Jiraiya remembered when Hiruzen Sarutobi was still alive, that old man who always had a pipe between his lips and a smile on his face.
His eyes grew a little hot, but Jiraiya blinked and held back that trace of moisture.
I can't lose my composure here.
I'm the Hokage.
Pretending to be the Hokage!
The noise in the stands continued for a long time.
Three days of intense matches had given everyone their fill of excitement.
All kinds of ninjutsu had appeared in turn during the battles: Earth Release, Water Release, Wind Release, Lightning Release, and those bizarre kekkei genkai from small shinobi villages, leaving the spectators cheering in delight.
Although the genin from the Five Great Nations held an overwhelming advantage most of the time, the occasional genius from a small shinobi village could also put on a fight that had people pounding the table in admiration.
In the second match of the third day, for example, a girl from Kusagakure used a unique Water Release technique to trap an Iwagakure genin for three full minutes, only losing when her chakra ran out.
Then, on the afternoon of the first day, an Amegakure genin had defeated a Kirigakure genin with a very rare Summoning Technique, stunning the entire audience.
"Three days."
Kurotsuchi rose from her seat and stretched her slightly stiff shoulders. "Watching all this has left me itching for a fight."
"If you stepped into the arena, Lady Tsuchikage, these children wouldn't need to compete anymore," Mei Terumi said with a soft laugh.
"I was only joking."
Burūi glanced at Jiraiya.
"Lord Hokage."
Jiraiya looked up. "What can I do for you, Lord Raikage?"
Burūi fell silent for a moment. A somewhat unfamiliar expression, something resembling approval, appeared on his rugged face.
"Konoha did a good job