Kushina and Minato had been playing games all morning, and now she seemed a little unhappy, barely speaking to Minato.
Minato was quite helpless about this and could only try to coax her.
Torifu shook his head at the sight. It seemed that boy had gotten a thorough thrashing from Kushina in a game again.
Sometimes, he really didn't know whether to call him high in emotional intelligence or low.
However, Torifu didn't meddle in their affairs. It was normal for young couples to bicker.
After everyone finished lunch together, Torifu planned to return to his room to rest.
As for cleaning up the rubbish and such, he would leave that to the younger generation.
Time passed day by day, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day of the tournament.
Today, Konohagakure was exceptionally lively. Villagers set out bright and early, arriving at the Chunin Exam grounds located in the southern part of the village.
Thousands of people filled the venue to capacity, while those who hadn't drawn tickets could only watch the live broadcast on their phones.
Although it lacked much of the atmosphere, it was still quite good to be able to watch at all.
Yesterday, teams from Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and the Land of Iron arrived in Konohagakure. Each team consisted of about ten people, and their ages met the competition's requirements.
Torifu arranged for his secretary to host these athletes who had traveled a long distance.
After all, the journey was quite long; they had traveled non-stop, and they were expected to compete the very next day without a moment's rest.
It was inevitable that they would have complaints, and Torifu's action was merely to silence them.
But even if they still had complaints, Torifu wouldn't care. It was just an entertainment tournament, with no real prestige.
Moreover, these participating members were invited by the Kage, not forcibly conscripted by Torifu, so any resentment they held had nothing to do with him.
It was eight o'clock in the morning. All the villagers had taken their seats, and the Kazekage, Tsuchikage, and Mifune had also arrived at the venue.
The three of them sat with Torifu on the uppermost viewing platform, from where they could clearly see the situation inside the arena.
"This is the first time such a competition has been held, and even samurai are participating. It would have been unimaginable before," Ōnoki remarked with emotion.
The others nodded in agreement. It was already remarkable for three great Hidden Villages to be so harmonious, but for samurai, who were usually at odds with shinobi, to also participate in the competition was unprecedented.
"Haha, if a young samurai from the Land of Iron wins the championship, I will designate a fine sword as the prize. If a shinobi wins, the prize will be chakra herbs or a suitable ninja tool. What do you all think?"
Mifune had no objections. The katana provided by the Hokage would surely be of the highest quality, perfectly suitable for these young ones who had only recently embarked on the path of a samurai.
The two Kage also had no objections, but Ōnoki was surprised that the Hokage would offer something as precious as chakra herbs as a prize.
It seemed his decision to call shinobi from his village to participate in the competition was indeed a very wise one.
If they could win the championship, his village might gain another genius.
But Ōnoki knew, even with a thought, that this would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
"Alright everyone, time is almost up. Let's make an appearance."
The four of them walked together to the edge of the viewing platform. When the villagers in the arena saw the Hokage, they immediately erupted into enthusiastic cheers.
Torifu coughed lightly, and his voice immediately spread throughout the entire venue.
"Ahem, today is an important day for Konohagakure and indeed for the entire ninja world. An unprecedented Hidden Village tournament will be held today, and even samurai have joined in."
"You all interact with shinobi every day, but you rarely see samurai."
Then Torifu walked over to Mifune's side and introduced him: "This is General Mifune, the Samurai General of the Land of Iron. He has led the Land of Iron's talented young samurai to Konohagakure to participate in this tournament."
"This is unprecedented in the entire history of the ninja world. I hope this tournament will reveal more geniuses and inject fresh blood into the ninja world."
As his words fell, thunderous applause once again erupted throughout the stadium. Even the Kage, accustomed to grand spectacles, were somewhat awestruck.
Konohagakure's unity was truly immense, and they completely obeyed Torifu's commands.
Torifu once again walked over to the Kazekage and Tsuchikage's side: "I don't need to introduce these two further; they are old friends of Konohagakure, Kazekage-sama and Tsuchikage-sama. They have also brought many geniuses from their villages to participate in the tournament."
"With so many young people competing on the same stage, who will ultimately win the championship? Let us all look forward to it."
"Therefore, I now declare the first Shinobi World Youth Tournament officially open!"
As Torifu's voice faded, all of Konohagakure erupted in cheers. Villagers who hadn't entered the venue heard Torifu's voice and joined in the shouting.
After Torifu finished his announcement, the four returned to their seats; the remaining hosting duties did not require their involvement.
A familiar figure appeared on the arena stage: "Good morning, everyone! I am the Hokage-sama's secretary, Nara Anka."
[T/N: Finally a Name for this secretary!]
Even the villagers who weren't shinobi recognized the secretary. On a daily basis, any events or activities happening in the village were entirely handled by her.
The villagers were naturally very familiar with her.
"It is a great honor to host this first tournament. Without further ado, let us invite the first pair of contestants to enter the arena."
After Nara Anka finished speaking, a young man walked up from each side of the arena stage.
"Elimination Round, Match One: Hyuga Kai versus Sarutobi Shinnosuke!"
Upon hearing these two names, Torifu was somewhat surprised.
Torifu wasn't very familiar with this Hyuga Kai, but rather with Sarutobi Shinnosuke, that boy.
He didn't expect him to be in the first match.
Noticing Torifu's expression, the Kazekage beside him also asked: "What's wrong, Hokage? Are you familiar with either of these two children?"
Torifu nodded: "Sarutobi Shinnosuke, he is the son of the Sarutobi Clan Head. His father and I are good friends; when I was young, his father often took my wife and me on missions."
"I see. I recall that when the First Kazekage was in office, Hokage-sama once visited Sunagakure."
Torifu smiled slightly after hearing this: "That's right, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was with me, is his father."
The Kazekage also showed an understanding expression.
The Sarutobi Clan was a prominent clan in Konohagakure; the Clan Head's son would certainly have good strength.
On the stage, Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Hyuga Kai stood opposite each other. The two knew each other privately, but now that it was a tournament, there was naturally no opportunity for them to interact.
With so many important figures watching, they certainly couldn't afford to embarrass themselves.
Shinnosuke drew his sword and adopted an offensive stance, while Hyuga Kai activated his Byakugan.
Veins bulged around his eyes, making him look somewhat intimidating.
At this moment, he could clearly see Shinnosuke's chakra flow and the weak points on his body.