When Jiraiya heard Kakashi Hatake suggest throwing the match,
he froze for a moment.
Then Jiraiya shook his head and explained in a somewhat serious tone, "There's no need, Kakashi."
"This isn't an exhibition match, and it isn't about who wins or loses."
"I suspect Yemu might know something... The Shinobi World may face an even greater enemy in the future."
Jiraiya hadn't spoken loudly, but his words sent a sharp tremor through Kakashi Hatake's heart.
An enemy?
The name that instinctively surfaced in Kakashi's mind was-Orochimaru.
After all, as far as he knew, Orochimaru was the classic villain, the greatest missing-nin threat to come out of Konoha.
"Who could possibly pose a threat to Yemu?" Kakashi couldn't help murmuring.
Honestly, he couldn't think of anyone.
This was Yemu they were talking about.
Having witnessed the Fourth Shinobi World War firsthand, they knew all too well how terrifying Yemu was.
He was a monster who could suppress an entire battlefield single-handedly. Even Madara Uchiha, even the Five Kage working together, couldn't gain the upper hand against him.
In fact-
Kakashi had once seen Yemu punch an enemy all the way into outer space. That sight had been like something out of a myth.
Who could possibly threaten someone like that?
A chilling thought surfaced in Kakashi's mind:
Could the enemy be from... another planet, rather than the Shinobi World?
"Who knows?"
Jiraiya shook his head with a sigh, gazing beyond the Arena as though looking through the noisy crowd toward a more distant future.
Kakashi's gaze sharpened.
His earlier laziness and joking vanished, replaced by a keen, serious look.
"In that case, Lord Jiraiya... I'll take this a little more seriously."
As his words fell, the air abruptly grew heavy.
The clamor of tens of thousands of surrounding shinobi seemed