Land of Iron Arena.
This circular venue, cast from obsidian and refined steel, gleamed with a cold, hard sheen in the morning light. The stands rose in tiers, enough to hold several thousand people. More than seventy percent of the seats were already filled—samurai, ninja, envoys from various nations, and countless gazes converged on the hundred-meter-wide martial arena at the center.
The air carried the mingled stench of rust and blood.
They were traces left behind by yesterday's preliminaries, not yet completely cleaned away.
Hyuga Xiao stood in the shadows of the contestants' passageway, dressed in inconspicuous gray combat clothes and wearing a half-face iron mask—the standard equipment the Land of Iron provided to "unaffiliated wandering ninja." The Byakugan beneath his mask had long since been activated, his vision piercing through the walls and taking in the entire arena layout.
On the highest platform in the stands, Mifune, the Land of Iron's general, sat upright, with four personal guards standing behind him. To his left was the Hidden Cloud delegation's representative—Darui stood with his arms crossed, expressionless. To his right sat Feng Qianye, a general of the Land of Iron, clad in magnificent armor with a faint smile on his lips.
Farther away, the delegations from Leaf Village, Hidden Sand, Hidden Rock, and Hidden Mist were scattered throughout the stands. Xiao's gaze lingered briefly on the Leaf Village section—Nara Shikaku was leading them, accompanied by several ANBU agents. Kurenai Yuhi and Samui were nowhere to be seen; as planned, they were lying in wait outside the arena.
"First round, third match."
The referee samurai's booming voice echoed through the arena. "The contestants—wandering ninja 'Gray Raven' versus Maple Clan samurai 'Maple Oni'!"
Xiao stepped out of the passageway.
The sunlight was blinding.
He stepped onto the obsidian-paved martial arena, his footsteps