In the Land of Waves, Arthur stood at the edge of the vast arena to observe the hustle and bustle of the tournament preparations.
His figure was indistinguishable, like a shadow overlooking everyone, and his Crimson Gaze was activated to gauge the chakra levels of those entering the grounds.
Whether they were ninjas, feudal lords, or their aides, not a single one of them was left out from his vision's range.
There were quite a lot of faces absent from the lineup: Chōjūrō, Chiriku, Asuma, Kakashi, Ao, Killer Bee, Guy, and Yugito. While none of them had even registered, that did not mean they couldn't have come watch the event.
Arthur speculated that they likely didn't show because of their background. Killer Bee and Yugito were notorious Jinchūriki across the Lightning Country. Kakashi was also the son of the White Fang of the Hidden Leaf and was widely known as the Copy Ninja who most feared.
Other characters, like Chōjūrō in specific, were part of organisations that didn't have a favourable reputation in the public eye. The same principles applied for Asuma and Chiriku, who had significant bounties on their heads.
As Arthur continued to ponder the implications of those missing fighters, he couldn't ignore the presence of foreign dignitaries that had begun to trickle in.
Feudal lords from the Land of Frost and the Land of Tea were among those notable figures mingling in the arena. They looked eager to catch a glimpse of the combatants who had dared to participate.
Many sought to meet with whoever was in charge of things personally. So Arthur had set up frontmen to avoid speaking with anyone himself.
As the minutes passed and the countdown to the opening rounds approached, the crowd began to grow thicker.
Arthur kept his focus to the entrance, awaiting the arrival of specific participants who he had personally allowed entry.
Some of those entries had bounties or didn't qualify after their background check. But this was his tournament, and he wouldn't have taken no for an answer.
Soon after, he spotted them approaching: William, Margaret, Lee, Neji, Naruto, Iruka, and Jada.
'So Alice, Jasper, and Alex couldn't make it…'
It also seemed like that Leaf Village group was having quite the fun time. Arthur hadn't seen their faces personally in months. And it looks like they had traveled together by boat.
Upon arriving at the stadium, they marveled at the grand structure.
"Welcome, welcome!" one of the workers announced as their team approached the check-in area. "This is a taijutsu-only tournament, so team battles and outside help are not permitted. We also have sensors equipped throughout the arena to ensure that there will be no cheating."
A murmur of understanding spread through the group.
Lee was bubbling over with questions. "But what about the Eight Inner Gates? Am I allowed to use them?"
A worker, slightly taken aback by the question, began rifling through the rulebook. Margaret was skeptical, believing that different lands wouldn't be aware of what that technique even was.
"Lee," she said, "it's a taijutsu skill, but I don't think they know what—"
"Ah, yes," the worker confirmed. "It appears you can activate the Eight Gates. However, you are not allowed to open anything beyond the sixth gate."
Margaret was shocked, while Lee's face lit up with excitement. "That is fantastic! I shall ensure to follow these rules to the best of my abilities!" Needless to say, he was only able to open that many gates anyway. "Come, Neji, let us hurry up and check in!"
Neji couldn't help but smile at how contagious Lee's enthusiasm was.
Over the past few months, these two had been getting along great. That was considering that Neji had disregarded Lee as a rival due to lacking in genjutsu and ninjutsu.
While their friendship inevitably grew as the series continued, that was only after Naruto defeated Neji in the Chūnin Exams. This time, it was those from earth who had swayed Neji's heart after revealing the truth about his father.
Margaret raised an eyebrow and whispered to Jada, "They know about the Eight Gates? Isn't that a little suspicious?"
"It's only natural," Jada explained, unperturbed by her question.
Margaret felt a sense of unease but pushed it aside, reasoning that they would go along with things for now—convenient or not.
"Please keep in mind that no weapons of any kind may be used during the tournament," the workers addressed. "We will be confiscating any weapons you may have before entering inside."
While the team exchanged looks of reluctance, they couldn't argue after spending the time to travel all the way here.
One by one, they relinquished their weapon pouches, tucking away their kunai, shuriken, and even the more specialized weapons that each of them had brought. As for healing items, the workers informed them that food pills and chakra pills were also prohibited during the match.
With a collective sigh of resignation, they turned their attention back to the check-in process.
Jada wasn't participating, so she was given a spectator pass. The participants received their group pass as fighters.
Once that was done, the workers guided them through a tunnel to where their group would be stationed. And once inside, they were met with sheer awe at the vastness of it all.
The interior was far larger than they had imagined, and they could hear the collective roar of the crowd already filling the stands. All of the spectators were clearly anticipating a worthwhile show.
"This is your elected spot," they were told. Multiple areas encircled the arena, each enclosed by small walls about three feet in height. Within their area were also ample seats for them to settle if they didn't want to wait in the stands. "You're free to wander about, but please refrain from quarreling with any other groups."
Taking in their surroundings, Jada turned her head and quickly gasped. "Hey! Look over there!" She pointed to a familiar figure in an adjacent group and was shocked to see Chen preparing for competition.
Chen, as William, Margaret, and her knew of him, was a once-revered hero of the Leaf Village. His past was haunted by the loss of his student, while his dedication to taijutsu and his student's potential were defining aspects of his character.
Despite his legendary status, he was a man of few words, often expressing himself through his actions. Only Rock Lee was able to re-ignite his beliefs, which was an event that wouldn't occur for another three years after Chen had already died and then been resurrected.
"Why're you so shocked that he's here?" Margaret asked her.
"I was looking to train with him for so long!"
Who could blame her when Chen's taijutsu skills were more than exceptional, even in his old age? His Leaf Dragon technique, a powerful spinning kick that harnessed the wind, was no laughing matter.
Chen was a tanned man of average height with a weathered face. His greying hair was styled in dreadlocks with a trimmed beard, and he had a missing tooth. He also wore a yellow jumpsuit with black stripes, open-toed sandals, and red square-framed sunglasses.
"Wow!" Jada remarked aloud, drawing his attention. "He looks just like we remembered."
"More from the Leaf?" he wondered with a wry smile on his face.
"I cannot believe my eyes!" Lee announced. "That is the legendary Chen."
"What's the big idea?" Naruto commented. "Who's the old geezer anyway?"
Seeing that they recognized him, Chen attempted to play it off casually, claiming he was only a regular fighter that happened to look like the Chen they knew. But before he could further elaborate, an attendant strolled by to hand him a cup.
"Here's your drink, Mr Chen."
The ironic exposure made the scene comical, igniting laughter among William's group.
"I didn't think you were alive," Iruka exclaimed in amazement.
"Don't go burying me yet," Chen responded.
Margaret was more inquisitive, noting Chen's comment curiously. "Did you catch that? He said, 'More from the Leaf.'"
"I think you're reading too much into it, Marge," Neji said, trying to remain rational. "It's probably just a coincidence because of our headbands."
"Look at the group next to Chen, though!" Margaret insisted.
And she was right. The group one slot over included several recognizable ninjas from the Leaf Village: Ebisu, Raidō Namiashi, Kotetsu Hagane, and even Anko Mitarashi were busy chatting away.
While everyone practically knew who Anko was, Raidō, Kotetsu, and Ebisu are three skilled and dedicated Leaf shinobi. They each brought unique qualities to their roles, contributing to the overall strength and protection of their village.
Raidō, a Special Jōnin, was renowned for his assassination skills. His calm demeanour and methodical approach to missions made him a valuable asset to any team.
Kotetsu, a Chūnin, was known for his carefree personality and his strong bond with his partner, Izumo Kamizuki. Despite his laid-back attitude, he always put the needs of the village first.
Ebisu, another Special Jōnin, was a complex mentor. He had a reputation for being strict and demanding, but he also cared for his students. Most notably Konohamaru, the grandson of the third Hokage.
"No way they're spectating?" Margaret concluded, glancing back to the group.
None of them seemed disheartened that they were surrounded by familiar faces. Had they known that other ninjas from their villages were selected or going to watch, they would have gladly traveled with them by boat instead.
Unable to resist, William suggested to the group, "We should go see who else is here!"
"Wait, I don't think that would—"
"Yeah, come on, cuz," Naruto said, cutting Iruka off.
Ignoring the small wall dividing their area, the two hopped over to go and greet the other fighters.
Their faces were eager as they scanned the surroundings, noting the varied array of competitors.
They spotted Han and Kurotsuchi, the latter being known to become the Kage of the Stone Village about a decade from now. William was quite interested to know how a guy like Han managed to get selected despite having a known bounty and being the Jinchūriki of the Five-Tails, Kokuō.
"Whoa! Look over there!" he spoke, gesturing wildly with excitement. "It's Darui and Omoi! They're here too!"
"Hey, Will, how do you know them?" Naruto asked, oblivious to any of these other ninjas.
"Um… I read about them, of course."
"Well," Naruto said, buying the excuse, "these guys all seem really strong! I can't wait to face them head-on!"