"…"
Kakashi fell silent.
Asuma was silent too.
Genma Shiranui? Also speechless.
And the crowd, after gasping collectively, also fell into an awkward hush—as they watched Might Guy being dragged away by the arcade owner and swarmed by four or five employees demanding compensation.
Yeah… the atmosphere got real awkward.
Because the truth was… Guy hadn't been lying. He really had gotten stronger.
In the past, he'd only broken a few arcade sticks. But this time? He destroyed an entire machine.
If that's not progress, then what is?
Everyone looked mournfully at the unplugged, now completely dead machine, letting out a collective internal sigh.
"One million ryo… what a waste."
A few shinobi were even whispering that Guy would probably be assigned a long-term mission again after this—and who knew if he'd make it back in time to join the tournament?
Of course, with that kind of "playstyle"—breaking an arcade cabinet just because he got a little hyped—there was no way he'd qualify for the Shinobi King 52 tournament anyway.
As for Kakashi?
He didn't even know what to do anymore.
The arcade had only recently added ten new cabinets, bringing the total to 25. Now one of them was trashed. That left only 24.
And the one that got smashed? It was the one he'd asked someone to hold for him.
Guess that meant… no training today.
Could he ask another player to give up their machine?
Impossible.
Not only were most of them currently pushing for tournament qualification, but even if they weren't—Kakashi couldn't bring himself to pull rank just to cut in line.
He let out a helpless sigh.
Guess it was time to crack open a book and work on his academic skills instead.
Honestly, he really did want to win this thing.
He wanted to take first place… and use the reward to design a playable character based on one of his old, show-offy comrades.
His lips curled upward slightly.
"He'd definitely be happy about that."
If only Guy wasn't such a dumbass…
Seriously, what was with all that force? It was just a game!
Now neither of them could play.
With another sigh, Kakashi reached into his gear pouch and pulled out a pocket-sized full-color book. He glanced over at Genma and Asuma, who had already started sparring again, then shook his head.
"Whatever. Guess I'll read for now."
...
Meanwhile…
Uchiha Clan Compound
"What's your take on Sunagakure's upcoming tournament?" Uchiha Fugaku asked calmly, sipping a cup of hot tea as he stared at Shisui across from him. "Are you planning to participate again?"
The last tournament—the first Shinobi World Mini 4WD Championship—had indeed changed a lot of people's perceptions of the Uchiha.
Especially Shisui. He had chosen to stay behind and cover his teammates during a critical moment, buying them the time they needed to secure a win. It was a selfless move. Noble, even.
Although Leaf Village didn't get a three-peat in the end, it… wasn't the Uchiha's fault.
So it didn't really matter.
Shisui's actions had shown the spectators—both civilians and shinobi—that the Uchiha did carry the Will of Fire.
They were willing to sacrifice for their comrades, for victory, and for the village.
Since then, Fugaku had noticed a significant drop in complaints during clan meetings. Most people only wanted to talk about Shisui's heroic final race, where he'd died covering the Third Hokage's students. It brought a sense of pride and unity to the whole clan—and gave Fugaku, as clan head, a rare sense of relief.
Which was why…
The Uchiha were taking this upcoming tournament very seriously. They'd started training a month ago, and even set up a sponsorship program—those who qualified and showed promise would get funding directly from the clan.
The only uncertainty now was… whether the Third Hokage would even allow the Uchiha to participate again.
Fugaku crossed his arms and watched Shisui, who had fallen into thought.
A few moments later—
"I'll go," Shisui said firmly, looking up at Fugaku with conviction. "No matter what, the Uchiha should participate in all three events. And just like last time, we'll prioritize the interests of the village."
They weren't doing this to win prizes or design a custom character.
Their only goal… was to ease tensions between the Uchiha and the rest of the village.
"We need everyone to see what the Uchiha are doing for Konoha."
"…Right."
Fugaku nodded, expression as calm and impassive as ever.
Shisui was right.
Ever since the Second Hokage's time, the Uchiha had been confined to the village. Few of them were ever assigned missions outside, and those who were either died young or never rose to prominence.
All the villagers ever saw were Uchiha patrolling the streets with the Police Force—making arrests and stirring up fear.
They never saw the Uchiha contributing to the village.
However…
"What about the Hokage?"
"I'll speak to him," Shisui replied.
Now he finally understood why Fugaku had summoned him in the first place.
It wasn't to ask for his opinion.
It was to send him as a messenger—to gauge the Hokage's stance on letting the Uchiha compete. To find out if they'd be allowed to participate, and if so, how many slots they'd be given.
Shisui smiled faintly and nodded.
"I believe… since he allowed us to participate in the first Mini 4WD tournament, this time shouldn't be a problem."
"…Good."
Fugaku allowed himself a rare, brief smile.
A flicker, really.
Then he nodded again.
"I'll leave it to you, Shisui."
If they could win more recognition this time, then that guy would think twice before making a move against the Uchiha again.
After all—
Ever since the last tournament, when Shisui and Itachi's actions earned public praise, that guy had clearly relaxed surveillance around the Uchiha Compound.
...
"Achoo! Achoo!"
"You're not young anymore. The weather's warming up, but you still need to dress properly."
"My nose just tickled. Anyway, why'd you call me here?"
"Haha, nothing major. Just wanted to ask about the Uchiha…"
"Short on manpower. I pulled a few units back," Danzō replied coldly, giving Hiruzen Sarutobi a blank stare. "Relax. There's still a squad monitoring the area. Not everyone's been withdrawn—it's sufficient."
"I see…" Hiruzen frowned slightly, taking a drag from his pipe before nodding. "If we really can resolve the tension between the Uchiha and the village… that would be best."
He gave Danzō a grandfatherly smile.
"Oh, and there's one more thing I need from you."
"What?"
Of course there was more.
Danzō scoffed internally. He never calls unless he wants something.
Always needs me to step in. Useless.
As expected—
"If possible… allocate a few arcade cabinets for the competitors to train on," Hiruzen said with a chuckle, paying no mind to Danzō's scowl. "This is a tournament, after all. We don't want Konoha embarrassing itself in front of the other villages."
"…"