The day of the finals dawned beneath a cloudless sky.
Torrent City, the Grand Martial Arts Tournament arena.
The enclosed arena was surrounded by high walls, with spectator stands on every side.
Its layout resembled the old Chunin Ninja Exams venue in Konoha, but it was dozens of times larger.
Private boxes had been specially provided for the Daimyo of each country in the surrounding stands.
Looking out at the packed seats and roaring crowds, Shixiu, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, waved his little fan and sighed in admiration. "The Grand Martial Arts Tournament gets grander every year. Even on my inspection tours, I've never seen anything this impressive. Naruto, you really are remarkable..."
Naruto's Shadow Clone, seated beside him, smiled. "Not at all. If you hadn't stood against all the opposition and allowed the Ninja to carry out their reforms back then, none of this would have been possible. You're the one who deserves the greatest credit..."
Shixiu half hid his face behind his little fan and said coyly, "Don't flatter me. At most, I gave things a push. Isn't Asura the one who won the Ninja such widespread public support...?"
Indeed, Asura was the one whose contribution could not be overlooked. He had spent two years traveling around the world, teaching hundreds of millions of people about the threat posed by powerful enemies from beyond their world. He had encouraged people to join the global movement of their own accord, winning broad public support for the small minority that was the Ninja!
Still, Shixiu could not help worrying. "But that 'New Luo Country' of his has people like us on edge..."
As it turned out, while spreading awareness of the Ōtsutsuki threat, Asura had also spread the teachings of Ninshu. To attract a wider audience and