The Chunin candidates' final matches were held in a place that looked like a gladiatorial arena.
When Hao Shuai and Hinata walked into the arena, they saw that it was bustling with activity.
Good grief, what a spectacle.
The drums were beating, firecrackers popping, ninja banners fluttering, and people packed the stands.
All in all, it was quite a sight.
The matches hadn't even started yet.
But the stands were already filled with spectators eager for a show.
Hao Shuai found their seats and settled in. As he chatted with Hinata, he kept an eye on their surroundings.
Aside from the spectators, Hao Shuai sensed many Anbu agents mingling throughout the arena.
Their purpose was naturally to protect the nobles and daimyos seated high in the VIP boxes.
Every Chunin Exam attracted many daimyos and nobles, so it also served as a chance for the various ninja villages to display their strength. The nobles of each country could then assess them and decide how to allocate their many ninja missions.
Hao Shuai really didn't know what to say about that.
You were ninja villages, the most powerful military forces in the world.
You commanded such formidable strength, yet still cowered beneath the daimyos of each country. It was ridiculous.
And with power like that, no one had even wiped out the daimyos and taken their place.
Hashirama Senju had once had the chance to unite the ninja world. Yet after establishing Konoha Village, he had willingly handed the village's lifeblood—its resources, its economy, and even its most advanced military assets—over to the daimyo.
And it wasn't just Konoha. By distributing the nine Tailed Beasts and using his own strength to intimidate them, Hashirama had gotten the other ninja villages to do the same, handing their lifeblood over to their respective