More samurai gradually arrived in the hall.
The surrounding elevated platforms were also packed with people, who erupted in cheers.
"Look, that's Taito. I heard he wiped out a group of rogue ninja last time. He's extremely proficient in Wind-nature transformation and an exceptional swordsman."
"That's Mifune. I heard he once fought Hanzo head-on."
"Hanzo of Amegakure, the one called the Demigod? That's incredible."
The crowd drew sharp breaths. Hanzo the Demigod's strength was surely beyond anything they could imagine, yet Mifune had actually fought him.
"There's also Rikaku and Chusuke. They're both powerful samurai."
Listening to the surrounding discussions, Tetsuki's heart tightened, and she began to feel uneasy.
Before coming here, she had believed that with Ryōken's overwhelming strength, the championship was already in the bag. But now that she looked around, every one of these people seemed stronger than the last, with more extraordinary experiences than the last.
That Mifune had even fought Hanzo and survived. It was simply unbelievable.
Taito and the others were also formidable experts, all comparable to jonin.
Although Ryōken's swordsmanship was outstanding, he had ultimately come from Konoha, not the Land of Iron, where samurai flourished.
Tetsuki glanced at Ryōken's calm expression and sighed inwardly. In the end, he was still too young.
Even counting the unfinished thirty-first year of Konoha, Ryōken was only eleven.
Suddenly, a powerful aura swept through the entire hall, silencing everyone as they turned toward the elevated platform.
On the elevated platform.
General Yamamoto, his face stern and rigid, rose to his feet. Though he was already advanced in years, no one dared underestimate him.
The ANBU captains from the three nations all showed traces of wariness. General Yamamoto was from the same era as the First Hokage. The samurai profession, passed down since ancient times, was even