With several Kage coming to Konoha Village, Torifu couldn't just let them wait idly for eight or nine days, then entertain them for one evening and send them home, could he? There had to be some activities or events to host them, otherwise, their trip wouldn't be very enjoyable.
"Hokage-sama, after the announcement was posted, there was a great reaction within the village. The villagers are actively discussing the arena competition. When shall we begin?"
Torifu, who was drinking tea in the courtyard, smiled faintly. "In three days. Over these three days, prepare Konoha Village's Chunin Exams arena. The competition will be held there."
Upon hearing this, the secretary immediately accepted the order and went to make the arrangements.
The Chunin Exams arena was sufficient to host this competition, and it could also accommodate a number of spectators. However, it could probably only hold a few thousand people. At that time, tickets would be first-come, first-served, and watching the competition would be purely a matter of luck. After these matters were delegated, Torifu also called the Tsuchikage and others, informing them of the situation.
The others thought it was quite good and could serve as an exchange meeting for the younger generation between the villages. The various Kage also directly called their villages, instructing their secretaries to select young people who met the participation criteria to come to Konoha Village for the competition. This would add some excitement to the competition; otherwise, with the Lands of Earth, Wind, and Iron combined, having only two participants would be a bit embarrassing.
In any case, the villagers had just finished the busy preparations for the Spring Festival, and now they were looking forward to the competition three days later. Moreover, with four nations jointly hosting it, the prestige was very high. If it were just Konoha Village's shinobi battling, the villagers could still make a rough guess at the ultimate champion based on their clan's reputation. But with shinobi from three additional nations, whom the villagers were completely unfamiliar with, the situation became utterly enigmatic. This was exactly what Torifu wanted to see. What was the point of a competition whose outcome was obvious from the start?
Actually, this was originally just an exhibition match meant to test Yahiko and Konan. Unexpectedly, with Torifu's step-by-step manipulations, it evolved into such a large-scale arena competition. Although Torifu was still very confident in Yahiko and Konan's abilities, it didn't necessarily mean they were guaranteed a steady victory. After all, there were many powerful shinobi from other nations, and Sasori was a very strong contender. In the original world, an adult Sasori, even with the powerful puppet made from the Third Kazekage, couldn't defeat Konan. So, it remained to be seen if Sasori could defeat Konan now, when she didn't possess any powerful offensive techniques. These two children rarely engaged in combat within Konoha Village. This time, he hoped they would gain something from it. Thinking this, Torifu couldn't help but smile faintly, draining the tea from his cup.
Around the afternoon, the list of participants appeared on Torifu's desk. The Land of Earth, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Iron each sent ten young shinobi to participate. They were currently en route to Konoha Village. Meanwhile, in Konoha Village, various clans were also making their moves. The Uchiha Clan sent two people: one was Uchiha Inabi, a newcomer with decent talent. The other was Uchiha Shunsui, Kagami's son, who was exactly the same age as Yahiko and his group. However, Kagami's daughter, Uchiha Aihana, had already exceeded the participation age, being exactly 15 years old this year. This was also a great pity.
[T/N: We translated the little brother of Aihana as Jiro previously, it seems that was nickname. Little Bean. Jiro. Let's change it to Uchiha Shunsui (Chinese was Shun Shui)for now, it seems that's his name from the way author wrote now.]
The leaders of other clans all sent their clan's geniuses, or their own sons and daughters, and so on. For a time, the atmosphere throughout Konoha Village became somewhat tense; an invisible war had already begun. Originally, these prodigies, young masters, and young ladies might have been secretly competing amongst themselves, but this arena competition brought that rivalry directly into the open. It would let them directly determine who was superior.
"Hmm… the Nara Clan sent Nara Shikaku, and the Akimichi Clan sent Chōza? All familiar names." It was a shame that Yamanaka Inoichi of the Yamanaka Clan was over the age limit, having reached fifteen. Actually, this age limit was precisely to restrict Minato. Although there was only a one-year difference, Minato's talent and that of the other participants were vastly different. To prevent Minato from obliterating everyone, this rule had to be implemented. Furthermore, it also conveniently capped the strength at the Chunin level.
Yahiko and Konan felt some pressure upon seeing the participant list, but they weren't particularly nervous. They had a very clear understanding of their own abilities. Even if they couldn't win the championship in this competition, they could certainly secure a good ranking. "You two, don't worry about your opponents. Just fight well and gain experience from the battles. Don't waste this opportunity." Yahiko and Konan immediately nodded. "Don't worry, Master!"
At this time, everyone had just finished eating and was doing their own things in the courtyard. Akihara had gone to play with Minato and Kushina. Naori, meanwhile, sat beside Torifu, discussing the arena competition with him.
"The Sarutobi Clan sent that boy, Shinnosuke, didn't they?"
"Yes, his current age is indeed perfect for participating, and he's a good child." Naori said softly. Torifu remembered Shinnosuke complaining on the street as a child, wanting Torifu to buy him tasty treats. In a blink of an eye, he was fourteen. "Brother Hiruzen is also making a move now. It's a pity Aihana is only one year off, otherwise, she would certainly have been a good choice."
Naori shook her head. "Aihana, that child, is just average within the clan compound, considered middle-tier. But Brother doesn't intend for her to achieve anything great; being happy is enough."
"In contrast, Shunsui, that child, displayed his talent very early on. I heard Brother say that Shunsui is also very interested in this competition and plans to show off his skills."
Torifu nodded upon hearing this. That child was indeed remarkable, having awakened his Sharingan at a very young age. He was truly worthy of being Uchiha Shisui's father. However, the most talented shinobi in the Uchiha Clan currently wasn't Shisui, but Uchiha Fugaku, Naori's disciple. But he was older than Minato, so there was even less chance of him participating. Let's not discuss him for now.
"Have you prepared the prizes for the participants? Don't end up with no prizes, just to let everyone laugh at us." Naori said, half-jokingly.
Torifu smiled faintly. "Of course, they're ready. We'll see who the final winner is, and then, based on their primary chakra nature, I'll reward them with a herb."
Naori nodded after hearing this. It was a decent reward. The medicinal herbs Torifu provided were very potent; even an Kage-level shinobi like her still experienced strong effects after using them. If given as a reward to young juniors, it would certainly lay a very strong foundation. She hoped this item would remain in Konoha Village.