In the heart of the water country.
Arthur was at his office, where he was peering out through the window.
The sprawling fields of his territory continued to prosper without anyone else's doubts.
He, as the acting head of an entire country, could just as easily do what Gengo did: place everyone in the country under his illusion.
But an act like that was laced with consequences. Especially for a country as big as this one.
One of the primary risks was the loss of loyalty. If any of the populace broke the illusion and discovered that others were also in it, the resulting betrayal could lead to a complete collapse.
Citizens would revolt against him, perceiving him as a tyrant manipulating them for his own benefit.
Loyalty, as he knew, was foundational in ascendancy. Once severed, it would be difficult to rebuild.
Moreover, an illusion would create a society where the citizens no longer made decisions based on what they desired. That could result in a populace that was psychologically dependent on the illusion, thus becoming unable to cope with certain things a society needed to function properly.
Assuming the citizens came to rely on the illusion for comfort or satisfaction, it might lead to widespread apathy or inertia in addressing real problems.
Illusions themselves could breed resentment, especially among those who break them. And if certain individuals or groups within society grow aware of the truth and actively oppose the illusion, it could lead to deep societal divisions, creating factions or violent uprisings against Arthur's regime.
The potential for such a psychological trauma was far too immense for Arthur to carry on alone. And without visibility into these issues, he would risk making uninformed decisions that could exacerbate situations rather than resolve them.
From an ethical standpoint, manipulating the very fabric of this world for the populace runs counter to principles of ethical leadership.
That was the exact reason Madara Uchiha's grand plan of placing the entire world under an illusion failed.
Citizens deserved the right to experience Arthur's country from a lighter standpoint.
On top of all this, maintaining a lasting illusion would require continuous effort. Hence why Gengo's plans failed; he placed himself in a position where just about anyone could disrupt his scheme.
But Arthur was not Gengo; he knew the implications of such manipulation.
Both allies and adversaries react strongly against it. Allies would feel compromised, while enemies would gain leverage to rally the populace against him.
Those thoughts aside, he believed now was the time to implement an idea he had been saving—an idea so brilliant, so audacious, that he couldn't help but say it out loud.
"It's time to host the tournament…"
A tournament was the perfect thing to create while he was in this much power. And not just any tournament, but an epic showcase of skills to test his strength.
It was a genius move—one that could elevate his standing even further and create a spectacle that would dazzle other countries.
'Taijutsu only,' he reminded himself. 'Ages twelve and up, all ranked Genin or higher.'
It was essential that the tournament highlight pure physical prowess, stripping away ninjutsu and genjutsu that were more devastating than profitable. The outcome would not only serve as entertainment; it would be a decisive gauge of skill levels across villages, a way to see who reigned supreme.
Of course, Arthur was not naïve.
Hosting this tournament in his own territory would invite a whole lot more than just suspicion. He also couldn't trust the ninjas from neighbouring lands to respect his authority unfailingly.
So instead, he decided that the Land of Waves would serve as the perfect venue—a place where he already had influence over. The feudal lord of that territory was under his full control. Plus, the Land of Waves had a treaty with his land, making it understandable (from a political viewpoint) for ninjas from his country to attend.
Without another thought, Arthur summoned his secretary, who entered the room after three knocks with a graceful bow. Her quick hands were already armed with a clipboard, ready to document his every word.
"We have work to do," he commanded. "The tournament we talked about earlier. Do you recall?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Good. We'll be hosting it in the Land of Waves."
Her eyes widened momentarily before her expression shifted to one of professionalism. "Would you like me to inform the feudal lord about the event, my lord?"
"Yes… And prepare a letter of invitation detailing the nature of the tournament."
The secretary nodded as her quill scratched across her clipboard.
Because this was supposed to be a tournament of skill, I meant that there would also be spectators. Each fighter would be pouring in from different nations, meaning each talent would be vying for glory—be it for themselves or their village.
After the letter was penned, the secretary sent it off through a messenger hawk.
Arthur leaned back in his chair, content. But he was not done quite yet. There was much more to consider.
✟
Two days later.
The response finally arrived. The feudal lord of the Land of Waves, under Arthur's influence, had accepted the proposal without question.
The tournament would take place in their grand stadium, which had hosted matches like this long before. It was a location that was also the perfect backdrop for a clash of ninjas that considered themselves titans.
'Now it's time to spread the word,' he thought with his hands together.
This tournament needed fighters worthy of his attention. So those last two days weren't spent with him just waiting around.
No, he had summoned his management team to help campaign the event. Doing so was simple: mass production of flyers was created to be distributed across neighbouring countries, even as far as the hidden villages of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.
The invitation had to be grand, after all. At least if they wanted to draw participants from distant countries.
Arthur's secretary coordinated the logistics, while he oversaw the creation of eye-catching designs. Like bold colours splashed across the flyers, graphics depicting the purpose of the tournament, and enticing phrases like "Prove Your Might!"
It was as if a siren was singing to every aspiring ninja regardless of where they were from.
As the day progressed, the flyers were printed in bulk, with each one designed for the different nations.
It would take a few more days to distribute them everywhere and then longer to receive everyone's response. Messengers would also need to travel to various hidden villages, ensuring that the news spread like wildfire.
The cost of this was staggering.
Organizing the event, maintaining the stadium, securing accommodations, and ensuring everything ran smoothly took six million ryō. All of which was from Arthur's pockets.
Was he willing to spare any expense? Of course not. He didn't bat an eye at the bill. In a world where he wielded so much power, who would dare oppose the will of a feudal lord?
Everyone working on this project was determined to make it a monumental success, one that would allow Arthur to gauge the best of the best, whose skills were either hidden, never expanded on, or created without anyone's knowledge.
And, of course, the ninjas from his earth would be allowed entry.
✟
The week slipped by swiftly.
As the flyers made their way across the land, Arthur set his sights on the operational aspects of the tournament. He emphasized security to ensure that both fighters and spectators would feel safe as they gathered.
There would be an array of guards, officials, and referees—all tasked with maintaining fair play or preventing deception.
Reportedly, even some of the Kage were interested in coming to this tournament. So much so, they sent the feudal lord of the Land of Waves a personal letter that would ensure their accommodations.
Out of all the Kage in the world, the five major ones—Tsunade Senju, Gaara of the Sand, A, Mei Terumi, and Ōnoki—three of them requested to spectate.
Even Arthur was impressed by those wishing to simply watch.
Both fighters and onlookers would begin milling into the Land of Waves soon. From the west corners of the ninja world, they would descend, clad in different colours and bearing the symbols of their respective villages, each seeking something.
Whether it was honour, a challenge, recognition, or perhaps the grand prize for the winner, it was going to be a captivating sight.
And he knew that this was going to be a success because it was not being hosted in the Water Country. Hardly any nation of the Five Great Ninja nations held friendly matches to begin with.
Everything had been taken into account. Not only was his name not being used, it was other officials taking responsibility.
If others began discovering Arthur by name and started spying on him, it would threaten his shadow government.
Things simply had to be perfect.
That included the grand stadium; it was currently being prepared to accommodate the influx of arrivals.
And because this was akin to a national event, wanted criminals wouldn't be allowed entry. That included all the members of the Akatsuki, spies, Sound Village ninjas, and almost everyone who had bounties on their heads—be it from the Water Country or elsewhere.
The last thing he wanted was someone invading this land like Orochimaru did in the Leaf Village.