Seeing this, Takuya leaned his head to the side and feigned rest, ignoring the brewing chaos around him.
After all, he needed to conserve his energy—he'd be fighting A soon and wanted to be in peak condition.
Nawaki, however, was beside himself with anxiety. Meanwhile, Takuya remained calm and indifferent, and Tsunade stood with her hands on her hips, glaring down at Minato.
Despite his rapid growth and having surpassed Tsunade in height, Minato instinctively bent slightly under her intense aura. In the smallest voice he could manage, he quickly blurted out:
"Mikoto's colleague."
It was over. Completely over.
Nawaki slumped lifelessly into his chair, defeated, wishing he could disappear into thin air.
"Mikoto's colleague?" Tsunade repeated, her left arm crossed over her chest while her right hand rested against her chin. Her eyes sparkled with intrigue as she glanced at her despairing brother and quipped mercilessly:
"You're hopeless. Even Minato knows how to make the first move. And you? Dreaming of wooing a girl ?"
Then, with a sudden shift in tone, she declared, "I'll look into it."
Nawaki froze, looking like he wanted to disappear on the spot.
Sensing an opportunity to rescue Nawaki, Takuya finally spoke up, redirecting Tsunade's focus. "Shouldn't you be at the Hokage building, preparing for the ceremony?"
Fortunately, the mention of her duties successfully distracted Tsunade.
"The old man is already handling things over there. I just need to show up when it's time. Your fight with A has garnered a lot of attention, so Konoha needs to provide sufficient support—at least someone with enough status to oversee it," Tsunade said.
Sending someone prominent to supervise the fight would show respect to the Hidden Cloud Village and prevent them from using the event as an excuse to create unnecessary trouble.
As for A getting beaten to a pulp? That was A's own problem.
If he had the audacity to provoke and initiate a duel, getting thoroughly trounced was his own fault. Bringing it up to the level of inter-village diplomacy would only embarrass himself further.
"You should rest for a while. I have some important guests to entertain." Tsunade patted Takuya on the shoulder before flipping her long ponytail and leaving the waiting room.
On the other side of the arena, the Hidden Cloud Village's waiting room was packed with shinobi.
The once spacious room now felt cramped with the influx of muscular men. A, the star of the upcoming fight, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, nodding absentmindedly as Dodai lectured him.
"Yeah, yeah, you're right," A muttered dismissively.
Though he respected Dodai as a senior, A shared his father's disdain for long-winded advice.
"Right, right? A, I'm being serious here!" Dodai exclaimed, exasperated.
Despite all the intelligence Dodai had gathered on Takuya, A showed little interest.
"Takuya Yagami has a powerful summoning beast. Even if his eyes are compromised, affecting his own strength, the fox-like summoning beast resembling the Nine-Tails is no joke. You must take it seriously, A," Dodai warned.
"I'll crush his delusions with my own hands!" A declared, clenching his fists as his bulging muscles flexed, radiating confidence.
A wasn't being arrogant—he genuinely viewed most summoning beasts as minor obstacles.
A creature resembling the Nine-Tails didn't necessarily mean it was on the same level as a tailed beast. And since Snowy had appeared so infrequently, there wasn't much intelligence to suggest otherwise. A's dismissal of Snowy was, therefore, understandable.
Why use brains when muscle will do? A thought. His physique wasn't for show.
Dodai sighed. "Let's hope so."
Despite his warnings, Dodai could only hope that things would go as A predicted. Otherwise, today's fight could become a disaster.
This duel wasn't just personal—it had ramifications for both villages. The loser would bring disgrace upon their entire village.
The knock at the door signaled it was time.
Dodai opened it to find an ANBU shinobi, who nodded and said, "It's time. Takuya is ready."
"Finally!" A grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth. Shoving past Dodai, he strode confidently into the entry tunnel.
Dodai sighed again. "Let's head to the stands."
The audience of tens of thousands eagerly awaited the start of the match.
To ensure everyone's safety, Konoha had deployed a sealing team to set up barriers around the arena, preventing the fight from spilling into the crowd. Having raked in a fortune from ticket sales, Konoha couldn't afford to tarnish its reputation by neglecting spectator safety.
At the topmost tier of the stands sat the distinguished guests: leaders of various villages, daimyōs, and other high-ranking figures. Tsunade, representing Konoha, was among them.
When Takuya stepped into the arena, the crowd erupted with deafening cheers.
This was Konoha's home turf. Naturally, the audience was eager to support their own.
In contrast, A's entrance was met with indifference.
As Takuya strode forward with Snowy cradled in his arms, A's brow furrowed. The fox-like summoning beast resembling the Nine-Tails had indeed appeared.
From one section of the stands, Kushina and Mikoto watched together.
Kushina had initially wanted to bring Pakura along, but Pakura had been assigned as Tsunade's temporary bodyguard for the day, ensuring her safety despite Sakumo's presence.
"Big fox, Snowy will definitely teach that little A a lesson, right?" Kushina asked cheerfully.
From within her, the Nine-Tails let out a nearly imperceptible sigh. If it weren't for Kushina's potential to storm in, it would've rolled its eyes.
What kind of question is that?
As a spectator, the Nine-Tails should've been enjoying the show. But instead, it felt an odd sense of discontent.
Why can't I roam freely too?
Back in the arena, A scrutinized the seemingly harmless Snowy. He couldn't quite figure it out.
Is this little thing really that dangerous?
While A wrestled with his doubts, Takuya stood calmly, his presence effortlessly drawing the eyes of countless young women in the crowd.
"Takuya-sama is so handsome!"
"My heart is racing—what should I do?"
Compared to A's burly, dark-skinned physique, with arms thicker than most people's thighs, and his rugged face adorned with a small mustache, Takuya's slender frame, white combat suit, and long white hair flowing behind him made him far more appealing to the ladies.
A's type might appeal to those with unique tastes, but Takuya's charm was undoubtedly universal.