Chapter 196: What a Wonderful Day for the Daimyo to Watch the Chunin Exams in Konoha!
Konoha Hidden Village, Land of Fire.
In the Chunin Exams finals arena, the sun was warm and gentle.
Inside the most exclusive VIP box at the top, the music and dancing had long ceased. In their place was a low table covered with an expensive velvet carpet.
Shige Shige Tokugawa, the Fire Daimyo, was twirling an ivory mahjong tile between his fingers. He squinted at the tile face. Beside him, the Wind Daimyo frowned slightly, seemingly a bit surprised by the tile Shige Shige had just played.
Further away, the Rain and Grass Daimyo were huddled together, whispering and occasionally chuckling softly. Their eyes drifted to the mahjong table every now and then, as if merely humoring the game.
"Lord Shige Shige, your luck today is truly… elusive," the Wind Daimyo said, putting down his tile and taking a sip of tea offered by a maid. His tone was peaceful but probing. "The matches are about to start, yet you still have such leisurely interest."
"Heh heh, it's just a contest between juniors, purely for amusement." Lord Shige Shige waved his hand, signaling a maid to massage his shoulders. "Though I heard the Hidden Sound Village from the Land of Rice Fields also sent people this time, and brought some 'new inventions'?"
He turned to the Rain Daimyo, whose land was known for its rain and intricate craftsmanship. "Minister Rain, have you heard any rumors from your side?"
The Rain Daimyo put down his melon seeds and bowed slightly. "Reporting to Lord Fire, those things from the Hidden Sound are mostly flashy tricks unworthy of the main stage. However, regarding novelty, they are indeed somewhat interesting. A few days ago, their merchants tried to sell us a 'sonic weapon' that could emit loud noises, claiming it could deter beasts."
A smirk appeared on his face. "However, if it truly works, buying it as a new toy for our incompetent children wouldn't hurt."
The Grass Daimyo was more direct. He lowered his voice and said to Lord Shige Shige, "Lord Shige Shige, I heard that those 'toys' from the Hidden Sound pack quite a punch. If our guards could be equipped with some, wouldn't our future travels be safer?"
His eyes flickered with a desire for new power and an imperceptible anxiety.
"Safer?" Shige Shige Tokugawa chuckled, as if he had heard the world's biggest joke. "With Konoha's ninja here, do we need those unorthodox gadgets to feel safe?" He pointed to the stands below, gradually filling with spectators. "Just watch. Today's performance will surely not disappoint you all."
His words carried absolute confidence in Konoha's ninja strength, and a disregard for the subtle anxieties of the smaller nations.
Chamberlains carefully refilled the Daimyo's tea and snacks, replacing the fruit. One Daimyo complained the sun was too bright, and attendants scrambled to adjust the awning. Another disliked the sweetness of the pastries, and the kitchen staff fearfully brought out freshly made ones.
Their world seemed to revolve only around these trivial comforts and enjoyments.
The exam finally began amidst the noise.
However, the first few matches stirred countless ripples in the eyes of the Daimyo.
"Those metal lumps spitting tongues of fire, and that 'laser eye' thing… they were certainly much livelier than watching those little ninjas slowly forming hand seals."
"Lord Shige Shige is absolutely right!" the Wind Daimyo immediately chimed in, putting down his tiles. "That scene was truly 'magnificent'! Especially that Gatling gun… rat-a-tat-tat… just listening to it gets the blood pumping! If my Wind Country's troops could be equipped with some, surely…"
"Hmph, merely flashy tricks to please the crowd." A Daimyo sitting further away, from the Land of Craftsmen, stroked his goatee with the arrogance and disdain of a craftsman. "True power comes from oneself. External objects are ultimately inferior."
Despite his words, a complex emotion flashed in his cloudy eyes. Clearly, Zaku's display had left a deep impression on him too.
"You can't say that, Minister Craft," Shige Shige Tokugawa waved his hand, and a maid immediately served him chilled melon. "I think those 'metal lumps' are quite good. After all, we don't want ninjas with these special abilities getting arrogant with us ordinary people. If the samurai of my Land of Fire were all equipped with one, we wouldn't have to worry about disobedient ninjas turning against us in the future."
"Later, have the Hidden Sound 'tribute' those blueprints and samples so our craftsmen can study them."
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the box stagnated slightly. The Daimyo of the smaller nations showed various expressions.
The Rain Daimyo laughed dryly. "Lord Shige Shige is far-sighted. However… the Hidden Sound has wolfish ambitions. I fear the price will not be small."
The Grass Daimyo's eyes flickered, seemingly calculating something. He remembered Zaku's tempting "weapon sales pitch" after the match, and his mind was already active. If I could get ahead and buy a batch from the Hidden Sound…
The chamberlains continued to serve the Daimyo carefully, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrents concerning national strategy and regional balance.
One Daimyo complained about the glare, and attendants adjusted the shade. Another complained the snacks weren't novel enough, and kitchen staff rushed to bring new ones.
Their world remained immersed in these petty comforts, completely unaware of the impending catastrophe.
The subsequent duel between Neji and Naruto left them somewhat bored. After all, with the previous spectacle, the traditional ninjutsu battle between Naruto and Neji seemed far less "exciting" to them than the Hidden Sound's technological weapons. Shige Shige Tokugawa even lost interest in the mahjong game.
Until the boy Jinchuriki from the Hidden Sand began his Tailed Beast transformation.
The laughter and chatter in the box cut off abruptly.
"Hm?" Lord Shige Shige, who had been slightly pleased by drawing a good tile, was interrupted by the sudden massive commotion below, and his face immediately showed displeasure.
He looked out the window.
In the stands below, chaos erupted instantly, but then ceased. Most people had fallen asleep.
At the edge of the arena and towards the village, several blinding golden lights could be seen flashing rapidly, transferring large groups of panicked civilians in batches.
From the sky above the distant forest, deafening roars and inhuman howls came intermittently, as if some unimaginable behemoth was being forcibly moved.
The entire Konoha seemed to tremble violently under this sudden disaster.
"Is this a scheduled entertainment program?"
"Why is it so noisy? Which troupe is this, so ignorant of the rules? Disturbing my enjoyment!"