Chapter 721 Five Shadows Appear Together

“Muzuki is not suitable to be a challenger to drain Sōsuke’s Chakra,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said bluntly.

During the challenge, Sōsuke would most likely not go all out against Muzuki, but what he was worried about was the friendly fire.

When the challenge ended, Sōsuke’s Chakra would be depleted, but so would Muzuki’s.

Perhaps other Ninja Villages would ‘accidentally’ injure Muzuki, whose combat power would be greatly reduced.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had always been accustomed to suspecting the worst of his fellow Ninja.

To minimize losses and gain benefits, Hidden Mist could backstab the Three Great Ninja Villages and betray Konoha.

To preserve their interests, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure could set aside their past grievances and unite.

Ninja Villages have always prioritized their interests; as long as the benefits are sufficient, there’s nothing they won’t do.

And for all Ninja Villages outside of Konoha, what would be the best outcome of the Martial Arts Tournament? Is it successfully killing Sōsuke?

No, it’s Sōsuke and Muzuki dying together!

The two of them were too overpowered for the current Ninja World; no one wanted such powerful Ninja to appear from a village other than their own.

“Third Hokage, you’re underestimating the younger generation a bit. The Fourth Hokage’s strength is obvious to all. Although he is young, his strength may not be much worse than Sōsuke’s,” Ōnoki retorted.

Judging from Muzuki’s performance in the last battle of the Third Shinobi World War, Muzuki was still a considerable distance from Sōsuke.

However, two years had passed, and Muzuki must have made some progress. And since he wanted Muzuki to participate, he naturally had to praise Muzuki more; after all, talking costs no money.

“The Fourth Hokage’s strength is indeed formidable. In the current Ninja World, he should be second only to Sōsuke.”

The Third Mizukage said with a smile, not expressing an opinion, but merely chiming in to praise Muzuki’s strength.

Rasa wanted to speak but held back.

If others praised Muzuki, it might be interpreted as polite flattery, but if he praised Muzuki, it would be admitting defeat.

Because Rasa had once been severely injured by a single punch from Muzuki on the battlefield.

The Third Raikage also remained silent, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, quietly watching everyone.

As the center of attention, Muzuki likewise offered no opinion.

Some things were indeed not suitable for him to say himself.

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s expression remained unchanged as he continued:

“It is precisely because Muzuki is so powerful that he cannot be the challenger.”

“Sōsuke possesses powerful defensive Ninjutsu and his Taijutsu far surpasses ordinary people. If there isn’t a powerful individual like Muzuki, who has mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique and possesses strong offensive capabilities, there’s a high chance Sōsuke could escape.”

Besides worrying about allies taking the opportunity to backstab, Hiruzen Sarutobi indeed had this consideration.

If Sōsuke escaped, the consequences would truly be unimaginable.

No Ninja Village could withstand the havoc caused by a God of Shinobi, not even Konoha.

If Sōsuke did nothing but target Konoha Ninja, unless Konoha Ninja stopped taking missions, they would have to be constantly on edge every time they left the village.

“The Third Hokage makes a valid point.” The Third Mizukage nodded, expressing his agreement.

Although it was clear that Hiruzen Sarutobi was trying to preserve Konoha’s strength, his logic was indeed sound.

Ōnoki thought for a moment and then spoke:

“Then who should be this challenger? I’ll be direct: I fought Sōsuke, and I lost very quickly and miserably.”

“I am willing to be the challenger, but if I face Sōsuke, I’ll probably be defeated in a few minutes, unable to achieve the effect of draining a significant amount of Sōsuke’s stamina and Chakra.”

Ōnoki frankly admitted his inadequacy.

In the circle of the Five Great Ninja Villages’ leaders, Sōsuke was already recognized as a god-level Ninja, so being inferior to Sōsuke was not shameful.

Ōnoki’s words did not greatly surprise the other Kage.

After all, Iwagakure’s intelligence had almost openly told everyone that Ōnoki had fought Sōsuke.

“As you all know, I also fought Sōsuke once, and I lost very miserably in that battle. I’m afraid I also cannot serve as the challenger,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said, shaking his head.

With Ōnoki leading the way, Hiruzen Sarutobi also revealed his own defeat.

It wasn’t cowardice; Hiruzen Sarutobi genuinely felt he couldn’t do it.

“Sōsuke could easily defeat Hanzō with just Fire Release. My Water Release is not much stronger than Hanzō’s, so I cannot undertake the important task of being the challenger,” the Third Mizukage sighed.

He was genuinely speaking the truth. In terms of strength, among the Kage present, the only one he could consistently defeat was Rasa.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi admitted he wasn’t qualified to be the challenger, so why should he join in the fun?

Everyone’s gaze fell on Rasa and the Third Raikage, who had not yet spoken.

“My experience is still shallow, and I am willing but unable,” Rasa quickly said.

Muzuki could easily defeat him, and Sōsuke was even stronger than Muzuki. Wouldn’t challenging Sōsuke be asking for trouble?

Everyone looked at the Third Raikage.

At this moment, everyone suddenly realized that the Third Raikage was indeed the best choice besides Muzuki.

The Third Raikage, possessing both the strongest spear and the strongest shield, had formidable offensive capabilities while also possessing very strong defensive capabilities. Ordinary Ninjutsu could not faze the Third Raikage at all.

Furthermore, the Third Raikage, skilled in Lightning Release Ninja Body Technique, was known for his strong endurance, and his sustained combat ability was top-tier among Ninja.

Feeling everyone’s gaze, the Third Raikage’s face darkened a bit. He snorted coldly and said:

“You’re all shirking responsibility and don’t want to take risks, so why should our Kumogakure go?”

For his subordinates, he could face difficulties head-on, no matter how strong or numerous the enemies, he would not fear.

But this was a joint operation of the Five Villages, why should he take on the hard work himself?

The atmosphere in the conference room became somewhat awkward.

The Third Raikage’s words, though a bit harsh, were also realistic.

Challenging Sōsuke was indeed not a good assignment.

Firstly, given Sōsuke’s strength, the challenger was bound to lose, which would have a certain impact on their reputation.

If the two sides had not fought before, in the hearts of most Kumogakure Ninja, the Third Raikage was still the invincible Raikage.

Losing in a one-on-one direct combat, no excuse would work; a loss was a loss.

“How about this? Besides the Third Hokage fighting in place of the Fourth Hokage, all other Kage will participate in the Martial Arts Tournament, but whenever we encounter the Raikage, we will feign defeat and let him advance,” Ōnoki suggested after some thought.

The Third Raikage didn’t want to avoid fighting, but he felt that Kumogakure was at a disadvantage. So, they would ensure the Third Raikage was not at a disadvantage.

Before losing to Sōsuke, the Third Raikage would defeat the other Kage in the Martial Arts Tournament.

“I see no problem,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

He thought about the benefits Konoha could gain from this operation and felt that losing a bit of face was acceptable, as he was not the current Hokage anyway.

“I think it’s fine.” The Third Mizukage also had no objection to this.

Rasa nodded rapidly. Losing face was certainly unpleasant, but if the Shinobi Sect wasn’t eliminated, Sunagakure’s future would be difficult.

The Third Raikage thought to himself, ‘You don’t need to feign it, I can win anyway.’

However, after careful consideration, he felt that Ōnoki’s suggestion was indeed good, as it could enhance Kumogakure’s prestige.

Thus, the assassination plan targeting Sōsuke was officially set.

Except for Konoha, which sent its former Kage, all other great Ninja Villages sent their current Kage personally, along with a large number of elite Ninja, to participate.

Putting aside the hidden conspiracies, if one only looked at the number of participating powerhouses, the Shinobi Sect Martial Arts Tournament would surpass any previous battle in terms of participating strong individuals, making it a rare Ninja grand event.

…

As time passed, the Shinobi Sect continuously released new information about the Martial Arts Tournament.

For example, the ranking rewards for the Martial Arts Tournament.

This time, the rewards for the top four in the Martial Arts Tournament were better than the previous Youth Martial Arts Tournament’s top four rewards, with more new rewards added on top of the original ones.

The first place, in addition to the new opportunity to challenge Sōsuke, no longer only received Fire Dragon Dance as a Ninjutsu, but also Wind Release: Vacuum Hurricane of the same level, and could also obtain four of the latest high-level Ninjutsu scrolls produced by the Shinobi Sect.

The second place could request Sōsuke to customize three Ninjutsu, and also receive three of the latest high-level Ninjutsu scrolls produced by the Shinobi Sect.

The third place could study with Sōsuke for one month, but what would be taught was not fixed, entirely decided by Sōsuke, and the Ninjutsu scrolls were two.

The fourth place received a set of top-tier Shinobi Sect prosthetics, with free surgery, and only one Ninjutsu scroll.

Moreover, this time, besides the top four, other rankings also had rewards. As long as a participant entered the elimination round, even if they were eliminated in the first round, they would receive one of the latest ordinary Ninjutsu scrolls.

The higher the ranking, the more and higher-grade prosthetics and Ninjutsu scrolls received.

After the reward information spread throughout the Ninja World, it quickly caused heated discussion across the entire Ninja World.

Nothing else, these rewards were simply too valuable.

The worst of the top four, the fourth place, still received a top-tier Chakra blade and top-tier prosthetics.

Selling them could fetch an unknown number of S-rank Missions.

Of course, most people were quite self-aware. After all, the last time, with age restrictions, the competition was already so fierce. This time, without age restrictions, there would definitely be a multitude of strong individuals.

Most people were thinking of participating in the Martial Arts Tournament to secure an elimination round ranking reward.

In the previous Youth Martial Arts Tournament, some Ninja from small Ninja Villages entered the elimination stage, and they believed that securing an elimination round ranking was still very hopeful.

Being able to watch battles between strong individuals and also get a Ninjutsu scroll, it was a win-win no matter how you looked at it.

Of course, there were also those aiming for high rankings, such as Obito.

“Last time I narrowly lost to Nagato, but now my strength has greatly improved, I definitely won’t lose to him again!” Obito said with full confidence.

Nagato’s abilities were indeed strange, but his Mangekyo Sharingan and Flying Thunder God Technique were not to be underestimated either.

Although Nagato should have also made progress during this time, his progress should not be as significant as his.

“This time there’s no age limit. The strongest participant might not necessarily be Nagato,” Kakashi reminded calmly.

This Martial Arts Tournament had such good rewards, and it was currently a time of peace, so many strong individuals would surely participate for the rewards.

“I don’t care who participates, I’ll just keep winning until I get first place!” Obito said domineeringly.

With Kamui and Flying Thunder God Technique in hand, he could maneuver against anyone he encountered.

“As expected of Obito, that’s what youth should be like!” Might Guy said, giving a thumbs up.

He also planned to participate in this Martial Arts Tournament, with the goal of first place as well.

“Since we’re participating, we have to aim for first place, right, Kakashi?”

“Just do your best,” Kakashi replied, shaking his head.

He didn’t have much interest in the Martial Arts Tournament; he wasn’t against it, but he didn’t particularly like it either.

The main reason he would participate was that Obito and the others wanted to go, coupled with Konoha’s persuasion.

“Don’t force the ranking too much. The important thing is participation and performing to your full potential,” Shisui preemptively warned them.

As the vice-captain of the training squad, Shisui knew more than the average Ninja.

The waters of this Martial Arts Tournament were truly deep, and even Shisui was somewhat incredulous when he received the notification.

The Five Kage forming a team to compete, this was simply too outrageous.

“Hmm, as long as I give my all, there will be no regrets, no matter the ranking,” Yamato said, nodding.

During the previous Youth Martial Arts Tournament, he was unable to leave the village to participate due to Root.

Now he was a proper Konoha Chunin, and of course, he had to follow in the footsteps of his seniors and participate in the Martial Arts Tournament.

Shisui looked at Yamato with a hint of pity. With Yamato’s strength, if he had participated in the previous Youth Martial Arts Tournament, as long as his luck wasn’t too bad, getting into the elimination rounds would have been no problem.

This year, however, it was uncertain.

After all, the opponents were the Five Kage and the elite Ninja of the Five Great Ninja Villages.

“That’s what they say, but if I can get first, I’ll definitely strive for it. After all, I was second last time, so I can’t regress this time, right?” Obito said with a chuckle, his mindset very optimistic.

Shisui didn’t respond. This time, in the Martial Arts Tournament, let alone second place, even getting into the top four would require defeating those at the pinnacle of the Ninja World.

As the Martial Arts Tournament was about to begin, Konoha began to form teams to prepare to go to the Shinobi Sect to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament.

“Why are so many people going this time?” Obito couldn’t help but mutter as he looked at the rather long procession.

Although it was normal for more people to participate without age restrictions, this was too many; it was nearly seven or eight times the number from last time.

Moreover, the former Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the current Hokage Assistant, Minato Namikaze, were also in the team, and it was even the current Hokage personally leading the team.

“Teacher Muzuki and the others must have received an invitation to spectate, right?” Obito quickly thought of a very reasonable explanation.

Going to Six Paths City didn’t necessarily mean participating in the competition. This could also explain why there were so many Ninja in the team, after all, it was a Hokage’s entourage.

“Obito, do you have confidence in getting first place this time?” Asuma said with a smile, walking up to Obito and patting his shoulder.

“It’s alright, I feel like I have a chance,” Obito replied somewhat modestly.

He had also practiced Yang Release Breathing quite well now, so using Mangekyo would put less strain on him.

“Then you’ve improved quite a bit again. I feel like I’d be doing well to maintain a spot in the top eight,” Asuma sighed.

Once the age limit was removed, their opponents would no longer just be a few years older than them; it wouldn’t be surprising to encounter opponents old enough to be their fathers.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, not far away:…

Top eight? Just making it into the elimination rounds would require diligent training plus good luck.

This Martial Arts Tournament was worthy of being called ‘the strongest in the world’; there were simply too many strong individuals participating.

In fact, Hiruzen Sarutobi had considered persuading Asuma to give up the Martial Arts Tournament because it would be difficult to get a good ranking, and it was also dangerous.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi ultimately said nothing. He wasn’t the only one with children.