It was purely a matter of depleting the opponent through ninjutsu.
That's why Torifu gave it to Yahiko, to serve as a backup.
Torifu's swordsmanship was quite good, and teaching it to Yahiko would significantly boost his strength.
It would also help Yahiko break free from his current somewhat awkward situation.
Konan had developed many offensive ninjutsu, but Yahiko's ninjutsu seemed to have gone a bit astray.
With the emergence of this Boil Release, Yahiko leaned even more towards attrition.
To correct this in time, Torifu could only make Yahiko work even harder.
Upon seeing the sword, Yahiko liked it very much and took it from Torifu's hand.
"Thank you, Master."
Then, he retreated to the side.
It was essential for a ninja to learn multiple combat methods, and it was also key to becoming an elite jonin.
Jonin were all-around ninjas; besides their mastered specializations, they had to meet jonin standards in all other aspects.
The requirements for an elite jonin were even more stringent, and not many ninjas in Konoha Village could achieve that rank.
Yahiko naturally understood this principle. Now that his master was going to teach him swordsmanship, he wouldn't have to worry about ninja tools.
Torifu nodded at Yahiko, then shifted his gaze to Konan.
"Konan, you did wonderfully. You successfully surpassed yourself and honorably defeated Yahiko. I am proud of you."
Torifu was genuinely happy. To be honest, he hadn't been very confident in Konan's victory.
Now it seemed Torifu had underestimated Konan's drive and her hard work.
"Tell me, what do you want? No matter what it is, I can reward you with it."
At these words, the other Kage, though a bit surprised, didn't find anything amiss.
The Hokage was simply using the champion title to reward his own disciples; they just needed to watch.
When Konan heard her master say she could choose anything, she found herself at a loss.
To be honest, Konan had been so focused on defeating Yahiko these past few days that she had completely forgotten about what reward she might want.
Besides, without winning the championship, she wouldn't have dared to even think about such things.
So, when Torifu asked, Konan didn't know what to ask for.
Noticing that Konan seemed to be experiencing some decision paralysis, Torifu didn't hastily push her to choose something.
"How about this? You won't think of anything in a short while. I'll give you this promise as your reward. You can use it anytime to exchange for whatever you need."
Konan was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly nodded: "Thank you, Master!"
The Kage present all burst into laughter.
With that, the award ceremony concluded.
The arena was now empty except for them, so Torifu suggested that everyone disperse.
If anyone had something to discuss, they could find him at the Kumotsuru Clan compound.
If not, they would see each other again at the Spring Festival in three days.
The Kage had no objections. Watching the matches these past few days had prevented them from properly enjoying Konoha Village.
Now that the arena competition was over, they could finally rest and relax.
After leaving the arena, the group went their separate ways. Torifu, taking Yahiko and Konan, did not use Concealment Jutsu.
They strolled leisurely through the streets of Konoha Village.
The villagers greeted them warmly, and surprisingly, the cheers for Konan subtly overshadowed those for Torifu.
It seemed the villagers truly appreciated Konan's victory.
Konan was momentarily overwhelmed, unsure how to respond to the villagers' calls.
Torifu told her not to be too nervous and just to be natural.
All the way home, the cheers were endless, and Konan diligently greeted every villager.
Although she had encountered similar situations when out in the past, it was usually only a few people.
This was the first time there were so many, such an overwhelming scene that left Konan a bit flustered.
Fortunately, the arena wasn't too far from the Kumotsuru Clan's home; they arrived in about ten minutes.
Entering the courtyard, Konan sat in the pavilion, panting heavily.
Yahiko leaned against a pillar, smiling faintly: "How are you so exhausted? Isn't being popular a good thing?"
Konan shook her head: "It's not bad, exactly. It's just a bit too much to handle, too busy."
Konan quite liked the feeling, but with so many people, she couldn't properly manage every villager's emotions, feeling somewhat overwhelmed.
Torifu poured a cup of tea and took a sip: "You'll get used to this kind of thing."
"Including you, Yahiko, your fame will surely grow even greater in the future. This is just a small scene."
Yahiko and Konan finally understood why their master liked to go out using Concealment Jutsu.
Such a scene would truly be hard to handle without it.
"Master, can you teach us Concealment Jutsu?"
Torifu glanced at Yahiko: "No need. The reason so many villagers like you is because of your title as the Hokage's disciples and how you made a name for yourselves in this arena competition."
"The villagers have given you the title of genius, which is why there's such a reaction. Once the excitement of this period passes, things will quickly return to normal."
Besides, teaching Concealment Jutsu was too troublesome. It had taken a long time even when he taught it to a Kage-level ninja like Naori.
These two children couldn't even perform A-rank ninjutsu yet, so they shouldn't even think about Concealment Jutsu.
After being rejected by Torifu, Yahiko and Konan weren't too disappointed. Instead, they opened "Naruto."
They wanted to see if their master had created them as characters.
However, after logging into the game, they found that apart from Mifune, there were no new ninjas; only a preview had been released.
Three dark silhouettes, accompanied by a passionate but slightly awkward short text – their master certainly knew marketing.
"No need to look. I haven't started making them yet, but they will definitely be released on time."
Thus, the two could only try out the new character, Mifune, to see if they could master him for ranking up in the new season.
Just as Yahiko and Konan were playing happily, Naori returned with Akihara, followed by Minato and Kushina.
"Eh? You're back so soon? I thought the awards ceremony would take much longer," Naori smiled at Torifu, while Akihara in her arms waved his small hand, signaling Torifu to look at him.
Torifu smiled warmly, reaching out to take Akihara and hold him in his arms.
These two had been at the arena every day and hadn't spent much time with their son. Now that the competition was over, father and son could finally bond.
"Where did you go for a walk? I didn't see you at all on the way back."
Naori tapped Torifu's forehead with her finger: "It would be strange if you did. I took Akihara and Minato to Master's place for a visit."
"You wouldn't believe it, Master has already started tirelessly practicing with Mifune. He was just humoring me, so I eventually came back, not wanting to disturb his game."
As Naori spoke, she seemed to be complaining a little.
Torifu knew exactly what his master was like: dignified and imposing in front of outsiders, but like an old child with his own family.