The carriage came to a smooth stop at the entrance to the venue.
The door was opened from outside. The butler bent slightly and offered Misae a hand as she stepped down.
The moment her feet touched the ground, her legs still felt a little weak.
Hiroshi came down after her, but nearly missed his footing and had to grab the doorframe to steady himself.
A long line of people was already waiting at the main entrance, all ordinary spectators.
Their side was different. A red carpet had been laid out, and the reception staff were already standing there waiting.
"Mr. Nohara, this way, please."
Hiroshi nodded and followed, with Misae holding onto his arm.
A fair number of people were already seated in the VIP section, all dressed elegantly and carrying themselves with refined composure. One look was enough to tell they were nobles from the capital.
Between each chair was a small table for tea, already set with drinks and snacks.
The guide stopped in front of a row of seats.
Shin-chan spotted Ai immediately. She was sitting in the front row, wearing a pale pink kimono, with three empty seats beside her.
Next to those sat the Third Hokage, right in the middle of the front row.
The guide bowed slightly. "Please, have a seat."
Hiroshi's legs felt a little weak. Misae gave him a small push from behind, and only then did he force himself to move.
Shin-chan had already plopped down, put Shiro at his feet, and taken a bite from one of the snacks on the table.
"It's good."
"You're here."
Shin-chan chewed and answered vaguely, "Morning, Grandpa Third."
"Shin-chan, is the seat comfortable?" the Third Hokage turned toward him.
"It is." Shin-chan bounced twice in the chair. "It's softer than the chairs at our house."
Hiroshi immediately dipped his head. "Lord Hokage."
"We're here to watch the matches today. No need to be so stiff." The Third Hokage glanced at the snack in Shin-chan's hand. "Is it good?"
"It is." Shin-chan picked up another one. "Do you want one?"
The Third smiled. "You eat it."
Ai was sitting at the side, with only an armrest between her and Shin-chan.
After finishing his snack, Shin-chan glanced at her.
"Doesn't it get tiring sitting so straight?"
"It doesn't."
"You're lying. Sitting straight definitely gets tiring." Shin-chan said, "Whenever Mom makes me sit up straight, I get tired after a little while."
Ai said nothing, but her back loosened just a tiny bit.
The matches started soon after.
The first two contestants came up, one a Konoha genin, the other from some small hidden village, short and carrying a short blade.
At the referee's signal, they both charged.
The Konoha genin was fast. He dodged several slashes, swept the other boy's legs out from under him, and pinned him to the ground.
"Winner, Uchiyama Akiya!"
Cheers immediately rose from the audience, with applause and whistles mixed together.
The VIP section was much quieter, with only a few restrained claps here and there.
Shin-chan rested his chin in his hands, watched for two seconds, then sighed.
"What's wrong?" Hiroshi asked.
"There aren't any pretty big sisters." Shin-chan shook his head. "They're all guys."
Hiroshi said quietly, "It's a match, not a beauty contest."
"There could still be pretty big sisters."
Hiroshi had no idea how to respond, so he pretended to keep watching the match.
The second round began quickly after that.
A female ninja from the Sand Village stepped onto the field, wearing a sleeveless, backless outfit and tight shorts.
Opposite her stood a Konoha genin, tall, with both hands wrapped in bandages.
Once the referee gave the signal, the two clashed back and forth for more than a dozen exchanges. The Konoha ninja attacked fiercely, every punch and kick slicing through the air, but the Sand kunoichi kept dodging, and the atmosphere in the arena gradually heated up.
"Konoha, go!"
"Take her down!"
The crowd roared.
The VIP section, meanwhile, remained quiet.
Suddenly, the Sand kunoichi stopped.
She raised one hand. In her palm, an orange-red sphere condensed, and the air instantly turned dry.
The Konoha genin froze for a split second and stepped back, but the sphere was already flying toward him.
He twisted to dodge it, but it brushed past his shoulder and instantly scorched part of his clothes black. Before he could regain his footing, the sphere curved back and stopped just behind his head.
"Winner, Pakura!"
The referee's voice rang across the arena.
The audience fell silent for a moment, then a few scattered claps broke out. Since Konoha had lost, most people didn't quite know how to react.
Shin-chan's eyes went round. "Whoa, what was that?"
Hiroshi didn't recognize the technique either. He scratched his head and muttered, "It looked like… some kind of Sand Village secret technique?"
The Third Hokage set down his teacup, his gaze still on the arena.
"That was Scorch Release."
Shin-chan blinked. "Scorch Release?"
"Yes." The Third nodded. "It's created by combining wind chakra and fire chakra into spheres of superheated energy. If you're hit by one, the water inside your body evaporates instantly."
"So it's two chakra natures mixed together?"
"That's right." The Third nodded. "It's a kekkei genkai. Not something just anyone can do."
Shin-chan let out a thoughtful "Oh," then immediately asked, "What would happen if you fused all the chakra natures into one ball?"
The Third Hokage paused and turned to look at him.
Shin-chan was still staring at the arena, as if he'd only asked casually.
After a moment, the Third set down his teacup. "No one's ever done that."
"Why not?"
"Because it's too difficult." The Third said, "Each chakra nature has its own properties. To make them coexist without clashing, rejecting one another, and then fuse them together—it would require not just talent, but luck too."
Shin-chan thought about it. "Then it'd probably be really strong."
"Probably." The Third looked at him and suddenly smiled. "Maybe you'll be the one to do it."
"I'll make one someday and show you." Shin-chan nodded, then immediately turned his attention back to the arena.
The Third froze for a second, then laughed more openly. "Alright. I'll be waiting."
At Hiroshi's side, his mouth hung slightly open. A ninjutsu combining all chakra natures?
That idea was completely beyond his understanding.
Misae whispered from behind, "What's he talking about?"
"I have no idea." Hiroshi looked at her. The idea of combining all chakra natures had already gone far beyond anything he could comprehend.
Meanwhile, Shin-chan seemed to have already forgotten all about it. His legs swung back and forth under the chair.
"Will the next match have any pretty big sisters?"
The Third Hokage heard that and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.
From behind, Misae said in a low voice, "Shin-chan, stop saying random things."
"I'm not saying random things."
"What you just said was random."
"I was asking seriously."
Misae inhaled sharply, about to continue, but Hiroshi tugged her lightly.
"Forget it. Let him enjoy himself today."
Misae shut her mouth and shot Shin-chan a glare.
Ai sat to the side, delicately holding a fan and lightly stirring the air.
The third match began. Two people Shin-chan didn't recognize came out and started fighting, weapons clashing loudly.
He watched for a little while, yawned, and slumped bonelessly in his seat.
Hiroshi leaned over and asked quietly, "Sleepy?"
"No." Shin-chan shook his head. "There just aren't any pretty big sisters."
"It'll be over soon."
"Oh." Shin-chan took another snack from the table, stuffed it into his mouth, and puffed his cheeks out like a hamster.
~~~
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