"There's an old saying: 'A sharpened sword comes from repeated grinding, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold.' Success comes from diligence, from perseverance. To achieve greatness, we must set lofty goals early in life. Aspiration is born of ambition."
"With lofty goals and a determined spirit, belief becomes the driving force behind success. Without ambition, nothing in the world can be accomplished. Now, let us welcome the Kazekage of Sunagakure—Lord Rasa—to say a few words!"
Clap, clap, clap!
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue.
But...
"..."
Rasa looked speechlessly at Elder Ebizō, who stood beside him beaming.
(You damn geezer… you already said everything. What am I even supposed to say now?)
With a helpless expression, Rasa took the old-fashioned loudspeaker—specially crafted by Sunagakure's puppet masters.
He looked at the gathered participants and spectators from every ninja village and nation. After a moment of silence, he lifted the megaphone and shouted:
"Welcome, everyone! As one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, Sunagakure has always been committed to maintaining peace in the ninja world. We strive to be at the forefront of stability and unity!"
"Our village boasts beautiful scenery, clean air, lush orchards, unique cuisine, and entertaining amusement facilities. Outside the village, you'll find the largest mini 4WD racetrack in the ninja world, the mysterious Stargazing Platform, and bustling factories. We hope you'll enjoy your stay, eat well, and feel right at home!"
"And now... let us welcome our partner, the legendary ninja of the ninja world, Konoha's ace advisor—Shimura Danzō—to share a few words!"
As a key partner, Rasa had arranged for Danzō to be seated at the front of the judges' table. He had originally considered inviting Jiraiya as well, but that guy insisted on being a participant—so that was off the table.
Smiling, Rasa turned toward the stunned Danzō seated amidst the applause.
"President Danzō!"
"…Hmph."
Danzō glanced around, stayed silent for a beat, then rose from his seat with a blank expression. He took the loudspeaker, gave Rasa a deep look, then turned to the crowd.
After a long pause, just as Rasa was wondering what he'd say—
"Eat well! Have fun! Good luck!"
That was it. Danzō casually tossed the loudspeaker to a nearby ninja and sat back down.
"It's that old man again!"
In the crowd, little Naruto scowled at Danzō's back and puffed out his cheeks.
"He's a ninja from the Leaf! And Kakashi-sensei said he didn't know him!"
"You've met him before?" Jiraiya, standing beside Naruto, frowned and looked toward Danzō, now seated again.
(So he's a distributor now too... I wonder if the old man back in Konoha knows...)
"Yeah, I've seen him before!" Naruto tapped his little head. "But who is he?"
He could stand on the same stage and speak like the Kazekage. The Kazekage... he was probably the Sand equivalent of Ji-chan or something~
(Kazekage... Hokage... they're all super strong, right?)
"He looks super important!"
"Stay away from him." Jiraiya ruffled Naruto's spiky hair, his tone serious. "That guy's really dangerous."
Most of the shady business in the village... somehow, that old bastard's always involved.
"Remember this—never mess with him."
"Got it~! Kakashi-sensei said the same thing," Naruto said carelessly, waving his hand. Then he pouted. "But he's strong, right? Why are both Kakashi-sensei and Pervy Sage so scared of him?"
"Scared? Don't be ridiculous. Nothing scares this Sage—"
SMACK!
"Also... who are you calling Pervy Sage?!"
"Ow! That hurts!" Naruto clutched the back of his head and glared at Jiraiya. "You're just like Grandma Tsunade! Don't you know you're—"
BAM!
"Who are you calling Grandma?!"
Tsunade appeared with a twitching brow, fist raised threateningly.
"Call me big sister! Got it?!"
Instantly...
All the Konoha ninjas nearby backed away with visible black lines on their faces.
Especially Kakashi—ever since Jiraiya showed up, he no longer had to babysit Naruto 24/7. It was a relief.
Hiding far away with a lazy expression, he looked at Naruto rubbing a huge lump on his head and sighed inwardly.
(Sorry, sensei~)
After Danzō's short speech, Elder Ebizō returned to the stage to explain the competition rules and how to handle unexpected situations.
Finally...
"Let the tournament begin!"
With that shout, the crowd erupted into cheers and raised fists.
"First up, representing Konoha's children's division: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Itachi, and Uchiha Sasuke. There's not much to say here—just look for yourselves."
On the commentator's platform, Tobi, slouched in his seat, lazily announced into the mic.
"Next is Iwagakure's team… meh, nothing special there either. Just take a look yourselves. Then we've got the team from the Land of Lightning... other than all the kids being kinda dark-skinned, there's not much to say."
He continued rambling off a string of teams he claimed had "nothing worth mentioning," until the spectators were ready to storm the booth and beat him senseless.
What kind of commentary was this?!
If there's nothing to say, why are you even talking?!
"Is he really cut out for this?"
In the shadows, the real White Zetsu looked at Black Zetsu, clearly exasperated.
"I feel like if this goes on, we won't even have a tournament. And that idiot Tobi... we might never see him again."
"This was the Kazekage's idea," Black Zetsu shrugged, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Even if it all blows up—it's not our problem."
"What if it ruins tonight's matches too?"
"..."
Black Zetsu went silent.
Then, narrowing his eyes, he spoke with a sinister tone.
"Tell that White Zetsu idiot to shape up, or else… Remember last time the Kazekage asked if a dead White Zetsu would turn into a tree?"
"If Tobi screws this up... I'll personally plant him!"
"…What is that Kazekage trying to do?" White Zetsu shivered and looked at his counterpart with exasperation. "Fine. I'll get the others to keep an eye on him."
Just then, as if on cue—
"OHHHH~!"
Tobi, who had looked completely disinterested up to now, suddenly perked up. He stood on his chair, slamming the table excitedly.
"LOOK WHO'S HERE!"
"No way—this is incredible! The next team is from Sunagakure!"
"Leading the way is the dashing, handsome son of the Fourth Kazekage! Look at that poise! That confidence! Even under this kind of pressure, he strides forward without a flicker of emotion. Truly, like father, like son!"
"And behind him… oh my~ What an adorable little fella! Even in competition, he holds his beloved pet in his arms—so young, yet so kind-hearted! Surely, he'll grow up to be—"
Before he could finish...
The once-quiet arena exploded.
"Protest! Protest! We demand a new host!"
Shoes, stones, and glass bottles were hurled toward the commentator's booth.
"We demand fairness and impartiality! Replace the host!"
"Change the host!"
"Get rid of that biased clown!"
This commentator was just... disgusting.