly began emerging from their rooms.
After enjoying the breakfast prepared by Gardevoir, and noting that there was still about half an hour left before the matches began, the group made their way towards the stadium.
The streets outside the Pokémon House were already bustling.Spectators were heading toward the stadium in droves, chatting excitedly along the way.
Several people recognized Ryo as they passed, offering warm greetings. Ryo returned each one with a polite smile and nod.
Before long, the group arrived at the stadium and returned to the same seating area they had used the day before.
Soon after they settled in, the tournament for the second day officially began, with Eliza skillfully hosting the opening remarks.
As the battles kicked off, the excitement among the audience grew rapidly, their cheers echoing throughout the arena.
However, elsewhere, back in the VIP viewing room where Tsunade had hosted the visiting dignitaries yesterday, an unexpected situation unfolded.
The atmosphere had been casual as the guests prepared to watch the matches, but then—
Bang!
The door to the VIP room slammed open abruptly. Three ninjas bearing the forehead protectors of Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure hurried inside, their faces filled with urgency.
The noise caught the attention of everyone inside. Shikaku, who had been assigned to host today, and Gaara looked toward the door with puzzled expressions, though they remained calm.
In contrast, Mabui, Kurotsuchi, and Ao—representing their respective villages—frowned deeply.They knew immediately: for their ninjas to barge in so recklessly without regard for appearances meant something serious had happened.
Otherwise, there would be no way they would behave so undisciplined, especially at an event like this.
"What's going on?" Mabui asked sharply, her voice calm but her eyes cold.
Kurotsuchi and Ao also turned their gazes toward their village's messengers, waiting for an explanation.
The ninjas hesitated for a moment before stepping closer and whispering rapidly into the ears of their respective leaders.
As the whispered reports reached them, Mabui, Kurotsuchi, and Ao's faces all changed dramatically.Their eyes widened, disbelief etched across their features.
"What did you just say?" Kurotsuchi demanded, her brows furrowing deeper with tension.
The messenger from Iwagakure nodded firmly but did not elaborate further.
Meanwhile, Ao glanced over at Mabui and Kurotsuchi. Seeing their expressions only confirmed the heavy feeling building in his chest.With a wave of his hand, he dismissed his own subordinate quietly. "I understand. You can go."
The ninja bowed and vanished swiftly.
Mabui and Kurotsuchi also gestured for their respective ninjas to leave the room.
Now, with only the leaders left, the three exchanged grave looks.Something major was happening.
Their behavior naturally stirred Shikaku and Gaara's curiosity.
"Is there a problem?" Shikaku asked carefully. "If there's anything Konoha can assist with, please don't hesitate to ask."
Gaara also nodded solemnly. "The same goes for the Sand Village. If needed, we'll offer our help."
Mabui hesitated briefly, then shook her head. "Thank you for your offers, but for now, we must excuse ourselves. We have urgent matters to attend to."
Without waiting for further discussion, Mabui strode out of the room hurriedly.
Kurotsuchi and Ao exchanged quick bows toward Shikaku and Gaara before swiftly following after her.
The sudden departure left the room strangely silent, the atmosphere hanging thick with unanswered questions.
Shikaku turned toward Gaara and offered an apologetic smile. "Lord Kazekage, it seems I must leave you as well. I need to report this development to Lady Tsunade."
Gaara, understanding the situation's seriousness, simply nodded. "No problem. In fact, I should leave too. I have some matters to verify myself."
As a Kage now, Gaara had to consider not only what this disturbance meant for the tournament, but also whether it involved any threat to his own village.
The actions of Mabui, Ao, and Kurotsuchi had been too unusual.It clearly wasn't something minor.
Shikaku gave a final respectful nod before his figure flickered and disappeared, heading straight to report to Tsunade.
Moments later, Gaara also vanished in a swirl of sand, leaving only a few traces of golden grains on the floor as proof he had ever been there.
In the blink of an eye, the VIP room, which had moments ago been lively and prepared for a day of matches, stood empty and silent.
Meanwhile, back on Ryo's side of the stadium, he and his group were quietly enjoying the tournament when something caught Nagato's attention.
Nagato, who had been observing the battles closely, suddenly felt a tremor from the ring he wore on his hand.
Frowning slightly, he lifted his hand and channeled chakra into the ring.
Immediately, his expression darkened.
Konan, noticing the shift in his demeanor, leaned closer. "Nagato? What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Ryo and Eliza, sitting nearby, both turned their attention toward him upon hearing Konan's voice.
Nagato glanced at Ryo seriously. "Boss, it's about those people we've been monitoring. They've made a move."
"Hmm?" Ryo raised an eyebrow. "What move?"
Nagato lowered his voice. "According to the reports from the Akatsuki's outer network, they launched coordinated assaults last night—targeting the Two-Tails through the Seven-Tails simultaneously."
Ryo's expression remained calm, but Eliza's eyes widened slightly in shock.
Nagato's voice grew heavier. "They succeeded. All targeted Jinchūriki have been captured. Now, chaos has erupted across every major village except Konoha and the Sand Village."
Ryo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "They sure know how to pick their timing... I wonder if it's because they fear us interfering, or if they simply seized the opportunity while the villages' defenses were weaker due to the tournament."
After all, many elite ninjas had been drawn away to attend the tournament, leaving their homelands more vulnerable than usual.
Still, whether it was caution against Ryo and Eliza's influence or simply strategic timing, it didn't matter much now.
"Boss," Nagato asked after a moment's hesitation, "should we intervene?"
Ryo thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No need.They've moved too recklessly. Even if we wanted to intervene, it would be too late—they're probably already hiding."
Capturing six Tailed Beasts at once was a massive undertaking.It would take significant time to seal them into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Given that, Obito and the others were undoubtedly lying low right now, avoiding exposure at all costs.
There would be no enemies wandering around for them to capture now.
Thus, Ryo chose patience.
They would bide their time—there would be opportunities ahead.
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